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<\|description\|>Anya Sorensdaughter Race: Aesir Bio: Anya was born on the frozen glaciers of Asgard, the only child of the famous smith Soren Danicson. Anya was the surviving child of a pair of twins, her brother dying during childbirth. Her icy white hair, already present at birth marked her as particularly fated (for good or ill) by Ymir the Frost Giant. The shaman of the village counseled the heart broken Soren not to despair over his fallen son, and that the child's shade might yet enter Valhalla through the deeds of his sister Anya. Although women were not typically called upon to bear arms, Anya's unique doom made her a special case. From the time she could work Soren trained his daughter in all the arts of war as well as in his smith craft. By the time she was ten should could run for a full day without rest and hold her own with sword, axe or spear as well as any man of eighteen summers. She wen't on her first raid against the Vanir at age sixteen and distinguished herself as a skilled and ruthless warrior. Over the succeeding years she became a champion and a war leader, leading her own raiding parties west into Vanirheim and south against the Cummorians. She developed a reputation for attacking unexpectedly, particularly in bad weather and in the snow, and savagely pressing the attack until the enemy was shattered. When Soren Danicson was mortally wounded in a battle in the Cummorian marches, he told his daughter that the night before he had dreamed of Ymir the Frost Giant and that the time had come for her to venture out of Asgard and find the doom she had been promised. Anya left before her fathers body was cold, working her way south towards an uncertain goal, selling her sword and following the charnel call of the ravens.</s> <\|message\|>Anya Sorensdaughter The Temple of Ishtar in Xarame was a magnificent place. It dominated the temple square, rising from the eastern side of the wide expanse of sandstone like the moon on a clear night. Its sides were sheathed in white marble that had been imported at great expense from Aquillonian quarries across the mountains and then laid so precisely that the a knife blade could not have been inserted between them. Two great obelisks stood to either side of the main gate, through which the flickering oil lamps light the way into the sanctum. Sythemis walked easily to the gate, apparently heedless of the ever present threat of cutpurses and robbers in the torchlit streets. The Temple guards did not know her, but they clearly knew better than to interfere with a well dressed and mysterious woman approaching the Temple at night. They raised their pikes and let her pass without comment, eyes following her from behind their intricately wrought helmets. Beyond the first gate was a courtyard in which lemon trees had been planted in profusion. Beautiful women stood or longued on marble benches infront of the bowers that that were artfully woven from the citris trees branches. The Temple Prostitutes were famed for their beauty, each selected for their voluptuousness and improved upon by regimes of diet and prayer until the resembled the bronze depictions of their mistress, with swollen busts and wide hips that gave them the aspect of beautiful but very slightly overripe fruit. Two of the girls approached Sythemis but she lifted her palm in a gesture which made the girls instantly abase themselves. "Mistress," the whispered as one, grinding their faces into the dirt in obeisance. Such whores had their place of course, but it was not their place to question the initiates of the deeper mysteries. "I have come to seek counsel, you will prepare the bath for me," Sythemis decreed. Both women sprang to their feet and rushed off into the temple. Sythemis turned abruptly, conscious of a gaze upon her and scanned the roofline, but there was nothing but moonlight. Shrugging it of as a passing foolishness she returned her mind to the task at hand. She needed to find a thief afterall. After perhaps ten minutes of waiting the two prostitutes returned. Sythemis nodded and led them into the temple itself. All three of them prostrated themselves before the bronze statue of the Goddess and then stood. The pair of initiates took up their positions to either side of Sythemis. The Stygian began to disrobe methodically, dropping her silken robe to the floor before adding her jewelry and undergarments until she stood naked before the statue. Her body was leaner than her escorts, darker also, dusky with the olive burn of the Stygian sun. In truth she was unusually voluptuous for her race, her bosoms and hips pleasing to Ishtar in the same way as her crooked mind was pleasing to her other patron. She raised both hands above her head. "Eia, Eai Shub-Niggurath," she intoned, using one of the forbidden names of the Goddess, "Calliya, Calliyae, eian sun nyto!" For a moment nothing seemed to happen. Ten heartbeats passed and then a slow grinding sound shook dust from the temple walls. A section of the floor before the statues feet slid inwards to reveal a passageway down into the earth. "Leave me," she told the wide eyed Temple prostitutes. The girls needed no encouragement to scurry back into the courtyard as Sythemis began her passaged down into the earth.</s> <\|message\|>Abelard Fhundil Amal cleaned the blood from his knife, idly wiping out the imperfections on the Nemedian steel. The bright moon glinted off its polish, brightening the darkness of his shemic eyes. Truthfully he had not wished to kill the temple-servant, a boy no older than eleven. But the youth had spotted him among the spires and Amal had been younger than he when he had killed his first. Had he the right mind, he would have run and told someone of the thief's whereabouts. Now he but basked upon the temple roof, perched upon the battlements as he gazed into the structure from above. The temple girls were supple of limb and gifted in ways men only dreamed, so he contented himself with watching them lounge and titter. A few gave prayers and litanies to Ishtar, which seemed fitting with all the death in Xarame surrounding their pretty little temple. He had heard the northerners of Cimmeria worshipped no Gods, and only paid the barest of homage to one. Grom, that was his name. A barbarian god who gave no shits to who spoke of him was amusing. Perhaps he would go there one day. Amal's musings were interrupted when someone else entered the temple. Briefly he wondered if they were guards having discovered the body of the boy, but no. This was a Stygian; a woman at that. She made the other women look like silly girls in comparison. There was sly maliciousness in her eyes that enchanted him as much as the Jewel of Khemi. There was an air of gravity to her presence. Something he couldn't pinpoint but it intrigued him. He watched with bated breath as she dismissed the others from the grounds, opening up a portal to underneath the superstructure of the temple. He watched her saunter within, hips swaying like the head of a cobra. Like a panther he sprung from the heights, landing on the ground in a roll. Some of the women had yet to even exit the door, but their backs were turned. None saw the theif silently pad into the maw of the stone behind the Stygian woman, following her to see what treasures she may seek within...</s> <\|message\|>Anya Sorensdaughter Sythemis passed down through the tunnel of hand smoothed stone until it opened into a chamber that centered around a large pool of dark water that shone like glass under the light of bowls of burning oil. A great statue of Ishtar stood above the pool wrought of gold and naked. This was not the tame Ishtar that the priests of Mitrha bleated about. This was the primal Goddess her hips and bust swollen, her face contorted in ecstasy or agony, her eyes terrible. The chamber had obviously been a natural cavern one, but the walls and roof had been polished and shaped by patient labor. Niches had been caved out of the walls, each glittering with small statues of Ishtar each bedecked in gold and jeweled highlights. The Stygian paid no mind to them, walking with slow gravitas into the pool sinking to her waste in the dark cool water. She raised her arms over her head and met the eyes of the statue. "Bikania Ishtar, emadazu nire senargaia Set," she began to chant, her body began a graceful dance, fingers cutting the top of the water in showers of droplets which set up rippling waves of glittering light. "Bikania Ishtar, emadazu ikuspegia," she chanted, her dance growing more estatic. The lamps began to flicker and writhe weirdly, the light dimming as she moved. Something slid past her in the water, brushing against her leg, but she ignored it continuing the chant and the dance as she beseeched the Goddess</s> <\|message\|>Abelard Fhundil The Shemite thief was many things, but not a fool. There was something ephemeral about what was transpiring; some darkness he could only feel in his soul, causing the hairs on his neck to stand on end. Had he been a man who's sense outweighed his curiosity, he might have fled. But that was not Amal Ibn-Hakeem, jackal of the sands. The scents of jasmine and myrrh wafted up the stone stairway, showcasing the pythoness was performing some rite or ritual. Her echoing words, whispers in a harsh tongue. She sounded as if her statement was both a command and an abasement of herself. The knife clutched in his hand, his arm bent to throw even before he saw her dancing there in the sacred pool. He might have seen the ripples beneath her, but her dancing was mesmerizing. The cutthroat felt a very mannish stirring within him, a warmth spreading from just below his belt as he watched her. He forcibly tore his gaze away to scan the rest of the cavern, spying the statues of gold. The ever pragmatic thief went from desiring her to thinking of slitting her throat before she could halt him from stealing the jewels mounted on the carvings. Lapis and lazulis, garnets and rubies, diamonds and emeralds that glittered like the stars, blinking in and out of existence as the lights began to flicker from what foul magic she was enacting. Amal had made a point to keep away from the dark powers, but this was a scene he couldn't leave empty handed. He made no sound as he stepped down the last steps and stalked across the stone floor behind the writhing seductress. He moved seven steps to hide behind a small dias that raised the carved stone floor. Certain he was no longer in her line of sight, the approached a small bronze statue of a dog-headed man, likely placed here as a war trophy from the old conquests of Xarame, and he used his knife to dig at its agate eyes, attempting to pry them out silently through the priestess's litany. The water sloshed for but a moment, halting his progress and causing him to look over his shoulder. He waited, and his patience was greeted by another, similar sound. The strong young man crept to the edge of his hiding spot, peering out to view what was transpiring. "Dagon and Ashtoreth," he breathed, calling upon his shemite gods to protect him.</s>	<\|message\|>Anya Sorensdaughter Sythemis, Child of the Desert, danced in the sacred pool of Ishtar, her dark hair flying as she spun in increasingly ecstatic arcs. The names of both Ishtar and Set spilled from her lips and the water began to churn and foam far beyond the power of her slim form. Shapes began to appear like queer waves, their crests furrowing to suggest the passage of serpents formed of living water, they curled around the Stygian, sliding over her legs and coiling up around her chest before dropping away in showers rain drops. Her chanting grew more frenetic as the water around her waist surged and foamed and she threw back her head dark eyes wide as she shouted the names of the gods interspersed with the arcane syllables which seemed poorly. The candles which lit the grotto guttered and dimmed, almost extinguishing before bursting into a queer black flame that seemed to fill the chamber with sharp hard edged light. The water spray froze in the air, hanging like a thousand firestruck gems, glowing with light of the braziers and the dark golden gleam of Sythemis' own eyes. "Mighty Set," she intoned in a voice of breathless anticipation, "reveal to me that which I seek, turn your gaze upon the thief whom I have sought in your embrace. Again the light flickered wierdly and then in an instant, every drop reflected the face of Amal Ibn-Hakeem.</s>
<\|description\|>Anya Sorensdaughter Race: Aesir Bio: Anya was born on the frozen glaciers of Asgard, the only child of the famous smith Soren Danicson. Anya was the surviving child of a pair of twins, her brother dying during childbirth. Her icy white hair, already present at birth marked her as particularly fated (for good or ill) by Ymir the Frost Giant. The shaman of the village counseled the heart broken Soren not to despair over his fallen son, and that the child's shade might yet enter Valhalla through the deeds of his sister Anya. Although women were not typically called upon to bear arms, Anya's unique doom made her a special case. From the time she could work Soren trained his daughter in all the arts of war as well as in his smith craft. By the time she was ten should could run for a full day without rest and hold her own with sword, axe or spear as well as any man of eighteen summers. She wen't on her first raid against the Vanir at age sixteen and distinguished herself as a skilled and ruthless warrior. Over the succeeding years she became a champion and a war leader, leading her own raiding parties west into Vanirheim and south against the Cummorians. She developed a reputation for attacking unexpectedly, particularly in bad weather and in the snow, and savagely pressing the attack until the enemy was shattered. When Soren Danicson was mortally wounded in a battle in the Cummorian marches, he told his daughter that the night before he had dreamed of Ymir the Frost Giant and that the time had come for her to venture out of Asgard and find the doom she had been promised. Anya left before her fathers body was cold, working her way south towards an uncertain goal, selling her sword and following the charnel call of the ravens.</s> <\|message\|>Abelard Fhundil Despite the strange spectacle, he still watched in a mixture of fear and lust. For a moment he had worried the water hid some great serpent, but instead it held a surprise the cutthroat not been prepared for. This was why wise men did not trust sorcerers, by Dagon. She was toying with him, he angrily theorized. This would not do for the thief, and so he sprang into action. With the grace of a panther, he scaled the incline of the stones and leaped off at its highest elevation, soaring over the water to splash and land right behind the voluptuous woman, pressing his knife to her throat. By all the gods, he should have cut her slim neck then and there, but her scent overwhelmed him just as the curves of her form pressed to his. Her beauty was even more captivating up close, but truthfully, he was more curious than anything. Why would she seek him of all the theives in Xarame, and there were very many. Amal had the strength and ferocity of an ape, palpably apparent as he wrapped his strong arm about her waist and pressed the knife to her neck, giving her just enough room to gaze into his dark shemite eyes, the smell of poorly bought alcohol on his breath. "Do not play games with me, Witch-priestess," he said in her ear, deathly calm. The waters began to recede about them, whatever magics she intoned draining away to nothingness. "What is it you want of me? Speak any words that do not answer my question, and you are dead." His eyes glinted in the torchlight, and she knew he was serious. Amal would not let any sorcerer or sorceress speak any arcane words to cast a spell as long as he could help it, and so he was prepared for the moment she attempted it. But as he looked at her, he added: "Speak what may please me, and you will yet live." softly. She had either cast a spell on him, or he earnestly was too curious to let the matter drop with a slit throat and a quick run from the scene. Some god wished his presence for some reason, and it may prove beneficial to know why. Plus, he had never had stygian woman before.</s> <\|message\|>Anya Sorensdaughter It had been said by irreverent that the gods had a sense of humor. As the blade pressed against her throat Sythemis wondered if it they had a point. She should still a desert statue, motionless save for the throb of her heartbeat in her supple body. For a moment they stood together in silence. "I asked Ishtar to reveal a great thief to me," Sythemis said calmly and simply. "I did not expect her to answer so swiftly," she admitted truthfully. That was something of an understatement, by Temple Law it was death for any man to set foot within this chamber. It should have been impossible for anyone to find there way into this hallowed space.</s> <\|message\|>Abelard Fhundil His strong hand grabbed her neck to cow her, though he doubted even he could do that. Here she was in his embrace, blade poking into her teasingly, and she seemed to have the power of him in the conversation. The slender, shining skin of her neck tantalizing in the firelight. "Well, I am a great thief. Ishtar did not lie on that count. But that is not the entire picture. You will tell it to me and more." He readjusted his grip on her, hoisting her up in his arms, his eyes never leaving hers. He was afraid she could bewitch him in such a fashion, but he couldn't risk taking his gaze off of her. She had to ring her arms around his neck after he ascended the stairs and began climbing, the acrobatic rogue easily able to haul her up with his ape-like strength. "Perhaps your bite is poisonous... Perhaps you have a hidden blade... I would not be surprised if you could slither out of my grasp despite your lush body, but kill me or escape, and you will fall to your death, serpent woman." He warned, breathing into her ear as she was lifted off the ground and sent to the roof of the temple. The women began to wail in despair and call after him to return her, but he ignored them. Soon they leaped from rooftop to rooftop, his biceps rippling like a constrictor as he grabbed ledges and nooks in the walls he scaled, until finally she was unceremoniously dropped onto her ass on a dusty floor within an old tower of shemite design, only used twice a year during the equinoxes to light the great fires of Xarame during their lavish festivals. Amal crouched before her, his teeth shining in the dark as he grinned ferociously. He toyed with his knife on his left hand, the hilt and blade flipping as it undulated between his flowing fingers. "I advise you to begin speaking. You are tempting to look upon, but even I am growing bored without an explanation. Now speak."</s> <\|message\|>Anya Sorensdaughter Sythemis worked hard to control her breathing and still the swell of her chest. Many times she had stood before the serpents of great Set, whose bit was death and who feasted upon fear. Many times she had delved into ancient tombs for hidden relics or fragments of arcane lore from creatures whose form and memory were lost to the minds of men. All these things she had done but never had she felt herself so surely on the edge of death. The glittering knife and hard eyes of the thief were a hot death, not the cold of a serpent's fang or antediluvian spell. It thrilled her to consider. "For three hundred and thirty three years a precious jewel has lingered in Xareme," she began, her voice was melodic but lacked any suggestion of hypnosis of coercion sure to bring a swift hot stroke of the blade. "It is no earthly gem, but a piece of the Moon itself, fetched back in the times before men rose from the mud of the southern jungles, from before great Atlantis was sunk beneath the waves. Strange beasts brought it in their black galleys which rode the stars on their thousand oars and silver sails," she explained, gesturing up to the waning gibbous moon that hung above the spires of the city. It seemed to peer down at them like the lidded eye of a waking lover, warm and expectant. "Once there were many such gems, prized by the Elder race above gold and silver, above even the glittering anthrax for which they traded armies of slaves and mountains of riches. They are gone now, taken up to the stars or lost in the abyssal depths to the hunger of things that lay below the ocean which men fear to even think of save in the dim recesses of dreams," the stygian continued, her words redolent with forgotten lore and the blasphemous secrets of past ages which had been dredged from the ancient crypts, or drawn from the lips of things long dead but undying. "Only one such gem now remains upon the earth, locked in a chamber within the Emir's palace," Sythemis continued, nothing the glimpse of hungry avarice on the thief's hard face with pleasure. "It is written that during the dark of the moon, in this auspicious year, a great thief will come to Xareme and take the jewel. The Emir's astrologers have seen this written in the stars, as others have seen it in augury and dream. I have come to Xareme to make this prophecy come true so that I may lay my hand upon the Moon Stone. One who has touched it may ask a boon of the moon, and I have such a boon to ask." The air shivered as warm wind blew in of the desert, the smell of hot sand and the cedar of the distant hillsides that made Xareme famous throughout the cradle of the world. "I asked Ishtar to reveal to me the thief that would take the stone, and you stood before me in a chamber where you ought not stand, in a temple which you ought not enter."</s> <\|message\|>Abelard Fhundil There was no dark magic in her voice, and yet Amal could see the jewels of the outer void. Their glimmer in the light of the moon and the mesmerizing glint that begged for his fingers to grasp it. The thief almost reached out as if waking from a dream. He had never been one for histories, but the rise and fall of nations were in her tale, and even the sand beneath their feet seemed to stir as if in awe of the majesty of ages past. Amal was a reaver, slayer, murderer, and thief, but the last was the greatest of his talents. What manner of thief would he be if he did not steal the greatest jewel of the land? His eyes snapped back to reality and regarded the pythoness, realizing he had almost fallen for her honeyed words. Stygians were ever a danger to those they put into their schemes or portents, and he did not trust her. He considered his options, and realized it would be far wiser to heed his perspicacity and cut her throat here, letting this legend die with her black blood spilled in this loney tower. And yet greed was too great of a seductress to him, and he was hungry for her despite his misgivings. "My wont is to enter places I cannot go and and stand in places no man can. I have seen the serpent temples of your country, sorceress, though your kind did not know it. I saw what lay there, though I dare not speak it. I have been to the Scarlet Citadel of Koth, and escaped its clutches unscathed, though it nearly took my life." He looked at the blade of his knife as he spoke, the steel gleaming in the light of the moon. The light illuminated his dread eyes, the orbs as sharp as his whalebone dagger. Beneath them, men had come out to bandy and drink, shouting to one another in their differing tongues and laughing with great mirth. Even the most remote places in Xarames had men stumble upon it, when taken to drink. The only dangers in the city were of Amal's ilk. A knife in the dark or poison in your cup. But beneath the Emir's palace, perhaps there were more dangers than those that men could pose. He would find out, he knew. "I will play the role of what you say I am. I will take the jewel and more besides, but if you betray me, I will open your belly and leave you to bleed." He warned. Amal knew the Witch-Priestess knew the price for betrayal regardless, but he wished to make it clear. He stood up from his menacing crouch, and with a deft twist imperceptible to the eye his knife was sheathed within his shagreen belt, swathed within a softer sash that no doubt hid further dangers. "Does your prophecy tell us of an entrance, or must I find one?"</s>	<\|message\|>Anya Sorensdaughter Sythemis let out a weird shuddering sigh as he sheathed the knife. Behind her the stars seemed to grow brighter and the moon seemed to pulse for a moment like a living heart. She wrapped her arms around the thief, the motion oddly devoid of human warmth despite the soft and pleasant feel of smooth skin. "There are more sources of wisdom than that which is whispered by the stars," she told him. The priestess opened her mouth and breathed, and something silvery and smelling of sharp spices came from her mouth like a hot breath on a winter's morning. Amal had time to stiffen before paralysis locked his limbs, and his vision dimmed down to the dark pinpricks of her eyes before finally going black. When Amal awoke he was in a dungeon. Heavy iron chain had been fastened around his wrists with cunning locks. The cell was small and barred with rods of rusted iron. Festering straw, rank with filth and death covered the floor. Screams could be heard in the distance, the eerie repetition of them bespeaking madness rather than simple pain. Torches of rancid fat guttered and burned in the hallway beyond like snapping dogs. The Black Cells were immediately recognizable from legend, even if few had ever returned to describe them. The Emir's personal dungeons, deep beneath his spire. "Awake is it," a paunchy jailor asked. He had a lazy eye and a wound on his right cheek that constantly leaked some foul-smelling exudate. He cuffed at it with a filthy tunic sleeve. "The last two she brought down here died without waking," the jailers told him conversationally. "I guess this means we will have some time to have fun with you before we take your tongue and your fingers," he went on brightly. The plump man got up and hurled a chicken bone he had been gnawing on at Amal. It struck him on the chest and dropped to the floor. "That's your dinner, you should enjoy it while you still have teeth to chew," the jailer advised, the pulled up his torch and headed off down the hallway, the light fading until Amal was left in near total darkness.</s>
<\|description\|>Anya Sorensdaughter Race: Aesir Bio: Anya was born on the frozen glaciers of Asgard, the only child of the famous smith Soren Danicson. Anya was the surviving child of a pair of twins, her brother dying during childbirth. Her icy white hair, already present at birth marked her as particularly fated (for good or ill) by Ymir the Frost Giant. The shaman of the village counseled the heart broken Soren not to despair over his fallen son, and that the child's shade might yet enter Valhalla through the deeds of his sister Anya. Although women were not typically called upon to bear arms, Anya's unique doom made her a special case. From the time she could work Soren trained his daughter in all the arts of war as well as in his smith craft. By the time she was ten should could run for a full day without rest and hold her own with sword, axe or spear as well as any man of eighteen summers. She wen't on her first raid against the Vanir at age sixteen and distinguished herself as a skilled and ruthless warrior. Over the succeeding years she became a champion and a war leader, leading her own raiding parties west into Vanirheim and south against the Cummorians. She developed a reputation for attacking unexpectedly, particularly in bad weather and in the snow, and savagely pressing the attack until the enemy was shattered. When Soren Danicson was mortally wounded in a battle in the Cummorian marches, he told his daughter that the night before he had dreamed of Ymir the Frost Giant and that the time had come for her to venture out of Asgard and find the doom she had been promised. Anya left before her fathers body was cold, working her way south towards an uncertain goal, selling her sword and following the charnel call of the ravens.</s> <\|message\|>Anya Sorensdaughter Sythemis let out a weird shuddering sigh as he sheathed the knife. Behind her the stars seemed to grow brighter and the moon seemed to pulse for a moment like a living heart. She wrapped her arms around the thief, the motion oddly devoid of human warmth despite the soft and pleasant feel of smooth skin. "There are more sources of wisdom than that which is whispered by the stars," she told him. The priestess opened her mouth and breathed, and something silvery and smelling of sharp spices came from her mouth like a hot breath on a winter's morning. Amal had time to stiffen before paralysis locked his limbs, and his vision dimmed down to the dark pinpricks of her eyes before finally going black. When Amal awoke he was in a dungeon. Heavy iron chain had been fastened around his wrists with cunning locks. The cell was small and barred with rods of rusted iron. Festering straw, rank with filth and death covered the floor. Screams could be heard in the distance, the eerie repetition of them bespeaking madness rather than simple pain. Torches of rancid fat guttered and burned in the hallway beyond like snapping dogs. The Black Cells were immediately recognizable from legend, even if few had ever returned to describe them. The Emir's personal dungeons, deep beneath his spire. "Awake is it," a paunchy jailor asked. He had a lazy eye and a wound on his right cheek that constantly leaked some foul-smelling exudate. He cuffed at it with a filthy tunic sleeve. "The last two she brought down here died without waking," the jailers told him conversationally. "I guess this means we will have some time to have fun with you before we take your tongue and your fingers," he went on brightly. The plump man got up and hurled a chicken bone he had been gnawing on at Amal. It struck him on the chest and dropped to the floor. "That's your dinner, you should enjoy it while you still have teeth to chew," the jailer advised, the pulled up his torch and headed off down the hallway, the light fading until Amal was left in near total darkness.</s> <\|message\|>Abelard Fhundil What he had initially taken as a carnal endeavor had turned into somehow both a fitful and yet deep sleep. He had let his guard down, and while he hadn't paid the ultimate price, it was a hefty one. His body ached, but he still had strength in him. He spat venomous curses at the woman, wanting nothing more than to get his hands on her, and not for anything pleasant. He had gotten out of worse, though this one had particularly caught him off-guard. Amal swore he would get out of here, and when he did he would do as he said and opened her belly with his knife. Amal looked at the man as he casually tossed him a chicken bone, seeing the sneer and watching him walk away into the dank halls of the dreaded cells. As the moments passed, he felt his wrath go from overwhelming to a distant simmer, and he could think more clearly. The fat gaoler had a point. He slid his foot out of its sandal, and he felt around on the floor until his heel bumped into the chicken bone. Sliding the object between his big toe and secondary one, he lifted his leg up by its side and bit into the bone a dozen times with his molars until it snapped in half. He coughed and spat out the lesser side, and arched his back to reach his foot above his head, limber as the apes that lurked south of Kush. He did not know precisely how long he worked at the lock, but he knew the usual shemite mechanisms, and eventually the sharpened bone served as a suitable lock-pick. He felt success flood into him as the manacle snapped open, and he grinned evilly. He placed the bone in his freed hand and picked the lock of the other, and it was during this that he smelled something rotten and awful, followed by a raspy voice of one who seemed on the brink of dehydration. "What know you of the Serpent woman?" It asked. Amal looked to where he heard the voice. A lean, gangly old man with a wispy beard gripped the bars and looked at him with sullen eyes. He looked so malnourished and weaselly, Amal felt a strong breeze would break his bones and rip the beard off his pointed chin. He looked at Amal as if he was the key to the world's redemption, and it both disturbed and confused the cutthroat. The smell, he realized, was from the old man's mouth. "Know you the secret of what she seeks?" "What I know is she will die," Amal promised softly as his next manacle popped open. The bone was still sharp, and so he kept it in his hand as he got to his feet, the thews of his limbs were as ready as the day he had first murdered a man. "Do not get in my way, elder, or you will be first." "All die, thief." He croaked, reaching for Amal as if he could touch him from across the cells. "But there is more to you and the priestess. More you have yet to finish. But my task is done, though my spirit yearns for life." His last word ended in a long breath, and to Amal's horror, snakes began to slither out of the aged vagabond, his mouth, nostrils, and ears like venom pits, and his form went from lean to naught but bones and skin like rags. Amal stepped away from the spent corpse, and to his left he suddenly noticed the door to his cell was open. The old man was not reaching for Amal, but the door. He had opened it, somehow. The serpents coiled away into the darkness as Amal felt a chill run up his spine.</s> <\|message\|>Anya Sorensdaughter There was only one way up from the Black Cells. It wound up a set of basalt stairs, cut too tall for the easy tread of men, though whether to allow the egress of fouler things, or simply to make the passage harder was unclear. The stairs opened onto a room paved with the most intricate mosaic Amal could imagine. It seemed the whole of the city was picked out in tiny tiles of white ceramic, the variations from ivory to a dull brown barely enough to provide contrast. Amal realized they were human fingerbones, cut and polished flat. In the center of the room, perhaps thirty paces away, a man in a snow white robe and a blindfold as black as night sat cross legged. Here, where the Tower would have been, the fingerbones lost their flat cross section and regained themselves reaching up to grasp at the mans legs like drowning victims reaching for a hand. It was very bright, moonlight shafting down from some place impossibly far above through some clever trick of mirrors and engineering. The whole tableau seemed to glow like the stars on fresh snowfall. "Welcome thief," the robed figure said and lifted his left hand. Tendrils of light whipped around Amal's wrists and thighs. They were no solid thing but they burned like fire. Smaller tendrils spread out from their parents, coiling and hooking. "Long have I pondered the secret of the old man, and long have I wondered what this so called Stygian priestess sought. I have long known that she bent the ear of the Emir with her filthy trickery but to what end I had not yet divined," he stated, making a gesture that lifted Amal into the air. The pain grew more intense, like standing too close to a fire that was flaring hotter and hotter. "Little wonder a fool such as you should choose to aid her. You all see only how she appears on the outside, but a pleasant curve can hide things that a man might not want to see. Shall I tell you? You are after all going to die so the secret does you no good, and perhaps it might bring you some extra measure of torment in hell? Well…" The man's voice suddenly cut off as a red line appeared from ear to ear. For a moment the man seemed shocked. Then the red line began to pour down his white robe in a torrent of blood, soaking the pristine fabric in moments. "You always talked too much Antiachus," Sythemeis stated. Her hand gripped the white robed man's cowl and the knife in her hand sawed back and forth, the edge grating against the bone. The fingers on the ground spasmed as blood rained down upon them and their color darkened to black. The ebon hue began to spread from tile to tile like dye poured into clear water. The fiery ropes of light holding the thief aloft vanished as the old man, the Wizard Antiachus, coughed his death rattle. The priestess had not succeded in severing the head, despite her strenuous effort so she let the ruined corpse fall forward into the embrace of grasping fingerbones. "Run!" she called to Amal as the stain spread. "You must reach this side of the chamber without touching the black, move, for your soul dont tarry!"</s> <\|message\|>Abelard Fhundil Amal loathed sorcery. Somehow he had become engrossed with cabals of rival mystics, and he wanted nothing more to be gone from here. Or, nothing more save the jewel, and perhaps even the woman still if she proved faithful and as useful as she just was. By Bel, he would find the truth of this! The daring thief ran forward as the blackness spread, some of the liquid pouring down creases in the tiling but remained off the face of the tiles for the moment, giving him small islands to hop on. He leaped like a puncing jackal, and with the black quickly encircling him, he made a desperate jump to the left. A normal man of comfortable living would have hit the wall and broken bone, but Amal landed on the sandstone and planted his feet as if he were right-side up, and launched himself off the wall like the spring of a lock. He spun mid-air and landed roughly against the solid surface of the ground at Sythemis's feet. He bled from a small wound on his leg, naught but a scrape but he grunted from the pain and rose before her. Beside them, Antiachus's body lay still and bleeding uncontrollably, and the two thieves fled the room into the following tunnel. It was a dark corridor of dim torches and the screaming faces of demons carved into the walls. "This way," Sythemis said, but she did not make it two steps before her slender throat was grabbed and she was shoved into the wall. Amal's eyes were not cold like they had been at the tower. Here they blazed with wrath, the torch-light dancing along his rippling muscles that were even now poised to snap her neck if she made a move. "Using me, I can understand. Even respect. But throwing me into this pit without warning me first would have been your death had you not just saved me there." He told her, his voice like iron. Amal was clearly not a wizard or sorcerer of any kind, for if he could manifest his will, she would have burst into flame. "It will not save you again." He let her go, and gestured with a small tilt of his head for her to continue. Bel curse him, he did enjoy seeing her walk before him, despite his rage.</s>	<\|message\|>Anya Sorensdaughter Sythemeis gave that thief a look that said much without words but tempted though she was she chose not to argue. What good would it do to explain now that if he had tried to cross the wards the wizard had set he would have become the nine hundredth and ninety ninth set of finger bones in the collection of Antiachus the Mooncursed? "Follow man," she instructed the word 'man' laden with contempt. They climbed higher into the tower, the stairs lacking the larger than life rise of the dungeon. At intervals arched windows granted vistas of the palace gardens and the city beyond both illuminated with moonlight and winking with the cruder light of torches. They reached a great doorway and passed through. Inside a dozen guardsmen stood about a circular guard room, its floor tiled with alternating black and white wedges. "Touch them not," Sythemeis advised. The men were typical of the Emir's guard, dressed in studded tunics with silk sashes over their shoulders and belted at the waist. High boots of woven leather gave their legs a rough and unhealthy aspect. None of the guards reacted to their presence as they all stared blind and bemused up at the waxing moon. Their eyes were monochrome and pearlescent like the nacre of a shellfish. One or two of them moaned softly as they passed. "They looked upon the moon," she told Amal as though that explained everything. There was an eagerness in her voice a yearning like a thirsty man at last in sight of a broad river. "We must hurry, she swells," she explained, reaching the stairs on the other side, atop the next flight they came to a door. It was of dark wood, inlaid with golden tracery and thumb sized gems which themself would have been worth a small fortune at the gem sellers and pawn brokers. A great lock was built into its center veins of gold and silver running away from it in a hateful imitation of the sun. "No man has stepped beyond this door without a key," Sythemis explained, reaching out and touching the wood with the palm of her hand. For the first time it was tentative and uncertain as she felt the grain of the wood beneath her smooth palm. "A task for a master thief, one of three which are laid upon this tower," she told Amal, turning to look at him, her dark eyes glittering in the moonlight. "We must hurry," she repeated, "if we are not gone when the bones return Antiachus from the depths, we shall wish for a death that will not come."</s>
<\|description\|>Laki Hirata \|\| 平田ラキ Arcana Chariot Age 3rd Year High Schooler (18) Personality Traits Hardworking and decisive, Laki places great value on spending one's time intelligently. He's never idling–always reading a book, working with his hands, or earning money at a part-time job. He does have an easygoing and comedic side, but it's been largely suppressed by the urgency of his current situation. No time to relax when there's money to be made and material to study. He can easily overwork himself, but believes it's just a result of not being strong enough. Due to his mixed parentage and current situation, Laki often feels a bit put out around others. He's never looked quite like everyone else (dominant Samoan genes will do that) and his Japanese is slightly accented. Combine that with the stigma around single mothers and foreigners, well, you get the idea. Backstory Laki's life is defined by his heritage–his mother a Japan-naturalized Samoan, his father a small-town doctor. The two parents met while his father was doing humanitarian work in the Samoan islands. They fell in love, married, and eventually moved to Japan when Laki was six. Laki's mother naturalized into a Japanese citizen after five years and picked up a job as a hairdresser. Soon after, Laki's mother discovered that her husband had cheated on her, driving a crack into their relationship. Furthermore, Laki was struck by a deadly illness that confined him to a bed for almost an entire year. The fractured marriage alongside Laki's rapidly rising medical costs led to his father filing a divorce. With only the income of a hairdresser and little knowledge of Japanese, the single mother and child fell rapidly into debt. Laki recovered and focused on strengthening his body. His mother worked hard to overcome the language and cultural barrier as best she could. Things were starting to look up–until Laki's mother was struck by the Yellow Plague. Now, Laki spends almost all his time earning money to support himself, pay for his mother's treatment, and studying to make sure he doesn't drop out of school. It's only a matter of time until something goes wrong... Gear Laki is proficient in Limalama, as taught to him by his mother. He makes use of his large frame and strength in order to defend himself and subdue opponents. He hasn't practiced it in a while, though–there's no time! If he were to use a weapon, he'd probably go for a shield. Otherwise, the other thing he has going for him is his physical ability, honed through strenuous part-time work and long jogs/bike rides. He's likely the strongest a high schooler can get while balancing study, work, and training. Persona Laki's persona is Ti'i-Ti'i, the Samoan version of Hawaii's slightly-more-famous Maui. He appears as a muscular man wielding a huge fish hook carved from bone. His muscles are covered in swirling tattoos that glow with ethereal light. Some famous achievements of his include bringing fire to mankind, hauling islands to their proper places, and lassoing the sun itself. Persona Abilities Ti'i-Ti'i focuses on destroying enemies with physical damage, shaping the earth with his might, and protecting allies through buffs.</s> <\|message\|>Yuuhei Seiho Yuuhei Seiho --- As it turned out, the walk from his thinking bench back to the dorm was far too long for Yuuhei to be able to keep his mind off the topic he had just resolved to put on the back burner. But come on, could you really blame him? His juniors at the newspaper club were handling the welcoming fluff pieces for the first issue - which they had sworn was because they wanted the experience rather than their lack of trust in him to take it seriously - and it wasn't like there were any other particularly juicy stories cropping up just yet. So what was a guy to do other than focus his abundant reserves of energy on the current puzzle in front of him? With a deep intake of the brisk April air to collect himself, Yuuhei once again flipped open his notebook straight to the page containing his notes on Yellow Plague. One line in particular stuck out to him more than others, as its wording had been painstakingly explicit whenever it had come up in his initial investigation. He walked briskly through the spring soaked school grounds with his face all but buried in the small bundle of papers, his head cocking from side to side in an all too literal effort to look at the scrap of information from different angles. But no matter how he looked at it, it just seemed all too out of place to Yuuhei. In just about any other scenario, writing it off as nonsense born from small-town syndrome seemed like the only logical conclusion. Yet he couldn't bring himself to do just that due to the fact that the exact wording for it had been used in multiple tellings of the rumor. But even with his barely above middling grades, Yuuhei couldn't figure out how, much less why, a disease would care about how virtuous its victim was. His free hand reached for the handle to the dorms unconsciously, as him wandering through the school on auto-pilot while his mind was tied up elsewhere had become second nature. Yuuhei's sharp brown eyes peeked over the top of his notebook, which he had taken to rotating every which way to mirror whichever position he had cocked his head, only to land on the group of male students that he instantly realized was where he should have been a good five minutes ago. It was hard to tell if Yamada-sensei had noticed him stumble upon the group, as the young teacher was busy handing out keys to the assembled crowd, so with all the grace of a breaching whale Yuuhei plopped down on one of the newly vacated couches. Next to him was Laki Hirata, who he instantly recognized despite having never met before due to the guy's foreign features and relatively monstrous physique. Now while Yuuhei was constantly drawing from a nearly bottomless well of confidence, even he couldn't help but feel tiny next to him. But seeing as how he hadn't gotten up with the rest of the students, Yuuhei figured that the guy was in the same boat as him and had moved in earlier. And thus, the perfect person to question. "So did I miss anything good or was it just business as usual?" he easily asked the big guy with an equally easygoing grin. Yuuhei didn't have much on Hirata, as he wasn't part of any clubs and hadn't stirred up any real trouble, but his gut was already feeling like he fell more on the gentle giant side of things. And he was proud to say that his instincts when it came to people's nature were right about twenty percent of the time on a good day. "Ah, right, manners." And for the first time in a while, Yuuhei actually sounded a bit sheepish. But that was part of the problem with keeping up with so many different people, as sometimes it became difficult to keep track of who you have and have not gotten around to introducing yourself to. I'm Seiho Yuuhei by the way."</s> <\|message\|>Laki Hirata \|\| 平田ラキ --- It took a moment for Laki to realize that Seiho was talking to him. "Ah, Seiho. You were in my class last year, but we didn't talk much at all, did we?" And thank God for that. Laki didn't have a problem with Seiho–the guy was friendly to basically everyone and wasn't bothersome. However, Laki had heard about Seiho asking around about the Yellow Plague. He couldn't have Seiho dropping any information or acciedentally spreading any rumors around. It certainly didn't help that the rumors involved the idea of "sin," that those who were affected by the Plague had committed some sort of misdeed to warrant their affliction. His mother already suffered enough–a damaged reputation would just be fuel for the fire. Plus, he couldn't have any of the teachers finding out about his part-time jobs. Kenkōichi let their students work, yes, but certainly not the amount of time that Laki did. If the school found out that he was bending local labor laws, he could even get suspended. His mother would be deeply disappointed if that happened. "An investment in knowledge pays the best interest," she'd say, quoting either a revolutionary inventor or a musical lyricist–Laki could never remember which. Laki had to choose his words carefully. He bookmarked his book and laid it in his lap. "In case you forgot, I'm Hirata Laki. What were you up to, coming in late like that?"</s> <\|message\|>Caelum Grove --- --- Receptionist or not, whoever the thin japanese woman was had been well-informed. She had instructed him to simply wait till 11 AM. Had told him with a tad bit of suspicion that his advisor was around in the lobby somewhere amongst the other early-arrivals. Caelum thanked her with an appreciative bow and the pulled-tight lips of one aware of his station. He had never gotten used to that subtle but all dominating sense of formality. It could be suffocating at times; pushing him further and further into prudence. It resulted in him speaking far less than he normally would and airing on the side of caution. For a time he sat on one of the couches, waiting and watching as others filed in and settled down. He glanced up at whom he had assumed was the advisor. He had this concrete formality about him, they all did. Society had done its part and that man had carried it on him like a thin veil. ~* ~* ~* Caelum had his hands folded on his rolling trunk between his legs, satisfied with the advisor's introduction and his rooming accommodations. None of that applies to me for now. He sighed as if exhausted, not completely sure as to why. First thing I wanna do is find the kendo room. After I put my stuff up that's what I'll do. Get a lay out of the campus too. He hefted his trunk up off the ground and started for the stairs. Not as if anyone is gonna wanna talk to me anyway, he reassured himself, feeling the slight burn in his arms already.</s> <\|message\|>Naoka Toba \|\| 鳥羽直花 --- --- Sorting out the mess on her floor had taken longer than she'd expected. It probably would've been quicker if she didn't just dump everything on the floor, honestly. But by the time she realised that, it was already too late. Naoka stood up from where she'd been sitting next to her shelves and yawned. She'd been at it for a while. She wasn't too surprised, she always took forever to clean stuff. It was just a waste to get things all neat and organised only for them to become a mess again in a week. She picked up her bag and decided to head down, maybe she'd run into one of her friends and she could pick up that coffee she'd been longing for. Making her way down the stairs, Naoka checked her phone. No texts. Everyone was probably too busy getting settled in to chat and her parents were already at work. They worked such long hours that even when she was at home, she hardly saw them. Staying at the dorms didn't change much. Naoka entered the lobby. A some people had already congregated, a few she recognised, most she didn't. She'd already picked up her key, so she didn't really need to stick around and so continued walking to the great outdoors. The weather was good, with any luck it'd stay that way. There weren't a lot of people outside, but the one that stuck out the most was a blonde girl pulling around a suitcase. Was it natural? It was an international school, so she could just be foreign. Cautiously approaching the girl, she definitely wasn't anyone Naoka recognised. A first-year, most likely. Well, if there was anything Naoka wanted to do, it was to make a good first impression on her underclassmen. "Excuse me," she said, approaching cautiously. "I'm Toba Naoka, one of the third years here. Do you need any help?"</s> <\|message\|>Yuuhei Seiho Yuuhei Seiho --- Hirata's rather innocuous question earned him an unsettlingly mischievous grin from Yuuhei. The blond leaned in conspiratorially with his beefy classmate, looking every bit the part of a guy that was about to spill the secrets of the very world itself. "Well you see," he started quietly, dangling his notebook in front of Hirata expectantly, "I've been chasing down a story over our break, but I just can't seem to get anywhere with it. I've searched high and low, but all I've dug up so far is a bunch of hearsay that even I'm not crazy enough to print." But rather than seem defeated, Yuuhei all but glowed from discussing his utter failure to produce results. "So after I finished unpacking this morning, I hit the bricks and spent the rest of my morning asking around to see if anybody has heard about Yellow Plague." As soon as the phrase passed his lips, Yuuhei's playful eyes immediately focused in on Hirata's expression with intense scrutiny, searching for any kind of reaction from his classmate. Because even if he hadn't intended to drag Hirata into his investigation when he had sat down, Yuuhei simply wasn't the kind to pass up opportunities that gift-wrapped themselves for him like this. The critical look only lasted a few moments though, as regardless of what he saw he shrugged it off with a small laugh. "Ended up completely forgetting that I was supposed to be here at eleven though and all I got out of it were the uncomfortable looks of my cute juniors that I'm sure will haunt my dreams," he finished without the slightest trace of remorse in him. And with his small story finally done, Yuuhei leaned back into the couch and made himself comfortable. But rather than just leave it at that, he leveled another pointed look at his classmate. "So your turn Hirata, ya hear anything interesting lately?"</s>	<\|message\|>Laki Hirata \|\| 平田ラキ "...spent the rest of my morning asking around to see if anybody has heard about Yellow Plague." For all his internal posturing about revealing nothing, Laki's face tightened. Did he know? Did he notice Laki's discomfort? He tried to rearrange his features into something of a neutral expression. Breathing is fun. I like to breathe. Just think about breathing. Seiho seemed to continue on without a care in the world for how Laki reacted. He probably didn't know. He was just making small talk. He was definitely making small talk. No doubt about it. "So your turn Hirata, ya hear anything interesting lately?" Did he mean about the Plague? Small talk, Laki. Small talk... Nothing else. "Nothing in particular. I've been sequestered at home all summer–haven't gotten a chance to really chat with anyone." The statement was at least partially true. Laki certainly hadn't talked with any of his classmates all summer, save for a few close run-ins with them near the construction site where he worked. He had to steer the conversation away from any dangerous territory. "How about you? What'd you get up to over the summer? Do anything with the club?" Renard</s>
<\|description\|>Laki Hirata \|\| 平田ラキ Arcana Chariot Age 3rd Year High Schooler (18) Personality Traits Hardworking and decisive, Laki places great value on spending one's time intelligently. He's never idling–always reading a book, working with his hands, or earning money at a part-time job. He does have an easygoing and comedic side, but it's been largely suppressed by the urgency of his current situation. No time to relax when there's money to be made and material to study. He can easily overwork himself, but believes it's just a result of not being strong enough. Due to his mixed parentage and current situation, Laki often feels a bit put out around others. He's never looked quite like everyone else (dominant Samoan genes will do that) and his Japanese is slightly accented. Combine that with the stigma around single mothers and foreigners, well, you get the idea. Backstory Laki's life is defined by his heritage–his mother a Japan-naturalized Samoan, his father a small-town doctor. The two parents met while his father was doing humanitarian work in the Samoan islands. They fell in love, married, and eventually moved to Japan when Laki was six. Laki's mother naturalized into a Japanese citizen after five years and picked up a job as a hairdresser. Soon after, Laki's mother discovered that her husband had cheated on her, driving a crack into their relationship. Furthermore, Laki was struck by a deadly illness that confined him to a bed for almost an entire year. The fractured marriage alongside Laki's rapidly rising medical costs led to his father filing a divorce. With only the income of a hairdresser and little knowledge of Japanese, the single mother and child fell rapidly into debt. Laki recovered and focused on strengthening his body. His mother worked hard to overcome the language and cultural barrier as best she could. Things were starting to look up–until Laki's mother was struck by the Yellow Plague. Now, Laki spends almost all his time earning money to support himself, pay for his mother's treatment, and studying to make sure he doesn't drop out of school. It's only a matter of time until something goes wrong... Gear Laki is proficient in Limalama, as taught to him by his mother. He makes use of his large frame and strength in order to defend himself and subdue opponents. He hasn't practiced it in a while, though–there's no time! If he were to use a weapon, he'd probably go for a shield. Otherwise, the other thing he has going for him is his physical ability, honed through strenuous part-time work and long jogs/bike rides. He's likely the strongest a high schooler can get while balancing study, work, and training. Persona Laki's persona is Ti'i-Ti'i, the Samoan version of Hawaii's slightly-more-famous Maui. He appears as a muscular man wielding a huge fish hook carved from bone. His muscles are covered in swirling tattoos that glow with ethereal light. Some famous achievements of his include bringing fire to mankind, hauling islands to their proper places, and lassoing the sun itself. Persona Abilities Ti'i-Ti'i focuses on destroying enemies with physical damage, shaping the earth with his might, and protecting allies through buffs.</s> <\|message\|>Naoka Toba \|\| 鳥羽直花 --- --- Sorting out the mess on her floor had taken longer than she'd expected. It probably would've been quicker if she didn't just dump everything on the floor, honestly. But by the time she realised that, it was already too late. Naoka stood up from where she'd been sitting next to her shelves and yawned. She'd been at it for a while. She wasn't too surprised, she always took forever to clean stuff. It was just a waste to get things all neat and organised only for them to become a mess again in a week. She picked up her bag and decided to head down, maybe she'd run into one of her friends and she could pick up that coffee she'd been longing for. Making her way down the stairs, Naoka checked her phone. No texts. Everyone was probably too busy getting settled in to chat and her parents were already at work. They worked such long hours that even when she was at home, she hardly saw them. Staying at the dorms didn't change much. Naoka entered the lobby. A some people had already congregated, a few she recognised, most she didn't. She'd already picked up her key, so she didn't really need to stick around and so continued walking to the great outdoors. The weather was good, with any luck it'd stay that way. There weren't a lot of people outside, but the one that stuck out the most was a blonde girl pulling around a suitcase. Was it natural? It was an international school, so she could just be foreign. Cautiously approaching the girl, she definitely wasn't anyone Naoka recognised. A first-year, most likely. Well, if there was anything Naoka wanted to do, it was to make a good first impression on her underclassmen. "Excuse me," she said, approaching cautiously. "I'm Toba Naoka, one of the third years here. Do you need any help?"</s> <\|message\|>Yuuhei Seiho Yuuhei Seiho --- Hirata's rather innocuous question earned him an unsettlingly mischievous grin from Yuuhei. The blond leaned in conspiratorially with his beefy classmate, looking every bit the part of a guy that was about to spill the secrets of the very world itself. "Well you see," he started quietly, dangling his notebook in front of Hirata expectantly, "I've been chasing down a story over our break, but I just can't seem to get anywhere with it. I've searched high and low, but all I've dug up so far is a bunch of hearsay that even I'm not crazy enough to print." But rather than seem defeated, Yuuhei all but glowed from discussing his utter failure to produce results. "So after I finished unpacking this morning, I hit the bricks and spent the rest of my morning asking around to see if anybody has heard about Yellow Plague." As soon as the phrase passed his lips, Yuuhei's playful eyes immediately focused in on Hirata's expression with intense scrutiny, searching for any kind of reaction from his classmate. Because even if he hadn't intended to drag Hirata into his investigation when he had sat down, Yuuhei simply wasn't the kind to pass up opportunities that gift-wrapped themselves for him like this. The critical look only lasted a few moments though, as regardless of what he saw he shrugged it off with a small laugh. "Ended up completely forgetting that I was supposed to be here at eleven though and all I got out of it were the uncomfortable looks of my cute juniors that I'm sure will haunt my dreams," he finished without the slightest trace of remorse in him. And with his small story finally done, Yuuhei leaned back into the couch and made himself comfortable. But rather than just leave it at that, he leveled another pointed look at his classmate. "So your turn Hirata, ya hear anything interesting lately?"</s> <\|message\|>Laki Hirata \|\| 平田ラキ --- "...spent the rest of my morning asking around to see if anybody has heard about Yellow Plague." For all his internal posturing about revealing nothing, Laki's face tightened. Did he know? Did he notice Laki's discomfort? He tried to rearrange his features into something of a neutral expression. Breathing is fun. I like to breathe. Just think about breathing. Seiho seemed to continue on without a care in the world for how Laki reacted. He probably didn't know. He was just making small talk. He was definitely making small talk. No doubt about it. "So your turn Hirata, ya hear anything interesting lately?" Did he mean about the Plague? Small talk, Laki. Small talk... Nothing else. "Nothing in particular. I've been sequestered at home all summer–haven't gotten a chance to really chat with anyone." The statement was at least partially true. Laki certainly hadn't talked with any of his classmates all summer, save for a few close run-ins with them near the construction site where he worked. He had to steer the conversation away from any dangerous territory. "How about you? What'd you get up to over the summer? Do anything with the club?" Renard</s> <\|message\|>Caelum Grove --- --- His room was as expected and he knew it'd take little time for him to straighten it out when got back. He rolled the trunk to the foot of his bed. There was stuff that he could do or rather should do. His uncle would tell him to be a step ahead of the 'now'-- whatever that meant. He eyed his phone as he traveled back down the stairs, through the throng of conversing students. He let his free arm swing by his side, fist loosely balled. He didn't have any messages from his Uncle, that was either good or really bad. He slid the phone into his pocket and headed out of the dorm. "Now to have a look around." He smiled pleasantly to himself at his next thought. "I wonder how long it'll take me before I'll have to ask for direction."</s> <\|message\|>Sawajiri Touka --- Toba Naoka. It was a significant name! and from a significant senpai as well! Touka blinked, as if forcing herself to focus. Being distracted by her train of thought was normal. After all, she was only really ever focused on stage. There were some small concerns in her head, but most of it was vapid, banal assumptions. She thought to smile wide as she addressed Naoka in a timely and polite fashion. "Oh, thank you, Toba-senpai! I'm, just, guess I might've overpacked. I'm Sawajiri Touka, I'm a first year. Suppose you already knew that, though. You seem to have everything together, helping underclassmen like me and all."</s> <\|message\|>Naoka Toba \|\| 鳥羽直花 --- --- "Oh, I'm really- not at all- well, if you say so," Naoka said, slightly flushed. "But, overpacked? I'm not too sure about that." She looked at Sawajiri's suitcase. Was it even half as much stuff as she'd brought herself? She'd basically moved her entire room over. "There's a lot of space in the rooms, so you don't need to worry. Though you can always pick up extra stuff over holidays or get your parents to drop it off." She gave Sawajiri the most welcoming smile she could muster. "The lobby's over there," Naoka said, motioning to where the entrance was. There were already a few other people coming out of it. "Pick up your room key, put your stuff away and then you've got the rest of the day free. Is there anything else I can help you with? It's no trouble at all." Naoka hoped she was making a good first impression. It would be nice to be popular with the first years. She could be the cool, mature senpai... She was getting a little ahead of herself, wasn't she?</s> <\|message\|>Yuuhei Seiho Yuuhei Seiho --- Yuuhei let Hirata's string of questions hang in the air for a few awful moments as a knowing smirk took over his features. That small reaction that he had managed to coax out of Hirata had only proven that the big guy had at least heard of Yellow Plague. Now, whether he actually knew anything new or interesting about it Yuuhei couldn't be sure, but the way that Hirata had sharply swerved the conversation away from himself was certainly making the blond wonder. The silence couldn't last though, as this was probably his last chance to steer them back towards what he actually wanted to talk about. "As much as it pains me to say out loud, it was mostly just me running around town being a nuisance. Especially since my club all but disappears over breaks." Except this wasn't his only chance to get something juicy out of Hirata. And besides, the big guy already seemed to be on guard so there was a very real chance that he would simply clam up rather than spill anything useful. So for now, he would put a pin in this conversation and come back to it when he was confident that he would get the results that he wanted. Yuuhei's usual big goofy smile returned in force now that his mind was made up. "But don't worry, I'm sure there will be plenty of excitement to be found this year. I'll just have to keep tipping over the right stones and see what turns up." And just like that, Laki Hirata had gone from being an individual that Yuuhei had never really given a second thought about to his prime person of interest in his investigation.</s>	<\|message\|>Laki Hirata \|\| 平田ラキ "But don't worry, I'm sure there will be plenty of excitement to be found this year. I'll just have to keep tipping over the right stones and see what turns up." "Heh. Yeah, I suppose you do." Laki's mouth was moving independently of his brain at this point. There was still a chance that Seiho was just fooling around, but it seemed to be dwindling faster than an ice cream cone on a hot summer day. He didn't hold it against Seiho, though. The guy just wanted to know more about the Plague–which was totally understandable. Everyone wanted to know more about the Plague. It just so happened that Laki was one of the best people to ask about it. Nothing but circumstance had led them to this point. But what if it wasn't? Gotta get it together. Stay composed. Think it through. Seiho had been asking people all morning about the Plague. Laki just happened to be one of those people. It was a little weird that Seiho had just approached Laki right out of nowhere, but it seemd to follow his modus operandi–Seiho likely already had any information he could get from people he knew. Of course he'd have to pester those he didn't. He was just chasing the unknown. Unless, of course, he was lying about asking people all morning and had only approached Laki specifically because he knew something about Laki's situation. No, no, that line of thinking won't get me anywhere. Laki had never heard anything about Seiho being anything less than a little bit annoying with his questions. He wouldn't lie like that to get information. Probably. I'm reading into it too much. Just gotta have faith in my classmates. Laki sighed and leaned back in his seat. It'd be best to just act normally for now. "I hope you find something out soon. Seems like the whole town is looking for information at this point." Renard</s>
<\|description\|>Yuuhei Seiho Yuuhei Seiho Arcana The Magician Age 17 Personality Traits While there is an entire slew of disparaging words that can be used to describe Yuuhei, most people would agree that the one that does the job best is determined. Because underneath his relentlessly upbeat spirit and love for dramatic displays is a guy that will stop at nothing to get to the bottom of any interesting stories that come his way. This all naturally combines to make for a rather off-putting individual for a good chunk of the academy's more respectable students, but the aura of self-confidence that he gives off unabashedly carries on in stride. And although Yuuhei may simply seem like an impulsive individual, that's only mostly the case. Because in the end, he is fully capable of meticulously weighing the pros and cons of any given decision, he just almost always chooses the option that seems more entertaining despite all of that. And to top that off, despite his affable demeanor Yuuhei is inherently free-spirited and rarely if ever looks to others for help. Backstory Born as the only child to two complete workaholics, Yuuhei was your typical latchkey kid growing up. That's not to say that his parents were abusive by any stretch of the imagination, just rarely present. The upside to his living situation meant that money was rarely a concern for him growing up, even if his family could never count themselves among the upper crust of society. Honestly though, if you were to ask him about it he would simply shrug and say that it isn't nearly as big of a deal as it sounds. There's really not much to say about Yuuhei before he started high school. He was quiet and unremarkable, with shallow and low stakes friendships to match. But that of course changed after entering Kenkōichi International Academy and getting more or less coerced into joining the school's esteemed Newspaper Club. His first year as a member saw him come out of his shell and spark his desire to chase after things he found interesting. His second solidified his love for the dramatic and was when he was handed the reins as the club's president. Now entering his third year at the Academy and Yuuhei has managed to cultivate quite the reputation for himself. With the old president stepping down halfway through the previous year to focus on college exams, her replacement has proven to be far more boisterous and relentless in his methods when it comes to chasing down leads. So much so that teachers are finding it harder and harder to ignore the new direction the once prestigious club seems to be heading. Whether you love him or hate him, plenty of students have at least heard of some of Yuuhei's more ridiculous antics. And if you are at all interesting, he has likely heard about you. Gear With no real physique to speak of, Yuuhei is hilariously unsuited for close-range fights. However, he is pretty handy with darts, as he somehow has managed to get away with playing with them in the clubroom without them getting confiscated. It remains to be seen if this talent extends to any other kind of thrown projectiles though. When it comes to his day to day essentials though, you'll never catch the boy leaving home without his pocket-sized digital camera or the little notebook into which he jots down all sorts of tidbits of info that sport varying degrees of usefulness. Persona The Wizard of Oz Persona Abilities As the greatest conman of Oz, the demon focuses on debilitating foes with parlor tricks rather than crushing them with sheer magical might. To accomplish this, the sleazy magician employs pyrotechnics in the form of [Agi], wows them into a tizzy with [Dazzler], and prevents them from catching him during his escape with [Sukunda].</s> <\|message\|>Yuuhei Seiho Yuuhei Seiho --- As it turned out, the walk from his thinking bench back to the dorm was far too long for Yuuhei to be able to keep his mind off the topic he had just resolved to put on the back burner. But come on, could you really blame him? His juniors at the newspaper club were handling the welcoming fluff pieces for the first issue - which they had sworn was because they wanted the experience rather than their lack of trust in him to take it seriously - and it wasn't like there were any other particularly juicy stories cropping up just yet. So what was a guy to do other than focus his abundant reserves of energy on the current puzzle in front of him? With a deep intake of the brisk April air to collect himself, Yuuhei once again flipped open his notebook straight to the page containing his notes on Yellow Plague. One line in particular stuck out to him more than others, as its wording had been painstakingly explicit whenever it had come up in his initial investigation. He walked briskly through the spring soaked school grounds with his face all but buried in the small bundle of papers, his head cocking from side to side in an all too literal effort to look at the scrap of information from different angles. But no matter how he looked at it, it just seemed all too out of place to Yuuhei. In just about any other scenario, writing it off as nonsense born from small-town syndrome seemed like the only logical conclusion. Yet he couldn't bring himself to do just that due to the fact that the exact wording for it had been used in multiple tellings of the rumor. But even with his barely above middling grades, Yuuhei couldn't figure out how, much less why, a disease would care about how virtuous its victim was. His free hand reached for the handle to the dorms unconsciously, as him wandering through the school on auto-pilot while his mind was tied up elsewhere had become second nature. Yuuhei's sharp brown eyes peeked over the top of his notebook, which he had taken to rotating every which way to mirror whichever position he had cocked his head, only to land on the group of male students that he instantly realized was where he should have been a good five minutes ago. It was hard to tell if Yamada-sensei had noticed him stumble upon the group, as the young teacher was busy handing out keys to the assembled crowd, so with all the grace of a breaching whale Yuuhei plopped down on one of the newly vacated couches. Next to him was Laki Hirata, who he instantly recognized despite having never met before due to the guy's foreign features and relatively monstrous physique. Now while Yuuhei was constantly drawing from a nearly bottomless well of confidence, even he couldn't help but feel tiny next to him. But seeing as how he hadn't gotten up with the rest of the students, Yuuhei figured that the guy was in the same boat as him and had moved in earlier. And thus, the perfect person to question. "So did I miss anything good or was it just business as usual?" he easily asked the big guy with an equally easygoing grin. Yuuhei didn't have much on Hirata, as he wasn't part of any clubs and hadn't stirred up any real trouble, but his gut was already feeling like he fell more on the gentle giant side of things. And he was proud to say that his instincts when it came to people's nature were right about twenty percent of the time on a good day. "Ah, right, manners." And for the first time in a while, Yuuhei actually sounded a bit sheepish. But that was part of the problem with keeping up with so many different people, as sometimes it became difficult to keep track of who you have and have not gotten around to introducing yourself to. I'm Seiho Yuuhei by the way."</s> <\|message\|>Laki Hirata \|\| 平田ラキ --- It took a moment for Laki to realize that Seiho was talking to him. "Ah, Seiho. You were in my class last year, but we didn't talk much at all, did we?" And thank God for that. Laki didn't have a problem with Seiho–the guy was friendly to basically everyone and wasn't bothersome. However, Laki had heard about Seiho asking around about the Yellow Plague. He couldn't have Seiho dropping any information or acciedentally spreading any rumors around. It certainly didn't help that the rumors involved the idea of "sin," that those who were affected by the Plague had committed some sort of misdeed to warrant their affliction. His mother already suffered enough–a damaged reputation would just be fuel for the fire. Plus, he couldn't have any of the teachers finding out about his part-time jobs. Kenkōichi let their students work, yes, but certainly not the amount of time that Laki did. If the school found out that he was bending local labor laws, he could even get suspended. His mother would be deeply disappointed if that happened. "An investment in knowledge pays the best interest," she'd say, quoting either a revolutionary inventor or a musical lyricist–Laki could never remember which. Laki had to choose his words carefully. He bookmarked his book and laid it in his lap. "In case you forgot, I'm Hirata Laki. What were you up to, coming in late like that?"</s> <\|message\|>Caelum Grove --- --- Receptionist or not, whoever the thin japanese woman was had been well-informed. She had instructed him to simply wait till 11 AM. Had told him with a tad bit of suspicion that his advisor was around in the lobby somewhere amongst the other early-arrivals. Caelum thanked her with an appreciative bow and the pulled-tight lips of one aware of his station. He had never gotten used to that subtle but all dominating sense of formality. It could be suffocating at times; pushing him further and further into prudence. It resulted in him speaking far less than he normally would and airing on the side of caution. For a time he sat on one of the couches, waiting and watching as others filed in and settled down. He glanced up at whom he had assumed was the advisor. He had this concrete formality about him, they all did. Society had done its part and that man had carried it on him like a thin veil. ~* ~* ~* Caelum had his hands folded on his rolling trunk between his legs, satisfied with the advisor's introduction and his rooming accommodations. None of that applies to me for now. He sighed as if exhausted, not completely sure as to why. First thing I wanna do is find the kendo room. After I put my stuff up that's what I'll do. Get a lay out of the campus too. He hefted his trunk up off the ground and started for the stairs. Not as if anyone is gonna wanna talk to me anyway, he reassured himself, feeling the slight burn in his arms already.</s> <\|message\|>Naoka Toba \|\| 鳥羽直花 --- --- Sorting out the mess on her floor had taken longer than she'd expected. It probably would've been quicker if she didn't just dump everything on the floor, honestly. But by the time she realised that, it was already too late. Naoka stood up from where she'd been sitting next to her shelves and yawned. She'd been at it for a while. She wasn't too surprised, she always took forever to clean stuff. It was just a waste to get things all neat and organised only for them to become a mess again in a week. She picked up her bag and decided to head down, maybe she'd run into one of her friends and she could pick up that coffee she'd been longing for. Making her way down the stairs, Naoka checked her phone. No texts. Everyone was probably too busy getting settled in to chat and her parents were already at work. They worked such long hours that even when she was at home, she hardly saw them. Staying at the dorms didn't change much. Naoka entered the lobby. A some people had already congregated, a few she recognised, most she didn't. She'd already picked up her key, so she didn't really need to stick around and so continued walking to the great outdoors. The weather was good, with any luck it'd stay that way. There weren't a lot of people outside, but the one that stuck out the most was a blonde girl pulling around a suitcase. Was it natural? It was an international school, so she could just be foreign. Cautiously approaching the girl, she definitely wasn't anyone Naoka recognised. A first-year, most likely. Well, if there was anything Naoka wanted to do, it was to make a good first impression on her underclassmen. "Excuse me," she said, approaching cautiously. "I'm Toba Naoka, one of the third years here. Do you need any help?"</s>	<\|message\|>Yuuhei Seiho Hirata's rather innocuous question earned him an unsettlingly mischievous grin from Yuuhei. The blond leaned in conspiratorially with his beefy classmate, looking every bit the part of a guy that was about to spill the secrets of the very world itself. "Well you see," he started quietly, dangling his notebook in front of Hirata expectantly, "I've been chasing down a story over our break, but I just can't seem to get anywhere with it. I've searched high and low, but all I've dug up so far is a bunch of hearsay that even I'm not crazy enough to print." But rather than seem defeated, Yuuhei all but glowed from discussing his utter failure to produce results. "So after I finished unpacking this morning, I hit the bricks and spent the rest of my morning asking around to see if anybody has heard about Yellow Plague." As soon as the phrase passed his lips, Yuuhei's playful eyes immediately focused in on Hirata's expression with intense scrutiny, searching for any kind of reaction from his classmate. Because even if he hadn't intended to drag Hirata into his investigation when he had sat down, Yuuhei simply wasn't the kind to pass up opportunities that gift-wrapped themselves for him like this. The critical look only lasted a few moments though, as regardless of what he saw he shrugged it off with a small laugh. "Ended up completely forgetting that I was supposed to be here at eleven though and all I got out of it were the uncomfortable looks of my cute juniors that I'm sure will haunt my dreams," he finished without the slightest trace of remorse in him. And with his small story finally done, Yuuhei leaned back into the couch and made himself comfortable. But rather than just leave it at that, he leveled another pointed look at his classmate. "So your turn Hirata, ya hear anything interesting lately?"</s>
<\|description\|>Yuuhei Seiho Yuuhei Seiho Arcana The Magician Age 17 Personality Traits While there is an entire slew of disparaging words that can be used to describe Yuuhei, most people would agree that the one that does the job best is determined. Because underneath his relentlessly upbeat spirit and love for dramatic displays is a guy that will stop at nothing to get to the bottom of any interesting stories that come his way. This all naturally combines to make for a rather off-putting individual for a good chunk of the academy's more respectable students, but the aura of self-confidence that he gives off unabashedly carries on in stride. And although Yuuhei may simply seem like an impulsive individual, that's only mostly the case. Because in the end, he is fully capable of meticulously weighing the pros and cons of any given decision, he just almost always chooses the option that seems more entertaining despite all of that. And to top that off, despite his affable demeanor Yuuhei is inherently free-spirited and rarely if ever looks to others for help. Backstory Born as the only child to two complete workaholics, Yuuhei was your typical latchkey kid growing up. That's not to say that his parents were abusive by any stretch of the imagination, just rarely present. The upside to his living situation meant that money was rarely a concern for him growing up, even if his family could never count themselves among the upper crust of society. Honestly though, if you were to ask him about it he would simply shrug and say that it isn't nearly as big of a deal as it sounds. There's really not much to say about Yuuhei before he started high school. He was quiet and unremarkable, with shallow and low stakes friendships to match. But that of course changed after entering Kenkōichi International Academy and getting more or less coerced into joining the school's esteemed Newspaper Club. His first year as a member saw him come out of his shell and spark his desire to chase after things he found interesting. His second solidified his love for the dramatic and was when he was handed the reins as the club's president. Now entering his third year at the Academy and Yuuhei has managed to cultivate quite the reputation for himself. With the old president stepping down halfway through the previous year to focus on college exams, her replacement has proven to be far more boisterous and relentless in his methods when it comes to chasing down leads. So much so that teachers are finding it harder and harder to ignore the new direction the once prestigious club seems to be heading. Whether you love him or hate him, plenty of students have at least heard of some of Yuuhei's more ridiculous antics. And if you are at all interesting, he has likely heard about you. Gear With no real physique to speak of, Yuuhei is hilariously unsuited for close-range fights. However, he is pretty handy with darts, as he somehow has managed to get away with playing with them in the clubroom without them getting confiscated. It remains to be seen if this talent extends to any other kind of thrown projectiles though. When it comes to his day to day essentials though, you'll never catch the boy leaving home without his pocket-sized digital camera or the little notebook into which he jots down all sorts of tidbits of info that sport varying degrees of usefulness. Persona The Wizard of Oz Persona Abilities As the greatest conman of Oz, the demon focuses on debilitating foes with parlor tricks rather than crushing them with sheer magical might. To accomplish this, the sleazy magician employs pyrotechnics in the form of [Agi], wows them into a tizzy with [Dazzler], and prevents them from catching him during his escape with [Sukunda].</s> <\|message\|>Caelum Grove --- --- Receptionist or not, whoever the thin japanese woman was had been well-informed. She had instructed him to simply wait till 11 AM. Had told him with a tad bit of suspicion that his advisor was around in the lobby somewhere amongst the other early-arrivals. Caelum thanked her with an appreciative bow and the pulled-tight lips of one aware of his station. He had never gotten used to that subtle but all dominating sense of formality. It could be suffocating at times; pushing him further and further into prudence. It resulted in him speaking far less than he normally would and airing on the side of caution. For a time he sat on one of the couches, waiting and watching as others filed in and settled down. He glanced up at whom he had assumed was the advisor. He had this concrete formality about him, they all did. Society had done its part and that man had carried it on him like a thin veil. ~* ~* ~* Caelum had his hands folded on his rolling trunk between his legs, satisfied with the advisor's introduction and his rooming accommodations. None of that applies to me for now. He sighed as if exhausted, not completely sure as to why. First thing I wanna do is find the kendo room. After I put my stuff up that's what I'll do. Get a lay out of the campus too. He hefted his trunk up off the ground and started for the stairs. Not as if anyone is gonna wanna talk to me anyway, he reassured himself, feeling the slight burn in his arms already.</s> <\|message\|>Naoka Toba \|\| 鳥羽直花 --- --- Sorting out the mess on her floor had taken longer than she'd expected. It probably would've been quicker if she didn't just dump everything on the floor, honestly. But by the time she realised that, it was already too late. Naoka stood up from where she'd been sitting next to her shelves and yawned. She'd been at it for a while. She wasn't too surprised, she always took forever to clean stuff. It was just a waste to get things all neat and organised only for them to become a mess again in a week. She picked up her bag and decided to head down, maybe she'd run into one of her friends and she could pick up that coffee she'd been longing for. Making her way down the stairs, Naoka checked her phone. No texts. Everyone was probably too busy getting settled in to chat and her parents were already at work. They worked such long hours that even when she was at home, she hardly saw them. Staying at the dorms didn't change much. Naoka entered the lobby. A some people had already congregated, a few she recognised, most she didn't. She'd already picked up her key, so she didn't really need to stick around and so continued walking to the great outdoors. The weather was good, with any luck it'd stay that way. There weren't a lot of people outside, but the one that stuck out the most was a blonde girl pulling around a suitcase. Was it natural? It was an international school, so she could just be foreign. Cautiously approaching the girl, she definitely wasn't anyone Naoka recognised. A first-year, most likely. Well, if there was anything Naoka wanted to do, it was to make a good first impression on her underclassmen. "Excuse me," she said, approaching cautiously. "I'm Toba Naoka, one of the third years here. Do you need any help?"</s> <\|message\|>Yuuhei Seiho Yuuhei Seiho --- Hirata's rather innocuous question earned him an unsettlingly mischievous grin from Yuuhei. The blond leaned in conspiratorially with his beefy classmate, looking every bit the part of a guy that was about to spill the secrets of the very world itself. "Well you see," he started quietly, dangling his notebook in front of Hirata expectantly, "I've been chasing down a story over our break, but I just can't seem to get anywhere with it. I've searched high and low, but all I've dug up so far is a bunch of hearsay that even I'm not crazy enough to print." But rather than seem defeated, Yuuhei all but glowed from discussing his utter failure to produce results. "So after I finished unpacking this morning, I hit the bricks and spent the rest of my morning asking around to see if anybody has heard about Yellow Plague." As soon as the phrase passed his lips, Yuuhei's playful eyes immediately focused in on Hirata's expression with intense scrutiny, searching for any kind of reaction from his classmate. Because even if he hadn't intended to drag Hirata into his investigation when he had sat down, Yuuhei simply wasn't the kind to pass up opportunities that gift-wrapped themselves for him like this. The critical look only lasted a few moments though, as regardless of what he saw he shrugged it off with a small laugh. "Ended up completely forgetting that I was supposed to be here at eleven though and all I got out of it were the uncomfortable looks of my cute juniors that I'm sure will haunt my dreams," he finished without the slightest trace of remorse in him. And with his small story finally done, Yuuhei leaned back into the couch and made himself comfortable. But rather than just leave it at that, he leveled another pointed look at his classmate. "So your turn Hirata, ya hear anything interesting lately?"</s> <\|message\|>Laki Hirata \|\| 平田ラキ --- "...spent the rest of my morning asking around to see if anybody has heard about Yellow Plague." For all his internal posturing about revealing nothing, Laki's face tightened. Did he know? Did he notice Laki's discomfort? He tried to rearrange his features into something of a neutral expression. Breathing is fun. I like to breathe. Just think about breathing. Seiho seemed to continue on without a care in the world for how Laki reacted. He probably didn't know. He was just making small talk. He was definitely making small talk. No doubt about it. "So your turn Hirata, ya hear anything interesting lately?" Did he mean about the Plague? Small talk, Laki. Small talk... Nothing else. "Nothing in particular. I've been sequestered at home all summer–haven't gotten a chance to really chat with anyone." The statement was at least partially true. Laki certainly hadn't talked with any of his classmates all summer, save for a few close run-ins with them near the construction site where he worked. He had to steer the conversation away from any dangerous territory. "How about you? What'd you get up to over the summer? Do anything with the club?" Renard</s> <\|message\|>Caelum Grove --- --- His room was as expected and he knew it'd take little time for him to straighten it out when got back. He rolled the trunk to the foot of his bed. There was stuff that he could do or rather should do. His uncle would tell him to be a step ahead of the 'now'-- whatever that meant. He eyed his phone as he traveled back down the stairs, through the throng of conversing students. He let his free arm swing by his side, fist loosely balled. He didn't have any messages from his Uncle, that was either good or really bad. He slid the phone into his pocket and headed out of the dorm. "Now to have a look around." He smiled pleasantly to himself at his next thought. "I wonder how long it'll take me before I'll have to ask for direction."</s> <\|message\|>Sawajiri Touka --- Toba Naoka. It was a significant name! and from a significant senpai as well! Touka blinked, as if forcing herself to focus. Being distracted by her train of thought was normal. After all, she was only really ever focused on stage. There were some small concerns in her head, but most of it was vapid, banal assumptions. She thought to smile wide as she addressed Naoka in a timely and polite fashion. "Oh, thank you, Toba-senpai! I'm, just, guess I might've overpacked. I'm Sawajiri Touka, I'm a first year. Suppose you already knew that, though. You seem to have everything together, helping underclassmen like me and all."</s> <\|message\|>Naoka Toba \|\| 鳥羽直花 --- --- "Oh, I'm really- not at all- well, if you say so," Naoka said, slightly flushed. "But, overpacked? I'm not too sure about that." She looked at Sawajiri's suitcase. Was it even half as much stuff as she'd brought herself? She'd basically moved her entire room over. "There's a lot of space in the rooms, so you don't need to worry. Though you can always pick up extra stuff over holidays or get your parents to drop it off." She gave Sawajiri the most welcoming smile she could muster. "The lobby's over there," Naoka said, motioning to where the entrance was. There were already a few other people coming out of it. "Pick up your room key, put your stuff away and then you've got the rest of the day free. Is there anything else I can help you with? It's no trouble at all." Naoka hoped she was making a good first impression. It would be nice to be popular with the first years. She could be the cool, mature senpai... She was getting a little ahead of herself, wasn't she?</s>	<\|message\|>Yuuhei Seiho Yuuhei let Hirata's string of questions hang in the air for a few awful moments as a knowing smirk took over his features. That small reaction that he had managed to coax out of Hirata had only proven that the big guy had at least heard of Yellow Plague. Now, whether he actually knew anything new or interesting about it Yuuhei couldn't be sure, but the way that Hirata had sharply swerved the conversation away from himself was certainly making the blond wonder. The silence couldn't last though, as this was probably his last chance to steer them back towards what he actually wanted to talk about. "As much as it pains me to say out loud, it was mostly just me running around town being a nuisance. Especially since my club all but disappears over breaks." Except this wasn't his only chance to get something juicy out of Hirata. And besides, the big guy already seemed to be on guard so there was a very real chance that he would simply clam up rather than spill anything useful. So for now, he would put a pin in this conversation and come back to it when he was confident that he would get the results that he wanted. Yuuhei's usual big goofy smile returned in force now that his mind was made up. "But don't worry, I'm sure there will be plenty of excitement to be found this year. I'll just have to keep tipping over the right stones and see what turns up." And just like that, Laki Hirata had gone from being an individual that Yuuhei had never really given a second thought about to his prime person of interest in his investigation.</s>
<\|description\|>Naoka Toba \|\| 鳥羽直花 Arcana Temperance Age 17 (third year) Personality Traits Naoka's personality is easy to tell. She's the mature, hard-working type that doesn't mind a little bit of nonsense. She has a reputation for being a reliable person that'll help out with anything. She gives off the impression of a capable person who has everything planned out. And indeed, it is everything. Naoka operates on a strict, self-imposed schedule for the sake of her strange fixation with efficiency. She constantly multitasks, trying to get as much done at once as humanly possible. She gets along fine with a lot of people at school, but she's always so busy that she hardly has any time to spend with other people, and paired with her tendency to get skittish when a conversation drags on for too long, she doesn't have very many friends. Backstory Naoka's parents are both doctors at the Kenkōichi Research Hospital, and it is only natural that she would follow in their footsteps. Everything in her life has revolved around that fact, so her attending the school closely linked to the hospital was no surprise. She has always worked hard, kept up with her studies in order to live up to their expectations. Only, that's never been what she's wanted to do. Naoka's greatest passion in life has always been for art, ever since she was little and left to entertain herself as her parents worked long hours. Her determination to keep doing what she loves while still appeasing her parents has lead her to an utterly hectic schedule with a tentative balance between her studies, her passion and everything else. Though she'd mangaged to keep it together, as she progressed through high school, it was becoming harder and harder to manage, and the time she spent with her friends and her other hobbies began to rapidly decline. Entering her third year, her future looms closer, and Naoka's parents refuse to change their stance, no matter how talented she may be. She's no closer to making up her mind than she was two years ago. Gear While Naoka is well accustomed to the occasional heavy lifting, she's not the most suitable for physical combat. She's quite good at archery, but hasn't touched a bow since she left the club in her second year. Other than her usual school supplies, Naoka also carries around a thick, fairly heavy sketchbook. It's a far cry from a weapon, but it'd bruise if she whacked one of her classmates with it. On top of that, her bag is always filled with a wide variety of snacks. You can ask for them, just don't tell anyone else. Persona Arachne Persona Abilities Naoka's persona Arachne, is named after the prideful weaver whose talent eventually became her downfall as she strived to best even the gods. Arachne's abilities consist of inflicting debuffs on her foes in order to finish them off with her electric magic and with slash attacks from her many sharpened legs.</s> <\|message\|>Laki Hirata \|\| 平田ラキ --- It took a moment for Laki to realize that Seiho was talking to him. "Ah, Seiho. You were in my class last year, but we didn't talk much at all, did we?" And thank God for that. Laki didn't have a problem with Seiho–the guy was friendly to basically everyone and wasn't bothersome. However, Laki had heard about Seiho asking around about the Yellow Plague. He couldn't have Seiho dropping any information or acciedentally spreading any rumors around. It certainly didn't help that the rumors involved the idea of "sin," that those who were affected by the Plague had committed some sort of misdeed to warrant their affliction. His mother already suffered enough–a damaged reputation would just be fuel for the fire. Plus, he couldn't have any of the teachers finding out about his part-time jobs. Kenkōichi let their students work, yes, but certainly not the amount of time that Laki did. If the school found out that he was bending local labor laws, he could even get suspended. His mother would be deeply disappointed if that happened. "An investment in knowledge pays the best interest," she'd say, quoting either a revolutionary inventor or a musical lyricist–Laki could never remember which. Laki had to choose his words carefully. He bookmarked his book and laid it in his lap. "In case you forgot, I'm Hirata Laki. What were you up to, coming in late like that?"</s> <\|message\|>Caelum Grove --- --- Receptionist or not, whoever the thin japanese woman was had been well-informed. She had instructed him to simply wait till 11 AM. Had told him with a tad bit of suspicion that his advisor was around in the lobby somewhere amongst the other early-arrivals. Caelum thanked her with an appreciative bow and the pulled-tight lips of one aware of his station. He had never gotten used to that subtle but all dominating sense of formality. It could be suffocating at times; pushing him further and further into prudence. It resulted in him speaking far less than he normally would and airing on the side of caution. For a time he sat on one of the couches, waiting and watching as others filed in and settled down. He glanced up at whom he had assumed was the advisor. He had this concrete formality about him, they all did. Society had done its part and that man had carried it on him like a thin veil. ~* ~* ~* Caelum had his hands folded on his rolling trunk between his legs, satisfied with the advisor's introduction and his rooming accommodations. None of that applies to me for now. He sighed as if exhausted, not completely sure as to why. First thing I wanna do is find the kendo room. After I put my stuff up that's what I'll do. Get a lay out of the campus too. He hefted his trunk up off the ground and started for the stairs. Not as if anyone is gonna wanna talk to me anyway, he reassured himself, feeling the slight burn in his arms already.</s> <\|message\|>Naoka Toba \|\| 鳥羽直花 --- --- Sorting out the mess on her floor had taken longer than she'd expected. It probably would've been quicker if she didn't just dump everything on the floor, honestly. But by the time she realised that, it was already too late. Naoka stood up from where she'd been sitting next to her shelves and yawned. She'd been at it for a while. She wasn't too surprised, she always took forever to clean stuff. It was just a waste to get things all neat and organised only for them to become a mess again in a week. She picked up her bag and decided to head down, maybe she'd run into one of her friends and she could pick up that coffee she'd been longing for. Making her way down the stairs, Naoka checked her phone. No texts. Everyone was probably too busy getting settled in to chat and her parents were already at work. They worked such long hours that even when she was at home, she hardly saw them. Staying at the dorms didn't change much. Naoka entered the lobby. A some people had already congregated, a few she recognised, most she didn't. She'd already picked up her key, so she didn't really need to stick around and so continued walking to the great outdoors. The weather was good, with any luck it'd stay that way. There weren't a lot of people outside, but the one that stuck out the most was a blonde girl pulling around a suitcase. Was it natural? It was an international school, so she could just be foreign. Cautiously approaching the girl, she definitely wasn't anyone Naoka recognised. A first-year, most likely. Well, if there was anything Naoka wanted to do, it was to make a good first impression on her underclassmen. "Excuse me," she said, approaching cautiously. "I'm Toba Naoka, one of the third years here. Do you need any help?"</s> <\|message\|>Yuuhei Seiho Yuuhei Seiho --- Hirata's rather innocuous question earned him an unsettlingly mischievous grin from Yuuhei. The blond leaned in conspiratorially with his beefy classmate, looking every bit the part of a guy that was about to spill the secrets of the very world itself. "Well you see," he started quietly, dangling his notebook in front of Hirata expectantly, "I've been chasing down a story over our break, but I just can't seem to get anywhere with it. I've searched high and low, but all I've dug up so far is a bunch of hearsay that even I'm not crazy enough to print." But rather than seem defeated, Yuuhei all but glowed from discussing his utter failure to produce results. "So after I finished unpacking this morning, I hit the bricks and spent the rest of my morning asking around to see if anybody has heard about Yellow Plague." As soon as the phrase passed his lips, Yuuhei's playful eyes immediately focused in on Hirata's expression with intense scrutiny, searching for any kind of reaction from his classmate. Because even if he hadn't intended to drag Hirata into his investigation when he had sat down, Yuuhei simply wasn't the kind to pass up opportunities that gift-wrapped themselves for him like this. The critical look only lasted a few moments though, as regardless of what he saw he shrugged it off with a small laugh. "Ended up completely forgetting that I was supposed to be here at eleven though and all I got out of it were the uncomfortable looks of my cute juniors that I'm sure will haunt my dreams," he finished without the slightest trace of remorse in him. And with his small story finally done, Yuuhei leaned back into the couch and made himself comfortable. But rather than just leave it at that, he leveled another pointed look at his classmate. "So your turn Hirata, ya hear anything interesting lately?"</s> <\|message\|>Laki Hirata \|\| 平田ラキ --- "...spent the rest of my morning asking around to see if anybody has heard about Yellow Plague." For all his internal posturing about revealing nothing, Laki's face tightened. Did he know? Did he notice Laki's discomfort? He tried to rearrange his features into something of a neutral expression. Breathing is fun. I like to breathe. Just think about breathing. Seiho seemed to continue on without a care in the world for how Laki reacted. He probably didn't know. He was just making small talk. He was definitely making small talk. No doubt about it. "So your turn Hirata, ya hear anything interesting lately?" Did he mean about the Plague? Small talk, Laki. Small talk... Nothing else. "Nothing in particular. I've been sequestered at home all summer–haven't gotten a chance to really chat with anyone." The statement was at least partially true. Laki certainly hadn't talked with any of his classmates all summer, save for a few close run-ins with them near the construction site where he worked. He had to steer the conversation away from any dangerous territory. "How about you? What'd you get up to over the summer? Do anything with the club?" Renard</s> <\|message\|>Caelum Grove --- --- His room was as expected and he knew it'd take little time for him to straighten it out when got back. He rolled the trunk to the foot of his bed. There was stuff that he could do or rather should do. His uncle would tell him to be a step ahead of the 'now'-- whatever that meant. He eyed his phone as he traveled back down the stairs, through the throng of conversing students. He let his free arm swing by his side, fist loosely balled. He didn't have any messages from his Uncle, that was either good or really bad. He slid the phone into his pocket and headed out of the dorm. "Now to have a look around." He smiled pleasantly to himself at his next thought. "I wonder how long it'll take me before I'll have to ask for direction."</s> <\|message\|>Sawajiri Touka --- Toba Naoka. It was a significant name! and from a significant senpai as well! Touka blinked, as if forcing herself to focus. Being distracted by her train of thought was normal. After all, she was only really ever focused on stage. There were some small concerns in her head, but most of it was vapid, banal assumptions. She thought to smile wide as she addressed Naoka in a timely and polite fashion. "Oh, thank you, Toba-senpai! I'm, just, guess I might've overpacked. I'm Sawajiri Touka, I'm a first year. Suppose you already knew that, though. You seem to have everything together, helping underclassmen like me and all."</s>	<\|message\|>Naoka Toba \|\| 鳥羽直花 "Oh, I'm really- not at all- well, if you say so," Naoka said, slightly flushed. "But, overpacked? I'm not too sure about that." She looked at Sawajiri's suitcase. Was it even half as much stuff as she'd brought herself? She'd basically moved her entire room over. "There's a lot of space in the rooms, so you don't need to worry. Though you can always pick up extra stuff over holidays or get your parents to drop it off." She gave Sawajiri the most welcoming smile she could muster. "The lobby's over there," Naoka said, motioning to where the entrance was. There were already a few other people coming out of it. "Pick up your room key, put your stuff away and then you've got the rest of the day free. Is there anything else I can help you with? It's no trouble at all." Naoka hoped she was making a good first impression. It would be nice to be popular with the first years. She could be the cool, mature senpai... She was getting a little ahead of herself, wasn't she?</s>
<\|description\|>Sawajiri Touka Arcana Priestess Age 15-16 Personality Traits Touka could best be described as sociable, spritely, and kind. Despite never getting over her father's death and having to more or less find her own way due to her mother seeming to be always working, Touka doesn't try to publicly appear demure, depressing, or pessimistic. The way she processes things is mostly mired in repression and nostalgia. If she focuses on the good and on music she believes she can pretty much ignore anything sad or cruel. That said, she's afraid of getting too close to people. When teasing can be misconstrued as flirting she backpedals and tries to leave a situation as fast as possible and any friendships she has is skin deep because she's afraid of someone she's close to leaving her. She doesn't know if she could bear it, even through her façade. So as long as her friends don't try to be too close and try to peel away her armor she tends to think she will be fine. Backstory The Sawajiri Family has nothing, well, close-to-nothing. Touka's mother is the head of the household, and has been since the death of her husband and Touka's father five years ago. Despite help by her mother's younger brother, the family has struggled immensely. With her mother overworked at the local hospital as one of the nursing staff and her uncle either halfway into a bottle of Saki or chasing skirts Touka has only really had one solace. Music. A naturally gifted singer and instrumentalist, Touka started playing violin when she was very young. Her fondest memory has been the last performance she had that her father, despite being sickly and near death, had seen. In the years since Touka has tried her best to get through life as quick as possible. She's had the same friends group since pretty much forever and often appears as the center of attention despite not wanting to be. She's never had a boyfriend or girlfriend. N-not that's any of your business! She is currently attending Kenkoichi International Academy with hopes her musical talents can help her become a healthy and more financially stable adult. Maybe one day she can come to terms with her past. Gear The most notable thing Touka tends to have on-hand is her violin. While being athletic enough to participate in team sports, her club activities are limited to music for the most part. Beyond her violin one could often see her with a handbag, backpack, or umbrella depending on the need. She's a High School Student, not a shoujo protagonist. Persona Brigid Persona Abilities The aspects of Touka's Persona revolve around the spring season. Fertility, healing, song, and craft. As such Touka's abilities would revolve around healing wards, support spells, bard-like enchantments, and the element of water for its restorative properties and of the showers that come in spring to restore the earth.</s> <\|message\|>Naoka Toba \|\| 鳥羽直花 --- --- Naoka woke up straight away. It wasn't anything out of the ordinary, she always did that. All of those five-minutes lie-ins added up, after all. What was odd was why she had woken up. Most of the time it was her alarm going off. Instead, a quick glance at her phone told her there were still ten minutes left to go. So it was that weird dream that she'd woken up from, which was the other odd thing, because she usually slept so deeply that she hardly ever had them, let alone that vividly. She got up and finished getting ready by the time her alarm went off for real. Dressed in the highly creative sweater with jeans, Naoka slumped back down on her bed as her phone buzzed loudly. "Six-thirty," she muttered. She glanced over at her luggage. She'd made sure it was all ready a few days ago, with some ungodly combination of packing what she needed and throwing out almost everything else. Without all the mess, the room felt foreign. Then again, it did anyway. After two years, she was getting more used to her room at the dorm than the one at home. "Six-thirty five." Had it already been five minutes? Though it wasn't like she had much to do. There was still some time before they left, but going back to sleep didn't feel right. Instead, she reached into her bag sitting on the floor and pulled out her sketchbook, flipping it open. As she doodled absent mindedly, she thought back to the dream again. There were people that believed what you saw in your dreams could help you predict your future, right? Maybe she ought to look into it. There was... a lot of blue. That might mean something. The time passed as she continued to get lost in her thoughts. Somewhere along the way she'd started going over English vocab in her head. "Naoka! Let's go!" her dad eventually called from downstairs, snapping her out of her thoughts. "Take your luggage down, we're gonna leave in a sec." "Coming! Coming," she shouted back. "Coming! Coming," she shouted back. She hastily closed over the drawing of a woman who looked suspiciously like Safie, shoving her sketchbook back into her bag. Then, she carried her luggage down to where her dad was waiting in the car, sliding wordlessly into the backseat. He started the engine and began to drive towards the school. "You ready?" "Yeah. Is mum... not coming?" They were leaving early, since her parents had to go to work not long after. Naoka didn't mind, since she was used to waking up early anyway. The sooner she got in, the sooner she could settle back into the comfortable school routine. "She was up late yesterday, so she's sleeping in." "I guess it can't be helped." "Don't worry, she'll probably send you a text when she gets up. But you're finally third year, huh? You sure have grown. I still remember your first day of elementary school like it was yesterday." "Oh, really?" "I think we have some pictures somewhere, you know! I should send you them later." "Uh, don't worry. You don't need to," she replied, staring blankly at her faint reflection in the window. She didn't feel very different from the year before. She'd gotten her hair cut much shorter over summer (it had been waist length before, but it was becoming a pain to manage), though that was about it. "You never know when you'll need them. Make sure you study hard this year." "Yeah. I will. College exams are coming up, so..." "Mmm. Good luck, Naoka." She didn't respond. The rest of the ride finished in complete silence. 🂠 🂠 🂠 She'd gotten in early, so the girls' dorms were pretty much empty. There wasn't much hassle, she'd said bye to her dad and gone in. There weren't any tears. They'd see each other again soon enough. Naoka yawned slightly as she trudged up the stairs. She'd forgotten to have coffee that morning. No wonder she felt so off. The dream probably didn't mean anything after all. Her dorm room was pristine. Not for long though, after a week or two she was always left with half the floor space and ten times the mess. She began to unpack, which is to say, she dumped the contents of her luggage onto the floor. Except for her many posters, which were put up neatly on the walls in the exact same configuration as the last year. It was the optimal arrangement for admiring their contents. With that done, Naoka's list of things to do was fully exhausted. In a sense. She'd made sure to study at least three hours a day for the entire holiday, so there wasn't a massive need to go over her notes again. Oh, she really ought to deal with all the stuff she'd left on the floor. Sighing, she sat down next to it and began to unpack properly. Her coffee could wait a little longer.</s> <\|message\|>Caelum Grove --- --- Stephen King had an accident and he had a quote about that accident on the internet. That quote resonated with Caelum deeply as he sat on his impregnated trunk reading it on his phone. `My accident really taught me just one thing: the only way to go on is to go on. To say 'I can do this' even when you know you can't.` "So true," he murmured, grazing the idea of setting aside his misfortune and moving on to his first year of high school. His uncle strode to the door, where his shoes were waiting. He slid on the worn white sneakers and spared Caelum a smile. "You… Umm, you ready kiddo?" Caelum found the 'POWER OFF' button on his phone and touched it, the screen smoothly turned black. "As ready as I'll ever be uncle. Mom," he paused, his Japanese flickering into English. "I just feel like I'm trying to forget, Ma. It sucks monkey balls." Jasper continued in his fluent Japanese; he took the language masterfully. "Forgetting is just the surface of your feelings kiddo. We'll never forget her." He stood to his feet, let Caelum out, and started locking up. "It feels that way now but believe me, its just because you're young." Caelum yanked the handle of his trunk out and wheeled it to the trunk of Jasper's small car. "Yeah," he said in Japanese. "I believe you uncle…" ~* ~* ~* Jasper watched him steadily with that same set burning dark eyes. Caelum had grown use to those orbs, so use to them that he strode up towards the dorm unperturbed. He reached the doors and gave his uncle a reassuring smile and wave, hoping to send him off with some form of confidence. When Jasper's tall form fell into his car, the engine thrummed, and the man's hand (fleeting as a shadow) waved in return: Caelum slid inside. Inside (out of view), he sighed deeply. He dug into his jeans and pulled out the crumpled, damped note he had jotted down. In the thick blue of a highlighter was written "VELVET ROOM?" He had looked it up when he awoke that morning and when concerns of last-minute packing had arisen he quickly wrote it down hoping to remember it later. For some reason the note or rather the words had an odd pull to them. It took some effort for him to stuff the note back in his pocket. The rolling of his trunk following him down the hall. He was early he observed, seeing the emptiness occupied by stragglers or early-risers. "I should find the receptionist." He aptly begun to wander off.</s>	<\|message\|>Sawajiri Touka Touka Sawajiri moved a frayed strand of her dyed blonde hair from her face, tucking it behind her ear. Kenkōichi always seemed smaller than it actually was, so it was cases like this that reminded her how different things were on the other side of the tracks. She was honestly surprised that she got accepted to such a prestigious school, even if it was kind of one of the big fixtures in the city she had grown up in. There was the hospital with its research facilities and state-of-the-art whatever's and whatnot's, but a Senior High School that was seen so highly? Gosh. Did she even belong? She was just a worthless girl from a broken home. She barely had enough to have the confidence that the other girls had. Maybe this was all a mistake. She smiled widely, shaking off the thought before reminding herself that was no way to think. Remember the music, she told herself as the silhouette of the academy came into sight. She had arrived. 🎻🎻 🎻 "See you later, ojisan!" Touka shouted behind her to her uncle, lugging her suitcase to the best of her ability as the old Toyota took off in the opposite direction. She didn't have much, but getting her things into her very first dorm room did require some... direction.</s>
<\|description\|>Sawajiri Touka Arcana Priestess Age 15-16 Personality Traits Touka could best be described as sociable, spritely, and kind. Despite never getting over her father's death and having to more or less find her own way due to her mother seeming to be always working, Touka doesn't try to publicly appear demure, depressing, or pessimistic. The way she processes things is mostly mired in repression and nostalgia. If she focuses on the good and on music she believes she can pretty much ignore anything sad or cruel. That said, she's afraid of getting too close to people. When teasing can be misconstrued as flirting she backpedals and tries to leave a situation as fast as possible and any friendships she has is skin deep because she's afraid of someone she's close to leaving her. She doesn't know if she could bear it, even through her façade. So as long as her friends don't try to be too close and try to peel away her armor she tends to think she will be fine. Backstory The Sawajiri Family has nothing, well, close-to-nothing. Touka's mother is the head of the household, and has been since the death of her husband and Touka's father five years ago. Despite help by her mother's younger brother, the family has struggled immensely. With her mother overworked at the local hospital as one of the nursing staff and her uncle either halfway into a bottle of Saki or chasing skirts Touka has only really had one solace. Music. A naturally gifted singer and instrumentalist, Touka started playing violin when she was very young. Her fondest memory has been the last performance she had that her father, despite being sickly and near death, had seen. In the years since Touka has tried her best to get through life as quick as possible. She's had the same friends group since pretty much forever and often appears as the center of attention despite not wanting to be. She's never had a boyfriend or girlfriend. N-not that's any of your business! She is currently attending Kenkoichi International Academy with hopes her musical talents can help her become a healthy and more financially stable adult. Maybe one day she can come to terms with her past. Gear The most notable thing Touka tends to have on-hand is her violin. While being athletic enough to participate in team sports, her club activities are limited to music for the most part. Beyond her violin one could often see her with a handbag, backpack, or umbrella depending on the need. She's a High School Student, not a shoujo protagonist. Persona Brigid Persona Abilities The aspects of Touka's Persona revolve around the spring season. Fertility, healing, song, and craft. As such Touka's abilities would revolve around healing wards, support spells, bard-like enchantments, and the element of water for its restorative properties and of the showers that come in spring to restore the earth.</s> <\|message\|>Laki Hirata \|\| 平田ラキ --- "...spent the rest of my morning asking around to see if anybody has heard about Yellow Plague." For all his internal posturing about revealing nothing, Laki's face tightened. Did he know? Did he notice Laki's discomfort? He tried to rearrange his features into something of a neutral expression. Breathing is fun. I like to breathe. Just think about breathing. Seiho seemed to continue on without a care in the world for how Laki reacted. He probably didn't know. He was just making small talk. He was definitely making small talk. No doubt about it. "So your turn Hirata, ya hear anything interesting lately?" Did he mean about the Plague? Small talk, Laki. Small talk... Nothing else. "Nothing in particular. I've been sequestered at home all summer–haven't gotten a chance to really chat with anyone." The statement was at least partially true. Laki certainly hadn't talked with any of his classmates all summer, save for a few close run-ins with them near the construction site where he worked. He had to steer the conversation away from any dangerous territory. "How about you? What'd you get up to over the summer? Do anything with the club?" Renard</s> <\|message\|>Caelum Grove --- --- His room was as expected and he knew it'd take little time for him to straighten it out when got back. He rolled the trunk to the foot of his bed. There was stuff that he could do or rather should do. His uncle would tell him to be a step ahead of the 'now'-- whatever that meant. He eyed his phone as he traveled back down the stairs, through the throng of conversing students. He let his free arm swing by his side, fist loosely balled. He didn't have any messages from his Uncle, that was either good or really bad. He slid the phone into his pocket and headed out of the dorm. "Now to have a look around." He smiled pleasantly to himself at his next thought. "I wonder how long it'll take me before I'll have to ask for direction."</s> <\|message\|>Sawajiri Touka --- Toba Naoka. It was a significant name! and from a significant senpai as well! Touka blinked, as if forcing herself to focus. Being distracted by her train of thought was normal. After all, she was only really ever focused on stage. There were some small concerns in her head, but most of it was vapid, banal assumptions. She thought to smile wide as she addressed Naoka in a timely and polite fashion. "Oh, thank you, Toba-senpai! I'm, just, guess I might've overpacked. I'm Sawajiri Touka, I'm a first year. Suppose you already knew that, though. You seem to have everything together, helping underclassmen like me and all."</s> <\|message\|>Naoka Toba \|\| 鳥羽直花 --- --- "Oh, I'm really- not at all- well, if you say so," Naoka said, slightly flushed. "But, overpacked? I'm not too sure about that." She looked at Sawajiri's suitcase. Was it even half as much stuff as she'd brought herself? She'd basically moved her entire room over. "There's a lot of space in the rooms, so you don't need to worry. Though you can always pick up extra stuff over holidays or get your parents to drop it off." She gave Sawajiri the most welcoming smile she could muster. "The lobby's over there," Naoka said, motioning to where the entrance was. There were already a few other people coming out of it. "Pick up your room key, put your stuff away and then you've got the rest of the day free. Is there anything else I can help you with? It's no trouble at all." Naoka hoped she was making a good first impression. It would be nice to be popular with the first years. She could be the cool, mature senpai... She was getting a little ahead of herself, wasn't she?</s> <\|message\|>Yuuhei Seiho Yuuhei Seiho --- Yuuhei let Hirata's string of questions hang in the air for a few awful moments as a knowing smirk took over his features. That small reaction that he had managed to coax out of Hirata had only proven that the big guy had at least heard of Yellow Plague. Now, whether he actually knew anything new or interesting about it Yuuhei couldn't be sure, but the way that Hirata had sharply swerved the conversation away from himself was certainly making the blond wonder. The silence couldn't last though, as this was probably his last chance to steer them back towards what he actually wanted to talk about. "As much as it pains me to say out loud, it was mostly just me running around town being a nuisance. Especially since my club all but disappears over breaks." Except this wasn't his only chance to get something juicy out of Hirata. And besides, the big guy already seemed to be on guard so there was a very real chance that he would simply clam up rather than spill anything useful. So for now, he would put a pin in this conversation and come back to it when he was confident that he would get the results that he wanted. Yuuhei's usual big goofy smile returned in force now that his mind was made up. "But don't worry, I'm sure there will be plenty of excitement to be found this year. I'll just have to keep tipping over the right stones and see what turns up." And just like that, Laki Hirata had gone from being an individual that Yuuhei had never really given a second thought about to his prime person of interest in his investigation.</s> <\|message\|>Laki Hirata \|\| 平田ラキ --- "But don't worry, I'm sure there will be plenty of excitement to be found this year. I'll just have to keep tipping over the right stones and see what turns up." "Heh. Yeah, I suppose you do." Laki's mouth was moving independently of his brain at this point. There was still a chance that Seiho was just fooling around, but it seemed to be dwindling faster than an ice cream cone on a hot summer day. He didn't hold it against Seiho, though. The guy just wanted to know more about the Plague–which was totally understandable. Everyone wanted to know more about the Plague. It just so happened that Laki was one of the best people to ask about it. Nothing but circumstance had led them to this point. But what if it wasn't? Gotta get it together. Stay composed. Think it through. Seiho had been asking people all morning about the Plague. Laki just happened to be one of those people. It was a little weird that Seiho had just approached Laki right out of nowhere, but it seemd to follow his modus operandi–Seiho likely already had any information he could get from people he knew. Of course he'd have to pester those he didn't. He was just chasing the unknown. Unless, of course, he was lying about asking people all morning and had only approached Laki specifically because he knew something about Laki's situation. No, no, that line of thinking won't get me anywhere. Laki had never heard anything about Seiho being anything less than a little bit annoying with his questions. He wouldn't lie like that to get information. Probably. I'm reading into it too much. Just gotta have faith in my classmates. Laki sighed and leaned back in his seat. It'd be best to just act normally for now. "I hope you find something out soon. Seems like the whole town is looking for information at this point." Renard</s> <\|message\|>Yukinari Rio / Yukiya Rurizakura Ms. Suzuki split her attention between the grumpy secretary and most students that passed, offering a few warm words of welcome. Rio didn't entirely understand why the woman put so much effort into it, but at the very least she got the gist of what she was going to be doing. And by that she meant she was probably going to ditch as soon as she had the chance; no way was she going to spend all her free time at a computer doing nothing but talking to people on her free time. Besides, hardly anyone even approached her--anyone that came around was more interested in getting to their dorm or talking to Ms. Suzuki. And speaking of the devil, the old hag had finally given her her full attention, positively beaming at Rio's unsatisfied look. "Alright then, I expect you right here after your classes tomorrow," She informed her cheerfully. "If you don't show up, I'll have to go looking for you, so make sure you're on time, alright?" "Mhm," Rio only offered a noise of confirmation, all too glad to slip out of the desk and snatching her own room key. Walking towards the hall with every intent to spend the rest of her free time in her room, she jumped as a nearby girl squealed loud enough to be heard over the entire lobby's chatting. "Look at that!" The random girl had practically screamed in excitement. Rio nearly ignored it, but the flurry of yellow and blue outside had definitely caught her attention. What the hell was that? Despite her initial impulse to ignore it, she found herself following a few students outside. Said flurry had been a massive horde of what looked like butterflies, each colored yellow and blue and fluttering in a straight path. Rio quirked an eyebrow, watching as they seemed to fly straight towards the roof of the school. Whatever kept them all together at that point seemed to release them, as each of the little flyers went each their own way, as if they had intentionally wanted to scatter. A few had actually decided to fly back towards the dorms, and a multitude of students were hastily trying to grab pictures of them. Rio blinked slowly, still surprised by the display, but for some reason she felt like she had actually seen the butterflies before. They didn't look like the usual swallowtails, and they definitely didn't usually travel in such huge packs. Actually, they reminded her of that chick with the long nosed weirdo from the dream she had. The girl had a hairpin that looked like a butterfly, too. But it was just a weird coincidence--and admittedly she hadn't really thought about it until now--and hearing everyone fawning over bugs was starting to get annoying. Still, it was a really weird coincidence.</s>	<\|message\|>Sawajiri Touka "Oh, I don't think so, Toba-senpai." With the proper instructions, Touka didn't figure she needed all that much else unless her senpai had particularly more to say. It was nice to meet new people in a new environment, though. She wondered what else the older student had to say considering this was a far way from where Touka came from. A different side of the tracks. Everything in this part of Kenkōichi seemed to be an entire different world compared to the rough side of it where Touka's family had struggled to make ends meet for years. It made her feel weird, but not completely uncomfortable. "Unless, like, you want to explain anything else about the school. I dunno."</s>
<\|description\|>Yukinari Rio / Yukiya Rurizakura 幸也璃桜 / 雪也璃桜 Arcana Strength Age 15 Personality Traits Kenkōichi's usual suspect and general headache, Rio is a hot-headed girl whose brashness causes her a lot of trouble. Her tendency to be blunt regardless of who she speaks to makes her come off as cold and uncaring and she is unapologetic about who she hurts so long as she gets to speak her mind freely. There's an underlying sense of arrogance in the way she carries herself, often appearing to be snobbish--though that flies out the window the moment she starts yelling and shouting. Her aggressive demeanor is usually enough to keep people away and her general distrust pushes away the rest. When she isn't riled up, she's surprisingly on the quieter side, preferring to keep to herself. She's extremely expressive, her deadpan looks and scowls obvious even if she does manage to keep her comments to herself. Backstory Rio arrived like a hurricane and completely blindsided the staff--no one seems to know where she came from or why she's attending Kenkōichi International Academy. Despite numerous complaints about her attitude and tendency to get into brawls, she has yet to be suspended or expelled. The staff has been baffled by this, though they are reassured by the principal that she is simply to be disciplined and he would take care of contacting her parents. Said parents are either overseas or nonexistent according to some rumors, although no one seems to be too interested in where she's from and are more concerned about wrangling her under control. From what people have learned, Rio is a latchkey kid currently residing in town with no authority figure in sight. She outright refuses to talk about it, although has let slip that she's an only child. She's not entirely familiar with Kenkōichi but does know where most major landmarks are. She also has some awareness around the town's borders, often taking any tussles there in an effort to get both police and the school off her back. Gear Rio specializes in physical combat, her participation in 'gang' fights giving her plenty of experience--she carries around a baseball bat outside of campus on occasion for protection. Persona Skuld Persona Abilities Physical - Ice</s> <\|message\|>Caelum Grove --- --- Stephen King had an accident and he had a quote about that accident on the internet. That quote resonated with Caelum deeply as he sat on his impregnated trunk reading it on his phone. `My accident really taught me just one thing: the only way to go on is to go on. To say 'I can do this' even when you know you can't.` "So true," he murmured, grazing the idea of setting aside his misfortune and moving on to his first year of high school. His uncle strode to the door, where his shoes were waiting. He slid on the worn white sneakers and spared Caelum a smile. "You… Umm, you ready kiddo?" Caelum found the 'POWER OFF' button on his phone and touched it, the screen smoothly turned black. "As ready as I'll ever be uncle. Mom," he paused, his Japanese flickering into English. "I just feel like I'm trying to forget, Ma. It sucks monkey balls." Jasper continued in his fluent Japanese; he took the language masterfully. "Forgetting is just the surface of your feelings kiddo. We'll never forget her." He stood to his feet, let Caelum out, and started locking up. "It feels that way now but believe me, its just because you're young." Caelum yanked the handle of his trunk out and wheeled it to the trunk of Jasper's small car. "Yeah," he said in Japanese. "I believe you uncle…" ~* ~* ~* Jasper watched him steadily with that same set burning dark eyes. Caelum had grown use to those orbs, so use to them that he strode up towards the dorm unperturbed. He reached the doors and gave his uncle a reassuring smile and wave, hoping to send him off with some form of confidence. When Jasper's tall form fell into his car, the engine thrummed, and the man's hand (fleeting as a shadow) waved in return: Caelum slid inside. Inside (out of view), he sighed deeply. He dug into his jeans and pulled out the crumpled, damped note he had jotted down. In the thick blue of a highlighter was written "VELVET ROOM?" He had looked it up when he awoke that morning and when concerns of last-minute packing had arisen he quickly wrote it down hoping to remember it later. For some reason the note or rather the words had an odd pull to them. It took some effort for him to stuff the note back in his pocket. The rolling of his trunk following him down the hall. He was early he observed, seeing the emptiness occupied by stragglers or early-risers. "I should find the receptionist." He aptly begun to wander off.</s> <\|message\|>Sawajiri Touka --- Touka Sawajiri moved a frayed strand of her dyed blonde hair from her face, tucking it behind her ear. Kenkōichi always seemed smaller than it actually was, so it was cases like this that reminded her how different things were on the other side of the tracks. She was honestly surprised that she got accepted to such a prestigious school, even if it was kind of one of the big fixtures in the city she had grown up in. There was the hospital with its research facilities and state-of-the-art whatever's and whatnot's, but a Senior High School that was seen so highly? Gosh. Did she even belong? She was just a worthless girl from a broken home. She barely had enough to have the confidence that the other girls had. Maybe this was all a mistake. She smiled widely, shaking off the thought before reminding herself that was no way to think. Remember the music, she told herself as the silhouette of the academy came into sight. She had arrived. 🎻🎻 🎻 "See you later, ojisan!" Touka shouted behind her to her uncle, lugging her suitcase to the best of her ability as the old Toyota took off in the opposite direction. She didn't have much, but getting her things into her very first dorm room did require some... direction.</s>	<\|message\|>Yukinari Rio / Yukiya Rurizakura "Yukinari, please sit up properly." Rio sank more into her seat, pointedly staring at her knees. It was getting a little uncomfortable sitting on the chair with the heels of her shoes firmly on the chair, but hey, she never asked to be here. This had to be some kind of record--it wasn't even the first day of school, and she had somehow already ended up in the principal's office. Well, the guidance counselor's office, but basically the same thing. She had stepped a foot into campus and there the lady was, whisking her away before she had the chance to walk away. They had barely spoken once she had put Rio in a seat, instead the woman tapped away at her computer. Despite her tone, the woman looked more amused than anything, brushing her bangs away from her red rimmed glasses as she looked back at her computer. After a few seconds, Rio lifted her gaze to meet the guidance counselor's, a little surprised to find she was staring at her. Rolling her eyes, Rio sat up, waving her hands with a flourish. "Happy?" "Very much so, yes," She replied, pushing back her seat to stand. "Come along now, we'll walk and talk." What the hell was the point of bringing her to the office, then?! Rio resisted the urge to kick something as she got to her feet, trudging behind the woman as she stuffed her hands into her pockets. She swore she heard the woman giggle, though when she leveled a glare on her, she was stone faced. "Are you gonna talk or are you gonna tell me what the hell's going on?" Rio decided to give the woman 'permission' to speak. "What, did the principal tell you to babysit me?" "As a matter of fact, yes he did. My name is Suzuki Eiko, and while you're attending Kenkōichi you'll be under my careful watch," She replied without skipping a beat. "I understand you're new to the academy, and despite your checkered past, it'll be my job to mold you into a proper member of society." For fuck's sake, she was joking! Rio scowled openly, raising an eyebrow. "You must not have a lot to do if they're telling you to 'look after me', what a load of bullshit," She muttered. "Aside from my regular duties, I happily volunteer as the girls' dorm advisor. This is all part of my job, Yukinari." Ms. Suzuki assured her cheerfully. "There is nothing more satisfying than overseeing the students and helping them out to the best of my abilities. That includes making sure you stay out of trouble, like it or not." "Lucky me," Rio replied. "A lot of students would agree," Ms. Suzuki giggled, waving to a few passing students. "Come along now, every year I like to greet my students and I'd like to meet the boys' dorm advisor and warn him about you." Rio would've been offended if she didn't have a point. Oh well, not like she had anything better to do at the moment. That said, she could see why Ms. Suzuki was so damn cocky in her statement--nearly every other student they passed happily greeted her, a few waving and the rest at minimum acknowledging her. She must have been popular. As Rio gave her a look over, she admitted she didn't seem the appeal. They had just met and she was annoying as all fuck. As she scoffed again, the pair walked into the dormitory. Despite it being early, it looked like there were a few people around, likely some early birds. There were a few benches and a multitude of indoor plants, as well as an empty receptionist desk. Suzuki gave the few students around a wave before beckoning Rio to follow her, showing her the desk. "I think that part of your desire to cause trouble comes from having too much free time," She cheerfully informed her. "I think having your cooperation in helping me out with reception should curb that a little." Her jaw dropped as she looked from the desk to the counselor, giving her a look of disbelief. It was like she was being preemptively punished or something! "You're kidding, right?" She asked. "Better than getting turned over to the police for defacing public property, right?" She replied cheerfully, lightly pushing her into the seat. "Now, I'll list of some of your responsibilities, so pay attention." Ugh, Rio was so sure there hadn't been any security cameras around when she did that! The girl scowled again, crossing her arms as she half-listened to her instructions. How hard could putting in names and watering plants be, anyway?</s>
<\|description\|>Yukinari Rio / Yukiya Rurizakura 幸也璃桜 / 雪也璃桜 Arcana Strength Age 15 Personality Traits Kenkōichi's usual suspect and general headache, Rio is a hot-headed girl whose brashness causes her a lot of trouble. Her tendency to be blunt regardless of who she speaks to makes her come off as cold and uncaring and she is unapologetic about who she hurts so long as she gets to speak her mind freely. There's an underlying sense of arrogance in the way she carries herself, often appearing to be snobbish--though that flies out the window the moment she starts yelling and shouting. Her aggressive demeanor is usually enough to keep people away and her general distrust pushes away the rest. When she isn't riled up, she's surprisingly on the quieter side, preferring to keep to herself. She's extremely expressive, her deadpan looks and scowls obvious even if she does manage to keep her comments to herself. Backstory Rio arrived like a hurricane and completely blindsided the staff--no one seems to know where she came from or why she's attending Kenkōichi International Academy. Despite numerous complaints about her attitude and tendency to get into brawls, she has yet to be suspended or expelled. The staff has been baffled by this, though they are reassured by the principal that she is simply to be disciplined and he would take care of contacting her parents. Said parents are either overseas or nonexistent according to some rumors, although no one seems to be too interested in where she's from and are more concerned about wrangling her under control. From what people have learned, Rio is a latchkey kid currently residing in town with no authority figure in sight. She outright refuses to talk about it, although has let slip that she's an only child. She's not entirely familiar with Kenkōichi but does know where most major landmarks are. She also has some awareness around the town's borders, often taking any tussles there in an effort to get both police and the school off her back. Gear Rio specializes in physical combat, her participation in 'gang' fights giving her plenty of experience--she carries around a baseball bat outside of campus on occasion for protection. Persona Skuld Persona Abilities Physical - Ice</s> <\|message\|>Yuuhei Seiho Yuuhei Seiho --- Hirata's rather innocuous question earned him an unsettlingly mischievous grin from Yuuhei. The blond leaned in conspiratorially with his beefy classmate, looking every bit the part of a guy that was about to spill the secrets of the very world itself. "Well you see," he started quietly, dangling his notebook in front of Hirata expectantly, "I've been chasing down a story over our break, but I just can't seem to get anywhere with it. I've searched high and low, but all I've dug up so far is a bunch of hearsay that even I'm not crazy enough to print." But rather than seem defeated, Yuuhei all but glowed from discussing his utter failure to produce results. "So after I finished unpacking this morning, I hit the bricks and spent the rest of my morning asking around to see if anybody has heard about Yellow Plague." As soon as the phrase passed his lips, Yuuhei's playful eyes immediately focused in on Hirata's expression with intense scrutiny, searching for any kind of reaction from his classmate. Because even if he hadn't intended to drag Hirata into his investigation when he had sat down, Yuuhei simply wasn't the kind to pass up opportunities that gift-wrapped themselves for him like this. The critical look only lasted a few moments though, as regardless of what he saw he shrugged it off with a small laugh. "Ended up completely forgetting that I was supposed to be here at eleven though and all I got out of it were the uncomfortable looks of my cute juniors that I'm sure will haunt my dreams," he finished without the slightest trace of remorse in him. And with his small story finally done, Yuuhei leaned back into the couch and made himself comfortable. But rather than just leave it at that, he leveled another pointed look at his classmate. "So your turn Hirata, ya hear anything interesting lately?"</s> <\|message\|>Laki Hirata \|\| 平田ラキ --- "...spent the rest of my morning asking around to see if anybody has heard about Yellow Plague." For all his internal posturing about revealing nothing, Laki's face tightened. Did he know? Did he notice Laki's discomfort? He tried to rearrange his features into something of a neutral expression. Breathing is fun. I like to breathe. Just think about breathing. Seiho seemed to continue on without a care in the world for how Laki reacted. He probably didn't know. He was just making small talk. He was definitely making small talk. No doubt about it. "So your turn Hirata, ya hear anything interesting lately?" Did he mean about the Plague? Small talk, Laki. Small talk... Nothing else. "Nothing in particular. I've been sequestered at home all summer–haven't gotten a chance to really chat with anyone." The statement was at least partially true. Laki certainly hadn't talked with any of his classmates all summer, save for a few close run-ins with them near the construction site where he worked. He had to steer the conversation away from any dangerous territory. "How about you? What'd you get up to over the summer? Do anything with the club?" Renard</s> <\|message\|>Caelum Grove --- --- His room was as expected and he knew it'd take little time for him to straighten it out when got back. He rolled the trunk to the foot of his bed. There was stuff that he could do or rather should do. His uncle would tell him to be a step ahead of the 'now'-- whatever that meant. He eyed his phone as he traveled back down the stairs, through the throng of conversing students. He let his free arm swing by his side, fist loosely balled. He didn't have any messages from his Uncle, that was either good or really bad. He slid the phone into his pocket and headed out of the dorm. "Now to have a look around." He smiled pleasantly to himself at his next thought. "I wonder how long it'll take me before I'll have to ask for direction."</s> <\|message\|>Sawajiri Touka --- Toba Naoka. It was a significant name! and from a significant senpai as well! Touka blinked, as if forcing herself to focus. Being distracted by her train of thought was normal. After all, she was only really ever focused on stage. There were some small concerns in her head, but most of it was vapid, banal assumptions. She thought to smile wide as she addressed Naoka in a timely and polite fashion. "Oh, thank you, Toba-senpai! I'm, just, guess I might've overpacked. I'm Sawajiri Touka, I'm a first year. Suppose you already knew that, though. You seem to have everything together, helping underclassmen like me and all."</s> <\|message\|>Naoka Toba \|\| 鳥羽直花 --- --- "Oh, I'm really- not at all- well, if you say so," Naoka said, slightly flushed. "But, overpacked? I'm not too sure about that." She looked at Sawajiri's suitcase. Was it even half as much stuff as she'd brought herself? She'd basically moved her entire room over. "There's a lot of space in the rooms, so you don't need to worry. Though you can always pick up extra stuff over holidays or get your parents to drop it off." She gave Sawajiri the most welcoming smile she could muster. "The lobby's over there," Naoka said, motioning to where the entrance was. There were already a few other people coming out of it. "Pick up your room key, put your stuff away and then you've got the rest of the day free. Is there anything else I can help you with? It's no trouble at all." Naoka hoped she was making a good first impression. It would be nice to be popular with the first years. She could be the cool, mature senpai... She was getting a little ahead of herself, wasn't she?</s> <\|message\|>Yuuhei Seiho Yuuhei Seiho --- Yuuhei let Hirata's string of questions hang in the air for a few awful moments as a knowing smirk took over his features. That small reaction that he had managed to coax out of Hirata had only proven that the big guy had at least heard of Yellow Plague. Now, whether he actually knew anything new or interesting about it Yuuhei couldn't be sure, but the way that Hirata had sharply swerved the conversation away from himself was certainly making the blond wonder. The silence couldn't last though, as this was probably his last chance to steer them back towards what he actually wanted to talk about. "As much as it pains me to say out loud, it was mostly just me running around town being a nuisance. Especially since my club all but disappears over breaks." Except this wasn't his only chance to get something juicy out of Hirata. And besides, the big guy already seemed to be on guard so there was a very real chance that he would simply clam up rather than spill anything useful. So for now, he would put a pin in this conversation and come back to it when he was confident that he would get the results that he wanted. Yuuhei's usual big goofy smile returned in force now that his mind was made up. "But don't worry, I'm sure there will be plenty of excitement to be found this year. I'll just have to keep tipping over the right stones and see what turns up." And just like that, Laki Hirata had gone from being an individual that Yuuhei had never really given a second thought about to his prime person of interest in his investigation.</s> <\|message\|>Laki Hirata \|\| 平田ラキ --- "But don't worry, I'm sure there will be plenty of excitement to be found this year. I'll just have to keep tipping over the right stones and see what turns up." "Heh. Yeah, I suppose you do." Laki's mouth was moving independently of his brain at this point. There was still a chance that Seiho was just fooling around, but it seemed to be dwindling faster than an ice cream cone on a hot summer day. He didn't hold it against Seiho, though. The guy just wanted to know more about the Plague–which was totally understandable. Everyone wanted to know more about the Plague. It just so happened that Laki was one of the best people to ask about it. Nothing but circumstance had led them to this point. But what if it wasn't? Gotta get it together. Stay composed. Think it through. Seiho had been asking people all morning about the Plague. Laki just happened to be one of those people. It was a little weird that Seiho had just approached Laki right out of nowhere, but it seemd to follow his modus operandi–Seiho likely already had any information he could get from people he knew. Of course he'd have to pester those he didn't. He was just chasing the unknown. Unless, of course, he was lying about asking people all morning and had only approached Laki specifically because he knew something about Laki's situation. No, no, that line of thinking won't get me anywhere. Laki had never heard anything about Seiho being anything less than a little bit annoying with his questions. He wouldn't lie like that to get information. Probably. I'm reading into it too much. Just gotta have faith in my classmates. Laki sighed and leaned back in his seat. It'd be best to just act normally for now. "I hope you find something out soon. Seems like the whole town is looking for information at this point." Renard</s>	<\|message\|>Yukinari Rio / Yukiya Rurizakura Ms. Suzuki split her attention between the grumpy secretary and most students that passed, offering a few warm words of welcome. Rio didn't entirely understand why the woman put so much effort into it, but at the very least she got the gist of what she was going to be doing. And by that she meant she was probably going to ditch as soon as she had the chance; no way was she going to spend all her free time at a computer doing nothing but talking to people on her free time. Besides, hardly anyone even approached her--anyone that came around was more interested in getting to their dorm or talking to Ms. Suzuki. And speaking of the devil, the old hag had finally given her her full attention, positively beaming at Rio's unsatisfied look. "Alright then, I expect you right here after your classes tomorrow," She informed her cheerfully. "If you don't show up, I'll have to go looking for you, so make sure you're on time, alright?" "Mhm," Rio only offered a noise of confirmation, all too glad to slip out of the desk and snatching her own room key. Walking towards the hall with every intent to spend the rest of her free time in her room, she jumped as a nearby girl squealed loud enough to be heard over the entire lobby's chatting. "Look at that!" The random girl had practically screamed in excitement. Rio nearly ignored it, but the flurry of yellow and blue outside had definitely caught her attention. What the hell was that? Despite her initial impulse to ignore it, she found herself following a few students outside. Said flurry had been a massive horde of what looked like butterflies, each colored yellow and blue and fluttering in a straight path. Rio quirked an eyebrow, watching as they seemed to fly straight towards the roof of the school. Whatever kept them all together at that point seemed to release them, as each of the little flyers went each their own way, as if they had intentionally wanted to scatter. A few had actually decided to fly back towards the dorms, and a multitude of students were hastily trying to grab pictures of them. Rio blinked slowly, still surprised by the display, but for some reason she felt like she had actually seen the butterflies before. They didn't look like the usual swallowtails, and they definitely didn't usually travel in such huge packs. Actually, they reminded her of that chick with the long nosed weirdo from the dream she had. The girl had a hairpin that looked like a butterfly, too. But it was just a weird coincidence--and admittedly she hadn't really thought about it until now--and hearing everyone fawning over bugs was starting to get annoying. Still, it was a really weird coincidence.</s>
<\|description\|>Emily Phillips age: 19/20 appearance: girl in the first post picture. role in the story: one of the twins powers(if any): unknown other: unknown name: Eric Phillips age: 19/20 appearance: guy in the first post picture. role in the story: one of the twins powers(if any): unknown other: unknown</s> <\|message\|>Aela Locke Aela flicked her wrist the four flames became one again, and returned to a normal flame. Once it finished Aela felt Emily land in lap, she smiled and pet her a few times a way of comforting her. As Eric rested at her side, she blushed at first. Then she wrapped her arm around him. Comforting him the same way she did with Emily. "I know I can't do much when you two are in these forms. But, I can provide light, warmth, and protection." Aela began drifting off to sleep, even as she slept her flame burned and remained floating above. It remained so until the sky brightened at dawn.</s> <\|message\|>Emily Phillips Lore Sunrise would arrive soon enough when slumber was finally granted to them. Emily and Eric would change back as the curse would have activated. They awoke with a start and moved away from Aela. There was a bit of a reaction to pain from them. Within a few moments, they both stood in front of her, human once again. Emily sighed, and so did Eric. However, they could not help but feel relieved. They felt bad that she got dragged into their problem, but they did not have to keep it a secret anymore. On top of that, they could help her in return. She had a problem of her own and needed help. That was what led them to realize they that both needed help as well. Eric carefully approached Aela. "Aela…" He reached over to touch her arm.</s> <\|message\|>Aela Locke "Hmm.....?" Aela slowly opens her eyes and notices Eric she blushed. "Eric...?" She quickly stands up and brushes off her dress. She was unsure what to say at this point she wasn't fully awake. "Emily...so that is how it works... I'm sorry again about last night."</s> <\|message\|>Emily Phillips Lore Emily and Eric both blinked. They shook their heads. "You don't have to apologize." Eric nodded in agreement. -"We see now that we should have told you." Emily nodded in agreement that time. Then, both she and Eric sighed. They frowned sadly as they sat there. Eric still had his hand on Aelas' arm, a kind gesture. -"We were...cursed...a few days ago." Eric went on to tell her the tale. Emily sat close by, silent. -"We were in the middle of spending a day outside with our parents when some strange woman showed up. She was dressed in black. She said something about finally finding us, and something about a war and a prophecy. Then, she demanded that we join her. We refused. She got angry and cursed us, saying we were given one chance to change our minds and that she would give us time to decide before she vanished. The curse would be permanent if we refused again. We began to search for a way to break the curse ourselves. That was when we found out about....HER...some sorceress queen who lived in what was believed to be in a non-existent kingdom. It seems only she has a magic strong enough to break our curse and put an end to all of this." Emily sighed. "That was why we are leaving town. We were about to go on a journey to find her."</s> <\|message\|>Aela Locke Aela smiled sadly at the remark that she didn't have to apologize. "I almost attacked you two with my own magic. How could I not apologize. Plus... I hid my gifts from you two for years as did my brother." Aela furrowed her brow, a signal she was listening intently. As they agreed to tell her what happened. Aela listened to Eric tell the tale she liked how Eric still had his hand on her arm it was comforting. "To anyone not involved with magic, could make her out to be some strange woman. She is extremely strong to cast a curse like yours. I'm in no way a professional, but maybe I couldn't sense your mana due to it being dormant? Do you remember what the prophecy about you two was? And with this Queen of a hidden kingdom do you have any leads of how to get there or met anyone who knows how to get there?"</s> <\|message\|>Emily Phillips Lore Eric shook his head. -"As we said. you do not have to apologize for the misunderstanding. We did try to hide from you after all." Emily nodded in agreement. Eric and Emily both sighed. "Strong? Maybe." Eric nodded. -"Something about a war, like I told you. Something about us being a key to victory or whatever." Emily nodded. "It didn't make much sense to us. How can we be a key to some victory to some war? And one we are not even involved in?" Eric nodded that time. They both frowned. They were unsure of what to do. "The book we found out about the kingdom in said it was hidden from the world, but would be revealed to those whose hearts believed in magic and carried no ill will. Basically, the gates would open for those of magic blood who truly needed a place to go." Eric nodded again.</s> <\|message\|>Aela Locke Aela thought for a moment, she folded her arms. "Well, I know she's strong because I sensed her curse you. At least remains of her spell not the full extent. I'm still kinda knew at sensing new magic. However, from you two I sense no other mana source within you. At least for the time being." "Those with magic bloodlines have skips or those extremely gifted like my brother Adian. It seems somewhere in your ancestry was magic and the one who cursed you either knows about what magic you posses or wants it for herself. Either way it's bad news. Looking out for this hidden kingdom will be dangerous. If you don't mind me tagging along I can offer protection for you both."</s> <\|message\|>Emily Phillips Lore Emily nodded. "If you believe so." Eric nodded as well. -"What Emily said." They both listened to Aela. They blinked and froze. Then they looked at each other. "Magic?" -"In OUR bloodline?" They both frowned. Eric cleared his throat. -"Are you sure?" "It would be very dangerous." -"Yes, something could happen to you. We wouldn't want anything like that to happen because of US." Emily nodded.</s> <\|message\|>Aela Locke Aela glanced at them completely serious, her green eyes sparked with concern. "You told me she said you both are the key to winning a war. I can only assume she means one with magic. Hence, your bloodlines importance. It would add up if you have magic power it's just dormant due to inuse. Hopefully, your mana can be better handled then my situation." "If you want more answers I'd start asking your parents, if they don't know anything consult your family history records. I'd suggest doing this before you head out." "As far as the trip I'm going. How will you defend yourselves if you run into more magic users? And since you both are the chosen ones you will need protection. That being said give me a moment to situate everything and meet me at my home when you two are ready."</s> <\|message\|>Emily Phillips Lore "We did a lot of research." Eric nodded. -"We did. We went as far back as out great great great great great grandfather who was a stage magician who traveled a lot with his wife and daughter, but that was it. Beyond him there was not much of a record, except that he himself had been an orphan who never knew his parents." Emily nodded. "Our parents have already told us everything they no. Nothing that the sorceress would have targeted us over, or anything that wasn't in the records." Eric and Emily both sighed. "If you insist on traveling with us fine." Emily looked at her brother. -"You can't say we did not warn you. I...um...We like you, you know." Eric quickly looked away. Emily raised an eyebrow.</s> <\|message\|>Aela Locke Aela listened to their ancestry story. "There your orphaned ancestor who was a stage magician? Seems he might have had a love for magic. I wonder if his magical bloodline either skipped him or his mana was low enough to do some fantastic stage magic. For now we can assume that is where your magic is. Until you know more that is all the leads you seem to have at present." Aela smiled toward Emily and nodded "Then it's settled." Aela raised an eyebrow as Eric said his first half of his comment about being warned. But, as he suggested he liked her she flushed completely. Aela laughed with genuine joy "Well Eric, I am flattered. I tend to like you both too.And now your stuck with me." Aela moved to the front of the cave. "I will meet you two in a few hours. Spend that time getting ready and say your goodbyes. Meet me infront of my home and we can head out on our journey."</s> <\|message\|>Emily Phillips Lore Emily and Eric both blinked. They were unsure about what she said about that man. They both simply nodded. "Very well." -"If you say so." They decided not to argue with her or anything. Eric heard her laugh. He found himself blushing. Emily noticed this and nudged him a bit with her elbow. She spoke to him in a quiet whisper. "Well? She already knows about our curse, and got us to let her help. Why not just tell her already? You've known each other for a long time, I doubt she'll reject you, at least not cruelly." Eric frowned and narrowed his eyes at her, blushing. He whispered back. -"Shut up. I...I can't. J...just be quiet." Eric bit his lip. Emily sighed and rolled her eyes. They both looked at Aela again and nodded. "Alright. We will see you very soon." Eric simply nodded, unable to make eye contact. They left. They packed up. They did not tell their parents anything since the older couple, named Sarah and James, already knew. They hugged their children goodbye for what they hoped would not be the final time. Then, Emily and Eric returned to their friends' home and waited for her.</s> <\|message\|>Aela Locke Aela once home, made a quick breakfast for Adian. And told him about her departure and to behave for her replacement she arranged. The person in question was considered distant family member with knowledge of their terrible magic disease. At one point, she had dated their father and saw Adian's first signs of the disease. "I won't be gone too long. I promise to bring you back somethnig from my journey. You need to respect Aunt Mary with respect while I am gone. Enjoy some of the pastries. Those were from the party last night freshend up just for you" She embraced tightly. He held her as well for a few moments. "Just come back home." Adian slipped a ring onto her finger it was their fathers. "Take this with you, it should be your anchor in case things get bad. Remember to not overdo it or you could be a burden to your traveling party." Aela broke from the embrace a bit to get a look at him. Fixing some of his messy hair."Thank you, Adian even know you are trying to protect me." After their tender exchange Aela left and swore to herself she wouldn't return until she found what she was looking for. Aela changed her nice dress into an outfit for the journey. She wore a longer shirt that was a dark blue her trousers were a black and sturdy boots also black. She shouldered a plain pack with all her supplies she needed over a violet cloak. Once finished she braided her black hair using a violet ribbon to hold it in place. It was apparently her mother's. Aela moved downstairs and met with Mary telling her of Adian's routine and all the important information she would need. After that was finished she waited outside her home for Emily and Eric. They didn't take too long to her surprise. Aela offered them two little hankerchief bags. "Here you two. It's breakfeast."</s> <\|message\|>Emily Phillips Lore Emily and Eric were waiting outside. Eric sighed, but Emily tried not to do that. The twins waited rather patiently. When Aela finally showed up, they knew she finally said her goodbyes and everything. They walked up to her. They both blinked when she handed them those little bags and said they were breakfast. "um...we kind of already had something to eat at our parents' insistence." Eric nodded. -"But thank you anyway." They accepted the food anyway. They would eat what food she gave them along the way. "Are you ready to go?" -"Everything settled before we leave?" They both spoke in a kind way. She was their friend after all. They weren't going to be rude to her, not on purpose anyway. Emily faintly smiled a bit for a moment and so did Eric. They would follow her lead.</s> <\|message\|>Aela Locke "Oh. Well that's good you ate something." Aela shrugged off that they already ate, but was grateful they took the food away. "Everything is settled on my end. Adian is in hands that I trust. And everything is settled. Let's get going shall we?" Aela stepped forth on the path and began walking ahead of them through their small village. The sun shone in the morning sky the air had a slight bite, but nothing she couldn't handle. The sun glinted on the sliver band that was now on her middle finger, the band looked pretty thick and held a crest of her family.</s>	<\|message\|>Emily Phillips Lore Eric and Emily nodded. "If we had known, we could have eaten less, or not at all." Eric sighed. -"I...um....we apologize." Eric blushed and looked away. Emily looked at Eric. She frowned at him. She nudged him a bit with her elbow. "Will you just admit it already?" Eric shook his head no. He looked away. Emily sighed and muttered how stubborn he was. Anyway, the twins looked at Aela again. They both nodded. "Very well then." -"alright then." They began to walk with her through the small village. Eric soon noticed the ring on her finger. He raised an eyebrow. He wondered if she was with someone or whatever. But, he hesitated to ask. Emily cleared her throat. "We will have to camp just about every night though, so the journey will DEFINETLY be a long one." She gave a gentle warning. Eric nodded as she spoke.</s>
<\|description\|>Emily Phillips age: 19/20 appearance: girl in the first post picture. role in the story: one of the twins powers(if any): unknown other: unknown name: Eric Phillips age: 19/20 appearance: guy in the first post picture. role in the story: one of the twins powers(if any): unknown other: unknown</s> <\|message\|>Aela Locke Aela wasn't too big of a fan of the nickname but continued on after Emily. The swamp her mind wandered with possible threats within the swamp. Both magical and non magic threats. It made her nervous and quite on edge. "We could set up camp outside of the swamp and focus our journey through it tomorrow? Or we could try to trek through it as much as we can and camp somewhere in a middle point?"</s> <\|message\|>Emily Phillips Lore Emily sighed. "It is getting late. It might be best if we wait until tomorrow to try and make our way through it." She looked at her brother and Aela. Eric shrugged. -"Whatever you think is best, aela. I....have bad judgement when it comes to this stuff." He gave her a sheepish smile and rubbed the back of his head a bit. Emily rolled her eyes.</s> <\|message\|>Aela Locke Aela thought for a moment with Emily's advice and glanced at the sun they didn't have too long. "You're completely right Em. Let's find a place to camp and we can start the trek through the swamp in the morning. Look for a spot and I am going to start gathering everything for a fire. I'd like to conserve my mana if that's alright. Once the fire is started and going I will start on dinner."</s> <\|message\|>Emily Phillips Lore Emily nodded. "Alright." She got to work and helped out. Eric nodded as well. -"ok." He also got to work. He helped find a place to hide out when the camped. Luckily, there was a dirt cave in a hillside not too far away. -"Found it!" Emily walked over to Eric. They set up things they would need since they would all be spending the night there, while Aela helped start a camp fire.</s> <\|message\|>Aela Locke Aela gathered the materials she needed and with Emily and Eric's help was able to start a suitable fire and get a pot of water boiling. She was able to make a stew out of some of the supplies she brought with stag jerky, potatoes, cheese, and various herbs and spices with a side of moist bread rolls. Once dinner was ready she offered bowls and spoons to her companions to consume the stew with. "I hope you enjoy it, eat what you can. You will need the strength and energy I'm sure about it. If you guys need me for any reason just come back to the campsite. Other than that be careful as you wander around in your animal forms, even if you have fangs and claws we don't know the creatures native to these parts."</s> <\|message\|>Emily Phillips Lore Eric nodded. He looked at Aela. He faintly smiled a bit. -"Thank you." He took a bite of stew. He blinked. -"This is good." Emily nodded and said 'Thanks' as well. She blinked after she took a bite. She agreed with her brother and kept eating. -"I'm glad you came with us." "Me too." They both, then, glanced towards the sun. It was a good thing they camped. It WAS getting late, the sun was almost setting...almost.</s> <\|message\|>Aela Locke Aela smiled, "At least I will be good for something right?" She teased hoping to lighten the mood right before their torture began. She felt fairly sorry for them and needed to be strong in case they needed her.</s> <\|message\|>Emily Phillips Lore Eric half chuckled. He shook his head. "Don't joke about that. You are skilled in everything you do." Emily nodded. She had already finished her food. She had been quite hungry. Eric would finish his food some time later. Then, they both glanced towards the horizon.</s> <\|message\|>Aela Locke Aela stood up and glanced over at the horizon. "Good luck you two. If you need any help tonight you know where to find me." Aela finished her meal and began to wash her dishes to put things away back into her bag. She carefully removed the iron pan from the fire and set it aside for it to cool down.</s> <\|message\|>Emily Phillips Lore Eric and Emily both nodded. Then, they both sighed. "Thanks." -"Thank you. Don't worry about us. We'll be fine." They let her take care of the dishes as they sensed the curse would trigger soon. And so, they ducked out of sight, especially when the sun began to set. They expressed a bit of pain, and then their forms had changed again. Once it was fully dark, they were in animal form once again. This time Emily was a duck. Eric, this time, was some kind of toad. They both had human sadness in their eyes as they looked at each other.</s> <\|message\|>Aela Locke Aela tended to the dishes and to the fire. She was sharpening her short sword and dagger with a bit of pain began to bother her. She would need to empty mana soon. But with their surroundings she didn't feel confident she could do it safely. What's more was that she felt she was being watched. She wondered what kind of wild life lived in the swamp. Emily didn't seem to elaborate too much. How many of the creatures were magic based? Did several species favor human flesh?</s> <\|message\|>Emily Phillips Lore Emily moved around a bit. But, she kept falling. She wasn't used to walking with the webbed feet of a duck. Eric also had some difficulty. He was a toad. He had to hop to get around. Of course, being drawn to flies did not help either. Anyway, they managed to make it to the entrance. Eric wanted to check on Aela. He wanted to make sure that she was alright. Emily stayed close to Eric. Emily accidentally made a sound. Eric looked at her. He would have frowned if he were in human form. Eric managed to turn around to look where Aela was again.</s> <\|message\|>Aela Locke Aela had moved on to sharpening her blades. She was working with a stone over her blades she seemed lost in thought to Eric. The glow of the fire danced across her casting her in a warm orange light. When the fire was low she would tend to it kindly, and return to sharping her swords. Her mind continued to race even as she laid out a blanket to lay down on she glanced up at the stars with the fire there and her sword skills she wondered if they would be enough. Part of her joke was part of a worry that gnawed in the back of her mind. She had to support the chosen ones.</s> <\|message\|>Emily Phillips Lore Emily and Eric, even though they were both in animal form, peaked outside. They looked right at aela. They would have frowned if they were in human form, and they would have sighed as well. They felt bad. They wished they weren't so helpless. They felt they would be more helpful if they did not turn into animals because of some curse. The sooner they got to that sorceress queen, the better. They both agreed on that. Sunrise could not come fast enough in their opinion. Eric stayed to the shadows and tried to hop to Aela.</s> <\|message\|>Aela Locke Aela was dozing lightly her short sword on the opposite side of her injured arm. Her hands were crossed across her torso and she was breathing calmly. The fire after a while should have gone out, instead it continued to burn even without fuel.</s> <\|message\|>Emily Phillips Lore Eric continued to hop. The toad that was Eric got close to Aela. He saw that she was sleeping. Once he made sure that she was alright, he turned and tried to hop back. Emily was watching. She waited, anxious.</s> <\|message\|>Aela Locke Aela stirred in her sleep "Eric? Emily? Are you two okay? Do you need something?" Aela began to sit up and looked around a bit tired and out of it.</s> <\|message\|>Emily Phillips Lore Eric not speak. The only sounds he could make were that of a toad. Emily was in the same position. She could only sound like a duck. Both had the human worry in their eyes though.</s> <\|message\|>Aela Locke She noticed a duck and toad. "Oh, that was not what we were hoping for...Okay you two come here Aela began setting out places for them to relax. Get some sleep or relax, I will take the night watch." Aela moved to the front of the outer radius of the fire listening for any sounds or feelings acc</s> <\|message\|>Emily Phillips Lore Eric and Emily has saddened looks in their eyes. They didn't get to choose what animals they turned into each night. It was always random. Anyway, they rested beside Aela on either side. Eric would have leaned next to her, but he couldn't as a toad. He just sat there quietly, resting as best as he could, hoping for no dangers to come. Emily was hoping for the same thing.</s> <\|message\|>Aela Locke As both Eric and Emily leaned against Aela, a sound of movement caught her attention. She quickly moved to her feet, focusing her attention on listening. In the thicket of trees a shadow of something large was moving through the swamp. Branches broke and the trees seemed to crack and snap as it moved. It was big and that thing had massive amounts of mana. "Eric, Emily if that thing comes out here get behind me immediately. For now just remain calm, and it should leave us alone."</s> <\|message\|>Emily Phillips Lore Eric froze. Emily froze as well. As animals, especially ones that were normally prey animals, they were helpless. They did not know what to do. Then, they heard Aela. They would have nodded had they been in human form. However, the look in their eyes said that they understood. They stayed close to her for the time being. They, then, began to wonder what was out there just then.</s> <\|message\|>Aela Locke Aela held her breath until the movements move away and the sound fades. Aela relaxes and sits back down, breathing a sigh of relief. "That might have been close...that beast seems to be a magical one. I'm not sure as to why mortals would risk going through the swamp. Should we continue to go through it? Does the book say we have to? What if we try to go around?"</s> <\|message\|>Emily Phillips Lore Emily could only make a duck noise. Eric could only make a toad sound. Then, they both gave saddened looks. They had no human voices when they turned into animals. If one could read their thoughts, they could communicate that way. But, alas, they doubt that anyone had such an ability. Emily simply wondered back to where she and Eric had been hiding. She tried to drag the book to Aela with her beak.</s> <\|message\|>Aela Locke Aela noticed Emily waddle away she approached her carefully with what she was trying to carry in her mouth. She noticed it is the book. Aela helped with Emily handling the book. "Is it okay if I read this again?" With a confirmation from the two she opened the book and began to read the next step starting from the previous step they completed with the bright roses and going to a place where light ends.</s> <\|message\|>Emily Phillips Lore Emily gave a look that said it was ok. Eric gave the same look. They both watched as Aela opened the book and read it. The book said that after the swamp, there was a mountainside. They had to keep going until they reached the smallest little mountain and then take the short tunnel cave. There was a glowing tunnel that only those who could use magic would be able to notice and reveal. They were to take that tunnel until they sensed fire magic.</s> <\|message\|>Aela Locke Aela knelt down with Emily and Eric letting them see the book too she read the passage aloud. She paused and looked at the circumference of the swamp. "Seems according to this we don't have to cross the swamp. Instead, we could go around." Aela ran a finger over the pages reading the passage of the tunnel and paused at fire magic. "Fire magic... like my own magic? Or could it possibly be different?"</s> <\|message\|>Emily Phillips Lore Emily blinked. Eric blinked. There was that human confusion in their eyes. They were silent, and not just because they could not talk. They watched as Aela continued to read the passage, but she read it out loud for them to hear. Emily wished that she had a voice so she could think out loud and be of help. Eric felt the same way. They would have both sighed at that point if they were not in animal bodies. They could only managed to glance at each other, and then at her again.</s> <\|message\|>Aela Locke Aela realized she was voicing her thoughts aloud. "Sorry about that. Just focus on relaxing and in the morning after breakfast we can start moving around the swamp to reach the mountains." Aela returned to her blanket and set out two spots close to her that Emily and Eric could relax she layed down and began to doze again. This time the campfire had burned through all the wood and kindling yet it still blazed by them.</s> <\|message\|>Emily Phillips Lore Eric had a look in his eyes that said he understood. Emily had the same look in hers. They watched as Aela set up the blanket and such. They barely looked at the fire. They still glanced at the book from time to time. Soon enough, they would lay on that blanket. They tried to save their energy, their strength. The transformation back tended to be just as bad as the change into animals. Anyway, they waited for sunrise, resting. Then, they would become humans again and the journey would resume. They had to get past the swamp and find that mysterious mountain tunnel in question. Time would pass slowly in their minds....</s> <\|message\|>Aela Locke Aela began to drift off to sleep once again. The night seemed pretty calm. Soon Aela fell asleep deeply and after some hours passed the sun began to rise slowly. At the time, Aela was in a deep sleep. Her breath was calm and even. This time she dreamt about meeting other mages who could use fire magic.</s>	<\|message\|>Emily Phillips Lore Emily and Eric barely rested. They were helpless animals and this made them feel worried and anxious. They kept on guard and kept their eyes out for any trouble during the night. They could not wait for sunrise. Time would pass. However, it would seem to pass rather slowly. Eventually, night time would end. The sun would rise. When it did, they would change back into humans. They would be ready to resume the journey some time after that. They waited for Aela and such though. They could not risk hurrying along too soon after all.</s>
<\|description\|>Emily Phillips age: 19/20 appearance: girl in the first post picture. role in the story: one of the twins powers(if any): unknown other: unknown name: Eric Phillips age: 19/20 appearance: guy in the first post picture. role in the story: one of the twins powers(if any): unknown other: unknown</s> <\|message\|>Emily Phillips Lore Emily did not notice the smile at first, but she almost sighed when she did. Eric smiled a bit. Emily nodded. "Sandwiches are fine. Regardless, we can not be picky right now. We each only packed so much in those little bags." Eric nodded. -"Yes. And do not worry, we know better than to venture out by ourselves, especially into the swamp, like that." Emily nodded that time. They were quiet when they finally started eating. They both nodded again. "Alright, but only if we need protection." Eric nodded. -"What Emily said." They both continued to eat after that. Eric glanced at Aela at times, still wondering about what she dreamed about.</s> <\|message\|>Aela Locke Aela noticed Eric's glances and paused while eating her meal. "Something up?" Aela waited for Eric to tell her what was up. "Oh that's right I didn't finish telling you about my dream. So, after everything was solved and done with Emily seemed to find herself someone romantically. And I proposed to you first before you were able too."</s> <\|message\|>Emily Phillips Lore Emily ate. She blinked and listened closely. She gasped a bit. She nearly choked on her food. Eric blinked. He glanced up, again, as he ate. He listened. Then, he heard that last part. He coughed and choked on his food. He had been caught off guard. -"Wh....what?!" He turned red. Emily chuckled a bit. She was still a bit red herself. Eric narrowed his eyes at her.</s> <\|message\|>Aela Locke Aela smiled and folded her arms. "It's true, I proposed to you by making up you a nice meal and presented you with a decorative dagger. I thought you'd appreciate it more than a ring. The meal consisted of fresh game and a few baked goods. I slipped a special message at the bottom of your mug and as soon as you were done reading it, I presented my dagger to you."</s> <\|message\|>Emily Phillips Lore Eric coughed. -"I....I was choking because you caught me off guard with the whole marriage thing. I....I mean....isn't it a little early to be bringing that up?" Emily chuckled and smirked. Eric narrowed his eyes at her again. Eric cleared his throat and turned to Aela again. -"I...I mean...we only just admitted our feelings and such. Unless you're a secret oracle or something?" Emily rolled her eyes at that.</s> <\|message\|>Aela Locke Aela laughed a bit with Emily then watched Eric. "I doubt I'm an Oracle. It was just a dream I had Eric. No need to take it seriously. Besides we are taking it slow and annoying Emily a bit too much."</s> <\|message\|>Emily Phillips Lore Eric took a deep breath. -"....If you say so." He blinked and raised an eyebrow when Aela said they were annoying Emily. Emily shook her head. "I feel bad for you two more than I am annoyed. I wonder what is going to happen when you DO propose to him?" Eric sighed and narrowed his eyes at Emily.</s> <\|message\|>Aela Locke Aela laughed once again. "If you want you could scheme with me when the time comes." She winked at Eric and finished her meal she was putting things away in her pack. (that was a standard size adventure pack.) she looked up at the sunset she smiled "Some of the stars are out already. Aren't they beautiful?"</s> <\|message\|>Emily Phillips Lore Eric turned bright red at that. Emily chuckled a bit. She shrugged. "Maybe." Eric turned redder and frowned. He looked away from the two girls. He sighed. Emily smirked a bit and rolled her eyes. Anyway, at the mention of stars, the twins both frowned. Emily sighed and Eric shook his head. Eric looked at Aela. -"We....haven't enjoyed the sight of the stars since.....you know." Emily nodded. "We were always busy preparing to hide, you know?" Eric looked down at his lap. Emily simply went silent after that.</s> <\|message\|>Aela Locke Aela paused and turned to them. "This May be naive to say to you both. But magic has a side of wonder to it too. It's not just a force of nature that causes devastation. It's like all things good and bad. Maybe your curse is giving yo7 different perspectives of life itself. It can be wondrous if you think about it."</s> <\|message\|>Emily Phillips Lore Eric and Emily both sighed and frowned. They were unsure about that, the both of them. "I...am not too sure about that myself." Eric was silent for a moment or two. Then, he spoke. -"I can not say that for certain. I just know we were cursed, our lives taken away, by someone who is using that world for selfish and evil purposes." Emily nodded at that.</s> <\|message\|>Aela Locke "Maybe it would help if I explain." A flame is summoned in Aela's palm its color slowly began to change. "My brother is suffering from magic or our bloodline due to the vast amounts of mana we have. But in my case, I am able to be useful and protect my friends when I need to. And.the colors the flame can change into are pretty and unique for different scenarios."</s> <\|message\|>Emily Phillips Lore Eric nodded. Emily nodded as well. "We know you have the ability to do something like that. but..." Eric took a breath. -"But there is more to magic than just protection and such. There is a balance to it, as I am sure you know by now." Emily sighed. "There are two sides. The evil side exists as much as the good side does."</s> <\|message\|>Aela Locke Aela nods towards Emily "That's exactly what I mean Emily. But, I will stop bothering you two about it." Aela started pulling out a quill, ink, and parchment as she began writing to her brother of her adventure so far. She wanted to include as much as she could so it would be as if he was experiencing it with her.</s> <\|message\|>Emily Phillips Lore Emily nodded. She sighed. "I...apologize." Eric nodded. -"Same here, my love." He blushed after he said that. Emily blinked. She looked at Eric. She half chuckled a bit. She knew her brother really loved their childhood friend.</s> <\|message\|>Aela Locke Aela glanced up from writing her letter and smiled "No need to apologize you two it's alright. You've been through a lot, and as chosen ones will go through a lot. But, I hope that you don't just suffer through it."</s> <\|message\|>Emily Phillips Lore Emily nodded. "You should not suffer through anything either." Eric nodded. -"I....wish I could help you at night. But this stupid curse.....I...." He sighed and frowned. He looked at Aela again. -"The sooner we find that kingdom, the better. We need to put an end to all of this once and for all." Emily nodded in agreement. ……………… NPC(for now): The sorceress in question, the one who cursed them, was in her hideout, an old sold black painted mansion. She was with her husband and four children, her two sons and two daughters. She was plotting something. Her children all listened. But, the oldest child, her oldest son, was unsure and doubtful. He frowned. He didn't exactly agree with his mother. He was different from her other children.</s> <\|message\|>Aela Locke Aela smiled at Eric and Emily "I'm gonna be fine, I can take care of myself." As soon as she finished saying that a loud hissing sounded from the swamp area. Aela stood up quickly "hurry guys to your spots to transform."</s> <\|message\|>Emily Phillips Lore Emily and Eric both blinked. "What was that?" -"What was that sound?" They both frowned and looked at each other, before looking at Aela again. Eric blinked again. -"Wait....is it sunset?" He and Emily looked and gasped. They ducked under a tree. It was just as painful as it usually was. When the curse had activated, after the transformations were over, they peaked their heads out. They had turned into a mongoose(Eric) and a hawk(Emily).</s> <\|message\|>Aela Locke Aela shoved the parchment into her bag and stood her ground. Something inside her let her know something was very wrong. The same noises of movement was heard, although this time a large serpent emerged from the line of trees. The serpent's scales shimmered like sliver it's eyes were completely black. It's head turned directly at Aela. It seemed to be able to sense her mana, and it attracted the snake. It slithered closer Aela summoned flames to her palms ready to enter combat. As she did it towered over her as it lifted its upper body into the air. It's eyes glittered from the flickering flames in Aela's palms.</s> <\|message\|>Emily Phillips Lore Eric would have gasped if he were in human form. The same went for Emily. Emily flew into the air, having had experience from turning into a duck and such, plus she was a quick learner. She tried to attack the snake. Erics' eyes went wide. He charged forth. He may have been in the body of a mongoose, but he was not about to stand by and let Emily attack the snake by herself, not to mention he was not about to let Aela be alone and having to protect herself against a fierce looking creature like that. Eric bit the snakes' tail. Emily tried to claw at it's eyes.</s> <\|message\|>Aela Locke The serpents tail was hard it's scales were as sharp as a sword. It lowered its head to the earth as Emily tried to fly in. Aela paused and moved forward with a hand stretched out. Her flames lowered in intensity. The serpent waited patiently and didn't attack instead it moved closer to Aela. "Emily, Eric, it doesn't seem to want to hurt us. Lower your guard for now. Eric, did you read anything about a guardian of the swamp? Something to scare off mortals or those who wished harm on the kingdom of magic? Just call out with an animal noise for yes. And remain silent for a no."</s> <\|message\|>Emily Phillips Lore Emily narrowed her eyes. She flew back to the ground. Eric narrowed his eyes as well. He ran over to Aelas' side. They glanced at each other when she asked about a swamp guardian. They would have frowned if they were in human form. Emily made a soft hawk sound. Eric stayed silent. Not all the books he read were the same as the ones Emily read. However, after a couple moments, Eric made a sound as well. He remembered the book he showed Aela, with that information he and Emily told Aela before.</s> <\|message\|>Aela Locke Aela began to stroke the smooth scales of the serpent. Hearing Eric and Emily's response she looked at the snake. "You know that your the first magical creature I've met?" It breathed out as it did white flames left its nostrils. The flames licked Aela's hurt shoulder instantly her graze healed. "Thank you. For helping me. Me and my friends need help making it to the mountain range can you help us get there and the next step? We just want help, I promise we don't wish harm on anyone or anything." The serpent raised it's head again and waited for Eric and Emily to get onto its back. Aela grabbed her pack their bags and other supplies they brought and joined on his back.</s> <\|message\|>Emily Phillips Lore Eric and Emily blinked. They glanced at each other. They would have sighed had they been in human form. Then, they looked at Aela again. They both listened as she spoke with the creature. They did not like this. However, they humored Aela and got onto the serpents' back. They waited for Aela.</s> <\|message\|>Aela Locke Once Aela gathered everything, she joined the twins on the serpents back. She patted it gently and it began to move swiftly toward the cliffs. Aela beamed "This is the coolest thing I have ever done magic wise..that is." The serpent paused by the face of the rock cliffs the mountain range seemed long. Aela was unsure where she needed to guide her friends through using fire. Although the ride certainly cut out maybe a day's worth of walking. "Let's find a cave to camp out for the rest of the night, Eric and Emily." "Thank you." Aela hugged the serpent who lowered it's head to back to the earth before her.</s> <\|message\|>Emily Phillips Lore Eric and Emily both got off of the Serpents' back quickly. They both looked at Aela and waited. Eric was quiet. Emily glanced around for a moment or two. Eric would have frowned a bit if he were in human form. He saw Aela hugging that Serpent. Emily would have sighed if she were in human form and had seen that. Anyway, they waited for Aela and they would go with her to find a cave to rest in for the rest of the night.</s> <\|message\|>Aela Locke Aela finished hugging the snake and saw it off as it disappeared into the swamp. She turned looking for Emily and Eric for where they ran off too. Something was bothering her, if the serpent was actually kind.. then the spiders might be the actual danger. The only problem being do they have nests in the caves of the cliffs? Aela was able to catch up with Emily and Eric. "That was pretty cool wouldn't you say?"</s>	<\|message\|>Emily Phillips Lore Emily would have shrugged if she were in human form. Eric would have done the same thing. Anyway, they simply made mild sounds associated with the animals they had turned into because of the curse. They both glanced around the cave for a moment before they looked at Aela again. Emily flew and landed near her. Eric ran over and stopped near her. He had to really raise his head to look at her since he had turned into a rather small animal. Emily gave a look associated with a sigh. Eric gave the same look after a moment or two.</s>
<\|description\|>Emily Phillips age: 19/20 appearance: girl in the first post picture. role in the story: one of the twins powers(if any): unknown other: unknown name: Eric Phillips age: 19/20 appearance: guy in the first post picture. role in the story: one of the twins powers(if any): unknown other: unknown</s> <\|message\|>Emily Phillips Lore Eric faintly blushed a little when she kissed him on the cheek like that. Anyway, he and Emily would follow her along those tunnels and such. They were careful in the darkness. They were quiet for a time as well. Emily and Eric both glanced around, but they could barely see anything. The flames helped them see just a little bit. They both blinked when Aela stopped in her tracks like that. They ended up stopping in their tracks as well. Emily frowned. Eric whispered to Aela. -"What is it?" Eric frowned when he heard what aela said, and so did Emily since she heard it too. They both were just as confused as she was. "What could this mean?" Eric glanced between his sister and Aela. -"I am.....not sure." He took a breath, thinking.</s> <\|message\|>Aela Locke The lavender flames floated together and merged causing a bright flash. The flames turned into a rose red and split into several pieces as freagents of the flames flew to stone torches. Aela approached a torch carefully feeling it's stone surface. "There's mana in this torch... this isn't ordinary maybe this is supposed to happen? Maybe we follow the lit torches?"</s> <\|message\|>Emily Phillips Lore Emily blinked. She gave a confused frown. "...…." Eric glanced around. He frowned. He nodded once. -"Perhaps." He looked at Aela. -"What do you think? You have a say in this as well after all."</s> <\|message\|>Aela Locke Aela thought for a moment, and spoke calmly. "The book says that fire would lead the way, and it is the same shade as glow from the roses. They must be connected that way for a good reason. I think this is our best bet. What do you two think? "</s> <\|message\|>Emily Phillips Lore Emily and Eric looked at each other for a moment. Then, they looked at Aela again. The two of them both shrugged. Emily spoke first. "I suppose. It would not hurt to investigate at least." Eric nodded. "I agree." He faintly smiled a bit at Aela for a moment. He stood right next to the woman he loved as he said that.</s> <\|message\|>Aela Locke Aela nodded to Emily's suggestion and blushed slightly as Eric gave his response and stood beside her. Their hands were brushing each other's and she lanced her fingers in his. "Okay we can check it out and if there is a slightest hint of danger we come back here." Instead of taking the lead she let Emily or Eric go ahead to lead. As a wave of exhaustion began to settle over her and her pain retreated into a dull afterthought.</s> <\|message\|>Emily Phillips Lore Eric blinked. He looked at their hands. Emily nodded. She blinked when she was suddenly allowed to take the lead. She sighed and started walking. Eric kept glancing at Aela as they walked, following the flames. The tunnel would seem to go on and on. It was quite a while before it showed any sign of ending.</s> <\|message\|>Aela Locke Aela began to slow down before eventually collapsing to her knees once at the entrance. Eric noticed while she held his hand she gradually got colder. Until his hand was warmer than hers. Aela huffed a few times a bit confused as to what was going on..but her pain had completely stopped the feeling was...fantastic.</s> <\|message\|>Emily Phillips LoreEric noticed the feeling in her hand. He glanced down. He gasped, eyes wide. -"Aela?!" Emily soon saw for herself. She gasped as well, her own eyes wide. She ran up to Aela. Eric pulled her into his arms. -"What's wrong?!" He frowned with extreme worry and concern. The feeling was showing in his eyes.</s> <\|message\|>Aela Locke Aela was able to regain her breath after a bit and glanced to them both with a smile. "Sorry to worry you both. I haven't used my powers this much this often... it seems that I have run out of mana for the time being. And... for the first time I am not in pain. " Aela began to cry with happiness from the pain being gone, she was able to feel alive and free for the first time despite how exhausted she was.</s> <\|message\|>Emily Phillips Lore Eric blinked. He was still worried though. Emily was the same way. Anyway, Eric tried to help her up. He also tried to pull her into his arms. He frowned. -"Do you wish to rest?" Emily nodded. "We can stop and rest if you would like, even if it is only for a little while."</s> <\|message\|>Aela Locke Aela accepted Eric's help to stand, however she was a bit unbalanced she laughed a bit nervously. "We shouldn't slow down.. what if night falls and we are still trapped in the cave? We need to keep going. I should be okay."</s> <\|message\|>Emily Phillips Lore Eric blinked. He nodded once. -"If that is what you want." Emily blinked. She sighed and nodded. "Very well." They started walking. Eric made sure Aela was balanced against him so that she would not fall down and such. They continued to follow the path and everything.</s> <\|message\|>Aela Locke Aela leaned on Eric lightly as they continued on, her exhaustion continued to weigh on her yet at the same time everything felt so....light? Almost like a weight had been lifted her chest as she approached the end door which several torches were lit and the door was ready. As soon as Emily moved toward the door it opened into a wall of flames. However they weren't as hot as one would expect, and none of the flames left the door frame.</s> <\|message\|>Emily Phillips Lore Emily followed along. Eric led Aela all the way towards that door in question. He blinked and almost gasped along with his sister when they saw those flames. However, they were confused as to why they were not hot. Eric looked at Aela. -"What do you think?"</s> <\|message\|>Aela Locke Aela glanced at Eric and Emily she let go of Eric and moved forward toward the flames she stretched out her hand and the flames retreated like a curtain. "It seems that we literally have to walk through flames. But it was an extra precaution in case of intruders. The flames feel the same way the ones on the stone torches do. I'm guessing with them lit we can continue on."</s> <\|message\|>Emily Phillips Lore Eric blinked. He looked at Aela. He nodded once. -"If you say so, my love." Emily blinked. She nodded as well. "Very well." She took a deep breath, as did Eric. The two of them helped Aela get through that doorway and such. They needed to continue on after all. The twins closed their eyes, expecting something to happen. But, nothing did. They were confused, but then both figured Aela was correct and such.</s> <\|message\|>Aela Locke As Aela got through with the help of Eric and Emily she walked through the flames. They were cold and didn't harm her, she walked until the end of the hall of flames and leaned on the door to the next area wondering what would come next. However, the door gave way under her leaning against it. She falls on her back, and lays there a moment before rolling on her side to get up.</s> <\|message\|>Emily Phillips Lore Eric gasped. -"Aela?!" He tried to help her up as Emily gasped. She tried to help Eric keep her balanced and off of the doorway. Eric frowned. His worry and such got much worse. -"Are you alright?" Erics' voice gave away how he was feeling at that moment.</s> <\|message\|>Aela Locke Aela was a bit shocked when she heard both Emily and Eric gasp. As Eric ran to her side she was already on her knees about to push herself up. Eric's strong arm wrapped around her own to help her up. Aela noticed the concern in his voice, she glanced at Emily who seemed to share the seemed sentiment. "I am okay, just a little tired and not used to this feeling and my situation. I'm sorry Eric and Emily for worrying you. I really am okay. Do either of you know what we need to do next?"</s> <\|message\|>Emily Phillips Lore Eric still frowned. But, he nodded once. -"Be careful though." The worry never left his voice. Emily nodded in agreement. They blinked and looked at each other when Aela asked them if they knew what to do next. -"I am afraid not." "Neither do I." They both sighed. Eric pulled out that book after he got it from Emily and he handed it to Aela carefully. (You can make up a few things too, if you want. )</s> <\|message\|>Aela Locke Aela leaned against Emily and Eric as she opened the book in between them. Only to find the pages blank. The book began to glow and increased until light melted all of them for a moment. Once the light died down the book had vanished along with the light. Aela's hands slowly fell to her sides from the positions of holding the book. "It looks like we are on our own. All we can do is move forward." Aela wandered through narrow tunnels overrun with moss and spider webs. Light of the sun began peaking through the mouth of the exit. It seemed to be a bunch of ivy. She pushed it aside to revealed a breath taking view of hills and villages. But one thing that caught Aela's attention was the wall of smoke and fire nearby.</s> <\|message\|>Emily Phillips Lore Emily sighed. Eric sighed and nodded. "Alright." -"Very well." The two of them stayed close to Aela. Eric wanted to hold her hand, again, but just kept himself from doing so. Now was probably not the time, he thought. Anyway, they followed her, walking alongside her. They both gasped when they finally saw what was beyond the obstacles, all the spider webs and such. "wow....." -"wow...…." They were speechless.</s> <\|message\|>Aela Locke Aela glanced back to Eric and Emily, she was a bit tired and decided to kneel down and rest a few moments. A feeling was settling over her on top of being out of mana with her pain being gone she felt mana all around her in the air in the grass in the village and in the flames. It was sudden and overwhelming. She smiled at them. "We made it to the other side. How are you two feeling? Any different?"</s> <\|message\|>Emily Phillips Lore Eric blinked. Emily blinked too. They both, then, looked at Aela, and at the same time. "Um......i.....wow....." Emily was still not sure what to say. That much was obvious. Eric cleared his throat a bit. -"It....it's um.....nice....um....wow." He was almost rather speechless himself at the moment. But, then he became concerned about Aela again, and so did Emily, who frowned. Eric spoke up first that time. -"Are you alright, Aela?"</s> <\|message\|>Aela Locke Aela's smile slightly wavers. "I'm getting used to this whole magic world. And my connection to it apparently. I wonder what the effects are from the other side. But I won't know until my mana is replenished. We should probably plan on where to stay tonight and how we are to move forward. I'd assume we would need to know how this world functions and works."</s> <\|message\|>Emily Phillips Lore Eric and Emily both nodded. Eric, however, really frowned a bit. "yes." -"Alright." Eric glanced around. -"Are you thinking that, perhaps, we should camp out for the night? again?" He wondered if she had wanted to do that again. Emily blinked.</s> <\|message\|>Aela Locke Aela smiled while finishing catching her breath she stood up. "If we want to find a camping spot we better start looking before nightfall. And I can start a fire and cook a meal for you two, maybe lay down for a bit." Aela led them down the path to the left it was a bit steep, as she moved carefully and was finally able to reach the base of the cliff. What caught her eye was the village to the group's far right was on fire. Aela jumped slightly at the sudden wall of flames, "That is strange I suggest we find shelter quick seems like bandits are raiding. Or do you think you two are up to face some combat?"</s> <\|message\|>Emily Phillips Lore Eric nodded. Emily did as well. "Alright." -"Very well." The twins followed her down the path. The path was, indeed, a bit steep. They tried to be careful and such. They both blinked and gasped when they saw the fire. Eric narrowed his eyes. Emilys' eyes were wide. They both looked at Aela. "I....I....." -"Well....what would you like to do?"</s> <\|message\|>Aela Locke Aela glanced nervously at the flames then back at them. "Well, I would like to help the villagers. But, I am out of mana. And not too much energy in me. I will try not to slow you two down if you wish to engage."</s> <\|message\|>Emily Phillips Lore Eric and Emily both blinked. They looked at each other for a moment. "......" -"......." They were unsure of what to say. However, when Emily saw one of the bandits chasing a little puppy..... She got angry and suddenly, he was lifted into the air and he landed on the ground far away. Emily gasped.</s> <\|message\|>Aela Locke Aela drew her sword and stayed close to the twins Mainly behind. When she saw Emily throw a guy practically she turned to Emily surprised and shocked. "That was amazing! Keep doing whatever you are doing."</s>	<\|message\|>Emily Phillips Lore Emily backed away. "I....I don't even know HOW I did that." She looked quite nervous. Eric blinked. He frowned and became worried. He was not sure what to do to help. Emily kept backing away.</s>
<\|description\|>Oda Nobunaga Gender: Female Appearance: The most feared warlord of Sengoku-era Japan... has been reborn as a petite girl with long, silky black hair and crimson eyes. Her body is almost like that of a doll, pale and slender, and she has a fondness for military clothing, both more traditional and more modern. Goals: To put it simply, Nobunaga's goal is to do what she was unable to do in life due to Akechi Mitsuhide's treachery: Unite, or in this case create, a powerful and forward-thinking nation. Tradition will be celebrated and maintained, but not treated as something that should restrict progress. Past Life: The life of Oda Nobunaga is a well documented one. Rising to power during the Sengoku era of Japanese history, he conquered much of Japan with a combination of brilliant strategy and pragmatic use of new technology. Favoring both the old and the new, yet not allowing the old to restrict progress, Nobunaga came within a hair's breadth of fully uniting Japan and taking the shogunate for himself. However, the shocking betrayal of Akechi Mitsuhide at Honnoji ended Oda Nobunaga's ambitions and his life... until... Abilities: In terms of personal skills and capabilities, Oda Nobunaga is skilled when it comes to Japanese swordsmanship and marksmanship, particularly with matchlock rifles. Unless granted one from the start, she will be swift to pursue the creation of a katana modeled on her favorite sword, the Hesshikiri Hasebe. While she is curious about western weaponry, her preference when it comes to wielding swords lies in those she is used to. The pursuit of guns will also be an immediate concern. Nobunaga's legendary skill in the matters of strategy, both military and diplomatic, is her greatest asset. Her approach to infrastructure is also one of her greatest assets, as she introduced many popular and lasting reforms. Inventory: NA for now</s> <\|message\|>Novak Novak "A lot happened in the temple that needs to be discussed, but if you're getting ready to meet the Kyrinth, we can worry about it later." Novak paused for a moment, then spoke back up. "Well, actually there one thing you might want to know first, we think we might have learned why the Kyrinth is upset with the village. Lazhira told us that the covenant with the Kyrinth was to give up worship of the Illuminator. And we think that some of the hunters are still secretly worshiping the god of knowledge in defiance of the deal. I'm not asking you to take my word for it, but if the Kyrinth doesn't bring it up, you might want to ask about it." Admittedly, they didn't actually have proof of it, and they didn't even have any faces to go with such serious accusations. With any luck, the Kyrinth would be able to confirm or debunk their suspicions. "Actually, it's worse than that," Novak continued, a bit hesitant, "We're pretty sure some of them tried to kill us when we were in the temple. When we were leaving, we saw evidence of an ambush at the entrance, and when we didn't come out, somebody lit a fire in at the entrance try to flush us out or suffocate us. If we hadn't found another exit, and if it weren't for Lady Mie sending help to guide us back safely, we might not have been able to elude them out there." Again, he had no proof for this, but perhaps the mention of Lady Mie's involvement might help lend credence to it. He also began to wonder if sure whether it had been wise to reveal this to Enli. Could it put Enli in danger, to be told these things? Would the meeting with the Kyrinth go smoother if he stepped into it ignorant of the possible cause of the Elder Beast's displeasure? "Oh, one last thing, this meeting...is this just between you and the Kyrinth, or could I come along? I still don't know understand the context of some of what I saw and heard in the temple, and if I were able to hear the Elder Beast's side of things it might make those things clear."</s> <\|message\|>Takeshima Misaki (formerly Takeshima Mamoru) "Specifications..." To that, Misaki found herself glancing downwards, one hand upon her chin as she considered the possibilities in front of them. Obviously, scale would mean that something akin to a large wall scroll would have been ideal; resizing the paper would take extra effort regardless of which size they chose to make, but that size seemed acceptable enough to not have to worry about the logistics of the drying process at length. After all, it was far easier to cut something large down to size than vice versa. "...Half a square meter... Maybe? That'd give us a proof of concept to present, at least," she concluded, nodding her head as she continued. "Not so big that we'd have to invest too much effort into creating it, and not small enough to write off as worthless. I think that might be worth it as somewhere to start, at least." Of course, Lazirha's unusual discomfort regarding the situation did not pass by Misaki unnoticed, and the foxgirl silently took note of how anxious she was acting. As much as she would have liked to help her resolve that issue, given what she knew, there was nothing that she could really have done to set her mind at ease. It was Narkissa's following comment that promptly brought the foxgirl's focus back from Lazirha's wellbeing, well-timed as it was to coincide with their host's hasty departure. Honestly, there was no reason to leave Narkissa out of the loop at this point—not when it was likely that everyone who was resting in this house would get wrapped up in this web of troubles sooner or later. "With regards to the Kyrinth, though... Apparently, this village used to coexist alongside what I would be inclined to call... Hm... Well, native god may not be quite right, but I suppose that's the closest I can get to explaining the Kyrinth. The arrival of this 'God of Knowledge' split the village's faith, so to speak, and his attempts to unseal something here have only furthered that rift." It was at this point, though, that the young woman paused, as if trying to figure out how to piece together what Lazirha had said upon her return with the situation she knew thus far. "...And apparently, that if he was successful, this place would be flooded outright. Of course, we attempted to propose a deal to the Kyrinth to re-establish that bond by placing it in a more secular position in this town—namely, a teacher of sorts—but the details of the negotiations as they are to proceed today are yet to be seen. I suppose we'll find out how they went later, though." With that, Misaki took a deep breath before glancing out the door, lost in her thoughts for a moment before continuing. "Hopefully things should proceed without too much issue. In the meantime, though... I suppose we should get to work. I'm not particularly looking forward to pounding plants to a pulp, though; would that I could automate this with a waterwheel or something similar." This@Rune_Alchemist</s> <\|message\|>Bella Rosso Augusta was intrigued in what she was learning from what she would basically call an operation. Somehow, she was unsurprised that the elf was unable to learn much about Octavia. Her eyes were being rather evasive about certain bits of information about Octavia so she was hoping that she'd be able to learn more from Rullphana but... Well... She'd need to find out in other ways. "As much as I'd love to learn more about her, I think it'd be a bad idea to keep her here with you overnight. Mostly because I can just tell how irritable she is now being poked and prodded. I believe it's in everyone's best interest to reprieve from this for the moment." She went over to the pup and stroked her head. "I'm going to have to feed her some good food tonight so she isn't too angry with me now." The woman said with a slight giggle. She hoped that Rullphana would come up with some more information with the blood sample. In all likelihood, Octavia was still probably connected to the seed which Augusta assumed was just a part of that demon and if it grew, everyone would have a bad time. If there was a way "Though, I forget. In terms of money, I have no money. Isidore bought this rapier for me so he has some, I should have asked him for some." She gave a slight sigh before she picked up Octavia. "That said, I look forward to working with you and learning from you in the near future, Miss Rullphana. Until tomorrow then, dear Teacher." Augusta said, turning to the exit. Unless the elven mage stopped her, she would take Octavia and leave, heading elsewhere.</s> <\|message\|>Narkissa Langdon Narkissa Langdon @PKMNB0Y A square meter. That too, would have been easy, except… "Hmm. You know, it occurs to me that we're not going to have any rulers or standardized measuring equipment, whatsoever. I mean, I'm sure I can approximate a meter to within a couple dozen centimeters or so, but still, something to consider." Something like creating a standardized set of universal measurements… like reintroducing the metric system, for example. Narkissa was sure that even if some country did have some system set out, it would probably be terrible like the imperial system. Base-ten was superior, after all. "Right, regardless, I can do that. I'd say the most difficult part would be getting the right mix and consistency of the pulp. Get the ratios wrong and we get a communion wafer on one end, and a poorly manufactured rag on the other. Wonder if we'll have the time to get it right, really, but it's still worth a try." Aside from the papermaking matter, there was also the Kyrinth, which Narkissa was beginning to realize was a bigger deal than she had originally thought. In fact, it tied directly into her run-in with the Illuminator, actually. The context she gained was… enlightening, but not exactly reassuring. "Huh. That… explains a lot of what we ran into yesterday, actually. I knew that god was up to no good." If Misaki didn't know already, she gave her an edited recollection of her run-in with the god of knowledge. "Sounds like this Kyrinth is the way to go, here, but I'm studied well enough in the classics to know that making deals with any sort of gods –especially ones in a pantheon—is only going to end in misery for mortals. Hopefully things work themselves out," she agreed. "Right then. You have fun with the plants… building a waterwheel will be a project in and of itself. I'll need to find some good wood from somewhere to work with, in the meantime."</s> <\|message\|>Nicholas "Nick" Gallagher The Journey Begins ~ Unknown Mountains ~ Interacted with: @Rune_Alchemist Nick managed to evade the grab, snow and dirt flying all over the place. Great! His next actions fared less better, though. The giant let out a chuckle at Nick's hopeless situation, raising its other foot to punt the otherworlder into Lord-knows-where. Fortunately, the giant was still slow in its attack so Nick imagined he would be able to dive to the side and avoid the powerful kick. But he knew he couldn't just be dodging forever, the giant was bound to catch him at some point. Nick's pleas for help at least earned the warrior woman's brief attention. But he could not look as he still had a giant on him who was about to send him flying probably kilometers away and several feet into the air. The giant began to swing his foot and Nick prepared to dive to the side. But the giant foot coming towards him was huge, was a dive enough to avoid it? It needed to a complete dodge for a small graze can do significant damage to him. But then, another giant crashed into the first one and the two tumbled down the mountain. Nick scrambled away, barely avoiding the two flesh boulders going down the snowy mount. He didn't need to guess who sent the giant flying. What did puzzle him was how the warrior woman sent the gigantic adversary into the air. Did she lift the creature and hurl? Was she that strong? How did that even work? This world continued to surprise Nick. She didn't need to tell him twice. Nick was too tired to reply and climbed his way towards the warrior woman. There were still two giants though and his eyes widened as he instinctively summoned a bit of strength to yell. "Hey, hey! Watch out!" Nick pointed at the two giants with spears who looked just about ready to attack.</s> <\|message\|>"Malphas" Malphas Employment@Rune_Alchemist The offer given to Malphas was quite a tempting one. A steady income, knowledge of what this land finds valuable, and the potential to have his own business in exchange for his loyalty. Of course, one would assume Malphas, the man who had almost considered slaying his fellow cohorts just earlier, would be appalled at such an oath. While there is evidence that a man such as himself would not be afraid to fill a back with knives should it be revealed to him, the contrary is certain. Malphas is happy to bend the knee for others, especially if there is something in it for him, something that would particularly catch his eye... In this case, it was dollar signs. "But of course! You humble me with such an offer, Lady Mie. What a perfect way to utilize my talents, as well... Ah, but there is one more thing that I may ask of you. My identity has been... tarnished, as you know. If I am to successfully work with you, I would need a new identity, a new name, a new face. Perhaps before we shake on this agreement, we should take heed to what name is signed along the dotted line, hmm?" Malphas stroked his chin exaggeratively, pondering on a new identity for himself. It was then that his wings came to mind. "You wouldn't happen to have an avian mask, would you? Perhaps that of a wise owl, or a grand eagle? Ah, no... the royal and regal raven is likely the best for my sort, isn't it? Black is the new black, after all..." Malphas stroked his hair. "Ah, perhaps I should find a way to change my hair up a bit, as well."</s>	<\|message\|>Oda Nobunaga That theme that had sounded melodic the other day now sounded so very disconcerting. And the one playing it... An elderly man in fine clothing, tinged with silver. There was little doubt in her mind over the nature of the one she faced. Nobunaga had guessed he may make some move. It wasn't unlikely he already knew of her intentions. That did not, however, change anything. She faced the enemy general. The Illuminator sought her attention. Just as all gods did, he wished to take a part of her time away from something far more immediately important. And as such, the petite girl would instead respond with her opening move. A first attack, so to speak. "Forgive me, but I have little time to spare," Nobunaga began, "Should you wish to speak with me, you must wait. Like anyone else." Bowing politely, as she would to any ordinary person, she continued on her way without further delay.</s>
<\|description\|>Takeshima Misaki (formerly Takeshima Mamoru) Gender: Female Appearance: Misaki is a kitsune with white hair that reaches down past her shoulders, which is obviously a far cry from the body she used to have before dying. As of now, she is slightly shorter than she was when she was a human (though not by much), which in and of itself isn't as much of a problem as it could be. Of course, modern clothing would be preferable above all else, but given the circumstances that she finds herself in, whatever works, works. Goals: Given that she passed so suddenly, Misaki's primary goal is to make the most of her new life, which, as vague as it sounds, does have some basis behind it. Given how ruined the world she now finds herself is, that means working to make a place that's hospitable to live in without accidentally dying again. Risks are a given, of course, and the allure of adventure has not yet left her, but once that leaves, reattaining the amenities of modern life would be the most important thing to pursue. Past Life: Mamoru used to be a college student studying history, which, as far as things went, meant that he was one a one-way road to either remaining in academia or ending up as a salaryman like a majority of his peers would. Obviously, the former would be far more preferable than the latter when it came down to it, and with Mamoru's own natural curiosity about his homeland, going out and traveling Japan (be it for entertainment or research) was going to be frequent no matter what. Everything would have been fine, had he not ended up missing a step on a hike in Hokkaido and falling to his death. Ending up in some odd void-like space and being told he would end up being reincarnated like he was in some sort of light novel fantasy was far from the first thing he had envisioned after dying, but that was something he could work with. The body, however... That would take getting used to. Abilities: * Physical Conditioning: Peak Human—Your body is naturally tough, durable, and strong. The pinnacle of human physical strength, endurance, and agility. Keep training, and surely you can surpass even stronger beings. * Soul Flare: The ability to turn ones soul into a weapon itself. Needed for most basic magical feats. Channel the mana present in the air through your body to achieve great feats. Allows one to interact with supernatural things, and perceive things others may not. * Historia Technologica: The goddess has complied every single technological advancement humanity has made up until the point you died. Theoretically, you can call upon this knowledge whenever you desire...should it allow you too. The world follows certain laws. A certain undeniable rhythm. You can not know what you have not interacted with, or spent some time learning on your own. You will start with three branches. You will need to figure out how to 'Unlock' more of them yourself. However, do keep in mind - Some materials here will be as alien to your world as you are to this world. Knowledge Available: + Medicine - You can tell if a plant has medicinal properties or not. Yet for now, you can not determine what those are upon sight alone. + Material Science - At a glance, you can tell what a minerals and are and roughly how decent they would be at performing a certain task. You however, do not know exactly how to forge or implement them yourself quite yet. + Agricultural Science - You know rudimentary agricultural and cultivation techniques and how to achieve a decent crop yield without knowing too much else about the surrounding environment or what plants would grow well in what areas. Inventory: * Clothing.</s> <\|message\|>Oda Nobunaga He still sought her attention did he? Then, that was exactly the thing she wouldn't given him. Nobunaga was quite aware of the type of person this was. Even if the deity's offer was genuine, there was no telling what else would be attached to it. This was the enemy general, and there was no denying the fact that he was a skilled manipulator. So she would not grant him the opportunity to bait her into being manipulated. She would offer him nothing. For Nobunaga did not truly intend to merely destroy his influence in this village. A reckless god had no place in the world. No matter how long it took, she would crush his influence and reduce him to nothing. Knowledge would be forged by discovery, by diplomacy, by interacting with the natural world. Not by the whims of a reckless god. But the first steps were much smaller ones. The petite black-haired girl paused a moment. Ah, Novak? The man who had aided in killing the scaled beast that attacked the hunters. It appeared there were further pressing issues, and possibly quite tied to the matter at hand. But first things first. "Is something the matter, Enli-san?" she asked, as she approached, bowing politely after a moment's pause, "I certainly hope I find you well, but it seems there may be some matters worthy of concern afoot." @Crimson Paladin</s> <\|message\|>Novak Novak "I appreciate your offer, Enli," Novak replied, removing his helmet and placing it on his lap. "As it turns out I do have some questions about it." Enli's offer to answer questions about the temple was fortuitous for Novak, who hadn't been able to get much from Lazhira. The adventurer hoped to further explain more about the temple if they had time, but couldn't pass up an opportunity to learn more about just what he had gotten himself into. In particular, he wanted to know more about the orb that he had perhaps foolishly agreed to help retrieve. Before he could present his question, however, Nobunaga arrived. She spoke to Enli, claiming that there was a matter of concern that needed to discussed. As if there wasn't enough bad news going around today... "Hello, Nobunaga," Novak welcomed her. "I actually have a matter of concern myself that I was about to ask Enli, if you'd allow it." Novak didn't want to delay Nobunaga's news, but he really needed to get this question out of the way. It also might be a good idea to make a mental note to later thank her for killing that beast whose scales he now wore. "As I was saying, there are some things that we discovered that we don't know the entire context of," he said, turning back to the village chief. "While I was searching the lower levels, I learned of an orb that had been stolen from a pedestal in the temple, and that the Illuminator is quite upset about its theft. Lazhira seems to think that returning it would be a bad thing, but she's been stubbornly elusive about what she knows. Just what is this orb? What's so important about it?" There were many other things Novak wanted to ask about- what sort of twisted human experiments were people doing there? Are such dark deeds considered remotely morally acceptable by this friendly village? Were those slimes made from people? What's the deal with Lazhira, and how is she tied into this? Had there been any word of Leannah's return? However, between Enli's meeting with the Kyrinth and Nobunaga's news, it'd be better off to not burden the chief with too many questions. @Rune_Alchemist</s>	<\|message\|>Takeshima Misaki (formerly Takeshima Mamoru) With a somewhat bitter smile, Misaki nodded her head in agreement with Narkissa's comments. Redefining a standardized system would take a great deal of work, but as far as the current situation went, it was less of a priority than the goal that they had in mind. Similarly, the fact that she knew the methodology but not the specifics with which to recreate a basic paper meant that there was a great deal of experimentation in order. With the load split and everyone moving to work on their own tasks for the day, the foxgirl was simply left to figure things out on her own. A rather troublesome task, yes, but not one wholly impossible to do with what knowledge she had. Bidding farewell to Narkissa for the moment, Misaki departed the town in pursuit of the bamboo-like plant she had mentioned earlier. The walk there was not without worry, of course—weaponless as she was, an ambush of any sort would likely not pan out well in the least—but by some miracle or another, no such worries seemed to befall her. Gathering the shoots would prove nice to test in terms of culinary value, but they afforded little value compared to the full-grown plant. The young woman found some manner of peace in her ability to at least snap the stalks and bring the longer plants down without a tool; trees, they were not. Of course, that was where the foxgirl spent most of her time gathering; processing them here would be both inefficient and possibly add additional impurities, neither of which she wished for. But the slightest sound of something approaching caused her to stop in her tracks and look around in worry— Only for the same deer she had befriended the day before to bound through the woods towards her. Momentarily taken aback as she was at its appearance, though, Misaki soon found herself understanding why it had come. "...Oh no." Panic gripped Misaki's heart as she immediately knelt down and grabbed one of the stalks of bamboo at her feet and lifted it up like a spear. She had no formal training, of course, but even a makeshift weapon like this would work better than nothing. It was that thought that led her to posture aggressively towards the oncoming pair of predators, weapon in hand as she attempted to make them back off. If they approached, it would only make sense to try and swing back; if they got close, then the pole could work just as well to block... Right?</s>
<\|description\|>Takeshima Misaki (formerly Takeshima Mamoru) Gender: Female Appearance: Misaki is a kitsune with white hair that reaches down past her shoulders, which is obviously a far cry from the body she used to have before dying. As of now, she is slightly shorter than she was when she was a human (though not by much), which in and of itself isn't as much of a problem as it could be. Of course, modern clothing would be preferable above all else, but given the circumstances that she finds herself in, whatever works, works. Goals: Given that she passed so suddenly, Misaki's primary goal is to make the most of her new life, which, as vague as it sounds, does have some basis behind it. Given how ruined the world she now finds herself is, that means working to make a place that's hospitable to live in without accidentally dying again. Risks are a given, of course, and the allure of adventure has not yet left her, but once that leaves, reattaining the amenities of modern life would be the most important thing to pursue. Past Life: Mamoru used to be a college student studying history, which, as far as things went, meant that he was one a one-way road to either remaining in academia or ending up as a salaryman like a majority of his peers would. Obviously, the former would be far more preferable than the latter when it came down to it, and with Mamoru's own natural curiosity about his homeland, going out and traveling Japan (be it for entertainment or research) was going to be frequent no matter what. Everything would have been fine, had he not ended up missing a step on a hike in Hokkaido and falling to his death. Ending up in some odd void-like space and being told he would end up being reincarnated like he was in some sort of light novel fantasy was far from the first thing he had envisioned after dying, but that was something he could work with. The body, however... That would take getting used to. Abilities: * Physical Conditioning: Peak Human—Your body is naturally tough, durable, and strong. The pinnacle of human physical strength, endurance, and agility. Keep training, and surely you can surpass even stronger beings. * Soul Flare: The ability to turn ones soul into a weapon itself. Needed for most basic magical feats. Channel the mana present in the air through your body to achieve great feats. Allows one to interact with supernatural things, and perceive things others may not. * Historia Technologica: The goddess has complied every single technological advancement humanity has made up until the point you died. Theoretically, you can call upon this knowledge whenever you desire...should it allow you too. The world follows certain laws. A certain undeniable rhythm. You can not know what you have not interacted with, or spent some time learning on your own. You will start with three branches. You will need to figure out how to 'Unlock' more of them yourself. However, do keep in mind - Some materials here will be as alien to your world as you are to this world. Knowledge Available: + Medicine - You can tell if a plant has medicinal properties or not. Yet for now, you can not determine what those are upon sight alone. + Material Science - At a glance, you can tell what a minerals and are and roughly how decent they would be at performing a certain task. You however, do not know exactly how to forge or implement them yourself quite yet. + Agricultural Science - You know rudimentary agricultural and cultivation techniques and how to achieve a decent crop yield without knowing too much else about the surrounding environment or what plants would grow well in what areas. Inventory: * Clothing.</s> <\|message\|>Isidore Coinage: 8 Silver, 5 Copper * The (shredded) clothing on his back. * A fur cloak. * Untanned boar skin. * Leather Belt * Knight's Shield * Knight's Dagger * Knight's Longsword * Dwarf's Polearm * Rope * Some preserved food Enough for two people to last a few days. * Roll of what seemed to be a mat of thick fur, likely for sleeping on Comfortable, but only one. * A heavy looking fur/cloth blanket. Cozy, warm and heavy. Good for sleeping in colder climates. * Communication horn Made from bone, hollow and likely used for communication. * A small pot and a ladle * Frozen canteen of water * Map of the Under roads. A map detailing some routes used by the Dwarves and Shadow Elves to travel in their subterranean homes. Its not entirely complete, but it at least shows the routes to the two most notable settlements and several other places of note. Unless you travel off the paths, you probably won't get lost. Sorcha's murmured assessment of the blades made sense for Isidore. Certainly a better material than Dirithen steel for Augusta then, if such weapons were able to be attuned more easily with magic too. The man took one of the blades himself, pinching the edge and slowly applying more and more strength to it, just to see how well they flexed. Soft as they were, he could expect to cleave through them in a single swing, perhaps. In which case, how could he maneuver an Urutha swordsman into such a position, when their combat style will doubtlessly focus on evasion and footwork to make up for the deficiencies in their material? He tabled such simulations in the same movement that saw the blade returned to the rack, turning his attentions to Sorcha directly. "I would love to collect." Isidore responded, stepping closer to the lady knight. "And as for my payment, it'll be you." His eyes slid from one corner of the dimly-lit armory to another, before returning his gaze back upon her. "But a private dinner and an evening without obligations would be more appropriate for that." He unslung his halberd from his shoulder, one hand massaging, loosening the muscles of his neck. "So, for now, fight me." It was one thing to witness it from a distance, but quite another to experience it himself. If Rullphana were one of the strongest mages across the realm, then Sorcha may very likely be one of the strongest blademages too, possessing monstrous physical capability without looking the part. "And don't hold back." A thin smile to hide the rising anxiety that threatened to seep out from the cracks of his outward calm. "I won't die so long as you don't strike to kill twice."</s> <\|message\|>Bella Rosso Augusta was pleased to see her small elf companion again. "Well, I was half hoping to catch you both together but I'm more than happy to talk to my favorite little Sirithen~." The woman mentioned with a smile. Talking to the girl felt like it took a nice load off her shoulders. She walked into the room a small bit and noticed, "She's a tough teacher? My, am I going to regret asking her to teach me some swordsmanship?" The older elf mentioned aloud. She sat on the bed next to the girl, curious to the look on her face. "I don't know about you, but Octavia and I have been all over this place today and I have something I want to tell you, Isidore and Sorcha together later..." Augusta paused, thinking about how to exactly ask it but found that being straightforward might be the best way to go about it. "But enough about me. "Something seems to be wrong. Are you alright? I might not be Sorcha but you can talk to me if something is wrong." She wasn't exactly sure how the girl felt about her or if she trusted her enough to speak... But... She had a bit of hope that the young elf would talk to her. Especially with that nervous glance toward Octavia.</s> <\|message\|>Narkissa Langdon Narkissa Langdon @Crusader Lord "Sure." Narkissa was a bit surprised to see Leannah being so direct, especially since she still looked wiped. It wasn't a problem though, not like there was anybody else in the area aside from the two of them. "Hmm… I doubt you'll get anything useful out of that man. It was one of the few things that the Illuminator and I could agree on, but alright," she agreed. Clearly, something with her experience with the temple or the god that it belonged to had spooked Leannah. Knowing this strange world and the apparent fickleness of the gods that inhabited it, it really was better to be safer than sorry. "Well, let me recap from where we got split up in the temple…" After the brief summary, she launched into more detail as the cat girl had requested, detailing her encounters with the slimes, praying to the goddess, and for the first time since speaking to Lazhira, mentioned the teardrop that she had received as well. Then she moved on to jumping down the tar pit, and meticulously pieced back together her conversation and encounter with the god of knowledge, before finally recounting the tale of their dramatic escape from both burning temple and cultists hot on their heels. What Leannah offered in return, though, was the same, although with far more oaths attached as stipulations than hers. Narkissa couldn't help but to frown. She hadn't gotten the full picture yet here, sure, but it had already become clear long enough ago that they were already being party to a conspiracy of sorts, either here in the village, or to the greater world in general. All within a few days of showing up. Fun stuff. Frankly, she wasn't sure if she'd cared to hear what extra bad news Leannah had to say. But she did care for Leannah, and her own life, really, so refusing was out of the picture. "…Alright, my lips will be sealed, it's a promise. What exactly is going on here, Leannah?"</s>	<\|message\|>Takeshima Misaki (formerly Takeshima Mamoru) Given the current situation with the Kyrinth and the village, as well as how it had acted the day before, Misaki was surprised to see that the deer had decided to follow her all the way back to Lazirha's house. She had told it to stay put there, of course, lest any of the hunters see a meal in its presence instead of a friend, but that ultimately made her job no easier. Gathering the requisite tools was, at the very least, not particularly troublesome, what with Lazirha only so happy to oblige her requests. The way that the girl was keeping herself at the moment, though, gave the foxgirl pause... But ultimately, if it was something she wanted to share, she would share it; prying into matters she had no say in felt wrong, and she had only known the girl for a few days. If she wanted to open up to her, then by all means she would do her utmost to help, but otherwise, her own pursuits came first. Once she had properly gathered everything and set her workstation (if it could even be called as much) up, Misaki took a deep breath and began to break the plants down. The deer's desire to help, though, however endearing, was difficult for the foxgirl to accommodate. Breaking up the plants in this method wasn't something that a deer could do, per se... Or maybe it was? "Ah... Hm..." she began, thinking for a moment before carefully placing a stick of bamboo (or whatever it was called in this world) in front of the deer before speaking, "Could you try breaking these down for me?" With that, Misaki would attempt to demonstrate, attempting to physically break the stem up before returning to her seated position. Hopefully her point had been made properly. The problem of making the pulp had not yet been resolved, of course, but this was likely something to be taken one step at a time anyhow.</s>
<\|description\|>Takeshima Misaki (formerly Takeshima Mamoru) Gender: Female Appearance: Misaki is a kitsune with white hair that reaches down past her shoulders, which is obviously a far cry from the body she used to have before dying. As of now, she is slightly shorter than she was when she was a human (though not by much), which in and of itself isn't as much of a problem as it could be. Of course, modern clothing would be preferable above all else, but given the circumstances that she finds herself in, whatever works, works. Goals: Given that she passed so suddenly, Misaki's primary goal is to make the most of her new life, which, as vague as it sounds, does have some basis behind it. Given how ruined the world she now finds herself is, that means working to make a place that's hospitable to live in without accidentally dying again. Risks are a given, of course, and the allure of adventure has not yet left her, but once that leaves, reattaining the amenities of modern life would be the most important thing to pursue. Past Life: Mamoru used to be a college student studying history, which, as far as things went, meant that he was one a one-way road to either remaining in academia or ending up as a salaryman like a majority of his peers would. Obviously, the former would be far more preferable than the latter when it came down to it, and with Mamoru's own natural curiosity about his homeland, going out and traveling Japan (be it for entertainment or research) was going to be frequent no matter what. Everything would have been fine, had he not ended up missing a step on a hike in Hokkaido and falling to his death. Ending up in some odd void-like space and being told he would end up being reincarnated like he was in some sort of light novel fantasy was far from the first thing he had envisioned after dying, but that was something he could work with. The body, however... That would take getting used to. Abilities: * Physical Conditioning: Peak Human—Your body is naturally tough, durable, and strong. The pinnacle of human physical strength, endurance, and agility. Keep training, and surely you can surpass even stronger beings. * Soul Flare: The ability to turn ones soul into a weapon itself. Needed for most basic magical feats. Channel the mana present in the air through your body to achieve great feats. Allows one to interact with supernatural things, and perceive things others may not. * Historia Technologica: The goddess has complied every single technological advancement humanity has made up until the point you died. Theoretically, you can call upon this knowledge whenever you desire...should it allow you too. The world follows certain laws. A certain undeniable rhythm. You can not know what you have not interacted with, or spent some time learning on your own. You will start with three branches. You will need to figure out how to 'Unlock' more of them yourself. However, do keep in mind - Some materials here will be as alien to your world as you are to this world. Knowledge Available: + Medicine - You can tell if a plant has medicinal properties or not. Yet for now, you can not determine what those are upon sight alone. + Material Science - At a glance, you can tell what a minerals and are and roughly how decent they would be at performing a certain task. You however, do not know exactly how to forge or implement them yourself quite yet. + Agricultural Science - You know rudimentary agricultural and cultivation techniques and how to achieve a decent crop yield without knowing too much else about the surrounding environment or what plants would grow well in what areas. Inventory: * Clothing.</s> <\|message\|>Bella Rosso Augusta was still a little sad that Leuca was off put by... Something. Octavia by the looks of it. How sad, truly. Not that she could blame the poor girl, really. Still, Octavia was a precious resource. As much as she would desire to say friend, that was far from the truth of it. Still, Leuca agreed to help as much as she could. Perhaps she'd pawn Octavia on Isidore during those times. She didn't want to give her to that greedy mage, Rullphana after all. Perhaps she would see. That aside, Sorcha and Isidore entered the room. Well, this was the perfect time. "Hello friends. Glad to see you all. What Leuca wants to say is... It appears I'm getting married soon." Augusta said before she told Sorcha and Isidore all about what happened. How the Queen asked her to marry the Prince and the small details and what she needed to learn. "That's it generally." "So, that said..." She hesitated a small bit. Was she about to ask this monstrous human for help? Truly, she should be terrified of the Queen by power alone, but there was something about this woman's status that left her uneasy. "I have many things to learn in the days to come, I suppose, but Sorcha... Would you be willing to teach me how to use a weapon?" There was no one better than her for sure. She knew after that fight, no matter how frightened she was this was the woman to ask. "I know little, but I hope you'd be willing to teach me."</s> <\|message\|>Isidore @Pyromania99 Coinage: 8 Silver, 5 Copper * The (shredded) clothing on his back. * A fur cloak. * Untanned boar skin. * Leather Belt * Knight's Shield * Knight's Dagger * Knight's Longsword * Dwarf's Polearm * Rope * Some preserved food Enough for two people to last a few days. * Roll of what seemed to be a mat of thick fur, likely for sleeping on Comfortable, but only one. * A heavy looking fur/cloth blanket. Cozy, warm and heavy. Good for sleeping in colder climates. * Communication horn Made from bone, hollow and likely used for communication. * A small pot and a ladle * Frozen canteen of water * Map of the Under roads. A map detailing some routes used by the Dwarves and Shadow Elves to travel in their subterranean homes. Its not entirely complete, but it at least shows the routes to the two most notable settlements and several other places of note. Unless you travel off the paths, you probably won't get lost. Isidore took a minute or two to process everything, and once he had finished doing so, he came to a very simple conclusion. For someone who came from the same modern society that he did, Augusta was adapting very quickly. Even with all the politicking and grim business from his own past life, the concept of a purely political marriage never arose beyond vague and outdated variations of praise. Perhaps a matriarchal society would benefit her more, and perhaps she will simply always just be a princess, but Isidore had his own doubts. To offer royal authority and power to a stranger with no background, all for the purpose of establishing a peace and alliance that a real princess was already here to do was suspect, especially when it sounded like Augusta would be free to do whatever she wished as well. A puppet princess then? A token symbol, furthering the agenda of an existence closer to Elder Beast than mortal? It was a strange scenario…but not any more so than his own. Anyhow, Augusta's eyes saw all; if she agreed to it so readily, the Queen may be guileless after all. "Congratulations," Isidore said, offering a slow clap and a polite smile. He pitied the Prince, but this reality must be one that the bookish Uruthan would've been long prepared for. "l have come across an interesting proposition as well. An individual of influence suspects the Queen's advisor of something, and will be meeting me at the Rusty Ale Lake to discuss such matters. Tomorrow night." He glanced in Sorcha's direction, a tinge of ironic amusement in his eyes, before turning back to the newly-titled Sirithen princess. "Augusta, lend me your eye for character during that time. And if there is merit, keep that same eye on Rullphana in the future."</s>	<\|message\|>Takeshima Misaki (formerly Takeshima Mamoru) Misaki simply returned Lazirha's comment with a smile and a nod before refocusing her attention towards her current project—at least, for the moment. Granted, it was far from fun to watch water boil, and less so over an open fire, but as far as how good or bad her current situation was... Well, the foxgirl would gladly take a boring day preparing materials over being thrown into life-threatening situtations like the others seemed to have had the pleasure of encountering. Before she could lose herself in her thoughts, though, Misaki managed to catch sight of a few hunters drawing oddly close to the house. Remembering Narkissa's summary of her last encounter, the foxgirl almost instinctively straightened her back, sitting up straight for a moment as she mentally assessed the threat level of the current situation. It was hard to judge if they were hostile and all, but seeing how armed they were... Well, if worst came to worst, she'd have to take the others and run. Warding off wild animals was one thing, but people? That was another matter entirely. It took a moment for Lazirha's words to register, and another few to process, though. Thinking about things now, it was hard to argue that she hadn't technically spent the most time around the village and it's residents... Well, minus the hunters, at least. But given how the girl at her side seemed to be troubled, it only made sense to give an honest reply back. "Hm... Well, I don't quite mind the town," she began, her head moving lightly from side to side, ears swaying back and forth as she did so, "But if I had to be honest, this sort of life isn't... Really my 'thing'. Don't get me wrong; the people here have been really nice and welcoming of me despite being a complete stranger and I'm very grateful for their hospitality, but I guess I'm used to a more... Fast-paced lifestyle surrounded by things to do? I don't think I could deal with a laid-back life for very long, though maybe that's because I'm still curious about the world. Maybe in that regard I'm still a bit naive, though, but, well..." Of course, 'staying alive' and 'exploration' did not necessarily go hand in hand—quite the opposite, in fact—but if there was anything that dying once had taught her, it was that diving into something unprepared was tantamount to suicide... And if the last few days had taught her anything, it was that she was probably well out of her depth when it came to anything beyond what she was already doing now. "...With that said, I think that there are people here who care for you, if Enli is any indicator. My parents were also protective of me just as much as they were anxious of my future," she continued, sighing as she let her shoulders relax for a moment. "Would that I could meet them again. But that aside, if you think it's boring here, maybe it's time to spread your wings and fly, so to speak. Not alone, of course, but I don't think it's a bad thing to want to explore and go on a bit of an adventure. Maybe you'll find something new out about yourself in the process? Though, well, I suppose it is a fair deal more dangerous setting out on a journey here in the first place anyways, but if the benefits outweigh the costs..." Then there's no reason not to consider it, right?</s>
<\|description\|>Takeshima Misaki (formerly Takeshima Mamoru) Gender: Female Appearance: Misaki is a kitsune with white hair that reaches down past her shoulders, which is obviously a far cry from the body she used to have before dying. As of now, she is slightly shorter than she was when she was a human (though not by much), which in and of itself isn't as much of a problem as it could be. Of course, modern clothing would be preferable above all else, but given the circumstances that she finds herself in, whatever works, works. Goals: Given that she passed so suddenly, Misaki's primary goal is to make the most of her new life, which, as vague as it sounds, does have some basis behind it. Given how ruined the world she now finds herself is, that means working to make a place that's hospitable to live in without accidentally dying again. Risks are a given, of course, and the allure of adventure has not yet left her, but once that leaves, reattaining the amenities of modern life would be the most important thing to pursue. Past Life: Mamoru used to be a college student studying history, which, as far as things went, meant that he was one a one-way road to either remaining in academia or ending up as a salaryman like a majority of his peers would. Obviously, the former would be far more preferable than the latter when it came down to it, and with Mamoru's own natural curiosity about his homeland, going out and traveling Japan (be it for entertainment or research) was going to be frequent no matter what. Everything would have been fine, had he not ended up missing a step on a hike in Hokkaido and falling to his death. Ending up in some odd void-like space and being told he would end up being reincarnated like he was in some sort of light novel fantasy was far from the first thing he had envisioned after dying, but that was something he could work with. The body, however... That would take getting used to. Abilities: * Physical Conditioning: Peak Human—Your body is naturally tough, durable, and strong. The pinnacle of human physical strength, endurance, and agility. Keep training, and surely you can surpass even stronger beings. * Soul Flare: The ability to turn ones soul into a weapon itself. Needed for most basic magical feats. Channel the mana present in the air through your body to achieve great feats. Allows one to interact with supernatural things, and perceive things others may not. * Historia Technologica: The goddess has complied every single technological advancement humanity has made up until the point you died. Theoretically, you can call upon this knowledge whenever you desire...should it allow you too. The world follows certain laws. A certain undeniable rhythm. You can not know what you have not interacted with, or spent some time learning on your own. You will start with three branches. You will need to figure out how to 'Unlock' more of them yourself. However, do keep in mind - Some materials here will be as alien to your world as you are to this world. Knowledge Available: + Medicine - You can tell if a plant has medicinal properties or not. Yet for now, you can not determine what those are upon sight alone. + Material Science - At a glance, you can tell what a minerals and are and roughly how decent they would be at performing a certain task. You however, do not know exactly how to forge or implement them yourself quite yet. + Agricultural Science - You know rudimentary agricultural and cultivation techniques and how to achieve a decent crop yield without knowing too much else about the surrounding environment or what plants would grow well in what areas. Inventory: * Clothing.</s> <\|message\|>"Ah yes, the immutable fact. One of the few things that defines a person. Tell me, what is yours..." Skill Seeker --- Paladin@VitaVitaAR --- "They were likely trying to draw it to the village..." Enli would frown. "...if it attacks so broadly and openly then it would only cause even more people to hate the Beast, in turn likely drawing more people to the Illuminator." The older man would frown. "I...may only know a little of this 'Seal'. My grandfather mentioned something about the Illuminator and the Ocean Goddess having some sort of...deal to protect something but it was so long ago I can't remember if there were more details." He'd do his best to avoid looking at the deceased bodies in front of him. "And I would trust Bolcha with my life. I already asked him to watch the longhouse for me. I'll see if I can't find more about what they mentioned once I return." Enli would turn to leave, unless stopped by Nobunaga or Novak, certain at least he could make it back to the village on his own so long as he hurried. The hunters were likely occupied elsewhere, and wouldn't likely be able to realize their ambush had failed yet. They knew at least roughly where the man had spoken of, all that was left was going there and seeing what was what if they desired. Considering how things were clearly escalating, they may need to figure out a plan sooner rather than later. --- "Eh? Fast paced? Like fighting and hunting?" Lazhira would tilt her head to the side with a grin. "Eeeh, Didn't take you for a fighty sort Misaki..." She'd shake her head with a light giggle. "I've thought about it, but even if I do go somewhere...that won't solve anything, will it? It's not like I can get rid of-" Of course, interruptions abound. Before she could finish it seemed Misaki's fears were on point. The two hunters would slowly approach the two, Lazhira seeming to not have been paying attention enough to notice them. "The girl. Nowl." One of the would say, pointing to Lazhira. The other would brandish the spear at his side. "...B-but he said I wouldn't-" "Don't involve yourself traveler. Hand her over." Lazhira would stand quickly, nervously rubbing the silvery emblem on her hand. A little secret Lord --- This "Oi lass, ya most certainly can!" He'd say in a jovial, friendly manner. "In fact, I'm glad ya haven't just shunned me like the other one. Really now. I'm trying to help everyone here. Unlike the other one. No idea what's going on in her head. She doesn't tell us anything! Which is fun, in a game of guess what experiment I'm performing on this mortal, but not when she's doing something I don't want her to." He didn't seem put off or otherwise perturbed by her defensive posture, walking over a bit closer in a casual manner as he'd twirl the can in his hand. "Just a little proposition." He'd say with the same air of mirth. "I want to know...if you'd be interested in possessing a little something that could help you with that whole, everyone wins, lives happily ever after you want. I've got a little something I think you people would like...tried to give it to that black haired girl, but alas, she was too stubborn. Supposed I should have showed her this to start with, but oh well." From one of his sleeves, he'd pull a scroll of paper, slowly unrolling it, briefly showing it to her. "A little something I've been cooking up since you meddling travelers have showed up. I think I knocked it out of the park, this. Better than anything even before the Moonless!" If Narkissa happened to get a good look at it, they seemed to be some sort of blueprint, of some long narrow...cane of some sort? It had a short circular barrel, that slowly grew in size. There was some sort of trigger mechanism too- He'd quickly roll it back up. She didn't get a good look at it beyond that, but it seemed something like she might have seen before. "What do ya say, lass? Help me finish this, and maybe potentially even use it and you could solve all this villages problems if it all goes to hell in a mindbasket. Just need some...help getting the last few materials I need." A Traveler --- Item Acquired: Hunting Knife A fairly standard looking hunting knife. Made of iron. Its age is noteworthy, as with the apparent love it had once been taken care of with. Still sharp enough to cut most things with, but won't provide much in the way of defense. Unlit Torch: Little more than a stick of wood wrapped in cloth and a bit of some burnable resin. Will likely stay lit and provide some light for a decent amount of time, enough to at least guide one out of harms way as long as they move swiftly. Old Lamp & Oil flask: An old metal lamp, with a glass chamber one lights a small wick in to offer light. It didn't have much oil in it when Nicholas picked it up, but should be enough to at least help. Its lightweight and fairly small, easily attachable to ones belt if one wanted too. Having tools to see with was always welcome, but perhaps he should also find a method of lighting said implements with. "Always." The maid would reply airily. "Fools always make messes we have to clean up..." She'd stop her sweeping motion, looking up from her task and towards Nicholas. Not exactly at him, her head was looking in his direction, but she'd be looking a little over his shoulder towards Elisette. "I ask politely that you do not. I do not take kindly to others adding to my workload when I already have ten other things I must see to clean. If you are here to help though..." She'd lean the broom against a nearby wall. "I'm certain both these people and my employer will be quite pleased." The Roma Mob @Pyromania99 --- "That...is a lot to take in." Sorcha would frown, releasing Leuca from a hug. "I have no qualms teaching you how to wield something, as long as you do not complain and can keep up with the training..." The warrior would slowly turn her head towards Isidore. "Our date time apparently already being occupied aside...what do you mean someone of influence is accusing Rullphana of something?" Understandably, Sorcha was likely concerned for Leuca's safety if the Court Mage was up to something shady. Octavia would sit idly next to Augusta, seemingly wanting some pets though she seemed a bit restless again. Seemed she was hungry again already. "Uhm...Sorcha, can Augusta even use the Leargas?" Leuca would ask, pulling her attention from her question with Isidore. "You'll have to help her with that yourself, Leuca. I'm not an elf, though I can at least help with instruction and theory as I did when you did it." "Uhm...R-right." Leuca would nod in an uncertain manner. "Uhm...I guess I can tomorrow a bit before my lessons with Rullphana..." --- Send Feet Pics Chulainn --- "Aye, thank you Nomura." Bolcha would respond, waving him off. "I'll tell Enli you were able to help." Of course, the craftsman would then turn to the Oni, intent on making a deal for the safety of his friend." It was easy enough to return to Mie. The fox was sitting languidly where she was usually, behind a table in her tent. Seemed she had been drinking a bit again. "Ah, well, someone works fast. I've already been informed by Ayumi. Good work, I'm impressed." Mie would say with a nod. "I'll give you a little bonus after this next job I have of yours...and it might require you getting your hands dirty a little, if you don't mind me saying." Mie would say, motioning one of the Oni guards to close the flaps to the tent, silencing and preventing any from seeing within. They were likely preventing anyone else from entering either. "...Someone stole something of mine." Mie would say with a frown. "I want you to find out who...and if possible, return it." The fox's tail would swish back and forth seemingly in thought. "Its...an heirloom of sorts that was stolen from my family many, many years ago. I had been in contact here with someone that managed to find it, but it was stolen before it could be returned to me." She'd tilt her head to the side. "No one in this village would steal it...and if they had, they would have likely already been talking about it or I'd have heard something. So I can only assume one of you travelers have in some fashion." Ayumi would bolt in from somewhere, and position herself in Mie's lap. "You also owe Ayumi...a fish was it?"</s> <\|message\|>Bella Rosso The first thing Augusta replied to was Isidore while giving Octavia some pets on the head. "Of course, Isidore. You're practically my brother at this point. If my gift can assist you, then of course I'm willing." Augusta said with a smile before looking to Sorcha. "Of course, Lady Sorcha. I have many things to learn, as I mentioned, but I'm a good learner." She said with a smile. "I'm a complete novice but I'm absolutely looking forward to it." Then, was Leuca. "And same to you, Leuca. I'm willing to learn as best I can. If it is possible to learn the Leargas, then you and me can make that a definite thing to learn." She cleared her throat. "And that aside, I shall be joining you on this lesson with Rullphana so we'll be together for a good portion of the day then." She mentioned with a smile. Perhaps she'd try to have the Queen watch over Octavia for a while so she could go to these lessons and not have to worry about Octavia going into hungry mode. She needed to find a cure for that.</s>	<\|message\|>Takeshima Misaki (formerly Takeshima Mamoru) "I... Er... Well, not... Quite...?" Misaki responded, shifting back and forth as she tried to figure out a way to explain how a hectic life on Earth would translate to a semi-agrarian society like the one they were in now before shrugging. The girl at her side seemed to have her own set of problems to work through, though, but if she had come to her own conclusions, then— "...Oh." And as if on cue, the two people that she had been monitoring up until now moved over and in no subtle terms attempted to threaten her to back away from Lazirha. A kidnapping, then; with a sharp gaze, the foxgirl shook her head and glanced at her sides. On one side, a clearly anxious Lazirha (though to be fair, it would be odd if she wasn't); on the other, the deer that had followed her until now. They were outside the young woman's home, though, which left precious little to defend either of them with. Everything except... "Ah... I'd rather not be run through, thank you very much," she sighed, giving a slight nod towards Lazirha for a moment as she stood up and walked towards her boiling water. When the hunters moved to collect their target, though, the foxgirl would move with a burst of strength, picking up the pot over the fire and lobbing its contents towards Lazirha's would-be kidnappers' heads before tossing the actual vessel at whoever had avoided the most scalding water aimed at their faces. For what it was worth, though, the adrenaline from burning her hands would keep any residual pain from kicking in immediately. "Run!" To where, though, remained to be seen. The forest was risky, as they were hunters and by nature of their job knew the lay of the land, but heading into town was equally dangerous... Would Mie be willing to give them respite...?</s>
<\|description\|>Takeshima Misaki (formerly Takeshima Mamoru) Gender: Female Appearance: Misaki is a kitsune with white hair that reaches down past her shoulders, which is obviously a far cry from the body she used to have before dying. As of now, she is slightly shorter than she was when she was a human (though not by much), which in and of itself isn't as much of a problem as it could be. Of course, modern clothing would be preferable above all else, but given the circumstances that she finds herself in, whatever works, works. Goals: Given that she passed so suddenly, Misaki's primary goal is to make the most of her new life, which, as vague as it sounds, does have some basis behind it. Given how ruined the world she now finds herself is, that means working to make a place that's hospitable to live in without accidentally dying again. Risks are a given, of course, and the allure of adventure has not yet left her, but once that leaves, reattaining the amenities of modern life would be the most important thing to pursue. Past Life: Mamoru used to be a college student studying history, which, as far as things went, meant that he was one a one-way road to either remaining in academia or ending up as a salaryman like a majority of his peers would. Obviously, the former would be far more preferable than the latter when it came down to it, and with Mamoru's own natural curiosity about his homeland, going out and traveling Japan (be it for entertainment or research) was going to be frequent no matter what. Everything would have been fine, had he not ended up missing a step on a hike in Hokkaido and falling to his death. Ending up in some odd void-like space and being told he would end up being reincarnated like he was in some sort of light novel fantasy was far from the first thing he had envisioned after dying, but that was something he could work with. The body, however... That would take getting used to. Abilities: * Physical Conditioning: Peak Human—Your body is naturally tough, durable, and strong. The pinnacle of human physical strength, endurance, and agility. Keep training, and surely you can surpass even stronger beings. * Soul Flare: The ability to turn ones soul into a weapon itself. Needed for most basic magical feats. Channel the mana present in the air through your body to achieve great feats. Allows one to interact with supernatural things, and perceive things others may not. * Historia Technologica: The goddess has complied every single technological advancement humanity has made up until the point you died. Theoretically, you can call upon this knowledge whenever you desire...should it allow you too. The world follows certain laws. A certain undeniable rhythm. You can not know what you have not interacted with, or spent some time learning on your own. You will start with three branches. You will need to figure out how to 'Unlock' more of them yourself. However, do keep in mind - Some materials here will be as alien to your world as you are to this world. Knowledge Available: + Medicine - You can tell if a plant has medicinal properties or not. Yet for now, you can not determine what those are upon sight alone. + Material Science - At a glance, you can tell what a minerals and are and roughly how decent they would be at performing a certain task. You however, do not know exactly how to forge or implement them yourself quite yet. + Agricultural Science - You know rudimentary agricultural and cultivation techniques and how to achieve a decent crop yield without knowing too much else about the surrounding environment or what plants would grow well in what areas. Inventory: * Clothing.</s> <\|message\|>Donovan MacConaill --- @VitaVitaAR@Crimson Paladin "Dammit!" Donovan hissed through gritted teeth as he cast a panicked glance down the hall leading to the second entrance. "Thought tha door would hold fer longer!" His head snapped to meet the eyes of the hunters before him; the large man's heartbeat skyrocketing as time grew short and tensions rose. There wasn't any time to thoroughly talk things out with these men, but based on what they'd said-- there was common ground. And more than likely... A sense of impending peril. "Listen lads--" Donovan snapped; his voice wrought with urgency, "If yer followin' him fer tha good ah th' village, we're all on th' same side! Tha seal's gettin' weaker by tha damn hour an' we ain't got tha kinda time tah fuck around ere' arguing an' fightin! If yah stay ere'-- yah won't be able tah stop tha Kyrnith. Tha lot of ya 'll get yerselves killed tryin, an' that won't do ah damn thing tah stop what's goin on!" Donovan would turn on the balls of his feet toward the door he'd entered through, hurriedly gesturing for the men to follow."Yah wanna do somethin tah save this village? Then get yer arses movin'! Weh got all tha time in tha world tah spit piss n' vinegar at eachothah once we're outta here!"</s> <\|message\|>Isidore Coinage: 8 Silver, 5 Copper * The (shredded) clothing on his back. * A fur cloak. * Untanned boar skin. * Leather Belt * Knight's Shield * Knight's Dagger * Knight's Longsword * Dwarf's Polearm * Rope * Some preserved food Enough for two people to last a few days. * Roll of what seemed to be a mat of thick fur, likely for sleeping on Comfortable, but only one. * A heavy looking fur/cloth blanket. Cozy, warm and heavy. Good for sleeping in colder climates. * Communication horn Made from bone, hollow and likely used for communication. * A small pot and a ladle * Frozen canteen of water * Map of the Under roads. A map detailing some routes used by the Dwarves and Shadow Elves to travel in their subterranean homes. Its not entirely complete, but it at least shows the routes to the two most notable settlements and several other places of note. Unless you travel off the paths, you probably won't get lost. "Then good night." With a small nod, Isidore bid the ladies a peaceful rest, and slipped into his own room. Upon reflection, it really had been a whole day of movement and a whole night of investigation. Had they really met Sorcha, entered Gloomhollow, had audience with the Queen, and made so many deals and connections within the span of a mere 24 hours? Perhaps it was his more recent experience that was getting the better of his expectations here. Bureaucrats and businessmen rarely made decisions and deals with such swiftness, while in his youth, such deals weren't ever made with words to begin with. Letting his heavier equipments and his pack lean against the wall nearest to the bed, Isidore sighed aloud, feeling for the first time the lightness, and yet stiffness, of his shoulders and back. It was an uncomfortable feeling too, for his clothing to get so thoroughly stuck to his skin, a sensation made worse by the dark truth of a wilderness without toilet paper. Simply put, before he could sleep, he needed a goddamn bath. It took fifteen minutes after he rang for an attendant and instructed them to fill the bathtub and bring some soap before Isidore was able to soak both himself, as well as his clothing, in warm, soapy water. A dozen or so little pains shot into his flesh as he reclined in the tub, smaller cuts and scrapes from days of travel finally making themselves known. He would have preferred a shower, considering how quickly the clear water turned dark, but for all the magic that the residents of Gloomhollow possessed, it seemed that engineering water systems wasn't one of them. Not that he had the faintest clue about that either. For a minute, Isidore was content to just doze off for a minute, dirt and grime gradually seeping off his body. And within that contentment, floating weightlessly in water, he began to breathe deeply. The furnace held heat, immense heat, but it was simply a place to gather energy, to redirect energy. Where did that energy go? How was that energy used? How was he to bridge the gap between himself and Sorcha? Isidore closed his eyes, shut off the world around him, and began to extend his visualizations of magic and creation. If the stomach was the furnace, where fuel was burned and turned into energy, that energy must then be converted into something useful. And where would that be converted? The answer was simple: the heart. The ever-moving organ, the one that propelled blood through vessels tirelessly, granting oxygen to feed the rest of the body. Warmth that merely radiated from the core meant nothing. What it needed was direction. And so, as sweat began to bead upon his brow, Isidore pulled the warmth of his core and guided it into his heart. Into his engine. Was his heartbeat ever this loud? Did it ever resound with such clarity in his ears? The waters of the tub began to ripple, matching with each second, heavier beat. His skin felt like it was about to burst, his muscles screaming for action. Fog began to rise, the smell of damp dirt rising in with every breath he took, but every breath he took was no longer enough, and he breathed deeper and deeper and de- Isidore coughed violently, snapping out of his entranced state, water spilling off the sides as he forced himself upright. Grabbing the side of the bathtub to ground himself in the reality that he still lived in, the man pushed his hair out of his eyes and found himself immersed in fog, found his skin flushed from the heat of the waters and the heat of his blood. That was enough. In the morning, with rest and good food, he will have more time to experiment with the power of creation. He rose from the waters, toweled himself off, left his clothes to hang, and slipped into bed. … Morning came too soon. When had he last woken up to the knocking of someone else? Slipping out of bed and pulling on clothing that was still somewhat damp but at least no longer dirty, Isidore opened the door midway through Nesherit's speech. Regardless of his qualms about Vasserasa's decisions and her influence, he wasn't in a position to refuse either, so he didn't pay much mind to the situation. That didn't stop him from hefting up his pack and his weapons though. A pack laden with knick-knacks and sharpened blades, clothing that looked like black rags, and the thick-furred cloak of a deceased knight. That, alongside his curiously handsome features, had more or less become part of his brand, hadn't it? Couldn't disappoint his host by deviating, then. "An honor for the prince himself to deliver the message," Isidore replied, tone as matter-of-fact and controlled as always. That same tone persisted for his next words. "How was Augusta last night?"</s>	<\|message\|>Takeshima Misaki (formerly Takeshima Mamoru) With fairly few options left in terms of escape, Misaki ultimately decided that the safest place was, in fact, Mie's entourage. They were a neutral party, which just as easily meant that they could turn them down (or in, assuming they wanted to keep trading with the town), but given that the alternatives were getting run down in the wilds or run through in the middle of the village, this seemed like the option with the highest chance of survival. Once they had arrived at Mie's tent, the foxgirl (who was now starting to feel the pain in her hands from haphazardly lobbing the jug of water at Lazirha's assailants) took a few deep breaths before turning to look back over her shoulder. Given the commotion outside, it was likely that the hunters were still on their tail... "Worse than trouble, I'm afraid," Misaki spoke, giving an apology as she bowed her head towards the merchant. "Two men just attempted to kidnap Lazirha, and I'm afraid they're still after us. I will give you my apologies in advance, but could I ask if you could give us some shelter until things settle down?" It was a damn shame about all she had started to work on at this point, but labor could be redone and efforts salvaged; the cost of a life far outweighed such things in the long run.</s>
<\|description\|>Takeshima Misaki (formerly Takeshima Mamoru) Gender: Female Appearance: Misaki is a kitsune with white hair that reaches down past her shoulders, which is obviously a far cry from the body she used to have before dying. As of now, she is slightly shorter than she was when she was a human (though not by much), which in and of itself isn't as much of a problem as it could be. Of course, modern clothing would be preferable above all else, but given the circumstances that she finds herself in, whatever works, works. Goals: Given that she passed so suddenly, Misaki's primary goal is to make the most of her new life, which, as vague as it sounds, does have some basis behind it. Given how ruined the world she now finds herself is, that means working to make a place that's hospitable to live in without accidentally dying again. Risks are a given, of course, and the allure of adventure has not yet left her, but once that leaves, reattaining the amenities of modern life would be the most important thing to pursue. Past Life: Mamoru used to be a college student studying history, which, as far as things went, meant that he was one a one-way road to either remaining in academia or ending up as a salaryman like a majority of his peers would. Obviously, the former would be far more preferable than the latter when it came down to it, and with Mamoru's own natural curiosity about his homeland, going out and traveling Japan (be it for entertainment or research) was going to be frequent no matter what. Everything would have been fine, had he not ended up missing a step on a hike in Hokkaido and falling to his death. Ending up in some odd void-like space and being told he would end up being reincarnated like he was in some sort of light novel fantasy was far from the first thing he had envisioned after dying, but that was something he could work with. The body, however... That would take getting used to. Abilities: * Physical Conditioning: Peak Human—Your body is naturally tough, durable, and strong. The pinnacle of human physical strength, endurance, and agility. Keep training, and surely you can surpass even stronger beings. * Soul Flare: The ability to turn ones soul into a weapon itself. Needed for most basic magical feats. Channel the mana present in the air through your body to achieve great feats. Allows one to interact with supernatural things, and perceive things others may not. * Historia Technologica: The goddess has complied every single technological advancement humanity has made up until the point you died. Theoretically, you can call upon this knowledge whenever you desire...should it allow you too. The world follows certain laws. A certain undeniable rhythm. You can not know what you have not interacted with, or spent some time learning on your own. You will start with three branches. You will need to figure out how to 'Unlock' more of them yourself. However, do keep in mind - Some materials here will be as alien to your world as you are to this world. Knowledge Available: + Medicine - You can tell if a plant has medicinal properties or not. Yet for now, you can not determine what those are upon sight alone. + Material Science - At a glance, you can tell what a minerals and are and roughly how decent they would be at performing a certain task. You however, do not know exactly how to forge or implement them yourself quite yet. + Agricultural Science - You know rudimentary agricultural and cultivation techniques and how to achieve a decent crop yield without knowing too much else about the surrounding environment or what plants would grow well in what areas. Inventory: * Clothing.</s> <\|message\|>Isidore @Pyromania99 Coinage: 8 Silver, 5 Copper * The (shredded) clothing on his back. * A fur cloak. * Untanned boar skin. * Leather Belt * Knight's Shield * Knight's Dagger * Knight's Longsword * Dwarf's Polearm * Rope * Some preserved food Enough for two people to last a few days. * Roll of what seemed to be a mat of thick fur, likely for sleeping on Comfortable, but only one. * A heavy looking fur/cloth blanket. Cozy, warm and heavy. Good for sleeping in colder climates. * Communication horn Made from bone, hollow and likely used for communication. * A small pot and a ladle * Frozen canteen of water * Map of the Under roads. A map detailing some routes used by the Dwarves and Shadow Elves to travel in their subterranean homes. Its not entirely complete, but it at least shows the routes to the two most notable settlements and several other places of note. Unless you travel off the paths, you probably won't get lost. Before any spicy details could be imagined or sputtered out by Nesherit, Augusta swept in, her presence acknowledged with a nod from Isidore. After last night's discussions, perhaps she had developed her own reservations about having made a deal so quickly with someone of such influence and prestige. Still, he recognized a favour for a favour and acquiesced, taking a bit of the preserved meat from his pack and feeding it to Octavia. "Good luck," Isidore intoned, his gaze lingering briefly on her back as she left. After a couple moments, he returned his attention to the Uruthan prince. "Treat her well," he said, tone just a touch lighter than before. "And if you lie, know that if she believes you, she's only playing along." Well, it was also a question of whether or not Augusta would simply make him obsolete as a royal and relocate him to some comfortable, isolated part of the world after the honeymoon was over. The dark-haired youth personally hoped that things didn't go in that direction, but this engagement really was more business than romance. Perhaps the Queen knew of Augusta's eyes and wanted it. But such thoughts were unnecessary when he had no means to verify it, and as they neared the throne room, Isidore focused his mind upon the presence, his back straightening some more, his gait taking a more orderly, purposeful measure. Mentally, he reviewed the weapons upon his person again, halberd strapped to the side of his back, longsword at his left hip, dagger on his right thigh. His fatigue last night had prevented him from experimenting with the other avenue of magic he wished to pursue, but he still had a new card in his deck to play if things became dangerous. When Vasserasa spoke of an underground complex though, of demons sealed away, Isidore recalled the demon-flower rotting away in the depths of that prison and suppressed a smile. "I am flattered," he spoke, leaving more left unsaid. "Has the Urutha's relationship with the demons changed? Or does this involve the Elder Beast who continues to worm its way through this mountain?"</s> <\|message\|>Nicholas "Nick" Gallagher The Journey Begins ~ Liven ~ Interacted with: @Rune_Alchemist Ah, so it was not anything extraordinary. Although, Nick can't remember any disease back in Earth that made the eyes very sensitive to light. The closest he could think of was epilepsy. "I see. Sorry about your eyes." Nick raised an eyebrow to the last comment and turned his head to the church doors to find an impatient Elisette waiting for him, tapping on her arm and... was she bouncing? Nick let out a sigh. "Yeah, looks like this is goodbye for now. Wish us luck, yeah?" And with that, he parted from the light-sensitive maid to meet up with Elisette. He could not gleam much from his talk with Cynthia about who they were, but he supposed there'll be more chances later. "Hey, Elisette. Ready to go?" He waved at his warrior companion, feigning ignorance at her impatience. "Let me just ask Viorel to light this torch and we can head out. By the way, what'd you get from the survivors?" He would ask while brandishing his flammable stick.</s> <\|message\|>Donovan MacConaill --- @VitaVitaAR@Crimson Paladin For the briefest moment, Don's hand rested atop his hammer. Though he preferred not having to use violence here-- Donavan had seen all these men before during his time in Dawn, and knew they didn't pose much of a real threat to his or Akando's safety. Thankfully whether it happened to be by pure chance or some measure of divine intervention, he'd be promptly be joined by two other reincarnators; neither of which Don could recall meeting previously. He wasn't sure who they were nor what they intended to do, but Akando trusted them... So for the moment, Donovan would too. "Appreciate yer help, lad n' lass." Donovan said, flashing Novak and Nobunaga a bright smile before turning back toward the hunters. "Now, you lot drop yer weapons an' follow meh. Don't yah try any funneh business cuz aye'm fast enuff' tah catch even tha likes ah Soyala, an' if yah won't play nice with meh... Well, then aye'll let tha lass deal with yah." Taking care to ensure the hunters were disarmed as he'd hurriedly guide them out, Donovan would lead the group around the back edge of the fog; away from the temple, the Kyrnith's territory, and far enough from the town that they wouldn't be spotted. Glancing up, Don would scowl as he noted the sun sitting directly overhead. It was already midday. He was running out of time. "Arright then you lot--" he would address the group of captive hunters with a clap of his hands, "Aye'm gonna keep this brief; got ah tight schedule tah keep. Name's Don. I'm a follower ah Suthainn, an somethin' of ah warrior-priest aye suppose. Tha other two'll have tah intrahduce em'selves-- but aye ain't got th' time tah wait for em. Yer gonna answer meh questions. Quickleh, an truthfulleh. First, why kill Enleh? Second, why try tah make tha kyrnith attack tha town, an whose idea were it? Third, what's th' Illuminator's goal ere? Last, what'd he promise yah tah make yah turn against yer own?"</s>	<\|message\|>Takeshima Misaki (formerly Takeshima Mamoru) Misaki's eyes would widen briefly before she bowed in thanks, a smile of relief on her face as she entered the tent with Lazirha. Despite the apparent safety, though, the foxgirl felt somewhat awkward when she heard Mie's followup response. With the woman opposite her seated in her usual place and giving them all the more shelter... Well, it was difficult to buy anything, given her distinct lack of cash, which only really left giving information in return. Given her current plans, Misaki was disinclined to speak at length about papermaking. But as her gaze panned around to the other items floating around the shop, other things to dance around came to mind; maybe not all of them were feasible to pursue in terms of knowledge, but it wouldn't hurt to try and speak about those topics in the interim. "Hm... Well, I would like to keep the project I began the other day under wraps until I can present a proof of concept to you," the white-haired girl began, choosing to take a seat perpendicular to Mie's own, "but in the interim... I'd like to speak about the ores that you have here. I don't know where you obtained them or where you can obtain more, but if I said that there were more efficient ways to extract more value out of them than the furnaces here do, would that be in any way surprising?" Her earlier romp around the village made coming to that conclusion fairly straightforward, and given the weapons on the oni (or, at the very least, the ones she had seen), they had the capacity for improved metallurgy beyond just ironworking... "Of course, you might want someone more versed in metalworking to confirm if my ideas hold up, but, well..." Hopefully that little bit of information would be enough to dangle in front of Mie and tide her over, if only for now.</s>
<\|description\|>Bella Rosso Gender:Female Appearance: Goals: Bella was studying to be a History Professor with a focus on classical civilizations to the medieval era. In this other world of scattered people… Maybe she can see if she can make a Roman Empire that doesn't fall. Past Life: Bella grew up the daughter of a politician and a History Professor. Her mother is an accountant turned politician and her father is a long time History Professor. Since she was young, her father introduced her to the History of Rome and taught her all about it. By the time she was out of compulsory schooling, she was about as knowledgeable on everything during the reign of Rome as her father and had a working knowledge of the Latin language. If anyone had a question about it, she could answer easily. She went to college as a history major with a minor in political science. And the political science minor was only because her mother took up a career as a rather successful politician. Through her time in college, she assisted her mother's campaign as well as study history. Every now and then, she would go and look into other politicians and get interviews when she could. In the end, her life ended as someone stabbed her from behind. Likely from asking the wrong individual the wrong question about the wrong person. Abilities: Physical Conditioning: Peak human Your body is naturally tough, durable, and strong. The pinnacle of human physical strength, endurance, and agility. Keep training, and surely you can surpass even stronger beings. Soul Flare: The ability to turn ones soul into a weapon itself. Needed for most basic magical feats. Channel the mana present in the air through your body to achieve great feats. Allows one to interact with supernatural things, and perceive things others may not. Ability Gained: Goddess' Eye The Goddess has given you a prestigious blessing. The eye will allow you to see things about a single living target in your vision that others can not. Status, general health, current disposition, abilities, special and other such information. Use it wisely, and you could use words as effective as any weapon or use it to disable someone with as little conflict as possible. Additionally, you can see things that are unable to be seen, and interact with it, and they you. Spirits, ghosts, and other such beings and things of that nature. However - things with special protections, such as beings with a divine connection, and skills will obscure your vision. It does not reveal things that are hidden through mundane means. Trivia: -Bella played a lot of Total War: Rome II to try and put old Roman strategies to practice. -Bella can speak Italian, Latin and English Inventory: -Padded Armor -Rapier Learned Skills: -Cleansing Fire - Fire, is not always destruction. It is also life, energy. It invigorates and brings warmth to all. Were fire never to exist, humanity may have never made it through the ice ages, for without its warmth they would fall victim to the frigid cold that envelops this land. Though fire can burn wildly, furiously, and destroy all, yours can also heal and bring comfort to those. By focusing positive energies into your fire, you may heal and cleanse small wounds. -Mana Redirect - A skill allowing one to redirect magical energy tossed at them from any supernatural source. Rather than absorbing and meshing it with your own, you redirect it to some other purpose, thus weakening its effects upon you as you turn it towards something else. Generally, this will work with everything but some sources of energy would be far too strong to completely deflect, and some are easier to work with then others. -Flora Command (lesser) - You're able to command the natural world around you, to an extent. Though, as it comes from domination rather than understanding and mutual understanding, it is not out of mutual respect or because they desire it. Rather - they do not wish to incur your wrath, so they cooperate. You can't perform complex actions or move them very quickly yet, and flora with more vitality may still ignore you outright as of now.</s> <\|message\|>Leannah Stromhart Leannah Second Floor, Ruined Building (???), ??? --- ...She'd just been isekai'd. Sure it was a cheeky anime-watcher's way of putting it, but she could only think to herself that she'd been isekai'd. Some goddess from another world, snatching her up and putting her in a new body and sending her here. The catgirl took a look about the room as she took tentative steps forward, for the first few slightly wobbly as she felt the abnormal feeling of being in a new body. A hand came up to touch her fluffy ears. Her head turned back to look at her swishing tail. Her musculature felt...far stronger than it had ever been. Even the tips of her fingers, where nails should have been for a proper human being, were nothing but little razor-sharp claws that she testingly swiped at the air for a moment in play as she took more steps forward. It was all eyebrow-raising, but at the same time she felt like she was rather adjusting to it somewhat already. Looking about, she took note of the layout of where she had appeared soon after she was able to walk properly enough. Grand sort of balcony, check. Whatever fluid had been on her evaporating rather nicely in an abnormal fashion, check. Empty stone shelves seemingly on a tier-like style and odd tube things, check. Looking down and seeing two other strangers spat out in seemingly a similar way, check. Large ominous black structures, giant-ass ruined building that seemed far too ancient, scattered varied weapons near the doorway, and being comfortably warm despite the lack of clothes which in the end she otherwise didn't mind? Check. new ability and having talked to some goddess aside, this was almost deja vu to her in some twisted trope-aware sense of it all. Not that it was guaranteed to follow such a pattern, and she could swear one of the other guys was familiar looking in a very not-good way, but all the same she had to get moving and they'd have to do something. If that 'goddess' was right, then a guardian was here and it was NOT going to be good to get in its sights. If she didn't need more clothes to travel in all of this, then good for her at least. Meant she could carry more, if anything beyond a weapon was necessary at first...well, other than like food or something maybe. If it was around. For a second she even gave a trained kick in the air to test her body, instincts and reflexes kicking in but almost stumbling slightly as she shook it off soon after. Yeah, as soon as she was used to this new body she'd be back in action. Didn't learn all of those martial arts for nothing, after all! Leannah then did her best to quickly move down the stairs to get to the level below her, where the other two strangers (both men as it turned out) had emerged. No use trying to go up anyways. The woman gave a sigh, however, as she approached them and kept a sliiiiight distance just to be on the safe side. Tricky deities from other worlds, not something to rely on to always put you with the most familiar and safe people in a group survival situation (just ask that one shield dude from another isekai anime). "Hey! You two, you're finally awake! You also talked to that goddess and ended up here too? Busted out here in some kind of fluid and tube stuff, like me? But we probably need to get moving if what she said about a 'Guardian' here is meritable. Questions maybe for later. Some weapons are lying over there towards the door as well, and to be frank I'd prefer to get moving first and get out before we're spotted." Of course, perfect first lines to total strangers in another world and all of this craziness. Totally couldn't backfire on her in two seconds with how she looked now or something. That being said, she wanted to be proactive in this before things hit the fan....and she really hoped they didn't hit the fan IMMEDIATELY at least. Then again, waiting around too long fresh out of some divine life-making pod (for all she knew) in some abandoned building was never a good idea. Or at least so her instincts and fiction-savviness told her anyways. She also wasn't sure if anyone else was here, but would assume the potential at least unless proven otherwise. Chulainn @Guy0fV4lor</s> <\|message\|>Takeshima Misaki (formerly Takeshima Mamoru) Death, needless to say, had not been kind to Mamoru. It would have been one thing to have lived long enough to be able to make something of his life—spend more time with his friends and family, invest time into hobbies new and old—but dying so abruptly did not sit well with him. Neither did the supposed 'goddess' that had caught him before his consciousness had slipped away in its entirety fill him with any sort of inspiration. He had read enough isekai literature in his lifetime to get a grasp of the situation fairly quickly during the initial introduction, to the point where hearing of the task set out for him didn't faze him as much as it did annoy him. Of course, that brief moment of consciousness soon gave way to darkness once more, and before long the young man found himself splayed out on the ground, groggy as the faculties that begot his regained consciousness took their sweet time returning. There was a pause as he slowly dragged his body, still drenched in some sort of odd liquid, off of the ground, and after a few moments of staggering and violently coughing out whatever was left in his lungs, he clapped his hands to his face as the sound of someone's voice caught his attention. Not necessarily because of the voice itself, though, but moreso the place where the sound was reaching him. There was the briefest of pauses as he slowly moved one hand to to top of his head, and the feeling of wet fur coupled with long hair that, upon further inspection, reached past his shoulders only brought his attention towards the rest of his—or, rather, her new body. "...Well, I suppose it could be worse," Mamoru sighed, clapping her hands to her face before shaking whatever liquid she could off of her body. Drenched clothing would do her no favors—doubly so given the chill in the air that caught her attention—and the now-foxgirl slowly cast her gaze around. The most obvious thing to catch her attention, though, was the small girl standing in front of her, weapon at the ready. Though the change of her body had not caused any sort of panic, the presence of that black-haired girl... "...Nobunaga? No, wait, that can't be right; that goddess must've just modeled someone's new body after that character..." she said to herself before shaking her head, as if to clear her thoughts, before recalling what it was that the person in front of her had asked. "Right. Well... You wouldn't be wrong there. Though it goes without saying that I'm not exactly sure how I feel about this whole affair... Wait, hold on." Once she reviewed the words in her head, Mamoru took a moment to pause before staring directly at the girl standing in front of her. "That Japanese just now was rather archaic... No, this has got to be some sort of joke, right?" she added, taking a moment to pause before laughing in disbelief. "I'm not even sure if there'd be anyone sticking to that sort of character in this sort of situation... I suppose that introductions might clear things up. My, uh... Hm. Name. I suppose that... Misaki sounds good? Right. Takeshima Misaki it is, then." As she continued to attempt to dry herself (and her clothes) off, Misaki continued to look around the room, her gaze constantly returning towards Nobunaga as she attempted to get a feel for what had occurred in the room up until the time they had 'arrived' and to try and wrap her head around the situation given what she knew thus far. "Seriously, this feels like something out of a light novel..." @Rune_Alchemist</s>	<\|message\|>Bella Rosso Bella coughed as the cylinder opened. The mild nausea she felt caused her to fall to her hands and knees out of it as if she were about to heave, though this passed quickly enough as she stood. As she rose, a hand went to the throbbing feeling in her eye. Goddess? Power? What in the hell did she drink to have a dream like this? Vodka? Lots of Vodka? More Vodka than previously imagined? There was no way she thought of something like this. "I don't even remember drinking anything last night to get a headache like this!" She exclaimed, swatting at the air with her free hand in an irritated fashion. The woman clenched her teeth and closed her eyes. This seemed to make the headache and throbbing disappear as well at least. "Good." She added, thinking on what the hell was going on. She was in some sort of pod from a sci-fi movie? That was odd, to say the least. Given the surroundings it seemed more like some escape game her parents forced her into since she never took much time to just relax. If one could call an escape game a way to relax. Now that she really got to look at her surroundings... "Where the hell am I? A jail? No, this feels like a dungeon from that castle we went to look at." Where-ever this place was, time had not been good to it. Not that rusted chains were an uncommon sight, but they would be able to break easier meaning no one cared to maintain them or there was no one to do so. Bella let out a large sigh as slowly removed her hand from her eye and that was the first thing that she noticed weird. "Heh?" She question, holding her hand out to look at it better. First off, her hands were almost immaculately manicured. Her hands had never been like that before. She had all different sorts of marks and blemishes from the constant typing, writing and other sorts of menial work she tended to do. The fact that the only marks on her hand at the moment was dust from the floor was astounding to her. "What?" Then she noticed that her hair was a hell of a lot longer than she had it. And it was blonde to boot! "What is this!? Who put this wig on me!?" Frowning, she dusted her hands off and tried to remove what she thought was a hairpiece but was surprised to find it quite firmly attached. "Ouch!" She exclaimed with the quick tug. "H-have I been in a coma for a while and they just thought this was funny?" No, that didn't seem quite right. Maybe that goddess thing in her head wasn't quite as made up as she thought. Unsettled, she glanced around the room still until she noticed a pod like hers was laying on the ground and there was a man in it. Whatever color was on her face disappeared as she realized she wasn't alone. "H-hullo!?" She flubbed, speaking in English this time with a fairly light accent. It felt like she hadn't spoke English in a long time, despite having used it a couple days prior to the last time she remembered. "Are you okay?" She asked, extending a hand to the man. Her eyes narrowed as she was worried that this person was going to do something bad... But she was in some odd place that she had no idea about. She could only hope he had a similar thought process to her. "Let me help you up." Before she could really help him up though, the entire place shuddered! It was like something BIG was walking around! She couldn't even think about what. She looked up, somewhat frightened by the incident before she extended her hand again. "Come now, up you go." She seemed calm enough as she did so though worry was lightly painted on her expression.</s>
<\|description\|>Bella Rosso Gender:Female Appearance: Goals: Bella was studying to be a History Professor with a focus on classical civilizations to the medieval era. In this other world of scattered people… Maybe she can see if she can make a Roman Empire that doesn't fall. Past Life: Bella grew up the daughter of a politician and a History Professor. Her mother is an accountant turned politician and her father is a long time History Professor. Since she was young, her father introduced her to the History of Rome and taught her all about it. By the time she was out of compulsory schooling, she was about as knowledgeable on everything during the reign of Rome as her father and had a working knowledge of the Latin language. If anyone had a question about it, she could answer easily. She went to college as a history major with a minor in political science. And the political science minor was only because her mother took up a career as a rather successful politician. Through her time in college, she assisted her mother's campaign as well as study history. Every now and then, she would go and look into other politicians and get interviews when she could. In the end, her life ended as someone stabbed her from behind. Likely from asking the wrong individual the wrong question about the wrong person. Abilities: Physical Conditioning: Peak human Your body is naturally tough, durable, and strong. The pinnacle of human physical strength, endurance, and agility. Keep training, and surely you can surpass even stronger beings. Soul Flare: The ability to turn ones soul into a weapon itself. Needed for most basic magical feats. Channel the mana present in the air through your body to achieve great feats. Allows one to interact with supernatural things, and perceive things others may not. Ability Gained: Goddess' Eye The Goddess has given you a prestigious blessing. The eye will allow you to see things about a single living target in your vision that others can not. Status, general health, current disposition, abilities, special and other such information. Use it wisely, and you could use words as effective as any weapon or use it to disable someone with as little conflict as possible. Additionally, you can see things that are unable to be seen, and interact with it, and they you. Spirits, ghosts, and other such beings and things of that nature. However - things with special protections, such as beings with a divine connection, and skills will obscure your vision. It does not reveal things that are hidden through mundane means. Trivia: -Bella played a lot of Total War: Rome II to try and put old Roman strategies to practice. -Bella can speak Italian, Latin and English Inventory: -Padded Armor -Rapier Learned Skills: -Cleansing Fire - Fire, is not always destruction. It is also life, energy. It invigorates and brings warmth to all. Were fire never to exist, humanity may have never made it through the ice ages, for without its warmth they would fall victim to the frigid cold that envelops this land. Though fire can burn wildly, furiously, and destroy all, yours can also heal and bring comfort to those. By focusing positive energies into your fire, you may heal and cleanse small wounds. -Mana Redirect - A skill allowing one to redirect magical energy tossed at them from any supernatural source. Rather than absorbing and meshing it with your own, you redirect it to some other purpose, thus weakening its effects upon you as you turn it towards something else. Generally, this will work with everything but some sources of energy would be far too strong to completely deflect, and some are easier to work with then others. -Flora Command (lesser) - You're able to command the natural world around you, to an extent. Though, as it comes from domination rather than understanding and mutual understanding, it is not out of mutual respect or because they desire it. Rather - they do not wish to incur your wrath, so they cooperate. You can't perform complex actions or move them very quickly yet, and flora with more vitality may still ignore you outright as of now.</s> <\|message\|>"Malphas" Malphas Second Floor, ???@Rune_Alchemist@Crusader Lord@Guy0fV4lor@malmshodes Malphas grinned as his spell seemingly worked! While the lack of information from his attempt at using his newly given magic may have seemed disheartening, the appearance of this "status" screen was more than enough to allow him to enact his plan. It wasn't the fact that he couldn't see the statuses of his fellows, but rather, Malphas was taken aback by the curt responses he was given by his allies. A lack of respect will surely be a problem he will face in the beginning, it seems. From what Malphas could understand, he will need to give these primates a reason to respect him... After all, if this Guardian truly was a force to be reckoned with, then they would have to believe in him, if they wished to succeed. In the end, it seemed he needed to enforce his own will upon them, whether they wished it or not. Before Malphas could give them a chance to transcend, they will learn to know their place! "I'm afraid I cannot help with digging through the garbage. It is not my place to... and besides, it seems that those weapons there were scattered at that particular part of the room for a reason. Feel free to step into danger, but for our safety, I will not abide by such a self-destructive order!" Malphas looked down, crossing his arms as he shook his head. "Like I said, if you truly wish to defeat this Guardian, then you will be more than thankful when I put my abilities to the test... Which is why it is imperative you all should be defending me, instead." "Unlike all of you, the goddess had been privileged to have given me two cheat abilities. The first, [Humanities Scion], won't be likely to help us here, especially given the mood. The second, my true gift, and yours as well if you put your faith in me... "[God Hand]. Twelve miracles granted to me by the Goddess herself, limited in number, but limitless in power... Only, it can only shine if those who desire them choose to believe... Your lack of faith in me is obvious, and I'm afraid it will be your downfall... But I shall give you all a second chance, regardless! Rejoice in my first miracle!" Malphas raised his arms as he focused the mana around him once more. He did not try and do anything complex, nor did he actually attempt to make a wish. Instead, he commanded the magical energy around him to surround and fill his body, to make it glow as brightly as it can be. "O, Goddess, grant me your first gift... One of obfuscation, to mask the presence of myself, my miracles, and my allies, to hide us from any such heathens that wish us harm!" Malphas continued to allow himself to glow, spreading his light towards the two who had doubted him, and even focused towards the third person, having recently emerged from their own pod. As much as could be done, he accomplished such, before slowly allowing the light to fade. Anything in his power to ensure his gamble would work. They did not need to believe him right away. All Malphas needed was to sow the seeds of piety, to fill these scared simians with hope. They will soon believe in him when the time comes. "And there you go. I have wasted my first blessing just to keep us all safe. If you don't believe me, have a gander among yourselves. The Goddess had told us all we could see the unseen, yes? You will find that this miracle have mine has obfuscated such a gift among ourselves. If you do not believe me after all this, then all I will do is sit and wait in the safety of these chambers, obscured from whatever Guardian lurks these apocryphal halls." Lowering his head and shaking it once more, Malphas awaited their compliance, or their deaths. Whatever came first.</s> <\|message\|>Alice Sicilly Alice Sicilly : Seeking Knowledge --- Interactions --- Flight hadn't been easy, Her hopping and her jumping had been a little tiring, She was however incredibly grateful that this body at least seemed to have some form of muscle memory. With a few minutes of trying and a lot of exercise she seemed to have gotten a semi-hold on the movement of her body and its weight and dexterity compared to her old self. Her hopping about on her isolated shelf around that locked book had only just intensified her curiosity to its contents. Surely if she could open it to find whatever secret it contained she could use it as a bargaining tool at least. Well considering the nature of the book, She had little means to break that lock and while she could attempt to use the glass to fiddle with the tumblers inside it, it was so small and thin that the glass would break off inside and she'd be even worse off. Ergo. She would lean down towards trying to cut the bindings that held the book together, with that in mind she'd try to acquire the largest sharpest piece of glass she could find. Only lightly touching it to avoid cutting her hand on the glass shards, She had no clue how fairy internal anatomy worked so avoiding a cut was probably a good idea! Thus the Fairy would get to work moving the glass shards from her shattered 'pod' over towards the book. When she had acquired a sizeable amount of them, She'd pick up the first and get to work trying to cut through the leather binding to try to open it in order to gleam some sort of aid of the knowledge inside hoping that the leather was worn enough to make the cutting easier. She would have to be quiet though if she wanted to avoid drawing the attention of the individuals just below her. Even if they were reincarnated just like her. She couldn't trust total strangers just yet. That was a total folly.</s> <\|message\|>Nicholas "Nick" Gallagher The Journey Begins "Wait. Did you--" A plunge into the water. Sinking deeper and deeper. There was no breathing in this place. But in this place, there was no need for breathing. Still, the one named Nicholas Gallagher was dragged into the void of this otherworldly ocean. The sinking soon stopped but that was of little comfort. Nick was floating in what might as well be in the emptiness of space. There he floated with only himself and his thoughts. How long was he there for? A day? A month? A year? Or maybe just minutes or hours have passed. The nothingness of this place disorienting his sense of time. But then something happened. He began to rise. Back to the surface, Nick first assumed but then doubted. He was rising faster now and a dim light appeared to break the void's darkness. He continued to rise until he hit the surface. Or perhaps a barrier? Nick was only given a second to ponder before it broke like glass. --- ~ Unknown Location ~ Interacted with: @ERode, @Pyromania99 Nick stumbled out, coughing out water that was not there. He looked back and saw a pod, one that looked like those rescue pods from sci-fi films. Was he there the entire time? How was he placed there? How did he come this place? Probably the same way he cheated death by being reincarnated into another world, he figured. He left his thoughts with the pod and looked around the place he was in. Suddenly, a deep anxiousness or uneasiness fell upon him. Or perhaps it was fear. Whatever it was, Nick sensed he should not be there. Was this the power granted to him by the Goddess? It was uncomfortable but he supposed it was like pain. An unpleasant yet extremely useful feeling. The room he was in was plain and nondescript save for a window on one side and a door that presumably lead deeper into... wherever or whatever this place was. The sense of dread was still there. He should not linger here but Nick decided to check the window first to get a glimpse of an idea of where or what this place was. What he saw beyond the window was a little worrying. It appeared to be a prison cell judging from the iron chains hanging from the wall and shackles. Inside were two people, one woman and one man, and a couple of pods. Pods identical to Nick's. Were they reincarnated people too? "H-Hey!" Nick called out to them. "You guys all right in there?"</s>	<\|message\|>Bella Rosso Bella's eyes narrowed slightly as she gave a small frown when the man had rejected her help. The woman retracted her hand, wondering if he rejected her help because she was a woman or because he didn't want to accept help in general. She gave a light sigh before he asked her a question. Was she human? Did she have an ability too? Well. She couldn't say she didn't have an ability with this odd information box in front of her. Name: Isidore? Similar strengths? "Of course I'm human! Don't I look it?!" She asked, unaware of the odd size of her own ears. She sighed reading the first bit of information in the box again. "As for an ability... Name: Isidore. Physical and Magical Attributes, similar. Ability: Undying Will: A special talent attained through unknown means. Coats ones' body in tough, durable armor the more one sustains physical trauma and prevents further injuries. Seems useful..." She read the bit on his personal information until one part. "Thinks my ears are humongous... What? You want to nibble on them?" She questioned taking a step back from the man before trying to cup an ear and finding them much larger than expected! "What in heavens...!?" They were rather large. She tried pulling them but got a similar sensation when she tried pull her hair off. "OWOWOWO!" She screamed. Quietly rubbing them a small bit, she looked at the man next to her. A small swallow later the elven woman had to question him. "W-why does it say you probably want to nibble my ear?" She blinked blankly. "No, no. You probably don't want to and this is a joke played on me. My name is..." Hmm. Perhaps she didn't need to use her real name. If this was another world like every unlikely thing was pointing to, she didn't have to be Bella. "Ahem. I mean to say, you may call me Augusta." She figured she might as well have fun with this. "And please, don't nibble my ears." Now then. It would be best to get out of here right? With everything rusty, perhaps a little bit of force would cause anything to break pretty easily. Then there was a voice. "H-hey! You guys all right in there?" Was that another person in this forsaken place? Perhaps he was in a similar situation to them. From what she could see of him, he seemed young. She glanced over at Isidore but decided to speak for both of them at the moment. She cleared her throat before speaking. "Yes, we're fine. Just fine." She studied this other person peering through the window. She had a feeling on how to use her ability now, so she should try to use it to learn whatever she could about people. "I think I need some fresh air. It's a bit musty in here. Plus, I'm a bit interested in whatever made that thunderous noise and if it's something to worry about. We just need to get to that door over there, probably. Seems like the only way to go." It seemed reasonable to her. She just hoped this Isidore wasn't a cowardly type of person who would cower at the thought. He didn't seem quite so, at least.</s>
<\|description\|>Bella Rosso Gender:Female Appearance: Goals: Bella was studying to be a History Professor with a focus on classical civilizations to the medieval era. In this other world of scattered people… Maybe she can see if she can make a Roman Empire that doesn't fall. Past Life: Bella grew up the daughter of a politician and a History Professor. Her mother is an accountant turned politician and her father is a long time History Professor. Since she was young, her father introduced her to the History of Rome and taught her all about it. By the time she was out of compulsory schooling, she was about as knowledgeable on everything during the reign of Rome as her father and had a working knowledge of the Latin language. If anyone had a question about it, she could answer easily. She went to college as a history major with a minor in political science. And the political science minor was only because her mother took up a career as a rather successful politician. Through her time in college, she assisted her mother's campaign as well as study history. Every now and then, she would go and look into other politicians and get interviews when she could. In the end, her life ended as someone stabbed her from behind. Likely from asking the wrong individual the wrong question about the wrong person. Abilities: Physical Conditioning: Peak human Your body is naturally tough, durable, and strong. The pinnacle of human physical strength, endurance, and agility. Keep training, and surely you can surpass even stronger beings. Soul Flare: The ability to turn ones soul into a weapon itself. Needed for most basic magical feats. Channel the mana present in the air through your body to achieve great feats. Allows one to interact with supernatural things, and perceive things others may not. Ability Gained: Goddess' Eye The Goddess has given you a prestigious blessing. The eye will allow you to see things about a single living target in your vision that others can not. Status, general health, current disposition, abilities, special and other such information. Use it wisely, and you could use words as effective as any weapon or use it to disable someone with as little conflict as possible. Additionally, you can see things that are unable to be seen, and interact with it, and they you. Spirits, ghosts, and other such beings and things of that nature. However - things with special protections, such as beings with a divine connection, and skills will obscure your vision. It does not reveal things that are hidden through mundane means. Trivia: -Bella played a lot of Total War: Rome II to try and put old Roman strategies to practice. -Bella can speak Italian, Latin and English Inventory: -Padded Armor -Rapier Learned Skills: -Cleansing Fire - Fire, is not always destruction. It is also life, energy. It invigorates and brings warmth to all. Were fire never to exist, humanity may have never made it through the ice ages, for without its warmth they would fall victim to the frigid cold that envelops this land. Though fire can burn wildly, furiously, and destroy all, yours can also heal and bring comfort to those. By focusing positive energies into your fire, you may heal and cleanse small wounds. -Mana Redirect - A skill allowing one to redirect magical energy tossed at them from any supernatural source. Rather than absorbing and meshing it with your own, you redirect it to some other purpose, thus weakening its effects upon you as you turn it towards something else. Generally, this will work with everything but some sources of energy would be far too strong to completely deflect, and some are easier to work with then others. -Flora Command (lesser) - You're able to command the natural world around you, to an extent. Though, as it comes from domination rather than understanding and mutual understanding, it is not out of mutual respect or because they desire it. Rather - they do not wish to incur your wrath, so they cooperate. You can't perform complex actions or move them very quickly yet, and flora with more vitality may still ignore you outright as of now.</s> <\|message\|>Takeshima Misaki (formerly Takeshima Mamoru) Given the situation that she had found herself in, Misaki could only give a curt nod of agreement in response towards the newcomer following Nobunaga's own suggestion. With most of her focus placed upon the odd birds that were staring them down, the foxgirl found it difficult to give any sort of thought to further conversation not related to them. Before she could follow upon the warlord's earlier call to leave, though, the sudden blaring noise that came out of the bird's mouth brought Misaki to her knees, the deafening noise wholly unbearable to her. Covering her ears as her face contorted in pain, the foxgirl could only barely force herself to look at the source so as to not be left unaware, only for another cry to assault her head-on. From what little she had seen in the interim, Nobunaga was already moving to strike them down, but as she was now... Well, it was hard enough just making sure that they weren't going for her prone self at the moment. @Crimson Paladin@VitaVitaAR</s> <\|message\|>Nicholas "Nick" Gallagher The Journey Begins ~ Unknown Location ~ Interacted with: @ERode, @Pyromania99 "Alright, let's get out of here." Nick still had that anxious feeling. He cannot wait to get out of this place. They reunited outside of the cells and proceeded further into this strange, prison-like facility. A long, barely-lit corridor made of black stone stretched before them. Along the walls were cells similar to where they first awoke, all of them having iron bars in various states of disrepair. Some of them were still there, some were broken and littered all over the floor. One thing that Nick noticed though, this place was old. Probably not used anymore and probably no one in here, right? Nick doubted that, considering he was still feeling anxious about this place. "Isidore and Augusta, right?" He started as they made their way into the corridor. "I'm Nick. Nicholas Gallagher. Just an average dude who got on the wrong train at the wrong time." He briefly introduced himself. "A pleasure to meet you." Soon they heard a low gurgling in the corridor. Nick immediately hugged the wall in defensive reflex. He heard footsteps and metal being dragged across the stone floor. The source then came into view. It was an ugly thing: A pale, misshapen humanoid with sunken eyes and holes for ears. Its limbs were long and thin, it was a mystery how it supported the body. Nick could scarcely believe his eyes. It was a monster, and the completely horrifying kind. The worst part was that it had a weapon in its disfigured hand. It appeared it has not noticed them yet and Nick hand signalled the other two to lower themselves to a crouch. "Looks like Mrs. Applebottom from high school." Nick could not help but whisper a joke to cope. "We should probably sneak past it. Buuut, we can also try to gang up on it. Although, we don't know what it can do with that sword." "What do you guys think?" Nick looked to Augusta and Isidore. Looking at the gorgeous Augusta, he could not help but notice some things about her. "Are you an Elf?"</s> <\|message\|>Alice Sicilly Alice Sicilly : Seeking Descent --- Interactions --- Her eyes had poured over the pages as she took in what was written, making note of the map and the three areas she had to visit. The moutainfolk were obviously within a mountainous region, scaling it may be difficult. She had a naught but her map when it came for travelling the regions. SHe may stumble upon a means but for now she'd put that option away, She didn't need to deal with potential frostbite on her new wings. Heading down south may be better, longer trek to be sure but 'Maids' made her think of a well made civilisation. The Death Bringer part didn't bother her in the slightest. She didn't fear the concept of death. Using her glass shards, she'd make 4 vertical cuts into the book cover, in order to create loops for which she could carry the book almost like a backpack. She wanted to take this with her, It was obvious that it had more information she could study. But first she needed to get out of here. Fastening the book to her back, neatly tucked in a way so she could use her new wings she'd do a couple of hops to get used to the weight. Hop hop! jump! The leap of faith! her wings batting heavily against the dead air that filled this place. She was the only one left in the room, ergo she had some leeway in case the book upon her back was.. Heavy. Heavy yes she'd fall a little too fast but manage to catch herself at the last moment with some exhaustive wing beats. As she'd ascend back. Arms outstretched in front of her to steady herself as she'd slowly fly out of the room, Moving in the opposite direction of the ones that had just left, Her goal would be to find an exit. Or perhaps.. She could see if there was that "Tears of Heaven" thing around. Still The Fae had a plan now. A driving force. She would figure out the mystery given to her by this tome, for better or for worse. This had raised the curiosity of herself. Still. She would start thinking over the nature of the words given to her on the front. "The moon shall writhe and cry silver, the stars swallowed by an inescapable void. The blackened sky shall descend, and devour the ancient shell." The Phrase felt so unique in its structure. Perhaps it was a code phrase for something. Or a warning. A blackened sky was much too vague. But it seemed apocalyptic in nature. She'd also be thinking on the nature of the book. How could she get it to spill more of its secrets. What nature of magic enchanted the tome and why was it enchanted so. Though for now the most pressing matter would be to get out into the open air. The staleness of this place reminded her too much of her own home and it sickened her to the core.</s>	<\|message\|>Bella Rosso Augusta gave a slight cringe when Isidore mentioned it was a "nice prison". "If you like this sort of thing, I suppose." Looking at the same wall carving he did. As they moved along the corridors of what definitely seemed like a prison complex the more they explored, Augusta listened to Nick's self introduction. "Yes, you may call me Augusta. A pleasure." She half-heartedly mentioned as she kept her attention on her surroundings. She wasn't too sure what she should think of her surroundings. It seemed like some sort of hellish game that they were thrown into. These cells were all opened as they passed by and that was putting it lightly. One looked like it was ripped open. And that was probably at a time when they weren't all rusted. Was it an empty prison? Devoid of life because of whatever it was that was making that shaking? Well, reality struck sooner than later it would likely seem. A growl of some sort combined with the sound of metal scraping on stone. The elfen eared beauty got a good look at the creature. It's wretched appearance was more than enough to disgust her to her very core. Still... It would seem the gift she received from the goddess worked on creatures like this too. "I see... This thing is called a wretched experiment. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised, but it's weaker than us." She mentioned, taking a second to swallow her spit. "Burns easily, Sensitive to Light, Sensitive to Loud Noises.... Cursed by the Moon?" She questioned to her companions, looking slightly perplexed. "This being earned the Moon's Ire. Cursed with madness. Wretched being, failure.... Weak individually, dangerous in a group. It has a tendency to lunge quickly towards opponents with 'surprising agility' to try and incapacitate them." If there was anything obvious about her expressions and glances. She seemed to think Isidore was a bit more trustworthy in this situation than Nick was. Perhaps it was the rather calm way he talked rather than the constant jokes. "Hmm. That sword is probably in bad shape, but it would probably be useful to have. My eye doesn't say anything about it's skill with the sword so your guess is good as mine, Nick." Augusta told him, "But... I think one of us should be able to overpower it rather easily as long as we're careful. Perhaps a sneak attack so we don't call a horde. I don't hear anything else but considering it says they're dangerous in numbers..." She would leave the decision to Isidore. His 'boon' as he put it, was probably the best for this sort of thing anyhow. As for Nick's last question. "That's something I've been asking myself since I woke up. This body is more... Glamourous than mine was before all this." And she meant that in just about all the right places. "I suppose I have the ears for it now. Though..." She shook her head. She'd bring the homunculus thing up when they were safe. "Anyway, Isidore, do you want to take a crack at this thing?" She asked, pointing to some nearby broken cell bars. Hopefully there was a piece that was just long enough to be used as an improvised weapon.</s>
<\|description\|>Bella Rosso Gender:Female Appearance: Goals: Bella was studying to be a History Professor with a focus on classical civilizations to the medieval era. In this other world of scattered people… Maybe she can see if she can make a Roman Empire that doesn't fall. Past Life: Bella grew up the daughter of a politician and a History Professor. Her mother is an accountant turned politician and her father is a long time History Professor. Since she was young, her father introduced her to the History of Rome and taught her all about it. By the time she was out of compulsory schooling, she was about as knowledgeable on everything during the reign of Rome as her father and had a working knowledge of the Latin language. If anyone had a question about it, she could answer easily. She went to college as a history major with a minor in political science. And the political science minor was only because her mother took up a career as a rather successful politician. Through her time in college, she assisted her mother's campaign as well as study history. Every now and then, she would go and look into other politicians and get interviews when she could. In the end, her life ended as someone stabbed her from behind. Likely from asking the wrong individual the wrong question about the wrong person. Abilities: Physical Conditioning: Peak human Your body is naturally tough, durable, and strong. The pinnacle of human physical strength, endurance, and agility. Keep training, and surely you can surpass even stronger beings. Soul Flare: The ability to turn ones soul into a weapon itself. Needed for most basic magical feats. Channel the mana present in the air through your body to achieve great feats. Allows one to interact with supernatural things, and perceive things others may not. Ability Gained: Goddess' Eye The Goddess has given you a prestigious blessing. The eye will allow you to see things about a single living target in your vision that others can not. Status, general health, current disposition, abilities, special and other such information. Use it wisely, and you could use words as effective as any weapon or use it to disable someone with as little conflict as possible. Additionally, you can see things that are unable to be seen, and interact with it, and they you. Spirits, ghosts, and other such beings and things of that nature. However - things with special protections, such as beings with a divine connection, and skills will obscure your vision. It does not reveal things that are hidden through mundane means. Trivia: -Bella played a lot of Total War: Rome II to try and put old Roman strategies to practice. -Bella can speak Italian, Latin and English Inventory: -Padded Armor -Rapier Learned Skills: -Cleansing Fire - Fire, is not always destruction. It is also life, energy. It invigorates and brings warmth to all. Were fire never to exist, humanity may have never made it through the ice ages, for without its warmth they would fall victim to the frigid cold that envelops this land. Though fire can burn wildly, furiously, and destroy all, yours can also heal and bring comfort to those. By focusing positive energies into your fire, you may heal and cleanse small wounds. -Mana Redirect - A skill allowing one to redirect magical energy tossed at them from any supernatural source. Rather than absorbing and meshing it with your own, you redirect it to some other purpose, thus weakening its effects upon you as you turn it towards something else. Generally, this will work with everything but some sources of energy would be far too strong to completely deflect, and some are easier to work with then others. -Flora Command (lesser) - You're able to command the natural world around you, to an extent. Though, as it comes from domination rather than understanding and mutual understanding, it is not out of mutual respect or because they desire it. Rather - they do not wish to incur your wrath, so they cooperate. You can't perform complex actions or move them very quickly yet, and flora with more vitality may still ignore you outright as of now.</s> <\|message\|>Isidore @Rune_Alchemist@PaulHaynek@Guy0fV4lor The collision of steel sounded, but it wasn't from a sword. Wheeling around, Isidore saw the frame of another man, bracing himself against the wretched creature's charge. Not Nick, but a human all the same, a human that, judging by attire and countenance, was very much the same type of individual as they were. Good. More allies were needed, even if that meant there were more mouths to feed. Sidestepping the blond man, Isidore caught the monster on the rebound, ramming his sword hilt-deep into its throat, before twisting the blade and almost decapitating the creature. Hot, foul blood splattered over his hands, but whatever disgust within him didn't show on his face as he kicked the monster off his sword, then flicked the blood off. Octavia, that cheeky little bitch, ran off before he could grab onto her leash again. That brought a wry smile on his face, as well as the savaging she had inflicted upon the third creature. Born minutes ago and already lethal. The pet they fished out of that stone tablet was certainly looking to be useful. "Isidore," he said, tapping his thumb against his chest as he locked eyes with the shieldbearer. "You're another of the Goddess's, aren't you?" He paused, as if considering something, then continued. "This is a prison, or perhaps a laboratory, filled with more of these creatures. Though I'm invested in that puppy, if you'd rather avoid further involvement in these bloody affairs, it'd be best not to venture further. If you're coming though, welcome." Isidore wiped his hands on his pants, then motioned for Augusta to follow him as he strode after the puppy. Once she came, he turned his head in her direction slightly, murmuring, "Dangerous?"</s> <\|message\|>Nicholas "Nick" Gallagher The Journey Begins ~ Unknown Location ~ Interacted with: @ERode, @Pyromania99,@Guy0fV4lor At first, Nick was glad to be out of that courtyard. It was weird heading back down to the dungeon-prison-whatever but they were in danger up there so down they went. Unfortunately, the demon pup led them to a group of three of those wretched experiment monsters. One of them was armed too! A poor sword like the one from earlier, but still armed! Yeah, they really should've seen this coming. But then Nick witnessed something extraordinary, Augusta put her palm out and a small blue orb formed in front of it. She could do magic?! The blue ball of magic then shot out, hitting the creature with the blade right in the chest. "Wha?! How the hell did you do that?!" It was one thing to be able to manipulate the weird stone's unseen energies but now she can cast actual magic? Why can't he do any of that, Nick lamented. The creature was dazed and that allowed Isidore and the demon dog, now named 'Octavia', to do their work. The former sliced the wretched creature's limb to disarm it from its weapon. He slid it right to Nick, presumably so he could use it to join the fight. Nick reflexively picked it up, but was he really going to have at it? He has not been in a fight before, much less against strange creatures that did not exist back home. Sure they were weak according to Augusta, but how weak was 'weak'? Octavia dealt with the second creature, evading claw swipes with awesome agility. The demon canine was also intelligent, it bit onto the wretched experiment's leg first to force it down before going for the throat. A predator in the making, Octavia was. That left only one more wretched experiment, and that one was about to lunge at Isidore who had no time to react. Suddenly, a stranger appeared. A middle-aged man with a shield charged forth and crashed into the wretched experiment, pinning it against the wall. Isidore was quick to dispatch the creature with a single ram of his blade into its neck. The fight was over and Nick let out a sigh of relief. Octavia had ran off deeper into the complex but they had an ally present that required attention. After Isidore introduced himself and some other words before following the demon dog, Nick was the next to approach the stranger. "Nick. Thanks for stopping by. You come here often?" He introduced himself with a joke. "Listen, the guy's right. Wherever we're heading, it's pretty dangerous. Nice shield, by the way. How come everyone here gets cool powers while I get anxiety attacks?"</s> <\|message\|>Novak Novak The journey to the girl's village was so far uneventful, although Novak felt a bit of concern at her mention of this "Kyrinth". Still, she didn't seem particularly worried about it, so it probably wasn't worth worrying about. Unless, of course, the girl's evident boredom with her life and sheltered lifestyle had eroded her sense of self-preservation. What was more worrying was the presence of more of those iron-beaked birds in the area. Fortunately, they didn't seem to carry the same aggression as the ones that had attacked the trio earlier, and Lazirha paid no heed to them. Perhaps it'd be wise to ask about them when he had the chance. Novak glanced at his companions, satisfied that he at least knew their names now. The fox girl was called Misaki, and and the small of stature swordswoman went by the name Oda Nobunaga. That name sounded familiar, he thought, but he couldn't place why. It couldn't be from his life, for those memories were well and truly gone. Was it someone he knew of, a piece of knowledge from his previous life? I need to find somewhere safe where I can sit down, reorganize, and make sense of what's left of my mind, Novak thought as the girl's town came into view up ahead. The sight of civilization brightened his spirits considerably, and he looked forward to being able to sit down and spend some time making sense of everything. When Lazirha asked the group about where they came from, Novak was the first to speak up. "I'm afraid I don't actually remember anything about my life. It's all a blank. All I know for sure is that I'm not from around here." In hindsight, it was perhaps foolish to reveal his lack of memories so quickly and freely, but with his mind so focused on his mind and his spirits lifted, Novak didn't think his words through before speaking, and at this moment he wanted to get it off his chest. "I don't suppose you could tell us a bit more about here?" he asked. "You said you've lived here you whole life, so you probably know plenty about it, right?" @VitaVitaAR@PKMNB0Y</s> <\|message\|>Takeshima Misaki (formerly Takeshima Mamoru) The lack of any incidents en route to Lazirha's hometown came as a pleasant surprise to Misaki, who would have much appreciated a bit more time to examine the entire situation regardless. To the young girl's questions, though, the foxgirl could only find it within herself to respond with a slight half-grin. Given what she could see regarding the current state of the world, such curiosity was nothing if not admirable, but describing modern Japan and everything it (and the world at large) had to offer might sound too outlandish compared to what little she could make of the settlement in the distance. Even so, given that she planned to tell Nobunaga everything once they had actually reached the village (or, to be accurate, that she expected to have to tell everything), it seemed more useful to find more time to figure out how to describe everything in the simplest of terms. "I'll tell you more once we sit down. There's a lot more to explain than you'd expect, but I'm not sure if you'd believe half of it," she said, shrugging her shoulders. If anything, though, starting in a location like this with at least some semblance of livelihood already meant that they wouldn't be floundering about aimlessly in pursuit of the basic necessities of life. So long as they could make themselves useful here, then it was possible to establish this location as a temporary base, if only for a short while... Novak's question came before Misaki's own, but if anything, it was aimed right where she had planned to target anyhow, and so the young woman simply continued on quietly as she waited for Lazirha's response in turn. Asking about any problems that the village had would have to wait until they got to look around the place, but with the sudden influx of knowledge planted in her brain, development wasn't entirely out of the question so long as the villagers wanted it. Paladin@Rune_Alchemist@VitaVitaAR</s>	<\|message\|>Bella Rosso Augusta the Roman Elf Augusta was mostly off her guard until all the enemies was finished off by her teammates. She was mostly ecstatic that her thoughts were correct and she indeed casted what could be considered a Magic Missle. There was a wide smile on her face as Isidore and Octavia finished off the rest of the Wretches. Hell, she didn't even notice this other fellow join them until after the monsters were finished off, though he seemed friendly enough. Her eye activated when she looked at him. Donovan MacConaill? Seemed there were all kinds here. What was next? Some Japanese person good with guns? "A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Donovan. Thank you for your assistance. Would you like to follow the cute little dog we found further down into this prison? That's quite the interesting ability you have." She was treating her goddess eye as something casual at this point. Like she had it for quite the long time. Perhaps she was adapting to the situation much too fast? Then to address Nick. "Come now, Nick. While the majority of your power isn't immediately available, I believe it will become useful for you in the future. Plus, being able to sense danger is quite the boon." She reached down and picked up the sword the one creature dropped and handed it to Nick. "Now you can help Isidore out next time we encounter those creatures. And besides, to learn how to cast that magic bolt I had to do what can be summed up as a magical tug-of-war with a demonic pup. I can probably teach you later if you so desire. After all, we all seem to have the ability." She aimed her index finger at her magical eye, "Or so my eye says." With that, she started to walk towards where Octavia had run off to. "Octavia, dear! Don't run off too far ahead." For her, it was given that Nick would follow, though with Donovan it was a hard to tell situation. Perhaps he would, perhaps he wouldn't. Still, Isidore was leading the way and Augusta was wont to follow his vanguard at this point.</s>
<\|description\|>Bella Rosso Gender:Female Appearance: Goals: Bella was studying to be a History Professor with a focus on classical civilizations to the medieval era. In this other world of scattered people… Maybe she can see if she can make a Roman Empire that doesn't fall. Past Life: Bella grew up the daughter of a politician and a History Professor. Her mother is an accountant turned politician and her father is a long time History Professor. Since she was young, her father introduced her to the History of Rome and taught her all about it. By the time she was out of compulsory schooling, she was about as knowledgeable on everything during the reign of Rome as her father and had a working knowledge of the Latin language. If anyone had a question about it, she could answer easily. She went to college as a history major with a minor in political science. And the political science minor was only because her mother took up a career as a rather successful politician. Through her time in college, she assisted her mother's campaign as well as study history. Every now and then, she would go and look into other politicians and get interviews when she could. In the end, her life ended as someone stabbed her from behind. Likely from asking the wrong individual the wrong question about the wrong person. Abilities: Physical Conditioning: Peak human Your body is naturally tough, durable, and strong. The pinnacle of human physical strength, endurance, and agility. Keep training, and surely you can surpass even stronger beings. Soul Flare: The ability to turn ones soul into a weapon itself. Needed for most basic magical feats. Channel the mana present in the air through your body to achieve great feats. Allows one to interact with supernatural things, and perceive things others may not. Ability Gained: Goddess' Eye The Goddess has given you a prestigious blessing. The eye will allow you to see things about a single living target in your vision that others can not. Status, general health, current disposition, abilities, special and other such information. Use it wisely, and you could use words as effective as any weapon or use it to disable someone with as little conflict as possible. Additionally, you can see things that are unable to be seen, and interact with it, and they you. Spirits, ghosts, and other such beings and things of that nature. However - things with special protections, such as beings with a divine connection, and skills will obscure your vision. It does not reveal things that are hidden through mundane means. Trivia: -Bella played a lot of Total War: Rome II to try and put old Roman strategies to practice. -Bella can speak Italian, Latin and English Inventory: -Padded Armor -Rapier Learned Skills: -Cleansing Fire - Fire, is not always destruction. It is also life, energy. It invigorates and brings warmth to all. Were fire never to exist, humanity may have never made it through the ice ages, for without its warmth they would fall victim to the frigid cold that envelops this land. Though fire can burn wildly, furiously, and destroy all, yours can also heal and bring comfort to those. By focusing positive energies into your fire, you may heal and cleanse small wounds. -Mana Redirect - A skill allowing one to redirect magical energy tossed at them from any supernatural source. Rather than absorbing and meshing it with your own, you redirect it to some other purpose, thus weakening its effects upon you as you turn it towards something else. Generally, this will work with everything but some sources of energy would be far too strong to completely deflect, and some are easier to work with then others. -Flora Command (lesser) - You're able to command the natural world around you, to an extent. Though, as it comes from domination rather than understanding and mutual understanding, it is not out of mutual respect or because they desire it. Rather - they do not wish to incur your wrath, so they cooperate. You can't perform complex actions or move them very quickly yet, and flora with more vitality may still ignore you outright as of now.</s> <\|message\|>Novak Novak The girl continued to describe the area, mentioning hunters and hunting festivals. Once again, Lazirha mentioned this Kyrinth. Novak had no idea what it was, other than that her description inferred it was a dangerous being of some sort, but not a direct threat to the town. It was definitely something that they should ask about prior to heading back out into the wilderness. Fortunately, if the town was as full of hunters as Lazirha seemed to infer, it shouldn't be difficult getting information on this Kyrinth and any other local beasts worth worrying about. The village was roughly what Novak expected from the girl's description. However, it seemed a little odd that none of the others had a tattoo on their arm like Lazirha's. Did it mean something special in the village, or was it simply a meaningless adornment upon a bored girl? It shouldn't be hard to find out, although it might be wise to wait until a more appropriate time to pry about it. Just as the girl was inviting the group back to her home, they were interrupted by a commotion. Several armed men were confronting a massive, somewhat mammalian armored beast. The creature was covered in what looked like metallic scales, and it was holding something in its mouth. The beast seemed to glare at Nobunaga, and it was only at this point that Novak realized that it had human remains in its maw. Is this the Kyrinth that she was talking about? Novak readied his sword, but there wasn't much he could do with it. He didn't know anything about using the sword, and he certainly didn't know anything about fighting an armored, man-eating monster. Of the three of them, only Nobunaga stepped forward to fight the beast, already barking suggestions to the village's spearmen. Lazirha seemed to be surprised and perhaps a bit confused at their inability to fight. "It's a long story, miss Lazirha, but suffice to say, Misaki and I aren't fighters," Novak interjected. "Heck, I just picked up this sword to defend myself from birds. I'd say the only reason we're alive is because we haven't been doing this for very long, and most of that time has been spent simply trying to not die horribly." Once again Novak was blurting things out that, had he been thinking clearly, would not have revealed to an outsider. Right now, however, the primary thing on his mind was not getting killed and eaten by this strange monster. It was an upsetting realization, that he was so unprepared for this world, and completely unable to fulfill the mission given by the goddess to protect these people. Perhaps now would be a good time to begin making use of his skill-seeking ability. I could learn something quite useful from watching how the hunters move when fighting that monster, but I'd better first he sure that they know what they're doing. @PKMNB0Y@VitaVitaAR</s> <\|message\|>Isidore @Rune_Alchemist@PaulHaynek@Guy0fV4lor Nick lagged behind; it was uncertain whether the young man would follow the rest all the way into the depths, especially as the stench of decay grew stronger, as the darkness grew thicker. Not all were made for such escapades, and Isidore could only hope that Nick didn't make any rash decisions. The darkness shone with blue light as the quartet passed the point of no return. There was a chasm underneath the prison, home to a garden of tar-stained flowers and trees. That sweetness, once overbearing, was now undercut by the smell of brine, like the world's shittiest salty caramel. The walls of this cavern were made inaccessible to them all by the ocean water that seeped into the place, while the garden was the territory of shadowy humans, lumbering disconcertingly around the place. The former researchers of the prison above? Or more of those wretched experiments, made puppets by the tar-plants. Then, there was the clattering of feet against stone off in the distance, muffled by vines. Isidore turned briefly, noting that of the three that had followed, two now remained. Nick was gone, having taken the sealing of the entranceway as reason enough to escape. Isidore's expression remained unchanged. Loyalty or conviction hadn't yet had any chance to grow amongst these strangers. Such action couldn't be faulted, but it would be remembered. Isidore let out a breath, let out all the tension that had built up in his body. Time to continue. Not certain whether the others could see so clearly as he could, he kept a firm grip on Octavia's leash, as he began to walk upon the raised platform, keeping an eye on the largest plant at the back of the garden. Black stones impaled it, but it was through those same black stones that it could grow its progeny upon the surface, to birth creatures such as Octavia. It was a detour, and he had to drag Octavia with him as he did so, but Isidore wasn't fool enough to walk boldly into the territory of the tar-plants. All the toughness in the world meant nothing once restrained by a dozen ancient roots. "Donovan, shield up. Protect the others. Octavia, there are things moving within the garden to our left. We are approaching the largest of the tar-plants, the one whose roots stretch all around this place." He paused. Levity may be appropriate in these dark times, so deep underground. "If any of you were a fire-breather in your past life, this would be a good chance to show off." … Isidore coughed, then allowed his muscles to relax further. The door, he hadn't mentioned. It was left open for a reason, and that reason was still unknown to him.</s>	<\|message\|>Bella Rosso Augusta looked at the pin Donovan was asking about. She was more than ready to trudge forward into this dungeon-like thing in front of them, but the question posed seemed fair compensation. "A pin?" Of course, her eyes reacted not to it. It only seemed to work on creatures of some sort or another. Some issue in and of itself though it would definitely help more than hurt. She sighed with no reply from looking at it. "Haa..." When her eyes fail, there was little more she could figure to do but touch it. "Hmm. Obviously it's... What's the word? Enchanted? Yes, enchanted. Weakly magical?" She questioned, looking at the thing. "It's possibly I might be able to tell you more after I've figured out magic more." She stated, removing her hand and giving a nod to the man. The deeper they went, the more there was that... sickeningly sweet smell. She had done her best to push it to the back of her mind but the more they traveled, the worst it got until finally they reached a rather dark place. The sweet smell was mixed with the all too familiar scent of the sea. "How peculiar." Still, it was rather dark and she couldn't see very well. There was salt water for sure. And those black tar-like plants that came with Octavia. Hmmm. How curious. She sighed and started to walk forward when she heard a rustling behind her. The vines had blocked their path back? Somehow, she expected that much, really. "No going back, it seems." With a slight shrug, she followed Isidore as he took the initiative. He barked out commands that made her wonder if he had prior experience in such a thing. It wouldn't be farfetched after all. Either way, she continued to follow him and tried to look around but... "I can't see a thing in this darkness. Wish I had magic for that." She mentioned, playing around with the idea in her head and at her fingertips. It'd be great to just collect power to her hands and make a ball of light to just, illuminate around them. A certain game called it Mage Light, she seemed to remember.</s>
<\|description\|>Bella Rosso Gender:Female Appearance: Goals: Bella was studying to be a History Professor with a focus on classical civilizations to the medieval era. In this other world of scattered people… Maybe she can see if she can make a Roman Empire that doesn't fall. Past Life: Bella grew up the daughter of a politician and a History Professor. Her mother is an accountant turned politician and her father is a long time History Professor. Since she was young, her father introduced her to the History of Rome and taught her all about it. By the time she was out of compulsory schooling, she was about as knowledgeable on everything during the reign of Rome as her father and had a working knowledge of the Latin language. If anyone had a question about it, she could answer easily. She went to college as a history major with a minor in political science. And the political science minor was only because her mother took up a career as a rather successful politician. Through her time in college, she assisted her mother's campaign as well as study history. Every now and then, she would go and look into other politicians and get interviews when she could. In the end, her life ended as someone stabbed her from behind. Likely from asking the wrong individual the wrong question about the wrong person. Abilities: Physical Conditioning: Peak human Your body is naturally tough, durable, and strong. The pinnacle of human physical strength, endurance, and agility. Keep training, and surely you can surpass even stronger beings. Soul Flare: The ability to turn ones soul into a weapon itself. Needed for most basic magical feats. Channel the mana present in the air through your body to achieve great feats. Allows one to interact with supernatural things, and perceive things others may not. Ability Gained: Goddess' Eye The Goddess has given you a prestigious blessing. The eye will allow you to see things about a single living target in your vision that others can not. Status, general health, current disposition, abilities, special and other such information. Use it wisely, and you could use words as effective as any weapon or use it to disable someone with as little conflict as possible. Additionally, you can see things that are unable to be seen, and interact with it, and they you. Spirits, ghosts, and other such beings and things of that nature. However - things with special protections, such as beings with a divine connection, and skills will obscure your vision. It does not reveal things that are hidden through mundane means. Trivia: -Bella played a lot of Total War: Rome II to try and put old Roman strategies to practice. -Bella can speak Italian, Latin and English Inventory: -Padded Armor -Rapier Learned Skills: -Cleansing Fire - Fire, is not always destruction. It is also life, energy. It invigorates and brings warmth to all. Were fire never to exist, humanity may have never made it through the ice ages, for without its warmth they would fall victim to the frigid cold that envelops this land. Though fire can burn wildly, furiously, and destroy all, yours can also heal and bring comfort to those. By focusing positive energies into your fire, you may heal and cleanse small wounds. -Mana Redirect - A skill allowing one to redirect magical energy tossed at them from any supernatural source. Rather than absorbing and meshing it with your own, you redirect it to some other purpose, thus weakening its effects upon you as you turn it towards something else. Generally, this will work with everything but some sources of energy would be far too strong to completely deflect, and some are easier to work with then others. -Flora Command (lesser) - You're able to command the natural world around you, to an extent. Though, as it comes from domination rather than understanding and mutual understanding, it is not out of mutual respect or because they desire it. Rather - they do not wish to incur your wrath, so they cooperate. You can't perform complex actions or move them very quickly yet, and flora with more vitality may still ignore you outright as of now.</s> <\|message\|>Novak Novak Enli noticed Misaki's interest in the scrolls and offered to let her look through them. Novak was a bit curious about them himself, but could he even read the script they were written in? The people of this new world seemed to speak his language- or was it he who gained the knowledge speak their language? Was his knowledge of the language of his previous, forgotten life lost and replaced with this world's language? If so, did it extend to comprehension of written text as well? He supposed that the only to know for sure would be to try and read some of the texts. He could do that later, however, because for now the more pressing issue was to respond to the man's offer to let them stay in the village. "Thank you sir, we are grateful for your hospitality," Novak responded. "Like my companion said, we were very fortunate to have been brought here." Akando suggested that they could help with the town's problems that both he and Enli had previously alluded to. The chief, however, shot the idea down, not wanting to involve the trio. Novak wasn't entirely sure it was out of distrust of outsiders or the notion that asking guests to risk their lives on the host town's behalf would constitute very poor hospitality. Perhaps it was a bit of both. They mentioned the Kyrinth again. Was that thing we killed not the actual Kyrinth? "If I may, sirs," Novak spoke up, "If that monster is any indication of the problems you're facing, then as long as we're here it's our problem too. The threat to your town is a threat to your guests, as well as anyone else in the region who might have the misfortune to catch this Kyrinth's attention." Novak's motivation to help was indeed partially out of self-interest due to the fact that they would be affected by the local problems as long as they stayed here, but he also wanted to help these people. He wasn't sure how he could help, but perhaps he could learn how, and anything was better than cowering in a hut every time another monster came to terrorize the town. @PKMNB0Y@VitaVitaAR</s> <\|message\|>Isidore @Rune_Alchemist@Guy0fV4lor Was it kind of them to help, or did they just need to release all their stress after their encounter with the demon-flower turned out to be much more benign than Nick's doomsaying? Isidore didn't linger on what thought processes drove his acquaintances to act. If they were going to be here, there wasn't much to be said, after all. Just gonna make it quick then. The plant-like blades could no longer harm him, and Isidore took advantage of that immediately, blocking the swing of the closest creature with his left forearm, before locking that arm into place. Sword still burning bright, he skewered the monster through the chest, black blood bubbling against the hilt of his sword before, with a grunt, he drew the sword upwards and split the monster from stomach up. As two halves spread to either side like a blooming flower, Isidore pushed the corpse away and charged for the one he had injured first. Some pressure was felt against his neck, no doubt from the fifth, unmarked monster, but it was meaningless. Within this hour, he was unkillable. The one with the lacerated back, though aware and ready for combat, wasn't going to have much opportunity for revenge. He closed the gap in three steps, drawing its attention to his sword. They learned fast, gained experience quickly, had intelligence beneath humans but beyond animals. But Isidore was never one to use a single winning strategy, whether in business or at the poker table. With an open palm flicker jab, he splashed droplets of his blood on the creatures face, and then closed his fist, visualizing the ignition of his lifeblood to immolate the creature. And then for good measure, he drove his sword into its neck, whether its face was on fire or not.</s> <\|message\|>Takeshima Misaki (formerly Takeshima Mamoru) With Enli's invitation to dig through the scrolls at her own volition, Misaki could do little to hold back her own curiosity. There were enough questions at hand for her to simply read everything from start to finish and try to gather what information she could, if only because she was at liberty to do so. Depending on how far back these records went, it might have been possible to figure out exactly what had transpired on this ruined world before they had arrived. They could obviously get by for the moment by simply coasting off of deeds that the more combat-capable members of their group performed, but in order to not seem 'out of place', something like this would likely prove to be worth looking into. "If you would allow me to do so..." the foxgirl responded, bowing in thanks to the older man as she moved to delicately begin to sift through the documents in front of her. Given the apparent problem that was plaguing the village, Misaki's eyes seemed to naturally drift towards mention of a 'God of Knowledge'. Ignoring the oddity that was her own ability to freely read documents that were clearly in a language that did not exist back on Earth, the young woman quietly took note of the fact that there was a place of worship within the forest that they would likely be entering soon enough. Given that Nobunaga and Novak were apt to talk their way into getting involved (as far as she could tell), figuring out any bits and pieces about the place before they entered from these documents was of the utmost priority; next, of course, was any actual history, but reviewing what was in front of her could come after the major issues at hand were resolved. @Crimson Paladin@VitaVitaAR</s>	<\|message\|>Bella Rosso Augusta was delighted the fireball seemed moderately effective against these creatures. Though she had not expected Octavia to take a slash from a creature. "Octavia!" She screamed as she heard the demon dog yipe, though she was quick to quiet as she saw the beast heal. Her eyes widened slightly at the sight and it dawned on her even more that this was another world from Earth. She clenched her teeth in anger and stepped forward. She has figured out how to make a bolt of magical energy... And then, a bolt of fire... Now, maybe, she could spew fire out of her hand. She stood over the wretch that Octavia pulled down and pointed her hand out. If a bolt was gathering energy and firing it at once, maybe she could do the same thing but let it freely escape her hand. Just use the same mechanics she had used earlier to make it spew fire and aim it right at the head and shoulders of this wretch that was held down.</s>
<\|description\|>Bella Rosso Gender:Female Appearance: Goals: Bella was studying to be a History Professor with a focus on classical civilizations to the medieval era. In this other world of scattered people… Maybe she can see if she can make a Roman Empire that doesn't fall. Past Life: Bella grew up the daughter of a politician and a History Professor. Her mother is an accountant turned politician and her father is a long time History Professor. Since she was young, her father introduced her to the History of Rome and taught her all about it. By the time she was out of compulsory schooling, she was about as knowledgeable on everything during the reign of Rome as her father and had a working knowledge of the Latin language. If anyone had a question about it, she could answer easily. She went to college as a history major with a minor in political science. And the political science minor was only because her mother took up a career as a rather successful politician. Through her time in college, she assisted her mother's campaign as well as study history. Every now and then, she would go and look into other politicians and get interviews when she could. In the end, her life ended as someone stabbed her from behind. Likely from asking the wrong individual the wrong question about the wrong person. Abilities: Physical Conditioning: Peak human Your body is naturally tough, durable, and strong. The pinnacle of human physical strength, endurance, and agility. Keep training, and surely you can surpass even stronger beings. Soul Flare: The ability to turn ones soul into a weapon itself. Needed for most basic magical feats. Channel the mana present in the air through your body to achieve great feats. Allows one to interact with supernatural things, and perceive things others may not. Ability Gained: Goddess' Eye The Goddess has given you a prestigious blessing. The eye will allow you to see things about a single living target in your vision that others can not. Status, general health, current disposition, abilities, special and other such information. Use it wisely, and you could use words as effective as any weapon or use it to disable someone with as little conflict as possible. Additionally, you can see things that are unable to be seen, and interact with it, and they you. Spirits, ghosts, and other such beings and things of that nature. However - things with special protections, such as beings with a divine connection, and skills will obscure your vision. It does not reveal things that are hidden through mundane means. Trivia: -Bella played a lot of Total War: Rome II to try and put old Roman strategies to practice. -Bella can speak Italian, Latin and English Inventory: -Padded Armor -Rapier Learned Skills: -Cleansing Fire - Fire, is not always destruction. It is also life, energy. It invigorates and brings warmth to all. Were fire never to exist, humanity may have never made it through the ice ages, for without its warmth they would fall victim to the frigid cold that envelops this land. Though fire can burn wildly, furiously, and destroy all, yours can also heal and bring comfort to those. By focusing positive energies into your fire, you may heal and cleanse small wounds. -Mana Redirect - A skill allowing one to redirect magical energy tossed at them from any supernatural source. Rather than absorbing and meshing it with your own, you redirect it to some other purpose, thus weakening its effects upon you as you turn it towards something else. Generally, this will work with everything but some sources of energy would be far too strong to completely deflect, and some are easier to work with then others. -Flora Command (lesser) - You're able to command the natural world around you, to an extent. Though, as it comes from domination rather than understanding and mutual understanding, it is not out of mutual respect or because they desire it. Rather - they do not wish to incur your wrath, so they cooperate. You can't perform complex actions or move them very quickly yet, and flora with more vitality may still ignore you outright as of now.</s> <\|message\|>"Malphas" Malphas Seaside Village@Rune_Alchemist@Crimson Paladin Malphas raised an eyebrow at the man's response. While he chose not to give anything away right now, he also didn't deny Malphas's claims. Perhaps he wasn't one for the limelight? No matter the case, Malphas shrugged and turned his attentions elsewhere for now. He'll keep his eye on the young man, but he'll also respect his wishes of not wanting too much attention to himself at this time. Malphas's attention was then taken by Bolcha's approach. It seemed as if he believed Malphas was part of the troupe that had killed the beast! Well, no point in correcting him now, especially if it leads to his benefit. What's more, he also needed assistance in a few matters. Malphas wasn't really busy with anything at the moment, and while he did wish to leave quickly, it seemed as if helping the craftsman at his work would net him a few more things he could use on his travels. Networking is also a plus, even if it were a village as small as this. Perhaps this might also mean he wouldn't have to leave after all... "Oh, but of course! I'm not one to shy away from hard work, after all..." Malphas stepped forward, eager to get to work. Despite his looks and demeanor, Malphas welcomed the idea of menial labor. Sweat is the salt of man's hard work, after all. And would he truly say he loved his fellow humans if he didn't sweat alongside them? Whatever it was that Bolcha needed done, Malphas would eagerly begin to work on, whether his fellow beast-slayer chose to help as well or not.</s> <\|message\|>Nicholas "Nick" Gallagher The Journey Begins ~ Another Unknown Location ~ Interacted with: @Rune_Alchemist, @Pyromania99, @Guy0fV4lor Nick heeded Augusta's words. She even showed him a couple of demonstrations, first with a ball of magic on her hands then flicking fire into existence with her fingers. She did it seemingly effort, like walking or breathing. Alright, Nick cracked his fingers and mentally prepared himself. Alright, feel the energy like she said. He knew some physics concepts so that should help too and use the hands to help push out the magic. Nick focused and concentrated, attempting to feel the magic and cast it. A simple fireball, a small one, was on his mind. Oxygen and heat combusting and being flung away. When he felt it was ready, Nick pushed his hands forward toward an empty patch of snow. ... Nothing. No matter, Nick doubted he could do it in the first try. One more time! ... Nothing. Alright, third time's the charm! ... Nothing. "This... might be harder than I thought." Donovan placed a hand on Nick's wounded shoulder. "Dude, stop. You might--" The black corruption on his wound soon dissipated and Nick realized that middle-aged guy had just cast some more healing magic on him. While Augusta fixed the physical, Donovan cleaned off the... whatever that was. "Whoa. Thanks for that, dude. I didn't know what that was. I mean, it didn't feel like anything but it still kinda made me nervous." Donovan then went off to find and join Isidore in the snowy woods, leaving Nick with Augusta. "Well, Augusta, what do we do next? I mean, we can still rest here if you're tired while I continue trying to cast magic. Or we can head off and find shelter. Maybe a cave or something?" Thinking about his inability to cast magic yet, Nick decided to add. "Say, got any tips for magic for a newbie like me?"</s> <\|message\|>Leannah Stromhart Leannah --- ...Nothing recognizable. No runes on the tablet, no amount of the relics and trinkets of old or any of it seemed to make sense at this time. Such was the nature of archaeology, however, and especially Egyptology in its infancy. It was one reason the Rosetta Stone had been such a valuable discovery! Two languages upon one great piece of stone, and a particular bit of greco-egyptian influence that had made it easier to decipher things (to say the least). But she was getting ahead of herself. Truth be told, however, the fox girl putting these beautiful discoveries together in an orderly manner was something she appreciated. A little respect for the history these spoke or, and perhaps literally so contained in regards to the runic tablet, that as a historian of sorts she could respect. Yet the fact this woman was still totally foreign to her, and considering the manner of her own death and career before dying there were a lot of people out there...and respecting history didn't mean always being a good person. Still, the fact this girl was translating these arcane runes was something even more enticing. Or at least she'd been trying to do so from what it sounded like. And they now also had the name of the fox girl in turn: Misaki. A very much Japanese name to be sure, and another thing to add to her list of suspicions about the fox being from Earth in turn. That and the mention of this fox having read old scrolls, which if the fortress and this tablet were of any note were indecipherable to anyone from Earth....or at least herself and Narkissa probably. Her own information wasn't very complete about everything in this world regardless, far from it to put it far too mildly, but the mentions of abnormal fog and weird things was enough of a telltale sign of myths and danger to make her ears perk up. Magic wasn't a new concept to her, at least after Malphas' and her own shenanigans back there, but the rest of it spoke of something...hmm...that and the nature of the other relics here... "A curse? Mysterious fog? Strange phenomenon?" the catgirl muttered to herself a moment, putting a hand to her chin in thought before looking back up, "Even if you do not think your translation is very good, Lazhira, it could be a clue to those odd events you spoke of. At least potentially. You have to start somewhere when figuring this sort of thing out, after all! The catgirl sauntered back over and sat down cross-legged at the table, her eyes attentive as much as she seemed to be ardent in her curiosity and earnest in her encouragement. "Apologies for being a bit forward, you've been very kind so far, but if I may...from what you've tried to translate so far: Was there any mention of a 'tomb'? Anything that calls upon gods to punish others? Mentions of something sealed away or closed up?" All she knew to heart, at least right off the bat, was something like the curses put on the tombs of the ancient Pharaohs. Calling upon the gods to curse a tomb looter was one thing. Likewise there was the ilk of greek curse tablets (she'd dabbled in learning of those on the side), and tales like the Minotaur and the Book of Thoth came to mind in turn. Sure back on Earth it was all legend and myth, but here, well, she felt more apt to give this place a LOT of credit to such stories and mentions. After all, magic was REAL...and monsters and cat girls and fox girls and anime Oda Nobunaga looking people were REAL. Etc.</s> <\|message\|>Novak Novak Akando left to take care of other business, leaving Novak with Bolcha and the new arrival. He appeared fully human, but the man's blue eyes and white hair made him stand out, and reminded Novak of Misaki. He certainly looks the part more than me, he thought. Novak was unsure how the goddess chose the forms of the people she summoned, but he was grateful that he himself had been blessed with an appearance that, judging from the reflection he had beheld on the blade of his sword, seemed to not stand out. Not that it stopped this stranger from correctly suspecting Novak of being another of the goddess' chosen. It seems that even without white hair or animal ears, I stick out like a sore thumb to a perceptive soul. Between his attire, quite distinct from the locals' clothing, and Akando mentioning his role in slaying the beast, it was clear he wouldn't be blending in. Whatever the case may be, however, the white-haired man did not press Novak on the matter further, and did not seem to rouse the attention of the locals. Bolcha spoke up, asking the two new arrivals for help with some work. The stranger replied first, offering his assistance without hesitation. Perhaps there was more to him than Novak thought. After all, the goddess wouldn't summon someone whom she didn't see potential in for fixing the world, right? "Certainly, I'll help with whatever you need," Novak spoke. He hadn't been in the town for very long, but he had already become quite invested in the well-being of the locals. Perhaps it was simply his emptied mind latching on to the first friendly civilization he had come across, but he wanted to help put an end to the problems that afflicted them, and every little bit of aid would help. It certainly wouldn't be fitting for one of the goddess' chosen heroes to stand around when there was work to be done. Chulainn@Rune_Alchemist</s>	<\|message\|>Bella Rosso Augusta spent a good minute looking at Octavia's status. Seed Carrier? Hmm. This was nothing to tell Isidore nor Donovan at the moment. Nick... Not him either, really, but the most he could do is mention something to the other two. Isidore didn't seem to like things that would put him in danger and Donovan had that purification magic. She could always lie, if need be. She was particularly adept at that from her prior life. For now, perhaps her best measure was finding a way to remove the seed from Octavia without hurting her more than necessary. If that plant thought it could one up her, then it had another thing coming! Still, she had realized that Nick was talking to her. Oh, what did he mention? What should they do next? Did she have any tips? She gave a small, yet somewhat concerned looking smile. "What next? I would propose to find what civilization we can and hope we don't look too different from those native to the land here. And, umm, I suggest staying quiet about the giant plant thing until we know more about the local culture. Hell, I might have to find a way to make Octavia here a bit more... Natural?" She mentioned, struggling to find the words. "Perhaps there's magic to transmogrify a creature." She mused for a minute more and put a hand on Octavia's back to pet her some until she came back to... Whatever world it was they were on. "And tips. Right. Hmm." The elf woman thought to herself. She gave him most of the information that she knew already. "Most of what I know came from experiencing the draining effect from that slab first hand. It's not too difficult to figure out the barest of ideas when you feel the energy being forced out of you." She pet Octavia, who was what she assumed was the one draining energy from her at the time. "It wasn't pleasant but I felt I had to overcome it. Perhaps I should try and drain all your magical energy and see if you can overcome me?" She teased. Augusta didn't feel confident doing that at all. She would be worried of accidently kill this young man. She wasn't so heartless she could actually kill someone. About that time, however... She heard a call of sorts. From the direction that Isidore and Donovan went. Should she go to them? She stood and pondered. From her experience so far... Wouldn't she be more a hinderance than a help? "Hmm. For now, I suppose we'll hold down the camp." She mentioned to herself as she stared in the direction the call came from. "Perhaps you should try to practice your magic more, young man." She wasn't sure of his age, but she seemed like one of those long lived elves so it only felt fitting.</s>
<\|description\|>Bella Rosso Gender:Female Appearance: Goals: Bella was studying to be a History Professor with a focus on classical civilizations to the medieval era. In this other world of scattered people… Maybe she can see if she can make a Roman Empire that doesn't fall. Past Life: Bella grew up the daughter of a politician and a History Professor. Her mother is an accountant turned politician and her father is a long time History Professor. Since she was young, her father introduced her to the History of Rome and taught her all about it. By the time she was out of compulsory schooling, she was about as knowledgeable on everything during the reign of Rome as her father and had a working knowledge of the Latin language. If anyone had a question about it, she could answer easily. She went to college as a history major with a minor in political science. And the political science minor was only because her mother took up a career as a rather successful politician. Through her time in college, she assisted her mother's campaign as well as study history. Every now and then, she would go and look into other politicians and get interviews when she could. In the end, her life ended as someone stabbed her from behind. Likely from asking the wrong individual the wrong question about the wrong person. Abilities: Physical Conditioning: Peak human Your body is naturally tough, durable, and strong. The pinnacle of human physical strength, endurance, and agility. Keep training, and surely you can surpass even stronger beings. Soul Flare: The ability to turn ones soul into a weapon itself. Needed for most basic magical feats. Channel the mana present in the air through your body to achieve great feats. Allows one to interact with supernatural things, and perceive things others may not. Ability Gained: Goddess' Eye The Goddess has given you a prestigious blessing. The eye will allow you to see things about a single living target in your vision that others can not. Status, general health, current disposition, abilities, special and other such information. Use it wisely, and you could use words as effective as any weapon or use it to disable someone with as little conflict as possible. Additionally, you can see things that are unable to be seen, and interact with it, and they you. Spirits, ghosts, and other such beings and things of that nature. However - things with special protections, such as beings with a divine connection, and skills will obscure your vision. It does not reveal things that are hidden through mundane means. Trivia: -Bella played a lot of Total War: Rome II to try and put old Roman strategies to practice. -Bella can speak Italian, Latin and English Inventory: -Padded Armor -Rapier Learned Skills: -Cleansing Fire - Fire, is not always destruction. It is also life, energy. It invigorates and brings warmth to all. Were fire never to exist, humanity may have never made it through the ice ages, for without its warmth they would fall victim to the frigid cold that envelops this land. Though fire can burn wildly, furiously, and destroy all, yours can also heal and bring comfort to those. By focusing positive energies into your fire, you may heal and cleanse small wounds. -Mana Redirect - A skill allowing one to redirect magical energy tossed at them from any supernatural source. Rather than absorbing and meshing it with your own, you redirect it to some other purpose, thus weakening its effects upon you as you turn it towards something else. Generally, this will work with everything but some sources of energy would be far too strong to completely deflect, and some are easier to work with then others. -Flora Command (lesser) - You're able to command the natural world around you, to an extent. Though, as it comes from domination rather than understanding and mutual understanding, it is not out of mutual respect or because they desire it. Rather - they do not wish to incur your wrath, so they cooperate. You can't perform complex actions or move them very quickly yet, and flora with more vitality may still ignore you outright as of now.</s> <\|message\|>Isidore @Rune_Alchemist Even at the height of his power and influence, Isidore had not had the pleasure of sleeping with two women of extraordinary beauty. Part of it, perhaps, may have been his age at that time; certainly, his youth had been occupied with proclivities sexual in nature, such that if not for more pressing concerns, he'd have indulged in such debauchery freely. But though his heart beat faster, though he had regained his physical youth and some semblance of his vernal predilections, Isidore kept his distance within that cozy alcove, only occasionally reaching over to scratch Octavia behind the ears. The alcove offered sufficient cover from the blizzard, and Leuca's stories kept his mind busy. It was a pleasure, that he could hold onto his thoughts so easily. Superhuman when it came to the mind too. Wonderful. The Apostles were humans, armored and xenophobic, claiming that this world was false. It was worth interrogating, to see if they were otherworlders like himself and Octavia, if they held the same goal of 'return' as Nicholas did. The long-eared came from further south and were possibly nomadic; their current home being Tamaln. The Bastellians lived across a snowy plain, emphasis on 'snowy'. Either this world had no seasons, or they were far north enough that snow didn't melt even in summer, even across open plains with no mountain to cast shadow. The Urutha, the Shadow Elves, lived in Gloomhollow, with previously friendly connections with the Dwarves, and Leuca had come here to foster more positive relationships between the Urutha and the Sirithen. The Dwarves, at least a faction within their society, does not approve of this, however. Lord Firebeard is an individual of influence within their own society, and perhaps, if Leuca's own information was out-of-date, had become the leader of the Dwarves. That may be unlikely though. Firebeard specifically wanted the elf, and would be in trouble if such was found out. So the Dwarves were splintered. Some amongst them, perhaps, wished to sabotage relationships between the Urutha and the Sirithen. Now, why would the Dwarves wish for this upon their allies? Dwarves? He pulled at the threads of his memory a bit more. Dirithen, that was what Augusta had called them. Interesting naming conventions then, for the people present. Sirithen for the pale and long-eared. Dirithen for the short and stocky. Urutha for the 'shadow elves'. More thoughts connected, a network of names, faces, and ideas, but after a certain point, Isidore was content to close his eyes and listen to the sound of the wind and the snow, the thunder and the blast of a distant horn. More Apostles to worry about, but with snow this thick, they'd have to walk over the alcove to see it. Nothing to worry about then. Nothing, but he still only snatched snippets of sleep throughout the night and woke up bleary-eyed. Isidore forced himself up anyways. The deathly quiet and the miserable cold reminded him of the location, and the aches of his body reminded him of how long it's been since he'd rested properly. He grabbed a handful of snow, scrubbing it over his face to chase away the last of his sleepiness, and then split up portions of preserved food for the others to eat. With four mouths, they'd be going through the rations at twice the speed, but with any hope, they'd find a way to the Urutha before then as well. Which meant they couldn't linger. He dug out of the shelter, brushed the snow off the blanket they'd used, melted it loose, and then flung it off dramatically, exposing any of his still-sleepy companions to the painful brightness of pure white snow. It was bothersome, that the snow had covered up any paths and had served too to hide any dangerous crevasses in the mountainside, but there wasn't much that could be done about it. "Should advance early," Isidore said. He removed the cloak he had pilfered from the knight and tossed it towards Augusta. There were only two, and both the Dirithen and the Apostles cared only for two people within this group. "Hoods up, Leuca, Augusta. With luck, they'll only see three humans." There it was again. 'Luck'. He narrowed his eyes. "Any signs for Gloomhollow to look out for?"</s> <\|message\|>"Malphas" Malphas In The Woods@Rune_Alchemist It seemed that Malphas underestimated his ability to jump. Rather than leaping to the treetops of this forest, he instead found himself face-first into the ground! Not realizing that one of the hunters had followed him, Malphas wondered if this was truly the end set up for him. Perhaps those scheming against him had finally decided to act against him! And to do so while he was already taking his leave? So uncivilized... About twenty seconds later, and about fifteen seconds after Malphas resigned to his fate, he was lifted up by the villager who had tripped him earlier. It was from there that Malphas had recognized her in full, the huntress he had gotten to know a lot of the night prior! Was she here to continue their nightly escapades now, or... "Ah, how could I forget? Malphas, although I'm sure you're quite familiar with calling out to it last nightx" Malphas chuckled as he was lifted up, dusting himself off rather quickly. For a man such as Malphas, who loved his followers like they were his own, recalling the names of past lovers was child's play, no matter how drunk he was. "I see now that you have a talent for making me fall for you then, Soyala "It is a shame you caught me with my pants down, again. I've never traveled through the woods alone, much less used something like this." Malphas blushed as he drew his bow out, flexing the string. "Not my style, admittedly, although I still wish to learn how to use it as it was given to me as a gift. I'm sure you understand." Malphas was quite surprised that Soyala had known about his quest. Disregarding how loud he might have been about it, Malphas was sure that the vision he had regarding that place was something of his own. Perhaps he should keep his big mouth more closed next time. Still, to see that the huntress is granting her aide regardless... Perhaps Malphas can indeed make something of an ally out of her. "Whatever do you mean? You were quite fine following my directions earlier." Malphas gave a teasing wink as he let his tongue out, walking ahead. "Very well, then. I'll lead the way. Feel free to do as you please. All I ask in return is that you believe in me." With a playful hum, Malphas continued his march for the temple, keeping an eye out for that same flower the foxy merchant had asked him to find. "I must ask, by the way, Soyala.... but is there anything that interests you about the temple? Perhaps something interesting enough for you to follow me to it? I'm quite new to this place, so I'm not too sure of the tales surrounding it, myself..."</s>	<\|message\|>Bella Rosso Unsure of how long they would be stuck in this small area with only the four of them for company, Augusta settled herself as quick as she could, taking special care to keep this young elf girl warm. Perhaps it was just the shared ears they both had, but she felt a need to protect her. She also listened to all the stories the girl told. Making note of everything she mentioned, the woman smiled and nodded at the girl. When that was all said and done though, and it was time to sleep... Augusta found sleep hard to come by. A good portion of it was spent keeping an eye out in case the Apostles or those dwarves found them. Eventually, she fell into the clutches of the night and her eyes closed. She found herself wake up to Isidore making noise and forced herself to wake up. She'd love to have just went back to sleep at that moment and pull the covers over her shoulders, but that seemed an impossibility at this point. As they went about their morning, Augusta thought some on the previous night and encounters. Firebeard. He was a threat to them on this mountain as were the Apostles apparently. She really should work on some magic aside fire. Perhaps thunder as she had previously considered. If someone were wearing metal armor, it only helped the magic. Perhaps she'd ponder that for the day as they traveled to keep her mind off the snow. She made sure Leuca woke up and had her rations, as well as Octavia. She felt responsible for them, though it was Isidore that secured the provisions from the dead Apostles. Perhaps they would make it to Gloomhallow and the "Shadow Elves" would assist them. Perhaps... Nothing seemed right on this mountain at this point so she had her doubts. After eating her rations, she stepped outside the small shelter and took a look around with Isidore. The clouds in the sky were not the best looking and seemed to threaten them just by existing. With a frown she agreed with him. "Yes, we should move." She caught the cloak and was thankful for it. The cold was getting to her ears. "Octavia, how are you feeling? Still cold?" She asked, petting the demon dog.</s>
<\|description\|>Bella Rosso Gender:Female Appearance: Goals: Bella was studying to be a History Professor with a focus on classical civilizations to the medieval era. In this other world of scattered people… Maybe she can see if she can make a Roman Empire that doesn't fall. Past Life: Bella grew up the daughter of a politician and a History Professor. Her mother is an accountant turned politician and her father is a long time History Professor. Since she was young, her father introduced her to the History of Rome and taught her all about it. By the time she was out of compulsory schooling, she was about as knowledgeable on everything during the reign of Rome as her father and had a working knowledge of the Latin language. If anyone had a question about it, she could answer easily. She went to college as a history major with a minor in political science. And the political science minor was only because her mother took up a career as a rather successful politician. Through her time in college, she assisted her mother's campaign as well as study history. Every now and then, she would go and look into other politicians and get interviews when she could. In the end, her life ended as someone stabbed her from behind. Likely from asking the wrong individual the wrong question about the wrong person. Abilities: Physical Conditioning: Peak human Your body is naturally tough, durable, and strong. The pinnacle of human physical strength, endurance, and agility. Keep training, and surely you can surpass even stronger beings. Soul Flare: The ability to turn ones soul into a weapon itself. Needed for most basic magical feats. Channel the mana present in the air through your body to achieve great feats. Allows one to interact with supernatural things, and perceive things others may not. Ability Gained: Goddess' Eye The Goddess has given you a prestigious blessing. The eye will allow you to see things about a single living target in your vision that others can not. Status, general health, current disposition, abilities, special and other such information. Use it wisely, and you could use words as effective as any weapon or use it to disable someone with as little conflict as possible. Additionally, you can see things that are unable to be seen, and interact with it, and they you. Spirits, ghosts, and other such beings and things of that nature. However - things with special protections, such as beings with a divine connection, and skills will obscure your vision. It does not reveal things that are hidden through mundane means. Trivia: -Bella played a lot of Total War: Rome II to try and put old Roman strategies to practice. -Bella can speak Italian, Latin and English Inventory: -Padded Armor -Rapier Learned Skills: -Cleansing Fire - Fire, is not always destruction. It is also life, energy. It invigorates and brings warmth to all. Were fire never to exist, humanity may have never made it through the ice ages, for without its warmth they would fall victim to the frigid cold that envelops this land. Though fire can burn wildly, furiously, and destroy all, yours can also heal and bring comfort to those. By focusing positive energies into your fire, you may heal and cleanse small wounds. -Mana Redirect - A skill allowing one to redirect magical energy tossed at them from any supernatural source. Rather than absorbing and meshing it with your own, you redirect it to some other purpose, thus weakening its effects upon you as you turn it towards something else. Generally, this will work with everything but some sources of energy would be far too strong to completely deflect, and some are easier to work with then others. -Flora Command (lesser) - You're able to command the natural world around you, to an extent. Though, as it comes from domination rather than understanding and mutual understanding, it is not out of mutual respect or because they desire it. Rather - they do not wish to incur your wrath, so they cooperate. You can't perform complex actions or move them very quickly yet, and flora with more vitality may still ignore you outright as of now.</s> <\|message\|>Isidore @Rune_Alchemist Coinage: 8 Silver, 5 Copper * The (shredded) clothing on his back. * A fur cloak. * Seed of the Demon Plant * Untanned boar skin. * Leather Belt * Knight's Shield * Knight's Dagger * Knight's Longsword * Dwarf's Polearm * Rope * Some preserved food Enough for two people to last a few days. * Roll of what seemed to be a mat of thick fur, likely for sleeping on Comfortable, but only one. * A heavy looking fur/cloth blanket. Cozy, warm and heavy. Good for sleeping in colder climates. * Communication horn Made from bone, hollow and likely used for communication. * A small pot and a ladle * Frozen canteen of water * Map of the Under roads. A map detailing some routes used by the Dwarves and Shadow Elves to travel in their subterranean homes. Its not entirely complete, but it at least shows the routes to the two most notable settlements and several other places of note. Unless you travel off the paths, you probably won't get lost. By the time Sorcha came to view, Isidore found himself settled, his emotions in check and a stalwart purpose behind every movement again. Was this just experience, or had part of his 'peak human' status helped with the processing of toxins that his liver was currently handling? Regardless, he tilted his head slightly to the side at the swordswoman's reaction and said, "I'm perfectly lucid, Sorcha. And it's no problem. Considering circumstances, Leuca most likely needed some fun anyhow." Still too many words. His tongue was still loosened by that ale, and Isidore still found himself speaking before contemplating. He frowned slightly, but whatever concerns he had, whatever thoughts, were chased away by Augusta's arrival. Though the tower certainly hadn't done her any favors in terms of hygiene, with three days of travel bearing heavily on her otherwise alabaster complexion, the difference a well-made dress alone turned Augusta from merely being merely beautiful to being on the cusp of breath-taking. The mixture of colors was reminiscent of the night sky, golden embellishments a mimicry of the moon's splendor. It was curious, that the Urutha, a subterranean race, drew such inspiration from the night sky. Portions of it looked padded though, at least from what he recalled of the woman's silhouette before, serving to accentuate Augusta's natural curves in a tasteful fashion. Useless as protection, but aesthetically pleasing. Isidore kept his mouth from falling open like a punk in the throes of hormonally-driven attraction, however, and nodded at her. "You look good," he said, unbuckling the rapier from his belt and offering it to her. "This will complete the look." Retrospectively, Isidore may have done well to save some of his dinner for Octavia to enjoy as well, but surely if Augusta could afford a dress, she could've afforded a meal for their pet as well. He gave the demonic dog a scratch behind the ears instead, before following in Sorcha's footsteps, settling into the posture he always used when in a meeting with professionals: back straight, eyes forward, shoulders back, and movements deliberate. The Queen of the Urutha, no matter how influential, was not his queen. Her palace room still gave him pause though. A waterfall that created a pseudo-moat around the room, and a throne cut from a massive mushroom that exuded enough of a ghostly radiance to light up the room all by itself? In a past life, this would have been childishly gaudy, the fantasy of an immature dreamer, but here, it only reflected the otherworldly prestige of the palace's owner, Queen Vasserasa No-Last-Name. An Urutha different from the others he'd seen, affected perhaps by the demon that served as Gloomhaven's guardian so many years back. Her dress was understated and elegant, her arms slim but solid. Her countenance was a mask, the same mask that so many other people of influence had learned to perfect, yet worn so naturally that Isidore wouldn't have been surprised if it was simply her natural face. And her crown... Her crown was silver. Isidore narrowed his eyes, ever so slightly, but relaxed just as swiftly. Sorcha being constantly referred to as the Storm Bearer was something worth keeping in mind. Not so different from being referred to as the Undertaker or the Midnight Man, really. A title, manifested from a reputation potent enough to reach across nations, in a world without global media. Impressive. Perhaps he'll make an impression as well. "Call me Isidore," the dark-haired man spoke, striding purposefully across the room towards Vasserasa. His gaze flickered briefly towards the male beside her, whether attendant, guard, or husband, lingering just long enough to show that he was seen, before settling back upon the queen's eyes. "Of those gathered here, I'm the least remarkable, but I thank you yet for the hospitality you extend. After such long travels, it is soothing to see such a pleasant city, no matter the gazes of its occupants." He stopped at the stairs leading up to the throne, allowing the queen to keep her high ground, and extended one hand forward for a shake. "And it's wonderful too, to have affirmed once more that this world full of great horrors will balance itself out with greater beauty."</s> <\|message\|>Novak Novak Novak still had more questions, most importantly what was going on with Leannah, but it looked like the Illuminator had lost interest in them. He felt a sense of dread rising within him over just what he had gotten himself into. Lazhira had made it clear that she believed it to be a very bad idea to do this, and Iva'Krorh had made it clear that there would be dire consequences if Novak reneged on their agreement. He didn't see any other choice of course, not if he didn't want to hand over Lazhira, the girl who had done so much to help him and the others out, or at least that's what he assured himself. Regardless of her unwillingness to disclose anything about herself- something that Novak certainly wasn't guiltless in doing- she didn't deserve to be trapped here with this crazy god. The town certainly wouldn't believe them if they returned without Lazhira and claimed to have met the Illuminator in the flesh, who coerced them into handing the girl over. But what did Lazhira think of this? Would her gratitude for him talking Iva'Krorh out of taking her amount to anything, or would she consider it more important to prevent the Illuminator from retrieving the orb? Would she backstab Novak at first opportunity using whatever powers or skills she had concealed from him? And if she did, would Narkissa cover for her, disdainful as she clearly was of Novak? Just what sort of person was Lazhira really like? Perhaps he should've asked the Illuminator about this while the god was in the mood to answer questions. Just what have I gotten myself into? Novak stepped away from the hag and back into the laboratory room so that they may converse away from the Illuminator. "Well, what do you think we should do now? There's still one unopened door down here, and Leannah still hasn't returned. I don't like the thought of leaving her behind in this place." He didn't want to talk about the deal he made with the Illuminator, so he hoped that focusing on more pressing matters would push that into the back of their minds. It might not be a good idea to spend the night here, but if they needed to, there was a living space on this level, with beds and a kitchen. "Speaking of leaving," he continued, "You two heard the Illuminator's warning too, right? Be careful though on the way out, the foolishness of mortals can't always comprehend the words of a God and may act rashly. It sounds like there's trouble waiting for us if we leave. Lazhira, what do you make of this warning? Do you know who the Illuminator may be referring to? Are there people in this region who still worship him? The people who resided in this temple, for example, are any of them still around?" @Click This</s>	<\|message\|>Bella Rosso Augusta appreciated the looks her companions had gave her as she arrived. Truthfully, this dress was a lot better looking than she thought she was going to get. The tailor definitely had great taste in outfits. "I didn't really pay much but lip service for this. And a future promise I suppose. Regardless, I left my other dress with the tailor in hopes it'll be repaired some time." The elf mentioned as she looked over the dress. This one would also be somewhat better for the cold weather outside. Then Isidore handed over a rapier to her, telling her it would "finish" the outfit. She smiled as she took the weapon. "My, a weapon for me? Well, I won't say no to this in this dangerous world." Then, they headed to the Uruthra Palace. Augusta thought she was ready for anything at this point, but boy was she wrong. The place was like it was straight out of an old fantasy movie. A mushroom throne, waterfall behind it... Truly it was difficult to imagine this prior had she not seen it. And the queen herself! She was as a being that appeared in one's dream. Even in this fantasy setting that Augusta found herself in, the queen was still a standout. Curious, Augusta used the power of her eye but was only met with a message that resounded in her head. It wasn't the same enigmatic message the goddess liked to give her. No. this was the queen herself interfering with her gift. She was glad to have met Sorcha first, as the woman's status gave her the composure to deal with this situations more. The queen knew her name. Her ability even it would seem. She swallowed back but the queen seemed intrigued? No, rather, amused by something. That something was her, wasn't it? Augusta thought to use her eye again but... Well, that seemed a poor decision at the moment. Rather, she thought about how to introduce herself. Isidore beat her to the punch and introduced himself. Well, if the queen already knew... When Isidore was finished with his introduction, Augusta gracefully took some steps forward. She gave a small curtsy to the queen and then met her amused gaze. "Greetings, Your Majesty. We are pleased to finally make your acquaintance." She mentioned giving her a smile. "And, while I feel it is only polite to introduce myself to Your Majesty, I have very recently come to ponder if you in your grand wisdom have need for an introduction from us. If in your magnanimous mercy you would forgive these words, I would appreciate it." Her words had a sense of elegance to them, despite basically calling out the queen. "However, for those that have yet to know, I shall enlighten them." Her look turned to the guards but, more particularly to the rather effeminate male standing near to the Queen. "This one is known as Augusta Aquilonia." The next part was directed towards the Queen. "Please feel at ease to refer to me merely as 'Augusta'." If the Queen knew enough, it was not unlikely she knew the elf's name from her previous life. It's not that she'd have disliked being called Bella, but it complicated things, did it not?</s>
<\|description\|>Bella Rosso Gender:Female Appearance: Goals: Bella was studying to be a History Professor with a focus on classical civilizations to the medieval era. In this other world of scattered people… Maybe she can see if she can make a Roman Empire that doesn't fall. Past Life: Bella grew up the daughter of a politician and a History Professor. Her mother is an accountant turned politician and her father is a long time History Professor. Since she was young, her father introduced her to the History of Rome and taught her all about it. By the time she was out of compulsory schooling, she was about as knowledgeable on everything during the reign of Rome as her father and had a working knowledge of the Latin language. If anyone had a question about it, she could answer easily. She went to college as a history major with a minor in political science. And the political science minor was only because her mother took up a career as a rather successful politician. Through her time in college, she assisted her mother's campaign as well as study history. Every now and then, she would go and look into other politicians and get interviews when she could. In the end, her life ended as someone stabbed her from behind. Likely from asking the wrong individual the wrong question about the wrong person. Abilities: Physical Conditioning: Peak human Your body is naturally tough, durable, and strong. The pinnacle of human physical strength, endurance, and agility. Keep training, and surely you can surpass even stronger beings. Soul Flare: The ability to turn ones soul into a weapon itself. Needed for most basic magical feats. Channel the mana present in the air through your body to achieve great feats. Allows one to interact with supernatural things, and perceive things others may not. Ability Gained: Goddess' Eye The Goddess has given you a prestigious blessing. The eye will allow you to see things about a single living target in your vision that others can not. Status, general health, current disposition, abilities, special and other such information. Use it wisely, and you could use words as effective as any weapon or use it to disable someone with as little conflict as possible. Additionally, you can see things that are unable to be seen, and interact with it, and they you. Spirits, ghosts, and other such beings and things of that nature. However - things with special protections, such as beings with a divine connection, and skills will obscure your vision. It does not reveal things that are hidden through mundane means. Trivia: -Bella played a lot of Total War: Rome II to try and put old Roman strategies to practice. -Bella can speak Italian, Latin and English Inventory: -Padded Armor -Rapier Learned Skills: -Cleansing Fire - Fire, is not always destruction. It is also life, energy. It invigorates and brings warmth to all. Were fire never to exist, humanity may have never made it through the ice ages, for without its warmth they would fall victim to the frigid cold that envelops this land. Though fire can burn wildly, furiously, and destroy all, yours can also heal and bring comfort to those. By focusing positive energies into your fire, you may heal and cleanse small wounds. -Mana Redirect - A skill allowing one to redirect magical energy tossed at them from any supernatural source. Rather than absorbing and meshing it with your own, you redirect it to some other purpose, thus weakening its effects upon you as you turn it towards something else. Generally, this will work with everything but some sources of energy would be far too strong to completely deflect, and some are easier to work with then others. -Flora Command (lesser) - You're able to command the natural world around you, to an extent. Though, as it comes from domination rather than understanding and mutual understanding, it is not out of mutual respect or because they desire it. Rather - they do not wish to incur your wrath, so they cooperate. You can't perform complex actions or move them very quickly yet, and flora with more vitality may still ignore you outright as of now.</s> <\|message\|>Takeshima Misaki (formerly Takeshima Mamoru) Misaki's eyes widened ever so slightly at Mie's initial response, the foxgirl having realized her blunder as soon as the shopkeeper mentioned what she was using to keep records. The scrolls that were in Enli's house had led her to expect otherwise, but the fact that Mie was using bamboo to keep tabs on her sales meant that technology on that front had likely regressed the the point of nonexistence—doubly so, given how Mie was surprised that she even knew of such a thing. Before she could give a proper response, though, Mie left for the storehouse, and Misaki found no real reason to stay behind when she was offering to show them to her. As much as she desired to keep herself out of the spotlight, lacking something as fundamental as paper (or, well, fundamental from her point of view) was not something she could accept. The bamboo slips that the shopkeeper revealed to her were about what she had expected while processing the matter mentally on the walk over. Compared to what she was used to, they were far from ideal; workable, yes, but given the high cost associated with them, Misaki was a bit disinclined to use them. As much as she wanted something to work with, these were still fundamentally a last resort for her. With that said, this chain of conversations had put a spark of an idea into her mind. "Ah... Thank you for the offer, but I must decline," she said, returning what Mie had given her with a smile. "Recordkeeping is essential in this line of business, and something like this is a bit too valuable for me to accept at the moment. Even so, I must thank you for the opportunity; you've given me a bit of inspiration for the rest of my time here." Assuming that Lady Mie did not press her any further, the white-haired foxgirl would promptly leave the premises, making her way off to the side before deciding to take a detour to the beach. She needed somewhere to organize her thoughts, and even at this time of day, she could use light to illuminate the sand as she charted out what she needed to handle. It'd be a troublesome road to make paper, but if she succeeded, then the theoretical return would be insanely high; if her cover as a person from another world was gone anyways, then there was really no point in trying to play coy, right? @Rune_Alchemist</s> <\|message\|>Novak Novak Novak looked over the images that the mask showed him, trying to figure out what they meant. The arrow is pretty obvious- they must have bowmen. For all I know they may have archers hiding in the fog, ready to fire as soon as they have a clear shot. The mask grabbing the symbol...it looks like the symbol on Lazhira. She seems afraid of them...it might mean that they're here for her, which would make sense considering her disfavor with the Illuminator. The flowers...I've no idea what that means. Perhaps Lazhira might understand the symbolism. Novak quickly climbed back down the rope, not wanting to leave himself open to getting shot. His climb back down gave him a bit of time to ponder on the situation. If the hunters were worshiping the Illuminator, it'd explain why the Kyrinth was upset. Not only were they breaking the village's covenant, but for all Novak knew, the hunters might be killing things or encroaching on territory that they shouldn't. It was a shame the Kyrinth wasn't here right now, because the more Novak thought about it on his way down the shaft, the more dire their situation seemed. If it was the hunters lying in wait, that meant Novak and the others wouldn't be safe even if they made it back to the village. The mask might allow Novak to identify Illuminator worshipers among the villagers, but Enli couldn't punish them without evidence. Upon reaching the bottom, he removed the mask, showing visible worry upon his face, and reported what he saw. "The mask showed me a few disconcerting images in the Temple, images that weren't there before. An arrow, a...something grabbing a symbol that looked like the one on Lazhira, and some flowers with something dripping from them, I'm not sure what that last one meant, but I don't think we should go up there." He left out the detail about the phantom mask, worried that it'd draw suspicion upon him. "I'm afraid I don't have a lot of ideas on how to tackle this," he admitted. "If Lazhira's right and it's the village hunters, they'll probably know the terrain better than us, and even if we do make it back to the village, what's stopping them from killing or abducting us in our sleep? If we surrender, they'll probably kill us to keep their secret safe. The only thing I can think of is to hunker down here and find whatever we can on this level to even the odds. I don't suppose either of you have any ideas?" There was one advantage that Novak saw- their foes couldn't anticipate that their arrival was warned of by their own god. @Click This</s> <\|message\|>Nicholas "Nick" Gallagher The Journey Begins ~ Dawn ~ Interacted with: @Rune_Alchemist Nick sighed. Looks like he just missed Donovan. Should he try to find the guy? He really should but Nick had no idea who this hunter was nor an inkling on where they could've went. "Alright, I think I'll do just that. Thank you very much, Lady Mie." Nick bowed before heading on his way. With Donovan gone and his offer to team up with those girls kaput, Nick found himself on his lonesome. Which was a bit of a problem since while his fellow Earthlings had cool, awesome powers when they came to this world, Nick appeared not to get any. Should he find himself in danger, especially against a fantastic beast, Nick could do little to defend himself. With those in mind, it was probably not a good idea for Nick to keep pursuing this dangerous quest and move on. Besides, there appeared to be a lot of people already helping this village. His presence was redundant. Although, he still should pay Enli a visit again and at the very least, tell him about Kyrnith's plan and ask the guy about the Sage and the strange, black stone that apparently belonged to him. It was his first lead to getting back home. And so, Nick went back to Enli's longhouse. "Lord Enli? You still here?" He called out. "Uhh, did a pair of girls just come by here? They're about yay-high, wearing pretty weird clothes? Did they tell you anything about Kyrnith? Uhh, we kinda met up with the god earlier." "I'm also here to ask you about a particular stone. I heard it belonged to someone called the Sage."</s> <\|message\|>Isidore @Rune_Alchemist Coinage: 8 Silver, 5 Copper * The (shredded) clothing on his back. * A fur cloak. * Seed of the Demon Plant * Untanned boar skin. * Leather Belt * Knight's Shield * Knight's Dagger * Knight's Longsword * Dwarf's Polearm * Rope * Some preserved food Enough for two people to last a few days. * Roll of what seemed to be a mat of thick fur, likely for sleeping on Comfortable, but only one. * A heavy looking fur/cloth blanket. Cozy, warm and heavy. Good for sleeping in colder climates. * Communication horn Made from bone, hollow and likely used for communication. * A small pot and a ladle * Frozen canteen of water * Map of the Under roads. A map detailing some routes used by the Dwarves and Shadow Elves to travel in their subterranean homes. Its not entirely complete, but it at least shows the routes to the two most notable settlements and several other places of note. Unless you travel off the paths, you probably won't get lost. Vasserasa's handshake…well, this was certainly a culture clash indeed. Isidore held her hand firmly though, shaking thrice before releasing. More interesting was the evasiveness of her language around topics that seemed self-evident to Isidore. Of course it wasn't a simple raiding party, if there was someone of importance in Dirithen society involved, if the gates to the Dirithen city were sealed off. It would have been wonderful, really, if the queen offered any time for questions, but if the discussion was to be tabled until tomorrow, then there was something to be considered. What preparation needs to be made by Vasserasa before this discussion was had? He remained silent as the rest of the conversation closed out, picking out what information was important to remember. Cultural exchange largely for the purpose of homogenizing history and exchanging military information? Or, in other words, not cultural exchange at all. Rullphana was a name that popped up as well. An advisor or a professor, perhaps, paid for by royalty. And finally, Nersherit was at least willing to talk when asked, establishing that there was a library in the palace. A place worth visiting later on, doubly so if his position as part of the Sirithen delegation afford him more access than a mere guest. The rooms were nice though, and after days spent out in the wilderness without even a proper bed, Isidore's body positively ached for the soft mattress. The cracks in the walls from which vegetation sprouted was a nice touch as well, reminiscent of that Japanese crafts concept that one of his associates had told him about before, and the lighting managed to strike a balance between 'bright enough to read' and 'dark enough to sleep'. It was good, then. Better that he had his own room too. As Sorcha brought everyone into her shared room and spoke, Isidore swung his pack down and retrieved his map. Laying it down on the table, he spoke, "This map may be helpful. There's a sizable Dirithen population in Gloomhaven. I will ask around. As for Firebeard…you believe he's only part of a faction, not the leader? He was addressed as a Lord by the ones that attacked us."</s>	<\|message\|>Bella Rosso Augusta had managed to do two things simultaneously. First, she angered the Royal Guard. Second, she managed to amuse the queen. Still, as they were guided through the halls her vision curiously stayed on the prince. He was a bit more effeminate than she would expect a prince though perhaps his mother's physical appearance as an almost fae like being had some effect on that. The woman wanted to ask him some questions but... well, that could wait for now. Sorcha was to talk to them. She settle what small amount of this she had in her room save her recently obtained rapier that she kept at her side. She stood amazed in front of her bed and wanted to fall into it but kept that desire in check. If she did that, there was no real guarantee that she would get back up. Rather, she walked with Octavia and went to the rendezvous with Isidore, Leuca and Sorcha. She listened to Sorcha speak, followed by Isidore though she found need to interject. "Lord could also mean a noble below the king on the hierarchy somewhere. Well, not that I know Dwarven culture." She made the assumption that there was indeed a king or queen perhaps but who knew. "Alternatively, there could be other types of factions. Religion, an unruly group wanting change... People wanting to further a specific cause." Augusta held a pose in obvious thought. "Sorcha, do you perhaps know the factions in the Dwarven stronghold? And in Gloomhaven?" She asked, turning to the human woman. "I like to battle with words, personally. And I like to know with who I wage war before I commit to it." In obvious reference to the incident she caused in the throne room. "They can make you friends and enemies in the same breath." She obviously didn't take well to someone targeting Leuca.</s>
<\|description\|>Bella Rosso Gender:Female Appearance: Goals: Bella was studying to be a History Professor with a focus on classical civilizations to the medieval era. In this other world of scattered people… Maybe she can see if she can make a Roman Empire that doesn't fall. Past Life: Bella grew up the daughter of a politician and a History Professor. Her mother is an accountant turned politician and her father is a long time History Professor. Since she was young, her father introduced her to the History of Rome and taught her all about it. By the time she was out of compulsory schooling, she was about as knowledgeable on everything during the reign of Rome as her father and had a working knowledge of the Latin language. If anyone had a question about it, she could answer easily. She went to college as a history major with a minor in political science. And the political science minor was only because her mother took up a career as a rather successful politician. Through her time in college, she assisted her mother's campaign as well as study history. Every now and then, she would go and look into other politicians and get interviews when she could. In the end, her life ended as someone stabbed her from behind. Likely from asking the wrong individual the wrong question about the wrong person. Abilities: Physical Conditioning: Peak human Your body is naturally tough, durable, and strong. The pinnacle of human physical strength, endurance, and agility. Keep training, and surely you can surpass even stronger beings. Soul Flare: The ability to turn ones soul into a weapon itself. Needed for most basic magical feats. Channel the mana present in the air through your body to achieve great feats. Allows one to interact with supernatural things, and perceive things others may not. Ability Gained: Goddess' Eye The Goddess has given you a prestigious blessing. The eye will allow you to see things about a single living target in your vision that others can not. Status, general health, current disposition, abilities, special and other such information. Use it wisely, and you could use words as effective as any weapon or use it to disable someone with as little conflict as possible. Additionally, you can see things that are unable to be seen, and interact with it, and they you. Spirits, ghosts, and other such beings and things of that nature. However - things with special protections, such as beings with a divine connection, and skills will obscure your vision. It does not reveal things that are hidden through mundane means. Trivia: -Bella played a lot of Total War: Rome II to try and put old Roman strategies to practice. -Bella can speak Italian, Latin and English Inventory: -Padded Armor -Rapier Learned Skills: -Cleansing Fire - Fire, is not always destruction. It is also life, energy. It invigorates and brings warmth to all. Were fire never to exist, humanity may have never made it through the ice ages, for without its warmth they would fall victim to the frigid cold that envelops this land. Though fire can burn wildly, furiously, and destroy all, yours can also heal and bring comfort to those. By focusing positive energies into your fire, you may heal and cleanse small wounds. -Mana Redirect - A skill allowing one to redirect magical energy tossed at them from any supernatural source. Rather than absorbing and meshing it with your own, you redirect it to some other purpose, thus weakening its effects upon you as you turn it towards something else. Generally, this will work with everything but some sources of energy would be far too strong to completely deflect, and some are easier to work with then others. -Flora Command (lesser) - You're able to command the natural world around you, to an extent. Though, as it comes from domination rather than understanding and mutual understanding, it is not out of mutual respect or because they desire it. Rather - they do not wish to incur your wrath, so they cooperate. You can't perform complex actions or move them very quickly yet, and flora with more vitality may still ignore you outright as of now.</s> <\|message\|>"Malphas" Malphas Super Secret Cult Beating@Rune_Alchemist Malphas was a bit disappointed at how the first group had done nothing thus far. This disappointment was short-lived, however, as Malphas began to assume that those inside the temple were somehow aware of their planned ambush. Not an issue, really. After all, Malphas had already assumed such was the case. With the number of divine interventions he's received, it would only make sense if the others were blessed with such knowledge as well. The only issue was the preparations they could be making while within the temple. With the fear of a planned counter-attack, Malphas quickly made his way to the first group's brash leader. "There's the possibility they may know of our ambush. Change of plans, then." Malphas looked at the arrow in his hand, remembering his flashy entrance moments prior. This gave him an idea. "We'll smoke them out. Build a fire near the temple's entrance. Yes, yes... Nothing you mind getting burned in there, right? Ah, we won't even need to burn anything within the temple proper. Have your group gather some lumber near the grounds, just enough to make a nice and smoky fire. I'll have my group gather the torches from the hall." With that, Malphas walked just out of earshot of the first group's leader, signaling to his group to rally towards him. "Gather the torches from your worshipping hall. We're gonna build a fire pit near the entrance of the main temple and seal them in. I'll be helping the others gather enough wood to do so." With both groups off his tail for the time being, this gave Malphas ample time to think of some sort of escape. Before he could scheme to himself, however, he noticed a familiar sight scurrying off behind the temple! Was that the hag from earlier? Malphas remembered just what she said the night before... Was this a sign of the Illuminator? Or was this a trap? Regardless of what it was, Malphas cautiously made his way towards the ragged figure, clutching onto his poisoned dagger tightly. Assuming this was a trap, Malphas gathered the very same energy he manipulated yesterday into his hand. He'll use that light trick that blinded him moments before to make his escape!</s> <\|message\|>Novak Novak Novak considered his options as he looked down at the mannequin and the note, not particularly surprised or upset that the god had decided to ditch them. If Lazhira's hunches and Novak's mask were any indication, going out the way they came wasn't an option, not unless they wanted to risk getting ventilated by poisoned arrows or getting stabbed by poisoned knives while navigating the fog. On the other hand, they couldn't stay here forever, if the hunters were out there, they might eventually get impatient and delve into the temple. The laboratory and its apparatus wasn't much use to him either. If Novak's hypothesis about it being the source of those slimes was correct, it could be possible to create more to even the odds against the hunters, but he had no idea how to do that, and even if he did, they didn't have the time and they probably didn't have the necessary ingredients. Perhaps one of his companions knew how to better utilize what was here, but the most he could see them doing here was using the furniture to barricade the exit to buy them a little more time. It was possible, Novak considered, that the altar might have a secret exit, with which the Illuminator could have used to slip away without a trace. On the other hand, it might simply be that the Illuminator teleported out. Another possibility would be exploring the barricaded room. Even if it didn't lead out of here, the furniture blocking the door suggested that the former inhabitants feared whatever was behind it. It might be risky to unseal something that the Illuminator's faithful were afraid of, but at this point, riskier still was sitting around and waiting for the Illuminator's faithful to come down here. With his mind made up, he dashed over to the blocked door. "Could I get some help unblocking this door?" Novak said as he tossed a chair away, "I don't know what the Illuminator's faithful were afraid of enough that they'd try try to block this door, but if Lazhira is right about them using lethal poison on their weapons, we're screwed if we don't find either an escape route or a way to even the odds." If Lazhira and Narkissa protested or opposed Novak's actions, he would heed their advice and cease to dismantle the barricade. If not, he would continue to pull it apart until the door could be opened. Judging by the rest of the temple, if there was something alive in there it'd probably be another slime, but fortunately his companions were familiar with how to kill them. @Click This</s> <\|message\|>Nicholas "Nick" Gallagher The Journey Begins ~ Dawn ~ Interacted with: @Rune_Alchemist "Wait, wait. So is the Sage's name Chaenelith or Urumna?" Nick was briefly confused at the multitude of names dropped by Enli. "And they're real friends with the Moon called Delpithi. Did I get that right?" Then came Enli's question as to why Nick was looking for the Sage, to which the young man exhaled a sigh. "I wanted to keep this as a secret as much as possible but... Okay, notice the weird outsiders that's been coming into your village all day? Including me?" Nick gave the village leader time to think. "Yeah, they're... we're... not from this world. While I'm not a hundred percent sure about this, I'm willing to bet that all of us came from a world called 'Earth'. It's another world much different from this one but... It's a long story, okay?" "While my fellow 'outsiders' seem to be having fun running around here, I've got a life in Earth. I wanna get back." Nick revealed his ultimate goal in this second life. "Now, Kyrnith told me that this Sage person may know a thing or two about traveling dimensions. That may be my key to getting back home. If not, well, at least it's a step on the right direction." "No offense to your world, of course. It's pretty nice here but like they say, 'There's no place like home'." Nick finished. "So... are there any specific words or phrases I should say when I pray to the obelisk?"</s>	<\|message\|>Bella Rosso Augusta thought Sorcha's words. "If we ignore any possible reason I'd want to bring about the ruin of Firebeard via the attempt of his subordinates to kill me... I can't forgive what ever possible reason he would want Leuca." For some reason, she felt the need to add. "And, of course, I don't appreciate his men trying to kill me." She went to stroke her chin for a few seconds. "Well, regardless. We have things to do today, do we not? Isidore, I will need to talk to you later about something but for now, I that thing we got underground. You know what I mean. We might get some answers." Obviously, she was talking about the demon seed that was currently in his possession. "I have a meeting with a certain Lady Rullphana with Octavia to do a little research study on it... Oh! And, if you all hear anything about the Earth Weaver situation, let me know. I may be in debt to a certain tailor who seems to have a problem securing a certain type of silk." Augusta stood and thought if there was anything else to discuss. She seemed to be in a rush perhaps, though she was wanting to get as much information as she could. Hopefully, she could ask Rullphana about who she should investigate if it seemed there were those inside Gloomhaven in league with Firebeard. She took a breath and walked over to Leuca before giving her a small hug. "There's no need to worry. Between the all of us, this Firebeard fool doesn't stand a chance." After that, she'd collect the seed... If Isidore would hand it over... and be on her way.</s>
<\|description\|>Bella Rosso Gender:Female Appearance: Goals: Bella was studying to be a History Professor with a focus on classical civilizations to the medieval era. In this other world of scattered people… Maybe she can see if she can make a Roman Empire that doesn't fall. Past Life: Bella grew up the daughter of a politician and a History Professor. Her mother is an accountant turned politician and her father is a long time History Professor. Since she was young, her father introduced her to the History of Rome and taught her all about it. By the time she was out of compulsory schooling, she was about as knowledgeable on everything during the reign of Rome as her father and had a working knowledge of the Latin language. If anyone had a question about it, she could answer easily. She went to college as a history major with a minor in political science. And the political science minor was only because her mother took up a career as a rather successful politician. Through her time in college, she assisted her mother's campaign as well as study history. Every now and then, she would go and look into other politicians and get interviews when she could. In the end, her life ended as someone stabbed her from behind. Likely from asking the wrong individual the wrong question about the wrong person. Abilities: Physical Conditioning: Peak human Your body is naturally tough, durable, and strong. The pinnacle of human physical strength, endurance, and agility. Keep training, and surely you can surpass even stronger beings. Soul Flare: The ability to turn ones soul into a weapon itself. Needed for most basic magical feats. Channel the mana present in the air through your body to achieve great feats. Allows one to interact with supernatural things, and perceive things others may not. Ability Gained: Goddess' Eye The Goddess has given you a prestigious blessing. The eye will allow you to see things about a single living target in your vision that others can not. Status, general health, current disposition, abilities, special and other such information. Use it wisely, and you could use words as effective as any weapon or use it to disable someone with as little conflict as possible. Additionally, you can see things that are unable to be seen, and interact with it, and they you. Spirits, ghosts, and other such beings and things of that nature. However - things with special protections, such as beings with a divine connection, and skills will obscure your vision. It does not reveal things that are hidden through mundane means. Trivia: -Bella played a lot of Total War: Rome II to try and put old Roman strategies to practice. -Bella can speak Italian, Latin and English Inventory: -Padded Armor -Rapier Learned Skills: -Cleansing Fire - Fire, is not always destruction. It is also life, energy. It invigorates and brings warmth to all. Were fire never to exist, humanity may have never made it through the ice ages, for without its warmth they would fall victim to the frigid cold that envelops this land. Though fire can burn wildly, furiously, and destroy all, yours can also heal and bring comfort to those. By focusing positive energies into your fire, you may heal and cleanse small wounds. -Mana Redirect - A skill allowing one to redirect magical energy tossed at them from any supernatural source. Rather than absorbing and meshing it with your own, you redirect it to some other purpose, thus weakening its effects upon you as you turn it towards something else. Generally, this will work with everything but some sources of energy would be far too strong to completely deflect, and some are easier to work with then others. -Flora Command (lesser) - You're able to command the natural world around you, to an extent. Though, as it comes from domination rather than understanding and mutual understanding, it is not out of mutual respect or because they desire it. Rather - they do not wish to incur your wrath, so they cooperate. You can't perform complex actions or move them very quickly yet, and flora with more vitality may still ignore you outright as of now.</s> <\|message\|>Isidore @Rune_Alchemist Coinage: 8 Silver, 5 Copper * The (shredded) clothing on his back. * A fur cloak. * Seed of the Demon Plant * Untanned boar skin. * Leather Belt * Knight's Shield * Knight's Dagger * Knight's Longsword * Dwarf's Polearm * Rope * Some preserved food Enough for two people to last a few days. * Roll of what seemed to be a mat of thick fur, likely for sleeping on Comfortable, but only one. * A heavy looking fur/cloth blanket. Cozy, warm and heavy. Good for sleeping in colder climates. * Communication horn Made from bone, hollow and likely used for communication. * A small pot and a ladle * Frozen canteen of water * Map of the Under roads. A map detailing some routes used by the Dwarves and Shadow Elves to travel in their subterranean homes. Its not entirely complete, but it at least shows the routes to the two most notable settlements and several other places of note. Unless you travel off the paths, you probably won't get lost. So Firebeard was likely a second-tier, hm? He'll have to convene with Otti at a latter time then, to get a grasp of just how wide or tall this social pyramid looked like. Another monarchial society though, perhaps with stricter observations of hierarchy than what was within Gloomhaven. It'd be good to visit some time. Perhaps unavoidable if they were to guarantee Leuca's long-term safety. Isidore looked towards Sorcha. "My work has been pro bono so far, but now…I'll expect proper compensation for my services." He clasped his hands together. "Such matters can be left for another time though." He stood up, nodded once towards Leuca, then said to Augusta, "Yes. Shall we?" And with that, Isidore opened the door for the reincarnated Sirithen, before following her out. He had no intention of being left out of a potentially illuminating discussion with Vasserasa's advisor, after all, especially not when the matter of demons pertained to them both.</s> <\|message\|>"Ah yes, the immutable fact. One of the few things that defines a person. Tell me, what is yours..." Into the depths? This@Crimson Paladin --- Lazhira would start helping Novak dismantle the barricade. It wasn't really hard. The wooden furniture was rotten, starting to break down already. As long as they were careful they could easily have it done in a few mere minutes. Donning the mask, would reveal...surprisingly little to Novak. Though, he'd notice a familiar sight. The skull from earlier, shown squeezing through a crack in the bottom of the door. Had it gone in there? What was that creature, anyway? It would also show a few handprints on the door, like someone had been holding it, or beating against it? Odd, that they'd be on this side. Nothing else could be seen. Narkissa, however, could feel a light draft of air, but where it was coming from was unknown. Perhaps there was an exit in this room somewhere, but there was also a chance that it was just some...ventilation or something from above, not suitable for human passage...but it was their only lead, so far. Inside, should they deign to enter, was...quite the sight. The room seemed to be a large rectangle. Cages. Cages would line the walls. About the size of large dog kennels. Were animals kept here? It was easy to assume that at first, but upon closer inspection, the remains of a few human skeletons could easily be seen. Seems like aside from these features, the room was barren. A prison, or holding area of some sort. At the back of the room, against one wall however, was a some sort of grotesque looking black blob, undulating and writhing as it seemed to be stuck to the wall. It looked fairly similar to the one Narkissa had fought earlier, though it seemed to be stuck somehow, where it was. At the base of it, was that tiny little skull that Novak had seen earlier, it seemed to possess a few tendrils of its own and was holding a small piece of meat up to the larger one. Upon being noticed however, it would give a high pitched shriek as though it was startled, retreat back into its home and scurry into a nearby kennel. There seemed like there might be a door behind the slime, if they could find someway to remove it. The large slime creature would shudder, unlinking one of its gelatinous tendrils from the wall and attempting to lash out towards the group. It seemed slow, cumbersome almost. The Roma Mob @Pyromania99 --- "Hm. I see." Sorcha would reply to Isidore. She had expected no less, really, from the way he carried himself. "Worry not. Remuneration will be plentiful from myself, and I am sure Leuca's uncle would be more than grateful for your services so far." As much as she'd like to have them help for free...it was, in a way, also comforting. She understood desiring payment for services rendered better than most. Perhaps it was a chance to finally put some of it to use, at least. "Regardless, thank you for your services thus far. Now, Leuca...lets get you out of those rags and into something more appropriate." Isiodre and Augusta both would leave the room, with Octavia trotting along behind them and leaving Leuca in Sorcha's care. It wasn't hard to find Rullphana, she was still in the same tower she had been in earlier. The guard from before would eye both Isidore and Augusta with some contempt, but otherwise say nothing and allow them to pass. "Ah. Augusta, you've returned...and...my, that's quite the handsome catch you have there." She'd chuckle. "Weh! Its the old hag and the cool dude that was with that other elf!" Off to the side, was also someone who would be familiar to the both of them. The elf from the weapon shop as well as the one from the tailors. "What are you two doing here?" "Shush, you." Rullphana would smack the back of Raelzeth's head earning a pout and a click of her tongue. "Apologies for my apprentice. She can get a little...hot-headed. Probably that dwarvish blood in her. I swear by the sage, she's more of a handful than the prince was as a child." She'd lament. "A-ahem, but anyways, what brings you back so soon? And who is your friend here, Augusta? Here to fulfill your deal already? I admire your ethic." Builder and a Traveler --- "I'm...not quite sure what you mean." Enli replied to Nicholas with a furrowed brow. "I...yes, you came from elsewhere? 'Earth'? It must be a village very far away, but I don't see how that is...relevant?" It seemed the village elder may have misunderstood Nicholas' words somewhat, assuming that 'earth' was just some far off village or gathering of people or place. "Regardless...yes, the Sage has a number of names. I believe those of the mountain chose 'Urumna' as it means something in their ancient tongue - while Chaenelith is supposedly the name they were born with...though I can't say for certain." He'd pause, humming briefly as he would think over Nicholas' other words. "There's mention of a 'Moonblossom' at times in some records, although I don't know what it is. Other than that...I can't say." He shook his head. "I apologize I can't be of more help in this matter." --- Send Feet Pics Chulainn "How would they know? Unless the girl...hm, its possible. Fine, then." The hunter replied with a grunt. "Alright, good of a plan as any. You heard him, men. Start getting wood. Cut down some smaller trees if you need to!" He'd shout. And so the group of hunters would get to work collecting wood. If they weren't going to come to them, then they'd need to somehow make them come out. The command he gave to his group, too, was soon carried out. They'd grab the torches and other burnable lights that could be carried and carry them to the front of the old temple in order to be used. And then he would notice the hag. Cautiously, he would approach. The mist surrounding the temple rather thick, here, obscuring most of his vision...but a trap, it did not seem to be. "Suspicion will serve you well, boy." She would say, before he even turned the corner of the temple, acknowledging his presence. "But you should know that thing won't even scratch me. More importantly, your quarry is getting away. Or you could choose to quit the field, but eh. I wonder what the hunters would think of you after that. Maybe they'll spread rumors of a coward, and it'll reach other people!" She would cackle. "Seize every opportunity, boy. Those who don't never amount to anything." "Malphas." A familiar voice. Soyala would approach from around the other side of the temple, a mildly concerned face. "Seems that merchant has taken an interest in our thief. She's sent one of her...specialists to find them. I tried waylaying her, but the skills those from Chagawa possess are...difficult to deal with...why are you back here, anyways?" She'd ask, taking a quick look around, but the hag was gone, as though she had never been there to start with.</s>	<\|message\|>Bella Rosso Isidore coming with her wasn't too surprising really. Augusta wasn't the only one curious about the demons after all. Still, it was somewhat insulting having someone call her an Old Hag when she as much as entered the room. Somehow, she seemed a bit visibly irritated with this. "My, my. Madame Rullphana, your apprentice has as loose a mouth as she is cute. Perhaps she should learn to watch it carefully before she speaks the wrong thing to the wrong person." There was a rather intense glare from Augusta toward the apprentice that dissipated rather quickly as she turned her attention back to Rullphana. The elf quickly cleared her throat before she spoke again. "But yes. I've come to deliver on a part of our deal. This man is Isidore. I believe I mentioned my human partner prior..." She's had a busy day so she can't quite remember if she mentioned it. "Regardless, I figured you'd love the chance for an extended study while we're in town. Isidore, would you be a dear and hand the seed to Madame Rullphana?" She asked the man with a smile. "She's going to have a fun time studying it for a bit." Of course, there was nothing in the deal that said Rullphana got to keep the seed. "In return, she's going to teach me magic and give a rundown of demons. I figured you'd be interested in that as well." Augusta seemed confident in her choice at least. She was rather excited to learn more about magic, even if she didn't start that lesson today. She wondered if she need to take care of some other things first or not. Well, Rullphana might be excited to study it, guess she'll see.</s>
<\|description\|>Bella Rosso Gender:Female Appearance: Goals: Bella was studying to be a History Professor with a focus on classical civilizations to the medieval era. In this other world of scattered people… Maybe she can see if she can make a Roman Empire that doesn't fall. Past Life: Bella grew up the daughter of a politician and a History Professor. Her mother is an accountant turned politician and her father is a long time History Professor. Since she was young, her father introduced her to the History of Rome and taught her all about it. By the time she was out of compulsory schooling, she was about as knowledgeable on everything during the reign of Rome as her father and had a working knowledge of the Latin language. If anyone had a question about it, she could answer easily. She went to college as a history major with a minor in political science. And the political science minor was only because her mother took up a career as a rather successful politician. Through her time in college, she assisted her mother's campaign as well as study history. Every now and then, she would go and look into other politicians and get interviews when she could. In the end, her life ended as someone stabbed her from behind. Likely from asking the wrong individual the wrong question about the wrong person. Abilities: Physical Conditioning: Peak human Your body is naturally tough, durable, and strong. The pinnacle of human physical strength, endurance, and agility. Keep training, and surely you can surpass even stronger beings. Soul Flare: The ability to turn ones soul into a weapon itself. Needed for most basic magical feats. Channel the mana present in the air through your body to achieve great feats. Allows one to interact with supernatural things, and perceive things others may not. Ability Gained: Goddess' Eye The Goddess has given you a prestigious blessing. The eye will allow you to see things about a single living target in your vision that others can not. Status, general health, current disposition, abilities, special and other such information. Use it wisely, and you could use words as effective as any weapon or use it to disable someone with as little conflict as possible. Additionally, you can see things that are unable to be seen, and interact with it, and they you. Spirits, ghosts, and other such beings and things of that nature. However - things with special protections, such as beings with a divine connection, and skills will obscure your vision. It does not reveal things that are hidden through mundane means. Trivia: -Bella played a lot of Total War: Rome II to try and put old Roman strategies to practice. -Bella can speak Italian, Latin and English Inventory: -Padded Armor -Rapier Learned Skills: -Cleansing Fire - Fire, is not always destruction. It is also life, energy. It invigorates and brings warmth to all. Were fire never to exist, humanity may have never made it through the ice ages, for without its warmth they would fall victim to the frigid cold that envelops this land. Though fire can burn wildly, furiously, and destroy all, yours can also heal and bring comfort to those. By focusing positive energies into your fire, you may heal and cleanse small wounds. -Mana Redirect - A skill allowing one to redirect magical energy tossed at them from any supernatural source. Rather than absorbing and meshing it with your own, you redirect it to some other purpose, thus weakening its effects upon you as you turn it towards something else. Generally, this will work with everything but some sources of energy would be far too strong to completely deflect, and some are easier to work with then others. -Flora Command (lesser) - You're able to command the natural world around you, to an extent. Though, as it comes from domination rather than understanding and mutual understanding, it is not out of mutual respect or because they desire it. Rather - they do not wish to incur your wrath, so they cooperate. You can't perform complex actions or move them very quickly yet, and flora with more vitality may still ignore you outright as of now.</s> <\|message\|>Oda Nobunaga He still sought her attention did he? Then, that was exactly the thing she wouldn't given him. Nobunaga was quite aware of the type of person this was. Even if the deity's offer was genuine, there was no telling what else would be attached to it. This was the enemy general, and there was no denying the fact that he was a skilled manipulator. So she would not grant him the opportunity to bait her into being manipulated. She would offer him nothing. For Nobunaga did not truly intend to merely destroy his influence in this village. A reckless god had no place in the world. No matter how long it took, she would crush his influence and reduce him to nothing. Knowledge would be forged by discovery, by diplomacy, by interacting with the natural world. Not by the whims of a reckless god. But the first steps were much smaller ones. The petite black-haired girl paused a moment. Ah, Novak? The man who had aided in killing the scaled beast that attacked the hunters. It appeared there were further pressing issues, and possibly quite tied to the matter at hand. But first things first. "Is something the matter, Enli-san?" she asked, as she approached, bowing politely after a moment's pause, "I certainly hope I find you well, but it seems there may be some matters worthy of concern afoot." @Crimson Paladin</s> <\|message\|>Novak Novak "I appreciate your offer, Enli," Novak replied, removing his helmet and placing it on his lap. "As it turns out I do have some questions about it." Enli's offer to answer questions about the temple was fortuitous for Novak, who hadn't been able to get much from Lazhira. The adventurer hoped to further explain more about the temple if they had time, but couldn't pass up an opportunity to learn more about just what he had gotten himself into. In particular, he wanted to know more about the orb that he had perhaps foolishly agreed to help retrieve. Before he could present his question, however, Nobunaga arrived. She spoke to Enli, claiming that there was a matter of concern that needed to discussed. As if there wasn't enough bad news going around today... "Hello, Nobunaga," Novak welcomed her. "I actually have a matter of concern myself that I was about to ask Enli, if you'd allow it." Novak didn't want to delay Nobunaga's news, but he really needed to get this question out of the way. It also might be a good idea to make a mental note to later thank her for killing that beast whose scales he now wore. "As I was saying, there are some things that we discovered that we don't know the entire context of," he said, turning back to the village chief. "While I was searching the lower levels, I learned of an orb that had been stolen from a pedestal in the temple, and that the Illuminator is quite upset about its theft. Lazhira seems to think that returning it would be a bad thing, but she's been stubbornly elusive about what she knows. Just what is this orb? What's so important about it?" There were many other things Novak wanted to ask about- what sort of twisted human experiments were people doing there? Are such dark deeds considered remotely morally acceptable by this friendly village? Were those slimes made from people? What's the deal with Lazhira, and how is she tied into this? Had there been any word of Leannah's return? However, between Enli's meeting with the Kyrinth and Nobunaga's news, it'd be better off to not burden the chief with too many questions. @Rune_Alchemist</s> <\|message\|>Takeshima Misaki (formerly Takeshima Mamoru) With a somewhat bitter smile, Misaki nodded her head in agreement with Narkissa's comments. Redefining a standardized system would take a great deal of work, but as far as the current situation went, it was less of a priority than the goal that they had in mind. Similarly, the fact that she knew the methodology but not the specifics with which to recreate a basic paper meant that there was a great deal of experimentation in order. With the load split and everyone moving to work on their own tasks for the day, the foxgirl was simply left to figure things out on her own. A rather troublesome task, yes, but not one wholly impossible to do with what knowledge she had. Bidding farewell to Narkissa for the moment, Misaki departed the town in pursuit of the bamboo-like plant she had mentioned earlier. The walk there was not without worry, of course—weaponless as she was, an ambush of any sort would likely not pan out well in the least—but by some miracle or another, no such worries seemed to befall her. Gathering the shoots would prove nice to test in terms of culinary value, but they afforded little value compared to the full-grown plant. The young woman found some manner of peace in her ability to at least snap the stalks and bring the longer plants down without a tool; trees, they were not. Of course, that was where the foxgirl spent most of her time gathering; processing them here would be both inefficient and possibly add additional impurities, neither of which she wished for. But the slightest sound of something approaching caused her to stop in her tracks and look around in worry— Only for the same deer she had befriended the day before to bound through the woods towards her. Momentarily taken aback as she was at its appearance, though, Misaki soon found herself understanding why it had come. "...Oh no." Panic gripped Misaki's heart as she immediately knelt down and grabbed one of the stalks of bamboo at her feet and lifted it up like a spear. She had no formal training, of course, but even a makeshift weapon like this would work better than nothing. It was that thought that led her to posture aggressively towards the oncoming pair of predators, weapon in hand as she attempted to make them back off. If they approached, it would only make sense to try and swing back; if they got close, then the pole could work just as well to block... Right?</s> <\|message\|>Narkissa Langdon Narkissa Langdon @PKMNB0Y Narkissa wasn't too picky about quality wood. She was just going to build a basic frame, after all, not a precision instrument or timber for an actual wood frame house. Even so, finding wood that suited her tastes –which paradoxically still remained at a high standard—took her a while. It was only after became fed up on her own that she found something that suited her task after asking some of the villagers. Very conveniently, it was an actual lumber gathering site. Small, yes, but complete with all the basic tools that she needed, minus the convenient electric saw to reduce logs to nice uniform planks. She knew she couldn't win it all, though, so she picked up an idle hand axe and got to work, grateful for her newfound youthful body. It didn't take long for her to realize that she had company, though, although she had to question the wisdom of anybody trying to sneak up on and attack anybody that was brandishing a handaxe. Thankfully, she realized it wasn't a cultist on a misguided attack, but a friendly face. "Oh, Lazhira! Fancy seeing you here," she greeted, before giving the girl a bit of a questioning look. Despite her own words, she doubted she'd run into her here by coincidence, and indeed she wasn't, as she quickly realized. "It was pretty obvious from the start, yeah," she agreed, before setting down the axe against a nearby log. "I can't say I'm that busy since this is a bit of a side project… I do appreciate the trust you've put on me, though." They'd only known each other for a few days, after all, so really, she was flattered. "Ah, yes, the Illuminator is your dad—wait, what!?" Of all the secrets that Narkissa thought Lazhira was going to hit her with, that one was not what she expected. Wow, was she actually in the story of some ancient Greek legend? The new information made a lot of things make sense, though, but at the same time, it changed just about everything. "Err… does that make you a demigod, then?" She couldn't help but to open with that line, but immediately moved to rub her temple with her fingers. "Well, that explains why he wants you back so much." She coughed. "What's your story, then?"</s>	<\|message\|>Bella Rosso Augusta smiled at Rullphana before she left. "It's not that I don't wish to know more, but a well sharpened knife cuts meat easier than rusty one, wouldn't you agree?" From there she turned and left with the guard woman huffing behind her. The woman smirked and looked at the guard. She used her power to glance a name from her. "Yes, it's sad I must leave. But worry not Vallanur, I shall return tomorrow. It should only be a fleeting moment until I return. I just know how dearly you'll miss me~" The above ground elf said before walking off, waving goodbye. But it wasn't much longer before Octavia started to act weird. Even without her eye she could tell something was really weird. Rampage, huh? Well, that could prove to be a problem. "Now then... How to rectify this problem..." The woman spoke to herself. Of course, she had no money. Another problem to compound on it. She pondered on it for a bit. She went through options in her head. People? Obviously not. In fact, she was slightly worried that thought popped in her head. The mushrooms around this place? Potential problems with that on multiple levels. A favor from the Queen? Perhaps she could ask the Queen. That prospect was possibly the most frightening yet... realistic option. As far as preparing a lot of food. She ushered Octavia along and approached the Throne Room again. She mustered her courage before showing her face to the guards. They probably disliked her for her attitude earlier and that was all thr more reason not to back down. She didn't want the to look down on her for a weak personality that stepped back from a hostile glance. "Greetings, I wish to have an audience with Her Majesty." She told the guard at the front of the door leading into the room. He let her in, though he hid his emotions well. She couldn't exactly tell what he thought of her. As she entered the room, she took to walking towards the throne and at a certain distance, she stopped and gave the Queen a curtsy. "Greetings, Your Majesty. It pleases me to see you once again." The woman held her curtsy as she said that and returned to a normal stance with one hand cupped over the other in front of her after. She looked the Queen in the eyes though refused to use her power. Whenever she used it on these powerful beings, she would get this body-wracking headache and Augusta did not wish to feel that again. "I came to request a favor, or perhaps a trade of something, though I have little to offer but my limited skills and an able body." Augusta said, giving the Queen a small wink for emphasis. Assistance to feed a seemingly ever hungry dog. She wondered what price she would have to pay for such a thing. "Of course, I assume you already know what favor I would ask?" She couldn't help but be a little cheeky in the situation."</s>
<\|description\|>Alice Sicilly Gender: Female Appearance: A fay of standard stature, she stands at 20cm in height with a thin build and is incredibly light-weight, Her wings are similar to the ornate ornmanets adorning her head. But they are hidden from view much of the time. Goals: To draw out the potential of non-humans to the fullest. Past Life: A crescendo of calamity that is what is best used to aptly describe the life of the girl known as Alice, brought up in a strictly religious household, under strict tenants, a personality as soft as hers couldn't hope to make it through unscathed, No amount of prayer to a god would alleviate the suffering she went through, Neither could she ever truely connect with friends due to her parents strict rules. She could only hope that people believed her friendship to be true when she worked extra hard for them. Though this only lead to more pain in her future as she would give them everything she had. Only for it to be used by malignant persons. For a free lunch, A free seat? Perhaps even free labour. If she didn't comply then she was insulted, and if she did comply then she only fed their view of her. But still she held onto some thin ghost of a hope that being a good person was good enough. And that humanity wasn't all bad. Until. She was beaten bloody for allegedly trying to take another womans boyfriend. She became a recluse however as time went on, becoming more and more afraid of upsetting others that she would lock herself away for increasingly long periods of time drowning herself in study of book and biblical. She felt so small and insignificant in front of others that perhaps she should simply disappear. But that faded cursed hope within her still drove her to try to help others for it was what a good person would do? Alice was shot in her home, aged 24 after the delusional homeless man she had been helping at the shelter had accused her of theft. It was in her final moments that she gave up on it all... Damned be all the people that had used her, and damned be all the people that had allowed her to be used. Humanity was diseased, rotten to its core. And god if he existed was never a loving sort. Of course... it wasn't the end was it? Abilities: "Your body is already in peak physical condition. I made sure of that myself. Can't have you dying to some random angry deer, now can we? Let me take a look, and see what defines you..." Physical Conditioning: Peak Fay Your body is naturally tough, durable, and strong. The pinnacle of Fay physical strength, endurance, and agility. Keep training, and surely you can surpass even stronger beings. Soul Flare: The ability to turn ones soul into a weapon itself. Needed for most basic magical feats. Channel the mana present in the air through your body to achieve great feats. Allows one to interact with supernatural things, and perceive things others may not. Monstrous Charm - Unlike what some people think, some people simply have a natural charm around them. Less how you speak, and more how you act. Your mana has turned into a force of will that marks you as...wrong.A passive ability that influences how others perceive you. Simple beasts will likely leave you alone, should you not antagonize them. Demons will see you as one of their own, and the intelligent Elder Beasts may decide to actually speak with you. Be warned, however, humans and their kin will view you with great suspicion and other races typically shunned will find you to be oddly compelling. Inventory: The Clothing on her back, fitting for her size at least</s> <\|message\|>Leannah Stromhart Leannah Second Floor, Ruined Building (???), ??? --- Leannah seemed to blink slowly at Malphas as he spoke, seemingly reacting to his own new voice or something before continuing on. Between his familiar-ish appearance and the sound of how he seemed to speak and carry himself, it rang more alarm bells in the catgirl's head than she'd care to have heard. Perhaps she was acting a bit 'trope aware', but this was more her common sense kicking in after a lifetime spent around people of upper class standing who could spin a silver tongue top try to get their way with things. Nope. Nope nope nope nope. At least the other man seemed to be more agreeable, if not rather Irish between his accent and that snort and near-laugh she heard from him. Or was it Scottish? Eh, maybe that was not a good question right now. He did seem to give off that 'simple working man' kind of presence, which she frankly could respect. Plus she could admire or laugh at her new form later, as even her senses were picking up quickly on something going funky around here. Stone grinding on stone, and a low rumbling roar from far away. Not that it wasn't already close enough to be heard at least. Not only that, but the sound of another pod opening and the thunk of another person thrown out! The catgirl looked up towards the source, lightly grimacing before letting out a small, quiet sigh. "Name's Leannah. Have martial arts skills, more so once I get a moment of practice in here to adjust to this new body. But sounds like someone else just joined the party to boot...and perhaps that Guardian is getting closer out there as well. So I'll cut to the chase," she said, trying to get to the point as she pointed up to the third shelf and the doorway in turn as she looked between the two men, "Mr. Donovan, would you be able to get some stairs or something simple rigged up to get someone down from that third shelf? Then ah...Malphas you said? Malphas. Yes. Would you be able to help me scavenge some things up for us? Just enough to arm ourselves and try to get out at least, and try to make good time with it all before things go south. Meanwhile I'll keep my ears open for whatever is going on out there as well." Giving a nod to the men, the catgirl would then bluntly move to go do as she said she was going to do. Though along the way she'd cock her head towards the third shelf and call out just loud enough to make sure she would be able to be heard if someone was up there. She wasn't going to shout loud enough to try to call over the Guardian unintentionally, but just enough volume so that anyone on the third shelf would be able to hear her clearly at least. "Hey, whoever's up there! We'll see if help can come your way, but we need to get moving out of here! So be ready to get moving once you get down!" Then, trying to keep an ear on what was going on, she moved off to the side to actively practice for a moment. If she could just get her new body to fall in place, then she'd frankly be fine if they 'had' to fight. Maybe. Not that they would win such a thing if that warning was holding true still, but having those skills ready was better than nothing. Then once this was done she'd immediately go to look for some fitting weapons for herself, at a minimum, and see if there was an armor or other things here that might be useful to herself or the others otherwise. Nothing too much, just...just enough to be armed and get out of here in one piece. Time was of the essence. Maybe the others would listen to her sudden plans for this, or maybe not. Either way she was taking action. Such was the nature of a survival situation like this one. @malmshodes@Guy0fV4lor@Cu Chulainn</s> <\|message\|>Oda Nobunaga Nobunaga quite eagerly hung on every word. Some of it was rather unusual, but most amusing was the fact that her new form resembled a media depiction incredibly closely. So, they had reinterpreted her time and time again? Given her untimely death, the fact that she had left such a deep impression on Japan to be so widely utilized in all sorts of stories and interpreted in so many different ways was quite satisfying. Perhaps she had been unable to unify Japan, but she most certainly had unified its people in their remembrance of her conquest. "Wahahaha! How fascinating!" declared Nobunaga, grinning, "So I am presented in so many different ways? Morever, the Japan of the modern world sounds truly wonderful! I should like to have seen many of these technological advancements, but alas it was not to be." Truly, to see so many incredible steps forward in the world of technology... not simply for warfare, but for the consumption of the common person... merely knowing of them drove her to wish to know more! It was at that moment, however, that another figure, this one a man, practically crashed headfirst through a table. She could not blame him, in all honesty, due to the rather discomforting way she herself had been ejected from the strange pod. The birds did not frighten her in the least, but it seemed for the best that they made effort to leave this location. "Nothing can be accomplished by simply remaining here," she asserted, "As such, we should collect this man and make our exit in order to more properly get out bearings." @Rune_Alchemist@Crimson Paladin</s> <\|message\|>"Malphas" Malphas Second Floor, ???@Rune_Alchemist@Crusader Lord@Guy0fV4lor@malmshodes Malphas grinned as his spell seemingly worked! While the lack of information from his attempt at using his newly given magic may have seemed disheartening, the appearance of this "status" screen was more than enough to allow him to enact his plan. It wasn't the fact that he couldn't see the statuses of his fellows, but rather, Malphas was taken aback by the curt responses he was given by his allies. A lack of respect will surely be a problem he will face in the beginning, it seems. From what Malphas could understand, he will need to give these primates a reason to respect him... After all, if this Guardian truly was a force to be reckoned with, then they would have to believe in him, if they wished to succeed. In the end, it seemed he needed to enforce his own will upon them, whether they wished it or not. Before Malphas could give them a chance to transcend, they will learn to know their place! "I'm afraid I cannot help with digging through the garbage. It is not my place to... and besides, it seems that those weapons there were scattered at that particular part of the room for a reason. Feel free to step into danger, but for our safety, I will not abide by such a self-destructive order!" Malphas looked down, crossing his arms as he shook his head. "Like I said, if you truly wish to defeat this Guardian, then you will be more than thankful when I put my abilities to the test... Which is why it is imperative you all should be defending me, instead." "Unlike all of you, the goddess had been privileged to have given me two cheat abilities. The first, [Humanities Scion], won't be likely to help us here, especially given the mood. The second, my true gift, and yours as well if you put your faith in me... "[God Hand]. Twelve miracles granted to me by the Goddess herself, limited in number, but limitless in power... Only, it can only shine if those who desire them choose to believe... Your lack of faith in me is obvious, and I'm afraid it will be your downfall... But I shall give you all a second chance, regardless! Rejoice in my first miracle!" Malphas raised his arms as he focused the mana around him once more. He did not try and do anything complex, nor did he actually attempt to make a wish. Instead, he commanded the magical energy around him to surround and fill his body, to make it glow as brightly as it can be. "O, Goddess, grant me your first gift... One of obfuscation, to mask the presence of myself, my miracles, and my allies, to hide us from any such heathens that wish us harm!" Malphas continued to allow himself to glow, spreading his light towards the two who had doubted him, and even focused towards the third person, having recently emerged from their own pod. As much as could be done, he accomplished such, before slowly allowing the light to fade. Anything in his power to ensure his gamble would work. They did not need to believe him right away. All Malphas needed was to sow the seeds of piety, to fill these scared simians with hope. They will soon believe in him when the time comes. "And there you go. I have wasted my first blessing just to keep us all safe. If you don't believe me, have a gander among yourselves. The Goddess had told us all we could see the unseen, yes? You will find that this miracle have mine has obfuscated such a gift among ourselves. If you do not believe me after all this, then all I will do is sit and wait in the safety of these chambers, obscured from whatever Guardian lurks these apocryphal halls." Lowering his head and shaking it once more, Malphas awaited their compliance, or their deaths. Whatever came first.</s>	<\|message\|>Alice Sicilly Alice Sicilly : Seeking Knowledge --- Interactions --- Flight hadn't been easy, Her hopping and her jumping had been a little tiring, She was however incredibly grateful that this body at least seemed to have some form of muscle memory. With a few minutes of trying and a lot of exercise she seemed to have gotten a semi-hold on the movement of her body and its weight and dexterity compared to her old self. Her hopping about on her isolated shelf around that locked book had only just intensified her curiosity to its contents. Surely if she could open it to find whatever secret it contained she could use it as a bargaining tool at least. Well considering the nature of the book, She had little means to break that lock and while she could attempt to use the glass to fiddle with the tumblers inside it, it was so small and thin that the glass would break off inside and she'd be even worse off. Ergo. She would lean down towards trying to cut the bindings that held the book together, with that in mind she'd try to acquire the largest sharpest piece of glass she could find. Only lightly touching it to avoid cutting her hand on the glass shards, She had no clue how fairy internal anatomy worked so avoiding a cut was probably a good idea! Thus the Fairy would get to work moving the glass shards from her shattered 'pod' over towards the book. When she had acquired a sizeable amount of them, She'd pick up the first and get to work trying to cut through the leather binding to try to open it in order to gleam some sort of aid of the knowledge inside hoping that the leather was worn enough to make the cutting easier. She would have to be quiet though if she wanted to avoid drawing the attention of the individuals just below her. Even if they were reincarnated just like her. She couldn't trust total strangers just yet. That was a total folly.</s>
<\|description\|>Alice Sicilly Gender: Female Appearance: A fay of standard stature, she stands at 20cm in height with a thin build and is incredibly light-weight, Her wings are similar to the ornate ornmanets adorning her head. But they are hidden from view much of the time. Goals: To draw out the potential of non-humans to the fullest. Past Life: A crescendo of calamity that is what is best used to aptly describe the life of the girl known as Alice, brought up in a strictly religious household, under strict tenants, a personality as soft as hers couldn't hope to make it through unscathed, No amount of prayer to a god would alleviate the suffering she went through, Neither could she ever truely connect with friends due to her parents strict rules. She could only hope that people believed her friendship to be true when she worked extra hard for them. Though this only lead to more pain in her future as she would give them everything she had. Only for it to be used by malignant persons. For a free lunch, A free seat? Perhaps even free labour. If she didn't comply then she was insulted, and if she did comply then she only fed their view of her. But still she held onto some thin ghost of a hope that being a good person was good enough. And that humanity wasn't all bad. Until. She was beaten bloody for allegedly trying to take another womans boyfriend. She became a recluse however as time went on, becoming more and more afraid of upsetting others that she would lock herself away for increasingly long periods of time drowning herself in study of book and biblical. She felt so small and insignificant in front of others that perhaps she should simply disappear. But that faded cursed hope within her still drove her to try to help others for it was what a good person would do? Alice was shot in her home, aged 24 after the delusional homeless man she had been helping at the shelter had accused her of theft. It was in her final moments that she gave up on it all... Damned be all the people that had used her, and damned be all the people that had allowed her to be used. Humanity was diseased, rotten to its core. And god if he existed was never a loving sort. Of course... it wasn't the end was it? Abilities: "Your body is already in peak physical condition. I made sure of that myself. Can't have you dying to some random angry deer, now can we? Let me take a look, and see what defines you..." Physical Conditioning: Peak Fay Your body is naturally tough, durable, and strong. The pinnacle of Fay physical strength, endurance, and agility. Keep training, and surely you can surpass even stronger beings. Soul Flare: The ability to turn ones soul into a weapon itself. Needed for most basic magical feats. Channel the mana present in the air through your body to achieve great feats. Allows one to interact with supernatural things, and perceive things others may not. Monstrous Charm - Unlike what some people think, some people simply have a natural charm around them. Less how you speak, and more how you act. Your mana has turned into a force of will that marks you as...wrong.A passive ability that influences how others perceive you. Simple beasts will likely leave you alone, should you not antagonize them. Demons will see you as one of their own, and the intelligent Elder Beasts may decide to actually speak with you. Be warned, however, humans and their kin will view you with great suspicion and other races typically shunned will find you to be oddly compelling. Inventory: The Clothing on her back, fitting for her size at least</s> <\|message\|>Leannah Stromhart Leannah Second Floor, Ruined Building (???), ??? --- Well...it would be up to Malphas to accept the bow or not perhaps. Irregardless of if the man accepted the bow and Donovan's wisdom or not, or at least the other man's seeming attempt to make peace in her eyes, her attention returned to the higher floor above the broken stairs. She knew she'd heard the thunk of another person up there, though the lack of any return call after she'd shouted up there before was concerning. Frowning, the catgirl walked over towards the back of the second floor 'shelf' and put a hand to her mouth to try to call up there again. Well, shout just loud enough for whomever was up there to hear. Wouldn't take much, and she really didn't want to draw attention to them. Time was wasting as it was. "Hey, you up there! If you're alive, let us know so we can send someone to come help you down! It won't be safe here for long, and we need to get moving while the Guardian is moving away from our location! Unless you wanna stay stuck up there and eventually get caught if anything else less-than-friendly might be wandering around here!" Leannah sighed after speaking, putting her hands (including the one holding her spear) on her hips and lightly shaking her head. Maybe they'd been spooked by them or something? She had no idea regardless. She wasn't sure if Donovan was the type to leave such a person behind if they refused to cooperate, but based on his patience and interactions with Malphas so far she felt she at least had some vague-ish idea somewhat. Maybe. Not much to go on right now, since they'd all just woken up and all of this. She just didn't want them all to die if they kept getting stalled like this, especially if Mr. or Ms. Third Shelf turned out to be stubborn...hopefully they weren't like that though. Though this in mind, she walked back over to the other two men to speak to them once more. "Er, not to be an ass here but we have one last thing to solve before we get moving. We've killed enough time as it is. Donovan, can you get back to helping us get whoever is on that third floor down? Just tell me if i need to do anything as well. We need to get them fast if we're getting out of here, not sure if whatever drew attention out there will keep that attention for much longer. We'll lose our advantage if we dawdle too long." Politeness was giving way to survival right now, as they really needed to get moving as soon as possible. It was a matter of time, and for all she knew that time was close to running out. This @Cu Chulainn @Guy0fV4lor @Rune_Alchemist</s> <\|message\|>Oda Nobunaga The ringing in her ears very slowly fading, Nobunaga didn't spare any further attention to the bird she had already crippled and left to bleed out. Taking notice of the other fowl's stunned state, the petite girl didn't waste a single moment in sprinting towards the creature and swinging her katana down in a flash of steel. It parted flesh and bone cleanly, and left the bird's head sailing through the air away from its twitching body. She straightened, and flicked the blood from her sword before sheathing it cleanly. Her hearing was beginning to return in full. "... A shame there isn't a cooking fire, at least these wretched fowl could have served a purpose in death," she commented, glancing towards the others... ... Ah... Misaki... it was no small wonder she had taken that piercing shriek more poorly then anyone else. She had the ears of a fox, after all. Given the kitsune's nature as her chief source of information, and someone who originated from her homeland... The petite girl approached. The thuds from beyond their room already indicated that they should not linger any longer then they had already. She placed a hand on the other girl's shoulder, and then offered one to her. She could not be sure if Misaki's hearing had returned, but her wordless actions had to be enough to understand. She had no intention of leaving behind her clearest source of information, but they had to move quickly. @PKMNB0Y@Crimson Paladin</s> <\|message\|>Bella Rosso Despite Isidore's warning, Augusta watched the sight. It was a modern world they use to live in. She was not stranger to the odd video of someone being shot. Admittedly though, a melee kill such as the young man performed was a slight bit more gruesome. Still. It felt like movie more than real life. Yes, that thing, the poor wretch, was definitely real to her senses. It wasn't some CG monster in a movie. It looked and sounded real. When it seemed Isidore had the situation under control, she moved from her spot behind cover. She closed distance as Isidore delivered the final strike to the monster. "Good work." Augusta praised, looking to the sword in the creature's hand. Yes. They should take that with them. If Isidore performed the kill, then she should at least remove the weapon from the creature's hand. She knelt down, rubbing the odd but beautiful dress, that she just noticed she wore, against the floor. She hesitated touching the creature for a second but bite her lip and, perhaps easier than expected, released the weapon from it's grasp. When she saw that they were in peak physical condition, she wasn't expecting how much easier of a time she had prying the creature's fingers from it's weapon than she would in her prior life. Pushing that discomforting thought and any others to the back of her head for now, she took the weapon and stood. She gave it a practice swing as if she was a profession in swordplay. It seemed lighter than expected. That goddess was something else. "Right then, gentlemen, shall we make our way out and to somewhere safe?" There was an obvious way out from where they were. "Of course, we could always scout the rest of this place out but... We could always just come back. This place gives me the creeps but... Well, Isidore, Nick? What do you two think? Oh, and do either of you want to use this?" It's not that she was leaving the heavy thinking to Nick and Isidore but Isidore was the one leading them physically and really, it didn't hurt to get everyone's opinions. Of course, she wouldn't be adverse to leaving but there was some merit in trying to find an actual weapon for everyone. "I wouldn't mind using this but if either of you have actual skill with this weapon, that would be best." Despite appearances, she wasn't just some dainty princess. It was survival now. She came back after being stabbed to death. There was no way in hell she was going to sit down and die.</s> <\|message\|>Takeshima Misaki (formerly Takeshima Mamoru) With her head still pounding from the cry from the bird earlier, Misaki could only watch as the other two dispatched the errant wildlife around her. Obviously, with them now dead (or close enough to it), there was no need for her to cover her ears; rather, it was more of a question about when they would recover from that. As it turned out, that 'when' didn't take too long at all; the young woman found it surprising that she could even hear Nobunaga's words at this point, as she had been under the assumption that with her new vulpine ears came all the benefits and downsides thus. She wasn't going to complain, though; even if it felt like someone was still ringing her head like a gong, she could at least try and move. The sensations of the earth shaking were not solely derived from sound, after all, and only something massive could produce shockwaves of this level. Turning towards the black-haired girl as she placed a hand on her shoulder, Misaki slowly nodded and took Nobunaga's aid in helping herself get up. It was obvious that she was being a burden right now, but there was no reason to not try to get out of here as fast as possible, at the very least... @Rune_Alchemist@Crimson Paladin</s> <\|message\|>Nicholas "Nick" Gallagher The Journey Begins ~ Unknown Location ~ Interacted with: @ERode, @Pyromania99 "Wait. So you were... changed?" Nick did not know that not all of them were as the same as in Earth. He was relieved he stayed the same in this world. At the same time though, he sure could have used some extra features to help him out here. Like a pair of wings or something. But enough about that, Augusta somehow identified the creature as a Wretched Experiment. It was... weaker than Nick thought. It was sensitive to light, burns easily, 'Cursed by the Moon' whatever that meant and pretty weak individually. They relied on their quick bursts of speed and numbers to defeat their foes. Which meant this one on its lonesome was nothing to be concerned about. They left it to Isidore to take care of it. With the chains he took from the cell they woke up in and a few sleek moves and the Wretched Experiment was down, finished off with a brutal boot to its head. The poor thing did not even stand a chance. Nick pondered why it was named 'Wretched Experiment'. Was it a subject in some insidious procedure? Hold on, how did Augusta know what it was? Was that her power from the Goddess? Nick followed Augusta towards the corpse of the wretched creature. "Pretty nice. Where'd you learn to fight like that?" Augusta knelt down and pried the sword from the Wretched Experiment's hand. Its grasp on it was not solid and the blade was taken easily. Augusta gave it a practice swing before she spoke. "Yeah, ah, I vote we leave this place as soon as possible. This place is giving me the heebie-jeebies." Nick quickly said. He was still feeling anxious but was that because of his power or was it a natural reaction to what just happened? "I mean, I bet there's fun taking these things down but I think it's in our best interest to get somewhere safe and get our bearings." "Well, I can't say I've got skill with swords but I'll take it if neither of you want it." Nick wanted the sword to have something to defend himself with. But he kept that to himself, it was probably better if it was in the hands of someone more capable.</s>	<\|message\|>Alice Sicilly Alice Sicilly : Holding Nose --- Interactions --- Alice would have been incredibly slow with her flying, still getting used to strain of having to also carry her acquired book. She would have had seen the abominations as she had made her movement through the stone hallways of this ancient place. Part of it gave her pause for a moment as she would have looked them over more throughly. Stalling for a moment before she entered the room to look over these abominations more closely. What wretched means spawned these wretched things that would be the thoughts going that would go through her head. Her mind would take but a few more moments to ponder such outcomes before she shook her head. She moved on. She would immediately come to realise that something had escaped from the room ahead, mostly from the situation she had seen before her very eyes. The damaged door opened from the inside. Still she'd press onwards and enter the room, immediately gagging at the strong smell of chemicals that filled her nose. Her suspicion that something had forced its way out was confirmed by the broken straps on the table. "Chemicals and broken table straps. Frankenstein mayhaps." She'd say quietly to herself as she would flutter about the room. She looked up her small pixie eyes taking note of the very obvious exit in the windows. The stench of the chemicals was getting to her. But so too had her curiosity. So she would scour this room looking about for anything she could take with her through the window, or anything else of interest. She guessed if any of the big other people that were here were to find her. The Abominations would stall them good and proper.</s>
<\|description\|>Alice Sicilly Gender: Female Appearance: A fay of standard stature, she stands at 20cm in height with a thin build and is incredibly light-weight, Her wings are similar to the ornate ornmanets adorning her head. But they are hidden from view much of the time. Goals: To draw out the potential of non-humans to the fullest. Past Life: A crescendo of calamity that is what is best used to aptly describe the life of the girl known as Alice, brought up in a strictly religious household, under strict tenants, a personality as soft as hers couldn't hope to make it through unscathed, No amount of prayer to a god would alleviate the suffering she went through, Neither could she ever truely connect with friends due to her parents strict rules. She could only hope that people believed her friendship to be true when she worked extra hard for them. Though this only lead to more pain in her future as she would give them everything she had. Only for it to be used by malignant persons. For a free lunch, A free seat? Perhaps even free labour. If she didn't comply then she was insulted, and if she did comply then she only fed their view of her. But still she held onto some thin ghost of a hope that being a good person was good enough. And that humanity wasn't all bad. Until. She was beaten bloody for allegedly trying to take another womans boyfriend. She became a recluse however as time went on, becoming more and more afraid of upsetting others that she would lock herself away for increasingly long periods of time drowning herself in study of book and biblical. She felt so small and insignificant in front of others that perhaps she should simply disappear. But that faded cursed hope within her still drove her to try to help others for it was what a good person would do? Alice was shot in her home, aged 24 after the delusional homeless man she had been helping at the shelter had accused her of theft. It was in her final moments that she gave up on it all... Damned be all the people that had used her, and damned be all the people that had allowed her to be used. Humanity was diseased, rotten to its core. And god if he existed was never a loving sort. Of course... it wasn't the end was it? Abilities: "Your body is already in peak physical condition. I made sure of that myself. Can't have you dying to some random angry deer, now can we? Let me take a look, and see what defines you..." Physical Conditioning: Peak Fay Your body is naturally tough, durable, and strong. The pinnacle of Fay physical strength, endurance, and agility. Keep training, and surely you can surpass even stronger beings. Soul Flare: The ability to turn ones soul into a weapon itself. Needed for most basic magical feats. Channel the mana present in the air through your body to achieve great feats. Allows one to interact with supernatural things, and perceive things others may not. Monstrous Charm - Unlike what some people think, some people simply have a natural charm around them. Less how you speak, and more how you act. Your mana has turned into a force of will that marks you as...wrong.A passive ability that influences how others perceive you. Simple beasts will likely leave you alone, should you not antagonize them. Demons will see you as one of their own, and the intelligent Elder Beasts may decide to actually speak with you. Be warned, however, humans and their kin will view you with great suspicion and other races typically shunned will find you to be oddly compelling. Inventory: The Clothing on her back, fitting for her size at least</s> <\|message\|>Isidore @Rune_Alchemist@PaulHaynek "Unfortunate," was Isidore's only comment. Without a proper belt to secure the arming sword in, he had settled for holding it in his left hand instead, and while the large-eared woman examined the slabs more closely, Isidore took in the rest of their surroundings. The twin moons looked as if it were out of a movie, while the sky shone with their reflected radiance with such brilliance that it still looked like daylight. The snow that covered the ground must have fallen some time ago; no clouds were in sight on either horizon. A Tower of Babel, black and imposing, sliced into the scenery in the distance, while the crash of the ocean continued to echo in their ears. What irony, that he would be reborn so close to where he had once chosen to die. Isidore adjusted the chains wrapped around his arms, eyes flickering towards the direction of the rumbling. That overweight warden was still out there, wasn't it? Good. Better it be out there making noise than lying in wait to ambush them. "It's convenient, the moons," he spoke. "Won't have to worry about nighttime if this is the darkest it'll get. But for now, let's move towards the mountainside building. Regardless of how forsaken this area is now, I doubt the experimenters would be so keen as to house themselves in the same building as the experimented." Unless they were sadists who slept to the lullaby of tortured screams. Maybe one needed such predilections, if they were to create beings so twisted and foul. While Nick occupied himself with looking for a portable stone, Isidore crouched beside one of the large slabs himself. The swirling patterns reminded him of the prison's interesting décor, but what was carved over it gave him more food for thought. Placing a finger on the fresher carvings, he traced the path of the newer patterns, eyes narrowed as he too felt the energy that Augusta described. Using tactile sensation to commit such script to memory, Isidore then hefted up his sword. With a quick, precise strike, he struck the edge of the slab with the sword's pommel, repeating three more times before a piece broke off. He held that piece in his hand, feeling for the same energy, and then stood up, dusting off his pants. "We should get moving," were his words to Augusta, before he strode towards the leftside building at a clipped pace.</s> <\|message\|>Leannah Stromhart Leannah Second Floor, Ruined Building (???), ??? --- Leannah found herself feeling a bit grateful for the current circumstances regardless. Donovan was a hard worker before, she could tell that much by the man's attitude and behavior so far. Something she definitely appreciated to be sure. Now that they were all armed, though, all that remained was seeing if the one above them would respond well once they could get up there to see them. She'd heard them come out of the tank, even the shuffling of the feet and such as the moved about. It was one thing she liked about her body...er, rather this new body of hers in this new life therein. However, they still had to make some kind of battle plan to get out of here. If this was anything like 'those games', then some shambling disaster or magical experiment gone wrong or angry mimic could be lying somewhere. Only their immediate area had been guaranteed to be safe after all, and that much hadn't been lost on the woman. With that in mind, she let out a small sigh and turned to Malphas and Donovan once more, hands on her hips as one hand also held her spear. She'd want to look at it more later after getting that information on it, but-...eh. One thing at a time here. "Well, while they get working we probably need to get a working escape plan shaped up by the time we get our last group member down from there. My initial thought is keeping us close, tight, and basically finding a vantage point to see where the exit is if we can. I could also hang at the front or back and keep my ears out, even, if that would be helpful. What do you both think? Any ideas to toss in?" Maybe they'd brainstorm something in time. Maybe not. She was hoping to not waste this new life in the first mere minutes and hours before getting ground to death by a giant walking millstone for all she knew.</s> <\|message\|>Novak Novak Novak was greatly startled by the large hunk of stone slamming down in front of him. It he had taken a few steps further, it'd have ended this new life just a few minutes after it had begun. He then realized that it was no mere hunk of debris, but the foot of what appeared to be an animate stone colossus. Judging by the blade protruding from the statue's arm, it was probably a guard or a soldier of some sort. This must be the guardian, he thought. Fortunately, the colossus didn't seem to notice him, and it trudged away, causing the ground to shake with each step. It was probably drawn here by the sound of that bird's screeching. Or perhaps it it simply patrolling. Whether or not it was actively searching for them, it was clear that they couldn't hide here forever. The colossus wasn't the only danger; whatever that thing that was climbing that tower in the distance might also be a threat. The ruined gatehouse he had spotted looked like it might be the way out. Once they got past it, they should be safe from that stone monstrosity, assuming it didn't decide to smash its way through to pursue them. On the other hand, he had no idea what awaited them on the other side. Faced with the prospect of ending up the wrong end of that stone blade- or any of the many other ways it could kill them- whatever might be on the other side of the gatehouse was probably preferable to taking their chances with the colossus. There were other things to worry about, of course. Judging by the snow, it looked pretty frigid outside, and they weren't exactly dressed for this weather. They would also need to find food, water, and shelter, although such concerns were presently eclipsed by the matter of immediate survival. Perhaps it would be a good idea to discuss their options with his two companions. "You two might want to see this," Novak spoke softly as to avoid drawing the walking statue's attention. "I think we've found that guardian that the goddess warned us about. Some sort of stone colossus, from the look of it." "Fortunately, I also see what looks like an exit out of here, some sort of destroyed gatehouse. What do you two think? Should we take our chances and slip out through there?" @VitaVitaAR</s> <\|message\|>Narkissa Langdon Narkissa Langdon@Cu Chulainn For somebody who just had the experience of a lifetime, Narkissa definitely had an odd reaction to it. Throwing caution to the wind by archeological prospects in the books before her, she had a one-set mind to go through all the tomes in the decrepit bookshelf. She vaguely remembered that there was supposed to be some sort of danger in the vicinity, but with no way outside of the room, studying the books remained the best thing to do. Unfortunately for her, most of the books were so faded that it made them impossible to read with her naked eye. She was well aware of advanced archeological tools that could scan such pages and discern the faded ink to make pages legible –such technologies were used to scan ancient Roman scrolls in the past—but that was something she hardly had access to. As book after book turned up blank or crumpled to pieces, she began to despair. But at last, she came across a book with legible letters; a strange book, in a language that she had never seen before, but somehow, she found herself intuitively able to make sense of it. Although it was in quite a bad state, she could still tell the title from spine, and an intriguing title it was. If this were in the past, she would have simply dismissed its title as a novelty book, but with recent events, there was a very real possibility that it could be useful. So, she began to read. Using some broken furniture as a makeshift chair, she carefully cracked the tome open. Every so oftern, she would stop and peek out from below, to see what the situation was. Narkissa wasn't completely oblivious. She knew that she would have to deal with the people down below eventually. She had no idea who they were, or their intentions, so making contact was indeed risky. After all, having been in a pod in an isolated upper floor, there were no indicators for her to assume that there were people similar to herself. Eventually, she was able to get a better sense of the people down below. Although they were clearly strangers to each other, it didn't seem like they were the menace spoken of in these ruins, and it was clear they knew she was there, because they were now repairing the staircase to her level and making good on that progress. She stuck out her head once again, this time less discretely. "Er, hi. Who are you people?" Lord @Guy0fV4lor @Rune_Alchemist @Cu Chulainn</s>	<\|message\|>Alice Sicilly Alice Sicilly : Out through the window --- Interactions --- The stench of this chamber was getting to her, Even after she had ransacked and looked through the entire room for stuff to use, The fact she couldn't find anything of note bothered her. The scalpels for instance? which betrayed that in this room some sort of heinous experiment had occured. Interesting. Neat even and an abomination had even walked in. But The fumes were making it difficult to think. She didn't want to open her book for fear that if she did it would become contaminated by the fumes. She had known from personal experience that browning of paper or ruining of ink can occur due to chemical fumes. Ergo! Until she figured out if it was mystery ink or magic ink. (She'd begin her experimentation when she was sufficently away from everything) She would have to leave through the window. And as such she would begin to fly up to the cracks, Slipping her small fae body through, Angered to be alive. But grateful for her small frame. AS it made this feat remarkably easy for her. So as she exited through that gap... she would open her eyes wide. To take in the world before her.</s>
<\|description\|>Alice Sicilly Gender: Female Appearance: A fay of standard stature, she stands at 20cm in height with a thin build and is incredibly light-weight, Her wings are similar to the ornate ornmanets adorning her head. But they are hidden from view much of the time. Goals: To draw out the potential of non-humans to the fullest. Past Life: A crescendo of calamity that is what is best used to aptly describe the life of the girl known as Alice, brought up in a strictly religious household, under strict tenants, a personality as soft as hers couldn't hope to make it through unscathed, No amount of prayer to a god would alleviate the suffering she went through, Neither could she ever truely connect with friends due to her parents strict rules. She could only hope that people believed her friendship to be true when she worked extra hard for them. Though this only lead to more pain in her future as she would give them everything she had. Only for it to be used by malignant persons. For a free lunch, A free seat? Perhaps even free labour. If she didn't comply then she was insulted, and if she did comply then she only fed their view of her. But still she held onto some thin ghost of a hope that being a good person was good enough. And that humanity wasn't all bad. Until. She was beaten bloody for allegedly trying to take another womans boyfriend. She became a recluse however as time went on, becoming more and more afraid of upsetting others that she would lock herself away for increasingly long periods of time drowning herself in study of book and biblical. She felt so small and insignificant in front of others that perhaps she should simply disappear. But that faded cursed hope within her still drove her to try to help others for it was what a good person would do? Alice was shot in her home, aged 24 after the delusional homeless man she had been helping at the shelter had accused her of theft. It was in her final moments that she gave up on it all... Damned be all the people that had used her, and damned be all the people that had allowed her to be used. Humanity was diseased, rotten to its core. And god if he existed was never a loving sort. Of course... it wasn't the end was it? Abilities: "Your body is already in peak physical condition. I made sure of that myself. Can't have you dying to some random angry deer, now can we? Let me take a look, and see what defines you..." Physical Conditioning: Peak Fay Your body is naturally tough, durable, and strong. The pinnacle of Fay physical strength, endurance, and agility. Keep training, and surely you can surpass even stronger beings. Soul Flare: The ability to turn ones soul into a weapon itself. Needed for most basic magical feats. Channel the mana present in the air through your body to achieve great feats. Allows one to interact with supernatural things, and perceive things others may not. Monstrous Charm - Unlike what some people think, some people simply have a natural charm around them. Less how you speak, and more how you act. Your mana has turned into a force of will that marks you as...wrong.A passive ability that influences how others perceive you. Simple beasts will likely leave you alone, should you not antagonize them. Demons will see you as one of their own, and the intelligent Elder Beasts may decide to actually speak with you. Be warned, however, humans and their kin will view you with great suspicion and other races typically shunned will find you to be oddly compelling. Inventory: The Clothing on her back, fitting for her size at least</s> <\|message\|>Isidore @Rune_Alchemist@PaulHaynek Maybe he should have snapped her neck after all. Isidore entertained that thought for a moment, before brushing it aside. Demonic beast it may be, he had no intention of killing young animals unless absolutely necessary, no matter what problems they brought up. Even if those problems were of the long-limbed, incredibly ugly type. By the blessing of the Goddess, or just by good fortune, only one of the shambling creatures wielded a proper weapon, though, and that weapon would go to… They could consider the split afterwards. Octavia pulled at the chain, eager to attack, while Augusta was treading new ground again, that same strange energy she exuded before now shooting out from her palm in a burst of light. It shot out at a speed that the dark-haired youth could only barely follow with his eyes, before scattering over the sword-wielding monster's body with a concussive force. He breathed in. Release the dog. It'll draw attention. Close the distance. They'll swing outwards. Block with chain, counter with swing. Disarm and deliver to Nick. Dodge offhand swing. Draw blade against its neck. Disengage with shove. It will bleed out. But he wouldn't let it die so slowly. He breathed out. Visualize and execute. The chain links didn't even hit the ground when Isidore released Octavia, the puppy shooting forwards in her eagerness to pounce. Moving in step with the hellhound, Isidore charged for the sword-wielder as well, watching its movements slow to a fatal speed. Struck by Augusta's bolt and beset with two different targets, it wasn't able to commit to either one before Isidore was upon it. Rust scattered as the monster's sword clanged ineffectually against links of chain. He sliced deep into its arm, hearing the satisfying 'pop' of a tendon being ruptured, before tearing the sword out of the monster's hand. No muscles could sustain its grip now; it came loose easily. Catching the dropped weapon, Isidore slid it back towards Nick and instinctively ducked down, his legs bending and his head craning to the side. Wind brushed overhead, the sign of the offhand claw-swing that he visualized. He stepped out to the monster's side, pivoted on his front foot, and drew his arming sword against its neck. They were of flesh, and flesh parted easily when faced against sharpened steel. The blood that gushed out and the gurgled bubbling of disrupted breath told him what he needed. A left-handed shove followed, sending the creature face-first. The stomp that crushed the skull followed soon after, even as he faced the creatures that remained. How many were left? How reliable were the pup and the boy? Isidore assessed the situation and breathed in.</s> <\|message\|>Leannah Stromhart Leannah --- No time to think. No time to process. Just react. The martial artist's years of training and skill would kick in the moment the sword-wielding monstrosity would lash out at her. For her, it was almost like time had slowed to a point, even, as her instincts kicked in and she moved to return the favor to this thing. After all, even without time to process what it was at the moment she was getting the chance to finally put her new body into action! In lieu of this The spear point would deftly rise up as the thing swung down its sword, her body ducking a bit and dodging to the left of the lunging strike at the right moment as she then in an instant drove herself immediately straight and up at the creature. With all her weight behind it, and two hands on the shaft of the spear now, she would simply thrust the spear at the thing's face in one fluid motion. Plus the surge of adrenaline in her system at this point in time could be called a boon of sorts, perhaps, in driving her counterattack home. ...Even so, the words of an old master of the martial arts rang in her head, a quote she'd memorized as a child for reasons she couldn't currently ponder on. However, the intent of those words seemed to match the ferocity of her attack. 'I need No Second Strike!' And if she was lucky enough, it would work out like that. Maybe.</s> <\|message\|>Takeshima Misaki (formerly Takeshima Mamoru) With a pensive gaze, Misaki quietly considered the girl's words as she seemed to circle about. That childlike curiosity, if anything, was a bit refreshing after a few brushes past death, and if she was giving out all this information freely, then they would likely be all the better for it. Of course, that natural curiosity had already given them enough to work with—a nearby village, travelers, and other people like herself further to the north—which already provided a starting point. Lazirha, as she had introduced herself, was already curious enough about them, after all; pulling out more information was probably the only thing they could do at the moment, anyhow. "Lazirha... Was it?" the foxgirl asked, nodding her head before smiling. "You can call me... Right, I suppose family names might be a bit confusing for now, so Misaki it is, then. It's a pleasure to meet you. For now, though, uh... I'd be happy to answer your questions, but at the very least, can we move somewhere a bit warmer? The chill in the air is a bit..." Of course, shelter took a bit more priority than information, but there was nothing saying they couldn't get both at once... @Crimson Paladin@Rune_Alchemist</s> <\|message\|>Narkissa Langdon Narkissa Langdon She was so close. The gate was in easy reach now, to the point that she could begin to make out the individual bricks on the flanking walls. What she hadn't counted on, however, was that the stone monstrosity had some other ability other than wildly swinging its arms around and stomping its feet. For somebody that used to be a well-respected professor, she let out a long string of colorful profanities as a strange ethereal projectile smashed itself into the gatehouse. It was a near miss, but the sheer force of the impact caused her to trip forward. Bringing her book in against her chest, while making sure to not impale herself on her weapon, she hit the ground with the side of her body with a painful groan. Thankfully, she didn't flail around on the ground and managed to transfer the momentum to a roll. The danger of the situation and the resulting burst of adrenaline got her off the ground right quick. Wincing at the pain, she began to run again, taking a backwards glance at the stone giant. Unfortunately for her, while it seemed she could outrun the thing before it reached the gate, it seemed to be charging up for the seemingly magical attack. Making a split second decision, she cut away from the person nearest to her –which seemed to be Malphas—while heading towards the gate, both hoping it would miss or aim elsewhere, or she could reach the gate first. Lord @Guy0fV4lor @Rune_Alchemist @Cu Chulainn</s> <\|message\|>"Malphas" Malphas Almost there...!, ???@Rune_Alchemist@Click This Malphas ran for dear life, hitting the dirt hard as the giant fired its magical blast towards the gatehouse. The use of magic to accelerate his movements were really getting to him as well, but Malphas knew that such inconveniences were the least of his worries. Quickly getting up and restoring his footing, his body started to run only on adrenaline as he continued his pace forward. Looking back at the giant, Malphas surmised he would be able to outrun it. He just needed to anticipate its next attack. Like Narkissa, Malphas also made his way out to the gate. After being spotted and focused on, it seemed the best course of action in Malphas's case was to just cut his chances and leave while he still could, following the woman's lead and running opposite of where she is. Hopefully he'll be able to find his own out there in the wild, for there was nothing left here that might interest him in the slightest. As he picked up the pace, he began to think on himself, his capabilities, and his core beliefs. His physical prowess, while among the best a human could be, was quickly draining, and the use of magic surely would make things worse for him. This meant that Malphas could only do what he had done his entire life. At this moment, Malphas began to put all his faith in himself.</s> <\|message\|>Donovan MacConaill --- "Dammit!" Don cursed as the rock he'd thrown at the guardian simply bounced off it's colossal frame. He hadn't expected the rock to do much, but he'd at least hoped to get it's attention back on himself while the others ran. As much as he wanted to rush after it, the man knew that such a suicidal stunt would only be to the detriment of the others. They hadn't the tools, nor knowledge to fight such a monstrosity. Huffing a flustered sigh, Don sank into a light jog and continued his path around the cliffside. Hopefully he could get a chance to regroup with the others, given that he arrive timely enough to do so. It was upon entering the courtyard of sorts that caused the man to stop completely. This entire place, as far as he'd seen-- had long been left untouched, and snow-covered. But amongst the snow laden ground was a large black stone; fissures bordering it's edges, covered with withered vines of tar, and not a lick of snow to be seen in it's immediate vicinity. Had someone been here? Were they 'chosen' like the others he'd met? Or were they something else entirely? Kneeling down before the large stone, Don picked a piece of the tar, and examined it in his fingers for a bit. The stuff was still warm to the touch. Someone had to have been here, and recently at that. As he wiped his fingers on some nearby snow, Don heard something echo from the building he'd just rounded. A bark. "Tha hell's a dog doin' ere?" Don thought out loud as he rose to his feet. Several sets of fresh footprints led toward the building in question, ending at the open door of whatever that place was. If there was another group that could possibly help Don save the others from the Guardian, they were here-- and he was going to find them.</s>	<\|message\|>Alice Sicilly Alice Sicilly : Skull-faced Friend? --- Interactions --- The way the book reacted to her cleaning it had given a small chuckle from the fay, as if the very being inside the book thought such actions immodest. This would prove good enough to Alice that whatever simulacra was within the book itself had enough emotional merit to it that it was worth saving. For the information within if nothing else and to preserve whatever entity protected that information as well. So then say. The fact she had chosen so readily to follow inside and to confront this skull-faced entity it best be said she was doing it for her own merits. "Who said I wanted to leave so soon and readily?" The Fay would say looking upon his figure, obviously he wasn't exactly human, a monster most definitely and the goddess gift as accursed as such a being was for dragging her back to the world of the living could be. Had given her a boon fitting for talking to such a person. "Nay, if I wished to leave I would of been gone from this place with haste befitting my winged self no? I am here to attempt to repair something." She gestured to the book behind her. "And you, A being who seems most knowledgeable with a form that is not one that makes me sick. Happened to be within my view. So say I that i ask you. May you help me repair this book so that I may preview the contents within?" She would ask simply fully expecting the skull-faced creature to ask for something in return.</s>
<\|description\|>Alice Sicilly Gender: Female Appearance: A fay of standard stature, she stands at 20cm in height with a thin build and is incredibly light-weight, Her wings are similar to the ornate ornmanets adorning her head. But they are hidden from view much of the time. Goals: To draw out the potential of non-humans to the fullest. Past Life: A crescendo of calamity that is what is best used to aptly describe the life of the girl known as Alice, brought up in a strictly religious household, under strict tenants, a personality as soft as hers couldn't hope to make it through unscathed, No amount of prayer to a god would alleviate the suffering she went through, Neither could she ever truely connect with friends due to her parents strict rules. She could only hope that people believed her friendship to be true when she worked extra hard for them. Though this only lead to more pain in her future as she would give them everything she had. Only for it to be used by malignant persons. For a free lunch, A free seat? Perhaps even free labour. If she didn't comply then she was insulted, and if she did comply then she only fed their view of her. But still she held onto some thin ghost of a hope that being a good person was good enough. And that humanity wasn't all bad. Until. She was beaten bloody for allegedly trying to take another womans boyfriend. She became a recluse however as time went on, becoming more and more afraid of upsetting others that she would lock herself away for increasingly long periods of time drowning herself in study of book and biblical. She felt so small and insignificant in front of others that perhaps she should simply disappear. But that faded cursed hope within her still drove her to try to help others for it was what a good person would do? Alice was shot in her home, aged 24 after the delusional homeless man she had been helping at the shelter had accused her of theft. It was in her final moments that she gave up on it all... Damned be all the people that had used her, and damned be all the people that had allowed her to be used. Humanity was diseased, rotten to its core. And god if he existed was never a loving sort. Of course... it wasn't the end was it? Abilities: "Your body is already in peak physical condition. I made sure of that myself. Can't have you dying to some random angry deer, now can we? Let me take a look, and see what defines you..." Physical Conditioning: Peak Fay Your body is naturally tough, durable, and strong. The pinnacle of Fay physical strength, endurance, and agility. Keep training, and surely you can surpass even stronger beings. Soul Flare: The ability to turn ones soul into a weapon itself. Needed for most basic magical feats. Channel the mana present in the air through your body to achieve great feats. Allows one to interact with supernatural things, and perceive things others may not. Monstrous Charm - Unlike what some people think, some people simply have a natural charm around them. Less how you speak, and more how you act. Your mana has turned into a force of will that marks you as...wrong.A passive ability that influences how others perceive you. Simple beasts will likely leave you alone, should you not antagonize them. Demons will see you as one of their own, and the intelligent Elder Beasts may decide to actually speak with you. Be warned, however, humans and their kin will view you with great suspicion and other races typically shunned will find you to be oddly compelling. Inventory: The Clothing on her back, fitting for her size at least</s> <\|message\|>Isidore @Rune_Alchemist@PaulHaynek@Guy0fV4lor Nick lagged behind; it was uncertain whether the young man would follow the rest all the way into the depths, especially as the stench of decay grew stronger, as the darkness grew thicker. Not all were made for such escapades, and Isidore could only hope that Nick didn't make any rash decisions. The darkness shone with blue light as the quartet passed the point of no return. There was a chasm underneath the prison, home to a garden of tar-stained flowers and trees. That sweetness, once overbearing, was now undercut by the smell of brine, like the world's shittiest salty caramel. The walls of this cavern were made inaccessible to them all by the ocean water that seeped into the place, while the garden was the territory of shadowy humans, lumbering disconcertingly around the place. The former researchers of the prison above? Or more of those wretched experiments, made puppets by the tar-plants. Then, there was the clattering of feet against stone off in the distance, muffled by vines. Isidore turned briefly, noting that of the three that had followed, two now remained. Nick was gone, having taken the sealing of the entranceway as reason enough to escape. Isidore's expression remained unchanged. Loyalty or conviction hadn't yet had any chance to grow amongst these strangers. Such action couldn't be faulted, but it would be remembered. Isidore let out a breath, let out all the tension that had built up in his body. Time to continue. Not certain whether the others could see so clearly as he could, he kept a firm grip on Octavia's leash, as he began to walk upon the raised platform, keeping an eye on the largest plant at the back of the garden. Black stones impaled it, but it was through those same black stones that it could grow its progeny upon the surface, to birth creatures such as Octavia. It was a detour, and he had to drag Octavia with him as he did so, but Isidore wasn't fool enough to walk boldly into the territory of the tar-plants. All the toughness in the world meant nothing once restrained by a dozen ancient roots. "Donovan, shield up. Protect the others. Octavia, there are things moving within the garden to our left. We are approaching the largest of the tar-plants, the one whose roots stretch all around this place." He paused. Levity may be appropriate in these dark times, so deep underground. "If any of you were a fire-breather in your past life, this would be a good chance to show off." … Isidore coughed, then allowed his muscles to relax further. The door, he hadn't mentioned. It was left open for a reason, and that reason was still unknown to him.</s> <\|message\|>Bella Rosso Augusta looked at the pin Donovan was asking about. She was more than ready to trudge forward into this dungeon-like thing in front of them, but the question posed seemed fair compensation. "A pin?" Of course, her eyes reacted not to it. It only seemed to work on creatures of some sort or another. Some issue in and of itself though it would definitely help more than hurt. She sighed with no reply from looking at it. "Haa..." When her eyes fail, there was little more she could figure to do but touch it. "Hmm. Obviously it's... What's the word? Enchanted? Yes, enchanted. Weakly magical?" She questioned, looking at the thing. "It's possibly I might be able to tell you more after I've figured out magic more." She stated, removing her hand and giving a nod to the man. The deeper they went, the more there was that... sickeningly sweet smell. She had done her best to push it to the back of her mind but the more they traveled, the worst it got until finally they reached a rather dark place. The sweet smell was mixed with the all too familiar scent of the sea. "How peculiar." Still, it was rather dark and she couldn't see very well. There was salt water for sure. And those black tar-like plants that came with Octavia. Hmmm. How curious. She sighed and started to walk forward when she heard a rustling behind her. The vines had blocked their path back? Somehow, she expected that much, really. "No going back, it seems." With a slight shrug, she followed Isidore as he took the initiative. He barked out commands that made her wonder if he had prior experience in such a thing. It wouldn't be farfetched after all. Either way, she continued to follow him and tried to look around but... "I can't see a thing in this darkness. Wish I had magic for that." She mentioned, playing around with the idea in her head and at her fingertips. It'd be great to just collect power to her hands and make a ball of light to just, illuminate around them. A certain game called it Mage Light, she seemed to remember.</s> <\|message\|>Nicholas "Nick" Gallagher The Journey Begins ~ Unknown Location ~ Interacted with: @Rune_Alchemist Despite his protests, the party continued on. Nick really didn't want to head down further but he couldn't just leave these people behind, even if they were heading to certain doom. He lagged behind them as they descended, wary of the black tar-like substance that was abundant in this place. "Shouldn't be doing this, shouldn't be doing this..." He repeated to himself and clutching the harmless blade he had as hard as he could. His eyes darted all over the place, waiting for anything to happen. That was the worst part of it all, the tense waiting. Nick knew something was going to happen to them here but they didn't know what or when or how. Each step Nick took, the other guys had already taken five. But he didn't notice, too occupied in his paranoia as he descended the staircase. The other three were already way past the staircase bottom when he arrived there. Nick heard the sounds of rushing water and saw his three other companions standing and probably admiring whatever it was that was there. He moved to join them but suddenly, the ground shook as black vines began growing over the staircase exit. Nick quickly backed away before realizing that he was now separated from the rest of the group. In this place that ticked off his anxiety powers. Surrounded by probably evil goo. And as defenseless as a newborn babe. "Interesting. Very interesting." Nick muttered, amused. A figure dashed upwards the staircase, frantically trying to get away from this place as fast as he could. Nick should've figured something like this would happen. He felt bad not noting his companions that he was hauling ass, but they'd understand right? There was little he could do down there, save for trying to hack away the vines with the old blade. Nick hoped they would be alright down there, though. He would try to make it back to that courtyard they were in earlier, no longer caring if the black tar was growing all around him as he fled. Now that he was alone, it was up to him on what to do next in this alien world. Troubling, Nick thought but enough about that, he needed to get to safety first.</s> <\|message\|>Leannah Stromhart Leannah --- 'Not today!' Putting her all into jump, adrenaline still pumping through her system, Leannah pushed herself to jump from the top of this one foot to the top of the other. With this one foot raising up it gave her a little height, just enough to try for this chance! If she could get to the other foot, she'd try to right away begin climbing up the shin. Unless this thing wanted to fall over, it couldn't pick up and kick it's only two feet at the same time...right? Maybe. Hopefully. If she could get up to the head, and wherever her spear had hit as well, then perhaps she could really pull it out and get to more stabbing! Her body was athletic and stronger, her martial arts skills and training were intact, and she could do this! She had the agility and smaller size, she just needed to capitalize on that and she could do this. And again she made some attempt in the process at this whole 'magic' business, trying to squeeze out and focus anything, something, just to help her move faster. Speed. Agility. Distance. Height. She could imagine it to such a fine degree in her mind's eye, and imagined the flow of magic through her as if it was her very blood. She was Speed, Power, Precision. She was a moving, breathing weapon gunning for its target. She would produce a miracle of her own this day, or die trying! Either way she was going out on her own terms, whether now or later, and that wasn't for anyone else to decide! Who was this giant stone monster thing to think it could crush her? Who decided that? She would be the one to decide that, and she had decided it would not happen! On top of that perhaps this daylight gift would assist some more as well for all she knew, but even that was a gamble. Even so, it was the only gamble she knew to take right on on top of her attempts to channel and use magic to some kind of miracle. She knew Malphas could do it, so she believed she could as well! It would work! It had to!!!</s>	<\|message\|>Alice Sicilly Alice Sicilly : Skull-faced Friend! --- Interactions --- "You speak as if I should congratulate you, and as such, Yes, this is quite an amazing feat you've pulled off." The fay would say as she would have been flitting about the room for a good while. Trying to explore their local before she returned to the beasts side, looking up at him for a moment she would try to see if she could see any eyes behind that mask as she would sigh. "So now that we are here, what are you looking for? And how does it help me?" She would ask wanting to avoid talking about the fact she was still in the middle of trying to work out the creases in her outfit from being stuffed in the pocket of the beast. Her fairy eyes locked on his as shee looked at him carefully to judge the merit of the next words he spoke, her trust was still in the air, though he had been incredibly helpful getting them to... wherever here is, and if he had more of those arrows then making him a trusted ally would grant her a powerful infiltrator would it not?</s>
<\|description\|>Donovan MacConaill Gender: Male Appearance: Sporting the physique from his college football days, Donovan stands at 6'2" and weighs 220lbs (other features are as the picture shows.) Goals: To build a new world for his fellow man before finally joining his wife in the afterlife. Past Life: The old man took another sip of his coffee as he walked the dimly lit Philidelphia streets. For the last five years he'd been making this trek nightly, ever since Beatrice had last her battle with cancer. It helped him keep going, despite the loneliness he felt without her; reminded him of why he got out of bed in the morning despite the protests of his aging body. He passed by a diner; closed by now of course. Between the peeling paint and dirt-stained windows, it's age and level of disrepair were apparent. But past the moldering wood and crumbling plaster, the old man saw something else-- a memory. A tired-eyed young man was seated at one of the booths. Across from him was a scrawny, elderly fellow, wearing a well-ironed white shirt. The waitress was the most beautiful thing the young fellow had ever seen. Her name was Beatrice. Continuing down the road, the old man continued to reminisce. The streets around him were important to him. They were where he'd walked Bea home every night from work. Where he'd taught all seven of their children to drive. Before he'd even realized; he was once again where his life took a turn for the better. A bridge. A small, dainty little thing. Not to mention ugly as sin. It'd been his first design after graduating from his civil engineering courses back so many years ago. He'd just about been ready to jump off the damn thing to his death. Just the thought of it made him chuckle. To give up on life over such a silly little thing? What a fool he'd been back then. If Reverend Stuart hadn't pulled him away from the ledge that day, and treated him to lunch-- it all would've ended there. Donovan smiled at the moon overhead, it'd been nearly 60 years since that life changing day. And in that time he'd built much more than bridges, and skyscrapers; he built a family, a legacy-- a life. One he was truly grateful for. Donovan yawned as he bundled himself up tight in his jacket and sat down on the sidewalk of the bridge. Was it just him, or was the air a wee bit chillier than usual tonight. Maybe he was just tired. A few minutes of sleep wouldn't bring an end to his nightly stroll, would it? Abilities: [Physical Conditioning: Peak human] Your body is naturally tough, durable, and strong. The pinnacle of human physical strength, endurance, and agility. Keep training, and surely you can surpass even stronger beings. [Soul Flare] The ability to turn ones soul into a weapon itself. Needed for most basic magical feats. Channel the mana present in the air through your body to achieve great feats. Allows one to interact with supernatural things, and perceive things others may not. [Foreman] Because of your past lifes accomplishments, you have been granted the ability to summon your own personal army of construction workers. They take an ethereal appearance and number from 5-20 depending on how many are needed for the job. These people do not tire, do not require rest or breaks and could theoretically stay active 24/7. However, they run on your own personal physical stamina and Magic ability. With proper planning, timing, and personal training, they could finish building a project that would have taken a month, in little over a week or so. All you have to do is give them direction and make sure you have your plans in hand. They are incapable of fighting, and may be disrupted with certain magical skills. [Whispers of Suthainn] Though this God was once known by a different name, you have given it another. What is a name, aside from how one is recognized? Oft, Gods go by many names. Perhaps this is no different. Its agelessness and ancient fury remain but a distant, fleeting, feeling. You have made contact with a currently nameless God. You know little about them, save for the iconography of the Serpent and Star. The only thing you know, is that when you invoke its abilities you sense an ageless, unfathomable, yet comforting and fleeting presence. Underneath however, lies an ancient, furious anger silently watching and judging you. Whatever the case, you seem to be able to channel small divine miracles related to purification with some effort. [Stealth (lesser)] You've managed to acquire some knowhow for moving unseen and unheard. While its not going to fool any particularly vigilant person or animal, you could easily slip by unnoticed by unaware or those distracted by something else. Less agile acrobatics, and more simply being able to use your surroundings to slip around unseen. [Point Fracture] An ability to 'fracture' the flow of time on a space. A rather dangerous ability in theory but weak in practice, since it causes time in the affected small area to become twisted and knotted, merging time into a brief single point before it explodes outwards with rainbow colored shards. Weak, but effective in dealing minor injuries or disrupting singular targets or objects. This is an ability your patron has gifted, or you have learned through them in some manner. Can reasonably be expanded or modified to be stronger or divergent abilities with proper practice or use. Does not cause lasting Time Wounds in an area, and is clearly divine in nature which other divinities will recognize in some manner, even if not the specific god. Inventory: * Serpent Star Necklace * Ancient Shield * Ancient War-Hammer * Illu Gem * Gambeson {Equipped}</s> <\|message\|>Bella Rosso The further and further they walked, the more and more Augusta started to question her choice. Still, it was the choice that she had made. She needed to see it through at this point. No matter the weird experiment, cryptic wall designs or tar-like plants, she would move forward with her companions! Still, it didn't mean it made her feel very good. Perhaps it was the fact that they seemed to be moving in deeper to the earth but she felt like it was getting harder to breath. Perhaps her nerves were actually getting to her. A shame, really. She had almost thought she wouldn't be afraid of dying again but the first time around was rather... Frightening. The elven woman pushed the thoughts out of her mind as best she could and focused on the here and now. There were tar plants like back on the surface when Octavia first appeared. There was no doubt it was related. Perhaps they should prepare for more demon dogs? She stepped forward to move ahead with Isidore, ready to use her eye to their advantage if they needed to... But well, Nick was having cold feet now. Something to do with his power? She frowned, hoping they'd all go forward together despite his warning of danger. She was slightly shook, but didn't show it or try to think of it. The woman turned to Nick and smiled. "Well, it's fine if you don't. I think Isidore and I are going regardless. If it's a living thing, I can gleam information from it and all. It's probably related to Octavia there anyhow, isn't it? My curiosity will probably be the death of me, but not today." There was a confidence in her voice. Augusta cleared her throat and spoke again. "I won't think any worse of you one way or the other. If you want to come with us ahead or retreat to the surface. Same goes for you too, Donovan, of course. Not that it's been long since I've met Nick or Isidore but it's only been some minutes." She gave them both a smile and moved towards Isidore and Octavia, ready to head forward.</s> <\|message\|>Narkissa Langdon Narkissa Langdon As far as Narkissa was concerned, what she saw was impossible. Then again, the original appearance of the wall in front of them should have been impossible, so the sight of the strange man flying, if briefly, on ethereal wings was no less strange than any one of the things that she had seen or happened to her today. Then, in the blink of an eye, he was over the wall and gone. He had escaped. That also meant that Narkissa was now alone. With the stone giant. She had long lost track of her other brief allies, Leanna and Donovan, leaving her by her lonesome in the stone ruins. Thankfully, it seemed that the giant had been disoriented by Malphas' escape and busied itself scanning the area. By the time that it glanced in her direction, she had long ducked into the safety of the building. Perhaps she could attempt to scale the wall when the giant had its attention taken elsewhere. For now, she looked around the room; seeing another weapons pile, she was drawn towards it. An axe was rather less than ideal; to her, a sword felt more natural, and for one she searched, biding her time before she could attempt the wall herself.</s> <\|message\|>Oda Nobunaga Kyrinth, hm? By context it was easy to establish that there was some kind of threat... Nobunaga didn't push for any further answers immediately. Rather, she decided to observe their surroundings. While this girl certainly had some useful information, it was also a good idea to wait until they could speak to someone with greater authority. Something she did quickly notice, however, was the fact that only Lazhira had that silvery tattoo, among all the other people in the village... did that denote her position in some manner? It may have been unwise to ask directly, but perhaps not. Regardless, it could wait for now. At the moment she was attempting to absorb as much information as she could as quickly as she could. Their surroundings were quite rural, but the village seemed populated with a number of people. Ah, she was offering them to go to her place? That hardly seemed like a poor idea, as much as Nobunaga desired to speak to someone in power. Coming to understand the kind of culture they were dealing with was a valuable thing. But before she could finish her offer... A great beast burst into view, surrounded by spear-wielding men. It did not have any specific comparison to a living creature Nobunaga had seen in her previous lifetime, but it was likely the Kyrinth that Lazhira had mentioned previously. This was an opportunity. Nobunaga placed her hand on the hilt of her katana, stepping forward. "I believe I may know a few things," she said, simply, as she approached. As the small girl approached the circle of spear-wielding men, unsheathing her blade as she did, she took stock of the enemy. It was well-defended by silvery scales arranged in something like a pelt, and had quite clearly eaten a man. However... the underside of the animal did not appear so sturdy. In that case... "I understand I may be a foreigner here, but if the men to the beast's left side would harrass it with their spears I would be quite grateful," she said, raising her weapon carefully, "You need not place yourselves in any further danger, simply get its attention." Attacking the creature from head on would be foolish, as that was where its offense was focused. But all Nobunaga needed was a brief moment of distraction... as she was the smallest potential threat to the creature, it was unlikely that it would focus on her. Even if a piercing blow to the flank did not kill it, being able to make the first strike while it was distracted would be ideal. @PKMNB0Y@Crimson Paladin</s> <\|message\|>Takeshima Misaki (formerly Takeshima Mamoru) Being used to the social structure of the modern-day globalized world did not make things any better for Misaki as she followed Lazirha into the village; the odd stares from those who lived here made it obvious that they were foreigners, and some part of that irony was not lost upon her given how Japan usually was. Of course, being aware of that which was 'foreign' was but human nature, and so she couldn't necessarily fault them for much of anything. Rather, given the current situation (and how they didn't seem to be going after them in any meaningful way), it seemed best to let sleeping dogs lie. At least, for the moment. "Your house? Well, if it wouldn't be any—" she began to say, only for the arrival of a massive beast to stop her mid-sentence. Of course, it wasn't like she could do much of anything about it; the arm that fell from its maw only solidified that idea within her mind. Going after it for the moment would be tantamount to suicide, and though the various spoils of previous hunts adorned the village, the exasperation from one of the apparent hunter at seeing one sent mixed signals. Regardless of that, though, it wasn't as if there was much she could do regardless. "Sorry, but I've never held a weapon in my life," she said, taking a step back as she shook her head. Seeing Nobunaga move so confidently forward to take on the beast, though, gave her a bit of reprieve in that regard. Escaping death thrice over in a single day was already insanity enough, given how she had already crossed that boundary once already... @Rune_Alchemist@Crimson Paladin</s>	<\|message\|>Donovan MacConaill Don knelt down to inspect the dead bodies littering their path, had the plants done this? Or had they been slain long before the plants had taken root? The large man shifted uncomfortably as his hand rubbed his chin. Was it wise to continue further? Or would it lead them to certain doom? Whatever had been nesting down here, was meant to be kept here, trapped and hidden. Had that messy tangle out in the courtyard been a smaller chunk of this greater mass? Well-- it was hard to imagine it came from anywhere else. Moving forward, Don reached the door; running his fingers across the many fine grooves etched into it's ancient surface. It took less than a moment for Don to notice what lay outside the circle of protective sigils, a rather distinct design of two serpents on either side of the door sharing an orb in their fangs. Don knew in the pit of his gut that this bore a connection to the pin he'd found. "Oi Augusta--" he called to the elf girl, as he produced the pin from his jacket, "Yer eyes tell ya anything about this?" Holding the pin out for Augusta to examine, Don focused those energies once more-- attempting to make the pin glow just enough to be clearly visible in the darkness.</s>
<\|description\|>Donovan MacConaill Gender: Male Appearance: Sporting the physique from his college football days, Donovan stands at 6'2" and weighs 220lbs (other features are as the picture shows.) Goals: To build a new world for his fellow man before finally joining his wife in the afterlife. Past Life: The old man took another sip of his coffee as he walked the dimly lit Philidelphia streets. For the last five years he'd been making this trek nightly, ever since Beatrice had last her battle with cancer. It helped him keep going, despite the loneliness he felt without her; reminded him of why he got out of bed in the morning despite the protests of his aging body. He passed by a diner; closed by now of course. Between the peeling paint and dirt-stained windows, it's age and level of disrepair were apparent. But past the moldering wood and crumbling plaster, the old man saw something else-- a memory. A tired-eyed young man was seated at one of the booths. Across from him was a scrawny, elderly fellow, wearing a well-ironed white shirt. The waitress was the most beautiful thing the young fellow had ever seen. Her name was Beatrice. Continuing down the road, the old man continued to reminisce. The streets around him were important to him. They were where he'd walked Bea home every night from work. Where he'd taught all seven of their children to drive. Before he'd even realized; he was once again where his life took a turn for the better. A bridge. A small, dainty little thing. Not to mention ugly as sin. It'd been his first design after graduating from his civil engineering courses back so many years ago. He'd just about been ready to jump off the damn thing to his death. Just the thought of it made him chuckle. To give up on life over such a silly little thing? What a fool he'd been back then. If Reverend Stuart hadn't pulled him away from the ledge that day, and treated him to lunch-- it all would've ended there. Donovan smiled at the moon overhead, it'd been nearly 60 years since that life changing day. And in that time he'd built much more than bridges, and skyscrapers; he built a family, a legacy-- a life. One he was truly grateful for. Donovan yawned as he bundled himself up tight in his jacket and sat down on the sidewalk of the bridge. Was it just him, or was the air a wee bit chillier than usual tonight. Maybe he was just tired. A few minutes of sleep wouldn't bring an end to his nightly stroll, would it? Abilities: [Physical Conditioning: Peak human] Your body is naturally tough, durable, and strong. The pinnacle of human physical strength, endurance, and agility. Keep training, and surely you can surpass even stronger beings. [Soul Flare] The ability to turn ones soul into a weapon itself. Needed for most basic magical feats. Channel the mana present in the air through your body to achieve great feats. Allows one to interact with supernatural things, and perceive things others may not. [Foreman] Because of your past lifes accomplishments, you have been granted the ability to summon your own personal army of construction workers. They take an ethereal appearance and number from 5-20 depending on how many are needed for the job. These people do not tire, do not require rest or breaks and could theoretically stay active 24/7. However, they run on your own personal physical stamina and Magic ability. With proper planning, timing, and personal training, they could finish building a project that would have taken a month, in little over a week or so. All you have to do is give them direction and make sure you have your plans in hand. They are incapable of fighting, and may be disrupted with certain magical skills. [Whispers of Suthainn] Though this God was once known by a different name, you have given it another. What is a name, aside from how one is recognized? Oft, Gods go by many names. Perhaps this is no different. Its agelessness and ancient fury remain but a distant, fleeting, feeling. You have made contact with a currently nameless God. You know little about them, save for the iconography of the Serpent and Star. The only thing you know, is that when you invoke its abilities you sense an ageless, unfathomable, yet comforting and fleeting presence. Underneath however, lies an ancient, furious anger silently watching and judging you. Whatever the case, you seem to be able to channel small divine miracles related to purification with some effort. [Stealth (lesser)] You've managed to acquire some knowhow for moving unseen and unheard. While its not going to fool any particularly vigilant person or animal, you could easily slip by unnoticed by unaware or those distracted by something else. Less agile acrobatics, and more simply being able to use your surroundings to slip around unseen. [Point Fracture] An ability to 'fracture' the flow of time on a space. A rather dangerous ability in theory but weak in practice, since it causes time in the affected small area to become twisted and knotted, merging time into a brief single point before it explodes outwards with rainbow colored shards. Weak, but effective in dealing minor injuries or disrupting singular targets or objects. This is an ability your patron has gifted, or you have learned through them in some manner. Can reasonably be expanded or modified to be stronger or divergent abilities with proper practice or use. Does not cause lasting Time Wounds in an area, and is clearly divine in nature which other divinities will recognize in some manner, even if not the specific god. Inventory: * Serpent Star Necklace * Ancient Shield * Ancient War-Hammer * Illu Gem * Gambeson {Equipped}</s> <\|message\|>Oda Nobunaga Nobunaga had never embraced the supernatural. If it existed or not, it mattered little to her, there was no need to kowtow to some divine being that had no true proof in its existence. But this was a world where such beings provably existed, and once again she had come face to face with one. That did not mean that she felt it necessary to engage in worship, however. She sought an audience, and the ritual was merely fulfilling the conditions to gain one. The petite black-haired girl lowered the flute. Indeed, Nobunaga did not believe in the worship of deities as it were, though she supposed religion could be a uniting force. That being said, this was the Kyrnith's domain. Its territory. It would be foolish not to treat it politely and with respect, just as any guest should treat their host, or any two negotiators should treat one another. Nobunaga bowed, politely. "We are here to seek an audience, o Kyrnith," she began as she straightened, "As you mentioned, it has been some time since the villagers came here to offer you tribute." In a world where the gods existed, it was a matter of negotiation. Of diplomacy. "Their failure to uphold their end of the bargain has lead to the suffering of the village, and left you without tribute. So I shall not hide my intentions." She spread her arms. "I believe the potential of a new deal that benefits both yourself and the people of the village equally remains." @PKMNB0Y</s> <\|message\|>Takeshima Misaki (formerly Takeshima Mamoru) Misaki crinkled her nose in slight distaste once the smell of the burning reed hit her nostrils. She had encountered something similar once in the past—on a brief trip overseas to America—but even with this little, the stench was almost enough to warrant her backing away entirely. Even so, there was still a job she had to do, even if it meant putting up with... This. Maybe it was her sensitive nose speaking, but the intensity of the burning smoke felt so much stronger than it should have been; given Nobunaga's reaction, though, that was likely the case. As her companion played the flute, though, the foxgirl placed her attention elsewhere—mainly towards the deer who, at this point, had focused their attention towards them instead. It was expected, yes, but no less unnerving to experience. As the song reached its end, a massive deer broke through the woods, causing the foxgirl to immediately snap to attention. Its appearance was certainly awe-inspiring—like something out of a proper fantasy story—and the way that it spoke so easily to them only served to further cement that mental image within her mind. At the very least, introducing itself as the Kyrinth made everything a lot easier to digest. She wasn't any more religious than her Japanese peers, but it was a different matter when seeing a divinity in the flesh. Of course, Misaki was promptly snapped out of her awestruck stupoqr as it addressed her. As Nobunaga spoke to the Kyrinth, the foxgirl nodded and slowly walked up to the fawn that had been following them and, after a brief pause, left the untouched reeds in front of it. She wasn't in any position to negotiate, nor did she know how to do so with someone of this stature anyhow, which meant leaving the matter to Nobunaga seemed to be the best option anyhow. @Rune_Alchemist</s> <\|message\|>Novak Novak The line of light leading to the unexplored path was definitely worth investigating, but the pedestal room was of far more interest to Novak. There were figures of light, figures that had not been visible without the mask, whispering indiscernibly. A chill ran down his spine as the realization dawned upon him- whether these were spirits, phantoms, or vestiges, he and Leannah were not alone down here. A small part of him wondered if it had been a mistake to use the mask, before the rest of him banished the notion- the truth may be scary, but with knowledge came power. Novak picked up the glowing crystal and slowly approached the pedestal room and the invisible beings within. As he entered the room, however, the figures dispersed. Had they fled from his presence? Was there a consciousness within them? Or was it merely magic taking the form of humanoid figures? The phantoms were not the only thing to respond to his arrival; several images lit up upon the pedestal. These appeared to be a crown, sphere, trident, eye, and...a chain link. Curious. Novak wasn't sure what it meant, not yet. Still holding the mask to his face, he looked around the room, hoping to find clues. Upon the walls there were several strange markings carved. Each was a set of what looked like tally marks, or an equivalent simple numbering system, ranging from one through five. It wasn't clear, however, what they were referencing or alluding to. Novak removed the mask, curious as to what was visible without it, and what he saw was quite curious. Under the light of the glowing crystal, the tally marks were gone, but next to where they had been, he could now see previously unseen carvings identical to those on the pedestal. Where the "1" tally had been, there was now a carving of the eye. The sphere was with 2, the crown with 3, the trident with 4, and the chain link with 5. If it's assigning them an order, it's "eye, sphere, crown, trident, chain link", he observed. It was fortunate he had taken the mask, because even if he had opted to explore the pedestal room without it, he would have not been able to discern the tally marks. Now the challenge would be how to correctly apply this knowledge. Perhaps if I were to select the glowing pedestal images in order... Novak carefully touched the luminous images on the pedestal in the order corresponding to the tally marks. First was the eye, then the sphere, then the crown, next the trident, and finally the chain link. He hoped that this world work, and that if it didn't, that it at least wouldn't make things worse.</s> <\|message\|>Nicholas "Nick" Gallagher The Journey Begins ~ Dawn ~ Interacted with: @Rune_Alchemist, @PKMNB0Y, @VitaVitaAR "They went where?" Nick just saw them a while ago! How could they have already gone? They sure were fast. Nick was told they went into the forest and towards 'Kyrnith's Grove'. He could hazard a guess as to what they would be doing there. Nick wondered if he should go get Donovan for this, but decided to head off on his own. He just needed to find those two girls, right? Surely he would not encounter anything untoward in the forest so long as he didn't go looking for it, right? He thanked Haruno, especially for telling him the easiest path there, before quickly making his way to the forest. Hold on, if those two were meeting with Kyrnith, then this could be his chance to meet the deer god himself. The thought made him hesitate. Oh man, what was he gonna say? Does he ask the deity his questions first? Will it even entertain him? Or flat-out just smite him on the spot? Oof, that one sent shivers down the spine. No, no, Nick told himself to stop worrying about it. He should meet with this Kyrnith before deciding what to do next. Nick approached the forest line and took a gulp of air. He was no trekker of woods, but he did escape from that prison-ruins place and had some success against those evil gooey creatures. He also had directions, so what was he really worried about? A lot, in fact, but Nick put those thoughts down and entered the domain of Kyrnith to search for the grove as well as those two 'Chagawan' girls.</s>	<\|message\|>Donovan MacConaill Don nodded to Lady Mie as she offered him the small sack of fruit, "Yer a generous soul lass-" he responded with a smile, giving the 'gambesons' a steady lookover as he spoke; though they weren't a single shirt like Don would've preferred the material seemed sturdy enough. "Consider et done." Even though the thought the merchant may have possibly upcharged him; taking advantage of the fact he was clearly in a rush, and clearly was unfamiliar with the market-- Don pushed it from his mind. He could worry about being swindled later... The village's safety came first. He headed east, towards and into the forest; the creature's less than subtle tracks making his job rather easy. Before long, he would come across a giant weasel-looking thing; which appeared to be the source of the rather obvious trail. Reaching into the sack he was given, Don tore a small chunk off one of the fruits tossed it before the Kamaitachi, slowly approaching the creature with another chunk extended in his hand. This task was easy. Too damn easy.... "Aye wonder why she ain't sent nobodeh else tah get cha..."</s>
<\|description\|>Donovan MacConaill Gender: Male Appearance: Sporting the physique from his college football days, Donovan stands at 6'2" and weighs 220lbs (other features are as the picture shows.) Goals: To build a new world for his fellow man before finally joining his wife in the afterlife. Past Life: The old man took another sip of his coffee as he walked the dimly lit Philidelphia streets. For the last five years he'd been making this trek nightly, ever since Beatrice had last her battle with cancer. It helped him keep going, despite the loneliness he felt without her; reminded him of why he got out of bed in the morning despite the protests of his aging body. He passed by a diner; closed by now of course. Between the peeling paint and dirt-stained windows, it's age and level of disrepair were apparent. But past the moldering wood and crumbling plaster, the old man saw something else-- a memory. A tired-eyed young man was seated at one of the booths. Across from him was a scrawny, elderly fellow, wearing a well-ironed white shirt. The waitress was the most beautiful thing the young fellow had ever seen. Her name was Beatrice. Continuing down the road, the old man continued to reminisce. The streets around him were important to him. They were where he'd walked Bea home every night from work. Where he'd taught all seven of their children to drive. Before he'd even realized; he was once again where his life took a turn for the better. A bridge. A small, dainty little thing. Not to mention ugly as sin. It'd been his first design after graduating from his civil engineering courses back so many years ago. He'd just about been ready to jump off the damn thing to his death. Just the thought of it made him chuckle. To give up on life over such a silly little thing? What a fool he'd been back then. If Reverend Stuart hadn't pulled him away from the ledge that day, and treated him to lunch-- it all would've ended there. Donovan smiled at the moon overhead, it'd been nearly 60 years since that life changing day. And in that time he'd built much more than bridges, and skyscrapers; he built a family, a legacy-- a life. One he was truly grateful for. Donovan yawned as he bundled himself up tight in his jacket and sat down on the sidewalk of the bridge. Was it just him, or was the air a wee bit chillier than usual tonight. Maybe he was just tired. A few minutes of sleep wouldn't bring an end to his nightly stroll, would it? Abilities: [Physical Conditioning: Peak human] Your body is naturally tough, durable, and strong. The pinnacle of human physical strength, endurance, and agility. Keep training, and surely you can surpass even stronger beings. [Soul Flare] The ability to turn ones soul into a weapon itself. Needed for most basic magical feats. Channel the mana present in the air through your body to achieve great feats. Allows one to interact with supernatural things, and perceive things others may not. [Foreman] Because of your past lifes accomplishments, you have been granted the ability to summon your own personal army of construction workers. They take an ethereal appearance and number from 5-20 depending on how many are needed for the job. These people do not tire, do not require rest or breaks and could theoretically stay active 24/7. However, they run on your own personal physical stamina and Magic ability. With proper planning, timing, and personal training, they could finish building a project that would have taken a month, in little over a week or so. All you have to do is give them direction and make sure you have your plans in hand. They are incapable of fighting, and may be disrupted with certain magical skills. [Whispers of Suthainn] Though this God was once known by a different name, you have given it another. What is a name, aside from how one is recognized? Oft, Gods go by many names. Perhaps this is no different. Its agelessness and ancient fury remain but a distant, fleeting, feeling. You have made contact with a currently nameless God. You know little about them, save for the iconography of the Serpent and Star. The only thing you know, is that when you invoke its abilities you sense an ageless, unfathomable, yet comforting and fleeting presence. Underneath however, lies an ancient, furious anger silently watching and judging you. Whatever the case, you seem to be able to channel small divine miracles related to purification with some effort. [Stealth (lesser)] You've managed to acquire some knowhow for moving unseen and unheard. While its not going to fool any particularly vigilant person or animal, you could easily slip by unnoticed by unaware or those distracted by something else. Less agile acrobatics, and more simply being able to use your surroundings to slip around unseen. [Point Fracture] An ability to 'fracture' the flow of time on a space. A rather dangerous ability in theory but weak in practice, since it causes time in the affected small area to become twisted and knotted, merging time into a brief single point before it explodes outwards with rainbow colored shards. Weak, but effective in dealing minor injuries or disrupting singular targets or objects. This is an ability your patron has gifted, or you have learned through them in some manner. Can reasonably be expanded or modified to be stronger or divergent abilities with proper practice or use. Does not cause lasting Time Wounds in an area, and is clearly divine in nature which other divinities will recognize in some manner, even if not the specific god. Inventory: * Serpent Star Necklace * Ancient Shield * Ancient War-Hammer * Illu Gem * Gambeson {Equipped}</s> <\|message\|>Oda Nobunaga Nobunaga brushed off the statements by the new arrival. She had little interest in openly discussing her own otherworldly nature(nor any reason to reveal that she was the same as him). No, she had a far more important purpose. A smile crossed the small girl's lips. "In that case, my proposal is a simple one," she began, "It is plain to me that the value of access to the forest was not enough to override the desire for knowledge, even if they lack any idea of how this pursuit could effect them." She spread her arms. "Of course, you could merely insist this pursuit was punished in forming a new deal, but even the threat of punishment cannot stay the desire for knowledge," Nobunaga continued, "As such, that desire must be met with something else. Not only must this adherence to this reckless and careless God of Knowledge be punished, but an outlet for the desire for knowledge must be provided." Nobunaga's smile grew. She had considered this the moment that the Kyrinth spoke of the root of the trouble between itself and the villagers. "The villagers are to protect the forest, to ensure that it will flourish, to treat it as valuable not only for the sake of the resources they require but also for its own sake," the warlord continued with a flourish of one hand, "Because the guardian of the forest is also their beloved teacher." The value placed on a teacher, someone who gave their knowledge to others, was high. And in a world like this... there was so much that the elder beast could share, wasn't there? "You cannot move against this god directly, but you can supplant its purpose," the very thought of punishing the reckless god of knowledge in such a way, even if he had long sense moved on from this experiment, was pleasing to the practical-minded girl, "Those who seek knowledge will merely need to consult with the teacher they knew from childhood. The one whose very existence is tied to the natural world, whose knowledge of this world improves their lives." She had no way of knowing just what the Kyrinth knew, but its very nature as a beast of the natural world and the title of 'Elder' implied wisdom if nothing else. "Replace this god of knowledge. The value of not only access to the forest, but of a teacher who is far less reckless and far more wise, who will become beloved for the knowledge they pass on, will seal a renewed pact with the villagers. After all, knowledge is a valuable thing, and thus those who can provide that knowledge are beyond value." It was something of a gambit... but surely, the capacity to guarantee care for the forest improve giving knowledge, and also begin wearing down the reckless deity's influence... it had to count for something, didn't it? @PKMNB0Y@PaulHaynek</s> <\|message\|>Takeshima Misaki (formerly Takeshima Mamoru) The fact that the deer seemed to not shy away from her touched gave Misaki more than enough of a push to actually begin petting the animal, her hands scratching behind its ears and under its chin as she might a dog or cat. The foxgirl took care not to be too rough with her touch—though it did seem to enjoy what contact she had given it—and the reaction given in response to that was positive enough for her to keep going. It was this action that she chose to use as cover against the newcomer's words; if she did not yet trust the others who had so suddenly come up to her the day before, then what reason did she have to act the same towards this one? Reasonably speaking, though, their desire to return to Earth was not something unwarranted, but considering that statement brought to mind her last moments. "Going back" probably wasn't an option for her, loathe as she was to admit it, which meant that their goals did not so easily align. It wasn't like she had a clue as to what this person had in store or if he could be trusted, either, though. Nobunaga's suggestion, though, had caught the young woman off guard. To suggest that the Kyrinth be a teacher to the residents of the town... The thought hadn't crossed Misaki's mind, but the way it was framed made it seem like a fairly reasonable way to repair the broken contract between the two factions. It wasn't foolproof, of course—if there were people working against the Kyrinth still milling about, then it was possible that they could incite ill will as rogue agents. That much needed to be addressed, else their efforts go to naught before 'proper' negotiations began. "I think that replacing that 'god' would go a long way," Misaki began, slowly turning to face the Kyrinth as she continued to pet the deer's head, "but that's not really a 'true' solution, is it? People aren't ants or bees; not everyone will unilaterally agree on a course of action. But it might be better to at least reward the ones who maintain this relationship, rather than only punishing those who do not." What that might entail, though, would probably fall to the townsfolk; it seemed that they already feared the Kyrinth prior to their meeting now, so turning it into something more benevolent (in their eyes) rather than purely terrifying... Logically speaking, it'd probably be better for everyone in the long run, right? @Rune_Alchemist@PaulHaynek</s>	<\|message\|>Donovan MacConaill Donovan laughed heartily at the little lady's protests as he ran from the pursuing creature, "Lass, much as aye'd be happeh tah help ya pulp th' damn thing-- aye been hired tah return et to th' folk that own... An' they wannet alive!" Don did his best to duck branches and weave between trees as he ran, but the giant rat-creature seemed to be a hell of a lot faster than he'd thought and was hot on his heels; and the fact that the dwarf was wiggling so much didn't help. "Quit strugglin'! Yer slowin us down!" As the creature drew ever closer, Don called upon that divine might once more-- the ever present force protecting and empowering him. He channeled that power downward through every nerve, muscle, and tendon in his leg. As the Kamaitachi would pounce, Don would fire the gathered power out his back foot, launching himself forward!</s>
<\|description\|>Donovan MacConaill Gender: Male Appearance: Sporting the physique from his college football days, Donovan stands at 6'2" and weighs 220lbs (other features are as the picture shows.) Goals: To build a new world for his fellow man before finally joining his wife in the afterlife. Past Life: The old man took another sip of his coffee as he walked the dimly lit Philidelphia streets. For the last five years he'd been making this trek nightly, ever since Beatrice had last her battle with cancer. It helped him keep going, despite the loneliness he felt without her; reminded him of why he got out of bed in the morning despite the protests of his aging body. He passed by a diner; closed by now of course. Between the peeling paint and dirt-stained windows, it's age and level of disrepair were apparent. But past the moldering wood and crumbling plaster, the old man saw something else-- a memory. A tired-eyed young man was seated at one of the booths. Across from him was a scrawny, elderly fellow, wearing a well-ironed white shirt. The waitress was the most beautiful thing the young fellow had ever seen. Her name was Beatrice. Continuing down the road, the old man continued to reminisce. The streets around him were important to him. They were where he'd walked Bea home every night from work. Where he'd taught all seven of their children to drive. Before he'd even realized; he was once again where his life took a turn for the better. A bridge. A small, dainty little thing. Not to mention ugly as sin. It'd been his first design after graduating from his civil engineering courses back so many years ago. He'd just about been ready to jump off the damn thing to his death. Just the thought of it made him chuckle. To give up on life over such a silly little thing? What a fool he'd been back then. If Reverend Stuart hadn't pulled him away from the ledge that day, and treated him to lunch-- it all would've ended there. Donovan smiled at the moon overhead, it'd been nearly 60 years since that life changing day. And in that time he'd built much more than bridges, and skyscrapers; he built a family, a legacy-- a life. One he was truly grateful for. Donovan yawned as he bundled himself up tight in his jacket and sat down on the sidewalk of the bridge. Was it just him, or was the air a wee bit chillier than usual tonight. Maybe he was just tired. A few minutes of sleep wouldn't bring an end to his nightly stroll, would it? Abilities: [Physical Conditioning: Peak human] Your body is naturally tough, durable, and strong. The pinnacle of human physical strength, endurance, and agility. Keep training, and surely you can surpass even stronger beings. [Soul Flare] The ability to turn ones soul into a weapon itself. Needed for most basic magical feats. Channel the mana present in the air through your body to achieve great feats. Allows one to interact with supernatural things, and perceive things others may not. [Foreman] Because of your past lifes accomplishments, you have been granted the ability to summon your own personal army of construction workers. They take an ethereal appearance and number from 5-20 depending on how many are needed for the job. These people do not tire, do not require rest or breaks and could theoretically stay active 24/7. However, they run on your own personal physical stamina and Magic ability. With proper planning, timing, and personal training, they could finish building a project that would have taken a month, in little over a week or so. All you have to do is give them direction and make sure you have your plans in hand. They are incapable of fighting, and may be disrupted with certain magical skills. [Whispers of Suthainn] Though this God was once known by a different name, you have given it another. What is a name, aside from how one is recognized? Oft, Gods go by many names. Perhaps this is no different. Its agelessness and ancient fury remain but a distant, fleeting, feeling. You have made contact with a currently nameless God. You know little about them, save for the iconography of the Serpent and Star. The only thing you know, is that when you invoke its abilities you sense an ageless, unfathomable, yet comforting and fleeting presence. Underneath however, lies an ancient, furious anger silently watching and judging you. Whatever the case, you seem to be able to channel small divine miracles related to purification with some effort. [Stealth (lesser)] You've managed to acquire some knowhow for moving unseen and unheard. While its not going to fool any particularly vigilant person or animal, you could easily slip by unnoticed by unaware or those distracted by something else. Less agile acrobatics, and more simply being able to use your surroundings to slip around unseen. [Point Fracture] An ability to 'fracture' the flow of time on a space. A rather dangerous ability in theory but weak in practice, since it causes time in the affected small area to become twisted and knotted, merging time into a brief single point before it explodes outwards with rainbow colored shards. Weak, but effective in dealing minor injuries or disrupting singular targets or objects. This is an ability your patron has gifted, or you have learned through them in some manner. Can reasonably be expanded or modified to be stronger or divergent abilities with proper practice or use. Does not cause lasting Time Wounds in an area, and is clearly divine in nature which other divinities will recognize in some manner, even if not the specific god. Inventory: * Serpent Star Necklace * Ancient Shield * Ancient War-Hammer * Illu Gem * Gambeson {Equipped}</s> <\|message\|>Nicholas "Nick" Gallagher The Journey Begins ~ Kyrnith's Grove ~ Interacted with: @Rune_Alchemist, @PKMNB0Y, @VitaVitaAR "I'd say that making a trail would be easier than constructing another shrine, but since your grove is just a couple of stone slabs sitting atop each other then I suppose making a new one's definitely the easier option." Nick agreed with the Elder Beast's idea. "We should probably include, like, a board with a list of directions on how to meet you and all." "...That's reassuring." Nick sarcastically replied. "I'll try to go as soon as I can, but I'm going to stick around and help take down this God Of Knowledge guy as well as build your shrine for the village of Dawn. I mean, fair's fair, right?" Nick then looked toward Nobunaga and Misaki. "So bottom line, we starve out the God Of Knowledge by essentially replacing him with Kyrnith, right?" He then sighed. "I doubt the Knowledge God's followers will just roll over and let us do this, though, so we'll have to watch out. Say, since we'll be working together, mind blessing me with your names? I heard that people work together better if they know each others' names."</s> <\|message\|>"Malphas" Malphas Delivery!@Rune_Alchemist Malphas looked down at the flower, then back at the foxy merchant once more. He simply needed to hand over the flowers to the merchant, but given the circumstances, perhaps he could use these as leverage? There were more things he needed to ask her, after all, especially given this turn of events. An explanation of the flower's effects could be lovely, but he was pressed on time, so he instead went to make a different proclamation: Insurance. Malphas revealed the flower to Lady Mie, but kept it just out of reach as he cleared his throat. "Before I hand you this flower, I'd like to add to our agreement. Make this transaction sweeter for the both of us, if you will." Malphas grinned, stroking an imaginary beard. He would stroke his own chin if not for fear of the flower's residue ending up on his hands. "I actually had a much easier time retrieving these herbs than I had initially surmised. Perhaps I can get more for you before you leave? In exchange, I wish for your protection. More specifically, I wish to continue to be under your management, and hopefully under your protection. I may not look it, but I am blessed with quite a few talents you may find useful, just believe me! It'd be nice to be out of this village and in the hands of a group who knows the world much better than I... So, what do you say?" Malphas offered the flower to Lady Mie with a grin. As much as he pondered about becoming a leader of these cultists and mused about his new role as Torchbearer, Malphas was not as pleased to learn he was surrounded by more potential enemies than allies in this village. The Illuminated's clandestine nature also did not seem to have much good outcomes as far as longevity was concerned. He did not want to be landlocked to such a primitive place, after all. If his fate is to be stuck in such a fantastical world where he is destined to rule, then he shall choose a much more lively and exotic place to rule over! All that aside, while Malphas wished to assure his safety in this arrangement, what he really wants is a way to get a more refined version of these poisoned flowers for his own use. Such opportunities were worth him being employed by someone else. One cannot make it to the top without first starting at the bottom. Malphas learned this lesson in his past life. While he may have had a head start due to his inborn advantages in the past, would this not be the same thing here with all these gifts given to him by the Goddess?</s> <\|message\|>Takeshima Misaki (formerly Takeshima Mamoru) Despite her apparent silence as she continued to pet the deer at her side, Misaki almost instantly snapped to attention the moment she heard Lazirha's name mentioned by the Kyrinth. Rather than worrying about any diplomatic relationships between the two groups in question, the fact that she had been called out by name emphasized that there was more to her than she had initially thought. Of course, it had been Lazirha who had set them down this path in the first place, so a relationship between the two was already possible, but that didn't make it any less noteworthy. "I thank you for your time in speaking with us," she finally said as the conversation concluded, standing up and bowing towards the Kyrinth before giving the younger deer one last scratch under the chin. As much as it seemed to have taken to her, bringing it back and away from the forest it called home didn't feel like the right thing to do. If it followed her on its own accord when they returned to the village then by all means she would keep it as a companion, but ultimately it was still a wild animal. Or, well, 'wild' by a modern definition of the term, at least. The foxgirl's move to start leaving with Nobunaga was paused by the person who had abruptly entered the conversation in the first place, and Misaki had no desire to deal with him after seeing how he had acted thus far. She could not deny the intent he seemed to have, but the way he carried himself and spoke... It just rubbed her the wrong way, and that dislike only seemed to intensify once he attempted to sidle up to them. As much as she would have preferred returning to town and speaking with the other team that had left with Lazirha (because this was most certainly relevant to them), not speaking up about the way he was acting now would be difficult at best. "What do you mean, 'we'?" she finally asked, breaking the awkward silence that had come about as a result of the young man's assertion. "Our goals may be similar, and I cannot speak for my companion, but I have no intent of working with someone so flippant as you." There was a variety of reasons for leaving things at that, but speaking bluntly about all the reasons why she didn't wish to associate with him wasn't something she would do unless pressed for that information. With that, Misaki nodded towards Nobunaga before starting down the path back to the village, come what may. @PaulHaynek@Rune_Alchemist</s> <\|message\|>Oda Nobunaga "Excellent, o Kyrinth," Nobunaga bowed her head, "Your wisdom has exceeded my already high expectations." It wasn't empty flattery. The elder beast's apparent wisdom and understanding of her intent made everything about this negotiation far easier then it could otherwise have been. It was natural to expect an ancient creature of nature such as this to have wisdom born from age, and the fact that the Kyrinth understood her intentions quite well confirmed that. Nobunaga had no doubt she could mend the relationship between the Elder Beast and the villagers, but it was the matter of destroying the worship of that fool god of knowledge that would be most complex. "I expect you shall soon hear word from the village chief. For now, farewell." With that, the petite girl turned to depart... only to be stopped by the boy who had intruded on them. He came close to outright insulting their host, and on top of that acted as if he spoke for them... "... I am disinclined to work alongside one who assumes they speak for others without asking," Nobunaga said, without facing the boy, "Nor do I care much for one who clearly runs their mouth without a single moment of consideration towards their words. Spare some thought before you speak next time, or don't speak at all." With that, she departed for the village alonside Misaki. @PKMNB0Y@PaulHaynek</s>	<\|message\|>Donovan MacConaill "Think Lass!" Donovan hissed as the beast crashed against his shield; his stance (though holding fast) tearing up topsoil as the sheer force of impact forced him back, "Herbs, spices, furs, fruit-- nuthin? Are yah sure???" Snapping jaws forced Donovan to retreat lower behind his shield, the creature's forward weight leaning almost entirely on the shield arm. Don grunted forcefully, his eyes darting about the surrounding area as he quickly assessing the situation. The Dwarf seemed clueless about what may be aggravating the beast, and the damn thing's claws and teeth were likely to rip him to bits before the Oni workers could do anything to aid him if he didnt do something quick. If he used his hammer, he'd likely kill or cripple the creature. If he used his magic, that'd draw too much attention-- and folk would start asking questions, while tipping off the hunters that he may be a threat. In a sudden motion, Don stuffed the sack of fruit he'd been given into the open jaws of the massive rodent. Gritting his teeth, Don crouched low, his back foot pivoting as he would wrench his shield out from between himself and the animal. "Arright Beastie--" he bellowed as every muscle in his body; from the tips of his toes, up his calves and into his thighs, hips core and arms, all fired in a synchronized motion-- all leading into a devastating superhuman uppercut! "Time tah learn yeh some manners!"</s>
<\|description\|>Donovan MacConaill Gender: Male Appearance: Sporting the physique from his college football days, Donovan stands at 6'2" and weighs 220lbs (other features are as the picture shows.) Goals: To build a new world for his fellow man before finally joining his wife in the afterlife. Past Life: The old man took another sip of his coffee as he walked the dimly lit Philidelphia streets. For the last five years he'd been making this trek nightly, ever since Beatrice had last her battle with cancer. It helped him keep going, despite the loneliness he felt without her; reminded him of why he got out of bed in the morning despite the protests of his aging body. He passed by a diner; closed by now of course. Between the peeling paint and dirt-stained windows, it's age and level of disrepair were apparent. But past the moldering wood and crumbling plaster, the old man saw something else-- a memory. A tired-eyed young man was seated at one of the booths. Across from him was a scrawny, elderly fellow, wearing a well-ironed white shirt. The waitress was the most beautiful thing the young fellow had ever seen. Her name was Beatrice. Continuing down the road, the old man continued to reminisce. The streets around him were important to him. They were where he'd walked Bea home every night from work. Where he'd taught all seven of their children to drive. Before he'd even realized; he was once again where his life took a turn for the better. A bridge. A small, dainty little thing. Not to mention ugly as sin. It'd been his first design after graduating from his civil engineering courses back so many years ago. He'd just about been ready to jump off the damn thing to his death. Just the thought of it made him chuckle. To give up on life over such a silly little thing? What a fool he'd been back then. If Reverend Stuart hadn't pulled him away from the ledge that day, and treated him to lunch-- it all would've ended there. Donovan smiled at the moon overhead, it'd been nearly 60 years since that life changing day. And in that time he'd built much more than bridges, and skyscrapers; he built a family, a legacy-- a life. One he was truly grateful for. Donovan yawned as he bundled himself up tight in his jacket and sat down on the sidewalk of the bridge. Was it just him, or was the air a wee bit chillier than usual tonight. Maybe he was just tired. A few minutes of sleep wouldn't bring an end to his nightly stroll, would it? Abilities: [Physical Conditioning: Peak human] Your body is naturally tough, durable, and strong. The pinnacle of human physical strength, endurance, and agility. Keep training, and surely you can surpass even stronger beings. [Soul Flare] The ability to turn ones soul into a weapon itself. Needed for most basic magical feats. Channel the mana present in the air through your body to achieve great feats. Allows one to interact with supernatural things, and perceive things others may not. [Foreman] Because of your past lifes accomplishments, you have been granted the ability to summon your own personal army of construction workers. They take an ethereal appearance and number from 5-20 depending on how many are needed for the job. These people do not tire, do not require rest or breaks and could theoretically stay active 24/7. However, they run on your own personal physical stamina and Magic ability. With proper planning, timing, and personal training, they could finish building a project that would have taken a month, in little over a week or so. All you have to do is give them direction and make sure you have your plans in hand. They are incapable of fighting, and may be disrupted with certain magical skills. [Whispers of Suthainn] Though this God was once known by a different name, you have given it another. What is a name, aside from how one is recognized? Oft, Gods go by many names. Perhaps this is no different. Its agelessness and ancient fury remain but a distant, fleeting, feeling. You have made contact with a currently nameless God. You know little about them, save for the iconography of the Serpent and Star. The only thing you know, is that when you invoke its abilities you sense an ageless, unfathomable, yet comforting and fleeting presence. Underneath however, lies an ancient, furious anger silently watching and judging you. Whatever the case, you seem to be able to channel small divine miracles related to purification with some effort. [Stealth (lesser)] You've managed to acquire some knowhow for moving unseen and unheard. While its not going to fool any particularly vigilant person or animal, you could easily slip by unnoticed by unaware or those distracted by something else. Less agile acrobatics, and more simply being able to use your surroundings to slip around unseen. [Point Fracture] An ability to 'fracture' the flow of time on a space. A rather dangerous ability in theory but weak in practice, since it causes time in the affected small area to become twisted and knotted, merging time into a brief single point before it explodes outwards with rainbow colored shards. Weak, but effective in dealing minor injuries or disrupting singular targets or objects. This is an ability your patron has gifted, or you have learned through them in some manner. Can reasonably be expanded or modified to be stronger or divergent abilities with proper practice or use. Does not cause lasting Time Wounds in an area, and is clearly divine in nature which other divinities will recognize in some manner, even if not the specific god. Inventory: * Serpent Star Necklace * Ancient Shield * Ancient War-Hammer * Illu Gem * Gambeson {Equipped}</s> <\|message\|>"Malphas" Malphas Delivery DiGiorno!@Rune_Alchemist While Mie was preoccupied with beasts, shorties, and Donovan of all people, Malphas snuck away for a moment. He pondered the idea of just tuckering out for a moment especially since he was more-or-less free from obligations for the night. Still, he was curious about the progress of the little cult of the Lightbringer or whatever it was they were called again. Definitely not his problem anymore, but still a group he has some ties to. There was also the matter of them gathering more of those flowers, perhaps one that Malphas can take for himself seeing that the fair lady didn't need anymore. Whatever the case, Malphas made his way to the temple once more, armed with his poisoned dagger. If there were any creatures to pop out at him, all he really needed to do was swipe, run, and let the poison do the rest of the work. However, unlike before, he did his best to stay quiet as he traversed the woodlands. Avoiding conflict was always a good thing, after all. Still, with no huntress to swoop in at a convenient time, Malphas wonders just how well he would fare against the next beast he comes across. Assuming his trip was uneventful, Malphas would make his way to the secret entrance once more. With all his scheming, he realized he forgot to speak to Enli! Ah well, he'll just come up with some excuse as to why. They've no reason not to trust him, after all... well, aside from the fact he's new to this world and is an absolute stranger.</s> <\|message\|>Oda Nobunaga "Then I believe you shall grow younger by another ten, perhaps twenty years with the news we bring," Nobunaga began, a smile on her lips and one hand placed to her chest as she regarded the village's chief, "The Kyrinth will be happy to meet with you and negotiate tomorrow, provided you come to the Sacred Grove yourself. I believe you may be quite intrigued by the details of the new proposal." She clapped her hands together. "However, I believe those are best kept waiting until you have the opportunity to speak with the Elder Beast itself. I should hardly like to make it appear as if I speak for it, after all." It was far more wise to ensure that the Elder Beast was able to lay out the terms of the new agreement itself, even if the terms had been suggested by Nobunaga herself. "Along that same vein, however... I'm afraid I need your assistance on some matters," the petite black-haired girl continued, "Firstly, I would like to speak with Lazhira, so if you know where she is that would be excellent. Secondly... I must know whatever information you have about the God of Knowledge." @PKMNB0Y@PaulHaynek</s>	<\|message\|>Donovan MacConaill "Nonesense Lass!" Don exclaimed with a chuckle, giving the dwarf a firm pat on the head. Though he couldn't really put his finger on it, the large man could 'sense' the little needed some help, "Ain't no sense in turnin' the Ladeh down. Least any of us can do fer yah!" The man looked to Mie, rubbing his knuckles, "Sorreh bout yer beastie. Heard somethin' break when aye hit et.". Donovan let out a deep, heaving sigh; his necklace slipping from his shirt, "Right then, waht's next?"</s>
<\|description\|>Donovan MacConaill Gender: Male Appearance: Sporting the physique from his college football days, Donovan stands at 6'2" and weighs 220lbs (other features are as the picture shows.) Goals: To build a new world for his fellow man before finally joining his wife in the afterlife. Past Life: The old man took another sip of his coffee as he walked the dimly lit Philidelphia streets. For the last five years he'd been making this trek nightly, ever since Beatrice had last her battle with cancer. It helped him keep going, despite the loneliness he felt without her; reminded him of why he got out of bed in the morning despite the protests of his aging body. He passed by a diner; closed by now of course. Between the peeling paint and dirt-stained windows, it's age and level of disrepair were apparent. But past the moldering wood and crumbling plaster, the old man saw something else-- a memory. A tired-eyed young man was seated at one of the booths. Across from him was a scrawny, elderly fellow, wearing a well-ironed white shirt. The waitress was the most beautiful thing the young fellow had ever seen. Her name was Beatrice. Continuing down the road, the old man continued to reminisce. The streets around him were important to him. They were where he'd walked Bea home every night from work. Where he'd taught all seven of their children to drive. Before he'd even realized; he was once again where his life took a turn for the better. A bridge. A small, dainty little thing. Not to mention ugly as sin. It'd been his first design after graduating from his civil engineering courses back so many years ago. He'd just about been ready to jump off the damn thing to his death. Just the thought of it made him chuckle. To give up on life over such a silly little thing? What a fool he'd been back then. If Reverend Stuart hadn't pulled him away from the ledge that day, and treated him to lunch-- it all would've ended there. Donovan smiled at the moon overhead, it'd been nearly 60 years since that life changing day. And in that time he'd built much more than bridges, and skyscrapers; he built a family, a legacy-- a life. One he was truly grateful for. Donovan yawned as he bundled himself up tight in his jacket and sat down on the sidewalk of the bridge. Was it just him, or was the air a wee bit chillier than usual tonight. Maybe he was just tired. A few minutes of sleep wouldn't bring an end to his nightly stroll, would it? Abilities: [Physical Conditioning: Peak human] Your body is naturally tough, durable, and strong. The pinnacle of human physical strength, endurance, and agility. Keep training, and surely you can surpass even stronger beings. [Soul Flare] The ability to turn ones soul into a weapon itself. Needed for most basic magical feats. Channel the mana present in the air through your body to achieve great feats. Allows one to interact with supernatural things, and perceive things others may not. [Foreman] Because of your past lifes accomplishments, you have been granted the ability to summon your own personal army of construction workers. They take an ethereal appearance and number from 5-20 depending on how many are needed for the job. These people do not tire, do not require rest or breaks and could theoretically stay active 24/7. However, they run on your own personal physical stamina and Magic ability. With proper planning, timing, and personal training, they could finish building a project that would have taken a month, in little over a week or so. All you have to do is give them direction and make sure you have your plans in hand. They are incapable of fighting, and may be disrupted with certain magical skills. [Whispers of Suthainn] Though this God was once known by a different name, you have given it another. What is a name, aside from how one is recognized? Oft, Gods go by many names. Perhaps this is no different. Its agelessness and ancient fury remain but a distant, fleeting, feeling. You have made contact with a currently nameless God. You know little about them, save for the iconography of the Serpent and Star. The only thing you know, is that when you invoke its abilities you sense an ageless, unfathomable, yet comforting and fleeting presence. Underneath however, lies an ancient, furious anger silently watching and judging you. Whatever the case, you seem to be able to channel small divine miracles related to purification with some effort. [Stealth (lesser)] You've managed to acquire some knowhow for moving unseen and unheard. While its not going to fool any particularly vigilant person or animal, you could easily slip by unnoticed by unaware or those distracted by something else. Less agile acrobatics, and more simply being able to use your surroundings to slip around unseen. [Point Fracture] An ability to 'fracture' the flow of time on a space. A rather dangerous ability in theory but weak in practice, since it causes time in the affected small area to become twisted and knotted, merging time into a brief single point before it explodes outwards with rainbow colored shards. Weak, but effective in dealing minor injuries or disrupting singular targets or objects. This is an ability your patron has gifted, or you have learned through them in some manner. Can reasonably be expanded or modified to be stronger or divergent abilities with proper practice or use. Does not cause lasting Time Wounds in an area, and is clearly divine in nature which other divinities will recognize in some manner, even if not the specific god. Inventory: * Serpent Star Necklace * Ancient Shield * Ancient War-Hammer * Illu Gem * Gambeson {Equipped}</s> <\|message\|>Narkissa Langdon Narkissa Langdon @Crimson Paladin In the end, they'd agreed to go deeper into the catacombs to confront whatever danger there was as a group and rescue Leannah. There was the niggling concern that it was a danger that was out of the scope of their abilities to deal with… but Narkissa was still coming down from her high on using water to slice and explode things. Too cool. Too awesome. It felt like she could do anything. And she was promptly disabused of that notion when they made it to the main altar. The first thing that struck her about the scene was how creepy the entire thing looked. No matter how you could slice it, dancing in the dark with a mannequin –a mannequin made out of bloody body parts—was not something that a mentally sane, well-functioning individual did. No siree. That wasn't to mention the internal cringing Narkissa did when the strange girl introduced herself. Oh, no, it wasn't just a deranged individual. It was a deranged god. She was fairly sure that none of them here could kill a god, if this girl was actually a god. "Archeologist. Not scavenger," she couldn't help but to mutter under her breath. "No thieves here." Lazhira scooting closer to her wasn't lost on her at all, though. "Well, if you think there's nothing but empty space in his head, then at least we agree on one thing." Traitorous mouth! … Not that she disagreed. But it didn't exactly give her much of an advantage in verbal rhetoric. Because if this girl was Iva'Krorh, The Illuminator, Narkissa was sure the only thing that could get them out safely at this point was talking, or hoping this god –the whole pantheon of them were starting to seem as fickle as the Greeks—was in a very good mood. The problem was, she didn't know how to respond, and she didn't know how much the Illuminator did actually know about her. Surely, she didn't know a lick about her past life, either? She could just ask her 'what now,' but she didn't exactly fancy giving the god the initiative either. Since it seemed like she only had beef with Lazhira and Novak, she could simply try to just wiggle out of this herself… but it would feel wrong to do that to Lazhira, even if there was no lost love for Novak. Right, fishing for more information it is. "Well. Please forgive our intrusion. At this point we're only searching for our lost friend. Forgive my curiosity, but how much do you know?" She left the 'about us' or the 'about me' hanging, hoping that either way wouldn't be too… offensive. It hadn't exactly been her style to address a random person dancing with corpse parts with the reverence of a god either, but Lazhira had already done worse and she hasn't been immediately struck down by the will of a god.</s> <\|message\|>Novak Novak Upon getting a closer look at the inhabitant of the room, Novak eased up slightly. On one hand, it was an old woman dancing with what looked like a bunch of body parts stitched together into a dummy, in the sealed sublevel of an abandoned temple. On the other hand, she didn't react with hostility as they approached, and that alone made it seem like things were going better than he expected. And the woman's eyes...they were silver. Novak momentarily touched his face, assuring himself that he was not wearing the mask, that the silver color of the woman's eyes were not merely an effect of the mask's insight. What would I see, I wonder, if I were to look upon her with the mask on? Before he could come to a decision, the woman introduced herself- or rather- himself- as Iva'Krorh, Illuminator. The very god whom this temple was dedicated to the worship of. This in itself was a rather alarming revelation- assuming this stranger was telling the truth, they were in the presence of a literal god. Lazhira appeared to be quite concerned about his revelation, pulling closer to Narkissa and refusing to converse when the stranger addressed her. Curious...so Lazhira isn't one of the thieves that stole the crystal. This Illuminator seems to think she intended to, but the phantoms that I saw...they must have been someone else. So far this stranger's knowledge seemed to fit their claim of being a god, but nothing that compared their analysis of Novak. When the Illuminator addressed Novak's amnesia- and acknowledged that it was by choice- there was no doubt in Novak's mind that this person standing before them was indeed a god. The fact that this god was calling him a fool, or that Narkissa openly concurred- seemed inconsequential compared to the realization that within a day of arriving on this world, Novak had already found himself face-to-face with a god. And that god didn't seem to think very highly of him. Novak wisely chose not to rebuke the Illuminator's quip about him being foolish. Aside from the fact that angering a god could end very, very badly, he did not want to enlighten Narkissa and Lazhira to the full context of what Iva'Krorh meant about Novak's head being empty. If others knew he had given up his memories, and struggled to recall whatever was left behind without some sort of external stimulus, they might seek to manipulate him. Better to let them assume that the Illuminator was simply accusing Novak of being conventionally vacuous. There were many questions he had. Narkissa had taken the initiative to ask about Leannah, so Novak opted to ask about questions to a topic that was clearly of interest to the Illuminator. "If I may, Illuminator," Novak asked, unsure how to properly address this god, "You're the one showing me the things with the mask, right? The crystal you showed me, whispered about to me...what exactly is it? Who stole it? Why did they steal it?" Novak has so many more questions- why was this temple abandoned, why was a god dancing with a macabre dummy at the bottom of an empty temple, just what was the deal with Lazhira- but pestering a god with unwanted questions on topics whom they had not expressed interest in was a good way to get on their bad side. @Click This</s>	<\|message\|>Donovan MacConaill The gears in Don's head turned as he considered the fact that his 'time' was seemingly unharmed by the Kamaitachi. The ticking, the seeming slow of time, the accelerated rate of withering of the demons, and now the protection of his 'time'? Was Suthainn perhaps some kind of time god? Don looked around the tent; seeing that a fair amount of townsfolk were still milling about, including a few hunters. The man rubbed his chin in careful contemplation for a long moment; in all likelihood-- he could fix what was wrong with the dwarf... However, doing so would certainly reveal his hand to the Illuminator's faithful... But Donovan was never one much to go about things the easy way, what mattered here was to do that which was right, not what was easy. "Truth beh told Mie, th' power yah saw? Ain't mine... But-- aye'll give yah ah demonstration bout' what et can do." The large man stepped forward, placing his right hand gently atop the dwarf's head as he would grip the emblem of his necklace firmly with his left. Closing his eyes, and focusing his mind, he sensed it... Something, 'off' slightly; not quite like the demonic infection incurred by the garden's thralls, but something more akin to a knot of sorts. "Oh Suthainn--" he loudly beckoned to the deity, focusing any of the divine power he could draw from his emblem into his right palm. "Aye ask once more fer yer aid this day. By yer eternal benevolence an' timeless wisdom, may yer faithful bring forth yer blessing. Just as time heals all wounds-- aye ask this lass made whole, en bodeh an' spirit. May that what been wronged be righted, an' what stolen be returned." "May yer radiance feravah grace our lives with time lived well, an' justleh... Amen."</s>
<\|description\|>Donovan MacConaill Gender: Male Appearance: Sporting the physique from his college football days, Donovan stands at 6'2" and weighs 220lbs (other features are as the picture shows.) Goals: To build a new world for his fellow man before finally joining his wife in the afterlife. Past Life: The old man took another sip of his coffee as he walked the dimly lit Philidelphia streets. For the last five years he'd been making this trek nightly, ever since Beatrice had last her battle with cancer. It helped him keep going, despite the loneliness he felt without her; reminded him of why he got out of bed in the morning despite the protests of his aging body. He passed by a diner; closed by now of course. Between the peeling paint and dirt-stained windows, it's age and level of disrepair were apparent. But past the moldering wood and crumbling plaster, the old man saw something else-- a memory. A tired-eyed young man was seated at one of the booths. Across from him was a scrawny, elderly fellow, wearing a well-ironed white shirt. The waitress was the most beautiful thing the young fellow had ever seen. Her name was Beatrice. Continuing down the road, the old man continued to reminisce. The streets around him were important to him. They were where he'd walked Bea home every night from work. Where he'd taught all seven of their children to drive. Before he'd even realized; he was once again where his life took a turn for the better. A bridge. A small, dainty little thing. Not to mention ugly as sin. It'd been his first design after graduating from his civil engineering courses back so many years ago. He'd just about been ready to jump off the damn thing to his death. Just the thought of it made him chuckle. To give up on life over such a silly little thing? What a fool he'd been back then. If Reverend Stuart hadn't pulled him away from the ledge that day, and treated him to lunch-- it all would've ended there. Donovan smiled at the moon overhead, it'd been nearly 60 years since that life changing day. And in that time he'd built much more than bridges, and skyscrapers; he built a family, a legacy-- a life. One he was truly grateful for. Donovan yawned as he bundled himself up tight in his jacket and sat down on the sidewalk of the bridge. Was it just him, or was the air a wee bit chillier than usual tonight. Maybe he was just tired. A few minutes of sleep wouldn't bring an end to his nightly stroll, would it? Abilities: [Physical Conditioning: Peak human] Your body is naturally tough, durable, and strong. The pinnacle of human physical strength, endurance, and agility. Keep training, and surely you can surpass even stronger beings. [Soul Flare] The ability to turn ones soul into a weapon itself. Needed for most basic magical feats. Channel the mana present in the air through your body to achieve great feats. Allows one to interact with supernatural things, and perceive things others may not. [Foreman] Because of your past lifes accomplishments, you have been granted the ability to summon your own personal army of construction workers. They take an ethereal appearance and number from 5-20 depending on how many are needed for the job. These people do not tire, do not require rest or breaks and could theoretically stay active 24/7. However, they run on your own personal physical stamina and Magic ability. With proper planning, timing, and personal training, they could finish building a project that would have taken a month, in little over a week or so. All you have to do is give them direction and make sure you have your plans in hand. They are incapable of fighting, and may be disrupted with certain magical skills. [Whispers of Suthainn] Though this God was once known by a different name, you have given it another. What is a name, aside from how one is recognized? Oft, Gods go by many names. Perhaps this is no different. Its agelessness and ancient fury remain but a distant, fleeting, feeling. You have made contact with a currently nameless God. You know little about them, save for the iconography of the Serpent and Star. The only thing you know, is that when you invoke its abilities you sense an ageless, unfathomable, yet comforting and fleeting presence. Underneath however, lies an ancient, furious anger silently watching and judging you. Whatever the case, you seem to be able to channel small divine miracles related to purification with some effort. [Stealth (lesser)] You've managed to acquire some knowhow for moving unseen and unheard. While its not going to fool any particularly vigilant person or animal, you could easily slip by unnoticed by unaware or those distracted by something else. Less agile acrobatics, and more simply being able to use your surroundings to slip around unseen. [Point Fracture] An ability to 'fracture' the flow of time on a space. A rather dangerous ability in theory but weak in practice, since it causes time in the affected small area to become twisted and knotted, merging time into a brief single point before it explodes outwards with rainbow colored shards. Weak, but effective in dealing minor injuries or disrupting singular targets or objects. This is an ability your patron has gifted, or you have learned through them in some manner. Can reasonably be expanded or modified to be stronger or divergent abilities with proper practice or use. Does not cause lasting Time Wounds in an area, and is clearly divine in nature which other divinities will recognize in some manner, even if not the specific god. Inventory: * Serpent Star Necklace * Ancient Shield * Ancient War-Hammer * Illu Gem * Gambeson {Equipped}</s> <\|message\|>Takeshima Misaki (formerly Takeshima Mamoru) Given the current situation with the Kyrinth and the village, as well as how it had acted the day before, Misaki was surprised to see that the deer had decided to follow her all the way back to Lazirha's house. She had told it to stay put there, of course, lest any of the hunters see a meal in its presence instead of a friend, but that ultimately made her job no easier. Gathering the requisite tools was, at the very least, not particularly troublesome, what with Lazirha only so happy to oblige her requests. The way that the girl was keeping herself at the moment, though, gave the foxgirl pause... But ultimately, if it was something she wanted to share, she would share it; prying into matters she had no say in felt wrong, and she had only known the girl for a few days. If she wanted to open up to her, then by all means she would do her utmost to help, but otherwise, her own pursuits came first. Once she had properly gathered everything and set her workstation (if it could even be called as much) up, Misaki took a deep breath and began to break the plants down. The deer's desire to help, though, however endearing, was difficult for the foxgirl to accommodate. Breaking up the plants in this method wasn't something that a deer could do, per se... Or maybe it was? "Ah... Hm..." she began, thinking for a moment before carefully placing a stick of bamboo (or whatever it was called in this world) in front of the deer before speaking, "Could you try breaking these down for me?" With that, Misaki would attempt to demonstrate, attempting to physically break the stem up before returning to her seated position. Hopefully her point had been made properly. The problem of making the pulp had not yet been resolved, of course, but this was likely something to be taken one step at a time anyhow.</s> <\|message\|>"Malphas" Shigenaga Nomura Macar-Oni and Cheese@Rune_Alchemist Nomura was instantly annoyed at this fox, especially given that she is able to pierce his very thoughts. Does it go both ways? Whether it did or didn't, Nomura would think of a video he watched in his past life involving the fur industry and an organization that rhymes with "beata." It did make sense that Mie sent a spy after him, but did it really have to be someone so annoying? "Unlike you, I am not a petty thief! I'm simply holding onto it because I saw a dubious little creature getting up to mischief." Nomura stated, waving his finger in front of Ayumi's little fox snout. "Still, you being here is useful... I'm sure you've overheard the conversation Bolcha and I were having. Enli's life is in danger, and he's interested in hiring one of Lady Mie's oni. Now, I'm not aware if I'm even able to authorize such a transaction, but I'm sure something could be arranged..." Nomura looked back to the longhouse, then back at Ayumi, an idea coming to mind. "Tell you what... relay this offer to Lady Mie for me, and I'll see if I can get you a new fish. How does that sound?" Whatever Ayumi would respond, Nomura would make his way back towards the longhouse, extending a hand- and Enli's delivery- to Bolcha. "I believe you are to be trusted. Now, how about we continue to talk about the situation regarding Enli? Perhaps we can come to some sort of arrangement, oni or not."</s> <\|message\|>Nicholas "Nick" Gallagher The Journey Begins ~ Liven(?) ~ Interacted with: @Rune_Alchemist Nick saw the structure Elisette referred to and followed her closely as she made her way there. He had been scratched lightly as he shoved aside the zombies. Hopefully these undead were just magical and not something from an infectious virus or something. The duo soon reached the church-like building with the warrior woman quickly opening the door... to no avail. Nick looked back to the zombies and expected them to be right in his face. But to his surprise and relief, they gave up the chase. The undead watched the two living humans, standing just outside the village's perimeter. It was not a mystery to Nick that there was something in this settlement that repelled the shambling corpses. But looking around, it was not clear what or where the source of this ward came from. The village was half-buried in snow and what remaining wooden buildings that could still be seen looked abandoned. If Nick had to guess, the repelling force probably came from this church-like structure since it stood out from all the rest, also being made of stone and all. "No, no it doesn't..." Nick agreed with his companion. Well, at least they were free to explore the village without being the danger of the zombies. But the emptiness of the place gave it a creepy and ominous atmosphere, as if there was something worse hiding somewhere under all this snow. It unnerved Nick, making him gulp, but Elisette was right, they should search for anyone still alive. If there was a ward in place, then surely someone alive must have put it there and repelled all the nasty zombies. Right? "Should we look for a way into this building? I'll bet it's got windows or a cellar door we can use to get inside." Nick suggested to Elisette. "The other places here look like no one's in them. But, if you wanna take a look then I guess we could." It was on his mind to split up to cover more ground, but that was most likely a bad idea.</s> <\|message\|>Novak Novak Novak watched as Nobunaga dismembered one of the hunters, picking up on her sword movements. He could feel his martial skills growing, and while it wasn't much, it nonetheless felt like a step up from from the utterly untrained newbie he was previously. One had been dealt with, but there were still two of them, and one of them was headed straight for Novak and Enli. This would be his first real fight with a human opponent in this new life. The thought of actually killing another human in close combat unnerved him, but the hunter's murderous intentions were quite clear- at this moment, it was kill or be killed. And if he was killed, then the village chief would likely die, too. Novak deflected the incoming spear strike with his sword, while using his ability to observe the incoming attack in hopes that he could discern something useful. Before the hunter could line up another thrust, Novak counterattacked almost reflexively, stepping forward and swinging his sword at his foe's neck. He himself found himself a little surprised at the aggression of his move. Was it simply the rush of adrenaline in a fight-or-flight situation that had compelled him to attack rather than defend, it was it the skills and reflexes that he was picking up from watching Nobunaga fight? It might have been possible to learn some more from this hunter's moves by trying to draw out this fight, but right now, Novak just wanted to get himself and Enli out of this ordeal alive, and that meant not holding anything back and trying to end the fight as quickly as possible. @Rune_Alchemist</s>	<\|message\|>Donovan MacConaill The hair on Don's neck stood on end the moment the thud gave way to silence... No birds, no crunch of snow, no skittering of the squirrels in the trees, no deer dashing about amongst the brush. Only the wind remained... But something was still off. Donovan had a gut feeling that something shit was about to hit the fan... If it hadn't already. Straightening himself, the man would head in the direction of where he'd expect Akando to be at good speed, hoping to reconvene with the man quickly whilst not startling the hunter lest his concern accidentally get him stabbed by the man's spear or shot with an arrow. Small beads of sweat began forming above the man's brow as his concern mounted; Had splitting up been the wrong decision? Did the Kyrnith mistake Akando for an intruder and engage him? Was there some kind of Assassin lurking nearby that the animals could sense? Regardless of the truth, Don's eyes raked the woods ahead as he'd keep moving; hammer in hand, as he'd scan for any sign of the Veteran Huntsman.</s>
<\|description\|>Novak Photo Gender: Male Appearance: Standing at approximately 5'10" or 178cm and with no distinguishing markings, Novak appears entirely human. Goals: Novak was summoned by the goddess to rebuild the world, and that is what he intends to do. His more personal goals can be summed up by a pair of phrases he vaguely recalls from his previous life: "Begin again", and "Let go". In other words, he wishes to start over in this world, unburdened by whatever past he once had. Past Life:Novak remembers nothing of his previous life, other than a nagging notion that it was uneventful, unremarkable, and cut abruptly and unexpectedly short. He isn't even sure if Novak was his family name or given name. What he does remember is that for whatever reason, he made a deal with the goddess who plucked him from death: in exchange for the memories of his life, he would gain the ability to learn new, more relevant skills at a supernatural pace to replace that which he gave up. From what he can gather from what remains of his mind, he had at least a high school education, lived in an urban region, and the notion of being reincarnated in a new world is something that seems not entirely unfamiliar to him. Abilities: Physical Conditioning: Peak human Your body is naturally tough, durable, and strong. The pinnacle of human physical strength, endurance, and agility. Keep training, and surely you can surpass even stronger beings. Soul Flare: The ability to turn ones soul into a weapon itself. Needed for most basic magical feats. Channel the mana present in the air through your body to achieve great feats. Allows one to interact with supernatural things, and perceive things others may not. Supernatural Learning: Thanks to the sacrifice of your previous life's memories, you have gained the ability to rapidly pick up on new skills to fill the void left behind. This ability is consciously activated, and can function through visual, auditory, and kinesthetic cues. This power is not limitless, however, and will cease to function once it has refilled the void in your mind. Fortunately, this limit is not affected by any knowledge or memories that are gained "normally". Inventory: Clothing</s> <\|message\|>Isidore @Rune_Alchemist@Guy0fV4lor@PaulHaynek Isidore stared down at Octavia, standing at his feet. He raised his sword up and swung down. Shnnk. The hind leg of the boar was severed from the rest of its body and struck the snowy ground softly. There would be a time to dispose of the creature, but not tonight. He stepped around Octavia, leaving the puppy to enjoy her meal. Augusta and Nick, thankfully, had gotten a fire started, even if there didn't look to be any shelter in place, nor a stockpile of wood to keep the fire burning through the night. Isidore let out a breath, watched it rise into the sky. More things to deal with, later. He sat down, cross-legged. He did not acknowledge his injuries, and focused only on cleaning up the boar as best as he could. The fur came first, pulling at the parts already flayed by wind, cutting into it from the side to separate it from the meat. The organs went next. His sword was sharp enough to disembowel the corpse, and though it was a curious sensation, digging through the still-warm, still-bloody organs of a dead animal, it wasn't too unpleasant. Nothing like watching a body dissolve in a chemical bath. Nothing like the stench of smoke and body odor in an unventilated basement. He pulled them out, cut them out, and laid them out on the snow. They steamed there, rancid but appetizing. It was nice, that all four-legged beasts were fairly similar, from big pigs to little rats. Some time after his work began, Isidore spoke up. "There's humans south, beyond the mountains. In the mountains, there are 'those of Shadow' and 'Mountain Folk'. Non-human, but possibly hospitable." He furrowed his brow. A sword was good for slicing flesh, but less good for the fine work of butchery. With a grunt, Isidore cracked the front legs out of their joints, ignoring the pain that flared up from the cuts on his shoulder and neck. "There's a deer that owns the forest. We can stay the night, but Octavia can not be let into the forest." The fire was warm, but it looked insufficient for cooking. He started regardless, setting a leg on the ashen coals. "Should gather more wood." Or cut down a tree. Would that invoke that deer's wrath again?</s> <\|message\|>Bella Rosso Augusta was sitting around camp, waiting for Isidore and Donovan to come back. Eventually, they did. It felt longer than it probably took since she was just sitting there waiting. When they did come back, though, she was excited to have food. Though something caught her eye a bit more than the food. Her vision stayed on Isidore as she gave him an almost tired look. He was going about things rather casually, cutting a leg of the boar for Octavia and then starting to cut it up. "Umm... Isidore. You look injured." He seemed to ignore that, focused on his work or perhaps thoughts and started speaking some time later. A deer? People in mountains? Non-human village? "Non-human is probably more interesting anyway. No, no." She pushed such thoughts from her mind. "Isidore, you're injury. Let me..." The elf woman cut herself off and cast a healing flame on Isidore's wound. "Seriously, did that deer give you these wounds or was it the boar?" She asked. The man should be able to continue working on the food if he so wished, though he might get a couple of irritated elf complaints. "Stop moving." or "Hey". Still, soon enough she finished when at least a number of his wounds seemed to be much better. With a sigh, she turned to Donovan. "And you, how are you? Any wounds?" She asked, trying to look the man over for injuries.</s> <\|message\|>"Malphas" Malphas Seaside Village@Rune_Alchemist@Crimson Paladin The drunk women hiding away in the village masquerading as a fox would definitely be something interesting to Malphas. He'd love to ask for her opinion on the magic he had attempted to do, as well as if she could teach him any tricks as well. Perhaps he could learn to turn himself into a fox as well? So many questions and propositions, so many mysteries within her den... It was a shame Malphas had chosen not to follow the fox after all. Instead, Malphas had spent the time cleaning off the stolen fish discarded by the fox. One of the many lessons Malphas had learned during his previous life ws to choose his victories. He was a bit tired of chasing a fox around, especially after spending the last few hours running for his dear life. For now, he'll let Novak chase after the furry thing, while Malphas would tend to cleaning the mess it left, as well as returning the fish it had stolen. Someone's livelihood was at stake! Whether the fisherman accepted the stolen fish back or not, Malphas scratched his head, wondering just where Novak had gone. Perhaps he went deeper into the woods and got lost on the way? As much as Malphas wished to go and find him, he still needed at least a nice hide cuirass, if not a couple arrows, before he made his trek onward. Malphas could also report to the craftsman and let him know what had happened... but they might just get upset, and also forfeit Malphas's reward. What to do, what to do... Maybe Malphas will grab a snack. See what the local food tastes like. Yes, that sounds like a wonderful idea! He closed his eyes and allowed his nose to guide him, following any scent of food he could pick up. If this were a cartoon, he would be humorously floating off following the visible aroma of food.</s> <\|message\|>Leannah Stromhart Leannah --- Fire go boom. Dizzy. Hell. Leannah could now see that for a moment that becoming a flaming rocket cat was possible to some extent, but not withstanding an unintentional fireball to the face. Then again this was a learning moment rather than an application of desperate 'I don't want to die" effort. It was enough to make the catgirl feel a bit humbled in regards to magic in the wake of it all, more so in the fuzzy but dawning retrospective that she'd imagined a 'light source' rather than simply 'light'. The burns were also nothing new to her in comparison to other injuries she'd sustained back on Earth, the simple fall from knocking herself down was itself worse, but even so they did hurt. They were also still injuries that would need to be treated. Not the best thing, especially when having just met this fox and Nobunaga-looking person...even Narcissa only some time ago. For the love of her own sexy catgirl ass, she didn't want to be the next person around here that no one wanted to be around. "I-I'm...ok. Yes, o-outside would be better. Call it trial and error," the skimpily-clad catgirl said in the direction of Narcissa from where she lay, doing what she could to shake off the bit of pain and brief disorientation after hitting the ground like that. It was like the first day of Bajiquan class all over again, landing flat on he ground, but at least she knew how to cope somewhat due to that. Once Lazhira helped her up, however the catgirl looked to the human girl as she spoke once more. She then lightly shook her head back and forth once the girl stepped back and Leannah felt she could stand well on her own. "No need to apologize, Lazhira, my mistake was not doing it correctly. I was imagining a light source to produce light, rather than forming a simple ball of light itself. It seemed to be working fine for a moment too, but then...how can I describe it? Something lurched out of the blue and shoved more mana into it than I was putting in," she said, thinking deliberately on what had just happened as she made visual cues with her hands, "It wouldn't let me stop it. Then just...boom. Angry, pulsating, exploding fireball point-blank." The sun-touched girl let out a long and deep sigh. Even the exhaustion from earlier was seemingly setting in more alongside the darkness. Ugh. She'd just been born today of all things, she wanted to learn! But at least they didn't have to grow up all over again. Plus they didn't die back in the fortress, had somewhere to be for the night, etc. That much she was grateful for at the very least. "I'd be happy to accept your help though! Ah...maybe outside as Narkissa said though, to avoid 'that' again. I'll help you clean things up before I leave as well, though, since it's only fair to own up to what just happened." She wasn't a slob, of course she'd help before leaving! Then hopefully she could catch up with Narkissa to room for the night, depending on how things went down. Blargh. But it was a start, one had to take baby steps to learn a new field of knowledge and its applications. Martial arts was especially keen on getting you to learn to take the hits and put in the blood, sweat, and tears to maintain it. Magic would be no different, though...one thing lingered in her mind. Just what had that surge of magical energy been from? Lack of control on her part? Something else? Ugh. For now, just one thing at a time.</s>	<\|message\|>Novak The fox girl continued to profess her innocence and dismiss the notion that a person could shapeshift into an animal. Her augments didn't come off as convincing in her arguments, and her mischievous tone only further undermined any chance of it alleviating Novak's suspicion. If anything, her nonchalant, playful denial suggested that she wasn't making any real effort to convince him of her innocence. She's playing around, just like before. She's clearly not the least bit worried. It was at this point that Novak noticed the items behind her as she moved. The leather bag was there, as he expected, but what really caught his notice were the fox mask and a pair of bladed weapons. Together with the woman, these items spelled out a concept that Novak could recognize. This woman is dangerous, no wonder she's so calm, Novak concluded, alarmed. The blades were enough to worry about- people didn't usually carry weapons unless they knew how to use them (with obvious exceptions like himself), but together with the mask, it cast the impression that she was fighter or...what was the word...ninja? The point was that fox transformation or no, the woman had nothing to worry about. It was also only at this point that he realized that his white-haired companion had not followed him in at all, meaning he was alone with this potentially dangerous fox-girl. "I'm not accusing you of anything," Novak responded, not quite able to mask his alarm, "But that bag there appears to be the one that the fo...err, the animal had run off with. If you would allow me, I would like to return the misplaced item to its owner." In truth he had already resolved to play along in this manner, to politely and non-confrontationally talk her into allowing him to return the bag, but it had suddenly seemed very unwise to deviate from this approach.</s>
<\|description\|>Novak Photo Gender: Male Appearance: Standing at approximately 5'10" or 178cm and with no distinguishing markings, Novak appears entirely human. Goals: Novak was summoned by the goddess to rebuild the world, and that is what he intends to do. His more personal goals can be summed up by a pair of phrases he vaguely recalls from his previous life: "Begin again", and "Let go". In other words, he wishes to start over in this world, unburdened by whatever past he once had. Past Life:Novak remembers nothing of his previous life, other than a nagging notion that it was uneventful, unremarkable, and cut abruptly and unexpectedly short. He isn't even sure if Novak was his family name or given name. What he does remember is that for whatever reason, he made a deal with the goddess who plucked him from death: in exchange for the memories of his life, he would gain the ability to learn new, more relevant skills at a supernatural pace to replace that which he gave up. From what he can gather from what remains of his mind, he had at least a high school education, lived in an urban region, and the notion of being reincarnated in a new world is something that seems not entirely unfamiliar to him. Abilities: Physical Conditioning: Peak human Your body is naturally tough, durable, and strong. The pinnacle of human physical strength, endurance, and agility. Keep training, and surely you can surpass even stronger beings. Soul Flare: The ability to turn ones soul into a weapon itself. Needed for most basic magical feats. Channel the mana present in the air through your body to achieve great feats. Allows one to interact with supernatural things, and perceive things others may not. Supernatural Learning: Thanks to the sacrifice of your previous life's memories, you have gained the ability to rapidly pick up on new skills to fill the void left behind. This ability is consciously activated, and can function through visual, auditory, and kinesthetic cues. This power is not limitless, however, and will cease to function once it has refilled the void in your mind. Fortunately, this limit is not affected by any knowledge or memories that are gained "normally". Inventory: Clothing</s> <\|message\|>"Malphas" Malphas Seaside Village@Rune_Alchemist Malphas was pleased that he could help the fisherman, but also... insulted. For saving his livelihood, all Malphas got in return were quarters?! And only five of them, as well. Well, if that's what his work amounted to, then so be it. Smiling and nodding curtly, Malphas stepped away from the fisherman and began his quest to mend his ailing stomach. He had finally settled on the local gathering, the pleasant aroma of a hard day's work fluttering within his nostrils. Malphas was pleased at this outcome. It seems that the hunters, and perhaps the other hard workers of the village, all gathered together to partake in the spoils of the day. Malphas surely felt like he contributed as well, what from chasing after that fox and retrieving that fish. Perhaps such a meal was truly the reward that awaited him after such a hard day's work! His tummy aching with gleeful anticipation, Malphas approached the feast, prepared do take what was due to him! However, before he could, a dirtied hand grasped at his wrist. He turned to see a beggar most foul, asking for his hard-earned cash! To think someone, something of this caliber, would think they're worthy to grasp Malphas's beautiful form? Absolutely disgusting! If they weren't in a place so public, he'd probably recoil in outrage. Instead, his eyebrow was only raised in surprise as he saw this thing grab at him. Scoffing uncomfortably, Malphas feigned a smile as he looked upon the begging old woman. Wanting to leave this situation as quickly as possible, Malphas quickly procured about two silver pieces, not bothering to count or separate them, before placing them in the beggar's hands. Hopefully this was enough for her to leave him alone. "Don't use it on anything that will make you even more destitute" Was all Malphas could say under his breath as he stepped away from the feast, his appetite spoiled. The nerve of such people, being poor in front of him?</s> <\|message\|>Takeshima Misaki (formerly Takeshima Mamoru) Given that she had no adrenaline pumping through her system like she had earlier, Misaki was at the very least able to take a few deep breaths in an attempt to ignore the pain running through her body. Though she was no longer deafened by the makeshift flashbang, the ringing in her head still seemed to remain. Shakily rising to her feet, the foxgirl gave Nobunaga a slight nod in return before turning to Lazirha with a half-smile. "A-ah... I feel about leaving that to you, but if you insist..." she trailed off, glancing at the soup before slowly moving to seat herself in a place closer to the fire. And, of course, away from the walking fire hazard. Even if the incident was an accident, Misaki was not particularly inclined to associate with a scantily-clad catgirl with the inability to prevent the equivalent of a stun grenade from blowing up indoors. Once the meal had concluded, the foxgirl quietly excused herself from the house and stepped outside, making sure to take a deep breath of the cold evening air to shock herself slightly more awake than she had been before. The headache had all but left in the time it had taken to eat her meal (which, while impressive given what she had tasted, was still immediately lacking in the wonders of modern seasonings), which gave her more than enough time to consider what to spend the night on. Given that Lazirha would not allow her to help fix things up again (the small spot on her head where she had been smacked by her ladle showing as much), the foxgirl considered focusing on her newfound magical abilities before night took over anyhow. Taking care not to stray too far from Lazirha's house, Misaki quietly began to focus as she held her hands out in front of herself. Despite ending up as collateral damage, the foxgirl found at least one positive takeaway from that debacle: the ability to manipulate the 'type' of magic cast. For starters, then, she would attempt to see to what extent that theory held firm. Fire and light were obvious, but what of water? Stone? Could she generate electricity from nowhere? Given that 'gift' that the 'goddess' had given her, being able to use electricity would be a major boon, should it prove to be manageable. Of course, she would not go so far as to test her limits; small quantities of whatever it was she was trying would be more than sufficient for the sake of trying. @Click This@Crusader Lord@Rune_Alchemist</s>	<\|message\|>Novak The fox-woman assured Novak that she was not a violent sort, and even gave him the stolen bag. Unlike her previous assurances, this one was more...convincing to Novak, and caused him to relax a bit. She even handed him the bag, after having posed a question to him. "I haven't been here long, so far they seem like decent, hospitable folks suffering from misfortune," he replied to her query as she pulled on her boots. "You may have noticed the remains of the beast that attacked the town. From what I've heard, it sounds like their woes stem from a compact or covenant with an elder beast going sour." Novak had made a few more observations about this woman. First, from the way she spoke, and from the way a stolen bag found its way into her possession, carried by a fox with the same features as her, she appeared to be a thief. Second, while she certainly stood out as much as Misaki or Nobunaga or the white-haired man, she seemed too...settled and familiar with the village to be one of the goddess' recent arrivals. Assuming she was a native of this world, she was clearly well-traveled, and Novak might learn something conversing with her. "If it's possible to communicate with this elder beast, I'm sure it'll have its own side of the story, and its own grievances," he continued as the walked through the village "But whatever the case is I hope that reconciliation is possible, before the village is pushed to its breaking point." Perhaps it was unwise to disclose this to a stranger, especially an unscrupulous one, but if she had been squatting here for any period of time, she probably already knew of what was going on. If she could shapeshift into a fox, perhaps she even may have even been able to "hear" the Kyrinth's anger and its inciting of beasts to attack. "How about you?" he asked. "You seem to have some familiarity with this village. What do you think of them? And do you have any idea why this Kyrinth might have become angry with them?" In any case, Novak would eventually arrive at the workshop and return the bag of tools to Bolcha. "Here are those tools back," he stated, not remarking on the assuredly not-suspicious fox-woman accompanying him. "I'm afraid I lost track of that other fellow, however."</s>
<\|description\|>Novak Photo Gender: Male Appearance: Standing at approximately 5'10" or 178cm and with no distinguishing markings, Novak appears entirely human. Goals: Novak was summoned by the goddess to rebuild the world, and that is what he intends to do. His more personal goals can be summed up by a pair of phrases he vaguely recalls from his previous life: "Begin again", and "Let go". In other words, he wishes to start over in this world, unburdened by whatever past he once had. Past Life:Novak remembers nothing of his previous life, other than a nagging notion that it was uneventful, unremarkable, and cut abruptly and unexpectedly short. He isn't even sure if Novak was his family name or given name. What he does remember is that for whatever reason, he made a deal with the goddess who plucked him from death: in exchange for the memories of his life, he would gain the ability to learn new, more relevant skills at a supernatural pace to replace that which he gave up. From what he can gather from what remains of his mind, he had at least a high school education, lived in an urban region, and the notion of being reincarnated in a new world is something that seems not entirely unfamiliar to him. Abilities: Physical Conditioning: Peak human Your body is naturally tough, durable, and strong. The pinnacle of human physical strength, endurance, and agility. Keep training, and surely you can surpass even stronger beings. Soul Flare: The ability to turn ones soul into a weapon itself. Needed for most basic magical feats. Channel the mana present in the air through your body to achieve great feats. Allows one to interact with supernatural things, and perceive things others may not. Supernatural Learning: Thanks to the sacrifice of your previous life's memories, you have gained the ability to rapidly pick up on new skills to fill the void left behind. This ability is consciously activated, and can function through visual, auditory, and kinesthetic cues. This power is not limitless, however, and will cease to function once it has refilled the void in your mind. Fortunately, this limit is not affected by any knowledge or memories that are gained "normally". Inventory: Clothing</s> <\|message\|>Narkissa Langdon Narkissa Langdon For all of Lazhira's cute behavior and strange quirks, she wasn't half bad at fighting. Whatever she was doing with that odd magic of hers, she was getting the smaller blobs' attention and keeping them away from Narkissa, letting her focus on the big bad blob that remained the primary threat… and if the goddess was to be believed, her own little personal trial after praying to her. Either way, once she dealt with it, she could help out her villager friend. Thankfully, her magical creativity seemed to be working. However, she wanted to shape her magic, nature and her spells seemed to bend to her will effortlessly. Doing her best to barrage the beast to prevent it from properly reforming, her bullet of water acted like an exploding shell once it entered its body, rupturing its blob structure as the superheated steam forced itself away from its body. It created a surprisingly gory mess, but it was one heck of a timely attack, as its counter lashed out but fell short of Narkissa, prompting her to jump back regardless. With such a huge eruption of slime, she thought the fight was over, but despite all the damage, the bloody thing still seemed to be trying to recover! "Damn! Why won't you die already!" Yelling out in frustration, she could see its blue stone core still active within the constituted parts of its clear body. It was almost dead, but still trying to claw itself to life, but not if Narkissa had anything to say about it. Feeling emboldened by her new abilities and apparent martial skill, she charged the oversized gelatinous stain and blasted it again with another destructive water spell, just to keep it from regenerating. Then, sword in one hand, and the other outstretched, she slashed at the beast's remaining jelly flesh, and then with the other hand, grasped for its crystalline core to rip it out of its worthless, evil body.</s> <\|message\|>Oda Nobunaga Nobunaga had never embraced the supernatural. If it existed or not, it mattered little to her, there was no need to kowtow to some divine being that had no true proof in its existence. But this was a world where such beings provably existed, and once again she had come face to face with one. That did not mean that she felt it necessary to engage in worship, however. She sought an audience, and the ritual was merely fulfilling the conditions to gain one. The petite black-haired girl lowered the flute. Indeed, Nobunaga did not believe in the worship of deities as it were, though she supposed religion could be a uniting force. That being said, this was the Kyrnith's domain. Its territory. It would be foolish not to treat it politely and with respect, just as any guest should treat their host, or any two negotiators should treat one another. Nobunaga bowed, politely. "We are here to seek an audience, o Kyrnith," she began as she straightened, "As you mentioned, it has been some time since the villagers came here to offer you tribute." In a world where the gods existed, it was a matter of negotiation. Of diplomacy. "Their failure to uphold their end of the bargain has lead to the suffering of the village, and left you without tribute. So I shall not hide my intentions." She spread her arms. "I believe the potential of a new deal that benefits both yourself and the people of the village equally remains." @PKMNB0Y</s> <\|message\|>Takeshima Misaki (formerly Takeshima Mamoru) Misaki crinkled her nose in slight distaste once the smell of the burning reed hit her nostrils. She had encountered something similar once in the past—on a brief trip overseas to America—but even with this little, the stench was almost enough to warrant her backing away entirely. Even so, there was still a job she had to do, even if it meant putting up with... This. Maybe it was her sensitive nose speaking, but the intensity of the burning smoke felt so much stronger than it should have been; given Nobunaga's reaction, though, that was likely the case. As her companion played the flute, though, the foxgirl placed her attention elsewhere—mainly towards the deer who, at this point, had focused their attention towards them instead. It was expected, yes, but no less unnerving to experience. As the song reached its end, a massive deer broke through the woods, causing the foxgirl to immediately snap to attention. Its appearance was certainly awe-inspiring—like something out of a proper fantasy story—and the way that it spoke so easily to them only served to further cement that mental image within her mind. At the very least, introducing itself as the Kyrinth made everything a lot easier to digest. She wasn't any more religious than her Japanese peers, but it was a different matter when seeing a divinity in the flesh. Of course, Misaki was promptly snapped out of her awestruck stupoqr as it addressed her. As Nobunaga spoke to the Kyrinth, the foxgirl nodded and slowly walked up to the fawn that had been following them and, after a brief pause, left the untouched reeds in front of it. She wasn't in any position to negotiate, nor did she know how to do so with someone of this stature anyhow, which meant leaving the matter to Nobunaga seemed to be the best option anyhow. @Rune_Alchemist</s>	<\|message\|>Novak The line of light leading to the unexplored path was definitely worth investigating, but the pedestal room was of far more interest to Novak. There were figures of light, figures that had not been visible without the mask, whispering indiscernibly. A chill ran down his spine as the realization dawned upon him- whether these were spirits, phantoms, or vestiges, he and Leannah were not alone down here. A small part of him wondered if it had been a mistake to use the mask, before the rest of him banished the notion- the truth may be scary, but with knowledge came power. Novak picked up the glowing crystal and slowly approached the pedestal room and the invisible beings within. As he entered the room, however, the figures dispersed. Had they fled from his presence? Was there a consciousness within them? Or was it merely magic taking the form of humanoid figures? The phantoms were not the only thing to respond to his arrival; several images lit up upon the pedestal. These appeared to be a crown, sphere, trident, eye, and...a chain link. Curious. Novak wasn't sure what it meant, not yet. Still holding the mask to his face, he looked around the room, hoping to find clues. Upon the walls there were several strange markings carved. Each was a set of what looked like tally marks, or an equivalent simple numbering system, ranging from one through five. It wasn't clear, however, what they were referencing or alluding to. Novak removed the mask, curious as to what was visible without it, and what he saw was quite curious. Under the light of the glowing crystal, the tally marks were gone, but next to where they had been, he could now see previously unseen carvings identical to those on the pedestal. Where the "1" tally had been, there was now a carving of the eye. The sphere was with 2, the crown with 3, the trident with 4, and the chain link with 5. If it's assigning them an order, it's "eye, sphere, crown, trident, chain link", he observed. It was fortunate he had taken the mask, because even if he had opted to explore the pedestal room without it, he would have not been able to discern the tally marks. Now the challenge would be how to correctly apply this knowledge. Perhaps if I were to select the glowing pedestal images in order... Novak carefully touched the luminous images on the pedestal in the order corresponding to the tally marks. First was the eye, then the sphere, then the crown, next the trident, and finally the chain link. He hoped that this world work, and that if it didn't, that it at least wouldn't make things worse.</s>
<\|description\|>Novak Photo Gender: Male Appearance: Standing at approximately 5'10" or 178cm and with no distinguishing markings, Novak appears entirely human. Goals: Novak was summoned by the goddess to rebuild the world, and that is what he intends to do. His more personal goals can be summed up by a pair of phrases he vaguely recalls from his previous life: "Begin again", and "Let go". In other words, he wishes to start over in this world, unburdened by whatever past he once had. Past Life:Novak remembers nothing of his previous life, other than a nagging notion that it was uneventful, unremarkable, and cut abruptly and unexpectedly short. He isn't even sure if Novak was his family name or given name. What he does remember is that for whatever reason, he made a deal with the goddess who plucked him from death: in exchange for the memories of his life, he would gain the ability to learn new, more relevant skills at a supernatural pace to replace that which he gave up. From what he can gather from what remains of his mind, he had at least a high school education, lived in an urban region, and the notion of being reincarnated in a new world is something that seems not entirely unfamiliar to him. Abilities: Physical Conditioning: Peak human Your body is naturally tough, durable, and strong. The pinnacle of human physical strength, endurance, and agility. Keep training, and surely you can surpass even stronger beings. Soul Flare: The ability to turn ones soul into a weapon itself. Needed for most basic magical feats. Channel the mana present in the air through your body to achieve great feats. Allows one to interact with supernatural things, and perceive things others may not. Supernatural Learning: Thanks to the sacrifice of your previous life's memories, you have gained the ability to rapidly pick up on new skills to fill the void left behind. This ability is consciously activated, and can function through visual, auditory, and kinesthetic cues. This power is not limitless, however, and will cease to function once it has refilled the void in your mind. Fortunately, this limit is not affected by any knowledge or memories that are gained "normally". Inventory: Clothing</s> <\|message\|>Isidore @Rune_Alchemist For a moment, as Octavia made that dumb animal look, Isidore wondered if he was truly losing his mind. Talking to animals and giving them complex instructions like this may seriously be a sign as to just how much his sense of reality had been disturbed over the past few days. But the demon dog took it in stride, and soon after, Ocavia was off, scampering towards the western peaks. He turned briefly to Augusta and Leuca, their bodies still entwinned with each other, and then said flatly, "It'll be a hike. Let her walk on her own." It turned out he was right on both counts. The sun dipped dangerously close to the horizon, and Octavia had indeed lead them to the ones they were searching for. The situation though, was unfortunate. There was logic, of course, in the occurrences before him. Sorcha had been pursued by Apostles, who she evidently had a hand in killing. Railey had been out scouting for the Stieneter, meaning he was likely in the area when one or more of those killings happened. It was a miracle, really, that neither of them had continued to fight beyond that first clash Isidore heard. And as for identity, Leuca confirmed Sorcha, and Railey's armor confirmed his own standing. His eyes examined them briefly, lingering on the exposed upper thighs of Sorcha's own outfit. Strange girl, to be sporting such wear in these parts, but it was certainly eye-catching. Undoubtedly, the great ugliness present in the world was counteracted by equal beauty. What a boon it must be, to be a man. What pressure too, to ever be considered a fitting match for these women. Isidore glanced over at Augusta, silencing the question that was about to seep out of his open mouth. He settled for pulling her hood over her head instead, before giving her a pat on the shoulder. "Hoods up, heads down," the man murmured as he stood up. He wouldn't die, so he would approach first. And a 'ladies first' mentality didn't make sense when walking into a battlefield anyhow. With a nonchalance that did not betray the primal apprehension building in his spine, Isidore crested the hill, and allowed his body to be fully illuminated by the setting sun. He looked down at the two below, his gaze sweeping from Sorcha to Railey, before he called out, "Railey! Morgan requests your return immediately." All convenient truths. Sorcha would, if Leuca wasn't lying, be on their side so long as the Sirithen child was safe, so all he had to do was rid her of Railey. By words, because even without blessed eyes, Isidore could tell that the best he could hope for was an exchange of lives if it came to a fight. "It's a matter of urgency, if he's even asking strangers to relay such a message." No sign of the massive centipede Railey had been pursuing. Who had ran away first, man or monster?</s> <\|message\|>Bella Rosso Augusta had found no real tracks and considered they were probably covered by the snowfall. Isidore had already beat her to telling Octavia to try sniffing for any signs of people. The elf merely followed along, eventually letting Leuca down when she was sure she wouldn't collapse, though the two both had the same thoughts in following close to each other just in case. Soon enough, they came to a spot to set up camp and Augusta started to look around for some supplies to set up... Then they all heard clanging steel against steel. "What?" She questioned as they all made haste to the location. What they came upon was a rather beautiful woman, only slightly ill-dressed for where they were. Not that she was one to talk, but having the upper thighs exposed in weather like this was odd. Then there was the man. He seemed a bit older by hair color and some facial details, though he didn't seem to lack for it otherwise. "Who do we have here?" Railey. That was the captain that was missing from the camp right? It would seem they've found him fighting another person. Leuca's word's identified her as Sorcha, so... This was the that THEY had been searching for? She made a quick note in her head of Railey's skills and abilities. "What a power house. Don't even need the eye to see that." Then she turned to Sorcha. Augusta knew that... Either of these two would probably turn her to mincemeat if they fought... She needed to learn more about Sorcha then. Perhaps there was something to complime... "What!?" Augusta exclaimed as she looked at the woman's status. "Bu- What!?" She stared at the oddest thing since they had come here. So much missing information! It was like the missing demon clan name back in the prison but... This? This was something absolutely different! She took a step back. From what? Fear? She had spent twenty and some years living without seeing specifics about people but she felt a small amount of fear just looking at this woman. Sorcha, a human. Holder of a Dying Wish and.... Human... Sympathy? How peculiar to have "Human Sympathy" as a human. Leuca didn't have a "Elven Sympathy" nor did any of those cult members, nor Railey for that matter, have a "Human Sympathy" Attribute... She was shaking a small bit, though she wasn't sure if this was from the cold or the fear that was slowly creeping through her system at the moment. She muttered, "Why can't I read hers..." Loud enough for her small party to hear, though not the other two if they were even listening. Her head started to hurt as she continued to try to decipher the nonsense before she lowered herself closer to Leuca's height, "Sorcha... Is a human, right?" If she was a human, perhaps she was blessed by a goddess like she, Isidore, Nick and Donovan had been? Or was she... Something else? She stopped using her eyes power and instead glared at Sorcha more to keep an eye on her movements. Something was incredibly wrong.</s>	<\|message\|>Novak It seemed at first that Novak's symbol-pressing had no effect. But when he viewed the pedestal with the mask's sight again, he was greeted by the sight of a light floating over the pedestal, and figures surrounding it. He beheld as the phantoms grabbed the light and a series of flashing images depicted them fleeing down the hallway into the unexplored section. Beyond the darkness, Novak beheld what looked like...something humanoid peeping at him from behind the corner. A disconcerting giggle sounded and the figures vanished, followed by a few strange whispers. Perhaps it was simply a primal fear that would spook almost anybody, or perhaps it was the vestige of a fear from his past life. Whatever the case, it was too much for Novak, who let out a short, quiet scream from beneath his mask. He put the glowing crystal down and moved his hand to the hilt of his sword, fearful at the prospect that something was down here watching him. He stood there, frozen in fear, heart pounding, waiting to see if those...things would emerge from the darkness. Would he be able to defend himself against them? Would he even be able to hurt them? Or were they just more memories of this place, perceptible only through the mask? As Novak pondered on this, the latter possibility- that they were harmless phantoms that the mask was showing him- seemed to become more and more plausible as nothing happened, and with it his fight-or-flight instinct subsided slightly. The place was almost certainly empty, and the figures he saw were nothing more than memories that the mask was recounting to him. At least that's what he told himself. He pocketed the mask, bent down to pick up the crystal, and it was only then he noticed the skull in the room, which once again caused him to let out a short, relatively soft scream. How did that skull get here? Was that always here? I don't remember it being here before. The presence of human remains, even if it was just a skull, was of some concern to Novak. Just what happened here, he wondered. With one hand holding the crystal and the other tightly gripping the hilt of his sword, Novak tentatively walked down the unexplored hallway, as his alarmed mind tried to make sense of what he had seen. Those figures had taken the light from the pedestal and run off- it almost looked like they were stealing something, some sort of object that had once been stationed on the pedestal? What would happen, he wondered, if someone were to return that stolen object here? Further speculation could wait; first he needed to explore here and prove to himself that it what he saw was just the mask's images. At least that's what he hoped he'd prove.</s>
<\|description\|>Novak Photo Gender: Male Appearance: Standing at approximately 5'10" or 178cm and with no distinguishing markings, Novak appears entirely human. Goals: Novak was summoned by the goddess to rebuild the world, and that is what he intends to do. His more personal goals can be summed up by a pair of phrases he vaguely recalls from his previous life: "Begin again", and "Let go". In other words, he wishes to start over in this world, unburdened by whatever past he once had. Past Life:Novak remembers nothing of his previous life, other than a nagging notion that it was uneventful, unremarkable, and cut abruptly and unexpectedly short. He isn't even sure if Novak was his family name or given name. What he does remember is that for whatever reason, he made a deal with the goddess who plucked him from death: in exchange for the memories of his life, he would gain the ability to learn new, more relevant skills at a supernatural pace to replace that which he gave up. From what he can gather from what remains of his mind, he had at least a high school education, lived in an urban region, and the notion of being reincarnated in a new world is something that seems not entirely unfamiliar to him. Abilities: Physical Conditioning: Peak human Your body is naturally tough, durable, and strong. The pinnacle of human physical strength, endurance, and agility. Keep training, and surely you can surpass even stronger beings. Soul Flare: The ability to turn ones soul into a weapon itself. Needed for most basic magical feats. Channel the mana present in the air through your body to achieve great feats. Allows one to interact with supernatural things, and perceive things others may not. Supernatural Learning: Thanks to the sacrifice of your previous life's memories, you have gained the ability to rapidly pick up on new skills to fill the void left behind. This ability is consciously activated, and can function through visual, auditory, and kinesthetic cues. This power is not limitless, however, and will cease to function once it has refilled the void in your mind. Fortunately, this limit is not affected by any knowledge or memories that are gained "normally". Inventory: Clothing</s> <\|message\|>"Malphas" Malphas Delivery!@Rune_Alchemist Malphas pondered his choices for a moment. He had never met this "Enli" yet. Perhaps he should get himself acquainted with the leader of this village, especially with his new gifts in mind. Would he be the type to accept such an idea? And even then, would the dinner be successful? Malphas thought about it for a moment, wondering if those who recognized him would also be a part of this outcast girl's retinue... If that were the case, he would definitely need a disguise, but the Illuminator seemed like a fickle type. The pale man surmised that he would have to prepare a backup disguise just in case. Of course, there was also the much more blunt approach of just commanding these hunters to ambush this girl alone. While such a plan was much simpler, there was also the added risk of her using whatever it was she stole from the Illuminator. Worse, perhaps she'd come out of that temple with even more treasures, ones that would make her a more formidable foe to face. A mere annoyance, at the very least. "Hm. I'll speak to Enli, for now. I must know what sort of man he is, though. Is he easily swayed, or is he the stubborn type? More specifically, what does he think of the temple, and of this outcast girl? Is he any close to her?" Malphas asked his questions, staring at his mitts as he had done so. Whatever their answers, he would keep this all in mind on his trek back to the village. On his way out of this secret meeting place, Malphas backtracked to the marked tree in order to retrieve the intact flower. He would scoop up the soil holding the herb into his hand, folding the mitt he's wearing on that hand into some sort of makeshift pot. Once that was retrieved, Malphas would procure his poisoned dagger with his free hand before setting off into the wilderness, and back to the village. Malphas would see to that merchant's request first, as there was one more thing he needed from her. Hopefully, the return trip wouldn't be full of those dastardly birds...</s> <\|message\|>Isidore @Rune_Alchemist Lightning and incomprehensible physical capabilities. As expected of someone, if Leuca was being literal, blessed by the 'Fey' with eternal youth. Certainly, such a boon would allow any number of people to become incredibly competent. No failing memory, no wasting muscle mass. Made it more impressive that Railey had survived any amount of time against Sorcha then. If it wasn't for his prior engagements, Isidore may not have been opposed to learning from the Apostles. As it was, however, Leuca was with him already, Augusta was his partner, and the Urutha had a unique history beneficial for them. So all Isidore did in response to Railey's offer was a curt nod, before his gaze settled upon Sorcha once more. Even with this much distance, it probably wasn't safe to play around. He flipped his polearm upside down, planting the axehead into the snow, then turned his head sideways. "Leuca's spoke of you." He gestured for the young Sirithen to stand up and come over. Beside him, not in front. "Are you still her guide?" No trust existed still, only circumstance and stories, both which could change with the drop of dwarvish coin.</s> <\|message\|>Nicholas "Nick" Gallagher The Journey Begins ~ Kyrnith's Grove ~ Interacted with: @Rune_Alchemist, @PKMNB0Y, @VitaVitaAR Nick dutifully followed the directions, taking him up a sloping trail until he reached a hill. The undergrowth of the forest soon turned into snow as he ascended and Nick soon arrived at his destination: A small grove with some sort of shrine sitting near a cluster of trees. The shrine seemed nothing special, just two slabs of rock with one standing straight atop the other. A clay bowl was there too with something burning in it. So that was where that faint smell of smoke came from. There, he did indeed find the two girls that he saw earlier. There was another figure with them, an epically large deer with antlers so tall it reached the tree branches. That was probably Kyrnith. Nick wasn't gonna lie, the deity looked pretty damn awesome despite the simplicity of its appearance. There were also a lot of deer around them. Nothing really surprising about that. The three seem to be talking and Nick got a rundown of what was happening to the Dawn village. It filled in the holes Nick still had about the story. Quite the trouble Dawn found itself in. Nick gulped. Well, here goes nothing. "H-Hey there, Lord Kyrnith. Umm, my name's Nick and I'm a friend of Donovan's." He first introduced himself. "You know, the tall guy with the accent who agreed to help you? I, uhh, tagged along with his quest so I could have a chance to see you, but I guess that was sooner rather than later." "A-Anyway, I was actually here looking for these two." Nick pointed to Nobunaga and Misaki. "We heard that they were going to help Dawn too so I came wondering if they're interested in a little team-up. The more the merrier, right? Four heads better than one, right?" He then turned to the aforementioned girls. "Hehe, right?" "But now that we're here though, might as well ask this." Nick continued before anyone could speak. "I'll bet my sister that you already know that we're not from this world. We're brought here by someone named 'The Goddess' and I was wondering if you, like, know a way back?" He asked his most important question. He doubted that it was going to be easy. "I'll settle for clues or hints, by the way." "Oh, uhh, since you're a deity and all..." Nick fished the strange, black diamond thing he found back in the courtyard where they first arrived. "Got any idea what this is?"</s> <\|message\|>Bella Rosso Augusta had to look away from Sorcha. She couldn't help but curiously use her eye on the woman and for some reason, it was giving her some great headache the more she looked. She considered what Leuca had said about her being Fey-Blessed but, well, that seemed weird. That seemed like it'd belong in that Special Attribute area with "Holder of a Dying Wish" and "Human Sympathy" which she could see both. These were her assumptions so far... This Sorcha... She either had an ability that she could not see that prevented her status from being read or she was just too strong for the elven woman or her eye to currently comprehend. Either way, it left her wary. She was sure that, if she so desired, Sorcha could eradicate them from existence. There were many things she wanted to say. "Who are you?" "What are you?" "Are you really a human?" But, well, she couldn't find the guts to say that aloud. She opened her mouth to say something else but... The words didn't leave her mouth. She couldn't manage to breath the words at first. She made sure she didn't use her eye to look at Sorcha again. She wasn't getting that headache now and she got a real look at the woman in front of the group again. She was beautiful, Augusta supposed. She studied the woman's features for a short time. She was strong enough to hold her own to that man, Railey, but was she strong enough to cancel the effect of her eye? What is she joking about? Augusta knew she was a stranger to this land. It shouldn't surprise her that there were people and creatures stronger than her... But this one was? She swallowed the thought. She had plenty of time to ponder the subject. She didn't want to make Sorcha concerned by studying her too much so she spoke after making sure that Railey man was gone. "I've found myself rather fond of Leuca in the last couple of days." She took off her hood to reveal her face and, more importantly, her ears. "I'd like to follow her to her journey's conclusion at this point. I also have an interest in reaching the Urutha. Would you guide us as well, Miss Sorcha?" She tried to be cautious with her words but she was starting to hope for a truely warm place to rest.</s>	<\|message\|>Novak It appeared that Novak had stepped into a laboratory of some sort. There was no sign of whatever he had seen peering from behind the corner, only a room filled with tables, an assortment of glasswares, and books. Novak was equally relieved and curious as to the purpose of this room. It seemed quite odd for a place of worship to have a laboratory. On the other hand, if the temple's former inhabitants worshiped the god of knowledge, perhaps experimentation was just another means of gathering knowledge. If so, exactly what sort of experiments were carried out here, he wondered. Novak noticed two doors in the room. The first one, located across from where he had entered, was barricaded by furniture, and an ominous looking puddle of tar appeared to have seeped underneath the door. Somebody had clearly blocked that door, and it didn't take much thinking for Novak to conclude that it'd be wise to leave it that way. The second door was much more interesting. It was ajar, and light shone through it from within, indicating the room beyond was well-illuminated. But what really caught Novak's attention was that the light appeared to be moving or shifting, strongly suggesting that something, or someone, was in the room. Could it be Leannah, casting that powerful light spell of hers? Until he knew for sure, it'd be wise for Novak to keep quiet and avoid drawing any attention to himself. Novak crept up to one of the tables, trying to move as quietly as possible. He looked at one of the books, curious as to what its contents were. He wasn't sure if he'd be able to read the texts, but perhaps he could glean something from illustrations or diagrams. After looking through the book, he'd don the mask again to see if it'd provide any further insight. It was at this point Novak noticed a skittering noise behind him. Pocketing the mask, he peered around the corner to see what it was. It was the skull, having moved from the pedestal room to halfway through the corridor. If Novak hadn't been trying to keep quiet, he'd have let out a chuckle. By themselves, the skittering and the moving skull both unnerved him greatly. Together, however, those phenomena suggested a more mundane and less dreadful explanation- that some crawling critter was underneath the skull, using it as shelter or camouflage. There was no way of knowing whether the skittering creature was dangerous or not, but Novak saw no reason to antagonize it as long as it remained out of stabbing distance. Perhaps it might even be useful for something. Novak returned to the laboratory. There was still the matter of where to proceed to next, and there were two doors leading out of here. Why was this door barricaded? Is it a dead end meant to keep something from getting out, or was it an exit meant to keep others from getting in? Regardless, the more pressing matter was the second door, the ajar one leading to the illuminated room. Whether Novak chose to take the barricade down or ignore it in favor of the second door, he needed to know what moving around in there, whether it was dangerous, and whether it would react to the noise that removing the barricade would create. Novak looked over the glassware and vases, looking for anything that might help. Perhaps he could toss the crawling skull into the room to see if it was safe. Wait, I have an idea. He drew his sword and carefully used his sleeve to wipe whatever blood and dirt may have been on the blade. He approached the iron door, careful as to not step into the light emanating from beyond, using the blade of his sword as a crude mirror to try and see what was moving in the altar room. Whether or not the sword was able to cast a clear reflection, Novak would follow up by carefully peeking through the door to get a better look. If whatever in there appeared to be or one of his companions or otherwise non-living, he'd slowly open the door and walk in. If, however, the occupant appeared both alive in any sense of the word and unfamiliar to him, he'd carefully move back, and consider heading back to the tar room to see if the others had made their way down the pit.</s>
<\|description\|>Novak Photo Gender: Male Appearance: Standing at approximately 5'10" or 178cm and with no distinguishing markings, Novak appears entirely human. Goals: Novak was summoned by the goddess to rebuild the world, and that is what he intends to do. His more personal goals can be summed up by a pair of phrases he vaguely recalls from his previous life: "Begin again", and "Let go". In other words, he wishes to start over in this world, unburdened by whatever past he once had. Past Life:Novak remembers nothing of his previous life, other than a nagging notion that it was uneventful, unremarkable, and cut abruptly and unexpectedly short. He isn't even sure if Novak was his family name or given name. What he does remember is that for whatever reason, he made a deal with the goddess who plucked him from death: in exchange for the memories of his life, he would gain the ability to learn new, more relevant skills at a supernatural pace to replace that which he gave up. From what he can gather from what remains of his mind, he had at least a high school education, lived in an urban region, and the notion of being reincarnated in a new world is something that seems not entirely unfamiliar to him. Abilities: Physical Conditioning: Peak human Your body is naturally tough, durable, and strong. The pinnacle of human physical strength, endurance, and agility. Keep training, and surely you can surpass even stronger beings. Soul Flare: The ability to turn ones soul into a weapon itself. Needed for most basic magical feats. Channel the mana present in the air through your body to achieve great feats. Allows one to interact with supernatural things, and perceive things others may not. Supernatural Learning: Thanks to the sacrifice of your previous life's memories, you have gained the ability to rapidly pick up on new skills to fill the void left behind. This ability is consciously activated, and can function through visual, auditory, and kinesthetic cues. This power is not limitless, however, and will cease to function once it has refilled the void in your mind. Fortunately, this limit is not affected by any knowledge or memories that are gained "normally". Inventory: Clothing</s> <\|message\|>Takeshima Misaki (formerly Takeshima Mamoru) With a nod and a bow, Misaki watched as Haruno left, leaving both her and Nobunaga behind on the beach. To think that a race of people in the same make as classic oni, not too unlike those seen in old folktales, would be in such a state in this world... It was intriguing to the foxgirl, of course; there were a lot of questions to ask and a lot more to dig into, but if she wanted to pursue this in its entirety, then actually getting to Chagawa was her top priority. That, of course, led her back to the schematics she had briefly drawn out in the sand. The oni hadn't exactly reacted to them—whether that was a good thing or not was up for debate—which meant that she only needed to execute what it was that she had in mind. Of course, it seemed like getting her to help was out of the question by now... Which, in other words, left few others she could attempt to ask for help. Most of the other residents of the town were unlikely to see the benefits inherent in making paper—not as they were now, at least; the caravan was even less of an option, really, given how much they would stand to gain after the fact. In short, she could only ask Lazirha and the others living with her at the moment for help, and with them being out of the town at the moment, the most she could really do was detail her plans for the near future before wiping them all away as the sun began to set. Being engrossed in her work as she was, the foxgirl found herself only now growing hungry, which in turn only led her to head back to her benefactor's home to see if the other group had returned. And when they hadn't? That was cause for concern, but given that she had no knowledge of the lay of the land nor any actual combat capabilities, the only thing she could do was wait. When the group (or, rather, pair) had finally returned , Misaki found herself listening to a rather hard-to-follow synopsis of the day's events. To be frank, the situation was one that she could only barely grasp the basics of. What was clear, though, was that some mess involving the god they were attempting to usurp on their end had taken place, which meant that they were at least on the same page. Well, that and the fact that Lazirha was important regardless of that fact, which, given Enli's words, was not too much of a surprise anyhow. Of course, Misaki did not fail to give them the far-less-eventful synopsis of the events on their end, either; it only seemed right, after all. The matter about the paper could be discussed tomorrow, when the other two were less worked up about the day's happenings. --- After waking up after a night's rest, Misaki found that Narkissa was already up and about, with Lazirha nowhere to be seen. Though the latter's absence was a bit troubling, given how the same thing had occurred the day before, the foxgirl decided that it would probably be best to not worry about her for the moment. Instead, though... "Ah... Excuse me," she began, calling out towards the white-haired girl before pausing and taking a deep breath. "...I'd like to apologize for being so curt with you the past few days. It's been... A bit difficult to adjust, admittedly, and being asked if I was from Earth so abruptly in front of so many people was a bit troublesome for me. There was another yesterday, when we went to see the Kyrinth, who was a lot more brazen about his origins and attempted to spread ours, and given how I have no idea about how that would affect how the people here would perceive us..." The foxgirl found herself nervously scratching the back of her head as she rambled before getting up and giving a proper bow of apology instead. "...I hope you might be able to forgive me. I am not particularly skilled at dodging questions, and so if I have insulted you in doing so, I apologize." There was a pause as Misaki let the moment hang in the air before taking a step back; regardless of if a response came, though, after waiting a few moments, the foxgirl would move on to continue speaking once more. "Shameless as this may sound, and despite the situation, I would like to ask if you could assist me in something today. I wish to create screens and frames for papermaking, but I'm not certain if I can do so alone. Of course, given what happened, I would understand if you were to decline in favor of searching for the one who went missing, but..." A few minutes after she had made her request, Lazirha's return caused Misaki to focus her attention towards her words instead. There was undoubtedly a problem at hand now, though; that much was certain. But coupled with Enli's meeting with the Kyrinth today, this only seemed to bode ill for everyone involved. "...I can... Sort of understand what you're saying, but I don't think we have enough information to try and find it without putting everyone at risk. You mentioned that there were people who were trying to kill you, right? I don't think that you can afford to throw yourselves into danger again—not until we know a bit more, at least," she finally said, glancing at Narkissa and Lazirha before shaking her head. "But if we have the Kyrinth's cooperation, it might be possible to ask him after Enli's meeting... Which would mean that would have to proceed without incident. I don't think I can be of much use, though; I'm not much of a fighter to begin with, so if anything was to happen, I'd likely end up a burden." Making paper seemed like a far less productive way to spend her time, given the situation, but at this point the only thing she could think of doing that might have a chance of helping with regard to the more violent problems was experimenting with the plants she had gathered the day before, and even that line of experimentation wasn't guaranteed to bear fruit at the moment. @Click This@Rune_Alchemist</s> <\|message\|>Bella Rosso Augusta sighed. Somehow she expected Rullphana would say as much. "I suppose I haven't be able to practice as much as I would like." Augusta continued with a shrug. "I only started practicing less than a week ago though, so I hope you don't expect as much out of me as your apprentice. I've had to figure most of this out on my own." The elfen woman added. "I like to think I've had some steady improvement... Though, I suppose that attempt casting Lightning was a failure." She looked at her hand for a second, clutching at the air with her fingers before giving a small sigh and looking towards Rullphana. "If you wouldn't mind, I'd like to witness your studying of Octavia." Augusta mentioned, "I think you'll find her more cooperative anyhow. Also, I'm curious as to how you'll study her." The woman moved a little closer, "Besides, you can never know too much in this world."</s>	<\|message\|>Novak "Good to meet you too," Novak replied to the dwarf as he took a seat at the table. Despite the fox opting to sleep on him last night, he had slept fairly well, or at least better than if he had gone back to Enli's place. After everything that had happened, he didn't feel particularly safe sleeping among the villagers, within reach of the hunters, and it was of no small relief to be offered to stay at Lady Mie's tent for the night. While it was true that he hadn't actually seen any of the hunters trying to kill him, the mask's vision, the Illuminator's warning, the smell of smoke, and the fox's guidance all pointed towards someone having malicious intentions towards him yesterday. Novak speculated that the mask he picked up might allow him to identify among the hunters served the Illuminator, but wasn't sure how people would react to him donning the mask, especially if they recognized where it was from. "I have to say it's a very tempting offer," Novak spoke to Lady Mie. "I think some traveling would do good for me, and provide the opportunity to learn some new skills." There was a lot he could see himself gaining from traveling with Mie; he could learn to use a sword properly, gain some firsthand understanding of this world and its civilizations beyond this little village, and perhaps pick up on prices of goods and value of whatever currencies this world has. Not to mention traveling from place to place in a merchant caravan could help to track down the orb that the Illuminator desired, while simultaneously getting him far, far away from whoever had tried to kill him and his companions yesterday. "That said, I do have a bit of unfinished business in this village that I'm hoping to conclude before I could commit myself to your service," he continued. "I'm hoping that I can get it taken care of today." First, Novak was hoping that Bolcha will have finished the armor he had agreed to craft, so he'd have some form of proper protective attire. Second, it might be enlightening to track down one of the Illuminator-worshiping hunters and ask them about the orb, about the theft, and about Lazhira. Alternatively, they could be as blinded to the theft as the Illuminator was, and/or try to kill Novak to maintain their secrecy. Perhaps he'd be better off asking one of the other of the Goddess' chosen if they had learned anything about the situation in the village. If Lady Mie had nothing else to discuss, Novak would grab his belongings, leave the tent, and head for Bolcha's place of work. It might be too much to ask for someone to make armor out of the creature's hide in a day and a half, but it wouldn't hurt to see what progress had been made. I wonder how many of the hunters are with the Illuminator, he pondered. A few of them? Most of them? Is Akando one of them? Novak hoped that he had garnered enough goodwill helping against the armadillo beast and retrieving Bolcha's tools that whatever malefactors resided in the village would stay their hand.</s>
<\|description\|>Novak Photo Gender: Male Appearance: Standing at approximately 5'10" or 178cm and with no distinguishing markings, Novak appears entirely human. Goals: Novak was summoned by the goddess to rebuild the world, and that is what he intends to do. His more personal goals can be summed up by a pair of phrases he vaguely recalls from his previous life: "Begin again", and "Let go". In other words, he wishes to start over in this world, unburdened by whatever past he once had. Past Life:Novak remembers nothing of his previous life, other than a nagging notion that it was uneventful, unremarkable, and cut abruptly and unexpectedly short. He isn't even sure if Novak was his family name or given name. What he does remember is that for whatever reason, he made a deal with the goddess who plucked him from death: in exchange for the memories of his life, he would gain the ability to learn new, more relevant skills at a supernatural pace to replace that which he gave up. From what he can gather from what remains of his mind, he had at least a high school education, lived in an urban region, and the notion of being reincarnated in a new world is something that seems not entirely unfamiliar to him. Abilities: Physical Conditioning: Peak human Your body is naturally tough, durable, and strong. The pinnacle of human physical strength, endurance, and agility. Keep training, and surely you can surpass even stronger beings. Soul Flare: The ability to turn ones soul into a weapon itself. Needed for most basic magical feats. Channel the mana present in the air through your body to achieve great feats. Allows one to interact with supernatural things, and perceive things others may not. Supernatural Learning: Thanks to the sacrifice of your previous life's memories, you have gained the ability to rapidly pick up on new skills to fill the void left behind. This ability is consciously activated, and can function through visual, auditory, and kinesthetic cues. This power is not limitless, however, and will cease to function once it has refilled the void in your mind. Fortunately, this limit is not affected by any knowledge or memories that are gained "normally". Inventory: Clothing</s> <\|message\|>Takeshima Misaki (formerly Takeshima Mamoru) Given how curious she had seemed, Misaki found herself slightly confused at Lazirha's hesitance at going to check the situation out. Risk-averse as she tended to be, though, the foxgirl could not willingly leave herself in the dark—not in this situation, at least. Of course, when that reticence disappeared after she gave her confirmation, her earlier worries seemed to not matter; with the younger girl dragging her out in full force now, the young woman could do little but to keep up. Of course, the sight that they came across was none too comforting—an ambush in the works seldom was—but who that was meant for... Well, who could tell? It was at this point, though, that Narkissa seemed to pop up, and just as Lazirha began to call her over, Misaki waved for the other girl to come to their side before promptly gesturing at Lazirha to lower her voice. A quick glance towards the nearby hunters to confirm that they hadn't caught wind of their arrival would come before hushed whispers, the foxgirl peeking out from behind cover in an attempt to piece together what exactly they were trying to do. "Suppose we both ended up curious... What do you suppose they're trying to catch—or kill, maybe?" she asked, hoping that she didn't stand out too much against the underbrush. The snow helped her blend in, at least, but... This@Rune_Alchemist</s> <\|message\|>"Malphas" Shigenaga Nomura It's dangerous to go alone...@Rune_Alchemist Nomura considered Mie's suggestion of training carefully. He had thought of such a prospect before, especially given how treacherous this new world happened to be. As much as he wished to rely on others for protection, it was clear to Nomura that he would not always have someone to protect him. That is to say, it's not as if he didn't plan to form his own entourage. Rather, it would be in his better interest if he were able to defend himself in the event he would be separated from any form of help, be it against the strange beasts of this or the treacherous men who live upon it. "Hm, you do raise a good point, Lady Mie. I have been meaning to improve upon my skills with the bow as of late." Nomura stated, making his way to the gathered weapons and eyeing the arrows. "That said, I could also use a weapon in case threats come a bit too close for my liking. Perhaps a concealed weapon of some sorts, something that wouldn't draw too much attention or ire from others. You wouldn't happen to have anything like a blade hidden in a cane, or other such weapons, would you?" Nomura examined the different weapons on display, looking for something inconspicuous. He already had a dagger, but he could still use something more to protect himself, particularly something with a longer reach. Perhaps a simple staff? In any case, he awaited Mie's suggestion, stroking his beak inquisitively as he gazed at the weapons with thought.</s> <\|message\|>Narkissa Langdon Narkissa Langdon @PKMNB0Y Narkissa slowly made her way towards the scene of the commotion. Carrying all the new stuff was still a bit cumbersome, even with two bags to hold all her stuff and her sword awkwardly holstered in a makeshift belt, but she managed. It did make her a little less than stealthy, though, so she approached carefully. It seemed she wasn't as good at making herself unseen as she thought, though, when she heard her name called out by none other than Lazhira. Raising an eyebrow at the waving girl, she made her way over. Hopefully Lazhira was the only one that had seen her, as she would soon find out. By the time she reached the girl, Narkissa realized they weren't alone, in more than one way—Miksaki was there, shushing the other girl, and it was also evident there were hunters down in the darkness. Hunting something, obviously. "Hello," she greeted simply, keeping her voice down. "I'll confess I'm out of the loop, seems a lot has happened since we met at Mie's," she shrugged, peering over at the scene. She crossed her arms. "Considering their track record over the past couple days, nothing good. Lazhira, they aren't after you, are they?"</s>	<\|message\|>Novak Novak took a seat by the fire as Enli had suggested. The things he had to reveal would be something best discussed while seated. "The hunters told us that the Illuminator appeared to them in person, and told them about the seal, and that it was failing," Novak began. "They claim he said that there's a goddess trapped down there, and if she gets out, the sea will swallow this land, and then that the Illuminator assailed them with nightmares of it happening to get the point across. I suppose that's how he sunk his hooks into them." Novak took a deep breath and glanced away for a moment, before turning back to Enli to continue explaining what he had learned. "They believed that the seal wasn't eroding on its own, somebody was weakening it, and the hunters were trying to find who was responsible. They seemed to think it was Lazhira, but the Illuminator recently gave them a new plan. He told them that if you died, it'd both draw out the culprit and convince the villagers to worship the Illuminator again. I'm not really sure how I can do to stop the seal from breaking, but I promise you, I will not abandon the village." Novak had been hoping that the urgency that gripped him over the last two days would subside if the hunters were dealt with and the Kyrinth's wrath turned away from the village, but that wasn't to be. They had stumbled right into a potentially apocalyptic scenario and from the sound of it, they had dashed the Illuminator's schemes to avert it.</s>
<\|description\|>Narkissa Langdon Female Appearance: Even as she grew older and her body more frail, the youthful spirit and the sense of adventure within her never died out. The presence of a new body only made things more perfect. Narkissa has the appearance of a youthful, slender adult. She stands an average height of 5' 5", and while fit, weighs a paltry 111 lbs. Although her hair and eyes have taken a strange albino coloration, her professional sartorial aesthetic remains. Goals: What more can Narkissa wish for than to rediscover progress and reclaim the world? To build an empire under a reborn flag, so large in which the sun would never set on its lands? What more can it be than providence? Would it really be fine if it ended like this? As the darkness surrounded her, accompanied by the creaks and groans of her vessel of demise, a lifetime of past thoughts flashed through her eyes. Even now, Narkissa was fascinated with the past. As long as she could remember, her mind had always fluttered to the tales of the past, the mystery, the majesty, and the grandeur of countries long past. But of them all, there was only one country that had them all… and it wasn't too long ago that her country had stood at the peak of the world. There was nothing more that could fascinate her than the story of the early modern era, of the rise of the British Empire, and its maritime hegemony. She couldn't love the history any than she could love her own country. Well, in other words, she was a nationalist. But unlike others, Narkissa really was more interested in learning about things than shitposting on the internet. She became a scholar of history of early modern Britain. What was it like in the early modern era? How did people live? What technology did people use, how did it work? What food did people eat? What was life at sea like, how did people survive? Those were the questions that she asked, answered, and taught. By the time she was beginning to reach her middle ages, she had become a marine archeologist, traveling to the ends of the world —and the depths of the sea— to explore the secrets that the oceans had swallowed long ago. It really would be the past that would cause her demise, too. Narkissa recalled the closing years of the American Revolution, when the British Empire had won a great battle against the French off Dominica. The battle won, the fleet sailed home with their prizes, only to meet their untimely demise in a hurricane in the Atlantic. It was the topic of her research. Her life's work had finally culminated in finding the wrecks at the bottom of the sea, and for the first time in almost 250 years, human eyes finally beheld the hulls of the wooden battleships. It really was just a damn shame that the pressure hull of the research submersible began to leak. Abilities: Physical Conditioning: Peak human Your body is naturally tough, durable, and strong. The pinnacle of human physical strength, endurance, and agility. Keep training, and surely you can surpass even stronger beings. Soul Flare The ability to turn ones soul into a weapon itself. Needed for most basic magical feats. Channel the mana present in the air through your body to achieve great feats. Allows one to interact with supernatural things, and perceive things others may not. Affection of the Sea: The goddess has given you some of her own favor. The sea itself seems to bend to your will. Should you travel by it, you'll always find favorable winds and currents, the sea always seemingly directing you to where your destination is need to go whilst also hindering whatever may wish to do you harm. Theoretically, it can also extend to anything or anyone you 'own' as well, such as ships and sailors, but they will need some sort of relief or symbol to do so. Perhaps should you gain more favor with the goddess, you may even be able to command the seas themselves on some level... Her clothes on her back… or maybe not?</s> <\|message\|>Leannah Stromhart Leannah --- Looted. Nothing of interest with the tapestries, not even so much as anything left on what she assumed was the old warden's desk and effects. Hell, someone else could have popped in here a long time ago, or even as recent as herself and anyone else on these premises waking up from a certain moon goddess' offer. Either way it had been just one little monstrous abomination in here, which was a relief, but at the same time it left her with not much choice of what to do. The thing was still out there, and from what she could see in the window it was not too happy after-...wait did Malphas just fly? Ok, even she had to admit that was kinda great to be honest. Guy seemed to have his own attitude, but he'd just proven his little stunts could have good effects potentially at least. Gave her a little more faith in him, at least, though her situation wasn't much helped at the moment. ...Heh, but of course it would be like her to think of this as a 'backup' plan. Would be a hell of a way to go out if it went down as she thought, but all the same it was her terms and also kinda badass in concept. Soon, behind the angry and roaring Guardian that was looking for its other quarry, Leannah would pop back out of the tower's entrance door. Except instead of running away from the monster, she was running toward it at top speed. Her breathing was controlled, her eyes locked onto her target with unwavering abandon, and every muscle in her body channeling the fullness of her might at its very peak as she would throw the spear at the Guardian's head with the precision of an Olympic Champion and the might of a battle-ready martial arts master. After this, she was blitz toward the Guardian with the intent to leap up on it and do battle with her fists and body. Screw this thing, she was going to kick its ass, die trying, or something!</s> <\|message\|>Isidore @Rune_Alchemist@PaulHaynek@Guy0fV4lor Isidore stared at Augusta for a long couple of seconds, before continuing to follow Octavia. He hadn't been democratic in his past life, but there were only implicit understandings between himself and this group of strangers. Best to let this go. The architecture changed as they strode down the stairs. It was curious, that this building was constructed atop something older, something fouler. Not just a place for foul experimentation, but perhaps a place for archaeologists to delve into the mysteries of the past too? It smelled of a bad movie, really, the sort that the young uns in his business would simultaneously deride and eat up. As the surroundings worsened and worsened, shadows lengthening and the stench of the ghettos seeping into Isidore, the man began to consider. Black slabs that ate the soul, which transformed into flowers birthed of tar. Emancipated monstrosities, wandering empty corridors and hallways. A warden of titanic proportions, stalking the aboveground. Once again, curiosity and ambition got the better of one's common sense, hm? Black vines crawled over old stone, wretched creatures turned into fertilizer from which the tar flowers grew. The lighting conditions were practically non-existent at this point, and the stench strengthened too, every cell of the dungeon empty. A disgusting place, a proper oubliette, a place that even he feared. And at the very end, where the demonic dog awaited them like a guide to the bowels of hell, stood a door, wrenched open by masses of vines. The occult circle engraved upon its surface had its own implications, as did the runes inscribed upon them as well. A different script from the ones that adorned the black stone slabs. A different meaning. In the suffocating silence, Isidore spoke up. "They were studying something. It got out." He picked up Octavia's chain, looping it twice around his hand. He forced the tension out of his shoulders, and felt again for that energy within his own body. Once, he had formed a connection with another soul, and became more grounded for it. Now, he envisioned it coalescing on his eyes, drawing more light into it, as vestigial as it was. And, whether or not his eyesight improved from it, Isidore strode boldly forwards. It didn't matter, after all. He had walked to certain death once, the waves burning his lungs from inside out. But this? This was just another alleyway back home.</s> <\|message\|>Nicholas "Nick" Gallagher The Journey Begins ~ Unknown Location ~ Interacted with: @ERode, @Pyromania99,@Guy0fV4lor "Wait, we do? And you can teach me? Sweet!" Nick's head immediately to the things he could do with magic. Could he lift stuff up from far away, like the Force in Star Wars? Alright, calm down Neil. Don't get too excited over this. First, focus on the task at hand and get somewhere safe before fawning over magic. "And I don't think Isidore needs help fighting." Especially not now, now that Donovan was with them. They continued to follow Octavia deeper into the prison-ish complex. As they descended stairs, the surroundings shifted from the smooth black surfaces to rough and old stone walls. Kind of like those ancient Medieval dungeons. But onward they went, following the demon pup to the bottom of this wretched place. The smell was horrid, something was rotting and Nick had to cover his nose even if the odor was not particularly strong yet. Where was Octavia leading them? Nick had a bad feeling about this, and it was not from his power. At least, not yet. He was not sure if those were bodies on the floor and Nick preferred if he didn't find out. The hallway they were in were lined with cells. The strange black tar crawled up the walls like vines, sprouting those flower-like plants that spawned Octavia. They were everywhere, even covering the lifeless bodies of wretched experiments. It was then that Nick felt that anxiousness again. This time it was strong, and he was certain it was his power. This place was obviously dangerous, but what in particular. Octavia stopped at the end of the hallway and allowed Isidore to come and take her chain. They were at a large iron door, wedged open by those black vines. "Guys, I don't think we should continue this." Nick said, looking a bit dazed. Even if Augusta and Donovan joined Isidore and Octavia, Nick would not move a single inch forward. "Seriously, guys. I think... I think we should get back up. And far away from this place." He glanced at the black plants made of the tar-like substances. Remembering how Octavia came to be... Hold on, could it be...?</s> <\|message\|>"Malphas" Malphas Freedom@Rune_Alchemist Malphas wondered to himself if this was what true death was like. As soon as he leapt into the air, he had closed his eyes, welcoming whatever fate had in store for him. That weightless feeling that surrounded him gave him the same sensation that swept his body when he imbibed the poison that lead to his downfall. It was a feeling of ascension, a feeling of freedom... It was an ecstasy that Malphas fully absorbed himself in. At least, that was before his shins slammed into the upper edges of the rock wall before him. After a rather comedic sequence of him tumbling down the other side of the wall, Malphas finally took in the true feeling of freedom. Looking behind him as he was made aware of the ethereal wings that made his escape. Was this the true power of faith in this world? Is this merely a taste of what he could truly attain should he amass a large enough following? Motivated at the prospects of this idea, Malphas quickly stood up, stopping halfway as he crumpled back down into exhaustion. His accomplishments have taken a toll on him, and it was only now that the rush of adrenaline had ended that Malphas finally felt his energy fading. Rather than continuing forward, Malphas instead turned onto his back in order to rest. He should treasure these brief moments of respite while he can, and it would be especially to his favor if he awaited for his allies to make their escape as well. As obstinate as they may be, traveling alone in this new world would be a dangerous prospect no matter what. Malphas did not want to end up like another winged fool, Icarus, who flew too close to the sun. Instead, he will stay by the moonlight, guided by its cold embrace. "I believe in you, you fools..." Malphas uttered as he closed his eyes, drifting to rest for a time.</s> <\|message\|>Bella Rosso The further and further they walked, the more and more Augusta started to question her choice. Still, it was the choice that she had made. She needed to see it through at this point. No matter the weird experiment, cryptic wall designs or tar-like plants, she would move forward with her companions! Still, it didn't mean it made her feel very good. Perhaps it was the fact that they seemed to be moving in deeper to the earth but she felt like it was getting harder to breath. Perhaps her nerves were actually getting to her. A shame, really. She had almost thought she wouldn't be afraid of dying again but the first time around was rather... Frightening. The elven woman pushed the thoughts out of her mind as best she could and focused on the here and now. There were tar plants like back on the surface when Octavia first appeared. There was no doubt it was related. Perhaps they should prepare for more demon dogs? She stepped forward to move ahead with Isidore, ready to use her eye to their advantage if they needed to... But well, Nick was having cold feet now. Something to do with his power? She frowned, hoping they'd all go forward together despite his warning of danger. She was slightly shook, but didn't show it or try to think of it. The woman turned to Nick and smiled. "Well, it's fine if you don't. I think Isidore and I are going regardless. If it's a living thing, I can gleam information from it and all. It's probably related to Octavia there anyhow, isn't it? My curiosity will probably be the death of me, but not today." There was a confidence in her voice. Augusta cleared her throat and spoke again. "I won't think any worse of you one way or the other. If you want to come with us ahead or retreat to the surface. Same goes for you too, Donovan, of course. Not that it's been long since I've met Nick or Isidore but it's only been some minutes." She gave them both a smile and moved towards Isidore and Octavia, ready to head forward.</s>	<\|message\|>Narkissa Langdon As far as Narkissa was concerned, what she saw was impossible. Then again, the original appearance of the wall in front of them should have been impossible, so the sight of the strange man flying, if briefly, on ethereal wings was no less strange than any one of the things that she had seen or happened to her today. Then, in the blink of an eye, he was over the wall and gone. He had escaped. That also meant that Narkissa was now alone. With the stone giant. She had long lost track of her other brief allies, Leanna and Donovan, leaving her by her lonesome in the stone ruins. Thankfully, it seemed that the giant had been disoriented by Malphas' escape and busied itself scanning the area. By the time that it glanced in her direction, she had long ducked into the safety of the building. Perhaps she could attempt to scale the wall when the giant had its attention taken elsewhere. For now, she looked around the room; seeing another weapons pile, she was drawn towards it. An axe was rather less than ideal; to her, a sword felt more natural, and for one she searched, biding her time before she could attempt the wall herself.</s>
<\|description\|>Narkissa Langdon Female Appearance: Even as she grew older and her body more frail, the youthful spirit and the sense of adventure within her never died out. The presence of a new body only made things more perfect. Narkissa has the appearance of a youthful, slender adult. She stands an average height of 5' 5", and while fit, weighs a paltry 111 lbs. Although her hair and eyes have taken a strange albino coloration, her professional sartorial aesthetic remains. Goals: What more can Narkissa wish for than to rediscover progress and reclaim the world? To build an empire under a reborn flag, so large in which the sun would never set on its lands? What more can it be than providence? Would it really be fine if it ended like this? As the darkness surrounded her, accompanied by the creaks and groans of her vessel of demise, a lifetime of past thoughts flashed through her eyes. Even now, Narkissa was fascinated with the past. As long as she could remember, her mind had always fluttered to the tales of the past, the mystery, the majesty, and the grandeur of countries long past. But of them all, there was only one country that had them all… and it wasn't too long ago that her country had stood at the peak of the world. There was nothing more that could fascinate her than the story of the early modern era, of the rise of the British Empire, and its maritime hegemony. She couldn't love the history any than she could love her own country. Well, in other words, she was a nationalist. But unlike others, Narkissa really was more interested in learning about things than shitposting on the internet. She became a scholar of history of early modern Britain. What was it like in the early modern era? How did people live? What technology did people use, how did it work? What food did people eat? What was life at sea like, how did people survive? Those were the questions that she asked, answered, and taught. By the time she was beginning to reach her middle ages, she had become a marine archeologist, traveling to the ends of the world —and the depths of the sea— to explore the secrets that the oceans had swallowed long ago. It really would be the past that would cause her demise, too. Narkissa recalled the closing years of the American Revolution, when the British Empire had won a great battle against the French off Dominica. The battle won, the fleet sailed home with their prizes, only to meet their untimely demise in a hurricane in the Atlantic. It was the topic of her research. Her life's work had finally culminated in finding the wrecks at the bottom of the sea, and for the first time in almost 250 years, human eyes finally beheld the hulls of the wooden battleships. It really was just a damn shame that the pressure hull of the research submersible began to leak. Abilities: Physical Conditioning: Peak human Your body is naturally tough, durable, and strong. The pinnacle of human physical strength, endurance, and agility. Keep training, and surely you can surpass even stronger beings. Soul Flare The ability to turn ones soul into a weapon itself. Needed for most basic magical feats. Channel the mana present in the air through your body to achieve great feats. Allows one to interact with supernatural things, and perceive things others may not. Affection of the Sea: The goddess has given you some of her own favor. The sea itself seems to bend to your will. Should you travel by it, you'll always find favorable winds and currents, the sea always seemingly directing you to where your destination is need to go whilst also hindering whatever may wish to do you harm. Theoretically, it can also extend to anything or anyone you 'own' as well, such as ships and sailors, but they will need some sort of relief or symbol to do so. Perhaps should you gain more favor with the goddess, you may even be able to command the seas themselves on some level... Her clothes on her back… or maybe not?</s> <\|message\|>Novak Novak It seemed at first that Novak's symbol-pressing had no effect. But when he viewed the pedestal with the mask's sight again, he was greeted by the sight of a light floating over the pedestal, and figures surrounding it. He beheld as the phantoms grabbed the light and a series of flashing images depicted them fleeing down the hallway into the unexplored section. Beyond the darkness, Novak beheld what looked like...something humanoid peeping at him from behind the corner. A disconcerting giggle sounded and the figures vanished, followed by a few strange whispers. Perhaps it was simply a primal fear that would spook almost anybody, or perhaps it was the vestige of a fear from his past life. Whatever the case, it was too much for Novak, who let out a short, quiet scream from beneath his mask. He put the glowing crystal down and moved his hand to the hilt of his sword, fearful at the prospect that something was down here watching him. He stood there, frozen in fear, heart pounding, waiting to see if those...things would emerge from the darkness. Would he be able to defend himself against them? Would he even be able to hurt them? Or were they just more memories of this place, perceptible only through the mask? As Novak pondered on this, the latter possibility- that they were harmless phantoms that the mask was showing him- seemed to become more and more plausible as nothing happened, and with it his fight-or-flight instinct subsided slightly. The place was almost certainly empty, and the figures he saw were nothing more than memories that the mask was recounting to him. At least that's what he told himself. He pocketed the mask, bent down to pick up the crystal, and it was only then he noticed the skull in the room, which once again caused him to let out a short, relatively soft scream. How did that skull get here? Was that always here? I don't remember it being here before. The presence of human remains, even if it was just a skull, was of some concern to Novak. Just what happened here, he wondered. With one hand holding the crystal and the other tightly gripping the hilt of his sword, Novak tentatively walked down the unexplored hallway, as his alarmed mind tried to make sense of what he had seen. Those figures had taken the light from the pedestal and run off- it almost looked like they were stealing something, some sort of object that had once been stationed on the pedestal? What would happen, he wondered, if someone were to return that stolen object here? Further speculation could wait; first he needed to explore here and prove to himself that it what he saw was just the mask's images. At least that's what he hoped he'd prove.</s> <\|message\|>Leannah Stromhart Leannah --- ...Seemed whoever wrote that page was not a fan of the Illuminator, but more worrying was the seeming gusto to one-up a god at something. Sure whomever it was could erase memories, it seemed, but trying to one-up a deity was usually a sign of the kind of hubris that would doom someone in legend. Or at least the kind that led to bad things happening in anime and movies. Maybe even, as she suspected most of all, the words of a rejected follower or apprentice or something who was trying something ultimately stupid and dangerous to try to one-up the master or deity or so forth who cast them aside. The mention of an orb was also something odd, however, as they'd already seen one after coming in. Was it the same one they wanted to take? Was it another one hidden deep in this temple? Both could be valid, and her own suspicions immediately went to the latter option unless it would be proven different otherwise. Either way, the mysterious writer who left this behind a complex trap would be something to get back to sooner or later depending on what happened next. Maybe she could even ask Lazhira about it all, to be frank, and see if she had any insights. The girl bore markings like this place and was suspiciously able to get to and fro to here with a strange ease compared to them. So perhaps she knew something? Leannah didn't want to assume anything outright at the moment about the newfound companion, but hell the mysteries behind her too and the fact they'd only met some shorter time ago did indicate something of potential mischief and strangeness afoot if naught else. So much didn't add up, so much she had already theorized about, and so much more was here to learn if she didn't get herself killed first. Mostly she was thankful the crystals on the walls were back, and that the one she had was still glowing well in the dark. She'd put out her magic light well enough by this point to simply see better with the crystal, or really it could be said her concentration was broken and it went out when she fell down the pit in the first place, but still she pressed onward through the path that opened up from the cistern. By the time the catgirl reached the large pool, she immediately paused in her movement to observe and look around...carefully this time. It was a big rectangular area, wrought of bricks and glowing crystals. Things were moving in the large pool of water (not always a good sign), though light was coming from the bottom of it as well. Most worrying was that more of that 'tar' was hanging from the edges of the pool, which wasn't a good sign if she went into the thing. Reminded her of a local YMCA really, at least when she'd managed to first see one after many years of travel and training and so forth. It smelled of a trap. Jump into the water to get things, things turn out to be monsters or cursed or evil slimes or something, can't get out because of the tar on the edges. Ensue a stamina struggle to swim whilst fighting, and then basically either die or manage to get out. Such a thing seemed fitting for a deity who wanted to 'test' how far others were willing to go for knowledge. Of course she could be reading too much into this as well, that much was always a possibility. Either way her curiosity was something fierce about all of this, and she couldn't just sit idly by after what had just happened either. There was a lot up with this place, and it was important to ensure she learned something as she went along to help ensure her owns survival and maybe unravel one or two clues about here at least. Still, in the end she would decide to keep her feet away from the tar and patrol around the pool with her crystal in hand. From this safe distance of the tar she'd look around the walls and edges and floors about the pool, minding her steps and looking cautiously for obvious 'push me into the water' traps. She'd also, from this safe distance, look over into the pool and use her own handheld crystal as a light source extra to see if she could tell what was down/in there without stepping as far as the tar. Once she was done, if nothing crazy happened, she'd stand near the far end of the pool close to exit from (not where she entered into here from) this room. Here she would try to cast a 'Light' spell like earlier, but this time take time, control, and caution to the extreme to do so. Because in this case she was trying to cast a light attached to the edge of the pool to give her more of a look into the water. It would probably cancel out the crystal light, but all the same it would be another perspective. If it gave her any better view or look at what was in the pool from here, or not, she'd gently snuff out the light once more with the same level of extreme caution in her magic use.</s>	<\|message\|>Narkissa Langdon Despite the slime's weakened state, it was still giving Narkissa more trouble than she had expected. Through its damaged, eviscerated form, it still fought for every inch of its life –and literally—as she reached for its core deep inside of its gelatinous body. But she eventually grasped it. From its determined shrieking, she knew that this was its lifeline. Without remorse, she pulled, and pulled, until she yanked it fully out of its body, awkwardly falling backwards from the sudden loss of resistance. Panting, she watched from the ground as the creature continued to gurgle and shriek, until it finally dissolved into a watery mess on the temple floor. Still catching her breath, she kept her grip on the strangely cool core, looking down at it, she couldn't help but to laugh. She'd done it. Perhaps she'd been a little too bold with that, but it seemed to work out alright. She was still recovering from her exertion when she jerked up, looking up at the temple ceiling as she heard the voice of the goddess once more. The voice was perhaps not quite so welcome as it had been after her brief ordeal, but Narkissa wasn't going to ignore it, either. Furrowing her eyebrows at the fight being referred to as a tutorial, she watched as a familiar drop of water fell from the sky. For a moment, she almost cringed, expecting it to be a 'reward' that brought yet another gauntlet of monsters, but it stopped and hovered in front of her. She looked at it apprehensively, but after a few moments, she reached out and took the floating raindrop-like gem. With a frown, she turned it over in her fingers, wondering what it was for. Not finding an immediate answer from the goddess or from observation, she sighed and pocketed the reward as Lazhira bounded over to her, clearly having taken the lesser slimes to task already. As far as rewards went, she felt it was a strange one, but perhaps the greater reward was the newfound –if now somewhat subdued—feeling of magical power within her body. "Ah? I'm not sure, actually…" For a moment, she thought about hiding the gem from Lazhira, considering its strange origin, but she'd helped her in the fight, and it was only fair to at least show her. "Well, I've got the big slime core, if that's actually worth anything… and this gem that seems to have fallen from the heavens," she replied, holding out the two objects in each hand. Once she'd had her fill, she pocketed both items again and stood up, dusting herself off. Feeling some pain in her arm, she frowned at the welts and scratches on her skin from her little bit of bravery. "Perhaps I overdid it a bit," she grimaced, before peering back down into the hole. "So, hmm. Is Leannah and that other man still down there? Should we… look for them down there?" Really though, Narkissa wanted to just go back to the village at this point and rest. Now that the issues up here were dealt with, however, she remained worried for her fellow dimension traveling companion. The other guy… well, not so much. As far as she was concerned, he was just a random stranger that abandoned her in a time of need.</s>
<\|description\|>Narkissa Langdon Female Appearance: Even as she grew older and her body more frail, the youthful spirit and the sense of adventure within her never died out. The presence of a new body only made things more perfect. Narkissa has the appearance of a youthful, slender adult. She stands an average height of 5' 5", and while fit, weighs a paltry 111 lbs. Although her hair and eyes have taken a strange albino coloration, her professional sartorial aesthetic remains. Goals: What more can Narkissa wish for than to rediscover progress and reclaim the world? To build an empire under a reborn flag, so large in which the sun would never set on its lands? What more can it be than providence? Would it really be fine if it ended like this? As the darkness surrounded her, accompanied by the creaks and groans of her vessel of demise, a lifetime of past thoughts flashed through her eyes. Even now, Narkissa was fascinated with the past. As long as she could remember, her mind had always fluttered to the tales of the past, the mystery, the majesty, and the grandeur of countries long past. But of them all, there was only one country that had them all… and it wasn't too long ago that her country had stood at the peak of the world. There was nothing more that could fascinate her than the story of the early modern era, of the rise of the British Empire, and its maritime hegemony. She couldn't love the history any than she could love her own country. Well, in other words, she was a nationalist. But unlike others, Narkissa really was more interested in learning about things than shitposting on the internet. She became a scholar of history of early modern Britain. What was it like in the early modern era? How did people live? What technology did people use, how did it work? What food did people eat? What was life at sea like, how did people survive? Those were the questions that she asked, answered, and taught. By the time she was beginning to reach her middle ages, she had become a marine archeologist, traveling to the ends of the world —and the depths of the sea— to explore the secrets that the oceans had swallowed long ago. It really would be the past that would cause her demise, too. Narkissa recalled the closing years of the American Revolution, when the British Empire had won a great battle against the French off Dominica. The battle won, the fleet sailed home with their prizes, only to meet their untimely demise in a hurricane in the Atlantic. It was the topic of her research. Her life's work had finally culminated in finding the wrecks at the bottom of the sea, and for the first time in almost 250 years, human eyes finally beheld the hulls of the wooden battleships. It really was just a damn shame that the pressure hull of the research submersible began to leak. Abilities: Physical Conditioning: Peak human Your body is naturally tough, durable, and strong. The pinnacle of human physical strength, endurance, and agility. Keep training, and surely you can surpass even stronger beings. Soul Flare The ability to turn ones soul into a weapon itself. Needed for most basic magical feats. Channel the mana present in the air through your body to achieve great feats. Allows one to interact with supernatural things, and perceive things others may not. Affection of the Sea: The goddess has given you some of her own favor. The sea itself seems to bend to your will. Should you travel by it, you'll always find favorable winds and currents, the sea always seemingly directing you to where your destination is need to go whilst also hindering whatever may wish to do you harm. Theoretically, it can also extend to anything or anyone you 'own' as well, such as ships and sailors, but they will need some sort of relief or symbol to do so. Perhaps should you gain more favor with the goddess, you may even be able to command the seas themselves on some level... Her clothes on her back… or maybe not?</s> <\|message\|>Nicholas "Nick" Gallagher The Journey Begins ~ Kyrnith's Grove ~ Interacted with: @Rune_Alchemist, @PKMNB0Y, @VitaVitaAR Nick dutifully followed the directions, taking him up a sloping trail until he reached a hill. The undergrowth of the forest soon turned into snow as he ascended and Nick soon arrived at his destination: A small grove with some sort of shrine sitting near a cluster of trees. The shrine seemed nothing special, just two slabs of rock with one standing straight atop the other. A clay bowl was there too with something burning in it. So that was where that faint smell of smoke came from. There, he did indeed find the two girls that he saw earlier. There was another figure with them, an epically large deer with antlers so tall it reached the tree branches. That was probably Kyrnith. Nick wasn't gonna lie, the deity looked pretty damn awesome despite the simplicity of its appearance. There were also a lot of deer around them. Nothing really surprising about that. The three seem to be talking and Nick got a rundown of what was happening to the Dawn village. It filled in the holes Nick still had about the story. Quite the trouble Dawn found itself in. Nick gulped. Well, here goes nothing. "H-Hey there, Lord Kyrnith. Umm, my name's Nick and I'm a friend of Donovan's." He first introduced himself. "You know, the tall guy with the accent who agreed to help you? I, uhh, tagged along with his quest so I could have a chance to see you, but I guess that was sooner rather than later." "A-Anyway, I was actually here looking for these two." Nick pointed to Nobunaga and Misaki. "We heard that they were going to help Dawn too so I came wondering if they're interested in a little team-up. The more the merrier, right? Four heads better than one, right?" He then turned to the aforementioned girls. "Hehe, right?" "But now that we're here though, might as well ask this." Nick continued before anyone could speak. "I'll bet my sister that you already know that we're not from this world. We're brought here by someone named 'The Goddess' and I was wondering if you, like, know a way back?" He asked his most important question. He doubted that it was going to be easy. "I'll settle for clues or hints, by the way." "Oh, uhh, since you're a deity and all..." Nick fished the strange, black diamond thing he found back in the courtyard where they first arrived. "Got any idea what this is?"</s> <\|message\|>Bella Rosso Augusta had to look away from Sorcha. She couldn't help but curiously use her eye on the woman and for some reason, it was giving her some great headache the more she looked. She considered what Leuca had said about her being Fey-Blessed but, well, that seemed weird. That seemed like it'd belong in that Special Attribute area with "Holder of a Dying Wish" and "Human Sympathy" which she could see both. These were her assumptions so far... This Sorcha... She either had an ability that she could not see that prevented her status from being read or she was just too strong for the elven woman or her eye to currently comprehend. Either way, it left her wary. She was sure that, if she so desired, Sorcha could eradicate them from existence. There were many things she wanted to say. "Who are you?" "What are you?" "Are you really a human?" But, well, she couldn't find the guts to say that aloud. She opened her mouth to say something else but... The words didn't leave her mouth. She couldn't manage to breath the words at first. She made sure she didn't use her eye to look at Sorcha again. She wasn't getting that headache now and she got a real look at the woman in front of the group again. She was beautiful, Augusta supposed. She studied the woman's features for a short time. She was strong enough to hold her own to that man, Railey, but was she strong enough to cancel the effect of her eye? What is she joking about? Augusta knew she was a stranger to this land. It shouldn't surprise her that there were people and creatures stronger than her... But this one was? She swallowed the thought. She had plenty of time to ponder the subject. She didn't want to make Sorcha concerned by studying her too much so she spoke after making sure that Railey man was gone. "I've found myself rather fond of Leuca in the last couple of days." She took off her hood to reveal her face and, more importantly, her ears. "I'd like to follow her to her journey's conclusion at this point. I also have an interest in reaching the Urutha. Would you guide us as well, Miss Sorcha?" She tried to be cautious with her words but she was starting to hope for a truely warm place to rest.</s> <\|message\|>Novak Novak It appeared that Novak had stepped into a laboratory of some sort. There was no sign of whatever he had seen peering from behind the corner, only a room filled with tables, an assortment of glasswares, and books. Novak was equally relieved and curious as to the purpose of this room. It seemed quite odd for a place of worship to have a laboratory. On the other hand, if the temple's former inhabitants worshiped the god of knowledge, perhaps experimentation was just another means of gathering knowledge. If so, exactly what sort of experiments were carried out here, he wondered. Novak noticed two doors in the room. The first one, located across from where he had entered, was barricaded by furniture, and an ominous looking puddle of tar appeared to have seeped underneath the door. Somebody had clearly blocked that door, and it didn't take much thinking for Novak to conclude that it'd be wise to leave it that way. The second door was much more interesting. It was ajar, and light shone through it from within, indicating the room beyond was well-illuminated. But what really caught Novak's attention was that the light appeared to be moving or shifting, strongly suggesting that something, or someone, was in the room. Could it be Leannah, casting that powerful light spell of hers? Until he knew for sure, it'd be wise for Novak to keep quiet and avoid drawing any attention to himself. Novak crept up to one of the tables, trying to move as quietly as possible. He looked at one of the books, curious as to what its contents were. He wasn't sure if he'd be able to read the texts, but perhaps he could glean something from illustrations or diagrams. After looking through the book, he'd don the mask again to see if it'd provide any further insight. It was at this point Novak noticed a skittering noise behind him. Pocketing the mask, he peered around the corner to see what it was. It was the skull, having moved from the pedestal room to halfway through the corridor. If Novak hadn't been trying to keep quiet, he'd have let out a chuckle. By themselves, the skittering and the moving skull both unnerved him greatly. Together, however, those phenomena suggested a more mundane and less dreadful explanation- that some crawling critter was underneath the skull, using it as shelter or camouflage. There was no way of knowing whether the skittering creature was dangerous or not, but Novak saw no reason to antagonize it as long as it remained out of stabbing distance. Perhaps it might even be useful for something. Novak returned to the laboratory. There was still the matter of where to proceed to next, and there were two doors leading out of here. Why was this door barricaded? Is it a dead end meant to keep something from getting out, or was it an exit meant to keep others from getting in? Regardless, the more pressing matter was the second door, the ajar one leading to the illuminated room. Whether Novak chose to take the barricade down or ignore it in favor of the second door, he needed to know what moving around in there, whether it was dangerous, and whether it would react to the noise that removing the barricade would create. Novak looked over the glassware and vases, looking for anything that might help. Perhaps he could toss the crawling skull into the room to see if it was safe. Wait, I have an idea. He drew his sword and carefully used his sleeve to wipe whatever blood and dirt may have been on the blade. He approached the iron door, careful as to not step into the light emanating from beyond, using the blade of his sword as a crude mirror to try and see what was moving in the altar room. Whether or not the sword was able to cast a clear reflection, Novak would follow up by carefully peeking through the door to get a better look. If whatever in there appeared to be or one of his companions or otherwise non-living, he'd slowly open the door and walk in. If, however, the occupant appeared both alive in any sense of the word and unfamiliar to him, he'd carefully move back, and consider heading back to the tar room to see if the others had made their way down the pit.</s>	<\|message\|>Narkissa Langdon "Without saying too much, huh," Narkissa mused aloud. If that wasn't a giant billboard with flashing arrows and lights saying 'I clearly know a lot more than this topic than I want to say', that was it. Still, it was a strange reward from an even stranger god. Maybe she would try to pry some information from Lazhira later. "Well, I don't intend to lose it," she quipped, before she tucked both the teardrop and core into the safety of her clothes' inner pockets. Taking a moment to pick her weapon back up, she continued to peer down the hole with the younger girl for a moment. Narkissa was still contemplating her options when Lazhira made the decision for her, jumping down the pit with a whee, of all things. She sighed and shook her head. Once more unto the breach, it seemed. She took a far more pragmatic way of doing that, though. If that dungeon ended up being a big fat dead end, they'd be trapped in the pit forever. Being the smart little cookie that she wanted to be, she searched for some masonry to loop the remaining rope around as an anchor before dropping the sword down the pit (hopefully without bonking Lazhira) and shimmying down the rope to the bottom of the bit. Or, her pathetic attempts at shimmying down a rope. She'd never done such a thing before, so although Lazhira's landing wasn't the most graceful, there was still an agonizing moment where she had to witness Narkissa awkwardly fumbling and swaying down the rope until she was on the ground next to her. Maybe she should have cannonballed down the hole with a whee as well. With an immensely awkward expression on her face, she looked around, frowning at the tar at the bottom of the pit as she grabbed her weapon again. "Tar? Made from petroleum, maybe?" she wondered aloud. It was definitely a strange, if nasty substance. "Could be worth bringing back, actually…" She didn't have any jars, though, so she didn't press the topic. She peered down the sole opening that the pit opened up into, a hallway of some kind. "Well, I suppose Leannah and that man went down that ways," she shrugged, heading in that direction. She looked back at Lazhira. Now was a better time than ever to ask her just what those powers she displayed earlier. "Say, Lazhira, what were those abilities you displayed earlier? Your secrets are safe with me, you have my word, but I can't help but to be curious why you went to such lengths to hide your ability to fight earlier." She recalled her having to be rescued by Leannah, but paradoxically also letting on that she was able to fend against the birds in that incident. Clearly, there was more between Lazhira and just a simple curiosity over this temple.</s>
<\|description\|>Narkissa Langdon Female Appearance: Even as she grew older and her body more frail, the youthful spirit and the sense of adventure within her never died out. The presence of a new body only made things more perfect. Narkissa has the appearance of a youthful, slender adult. She stands an average height of 5' 5", and while fit, weighs a paltry 111 lbs. Although her hair and eyes have taken a strange albino coloration, her professional sartorial aesthetic remains. Goals: What more can Narkissa wish for than to rediscover progress and reclaim the world? To build an empire under a reborn flag, so large in which the sun would never set on its lands? What more can it be than providence? Would it really be fine if it ended like this? As the darkness surrounded her, accompanied by the creaks and groans of her vessel of demise, a lifetime of past thoughts flashed through her eyes. Even now, Narkissa was fascinated with the past. As long as she could remember, her mind had always fluttered to the tales of the past, the mystery, the majesty, and the grandeur of countries long past. But of them all, there was only one country that had them all… and it wasn't too long ago that her country had stood at the peak of the world. There was nothing more that could fascinate her than the story of the early modern era, of the rise of the British Empire, and its maritime hegemony. She couldn't love the history any than she could love her own country. Well, in other words, she was a nationalist. But unlike others, Narkissa really was more interested in learning about things than shitposting on the internet. She became a scholar of history of early modern Britain. What was it like in the early modern era? How did people live? What technology did people use, how did it work? What food did people eat? What was life at sea like, how did people survive? Those were the questions that she asked, answered, and taught. By the time she was beginning to reach her middle ages, she had become a marine archeologist, traveling to the ends of the world —and the depths of the sea— to explore the secrets that the oceans had swallowed long ago. It really would be the past that would cause her demise, too. Narkissa recalled the closing years of the American Revolution, when the British Empire had won a great battle against the French off Dominica. The battle won, the fleet sailed home with their prizes, only to meet their untimely demise in a hurricane in the Atlantic. It was the topic of her research. Her life's work had finally culminated in finding the wrecks at the bottom of the sea, and for the first time in almost 250 years, human eyes finally beheld the hulls of the wooden battleships. It really was just a damn shame that the pressure hull of the research submersible began to leak. Abilities: Physical Conditioning: Peak human Your body is naturally tough, durable, and strong. The pinnacle of human physical strength, endurance, and agility. Keep training, and surely you can surpass even stronger beings. Soul Flare The ability to turn ones soul into a weapon itself. Needed for most basic magical feats. Channel the mana present in the air through your body to achieve great feats. Allows one to interact with supernatural things, and perceive things others may not. Affection of the Sea: The goddess has given you some of her own favor. The sea itself seems to bend to your will. Should you travel by it, you'll always find favorable winds and currents, the sea always seemingly directing you to where your destination is need to go whilst also hindering whatever may wish to do you harm. Theoretically, it can also extend to anything or anyone you 'own' as well, such as ships and sailors, but they will need some sort of relief or symbol to do so. Perhaps should you gain more favor with the goddess, you may even be able to command the seas themselves on some level... Her clothes on her back… or maybe not?</s> <\|message\|>Takeshima Misaki (formerly Takeshima Mamoru) Misaki simply returned Lazirha's comment with a smile and a nod before refocusing her attention towards her current project—at least, for the moment. Granted, it was far from fun to watch water boil, and less so over an open fire, but as far as how good or bad her current situation was... Well, the foxgirl would gladly take a boring day preparing materials over being thrown into life-threatening situtations like the others seemed to have had the pleasure of encountering. Before she could lose herself in her thoughts, though, Misaki managed to catch sight of a few hunters drawing oddly close to the house. Remembering Narkissa's summary of her last encounter, the foxgirl almost instinctively straightened her back, sitting up straight for a moment as she mentally assessed the threat level of the current situation. It was hard to judge if they were hostile and all, but seeing how armed they were... Well, if worst came to worst, she'd have to take the others and run. Warding off wild animals was one thing, but people? That was another matter entirely. It took a moment for Lazirha's words to register, and another few to process, though. Thinking about things now, it was hard to argue that she hadn't technically spent the most time around the village and it's residents... Well, minus the hunters, at least. But given how the girl at her side seemed to be troubled, it only made sense to give an honest reply back. "Hm... Well, I don't quite mind the town," she began, her head moving lightly from side to side, ears swaying back and forth as she did so, "But if I had to be honest, this sort of life isn't... Really my 'thing'. Don't get me wrong; the people here have been really nice and welcoming of me despite being a complete stranger and I'm very grateful for their hospitality, but I guess I'm used to a more... Fast-paced lifestyle surrounded by things to do? I don't think I could deal with a laid-back life for very long, though maybe that's because I'm still curious about the world. Maybe in that regard I'm still a bit naive, though, but, well..." Of course, 'staying alive' and 'exploration' did not necessarily go hand in hand—quite the opposite, in fact—but if there was anything that dying once had taught her, it was that diving into something unprepared was tantamount to suicide... And if the last few days had taught her anything, it was that she was probably well out of her depth when it came to anything beyond what she was already doing now. "...With that said, I think that there are people here who care for you, if Enli is any indicator. My parents were also protective of me just as much as they were anxious of my future," she continued, sighing as she let her shoulders relax for a moment. "Would that I could meet them again. But that aside, if you think it's boring here, maybe it's time to spread your wings and fly, so to speak. Not alone, of course, but I don't think it's a bad thing to want to explore and go on a bit of an adventure. Maybe you'll find something new out about yourself in the process? Though, well, I suppose it is a fair deal more dangerous setting out on a journey here in the first place anyways, but if the benefits outweigh the costs..." Then there's no reason not to consider it, right?</s> <\|message\|>Nicholas "Nick" Gallagher The Journey Begins ~ Liven(?) ~ Interacted with: @Rune_Alchemist Nick listened intently on Viorel's explanation. The zombies came gradually but steadily, and soon came an entity that slaughtered the people in each house. A cold shiver went through Nick. He thought he and Elisette would only be dealing with some zombies and a witch. Speaking of the witch, apparently she was once a resident and... that was pretty much it. Nick would have to ask the survivors for anymore details. As for supplies and armaments, there were some that Nick could use. Then he was pulled aside by his warrior woman companion. Nick let out a heavy sigh. It had been at the back of his mind, that Viorel and Cynthia may not be who they said they were. The village's undead problem only forming a border was also strange. "Yeah, we should probably be wary even here. Anyway, I'll continue being cute over here then. I'll come find you if anything comes up. Rummaging through the church for equipment, Nick helped himself to a hunting knife whose owner was long gone as well as a torch and a lantern. Nick emptied the lamp of its oil into a flask that was also ownerless. When push comes to shove, Nick would need something to 'shove' with. Once that was done, Nick noticed the 'maid' Cynthia sweeping the floors of the church. He felt she was someone he would need to meet, seeing her dress in his vision and all, so he approached. "Hi there. You're Cynthia, right? I suppose even in dire times like these, things still have to be neat and tidy, no?"</s> <\|message\|>Oda Nobunaga "I see. I will commend you for your honesty, and uphold my end of our bargain." Nobunaga straightened, pointing the tip of her katana at the man's throat and giving it a firm thrust, and flicking it to the right. Red sprayed across the white snow. His death would be swift and with little further pain, just as promised. The petite girl flicked her blade once more, clearing it of fresh blood before slipping it back into its sheath. "The words of a man whose death is inevitable are often more honest then the words of a man who still sees a chance of survival," she said, simply, turning away from the corpse, "That being said, there is always a chance that it could be a trap, even if he remains utterly unaware of that possibility." As she spoke, Nobunaga turned to face Enli. "Is there anyone whose loyalty you can be completely certain of? Only they are fit to protect you in our absence." A barrier, then... And the Illuminator 'protecting a seal'? That sounded unlike what the Kyrinth had described, and she doubted the ancient beast was lying. That being said, it was worth investigation. Perhaps more could be gleaned of the situation. @Crimson Paladin</s> <\|message\|>Novak Novak Novak looked away as Nobunaga delivered the coup de grace to the first hunter, then again when she finished off the other one. It was clear that he wasn't used to this sort of thing. It was probably a mercy, but he wasn't sure if he'd have the stomach to do it if it were up to him. The words of the second hunter were of particular interest to Novak. The seal they claimed that they protect, that they claimed the Illuminator protected was probably the same seal that Lazhira had mentioned when discussing the Orb with the Illuminator's avatar. Lazhira seemed to think that the god's goal was to open the seal, and up until now Novak had assumed that this was the case. On the other hand, the Illuminator never actually claimed that this was his goal. There was one other thing Novak hadn't considered. A key doesn't just open things, it can also lock them. It wouldn't help to reveal possibly incorrect hearsay and conjecture to Nobunaga, however, so Novak didn't speak up it. Besides, he didn't want to let slip the deal he had made with the god to someone so dangerous, ruthless, and opposed to the Illuminator. "Judging by how the Kyrinth reacted to threats to the deer, I'd guess they were trying to anger it," Novak spoke. "They were probably hoping it'd kill Enli and us. Still, I'm not quite sure how antagonizing the Kyrinth and making the forest a more dangerous place helps to protect that seal they mentioned." @VitaVitaAR</s> <\|message\|>"Malphas" Shigenaga Nomura Macar-Oni and Cheese@Rune_Alchemist Nomura smiled confidently under his mask, crossing his arms as he admired the deal he has facilitated. As much as he wanted to haggle alongside the oni, however, he was still not too certain about the worth of their work, much less discuss it in front of their faces. No, he's sure that this much should be enough. Nomura would take his leave with a bow, making his way back to Lady Mie after one last remark. "Pleasure doing business with you. I'm glad you were able to put your faith in me." Making his way back, Nomura wondered what else needed to be done. Hopefully Lady Mie wouldn't be too upset with him taking his time with Bolcha. It felt rude to keep a concerned customer waiting, after all. More importantly, that craftsman knew quite a bit about these lands. Oh, if only Nomura had asked him how to get rid of some particularly meddlesome deer from his back... At the very least, this deal would further help him get rid of any cultists on his tail. The sooner they were taken care of, the better. "I return!" Nomura stated with a bow. "Apologies for taking my time. I wasn't sure if Enli's attendant was to be trusted with his commission, so I had to get to know him a bit more. But it turned out quite lucrative for us, did it not? The delivery has been made, and another deal is just about to be cemented!" Nomura proclaimed, proudly, before awaiting his next task.</s>	<\|message\|>Narkissa Langdon Thankfully, she was able to find the tools she wanted. The frame itself also came along easily enough, only hampered by her lack of nails—it took her a little more time, but she was able to fasten a sort of mortise and tenon-like system to fit the fashioned planks all together, drawing from her knowledge of historical woodworking –it was a method common enough in houses and older wooden vessels from before the age of sail, after all—to create something workable. All she needed to do now was to meet back up with Misaki and discuss how they'd like to proceed with the rest of the project. She wondered if the Japanese woman had an success with finding a suitable pulp for the paper. She was in the process of sanding the nearly completed instrument that she realized she as being approached, this time by a stranger. Seeing that it was probably a villager, and not one Lazhira had seemed to have mentioned or introduced her to, Narkissa was immediately on guard, despite the frail and frankly ridiculous outfit that he seemed to be wearing. Setting down the frame against the side of Lazhira's house, she raised an eyebrow before addressing him. "Yes? Can I help you?" He seemed harmless, but nonetheless, she positioned herself in a way to bolt or defend herself if she really needed to.</s>
<\|description\|>Narkissa Langdon Female Appearance: Even as she grew older and her body more frail, the youthful spirit and the sense of adventure within her never died out. The presence of a new body only made things more perfect. Narkissa has the appearance of a youthful, slender adult. She stands an average height of 5' 5", and while fit, weighs a paltry 111 lbs. Although her hair and eyes have taken a strange albino coloration, her professional sartorial aesthetic remains. Goals: What more can Narkissa wish for than to rediscover progress and reclaim the world? To build an empire under a reborn flag, so large in which the sun would never set on its lands? What more can it be than providence? Would it really be fine if it ended like this? As the darkness surrounded her, accompanied by the creaks and groans of her vessel of demise, a lifetime of past thoughts flashed through her eyes. Even now, Narkissa was fascinated with the past. As long as she could remember, her mind had always fluttered to the tales of the past, the mystery, the majesty, and the grandeur of countries long past. But of them all, there was only one country that had them all… and it wasn't too long ago that her country had stood at the peak of the world. There was nothing more that could fascinate her than the story of the early modern era, of the rise of the British Empire, and its maritime hegemony. She couldn't love the history any than she could love her own country. Well, in other words, she was a nationalist. But unlike others, Narkissa really was more interested in learning about things than shitposting on the internet. She became a scholar of history of early modern Britain. What was it like in the early modern era? How did people live? What technology did people use, how did it work? What food did people eat? What was life at sea like, how did people survive? Those were the questions that she asked, answered, and taught. By the time she was beginning to reach her middle ages, she had become a marine archeologist, traveling to the ends of the world —and the depths of the sea— to explore the secrets that the oceans had swallowed long ago. It really would be the past that would cause her demise, too. Narkissa recalled the closing years of the American Revolution, when the British Empire had won a great battle against the French off Dominica. The battle won, the fleet sailed home with their prizes, only to meet their untimely demise in a hurricane in the Atlantic. It was the topic of her research. Her life's work had finally culminated in finding the wrecks at the bottom of the sea, and for the first time in almost 250 years, human eyes finally beheld the hulls of the wooden battleships. It really was just a damn shame that the pressure hull of the research submersible began to leak. Abilities: Physical Conditioning: Peak human Your body is naturally tough, durable, and strong. The pinnacle of human physical strength, endurance, and agility. Keep training, and surely you can surpass even stronger beings. Soul Flare The ability to turn ones soul into a weapon itself. Needed for most basic magical feats. Channel the mana present in the air through your body to achieve great feats. Allows one to interact with supernatural things, and perceive things others may not. Affection of the Sea: The goddess has given you some of her own favor. The sea itself seems to bend to your will. Should you travel by it, you'll always find favorable winds and currents, the sea always seemingly directing you to where your destination is need to go whilst also hindering whatever may wish to do you harm. Theoretically, it can also extend to anything or anyone you 'own' as well, such as ships and sailors, but they will need some sort of relief or symbol to do so. Perhaps should you gain more favor with the goddess, you may even be able to command the seas themselves on some level... Her clothes on her back… or maybe not?</s> <\|message\|>Nicholas "Nick" Gallagher The Journey Begins ~ Liven ~ Interacted with: @Rune_Alchemist "Yep, we're here to help. And... we'll try not to make this... messy." Nick replied to the maid. He tried his best to reassuring but he could not hide that things may not go according to plan. He knew enough that plans rarely do that. "No promises, though. There are a lot of zombies outside and who knows what that witch could do." Glancing at Elisette for a moment and seeing that she was still busy talking to the town survivors, Nick figured he still had time to talk. "If you don't mind me asking, can you tell me about your blindfold? Does it like... give you superpowers?" He decided to be forward with his thoughts. "Sorry, I'm just curious. Thought you were blind when I first saw. No offense and all that." Just then, a remembering thought entered Nick's head. A missing puzzle piece now clicking in with the rest. "Tsk! Aww crap, forgot to look for matches."</s> <\|message\|>"Malphas" Shigenaga Nomura Seek & Go Seek@Rune_Alchemist Nomura pondered this task for a moment, wondering just how he'd find that thief. He had no tracking skills of his own, his elongated proboscis being only suitable for aesthetic purposes rather than for any meaningful tracking. Perhaps he could rally some of the villagers to his side, but... the ones worth their salt are likely the same ones who wish ill upon himself. There's no trusting the hunters, after all. Asking for the help of the oni would also be disingenuous as well, seeing as the forces protecting Lady Mie's camp have already dwindled due to the deal he had made... Well, there's no use dwelling about allies now if he doesn't even know what the thing looks like! "Hm, yes yes, I'll retrieve this heirloom of yours. But I'll have to know of this treasured object a bit more. Surely, I cannot find what I am looking for if I don't know what it looks like, yes? I'll also have to know of every... foreigner who had stepped into and out of your tent between the time you last remember having the object and now. Without much else, the most I can do is strip myself down, but I have no desire to become that familiar with my employer. Done it before, ended disastrously." Nomura glanced once more at the conniving fox, her smug aura for once not feeling as if it were mocking him. "I'll also need some help from... Ayumi, if I may. Yes, yes, she may be able to sniff out the scent of this thief, fit into small spaces I cannot. Of course, I'll be doing the main sleuthing, but my skillset is ill-suited for tracking others and I'd like to avoid certain hunters if I can. "Oh, right, and I'll give her two fishes for her services." Whether or not Ayumi is allowed to follow him, Nomura would make his way out of the tent and once more looking for Bolcha, seeing as he is the only person he could trust in this village of imposters.</s> <\|message\|>Novak Novak They now had a location and some idea of what the hunters' goals were, but there were still many questions that were left unanswered. There was still more that Novak needed to uncover, and the hunters' hideout may have the answers he was looking for. Novak needed to know more about this seal, the orb, and whatever they might know about that old temple that had disappeared. "I think we should look for this hideout," Novak suggested to Nobunaga. "We might be able to learn more about what they're up to. With the Kyrinth angry and alert, whatever hunters are still out there are probably too distracted to notice a few outsiders like us sneaking about." As he voiced his suggestion, Novak walked over to the dead archer. He became uneasy and perhaps a bit nauseous at the sight of the headless corpse, but he had a feeling he'd be seeing a lot more of this sort of thing in this world. He reached into the man's quiver and removed every last arrow, placing them into his own quiver. He didn't have a bow, but it might be helpful to hold onto these arrows for Nobunaga. "Goodbye, and please be safe, Enli," Novak spoke as the chief departed. He was still a little uncomfortable leaving Enli by himself, but they might not get another opportunity to investigate the hunters while an enraged elder beast was running interference. @VitaVitaAR</s> <\|message\|>Oda Nobunaga "I agree," Nobunaga responded, as she watched Enli's departure. To be truthful, she wished she had someone to spare to ensure his safety. But the Hunters would not likely realize that their ambush had failed, and beyond that were almost certainly going to be preoccupied with the rage of the Kyrinth. It wasn't something she liked, but at the same time they had far too few options to do anything else. This information had to be capitalized on as soon as possible. "We must take advantage of this situation as quickly as possible," she continued, "For the sake of this village, we must kill the worship of the Fool God of Knowledge. One way, or another." With that, she began to make her way in the direction of the temple... @Crimson Paladin</s>	<\|message\|>Narkissa Langdon Narkissa unconsciously kept her eyebrow raised as the man kept going on in what seemed to be an overly enthusiastic demeanor. Friendly, but a bit excessively so for a stranger, no? She quickly latched on to what he was saying nonetheless. Other one? Mortal…? Oh no. Was this another god? She wasn't sure if she liked propositions from deities. "Well, I'm listening," she finally said, carefully. "I doubt any one thing can provide such a fairy tale ending, though," she decided to point out. Black-haired girl? Lazhira? Misaki? Nobunaga? If one of them turned it down, it could be a trap— The man unrolled his scroll, and Narkissa was able to get a glimpse of it. It looked very much like a gun. In fact, with the long tube and trigger mechanism, there was really no mistaking it as anything other than an object that at least acted like a gun. That definitely got her attention, but not enough for her to immediately dive for the scroll or even accept it. After all, designing a rudimentary firearm was easy enough. All you needed was a metal tube with an end closed off, and wouldn't explode under the pressure of gunpowder. But therein was the hard part—making the gunpowder, and a tube sufficiently strong enough that it wouldn't explode. The gunpowder wasn't too unreasonable—all you needed was the right ratio of sulfur, charcoal, and saltpeter, and you had to know how to properly corn it. Narkissa knew the ratios the larger European powers used during the age of sail—there was actually a surprising amount of variation. The metallurgy to make a barrel that wouldn't result in a large grenade, however… Making an actual gun –full sized cannon—was very easy. It could be done with bronze-age technology; the same techniques to cast bronze statues worked for creating bronze cannon. Making a handheld weapon… was almost impossible without the proper metallurgical knowledge, and the world she had seen thus far hadn't demonstrated the ability to forge strong enough iron. Then the question was, would a god know? At the very least, a gun didn't usually bring a happy ending. "I can't say it's not tempting," she admitted. "I think some introductions would be in order, first. I'm Narkissa. You are…? If you don't mind, I'd like to ask you a few more questions." She glanced back at the scroll. "What is the Moonless? And what girl were you talking about? That project of yours might be something that I'd be able to help you with, but you have a very ambitious design there, friend. If you can tell me what materials you need and what specific sort of help, then I'll be able to know if I can help you," she offered, cautiously.</s>
<\|description\|>Narkissa Langdon Female Appearance: Even as she grew older and her body more frail, the youthful spirit and the sense of adventure within her never died out. The presence of a new body only made things more perfect. Narkissa has the appearance of a youthful, slender adult. She stands an average height of 5' 5", and while fit, weighs a paltry 111 lbs. Although her hair and eyes have taken a strange albino coloration, her professional sartorial aesthetic remains. Goals: What more can Narkissa wish for than to rediscover progress and reclaim the world? To build an empire under a reborn flag, so large in which the sun would never set on its lands? What more can it be than providence? Would it really be fine if it ended like this? As the darkness surrounded her, accompanied by the creaks and groans of her vessel of demise, a lifetime of past thoughts flashed through her eyes. Even now, Narkissa was fascinated with the past. As long as she could remember, her mind had always fluttered to the tales of the past, the mystery, the majesty, and the grandeur of countries long past. But of them all, there was only one country that had them all… and it wasn't too long ago that her country had stood at the peak of the world. There was nothing more that could fascinate her than the story of the early modern era, of the rise of the British Empire, and its maritime hegemony. She couldn't love the history any than she could love her own country. Well, in other words, she was a nationalist. But unlike others, Narkissa really was more interested in learning about things than shitposting on the internet. She became a scholar of history of early modern Britain. What was it like in the early modern era? How did people live? What technology did people use, how did it work? What food did people eat? What was life at sea like, how did people survive? Those were the questions that she asked, answered, and taught. By the time she was beginning to reach her middle ages, she had become a marine archeologist, traveling to the ends of the world —and the depths of the sea— to explore the secrets that the oceans had swallowed long ago. It really would be the past that would cause her demise, too. Narkissa recalled the closing years of the American Revolution, when the British Empire had won a great battle against the French off Dominica. The battle won, the fleet sailed home with their prizes, only to meet their untimely demise in a hurricane in the Atlantic. It was the topic of her research. Her life's work had finally culminated in finding the wrecks at the bottom of the sea, and for the first time in almost 250 years, human eyes finally beheld the hulls of the wooden battleships. It really was just a damn shame that the pressure hull of the research submersible began to leak. Abilities: Physical Conditioning: Peak human Your body is naturally tough, durable, and strong. The pinnacle of human physical strength, endurance, and agility. Keep training, and surely you can surpass even stronger beings. Soul Flare The ability to turn ones soul into a weapon itself. Needed for most basic magical feats. Channel the mana present in the air through your body to achieve great feats. Allows one to interact with supernatural things, and perceive things others may not. Affection of the Sea: The goddess has given you some of her own favor. The sea itself seems to bend to your will. Should you travel by it, you'll always find favorable winds and currents, the sea always seemingly directing you to where your destination is need to go whilst also hindering whatever may wish to do you harm. Theoretically, it can also extend to anything or anyone you 'own' as well, such as ships and sailors, but they will need some sort of relief or symbol to do so. Perhaps should you gain more favor with the goddess, you may even be able to command the seas themselves on some level... Her clothes on her back… or maybe not?</s> <\|message\|>Isidore Coinage: 8 Silver, 5 Copper * The (shredded) clothing on his back. * A fur cloak. * Untanned boar skin. * Leather Belt * Knight's Shield * Knight's Dagger * Knight's Longsword * Dwarf's Polearm * Rope * Some preserved food Enough for two people to last a few days. * Roll of what seemed to be a mat of thick fur, likely for sleeping on Comfortable, but only one. * A heavy looking fur/cloth blanket. Cozy, warm and heavy. Good for sleeping in colder climates. * Communication horn Made from bone, hollow and likely used for communication. * A small pot and a ladle * Frozen canteen of water * Map of the Under roads. A map detailing some routes used by the Dwarves and Shadow Elves to travel in their subterranean homes. Its not entirely complete, but it at least shows the routes to the two most notable settlements and several other places of note. Unless you travel off the paths, you probably won't get lost. "A belief reinforced by your advisor's interest in them," Isidore responded lightly. The work itself was certainly interesting though. He knew nothing about the value of fabrics himself, only that the more people paid for, the less they got out with each incremental increase in price. To have such creatures though, and not make any progress towards raising them like farm animals…either the techniques of the Urutha were lacking, or it was simply culture that caused them to harvest from the wild what could be raised in their own homes. As he contemplated this commission, Isidore pressed his thumb against his chin, dark eyes gazing upon the length of silk that was placed before him yet focused on the troubles of the work ahead. If Naraheim had been a slums or something, that would be his home ground, but dark ruins inhabited by demons and monstrosities? For work that required the touch of an outsider, rather than any elite already in Vasserasa's employ? It demanded caution, and that did not even include the limited amount of time he had to pursue such tasks. Three days. Complete the investigation or solve the problem in three days, so she had something tangible to announce at the ball. Three days, compressing the amount of time he already had into something much tighter, much more consuming. It truly was curious, how much faster this world moved. It was something that the Storyteller prepared him for, giving him the physical ability to bear such a world. "I am a stranger to these lands," Isidore spoke, removing his hand from his chin and settling it upon the pommel of his sword instead. "As such, I have requirements." His finger began to tap against the steel. "100 silver coins, to be paid immediately. Access to all information regarding Naraheim, demons, and silk-weavers. And a time piece, to keep on schedule." With that same crisp, controlled audacity, he took the piece of paper and slipped it into the folds of his clothing, before examining the ring slowly, bringing it up to eye-level. Framed by the contours of the ring, Vasserasa looked at once massive and minuscule. "If this is agreeable, your problem will be solved." And if it wasn't? Well, Isidore never had any real intention of refusing. This would be a good test, after all. A true test of his capabilities in this new world.</s> <\|message\|>Takeshima Misaki (formerly Takeshima Mamoru) Upon hearing Mie's explanation with regards to the ores present in her shop, Misaki took a few moments to consider what the shopkeeper's words meant with regards to what information she had to bargain with. The furnaces she had seen thus were far from able to create the temperatures necessary for steel production, and that process was inherently slow as it was... But 'some time' by these standards could take anywhere from days to week. That part, she couldn't quite change—not unless a high enough temperature could be sustained and kept constant for hours on end. The presence of steel, though, meant that Chagawa had at least accomplished some form of small-scale manufacturing process. Even so, the sale of low-quality iron ore meant that they might have at least enough excess iron in the first place to be in a position to do so. "Hm... Maybe...? No, but that doesn't solve the issue of speed..." she mused quietly to herself, taking note of Mie's general attitude as various images from textbooks periodically flashed through her mind. Luckily, the foxgirl had some more time to herself to consider the possibilities as the shopkeeper seemed to go check on whatever commotion was going on outside (which, in all likelihood, probably involved them anyways). Once Mie returned to her seat, though, Misaki had come to at least something resembling a suggestion in hand. Whether or not it would be enough would be up for debate, of course, but given that their ultimate role in this world was to try and get everything to be a bit less ancient... Well, maybe there was some leniency to be had on her end. "If we're speaking in regards to time efficiency, then what comes to mind for me is that the production of iron is in... Well, batches, so to speak, rather than being continuous," she began, gesturing slightly towards Mie before continuing. "There are ways to automate some of the processes—for example, heating the metal to the point of melting, then using ways to drain both the metal and the runoff—but again, I would recommend someone more versed in metallurgy to confirm my thoughts. With that said, provided my ideas are sound, I could offer test schematics for a smaller-scale version. That aside, I also have basic ideas for pulling iron from certain types of sand, but I assume that such processes are already available. I haven't actually spent much time looking into these things until a few years back, truth be told, and it is not as if I was able to visit forges as a child, but compared to what I have seen here..." There were, admittedly, bits and pieces of the truth scattered about in her closing statement to Mie; hopefully, that excuse would be enough to excuse her lack of knowledge on how technologically advanced Chagawa as a whole actually was. But if a proper blacksmith was on hand, then the only real loss would be the time spent to make the furnace in question and all the fuel burnt in the process... Provided she wasn't shut out completely in the process, of course.</s> <\|message\|>Nicholas "Nick" Gallagher The Journey Begins ~ Liven ~ Interacted with: @Rune_Alchemist "Nothing much on my end, either." Nick sighed, a bit ashamed. "Just that there's a reason for covering her eyes. Although, I think it's obvious that she's more than meets the eye. Err, no pun or joke intended." So the witch would be a child in appearance? But they were also not human... how? Will the witch have obvious inhuman features or will they be human-looking? Like Augusta, his Elven acquaintance. But enough of that, it's time to meet with Viorel. Hopefully not for the last time. Nick agreed that it was a good question. Maybe it would have been better to have just stayed behind, but he had already made his decision. He looked to his lit torch as he knew what he needed to do to defend himself. The question was: Could he actually do it? "Thanks, Viorel. Actually, I have--" But before he could finish, Viorel had already gone to Cynthia who gave him an item which he then brought back to the duo. It was a cross, plated in silver. It was like a rosary, an Earthly one, except there was skull on one arm and a rose-like shape on the other. Another similarity, Nick noted. The charm even made its wearer undetectable to the unholy creatures outside, like a stereotypical holy item. Nick stared at the cross, ruminating at the coincidences and missing Viorel and Elisette's exchange before he snapped back to reality. Really, this was not the time. He had a job to do. Nick thought for a moment. What was the best way to take advantage of Viorel's little gift? "Hmm, I'd say we can do a little divide and conquer." He replied to Elisette with a suggestion. "You can take on mobs of the zeds which means you can draw their attention the most. You can distract most of them while I sneak behind and look for the witch." There's just one problem with that plan. "Of course, once I do find the witch, I'll have to throw down with her... which might likely end poorly for me." Unless he can stop the witch without violence. "Or we can reverse roles. I'll be zombie bait while you use the charm to look for the witch undisturbed." Nick offered. "I think I've got a way to defend myself from zombies, so long as their flammable. But... please be fast if we're going with this."</s>	<\|message\|>Narkissa Langdon Despite his denial, Narkissa couldn't help but to frown. He still couldn't be trusted… but at least he wasn't speaking in riddles anymore. So that was it, then. She recalled Leannah's explanation of her understanding of the situation. The goddess Delphiti was the goddess that brought them all here, and also happened to be the god that Narkissa had prayed to in the temple. As it happens part of her, the aspect of Conflict was sealed within the village, and it would be terrible news if she was unleashed. Right then, if this 'auntie' of his was sealed beneath here, then that was her. Perhaps it was because she had summoned her, and she also had prayed to her, but Narkissa felt reluctance to actively mess with the goddess so. Don't bite the hand that feeds you, and all that, and it would be a big betrayal if she turned around and stabbed her in the back. On the other hand, if what she knew was true, then the part of her that was sealed under the village needed to be dealt with. Also, gun. That in itself was important, because she really wasn't the best at sword fighting in this hostile world. She clicked her tongue. It still felt like she was operating partially in the dark, but she knew something had to be done, even if her gut was telling her to get the hell out of town and drop this entire matter like the hottest potato known to man. "Fine. But only if it's limited to this scope, to the part of the one sealed below," she hedged. "I'll need money and supplies to make what you need," she added.</s>
<\|description\|>Narkissa Langdon Female Appearance: Even as she grew older and her body more frail, the youthful spirit and the sense of adventure within her never died out. The presence of a new body only made things more perfect. Narkissa has the appearance of a youthful, slender adult. She stands an average height of 5' 5", and while fit, weighs a paltry 111 lbs. Although her hair and eyes have taken a strange albino coloration, her professional sartorial aesthetic remains. Goals: What more can Narkissa wish for than to rediscover progress and reclaim the world? To build an empire under a reborn flag, so large in which the sun would never set on its lands? What more can it be than providence? Would it really be fine if it ended like this? As the darkness surrounded her, accompanied by the creaks and groans of her vessel of demise, a lifetime of past thoughts flashed through her eyes. Even now, Narkissa was fascinated with the past. As long as she could remember, her mind had always fluttered to the tales of the past, the mystery, the majesty, and the grandeur of countries long past. But of them all, there was only one country that had them all… and it wasn't too long ago that her country had stood at the peak of the world. There was nothing more that could fascinate her than the story of the early modern era, of the rise of the British Empire, and its maritime hegemony. She couldn't love the history any than she could love her own country. Well, in other words, she was a nationalist. But unlike others, Narkissa really was more interested in learning about things than shitposting on the internet. She became a scholar of history of early modern Britain. What was it like in the early modern era? How did people live? What technology did people use, how did it work? What food did people eat? What was life at sea like, how did people survive? Those were the questions that she asked, answered, and taught. By the time she was beginning to reach her middle ages, she had become a marine archeologist, traveling to the ends of the world —and the depths of the sea— to explore the secrets that the oceans had swallowed long ago. It really would be the past that would cause her demise, too. Narkissa recalled the closing years of the American Revolution, when the British Empire had won a great battle against the French off Dominica. The battle won, the fleet sailed home with their prizes, only to meet their untimely demise in a hurricane in the Atlantic. It was the topic of her research. Her life's work had finally culminated in finding the wrecks at the bottom of the sea, and for the first time in almost 250 years, human eyes finally beheld the hulls of the wooden battleships. It really was just a damn shame that the pressure hull of the research submersible began to leak. Abilities: Physical Conditioning: Peak human Your body is naturally tough, durable, and strong. The pinnacle of human physical strength, endurance, and agility. Keep training, and surely you can surpass even stronger beings. Soul Flare The ability to turn ones soul into a weapon itself. Needed for most basic magical feats. Channel the mana present in the air through your body to achieve great feats. Allows one to interact with supernatural things, and perceive things others may not. Affection of the Sea: The goddess has given you some of her own favor. The sea itself seems to bend to your will. Should you travel by it, you'll always find favorable winds and currents, the sea always seemingly directing you to where your destination is need to go whilst also hindering whatever may wish to do you harm. Theoretically, it can also extend to anything or anyone you 'own' as well, such as ships and sailors, but they will need some sort of relief or symbol to do so. Perhaps should you gain more favor with the goddess, you may even be able to command the seas themselves on some level... Her clothes on her back… or maybe not?</s> <\|message\|>Nicholas "Nick" Gallagher The Journey Begins ~ Forest Near Liven ~ Interacted with: @Rune_Alchemist The red-hooded figure ran as Nick warned them, but they seem to be running away from Nick himself rather than from the undead dogs onto him. Something Nick would have noticed had he not been worrying about said hounds chasing him. The undead canines were far quicker than Nick, one outpacing him and blocking his path. Nick was forced to halt in his tracks, his mind quickly scrambling for anything he could do. Running was clearly out of the question now and so, like a cornered rat, decided to bite back. Nick didn't want a fight, especially with such unfavorable circumstances, but there was no choice. This would be his first fight in his life. Nick pulled out his hunting knife and barely avoided the hound lunging at him by stepping to the side. However, he was never aware of the canine behind him which then helped itself to a biteful of Nick's ankle. "Argh!" He yelled in pain as he fell down into the snow. The pain was immense, but adrenaline dulled some of it. He still held the torch and the knife, needing the torch to be lit for his plan to fight back. He had doubts about successfully pulling it off, but it was his best bet right now. From the snowy ground, Nick slammed his hunting knife into the canine's head. Hopefully killing it but at least, driving it away for the moment. He left the knife there as he pulled out the oil flask and quickly popped it open. Okay Nick, remember the procedure. Follow the steps and maybe he could walk out of this without being dog food. Nick took a sip and looked for an undead hound coming at him. He brought his burning torch to the fore and spat out the oil, blasting the hound with a small jet of flame. Hopefully, undead were weak to fire like in the movies. Okay, wipe mouth and take a sip again for the next hound. Nick was adamantly careful about sipping oil, always making sure the liquid never came close to the throat lest the hounds become the least of his worries.</s> <\|message\|>Bella Rosso She carefully cleansed her wounds and used a small amount of magic to close the wounds ever so slightly so they stopped the bleeding at the least. She was tired and exhausted as she finished up and made herself look appropriate. Then, went to Rullphana's tower. It felt like a longer walk than it actually was. Much longer. When she got to Rullphana's place however, she made sure to kill the guard with kindness. "Hello there, how are you?" She asked before heading inside. "Very." The woman would say as she entered the magical place and responded to her would be teacher. "But, it won't impede my learning today, teacher." Almost as a joke. "Speaking of, where should I start?" She asked, genuinely curious.</s> <\|message\|>"Malphas" Shigenaga Nomura The Watching Game@Rune_Alchemist Interested in how potent this visual empowerment was, Nomura would spend a good amount of time watching Donovan intently, mostly out of interest of his ability to see things from afar clearly. It seems that the rambunctious catgirl also seemed to find herself in Donovan's mischiefs, alongside the dwarf and a hunter. It seems he really was interested in meddling with that gods-forsaken place after all. Whatever foul magics they wished to unearth from that prison was of no real interest to Nomura, his main concern being if he plans to abscond from what he owes Nomura or not. And seeing that he's going deeper into that place is enough of a guarantee that Donovan isn't going anywhere for the time being. While he didn't trust Donovan particularly, he trusted the sort of person he was. More importantly, he knew that fox would watch Donovan for him, or at the very least inform Nomura if he truly planned to run once the dust has settled. In other words, Donovan was no longer Nomura's immediate concern. Having enough of his show, Nomura allowed his vision to return to normal before making his way back into the village. He wasn't keen on reporting to Mie right away as the current going-ons would only bring his patron unneeded stress. It's better for both their sakes if she believed Nomura was still hunting for that heirloom of hers. As far as the village itself was concerned, Nomura was unaware nor did he care for its current state. All he was truly concerned about was finding something interesting to do. Perhaps he'll find that fish for Ayumi, after all. --- Nomura sat by the shoreline, watching the tides move ever so slightly as his rod was cast into the ocean. Obtaining it was rather easy, needing only a few choice words for a particularly hospitable fisherman to borrow his fishing implement for a time. Of course, he could have probably charmed that same fisherman into giving him a fish for himself, but he didn't want to cheat out a poor man's livelihood for his own self-benefit. After all, he had all the time in the world to figure out the art for himself. Might as well make the most of it. All this watching, this waiting... it gave Nomura ample time to think about his situation. Namely, his place in this new world and his own capabilities. He began to wonder if ascension, if perfection was truly within his grasp. Sure, his place in this world might have been dictated by the wills of gods and goddesses, but it wasn't his faith in those beings that allowed Nomura to reach where he was now. Rather, it was Nomura's faith in himself that allowed him to thrive in this world. He was given a body sculpted by the divine, capable of accomplishing its own miracles. Wings that allow one to move with grace, a boundless spirit that empowers his every movement, eyes that can reach the farthest of distances... In the world where Nomura was once from, these would be considered miracles in their own right. And with the potential to accomplish feats far grander filled Nomura with a new sense of purpose. Perhaps he can craft his own miracles. Perhaps he can truly form his wishes, his desires into a truly actualized form. Perhaps he was already a god, perhaps something more, and he just needed to look deeper within himself in order to truly tap into his potential. Nomura chuckled at his musings, the ridiculousness of his own claims setting in. After all, if he could truly shape miracles, he wouldn't need to go through such great lengths to catch a fish. He was, in the end, a mere human. Like the fisherman he had borrowed the rod from. Like the craftsman concerned for his village's elder. Like the hunters who gathered in secret. Nomura's acts, as miraculous as they are, were brought forth not from him creating his own miracles, but instead from believing in himself. He believed he could run faster, so he did. He believed he could jump higher, so he did. He believed he could see farther, so he did. He did not break any perceived limits to accomplish what he had done. He did not perform the impossible. He simply believed in what he could do and did it. A fisherman believes that he will eventually catch fish. A craftsman believes that they will craft something worthy of praise from others. A hunter believes that their hunt will be fruitful. To proceed and to progress is to believe that one could accomplish anything. It is this belief that allowed humankind to flourish, to reach heights once believed unimaginable. This is what made Nomura a human, in the end. Even with an otherworldly body, even with the magical energy that encompassed his soul, he would not act on his own whims or accomplish what he has if he weren't a human. A drive to accomplish the impossible was far greater than simply performing the impossible. After all, the latter implies that even the impossible is limited to what one believes to be impossible. Accomplishing the impossible, however, was not at the top of Nomura's priorities for the time being. After all, all his current goals are in the realm of possibility. Instead of worrying about such things, he fished, believing that he will catch something to his liking.</s>	<\|message\|>Narkissa Langdon "Seems so," Narkissa replied, with a bit of a smirk of her own as she followed Mie deeper into the camp. She would have some very fun chemistry to do later… or was it alchemy here? Soon enough though, she was collecting the ingredients she needed at a rapid pace. It wasn't the wholesale amounts that she ideally needed, but it couldn't be helped if what Mie offered was all that a traveling caravan could offer. She wrinkled her nose as she inspected the more odorous of the materials that she needed, quickly inspecting the box of sulfur before closing the lid. The saltpeter was… was it was, and she piled it on top of the other box. Hopefully, with the tools and processes she was going to use, Narkissa wasn't going to blow herself up accidentally, but she was confident in her skills. Together with the charcoal, it was an impressively cumbersome amount of material to carry. "Ayumi… right. Well, I think you know where I'll be staying," she replied, curious about the manner of messenger she was going to send. "No, definitely not," Narkissa agreed, drifting over to the cornucopia of tools that Mie had indicated. "Thanks for the help, especially on this short of a notice, by the way. I really appreciate it." Although she raised an eyebrow at the mention of Leannah, the tools took her attention away and she let the fox attend to the other matter. She didn't know some of the names for the instruments she needed in this world, but she definitely needed a proper bag for everything at this point, so she made a beeline for picking a good one out first. Then… the tools. She probably was going to have to get some more wood again, because Narkissa was sure she'd have to remake a few things herself.</s>
<\|description\|>Narkissa Langdon Female Appearance: Even as she grew older and her body more frail, the youthful spirit and the sense of adventure within her never died out. The presence of a new body only made things more perfect. Narkissa has the appearance of a youthful, slender adult. She stands an average height of 5' 5", and while fit, weighs a paltry 111 lbs. Although her hair and eyes have taken a strange albino coloration, her professional sartorial aesthetic remains. Goals: What more can Narkissa wish for than to rediscover progress and reclaim the world? To build an empire under a reborn flag, so large in which the sun would never set on its lands? What more can it be than providence? Would it really be fine if it ended like this? As the darkness surrounded her, accompanied by the creaks and groans of her vessel of demise, a lifetime of past thoughts flashed through her eyes. Even now, Narkissa was fascinated with the past. As long as she could remember, her mind had always fluttered to the tales of the past, the mystery, the majesty, and the grandeur of countries long past. But of them all, there was only one country that had them all… and it wasn't too long ago that her country had stood at the peak of the world. There was nothing more that could fascinate her than the story of the early modern era, of the rise of the British Empire, and its maritime hegemony. She couldn't love the history any than she could love her own country. Well, in other words, she was a nationalist. But unlike others, Narkissa really was more interested in learning about things than shitposting on the internet. She became a scholar of history of early modern Britain. What was it like in the early modern era? How did people live? What technology did people use, how did it work? What food did people eat? What was life at sea like, how did people survive? Those were the questions that she asked, answered, and taught. By the time she was beginning to reach her middle ages, she had become a marine archeologist, traveling to the ends of the world —and the depths of the sea— to explore the secrets that the oceans had swallowed long ago. It really would be the past that would cause her demise, too. Narkissa recalled the closing years of the American Revolution, when the British Empire had won a great battle against the French off Dominica. The battle won, the fleet sailed home with their prizes, only to meet their untimely demise in a hurricane in the Atlantic. It was the topic of her research. Her life's work had finally culminated in finding the wrecks at the bottom of the sea, and for the first time in almost 250 years, human eyes finally beheld the hulls of the wooden battleships. It really was just a damn shame that the pressure hull of the research submersible began to leak. Abilities: Physical Conditioning: Peak human Your body is naturally tough, durable, and strong. The pinnacle of human physical strength, endurance, and agility. Keep training, and surely you can surpass even stronger beings. Soul Flare The ability to turn ones soul into a weapon itself. Needed for most basic magical feats. Channel the mana present in the air through your body to achieve great feats. Allows one to interact with supernatural things, and perceive things others may not. Affection of the Sea: The goddess has given you some of her own favor. The sea itself seems to bend to your will. Should you travel by it, you'll always find favorable winds and currents, the sea always seemingly directing you to where your destination is need to go whilst also hindering whatever may wish to do you harm. Theoretically, it can also extend to anything or anyone you 'own' as well, such as ships and sailors, but they will need some sort of relief or symbol to do so. Perhaps should you gain more favor with the goddess, you may even be able to command the seas themselves on some level... Her clothes on her back… or maybe not?</s> <\|message\|>Bella Rosso She had the basics down? How odd. It felt like she knew next to nothing about magic. Really, it felt more like an applied science to her. She want to protest but perhaps that was good. Rullphana said it took time and research to come up with new things. As for a goal... Did she have anything planned for? No, not really. She had just wanted to survive. "What do I want to learn? I suppose everything might be too much to ask." Augusta mentioned, thinking on it a few seconds more. "Perhaps I want to be unrivaled in power. A lofty goal, though probably common amongst magic users. The woman stopped and wondered. "If you wanted something more immediate perhaps I want to figure out how to shoot a lightning bolt."</s> <\|message\|>Takeshima Misaki (formerly Takeshima Mamoru) "Eh? Wait, isn't it still—?!" Wholly taken off guard by how casually Lazirha dragged her out of Mie's tent, Misaki stumbled a bit as she attempted to not trip over herself. Given what she had done to help the young woman escape from her would-be captors, the foxgirl was not particularly looking forward to possibly facing off against them again... And without the element of surprise, it wasn't likely she would get off scot-free like she had the last time. Her hands still stung even now, even if the pain was fading a bit faster than she would have expected. Luckily enough, it seemed that the worst of the trouble had passed them by. Whether that was related to the commotion outside the tent during her negotiations or something else entirely was something to consider, of course, but when she arrived back at Lazirha's home... Well, the sight she found was not all too surprising. If anything, the fact that there was even anything left slightly untouched was a miracle unto itself. "...Well, I was—" she began to say, only to be promptly knocked to the ground by the fawn she had left behind. Though slightly rattled by the impact as she was thrown to the ground, Misaki managed to gather herself and pet the animal on the head as it rested on top of her... Despite the pain from the impact, at least. "It's good to see you're all right," she said back, smiling as she slowly guided the fawn off of her and shakily rose to her feet. One would have usually expected 40 kilos of animal rushing at a person to not leave them unscathed, but it seemed that she had come out with little more than a pain that was quickly fading. Food for thought. As she brushed herself off, though, the sight of the nearby obelisk grabbing her attention. As much as she would have liked to stay out of harm's way, though, something about the situation seemed to suspicious for her to simply ignore. Lazirha seemed to want to check whatever it was out too, given the look on her face, but... "...I don't think it'd be any safer here left in the dark about whatever insanity's going on, given how close we are," Misaki sighed, scratching the back of her head before looking between the deer, Lazirha, and the array of flashing lights and whatnot off in the distance. "So I suppose that the recovery here can wait a bit longer. Is there anywhere we could get a better look? Ideally, safety would be included in that, but..." It wasn't as if she could offer much in the grander scheme of things—at least, not as she was now—which meant that if the others were involved and nearby, being dead weight (or just dead) in the middle of combat or something like that would not end well for anyone involved.</s> <\|message\|>Nicholas "Nick" Gallagher The Journey Begins ~ Forest Near Liven ~ Interacted with: @Rune_Alchemist The jets of flame Nick spat out were more pitiful than he thought. He was no pro at this, he admitted, but that was just bad. The undead hounds didn't even caught fire, just singed from what Nick witnessed. He'd bet they didn't even feel it. Oh, he was so dead. Or so he thought, the sudden bursts of fire from Nick seemed to have put the dogs on edge. They had stopped their attack, now wary of their seemingly-firebreathing prey. The belligerents kept their eyes on each other for a short while. Nick still held his torch and flask firmly, his mouth and lips burning from the slight backdraft, expecting the fight to resume any moment. But to Nick's surprise, it never did. The undead canines turned their heads towards the village and went off, deciding that Nick wasn't worth it. As soon as they were out of his sight, Nick dropped to his knees. He quickly jabbed his torch standing in the frost and put away his oil flask and began scooping up snow from the ground and stuffing them into his mouth before spitting them out. He soon scooped smaller amounts and let them melt in his mouth before spitting out, trying his best to wash off the residue oil. He repeated this crude procedure several times until his mouth could no longer stand the cold and he was forced to stop. He would need to wash properly later. Inspecting the ache on his ankle, Nick found that the hound's bite had torn through his denim pants but fortunately, the wound was not at all deep. Still, the pain stung and he had to sit on the snow to cool off, maybe literally, from the fight. Placing his face unto his hands, Nick suppressed sobs and stopped tears from forming. How long was he going to stay here? How long would he last? Will he even make it back home? Did he ever stand a chance? His heart was still beating fast from the encounter, exacerbating his despair. Oh, how Nick wanted to scream and how angry he was for knowing it would probably invite more danger. Wiping his watery eyes from the self-pity, Nick forced himself to stand up. He still had a job to do, a job he didn't even know how to accomplish. Taking his torch, Nick saw the trail the hooded figure left that lead into another part of the forest. It was good a lead as any so Nick decided to follow.</s>	<\|message\|>Narkissa Langdon Narkissa gave Mie a thumbs-up before rummaging through the tools. A cheap cloth bag did well for keeping the basic ingredients all together, but together with that and all the various knickknacks she'd procured over the past few days, she needed a proper bag for the rest of her stuff as well, so Narkissa picked out a leather knapsack looking bag where she promptly shoved her books and the godly blueprint thing (that she still wasn't entirely too confident on.) A nice pestle and mortar was a given, together with a few miscellaneous tools, she also needed a flat press of some sort for the corning process—she found a tool used for another purpose as a stop-gap for the time being, but she'd probably have to fashion her own later on if she wanted to be more efficient about it. It was probably better if she fashioned some of her own specialized tools, anyway… She didn't want others deducing her own formulation and methods from the ingredients and tools she picked out. Thinking about it further, she'd nearly forgotten a minor ingredient, and ended up asking the Oni for a bottle of distilled alcohol –not a required ingredient, but one that would make creating corned powder far easier than just using random impure water. Finally equipped with the basics for recreating boom boom powder, she thanked the Oni and Mie if she was around once more, before glancing curiously at the odd display over at the Obelisk. Well, fixing up the powder could probably wait just a bit… she still needed to get an idea of what was going on, after all.</s>
<\|description\|>Arin von Astastel Sex Male Age 35 Race Elf History Arin was born into the House of Astastel, a prestigious yet mysterious family whose influence can be felt in virtually every part of the civilized world. Although they are not officially recognized as a noble House, members of the Astastel House are accustomed to a life of luxury and being treated with the uttermost respect. There are many speculations on how the Astastel House came to gain such power, but no one knows the truth: not even their own members truly know the answer. There are only three things people know with absolute certainty. First, unless you are born a von Astastel, you either marry into or are adopted by the House. Never the other way around. Never. Second, those who claim to be a von Astastel are a von Astastel. Finally, the House of Astastel has become increasingly interested in collecting magical items and investigating places associated with magic these past few generations. Other * In general, something about Arin rings false. * Arin seems to have an aptitude for magic, but non-family members have only seen him use it for minor things such as creating light or detecting magic. He does, however, practice alchemy and abjuration magic. * Arin is by no means a specialist in combat: he can protect himself well enough against the common thug, but that is about the extent of his combat skills. He is much better at dodging attacks and escaping from dangerous situations than being an active participant of one. * Arin's strengths lie in academia and investigation.</s> <\|message\|>Elra Silverfang Elra Silverfang Day of the Selection Location: Eastormel Castle, Ironkeep, Ovyadell --- Elra said, "Horses don't like me much. So, I'd be willing to fly with you if that would be okay." The wolf in her did not like the thought, but she did not like the thought of the horse wanting to throw her.</s> <\|message\|>Ernestus Greye Ernestus Greye "I'm not one for flying, and i'll be honest, i've never ridden a horse before. I have mostly walked." Ernestus said feeling a bit awkward, "But i'll try riding nonetheless." he then said. He pondered for the moment on whether he could outrun a horse if they'd happen to go down the road of a forest, if he allowed himself to fully transform, but such a thought should remain such. I doubt they would be happy finding out about me. he thought to himself.</s>	<\|message\|>Arin von Astastel Arin's patience was wearing thinner by the second. Waste of time? The only person wasting his time was the princess. Who was she to tell him how to do his job? No proper investigation has ever been done, and never will be done, by not looking. Why was he even summoned here in the first place if not to investigate? Slowly, but surely, the letter in his pocket became something unpleasant and hard to ignore. Reminding him of what happened to bad little Astastels who failed to uphold a deal made in the House's name. The thought sent shivers down the elf's back. You just had to make life harder for me, did you? Reluctantly, but no less annoyed, Arin focused on gathering arcane energy to one focal point. When just the right amount accumulated, he cast two spells in quick succession. Sensing something amiss, the guards rushed forward to defend their princess, ready to cut down the foolish elf who dared to ambush a member of the royal blood. Arin, unfazed, raised his hands in the air and waited for them to settle down. They anticipated for an attack that never came. When nothing happened a few more seconds later, the soldiers relaxed a bit. "V pnfg n fcryy gung rapelcgf jung jr fnl. Ab bar urer rkprcg sbe lbh naq V pna haqrefgnaq jung jr ner fnlvat. V oryvrir guvf jvyy znxr vg rnfvre sbe lbh gb nafjre… jung V cerfhzr gb or qvssvphyg dhrfgvbaf," Arin bowed dramatically and added, "Ynql." The guards looked at each other in confusion, before aiming their confused expression at their mistress. The elf straightened up and began to peruse the study. Examining whatever he got his hands on, squeezing past others when he needed to, in order to find the thing that he requested earlier from the princess. Seeing that she never said no ---she in fact, never spoke about it---, Arin decided that it was a yes. As he did, he spoke in an even tone. "Gb ortva, V zhfg cbvag bhg gung V unir orra fhzzbarq urer gb qb n irel fcrpvsvp wbo. N wbo juvpu lbh ner npgviryl trggvat va gur jnl bs zr qbvat. Gb vairfgvtngr vf gb pneel bhg n flfgrzngvp be sbezny vadhvel gb qvfpbire naq rknzvar gur snpgf pbapreavat jungrire gur fhowrpg vf, va guvf pnfr, n frevrf bs gursgf. Guvf vf qbar gb rfgnoyvfu gur gehgu. Ceriragvat hf gb vafcrpg gur fprar bs gur pevzr, cevaprff, vf gur rdhvinyrag bs gelvat gb qrgrezvar gur pnhfr bs qrngu bs fbzrbar jvgubhg gurve obql; tb ubefr evqvat jvgubhg gur ubefr; n grn cnegl jvgubhg grn. Be jungrire nanybtl lbh cersre. Gur cbvag vf: lbh ner ceriragvat hf sebz qbvat n gubebhtu vairfgvtngvba. Lbh... qb haqrefgnaq ubj fgenatr lbhe vafvfgrapr gung jr qb abg qb bhe wbo pbzrf bss nf, lrf? Znxrf lbh ybbx qhovbhf." Arin closed the book he was skimming through and slid it between his underarm. "Qb lbh xabj jung unccraf gb pbzzbaref jub qb abg yvir hc gb n fbirervta'f rkcrpgngvbaf, cevaprff? Jung lbh znl trg n fync ba gur jevfg sbe, pbzzbaref ner rkrphgrq sbe. Vg vf abg haurneq bs va bgure xvatqbzf naq gurer vf abguvat lbh pna fnl gung jvyy pbaivapr zr gung lbhe snzvyl qb abg unir gur fnzr grzcrenzrag. Fb vs lbh ner gelvat gb znxr hf gnxr cneg va fbzr xvaq bs rynobengr ehanjnl, cyrnfr, qb vg ba lbhe bja gvzr." Arin turned to Rynn, giving his undivided attention. "Vs lbh ner frevbhf nobhg jung lbh fnvq, ubjrire, gura cyrnfr fgbc jnfgvat bhe gvzr naq tvir zr fgenvtug nafjref gb zl dhrfgvbaf. V arrq snpgf." The elf stared straight into Rynn's eyes, "Jul qb lbh abg jnag hf gb vairfgvtngr gur inhyg?." "Vs lbh zhfg xabj, jr qba'g shyyl gehfg lbh nyy. Ng yrnfg, abg rabhtu gb yrg lbh nebhaq gur inhygf." "Nf tbbq nf nal ernfba, V fhccbfr." The guards expressed shock when they heard the princess speak. It didn't take them long to figure out what or who caused it. Their bodies tensed once again, ready to attack as soon as their mistress would allow it. Fortunately for the elf, the Lady didn't. "Qvq lbh yvr gb hf ng nal cbvag?" "V unir abg yvrq gb lbh, ohg V frr ab arrq va nafjrevat evqvphybhf dhrfgvbaf." "Yrg zr fnl vg vf sbe gur fnzr ernfba lbh qb abg jnag hf gb tb vagb gur inhygf, ohg V qvterff. Ner lbh vaibyirq va gur gursg bs gur qnttre?" "Ab. Lbh jbhyqa'g or urer vs V unq orra." "Jbhyq V abg? Orvat cneg bs n eblny snzvyl jbhyq znxr vg irel rnfl gb uvqr va gur bcra. Abar bs lbhe fhowrpgf jbhyq qner, ng yrnfg bcrayl, fhfcrpg gurve cevaprff." For the first time since he cast the spells, the elf's voice took a softer tone, "Vf lbhe yvsr va qnatre?" "V unir fcrag zl yvsr genvavat, orpbzvat gur orfg jneevbe V pna or. V yvxr gb guvax gung vs zl yvsr jrer va qnatre, V jbhyq or noyr gb unaqyr vg zlfrys." Arin seemed to contemplate something before pulling out the letter that was safely tucked away in his pocket. There was nothing extraordinary about the paper minus the insignia of two intertwined wyverns on it, "Qb lbh xabj, rknpgyl, jub erdhrfgrq nffvfgnapr sebz Ubhfr Nfgnfgry? Jub neenatrq n qrny jvgu... 'hf'?" "Ab, V qba'g. V jbhyq nffhzr zl sngure, vs abg ol uvf bja unaq." Satisfied with the answers, Arin finally took his gaze off of Rynn and returned the letter into his pocket, "Gunax lbh sbe lbhe ubarfgl, Ynql Elaa." He bowed slightly before resuming what he was previously doing, "V qb erfcrpg lbhe pnhgvbhfarff ba gur znggre, ohg 'gehfg' vf n gjb-jnl fgerrg, Ynql Elaa. Abar bs hf urer gehfg lbh rvgure. Lbhe eblny gvgyr nybar pnaabg jva bhe gehfg. Guvf vf, ng gur raq bs gur qnl, n ohfvarff. N zbqvphz bs gehfg zhfg or tvira sbe rirelbar gb cresbez gurve tvira qhgl. N fbpvrgl whfg jbhyq abg shapgvba cebcreyl vs rirelbar vf cnenabvq. Jung vs gur onxre cbvfbarq gurve ybnirf bs oernq? Jung vs gur crbcyr jub znqr gur ebnqf znqr fher vg yrq gb bhe qrnguf? Rgprgren, rgprgren. Vg vf arire-raqvat naq hygvzngryl n cbvagyrff raqrnibe. Ynql Elaa, V nz abg gryyvat lbh gb gehfg hf jubyrurnegrqyl, gung vf hajvfr rira nzbat sevraqf, ohg nyybj zr gb qb jung V jnf uverq gb qb. Gb vairfgvtngr gur gursgf." Arin pointed at his pocket without looking away from the book in his other hand, "Guvf yrggre vf zber ovaqvat guna lbh pna rire vzntvar." Arin added another book between his underarm, "Qhr gb gur angher bs guvf pbagenpg, V jvyy raq hc ragrevat gur inhygf ertneqyrff bs ubj zhpu lbh gehfg zr. Zvaq lbh, guvf vf abg n guerng, vg vf cneg bs gur Ubhfrf' erjneq sbe urycvat: gb fghql gur zntvpny vgrzf lbhe snzvyl cbffrffrf naq obeebj vg, ohl vg vs jr zhfg, qrcraqvat ba vgf zntvpny cebcregvrf. V crefbanyyl jnagrq gb rknzvar gur inhygf gb frr vs zntvp jnf rira hfrq gb oernx vagb gurz. Vs gur inhygf qb fgber n terng ahzore bs zntvpny vgrzf, V pna bayl nffhzr gung gur inhygf ner rdhnyyl zntvpny be nagv-zntvpny. Gung vf nyy vtabevat gur cbffvovyvgl gung gurer ner frperg cnffntrf gung bayl n unaqshy bs crbcyr fubhyq xabj nobhg. Gb or noyr gb pvephzirag nyy gung erdhverf fcrpvsvp xabjyrqtr naq erfbheprf. Guvatf gung V jvyy abg or noyr gb svaq gur fcrpvsvpf bs orpnhfr V pnaabg rknzvar gur inhygf." Arin walked back to his original position, "Fb jura lbhe sngure nfxf zr ubj gur guvrs tbg va, naq jr svaq bhg abguvat va gur Haqretebhaq, V nz cbvagvat zl svatre ng lbh." He shrugged, "Ubcrshyyl orsber gung unccraf lbh jvyy erpbafvqre naq nyybj zr gb rknzvar gur inhygf… ohg ol gura V srne gurer jvyy or yvggyr gb ab genprf bs gur crecrgengbe'f zntvp yrsg gb qrgrpg. Whfg xrrc gung va zvaq." Arin snapped his fingers, dispelling whatever it was that he cast. "Well then, I suppose I should go get my bags. Long way ahead and all that." He then took the two history books between his underarm and showed the cover to the princess and her guards. "I am also going to borrow these."</s>
<\|description\|>Arin von Astastel Sex Male Age 35 Race Elf History Arin was born into the House of Astastel, a prestigious yet mysterious family whose influence can be felt in virtually every part of the civilized world. Although they are not officially recognized as a noble House, members of the Astastel House are accustomed to a life of luxury and being treated with the uttermost respect. There are many speculations on how the Astastel House came to gain such power, but no one knows the truth: not even their own members truly know the answer. There are only three things people know with absolute certainty. First, unless you are born a von Astastel, you either marry into or are adopted by the House. Never the other way around. Never. Second, those who claim to be a von Astastel are a von Astastel. Finally, the House of Astastel has become increasingly interested in collecting magical items and investigating places associated with magic these past few generations. Other * In general, something about Arin rings false. * Arin seems to have an aptitude for magic, but non-family members have only seen him use it for minor things such as creating light or detecting magic. He does, however, practice alchemy and abjuration magic. * Arin is by no means a specialist in combat: he can protect himself well enough against the common thug, but that is about the extent of his combat skills. He is much better at dodging attacks and escaping from dangerous situations than being an active participant of one. * Arin's strengths lie in academia and investigation.</s> <\|message\|>Ernestus Greye Ernestus Greye Ernestus slowly opened the door, and averted his gaze from her at first out of respect. "Do I need to go hide?" Elra asked while trying not to cry. She gave in putting her head in her hands and cried a bit, "He was trying to break in. I didn't mean..." she paused and let the tears flow. "If he wouldn't have struggled.." Ernestus sighed "Its alright. Let it out of your system if you need to." he said as he approached. "I won't need the salve." he then said, his hands beginning to glow a small radiant light. Ernestus knelt, and his hands hovered over the wound, it slowly closing and coming back together as if time itself was reversing on that one spot alone. He briefly peeked at some of the scars that she had on her arm, "Everyone has scars, both mental and physical. They may be subtle or obvious." he kept his hands over the wound to make sure it fully healed. "Do not think yourself a monster. What you did was admittedly a bit rash, but for all we know, the man could of been an assassin. The princess is leading our party after all." The wound was closed, and he shook his hands as the glow faded away. Magic slowly made his hands numb the longer he channelled it. Ernestus sighed as he stood up, "You are not alone." he hesitated as he turned away to leave, "I too, have a beast within." he then left Elra to rest.</s> <\|message\|>Vuthaternock (Blackscale) Vuthaternock wakes up, hearing snarling, and waits until everything quiets down to investigate. He sees a body lying on the floor, throat torn out, and kneels down next to it to see if that is how the man truly died, or if it was meant to cover something else up. "I wonder what happened...?" He takes the body, hefting it over his shoulder, and casts a small spell to remove the blood, and smell of death. He carries the body outside, and whistles. A giant wyvern lands nearby, folding massive wings to his back. Wux relgra ihk ve rilnom? He nods. "Si rigluin wux ekess itrewic rid di nomeno mamiss." The wyvern grins, and takes the body. Si geou ti shartleg vhira duulo rhyaex. He then flies off a short distance to enjoy his meal, cooking it with a blast of fire.</s>	<\|message\|>Arin von Astastel A voice came from behind Vuthaternock, "If this was an option, you should have told us when I asked the others to report the body." Arin was looking at the wyvern devouring the man with keen interest. He was brewing potions when he saw the dragonborn walk outside with a body and was curious what he was planning to do with it, especially since no one called for the guards just yet. "It would have saved us the trouble of reporting it… but now that you did that after Mr. Greye most likely told the innkeeper… well, you know that makes him look bad, yes?" He turned his attention briefly back to the dragonkin, "I do hope you have the perfect excuse to tell the innkeeper or guards." He let a few seconds pass to admire the creature in the distance. "Does your cousin have a name?" He also wondered if it was who Vuthaternock was talking to every now and then. It was comforting to know that the dragonborn didn't spend time speaking in draconic out loud just to show off that he can or that he lacked the ability to keep his internal monologue, internal. Arin stayed outside just long enough to hear Vuthaternock's response before he remembered that he was in the middle of brewing potions. "Well I shall leave two to it. I must return to the kitchen before I burn the potions." All of Arin's tasks ---cleaning included--- completed only after the sun peaked out from the horizon. More and more people were waking up and becoming more active. The potman of the inn walked into the kitchen just as Arin confirmed the crystalized essence was fully absorbed by the wooden ring. "Good morning, sir. You must be a very early riser, or you never went to bed." "It would be the latter." "Oh… it must have been a very important duty if you had to stay up all night." Arin offered a polite smile, avoiding a direct response. Instead, he thanked the lad, and by proxy the innkeeper, for allowing him to use the kitchen for the night. He reached out his hand towards the area of the kitchen he borrowed, as if to present it to the potman, "I made sure to clean up after myself. I hope this will suffice." The potman perused the kitchen, touching areas of most concern to him with his finger to see if anything would stick to it. His face lit up at the clean finger, "It is more than satisfactory, sir. You practically did my morning chore for me! I have never seen this kitchen this pristine before!" The young man covered his mouth, realizing that he probably shouldn't have said that. He quickly tried to change the subject as subtlety as he possibly could, "I didn't know nobles can clean up after themselves so well!" I imagine that is what the nobles pay servants for. "I am not a noble." The potman looked surprised, "You're not? You could've fooled me. I thought only nobles wear those clothes." Arin looked down at his attire. As the potman pointed out, his clothes were the kind commonly worn by nobility and wealthy merchants. The materials that made the outfit were valuable enough to buy most, if not all, of Timberholde. At the end of the day, however, it was a costume. Something to wear to feel important in front of people of influence to make them feel important. Outside the capital boundaries, it was a target. Everything had been so rushed, Arin forgot that he was heading into a territory notorious for overflowing with lawbreakers, with luxurious garments on. He was careful when he chose the wooden ring to serve as a detector ---it was made of wood found anywhere and it had no decorative engravings, making it an unappealing item to steal---, but it would be meaningless if he was mugged because of what he wore. He needed to change. Arin inspected the young man in front of him, who looked like he was as tall as Arin was and had close enough body types. The potman shifted uncomfortably under Arin's gaze, "Is there something you need, sir?" "As a matter of fact, there are a number of things I need. Can you run a few errands for me? I will pay you once you are done." "I can," the potman sounded a little hesitant, unsure what the elf needed him to do. "Do you have an apothecary or an herbalist?" "We do." "Excellent," Arin fished out a list and coins and handed them to the other man, "I would like you to buy these ingredients. Get as much as you can with the money I've given you." The potman visibly relaxed, seemingly relieved that Arin wasn't asking him to do something unusual, "I can do that." "I would also like to buy your clothes off of you." The man stared dumbly at Arin. A beat later Arin spoke, "Let me rephrase that. I would like to acquire some less flamboyant clothing. This trip was a bit sudden, so I did not have time to pack proper travel wear." Arin spread his arms out to the sides, "It looks like we are of similar stature and build, so I thought I could persuade you to let me have a set of clothing… Unless I am mistaken in assuming that your village does not have a clothier." The man laughed a bit, "No, you are correct. Our village is much too small to have something as fancy as a clothier. My mother had to make my clothes." He looked Arin up and down before his eyes stopped at the shoes "I have some clothes that I can give, but I don't have any spare shoes." He stuck one foot out and wiggled it, "These are the only pair I have." "The clothes will do, thank you." While he waited for the potman to come back with the items he requested, Arin decided to try out the ring. He needed to see if the item would work as intended and to make alterations if necessary. More importantly, he needed the ring to recognize and memorize Rynn to prevent it from responding to her in the future. When Arin placed the ring on, he immediately felt it resonating with something ---the blood that flowed within Rynn--- nearby. Though it didn't physically emit a sound or move, the ring "sang" directly into the wearer's mind. It was a sound that would always be "heard" even in the loudest of places but can never be heard by others besides the ring-wearer. The song grew in intensity as Arin got closer to where Rynn was. When he reached the door to her room, it was impossible to ignore. It was even difficult to concentrate on what he was doing. Something to adjust, Arin vaguely thought. He remembered knocking on the door as the world started to--- Trwil. Sipn aornud. Lkie a brllooam dance. The wrold daecns to the music. Nhtoing sayts sltil long enoguh for him to get his biaengrs. He tkihns he hreas Rynn, but the snog it stuhs it out. It stuhs amolst envyerhtig out. It gets worse. She's cnmiog. She oneps the door and the olny thing he is able to do is garb on to her for daer lfie. The song is so luod now, he flees lkie his head is auobt to eloxdpe. It geivs him no time to reregt. It gives him no tmie to think. It gvies him no tmie to do ahinntyg. He just exsits. The snog eitxss. It just sings, sngis luod and porud. Of teihr boold, a glrouios hrsioty pseasd dwon form gienoaertn to gotenaerin. It ddeanms aeottntin, it dnaemds paisre and more. Mroe. Why won't you lstien Arin? Tiher one and olny aeidncue. Ltsein. Look. It's rhgit here. The key. Look at it. Look at her. She lokos at you. She's lonoikg at you. You see her. Arin sees Rnyn. As the song started to subside, Arin's brain regained functionality. He noticed that he was staring at Rynn's face and grabbing her arm with an iron grip. The ring touched her skin, memorizing her. He just needed to stay like this until the ring had nothing else to sing about. He also became keenly aware that he felt more than a little queasy. He closed his eyes and focused on taking deep breaths. With each breath he loosened his grip. As soon as the song was completely silenced, Arin pulled his hand away as fast as he could, almost as if Rynn was made of fire. "Many apologies," Arin rubbed his forehead to alleviate the headache that was forming. He stood like that for a while before finally speaking, "I wanted to report to you my findings. Though… now that I think about it, maybe I should have waited until breakfast when everyone is around to hear it. " He sighed and straightened himself, "Well, I might as well tell you now seeing that I have your attention and I do not want to make this a wasted trip." Arin took a step away from Rynn, feeling that he was still too close for either of their comfort, "After analyzing what samples I could obtain in the allotted time, I came to the conclusion that magic was not used to break into the vaults. If some form of magic was used, it was the ones already in place." He waited for the words, and the implications that came with it, to sink in. "I understand you want to believe your family and those who work in the palace took no part in the theft in any capacity… but unless the spells on the vault were public knowledge, we can narrow our suspects down from the entire population to those who are, or were at one time, close to the crown, whether by blood or not. At the very least, someone who has intimate knowledge of the castle's architect was involved." The name Callin crossed his mind. "I am willing to change my mind once we find evidence that proves otherwise, but with what we have, this is currently my strongest hypothesis."</s>
<\|description\|>Valyrim Phithyra Valyrim Phithyra --- --- Character Summary Aliases: (Nicknames, previous names, maiden names, etc.) Ree, Phaeros Ianro, Auteis Restarice Age: 104 Species: Elf Aasimar Gender: Male Occupation/position: Quartermaster/Sorcerer Alignment: Neutral good --- --- Appearance Height: 6'0 Build: Light and slender Eyes:Topaz and without pupils Hair: Red Skin Tone: Silver grey Tattoos/Scars/Piercings: A burn scar on his right arm and other, less pronounced scars on both. Personal Style: He likes having rings on him and a necklace with Avandra's symbol on it. Otherwise, his clothes are mostly practical. Normally, he wears a belt with pouches for assorted supplies and is very partial to a red cloak. --- --- Personality: IntelligentCollectedDogmaticAloofCompassionate Relationship Status: Single Questionnaire: What first impression do you make? I believe I come across as cool in temperament although perhaps rather unbending in my ideas and strict in my actions, especially if advised by my angel. What are you like in a high stress situation? I believe I can handle them rather well, partially because I am naturally level-headed and partially because there is a certain sense of calm that comes from the certainty of visions. What are your best and worst qualities? The most useful to the rest of the crew is that I am methodical in everything that I do. It ensures I keep calm and organized as well as giving me a good head for strategy. My worst is that I rarely change my mind on anything (or want to). What is something about yourself that you would never admit to anyone? It does bother me that I am as dismal with connection to others as I am. I prefer to file that feeling away for future examination. What are your dreams? To force the governments that refuse to allow people true freedom to return them or be brought to their knees. How do you want to be seen by others? Organized enough to follow me and intelligent enough to join my cause. How do you see yourself? I'm not quite sure, to be completely honest. I suppose as a sorcerer doing his best to do good by the path set out for him. Do you tend to make snap judgements, or stop and think about things? I try not to do the former. I am strongly in favor of separating my emotions from my decisions as much as possible when reason will likely get me much farther. What haunts you? Aside from the occasional ghost, the first time I saw someone die in person. It was not a peaceful passing, as the Eisengrad system's planets are not as kind to their people as Esari's. What is your philosophy on life? Stick to your virtues and do whatever is best by them. Habits: * Fiddling with his jewelry * Gestures excessively when engaged in conversation * Plays with puzzle box Hobbies: * Reading * Gardening * Playing the guitar * Solving puzzle boxes Fears: * Failure * Enclosed spaces Likes: * Magic * Freedom * Music * People with strong morals * Nature Dislikes: * Being ignored * Apathy * Current governments * Shoes --- --- Information: General Skills: * Medicine * Strategy * Stealth * Horticulture Magical/Speciality Skills: * Basic skill with most magic except divination, proficiency in evocation and illusions * Some training in medicine * Espionage * Guitar * Darkvision Inventory: * Assorted herbs * Spellbook * Ritual knife * Inventory notebook * Rations/Water * Quill and ink * Puzzle box --- --- History: Summary: Valyrim was born on Cirrane, where his gift and his personality made him stick out like a sore thumb. His parents were typical citizens of the planet, as his parents ran a hot spring. They and other elves recognized that he was Aasimar rather quickly as his appearance is notably different from the average elf. Although his appearance might have earned respect among elves, his personality most certainly did not. As a young child, his well meaning parents attempted to mellow his character; it was mostly unsuccessful, especially if someone said something he disagreed with. He felt an unexpected level of indignation and even as a child was prone to argument with much older elves. It did not truly dawn on him that such feelings were not completely his own until his time receiving a prophecy, promising that one day the people would know true freedom. Afterwards, it was silence from his angel, resulting in hours spent attempting to puzzle out the prophecy. The answer came in a series of two short but vivid dreams: the first was a flashback to his guide kneeling to Avandra, filled with a feeling of devotion-the second was a glimpse of his future, staring at the stars from the deck of a ship, nearly overcome with such a freedom that he felt almost empty once he awoke. From then on, he devoured knowledge of magic and the known universe along with odds and ends he saw in visions. His guide would help him along his path, giving him the occasional burst of confidence that he knew promised he would help bring about the winds of change. One day, he had an unfamiliar vision. He was making his way off of a skyship, and a rather ornate one at that. As he made his way out, he glanced into the window to see nothing but the rails of the ship behind him. He patted his pocket and felt crinkling of a scroll. Grim satisfaction washed over him as he made his way into the night. After months of mulling over the dream, Valyrim accepted the next step his angel pushed him to take and left Cirrane, working his way up the criminal underworld in Iyananor by stealing and spying for crime bosses and shadier companies. Despite his intense disdain for his employers and his actual job, the travels through Esari and its nearby systems served to remind him of his end goal. Eventually, a contact who knew of his aspirations pointed him the way of the Consortium. He felt a sudden rush of certainty at the suggestion and made for the Summer's Escape, ready to fulfill his destiny. --- --- Extras Character Quote: "If we live without freedom, we hardly live at all." Anything Else: Speaks with a Welsh accent</s> <\|message\|>Avi Starcaller Kaladan watched from his comfortable position, out of the way of the hustle and bustle of the deck, as the vast majority of the crew made their way up to where their captain stood. The mechanic, bosun, quartermaster, and navigator all appeared to be vying for her attention as they prepped to get under way. An amused smile worked it's way onto his face as he watched her address each of them, this was certainly going to be an interesting group of people to work with. They seemed reliable enough, judging by the fact that they all seemed to be providing assurances that the entire ship was prepped for setting sail. He took a moment to ponder about the member of the crew he could see: the quartermaster seemed calm enough, which would be a good balance to the more...eccentric types on the ship. Their dwarven mechanic appeared to be an interesting character, and he figured that he'd probably need to work with him on their cannons; that'd be an interesting conversation judging by the quiet ramblings he'd heard. He wasn't even sure he'd be able to understand half the things that he said. Their unique looking bosun seemed to have a way with the small powder monkeys, despite their obvious size difference. Though being made of stone probably had its benefits against their tiny, sharp teeth. He'd never met a dryad before, so actually getting to know their navigator should prove to be an enlightening experience. If he could keep up with her rapid speech. He certainly looked forward to getting to know all the members of the crew better. It had been quite some time since he'd actually joined a crew he wanted to be on. His meandering thoughts were cut off at the shout from the Captain. The excitement he'd felt before kicking back up as the crew began to rush around and do as she said. He kept a close eye on the goings on, making sure that no one got caught underfoot and none of them needed any aid in prepping to set off. The pixies were surprisingly quick and efficient when it came to all of these things. He moved to stand at the base of the stairs just in case one of them needed something. He hoped they didn't need his particular brand of help, since that mostly involved hitting something with a sword or cannon balls, but you never know. He glanced up towards the Captain and gave her a nod and a sharp-toothed grin as the sails unfurled and the anchors were drawn up. Avi immediately brightened at the call from the captain for them to set sail. He trotted over to and carefully made his way up the stairs to the helm, hooves clopping across the wooden boards of the deck. He took a spot among the group, standing significantly taller than most of the crew surrounding them, except for the genasi. "Med-bay is prepped for anything Captain," he directed towards the tiefling at the helm, "Hopefully we don't need it anytime soon." He quickly took in the nearby pixie that appeared to be high as the tips of their sails along with their mechanic, and shook his head slightly with both amusement and exasperation. He gave a polite nod to the other members of the crew that were still gathered nearby. Once they were under way he was sure they would have some time to sit down and get to know each other a bit more. The clattering and clanking noises of the sails unfurling, the anchors rising, and the gangplank being stowed were music to his ears. It'd been some time since he'd had the chance to travel by ship and the prospect of doing so with such an interesting group of people had him smiling brightly towards the stars. The sails catching and billowing outwards forced him to plant his feet more firmly on the deck, if only for a moment, as the movement evened out. He was excited to see what new adventures awaited them among the unexplored parts of the universe.</s> <\|message\|>Barnabum Yerickford the IV Barnabum Yericksford "Yoooooooooo, dwarf. That's a funny little beard you got there." The pixie giggled, waving his hands in what could be misinterpreted as Treant sign language. He took another puff of the cigar, pupils crooked in opposite directions, as he stared dazedly out into the space port. Barnabum gingerly took the cigar from the pixie and took a puff, wheezing as the dry smoke entered his lungs and made him briefly retch for a second. Ah, this was the life. Hanging out and smoking mushrooms with pixie sailors. Unfortunately, pixie constitution's didn't quite hold him to gnomish constitutions. One of the pixie sailors didn't take quite as well as his other compatriots, his head tilted upwards and walking around in circles repeatedly. " All these stars make a salad. All these stars make a salad. All these stars make a salad. All these stars make a salad. All these stars make a salad." Barnabum perked up at Dihala's command and rubbed his hands together excitedly. Finally, they could get out of this blasted rock and finally set sail into the far outer reaches of this quadrant. He stood up, knees a little wobbly from chomping down 3 mushroom cigars, before replying back. " Aight, c'ptain. I'll just go downstairs and warm her up. Don't want her dying of a stroke on her first voyage afér all." The pixie who had been staring upwards suddenly shouted. " BARNEY! I need you to tell me that I can have the rest of your cigars!" " You can have the rest of my -" "SHUT UP, YOU'RE NOT MEH DAD!" The pixie then returned back to his routine. " All these stars make a salad. All these stars make a salad. All these stars make a salad. All these stars make a salad. All these stars make a salad." He might have given him a little too much dried shroom. Poor lad. He didn't develop the taste for it yet. Barnabum gently picked up the pixie by the shoulders who was still muttering incessantly to himself and set him on top of a barrel full of pickled dloops. He then made his way again down towards the engine room. " Come on, old girl. Don't be temperamental with me." The gnome murmured, finding the button, and resting his finger against it. He sucked in a breathe and pressed it. Nothing for a moment. Then, the old engine began to whirr to life. Barnabum wiped off the tang of grease off his hands, grinning, as he felt the Maiden's heartbeat in the palm of his hand. Outside, the thrusters began to belch green smoke as the Wayward Maiden shuddered, the runic fields on her hull blinking with energy as arcane energy soared through conduits and reignited the sails, now shimmering with golden light.</s>	<\|message\|>Valyrim Phithyra Valyrim eyed the chaotic flurry of activity on deck and looked up to the sky, silently praying for tranquility. He turned back to the captain at her request, wincing inwardly. The idea of dealing with an irate pixie was less than appealing. "Understood, captain." He raised a hand in a polite if stiff greeting to the dryad-Felosial, if he wasn't mistaken-although he guessed she hardly cared for social niceties if she understood them at all. The elf turned away to take up a better vantage point on the quarterdeck, returning the nod of medic who for his part seemed to be one of few on the crew of a serene disposition. He paused, eyed catching on a pixie who had somehow managed to hang himself upside down in the ropes by his legs. He sighed. "Do I want to ask?" The pixie paused his wriggling to grin sheepishly. "At least you have some shame, I suppose." Despite his scolding, he untangled the faerie gently, catching him in his hand and lowering him to the ground. The pixie chirped gratefully and gave Valyrim a perturbing sharp-toothed smile before scurrying belowdecks. The elf watched him for a moment before leaning on the rail, watching for any more inexplicable predicaments. His attention was torn away by the now familiar shuddering of the deck and golden light of the sails. He smiled faintly, shaking his head. It wasn't exactly what he had pictured but at any rate, he was here.</s>
<\|description\|>Valyrim Phithyra Valyrim Phithyra --- --- Character Summary Aliases: (Nicknames, previous names, maiden names, etc.) Ree, Phaeros Ianro, Auteis Restarice Age: 104 Species: Elf Aasimar Gender: Male Occupation/position: Quartermaster/Sorcerer Alignment: Neutral good --- --- Appearance Height: 6'0 Build: Light and slender Eyes:Topaz and without pupils Hair: Red Skin Tone: Silver grey Tattoos/Scars/Piercings: A burn scar on his right arm and other, less pronounced scars on both. Personal Style: He likes having rings on him and a necklace with Avandra's symbol on it. Otherwise, his clothes are mostly practical. Normally, he wears a belt with pouches for assorted supplies and is very partial to a red cloak. --- --- Personality: IntelligentCollectedDogmaticAloofCompassionate Relationship Status: Single Questionnaire: What first impression do you make? I believe I come across as cool in temperament although perhaps rather unbending in my ideas and strict in my actions, especially if advised by my angel. What are you like in a high stress situation? I believe I can handle them rather well, partially because I am naturally level-headed and partially because there is a certain sense of calm that comes from the certainty of visions. What are your best and worst qualities? The most useful to the rest of the crew is that I am methodical in everything that I do. It ensures I keep calm and organized as well as giving me a good head for strategy. My worst is that I rarely change my mind on anything (or want to). What is something about yourself that you would never admit to anyone? It does bother me that I am as dismal with connection to others as I am. I prefer to file that feeling away for future examination. What are your dreams? To force the governments that refuse to allow people true freedom to return them or be brought to their knees. How do you want to be seen by others? Organized enough to follow me and intelligent enough to join my cause. How do you see yourself? I'm not quite sure, to be completely honest. I suppose as a sorcerer doing his best to do good by the path set out for him. Do you tend to make snap judgements, or stop and think about things? I try not to do the former. I am strongly in favor of separating my emotions from my decisions as much as possible when reason will likely get me much farther. What haunts you? Aside from the occasional ghost, the first time I saw someone die in person. It was not a peaceful passing, as the Eisengrad system's planets are not as kind to their people as Esari's. What is your philosophy on life? Stick to your virtues and do whatever is best by them. Habits: * Fiddling with his jewelry * Gestures excessively when engaged in conversation * Plays with puzzle box Hobbies: * Reading * Gardening * Playing the guitar * Solving puzzle boxes Fears: * Failure * Enclosed spaces Likes: * Magic * Freedom * Music * People with strong morals * Nature Dislikes: * Being ignored * Apathy * Current governments * Shoes --- --- Information: General Skills: * Medicine * Strategy * Stealth * Horticulture Magical/Speciality Skills: * Basic skill with most magic except divination, proficiency in evocation and illusions * Some training in medicine * Espionage * Guitar * Darkvision Inventory: * Assorted herbs * Spellbook * Ritual knife * Inventory notebook * Rations/Water * Quill and ink * Puzzle box --- --- History: Summary: Valyrim was born on Cirrane, where his gift and his personality made him stick out like a sore thumb. His parents were typical citizens of the planet, as his parents ran a hot spring. They and other elves recognized that he was Aasimar rather quickly as his appearance is notably different from the average elf. Although his appearance might have earned respect among elves, his personality most certainly did not. As a young child, his well meaning parents attempted to mellow his character; it was mostly unsuccessful, especially if someone said something he disagreed with. He felt an unexpected level of indignation and even as a child was prone to argument with much older elves. It did not truly dawn on him that such feelings were not completely his own until his time receiving a prophecy, promising that one day the people would know true freedom. Afterwards, it was silence from his angel, resulting in hours spent attempting to puzzle out the prophecy. The answer came in a series of two short but vivid dreams: the first was a flashback to his guide kneeling to Avandra, filled with a feeling of devotion-the second was a glimpse of his future, staring at the stars from the deck of a ship, nearly overcome with such a freedom that he felt almost empty once he awoke. From then on, he devoured knowledge of magic and the known universe along with odds and ends he saw in visions. His guide would help him along his path, giving him the occasional burst of confidence that he knew promised he would help bring about the winds of change. One day, he had an unfamiliar vision. He was making his way off of a skyship, and a rather ornate one at that. As he made his way out, he glanced into the window to see nothing but the rails of the ship behind him. He patted his pocket and felt crinkling of a scroll. Grim satisfaction washed over him as he made his way into the night. After months of mulling over the dream, Valyrim accepted the next step his angel pushed him to take and left Cirrane, working his way up the criminal underworld in Iyananor by stealing and spying for crime bosses and shadier companies. Despite his intense disdain for his employers and his actual job, the travels through Esari and its nearby systems served to remind him of his end goal. Eventually, a contact who knew of his aspirations pointed him the way of the Consortium. He felt a sudden rush of certainty at the suggestion and made for the Summer's Escape, ready to fulfill his destiny. --- --- Extras Character Quote: "If we live without freedom, we hardly live at all." Anything Else: Speaks with a Welsh accent</s> <\|message\|>Dihala Varzand "Thank you, Mister Starcaller," the captain replied to their medic. The ship buzzed and got just a little more chaotic as her orders were carried out. Pixies flitted to and fro storing whatever last bits had been forgotten, the gravity anchor was being hoisted up, ropes were tied off and double-checked, the high pixie was shooed away from potential danger- and finally the sails were unfurled. It was a beautiful sort of music. Like the sound of a flock of birds ascending to the sky, their sails fluttered and and flapped as they opened and began to shimmer with solar energy. There was a brief and electric moment where everything fell silent. Dihala's grip on the helm tightened, the excitement threatening to make her squeal like a child opening a present. Then the ship lurched forward. She'd grown accustomed to their dryad's form of coordinates and quickly adjusted the helm as instructed. Seven acorns starboard, five windward. As the ship picked up speed the lights of Iyananor began to fade and dim, and eventually the planet itself faded as well. The sails were producing a low hum (as they should be), none of the ropes had come loose, and no one was tossed overboard, so all in all Dihala was calling it a successful departure. They were now on their way out of the solar system and in a month's time would be in unexplored territory, on their way to riches and glory. Everything was going according to plan. Yes, this was going to go well. After all what could go wrong? Oh a lot. A lot could go wrong. The sails could die, they could be attacked, arrested, crash, explode, suffocate. They could get stranded on a hostile planet with no hope of escape, or they could stumble across some hidden gang hideout and get murdered. Someone could get space madness and try to take over the ship, slitting Dihala's throat in her sleep in order to rise to the rank of captain. They could decide they hated her and start a mutiny. That damned crazy old dwarf could have a horrible experiment go wrong that leaves all of them horribly disfigured for the rest of their lives. A star could go supernova right as they pass it and decimate the ship. Oh there was a never ending list of things that could go wrong, but Dihala was going to try to focus on what was going right. Their ship had taken flight and they were well on their way to fulfilling her- uh, the crew's dreams, they weren't broke (yet), no one on the crew hated her (yet), no one seemed like a terrible person (yet), they had plenty of supplies (for now), and everything was going well (for now). With this thought in mind Dihala locked in their heading and left the helm for a brief moment to triple check that everything had been stowed correctly. "Mister Clay, all of the cargo still secure and undamaged after take off? I know how pesky that atmospheric turbulence can be. Also," she raised her voice a little bit, "if the quartermaster, navigator, and of course our dear mister Clay could join me at the helm in about twenty minutes after we're very well on our way, I'd be very much obliged. I'd like to discuss our destination."</s> <\|message\|>Barnabum Yerickford the IV Barnabum Yericksford Once the Sky Maiden had eventually reached an altitude high enough for a blind man to see the stars, Barney gave a wistful sign. His analytical mind yammered away at the back of his mind, pointing how the specific names of star systems that he was seeing, the location of various nebulas that buffeted the blackness of the cosmos and the paths of various comets that streaked across the night sky like migratory birds. The skyport soon became a speck in the distance. Stardust looked beautiful from a skyship rather than through the suffocating guise of a planetary atmosphere. Barney briefly remembered an elf sorcerer who tried to enchant his corneas for a university project. He ended up being blinded for the next semester until a nearby cleric could provide their services. He had to thank the benefits of gnomish darkvision, though. The Skyship swayed a little as it ascended, a bobbing lurch like a feather floating about in a gale. It was imperceptible to most of the crew but Barney frowned. He double checked to make sure that the engines wouldn't hiccup. It was his finest work yet. For a newly built engine to have a slight malfunction in the first few hours…….The gnome checked over his shoulders to make sure no one was following him before sneaking down towards the engine room. Perhaps, he'd tightened the bolts too much or - Uh oh. " KILL IT! KILL THE STAR DRAGON!" The pixie pirate along with several others were banging the engine with pieces of lumbar and their swords, slashing away at the assembly with all the fury their tiny bodies could muster. The engine was belching smoke and coughing, several nicks in the pressurised valves and tubes that connected it to the thrusters. The pixies eyes were bloodshot and the room smelt heavily of smoked mushrooms. " Alright, that's it, ya little blighters." Barnabas was picking up the pixies one by one and tossing them out of the engine room but it was too late. He then stared in horror at the mangled mess of the engine and began to pull on the roots of his hair. Oh, he should have never given those damn flowerspawns his supply of mushrooms. What was he thinking? What would the captian do if she found out? Nevermind that, the whole crew would die once the engine self-dest- He paused for a moment. Why did he need to tell her in the first place? The mushroom fumes gave the air an electric tingle as he breathed it in, wondrous ideas flashing in his mind. Oh yes, he could improve the engine. He could make it even better than it was before. " Well," He strapped on his googles and took out his trusty wrench. " What the captain doesn't know won't harm her." He rubbed his hands eagerly together as he pulled out a cobweb tattered box from the corner. Blowing the dust off, he clicked open the lock and opened it, the room filling with a nauseous green glow. " Besides, I've always wanted to experiment with radioactive fuel."</s>	<\|message\|>Valyrim Phithyra As the (miraculously) functional chaos continued with what seemed to be only minor incident, Valyrim allowed himself a moment to be lost in the stars. He had traveled theough space a number of times but until now he had never let himself do so when he was about as significant to employers as a blade of grass. The Iron Maiden's crew seemed as though it would prove to be more personable than hardened executives of shadowy conglomerates. As he stared out, part of him wished he had indulged more often. Even the horizons planetside didn't hold a candle to the awestriking enormity of space and the stardust littering it. The vivid illusions of Cirrane's finest couldn't quite capture it, let alone the books he had spent much of his time in. He was jolted out of his unusually welcome distraction by the sound of acorns clattering on the ground. Clearly, he had misjudged Fel's abilties. They were in good hands if she knew the intricacies of acorn-based navigation. That at least was one worry quelled, although he got the impression that his concerns about the pixies and the engineer were rightly so. He may be certain he would get off of the ship alive but unharmed was no guarantee. Your guidance would be greatly appreciated now. He pouted continued to survey the decks when no response from his angel came, fiddling with the charm that hung from his necklace. Later in the voyage, perhaps. It had been an eventful day, he reminded himself, and more would come soon enough. For now, he still had an obligation to the crew. Speaking of, the ship had sailed a ways away from Iyananor. Per the captain's orders, the elf made his way to the helm, taking care to avoid fairies and scattered acorns alike.</s>
<\|description\|>Cassius Vance Cassius Vance ● 27 ● He/Him ______________________________________ Appearance: Cassius is lithe and fairly well built, standing at just over 6ft tall. His hair is a jet black with silver-blue eyes. He wears a set of well made armor that is a combination of leather and metal: leather at the joints to keep things flexible and metal to protect vitals. He wears a cloak over it that is lined with fur for when he travels to colder regions. He carries his swords in a sheath on his belt and his shield slung over his back, so he can dual wield or use a shield as the situation requires. He has many different pouches and vials on a belt that carry anything he may need for his hunts. Reputation: Cassius can come off as cold and unfeeling to those who first meet him, as his job always comes before anything else. He is quick to the point and focused on gathering information. However, if one was to meet him off the job while he's relaxing and having a good time they would see that he's fairly open to meeting new people and is pretty quick to laugh or jump into crazy ideas. Reason for Traveling: Cassius works as a spellsword all across the whole of Sedaia, mostly working on tracking down monsters that are threatening a city, but he doesn't often turn down any work that happens to come his way. He's done guard jobs, bounty hunting, or traveling to far reaches of the continent for expeditions or otherwise. No part of the continent is off his radar and he will explore all of it if he has the chance. At present he is working on a job for a wealthy landowner that owns a large estate in The Midlands who has been having some trouble with a magically enhanced beast on one of the large plantations he owns in The Croplands. The beast is more dangerous than others he has tackled previously, or so his employer says. He is in the process of tracking it down, as he is unsure of its exact location, both so he can get paid and to help out the neighboring cities. Skills: * His favored weaponry is longswords and a shield, though he capable of wielding most weapons. * He practices elemental magics-specifically fire and lightning-that he can imbue his weapons with * He is fond of woodcarving, riding horses, and is a surprisingly good cook. Meta: Getting to meet up with the other travelers and make connections is going to be a big part of this for him. That being said I'm pretty open to most anything when it comes to drama, complications, etc. I'm mostly in this to make a good story with y'all! For character progression I think he wants to know that he can be more than just his job, which has kept him traveling for most of his life, and he's never really had a solid connection with anyone for more than a short time. He'd like to know that there's more than just surviving and killing. He loves exploring new lands, but doing it alone isn't always the most enjoyable experience. That being said something else he could probably stand to learn is how to ask for help when a job is too much for one person. I suppose how that comes about is up to you guys! Extra: Cassius worships Palir-mainly for his focus on both danger and safety</s> <\|message\|>Jason Miller Jason was glad he wasn't the only one concerned about this situation. A tall man armed with a sword also got involved with the scuffle, and wanted to know what was going on. The girl at the center of all of this was red in the face. Jason didn't know what she was feeling right now. Probably nervous, considering she was surrounded by strange men. The two strange men tried to talk themselves out of this. They claimed they weren't doing anything wrong. But isn't that what someone who was doing something wrong would say when they'd been found out? The way this guy so casually touched the girl he didn't know didn't exactly read innocent in Jason's eyes. Then the other man, who was missing several teeth, some of which were replaced with crystals, got in between them all. He tried to talk his way out of this mess, and convince them that they would lose their place in line or whatever. All that did was just make Jason more suspicious of these two in all honesty. What were they trying to get away with? The farmer rolled his eyes. "Yeah... I don't know about that... Jason's free hand sparked with electricity, and he fired some lightning at the man with his hand on the girl's shoulder. "Girl, run!" Then he turned his attention back to the strange men. Ha! betcha didn't expect that from a farm boy!" He boasted with a smug grin on his face.</s> <\|message\|>Nea @Crimson Flame@Yankee "We're just looking for someone, okay?" And in that moment, Nea woke up. Oh. Ok. That's how it was. Of course. Wow. Just looking for someone, huh? Not looking for her, but someone else, huh? Probably someone tall and lithe, with hips wider than her shoulders and breasts the size of melons, huh? Ain't hurting anyone, huh? We're all friends here, huh?! JUST FRIENDS, HUH?!!! Nea Honeyforge of the Highlands was a peaceful girl. She enjoyed idling away warm spring days in the orchards when she could, listening to the chirping of the birds and the buzzing of the bees as she drank in the sweet aroma of ripening fruits. She enjoyed talking to her fellow maids about all sorts of nonsense, boasting about things she's never done before, laughing over stupid word plays or silly gossip. She ate healthily, slept as well as she could, and prayed on the holy days to Tazia on high, as pious as any other Highlander. She was a peaceful girl, after all, unwieldy with a weapon and not prone to fits of violence. She was also a sixteen year old girl who could dismantle a boar in half an hour with a single knife (admittedly also with others assisting). And she did not shy from the many penises she removed during such bloody work. The red of embarrassment, of such naïve dreams of being accosted by four ruggedly handsome men, turned into the red of embarrassment, of a maiden deceived, honor besmirched by rapscallions on the road. And that, in turn, gave way to uncommon indignation, a desire to retaliate! That leathery-skinned old bat. Who taught him it was a good idea to keep such an unseemly wisp of a beard? That shiny-toothed creeper. Didn't he learn his lesson about cleaning is teeth after the first one rotted out and fell? "We," she said, with all the fury of a furry puppy, "are not friends." Nea gripped her club, knuckles tightening over the stout wood until they turned white, her gaze settling on the smooth-talker. A swift strike to the crotch then? Or maybe a hearty whap to the face? How about end his ability to have children? Not that any woman would want to anyways. Pah, that bitch Mira. Bet this was her design. The maid drew her breath, hardened her amber gaze, an- Lightning cracked, a thunderous boom following instantly as a magical force shot into the leathery-skinned uncle, shooting into his chest, through his blood, down his limbs…and then into Nea herself. BZZZT went the maid, and she promptly fell unconscious.</s>	<\|message\|>Cassius Vance Cassius tensed slightly and tightened the grip he had on the hilt of his sword as the man raised his voice. Best he could tell these men were a couple of idiots at best and hired thugs at worst. He'd dealt with their type plenty in his travels around and had seen his fair share of encounters get violent quick. While that wouldn't be a problem for him, he didn't want to put anyone else in the area in harms way. Better to just try to smooth this over without crossing swords... He scowled down at the shorter man who stepped up between them, clearly trying his hardest to appear amiable. He'd have had a better shot if he bothered to take care of himself at all. His pallid skin and poorly done implants just further proved this. We're all friends here, huh? He highly doubted that. He reached a gauntleted hand forward and placed it on the shorter man's shoulder, tightening his grip to the point that it was almost uncomfortable. He heard the angry voice of the girl come from behind the man, confirming his suspicions that they were not friends. "Just let the little lady go and then, maybe, we can see about finding that person you're looking for, alright." His grip tightened just a bit more, a pleasant smile crossing his face, but a threatening undertone to his voice. It wasn't a suggestion. "No need for anyone here to get hurt." A sudden spark of lightning flashed from the hand of the younger man; he felt a brief moment of surprise that moved into concern as he saw both the tanned man and the girl drop to the ground like a puppet whose strings had just been cut, "Spoke too soon I guess." Using his hand on the man's shoulder as an anchor point, and the moment of surprise, he slammed his knee into the stomach of the smaller man causing him to double over. A swift blow to the temple and the man was on the ground with his friend. Cassius shook out his hand as he stepped over the man to kneel next to the unconscious form of the girl. He wasn't a doctor but he figured she would be alright in time. He looked back towards the other man, "Not the wisest course of action, but it got the job done I suppose."</s>
<\|description\|>Artemie Isra Gender: Female Age: 23 (Born 211 SA) Personality: Brave, enterprising, dutiful, and resolute… On duty. Artemie had to be all of these things to volunteer for the mission she did but she couldn't have predicted the toll that it would take on her personally. On her own time Artemie feels out of place, or more accurately out of time. Even though the years passed like the blink of an eye for her she is acutely aware that events that feel like yesterday for her happened, in some cases, years before her colleagues were old enough to serve. Every now and again the reminder can give the naturally outgoing girl pause, putting her on the back foot until she can power through it. She tends to overcompensate by trying to learn everything that has happened since her mission began all at once, cramming information in until she can't help but get some of it muddled. These habits can give the impression of someone a little absentminded. In the cockpit all of her uncertainty disappears replaced with calm assurance. Despite being one of the most junior members of the expedition experientially she has no problem holding her own with people actually her own age. Artemie loves to chat when she has her feet firmly planted in the present, and remains fascinated by the years of Orbital development that happened while she was gone. Backstory: Artemie Isra was born in 211 SA on the Moon colony of Armstrong, a thriving city of almost a million souls. She was given up for adoption but the fact never really bothered her; she had loving adoptive parents, a home, and a comfortable childhood. The probe bound for Proxima Centauri launched when she was three years old and little Artemie was fascinated. Her excitement never died down, not when the probe arrived, not in the years waiting for the data to come back, and certainly not when she became a pilot in preparation for any expedition that might come her way. Or when she studied in her free time to become a technician. Artemie Isra had been born in time to explore the stars and she was determined to do just that. Most of her training was done on recently decommissioned Heavies, graduating to the newer Orbitals during her service and signing up for any mission that might get her closer to the stars. And then the probe data failed to return on time. Months dragged on, and the diagnosis came back; the booster the probe had dropped on its way to Proxima Centauri had malfunctioned. Two and a half lightyears away, too far for any drone to repair it and too far for it to be easily replaced. Someone would have to go and fix it. Artemie volunteered. Her adoptive parents had passed away a few years earlier, she had no siblings, and few attachments. And it was a chance to go farther than anyone had traveled to date. Two and a half lightyears, almost ten years of travel, just to reach the booster and repair it. She strapped into the first deep space Orbital anyone could lay hands on and went to sleep. When she awoke she had reached her destination and nothing could have prepared her for the emptiness so far past the limits of her solar system. She made her repairs in just under twelve hours, and went down again for the cold sleep to wait for CAPEI Operations to confirm the data had been received. Not, admittedly, before she took a peek for herself. The computer woke her again with a choice; the data had been received, and an expedition had been greenlit. It would leave before she returned. She could set course for home and settle in for the long nap, and the twenty year wait for what answers the expedition would find… Or she could go back into cryo and wait for the Pandora to collect her on its way to Proxima Centauri. She went to sleep again, with a preprogrammed intercept with the Pandora scheduled in twelve years. She wouldn't wake again for another twenty. But she would see the light of another star. Skills and Flaws: Despite one of the longest service records, Artemie has among the least actual combat experience among the Pandora's pilots. She was born, raised, and served on the Moon; so far in-system there was no cause for Orbital deployment on anything more than routine patrols. Her simulator scores, her practice battles, all of her scores on paper are excellent and indicative of the gifted pilot that she is but she has never had to face a real battle; an opponent with the intent to kill. Similarly, despite her best efforts, her knowledge of Orbitals is thirty years out of date. On the other hand, her engineering knowledge is top notch. She was tapped to fix the relay for her knowledge in both piloting and electronics, after all, and had to have the requisite knowledge to repair any one of the systems that may have malfunctioned. Additionally, she would need to be able to repair her Orbital, her cryostasis equipment, or any one of half a dozen critical systems necessary for her mission. As a result, Artemie is a repairwoman and Macgyver par excellence. Her piloting style tends more towards the creative than the textbook, a work of instinct and not of protocol. She always looks for the edge, the upgrade that she can fashion for herself to narrow the playing field. Equipment: Artemie has nothing on her person that she did not take on her original mission. Owing to the original mission profile, that means she has an extensive tool box, a standard issue sidearm, a diagnostic computer, a pilot suit, and her uniform. Model Number: IS-049 Voyager ("Starlight") Role: Deep Space Operations Appearance: Tall and powerfully built at 24.5m tall, with tapered spires upon its shoulders and a protruding chest like a bomber's nose. Inset in the tip is a gleaming red circular emitter. Its shoulders descend into cylindrical forearms, its legs long and aerodynamic. A regal, crested helm with a red sensor visor to protect its cameras adorns the top. Variable wing stabilizes adorn its back and calves, with thrusters mounted on its back, shoulders, calves, and the bottom of its feet. The Starlight is cast in hues of blued steel, with small red details and gold accents. Inscribed just below the emitter on its chest in hand sprayed gold letters are the words "Ultima Ratio Regum", and on either shoulder "Luci Ad Tenebras". Powerful boosters in unaccented black are added to its shoulders and calves when fully equipped for deep space operations. Systems: -X Corp "G-Aegis" Emitters: Beam emitters mounted in the shoulders and chest, designed to form an arrowhead shaped shield ahead of the Voyager during flight to incinerate any debris that might cause harm during its relativistic journey. Can be formed in an arrowhead 'above' and encompassing the upper body of the Voyager, or the emitters can flip forward and cast a wider, more blunted shape over the front of the Voyager above the head and down to the waist. -Isurugi Heavy Industries "Dauntless" Booster System: Four boosters, with their own additional capacitors charged off of the Voyager's Oberth Reactor. Fitted on its shoulders and calves, the Dauntless boosters are capable of significantly increasing the Voyager's straightline acceleration and stamina at the cost of some maneuverability. Can be purged, but cannot be reattached in the field. -Isurugi Heavy Industries "Starlight" Electronics Suite: Something of a misnomer, "Starlight" is the Voyager's computer. Capable of filtering interference out from signals at great distance, limited automation of Orbital functions slaved to voice command, and following preprogrammed flight plans with self correcting trajectories due to outside interference. Weapons: -X Corp G-Lancier: The torso emitter for the G-Aegis is also capable of acting as a beam cannon of considerable strength, enough to destroy an Orbital if it hits. The output is variable and can be cranked higher than is recommended, but at substantial drain to the Voyager's power. The Voyager does not have powerful enough targeting systems to make a shot at greater than medium range unassisted. -X Corp G-Aegis: Though intended to deal with debris, the G-Aegis is both the Voyager's most powerful (and only) defense as well as one of its most powerful offensive tools. The same beam shield intended to protect it from debris will protect it from solid projectiles, as well as energy attacks… As long as the power supply holds. In the same fashion, it can be used to turn the entire Orbital into a beam tipped projectile with considerable ramming speed. -Isurugi Heavy Industries 50mm Rotary Cannon: Mounted in the right forearm, magnetically fired. -Jawaid and Jawaid Cluster Missiles x2: Hip mounted. -Isurugi Heavy Industries Beam Saber: Left arm stored. Manufacturing History: Isurugi Heavy Industries' Voyager is a second generation Orbital hurriedly commissioned in 234 SA.. Without the time for a long development cycle Isurugi borrowed one of the prototype frames for what would eventually become the IS-50 Odysseus in reference to the long journey of their sister. Despite their shared base the Voyager was designed from top to bottom in less than six months for use in deep space beyond any hope for assistance. First and foremost, the Voyager was fitted with thirty percent more capacitors than any Orbital at the time. It wouldn't speed up the recharge, but it would make sure there was more power initially available. And it was necessary; the booster assemblies that would accelerate it to the nearly same maximum speed available to an Oberth Reactor-powered ship needed an incredible amount of power to start up. From there the Voyager needed to be able to sustain its pilot for the planned round trip, nearly twenty years. That meant building the facilities to keep Artemie in cryostasis into a single 'room' on board the boosters, along with building an access point on the Orbital's back to move from her stasis chamber to the cockpit. The Voyager required an above average AI to control its functions, as well. Though far from a true artificial intelligence the on board computer needed to be able to follow a programmed course, recognize debris in the way, and wake its pilot in case of emergency. And in keeping with standing human policy, it had to be armed. No sanctioned human excursion into the black went without the capability to defend itself. Weaknesses: The Voyager is fast, strong, enduring… And it was never meant to be a frontline combat unit. Its arsenal draws on the same enhanced capacitors it needed for its sustained mission, and the most potent of its offensive arsenal simply repurposes the same technology that mission required. Used at its full potential the Voyager will run out of power rapidly and be left dead in the water. Owing to this restriction, Artemie will refrain from using its beam options (aside from the saber) as much as she can. This means the Voyager makes requent use of its rotary cannon, and frankly, its bare hands. Though the G-Aegis is a powerful defense, against any sort of sustained assault it will drain the capacitors rapidly. Against a sustained energy attack the shield would drain the capacitors exponentially, while physical munitions are less of an issue.</s> <\|message\|>Volana Jacira --- For a moment it sounded as if she had never actually left Venus, and it was all Volana could do to avoid lapsing into her native tongue. Still, she appreciated the small amount of comfort and familiarity that it brought, lightyears from a home that she would in all likely hood never see again. It was reassuring that her now fifteen year old first impressions of her comrades-in-arms still seemed to hold true, it was more likely than not that these individuals would ostensibly be the only souls she would meet for a very long time. Volana nodded in greeting to Zakharin, the older pilot more robot than she was, as her mouth currently occupied at the moment. It was then that Konstantin drew her attention to another pilot who had stepped into the mess. She was definitely a pilot, her flight suit couldn't be anything but, however it was of a complete unfamiliar design to Volana. That, and the fact that she was completely blanking on both a name and a face. Volana was fairly certain that she had met every other pilot that was on board just before they all went under for cryo, though she didn't preclude the possibility that maybe her brain got a bit too frozen during the trip. Either way, she was obviously part of the crew, even if her unifrm and patches were unfamiliar. "Don't worry, they made sure to get me food to keep that from happening," the cytherean pilot smirked, padding the empty seat next to her own with her artificial hand. Which was held by her real hand. It was then that Holden made his way over, it seemed like the bunch of them were all cut from the same cloth. Food was very important. "Plenty of room!" Volana reassured him, padding the seat on the other side in a similar manner to before.</s> <\|message\|>Zakharin 'Iron Side' Brusilov "It's a simple trick although it was quite harsh you have to take a shot of a hot sauce of at least a 1000 Scoville." He explained to Konstantin. "I promise that it will wake you right up." The colonel looked over the newcomer that Konstantin pointed out had arrived. He racked his brain to put a name to the face. Zakharin was concerned that names were beginning to slip from him. She was familiar to him as he couldn't figure out where he saw her. But these were laid to rest as the rest of the group also didn't know who she was. For now he decided to wait for her to introduce herself. "Morning or at least I think it's morning." Zakharin said to Holden as he arrived. "What you think Proxima is going to be like?" The old cyborg asked the group finishing up his own meal.</s>	<\|message\|>Artemie Isra "I'm..." The Lunite grimaced at the sound of her own voice. Cryosleep was harmless, and on paper there wasn't really any difference between being under for ten minutes or ten years. Maybe, maybe, if you stayed under for thousands of years you'd start to see some real ill effects. It didn't completely halt you after all, just ground the passage of time to such an infinitesimal rate that no change seemed to have occurred. You would have to stay under for a long time for that to add up. In practice, however, the body had something to say about occupying the same position for years and years. Her voice grated still, and the word came out in a parody of her usual tone. She took the man across the table from her's hand and shook it firmly, holding up a finger on her other hand to plead his indulgence for just a moment. Artemie took a few long, deep drinks of water and cleared her throat quietly in an effort to clear the sandpaper from her throat. When she spoke again her voice came out clearer and stronger, if not quite normal. "I'm Artemie Isra," She began again, shaking his hand once more before she released it. "It's a pleasure to meet you all. Rude of me not to meet you all before you slept, I know, but I'd been waiting for quite some time. You all are...?" Artemie took a quick glance around the table, particularly raising her eyebrows a moment at the hot sauce remark. She'd been eating... Never mind. Why did so many of them have prostheses of some kind? Was it a new trend? They weren't uncommon at home, of course, but only when medically necessary. Was it just happenstance that multiple people here needed them, or a factor of their careers? Two of them had clearly had lengthy ones just looking at them, but what about the paler girl? Was it weird that she was a pilot who hadn't undergone any upgrades now? Suddenly she felt even more out of place. Taking a break outside the flow of time sucked.</s>
<\|description\|>Artemie Isra Gender: Female Age: 23 (Born 211 SA) Personality: Brave, enterprising, dutiful, and resolute… On duty. Artemie had to be all of these things to volunteer for the mission she did but she couldn't have predicted the toll that it would take on her personally. On her own time Artemie feels out of place, or more accurately out of time. Even though the years passed like the blink of an eye for her she is acutely aware that events that feel like yesterday for her happened, in some cases, years before her colleagues were old enough to serve. Every now and again the reminder can give the naturally outgoing girl pause, putting her on the back foot until she can power through it. She tends to overcompensate by trying to learn everything that has happened since her mission began all at once, cramming information in until she can't help but get some of it muddled. These habits can give the impression of someone a little absentminded. In the cockpit all of her uncertainty disappears replaced with calm assurance. Despite being one of the most junior members of the expedition experientially she has no problem holding her own with people actually her own age. Artemie loves to chat when she has her feet firmly planted in the present, and remains fascinated by the years of Orbital development that happened while she was gone. Backstory: Artemie Isra was born in 211 SA on the Moon colony of Armstrong, a thriving city of almost a million souls. She was given up for adoption but the fact never really bothered her; she had loving adoptive parents, a home, and a comfortable childhood. The probe bound for Proxima Centauri launched when she was three years old and little Artemie was fascinated. Her excitement never died down, not when the probe arrived, not in the years waiting for the data to come back, and certainly not when she became a pilot in preparation for any expedition that might come her way. Or when she studied in her free time to become a technician. Artemie Isra had been born in time to explore the stars and she was determined to do just that. Most of her training was done on recently decommissioned Heavies, graduating to the newer Orbitals during her service and signing up for any mission that might get her closer to the stars. And then the probe data failed to return on time. Months dragged on, and the diagnosis came back; the booster the probe had dropped on its way to Proxima Centauri had malfunctioned. Two and a half lightyears away, too far for any drone to repair it and too far for it to be easily replaced. Someone would have to go and fix it. Artemie volunteered. Her adoptive parents had passed away a few years earlier, she had no siblings, and few attachments. And it was a chance to go farther than anyone had traveled to date. Two and a half lightyears, almost ten years of travel, just to reach the booster and repair it. She strapped into the first deep space Orbital anyone could lay hands on and went to sleep. When she awoke she had reached her destination and nothing could have prepared her for the emptiness so far past the limits of her solar system. She made her repairs in just under twelve hours, and went down again for the cold sleep to wait for CAPEI Operations to confirm the data had been received. Not, admittedly, before she took a peek for herself. The computer woke her again with a choice; the data had been received, and an expedition had been greenlit. It would leave before she returned. She could set course for home and settle in for the long nap, and the twenty year wait for what answers the expedition would find… Or she could go back into cryo and wait for the Pandora to collect her on its way to Proxima Centauri. She went to sleep again, with a preprogrammed intercept with the Pandora scheduled in twelve years. She wouldn't wake again for another twenty. But she would see the light of another star. Skills and Flaws: Despite one of the longest service records, Artemie has among the least actual combat experience among the Pandora's pilots. She was born, raised, and served on the Moon; so far in-system there was no cause for Orbital deployment on anything more than routine patrols. Her simulator scores, her practice battles, all of her scores on paper are excellent and indicative of the gifted pilot that she is but she has never had to face a real battle; an opponent with the intent to kill. Similarly, despite her best efforts, her knowledge of Orbitals is thirty years out of date. On the other hand, her engineering knowledge is top notch. She was tapped to fix the relay for her knowledge in both piloting and electronics, after all, and had to have the requisite knowledge to repair any one of the systems that may have malfunctioned. Additionally, she would need to be able to repair her Orbital, her cryostasis equipment, or any one of half a dozen critical systems necessary for her mission. As a result, Artemie is a repairwoman and Macgyver par excellence. Her piloting style tends more towards the creative than the textbook, a work of instinct and not of protocol. She always looks for the edge, the upgrade that she can fashion for herself to narrow the playing field. Equipment: Artemie has nothing on her person that she did not take on her original mission. Owing to the original mission profile, that means she has an extensive tool box, a standard issue sidearm, a diagnostic computer, a pilot suit, and her uniform. Model Number: IS-049 Voyager ("Starlight") Role: Deep Space Operations Appearance: Tall and powerfully built at 24.5m tall, with tapered spires upon its shoulders and a protruding chest like a bomber's nose. Inset in the tip is a gleaming red circular emitter. Its shoulders descend into cylindrical forearms, its legs long and aerodynamic. A regal, crested helm with a red sensor visor to protect its cameras adorns the top. Variable wing stabilizes adorn its back and calves, with thrusters mounted on its back, shoulders, calves, and the bottom of its feet. The Starlight is cast in hues of blued steel, with small red details and gold accents. Inscribed just below the emitter on its chest in hand sprayed gold letters are the words "Ultima Ratio Regum", and on either shoulder "Luci Ad Tenebras". Powerful boosters in unaccented black are added to its shoulders and calves when fully equipped for deep space operations. Systems: -X Corp "G-Aegis" Emitters: Beam emitters mounted in the shoulders and chest, designed to form an arrowhead shaped shield ahead of the Voyager during flight to incinerate any debris that might cause harm during its relativistic journey. Can be formed in an arrowhead 'above' and encompassing the upper body of the Voyager, or the emitters can flip forward and cast a wider, more blunted shape over the front of the Voyager above the head and down to the waist. -Isurugi Heavy Industries "Dauntless" Booster System: Four boosters, with their own additional capacitors charged off of the Voyager's Oberth Reactor. Fitted on its shoulders and calves, the Dauntless boosters are capable of significantly increasing the Voyager's straightline acceleration and stamina at the cost of some maneuverability. Can be purged, but cannot be reattached in the field. -Isurugi Heavy Industries "Starlight" Electronics Suite: Something of a misnomer, "Starlight" is the Voyager's computer. Capable of filtering interference out from signals at great distance, limited automation of Orbital functions slaved to voice command, and following preprogrammed flight plans with self correcting trajectories due to outside interference. Weapons: -X Corp G-Lancier: The torso emitter for the G-Aegis is also capable of acting as a beam cannon of considerable strength, enough to destroy an Orbital if it hits. The output is variable and can be cranked higher than is recommended, but at substantial drain to the Voyager's power. The Voyager does not have powerful enough targeting systems to make a shot at greater than medium range unassisted. -X Corp G-Aegis: Though intended to deal with debris, the G-Aegis is both the Voyager's most powerful (and only) defense as well as one of its most powerful offensive tools. The same beam shield intended to protect it from debris will protect it from solid projectiles, as well as energy attacks… As long as the power supply holds. In the same fashion, it can be used to turn the entire Orbital into a beam tipped projectile with considerable ramming speed. -Isurugi Heavy Industries 50mm Rotary Cannon: Mounted in the right forearm, magnetically fired. -Jawaid and Jawaid Cluster Missiles x2: Hip mounted. -Isurugi Heavy Industries Beam Saber: Left arm stored. Manufacturing History: Isurugi Heavy Industries' Voyager is a second generation Orbital hurriedly commissioned in 234 SA.. Without the time for a long development cycle Isurugi borrowed one of the prototype frames for what would eventually become the IS-50 Odysseus in reference to the long journey of their sister. Despite their shared base the Voyager was designed from top to bottom in less than six months for use in deep space beyond any hope for assistance. First and foremost, the Voyager was fitted with thirty percent more capacitors than any Orbital at the time. It wouldn't speed up the recharge, but it would make sure there was more power initially available. And it was necessary; the booster assemblies that would accelerate it to the nearly same maximum speed available to an Oberth Reactor-powered ship needed an incredible amount of power to start up. From there the Voyager needed to be able to sustain its pilot for the planned round trip, nearly twenty years. That meant building the facilities to keep Artemie in cryostasis into a single 'room' on board the boosters, along with building an access point on the Orbital's back to move from her stasis chamber to the cockpit. The Voyager required an above average AI to control its functions, as well. Though far from a true artificial intelligence the on board computer needed to be able to follow a programmed course, recognize debris in the way, and wake its pilot in case of emergency. And in keeping with standing human policy, it had to be armed. No sanctioned human excursion into the black went without the capability to defend itself. Weaknesses: The Voyager is fast, strong, enduring… And it was never meant to be a frontline combat unit. Its arsenal draws on the same enhanced capacitors it needed for its sustained mission, and the most potent of its offensive arsenal simply repurposes the same technology that mission required. Used at its full potential the Voyager will run out of power rapidly and be left dead in the water. Owing to this restriction, Artemie will refrain from using its beam options (aside from the saber) as much as she can. This means the Voyager makes requent use of its rotary cannon, and frankly, its bare hands. Though the G-Aegis is a powerful defense, against any sort of sustained assault it will drain the capacitors rapidly. Against a sustained energy attack the shield would drain the capacitors exponentially, while physical munitions are less of an issue.</s> <\|message\|>Volana Jacira --- That caught Volana's attention. Or more specifically, a number of things which Artemie had mentioned caught her attention within quick succession. The unfamiliar addition to their little gathering of pilots had glossed over more than a few points so nonchalantly that it took a few moments for them to sink in properly, and Volana to actually parse exactly what was being said. 241? Were we not all in cryo at that point? None of us would have been woken up during the trip, only ship crew and colony personnel. How did she? 229 doesn't make- In an effort to stem the rising tide of questions building up in the back of her mind, Volana addressed the most peculiar of the bunch. Her bright eyes fixed themselves on Artemie intently. "Wait, you are saying that planet is alive? It is not just another irradiated dead rock?"</s> <\|message\|>Konstantin Stojanović --- "A breathable atmosphere." he repeated simply, as though casting aside every other detail as extraneous. He'd already guessed she was old, no point stressing that. No mission would take him near the unlivable equator to begin with— not important. Vegetation would naturally lead to the detail he had focused on, so it in essence was relegated to the realm of an explanation rather than an important finding. He understood its scientific merit— exobiologists held alien flora and fauna as the Holy Grail of discoveries in their fields, but Konstantin had grown into a much simpler creature than they. Seas, if not oceans. Lakes and Rivers. Liquid water would regulate temperature, provide a cycle of both humidity and air currents, predictable patterns of wind between the airmasses that hung over them. Closer to the mark. But breathable. In some manner, Earthlike. He began to steeple his fingers in front of him, furrowing his brow as his eyes took on a new and intense light. His plain affectations were replaced by a bombardment of muttered conclusions, as if the pilot was attacking the questions in his mind as they came. "Putting aside the obvious necessary similarity in composition, that means a similar barometry, if our lungs could process it. The same regarding density. Maybe closer to the top of a mountain or the depths of a canyon than sea level, but all told, human respiratory systems have a definite range of what constitutes proper breathability. So long as there are no curveballs on the fluid dynamics, that means lift generation isn't unthinkable. Did the probe get readings on airborne dust, by chance? Any sort of particulate that would jam a turbofan?" He was already confident his Orbital could truck through most skies one might expect to encounter, but if traditional engines were capable of working, that opened a whole slew of possibilities.</s>	<\|message\|>Artemie Isra Okay. So the Colony Module was what it said on the tin, but how was the ship carrying it? That had to be a sizable piece of equipment. Or, pieces of equipment. What she wouldn't have given to see the ship from the outside when it launched. That line of thought could wait, though. Whoops. Lots of questions. Okay. "Well, there wasn't really anyone to stop me." Artemie began to explain, directing her answer to Holden with a slightly sheepish smile. "I thought about it, and I suppose I could have gotten in trouble if anyone noticed. But I mean, I didn't expect them to. And as far as I know they didn't. If they did what were they going to do? Come get me? It would have taken years just to hear their lecture." "Anyway, my computer couldn't really display a lot of the data. It was really meant to be opened on science stations, obviously, so I could only take a peek at maybe half of what was there. But it could handle satellite images fine, and there were a lot of those. Um..." She refocused on Volana, Zakherin, and Konstantin, repeating their names in her head to fix them more firmly in her mind. Her voice was getting stronger as she spoke, some life returning to her features and mannerisms. "I'm afraid the majority isn't very lush, Colonel, but from what I saw it should be reasonably familiar. The areas near water looked fairly temperate, but to tell you the truth meteorology isn't exactly my specialty. But definitely alive. There is vegetation of some sort along all of the major sources of liquid water that I saw." "As for dust... I'm sure that data was there, but it wasn't anything I could open. The official briefing should fill us all in on the rest, right?"</s>
<\|description\|>Artemie Isra Gender: Female Age: 23 (Born 211 SA) Personality: Brave, enterprising, dutiful, and resolute… On duty. Artemie had to be all of these things to volunteer for the mission she did but she couldn't have predicted the toll that it would take on her personally. On her own time Artemie feels out of place, or more accurately out of time. Even though the years passed like the blink of an eye for her she is acutely aware that events that feel like yesterday for her happened, in some cases, years before her colleagues were old enough to serve. Every now and again the reminder can give the naturally outgoing girl pause, putting her on the back foot until she can power through it. She tends to overcompensate by trying to learn everything that has happened since her mission began all at once, cramming information in until she can't help but get some of it muddled. These habits can give the impression of someone a little absentminded. In the cockpit all of her uncertainty disappears replaced with calm assurance. Despite being one of the most junior members of the expedition experientially she has no problem holding her own with people actually her own age. Artemie loves to chat when she has her feet firmly planted in the present, and remains fascinated by the years of Orbital development that happened while she was gone. Backstory: Artemie Isra was born in 211 SA on the Moon colony of Armstrong, a thriving city of almost a million souls. She was given up for adoption but the fact never really bothered her; she had loving adoptive parents, a home, and a comfortable childhood. The probe bound for Proxima Centauri launched when she was three years old and little Artemie was fascinated. Her excitement never died down, not when the probe arrived, not in the years waiting for the data to come back, and certainly not when she became a pilot in preparation for any expedition that might come her way. Or when she studied in her free time to become a technician. Artemie Isra had been born in time to explore the stars and she was determined to do just that. Most of her training was done on recently decommissioned Heavies, graduating to the newer Orbitals during her service and signing up for any mission that might get her closer to the stars. And then the probe data failed to return on time. Months dragged on, and the diagnosis came back; the booster the probe had dropped on its way to Proxima Centauri had malfunctioned. Two and a half lightyears away, too far for any drone to repair it and too far for it to be easily replaced. Someone would have to go and fix it. Artemie volunteered. Her adoptive parents had passed away a few years earlier, she had no siblings, and few attachments. And it was a chance to go farther than anyone had traveled to date. Two and a half lightyears, almost ten years of travel, just to reach the booster and repair it. She strapped into the first deep space Orbital anyone could lay hands on and went to sleep. When she awoke she had reached her destination and nothing could have prepared her for the emptiness so far past the limits of her solar system. She made her repairs in just under twelve hours, and went down again for the cold sleep to wait for CAPEI Operations to confirm the data had been received. Not, admittedly, before she took a peek for herself. The computer woke her again with a choice; the data had been received, and an expedition had been greenlit. It would leave before she returned. She could set course for home and settle in for the long nap, and the twenty year wait for what answers the expedition would find… Or she could go back into cryo and wait for the Pandora to collect her on its way to Proxima Centauri. She went to sleep again, with a preprogrammed intercept with the Pandora scheduled in twelve years. She wouldn't wake again for another twenty. But she would see the light of another star. Skills and Flaws: Despite one of the longest service records, Artemie has among the least actual combat experience among the Pandora's pilots. She was born, raised, and served on the Moon; so far in-system there was no cause for Orbital deployment on anything more than routine patrols. Her simulator scores, her practice battles, all of her scores on paper are excellent and indicative of the gifted pilot that she is but she has never had to face a real battle; an opponent with the intent to kill. Similarly, despite her best efforts, her knowledge of Orbitals is thirty years out of date. On the other hand, her engineering knowledge is top notch. She was tapped to fix the relay for her knowledge in both piloting and electronics, after all, and had to have the requisite knowledge to repair any one of the systems that may have malfunctioned. Additionally, she would need to be able to repair her Orbital, her cryostasis equipment, or any one of half a dozen critical systems necessary for her mission. As a result, Artemie is a repairwoman and Macgyver par excellence. Her piloting style tends more towards the creative than the textbook, a work of instinct and not of protocol. She always looks for the edge, the upgrade that she can fashion for herself to narrow the playing field. Equipment: Artemie has nothing on her person that she did not take on her original mission. Owing to the original mission profile, that means she has an extensive tool box, a standard issue sidearm, a diagnostic computer, a pilot suit, and her uniform. Model Number: IS-049 Voyager ("Starlight") Role: Deep Space Operations Appearance: Tall and powerfully built at 24.5m tall, with tapered spires upon its shoulders and a protruding chest like a bomber's nose. Inset in the tip is a gleaming red circular emitter. Its shoulders descend into cylindrical forearms, its legs long and aerodynamic. A regal, crested helm with a red sensor visor to protect its cameras adorns the top. Variable wing stabilizes adorn its back and calves, with thrusters mounted on its back, shoulders, calves, and the bottom of its feet. The Starlight is cast in hues of blued steel, with small red details and gold accents. Inscribed just below the emitter on its chest in hand sprayed gold letters are the words "Ultima Ratio Regum", and on either shoulder "Luci Ad Tenebras". Powerful boosters in unaccented black are added to its shoulders and calves when fully equipped for deep space operations. Systems: -X Corp "G-Aegis" Emitters: Beam emitters mounted in the shoulders and chest, designed to form an arrowhead shaped shield ahead of the Voyager during flight to incinerate any debris that might cause harm during its relativistic journey. Can be formed in an arrowhead 'above' and encompassing the upper body of the Voyager, or the emitters can flip forward and cast a wider, more blunted shape over the front of the Voyager above the head and down to the waist. -Isurugi Heavy Industries "Dauntless" Booster System: Four boosters, with their own additional capacitors charged off of the Voyager's Oberth Reactor. Fitted on its shoulders and calves, the Dauntless boosters are capable of significantly increasing the Voyager's straightline acceleration and stamina at the cost of some maneuverability. Can be purged, but cannot be reattached in the field. -Isurugi Heavy Industries "Starlight" Electronics Suite: Something of a misnomer, "Starlight" is the Voyager's computer. Capable of filtering interference out from signals at great distance, limited automation of Orbital functions slaved to voice command, and following preprogrammed flight plans with self correcting trajectories due to outside interference. Weapons: -X Corp G-Lancier: The torso emitter for the G-Aegis is also capable of acting as a beam cannon of considerable strength, enough to destroy an Orbital if it hits. The output is variable and can be cranked higher than is recommended, but at substantial drain to the Voyager's power. The Voyager does not have powerful enough targeting systems to make a shot at greater than medium range unassisted. -X Corp G-Aegis: Though intended to deal with debris, the G-Aegis is both the Voyager's most powerful (and only) defense as well as one of its most powerful offensive tools. The same beam shield intended to protect it from debris will protect it from solid projectiles, as well as energy attacks… As long as the power supply holds. In the same fashion, it can be used to turn the entire Orbital into a beam tipped projectile with considerable ramming speed. -Isurugi Heavy Industries 50mm Rotary Cannon: Mounted in the right forearm, magnetically fired. -Jawaid and Jawaid Cluster Missiles x2: Hip mounted. -Isurugi Heavy Industries Beam Saber: Left arm stored. Manufacturing History: Isurugi Heavy Industries' Voyager is a second generation Orbital hurriedly commissioned in 234 SA.. Without the time for a long development cycle Isurugi borrowed one of the prototype frames for what would eventually become the IS-50 Odysseus in reference to the long journey of their sister. Despite their shared base the Voyager was designed from top to bottom in less than six months for use in deep space beyond any hope for assistance. First and foremost, the Voyager was fitted with thirty percent more capacitors than any Orbital at the time. It wouldn't speed up the recharge, but it would make sure there was more power initially available. And it was necessary; the booster assemblies that would accelerate it to the nearly same maximum speed available to an Oberth Reactor-powered ship needed an incredible amount of power to start up. From there the Voyager needed to be able to sustain its pilot for the planned round trip, nearly twenty years. That meant building the facilities to keep Artemie in cryostasis into a single 'room' on board the boosters, along with building an access point on the Orbital's back to move from her stasis chamber to the cockpit. The Voyager required an above average AI to control its functions, as well. Though far from a true artificial intelligence the on board computer needed to be able to follow a programmed course, recognize debris in the way, and wake its pilot in case of emergency. And in keeping with standing human policy, it had to be armed. No sanctioned human excursion into the black went without the capability to defend itself. Weaknesses: The Voyager is fast, strong, enduring… And it was never meant to be a frontline combat unit. Its arsenal draws on the same enhanced capacitors it needed for its sustained mission, and the most potent of its offensive arsenal simply repurposes the same technology that mission required. Used at its full potential the Voyager will run out of power rapidly and be left dead in the water. Owing to this restriction, Artemie will refrain from using its beam options (aside from the saber) as much as she can. This means the Voyager makes requent use of its rotary cannon, and frankly, its bare hands. Though the G-Aegis is a powerful defense, against any sort of sustained assault it will drain the capacitors rapidly. Against a sustained energy attack the shield would drain the capacitors exponentially, while physical munitions are less of an issue.</s> <\|message\|>Zakharin 'Iron Side' Brusilov As Zakharin finished the instant coffee more of the pilots trickled into the mess hall. The old marine greeted them as they came to the table. Fishing out the leather case in his breast pocket as he listens to Artemie's story. He agreed with Holden's assessment that the Lunite must be here for a desire to explore the unknown. Taking out one of the cigars from the package he took a moment to glance around the "If we're lucky we will all get some place named after us." He said cutting the cigar. He took a quick glance over to Adam. The old marine noticed the way the Martian was looking around the room. He figured that Adam was getting upon the same train of thought he was on. As quickly as it appeared the younger man covered it up with a grin. Zakharin made a mental note to talk to the Martian about it when the opportunity presented itself as he open his lighter.</s> <\|message\|>Volana Jacira --- Artemie's explanation raised as many questions as it answered, though she held her tongue for now. Volana had a feeling that the myriad of questions beginning to bubble to the surface of her mind would be addressed either during the briefing, or more directly, once they reached the surface of the planet proper. That, and she had no desire to overwhelm the other pilot, especially now that she knew just how long Artemie Isra had actually been frozen for. If she had felt disoriented when coming out of a fifteen year stint in the tube, Volana could only imagine what sort of cobwebs Artemie was shaking out of her mind at the moment. Speaking of the briefing... "Perhaps we should bring that up during the briefing, yes?" Volana suggested at Brusilov's mention of getting naming honors, the slight lilting cadence of her accent indicating the half-serious mirth in which she put forth the idea. The Cytherean pilot stacked the packages of her MRE together before standing. "I am going to head to the hangar, maybe I find out more information if I arrive early." Volana made her way towards the door of the mess, disposing of the remains of her MREs as she went. "If anyone would like to join me."</s> <\|message\|>Fox Fox As the other pilots discussed the state of the planet and queried their "new" squad member, Fox simply sat back, ate his MRE and listened. Letting his head bob along to the flow of the conversation, the young man took the opportunity to silently size up his squad mates. Behind the impassive mask of his face, Fox caught Adam's nervous glance around the otherwise empty mess hall. ...Of course we're the first ones up. If things go sideways, we need to be ready. Why does everyone seem to forget that the mechs we pilot originated from an alien war machine? And here we are, light-years from "home" on the first interstellar colony ship, makes perfect sense to me that the Higher Ups would want to be prepared for a hostile first contact... Not letting himself shake his head in irritation, Fox allows himself a slight smile as the Cytherean pilot made mention of heading to the hanger early. "An excellent idea. Give me a moment and I'll join you." His PDA chirps for him as he signs one-handedly, his other quickly shoving the rest of his MRE into his face.</s>	<\|message\|>Artemie Isra "Not in the slightest." "Not that it'll hurt going back to all that money if I ever make it back to the Moon." Artemie's grin came back with a slightly knowing tilt. He was right; after a minimum of forty five years on ice before getting home there'd be a hefty paycheck waiting for her. Enough to go on 'vacation' for decades if she really wanted. Not to mention the seniority she was accruing. But it wasn't the point and Holden had hit the nail on the head. "I've wanted to make this trip my whole life. What was ten more years in cryo in comparison?" She shrugged a little, pushing herself carefully to her feet and nodding at Adam's introduction. "It's nice to meet you, Adam. I think Volana's right about getting to the hangar. If we don't hurry, they might name things after other people."</s>
<\|description\|>Zakharin 'Iron Side' Brusilov Gender: Male Age: 67 Appearance: Brusilov stands an impressive 6'5 with a strong build to his body thanks to the amount of cybernetics in his body. In fact up-to 65% of his body is composed of cybernetics. Consisting of replacement heart, left lung, and spine. Bot of his arms and legs have been replaced as these old 3rd gen parts are far more utilitarian lacking the synthetic skin. Earning the nickname iron side. He keeps his hair in a marine buzz cut. While keeping a magnificent beard and mustache. As his brown hair has long since turned white. He wears the standard UN marine uniform. Personality: Brusilov is known to be quite a stubborn man. He carries himself with a degree of professionalism that was instilled into him while he was still in basic. Expecting the same from those under him. The old marine firmly takes to the old notion that a good officer must lead from the front as it inspires his men. He has known protective lives under his command more than his own life. Brusilov hates being reminded of his old age. Backstory: Born to a blue collar family in the slums of Moscow around 182 SA. Life was tough upbringing in the old capital of the Russian federation. He struggled in school throughout his youth and nearly dropped out of school during his freshman year. He had already joined a small street gang. But despite this Zakharin still wanted more to his life. Soon an opportunity presented itself as a United Nation marines corps recruiter came to Moscow. Hearing the possible life he could have in the marines granted the young man some clarity. Brusilov was able to lie about his age and joined the marines. Zakharin shipped out to the UN marine training camp. Unlike his struggles with school he took greatly to his new life in the military. His zeal during his time earned him a promotion to the rank of corporal. Once his training was complete Brusilov was shipped out to the fight in the belt pacification campaign. Clearing out pirate and smugglers bases hidden among the asteroids. He performed admirably during the operation earning him an officers commission. Over the next couple of decades Brusilov sent to different hotspots across the systems earning fame and metals for his service in the marine. Eventually making up to the rank of major where he stayed for several years avoiding any promotion to a higher rank. His desire not to achieve higher rank came from a concern that he would no longer be able to take part in front-line combat. This fear came back when assisting in a peacekeeping operation on Titan. A car bomb went off next to his squad during one of their patrols. Taking the full brunt of the explosion he was quickly evacuated to a medical station. And after a grueling 12 hour surgery ended up with most of his body being replaced with cybernetics. When Brusilov recovered from the wounds he was able to get sent back to his unit. As Zakharin's long and illustrious career dragged on a certain issue became more apparent. The cyborg became more concerned that one day he would be pulled from combat and stuck behind a desk. He started to look for a way to avoid retirement. Brusilov soon was informed about an opening on Pandora for their head of security requested a transfered to the expedition. Having the old marine on the ship was considered to be a major boon for the expedition but they informed him if he wanted the position he would have accepted the rank of colonel. Reluctantly Brusilov accepted the position. Skills and Flaws: -Cybernetics: Since a lot of Brusilov body have been replaced with cybernetics it confers many benefits to him. Enhance strength, durability, and inbuilt weapons. But he has several medical issues due to the implants. For one his blood has to be dialysis as his blood is synthetic. Another problem is that he has older generation cybernetics thus requiring him to take special drugs in order to keep his body from rejecting the implants. -Harden Veteran: A long and extensive career in the UN marines as both a regular enlisted man to piloting an Orbitals has molded Brusilov into a dangerous foe to engage. With a large amount of training and experience to call upon. - Old age: The colonel has begun to slow down in his old age and has trouble accumulating new technology. Equipment: -Standard issue UNMC uniform -.45 handgun - Automatic 8 gauge shotgun -toolkit - box of cigars/zippo lighter Cybernetics implants: -Dermal Armor: Zakharin has armor woven into his skin that is able to reduce inflicted damage effects from blunt trauma, ballistic attacks, cutting, and/or slashing attacks. Secondary functionality also provides protection from electromagnetic pulse (EMP) assault. Although it limits the flexibility of his own skin. The dermal armor lacks in comparison to proper ballistic protection. -Nanoblade: mounted on the top of his right arm is a monomolecular edge blade. Works great against flesh and light armor. But is ineffective for cutting through ceramic-metallic plate armor or similar material. -Implanted SMG: In his left arm is mounted into his arm. Meant to be a holdout weapon in case of an emergency. It can't be reloaded without removing some of the arm plates. -Shock absorbed: The leg's higher-density muscle bunches in tandem with the shock-absorbing gel matrix found in its knee joints is far better at absorbing shock. Allowing the Zakharin to survive longer falls. ============================================== Model Number: CO-m31(A) Odysseus Role: Command Appearance: The Odysseus stands at the regular height for an Orbital about 21 meters. Its body is the most noticeable thing about the orbital as all that comes from that orbital series. Its body is designed to maximize protection of the more important systems while trying to reduce weight. Systems: Sensor Array: The sensors on Odysseus are highly advanced, able to cut through most forms of interference giving it a clear view of the battle field harvesting any information is funneled into the pilot and to the battle net for other Orbitals to use. Battle net: Far more than just a simple Communication system. The battle net links many different orbitals onto a signal network. This new work provides Common operational picture to not only the pilot of the Odysseus but to all Orbitals on the network. The net relies on an advanced A.I that the command can use to perform complicated maneuvers co-ordinates ground, air, and orbital assets. Drone network: The Orbital carries a series of modular drones that can be outfitted for various duties. From armed with mounted auto-cannons and missile pods. Extra sensor equipment to give a larger view of the battle field for spotting and recon. Even outfitted with some simple repair equipment for battlefield maintenance. Weapons: The CO-m31(D) due to its role is armed with; -H&K ac-40: A favorite among those of the UNMC developed by Heckler and Koch. The bullpup gun offers firepower and accuracy. As well as it can fire a variety of ammunition types from solid slugs to HE rounds. -M-50: A multi rocket missile launcher that can fire either smart or dumb fire ammunition. The system has an autoloader to refill the empty tubes in between salvos. -Vibro-blade: For close quarter combat it has a blade vibrate at an incredible speed causing it to be able to cut through all sorts of material and it is mounted into the wrist. Manufacturing History: Developed by the UN Military commission on Orbital development in 240 as a part to develop the next generation of orbitals. The goal of which was to create a series of Orbitals to take advantage of the newly created battlenet called the Trojan series. Each given the names of Greek heroes the first to make it through the design was Odysseus as the Achilles and Ajax are stuck in a bureaucratic gridlock. The series disposed most of the established design traditions of orbital giving the series its unique look. The Odysseus was sent out to units for field trials. The feedback from pilots led to improvements in the survivability of the unit. Weaknesses: The main drawback to the unit is the lack of offensive capabilities and defensive that the Orbital has. As armor and shielding units had been removed to make room for the various sensors and communication within the Orbitals body. Due to all the sophisticated systems it has a vulnerability to electronic warfare.</s> <\|message\|>Zakharin 'Iron Side' Brusilov As Zakharin finished the instant coffee more of the pilots trickled into the mess hall. The old marine greeted them as they came to the table. Fishing out the leather case in his breast pocket as he listens to Artemie's story. He agreed with Holden's assessment that the Lunite must be here for a desire to explore the unknown. Taking out one of the cigars from the package he took a moment to glance around the "If we're lucky we will all get some place named after us." He said cutting the cigar. He took a quick glance over to Adam. The old marine noticed the way the Martian was looking around the room. He figured that Adam was getting upon the same train of thought he was on. As quickly as it appeared the younger man covered it up with a grin. Zakharin made a mental note to talk to the Martian about it when the opportunity presented itself as he open his lighter.</s> <\|message\|>Volana Jacira --- Artemie's explanation raised as many questions as it answered, though she held her tongue for now. Volana had a feeling that the myriad of questions beginning to bubble to the surface of her mind would be addressed either during the briefing, or more directly, once they reached the surface of the planet proper. That, and she had no desire to overwhelm the other pilot, especially now that she knew just how long Artemie Isra had actually been frozen for. If she had felt disoriented when coming out of a fifteen year stint in the tube, Volana could only imagine what sort of cobwebs Artemie was shaking out of her mind at the moment. Speaking of the briefing... "Perhaps we should bring that up during the briefing, yes?" Volana suggested at Brusilov's mention of getting naming honors, the slight lilting cadence of her accent indicating the half-serious mirth in which she put forth the idea. The Cytherean pilot stacked the packages of her MRE together before standing. "I am going to head to the hangar, maybe I find out more information if I arrive early." Volana made her way towards the door of the mess, disposing of the remains of her MREs as she went. "If anyone would like to join me."</s> <\|message\|>Fox Fox As the other pilots discussed the state of the planet and queried their "new" squad member, Fox simply sat back, ate his MRE and listened. Letting his head bob along to the flow of the conversation, the young man took the opportunity to silently size up his squad mates. Behind the impassive mask of his face, Fox caught Adam's nervous glance around the otherwise empty mess hall. ...Of course we're the first ones up. If things go sideways, we need to be ready. Why does everyone seem to forget that the mechs we pilot originated from an alien war machine? And here we are, light-years from "home" on the first interstellar colony ship, makes perfect sense to me that the Higher Ups would want to be prepared for a hostile first contact... Not letting himself shake his head in irritation, Fox allows himself a slight smile as the Cytherean pilot made mention of heading to the hanger early. "An excellent idea. Give me a moment and I'll join you." His PDA chirps for him as he signs one-handedly, his other quickly shoving the rest of his MRE into his face.</s> <\|message\|>Artemie Isra "Not in the slightest." "Not that it'll hurt going back to all that money if I ever make it back to the Moon." Artemie's grin came back with a slightly knowing tilt. He was right; after a minimum of forty five years on ice before getting home there'd be a hefty paycheck waiting for her. Enough to go on 'vacation' for decades if she really wanted. Not to mention the seniority she was accruing. But it wasn't the point and Holden had hit the nail on the head. "I've wanted to make this trip my whole life. What was ten more years in cryo in comparison?" She shrugged a little, pushing herself carefully to her feet and nodding at Adam's introduction. "It's nice to meet you, Adam. I think Volana's right about getting to the hangar. If we don't hurry, they might name things after other people."</s> <\|message\|>Holden "Castle" Cross --- That first reply from her surprised him a little. It meant she had little to no attachment back to wherever her home was... though he supposed that he should've expected a response like that. If you went into the ice on the regular, you probably didn't have much waiting for you back home anyway-- and she's been in the ice longer than anyone else he's ever known. Holden merely nodded at her second response with a satisfied look. "Fair enough." Holden smiled. "It's good to have you with us then, Miss Isra." As Adam went to speak to Artemie, Holden looked to Zakharin, Jacira, and Fox. The prospect of having a place named after himself certainly sounded interesting to Castle, but the recognition wasn't why he was here. Jacira mentioned heading to the hangar bay, to which the man nodded. "It's about that time." Castle rose from his seat on the bench, glancing at his watch. It looked like they had enough time to walk to the hangar with time to spare, though it would be nice to be punctual. He also noted that the date read fifteen years ahead from the time he went into Cryosleep. Holden took a small satisfaction in the fact that his timepiece remains reliable, and picks up the remnants of his meal. "Let's get moving." The man followed shortly behind the others, disposing the remains of his MRE into the waste heap, before stacking his tray on top of the others.</s>	<\|message\|>Zakharin 'Iron Side' Brusilov "Yeah we should be making our way over there." He looked up to the clock mounted on the wall seeing they had time but not enough for what he wanted to do. The old marine return the cigar to his pocket figuring he did not have the time to properly enjoy it. And he figured it would be unbecoming of him to miss the briefing to just because he wanted a smoke. Zakhain made a note to try and smoke it after the briefing. His limbs creaked as he stood up to join his compatriots to head to the hanger. Zakharin dropped his leftovers into the waste heap before joining the group.</s>
<\|description\|>Zakharin 'Iron Side' Brusilov Gender: Male Age: 67 Appearance: Brusilov stands an impressive 6'5 with a strong build to his body thanks to the amount of cybernetics in his body. In fact up-to 65% of his body is composed of cybernetics. Consisting of replacement heart, left lung, and spine. Bot of his arms and legs have been replaced as these old 3rd gen parts are far more utilitarian lacking the synthetic skin. Earning the nickname iron side. He keeps his hair in a marine buzz cut. While keeping a magnificent beard and mustache. As his brown hair has long since turned white. He wears the standard UN marine uniform. Personality: Brusilov is known to be quite a stubborn man. He carries himself with a degree of professionalism that was instilled into him while he was still in basic. Expecting the same from those under him. The old marine firmly takes to the old notion that a good officer must lead from the front as it inspires his men. He has known protective lives under his command more than his own life. Brusilov hates being reminded of his old age. Backstory: Born to a blue collar family in the slums of Moscow around 182 SA. Life was tough upbringing in the old capital of the Russian federation. He struggled in school throughout his youth and nearly dropped out of school during his freshman year. He had already joined a small street gang. But despite this Zakharin still wanted more to his life. Soon an opportunity presented itself as a United Nation marines corps recruiter came to Moscow. Hearing the possible life he could have in the marines granted the young man some clarity. Brusilov was able to lie about his age and joined the marines. Zakharin shipped out to the UN marine training camp. Unlike his struggles with school he took greatly to his new life in the military. His zeal during his time earned him a promotion to the rank of corporal. Once his training was complete Brusilov was shipped out to the fight in the belt pacification campaign. Clearing out pirate and smugglers bases hidden among the asteroids. He performed admirably during the operation earning him an officers commission. Over the next couple of decades Brusilov sent to different hotspots across the systems earning fame and metals for his service in the marine. Eventually making up to the rank of major where he stayed for several years avoiding any promotion to a higher rank. His desire not to achieve higher rank came from a concern that he would no longer be able to take part in front-line combat. This fear came back when assisting in a peacekeeping operation on Titan. A car bomb went off next to his squad during one of their patrols. Taking the full brunt of the explosion he was quickly evacuated to a medical station. And after a grueling 12 hour surgery ended up with most of his body being replaced with cybernetics. When Brusilov recovered from the wounds he was able to get sent back to his unit. As Zakharin's long and illustrious career dragged on a certain issue became more apparent. The cyborg became more concerned that one day he would be pulled from combat and stuck behind a desk. He started to look for a way to avoid retirement. Brusilov soon was informed about an opening on Pandora for their head of security requested a transfered to the expedition. Having the old marine on the ship was considered to be a major boon for the expedition but they informed him if he wanted the position he would have accepted the rank of colonel. Reluctantly Brusilov accepted the position. Skills and Flaws: -Cybernetics: Since a lot of Brusilov body have been replaced with cybernetics it confers many benefits to him. Enhance strength, durability, and inbuilt weapons. But he has several medical issues due to the implants. For one his blood has to be dialysis as his blood is synthetic. Another problem is that he has older generation cybernetics thus requiring him to take special drugs in order to keep his body from rejecting the implants. -Harden Veteran: A long and extensive career in the UN marines as both a regular enlisted man to piloting an Orbitals has molded Brusilov into a dangerous foe to engage. With a large amount of training and experience to call upon. - Old age: The colonel has begun to slow down in his old age and has trouble accumulating new technology. Equipment: -Standard issue UNMC uniform -.45 handgun - Automatic 8 gauge shotgun -toolkit - box of cigars/zippo lighter Cybernetics implants: -Dermal Armor: Zakharin has armor woven into his skin that is able to reduce inflicted damage effects from blunt trauma, ballistic attacks, cutting, and/or slashing attacks. Secondary functionality also provides protection from electromagnetic pulse (EMP) assault. Although it limits the flexibility of his own skin. The dermal armor lacks in comparison to proper ballistic protection. -Nanoblade: mounted on the top of his right arm is a monomolecular edge blade. Works great against flesh and light armor. But is ineffective for cutting through ceramic-metallic plate armor or similar material. -Implanted SMG: In his left arm is mounted into his arm. Meant to be a holdout weapon in case of an emergency. It can't be reloaded without removing some of the arm plates. -Shock absorbed: The leg's higher-density muscle bunches in tandem with the shock-absorbing gel matrix found in its knee joints is far better at absorbing shock. Allowing the Zakharin to survive longer falls. ============================================== Model Number: CO-m31(A) Odysseus Role: Command Appearance: The Odysseus stands at the regular height for an Orbital about 21 meters. Its body is the most noticeable thing about the orbital as all that comes from that orbital series. Its body is designed to maximize protection of the more important systems while trying to reduce weight. Systems: Sensor Array: The sensors on Odysseus are highly advanced, able to cut through most forms of interference giving it a clear view of the battle field harvesting any information is funneled into the pilot and to the battle net for other Orbitals to use. Battle net: Far more than just a simple Communication system. The battle net links many different orbitals onto a signal network. This new work provides Common operational picture to not only the pilot of the Odysseus but to all Orbitals on the network. The net relies on an advanced A.I that the command can use to perform complicated maneuvers co-ordinates ground, air, and orbital assets. Drone network: The Orbital carries a series of modular drones that can be outfitted for various duties. From armed with mounted auto-cannons and missile pods. Extra sensor equipment to give a larger view of the battle field for spotting and recon. Even outfitted with some simple repair equipment for battlefield maintenance. Weapons: The CO-m31(D) due to its role is armed with; -H&K ac-40: A favorite among those of the UNMC developed by Heckler and Koch. The bullpup gun offers firepower and accuracy. As well as it can fire a variety of ammunition types from solid slugs to HE rounds. -M-50: A multi rocket missile launcher that can fire either smart or dumb fire ammunition. The system has an autoloader to refill the empty tubes in between salvos. -Vibro-blade: For close quarter combat it has a blade vibrate at an incredible speed causing it to be able to cut through all sorts of material and it is mounted into the wrist. Manufacturing History: Developed by the UN Military commission on Orbital development in 240 as a part to develop the next generation of orbitals. The goal of which was to create a series of Orbitals to take advantage of the newly created battlenet called the Trojan series. Each given the names of Greek heroes the first to make it through the design was Odysseus as the Achilles and Ajax are stuck in a bureaucratic gridlock. The series disposed most of the established design traditions of orbital giving the series its unique look. The Odysseus was sent out to units for field trials. The feedback from pilots led to improvements in the survivability of the unit. Weaknesses: The main drawback to the unit is the lack of offensive capabilities and defensive that the Orbital has. As armor and shielding units had been removed to make room for the various sensors and communication within the Orbitals body. Due to all the sophisticated systems it has a vulnerability to electronic warfare.</s> <\|message\|>Volana Jacira --- Oberth Reactors? Volana's eyes darted across the sensor data which had been sent over to the Orbital team, following the blips of heat signatures lining up with changes in density from the subsurface readings. The image slowly resolved itself into something clearer; hard, distinct shapes coming into sharp focus. Though the sudden, sharp delineation between what was obviously natural erosion and buildup, and a hard, decidedly unnatural plane thirty meters down caught her attention. Her mind raced. Not even an hour after having arrived on the surface and they had already found something more than just a planet that was alive. Something had lived here. Someone. And they wanted to dig it up. Volana glanced around, the rest of the ground team was currently in position around the perimeter, and she was the closest to the near-surface heat signature. Just her luck. <<Affirmative,>> Volana replied, a mix of trepidation and excitement bubbling up beneath the surface, though she did her best to keep it at bay. <<If uh, anything jumps out at me you will be sure I am clear before firing, yes?>> That last part was to no one in particular, and she was only half-joking. Volana advanced forward, the Aurora's heavy footfalls sinking the machine a few inches into the soft, sandy ground. She stopped just above the heat signature, the glow from her data-augmented view emanating from beneath her. She let out a curse, and took a long breath. While the Aurora wasn't exactly outfitted for digging of all things, it was still a twenty meter tall humanoid machine, and the mass of sand between her and the very artificial, very alien heat source below was no obstacle as she began to dig her way into the soil.</s> <\|message\|>Holden "Castle" Cross --- Castle chuckled a little at Adam's response (and also at Halim's failure to recognize levity). It was bad luck to be praying in the middle of a mission... but a little faith went a long way. <<I don't know about that, miss Alexandros. Weren't Adam and Eve created in God's image? In that case, I'd imagine they'd bear some resemblance to Him.>> Religious and philosophical debates on the origins of man aside, the Ajax continued sweeping the area from its position upon the dune. Outrider, the much smaller Exo-Frame had landed some distance away from the larger Orbital. It moved south from where Castle had initially landed-- it was a wise idea to have a target designator some distance away from the actual artillery, to widen the range of fire, after all. <<Copy that, Fox. Happy hunting.>> The Ajax had nothing but the bare essentials when it came to its own sensor arrays. However, in spite of that, there was a wealth of information received on comms-- whether that was from the Odysseus' Battle Net, the Bedwyr's Merlon Target Acquisition Suite, or the Outrider's Hermes Communications Suite. This particular ping, however, came from the science team that was currently on the ground. Castle grimaced slightly as he received their information. An Oberth Reactor? Here, right underneath the LZ? Was this a lucky coincidence, or an intentional placement? How many more of these were scattered around the planet's surface, he wondered. Shaking the thoughts out of his head, the man looked over to the Aurora; it looks like Volana had drawn the short straw. <<If anything pops out of the ground, you'll be far too close, even taking danger close into account...>> It was true. The only things safe for use at this range were the HAG, or the Keraunos Hypervelocity Driver, and even then friendly fire was still a risk. Firing from this position onto the dig site with high-explosive weaponry was not advisable for... multiple reasons. With that in mind, that danger could still be alleviated with a bit of preparation, even if it might result in some close-encounters. Castle opened comms to the other Orbitals <<...ground team, secure the perimeter. To all other free assets, I recommend supervising the Aurora's excavation with non-destructive armaments. The last thing we want is for an explosion to send the Oberth Reactor into meltdown.>> Free assets referred to anyone who wasn't currently assigned a task, and with ten different Orbitals on-site, there was certainly no shortage of those. Unfortunately, 'non-destructive armaments' was a catch-all term for anything that could cause excessive collateral damage if there was a missed shot. This meant that explosive weaponry was off the table, but anyone with kinetic or energy weapons could still ably function, with a bit of precise aim. Of course, in the absence of those, there were always melee sidearms... which may prove necessary if something actually does pop out of the ground. Holden continued his vigilant observations from the north side. One could call him nervous, but trigger-discipline was everything for an artilleryman. His eyes deftly moved in a rotation, from his own sensors to his comms, to his diagnostics, and back to his sensors on repeat-- a habit he had developed while working in the military. Now all he had to do was wait. ...and waiting was the hardest part.</s>	<\|message\|>Zakharin 'Iron Side' Brusilov Zakharin looked over the data from the drone as the lead scientist pinged a location of the heat signature. The fact that it appears that someone bury an Oberth Reactor raises more questions than answers. But Zakharin decide to leave those questions for later as Volana went to dig up the reactor. His Odysseus H&K fit the need for a non-destructive weapon. The old marine moved to provide cover for the digging mech. Sending two gun drones ahead to watch over Volana while he got into position. <<I got you covered.>> The old marine had moved his Orbital so he had a clear line of fire without the risk of hitting Volana.</s>
<\|description\|>Fox Gender: Male Age: Physically in his early 20s, chronologically older, exact age unknown Appearance: Standing on the short side of average at 5' 9", Fox has a lithe but well muscled classical figure. Of note, Fox bears two, technically three, sets of unobtrusive cybernetics. First is an artificial set of vocal cords, capable of producing a vast range of voices. Second is a series of wireless sensors built into his hands capable of translating ASL to text or speech. Both parts of his body bear faint scars from their surgical implantation. Backstory: In 244 SA, after over two years of investigation, the paramilitary company Outer-Orbital Legion was charged with extortion, bribery, human trafficking, and tax evasion. They did not come quietly. It was only after a six month system wide fleet hunt, the combined effort of multiple organizations, both national and independent, that the Legion would be brought to justice. After the first couple of engagements, it was quickly discovered that not all of the Legion's soldiers were there of their own will. And so, over the course of the six month fleet hunt, the joint task force did it's best to save as many of them as they could. Fox was among the rescued slaves. During the post-operation clean-up, the I was the UN Social Worker assigned to piece together Fox's story. In terms of official records, Fox did not exist. No birth certificate, school records, or DNA match at any official institution. Unless someone had gone to significant lengths to scrub his identity from the system, he had born and raised outside of civilized space. The further I dug, the more and more the latter seemed to be true. When questioned about his combat experience, Fox was happy to supply as much information as he could. The young man had spent his teens fighting for various groups of pirates or outlaws before he had ended up in the Legion; typically having been pressed or sold into each subsequent group. Corroborating Fox's stories with after-action and civilian news reports, We were able to place some of his earliest engagements at nearly a decade prior. However, when it came to his early life Fox clammed up completely, stating that couldn't remember anything from that far back. When pressed further, The young man admitted he had a few hazy memories of his life before the battlefield, but he simply stated that they were, and I quote: "Nothing good." After that he refused to say any more on the topic. Given everything else I'd dug up so far, I decided it would be best to not push the topic further. After all was said and done, we still had to figure out what to do with him. At the time, Fox had many of the skills of a highly trained soldier and a total lack of understanding of "normal" life. A dangerous mix. It was eventually decided to see about rehabilitating him. He was sent to an out of the way earth-side retreat center with a therapist and a UN Marine Vet to ride herd on him in case things got out of hand. Six months later when I went to check in on him, a much more put together Fox adamantly stated that he was going join the crew of the Pandora as an Orbital pilot. When I asked him why, he said it was both an opportunity for him to put his skills to use and to start his life over again. Since then, Fox has thrown himself at this goal, working hard these past four years to achieve it, without getting into any trouble for the most part. (Though I did hear about the ritual initiation hazing from some Marines that went rather sideways) While I haven't seen much of Fox lately, I do believe he has integrated into normal society enough to serve on this mission, and should the worst come to pass, his skills and experience will prove invaluable to the Pandora and Pyxis. See Dr. Holland's psych report or Fox's Orbital training records for more details. ~ Eva Strikler Personality: At a cursory introduction Fox is quiet sort of fellow, seemingly more interested in listening than he is in talking. Though once you've read his file, it quickly become obvious that this is a finely honed survival instinct from having spent most of his life being treated as less than human by others. Several years of therapy have helped to take the fanatical edge off of it, but certain habits die hard. Still, Fox has taken to his new freedom with gusto, sometimes to the point of chafing against against authority figures, especially when he thinks they're wrong. By no means does this make him a loose cannon, he simply values direct experience more than any constructed system of authority. So long as he has a level-headed and veteran senior officer, I don't believe this will be of any real issue. Once I finally got him to open up a bit, Fox developed a dry, acerbic and rather dark sense of humor, a typical coping mechanism for those who have suffered any kind of serious trauma. He has also had moments of pure childlike joy before almost sheepishly slipping back behind his mask. Presumably, this is on account of some horrific mess of a childhood, which brings me to the one rather broad point of issue. Fox is completely unwilling to discuss the early years of his life. If you want to know, he's perfectly willing to share the horrible things he's seen or been forced to do on the battlefield, much like a sinner confessing to a priest. But the moment you ask him about his life before that, Fox clams up immediately, offering only silence or one of a handful of vague cookie-cutter answers. On a similar note, Fox has an, as of yet, unexplained aversion to talking unless genuinely necessary. What I have been able to piece together is that this is connected to his artificial vocal cords. During his initial medical examination, it was determined that his bio-synthetic vocal cords were well over a decade old, placing their implantation before his battlefield days. What little I have been able to glean from Fox on the topic is that their implantation was not due to some accident or illness, but a deliberate action and one almost certainly made against his will. Despite his issues, Fox has proven to driven and committed to the project. In the not quite five years since we first met, Fox has pieced together a new life for himself, and made enormous strides in improving his mental health. I can wholeheartedly recommend Fox as a member of this expedition. ~ Dr. Holland Skills and Flaws: + Having spent much of his life being the only one looking after his own well-being, Fox is an experienced jack-of-all-trades survivalist. In particular, since his recovery, he has received proper training in field medicine, Orbital maintenance, and wilderness survival. + Through a combination of luck and skill, Fox has survived nearly a decade of regular combat as an exo-frame pilot and cannon fodder for pirate raids, giving him a level of experience many will find hard to match. - Years of self reliance have left Fox stubbornly independent to a fault, often resulting in him tackling tasks alone that any normal person would ask for help with. - On a similar note, Fox is slow to trust others, and almost completely unwilling to open up twice should his trust be betrayed the first time. Equipment: - S&W 5mm gauss pistol: Built as mil-spec service weapon designed for void & boarding actions; though it works just as well planetside. 30 round capacity. - utility knife / multi-tool - PDA Model Number: IPS-XF-MMR-002 - Inter-Planetary Shipping's second generation multi-role maritime exo-frame, AKA "The Jack"; Fox has dubbed his personal unit as "Outrider". Role: Originally designed as a multi-purpose space worthy civilian exo-frame, Fox's "Jack" has been so heavily modified that it's almost unrecognizable. With all of it's modifications, the Outrider serves as a reconnaissance, stealth-ops and target designation unit. Appearance: Clocking at a mere 6.5 meters tall, the Jack is tiny by most Orbital standards, so much so that it's technically categorized as an "Exo-Frame" despite running on and being built around the same technologies as it's Orbital cousins. Fox's Outrider has a low profile backpack which houses it's comms suite and carries the reconnaissance drones when not in use. Systems: While the original Frame had nothing that was particularly noteworthy, Fox's Outrider bears a fair number of specialized add-ons, most of which is from Pantheon Aerospace Engineering. - Hermes-class communications suite: In addition to an increased comms range over standard equipment, the Her-Comm Suite also has a command & control node and an electronic warfare system. - Half a dozen Raven-class reconnaissance drones. - Loki-class stealth suite: A four part suite, the Loki system includes color-changing smart paint, an optical refraction field generator, an emissions control unit and multi-spectrum sensor baffling. - Artemis-class multi-spectrum laser designator. (attached to the rifle) - Boston Dynamics' 1-to-1 dynamic control system: Allows the pilot to control their mech as an extension of their own body while still maintaining the option for a traditional twin stick & pedal piloting system. Weapons: - Aquilian Armories "Bolt-Thrower" Anti-materiel rail rifle: Featuring a compact bullpup design, the Bolt-Thrower fires 30 mm armor-piercing explosive saber darts. Despite it's destructive potential, the Bolt-Thrower can prove tricky to use. Direct hits against main armor plating, while visually impressive, tend lack the raw force to punch all the way through. On the other hand, limb hits often go clean through, the explosive charge not detonating in time to do any real damage. Semi-Automatic Only. - Bushido Engineering's Tanto beam-edged saber: Among the more unique beam swords, Bushido Engineering makes use of an advanced ion field polarization technique to "stream" the sword's energy beam down the edge of it's blade. The end result creates a beam saber with half the power draw, and no loss in cutting power. Their primary drawback is the physical blade itself. Most pilots simply don't find the added power efficiency worth the hassle of a physical blade. 3 meters long, the Tanto was built as a knife for standard orbitals, but in the hands of Fox's Outrider, it's a two-handed sword. - Two IPS point defense light beam vulans: Effectively useless against proper orbitals, though they can be used against smaller, more lightly armored targets. The Outrider has one mounted on the back of each of it's forearms. Manufacturing History: In 224 SA, Inter-Planetary Shipping released their XF-MMR-002 aka "The Jack". Intended as a highly adaptable civilian workhorse, the Jack was an instant success thanks to it's simplistic, rugged, and modular design. Quickly becoming commonplace, the Jack saw the creation of a multitude of specialized upgrade kits, for everything from mining to search & rescue. Of course, that's not all it ended up being used for. Quickly finding it's way into the hands of mercenaries, pirates and paramilitary organizations, the Jack proved to be unexpectedly adaptable to a combat role. Small enough to have a better thrust-to-weight ratio than most proper Orbitals but large enough to still carry weaponry capable of damaging their larger cousins. Relying speed and numbers, combat-modded Jacks quickly became a scourge of the outer system shipping lanes and isolated locales. Weaknesses: Strength and durability. Even with military grade plating, other upgrades and a rugged construction; at it's core the Jack is still a civilian craft. A clean hit from a weapon that only a true Orbital could tank will heavily damage even the most well armored of Jacks, potentially even crippling or killing the exo-frame. And in a melee fight against a true Orbital, a Jack has to rely on it's smaller size and higher agility to win; being incapable of winning a direct contest of strength.</s> <\|message\|>[ERR.084 // FIELD CORRUPTED.] // "Gypsy Alexandros" [afterpost with mass]</s> <\|message\|>Stel Nebula What in the blue hell? came as a thought when the two... lifeforms? Things, appeared. Then came the scream. It was unlike anything Stel had ever heard before, and it terrified her. Her previous thoughts of the treasure trove of knowledge that these entities could provide were wiped out and replaced by thoughts on how to best survive. She wasn't confident enough in her piloting to rush forward into close range where her Orbital would thrive, instead being paralyzed with fear while all the other pilots took action. By the time she recovered, Gypsy Soul was already about to crash into one of the entities with blade drawn. As her fight or flight instincts took hold, she had just enough rational thought to throw up the METATRON's Particle Energy Shields and open comms, though only silence came through them from her to the others. She found herself unable to speak and shaking in place at the speed of these metallic enemies. A small part of her that was still functioning as normal was telling her that, if they were made of any known metal, all she had to do was get close enough to fire off her Orbital's main attraction, but that voice was drowned out. She instead stood still with her shields up, trying to recover from the shock that these monsters inflicted on her.</s>	<\|message\|>Fox "Shit." Fox's casual profanity went effectively unnoticed against the metallic screeching of the unknown hostiles. As the smaller exoframe seemed to not have drawn any attention yet, Fox took the opportunity to fully engage all of his stealth systems, the small suit momentarily dropping off allied sensors as it reconnected to their shared battlenet via tightbeam laser. With the Outrider's systems automatically highlighting the unknowns as assumed hostiles, Fox simply confirmed the assessment and let the computer handle the rest. As the Her-Comm Suite's EW system kicked into high-gear searching for a counter to the unwelcome noise, the young man took moment to more carefully analyze their alien attackers. Frowning at the lack of any clear joints or other separations in their armor, Fox let out a small sigh of relief as EW system's AI produced a countermeasure; the incessant mechanical chattering finally coming to a halt. <<Aurora, Gypsy; See if you can't get your dance partners to lift their arms. I'd like a clean shot at the underside of them. Outrider over.>> The young man said, disseminating the emergency countermeasure to the rest of the squad through their shared battlenet.</s>
<\|description\|>Halim Gender: Male Age: 24, chronologically older. Appearance: Personality: Halim is a sweetly tempered young man and very eager to please, to a decidedly unhealthy degree. If he's ever learned to say no to someone, he certainly has never exercised that skill. He doesn't seem to shy away from his past and often thinks people are a little strange when they react with horror or disgust about it. After all, the BTF was everything to him up to this point, why would they ever do anything to hurt him? While he wont admit it, he is terrified of not being useful. So when he's behind the controls of an Orbital he falls into a strange zen like panic, anxiously jerking and flitting about the controls with a fevered grace that few can match. While always glad to help; he rarely accepts any amount of credit due to him, either thinking himself not really worthy of the praise or attributing it to the actions of another pilot. Largely, this seems to be a result of Halim considering himself not as a person, but as equipment. Backstory: Halim was born among the Bratox Trade Flotilla(a politically independent fleet of trade vessels that had grown to dominate the trade routes through the asteroid belt between the inner and outer systems) to the non-critical renewable labor caste. Like most children in the BTF Halim was raised in the communal education centers, where in he was tirelessly drilled on the various jobs he could be asked to perform upon reaching reproductive viability as well as reminding them all for how thankful they should be to the BTF for providing them with their existence for only a nominal annual fee. Halim took to his lessons well showing exceptional aptitude in simulated Orbital operation and astronavigation. At 15, after passing his provisional exams, he was finally deemed competent enough to enter the BTF's labor force and was swiftly assigned to Field Asset Protection. Halim considered the years he spent with Field Asset Protection to be very fulfilling, if perhaps a little dull. In theory, most F.A.P Orbital pilots where armed deterrents for piracy, but that never really held up with Halim's experience. Most pirates wouldn't bother with targeting BTF ships and what few that where dumb enough to try normally shot down long before they came within his weapon range. In truth most of the time was spent using his orbital to block or destroy potentially damaging debris from hitting any freighter he was escorting or racing through the belt at what were (for any other pilot than BTFs finest!) near suicidal speeds to do more of the same. Halim would have been happy to remain like this until the day he was euthanized, but the Pandora Expedition put an end to that. He along with three other high performing pilots from the F.A.P where 'generously donated' to the project with shiny new Orbitals to match, though for what reason he did not know. Still, his was not a place to question and now, as he blinks the last vestiges of cryosleep from his eyes, he is eager to make himself useful to his new owners. Skills: Space Ace: Having lived his whole piloting career in space, Halim can fly in zero gravity and high orbit with a grace and speed that would impress even veteran pilots. More over, there is no pilot that could hope to match his pace in a debris field no matter their experience. Astral Navigator: Halim is able to astronavigate, a somewhat outdated skill set given modern instrumentation and automated navigation computers. However, one never knows when instruments fail. Absolute Loyalty: Halim is ready and willing to follow any order given to him to the letter with a happy smile! Neither fear nor ego cloud his judgement, making him an ideal wingman. A Tool that Knows its Tools: Halim has never piloted an Orbital that wasn't a Casket. This familiarity makes him and other F.A.P pilots uniquely suited to handling their more finicky systems, even without instrumentation for aid. Additionally, he can diagnose issues with his Orbital from sound and feel alone. Flaws: Combat Novice: While Halim's piloting is certainly good, his combat experience is frankly laughable. He'll need a firm guiding hand and some time before he'll be considered a true combat pilot. Space Case: Halim has some serious gaps in his knowledge base. He is barely able to read beyond a 5th grade level or perform math beyond firing calculations. He has no familiarity with any political or social norms beyond the BTFs. Gravity!?: Halim has never been planet side, nor has he ever piloted within an atmosphere. Expect a radial display of under performance under such conditions. Absolute Loyalty: Halim will HAPPILY follow ANY order given to him by those he perceives to own him. This includes the entire expedition currently. Even those who might abuse that power. Equipment: He has a standard issue flight suit with helmet and a BTF uniform (pictured above). He owns nothing else, not even blankets or pillows for his bunk. Surely if he needed those things someone would have given them to him....right? Model Number: Cerbain Security Corp model, CSC-37. Aka, The Casket. Role: Deep Space Escort, Mid Range Variable Combat Appearance: Halim's Casket is 20.6 meters tall with the stock 'Lunar Landing' paint option, and only can be differentiated from the other BTF provided Orbitals by the operator number on the shoulder. Systems: Cerbain Optimized Power Suite: Cerbain is noted for having a certain level of care for their customers...which is to say absolutely none at all. This power suite heavily optimizes weapon and defensive systems while effectively gutting life support, climate control, and all other 'none vital' systems to their barest minimums. Shahmaran Thruster Suite MK 3.3: A highly tuned thruster suite exclusive to the Casket Series that priorities control and tight maneuvering over all else. Many old school pilots consider this suite, and this suite alone, to be the reason to get a casket and the latest version does NOT disappoint. Weapons: Persephone Shield Emitter Array: The one true piece of innovation to come standard with a Csc-37. The PSE is a fantastic defensive option for both the Orbital and its escort, allowing the pilot to form large and sturdy hard light barriers effective against both kinetic and energy weapons. However, due to its rather large energy demand, it cannot be run in concurrently with weapon systems. Isurugi Heavy Industries 50mm Rotary Cannon: Mounted in the shoulder weapons compartment. A bog standard option. X Corp Beam rifle: Mounted in Shoulder weapons compartment. A high intensity Beam rifle still in service at the time of the Caskets initial release. While many swear by this weapon, citing its excellent accuracy and energy efficiency, it has a noted lack of penetration or stopping power compared to more 'modern' beam weapons. 2x Cerbain TCK-B: Tactical Combat Knife-Beam Variant. A short cost effective beam weapon directly mounted to the upper arms, just before the wrist. While their cutting powered can't be argued, CQC with this Orbital has been noted to be more akin to fist fighting than anything else. Manufacturing History: Cerbain Security Corp is an Orbital manufacture that believes in building BY the numbers so they can build IN the numbers. They are less known for their innovation and more for their ability to field large orders of Orbitals quickly and inexpensively without compromising on (reasonable) quality. They have, and always will be, leaders in making infantry fodder machines, thus why their most famous series ended up with the nick name "The Casket". Still, the 37 does its job and damned if it doesn't do it well, able to fill any role within a team and provide a slight defensive edge. Weaknesses: Like many previous entries in the Casket series, lack of specialization and an over focus on economy HURTS this Orbital more than anything. It also suffers from having to commit to going on the offensive or defensive, unable to spare the energy for both DESPITE having its none critical systems gutted. A less talked about, but still present, issue is the shoulder mount being the only platform for body mounted weapons and creating a blindspot on the pilots left side.</s> <\|message\|>Volana Jacira --- Volana watched, with growing apprehension, as the mass of sand and dust being kicked up by whatever was approaching rushed closer and closer to their location. Vaguely, she could comm traffic from the science team as they made their way back onto the landing craft, though their words weren't entirely registering at the moment. No, her focus was on the phenomenon ahead. <<As of this second I am confirming a Case Siberia, and your RoE changes with it. Don't start anything if you can help it but you are not, I repeat not, expected to let them take the first shot. If they look nasty you are cleared to engage.>> Those last few words resonated as the COO's orders came over the comm. Giving voice to what they were probably all thinking at that moment. In terms of welcomes go, the billowing cloud of dust was- At that the two forms burst to the surface, and froze in place. Volana felt her heart jump and her breath catch as the two gleaming alien forms caught the yellow-orange glow from the unfamiliar star above. They were massive, nearly reptilian in their basic forms. Sleek and seamless, though unmistakably metallic in construction. If such things were even constructed, their hunched posture and clawed limbs sowing doubt that these were machines like the one she had just unearthed. Utterly alien. The was a moment, the only motion visible was that of the pair of... entities scanning their surroundings with an unnerving precision. Volana didn't breath, scarcely blinking as she stared at the identical pair of towering things before her. She watched with growing confusion as their search snapped upward, towards what Volana could only assume was one of the Orbitals currently patrolling the airspace above. What was- A wave of sound hit her square in the chest, broadcasting over the Aurora's internal speakers as much as it was seeping into the cockpit itself. A high pitched, metallic tone that made her jaw ache. Her proximity to the two screaming alien contacts only intensifying the auditory assault. Through narrowed eyes Volana watched as a pair of brilliant golden beams of light lanced out from them, tracing a path that followed whatever had disturbed them in the sky. Things happened quickly after that. Volana dropped low as instinct overrode conscious thought, a wave of dust and sand rising up from the Aurora's armored feet as the Orbital mirrored the tensed crouch. She was almost entirely certain this counted as looking nasty as the COO had put it. That, and the fact that one of the pair had suddenly shot forward directly towards her, propelled by some unseen force and gaining ground at an alarming rate. No time for thought. As far as she knew the shuttle had yet to clear the AO, and the hostile contact charging towards her was on no uncertain terms not to get any closer. It made Volana's next course of action clear, as she pushed off the sandy ground to lunge forward to meet the gleaming alien form. Sparks whipped in an arc around the Cytherean Orbital as Volana ripped her blade from its sheathed position in a single motion that accompanied the Aurora's next bounding step. <<Aurora, engaging!>> Thirty meters. Twenty... The gap between them was closing faster than Volana truly felt prepared for, but that thing couldn't be allowed to get any closer. Even as its looming form grew even larger in her panoramic view. And they met. Gram's prismatic edge refracted a kaleidoscope of color that danced across the surface of her Orbital's armor as she pivoted hard into an arcing swing. The final step that the Aurora took throwing as much force behind the strike as Volana could leverage as if attempting to completely cleave the metallic alien in two. Above the roar of automatic explosive weaponry rained down in waves, though the majority of her view was occupied by the bulk of the entity before her, so their target wasn't entirely visible.</s> <\|message\|>Zakharin 'Iron Side' Brusilov Zakharin looked over the strange new orbitals that have shot up from the dust cloud. The old marine gave the alien constructs a carefully look over. He spent a few moments analyzing the mechanoids. Making note to possible weak points in the armor in case they had to engage them. Thankfully there COO gave them full clearance to shoot back if there were engaged. The cyborg set about tasking his two gun drones to protect the Dr. Harding drop ship in till they left the zone. Then came there screeching penetrating the cockpit the cybernetics within his body seams to vibrate with the sound. As soon as mechanoids took there shoot at Gypsy Soul Zakharin went into action. Years of experience made the action second nature. Snapping his rifle at the close mechanoids. The old marine let out a series of shot burst into the mechanoid in time with the roar of Bedwyr's cannons. Each of the burst was aimed at diffrenet part of the mechanoids seeking to hit a critical system or weak point of the alien constructed.</s>	<\|message\|>Halim Halim resisted the urge to grip his ears as the sound hit him, the poorly sound proofed cockpit of his Casket shuddering unnervingly as the screeched rolled through him on its hateful trajectory. He felt something dribble down the sides of his face, warm and thick and causing a knot of vertigo to form in his stomach as a ringing began to drown out the noise. He was grateful for it a moment later as the world (more specifically, the world directly surrounding one of the drones) exploded silently, signaling the true beginning of the battle. <<"Moving to assist Aurora!">> Halim screamed into the comms, voice cracking from its own volume as he attempted to hear himself over the ringing. Halim couldn't hear the scream of his boosters as they roared to life, but he felt them. A violent and sudden lurch of motion that hurled (for it was too inelegant to be called flying by the standards of the more veteran pilots) in a quarter circle around the charging mechanoid a few meters away. The Casket skidded to a halt flanking the mechaniod, one leg creaking dangerously (not that he noticed) as its rotary canon spun to life, slamming 50mm rounds into its broad side without risking the chance of friendly fire.</s>
<\|description\|>Kaitlyn Elise Holliday Aliases: Kate Age: 23 Birthday: December 29th, 1993 Nationality: American Ethnicity: Russian-Kazakh Birth Place: Burlington, Vermont, USA Current Residence: Los Angeles, California, USA Gender: Female Education: Bachelor's of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Southern California Job: Suspension Specialist at Webbsport Tuning --- --- Appearance Height: 5'9" Weight: 150 lbs Build: Skinny Eyes: Brown Hair: Brown Skin Tone: Fair Tattoos/Scars/Piercings: N/A, but she wants a nose ring someday. Personal Style: Kate's style is basic in theory, yet exotic in execution. She owns one dress, which she busts out in formal events every so often. Other than that, she's most commonly seen in a t-shirt, jeans, and whatever pair of sneakers goes with her outfit, with a sweater in chilly weather. However though, what makes her outfits more exotic is the branding of her apparel. Kate doesn't shy away from big name streetwear brands like Supreme, Bape, Crooks and Castles, etc. She likes her jeans skinny, her t-shirts a little baggy, her hats worn backwards, and her shoes a little loose. As Kate does have perfect vision, she doesn't need glasses to help see. Kate also does wear her hair down very often, only having it up when she's working with things that could she could get it trapped in. Despite her very lazy nature, she does put a lot of effort into her appearance. She follows a strict and tedious skincare routine and does have adept knowledge in applying makeup by herself (although she rarely wears it). --- --- Psychology Shallow * Dedicated * Ambitious * Oblivious Sexuality: Pansexual Relationship Status: Single. She has yet to have her first kiss. Personality: Kate, to put it simply, is a very shallow person. Whether it's actually the way she is or if it's because she doesn't know how to acknowledge her own feelings - it comes across the same way. She seldom gets into feelings with anyone, often opting to direct conversations away simply because she does't care. She doesn't care how she feels or how anyone else is feeling. She cares more about her vehicles and her dog (a Samoyed), Bella. Despite her inability to properly convey her feelings in general, Kate is very excellent at gauging what someone is feeling. It may sound contradictory, but she has an incredible ability to read people like a book. However though, if you get her to talk about her cars (which isn't really that hard at all), she lights up like a Christmas tree in December and goes on and on about it. Habits: * Immediately steers herself away from anything that gets touchy-feely. * Keeps her bottle caps tucked in a bottle until she gets off her ass and empties it Hobbies: CARS Fears: * Airplanes * The ocean * Heights Likes: * Cars * Her dog, Bella * Craft beer (has to be craft beer, she doesn't like many big brands) * Hip Hop * Video Games * Clothes Dislikes: * Airplanes * Touchy-feely shit * Tomatoes * Small cars * Pickles * Frogs --- --- Extras Character Quote: "Okay..." Theme Song: Post Malone ft. 21 Savage - Rockstar Anything Else: * Is a full bonafide virgin. She has yet to have her first kiss, let alone lose her virginity. * Drives a tuned Mitsubishi Evolution IX but is in possession of a Porsche 911 Carrera 993 shell she intends to fully restore one day. * Her favorite types of beer are honey ales, blonde ales, and American IPAs. * Ambidextrous - she writes with her left hand and does literally anything else right handed. * Is incredibly fond of Chinese food.</s> <\|message\|>Kaitlyn Elise Holliday Somewhere... Athena sat at a table, a bright light illuminating the entire room as she had her hands on the table. A quick look would reveal that the woman was in the midst of cleaning and putting together her Sig Sauer P226. The gun was assembled for the most part, the bottom frame being completely assembled. All that was needed at this point was for the slide to be installed, and that was that when it came to the gun being operational once again. Taking the black part, she picked it up, the other half to the gun in her other hand, and slid it back until it locked, the gun exposing its empty chamber as she glanced inside, to double check her work. As expected, it was as clean as a gun should be. Athena hit the slide release on the gun, letting the slide rack forward and snap into place as she set the gun down, now ready for use. --- Miami, Florida, USA "Ay caramba." Valentina sighed, leaning back in her chair. The waves of the Atlantic Ocean were crashing onto the beach as she enjoyed the sunlight that Florida typically offered. She turned over to her friend, who was also soaking in the sun with her. "This Zoe lady is gonna drive me nuts." Valentina rolled her eyes, "But, she's the only person who's just as crazy as I am when it comes to this stuff." Valentina flopped back around, putting her sunglasses on her face. "Don't involve me in your crazy shit. That's your alley and I want no part of it." Her friend replied. Valentina scoffed, shaking her head. "There's crazy, and there's crazy for crazy alley." Valentina's friend laughed. "What's the worst that can happen?" --- Los Angeles, California, USA "And now introducing: CASTROL Valkyrie Racing!" Kasumi, along with the rest of her team walked out and waved to the crowd, who were all standing and clapping for the newest team on the grid. It was an exhilarating feeling to finally be a part of Formula 1, the pinnacle of motorsport. Everyone sat down at their seats, with Kasumi being on Kimberly's right hand side and Hugo being on her left. The crowd settled very quickly, as the emcee carried out formalities and introduced everyone. It didn't take long for questions to start being asked. The emcee picked a random reporter to ask a question, who promptly stood up and cleared his throat. "David Chester from F1Weekly, this one is to the rookie driver, Kasumi." He said, before the camera and attention shifted onto her. "What are your expectations for this season for yourself and for the team, given the fact that both you and the team are new to Formula 1." Kasumi nodded, and looked at the journalist. "My goals for my debut season is to show that I deserve my seat in Formula One, and as for my team, we both agree that the expectations are to put me in the best position for success. I trust that Kimberly and Valkyrie Racing will do a very good job at that." --- Los Angeles, California, USA A quick turn of a wrench did it. Pulling the socket off of the bolt, Kaitlyn had managed to adjust the aerodynamics of her spoiler to the point where she determined would provide the best amount of downforce for her driving style. She liked her cars to be very grippy, and have a stable rear end. She didn't trust rear ends that kicked out. Putting the ratchet wrench and accompanying socket away, she shut her toolbox, before looking over her Mitsubishi Evolution IX, ready to be thrown about and thrashed at tonight's festivities. Her buddy, Magnus, had sent her an invite to tonight's events, and Kaitlyn was more than grateful for it. It was yet another opportunity to show off her tuning prowess and just what exactly she could do with a car, for both driving and tuning it. Her Evo was a car she'd been developing for quite a while, always tinkering with it just a tiny bit to achieve perfection. Hopefully, if her calculations were right, she'd be able to really tear up the streets tonight. Climbing into the car, Kaitlyn locked up whatever she needed to before she set out for the somewhat long drive to the other side of town. Not like she minded, it gave her a chance to get the new adjustments she made to the car down. Turning the key to the ignition, the four cylinder engine inside of her car roared to life, crackling and popping as Kaitlyn gave it a few revs. The gray car was eventually shifted into gear, slowly rolling out of the driveway it was in and onto the street, before Kaitlyn floored it, the 4G63 popping and roaring, the tires squealing as it fought for traction and made its way toward the venue. A bit of a drive later, and Kaitlyn had arrived to what was unmistakably the event. There were so many cars around, ones that weren't exactly cars you saw every day on the streets. McLarens, Lamborghinis, Ferraris, you name it and it was there. Magnus sure knew his way through the car scene in this place, because he had managed to organize a massive congregate of sweet cars in this very spot. Kaitlyn might've looked cool on the outside as she found a parking spot, but inside, she was practically geeking. So many people she could talk to and so many cars she could check out. She was itching to get out and see what she was in the company of. Rolling through the parking lot, the Evo sputtered and popped as she eventually found a parking spot. As was customary in the car community, Kaitlyn pulled a bit forward in front of the parking spot, before slowly backing her way into the spot. Cutting the ignition to the car, the car settled down, as Kaitlyn climbed out and put her own pair of sunglasses on. California still managed to be bright as fuck, even in the evening hours. Walking around the front of her car, she could immediately spot Godzilla. Not the giant lizard that attacked Japan every now and then, but the Nissan that terrorized Bathurst and many touring car series many years ago. Kaitlyn had seen a couple over here from time to time, but they were so rare that it was definitely worth checking out. And just to Kaitlyn's luck, someone who she could assume was the owner was nearby. "Hey, nice car." Kaitlyn smiled, before looking the car over, studying the car rather intensely, "How'd you get one of these over here?"</s> <\|message\|>Maxwell "Max" Parker Max nodded, turning around to see the sight of the girl adoring his Skyline, stopping him right in his tracks as he looked back, tilting his sunglasses up and chuckling. "You know how it is, same way they do overnight parts shipping from Yokohama. Straight off the boat. She's still a work in progress but....I just had to get it out here. This is all a bit insane!" Max said, his soft northern English accent blending with the Manx, a hearty and wholesome accent that wasn't like Ross's, a hearty Scots one- but a more English, clear and concise accent that didn't hide the cheekie-chappie that Max was. On another note though, he had to just take the girl in, her demeanour inquisitive, clearly someone who wasn't just here to oggle at cars but drove one. Nerding out, but understanding the machinery. Something just said that to him, it just came naturally, as he smiled, patting the bonnet, as he sighed. "Glad to hear someone appreciates Japanese tuners too. Nothing like a well oiled machine made by people who know their engineering. Don't get me started on the last BMW I had....what about you?" Max added, chuckling as he looked across to another pair of Porsches coming in, sighing. "Damn, this really is Magnus's haunt alright....sorry, I haven't introduced myself at all. I'm Max Parker, and yeah, "he's from England"..." He said, in a sarcastic American tone right at the end, a little self-aware of the fact that he was a Brit in the streets of LA, and he was always gonna stick out like as sore thumb. She seemed cute, whoever she was, very pretty, and had a charm, a mechanical interest that wasn't of some dumb random girl who saw a Skyline once- but actually took notice. Whoever she was, Max was piqued, but hey, plenty of women were getting into cars these days- so probably another one of those, he reminded himself before jumping to conclusion.</s>	<\|message\|>Kaitlyn Elise Holliday So this car was fresh off the boat. Kaitlyn wasn't sure what she was expecting. There was no other way this man could've come in possession of such a legendary car. Standing up from closely examining the finer details of this car, Kaitlyn only nodded as she readjusted her sunglasses, making sure it was shielding her from the sunlight. Now begged the question of the hoops he went through to get this car here. Every gearhead and their mother in this country knew just how difficult it was to get a car like that over here. Especially with the canning of Motorex, getting a Skyline over here was a process that had many hoops that had to be jumped through. This man seemed like a huge car geek, and was definitely very enthusiastic about his car. Kaitlyn was the same way when it came to her car. Any question about her car and she would've been able to speak a practical dissertation on it, or be able to pull off a filibuster just talking about her car's suspension setup. Not many people assumed that Kaitlyn knew her way around a car, but rest assured that she very much did. She did nearly all of the work on her car by herself, save for a few tweaks with electronics and wiring because that was always a pain in the ass no matter who you were. Moving from BMW to Nissan was an interesting move, a wise one, but still nevertheless interesting. After the man finished talking and introducing him, Kaitlyn reached a hand out to shake Max's. "I'm Kaitlyn, Kaitlyn Holliday." She smiled, before turning back to look at her gray Mitsubishi. She took her other hand and pointed it over to where she was looking, before looking at Max. "That's my car. Built it up myself."</s>
<\|description\|>Kaitlyn Elise Holliday Aliases: Kate Age: 23 Birthday: December 29th, 1993 Nationality: American Ethnicity: Russian-Kazakh Birth Place: Burlington, Vermont, USA Current Residence: Los Angeles, California, USA Gender: Female Education: Bachelor's of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Southern California Job: Suspension Specialist at Webbsport Tuning --- --- Appearance Height: 5'9" Weight: 150 lbs Build: Skinny Eyes: Brown Hair: Brown Skin Tone: Fair Tattoos/Scars/Piercings: N/A, but she wants a nose ring someday. Personal Style: Kate's style is basic in theory, yet exotic in execution. She owns one dress, which she busts out in formal events every so often. Other than that, she's most commonly seen in a t-shirt, jeans, and whatever pair of sneakers goes with her outfit, with a sweater in chilly weather. However though, what makes her outfits more exotic is the branding of her apparel. Kate doesn't shy away from big name streetwear brands like Supreme, Bape, Crooks and Castles, etc. She likes her jeans skinny, her t-shirts a little baggy, her hats worn backwards, and her shoes a little loose. As Kate does have perfect vision, she doesn't need glasses to help see. Kate also does wear her hair down very often, only having it up when she's working with things that could she could get it trapped in. Despite her very lazy nature, she does put a lot of effort into her appearance. She follows a strict and tedious skincare routine and does have adept knowledge in applying makeup by herself (although she rarely wears it). --- --- Psychology Shallow * Dedicated * Ambitious * Oblivious Sexuality: Pansexual Relationship Status: Single. She has yet to have her first kiss. Personality: Kate, to put it simply, is a very shallow person. Whether it's actually the way she is or if it's because she doesn't know how to acknowledge her own feelings - it comes across the same way. She seldom gets into feelings with anyone, often opting to direct conversations away simply because she does't care. She doesn't care how she feels or how anyone else is feeling. She cares more about her vehicles and her dog (a Samoyed), Bella. Despite her inability to properly convey her feelings in general, Kate is very excellent at gauging what someone is feeling. It may sound contradictory, but she has an incredible ability to read people like a book. However though, if you get her to talk about her cars (which isn't really that hard at all), she lights up like a Christmas tree in December and goes on and on about it. Habits: * Immediately steers herself away from anything that gets touchy-feely. * Keeps her bottle caps tucked in a bottle until she gets off her ass and empties it Hobbies: CARS Fears: * Airplanes * The ocean * Heights Likes: * Cars * Her dog, Bella * Craft beer (has to be craft beer, she doesn't like many big brands) * Hip Hop * Video Games * Clothes Dislikes: * Airplanes * Touchy-feely shit * Tomatoes * Small cars * Pickles * Frogs --- --- Extras Character Quote: "Okay..." Theme Song: Post Malone ft. 21 Savage - Rockstar Anything Else: * Is a full bonafide virgin. She has yet to have her first kiss, let alone lose her virginity. * Drives a tuned Mitsubishi Evolution IX but is in possession of a Porsche 911 Carrera 993 shell she intends to fully restore one day. * Her favorite types of beer are honey ales, blonde ales, and American IPAs. * Ambidextrous - she writes with her left hand and does literally anything else right handed. * Is incredibly fond of Chinese food.</s> <\|message\|>Magnus Pal Haldorsson Max chuckled, shaking Kaitlyn's hand, looking across at the grey Evo, a smile forming on his face as he looked at the intricacy of the build. Yeah, his insticts were right, he mused internally to himself. "Pleasure to meet you, love. Damn, Kaitlyn, that Evo is something. Nothing beats four-wheel drive, right? That and the amount of aero on that thing, shit it probably stays glued t' tar through corners!" He added, chuckling as he looked across, giving a sweet whistle. "So I guess you're a built, not bought sort of girl. I'm sorta the same, but well....I ran out of ideas and money for now." Looking across, more cars were coming in as a Supra's turbo whine interrupted the two, more people joining in, and while Max wanted to talk cars all night long, he knew they had other things to be getting on with right now. "Shit, tell you what. Magnus himself actually invited me down, I sort of know him through a friend of a friend thing deal....wanna come wtih and see if we can find him?" The music was blaring from the soundsystem of one of the converted VW Camper vans that had turned up, the empty shell of the warehouse containing the bit of Nordic Customs that had come with the lease, yet Magnus hadn't actually needed for any workshop at all. Instead, it was empty, and filled with people grabbing light beer at a long bar, this basically being a giant cafe of sorts for street racers. A weird atmosphere, but given the crowds that came here, it only made sense, as Max could only smirk at the sight of it all, knowing somewhere inside would be the mad Faroese tuner that'd made his fortune out here.</s> <\|message\|>Kaitlyn Elise Holliday As thing stood right now, it seemed like Kaitlyn and Max had a mutual friend. Magnus, the car extraordinaire, had managed to bring them together at this event. Not that Kaitlyn had any objections to it. Magnus was a man of much power and allure, of course he would manage to attract so many different people from all over. Based on how many people were here already, Kaitlyn could assume that Magnus played at least a significant part in gathering all of these people. It didn't seem like Magnus had a type of subculture he was particularly attracted to either. "Yeah, sure, why not?" Kaitlyn shrugged, before starting to walk down the parking lot. The woman was careful to make sure she was walking along the sides of the parking lot, close to the parked cars as she knew very well that cars were still rolling in. It also gave her a good opportunity to gawk at cars that caught her fancy. Such as the Mercedes AMG GT-R that passed by, or the Pagani Zonda Cinque that also slowly rolled its way into the venue. There was probably enough value in these cars to fund a small country. "Where could Magnus be? This is his thing, isn't it?" Kaitlyn asked curiously, hoping she was heard over the sound of a Dodge Charger Hellcat being revved. It couldn't be too hard to spot Magnus, the man had a bit of an aura to him that was impossible to miss. Either he wasn't at the event, or he was somewhere that Kaitlyn hadn't thought to look in. Along the way, Kaitlyn quickly glanced at a Mazda RX-7. Man, there were all sorts of cars around.</s> <\|message\|>Magnus Pal Haldorsson Max walked on through, wading through the crowd, the sight of exotica to tuner a sight to behold. While Nordic was a predominantly McLaren and Porsche specialist, the fact all sorts came here said volumes, perhaps even lengths about what sort of a car culture was bred here in this carpark. Somehow the Brit wondered how the fuck this was still going, given that there were so many people, but then again, that wasn't his thought to comprehend. There was something brewing here, more than just a car meet. And Max really wanted to get stuck in. "Yeah, but there are a fucking lot of people here....and a tall Nordic bloke is gonna be fairly average for LA. It's weird here, right? Glad we have a mutual friend though." Max said, a laddish but wholesome comment as he chuckled, the sight of the cafe inside filled with fewer cars, yet more people. Going inside, the tall Faroese man could be seen across the bar, heartily chuckling as he stood by his McLaren 720S, the blue and gold coloured car an archetypal example of what Nordic could produce. Whilst it looked not too dissimilar, it had a bodykit that made the already glued together supercar look even more gorgeous, with a power map and customisation inside making the interior even more...homely, warm, and tight fit as a supercar like this could be. It was an incredibly difficult modification to pull off on an ultimately desgined machine, yet Magnus was showing it could be done with taste, class and exotic design. The zero-alcohol can of beer in his hand probably told him he was socialising, staying sober for the fact that he may have been involved in something logistical. "There he is." Max said, walking across and past a few groups of other owners, waving over to the Norseman. Magnus waved back, Max chuckling as he felt he'd finally come across a more familiar face now, someone a little more known. "Hey, Magnus! Pleasure to meet you mate, Max Parker, one of Simon's mates....holy shit, this is a party..." Max said, Magnus laughing, the Faroese viking sipping the rest of his can, as he crushed it in his hand, yeeting it towards a bin in the distance. "Yeah, well, what did you expect, welcome to Nordic! Uhh, you're Kaitlyn, right? I didn't think you two were a pair, unless I'm wrong...?" Magnus asked, the Brit looking perplexed for just a second, happy to meet him but a bit awkward. Ah yeah, they had mutual friends, but not in that way! Max blushed, chuckling, looking to Kaitlyn with a gentle look, almost to say "Oh Shit", as if it was a little awkward. "Uhh...nah, we just met outside. You know, tuners and all haha!" Max sheepishly replied, Magnus chuckling, shaking his head. "Alright, if you say so, Mister Parker. You're both probably wondering what's going on- I mean, this is the quarterly meet, but someone in the crowd, pst, not me, has something going. No pink slips- people here are way too attached to their cars to even dare gamble them, but $1000 gets you a buy in. Man over there, in the black hoody is doing something. Trying to get numbers together, but again, half the fucking people here won't dare put a scratch into their cars now they souped them up....crazy, right? "Now as a reputable business owner, I have absolutely nothing to do with street racing. Nooothing at all. Just a guy running a party that keeps most of these people from racing, but hey, if they decide to it's up to them. Up to you guys though if you're all in. Feel free to grab a Monster before you go though!" Magnus said, Max chuckling in response to Magnus's antics, knowing full well he was playing it quite cleverly, somewhat balancing the buisness in here with the straight up illegality someone else organising a street race would have. "If you say so too, Magnus...thanks man. Kaitlyn, what do you think? Up for some shenanigans?"</s>	<\|message\|>Kaitlyn Elise Holliday Kaitlyn only nodded as the Brit beside her raised a fair point. There were always a variety of personalities and people that you'd find in a place like Los Angeles. But, that just made the task that they had of locating Magnus all the bit harder, considering just how many people were before them. As they continued to walk and look around for Magnus, the crowd that had gathered at this party had only grown larger and larger. At this point, it was hard to track the sheer amount of cars coming in and joining the festivities. Even Kaitlyn, as much of a car nerd as she was, she wasn't able to really comprehend just how many cars were here at this point. The only thing she could be really be sure about, however, was that there was a little bit of everything. It was reasonable for Kaitlyn to extrapolate that cars from pretty much all aspects of car culture were here. Tracked out cars, exotic cars, stanced out cars -- they were all at this very event. Soon enough, Max lead Kaitlyn into a cafe of sorts, which wasn't something that Kaitlyn had expected to find at a place like this. There was a significantly higher amount of people at this cafe, but Katilyn supposed that people had to somewhere to gather that wasn't just around a bunch of noisy cars. Stepping inside, Magnus was spotted faster than a blink of an eye. That man, despite the crowd in the cafe had a penchant for sticking out and making his presence known. Seemed like Max saw him as well, because she spotted him moving toward Magnus. It took her not much longer to follow after him and catch up. There he was -- the boisterous Magnus, the man who commanded attention no matter where he went. Though, the implication of her and Max being a pair was a bit humorous. "Nah. We're not a pair." Kaitlyn shook her head, "We'd barely even met... a half hour ago? Yeah. A half hour ago." Kaitlyn laughed, before listening to what it was that Magnus had to say. Man was definitely speaking in some sort of code, but it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what exactly he was getting at. There were some less than legal occurrences taking place later tonight, which Kaitlyn was hoping what would happen at an event like this. Though, it was understandable that there were no pink slips involved. After Magnus finished his spiel, Kaitlyn chuckled and shook her head, before looking up at Max, who had asked her if she was going to be involved. "Yeah, why not?" Kaitlyn smiled, "Be ready to kiss your thousand dollars goodbye, though." Kaitlyn teased, before setting off again. "Let's go find this black hoodie man."</s>
<\|description\|>Freya Carstensen Age: 17 Gender: Female Appearance: Likes: * Creating art * Music * Writing * Nature, especially small animals Dislikes: * Coffee * Hot weather * Bossy, stubborn people * Whispers make her deeply uncomfortable Skills: * Drawing and writing * Climbing, specifically rock climbing * Archery, if she could find a bow and arrows Fears: * True, complete silence, especially in darkness * Nightmares Inventory: * Her phone * Car keys * A few hair ties Personality: Freya's quiet on the surface, and not the easiest girl to open up. She'd much rather listen to others than talk about herself, and at times can seem secretive or sly. She may enjoy writing, but she's not the best with words when put on the spot. She's never made friends easily, something she's actually quite hard on herself about. Despite her enjoyment of archery, Freya is not violent at all, practicing it at first as a way to spend time with a friend and later as a way to find some inner peace. She'll resort to violence only if she feels she has no other choice. Bravery is not something she lacks, though, and she'll jump at a chance to help others, so she can make ties with actions rather than words. Freya has been looking for a fresh start around new faces for a while now. This is not exactly what she had in mind. History: Freya grew up the younger of two children in a fairly well off family, spending most of her childhood in a moderately sized Pacific Northwest town. She had a stable, normal life for the most part, finding her interests in school in things like art and writing, and beyond it in activities like archery and rock climbing. Freya wasn't the most popular or outgoing girl, but she had a steady circle of friends and a healthy home life. Her world was turned upside down at the age of 16, however, when she and her best friend were hit by a drunk driver while Freya was behind the wheel. She made it out with only a broken bone in her arm, but her friend was killed. The trauma from that is something she still hasn't properly dealt with, and over her senior year of high school is proceeded to deteriorate several aspects of her life, the social parts more than anything. She withdrew into isolation for a while, but near the end of her senior year her friends convinced her to skip school on a Friday and take a camping trip. It proved to be just what she needed, and started the process of turning her spirits around before she heads off to the east coast for a fresh start at a university. But she never made it home. Freya got separated from the others on the road back, and pulled over to look up directions. That was when she felt the dizziness set in, and a few seconds later she slumped back in her seat. She woke up somewhere completely different.</s> <\|message\|>Hannei Baizō Hannei Baizō/Aina Baizō Aina looked at Brenton and smiled. "Hey, Brenton. You're an American?" She asked quietly, listening to his voice with a tilt of her head. Hannei, however, scoffed. "Of course it's a magical forest. I've never been in a forest my whole life, I live in Japan. I was in Japan and now I wake up in magical forest. Not that hard. Everyone here is a westerner, too, just like in all the magical forests. We've been taken away to a magical forest. Obviously." She explained condescendingly yet earnestly. She twiddled with the three wheeled drone in her hands, shoving the controller in her pocket. In her mind, there was no other explanation. To be honest, if anyone was going to get taken away to magical forest, it would be her. Some people were arrogant and dumb and thought it would be a prank or a kidnapping but they just don't want to see what was right infront of them. Perhaps the two sisters had an "advantage" in coming to this realisation as the land they found themselves in was so utterly foreign to them. Green and blue, massive trees, forest as far as the eye could see. It was like they were on another world. If one woke up on Mars, would one not assume they were on Mars? This place was a textbook magical forest. Aina frowned but then glanced up at the cat. "Why are you throwing rocks at cats?" She asked, offended on the feline's behalf. Hannei and Aina stuck together, trailing behind the group. "We need to find the magical portal out of here." She said nonchalantly, kicking at a nearby root. "You seem to be making-" "No assumptions. Facts. That's the only way out. It's how we got here." "I saw you faint, and then I passed out-""Ontop of me! I fainted. That's your-" "My thing? Maybe this is all-" "-a dream? You wish. I-" "You can't tell when-" "-can tell when I'm dreaming. I'm a lucid dreamer." "Are not." "Are too." "Are not!" "Are too!" "Threepio." The girls giggled. Aina and Hannei froze up when they heard a scream. A boy was pleading for help and being attacked by- "Goblins! Goblins! It's a magical forest I knew it! The goblins are going to eat that little boy! Then they're going to eat us!" Hannei pointed and frantically bounced up and down, with an almost excited tone of voice. "Get away from him you freaks!" Aina shouted, following Freya into the action. She waded into into lake and reached out for the boy, a little grossed out by the mud. Her heart was racing. "We'll save you, take my hand! Quick, quick! Hurry hurry hurryhurryhurry!" Her voice was raised and her purple-tipped fingers reached out for the child asking for help.</s> <\|message\|>Victor Durolo Victor Durolo Staying out of the conversations was something Victor did best at, he just stood back and listened to everyone not really wanting to be involved and just wanted to get the hell out of wherever they were at. Though he wanted to chuckle when one of the twins spoke of a magical portal, what did they think this was a comic book or television show? Suddenly a scream was breaking almost all of them into moving towards the sound, Victor was one of the last person to get into the clearing and saw everything that was happening around. Creatures were coming out of the muck and starting to attack them, 2 people were trying to fight back and it seemed like it was going well. Victor saw a boy crying out in the water, and one of the twins was reaching for him. He didn't really know what to do, but something made him feel like he needed to help the other people with the creatures. They were the bigger threat, the guy and girl that were fighting back seemed like they were taking care of themselves just fine. So Victor ran up and grabbed a rock off the ground throwing it at one of the creatures to try and get it's attention away from going after the twins that were trying to get the boy out of the water. "Anytime you want to grab him. We will try and keep them off of you." he shouted at the twins. "Somebody help them." he said grabbing another rock off the ground to throw it. He cringed and ground his teeth together feeling a sharp pain on his leg and looked down to see one of the creatures scraping it's sharp claws across his leg. He brought his leg back and shot it forward hard wanting to get the thing away from him. The pain was immense as he tried to push through it and he could feel the warm blood dripping down his leg and soaking into his jeans. Throbbing pain shot through his leg and he wanted to stop but adrenaline was surging through his body and he needed to save the kid, it wasn't really like him but he couldn't exactly watch other people being hurt or god forbid not being able to save the kid.</s> <\|message\|>Brenton Ackerley @Platinum Cobra @geminironin @Ryona Zako @alexfangtalon @Typical Brenton Ackerley Right away, Brenton rushed towards the sound. Was this the sister Aubrey was talking about? Instead, when the lake came into view, so did a young boy thrashing in the water - and two green-skinned, sharp-toothed creatures. Brenton's eyes widened. Ok, there was no rational way to explain THAT. With no time to think on it anyway, he sped up his sprint, taking action alongside the others. Freya's attack hit home, earning a garbled screech from the target. Spitting out oil-dark blood and two of its teeth, it flailed and grasped its long fingers at Freya's ankle, while the other creature fared little better as Marcus' branch swing knocked it back into the lake. When it tried to climb out, Brenton gave it a swift kick in the forehead. To his bewilderment, the little boy stopped struggling and laughed. Not a sound of relief, but of amusement. "Well, that wasn't very nice," he said, eyes turning eerie pale blue as they flicked around Aina and the others with a mock accusing look. At once, the rest of his body transformed, the air shimmering as he swelled and contorted into a monstrous horse. Pondweed-mane dripping, white scales all over his body glinting as he moved, he lunged to grip Aina with his teeth. Before Brenton could process the situation, he grabbed the utility knife from his pocket, flipping up the blade even as it felt unwieldy in his hand. "Leave her alone!" He knew how to chop through branches and vines, but defending against wild animals wasn't something he'd had to master. As clumsy as his desperation strike was, though, the horse whinnied as the blade swiped across its front leg. Flesh hissed as if the metal were hot, burn marks spreading over scaled skin. Surprise flashed across Brenton's face, but he kept enough of his wits about him to call to the others over the chaos. "Run!" --- Aubrey Hughes Aubrey had known this place had to have a sinister side beneath the sparkle, but this was something else. "Get away from that kid, you bastard!" she yelled, stomping on a lake goblin's hand before it could reach Freya or harm the boy - just as said 'kid' turned out not to be quite who or what he seemed. She gasped as the trick became apparent, the boy's true, equine form showing. She was sure she'd seen illustrations like it before, but this wasn't the friendly water horse of storybooks... Kelpie. Not that it mattered what it was called. What mattered was getting the fuck away from it. Springing into movement, she glimpsed the knife slash across its leg, the red welts as if from a burn. Through her whirling thoughts, something else from the folktales came to mind. Iron. Of course... "Quick! Does anyone have anything made of iron or steel?" she called, wrapping her arm around the torso of an injured Victor to support him. With her free hand, she unhooked her belt chain, ready to use it as a makeshift whip if necessary. Hauling the wounded guy along as fast as she could, she glanced over her shoulder. The kelpie started to clamber from the water, as did its two goblin friends, and Aubrey could only hope against hope their injuries would slow them down.</s> <\|message\|>Hannei Baizō Hannei Baizō/Aina Baizō Aina's eyes widened in horror as the boy she was just a few feet away from transformed into a disgusting monster. But she came in to save him? Why would he trick her like this? There was a shot of adrenaline and fear and...Aina turned around, her eyes wide, but her knees buckled and she fell onto all fours with a splash. Her head was swimming and she was losing feelings in her limbs. The sudden shock had sent her into a cataplectic attack and she was no longer in full control of her body. "Uuhhsshh..." With her face drooping, she moaned hauntingly, the terror apparent in her dull eyes as she clumsily clambered through the water back to shore. Hannei, for her part, began to shriek wildly. "AAAIIEEEEE! AAAAAAHHHH! AIINAAAAA! KUSOOOOO! SOMEBODY SAVE HER!" Hannei, for as thin and ineffectual as she was, the spindly girl not even able to climb out from underneath her sister, rushed into the water. "HELP MEEEEEEEE!" She cried. She attempted to loop her sister's arm over her shoulder but she ended up falling into the muck, spitting and coughing as she did so. Her heart was racing a million miles a minute and she was on fire with fear. The twins were in an immediately bad way.</s>	<\|message\|>Freya Carstensen Freya's kick blasted a few teeth out of the nasty green creature, but still it grasped at her, long fingers closing around her ankle. She panicked, trying to take a step back but tripping and falling backwards. She hit the mud with a splat, but getting dirty was the last thing she cared about right now. The goblin was trying to grab her legs now and climb on top of her, and Freya frantically kicked at its face until she was free. The boy was gone, a horrific horse-like creature replacing him. Brenton tried to fight it before shouting to run, and Aubrey called for iron or steel. Freya crawled backwards on her back, but she thought of little. Maybe her belt's buckle would work, but she didn't like her chances using it as a weapon. She had to agree with Brenton: they need to run. Aina went down, her twin shrieking for help. Freya was closest, scrambling out of the mud and quickly getting to Aina's other side. "I've got her, come on!" she urged, taking half of Aina's weight under one shoulder and hoping Hannei could handle the rest. "We have to get out of here!"</s>
<\|description\|>Elsa Jackson "I'm passionate as ice, a relentless force of nature that will freeze you in your tracks." Official Title: Ice Mother Team Title: Wrecking Team Gender: Female Age: (Chap 1) 21/ (Post Chap 1) 24 Position: Linked Asylum Specialty: Sniffer Alchemic Style: Motem (primary) Sigillum (secondary) Asylum Code: XXX (30) Weapons: Primary Weapon Composition Bow: During her youth, Elsa showed a passion and talent on the composition bow. With her sharp eye, she rarely misses. Despite its complicated appearance, the bow can break down into two parts. The string to be hidden around her waist with the wheels being buckles and the main shaft can be folded up to about half the length of her leg. Making it easy to stash somewhere on her person. Each part has a magnet which when activated will automatically pull the correct part into the right area and fix them in place. It is undetectable by metal detectors and under x-ray, it appears to be completely solid thanks to an alchemy coating. Arrows: Her quiver has up to fifty arrows which when hidden, appear to be nothing but wooden rods in a canister. Their tips and feathered backs fold in to create a smooth appearance. There are a few different types of arrows in her arsenal alongside her normal ones. Every single specialized arrow is prepared before a mission and the amount on her person always differs depending on the mission's information. Smoke Arrow- When activated on impact, it emits a thick fog which disperses in a 25-foot radius all around the point of landing. This is usually used for escaping or hiding her allies, mainly Samad, from sight. Acid Arrow-Filled with highly acidic compounds, this cocktail can burn through flesh or metal the moment it lands. Depending on the thickness, it can take time and be washed off by water. Ice Arrow- Using her own alchemy, she imbued her and shoot them at a target. Patches of thick ice will form over one section of that target. With some selective aiming, she can freeze someone solid. Fire Arrows- The complete opposite of her ice arrows, when this lands on a target it burns and spreads like wildfire. Unless put out quickly, it will cause heavy damage until it finally fizzles out. Secondary Weapon Karambit Knife: Should the enemy get too close for Elsa to use her bow and arrows, she'll fall back to her Karambit. She's learned how to channel her ice ability into the blade and with each score, it will freeze the wound. The ice spreads outward to constrict the target's movements. It's a thin patch and with a little effort, the ice can be broken off or melted. Alchemy Specialization: Ice- Elsa is able to lower temperatures enough to create ice from multiple water sources. In her capable hands, she can mold it into any shape, size, or structure in her imagination. These structures are not thinking or alive. Her power is limited by the water source and its state. The more spread out and less around, like in dry climates, the harder it is to collect. The opposite is true for liquid and wet climates. Appearance: Elsa is your average, caucasian blond beauty. She keeps her wavy hair to about shoulder length and combed to one side, pulling her bangs clear of her face. A strong feature is her bright, green eyes. They are filled with warmth most the time, but when her fury gets the better of her... they turn colder than ice. Trailing down her figure, most will notice she has a pleasant mix of soft curves and muscle. With her job, it's hard not to. During her casual time off, she enjoys sweats and loose shirts. Especially the type from Samad's culture. It's caused a few arguments until Samad finally gave in to her whims and accepted she wouldn't take no for an answer. There is a heavy contrast to her 'work' clothes and casual. Her work focus on movement, practicality, and bending in. So they vary based on her current job. A default one is jeans, shoes, and a pretty shirt. Personality: Compassionate/Empathic: Brought into AMRO during her pre-teens, Elsa managed to retain her humanity. She's able to relate and understand other's points of view, or at least respect it. This allows her to connect to those often left unstable after traumatic events. However, despite these qualities, they will never get into the way of her mission's goal. Relaxed/Friendly: Reports on the team's interactions with others have shown Elsa took the lead during them. Unlike her partner, she has the ability to start up a conversation and endear others toward her. This has left a positive impression and made her a few friends in unexpected places. When conflict starts, she'll be the first to cease it with reason and her partner backing her up. Insults due out of rage often run off her back, like water from a duck's back. She pays them no mind or importance. It is believed she learned to improve her patience from Samad, but sources can't confirm this. Her default behavior oozes a cool, calm nature overall. Ice Cold: Only in set conditions has she been forced to ignore her morals and humanity. An icy cold fury settles into her soul as she will speak little, and become hostile. Little deters her from the goal she sets. In this vision of herself, she truly reflects her ice alchemy in its purest form. Ruthless and determined. History: Will reveal IC.</s> <\|message\|>Elsa Jackson --- Elsa hated teleportation alchemy. Out of all her options in alchemy, it still gave her dread and anxiety. Her breath fixed in her lungs as it settled down, her body was frozen in place until the experience ended. A tingling raced down her limbs with the sensation of pins and needles. It faded into the air to signal its completion causing her eyes to open. The foilage curled around her legs and grew into a thick jungle setting. She was glad she brought proper attire rather than her casual uniform. The thick humidity blanketed her as she absorbed her position. Terra never gave hints to the location specs when she designed them for the trials. The Chrono felt it risked giving some students unfair advantages from their favorite teachers. Elsa couldn't argue against it since the teachers enjoyed pitting their favorites against each other. Something to chase away the boredom she assumed. The sounds of water rushing along drew Elsa's attention. With a small smirk, she began to carve out a path to the source. Tall trunks began to thin out as a clearing came into view. It didn't take her long to recognize Bella's dark hair and quirky glasses. The words started in Elsa's throat when someone's screams broke the silence. Her head snapped to the side. A dark-haired student, Italian in descent, bolt into the clearing. The girl continued to shout behind her. "Run, you idiots. NOW!" As the student rushed over fallen trees and bushes, Elsa rushed forward. Her arms tossed about Bella's shoulders and immediately pulled themselves down onto the ground. Their figures vanished out of sight as two more boys burst into a small clearing. Elsa's finger pressed against her lips in a universal hush signal. ~,~ Samad frowned as they were teleported into the trial grounds. A thick, humid blanketed the Iranian while his eyes scanned the stage for the student's trials. He should've assumed Terra would've picked something green. A sigh slipped from his lips as he began to look toward the trees, a quick judgment over their high ground. With only a bit of help from Alchemy, he managed to scale it to the highest branch. When he finally found purchase on its surface, a scene began to unfurl beneath him. His dark eyes narrowed on someone below. A woman with long, dark hair stood in the open. She appeared to be scanning her whereabouts for other students.</s> <\|message\|>Bella Palladino Bella watched as colors ebbed and flowed from her vision as she continued to walk. Most of the colors were soft with an occasional jagged burst of color when she stepped on a decaying tree branch that snapped under her weight or kicked over a rock. As she reached the clearing a larger burst of orange came into her vision and Bella tensed up as she looked for the source of the intrusive noise. She got her answer when she saw a girl followed by the written captions of her yell appearing. Multiple sources of running appeared as an indicator on her glasses at the last moment she noticed that one source was coming from behind her and growing stronger. Bella turned around and saw Elsa as she pulled her down. Bella gave a small nod to Elsa's gesture along with a small smile. She was glad to find a friend amongst the jungle. Bella turned her attention towards the students as they rushed through the clearing. They nearly made it to the edge when Bella observed a vine dart out towards the students and wrapped itself around one of the boys which caused the student to fall forward before being dragged back. "Dan!" The other students yelled as they ran back to their ensnared peer. "Run? Run where?" A woman said as she slowly walked towards the students as the trio frantically tried to undo the vine. "Why run? That's no fun? Let's dance or skip or play but don't run away from me?" As the rouge stretched her arm out a second vine grew out and formed a whip. A large crack was heard when the whip landed which was followed by the girl screaming out in pain as the whip tore into her back. Bella winced as she watched the student get hit. If the students weren't there for the exam Bella knew she would have rushed out with no hesitation but with the order given to observe the woman unhappily watched with clenched hands. "I thought we were friends." The rouge continued before swinging again as she laughed, this time hitting the tangled boy. "I just wanna play with my friends." Seeing the second boy charge, the woman lifted up her left hand which caused the first vine to lift Dan up about twenty feet in the air before the vine thrashed twice, causing him to be thrown into the nearby tree trunks before dangling the boy by his leg between the two. Another fit of laughter erupted from the woman as the boy stopped his charge and glared at the woman. "Let's play Simon Says." The woman said as she nodded frantically. "Yes! Yes! A marvelous idea but we need to keep this fun. Yes, very fun indeed. But we need more fun. Yes. A lot more fun. Let's say if one of you lose I will kill Dan Dan." "Run! Leave me-." Dan started to yell before the vine thrashed around again. "No no no no no no! Simon didn't say that." The woman yelled angrily before turning her attention back to the other two. "The first one is a piece of cake. Simon says pull off your left thumb nail off and have your partner eat it."</s>	<\|message\|>Elsa Jackson The damp, earthy scent snaked into her nostrils. Greenery half shrouded her vision as it hid her from sight, the scene unfolded before the pair. She pressed her arms into the soft ground just enough to proper herself to watch the scene unfold. The woman's vision sent a shiver down the blond's spine. Every living, breathing cell within her nature screamed to interrupt the sadistic event. The rogue toyed with her prey like a predatory cat with an appetite for malice. Despite her training, Elsa hated the exams. She saw them as a barbaric practice. One long overdue to be culled from AMRO's educational programs and faded into the history books. Samad was confident it would never happen, but she held hope. Elsa gritted her teeth to silence her protest when the vine lashed across the female student's back. It retracted, a bloodied and torn aftermath left in its wake. The uniform barely hung off her form now. Impulsively, Elsa's eyes shifted to the right and noticed Bella's reaction. She carefully placed her hand on her ally's in a comforting gesture. The blond asylum turned back to watch the widened eyed students track the rogue's smirking form. She circled closer, her mockery filled the thick jungle air. While the rogue twisted an innocent child's game into something dark, Elsa tapped Bella's arm. She pointed to another location just outside the immediate area. Somewhere safer to talk than where they were. With a cautious movement, Elsa began to lead the way toward it. Meanwhile, the boy trapped earlier glanced at the girl and gave into his fate. He pressed his thumb to his mouth. The nail edge pinched the nail edge between, a firm grip. A tug began to peel the nail away. Blood trickled from lips onto the boy's chin as it muffled his groans. With a rough tug, it came off in his teeth in a jagged strip. He fought back a gag before he passed it to the girl. She stepped back, her hand covered her mouth, as she glanced at him in total horror. It was clear she wasn't willing to carry out her part of the game.</s>
<\|description\|>Aurora Lune de Realis-Donati Personal Dossier --- Age 19 Gender Female Origin Terra Nova Appearance Standing at five feet six inches, Aurora is a young woman who carries herself with grace and dignity at all times. Her heart shaped face adds to her attractiveness, her big, chocolate brown eyes makes her expressions stand out. She sports an extremely curvaceous body, her fair skin is flawless and her long, brown hair is always shiny--it's obvious that she takes pride in her appearance and takes very good care of herself. Everything she wears from head to toe probably costs more than anything most can afford, as she wears only the finest. Personality Aurora is the best of the best and would rather you don't go forgetting it. The word 'tact' doesn't exist in her dictionary, speaking her mind freely and disliking it when she's told to do otherwise. She loves playing coy and plays the part of a flirt well when needed, although she prefers making people chase her. The only thing she likes more than people telling her how beautiful she is is getting as much praise as possible. Her tendency to hone in on people's weaknesses and her delight at exploiting them tend to make people very wary of her. Nevertheless, her bravery is second to none, having no fear of the unknown and is more than willing to jump in headfirst into any new challenges. Background Information The marriage of the heir of the Realis Holdings to the Donati Corporation's heiress was celebrated as a union of two industry giants. While the two remain separate, the family is united through Aurora. Of course, a marriage of convenience can only be tolerated for so long, especially with the disappointment concerning heirs; both camps had hoped for a male heir. After fourteen years of pampering their princess and readying her for a life of luxury, everything was tossed aside at the arrival of a bouncing baby boy. Since she was no longer needed, Aurora decided to make herself useful by using her talents elsewhere; in her mind, if she could prove herself by becoming a successful pilot and make a name for herself, then she wouldn't need anyone. Attributes & Other Information --- Coordinator Type TC Coordination Profile Awareness \| ■□□□□ Composure \| ■■■■□ Endurance \| ■■■■■ Instinct \| ■■■■□ Intellect \| ■□□□□ Breasts \| ■■■■■■</s> <\|message\|>Kalian Bel Cyris II. He commonly goes by Bel. --- --- Bel had been somewhat preoccupied by his mentor's whirlwind arrival and then departure, and as such, had failed to do two things. Firstly, he hadn't paid much attention to the crowd of fellow students slowly surrounding him and filling up the nearby tables, until the air had already begun filled with a rather annoying drone of constant chatter. Secondly, he hadn't managed to finish eating his dish of ration slurry until the already unappetizing paste had now become lukewarm to boot. He poked at it with his spoon, a grimace of disgust forming on his face as he realized that one of the only saving graces of the alleged "food" had now come and gone, despite his dedication to arriving early. He was just lamenting the inevitability that his lunch was already ruined, however, when he caught sight of a rather furious looking boy rising up and storming off from a nearby table holding... Wait a second, was that a bloody Zhenko bar? It was. It was. ...To be honest, under normal circumstances, the sweet snack would have been a welcome addition to his meal, but it wasn't something he'd go out of his way to obtain - particularly not to the point of bothering someone just to get his hands on it. However, that girl over there looked awfully proud of herself, and he had heard rumors about a black marketeer who could get contraband foods and was willing to trade for them... And the nightmare called "lunch" sitting in front of him definitely meant this situation wasn't normal by any stretch of the imagination. So it was that, steeling his resolve to deal with the inevitable hassle of social interaction, the dark-haired lad slowly stood up and approached Cicinna's table. Rapping a knuckle against the back of the chair opposite her, he glanced down with one eyebrow quizzically raised, his eyes awkwardly sliding between the seated girl and the area around them, as if suspecting that one of the station's administrators would come bursting in at any moment to bust the illegal contraband trade that was about to go down. "Oi, you wouldn't happen to... uh... have any more of those, would ya?"</s> <\|message\|>Cincinna "Cinny" Siloux --- Just as the dopamine was wearing off, and the food was beginning to taste like the garbage slop that it was again, lo and behold, there be delivered before her another hungry sap to torture. He approached cautiously, with all the confidence of a lost fawn. His eyes were mile-a-minute between her and everywhere that wasn't her, and she craned her head this way and that trying to snatch his gaze up in the brief instants they made eye-contact. God, how come nobody'd told her it was her birthday? There was a touch of command in his voice that the rest of him couldn't back up, which was surprising coming from a red. As far as she'd seen in the past few weeks, the engineering students tended to keep to themselves, and she'd picked up a sort of toothless hostility from them towards the operators and, especially, the pilot-cadets. Of course, it didn't help that the pilots played into it. Some of her peers relished in the envy, which seemed like a great way to utterly ruin things for themselves down the line, when their livelihoods would depend on those reds. Of course, that didn't mean Cinny was about to show the guy any mercy. Cinny tapped her lips in feigned thought, then snapped her fingers and, at a prompt from her, he held out his hand. She dug into her pockets, miming excitement when she found what she was looking for. With the reverence and sincerity of someone bequeathing a precious family heirloom to a loved one, Cinny took his hand in hers, and gently closed his fingers around the prize that had been hiding amongst the lint in her pocket. When he opened his hand, there it was. An empty, crumpled Zhenko wrapper. Cinny pretended to be shocked. She quickly snatched the wrapper up, inspected it, sniffed it, pulled it flat and taut. She rolled her eyes and smacked her palm against her head, as if to say, Ah, of course, how silly. The wrapper was sealed at one end, so Cinny put the other end to her lips and with a quick breath, inflated it. Then she licked her finger, sealed the other end, and playfully bounced the ballooned wrapper between her hands. This went on for some moments. Patience was a rope you could measure many times, but cut only once, so before too much time had been wasted, she signaled again for her victim to hold out his hand. She was surprised when he did, but not very. Taking the featherlight wrapper, she waved it about like a wand and tapped it three arbitrary times against her forehead, before holding it out over the red's hand. Lem would have said: "Now you really, really have to want it." Cinny just waggled her eyebrows. She let go, and the wrapper dropped like a rock into Bel's open palm, full of Zhenko-goodness. Cinny did some mystical jazz-hands, then picked up her fork and let the serotonin persuade her to take a few more bites of slop.</s> <\|message\|>Sirius Elhart Leverant Sirius Leverant If there was any satisfaction to be had on this day, it was the small sliver Sirius managed to gain as he watched the cogs in Miss Realis-Donati's head turn. She had done well enough to hide her offense, something that gave him an inkling as to her social strata, but the sharpness of his words seemed to catch her just off guard enough that it shone through. It was unfortunate that she had so much composure, as verbally sparring with someone would have been a worthwhile distraction from pitiful sports scores. Instead, it seemed his unwanted guest insisted on remaining, brushing off his comment like so much water off a duck's back. "I wouldn't know," Sirius fired back in retort, flicking the retort pouch that held the remainder of his lunch. He wasn't about to let her totally sidestep his attempts to inflame her, after all. But he didn't entirely intend on hinging the whole of their conversation on her bovine like endowments—she had come to him for some reason or another, and it was at least worth inquiring as to why. "Most people can't help themselves when it comes to irritating me. But, you've come all this way, so you might as well tell me—just why do you think you'd like to get to know me?"</s> <\|message\|>Aurora Lune de Realis-Donati --- This one wasn't much of a talker, was he? Or at least, he didn't seem the type to enjoy a conversation with anyone. Still, he hadn't dismissed Aurora entirely--not yet, anyway--and actually continued said conversation. She was, however, just a touch surprised that he didn't seem to recognize her. Unless he did recognize her and was still being dismissive? Could that be it? No, there was absolutely no reason for her to doubt that her status had gone unawares even by the rabble. Aha, maybe that was it! She would love to put a name to his face, after all, so an introduction was definitely in order. His next question did put a halt to that line of thinking, however. She thought the reason she was here was obvious, but he must have missed it. Perhaps she should be more straightforward. And less...aware of her chest, since for whatever reason, it didn't seem to please him. That was definitely a first, too, but she wasn't going to dwell on that for long, either. Aurora gave him a small smile as she placed her hands on her lap. "I think most people don't aim to irritate you," She let out a small, girlish giggle. "But you should look at it from their perspective! You keep to yourself and give off this air of mystery...I would very much like to unravel you if you know what I mean." She concluded, giving him a wink. ---</s> <\|message\|>Sirius Elhart Leverant Sirius Leverant "They succeed in spite of their trying, then." Sirius was quick to retort at the intruder to his reprieve. After all, she surely hadn't set off with the intention of gaining his ire, but her incessant giggling and airy demeanor had managed it all the same. The way she winked at him only stoked his anger all the more; had she really come all this way just to flirt with him and make vague innuendo? If he hadn't been in such a foul mood he might have admired the initiative. However, he had arrived at Taiyōtawa to dominate the rankings of the ICW course, not the first airheaded bimbo to come drifting his way after class. A firm rebuke was in order, to make this fact clear. "We all have things we'd like to do," he mused coldly, "A tragedy that more often than not they don't come to pass."</s>	<\|message\|>Aurora Lune de Realis-Donati It was hard to get a read on him. If she didn't know better, she would think that he didn't want her around. Aurora straightened up a touch, smoothing out her skirt as she thought of her next step. Subtlety would get her nowhere--or at least, nowhere she wanted. She rested her elbow back on the table and perched her chin in her palm, examining the boy carefully. Her spirit wouldn't be downcast just yet, however; she was persistent above all else. "Tragic? That's an interesting way to put it," Aurora replied. "But where are my manners? I haven't even introduced myself! My name is Aurora de Realis-Donati, heiress to the Realis-Donati Conglomerate." She paused for just a second to let the implication sink in before continuing with, "And you are?' </s>
<\|description\|>Erik Nyqvist-Åkerfeldt Personal Dossier --- Age 18 (2708 CE) Gender Male Origin Terra Nova, Barnard's System Gandvik, Van Maanen's System Appearance Rarely comfortable without being under several layers of grease and oil, Erik maintains a minimalist attitude when it comes to fashion, preferring practical clothes that fit rather than keeping up with gaudy trends like other Terra Novan teenagers. The only exception to this are a number of rings and studs on his left ear that he claims to have gotten on a whim. He keeps his flaxen hair relatively short to avoid getting it in his eyes or stuck in some errant piece of machinery. He stands at a short-for-Gandvik height of 5'7", and seems to take great pains to keep his body in the same shape as his mind. His most strikingly Gandvikian feature are his oftentimes cold gaze and yellow eyes, supposedly the result of a genetic modification fad centuries ago. Time will tell how well the rest of his frame will fill out over the course of his time at Taiyōtawa Academy. Personality Ostensibly, Erik Nyqvist is defined by fierce independence and the will to overcome the circumstances of one's birth. He is living proof that with enough dogged determination even the lowest orphan can reach for the stars. An inspiration to everyone in the Confederacy. Or so he likes to think. In practice, Erik is a young man with very little experience dealing with people his own age, and it shows. Most of his newfound classmates claim he is haughty, dismissive, and altogether full of himself, and such accusations are not without merit. He takes no small amount of pride in being the smartest person in the room at all times, and his tendency towards blunt criticism and bold declarations of his own intellectual superiority have rubbed many people the wrong way. Background Information Erik Nyqvist was born to unknown parents on the dour mining planet of Gandvik in Van Maanen's System and subsequently left on the door of one of the planet's orphanages; a fact that has shaped nearly every aspect of his life even after his emigration to Terra Nova. Relentlessly bullied by his peers during youth for everything from his diminutive stature to his erudite disposition, Erik dedicated his life to study at a very young age. While other children were running through the streets, Erik was either reading textbooks or tinkering with numerous broken appliances around the orphanage. Needless to say that other than the rare moments where he'd repair the building's heating system at the onset of winter or fix the building's connection to the Hypernet, it was a solitary life. This would all change after the discovery of a unique element now known as Dromium in one of Gandvik's mines several years ago. Ordinarily considered little more than a galactic backwater, Gandvik was suddenly set upon by hundreds of scientists and government agents. (Technobabble about what super special element can do here maybe). One day, Erik's orphanage was visited by one Dr. Øystein Åkerfeldt. Although the staff had made sure to inform the children to be on their best behavior, the vast majority found themselves bored and ignored most of what the doctor had to say. Erik, meanwhile, was entranced. He spent hours inquiring into every aspect of the doctor's work, from how he'd gotten into science to his government contract and just what (super special element) was theoretically capable of; not that the man could actually answer most of the boy's questions. The next day, Øystein returned, only with a number of other men. He subjected Erik to a number of written and practical tests over the course of several hours. Before he knew it, Erik was called into the headmaster's office and told to pack his things, he was heading for Terra Nova. Thus ended his life on Gandvik. He has never looked back. Given only minimal time to adjust to life on the capital planet of the Confederacy, Erik was put under Dr. Åkerfeldt's personal care. He excelled in his new environment, taking in as much of his guardian's knowledge as the man could impart. However, unbeknownst to him, the doctor had him enrolled in the Taiyōtawa Academy's engineering program, and although Erik has since skyrocketed to the top of his class in grades, his ability to work with his fellow students has been called into question. Time will tell whether or not he improves in said aspect. Attributes & Other Information --- Coordinator Type Physical Coordinator Coordination Profile Awareness \| ■■■□□ Composure \| ■■■□□ Endurance \| ■■□□□ Instinct \| ■■□□□ Intellect \| ■■■■■</s> <\|message\|>Sirius Elhart Leverant Sirius Leverant The shrill chime of the academy's PA system shook Sirius from his inattentive trance, and it was as close to a mercy as he could receive on this godforsaken station. He had imagined an allegedly prestigious university such as Taiyotawa would have been, at the very least, worthy of his time. But in the month since his on-boarding, the youth had been subjected to the menial busywork one expected of a secondary school student. On what miserable world would writing an essay on Isao fucking Taiyotawa make somebody a more suitable pilot? He was just another colonist in an era of colonialism. Probably never set foot in the cockpit of an ICW. The indignity of it was infuriating, and Sirius could only imagine that was the point. The esteem with which the rest of the Confederacy held this school was just a sop to an otherwise inglorious exile. Ruminating on it all just caused fury to roil up in his throat like bile, and it fueled Sirius' hasty exit from the classroom, muscling his way through what few students dared to cross paths with him. What spurned his break from academic drivel certainly didn't promise to alleviate his frustration either. The finest pilot school in the whole of the Confederacy and they couldn't even manage to serve solid food to their cadets. It was sold to the student body as a health service, to ensure they received the optimum nutrition to keep themselves in top form. Sirius knew better than that. He could spot a cost-saving measure when he saw one. It was to be expected, though: the Confederacy was little more than a collection of hanger-ons and grifters, clinging to the coattails of a few prominent planets. Any joint endeavor by its constituent worlds was bound to cut corners wherever possible. This knowledge did not make stomaching the slop they dispensed to the student body any more tolerable. It was all just another trial to preserve through. He would do it just as he had with all others. Receiving his daily share in spite of the crowds was of no great difficulty—he was head taller than the majority of his peers, and had taken care to remind them that if they did not make way for him when he willed it, he would make them make way. It was perhaps this reputation for black moods that ensured his ability to find an empty table once his tray was full of the ill-considered paste. That suited him just fine. Solitude allowed him to decompress from the frustrations of the day without the inane chittering of his so-called peers. As he settled in, the teen reached into his belongings and produced a small, vacuumed sealed bag. The hiss it produced as he tore away the edge with his canines was like music to his ears, and in lieu of a mouthful of chemically-enriched sludge, he treated himself to the bite of contraband aurochs jerky. It was pathetic that something so essentially human as the consumption of meat managed to soften his mood, but deprivation bred fondness, and he had already fished another piece from the bag as he laid out his datapad and tapped away upon the holographic interface. For all the ire he had towards the food served, the free time lunch intermission gave him at least had some value. It gave him enough time to check up on basquash scores, a small consolation for being unable to watch the matches directly. What little goodwill the flesh of the humble steer had managed to provide him disappeared almost instantly as he navigated his way through the holonet. His expression darkened visibly, and he had to fight the urge to swear out loud as the results displayed before him. 97-124?! How did anybody manage to lose that badly?!</s> <\|message\|>Aurora Lune de Realis-Donati --- "Ugh." The sound came out unwillingly, the brunette holding a hand over her mouth as she squeezed her eyes shut. The first and last bite of these 'meals' were always the hardest in the girl's opinion, but at the very least she was able to stuff them down without throwing up at this point. She naively believed after a month she'd get used to it, but honestly, the tasteless meals just made her depressed whenever it was mealtime. The only silver lining was that she was probably thinner than ever, but she had to admit it came at a price too great. Would it really be too much to make this stuff have some kind of flavor? Aurora placed down her utensils, more relieved that she was finished. The smart thing to do was to probably get started on her assignment; the science side of being a coordinator was definitely a weakness of hers. Sure, she was brilliant of course, but actually sitting down and writing out these assignments bored her to death. Not that she'd let that stop her, but it did require giving herself a pep talk anytime just to start. If only she was back in high school where she had droves of nerds willing to do her assignments for her again. Clucking her tongue at the thought, the brunette decided to take her leave; there wasn't any point in dawdling in a sea of strangers. Maybe she should take some of her pent-up energy and actually try to get to know someone, but no one really caught her attention. Well, there was Erik Nyqvist-Åkerfeldt, the adopted son of Dr. Øystein Åkerfeldt, but it wasn't like she was familiar with him. The two had met in passing some time ago at a fundraiser but barely exchanged pleasantries. He was definitely cute, yes, and she would give him some credit in that he was certainly enthusiastic when it came to anything involving the Valkyries. But she wasn't looking for a lecture, she was looking for fun. No sooner had she let out a tiny sigh of exasperation when she spotted a dark-haired boy staring down at something. That one was in her class, too, wasn't he? She wracked her brain for a name, eventually landing on Sirius. Not that she remembered his last name, but as far as she was aware, it wasn't relevant. What was relevant was that she was very much a fan of the tall, dark, and handsome type. He looked annoyed at something, but that could easily be remedied. With her mind made up, Aurora disposed of her tray before confidently taking a seat across from the boy. Resting her elbows on the table and her chin in her hands, she put on her best smile. "No need to get so worked up, here I am. Don't worry, you still have two other wishes," She teased, holding back a giggle. ---</s> <\|message\|>Sirius Elhart Leverant Sirius Leverant Sirius wasn't sure if the disbelief made his outrage better or worse, as he seethed in the second-hand embarrassment of having invested his emotional energy into a group of losers. It was a small consolation that he hadn't put money on the match; he would need his stipend from home to continue purchasing outside food, or his rage truly would have nothing holding it back. Still, his inquiring mind needed to know just how it was possible a team with such a track record managed to botch such a simple game, and as he frantically tapped his way across the screen to find just that out, he caught sight of something—someone—in his peripheral vision. "No need to get so worked up, here I am. Don't worry, you still have two other wishes," He looked up just in time to hear that, and witness the bright, bubbly smile that accompanied it. The sweetness with which it was delivered might have softened the resolve of many a male cadet. Not so for Sirius. He had known this type before, even attracted them. The green stripes on her uniform at least separated her from the average harlot in his mind. Aurora de Realis-Donati, a fellow pilot-in-training. He had gone to the lengths of memorizing at least those who would be his competition in the rankings, something those of lesser colors did not have the privilege of. But acknowledgement wasn't a shield from his wrath. He affixed her with piercing silver eyes for a long moment, expressing both disdain and perplexity at her statement as he mowed over his response. Apart from her pedigree, there wasn't so very much that separated her from the others of her ilk. Well, aside from one thing. The vexation of his gaze changed to a certain sharpness as he came to a decision. "You aren't the kind of cow I was wishing for." Another piece of jerky found itself between his lips after he deadpanned those words.</s>	<\|message\|>Erik Nyqvist-Åkerfeldt At the highest level of the lecture hall, an engineering student resisted the urge to yawn into his hand. "And that will end our brief lecture on the role of mecha preceding the Valkyrie Project." The doctor had been sure to brief him on the general curriculum of the academy before his enrollment, but he'd hoped that by thirty days into his stay at Taiyōtawa they would've at least gotten past subjects he'd already read up on years prior. From the way the vids had described it, Taiyōtawa Academy was the highest institution of learning in the entire Confederacy; where the galaxy's brightest minds flocked to determine the future of all who lived in it. So far, other than the frankly uncomfortable amount of attention he'd gotten from his teachers and classmates alike, the experience had been singularly unengaging. While his peers all but began stampeding out of the classroom the instant the clock hit 1200, Erik listlessly opened his datapad, cycling through a number of diligently organized screens before tapping a label simply marked 'Taiyōtawa Essay'. The words had hardly left his instructor's lips before Erik was submitting the assignment and turning his datapad off once again. He hoped he'd get his results sometime over the weekend, not that it particularly mattered. As the last student to make his way out of the classroom, Erik bowed respectfully towards the instructor and took his leave. --- If there was one thing Erik could appreciate about the academy, it was the food. Not only was it parsecs above the kind of barely edible gruel they called food on Gandvik, but there was an almost endless amount of it. He didn't understand why the rest of the student body turned their noses up at it. If they'd ever felt real hunger in their lives their tunes would change in a heartbeat. Nevertheless, unlike many others, lunch was the highlight of Erik's day. The slightest hint of a smile even crossed his lips when it was his turn in line. If not for his concentrated effort to avoid doing it, the former orphan likely would've gotten his food all over his uniform after he found a seat on the outskirts of the cafeteria. Even then, he devoured his meal uncharacteristically swiftly when compared to most everyone else in attendance. Although he'd been one of if not the last people to enter the lunch line, he was certainly the first to make a second, and probably the only, to make a third trip. To think, Dr. Donati thought the meals would be his least favorite part of school life.</s>
<\|description\|>Eyrie Schemacloves Eyrie Schemacloves Personal Dossier --- Age 18 Gender Female Origin Boletus, Kepler System Appearance Usually, Eyrie's clothes consist of long-sleeved shirts that hide the skin up to her wrists, yet she doesn't attempt to conceal her legs in a similar manner, donning skirts when she's able to instead. Though her outfits commonly exhibit desaturated colors, mostly shades of grey and dark blues, the brightly red-framed glasses that sit upon her nose draw attention to her snow white hair and dull green eyes. The only significant features of her appearance. Personality Eyrie is an optimist. A gross overestimation, but the closest word to how she sees the world. It isn't confidence that drives her thinking, as her ability to argue is next to non-existent, nor is it an overestimation of the future, which would've been a symptom of pride. Rather, Eyrie merely believes that things will eventually sort themselves out, a baseless hope that allows her to get through each day. No matter what happens, no matter the struggles, the future is always capable of bringing light into her world. Any victory, no matter how small, is a victory, and she will treasure every single one. Background Information On Boletus, a world where a bigger population than most results in bigger problems, The Schemacloves family barely scraped by. Living day by day, paycheck to paycheck, the young Eyrie was merely happy to be alive. To her, they had everything they ever needed, no matter if she would sometimes have birthdays go by uncelebrated or merely acknowledged with a cupcake and a single candle. Her parents worked hard, she could understand that, and the discomfort of a usually empty household was worth the happy moments that lightly sprinkled her life. She did not expect the sudden bomb dropped upon her a certain night, that she would be shipped to a different system to study in the most prestegious school in the known universe. Eyrie couldn't imagine a world outside of the city she lived in her entire life, yet she knew any sort of disagreement would be met with indignation, merely by the unsettling light within her parent's eyes. A desperate air that rolled around their home, an atmosphere she purposely ignored every time she heard the shouting in the middle of the night about bills and impossible future plans. Something she understood, deep down, was somehow her fault. So when they asked, no, commanded her to excell at Taiyōtawa Academy, all Eyrie could do was bow her head in defference, no matter the emotions that swirled within her gut. Attributes & Other Information --- Coordinator Type Tactical Coordinator Coordination Profile Awareness \| ■■■□□ Composure \| ■■■■□ Endurance \| ■■□□□ Instinct \| ■■■■□ Intellect \| ■■□□</s> <\|message\|>Aurora Lune de Realis-Donati --- "Ugh." The sound came out unwillingly, the brunette holding a hand over her mouth as she squeezed her eyes shut. The first and last bite of these 'meals' were always the hardest in the girl's opinion, but at the very least she was able to stuff them down without throwing up at this point. She naively believed after a month she'd get used to it, but honestly, the tasteless meals just made her depressed whenever it was mealtime. The only silver lining was that she was probably thinner than ever, but she had to admit it came at a price too great. Would it really be too much to make this stuff have some kind of flavor? Aurora placed down her utensils, more relieved that she was finished. The smart thing to do was to probably get started on her assignment; the science side of being a coordinator was definitely a weakness of hers. Sure, she was brilliant of course, but actually sitting down and writing out these assignments bored her to death. Not that she'd let that stop her, but it did require giving herself a pep talk anytime just to start. If only she was back in high school where she had droves of nerds willing to do her assignments for her again. Clucking her tongue at the thought, the brunette decided to take her leave; there wasn't any point in dawdling in a sea of strangers. Maybe she should take some of her pent-up energy and actually try to get to know someone, but no one really caught her attention. Well, there was Erik Nyqvist-Åkerfeldt, the adopted son of Dr. Øystein Åkerfeldt, but it wasn't like she was familiar with him. The two had met in passing some time ago at a fundraiser but barely exchanged pleasantries. He was definitely cute, yes, and she would give him some credit in that he was certainly enthusiastic when it came to anything involving the Valkyries. But she wasn't looking for a lecture, she was looking for fun. No sooner had she let out a tiny sigh of exasperation when she spotted a dark-haired boy staring down at something. That one was in her class, too, wasn't he? She wracked her brain for a name, eventually landing on Sirius. Not that she remembered his last name, but as far as she was aware, it wasn't relevant. What was relevant was that she was very much a fan of the tall, dark, and handsome type. He looked annoyed at something, but that could easily be remedied. With her mind made up, Aurora disposed of her tray before confidently taking a seat across from the boy. Resting her elbows on the table and her chin in her hands, she put on her best smile. "No need to get so worked up, here I am. Don't worry, you still have two other wishes," She teased, holding back a giggle. ---</s> <\|message\|>Sirius Elhart Leverant Sirius Leverant Sirius wasn't sure if the disbelief made his outrage better or worse, as he seethed in the second-hand embarrassment of having invested his emotional energy into a group of losers. It was a small consolation that he hadn't put money on the match; he would need his stipend from home to continue purchasing outside food, or his rage truly would have nothing holding it back. Still, his inquiring mind needed to know just how it was possible a team with such a track record managed to botch such a simple game, and as he frantically tapped his way across the screen to find just that out, he caught sight of something—someone—in his peripheral vision. "No need to get so worked up, here I am. Don't worry, you still have two other wishes," He looked up just in time to hear that, and witness the bright, bubbly smile that accompanied it. The sweetness with which it was delivered might have softened the resolve of many a male cadet. Not so for Sirius. He had known this type before, even attracted them. The green stripes on her uniform at least separated her from the average harlot in his mind. Aurora de Realis-Donati, a fellow pilot-in-training. He had gone to the lengths of memorizing at least those who would be his competition in the rankings, something those of lesser colors did not have the privilege of. But acknowledgement wasn't a shield from his wrath. He affixed her with piercing silver eyes for a long moment, expressing both disdain and perplexity at her statement as he mowed over his response. Apart from her pedigree, there wasn't so very much that separated her from the others of her ilk. Well, aside from one thing. The vexation of his gaze changed to a certain sharpness as he came to a decision. "You aren't the kind of cow I was wishing for." Another piece of jerky found itself between his lips after he deadpanned those words.</s> <\|message\|>Erik Nyqvist-Åkerfeldt Erik Nyqvist-Åkerfeldt At the highest level of the lecture hall, an engineering student resisted the urge to yawn into his hand. "And that will end our brief lecture on the role of mecha preceding the Valkyrie Project." The doctor had been sure to brief him on the general curriculum of the academy before his enrollment, but he'd hoped that by thirty days into his stay at Taiyōtawa they would've at least gotten past subjects he'd already read up on years prior. From the way the vids had described it, Taiyōtawa Academy was the highest institution of learning in the entire Confederacy; where the galaxy's brightest minds flocked to determine the future of all who lived in it. So far, other than the frankly uncomfortable amount of attention he'd gotten from his teachers and classmates alike, the experience had been singularly unengaging. While his peers all but began stampeding out of the classroom the instant the clock hit 1200, Erik listlessly opened his datapad, cycling through a number of diligently organized screens before tapping a label simply marked 'Taiyōtawa Essay'. The words had hardly left his instructor's lips before Erik was submitting the assignment and turning his datapad off once again. He hoped he'd get his results sometime over the weekend, not that it particularly mattered. As the last student to make his way out of the classroom, Erik bowed respectfully towards the instructor and took his leave. --- If there was one thing Erik could appreciate about the academy, it was the food. Not only was it parsecs above the kind of barely edible gruel they called food on Gandvik, but there was an almost endless amount of it. He didn't understand why the rest of the student body turned their noses up at it. If they'd ever felt real hunger in their lives their tunes would change in a heartbeat. Nevertheless, unlike many others, lunch was the highlight of Erik's day. The slightest hint of a smile even crossed his lips when it was his turn in line. If not for his concentrated effort to avoid doing it, the former orphan likely would've gotten his food all over his uniform after he found a seat on the outskirts of the cafeteria. Even then, he devoured his meal uncharacteristically swiftly when compared to most everyone else in attendance. Although he'd been one of if not the last people to enter the lunch line, he was certainly the first to make a second, and probably the only, to make a third trip. To think, Dr. Donati thought the meals would be his least favorite part of school life.</s> <\|message\|>Aurora Lune de Realis-Donati --- A what? Slowly blinking her eyes, Aurora was a little confused. For one, the comparison was less than flattering--cows weren't exactly cute or nice to look at. She opened her mouth to ask before the realization hit her: he was comparing her unfavorably. But why? Was he blind? No, he wasn't if he knew what a cow looked like, but why would he say that? Every hair of hers was perfectly in place, her skin was smooth, and while the uniform wasn't the best, she didn't think it was that bad. It must have been a misunderstanding of some sorts--unless he was from some backwater planet that revered cows? Either way, the brunette wasn't amused. She tried not to show it, but it wasn't often that she was handed an insult right off the bat like this. Was there something she had done to unintentionally insult him? Considering this was the first time they were interacting, no. She supposed the best thing to do would be to take her leave, but that would be too boring, wouldn't it? The best thing to do would be to brush it off; his type probably reveled from the attention. Pursing her lips, Aurora made a small hum as she closed her eyes. "I suppose missing real food can do that to anyone," She mused out loud, placing her hands on the table as she thought of a way to recover. "I hope you'll forgive the intrusion, I just couldn't help myself. I think it'd be nice if we got to know each other a little better." ---</s>	<\|message\|>Eyrie Schemacloves "And that will end our brief lecture on the role of mecha preceding the Valkyrie Project." Eyrie hadn't reacted to the professor's concluding statement as the rest of the class began to leave the classroom, eyes still locked to her datapad up until a fellow student brushed past her seat on their way to the door. Like waking from a dream, her head snapped upward from the desk, eyes blinking rapidly as she noticed the lack of people in the room aside from a couple of students slowly packing their things and a bored-looking boy still seated in his chair. Scrambling to collect her belongings, she was one of the last to rush out the door, sending the instructor a hurried "have a good day" as she passed him by. As she moved through the hallways, Eyrie pulled out her datapad once more, reopening it to reveal multiple windows, each of them for every single one of the subjects in her curriculum. Eyes darted across the screen and ignored their surroundings, relying entirely on muscle memory to take her to the cafeteria as she attempted to absorb as much information as possible with what little time she had. A month was a short time for most, but to Eyrie it had been the longest month of her life. She knew better than anyone else that the only reason she was at Taiyōtawa at all was through her parents' efforts and not her own. Unlike the naturally gifted elite who come to Taiyōtawa because it was the best the galaxy could offer, Eyrie had to work hard for every single inch she could take on the mile-long trek to graduation. Every second she didn't spend studying was a second she was wasting. When Eyrie entered the cafeteria, she didn't even look to see what sort of paste they had for the day as she momentarily put away her datapad to take the offered tray. All of it tasted the same to her, no matter what sort of artificial flavoring they put in it. Goop was goop. But in all honesty, it was better than the sand-encrusted leftovers that were normal on her planet, so she didn't much care what it was. Though she looked for a place to sit, she couldn't find an open spot. Sure, there were seats left unoccupied, but most of them were either next to tables with friend groups, reserved, or just a single spot surrounded by crowded seats. She knew, no matter how hard she tried, she wasn't going to be getting anything done with all those people around. Too much noise. Too little privacy. So she left, tray in hand, headed for the bathroom. Seated in a locked cubicle, she picked at her daily dose of food paste with one hand while the other interacted with her datapad, propped up to the wall on top of the toilet roll holder. It was a sad sight, and she would most certainly die of embarrassment if anyone ever saw her, but it was a necessity. She couldn't let any of her classes suffer just because she wanted to have a comfortable lunch rather than sitting cramped on a toilet with her food in her lap. A loud bang of something hitting the metal of a neighboring cubicle startled her, nearly causing her to squeak with surprise. Only a hand covering her mouth kept her from making her presence known as she began to hear the sounds of girly gossip. Though she couldn't see them, she guessed it was a group of four or so standing by the sink. Silently, as she began to move her spoon slowly and gently as to not make a sound that would draw their notice, Eyrie internally sighed. She hoped they left soon. She didn't want to miss her next class.</s>
<\|description\|>Sex \| Age \| Race Optional Image --- Basic Info Alias: Look: Heritage: Vice/Purveyor: --- Stats Insight \| Prowess \| Resolve Stress: Trauma: Starting Abilities: Special Abilities: * * * Friends: * * * Equipment: * * * Bonus Dice Gambit</s> <\|message\|>Sex \| Age \| Race Black Market Runners This was a ramshackle base of operations if you had ever seen one. Tiles once meant to give these sealed corridors a pristine look already practically falling off from age and misuse. Idly you view a worn symbol of the Brazen Eagles across the next archway, a once infamous military arm of the Hegemony accused of high treason three decades earlier. It betrays the previous use of this station, meaning it was once a military installation. As you approach the hanger bay, you see two surly looking pirates with outdated but still very deadly submachine guns framing the door from both sides. The left one yanks his head to indicate you should keep moving. Further in there's machines made to fix other machines and manned lifts to be used to help repair Starships. There's five men from what you can see standing under the nose of the Stardancer, two of them reclining on the foothills of a veritable mountain of crates. They're smoking a substance you can't quite get a good gauge on. The other three are more notable. A younger man, very much a pilot is standing there with his hand on the Stardancer's hull, admiring it. A towering Xenos with what look to be tentacles for hair crossing his four arms and frowning with his lipless mouth. In the center is the man you were told to contact based on a look one could hardly forget. His smile is crooked, both in manner and from some mistreatment of his face. One could likely imagine the Xenos or one of his kind having remade it with a mightly blow. He wears a jacket and worn privateer clothes, smiling impishly when he views the newcomer as they approach, rubbing his hands. "Ah, there you are! My you're a desperate one aren't you?" He utters with a hissing lisp. "I like that in a man/woman, don't worry. You better be glad we've made this deal with you. Rico here never got the chance to fly the ship. Too bad for him, he still has to pay off his debt to the Blackcloaks..." --- You three find yourselves in the Hanger of this ruined military installation after getting sent here by your contact, Schill. Whoever posts first gets there first, who posts second gets there second, and the third one is the last to get there. Consider this first job the prologue, but you still have a myriad of options. Obviously, you have the option to ask further about this pilot and perhaps try to get him on your new 'crew' or at least get him to join the mission with you. Or you can ask further on the installation, the pirates, your job, etc. The game has officially begun!</s> <\|message\|>Even Im Even ImLoad(?/?): \| Armor: Stress:0/9 \| Harms: --- --- Even sauntered into the former military base with a toothpick in his mouth, and without an ounce of hesitation in his posture. This place was a bit run down, sure but Even had spent many nights in places far worse at many points in his life for a myriad of reasons, this one wasn't anything out of the ordinary. If there was anything to be surprised about, it was that the Hegemony would let a place of strategic import like a military base just go to waste rather than repurposing it, but those pencil pushers never seemed like the types to do the smart thing anyways. As he stepped into the hangar, Even pulled out the splinter in his mouth an flicked it into the box of crates before addressing his client. "Hey, as long as I get paid, everything will work out just dandy for the both of us," Even replied, flashing a toothy grin of his own. "Schill never gave me all the details of what this job entails, mind filling me in?" Personally, Even didn't care for the client's assumptions and assertions, but he wasn't here to argue with his source of income. For another man, the potential implication of Rico's inexperience with ship handling would be another red flag, but as Even saw it, if worse came to worse and the kid turned out to be a dud, he'd end up meeting an unexpected tragic fate and he could helm the ship in the time being. Someone incapable of even driving the bus stood no hope of paying off a debt to an organization like the Black Cloaks anyways.</s> <\|message\|>Ito Shirai Ito ShiraiLoad(?/?): \| Armor: Stress:0/9 \| Harms: --- --- Shady dealings in former military bases were not precisely the ideal location for Ito, in fact it was a place that he openly disliked due to having to use such derelict bases to try and oppose the Hegemony. The memories flooded into the back of his mind as he walked down the hallway of broken tile, remembering the gun fire of the dishonorable Hegemony and being forced to run and hide in the shadows. Ito let out an audible sigh as he shook the memories away as best he could, trying to focus on the xeno family that he had been raised with. Eventually, he would finally shake free those thoughts, stepping into the hanger and allowed himself to look around to absorb the locale. It definitely seemed a place of banditry and pirateering, a harsh reminder to how desperate he had come to for needing money. It was a reminder that he hate but knew that he would have to deal with for the time being. As Ito reached the contact that Schill had pointed him to, Ito felt an overwhelming feeling of disdain come behind his mask but was forced to swallow his pride as he allowed himself to interact with the man. Ito gave a customary bow to the impish man, still showing the politeness that he would need to, even offering a bow to a man who had the toothpick in his mouth. Ito did not personally know either of them so he had decided to follow the path of politeness for a good first impression, rather than acknowledging the pirates with a sword as he had been told to do in his youth. He met the eyes of the contact before speaking, his voice holding a neutral tone, "I do not suppose that this installation has been used for some time before the Blackcoats had come."</s> <\|message\|>Miranda Castle Miranda CastleLoad(?/?): \| Armor: Stress:0/9 \| Harms: --- --- It irritated Miranda to see a Hagemony base in such disrepair. Hallways that should have been sparkling were shabby and run down. All in all the effect was too close to a metaphor for her own fortunes to be entirely comfortable. Despite her current shortage of credits she was dressed in a sleek suit of shimmering silk which shifted between dark gray and black depending on the lighting or angle of the viewer. Her natural dark brown hair was concealed beneath an expertly applied wig of platinum blonde. "Gentle...men," she paused for a heartbeat as she took in the presence of Xenos. They certainly were a rough looking crew but a ship was a prize worth almost any risk. They looked as though they would be good material for the plan already forming in her mind. "Are we all here?" She asked, having deliberately timed her arrival to ensure she was last.</s> <\|message\|>Sex \| Age \| Race "Yeah, why don't you fuck off with that, Skrivver?" The pilot tells the ugly one, betraying the contact's name. The two pirates smoking laugh, high as the stratosphere. They don't realize what had just happened, though neither does the pilot it seems. He is suddenly grabbed from behind by two of the four armed Xenos's powerful hands to be slammed into the hull of the ship, cheek pressed to the Syronian Steel of the hull. Skrivver shambles over to him and punches the immobilized man in the gut, sending him reeling. "You owe us 1,500 small ones there, Rico. You keep it up and I'll carve the money out of you." He promises, before clearing his throat and turning to put on a pleasant smile to answer Even's question. Somehow it makes him look all the more ugly. "The details of the assignment is simple." He makes small guns with his fingers at the three of them. "You got the coordinates in the ship. You have the codes to get in close. Once you land you're in what's pretty much the only Embassy within two systems, which means it's not just a prison. In fact most of it is a pit stop for big name nobles looking to refuel and planetary chiefs to fly up and suck their dicks. You go in, go to the bottom level, spring our boss out and get him back on the ship without anyone being none the wiser. You do that and you get the ship. I don't need to ask if we have a deal because we've made it already. You should be glad I like Schill." At Miranda's question, the two smokers howl with gusto. Skrivver looks around. "We don't have anyone else coming unless you brought a crew in your shoes." --- So, just tell me you pass in the OOC or make a post and roll for it in here. Though you'll probably want to tell me what kind of roll it is in the OOC too.</s> <\|message\|>Ito Shirai Ito ShiraiLoad(?/?): \| Armor: Stress:0/9 \| Harms: --- --- Ito watched as the pirate berated the underling, Rico, with a certain level of disdain as Skrivver shoved the would-be pilot into the side of the ship. He knew that discipline had to be instilled every now and again but the manner about which it was instilled was always something to be watched, never too lenient nor too forceful. Skrivver, however, would dare to threaten his own underling with such a horrid punishment that it made Ito sick to his stomach. Such threats were beneath someone who was supposed to be a higher up, remembering that those under you needed to be not only worked with but also work without fear. Fear was the path of the coward, and it seemed that Skrivver was very much a coward who would resort to fear in order to keep his crew in line. The most honorable of the people there snarled behind his mask before he would declare, in a stern voice, "Treating your underlings in such a manner is without honor!" He took a moment to make sure that Skrivver was paying attention to Ito before stepping forward, "Fear is the path of the coward! Anyone in a place a command should know such things," the Viper hissed, eyes narrowing and metaphorical fangs bared as he stared down the pirate. His eyes focused purely on pirate, unmoving and unwavering as his arms crossed themselves over his chest as he took another step towards Skrivver, awaiting whatever response the pirate would dare throw his way. --- Rolled 3 for Command on Skivver</s> <\|message\|>Sex \| Age \| Race Skrivver turns his attention to Ito, his mangled face muddied in confusion. "What?" He asks you, though you realize it's more of a rhetorical statement than him wishing you to repeat yourself. Rico tries to turn his head to look at you but he's stuck in his position, being pressed into the hull. "He's not a member of our band. He bloody owes me! You know what? Just for that he now owes me 2,000." Skrivver gives you a gaptoothed grin, clearly enjoying raking up the price as long as he's given a reason. "You and your new crew better get the fuck out of here and get us Marco or we'll string this pilot here up and use him for target practice!" --- As this is the prologue, nothing bad happened to you personally. But generally a 6 is a favorable outcome, a 4-5 is a partial success, and a 1-3 is a bad outcome which means not only do you fail, but something bad happens. In this case, the pilot was simply given a larger debt, but that doesn't mean it can't be talked down nor he can't win his freedom.</s> <\|message\|>Miranda Castle Miranda cleared her throat pointedly having managed to blend into the background while the altercation had taken place. Fortunately she was as good at avoiding attention as attracting it when the circumstances were right. "I am quite certain Mr Skrivver, that the rescue of your pirate captain will not be hastened by shooting this miscreant, nor by battering a hole in the side of our ship with his skull... amusing though that might be," she gave Rico a look of cold appraisal. "You have taken care of your end of the business, let us take care of ours," she wen't on the slight edges of her Imperial accent sharpening. "We will bring the kid along to, who knows he might catch a bullet during the break out and spare you all the trouble," she concluded brightly.</s>	<\|message\|>Sex \| Age \| Race That wasn't something Skrivver foresaw, and the same could be said for the Xenos who's grip on Rico slackens. The pilot wriggles out of its grip and slides away with a screeching of his shoe leather over the station-steel floor. "What? I never said!" The underboss says, but as Miranda speaks, he clearly feels this was killing two birds with one stone. Having the pilot help get his boss back to pay off his debt, though it also meant that if he were to die he wouldn't get any of what the pilot owes him. Still, he thinks for a moment and acquiesces to the request. "Fine, but he still owes me. He can talk to Marco about that maybe, but you have to grab him first!" The fellow declared, and waves you all off. If there was no more questions among you, then it would be time to depart. The pilot practically leaps into the ship to keep the xenos off of him, and the two fellows smoking laugh again. Until Skrivver smacks one over the head, that is. --- Can't really argue with 2 6's</s>
<\|description\|>Sex \| Age \| Race Optional Image --- Basic Info Alias: Look: Heritage: Vice/Purveyor: --- Stats Insight \| Prowess \| Resolve Stress: Trauma: Starting Abilities: Special Abilities: * * * Friends: * * * Equipment: * * * Bonus Dice Gambit</s> <\|message\|>Miranda Castle Miranda tossed her head and then took a seat at one of the consoles, bringing up some of the video compiler software and beginning to tap at the holographic keys. She began to import footage she had prepared before the mission on the off chance she ran into just this kind of idiocy. "Perhaps we should name the ship?" she suggested with tart sarcasm tinging an artificially bright tone. She made a show of considering it, looking back and forth between the two other newcomers. "Perhaps 'The Cowardly Boyscout' would suit you gentlemen?" she asked with pie eyed innocence. "Or maybe 'Opportunity Lost' is more to your taste?" Considering that the pirates were giving away a ship for what they were billing as a simple extraction, Miranda might have gone with 'Obvious Setup' but that really didn't fit in with the through line of her other jokes.</s> <\|message\|>Even Im Even ImLoad(?/?): \| Armor: Stress:0/9 \| Harms: --- --- "I'm quite partial to 'Nagging Hen,' myself. Or perhaps 'Overconfident Fool.' You're here the same as the rest of us for the same reason: you need cred, and you need it bad. Probably need it worse than any of the rest of us, so it's funny that you're looking to backstab your employer at the drop of the hat for short-sighted gain without so much to show as payment in advance." Even could feel an impending headache come in if he had to deal with this for a prolonged period of time. If he'd wanted to be pestered for every little thing he did or didn't do, he'd have gotten married and probably end up like his old pal Nyx. Poor bastard would try to stay in the bar as long as possible to avoid her, only to make the tongue-lashing he got even worse. Even chuckled to himself as he briefly reminisced before he reached into his jacket and pulled out his deck of holocards and began to fiddle with them. Although they were designed to trick suckers into parting with their funds prematurely, he didn't use them for that purpose often these days. He'd been on many ship rides, many of them without built in entertainment and they got drear real quickly. On one of these voyages he had picked up sleight of hand from another passenger. The only people Even cared to show off the tricks to were his family, but it was a good way to pass the time and keep his hands busy.</s> <\|message\|>Miranda Castle "No payment...you realize the ship is the payment right?" Miranda began, wondering if the fool could possibly be that dense. She gave up on arguing the point, he was certainly sexist so why not simple as well. Shaking her head and adjusting her expectations downward she went back to work. The pirates claimed they had taken care of everything, but if that were true they could certainly have just had Rico fly them in to retrieve their boss. They needed a plausible reason to be on the station if things turned out to be more complicated than advertised, well that could be arranged. While she had what she needed for herself, the cameras on the ship itself weren't of good enough quality for her purposes. "Do either of you have holos of yourselves, preferable something not quite current and at high definition?" she asked. [Asking for assistance on a hacking roll to create some false documents]</s> <\|message\|>Even Im Even ImLoad(?/?): \| Armor: Stress:1/9 \| Harms: --- --- "Hey, that's not what Schill told me." Even kept the rest of his words cursing Schill for not telling him all the details in his head, not realizing the fact that both Schill and Skrivver had both told him, but he wasn't listening when either of them said so. He couldn't pay the bills with a ship, especially not one he owned with 2 other people who weren't likely to sell it, which meant he'd need to go on another job soon that he really wouldn't be able vet. "If you need them to make forgeries, you don't need to both with mine. They're already done." Even put down his cards to pull out the forged documents from his coat and tossed them over to Miranda before going back to what he was doing. She could reference what he already had done to maintain consistency with whatever she was planning or just look at them to be sure of their (apparent) legitimacy. "Nice job communicating on our plan of action by the way. I guess we're using fake documents to slip into the prison and then busting the boss out before the whole station can notice?"</s> <\|message\|>Sex \| Age \| Race The display monitor on the ship shows everyone the opening of the hanger, revealing an endless void of blackness and stars before you. Rico seems eager to get moving, though there was a nonchalance to him, as if all he needed to see was the image of space to feel right at home. He sets coordinates to the Garneki Station, merely 0.57261 Light Years from your current location and sets the flight plan. "I'm not as intimate in detail on this job of yours as say...well you guys. But I'm pretty certain the ship is the main payment and they'll add a bit more for your trouble to keep you from bailing." Rico informs all three of you as you two forge the documents. Your journey is uneventful, smooth sailing throughout. In fact it lasts merely fifteen minutes, moving at around 0.001% of your optimal speed with your lightspeed engines. Jumping out of hyperspace, you three see a vast installation, somewhat similar to the one you just left, at least in overt style. The shape of the architecture looks somewhat like a slowly spinning top, with your destination being on the very, very bottom. Rico flies you in effortlessly, speaking to the comm once you're hailed and using a guest's landing code which gives you a limited window to 'park.' Clearly he's done this before and it's lucky you lot recruited him. You fly in closer and slide into a far more sophisticated hanger than the one you just left. It's guarded by a shield of energy that allows ships to fly in and out seamlessly without exposing anyone within to the void of space beyond. As you park, you get a quick glance of your surroundings on the display. You are located in subsection B16 of the station, with five spots to land in but three are already filled up. You see two Hedgemony troopers casually walking across the inner railing, with various engineers and utility workers milling about fulfilling tasks that would no doubt bore you. At the very left of the hanger, after you climb the stairs to the walkway, is the entrance to the Station proper, guarded by two more SDO's (Stationary Defense Officers). --- You are now in the belly of the beast. What is your first course of action?</s> <\|message\|>Even Im Even ImLoad(1/3): Fine Coat(1), Forged Documents \| Armor: Stress:1/9 \| Harms: --- --- Even stepped out of the ship looking far more presentable than he had when he went in. You could even call it corporate in appearance, and his body language changed to match. Although very little had actually changed, it were the little things that counted. His face was clean shaven, his hair tidied up and slicked back, and his clothes were worn much tighter and cleaner. Perhaps if he had more time he could have pushed it further, but he preferred to adapt to the situation rather than dwell on what ifs. Without waiting for the others to get out of the ship, Even strode forwards to the SDOs and made his introductions. "Greetings, gentlemen. I and my associates are with the IBHS, Iona Board of Health & Safety. We're a third party organization affiliated with the Hegemony that makes sure that your facilities up to code on the current mandates and policies." Even produces one of his forged documents to add credibility to his claim before continuing on. "I'm sure you've been filled in on it, but we perform unannounced audits so that we can understand what the state of the affairs truly are, and today is one of those days. However, while this audit will not be exhaustive, if we find 3 major infractions or more, we will have to notify the company and have them perform larger, more rigorous inspections regularly until you pass. Now if you would allow me and my compatriots to pass, when they arrive." In a hushed voice he whispered to them, "Don't pay mind to the scruffier ones. They simply piloted the ship on the way here. You know how those spacer types can be." --- Rolling Sway on the guards to allow us free access to the station and using a gambit on it as well.</s> <\|message\|>Ito Shirai Ito ShiraiLoad(3/3): \| Armor: Stress:0/9 \| Harms: --- --- Ito, stepping out of the the ship, looked past Even to see the Hegemony presence on the station and noted it to be a bit lighter than what he was used to, given his past of fighting these types. His eyes scanned the hangar and he kept his weapons close, keeping himself lightly armed so that they would not immediately gain the ire of the station. The two weapons that he had brought were his vibrosword and his flamethrower, not being too heavy and still being able to somewhat come across as inconspicuous. Regardless, he moved behind Even, keeping his distance and looking more as a personal guard for the man as he worked whatever charisma that he had, though the Viper kept his mask on just so his eyes had the leeway to look around without anyone directly seeing where his eyes were. At least Ito knew that at this point, he would not have to act as any form of face.</s> <\|message\|>Miranda Castle Miranda hastily gathered her hair into an officious looking bun and grabbed a data-slate. Fortunately her dress suit already made her look sufficiently business like. The boots she was wearing were a little too officious for this particular role but she rather doubted the Hedge had their best and brightest on a station like this, or, for that matter, in a sector like this. It was one of the things that made them so easy to fleece. "Keep the engine running," she told Rico and strode down the ramp to join the two males. She thrust her dataslate in the general direction of the guard. "We will need floor plans, particularly with regards to plumbing and power usage," she stated in a bored, boring tone. "Your chief engineer should have the access we need, or one of his subordinates if you cannot disturb him." [Assisting]</s> <\|message\|>Sex \| Age \| Race You three make it to the SDO's, and the two men guarding the entryway show absolutely no skepticism. The look of the crew coupled with the believable alibi and papers check out. The SDO on the left, a man with greyed hair though he couldn't be over fifty radios his Officer on the comm linked to his ear. "Sir, we've got IBHS associates here. They need to see our floor plans, plumbing, electricity, the whole thing...Yes sir...very well. I'll send them in." The SDO clear's his throat. "You can go along inside. Walk up to the front desk and ask for the floor plans. They'll give you whatever you need. The Engineer keeps a copy on every level in case there's an emergency. Though I should inform you this Hangar is an exclusive one. You only have three days, though I doubt you'd need that long." Passed him, the hallway has a neon-like feel to the smooth surface of the walls. The light almost seems to be transformed into softer and yet colors with blue being the prominent one. Once you step out, the chamber is hexagonal in structure and multifaceted as the walls rise to the ceiling, though the lights are noticeably normal. A stately woman with a look similar to Miranda resides behind the front desk. She gives you the floor plans without complaint when asked. If you peruse them for a good minute, you find the second hallway to your left, known as hallway 4D, leads to the access elevator you need a code to gain entry for, and it will take you to any level you see fit. You find a small slip of paper on the floor plans. A note that gives the code: 179463. --- Assume you make it to the Elevator. One of you needs to put the code in and everyone will hop in and you can discuss a further strategy or simply wait.</s> <\|message\|>Miranda Castle Miranda steeped into the elevator, beckoning the others to follow her before punching in the code. "If we claim there is a leak of some kind in the prison ventilation system, we might be able to march our guy right out of here."</s> <\|message\|>Even Im Even opened up the various plans and looked over them in regards to the plan Miranda suggested. "Perhaps we might be able to take that idea one step further. It's a lot more credible of a claim if we can actually force a leak in the necessary location. Hey big guy, what do you think?" Their masked fellow was certainly the most quiet of the three, but maybe he was one of those types that picked up on everything and preferred to not speak up. Even if he turned out to be a complete imbecile, it would be better to learn straight away rather than be taken off guard by it later. Regardless of if/what Ito decided to add in, Even would check to see if there were any fuel lines or such nearby the cell for their mark, as well as anything that might be of interest in the area for him to exploit. As far as he saw things, if nothing popped out to him, they could just keep winging it.</s>	<\|message\|>Sex \| Age \| Race Once you three make your plan, the elevator/lift door opens to reveal a hall much more utilitarian and barren than the almost eloquent and brightly furnished upper foyer. There's no carpet on the floor, giving everything a very purgatorial and uniform look. You do notice it has a lot of good lighting, and you see two SDO's making their rounds walking over to the elevator, likely curious on who was coming down, or at least being told to confirm your location. One waves at you, but it seems they knew someone with the right clearance was coming down because they simply turn the corner and go left down the hall. The forward hall leads...well forward, with four other halls intersecting. Two on the left and two on the right, likely leading into different areas with different cells. You see a terminal just outside of the elevator door, which looks to be a list and catalogue of all the criminals and undesirable people they have locked down here. A large touch keypad is laid out on display to be used at your convenience. However, you need a password or you need to hack it to start it up, or it might be easier and less suspicious to simply start walking. You know by the map in your possession that anything that has to do with core units of the ventilation system is through the right hall. --- Make your rolls and decisions, ladies and gents!</s>
<\|description\|>Even Im Male \| 32 \| Human --- Basic Info Alias: The Wild Ram Look: Fiery Eyes and gaudy suit clothes Heritage: Wanderer Background: Syndicate Vice/Purveyor: Obligation: Support his adopted daughter Ohna Trauma: --- Stats Insight 0 * Doctor * Hack * Rig * Study Prowess 3 * Helm 1 * Scramble * Scrap 1 * Skulk 1 Resolve 2 * Attune * Command 2 * Consort * Sway 2 Starting Abilities: Serendipitous Special Abilities: * Daredevil * * "Friends": * Nyx - A moneylender from a different, but neutral syndicate. They used to go drinking * Ora - Annoying info broker. Terminal case of dunning-kruger * Jal - Ship mechanic and Ohna's aunt. She houses the girl most of the time * Rhin - A smuggler who snuck Even out the night he was ejected from his old gang. Smells strongly of rosemary. * Battro - Bounty Hunter Even used to employ frequently, now hired to hunt him down. Doesn't talk much. Equipment: * Fine Blaster Pistol - Got it from his old boss * Fine Coat - His lucky coat is highlighter green, although faded with time. At first he hated it but is now convinced it has semi-magical powers * Trick Holo Cards * Forged Documents * Mystic Ammunition - Raided from the office of a defeated rival gang lieutenant * Personal Memento - Family photo Bonus Dice Gambit</s> <\|message\|>Miranda Castle Miranda leaned forward and examined the control panel, running her fingers over the surface of the nearest console. "It does have a certain elegance," she admitted, forming her finger and thumb into a child's imitation of a gun. "We drop a plasma blast in the landing bay, Skrivver and his boys get all cripsy, the Hedge execute a pirate chief, the Blackcloaks are leaderless, piracy goes down and we get a ship... everybody wins."</s> <\|message\|>Even Im "That's not how that works, Sugarplum." Even chimed in, finding a seat in the cockpit and strapping in before the overzealous pilot could take off. "Any survivors or friends of the Blackcloaks hear about that stunt and want blood and will gather as much support as they can possibly muster. Even without a leader they've managed to procure a ship like this and will let us just fly off with it. Anyone else who hears about this won't trust you in the future, cutting off possible jobs, contacts, and resources. This is a hot ship. We're in a Hegemony base, abandoned or not. If any shrubs decide to look into the whole situation, they ain't comin' down on our side. And on top of all that, we don't get paid. If you pull a stunt like that right now, the ones you know for sure who aren't winning is us. For now we should be thinkin about springing Gaebril without getting our asses burnt." Of course, after the job's settled and the checks are cleared, making off with a nice ship like this could be a very valuable asset, but one thing at a time. He needed the cred first. Betrayal could come later when this whole agreement had worn out all of its use. But right now? What would the point be of deciding to plant a sapling only to burn it the moment you finished digging the hole for it.</s> <\|message\|>Miranda Castle Miranda affected an exaggerated yawn. "Sounds like a marketing problem easily handled. Personally, I'm not too worried about a group of pirates who don't have the balls to spring their own boss," she disagreed fixing her companion with a speculative look. "But then perhaps the shortage is sector wide..."</s> <\|message\|>Ito Shirai Ito ShiraiLoad(?/?): \| Armor: Stress:0/9 \| Harms: --- --- Ito shot a silent look to the woman, taking a moment to think of a proper response to dignify such a suggestion of betrayal. "Betrayal will get us nowhere, once our deal with those pirates is up you may do whatever with them. For the time being focus on the mission at hand," the warrior stated, agreeing with his other companion for about the issue displayed. After making his statement, he proceeded to walk around the ship to get a feeling for it, allowing the silence to follow him as the sound of the ships engines cut into his thoughts for the time being. Eventually, he found the engine room, the source of the noise that had dulled his mind to a lovely, momentary silence. Quickly did Ito make himself comfortable, sitting on the floor of the ship and crossing his legs as he kept his back straight. These moments of reflection were rare, especially when he was unaccompanied by the delights of liquor or other dulling substances to make sure that he could not fully remember the past and its tribulations.</s> <\|message\|>Sex \| Age \| Race The ship began to lift itself off the ground, pushing no air current as it via a different medium. You could see Rico gaze down at the pirates who watched them with a mixture of haughty arrogance, mirth, or hatred. Despite his suggestion, Miranda's tone noticably chills him and he glances back at her. He gives her a measuring look while Even speaks. You can tell he does not wish to admit it, but Even's suggestion has merit in his eyes. Rico turns back to the controls, confident the team behind him won't resort to infighting and keeping his more private thoughts unreadable. Ito would feel the thrum of the engine beneath him as the ship slowly drifted towards the pressurized hanger bay; a massive wall that opened and closed that separated the inner hanger to where the ships then begin to enter space. "I suppose that was a no to my suggestion," He says as he flips a few switches, analyzing a 'flight' path for them as they enter the outer bay. He doesn't look to perturbed by it, however. Rico has the look of a soldier; youthful, fit, and apparently a reputable pilot. "At least I know which of you is the coldest." --- You can take this time to speak to Rico, roll to influence him on anything, or speak to one another in the OOC on plans after the mission.</s> <\|message\|>Miranda Castle Miranda tossed her head and then took a seat at one of the consoles, bringing up some of the video compiler software and beginning to tap at the holographic keys. She began to import footage she had prepared before the mission on the off chance she ran into just this kind of idiocy. "Perhaps we should name the ship?" she suggested with tart sarcasm tinging an artificially bright tone. She made a show of considering it, looking back and forth between the two other newcomers. "Perhaps 'The Cowardly Boyscout' would suit you gentlemen?" she asked with pie eyed innocence. "Or maybe 'Opportunity Lost' is more to your taste?" Considering that the pirates were giving away a ship for what they were billing as a simple extraction, Miranda might have gone with 'Obvious Setup' but that really didn't fit in with the through line of her other jokes.</s> <\|message\|>Even Im Even ImLoad(?/?): \| Armor: Stress:0/9 \| Harms: --- --- "I'm quite partial to 'Nagging Hen,' myself. Or perhaps 'Overconfident Fool.' You're here the same as the rest of us for the same reason: you need cred, and you need it bad. Probably need it worse than any of the rest of us, so it's funny that you're looking to backstab your employer at the drop of the hat for short-sighted gain without so much to show as payment in advance." Even could feel an impending headache come in if he had to deal with this for a prolonged period of time. If he'd wanted to be pestered for every little thing he did or didn't do, he'd have gotten married and probably end up like his old pal Nyx. Poor bastard would try to stay in the bar as long as possible to avoid her, only to make the tongue-lashing he got even worse. Even chuckled to himself as he briefly reminisced before he reached into his jacket and pulled out his deck of holocards and began to fiddle with them. Although they were designed to trick suckers into parting with their funds prematurely, he didn't use them for that purpose often these days. He'd been on many ship rides, many of them without built in entertainment and they got drear real quickly. On one of these voyages he had picked up sleight of hand from another passenger. The only people Even cared to show off the tricks to were his family, but it was a good way to pass the time and keep his hands busy.</s> <\|message\|>Miranda Castle "No payment...you realize the ship is the payment right?" Miranda began, wondering if the fool could possibly be that dense. She gave up on arguing the point, he was certainly sexist so why not simple as well. Shaking her head and adjusting her expectations downward she went back to work. The pirates claimed they had taken care of everything, but if that were true they could certainly have just had Rico fly them in to retrieve their boss. They needed a plausible reason to be on the station if things turned out to be more complicated than advertised, well that could be arranged. While she had what she needed for herself, the cameras on the ship itself weren't of good enough quality for her purposes. "Do either of you have holos of yourselves, preferable something not quite current and at high definition?" she asked. [Asking for assistance on a hacking roll to create some false documents]</s> <\|message\|>Even Im Even ImLoad(?/?): \| Armor: Stress:1/9 \| Harms: --- --- "Hey, that's not what Schill told me." Even kept the rest of his words cursing Schill for not telling him all the details in his head, not realizing the fact that both Schill and Skrivver had both told him, but he wasn't listening when either of them said so. He couldn't pay the bills with a ship, especially not one he owned with 2 other people who weren't likely to sell it, which meant he'd need to go on another job soon that he really wouldn't be able vet. "If you need them to make forgeries, you don't need to both with mine. They're already done." Even put down his cards to pull out the forged documents from his coat and tossed them over to Miranda before going back to what he was doing. She could reference what he already had done to maintain consistency with whatever she was planning or just look at them to be sure of their (apparent) legitimacy. "Nice job communicating on our plan of action by the way. I guess we're using fake documents to slip into the prison and then busting the boss out before the whole station can notice?"</s> <\|message\|>Sex \| Age \| Race The display monitor on the ship shows everyone the opening of the hanger, revealing an endless void of blackness and stars before you. Rico seems eager to get moving, though there was a nonchalance to him, as if all he needed to see was the image of space to feel right at home. He sets coordinates to the Garneki Station, merely 0.57261 Light Years from your current location and sets the flight plan. "I'm not as intimate in detail on this job of yours as say...well you guys. But I'm pretty certain the ship is the main payment and they'll add a bit more for your trouble to keep you from bailing." Rico informs all three of you as you two forge the documents. Your journey is uneventful, smooth sailing throughout. In fact it lasts merely fifteen minutes, moving at around 0.001% of your optimal speed with your lightspeed engines. Jumping out of hyperspace, you three see a vast installation, somewhat similar to the one you just left, at least in overt style. The shape of the architecture looks somewhat like a slowly spinning top, with your destination being on the very, very bottom. Rico flies you in effortlessly, speaking to the comm once you're hailed and using a guest's landing code which gives you a limited window to 'park.' Clearly he's done this before and it's lucky you lot recruited him. You fly in closer and slide into a far more sophisticated hanger than the one you just left. It's guarded by a shield of energy that allows ships to fly in and out seamlessly without exposing anyone within to the void of space beyond. As you park, you get a quick glance of your surroundings on the display. You are located in subsection B16 of the station, with five spots to land in but three are already filled up. You see two Hedgemony troopers casually walking across the inner railing, with various engineers and utility workers milling about fulfilling tasks that would no doubt bore you. At the very left of the hanger, after you climb the stairs to the walkway, is the entrance to the Station proper, guarded by two more SDO's (Stationary Defense Officers). --- You are now in the belly of the beast. What is your first course of action?</s>	<\|message\|>Even Im Even ImLoad(1/3): Fine Coat(1), Forged Documents \| Armor: Stress:1/9 \| Harms: --- --- Even stepped out of the ship looking far more presentable than he had when he went in. You could even call it corporate in appearance, and his body language changed to match. Although very little had actually changed, it were the little things that counted. His face was clean shaven, his hair tidied up and slicked back, and his clothes were worn much tighter and cleaner. Perhaps if he had more time he could have pushed it further, but he preferred to adapt to the situation rather than dwell on what ifs. Without waiting for the others to get out of the ship, Even strode forwards to the SDOs and made his introductions. "Greetings, gentlemen. I and my associates are with the IBHS, Iona Board of Health & Safety. We're a third party organization affiliated with the Hegemony that makes sure that your facilities up to code on the current mandates and policies." Even produces one of his forged documents to add credibility to his claim before continuing on. "I'm sure you've been filled in on it, but we perform unannounced audits so that we can understand what the state of the affairs truly are, and today is one of those days. However, while this audit will not be exhaustive, if we find 3 major infractions or more, we will have to notify the company and have them perform larger, more rigorous inspections regularly until you pass. Now if you would allow me and my compatriots to pass, when they arrive." In a hushed voice he whispered to them, "Don't pay mind to the scruffier ones. They simply piloted the ship on the way here. You know how those spacer types can be." --- Rolling Sway on the guards to allow us free access to the station and using a gambit on it as well.</s>
<\|description\|>Even Im Male \| 32 \| Human --- Basic Info Alias: The Wild Ram Look: Fiery Eyes and gaudy suit clothes Heritage: Wanderer Background: Syndicate Vice/Purveyor: Obligation: Support his adopted daughter Ohna Trauma: --- Stats Insight 0 * Doctor * Hack * Rig * Study Prowess 3 * Helm 1 * Scramble * Scrap 1 * Skulk 1 Resolve 2 * Attune * Command 2 * Consort * Sway 2 Starting Abilities: Serendipitous Special Abilities: * Daredevil * * "Friends": * Nyx - A moneylender from a different, but neutral syndicate. They used to go drinking * Ora - Annoying info broker. Terminal case of dunning-kruger * Jal - Ship mechanic and Ohna's aunt. She houses the girl most of the time * Rhin - A smuggler who snuck Even out the night he was ejected from his old gang. Smells strongly of rosemary. * Battro - Bounty Hunter Even used to employ frequently, now hired to hunt him down. Doesn't talk much. Equipment: * Fine Blaster Pistol - Got it from his old boss * Fine Coat - His lucky coat is highlighter green, although faded with time. At first he hated it but is now convinced it has semi-magical powers * Trick Holo Cards * Forged Documents * Mystic Ammunition - Raided from the office of a defeated rival gang lieutenant * Personal Memento - Family photo Bonus Dice Gambit</s> <\|message\|>Miranda Castle "No payment...you realize the ship is the payment right?" Miranda began, wondering if the fool could possibly be that dense. She gave up on arguing the point, he was certainly sexist so why not simple as well. Shaking her head and adjusting her expectations downward she went back to work. The pirates claimed they had taken care of everything, but if that were true they could certainly have just had Rico fly them in to retrieve their boss. They needed a plausible reason to be on the station if things turned out to be more complicated than advertised, well that could be arranged. While she had what she needed for herself, the cameras on the ship itself weren't of good enough quality for her purposes. "Do either of you have holos of yourselves, preferable something not quite current and at high definition?" she asked. [Asking for assistance on a hacking roll to create some false documents]</s> <\|message\|>Even Im Even ImLoad(?/?): \| Armor: Stress:1/9 \| Harms: --- --- "Hey, that's not what Schill told me." Even kept the rest of his words cursing Schill for not telling him all the details in his head, not realizing the fact that both Schill and Skrivver had both told him, but he wasn't listening when either of them said so. He couldn't pay the bills with a ship, especially not one he owned with 2 other people who weren't likely to sell it, which meant he'd need to go on another job soon that he really wouldn't be able vet. "If you need them to make forgeries, you don't need to both with mine. They're already done." Even put down his cards to pull out the forged documents from his coat and tossed them over to Miranda before going back to what he was doing. She could reference what he already had done to maintain consistency with whatever she was planning or just look at them to be sure of their (apparent) legitimacy. "Nice job communicating on our plan of action by the way. I guess we're using fake documents to slip into the prison and then busting the boss out before the whole station can notice?"</s> <\|message\|>Sex \| Age \| Race The display monitor on the ship shows everyone the opening of the hanger, revealing an endless void of blackness and stars before you. Rico seems eager to get moving, though there was a nonchalance to him, as if all he needed to see was the image of space to feel right at home. He sets coordinates to the Garneki Station, merely 0.57261 Light Years from your current location and sets the flight plan. "I'm not as intimate in detail on this job of yours as say...well you guys. But I'm pretty certain the ship is the main payment and they'll add a bit more for your trouble to keep you from bailing." Rico informs all three of you as you two forge the documents. Your journey is uneventful, smooth sailing throughout. In fact it lasts merely fifteen minutes, moving at around 0.001% of your optimal speed with your lightspeed engines. Jumping out of hyperspace, you three see a vast installation, somewhat similar to the one you just left, at least in overt style. The shape of the architecture looks somewhat like a slowly spinning top, with your destination being on the very, very bottom. Rico flies you in effortlessly, speaking to the comm once you're hailed and using a guest's landing code which gives you a limited window to 'park.' Clearly he's done this before and it's lucky you lot recruited him. You fly in closer and slide into a far more sophisticated hanger than the one you just left. It's guarded by a shield of energy that allows ships to fly in and out seamlessly without exposing anyone within to the void of space beyond. As you park, you get a quick glance of your surroundings on the display. You are located in subsection B16 of the station, with five spots to land in but three are already filled up. You see two Hedgemony troopers casually walking across the inner railing, with various engineers and utility workers milling about fulfilling tasks that would no doubt bore you. At the very left of the hanger, after you climb the stairs to the walkway, is the entrance to the Station proper, guarded by two more SDO's (Stationary Defense Officers). --- You are now in the belly of the beast. What is your first course of action?</s> <\|message\|>Even Im Even ImLoad(1/3): Fine Coat(1), Forged Documents \| Armor: Stress:1/9 \| Harms: --- --- Even stepped out of the ship looking far more presentable than he had when he went in. You could even call it corporate in appearance, and his body language changed to match. Although very little had actually changed, it were the little things that counted. His face was clean shaven, his hair tidied up and slicked back, and his clothes were worn much tighter and cleaner. Perhaps if he had more time he could have pushed it further, but he preferred to adapt to the situation rather than dwell on what ifs. Without waiting for the others to get out of the ship, Even strode forwards to the SDOs and made his introductions. "Greetings, gentlemen. I and my associates are with the IBHS, Iona Board of Health & Safety. We're a third party organization affiliated with the Hegemony that makes sure that your facilities up to code on the current mandates and policies." Even produces one of his forged documents to add credibility to his claim before continuing on. "I'm sure you've been filled in on it, but we perform unannounced audits so that we can understand what the state of the affairs truly are, and today is one of those days. However, while this audit will not be exhaustive, if we find 3 major infractions or more, we will have to notify the company and have them perform larger, more rigorous inspections regularly until you pass. Now if you would allow me and my compatriots to pass, when they arrive." In a hushed voice he whispered to them, "Don't pay mind to the scruffier ones. They simply piloted the ship on the way here. You know how those spacer types can be." --- Rolling Sway on the guards to allow us free access to the station and using a gambit on it as well.</s> <\|message\|>Ito Shirai Ito ShiraiLoad(3/3): \| Armor: Stress:0/9 \| Harms: --- --- Ito, stepping out of the the ship, looked past Even to see the Hegemony presence on the station and noted it to be a bit lighter than what he was used to, given his past of fighting these types. His eyes scanned the hangar and he kept his weapons close, keeping himself lightly armed so that they would not immediately gain the ire of the station. The two weapons that he had brought were his vibrosword and his flamethrower, not being too heavy and still being able to somewhat come across as inconspicuous. Regardless, he moved behind Even, keeping his distance and looking more as a personal guard for the man as he worked whatever charisma that he had, though the Viper kept his mask on just so his eyes had the leeway to look around without anyone directly seeing where his eyes were. At least Ito knew that at this point, he would not have to act as any form of face.</s> <\|message\|>Miranda Castle Miranda hastily gathered her hair into an officious looking bun and grabbed a data-slate. Fortunately her dress suit already made her look sufficiently business like. The boots she was wearing were a little too officious for this particular role but she rather doubted the Hedge had their best and brightest on a station like this, or, for that matter, in a sector like this. It was one of the things that made them so easy to fleece. "Keep the engine running," she told Rico and strode down the ramp to join the two males. She thrust her dataslate in the general direction of the guard. "We will need floor plans, particularly with regards to plumbing and power usage," she stated in a bored, boring tone. "Your chief engineer should have the access we need, or one of his subordinates if you cannot disturb him." [Assisting]</s> <\|message\|>Sex \| Age \| Race You three make it to the SDO's, and the two men guarding the entryway show absolutely no skepticism. The look of the crew coupled with the believable alibi and papers check out. The SDO on the left, a man with greyed hair though he couldn't be over fifty radios his Officer on the comm linked to his ear. "Sir, we've got IBHS associates here. They need to see our floor plans, plumbing, electricity, the whole thing...Yes sir...very well. I'll send them in." The SDO clear's his throat. "You can go along inside. Walk up to the front desk and ask for the floor plans. They'll give you whatever you need. The Engineer keeps a copy on every level in case there's an emergency. Though I should inform you this Hangar is an exclusive one. You only have three days, though I doubt you'd need that long." Passed him, the hallway has a neon-like feel to the smooth surface of the walls. The light almost seems to be transformed into softer and yet colors with blue being the prominent one. Once you step out, the chamber is hexagonal in structure and multifaceted as the walls rise to the ceiling, though the lights are noticeably normal. A stately woman with a look similar to Miranda resides behind the front desk. She gives you the floor plans without complaint when asked. If you peruse them for a good minute, you find the second hallway to your left, known as hallway 4D, leads to the access elevator you need a code to gain entry for, and it will take you to any level you see fit. You find a small slip of paper on the floor plans. A note that gives the code: 179463. --- Assume you make it to the Elevator. One of you needs to put the code in and everyone will hop in and you can discuss a further strategy or simply wait.</s> <\|message\|>Miranda Castle Miranda steeped into the elevator, beckoning the others to follow her before punching in the code. "If we claim there is a leak of some kind in the prison ventilation system, we might be able to march our guy right out of here."</s> <\|message\|>Even Im Even opened up the various plans and looked over them in regards to the plan Miranda suggested. "Perhaps we might be able to take that idea one step further. It's a lot more credible of a claim if we can actually force a leak in the necessary location. Hey big guy, what do you think?" Their masked fellow was certainly the most quiet of the three, but maybe he was one of those types that picked up on everything and preferred to not speak up. Even if he turned out to be a complete imbecile, it would be better to learn straight away rather than be taken off guard by it later. Regardless of if/what Ito decided to add in, Even would check to see if there were any fuel lines or such nearby the cell for their mark, as well as anything that might be of interest in the area for him to exploit. As far as he saw things, if nothing popped out to him, they could just keep winging it.</s> <\|message\|>Sex \| Age \| Race Once you three make your plan, the elevator/lift door opens to reveal a hall much more utilitarian and barren than the almost eloquent and brightly furnished upper foyer. There's no carpet on the floor, giving everything a very purgatorial and uniform look. You do notice it has a lot of good lighting, and you see two SDO's making their rounds walking over to the elevator, likely curious on who was coming down, or at least being told to confirm your location. One waves at you, but it seems they knew someone with the right clearance was coming down because they simply turn the corner and go left down the hall. The forward hall leads...well forward, with four other halls intersecting. Two on the left and two on the right, likely leading into different areas with different cells. You see a terminal just outside of the elevator door, which looks to be a list and catalogue of all the criminals and undesirable people they have locked down here. A large touch keypad is laid out on display to be used at your convenience. However, you need a password or you need to hack it to start it up, or it might be easier and less suspicious to simply start walking. You know by the map in your possession that anything that has to do with core units of the ventilation system is through the right hall. --- Make your rolls and decisions, ladies and gents!</s>	<\|message\|>Even Im Even ImLoad(1/3): Fine Coat(1), Forged Documents, Communicator \| Armor: Stress:1/9 \| Harms: --- --- "Alright, don't say anything." Even closed the map as the doors opened. He turned around to the others before stepping back just to be sure the elevator wouldn't be too frisky and try shutting on them immediately. "I'm going to check out their ventilation systems and see if they're up to code. You can come along with me or inspect the other areas of the floor. If you split off and need anything, ring me on my communicator. If nothing of import happens, I'll be back here waiting in no more than an hour." Without saying anything more, Even turned around and walked off towards the ventilation systems. Whether they followed was no matter, he already gave them as much of the plan as he had settled on in his head up until that point.</s>
<\|description\|>Ito Shirai Male \| 29 \| Human --- Basic Info Alias: Viper Look: Mask and leathers. Heritage: Xeno - An honorbound culture, Background: Military - A former resistance fighter turned mercenary. Vice/Purveyor: Stupor - Drink until the thoughts go away. --- Stats Insight \| Prowess \| Resolve Stress: Trauma: Insight 1 * Study 2 Prowess 2 * Scrap 2 * Helm 1 Resolve 1 * Command 2 Starting Abilities: Unstoppable Special Abilities: * Wrecking Crew * * Friends: * Krieger, a blaster pistol. A lost pistol once a symbol of the Viper. * Shod, a weapons dealer. A former fellow resistance member. * Chon-zek, a bounty hunter. A hunter who is still out to capture Viper. * Yazu, a crooked cop. Still giving leads to potential work, for a price. * Aya, an assassin. Nemesis of the Viper, and the fiercest killer he knows. Equipment: * Ite, a fine sniper rifle. [2 Load] * Doragon, a fine flamethrower. [2 Load] * Sureiya, a fine vibro-blade. [1 Load] * Zarathustra, a detonator launcher.[2 Load] * Fine martial arts style. [0 Load] * Mystic ammunition. [0 Load] Bonus Dice Gambit</s> <\|message\|>Sex \| Age \| Race Black Market Runners This was a ramshackle base of operations if you had ever seen one. Tiles once meant to give these sealed corridors a pristine look already practically falling off from age and misuse. Idly you view a worn symbol of the Brazen Eagles across the next archway, a once infamous military arm of the Hegemony accused of high treason three decades earlier. It betrays the previous use of this station, meaning it was once a military installation. As you approach the hanger bay, you see two surly looking pirates with outdated but still very deadly submachine guns framing the door from both sides. The left one yanks his head to indicate you should keep moving. Further in there's machines made to fix other machines and manned lifts to be used to help repair Starships. There's five men from what you can see standing under the nose of the Stardancer, two of them reclining on the foothills of a veritable mountain of crates. They're smoking a substance you can't quite get a good gauge on. The other three are more notable. A younger man, very much a pilot is standing there with his hand on the Stardancer's hull, admiring it. A towering Xenos with what look to be tentacles for hair crossing his four arms and frowning with his lipless mouth. In the center is the man you were told to contact based on a look one could hardly forget. His smile is crooked, both in manner and from some mistreatment of his face. One could likely imagine the Xenos or one of his kind having remade it with a mightly blow. He wears a jacket and worn privateer clothes, smiling impishly when he views the newcomer as they approach, rubbing his hands. "Ah, there you are! My you're a desperate one aren't you?" He utters with a hissing lisp. "I like that in a man/woman, don't worry. You better be glad we've made this deal with you. Rico here never got the chance to fly the ship. Too bad for him, he still has to pay off his debt to the Blackcloaks..." --- You three find yourselves in the Hanger of this ruined military installation after getting sent here by your contact, Schill. Whoever posts first gets there first, who posts second gets there second, and the third one is the last to get there. Consider this first job the prologue, but you still have a myriad of options. Obviously, you have the option to ask further about this pilot and perhaps try to get him on your new 'crew' or at least get him to join the mission with you. Or you can ask further on the installation, the pirates, your job, etc. The game has officially begun!</s> <\|message\|>Even Im Even ImLoad(?/?): \| Armor: Stress:0/9 \| Harms: --- --- Even sauntered into the former military base with a toothpick in his mouth, and without an ounce of hesitation in his posture. This place was a bit run down, sure but Even had spent many nights in places far worse at many points in his life for a myriad of reasons, this one wasn't anything out of the ordinary. If there was anything to be surprised about, it was that the Hegemony would let a place of strategic import like a military base just go to waste rather than repurposing it, but those pencil pushers never seemed like the types to do the smart thing anyways. As he stepped into the hangar, Even pulled out the splinter in his mouth an flicked it into the box of crates before addressing his client. "Hey, as long as I get paid, everything will work out just dandy for the both of us," Even replied, flashing a toothy grin of his own. "Schill never gave me all the details of what this job entails, mind filling me in?" Personally, Even didn't care for the client's assumptions and assertions, but he wasn't here to argue with his source of income. For another man, the potential implication of Rico's inexperience with ship handling would be another red flag, but as Even saw it, if worse came to worse and the kid turned out to be a dud, he'd end up meeting an unexpected tragic fate and he could helm the ship in the time being. Someone incapable of even driving the bus stood no hope of paying off a debt to an organization like the Black Cloaks anyways.</s> <\|message\|>Ito Shirai Ito ShiraiLoad(?/?): \| Armor: Stress:0/9 \| Harms: --- --- Shady dealings in former military bases were not precisely the ideal location for Ito, in fact it was a place that he openly disliked due to having to use such derelict bases to try and oppose the Hegemony. The memories flooded into the back of his mind as he walked down the hallway of broken tile, remembering the gun fire of the dishonorable Hegemony and being forced to run and hide in the shadows. Ito let out an audible sigh as he shook the memories away as best he could, trying to focus on the xeno family that he had been raised with. Eventually, he would finally shake free those thoughts, stepping into the hanger and allowed himself to look around to absorb the locale. It definitely seemed a place of banditry and pirateering, a harsh reminder to how desperate he had come to for needing money. It was a reminder that he hate but knew that he would have to deal with for the time being. As Ito reached the contact that Schill had pointed him to, Ito felt an overwhelming feeling of disdain come behind his mask but was forced to swallow his pride as he allowed himself to interact with the man. Ito gave a customary bow to the impish man, still showing the politeness that he would need to, even offering a bow to a man who had the toothpick in his mouth. Ito did not personally know either of them so he had decided to follow the path of politeness for a good first impression, rather than acknowledging the pirates with a sword as he had been told to do in his youth. He met the eyes of the contact before speaking, his voice holding a neutral tone, "I do not suppose that this installation has been used for some time before the Blackcoats had come."</s> <\|message\|>Miranda Castle Miranda CastleLoad(?/?): \| Armor: Stress:0/9 \| Harms: --- --- It irritated Miranda to see a Hagemony base in such disrepair. Hallways that should have been sparkling were shabby and run down. All in all the effect was too close to a metaphor for her own fortunes to be entirely comfortable. Despite her current shortage of credits she was dressed in a sleek suit of shimmering silk which shifted between dark gray and black depending on the lighting or angle of the viewer. Her natural dark brown hair was concealed beneath an expertly applied wig of platinum blonde. "Gentle...men," she paused for a heartbeat as she took in the presence of Xenos. They certainly were a rough looking crew but a ship was a prize worth almost any risk. They looked as though they would be good material for the plan already forming in her mind. "Are we all here?" She asked, having deliberately timed her arrival to ensure she was last.</s> <\|message\|>Sex \| Age \| Race "Yeah, why don't you fuck off with that, Skrivver?" The pilot tells the ugly one, betraying the contact's name. The two pirates smoking laugh, high as the stratosphere. They don't realize what had just happened, though neither does the pilot it seems. He is suddenly grabbed from behind by two of the four armed Xenos's powerful hands to be slammed into the hull of the ship, cheek pressed to the Syronian Steel of the hull. Skrivver shambles over to him and punches the immobilized man in the gut, sending him reeling. "You owe us 1,500 small ones there, Rico. You keep it up and I'll carve the money out of you." He promises, before clearing his throat and turning to put on a pleasant smile to answer Even's question. Somehow it makes him look all the more ugly. "The details of the assignment is simple." He makes small guns with his fingers at the three of them. "You got the coordinates in the ship. You have the codes to get in close. Once you land you're in what's pretty much the only Embassy within two systems, which means it's not just a prison. In fact most of it is a pit stop for big name nobles looking to refuel and planetary chiefs to fly up and suck their dicks. You go in, go to the bottom level, spring our boss out and get him back on the ship without anyone being none the wiser. You do that and you get the ship. I don't need to ask if we have a deal because we've made it already. You should be glad I like Schill." At Miranda's question, the two smokers howl with gusto. Skrivver looks around. "We don't have anyone else coming unless you brought a crew in your shoes." --- So, just tell me you pass in the OOC or make a post and roll for it in here. Though you'll probably want to tell me what kind of roll it is in the OOC too.</s>	<\|message\|>Ito Shirai Ito ShiraiLoad(?/?): \| Armor: Stress:0/9 \| Harms: --- --- Ito watched as the pirate berated the underling, Rico, with a certain level of disdain as Skrivver shoved the would-be pilot into the side of the ship. He knew that discipline had to be instilled every now and again but the manner about which it was instilled was always something to be watched, never too lenient nor too forceful. Skrivver, however, would dare to threaten his own underling with such a horrid punishment that it made Ito sick to his stomach. Such threats were beneath someone who was supposed to be a higher up, remembering that those under you needed to be not only worked with but also work without fear. Fear was the path of the coward, and it seemed that Skrivver was very much a coward who would resort to fear in order to keep his crew in line. The most honorable of the people there snarled behind his mask before he would declare, in a stern voice, "Treating your underlings in such a manner is without honor!" He took a moment to make sure that Skrivver was paying attention to Ito before stepping forward, "Fear is the path of the coward! Anyone in a place a command should know such things," the Viper hissed, eyes narrowing and metaphorical fangs bared as he stared down the pirate. His eyes focused purely on pirate, unmoving and unwavering as his arms crossed themselves over his chest as he took another step towards Skrivver, awaiting whatever response the pirate would dare throw his way. --- Rolled 3 for Command on Skivver</s>
<\|description\|>Ito Shirai Male \| 29 \| Human --- Basic Info Alias: Viper Look: Mask and leathers. Heritage: Xeno - An honorbound culture, Background: Military - A former resistance fighter turned mercenary. Vice/Purveyor: Stupor - Drink until the thoughts go away. --- Stats Insight \| Prowess \| Resolve Stress: Trauma: Insight 1 * Study 2 Prowess 2 * Scrap 2 * Helm 1 Resolve 1 * Command 2 Starting Abilities: Unstoppable Special Abilities: * Wrecking Crew * * Friends: * Krieger, a blaster pistol. A lost pistol once a symbol of the Viper. * Shod, a weapons dealer. A former fellow resistance member. * Chon-zek, a bounty hunter. A hunter who is still out to capture Viper. * Yazu, a crooked cop. Still giving leads to potential work, for a price. * Aya, an assassin. Nemesis of the Viper, and the fiercest killer he knows. Equipment: * Ite, a fine sniper rifle. [2 Load] * Doragon, a fine flamethrower. [2 Load] * Sureiya, a fine vibro-blade. [1 Load] * Zarathustra, a detonator launcher.[2 Load] * Fine martial arts style. [0 Load] * Mystic ammunition. [0 Load] Bonus Dice Gambit</s> <\|message\|>Even Im "That's not how that works, Sugarplum." Even chimed in, finding a seat in the cockpit and strapping in before the overzealous pilot could take off. "Any survivors or friends of the Blackcloaks hear about that stunt and want blood and will gather as much support as they can possibly muster. Even without a leader they've managed to procure a ship like this and will let us just fly off with it. Anyone else who hears about this won't trust you in the future, cutting off possible jobs, contacts, and resources. This is a hot ship. We're in a Hegemony base, abandoned or not. If any shrubs decide to look into the whole situation, they ain't comin' down on our side. And on top of all that, we don't get paid. If you pull a stunt like that right now, the ones you know for sure who aren't winning is us. For now we should be thinkin about springing Gaebril without getting our asses burnt." Of course, after the job's settled and the checks are cleared, making off with a nice ship like this could be a very valuable asset, but one thing at a time. He needed the cred first. Betrayal could come later when this whole agreement had worn out all of its use. But right now? What would the point be of deciding to plant a sapling only to burn it the moment you finished digging the hole for it.</s> <\|message\|>Miranda Castle Miranda affected an exaggerated yawn. "Sounds like a marketing problem easily handled. Personally, I'm not too worried about a group of pirates who don't have the balls to spring their own boss," she disagreed fixing her companion with a speculative look. "But then perhaps the shortage is sector wide..."</s> <\|message\|>Ito Shirai Ito ShiraiLoad(?/?): \| Armor: Stress:0/9 \| Harms: --- --- Ito shot a silent look to the woman, taking a moment to think of a proper response to dignify such a suggestion of betrayal. "Betrayal will get us nowhere, once our deal with those pirates is up you may do whatever with them. For the time being focus on the mission at hand," the warrior stated, agreeing with his other companion for about the issue displayed. After making his statement, he proceeded to walk around the ship to get a feeling for it, allowing the silence to follow him as the sound of the ships engines cut into his thoughts for the time being. Eventually, he found the engine room, the source of the noise that had dulled his mind to a lovely, momentary silence. Quickly did Ito make himself comfortable, sitting on the floor of the ship and crossing his legs as he kept his back straight. These moments of reflection were rare, especially when he was unaccompanied by the delights of liquor or other dulling substances to make sure that he could not fully remember the past and its tribulations.</s> <\|message\|>Sex \| Age \| Race The ship began to lift itself off the ground, pushing no air current as it via a different medium. You could see Rico gaze down at the pirates who watched them with a mixture of haughty arrogance, mirth, or hatred. Despite his suggestion, Miranda's tone noticably chills him and he glances back at her. He gives her a measuring look while Even speaks. You can tell he does not wish to admit it, but Even's suggestion has merit in his eyes. Rico turns back to the controls, confident the team behind him won't resort to infighting and keeping his more private thoughts unreadable. Ito would feel the thrum of the engine beneath him as the ship slowly drifted towards the pressurized hanger bay; a massive wall that opened and closed that separated the inner hanger to where the ships then begin to enter space. "I suppose that was a no to my suggestion," He says as he flips a few switches, analyzing a 'flight' path for them as they enter the outer bay. He doesn't look to perturbed by it, however. Rico has the look of a soldier; youthful, fit, and apparently a reputable pilot. "At least I know which of you is the coldest." --- You can take this time to speak to Rico, roll to influence him on anything, or speak to one another in the OOC on plans after the mission.</s> <\|message\|>Miranda Castle Miranda tossed her head and then took a seat at one of the consoles, bringing up some of the video compiler software and beginning to tap at the holographic keys. She began to import footage she had prepared before the mission on the off chance she ran into just this kind of idiocy. "Perhaps we should name the ship?" she suggested with tart sarcasm tinging an artificially bright tone. She made a show of considering it, looking back and forth between the two other newcomers. "Perhaps 'The Cowardly Boyscout' would suit you gentlemen?" she asked with pie eyed innocence. "Or maybe 'Opportunity Lost' is more to your taste?" Considering that the pirates were giving away a ship for what they were billing as a simple extraction, Miranda might have gone with 'Obvious Setup' but that really didn't fit in with the through line of her other jokes.</s> <\|message\|>Even Im Even ImLoad(?/?): \| Armor: Stress:0/9 \| Harms: --- --- "I'm quite partial to 'Nagging Hen,' myself. Or perhaps 'Overconfident Fool.' You're here the same as the rest of us for the same reason: you need cred, and you need it bad. Probably need it worse than any of the rest of us, so it's funny that you're looking to backstab your employer at the drop of the hat for short-sighted gain without so much to show as payment in advance." Even could feel an impending headache come in if he had to deal with this for a prolonged period of time. If he'd wanted to be pestered for every little thing he did or didn't do, he'd have gotten married and probably end up like his old pal Nyx. Poor bastard would try to stay in the bar as long as possible to avoid her, only to make the tongue-lashing he got even worse. Even chuckled to himself as he briefly reminisced before he reached into his jacket and pulled out his deck of holocards and began to fiddle with them. Although they were designed to trick suckers into parting with their funds prematurely, he didn't use them for that purpose often these days. He'd been on many ship rides, many of them without built in entertainment and they got drear real quickly. On one of these voyages he had picked up sleight of hand from another passenger. The only people Even cared to show off the tricks to were his family, but it was a good way to pass the time and keep his hands busy.</s> <\|message\|>Miranda Castle "No payment...you realize the ship is the payment right?" Miranda began, wondering if the fool could possibly be that dense. She gave up on arguing the point, he was certainly sexist so why not simple as well. Shaking her head and adjusting her expectations downward she went back to work. The pirates claimed they had taken care of everything, but if that were true they could certainly have just had Rico fly them in to retrieve their boss. They needed a plausible reason to be on the station if things turned out to be more complicated than advertised, well that could be arranged. While she had what she needed for herself, the cameras on the ship itself weren't of good enough quality for her purposes. "Do either of you have holos of yourselves, preferable something not quite current and at high definition?" she asked. [Asking for assistance on a hacking roll to create some false documents]</s> <\|message\|>Even Im Even ImLoad(?/?): \| Armor: Stress:1/9 \| Harms: --- --- "Hey, that's not what Schill told me." Even kept the rest of his words cursing Schill for not telling him all the details in his head, not realizing the fact that both Schill and Skrivver had both told him, but he wasn't listening when either of them said so. He couldn't pay the bills with a ship, especially not one he owned with 2 other people who weren't likely to sell it, which meant he'd need to go on another job soon that he really wouldn't be able vet. "If you need them to make forgeries, you don't need to both with mine. They're already done." Even put down his cards to pull out the forged documents from his coat and tossed them over to Miranda before going back to what he was doing. She could reference what he already had done to maintain consistency with whatever she was planning or just look at them to be sure of their (apparent) legitimacy. "Nice job communicating on our plan of action by the way. I guess we're using fake documents to slip into the prison and then busting the boss out before the whole station can notice?"</s> <\|message\|>Sex \| Age \| Race The display monitor on the ship shows everyone the opening of the hanger, revealing an endless void of blackness and stars before you. Rico seems eager to get moving, though there was a nonchalance to him, as if all he needed to see was the image of space to feel right at home. He sets coordinates to the Garneki Station, merely 0.57261 Light Years from your current location and sets the flight plan. "I'm not as intimate in detail on this job of yours as say...well you guys. But I'm pretty certain the ship is the main payment and they'll add a bit more for your trouble to keep you from bailing." Rico informs all three of you as you two forge the documents. Your journey is uneventful, smooth sailing throughout. In fact it lasts merely fifteen minutes, moving at around 0.001% of your optimal speed with your lightspeed engines. Jumping out of hyperspace, you three see a vast installation, somewhat similar to the one you just left, at least in overt style. The shape of the architecture looks somewhat like a slowly spinning top, with your destination being on the very, very bottom. Rico flies you in effortlessly, speaking to the comm once you're hailed and using a guest's landing code which gives you a limited window to 'park.' Clearly he's done this before and it's lucky you lot recruited him. You fly in closer and slide into a far more sophisticated hanger than the one you just left. It's guarded by a shield of energy that allows ships to fly in and out seamlessly without exposing anyone within to the void of space beyond. As you park, you get a quick glance of your surroundings on the display. You are located in subsection B16 of the station, with five spots to land in but three are already filled up. You see two Hedgemony troopers casually walking across the inner railing, with various engineers and utility workers milling about fulfilling tasks that would no doubt bore you. At the very left of the hanger, after you climb the stairs to the walkway, is the entrance to the Station proper, guarded by two more SDO's (Stationary Defense Officers). --- You are now in the belly of the beast. What is your first course of action?</s> <\|message\|>Even Im Even ImLoad(1/3): Fine Coat(1), Forged Documents \| Armor: Stress:1/9 \| Harms: --- --- Even stepped out of the ship looking far more presentable than he had when he went in. You could even call it corporate in appearance, and his body language changed to match. Although very little had actually changed, it were the little things that counted. His face was clean shaven, his hair tidied up and slicked back, and his clothes were worn much tighter and cleaner. Perhaps if he had more time he could have pushed it further, but he preferred to adapt to the situation rather than dwell on what ifs. Without waiting for the others to get out of the ship, Even strode forwards to the SDOs and made his introductions. "Greetings, gentlemen. I and my associates are with the IBHS, Iona Board of Health & Safety. We're a third party organization affiliated with the Hegemony that makes sure that your facilities up to code on the current mandates and policies." Even produces one of his forged documents to add credibility to his claim before continuing on. "I'm sure you've been filled in on it, but we perform unannounced audits so that we can understand what the state of the affairs truly are, and today is one of those days. However, while this audit will not be exhaustive, if we find 3 major infractions or more, we will have to notify the company and have them perform larger, more rigorous inspections regularly until you pass. Now if you would allow me and my compatriots to pass, when they arrive." In a hushed voice he whispered to them, "Don't pay mind to the scruffier ones. They simply piloted the ship on the way here. You know how those spacer types can be." --- Rolling Sway on the guards to allow us free access to the station and using a gambit on it as well.</s>	<\|message\|>Ito Shirai Ito ShiraiLoad(3/3): \| Armor: Stress:0/9 \| Harms: --- --- Ito, stepping out of the the ship, looked past Even to see the Hegemony presence on the station and noted it to be a bit lighter than what he was used to, given his past of fighting these types. His eyes scanned the hangar and he kept his weapons close, keeping himself lightly armed so that they would not immediately gain the ire of the station. The two weapons that he had brought were his vibrosword and his flamethrower, not being too heavy and still being able to somewhat come across as inconspicuous. Regardless, he moved behind Even, keeping his distance and looking more as a personal guard for the man as he worked whatever charisma that he had, though the Viper kept his mask on just so his eyes had the leeway to look around without anyone directly seeing where his eyes were. At least Ito knew that at this point, he would not have to act as any form of face.</s>
<\|description\|>Miranda Castle Sex Female \| Age 27 \| Race Human --- Basic Info Alias: Locks Look: Classy eyeliner and a business suit Heritage: Imperial Vice/Purveyor: Luxury - Wild parties, wanton extravagance, sex, drugs and futuristic synth music. --- Stats Insight 2 \| Prowess 0 \| Resolve 3 Stress: Trauma: Starting Abilities: Consort 2 Command 1 Sway 2 (You get more with a kind word and a laser rifle than just a kind word) Hack 1 (these books aren't going to cook themselves) Study 1 (Regrettably, it pays to do your homework) Special Abilities: * Disarming * Air of Respectability * Friends: * Je-zee (Enemy) - Diplomat, it wasn't my fault that peace talks fell through! * Manda - (friend) A guild executive who made a lot of money when I made those peace talks fall through! * Arryn - A noble I left at the altar * Kerry - A doctor who always treats me, even though he despairs of my sinful ways Equipment: * Fine Clothes- expensive suits, elegant dresses * Legitimate ID - Miranda Castlereagh, Hagemony Intercessor * Luxury Goods - Expensive liqours, drugs and jams * Momentous of a past encounter - Wedding Dress Bonus Dice Gambit</s> <\|message\|>Miranda Castle Miranda CastleLoad(?/?): \| Armor: Stress:0/9 \| Harms: --- --- It irritated Miranda to see a Hagemony base in such disrepair. Hallways that should have been sparkling were shabby and run down. All in all the effect was too close to a metaphor for her own fortunes to be entirely comfortable. Despite her current shortage of credits she was dressed in a sleek suit of shimmering silk which shifted between dark gray and black depending on the lighting or angle of the viewer. Her natural dark brown hair was concealed beneath an expertly applied wig of platinum blonde. "Gentle...men," she paused for a heartbeat as she took in the presence of Xenos. They certainly were a rough looking crew but a ship was a prize worth almost any risk. They looked as though they would be good material for the plan already forming in her mind. "Are we all here?" She asked, having deliberately timed her arrival to ensure she was last.</s> <\|message\|>Sex \| Age \| Race "Yeah, why don't you fuck off with that, Skrivver?" The pilot tells the ugly one, betraying the contact's name. The two pirates smoking laugh, high as the stratosphere. They don't realize what had just happened, though neither does the pilot it seems. He is suddenly grabbed from behind by two of the four armed Xenos's powerful hands to be slammed into the hull of the ship, cheek pressed to the Syronian Steel of the hull. Skrivver shambles over to him and punches the immobilized man in the gut, sending him reeling. "You owe us 1,500 small ones there, Rico. You keep it up and I'll carve the money out of you." He promises, before clearing his throat and turning to put on a pleasant smile to answer Even's question. Somehow it makes him look all the more ugly. "The details of the assignment is simple." He makes small guns with his fingers at the three of them. "You got the coordinates in the ship. You have the codes to get in close. Once you land you're in what's pretty much the only Embassy within two systems, which means it's not just a prison. In fact most of it is a pit stop for big name nobles looking to refuel and planetary chiefs to fly up and suck their dicks. You go in, go to the bottom level, spring our boss out and get him back on the ship without anyone being none the wiser. You do that and you get the ship. I don't need to ask if we have a deal because we've made it already. You should be glad I like Schill." At Miranda's question, the two smokers howl with gusto. Skrivver looks around. "We don't have anyone else coming unless you brought a crew in your shoes." --- So, just tell me you pass in the OOC or make a post and roll for it in here. Though you'll probably want to tell me what kind of roll it is in the OOC too.</s> <\|message\|>Ito Shirai Ito ShiraiLoad(?/?): \| Armor: Stress:0/9 \| Harms: --- --- Ito watched as the pirate berated the underling, Rico, with a certain level of disdain as Skrivver shoved the would-be pilot into the side of the ship. He knew that discipline had to be instilled every now and again but the manner about which it was instilled was always something to be watched, never too lenient nor too forceful. Skrivver, however, would dare to threaten his own underling with such a horrid punishment that it made Ito sick to his stomach. Such threats were beneath someone who was supposed to be a higher up, remembering that those under you needed to be not only worked with but also work without fear. Fear was the path of the coward, and it seemed that Skrivver was very much a coward who would resort to fear in order to keep his crew in line. The most honorable of the people there snarled behind his mask before he would declare, in a stern voice, "Treating your underlings in such a manner is without honor!" He took a moment to make sure that Skrivver was paying attention to Ito before stepping forward, "Fear is the path of the coward! Anyone in a place a command should know such things," the Viper hissed, eyes narrowing and metaphorical fangs bared as he stared down the pirate. His eyes focused purely on pirate, unmoving and unwavering as his arms crossed themselves over his chest as he took another step towards Skrivver, awaiting whatever response the pirate would dare throw his way. --- Rolled 3 for Command on Skivver</s> <\|message\|>Sex \| Age \| Race Skrivver turns his attention to Ito, his mangled face muddied in confusion. "What?" He asks you, though you realize it's more of a rhetorical statement than him wishing you to repeat yourself. Rico tries to turn his head to look at you but he's stuck in his position, being pressed into the hull. "He's not a member of our band. He bloody owes me! You know what? Just for that he now owes me 2,000." Skrivver gives you a gaptoothed grin, clearly enjoying raking up the price as long as he's given a reason. "You and your new crew better get the fuck out of here and get us Marco or we'll string this pilot here up and use him for target practice!" --- As this is the prologue, nothing bad happened to you personally. But generally a 6 is a favorable outcome, a 4-5 is a partial success, and a 1-3 is a bad outcome which means not only do you fail, but something bad happens. In this case, the pilot was simply given a larger debt, but that doesn't mean it can't be talked down nor he can't win his freedom.</s> <\|message\|>Miranda Castle Miranda cleared her throat pointedly having managed to blend into the background while the altercation had taken place. Fortunately she was as good at avoiding attention as attracting it when the circumstances were right. "I am quite certain Mr Skrivver, that the rescue of your pirate captain will not be hastened by shooting this miscreant, nor by battering a hole in the side of our ship with his skull... amusing though that might be," she gave Rico a look of cold appraisal. "You have taken care of your end of the business, let us take care of ours," she wen't on the slight edges of her Imperial accent sharpening. "We will bring the kid along to, who knows he might catch a bullet during the break out and spare you all the trouble," she concluded brightly.</s> <\|message\|>Sex \| Age \| Race That wasn't something Skrivver foresaw, and the same could be said for the Xenos who's grip on Rico slackens. The pilot wriggles out of its grip and slides away with a screeching of his shoe leather over the station-steel floor. "What? I never said!" The underboss says, but as Miranda speaks, he clearly feels this was killing two birds with one stone. Having the pilot help get his boss back to pay off his debt, though it also meant that if he were to die he wouldn't get any of what the pilot owes him. Still, he thinks for a moment and acquiesces to the request. "Fine, but he still owes me. He can talk to Marco about that maybe, but you have to grab him first!" The fellow declared, and waves you all off. If there was no more questions among you, then it would be time to depart. The pilot practically leaps into the ship to keep the xenos off of him, and the two fellows smoking laugh again. Until Skrivver smacks one over the head, that is. --- Can't really argue with 2 6's</s> <\|message\|>Even Im Even ImLoad(?/?): \| Armor: Stress:0/9 \| Harms: --- --- Even watched the scene play out before him, silent and the smile on his face unbroken. He had seen many kids like Rico have far worse to them done for less, one more such incident didn't sway his heart with sympathy, even if he didn't like to see it. However, it was the reactions of his two soon to be crewmates that he diverted his attention to. The masked one seemed very ill-suited to this business with the way he spoke of honor and cowardice. True there was a way you should and shouldn't conduct yourself even in the lowest pits of criminal society, but the way he said it reeked of one of those warrior cultures you'd run into occasionally that would get demolished as soon as they made any trouble for The Hegemony or anyone of worth. The woman on the other hand, she seemed to have a better head on her shoulders, but everything about her screamed "bureaucrat." You dealt with that lot all the time, especially as you moved up the ranks, but seeing someone like her in a situation like this was rather rare. Politicians tend to loathe dirtying themselves with any of the work they want done. Even wouldn't be surprised if she still held the illusion of her being better than the job she desperately needed. But if there was any job where having her type around would help, it'd be this. "Before we go, got any details on the boss. A face? Name? Where he's probably being held in the embassy? Wouldn't want to spring the wrong sap and end up getting your boss relocated somewhere less accessible." These were pretty vital details that hadn't been explained, and the last thing he wanted to do was roll into the black without even a clue who they were supposed to rescue.</s> <\|message\|>Sex \| Age \| Race "A name? You haven't been listenin' have you?" Skrivver challenges, looking at you with a suspicious gaze. He shakes his head. "Schill told you his name and where to go. He's Marco Gaebril, and when you land you go to the bottom section of the station. Wherever the guards aren't? That's where he'll be. But you need to leave now or you'll lose your window. You got here just when you needed to get here and now you need to fucking leave when we need you to fucking leave get it!?" It was clear Skrivver didn't have the most meticulous specifics in mind, but following the directions and the proper excuses and you would make through it easily. He tugs at his belt and yanks it up as if to make himself look taller. Once in the ship, it's clear the Stardancer has little to no modifications done to it. Rico finds the cockpit in no time, not waiting for an invitation before he takes his seat at the helm and begins arcing the power up, awaken the ship with an advanced thrum from within. Despite the bruises on his face, he seems to have kept his anger and nerve. "While it's probably true Skrivver intends to pay you a bit of pocket money, if you're planning on fucking him and just steal the ship let me know. I'd love to imagine his face if you go down that route." --- I couldn't find a Stardancer map. But you can safely know there are * Cockpit * Cargo bay * Leisure area * 4 small sleeping quarters * Engine room * Pressurized connecting pods for connecting to other ships * Access corridors to each of these chambers</s> <\|message\|>Miranda Castle Miranda leaned forward and examined the control panel, running her fingers over the surface of the nearest console. "It does have a certain elegance," she admitted, forming her finger and thumb into a child's imitation of a gun. "We drop a plasma blast in the landing bay, Skrivver and his boys get all cripsy, the Hedge execute a pirate chief, the Blackcloaks are leaderless, piracy goes down and we get a ship... everybody wins."</s> <\|message\|>Even Im "That's not how that works, Sugarplum." Even chimed in, finding a seat in the cockpit and strapping in before the overzealous pilot could take off. "Any survivors or friends of the Blackcloaks hear about that stunt and want blood and will gather as much support as they can possibly muster. Even without a leader they've managed to procure a ship like this and will let us just fly off with it. Anyone else who hears about this won't trust you in the future, cutting off possible jobs, contacts, and resources. This is a hot ship. We're in a Hegemony base, abandoned or not. If any shrubs decide to look into the whole situation, they ain't comin' down on our side. And on top of all that, we don't get paid. If you pull a stunt like that right now, the ones you know for sure who aren't winning is us. For now we should be thinkin about springing Gaebril without getting our asses burnt." Of course, after the job's settled and the checks are cleared, making off with a nice ship like this could be a very valuable asset, but one thing at a time. He needed the cred first. Betrayal could come later when this whole agreement had worn out all of its use. But right now? What would the point be of deciding to plant a sapling only to burn it the moment you finished digging the hole for it.</s>	<\|message\|>Miranda Castle Miranda affected an exaggerated yawn. "Sounds like a marketing problem easily handled. Personally, I'm not too worried about a group of pirates who don't have the balls to spring their own boss," she disagreed fixing her companion with a speculative look. "But then perhaps the shortage is sector wide..."</s>
<\|description\|>Miranda Castle Sex Female \| Age 27 \| Race Human --- Basic Info Alias: Locks Look: Classy eyeliner and a business suit Heritage: Imperial Vice/Purveyor: Luxury - Wild parties, wanton extravagance, sex, drugs and futuristic synth music. --- Stats Insight 2 \| Prowess 0 \| Resolve 3 Stress: Trauma: Starting Abilities: Consort 2 Command 1 Sway 2 (You get more with a kind word and a laser rifle than just a kind word) Hack 1 (these books aren't going to cook themselves) Study 1 (Regrettably, it pays to do your homework) Special Abilities: * Disarming * Air of Respectability * Friends: * Je-zee (Enemy) - Diplomat, it wasn't my fault that peace talks fell through! * Manda - (friend) A guild executive who made a lot of money when I made those peace talks fall through! * Arryn - A noble I left at the altar * Kerry - A doctor who always treats me, even though he despairs of my sinful ways Equipment: * Fine Clothes- expensive suits, elegant dresses * Legitimate ID - Miranda Castlereagh, Hagemony Intercessor * Luxury Goods - Expensive liqours, drugs and jams * Momentous of a past encounter - Wedding Dress Bonus Dice Gambit</s> <\|message\|>Miranda Castle Miranda tossed her head and then took a seat at one of the consoles, bringing up some of the video compiler software and beginning to tap at the holographic keys. She began to import footage she had prepared before the mission on the off chance she ran into just this kind of idiocy. "Perhaps we should name the ship?" she suggested with tart sarcasm tinging an artificially bright tone. She made a show of considering it, looking back and forth between the two other newcomers. "Perhaps 'The Cowardly Boyscout' would suit you gentlemen?" she asked with pie eyed innocence. "Or maybe 'Opportunity Lost' is more to your taste?" Considering that the pirates were giving away a ship for what they were billing as a simple extraction, Miranda might have gone with 'Obvious Setup' but that really didn't fit in with the through line of her other jokes.</s> <\|message\|>Even Im Even ImLoad(?/?): \| Armor: Stress:0/9 \| Harms: --- --- "I'm quite partial to 'Nagging Hen,' myself. Or perhaps 'Overconfident Fool.' You're here the same as the rest of us for the same reason: you need cred, and you need it bad. Probably need it worse than any of the rest of us, so it's funny that you're looking to backstab your employer at the drop of the hat for short-sighted gain without so much to show as payment in advance." Even could feel an impending headache come in if he had to deal with this for a prolonged period of time. If he'd wanted to be pestered for every little thing he did or didn't do, he'd have gotten married and probably end up like his old pal Nyx. Poor bastard would try to stay in the bar as long as possible to avoid her, only to make the tongue-lashing he got even worse. Even chuckled to himself as he briefly reminisced before he reached into his jacket and pulled out his deck of holocards and began to fiddle with them. Although they were designed to trick suckers into parting with their funds prematurely, he didn't use them for that purpose often these days. He'd been on many ship rides, many of them without built in entertainment and they got drear real quickly. On one of these voyages he had picked up sleight of hand from another passenger. The only people Even cared to show off the tricks to were his family, but it was a good way to pass the time and keep his hands busy.</s> <\|message\|>Miranda Castle "No payment...you realize the ship is the payment right?" Miranda began, wondering if the fool could possibly be that dense. She gave up on arguing the point, he was certainly sexist so why not simple as well. Shaking her head and adjusting her expectations downward she went back to work. The pirates claimed they had taken care of everything, but if that were true they could certainly have just had Rico fly them in to retrieve their boss. They needed a plausible reason to be on the station if things turned out to be more complicated than advertised, well that could be arranged. While she had what she needed for herself, the cameras on the ship itself weren't of good enough quality for her purposes. "Do either of you have holos of yourselves, preferable something not quite current and at high definition?" she asked. [Asking for assistance on a hacking roll to create some false documents]</s> <\|message\|>Even Im Even ImLoad(?/?): \| Armor: Stress:1/9 \| Harms: --- --- "Hey, that's not what Schill told me." Even kept the rest of his words cursing Schill for not telling him all the details in his head, not realizing the fact that both Schill and Skrivver had both told him, but he wasn't listening when either of them said so. He couldn't pay the bills with a ship, especially not one he owned with 2 other people who weren't likely to sell it, which meant he'd need to go on another job soon that he really wouldn't be able vet. "If you need them to make forgeries, you don't need to both with mine. They're already done." Even put down his cards to pull out the forged documents from his coat and tossed them over to Miranda before going back to what he was doing. She could reference what he already had done to maintain consistency with whatever she was planning or just look at them to be sure of their (apparent) legitimacy. "Nice job communicating on our plan of action by the way. I guess we're using fake documents to slip into the prison and then busting the boss out before the whole station can notice?"</s> <\|message\|>Sex \| Age \| Race The display monitor on the ship shows everyone the opening of the hanger, revealing an endless void of blackness and stars before you. Rico seems eager to get moving, though there was a nonchalance to him, as if all he needed to see was the image of space to feel right at home. He sets coordinates to the Garneki Station, merely 0.57261 Light Years from your current location and sets the flight plan. "I'm not as intimate in detail on this job of yours as say...well you guys. But I'm pretty certain the ship is the main payment and they'll add a bit more for your trouble to keep you from bailing." Rico informs all three of you as you two forge the documents. Your journey is uneventful, smooth sailing throughout. In fact it lasts merely fifteen minutes, moving at around 0.001% of your optimal speed with your lightspeed engines. Jumping out of hyperspace, you three see a vast installation, somewhat similar to the one you just left, at least in overt style. The shape of the architecture looks somewhat like a slowly spinning top, with your destination being on the very, very bottom. Rico flies you in effortlessly, speaking to the comm once you're hailed and using a guest's landing code which gives you a limited window to 'park.' Clearly he's done this before and it's lucky you lot recruited him. You fly in closer and slide into a far more sophisticated hanger than the one you just left. It's guarded by a shield of energy that allows ships to fly in and out seamlessly without exposing anyone within to the void of space beyond. As you park, you get a quick glance of your surroundings on the display. You are located in subsection B16 of the station, with five spots to land in but three are already filled up. You see two Hedgemony troopers casually walking across the inner railing, with various engineers and utility workers milling about fulfilling tasks that would no doubt bore you. At the very left of the hanger, after you climb the stairs to the walkway, is the entrance to the Station proper, guarded by two more SDO's (Stationary Defense Officers). --- You are now in the belly of the beast. What is your first course of action?</s> <\|message\|>Even Im Even ImLoad(1/3): Fine Coat(1), Forged Documents \| Armor: Stress:1/9 \| Harms: --- --- Even stepped out of the ship looking far more presentable than he had when he went in. You could even call it corporate in appearance, and his body language changed to match. Although very little had actually changed, it were the little things that counted. His face was clean shaven, his hair tidied up and slicked back, and his clothes were worn much tighter and cleaner. Perhaps if he had more time he could have pushed it further, but he preferred to adapt to the situation rather than dwell on what ifs. Without waiting for the others to get out of the ship, Even strode forwards to the SDOs and made his introductions. "Greetings, gentlemen. I and my associates are with the IBHS, Iona Board of Health & Safety. We're a third party organization affiliated with the Hegemony that makes sure that your facilities up to code on the current mandates and policies." Even produces one of his forged documents to add credibility to his claim before continuing on. "I'm sure you've been filled in on it, but we perform unannounced audits so that we can understand what the state of the affairs truly are, and today is one of those days. However, while this audit will not be exhaustive, if we find 3 major infractions or more, we will have to notify the company and have them perform larger, more rigorous inspections regularly until you pass. Now if you would allow me and my compatriots to pass, when they arrive." In a hushed voice he whispered to them, "Don't pay mind to the scruffier ones. They simply piloted the ship on the way here. You know how those spacer types can be." --- Rolling Sway on the guards to allow us free access to the station and using a gambit on it as well.</s> <\|message\|>Ito Shirai Ito ShiraiLoad(3/3): \| Armor: Stress:0/9 \| Harms: --- --- Ito, stepping out of the the ship, looked past Even to see the Hegemony presence on the station and noted it to be a bit lighter than what he was used to, given his past of fighting these types. His eyes scanned the hangar and he kept his weapons close, keeping himself lightly armed so that they would not immediately gain the ire of the station. The two weapons that he had brought were his vibrosword and his flamethrower, not being too heavy and still being able to somewhat come across as inconspicuous. Regardless, he moved behind Even, keeping his distance and looking more as a personal guard for the man as he worked whatever charisma that he had, though the Viper kept his mask on just so his eyes had the leeway to look around without anyone directly seeing where his eyes were. At least Ito knew that at this point, he would not have to act as any form of face.</s> <\|message\|>Miranda Castle Miranda hastily gathered her hair into an officious looking bun and grabbed a data-slate. Fortunately her dress suit already made her look sufficiently business like. The boots she was wearing were a little too officious for this particular role but she rather doubted the Hedge had their best and brightest on a station like this, or, for that matter, in a sector like this. It was one of the things that made them so easy to fleece. "Keep the engine running," she told Rico and strode down the ramp to join the two males. She thrust her dataslate in the general direction of the guard. "We will need floor plans, particularly with regards to plumbing and power usage," she stated in a bored, boring tone. "Your chief engineer should have the access we need, or one of his subordinates if you cannot disturb him." [Assisting]</s> <\|message\|>Sex \| Age \| Race You three make it to the SDO's, and the two men guarding the entryway show absolutely no skepticism. The look of the crew coupled with the believable alibi and papers check out. The SDO on the left, a man with greyed hair though he couldn't be over fifty radios his Officer on the comm linked to his ear. "Sir, we've got IBHS associates here. They need to see our floor plans, plumbing, electricity, the whole thing...Yes sir...very well. I'll send them in." The SDO clear's his throat. "You can go along inside. Walk up to the front desk and ask for the floor plans. They'll give you whatever you need. The Engineer keeps a copy on every level in case there's an emergency. Though I should inform you this Hangar is an exclusive one. You only have three days, though I doubt you'd need that long." Passed him, the hallway has a neon-like feel to the smooth surface of the walls. The light almost seems to be transformed into softer and yet colors with blue being the prominent one. Once you step out, the chamber is hexagonal in structure and multifaceted as the walls rise to the ceiling, though the lights are noticeably normal. A stately woman with a look similar to Miranda resides behind the front desk. She gives you the floor plans without complaint when asked. If you peruse them for a good minute, you find the second hallway to your left, known as hallway 4D, leads to the access elevator you need a code to gain entry for, and it will take you to any level you see fit. You find a small slip of paper on the floor plans. A note that gives the code: 179463. --- Assume you make it to the Elevator. One of you needs to put the code in and everyone will hop in and you can discuss a further strategy or simply wait.</s>	<\|message\|>Miranda Castle Miranda steeped into the elevator, beckoning the others to follow her before punching in the code. "If we claim there is a leak of some kind in the prison ventilation system, we might be able to march our guy right out of here."</s>
<\|description\|>Acion Nakamiji Appearance: Costume: Hero/Vigilante Name: Stratosphere Seraph Gender: Male Age: 16 Height: 6'0 / 183cm Weight: 156 lbs / 71 kg Personality: If anything, Acion is a virtuous man, with a very firm sense of moral code and heroism, even if they are different from existing ideals. A man of action that often doesn't need any prior validation from any other people for anything he does, whether it is helping a friend in need or saving a person's life, even though the latter case might put a small brake on his decision due to past incidents. Inaction is still action to him, and it is much less regretful to act and fail rather than staying still and doing nothing. Nevertheless, he still requires his own rational reasons for what he does rather than just relying on his own idea of righteousness. Acion is also a prideful individual. He was, after all, on the competing list for one of the more prestigious Hero school for his unique style and skilled utilization of his quirk, despite being more disadvantaged in more traditional combat circumstances. He worked hard for it, to keep up with his family tradition and his dreams, and it paid off for the most part. He had a reason to be proud of his accomplishment, and consequently his lack of tolerance for petty insults. He can put up with criticism, but he doesn't at all appreciate disrespect on his, or anybody else's, honest efforts. God forbid his mannerism when he snapped to this. Outside of these special circumstances, he's generally not a very talkative person. He isn't afraid of conversations, but chances are he will not be the one initiating it with the other party. He does lack a little bit of conversational skill and can sometimes lead to awkward situations, but regardless Acion is an understanding fellow whose empathy and sympathy will shine through during times of need. Background: Acion's family was almost good up until he was getting ready for his Hero school enrolment. Born with several significant mutations from their family, who only have more conventional 2 wings, Acion at first wasn't too looked upon with great eyes. But his family tree has contained some of the very successful heroes in the past, even before heroism as a business even became a thing. It was a mark of pride, and a source of great encouragement for him to work towards his goal of being a professional hero. His older sister Aurelia Nakamiji is also one of the very promising new generation of heroes, having won first places in many region-wide tournaments, which also helps his desire to not be just the ugly duckling in the family. Acion knew he isn't going to win any prizes with his physicality, unlike his sister who never had any issues with aerial combat, but he knew better than trying to do something he's not designed to do. He spent his free time practicing flying as high as possible, trying to push his physical and mental limits, all the while coming up with his own style of combat. Eventually he did come up with it, and it proved to be quite effective in combat tests. Mock test results began to look up for the young hero, and it seemed as if he was on track to be enrolled in a Hero school as soon as the real test period comes. However, during a camping trip with a couple of friends a few months before, a low-threat villain passing by the area found the opportunity to make some quick buck. He consequently held one of his friends captive and was demanding ransom or else. Acion didn't hesitate to not only not comply with his demands, but also engage the villain directly in combat. While his training did allow him to hold his own against a relatively no-name villain, his inexperience with actual combat meant it was quite a mess of a fight. Eventually though, with the help of his accompanying friend, they managed to subdue the villain for the authority and saved his kidnapped friend. It sounded great to put on his resume for professional heroism, but no. Acion was accused of vigilantism, and he had to go through a long and complicated procedure to resolve the case. His family was involved, and it took a bit of their influence to sweep the case under the rug. However, it was a permanent mark on his study record, and school after school denied his enrolment due to this reason. It was his first brush through with the reality of professional heroism, and he wasn't in any sense ready to accept this. He wouldn't talk about it, but if you ask him, he would still be proud and unrepentant of what he did that day. Eventually, a school did accept Acion into their Hero program. A relatively lesser known school with limited hero classes, but it would still give him a chance to actually become an actual professional hero. Quirk: Archangel Wings: Acion has a total of six wings, three pairs in total, two stretching from the back of his shoulders and four more from his backs. This magnanimous number allows him very long durations of flights and quick ascension high into from any potential sudden threats. The wings are quite sturdy and can withstand high pressures and beatings before giving in. However, having many wings to manage proves to be huge problem as it greatly hampered his agility in the air, turning back and forth in quick succession. The problem is twofold providing he is in ground combat, as he also became a relatively large silhouette to be targeted. Other: The Nakamiji family are great flyers, and so is Acion. He luckily inherited the family's great eyesight, capable of spotting small targets from high above, along with enhanced lung capacity, which allowed him to hold his breath underwater along with flying at higher altitude, where oxygen level is lower, for an extended period of time. Acion is also an aviation enthusiast. He loved to play around with kites when he was a little kid, and still does if he was given the opportunity to. He also enjoys reading about aerodynamics, and often applies physics to his advantage to mitigate his shortcomings when it comes to agility. Acion also likes swimming and he likes to come to the swimming pool at least once or twice a week.</s> <\|message\|>Kouji Majima The walk from his small home on the other side of the city wasn't much one to speak of, and the morning was just like most others. School being school it didn't matter that he was going to a hero school so much as he was excited to learn, and see how things worked. Kouji was very interested in seeing what the school's teachers were like. It was like stepping into a new world full of incredible things but at the same time he didn't get accepted into U.A due to the strain he had on his mental facilities when he was using his quirk. But that being said he was glad he at least took the shot. Being rejected didn't even ruin is confidence, and he was determined to prove U.A wrong, or at least get a good enough education on how to join the police force so he could at least do something useful with his career. Even if he wasn't able to become a first responder being a cop meant he could still at least eventually get a chance at being useful to someone in this place. Even if it was a desk job it was better than being thrown into the heaping mess of show business... When Kouji finally arrived at school his uniform was messy, and so was his hair but it was in passable shape they weren't wildly out of place it was just his shirt was unbuttoned, and his pants had gotten a little dirty on the way there to the train station. He waved at the teacher in front of class. "Hey! Names Kouji Majima! Nice to meet you teach! Sorry about being messy on the first day, and all! Never was a clean guy all things considered." he says enthusiastically. He didn't catch the names of the other students but he wandered over to one of the middle seats and plopped himself down.</s> <\|message\|>Dulga Tatara Dulga Tarata Dulga woke up to the sound of her cellphone alarm reminding her that today was the first day of school. After washing up she changed into her school uniform. Due to her anatomy it needed to be customized and looked more like a boy's uniform more than a girl's. Then Dulga went to her kitchen to have breakfast. "Dad was here... And he ate my cereal again." Dulga lifted up the extremely light box of Frankenberry, sighing before pouring what was left into a bowl with some milk. She turned on the TV and watched the news for a bit before she finished her breakfast and went back to her room to get the rest of her things. Her school bag, her bike, and a large black case. As she was leaving she donned her mask and cloak, closed the door behind her, and locked it. Biking from her apartment to school didn't take very long. Most everyone in her neighborhood was heading towards the train station, so Dulga's bike path was left clear. On her way an old couple was trying to move a small freezer off the back of a truck and onto a flatbed. Dulga quietly parked her bike and helped them get the freezer off the truck before heading towards school again. Unsurprisingly it was busy. A lot of excited kids and busy teachers. Dulga just walked passed everyone, locking her bike onto the bike rack before heading over to the lockers to change out her shoes and head to class. She still kept her black case tightly gripped in her hand, not trusting even the school to safeguard her own things. Soon she would arrive to class without a word. It looks like everyone was picking their own seat so Dulga made sure to find a spot where she wouldn't get in the way of things. "I guess this is the hero class." She thought to herself as she read some news on her phone.</s>	<\|message\|>Acion Nakamiji Life before sunrise was noticeably more peaceful than what he ever knew. The cold morning mist brushing through his face as the stretch of calm before the sun were to take it all away from him in a short while. Feeling the radiating light of the sun coming soon, Acion landed back on the ground, his six wings twitching briefly before he retracted them back to wrap nicely around his two sides. It would have been illegal if this was on public ground, unless in specialized training area, but thankfully Acion already had such a place right at his house. A field enough for him to express his bloodline's gift to the fullest, and he was going to take advantage of every minute of it. After the exercise, Acion returned to his house, just in time when his older sister was also around. Unlike him, whose day was just beginning, her day was ending. She was still in her hero costume, her equipment just been taken off and laid on the counter next to the kitchen area as she was having breakfast, or rather a midnight snack for her. And her great attempt to still put up an impeccable appearance was falling apart as she gave a long covered yawn. "Excuse me." She inadvertently blurted out. "You're home now, you don't have to be so formal." Acion replied. "Can't help it." Aurelia gave a short reply, as she brushed her long white hair. "Oh wait, today is your first day right?" "Yeah. I'm gonna leave soon to catch the train." "Aye, have fun. Also, take the keys with you." She reached for the key chains near her on the table and threw it to her little brother, who caught it perfectly with his hand. "I'm gonna finish this bun here and call it a night." It was always nice to have a chat with his older sister, even if for just a quick bit. Hearing her stories about her heroic works were great ways to get himself used to the hero world. Especially now since she was working night shift, which meant they didn't get to see each other often. When he got back, she would usually be gone already, but hey that's part of hero work. It would probably fall down on him to do the task one day as well. Acion left for school earlier than usual, expecting the coming train to be very crowded. It's the first day of school after all. And he was dead right. The first few stations were okay, considering they were close to the terminal station, but as the train was getting closer and closer to the city, more and more people began to board, and for Acion, whose mutant quirk took a little bit too much space on board, he quickly found himself standing near the entrance, where more...sizable things can fit in better. But the claustrophobic atmosphere didn't last very long, as he soon reached his destination. If he wasn't certain of where to go, then the sight of other students wearing the same uniform as him were the sure sign that he was heading off in the right direction. Lots of students were chatting and trying to strike up conversations with each other, but the winged man just ignored all the commotions around him. He didn't find their conversations that enticing to begin with, considering they were mostly just small chitchats. That was the reason why while some might find themselves lingering around in the courtyard to hangout, Acion made his way straight toward his class. "Good morning." Acion made himself visible as soon as he opened the door. With the door being a little thinner than he does, he had to turn a little sideway in order to enter. Briefly, he glanced around the room, looking at the students that just arrived. His first impression was...interesting. There were a lot of things he was curious about them, but for now, he gave them a quick wave before settling at the back of the classroom, since spaces were quite generous.</s>
<\|description\|>Acion Nakamiji Appearance: Costume: Hero/Vigilante Name: Stratosphere Seraph Gender: Male Age: 16 Height: 6'0 / 183cm Weight: 156 lbs / 71 kg Personality: If anything, Acion is a virtuous man, with a very firm sense of moral code and heroism, even if they are different from existing ideals. A man of action that often doesn't need any prior validation from any other people for anything he does, whether it is helping a friend in need or saving a person's life, even though the latter case might put a small brake on his decision due to past incidents. Inaction is still action to him, and it is much less regretful to act and fail rather than staying still and doing nothing. Nevertheless, he still requires his own rational reasons for what he does rather than just relying on his own idea of righteousness. Acion is also a prideful individual. He was, after all, on the competing list for one of the more prestigious Hero school for his unique style and skilled utilization of his quirk, despite being more disadvantaged in more traditional combat circumstances. He worked hard for it, to keep up with his family tradition and his dreams, and it paid off for the most part. He had a reason to be proud of his accomplishment, and consequently his lack of tolerance for petty insults. He can put up with criticism, but he doesn't at all appreciate disrespect on his, or anybody else's, honest efforts. God forbid his mannerism when he snapped to this. Outside of these special circumstances, he's generally not a very talkative person. He isn't afraid of conversations, but chances are he will not be the one initiating it with the other party. He does lack a little bit of conversational skill and can sometimes lead to awkward situations, but regardless Acion is an understanding fellow whose empathy and sympathy will shine through during times of need. Background: Acion's family was almost good up until he was getting ready for his Hero school enrolment. Born with several significant mutations from their family, who only have more conventional 2 wings, Acion at first wasn't too looked upon with great eyes. But his family tree has contained some of the very successful heroes in the past, even before heroism as a business even became a thing. It was a mark of pride, and a source of great encouragement for him to work towards his goal of being a professional hero. His older sister Aurelia Nakamiji is also one of the very promising new generation of heroes, having won first places in many region-wide tournaments, which also helps his desire to not be just the ugly duckling in the family. Acion knew he isn't going to win any prizes with his physicality, unlike his sister who never had any issues with aerial combat, but he knew better than trying to do something he's not designed to do. He spent his free time practicing flying as high as possible, trying to push his physical and mental limits, all the while coming up with his own style of combat. Eventually he did come up with it, and it proved to be quite effective in combat tests. Mock test results began to look up for the young hero, and it seemed as if he was on track to be enrolled in a Hero school as soon as the real test period comes. However, during a camping trip with a couple of friends a few months before, a low-threat villain passing by the area found the opportunity to make some quick buck. He consequently held one of his friends captive and was demanding ransom or else. Acion didn't hesitate to not only not comply with his demands, but also engage the villain directly in combat. While his training did allow him to hold his own against a relatively no-name villain, his inexperience with actual combat meant it was quite a mess of a fight. Eventually though, with the help of his accompanying friend, they managed to subdue the villain for the authority and saved his kidnapped friend. It sounded great to put on his resume for professional heroism, but no. Acion was accused of vigilantism, and he had to go through a long and complicated procedure to resolve the case. His family was involved, and it took a bit of their influence to sweep the case under the rug. However, it was a permanent mark on his study record, and school after school denied his enrolment due to this reason. It was his first brush through with the reality of professional heroism, and he wasn't in any sense ready to accept this. He wouldn't talk about it, but if you ask him, he would still be proud and unrepentant of what he did that day. Eventually, a school did accept Acion into their Hero program. A relatively lesser known school with limited hero classes, but it would still give him a chance to actually become an actual professional hero. Quirk: Archangel Wings: Acion has a total of six wings, three pairs in total, two stretching from the back of his shoulders and four more from his backs. This magnanimous number allows him very long durations of flights and quick ascension high into from any potential sudden threats. The wings are quite sturdy and can withstand high pressures and beatings before giving in. However, having many wings to manage proves to be huge problem as it greatly hampered his agility in the air, turning back and forth in quick succession. The problem is twofold providing he is in ground combat, as he also became a relatively large silhouette to be targeted. Other: The Nakamiji family are great flyers, and so is Acion. He luckily inherited the family's great eyesight, capable of spotting small targets from high above, along with enhanced lung capacity, which allowed him to hold his breath underwater along with flying at higher altitude, where oxygen level is lower, for an extended period of time. Acion is also an aviation enthusiast. He loved to play around with kites when he was a little kid, and still does if he was given the opportunity to. He also enjoys reading about aerodynamics, and often applies physics to his advantage to mitigate his shortcomings when it comes to agility. Acion also likes swimming and he likes to come to the swimming pool at least once or twice a week.</s> <\|message\|>Hana Saki Saki The girl Alice appeared very timed as she spoke back. Saki quietly studied her behavior as her power cord softly waved around the chair. Saki repeated after Alice in happy and timid manner. "Pleasure to make your acquaintance Alice~" Saki smiled as she brushed a lock of hair behind her ear in playful manner. Alice could become her friend she would believe, probably need to talk with her a lot for that before she opens up to her. "You can connect your phone, I have my own wifi build in my body~ Feel free to use it~" Saki was somewhat focused on Alice her hair seeing two strands of hair perk up from her perfectly smooth hair. Alice just probably hasn't noticed yet, her eyes looked rather tired as well. Maybe nervous for school? "Sorry to say but you have some bed-hair~, should I brush it out for you?~" Miss Mako spoke up meaning the class had started, Saki turned back to the teacher and gave a soft smile as she spoke. They were gonna introduce themselves by name and their reason of wanting to be a hero. For Saki it was mostly clear but she still found herself to be lucky not being the first on the list. Quietly she traced the finger going around the room as the students introduced themselves one by one. First the black blob Donny, despites his shyness, he did make most points Saki would make. The quirk of his did look quite interesting, definitely a mutant type quirk. Seemed to be some oil type of stuff that is either covering his body or is his body. Kouji and Yukari both came from UA, Saki hadn't realised yet that UA could have been proper hard to attend to, this school was a good choice after all. They should be older then her right? Would they be senpai's in that aspect then? Out of school perhaps. Despites that, would they already know each other from UA before this? Lucky it would take much less effort to make friends that way. Next kousuke, it was a tad weird that he typed his speech into his phone first to let it play via speaker. If he couldn't talk he had found a plenty good way to fix it somewhat for himself. Saki gladly smiled at the boy as he finished speaking and glanced her way. He seemed honest and nice enough. When Dulga came up it took but a moment for her to stand up and sit down once more. Saki gave a wry smile at her speech, somewhat simplistic but not all people had to have a long reason to be a hero. Dulga did seem rather in herself from the looks of it, saki wondered how it would be like talking to her. Next was a rather nervous looking girl named Junko, it would appear she is a somewhat lonesome girl that has her own reasons for being here. The girl did seem to be happy to see her teacher at least which was rather... Strange, yet Saki was glad for her that she got into this school. Seventh in place, Saki stood up pushing the chair behind her with her legs. Her tail came free happily dangling besides her as she straightened her back facing the rest of the class. "Hana Saki, pleasure to meet you~ My reason for wanting to be a hero is~ Helping the country as much as I can to my ability~ Doesn't matter if it is a animal in need or a big villain to defeat~" Saki tilted her head together with a kind smile and sat down again.</s> <\|message\|>Alice Nova Alice Nova The impression of a cheerful girl that Saki seemed intent on keeping up would stay on Alice's mind throughout their conversation. It seemed genuine in nature and was almost heartwarming to see. Or rather, those were the observations that Alice had made from the first interaction the two of them shared. Suffice to say it was nowhere near enough to be a proper introduction. However, more intriguingly, Saki really seemed to be some kind of computer-like being, considering how there was wifi coming out of her, supposedly. That raised a whole bunch of questions! Does she have to pay an internet provider? How does she set the name and password? Was the wifi any good? Questions she'd be sure to ask later... should she be bothered to do so. Saki pointed at Alice's hair which she deemed "bedhair". To be fair, it was an adequate judgement to make should one not be familiar with Alice's quirk but the owlgirl couldn't help but chuckle as a result of it because it seemed kind of cute. In actuality, of course, it was nothing like bedhair. Instead, it was a result of her owl quirk's type being the great horned owl for which these outgrows of feathers were typical. In Alice's case, they manifested as outgrowths of differently coloured hair. "Ah that? Nono that is not bed-hair, but rather-" Alice was then cut off by the teacher commencing the first class session, which promptly caused Alice to stop talking and focus back on the class, similarly to Saki and all the other students. One after the other they began introducing themselves and listing their reasons for becoming heroes, or rather, describing the image of a hero in their mind. While Alice did pay attention to what they said, it was quite hard to focus on since she was so tired. Her eyes felt like they would fall shut any moment now... but of course, they wouldn't. Naturally, she had enough willpower to fight through a bit of tiredness..., especially on her first day! First impressions mattered after all. And with that thought in mind, Alice finally rose as well once she was pointed at by their teacher to introduce herself. Making sure her posture was as excellent as she managed to, Alice politely began speaking. "My name is Alice Nova. It is my pleasure to meet all of you." The girl followed this up with a slight and courteous bow forward out of politeness and her own manners. "A hero represents and fights for true justice. I wish to represent that concept myself one day." ...is what she could think of before sitting down again. Truth be told, her ideals weren't exactly chiseled in stone yet, however, this was a close approximation to how she truly felt. So far Alice just wasn't sure how to properly word it. After having spoken her introduction the glasses-wearing girl quietly sat down again so that the next person could begin their introduction.</s>	<\|message\|>Acion Nakamiji The reunion talk with Kinoko was halted when the teacher, Ms Mako, spoke up, signifying the start of the first day at a hero high school. For a start was the usual activity that Acion was kinda familiar with from having attended a couple of social events back in middle school: icebreaker. A short introduction from everybody in the class and answering one simple yet open question. From his old acquaintance Kinoko, or Donny Yang as he also said in his introduction, to the sleepy looking girl Alice sitting close by the windows, everybody had different ideals and reasons to be a hero just like their different identity, even though most of them are pretty similar. The only odd one out of them were from that girl sitting in that remote corner at the back, whose ideals were pretty...zoomed in. Yeah, heroes are strong, but villains are strong too. But hey, she probably never thought about it before. Acion was near last. That allowed him to mentally prepare himself a little bit for a short speech. He didn't plan to make this a grand introduction, as that would make him seem like a showoff, but he did want to give the confident first impression on people. Once he was pointed, he stood up firmly, suppressing any non-related thoughts in his mind. "I am Acion Nakamiji. It's a pleasure to be here with all of you." What was next... "A hero to me is someone who regardless of everything he could lose or gain, does the right thing. And that's what I want to become...do the right thing, so that this world can be a little better for everyone." Once done, he sat down and deeply exhaled. That went a lot better than he thought. Speaking in front of many people wasn't exactly his specialty after all.</s>
<\|description\|>Acion Nakamiji Appearance: Costume: Hero/Vigilante Name: Stratosphere Seraph Gender: Male Age: 16 Height: 6'0 / 183cm Weight: 156 lbs / 71 kg Personality: If anything, Acion is a virtuous man, with a very firm sense of moral code and heroism, even if they are different from existing ideals. A man of action that often doesn't need any prior validation from any other people for anything he does, whether it is helping a friend in need or saving a person's life, even though the latter case might put a small brake on his decision due to past incidents. Inaction is still action to him, and it is much less regretful to act and fail rather than staying still and doing nothing. Nevertheless, he still requires his own rational reasons for what he does rather than just relying on his own idea of righteousness. Acion is also a prideful individual. He was, after all, on the competing list for one of the more prestigious Hero school for his unique style and skilled utilization of his quirk, despite being more disadvantaged in more traditional combat circumstances. He worked hard for it, to keep up with his family tradition and his dreams, and it paid off for the most part. He had a reason to be proud of his accomplishment, and consequently his lack of tolerance for petty insults. He can put up with criticism, but he doesn't at all appreciate disrespect on his, or anybody else's, honest efforts. God forbid his mannerism when he snapped to this. Outside of these special circumstances, he's generally not a very talkative person. He isn't afraid of conversations, but chances are he will not be the one initiating it with the other party. He does lack a little bit of conversational skill and can sometimes lead to awkward situations, but regardless Acion is an understanding fellow whose empathy and sympathy will shine through during times of need. Background: Acion's family was almost good up until he was getting ready for his Hero school enrolment. Born with several significant mutations from their family, who only have more conventional 2 wings, Acion at first wasn't too looked upon with great eyes. But his family tree has contained some of the very successful heroes in the past, even before heroism as a business even became a thing. It was a mark of pride, and a source of great encouragement for him to work towards his goal of being a professional hero. His older sister Aurelia Nakamiji is also one of the very promising new generation of heroes, having won first places in many region-wide tournaments, which also helps his desire to not be just the ugly duckling in the family. Acion knew he isn't going to win any prizes with his physicality, unlike his sister who never had any issues with aerial combat, but he knew better than trying to do something he's not designed to do. He spent his free time practicing flying as high as possible, trying to push his physical and mental limits, all the while coming up with his own style of combat. Eventually he did come up with it, and it proved to be quite effective in combat tests. Mock test results began to look up for the young hero, and it seemed as if he was on track to be enrolled in a Hero school as soon as the real test period comes. However, during a camping trip with a couple of friends a few months before, a low-threat villain passing by the area found the opportunity to make some quick buck. He consequently held one of his friends captive and was demanding ransom or else. Acion didn't hesitate to not only not comply with his demands, but also engage the villain directly in combat. While his training did allow him to hold his own against a relatively no-name villain, his inexperience with actual combat meant it was quite a mess of a fight. Eventually though, with the help of his accompanying friend, they managed to subdue the villain for the authority and saved his kidnapped friend. It sounded great to put on his resume for professional heroism, but no. Acion was accused of vigilantism, and he had to go through a long and complicated procedure to resolve the case. His family was involved, and it took a bit of their influence to sweep the case under the rug. However, it was a permanent mark on his study record, and school after school denied his enrolment due to this reason. It was his first brush through with the reality of professional heroism, and he wasn't in any sense ready to accept this. He wouldn't talk about it, but if you ask him, he would still be proud and unrepentant of what he did that day. Eventually, a school did accept Acion into their Hero program. A relatively lesser known school with limited hero classes, but it would still give him a chance to actually become an actual professional hero. Quirk: Archangel Wings: Acion has a total of six wings, three pairs in total, two stretching from the back of his shoulders and four more from his backs. This magnanimous number allows him very long durations of flights and quick ascension high into from any potential sudden threats. The wings are quite sturdy and can withstand high pressures and beatings before giving in. However, having many wings to manage proves to be huge problem as it greatly hampered his agility in the air, turning back and forth in quick succession. The problem is twofold providing he is in ground combat, as he also became a relatively large silhouette to be targeted. Other: The Nakamiji family are great flyers, and so is Acion. He luckily inherited the family's great eyesight, capable of spotting small targets from high above, along with enhanced lung capacity, which allowed him to hold his breath underwater along with flying at higher altitude, where oxygen level is lower, for an extended period of time. Acion is also an aviation enthusiast. He loved to play around with kites when he was a little kid, and still does if he was given the opportunity to. He also enjoys reading about aerodynamics, and often applies physics to his advantage to mitigate his shortcomings when it comes to agility. Acion also likes swimming and he likes to come to the swimming pool at least once or twice a week.</s> <\|message\|>Yukari Yozakura Yukari Yozakura After finishing her meal, Yukari put her dishes away and wandered outside. There was still time in lunch left, and she figured she might as well get some exercise in so she doesn't feel so bloated. Nothing too serious, just something to keep her stomach from getting too heavy. After she washed up in the bathroom Yukari went outside to get some fresh air and sunlight. As she walked further away from the cafeteria things got quieten, but at the same time Yukari would pick up more noises from her surroundings. Because of her blindness she was much more sensitive to the ambient noises of city life, and even subtle feelings like the air pressure, temperature, and even soft scents in the air were all things Yukari both notices more, and has gotten used to filtering. She wonders if any of the other students have picked up on her disability yet. She could only imagine maybe two from her hero class who might have some clue, but she does her best to hide it so no one would ever suspect it. "I just hope this won't become a problem later. Like if people ask me to describe what someone looks like or shows me pictures... Uwa..." Eventually Yukari would find herself back at the gym. Since everyone had gone to lunch, the gym was mostly empty. She could hear the faint buzzing of the electricity and pipes in it's larger corridors as she went inside and just walked around. The faint smell of soap told her that the janitor must've been here at least an hour ago, and some parts of the floor was still wet. Soon she'd find herself back inside the main gym area where she had demonstrated her quirk. "Ora! This will be a good place to train!" Yukari spent a few moments to stretch, literally, extending her arms and legs a couple meters in order to get herself limbered up. She wasn't going to do anything as fancy as what she did this morning, not yet at least, but just enough to get the blood pumping. As she was walking around she found a smelly room that had some of the sport equipment in it. "Ah, Mako-Sensei must've not locked the supply room. Or maybe another class opened it? Either way, I'm sure there's something fun in here." Digging around the room Yukari eventually found what she could identify as a basketball. It was bouncy but had a thick exterior with bumps, which she's been told is what a basketball is suppose to be like. So she gave it a few bounces, getting a feel for it's weight. "Hmm... Maybe one day I can be bouncy like a basketball too." Yukari bounced the ball in her hands for a while, dribbling it around the court. If anyone had seen her though they could tell she has no idea how to properly dribble a basketball since she was using both hands at the same time. "Ano ano.... I think I'm suppose to throw these into hoops right?" Yukari had a vague idea where these hoops were at since she had been making some noise in the room. She knew there was something big and flat above her, but her senses weren't so sharp that she could keenly identify what it looked like via just noises alone. But she guessed that's what she was suppose to throw the ball at, so picking up the basketball in her dominant hand, she wrapped her arm around the ball before spinning it over her head once and slinging it at the backboard. She managed to hit the backboard solidly, causing the ball to bounce straight back to Yukari. That would be when a couple of other students would arrive just in time to see Yukari get hit in the face with the basketball, causing her entire body to bounce off the ground from the surprising recoil and shock. "Uwa! It didn't swoosh!"</s> <\|message\|>Kouki Sendachi What the… Kouki's brow furrowed deeper as he watched the last performance, the shock and disgust in his mind translating directly to disgust on his face. There were people with strange faces and people with weird abilities and people with extra body parts, but this was the first time he saw someone so...gross. At no time in his life had he ever thought about wanting to see someone twisted into a flesh-coil or stuffed into a bottle. That was the stuff of fiction, after all, the stuff of body horror rendered in ink and printed across the world to shock and delight audiences. To see that reflected in…Yozakura-san was it? That did a number on him. Definitely someone to avoid during practical exams. He didn't even want to think about how it'd feel to have her wrapped around him like rope, or anything else as gross as that. At least he didn't throw up. At least. But he did sway a little more as he stepped out of the gym back into the classroom. Thankfully, the following classes were less psychologically traumatizing. He kept his head down, kept his wits about him, and went through it without being selected for anything like, gods forbid, answering questions on the blackboard. Easy and quick, like all school days ought to be. Lunch though…that was the problem. Today's weather was good. Rooftops were off-limits. The sun was pretty bright. Back of the school was off-limits. First floor had too many students. Hallways were off-limits. Classmates were mostly social and hadn't formed cliques yet. Classroom was off-limits. Clubs were doing demonstrations. Extracurricular rooms were off-limits. Yozakura was at the gym. Gym was off-limits. Wandering through the school with his headphones on and his face set to 'do not approach', Kouki eventually found himself a snug spot beneath the west wing staircase between the second floor and the third floor of the school. It was a bit on the dusty side, but it was less musty than the equipment warehouse, and it was quiet too, outside of the pipes that gurgled somewhere within the wall. He squatted down, placed his hands together in gratitude, and resolved two things. One, he'll try harder to be social tomorrow. Two, he'll have to eat all of this today. Foreign vocals blasted into his ears as Kouki began his lunchtime food challenge.</s> <\|message\|>Dulga Tatara Dulga Tarata Junko's quirk turns fear into power. "I see. Sounds useful. Like if you had to rescue a lot of people." No doubt if Junko had to help say, a room full of hostages, their fear over the situation would grant Junko a lot of power. It could have a lot of potential in disaster situations where hundreds if not thousands of people are in danger and fear for their lives. Though at the same time, Dulga wasn't sure if Junko was even aware of that sort of potential, or if she even planned to use her powers for that reason. After all Junko said she was interested in Mako, who herself was no hero, and her demonstration certainly didn't instill any notion that Junko was a perfectly good hero. "... Perfect. Socializing wasn't Dulga's strong suit. While she may have been taught manners ever since she moved here she has failed to really make friends. She's been so focused on self-improvement that she doesn't even remember anyone from middle school and is already struggling to remember some of the students she just met today. So the idea that Dulga needed to make friends was going to be hard. "Think carefully. What do you know about this girl and what do you think you can use to your advantage? Junko Kurowai. Her power is Fear Monger. Without any fear she's only as strong as a regular girl. But even just one person who's frighten would grant her physical abilities that are clearly superhuman. She seems shy. Perhaps that is why she looks up to Mako. The criminal teacher. Use that." Dulga waited for Junko to finish chewing her food before she spoke again. "Detention's afterschool. I wonder what you will do. What Mako will say." Dulga turned her music off and gathers up her trash. She had to carefully think of what she wanted to say, being deliberate with her words to mask her intentions. "Maybe she'll scold you for attacking a student. Sounds foolish to me." Though Dulga spoke with a flat, almost robotic tone there was hints of annoyance and almost aggression. Taking the trash in her hands Dulga crushed it into to flat disk no bigger than a one yen coin. "You'd think she would know what our quirks would be. Maybe she already does." Finally she looked over to Junko. Junko could then see the burn scars on the left side of Dulga's face. Most of it was hidden by her mask, hair, and hood, but this close Junko could even notice that Dulga was missing most of her left ear and what was left was burnt scar tissue. "Tell me how it goes. Maybe she'll be understanding. Or maybe not."</s>	<\|message\|>Acion Nakamiji Secondhand pain is a thing. He walked in not only just in time to watch Yukari took the blow from the basketball directly to the face, but also witness how the ball travelled. It did not take his deep understanding of physics to understand that it probably hurts real bad. If it had been him, it would for sure. Acion didn't wait for anyone cueing him. Upon seeing the girl bouncing off the ground from the effect of the ball, he entered the gym and jogged straight up to Yukari. "Are you okay?" Eventually, he did recognize this girl as his classmate, in particular that incredibly elastic girl that twisted herself into a small bottle somehow. Though that never was his impression with her. His impression from that particular performance was the almost perfect coordination between her body parts. Therefore, it never occurred to him that the seemingly clever and agile one would take a basketball right into her face. But it happened to the best of us sometimes. "Are you Yozakura-san from hero class?" He asked.</s>
<\|description\|>Acion Nakamiji Appearance: Costume: Hero/Vigilante Name: Stratosphere Seraph Gender: Male Age: 16 Height: 6'0 / 183cm Weight: 156 lbs / 71 kg Personality: If anything, Acion is a virtuous man, with a very firm sense of moral code and heroism, even if they are different from existing ideals. A man of action that often doesn't need any prior validation from any other people for anything he does, whether it is helping a friend in need or saving a person's life, even though the latter case might put a small brake on his decision due to past incidents. Inaction is still action to him, and it is much less regretful to act and fail rather than staying still and doing nothing. Nevertheless, he still requires his own rational reasons for what he does rather than just relying on his own idea of righteousness. Acion is also a prideful individual. He was, after all, on the competing list for one of the more prestigious Hero school for his unique style and skilled utilization of his quirk, despite being more disadvantaged in more traditional combat circumstances. He worked hard for it, to keep up with his family tradition and his dreams, and it paid off for the most part. He had a reason to be proud of his accomplishment, and consequently his lack of tolerance for petty insults. He can put up with criticism, but he doesn't at all appreciate disrespect on his, or anybody else's, honest efforts. God forbid his mannerism when he snapped to this. Outside of these special circumstances, he's generally not a very talkative person. He isn't afraid of conversations, but chances are he will not be the one initiating it with the other party. He does lack a little bit of conversational skill and can sometimes lead to awkward situations, but regardless Acion is an understanding fellow whose empathy and sympathy will shine through during times of need. Background: Acion's family was almost good up until he was getting ready for his Hero school enrolment. Born with several significant mutations from their family, who only have more conventional 2 wings, Acion at first wasn't too looked upon with great eyes. But his family tree has contained some of the very successful heroes in the past, even before heroism as a business even became a thing. It was a mark of pride, and a source of great encouragement for him to work towards his goal of being a professional hero. His older sister Aurelia Nakamiji is also one of the very promising new generation of heroes, having won first places in many region-wide tournaments, which also helps his desire to not be just the ugly duckling in the family. Acion knew he isn't going to win any prizes with his physicality, unlike his sister who never had any issues with aerial combat, but he knew better than trying to do something he's not designed to do. He spent his free time practicing flying as high as possible, trying to push his physical and mental limits, all the while coming up with his own style of combat. Eventually he did come up with it, and it proved to be quite effective in combat tests. Mock test results began to look up for the young hero, and it seemed as if he was on track to be enrolled in a Hero school as soon as the real test period comes. However, during a camping trip with a couple of friends a few months before, a low-threat villain passing by the area found the opportunity to make some quick buck. He consequently held one of his friends captive and was demanding ransom or else. Acion didn't hesitate to not only not comply with his demands, but also engage the villain directly in combat. While his training did allow him to hold his own against a relatively no-name villain, his inexperience with actual combat meant it was quite a mess of a fight. Eventually though, with the help of his accompanying friend, they managed to subdue the villain for the authority and saved his kidnapped friend. It sounded great to put on his resume for professional heroism, but no. Acion was accused of vigilantism, and he had to go through a long and complicated procedure to resolve the case. His family was involved, and it took a bit of their influence to sweep the case under the rug. However, it was a permanent mark on his study record, and school after school denied his enrolment due to this reason. It was his first brush through with the reality of professional heroism, and he wasn't in any sense ready to accept this. He wouldn't talk about it, but if you ask him, he would still be proud and unrepentant of what he did that day. Eventually, a school did accept Acion into their Hero program. A relatively lesser known school with limited hero classes, but it would still give him a chance to actually become an actual professional hero. Quirk: Archangel Wings: Acion has a total of six wings, three pairs in total, two stretching from the back of his shoulders and four more from his backs. This magnanimous number allows him very long durations of flights and quick ascension high into from any potential sudden threats. The wings are quite sturdy and can withstand high pressures and beatings before giving in. However, having many wings to manage proves to be huge problem as it greatly hampered his agility in the air, turning back and forth in quick succession. The problem is twofold providing he is in ground combat, as he also became a relatively large silhouette to be targeted. Other: The Nakamiji family are great flyers, and so is Acion. He luckily inherited the family's great eyesight, capable of spotting small targets from high above, along with enhanced lung capacity, which allowed him to hold his breath underwater along with flying at higher altitude, where oxygen level is lower, for an extended period of time. Acion is also an aviation enthusiast. He loved to play around with kites when he was a little kid, and still does if he was given the opportunity to. He also enjoys reading about aerodynamics, and often applies physics to his advantage to mitigate his shortcomings when it comes to agility. Acion also likes swimming and he likes to come to the swimming pool at least once or twice a week.</s> <\|message\|>Kouji Majima "Eh yeah I think I got history next...pretty boring all things considered since all we learn about is mostly pre-quirk stuff but hey everyone needs to know what happened before so we don't make the same mistakes right?" Kouji says as he gets up he grabs his trey and winks at Nadeko. "I'm going to go to the bathroom before that though so I don't need to leave during class. But I'd like it if we could meet up after school. Maybe call it a date?" he says to her flashing a smile at Nadeko. "But...I don't know I wouldn't presume a girl as pretty as you would like to consider it a date Maeda-San?" Kouji says to her as he waits for her response he feels just a tad bit nervous, and he doesn't expect a yes but you miss every shot you don't take, and its always nice to get a friend on your side regardless. Carrot</s> <\|message\|>Mako Akane Maeda Nadeko Mentions: @vancexentan Nadeko stared at him for a beat or two, before suddenly giggling to herself. "Slow down there, Romeo! And you told me that just talking to people might be jarring for them! Listen, you seem pretty nice, so let's actually become friends first, okay? I'd take the offer to meet up but I've got to get straight to my parents and tell them how my day went. They'll be worried if I'm late, and I, uh, can't use cellphones. They don't play well with magnets, and they have touch screens and stuff. We'll arrange something in advance another time, okay? Anyway, see you in class!" And with that, Nadeko got up to leave. --- --- Mako Akane DAY TWO Mentions: @Melpaws@ShwiggityShwah@Lucius Cypher@Conscripts@TheWendil@Ryonara@vancexentan@Norschtalen@liferusher@alexfangtalon@Animal Hero class for day two was the last class of the day as opposed to the first. With a long second day of Math, Japanese, Science, Home Ec and other assorted classes, the class was probably drained at this point. Mako had accounted for this, and as the class filed in, she was smiling her foxlike smile as usual, and greeted every member of her class who walked in and took their seat. Once everyone was seated, she began. "Now, I had thought about doing a more theory-based lesson about morality and duty, but as you've had a long day and are probably quite mentally drained, I decided to do something a little more fun and practical. As you know. This was once a serious dedicated large Hero Academy, so while the old Hero training facilities are out of date and in need of repair, we nonetheless have them at our disposal. So I thought why not do a good old round of Heroes vs Villains? This exercise seemed to be popular with previous Hero classes here. Now, instead of let you assign the teams, or assign you based on what I think you'd be good at," Mako briefly glanced at Junko, "I've decided to assign you Hero or Villain based on what I think you could gain from or learn from more. Or at the very least which one won't make any bad habits worse. So, here's the Hero team; Alice Nova, Maeda Nadeko, Kaijiwara Homura, Hana Saki, Donny Yang and Kurowai Junko. I have chosen this team because I think you would have more to gain from being heroic and virtuous than by simply trying to win a competetive exercise. I want you to remember that. This exercise, for your team, will be scored not only by if you win, but how you win. Here is the villain team; Carol Tennebalm, Yozakura Yukari, Dulga Tatara, Nakamiji Acion, Majima Kouji and Katō Emiho. If any of you are wondering why I chose you for the villain team, well, some of you need a little push in confidence. Others might benefit from getting their hands dirty or getting a taste for the bad guy's perspective so you can perhaps empathise in the future. This team will simply be playing to win. Now, are there any questions? If not, change into your gym gear and we will all meet up at the old 'Cityscape' training ground. It's hard to miss. It's behind the gym and looks like an atom bomb went off in one of U.A's training grounds. Also a lot smaller than one of theirs. It...should...be safe enough. I'll go over the rules once we're all set."</s> <\|message\|>Donny Yang The first day of school wasn't too bad. Though Donny wasn't a fan of all of the homework they gave him, he did his best to do them before going to bed. The important thing was that it was done after all, and anything he didn't understand he was certain he could figure out eventually. That night he had dinner with his grandfather, eating a somewhat fancy bowl of instant noodles with ramen eggs and fresh nori. He was rather excited and thought that his first day of school went pretty well for him. The second day however was a drag. Most of Donny's classes were rather boring lessons that nearly made him fall asleep and on top of that more homework. So much so that Donny seriously considered trying to get some of it done during lunch so he wouldn't have to spend all night on it, but ultimately Donny simply ate his lunch and played with his cellphone instead. "Ugh what a slog. Education's important and all but you'd think they'd make learning more interesting in this day and age…" Eventually Donny would reach his final class, Hero Course. Already fairly beaten down by the earlier classes Donny figured they would go back into boring stuff again, like the history of heroism or laws and such. Things that ordinarily may interest Donny but at this moment he just wanted to take a nap and eat some somen. However what surprised Donny was that Mako was going to put them straight into a practical exercise. Heroes vs Villains, though Donny wasn't sure what exactly that entails. Did they have to chase down the villains? Protect an objective? Both? Additionally Donny was chosen to be on the hero team. While part of him was eager another part of him was worried. He's never really done anything remotely heroic and a lot of people on the villain teams are really tough! Donny was too nervous to really ask any questions and simply went to the lockers to change. Or rather, offload all the food he had stored inside of his body. Today he had brought chips and a thermos of barley tea. Neither which he figured would be of much use, so he stashed that away. He also put his wallet away in his locker and was considering putting his phone away too. However he decided to keep it: perhaps he could make use of the flashlight or something. As for his gym uniform, once more he simply took off his school uniform, folded it, and headed to the training ground. "Oh boy oh boy oh boy…"</s>	<\|message\|>Acion Nakamiji The rest of the school days were uneventful and grindy at worst. His curriculum put him in classes that lean more on the technical science rather than social, and as a result, Acion was rather surprised at how much assignments were given out to him on the first day, a stark contrast to the mere introductory classes before lunch. While the most of them would not be due the next day, he preferred if he got it finished while the iron is still hot. And to make even further use of his long commute time, Acion did some of them while on the train home. Once he was back, what greeted him was a silent and locked house, just as expected. His sister had already left for her hero works, but not before leaving a neat little dish of rice and salmon, accompanied by a bowl of Shchi soup. A pleasant surprise indeed, he hadn't had it for a while, and that time were still vivid as if they were yesterday. A cherry on-top for what was otherwise a successful start to his school year. The next day's classes followed exactly the same pattern as the afternoon of the day before: long, grindy and uneventful, and more assignments. Despite knowing and having interests in science, the sign of fatique was plastered all over his face as he walked into his final class, which also happened to be the Hero class. From the back of his head, he begged for something interesting. If it's anything about hero history, organizations or definition, his neck would hurt after this. But thankfully, he wasn't disappointed. 'Villain? Very interesting.' He actually never did this kind of exercise, let alone being a villain. But it might just end up being a 'Red versus Blue' kind of training, something in which he did know a little something about. The teacher did indicate that the Hero would be judged on how they conduct their exercise as well, something which did pique his interests. He'd probably have to face some sort of deficits to balance this out? Well, only one way to find that out. After changing into his gym clothes, he made a beeline for the training ground. It really did look like ground zero of a cataclysmic explosion. Everything looked like it hadn't been touched for a very long time. Is this really safe like the teacher said? But considering he would probably not touch the area with a ten foot pole for like half the exercise, Acion could brush his concern off his shoulders for now.</s>
<\|description\|>Acion Nakamiji Appearance: Costume: Hero/Vigilante Name: Stratosphere Seraph Gender: Male Age: 16 Height: 6'0 / 183cm Weight: 156 lbs / 71 kg Personality: If anything, Acion is a virtuous man, with a very firm sense of moral code and heroism, even if they are different from existing ideals. A man of action that often doesn't need any prior validation from any other people for anything he does, whether it is helping a friend in need or saving a person's life, even though the latter case might put a small brake on his decision due to past incidents. Inaction is still action to him, and it is much less regretful to act and fail rather than staying still and doing nothing. Nevertheless, he still requires his own rational reasons for what he does rather than just relying on his own idea of righteousness. Acion is also a prideful individual. He was, after all, on the competing list for one of the more prestigious Hero school for his unique style and skilled utilization of his quirk, despite being more disadvantaged in more traditional combat circumstances. He worked hard for it, to keep up with his family tradition and his dreams, and it paid off for the most part. He had a reason to be proud of his accomplishment, and consequently his lack of tolerance for petty insults. He can put up with criticism, but he doesn't at all appreciate disrespect on his, or anybody else's, honest efforts. God forbid his mannerism when he snapped to this. Outside of these special circumstances, he's generally not a very talkative person. He isn't afraid of conversations, but chances are he will not be the one initiating it with the other party. He does lack a little bit of conversational skill and can sometimes lead to awkward situations, but regardless Acion is an understanding fellow whose empathy and sympathy will shine through during times of need. Background: Acion's family was almost good up until he was getting ready for his Hero school enrolment. Born with several significant mutations from their family, who only have more conventional 2 wings, Acion at first wasn't too looked upon with great eyes. But his family tree has contained some of the very successful heroes in the past, even before heroism as a business even became a thing. It was a mark of pride, and a source of great encouragement for him to work towards his goal of being a professional hero. His older sister Aurelia Nakamiji is also one of the very promising new generation of heroes, having won first places in many region-wide tournaments, which also helps his desire to not be just the ugly duckling in the family. Acion knew he isn't going to win any prizes with his physicality, unlike his sister who never had any issues with aerial combat, but he knew better than trying to do something he's not designed to do. He spent his free time practicing flying as high as possible, trying to push his physical and mental limits, all the while coming up with his own style of combat. Eventually he did come up with it, and it proved to be quite effective in combat tests. Mock test results began to look up for the young hero, and it seemed as if he was on track to be enrolled in a Hero school as soon as the real test period comes. However, during a camping trip with a couple of friends a few months before, a low-threat villain passing by the area found the opportunity to make some quick buck. He consequently held one of his friends captive and was demanding ransom or else. Acion didn't hesitate to not only not comply with his demands, but also engage the villain directly in combat. While his training did allow him to hold his own against a relatively no-name villain, his inexperience with actual combat meant it was quite a mess of a fight. Eventually though, with the help of his accompanying friend, they managed to subdue the villain for the authority and saved his kidnapped friend. It sounded great to put on his resume for professional heroism, but no. Acion was accused of vigilantism, and he had to go through a long and complicated procedure to resolve the case. His family was involved, and it took a bit of their influence to sweep the case under the rug. However, it was a permanent mark on his study record, and school after school denied his enrolment due to this reason. It was his first brush through with the reality of professional heroism, and he wasn't in any sense ready to accept this. He wouldn't talk about it, but if you ask him, he would still be proud and unrepentant of what he did that day. Eventually, a school did accept Acion into their Hero program. A relatively lesser known school with limited hero classes, but it would still give him a chance to actually become an actual professional hero. Quirk: Archangel Wings: Acion has a total of six wings, three pairs in total, two stretching from the back of his shoulders and four more from his backs. This magnanimous number allows him very long durations of flights and quick ascension high into from any potential sudden threats. The wings are quite sturdy and can withstand high pressures and beatings before giving in. However, having many wings to manage proves to be huge problem as it greatly hampered his agility in the air, turning back and forth in quick succession. The problem is twofold providing he is in ground combat, as he also became a relatively large silhouette to be targeted. Other: The Nakamiji family are great flyers, and so is Acion. He luckily inherited the family's great eyesight, capable of spotting small targets from high above, along with enhanced lung capacity, which allowed him to hold his breath underwater along with flying at higher altitude, where oxygen level is lower, for an extended period of time. Acion is also an aviation enthusiast. He loved to play around with kites when he was a little kid, and still does if he was given the opportunity to. He also enjoys reading about aerodynamics, and often applies physics to his advantage to mitigate his shortcomings when it comes to agility. Acion also likes swimming and he likes to come to the swimming pool at least once or twice a week.</s> <\|message\|>Alice Nova Alice Nova The situation was too tense to be crept out by some crooked smile- feeling no emotions at all would surely be more helpful and aid her in thinking rationally, is what Alice thought. Unfortunately however, Junko's encouraging joke went right over Alice's head. For all the smarts that she had, Alice was always a bit... socially dense. "No. I can assure you that my quirk is all you can see." Alice replied reassuringly. While she regretted not having any instructions for Nadeko on the fly, since the magnet-wielder appeared rather suddenly, the idea which Nadeko had more than made up for it. It just made sense! If the briefcases were influenced by her magnetism then she could probably easily steal it from anyone even at a longer distance, with the exception of the villain's hulk Dulga maybe. "Good thinking Nadeko. I'll leave that part to yo-" Yet another member appeared? It was the cheerful Saki whom Alice had met yesterday and who also was sitting in front of her in hero class. Maybe the number's disadvantage was a false initial impression? It could be that their team members were just late. While not an applaudable quality, Alice would never think of complaining about receiving additional backup, especially for an exercise of this caliber. "Seems like you two want to go together. That's fine, working as a team is certainly smarter. As the owl watched Donny and Junko begin to disappear underground, she made sure to give one last word of advice before taking off herself. "I will mostly hold back on direct confrontations. I'll be your airial support for the exercise- Remember, I can hear you most likely from anywhere. If you need help, shout. Otherwise, I will shout callouts as I see fit. Good luck everyone." And with those words, Alice flapped her wings and drastically increased her horizontal speed. She decided to keep a low profile for now as she zoomed past Nadeko and Saki. For now, being a watchful eye was certainly more appropriate than recklessly charging in, especially considering that some of the opposing members were quite adept at close quarter combat and physical confrontations. Alice discovered a relatively large building about 3/4 of the way from the heroes' base to the center of the field and decided to land on top of it. To do so she ascended the wall facing away from villain spawn to make sure she could not be spotted. Once on top the girl would squat near the edge of the roof and look down, keeping an eye out for anything unusual. It was her ear, however, that picked up the first unusual occurrence. A relatively loud bang emitting from the other side of the field, quite close to the villainous base. "Too far away. No need to bother investigating Alice thought to herself. Just as she expected, Alice was able to see the angelic boy Acion weave around the buildings in the distance. Keeping track of him was a bit difficult considering there were many buildings in between them so she could only see him fly through the few gaps that were there. As long as he stayed low like that she would not be able to predict any actions for now. However, the main target which Alice was searching for was someone else anyway. The "Raidboss", so to speak, Dulga. Using her owlish predatory vision, Alice would be able to see Dulga in the instance that she appeared anywhere visible to the owl. However, she would likely have to get closer to the center for that to occur. "Gather as much intel as possible. Information is key. @liferusher @Silver Carrot @Lucius Cypher</s> <\|message\|>Mako Akane Maeda Nadeko Mentions: @liferusher@Ryonara Nadeko looked troubled for a minute, and turned away from Saki to look towards the center of the area. After a few seconds and several 'hums', Nadeko turned back to Saki, just in time for Saki to embrace her and hold on tight. Nadeko cleared her throat and looked away before muttering "This is embarrasing..." but then put one of her arms besides Saki's midriff, acting as a bar to keep her in place. There was a gentle pulling feeling as Saki stuck to the arm. Nadeko was being very careful not to pill too hard. "I don't think I'll mess with your head like this, though if there's any important electronics there, you might have a sore stomach. Anyway, hold on tight. I've actually never done this properly before as it would definitely break some laws in the real world, but I've thought about it a lot so we should be alright." With that, Nadeko pointed her free arm at the nearest of the center buildings and pulled. She pulled very hard, and kept all the magnetic attraction forward, so none of it would affect Saki inn theory. She pulled as if her wish was to bring the building to them. Saki could feel her friend's body tense with the effort. Then, suddenly, they started to move, dragged along the floor like being pulled by an invisible rope. The pulling got faster and faster, and anything small made of metal flew towards Nadeko's outstretched arm and stuck to the front of it. Soon, they were going faster than their legs could carry them, and Nadeko leaned forward, forcing Saki's feet to leave the ground. Now, they were both flying towards the building. When they were close, Nadeko started to ease up and they slowed down enough for their feet to touch the floor again, before they came to a dead stop. From here, Nadeko saw the tail-end of the first briefcase hitting the floor, and Yozakura-san picking it up and starting to run back to base. Nadeko pointed her out to Saki. "I'm too close to this building to do that again whilst carrying you, Saki. Can your quirk let you catch up to her?"</s> <\|message\|>Dulga Tatara Dulga Tarata Dulga moved slow and low, keeping out of sight as best as she could. As she was moving further within she caught a glimpse of something flying through the air. It might've been Acion, or perhaps Alice. Maybe someone else who could fly through the air like Kou or maybe even Junko. Dulga didn't get a good enough look so she was extra cautious. But she knew that both sides were moving in now and it was only a matter of time before there's a clash. "Focus on the objective." None of the buildings Dulga had gone into had any gold briefcases. As the first building was short and unassuming, Dulga checked a few more similar buildings but didn't find anything useful or important. She was also in the area with more towers and tall buildings so Dulga was certain what she was looking for was in there somewhere. But as she was passing through the street her eyes caught something interesting. It was a staircase leading downwards. "Of course. There are subways in the city. One of the briefcases might be down there as well." Taking a quick look around to ensure she was being followed, Dulga went down stairs. Unsurprisingly, it was very dark. There were a few emergency lights near the entrances but nothing in the halls themselves. Dulga ripped off the metal handrail from the wall to use as a stick and check her path. Her eyes were slowly getting used to the darkness as she walked further and further through the tunnel. By the time Dulga was in the tunnel long enough that she could make out shapes in the dark, she spotted something up ahead. It looked like a bench but when she got closer it turned out to be another stone podium with a gold briefcase. Dulga was about to go grab it when she paused. The hairs on her neck was starting to rise up as she hugged the wall as silent as a mouse. She listened carefully. "Something is coming...."</s>	<\|message\|>Acion Nakamiji After inspecting from outside all the buildings, Acion realized he was just wasting his time. It would be too easy if the briefcases were visible. He definitely had to break in somehow. But thankfully, the buildings, having suffered some terrible conditionings, the sky entrance were loose and easy to open. For one of the tall buildings in the center, he just flew close to the building, slammed his legs onto the window a couple of times to make it slide open. Upon arrival, he immediately made his way into the other rooms deep into the building. The rather fruitless search on the top floor convinced him he needed to go lower, and lower, and lower, to which after spending minutes trying to navigate the maze of empty rooms, he finally found the briefcase in one of them. 'That consumed too much time.' He wondered if his teammate had already found briefcases. But on the flip side, nobody seemed to have noticed him...yet. If he was ambushed in this narrow hallway full of rooms, it would've been a disaster. Now that he got hold of the briefcase, Acion made his exit. But after seeing how close he was to the ground than before, the angelic boy decided against this idea. That one moment where he threw himself out there before he could ascend up could mean being knocked out if they noticed him. He didn't know how, but he knew the possibility. So instead, he made his way up to the top floor again, trying to exit where they would least likely be able to reach him. Instead of making his way out via the window he used to get in, Acion opened another window on the other side, facing the center buildings, being careful not to break the rusty metal. Like this, the hero team wouldn't be able to notice him exit, due to the height, the direction and the timing. Well, except one. She could position and reposition herself really quickly on the field, so she could see this kiting briefcase thief if she was in a good spot. Let's just hope he could make his way back quick enough before she could act.</s>
<\|description\|>Yukari Yozakura Appearance: Costume: Hero Name: Ragdoll Gender: Girl Age: 13 Height: 5'7 Weight: 114lbs Personality: Yukari is gentle and careful. Being blind she has to take things slowly and balance everything closely, since she has no idea just how tilted things really are. Yet she's also fearless and isn't afraid to get right up to the faces of villains and problematic people. Yukari is like a sweet flower, pretty and kind to her friends, but those who try to pick on her would find that she has thorns. She can certainly be cunning, even savage, as the situation demands and isn't afraid to take advantage of other people's weaknesses to get by. But she tries not to manipulate others and is mostly honest, but she's not going to let honesty put herself or others in a bad situation. One problem Yukari does have is her reliance on others, not only to help her around her daily life, but just the fact she's very clingy. While her disability and her ability despite that has garnered her many fans and friends she still is very self-conscious about how others perceive her and always suspects that they might be lying just to make her feel better. She has issues trusting people's words yet at the same time tries too hard to get them to like her. She hates the thought of people just using her just about as much as people taking pity on her. Ultimately Yukari is actually a very selfish person who has gotten too used to always being praised and can sometimes to bad things in order to gain more attention or just to make sure she herself doesn't end up in a very pitiful position. Background: Some kids run away to join the circus. But Yukari was born into the circus; her parents were both acrobatic dancers for a trope of quirk-powered freak shows and performers. But Yukari took things up a notch; while she showed early sign of sharing her parents quirk (Flexibility and shock absorption), she was born with one more thing: Blindness. They learned about it when she was three years old, unable to see where she was going nor identify simple patterns and shapes. Despite this her parents didn't let this stop them from teaching her everything they knew; if anything they took advantage of their daughter's disability to turn it into a strength. It wasn't long before Yukari learned how to balance, tumble, and jump as well as her parents, and without ever knowing how she looked. Her parents trained her hard and emphasized her blindness in order to help the circus bring in more customers. Little Yukari became her own attraction at the circus, combining her high-risk acrobatics and her quirk to impress the audience and bring in droves of attendees. However Yukari quickly started to get disillusioned at the whole circus life; it was just one performance after another with very few chances for her to relax or just be herself. Her only solace was hearing about the gossip and news outside of the circus tent; tales of other super powered individuals making a real difference in their lives. In the entire world. While Yukari might've been able to entertain others on the stage she wanted to bring smiles to everyone in the world. So one day, she ran away from the circus. Yukari fled to Japan, where she personally sought out a place she heard so much about. UA academy, a school for super heroes! She wanted to apply but... As it turns out having a strong quirk isn't good enough when you're effectively an illegal immigrant. When Yukari approached the proctors of the UA entry exam and told them her situation, they didn't allow her to participate due to her questionable legal status. But because she was too young to be left on her own, they tried to get into contact with her old family, but Yukari refused to return to the circus and ran away once again. Without much direction and no where else to go, Yukari ended up having to find a different school to attend, going through some very questionable means to do so. That's how she ended up in Matsubara Academy. It wasn't the greatest place to be, and Yukari struggles with some of the more mundane topics of a Japanese Highschool, but it was better than having to go back home or living in the streets. There was even a hero course at this school. So Yukari was going to make the most of it. Quirk: Rubber Soul - Yukari's quirk gives her insane flexibility and turns her body into something akin to rubber. She can stretch any part of her body out, or expand it like a balloon. Yukari can contort her body extremely and literally tie herself into a knot with no problems. This also makes her practically immune to blunt-force attacks and being crushed to death, and even her bones cannot break. She can twist her neck without hurting herself or even suffocating. However she can still get hurt, and thus die, from cuts and stabs. Others: Despite being blind, Yukari's other senses have sharpened exponentially, allowing her to live a somewhat normal life with a fair amount of ease. She utilizes all her senses, her ears, her nose, her sense of touch, and even taste to sense the area around her. While the range of her senses isn't as far as some people's regular sight, she can still perceive most of the world around her in a 60 feet radius and react to it quickly. Yukari has an amazing sense of balance and acrobatics thanks to all her years with the circus. She can balance on a thread and always lands on her feet no matter how she falls. Her balance extends to anything else she's using to balance too, such as unicycles, sticks, and other people. Yukari's acrobatics also allows her to easily avoid people's attempts to trip her or maneuvering on slippy surfaces like ice or water. Yukari is technically still homeless, but managed to apply to Matsubara due to her sorta part-time job at a flower store. The old woman who owns the building thought Yukari was one of her grandchildren, so Yukari took advantage of this to make the shop her residence and the old woman her legal guardian. Yukari does actually work there to help the old woman, mostly by carrying flowers and arranging them by scent. Yukari just lives at the shop after it closes.</s> <\|message\|>Mako Akane Maeda Nadeko Mentions: @Lucius Cypher@Conscripts@TheWendil Nadeko thanked Donny, and sipped at her Soda as she listened to him and the winged boy talk. They seemed to know each other, so she didn't interrupt. She noticed a slightly creepy shy girl approach them and grab and handful of Donny without saying anything. Her excuse was that he was cool. "Told you," Nadeko remarked to Donny with a smirk, as she downed the rest of her soda, then aimed her arm, with the can stuck to the flat of it, and fired the empty can at the waste basket next to the teacher's desk. It was a bullseye. She looked back to make sure they had all been watching, but then sobered up from feeling smug when she was asked why she had come here. "My parents don't want me to be a Hero. They want me to work in science or engineering. I tried pleading with them but we eventually settled on a compromise where I'd come here and take Hero classes but also take science and math and get high scores in them. They seem to think wanting to be a Hero is a silly dream I'll have grown out of by the time I graduate." Mako Akane Mentions: @Melpaws@ShwiggityShwah@Lucius Cypher@Conscripts@TheWendil@ERode@Ryonara@Polaris North@vancexentan@Norschtalen The teacher, glanced at her watch, then cleared her throat. Her eyes were constantly closed and she had a sly smile. Her voice was high and sweet-sounding, but in a way that didn't make you think of a kind mother. More like a doppleganger who'd taken the place of your kind mother. There was something inherently off and untrustworthy about the way she presented herself. "Alright, if anyone else shows up, they're late. It's time for class to start. Good morning. My name is Mako. Call me Mako-sensei. I'll be your Hero Studies teacher for this year. This is the first time I've actually taught a real class, so today is going to be an easy one. I'm just going to get to know you all. So, here's what we're going to do, when I point to you, stand up and tell us all your name, why you want to be a Hero, and what a Hero means to you. Before I begin to teach you how to be a Hero, I think it's important to first make sure you're taught what a Hero is." Mako explained, before pointing to her first student.</s> <\|message\|>Donny Yang As Donny listened to Acion reminiscing about their past, he felt someone grab him. At first the his texture was somewhat solid, but it wouldn't take much before his blacken mass would easily give and let Junko's hand sink into him and get metaphorically consumed by his blacken mass. His body had a texture of particularly thick mud. More importantly because Donny was caught by surprise if or when Junko would remove her hand, she'd notice the oily black stains. Bits of his biomass that Donny sometimes loses control over if he's not paying too much attention. It was like sweat, except because it was black it was much more noticeable. At least it cleans fairly easily. "What are you... W-What? Cool? You... Okay I guess?" Donny had been called cool before back in middleschool, but because everyone in his class had been freakish like him he had just assumed it was basic compliments since neither he nor his fellow students looked "cute" or anything like that. So to hear normal looking people call him cool was... Still something he needed getting used to. It had been on his mind so much he almost missed out on what Nadeko was saying. So Donny produced another can of soda to offer to Junko as he was about to respond to Nadeko and Acion. But then the teacher announced that it was time for class to start, and so their conversation had to be cut short. "Oh. Class it starting. Let's chat some more later." As everyone got back to their seats Donny checked his phone and saw that he had lost his battle. He saved his data and reorganized his things, even taking our his "Heroics" journal. Unsurprisingly Mako wanted to start off with introductions followed by why they wanted to be a hero what students thought about heroism. This made Donny nervous considering he didn't exactly prepare a speech or anything. "Short and sweet I guess. Don't need to give them a whole TED talk about heroics or something just enough to give them an opinion." Donny did his best to gather his thoughts before he was selected to stand up and speak. "Chill, chill... Phew. Okay. Ahem." He said to psyche himself up before stood up, bowing the top portion of his mass with the mask before he spoke. "Hello my Japanese name is Sekai Kinoko. My birth name is Donny Yang. You can call me by either." Donny said in a very well practiced manner. His Grandfather made sure to drill him to say it correctly whenever he has to introduce himself. Plus it gave him some time to stall and think about why he wants to be a hero and what it meant to him. "I want to become a hero because... I think I can use my powers for good things that can help people and make me useful to everyone. And being a hero means... Um... It means... W-When something needs to be done, even when no one else wants to do it, you're willing to get the the job done as best as you can. Yeah." Donny ended awkwardly before sitting back down. He was pretty sure he did a good job. @Silver Carrot@Conscripts</s> <\|message\|>Kouji Majima Carrot As Kouji watched the Donny kid stand up and give his speech about what he felt things were going to go, and what he was aspiring to be Kouji gave a few claps before he stood up himself when pointed at. "First name Kouji. Family name Majima. I'm actually from the city I tried out for the UA Academy but my quirk gave me one too many headaches and I couldn't properly do much. Eh not that big a deal I'm just aiming to be a hero for the sake of it. I want to grow up to help people. Money, and stuff is just an extra. If I can't be a hero I'd like to be a cop. I just want to help clean up the community a bit make sure people are safe. Besides what's life without a bit of excitement right?" Kouji announced as he looked at his professor with a laid back smile. "World may not be all full of sun shine, and rainbows professor. But I'd like to leave it a bit cleaner before my clock goes up. Really though...I just hope I can be the best version of myself I can be." Kouji finished as he sat back down. He looked around hoping the next student would have something more exciting planned for class. Maybe something cute judging by how many girls there were in class. He knew he didn't wow anyone but he was speaking honestly and he felt being a show off wasn't anything to show off about.</s>	<\|message\|>Yukari Yozakura Yukari was practically shaking in excitement as class was starting. She waited her turn, listening to the people around her until the student next to her had finished. Once her turn was up Yukari stood up with a smile. "I'm Yukari Yozakura! Wait... Yozakura Yukari. I want to become a hero because I know I can do more with my life. Things didn't work out when I tried for UA, but that isn't going to be enough to stop me! Because being a hero is more than just a job. It's a promise to make people happy everywhere you go when they see you. Being able to show up to a bad situation and make everything better. That's something I want to learn how to do. And that's what being a hero means to me!" After her passionate speech Yukari bows her head and sits back down. Start off strong and show that she's not going to be meek anymore.</s>
<\|description\|>Alice Nova Appearance: Costume: Hero/Vigilante Name: Silence Gender: Female Age: 15 Height: 1.58m Weight: secret Personality: Alice is a well behaved and studious girl. Coming from a fairly normal upper-middle-class family, there is nothing that can be considered as "striking" about her initially. She looks like a classic introverted nerdy bookworm which you'd probably rather find in a library, reading quietly by herself than in the middle of the city going shopping with her besties. If one were to make that judgment based on first looks and the first impression they would soon find out that that judgment is... pretty accurate. By no means is Alice a shy person, she has no problem socializing with people and interacting with others in a friendly manner. Quite the opposite in fact- She is proud of her courteous, friendly nature and knows how to make a good impression on people. Yet however, she is indeed an introvert. After all, spending time with oneself is often more fun than the alternative. Alice has acquaintances and friends- She just does not hang out with them as often as "normal" people do with their friends. Outside of her social behavior, Alice can be considered to be quite intelligent. Her profound interest in science combined with an affinity for learning and studying, allowing her to learn new things more quickly than many of her peers. A privilege which would often earn her excellent grades. The girl would often find herself tutoring other students- Sometimes with a monetary reward and sometimes because they were friends. In essence, Alice consists of a touch of non-shy introvert combined with nerdy bookworm and glued together with a friendly and kind nature, glazed with so far mostly unused potential. Whether that potential will be used in science or heroism remains to be seen- Background: A long lost twin-brother, the dramatic betrayal of her family by an ancient clan and a lifelong rivalry with her dark equal... are all things which you can use to describe cheesy adventure prose but they could not be further from the truth when describing Alice. Born into a family of two middle-class parents as their only child, Alice lived probably the most generic kind of childhood which you can imagine for someone with her character. She went to school as every normal child would, made some friends along the way, lost some friends along the way and grew up at her own pace. Honestly, there was nothing special about her upbringing. No drama, no intense origin stories for why she wanted to become a hero, no major problems. The latter might be the reason why she never quite understood her own decision to join the hero's course at her highschool. The reason she joined the highschool in the first place was due to convenience since it was rather close to her own home and not because of some hope to become a hero at some point. Yet when she was offered the opportunity to make the decision to join the hero's course, it did not take long for her to make that choice. It felt like some sort of calling; An instinctive decision done in the spur of the moment because it felt like the right thing to do. Maybe it was the untapped potential in her wanting to finally be released from this bland normality because she was destined to reach greater things than the happy but empty life of a hermit-crab. Not like it mattered in the end. What mattered was that she had signed up for the hero course and she certainly wouldn't give it a half-assed approach. Maybe it was time for her oh so normal life to finally change and for Alice to tread into the unknown and uncertainty that is a hero's career. Quirk: Owl!</s> <\|message\|>Hana Saki Saki The soft humming of power coursing through her transformators sounded throughout the room together with a soft gentle snoozing. A cable coming from her lower back was plugged into the wall socket right next to her bed. Today will be the first day of her high school debut, she had to make it shine in front of the class with plenty of energy. 7 o'clock, there was a soft beeping of her alarm clock while her energy meter reached a full 100 procent. Saki gently opened her eyes as she stretched her whole body out unplugging her tail in the progress. Quickly getting out of bed she dressed herself in her uniform and washed herself up. After making sure her hair looked good and her uniform was fold free she got out to the kitchen and ate her favorite, some pancakes with coffee. Saki her father and mother wished her luck on her first day of school. Giving them both a big kiss as thanks before leaving for school. Saki got earbuds out of her schoolbag and plugged them in somewhere under her blouse. With a click of her smartwatch she turned on the music booming through the earbuds. She put one into her ear and started walking her 20 minutes course through the city towards her new school life. Once near the school the uniforms started to gather more and more. Saki straightened her back and smiled some more to make a good impression on the others. Definitely nervous down to the bone. With her power cord softly trailing behind her from left to right she carefully slid the door open from the classroom. Saki glanced into the room for a moment to see some of the students already sitting at their self chosen desks. They mostly looked normal at first glance, most notable where the big black blob and the bird winged boy but she decided to pay more attention to it later. Saki took a few steps into the classroom clutching her bag in her hand and shockingly noticed the teacher already at their desk. "Good-morning teacher~" Saki made a long bow and gave a gentle smile towards the teacher Mako before turning back to the path and continuing towards a seat. For her the best seat would be by the window next to a power outlet for solar energy and perhaps some energy from the school. Once by the window row she looked under the desks but there were no power outlets to her expectations. Saki simply chose the first seat on the window row in front of a bird type looking girl. "Good-morning, I'll be your front neighbor I suppose~ My name is Saki and you?~" Saki sat down in front of the girl treading her tail cord between her seat. She gently smiled towards Alice and gave her a small piece of paper with wifi settings on it. Reading 'Hanagasumi' as network name and 'panda' as password. "If you're ever close to me you can use my wifi~ Feel free to tell it around~"</s> <\|message\|>Carol Tennebalm NOEL North And slowly her fellow classmates trickled in. Little by little. She was surprised that the majority of them were girls. Interesting since the hero circuit was primarily males, but that was just an extra bit of enjoyment on top of things. She wasn't great talking to guys. That was just the usual teen jitters she realized. But that would change this year. She'd make friends. Boys and girls. Everyone in her class if she could help it. She wanted to get a bit more with Yukari. Sudden she felt a tap on her shoulder. She was looking the other way around at the class, seeing the numerous conversations that more or less broke out, getting more and more excited that it seemed most of the class was pretty open. Her head swung back, her antlers lighting up with a combination of red and purple that blinked twice. It was the boy with the phone, err the translator. The brightness of him along with a smile. It was a welcome sight. Enough that she was beside herself. Her white cheeks went a shade of pink and her antlers went yellow brightly. A boy was talking to her... DONT SCREW IT UP! Horiyama Kousuke. "Hi Kou-shan!" Her response came a bit louder then she intended and she nearly jumped in her seat, making her instinctually reach up to make sure her glasses were okay. One light when red, another green before she grumbled and sat, her hands folded and a smile forced. It was quite obvious she was trying very much to be cool and failing. "Im Carol Tenebaum. But jusht call me Carol. It'sh nicshe to meet you." Curse that stupid lisp! She then asked about her quirk. She knew at some point she would have to show off. She let her hands rest in her lap, all the while the index fingers fidgetting as she struggled to find the words. "Yep yep. While it looksh like a mutation itsh actually a transhformation type. Here' I'll show you." She took a deep breath and seemed to hold her breath. A moment of effort later, the lights took on a rather bright vibrance in intensity and color. Her hair ruffled a bit, there was a spark between her antlers. Most unusually, her nose seemed to glow... and glow and glow brigher, becoming a nice vibrant red. it looked like she was wearing christmas ornaments. There was also a weird static in the air around her, like enough to make the hair on your arm stand on end. She was still kind of blushing but her excitement pushed through. "Now all i got to do is..." She didn't know how it would look as shes sitting and didn't want to make a nose and disturb others, so she just kind of flailed her arms up and down for a few seconds like she was trying to dry off her hands by flicking them. Eventually. POP A little light suddenly appeared between her antlers and suddenly started floating towards the ground. Carol grabbed it in her hand, then holding the light in her thumb she moved her fingers and open palms towards him. "Tadaa! Jazzsh Handshs."</s> <\|message\|>Acion Nakamiji Acion Nakamiji --- Kinoko had then recognized Acion after a while. So his memories wasn't wrong. His black blob form was too unique to miss. Where did he come across this nice lad in the past... "Oh yeah, I was wondering what was the place myself." Acion was smiling as Kinoko mentioned exactly what he was searching for. "Right, Monoyama. Yeah I asked if I can have something to give, but I didn't expect both my parents to all jump in on it so wholeheartedly. But then again, they don't really live a materialistic lifestyle." His family are rich people, but unlike many they lived quite a spiritual life. Not just contributing to society with their own wealth, but also literally being very spiritual. They prayed to ancestors at their altar quite often, more than Acion found it necessary. Trips to the family's private cemetery were more often as well. But hey, no one said it is a bad way to live life. "Ahaha, I would argue otherwise that I just grew taller. Also these things kinda gave out that feeling of largeness." Acion responded as he opened all six of his wings a little bit out carefully not to hit anyone, before retracting them back around his sides. If anything, Acion was considered lightweight for his height. It's just that the way he was designed gave him that daunting impression. "Thanks." He took the can of soda materialized from Kinoko and easily tabbed the can of soda. Taking a sip before Kinoko asked about why he was here. Well, it's bound to come up at some point anyway. It's a special class in a normal school after all. "...I hate to say it, but I'm here ONLY for the hero course. Reason being..." He tilted his head a little, staring to the window near him for a brief few seconds, trying to articulate his thoughts. Saying that he broke the law so he got rejected wouldn't sound nice to the ears. Of course it had been for a good thing, but it's still the law. And people could interpret that differently than he does. "Let's just say I was inadvertently pulled into a fight, and that kind of stained my application. It sucks that it happened quite recently, so the schools were quite shy to take a student with this kind of record. So here I am." "How about you?" Acion turned to ask the girl next to him, whom he noticed she struggled to open that soda can due to her magnetic arm. He tried to steer clear of anything having to do with that physicality of hers, making it a little bit light-hearted. "If you're ok with talking about it. I hope it's not as dramatic as mine." Carrot@Lucius Cypher</s>	<\|message\|>Alice Nova As time began to pass, more and more students began filling the room. Needless to say, just like many of her peers before, Alice noticed them as well. While her severe lack of sleep and subsequent drowsiness caused her senses to dull off a bit, she was still attentive enough and also interested enough to observe her fellow hero course students. While her observations would remain rather superficial for now, it would likely become much more in-depth once Alice actually started interacting with them. For now, this was more than sufficient though. The owl knew that her energy for social interactions was rather limited and, especially on her first day, she would need all the energy she had to get through the day without feeling exhausted. Well... more exhausted than she already was feeling anyways. Just as Alice was idly staring outside, letting her weary eyes trail over anything that could be seen from the classroom window, familiarising herself with her surroundings, another student decided to sit down in front of Alice. The four-eyes turned her head to face the newcomer who would likely sit in front of her from now on, the way it seemed. Silently Alice awaited for her to finish and used the time to eye the body of Saki. While it might have been rude to do so, the owl could not help but notice the... power cord that was sticking out from where would expect a tail to emerge. When Alice looked back up, she saw Saki hand her a piece of paper with a wide cheery smile. Alice would take a mental note of the fact that Saki seemed to be a rather cheerful and open personality. Why else would she simply talk to someone she didn't know just like that? A little "gift" to solidify their potential friendship was handed over as well... While this was tedious, Alice most certainly felt flattered and intended to respond appropriately, in her mind anyway. "Thank you... Saki. My name is Alice, it is my pleasure to make your acquaintance." As she was replying, Alice put the piece of paper away safely in her bag. "Your Wifi you say?" Wanting to inquire about the subject matter more, Alice was somewhat intrigued by the idea of someone having a power cord attached to their body. She really made a conscious effort not to appear like she was dead-tired which, in reality, of course, she was.</s>
<\|description\|>Alice Nova Appearance: Costume: Hero/Vigilante Name: Silence Gender: Female Age: 15 Height: 1.58m Weight: secret Personality: Alice is a well behaved and studious girl. Coming from a fairly normal upper-middle-class family, there is nothing that can be considered as "striking" about her initially. She looks like a classic introverted nerdy bookworm which you'd probably rather find in a library, reading quietly by herself than in the middle of the city going shopping with her besties. If one were to make that judgment based on first looks and the first impression they would soon find out that that judgment is... pretty accurate. By no means is Alice a shy person, she has no problem socializing with people and interacting with others in a friendly manner. Quite the opposite in fact- She is proud of her courteous, friendly nature and knows how to make a good impression on people. Yet however, she is indeed an introvert. After all, spending time with oneself is often more fun than the alternative. Alice has acquaintances and friends- She just does not hang out with them as often as "normal" people do with their friends. Outside of her social behavior, Alice can be considered to be quite intelligent. Her profound interest in science combined with an affinity for learning and studying, allowing her to learn new things more quickly than many of her peers. A privilege which would often earn her excellent grades. The girl would often find herself tutoring other students- Sometimes with a monetary reward and sometimes because they were friends. In essence, Alice consists of a touch of non-shy introvert combined with nerdy bookworm and glued together with a friendly and kind nature, glazed with so far mostly unused potential. Whether that potential will be used in science or heroism remains to be seen- Background: A long lost twin-brother, the dramatic betrayal of her family by an ancient clan and a lifelong rivalry with her dark equal... are all things which you can use to describe cheesy adventure prose but they could not be further from the truth when describing Alice. Born into a family of two middle-class parents as their only child, Alice lived probably the most generic kind of childhood which you can imagine for someone with her character. She went to school as every normal child would, made some friends along the way, lost some friends along the way and grew up at her own pace. Honestly, there was nothing special about her upbringing. No drama, no intense origin stories for why she wanted to become a hero, no major problems. The latter might be the reason why she never quite understood her own decision to join the hero's course at her highschool. The reason she joined the highschool in the first place was due to convenience since it was rather close to her own home and not because of some hope to become a hero at some point. Yet when she was offered the opportunity to make the decision to join the hero's course, it did not take long for her to make that choice. It felt like some sort of calling; An instinctive decision done in the spur of the moment because it felt like the right thing to do. Maybe it was the untapped potential in her wanting to finally be released from this bland normality because she was destined to reach greater things than the happy but empty life of a hermit-crab. Not like it mattered in the end. What mattered was that she had signed up for the hero course and she certainly wouldn't give it a half-assed approach. Maybe it was time for her oh so normal life to finally change and for Alice to tread into the unknown and uncertainty that is a hero's career. Quirk: Owl!</s> <\|message\|>Mako Akane Maeda Nadeko Mentions: @vancexentan Kou's opening line caught Nadeko off-guard briefly. So, he wasn't shy after all, then. Not trying to play the cool loner either, actually. Maybe his friends had just already left. She grinned, tutted and shook her head. There might have been the hint of a flush there too. "I bet you say that to all the girls," she teased in a dramatic, soap-opera voice, before giggling and reverting to a more natural delivery. "Majima-kun it is, then. And yeah, I already finished but it's a new school on the first day, and none of us can really talk in class, so I'm just trying to talk to as many of my classmates as possible. School sucks without a couple of good friends. And I saw you were sitting alone when I walked past. So, what did you think of Hero class?"</s> <\|message\|>Kouji Majima Mentions: @Silver Carrot "Well hey if I can make someone smile its worth it in my opinion. There's no room in the world for more complaining, and stuff. If I can get a smile or two out of ya its better for the both of us." Kou says as he grins at her he finishes his food and scratches his head as he listens to her talk for a moment. He wonders just exactly how many people she had already talked to? It was an interesting change of pace to see someone so proactive about going out and meeting people but she had a good point when it came to going out making sure you had someone to talk to. "You got a good point Maeda-San school really is a pain in the ass but we're all here to get better. Just gotta be careful with who you choose to talk to you know? Some people are still adjusting and may not be ready to talk like me. May be worth waiting a day or two for everyone to get settled down into the route so to speak. But by all means keep going. I think you've got a good idea going." Kou thought for a moment longer as he considered what he should say about class? It was...different so far but he hadn't experienced enough to form a proper opinion. "Got to be honest with you I don't really got a real opinion. Think Teach has a lot of faith in us, and she wants to help us but...I can't exactly say if she's going to do a good job yet. Some people respond differently regarding how class is taught, and it being the first day I don't want to give her too much praise or too little. I'd say I have faith in our teacher, and our class to give it their best. That sounds about fair right?" Kou scratches his head wondering just exactly she wanted him to say.</s> <\|message\|>Donny Yang Eventually Donny would reach his lockers. As he doesn't wear shoes, he could afford to stash the rest of his snacks in here. He put his bento box, his bread, and a few of his soda cans here so he could pick them up later. Unfortunately he picked a rather bad time to show up: a lot of students were crowding near the only exit, with many turning around to find another way out. "Aya. Hmm hmm hmm…" Donny needed to get around these students, and simply slithering beneath their feet would be easy enough. But he didn't want to get in trouble on his first day for invading the personal space of his fellow students, nor get in trouble with any of the girls who'll feel uncomfortable with him underneath them. That's when he spied one of the open windows. It was a bit of a drop, only about ten feet, nothing he couldn't handle. Not to mention he had a particular destination in mind. "Yeah this oughta work." So gathering his things Donny flung himself out the window. However he grabbed onto the edge as his body slapped the wall with a heavy thud. The sticky parts of his ooze helped keep him attached, as well as the multiple tiny talons he produced from his body to help keep traction against the walls. Then like a grotesque sort of giant slug he began to crawl up the side of the wall and onto the roof tops. This would give him the highest vantage point to look at the students above and below him. "Lets see lets see… Acion and Alice are probably flying around here somewhere…"</s> <\|message\|>Yukari Yozakura Yukari Yozakura It was just her luck. Every time Yukari ended up doing something embarrassing, someone was nearby to witness it. Though she wasn't at all hurt physically, emotionally Yukari felt like she took a slap to the face. She recognized the voices that were talking to her, Nakamiji Acion and Hana Saki. Both of them were from her hero class. "I'm fine, I'm fine! I was uh... Just learning how to play basketball! You know, just something to do after lunch you know?" Quickly getting to her feet Yukari also wanted to quickly change subjects so no one had to ask her about her little flub. She wasn't sure why these two people were here but she figured she could distract them with some other topic. "S-So what are you two doing here? Did you come to play too? I'm not very good at most sports but I'm willing to learn anything!" Yukari stretched her hand out to grab the basketball that had bounced away, spinning it on her finger and expertly bouncing and rolling it around her body. While she was terrible at actually making the shots she could do tricks with it easily. @Conscripts</s>	<\|message\|>Alice Nova Eventually, Alice had split away from Acion as she had no real interest in spending the last few minutes of her break in the gym. Rather, she wanted to sip her freshly purchased box of orange-mango juice in peace somewhere quietly. Well, as quietly as the campus of a highschool would allow anyways. She had thought about flying up to the rooftop to spend her break there but... Alice genuinely thought that'd be a bit too much. A nice shadowy bench would do the trick for now. Luckily, the nocturnal girl quickly found one which exactly suited her requirements! A bench nicely secluded from the main area, right beneath a tree where she could listen to the rustling of the wind and which also provided shade. Alice walked up to it, put her bag onto it, and sat down right next to the backpack with a relaxed sigh. Only shortly after she used the provided straw to pierce a hole into the designated spot and then slurped her orange-mango juice. It was deliciously sweet! Out of the corner of her eyes she spotted a familiar but no-less creepy frame... "climbing" up the building to reach the top of it. It appeared as though a certain Donny had similar ideas to the owl- The need for seclusion, peace and quiet. The girl chuckled at the sight as she just imagined the poor janitor who would have to clean this mess up later. That did not matter at that moment though as Alice averted her eyes again and just watched the distant main part of the campus with the other students hanging out while drinking her beloved juice. Cypher</s>
<\|description\|>Kouki Sendachi Male \| 15 y/o \| 5'8 \| 121/1165 lbs Personality Though he has a resting bitch face and a cynic's sneer for a smile, Kouki certainly wished he were more extroverted than he currently was. Having spent middle school with the unearned reputation of a truant delinquent who habitually stares down teachers and being subsequently ostracized by his peers as a result, his social skills are moot, and his friend circle exists only outside of school. He keeps quiet and keeps to himself, too shy to strike up conversation with a stranger but too self-conscious to admit to wanting to join up with a group in the off-chance that he is invited to anything. And even if he does accept an invitation somewhere, at some time, Kouki's bad habit of overthinking everything often ends up with him just not showing up at the end, citing some bullshit excuse to not show up. What's worse though? That by the end of middle school, he's become comfortable being with himself, and even though he wants to become more outgoing, more social, he's also fine with not becoming so. With one exception, of course… Background A baby boy born with an extra hole above his butt would have been cause for concern in any other era except the era of mutants. As such, it was just an incredibly embarrassing fact to talk or even think about as he grew up. Having weird eyes or big hands was one thing, but having an extra butthole that leaked white stuff if he didn't stay focused? Eugh, no please. Didn't help that his parents were the loving, spoiling type either, seeing Kouki's solemn, grim expression as reasons to excessively praise his "extra hole" in a bid to raise his self-esteem. He was mature as a child, as mature as a precocious, lonely brat could be, but even though he could understand why his parents were that way, Kouki wasn't going to be any happier with that sorta praise too. Thus, his frown grew. Thus, he withdrew further into himself. Thus, by the time he got to middle school, Kouki's attitude was already fixed in place, staring down others with a cold expression, his scrambled thoughts never moving fast enough to actually formulate an answer before they assumed his disinterest or disgust and scampered off. Though no one bullied him, most people avoided him too. School festivals were painful. He would slip away from groups and squat at the back of the school buildings, waiting for it to end. School trips were even more so. If he went missing, everyone else in his group would get in trouble too, so he maintained a distance of twenty meters instead, plugging his ears with his headphones so they wouldn't feel any obligation to converse. His middle school life wasn't devoid of social interaction though. Kouki found places and people who didn't know of his baggage by slipping into the backdoors of night clubs. Though it rarely went beyond a couple of words, dancing was fun. He really got into it, even, clearing out the basement of his house so he had space to practice by himself. It was fun. It was enjoyable. It kept him alive. But Kouki did not go to a high school with a dance club. He applied and was accepted into a hero course for a local high school instead. His parents questioned him about it, of course, and after twenty minutes of emotionlessly freaking out over how to answer, if he even could answer, the youth spoke two words. "For love." Then he immediately self-combusted from embarrassment. Quirk - Quicksilver Mutant-Type Kouki produces a silvery-white liquid metal within a hole positioned over his tailbone at a rate of about six milliliters per day. After being alive for fifteen years, he has about 35 liters of this curious metal, which, when kept inside his body, increases his weight by 474 kg (1044 lbs), exhibiting a density similar to that of mercury, though without any of the toxicity. Acting as an extension of his own body, Kouki's Quicksilver can take an array of imagined forms and can alter itself to heat up, cool down, or become magnetic. Though it takes time to make these alterations upon his material, the movement of his Quicksilver itself is fairly effortless for Kouki: so long as it remains within twenty meters of himself, Quicksilver moves as fast as any other limb of his, floats in defiance of gravity, and appears to have enough 'strength' to sustain 40 kg for each 1 liter of Quicksilver used, capping out at 1400 kg. This speed lowers past the twenty meter point, until the metal becomes wholly inert at the fifty meter point. Though Kouki cannot feel through his Quicksilver, he is able to sense when others interact with it; if he's not actively maintaining a form, the liquid metal has a consistency similar to putty. Though Quicksilver cannot be destroyed, it can certainly be lost. Complex alterations will lead to headaches and nosebleeds, and potent disruptions will cause the Quicksilver to become a formless blob once more. Due to lack of opportunities to be rendered unconscious through violent means, it's unknown how Quicksilver responds in such situations.</s> <\|message\|>Mako Akane Maeda Nadeko Mentions: @Lucius Cypher@Conscripts The black blob was stammering at being called cool, and it was awkwardly adorable. Still, it probably meant he was shy, and she'd just make him nervous if she was too friendly. Nadeko wondered why he was so shy, and why he reacted that way to being called cool. Maybe he, like, her, was here with something to prove to the rest of the world. To make a statement, that even with their quirks, they could be Heroes. He probably just needs to believe in himself a little more. "Thanks!" she replied with a grin as she took the soda, gave a glance to the teacher, who glanced at her watch, smiles and shrugged, and then Nadeko tried to open it. Usually she asked her parents or friends to do it for her, but today, at this school, the last thing she wanted to seem to others was handicapped. So she placed the flat surface of her magnet arm, where ordinarily a wrist and hand might protrude from, against the top of the can. Very delicately, she tried to pull the ring tab, and only the ring tab. The entire can being metal was not making it easy. She bit her lip in concentration and was staring at the can as she tried to pull the ring tab and only the rind tab. There was a tiny clink, and she lifted her arm to reveal the ring tab had came clean off. Now th sode wasn't open, and there was no way to get it open without piercing the top another way. She sighed, and turned back to Donny, who was now in the company of a tall white-haired Bishounen with angelic wings. He was a bit too dazzling, so she didn't look at him and kept her attention on Donny as she held out the tab-less can. "Kinoko, san? Can you, uh...Sorry, but can you open this?."</s> <\|message\|>Donny Yang "Ah. Of course." Donny tried not to feel too dumb right now. Of course the girl with no hands can't open a can of soda. It was a good thing Donny didn't have a face or he'd look real stupid right now. Instead he simply reached out with a black tendril, but from the blacken mass a bony hand was pushed out. Gripping the edges of the can, Donny simply popped the tab in, doing his best to make sure he didn't leave any stains. "S-Sorry about that..." in the midst of the conversation, the one with wings approached Donny and seemed to already know him by name. Donny was confused at first until he got a closer look at the young man. "Wait a sec.... Nakamiji-san? Whoa. I didn't think know you went to this school!" "I haven't seen you since what... Five, seven years ago? At Manoyama, that little village in the countryside. I forgot what the festival was called, but I know we were doing a fundraiser for our grade school. Your family showed up and really helped bring in donations! I remember my gramps making me try and talk to you and the other heroes, but I was kinda nervous. I've never actually met any pro heroes in person. Man you sure did grow up, I used to be bigger than you. " Donny fondly reminisced back to his younger years. Back when he was still getting used to living in Japan, getting used to his Japanese name, and in generally still trying to adapt to being himself. "Wow. Small world huh? I never thought I'd see you again, but I'm not surprised to see that you're part of a hero school. But uh..." Donny looked at Nadeko. It would be rude to just push her aside in this conversation. Fortunately Donny had an idea for a topic they could discuss. Thus Donny produced another can of soda for Acion. "W-What brings the two of you to Mastubara? I-I can't imagine that you're here for just the hero course I mean..." Donny spoke quietly as he didn't want to offend, but surely these two would have had this thought pass through their minds before. "... Mastubara isn't exactly the best hero academy. I-I mean, it's like... Um... I just attend Mastubara since it's the closest high school near my home. Other schools would take much longer and they're harder to get into. So... Yeah. What brings you two to this school, and this class?" Donny hope he didn't sound too confusing dancing around his words like he did. He didn't want to imply that Mastubara is a bad school by any stretch but he was mostly just trying the hero course to see if it would be a good fit for him, lacking the confidence to apply to an actual hero academy. He couldn't imagine these two people lacking the same confidence to apply somewhere better. Carrot@Conscripts</s>	<\|message\|>Kouki Sendachi There was a saying that for one to eat healthily, they must eat thirty different ingredients every day. Before him, however, Kouki could count forty, and all of this was just for breakfast. His mother, eyes bagged from an early morning but face beaming with an excitement that he couldn't show as easily, patted him on the shoulder, encouraging him to eat. So he did. It wasn't like he was against good food anyways. He drank the miso, chewed on natto, flaked apart mackerel, cracked open an egg, tried an assortment of pickled vegetables, cleansed his palate with rice, tried out some porridge, mixed his sprouts with mayonnaise, soy sauce, and wasabi. And that was a quarter of the table. His father had his own breakfast of coffee and the newspaper, sipping quietly, while his mother continued to motion for Kouki to eat. "It's your first day to high school, after all," she beamed warmly. "I made you extra for lunch too, so make sure to share with your classmates, ok? Especially the girl you're interested in!" Kouki hunched his shoulders, his ears burning. He covered his thoughts in savory pudding instead, before grunting vaguely. Probably was a mistake to tell the truth, but it was worse to lie. Or maybe he was already pretty bad just for joining a hero class without heroic aspirations? He chewed on stir-fried tofu skin and crunched on julienned carrots. If the clock was accurate, there was another fifteen minutes before he would be late. Not nearly enough to clear the table, not when his stomach already felt half way through popping out. He looked up at his mother again, who had moved on to washing the gratuitous amount of dishes that such a breakfast would demand. She hadn't eaten either yet. That made him feel slightly better to not finish his meal. Someone else, however, didn't want such a defeatist attitude so early. "C'mon and eat up, son." His father, stubble-faced with a natural sneer, motioned. "Gonna need plenty of stamina if you wanna be a hero, yeah?" Kouki looked at him, shook his head. "Hey now, you can be a hero for just one special someone too, y'know?" The man drained his mug of coffee, before pushing away from the laden table and walking to his workplace, five meters away. "And if you ever need any advice, I'm always willing to lend an ear." "Mhm." "Of the romantic kind, of course. Can't remember shit 'bout high school sciences." The man chortled, then plugged his headset in and began the hour-long process of replying to his e-mails. "Nn." Kouki continued to eat. Fifteen minutes passed, and he made it one-third of the way through the breakfast buffet. He had a good idea of what dinner was going to look like tonight, at least. The boy shrugged on his blazer, picked up his bag in one hand, and grabbed his lunch box with the other. The weight gave him pause; it looked like the amount one would pack for sports day. A whisper of a sigh seeped out from between his teeth. He could try at least. If others asked. They probably wouldn't. Sliding his chair back into the table, the gray-haired youth made off. He managed to open the door part way before he heard his mom speak up. "Kouki, what do you say when you leave?" "See you." A pause. He should be thankful for the food. He was a first year high school student now. He could try making a more mature effort. "Have a good day." "You take care too," she said, sliding over to give him a tight hug. "Make sure to take lotsa photos and show us later, ok?" Better than having his parents show up like they had during middle school. Kouki nodded, then walked off. Down the apartment staircase, down three blocks, and there Matsubara High School was. Ten minutes away walking, a boring building that he had seen every day of his life here in this city. Other students filed into it, while salarymen headed the opposite direction, towards subways that would carry them into the business district, or perhaps an entirely different city. He slipped his headphones out of his bag, plugged them into his phone, put them over his ears, and continued walking to a remix. The teacher manning the gates made a disapproving motion when Kouki passed by, but he couldn't hear him, so he wasn't going to stop for him either. Steps matching the beats of the song, he swapped his sneakers for slippers, strode into his classroom, nodded once at the teacher, beelined for a desk at the back, plopped his bag and lunchbox down on either side of him, as if erecting walls, and reclined on the chair. It would be harder to see the board from the back of the class, but Kouki was willing to make the sacrifice this time around. He'd be able to see her from the back as well, after all. The music continued to play, as the clock continued to tick down.</s>
<\|description\|>Kouki Sendachi Male \| 15 y/o \| 5'8 \| 121/1165 lbs Personality Though he has a resting bitch face and a cynic's sneer for a smile, Kouki certainly wished he were more extroverted than he currently was. Having spent middle school with the unearned reputation of a truant delinquent who habitually stares down teachers and being subsequently ostracized by his peers as a result, his social skills are moot, and his friend circle exists only outside of school. He keeps quiet and keeps to himself, too shy to strike up conversation with a stranger but too self-conscious to admit to wanting to join up with a group in the off-chance that he is invited to anything. And even if he does accept an invitation somewhere, at some time, Kouki's bad habit of overthinking everything often ends up with him just not showing up at the end, citing some bullshit excuse to not show up. What's worse though? That by the end of middle school, he's become comfortable being with himself, and even though he wants to become more outgoing, more social, he's also fine with not becoming so. With one exception, of course… Background A baby boy born with an extra hole above his butt would have been cause for concern in any other era except the era of mutants. As such, it was just an incredibly embarrassing fact to talk or even think about as he grew up. Having weird eyes or big hands was one thing, but having an extra butthole that leaked white stuff if he didn't stay focused? Eugh, no please. Didn't help that his parents were the loving, spoiling type either, seeing Kouki's solemn, grim expression as reasons to excessively praise his "extra hole" in a bid to raise his self-esteem. He was mature as a child, as mature as a precocious, lonely brat could be, but even though he could understand why his parents were that way, Kouki wasn't going to be any happier with that sorta praise too. Thus, his frown grew. Thus, he withdrew further into himself. Thus, by the time he got to middle school, Kouki's attitude was already fixed in place, staring down others with a cold expression, his scrambled thoughts never moving fast enough to actually formulate an answer before they assumed his disinterest or disgust and scampered off. Though no one bullied him, most people avoided him too. School festivals were painful. He would slip away from groups and squat at the back of the school buildings, waiting for it to end. School trips were even more so. If he went missing, everyone else in his group would get in trouble too, so he maintained a distance of twenty meters instead, plugging his ears with his headphones so they wouldn't feel any obligation to converse. His middle school life wasn't devoid of social interaction though. Kouki found places and people who didn't know of his baggage by slipping into the backdoors of night clubs. Though it rarely went beyond a couple of words, dancing was fun. He really got into it, even, clearing out the basement of his house so he had space to practice by himself. It was fun. It was enjoyable. It kept him alive. But Kouki did not go to a high school with a dance club. He applied and was accepted into a hero course for a local high school instead. His parents questioned him about it, of course, and after twenty minutes of emotionlessly freaking out over how to answer, if he even could answer, the youth spoke two words. "For love." Then he immediately self-combusted from embarrassment. Quirk - Quicksilver Mutant-Type Kouki produces a silvery-white liquid metal within a hole positioned over his tailbone at a rate of about six milliliters per day. After being alive for fifteen years, he has about 35 liters of this curious metal, which, when kept inside his body, increases his weight by 474 kg (1044 lbs), exhibiting a density similar to that of mercury, though without any of the toxicity. Acting as an extension of his own body, Kouki's Quicksilver can take an array of imagined forms and can alter itself to heat up, cool down, or become magnetic. Though it takes time to make these alterations upon his material, the movement of his Quicksilver itself is fairly effortless for Kouki: so long as it remains within twenty meters of himself, Quicksilver moves as fast as any other limb of his, floats in defiance of gravity, and appears to have enough 'strength' to sustain 40 kg for each 1 liter of Quicksilver used, capping out at 1400 kg. This speed lowers past the twenty meter point, until the metal becomes wholly inert at the fifty meter point. Though Kouki cannot feel through his Quicksilver, he is able to sense when others interact with it; if he's not actively maintaining a form, the liquid metal has a consistency similar to putty. Though Quicksilver cannot be destroyed, it can certainly be lost. Complex alterations will lead to headaches and nosebleeds, and potent disruptions will cause the Quicksilver to become a formless blob once more. Due to lack of opportunities to be rendered unconscious through violent means, it's unknown how Quicksilver responds in such situations.</s> <\|message\|>Alice Nova Alice Nova The impression of a cheerful girl that Saki seemed intent on keeping up would stay on Alice's mind throughout their conversation. It seemed genuine in nature and was almost heartwarming to see. Or rather, those were the observations that Alice had made from the first interaction the two of them shared. Suffice to say it was nowhere near enough to be a proper introduction. However, more intriguingly, Saki really seemed to be some kind of computer-like being, considering how there was wifi coming out of her, supposedly. That raised a whole bunch of questions! Does she have to pay an internet provider? How does she set the name and password? Was the wifi any good? Questions she'd be sure to ask later... should she be bothered to do so. Saki pointed at Alice's hair which she deemed "bedhair". To be fair, it was an adequate judgement to make should one not be familiar with Alice's quirk but the owlgirl couldn't help but chuckle as a result of it because it seemed kind of cute. In actuality, of course, it was nothing like bedhair. Instead, it was a result of her owl quirk's type being the great horned owl for which these outgrows of feathers were typical. In Alice's case, they manifested as outgrowths of differently coloured hair. "Ah that? Nono that is not bed-hair, but rather-" Alice was then cut off by the teacher commencing the first class session, which promptly caused Alice to stop talking and focus back on the class, similarly to Saki and all the other students. One after the other they began introducing themselves and listing their reasons for becoming heroes, or rather, describing the image of a hero in their mind. While Alice did pay attention to what they said, it was quite hard to focus on since she was so tired. Her eyes felt like they would fall shut any moment now... but of course, they wouldn't. Naturally, she had enough willpower to fight through a bit of tiredness..., especially on her first day! First impressions mattered after all. And with that thought in mind, Alice finally rose as well once she was pointed at by their teacher to introduce herself. Making sure her posture was as excellent as she managed to, Alice politely began speaking. "My name is Alice Nova. It is my pleasure to meet all of you." The girl followed this up with a slight and courteous bow forward out of politeness and her own manners. "A hero represents and fights for true justice. I wish to represent that concept myself one day." ...is what she could think of before sitting down again. Truth be told, her ideals weren't exactly chiseled in stone yet, however, this was a close approximation to how she truly felt. So far Alice just wasn't sure how to properly word it. After having spoken her introduction the glasses-wearing girl quietly sat down again so that the next person could begin their introduction.</s> <\|message\|>Acion Nakamiji Acion Nakamiji --- The reunion talk with Kinoko was halted when the teacher, Ms Mako, spoke up, signifying the start of the first day at a hero high school. For a start was the usual activity that Acion was kinda familiar with from having attended a couple of social events back in middle school: icebreaker. A short introduction from everybody in the class and answering one simple yet open question. From his old acquaintance Kinoko, or Donny Yang as he also said in his introduction, to the sleepy looking girl Alice sitting close by the windows, everybody had different ideals and reasons to be a hero just like their different identity, even though most of them are pretty similar. The only odd one out of them were from that girl sitting in that remote corner at the back, whose ideals were pretty...zoomed in. Yeah, heroes are strong, but villains are strong too. But hey, she probably never thought about it before. Acion was near last. That allowed him to mentally prepare himself a little bit for a short speech. He didn't plan to make this a grand introduction, as that would make him seem like a showoff, but he did want to give the confident first impression on people. Once he was pointed, he stood up firmly, suppressing any non-related thoughts in his mind. "I am Acion Nakamiji. It's a pleasure to be here with all of you." What was next... "A hero to me is someone who regardless of everything he could lose or gain, does the right thing. And that's what I want to become...do the right thing, so that this world can be a little better for everyone." Once done, he sat down and deeply exhaled. That went a lot better than he thought. Speaking in front of many people wasn't exactly his specialty after all.</s> <\|message\|>Carol Tennebalm NOEL Honestly when Kou reached out to touch the light, Carol withdrew the light and raised another hand stopping him. She literally was about to explain why it wasn't a good idea but then the teacher got everything started. This made Carol snap to attention. Class was starting, ready to learn. Ready to be a hero. She'd talk with Kou later... maybe others too. A deep breath to center herself and the field of energy dissipated, the lights dimmed and she was back to normal. It was a combination of keeping her eyes on Mako Sensei and then looking to each member of the room in kind. Her notebook, something quite childish designs with stickers on it that said 'Property of Carol Tenebaum' in felt marker, hit the desk and she was writing as fast as she could, giving every face to a name. It helped her remember. Licorice - Donny Yang Soap Box - Kouji Majima Violet - Yukari Yozakura Friend 1 Phones - Horiyama Kousuke Friend 2 Sigourney Weaver - Dulga Tarata Def secret badass Snooze Button - Junko Kurowai, and incidentally the information of the teacher and her previous villain past made Carol kind of pause as her antlers flashed red for just a second. She wanted to look up the teacher on her phone but considering her turn might come up, thought against it. It was scary, but kind of exciting. Panda Hood - Hana Saki Eyebrows - Alice Nova Cute Angel <3 - Acion Nakamiji And then as the room was called out, she realized as each talked, they had a bunch of good reasons. Awesome reasons. Better reasons. Her pen stopped as she suddenly came to the realization. Why did she want to be a hero? The finger made it to her in that moment, and she dropped her pen. Her antlers shimmered and flashed with greens reds and purples before she stood up and loudly announced with reddened cheeks. "Hi! I mean- Hi every- everyone." She stammered a little before centering herself. "My name'sh Carol Tenebaum from Alashka, United Shtatesh. A hero ish, a hero ish... well- shuper cool I guessh." She said kind of being a loss for words. "They help people and people love them for it. And, uhh I kind of want that." She began to play with her fingers, her antler lights going crazy. "I mean, I like to help people, and it feelsh good to help people. I love doing it." She realized she was blabbering. She gave a nervous smile before sitting back down. "If that makesh any shenshe."</s>	<\|message\|>Kouki Sendachi The teacher reminded him of a fox. Kouki didn't actually think people like that existed in real life, people who radiated "suspicious person" vibes while stretching their lips up into a fake smile and having their eyes opened only just enough to see a sliver of the world around them, but, well, she was a villain, after all. As class started and she began opening her mouth to speak, the gray-haired youth pulled his headphones off, letting it hang off his neck. He wished he hadn't. Maybe then he could've just pretended he didn't hear anything. A self-introduction was fine, but to ask for a topic as heavy as what heroism is? While also going as deeply personal as where their heroic aspirations come from? Good lord, where all teachers here gonna be so direct? It was one thing to tell his parents, but another to tell a total stranger, in a class full of somewhat-strangers. Kouki's eyes settled into a dark glare as he tunneled into himself, hoping Mako would fuss over other students first and give him time to fake his way through questions he hadn't yet thought about. Maybe he could plagiarize? … Fuck, he couldn't do it. Except for one person, everyone was either a UA-wannabe or someone whose ideals of heroism stemmed from the purity of wanting to be 'useful' to their nation, or just straight-up both. And that one person who had a different thing to say? They were even more cringe-worthy. They want to be a strong? Had Kouki stepped into another dimension here? No way in hell he could repeat what the others had said with any of the same level of r- That fox-woman's finger settled onto him, and in that instant, the entire classroom's attention shifted from the cheery, bubbling, cutesy reindeer girl to him. Yep, he really hated it when people pointed. Seconds passed, tension building up. Kouki's gaze shifted upwards towards the fox-woman. Like ripping off a bandaid. Like pulling out a thorn. The faster, the better. He stood up, hands slamming onto his desk as he did so. Rather anger or irritation, it was a cold detachment that emanated from his posture, his body tense with restrained violence. "Sendachi Kouki." He sat back down, the legs of the chair clattering against the classroom floor. Welp, there went his high school debut.</s>

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<\|description\|>Anya Sorensdaughter Race: Aesir Bio: Anya was born on the frozen glaciers of Asgard, the only child of the famous smith Soren Danicson. Anya was the surviving child of a pair of twins, her brother dying during childbirth. Her icy white hair, already present at birth marked her as particularly fated (for good or ill) by Ymir the Frost Giant. The shaman of the village counseled the heart broken Soren not to despair over his fallen son, and that the child's shade might yet enter Valhalla through the deeds of his sister Anya. Although women were not typically called upon to bear arms, Anya's unique doom made her a special case. From the time she could work Soren trained his daughter in all the arts of war as well as in his smith craft. By the time she was ten should could run for a full day without rest and hold her own with sword, axe or spear as well as any man of eighteen summers. She wen't on her first raid against the Vanir at age sixteen and distinguished herself as a skilled and ruthless warrior. Over the succeeding years she became a champion and a war leader, leading her own raiding parties west into Vanirheim and south against the Cummorians. She developed a reputation for attacking unexpectedly, particularly in bad weather and in the snow, and savagely pressing the attack until the enemy was shattered. When Soren Danicson was mortally wounded in a battle in the Cummorian marches, he told his daughter that the night before he had dreamed of Ymir the Frost Giant and that the time had come for her to venture out of Asgard and find the doom she had been promised. Anya left before her fathers body was cold, working her way south towards an uncertain goal, selling her sword and following the charnel call of the ravens.</s> <\|message\|>Anya Sorensdaughter The Temple of Ishtar in Xarame was a magnificent place. It dominated the temple square, rising from the eastern side of the wide expanse of sandstone like the moon on a clear night. Its sides were sheathed in white marble that had been imported at great expense from Aquillonian quarries across the mountains and then laid so precisely that the a knife blade could not have been inserted between them. Two great obelisks stood to either side of the main gate, through which the flickering oil lamps light the way into the sanctum. Sythemis walked easily to the gate, apparently heedless of the ever present threat of cutpurses and robbers in the torchlit streets. The Temple guards did not know her, but they clearly knew better than to interfere with a well dressed and mysterious woman approaching the Temple at night. They raised their pikes and let her pass without comment, eyes following her from behind their intricately wrought helmets. Beyond the first gate was a courtyard in which lemon trees had been planted in profusion. Beautiful women stood or longued on marble benches infront of the bowers that that were artfully woven from the citris trees branches. The Temple Prostitutes were famed for their beauty, each selected for their voluptuousness and improved upon by regimes of diet and prayer until the resembled the bronze depictions of their mistress, with swollen busts and wide hips that gave them the aspect of beautiful but very slightly overripe fruit. Two of the girls approached Sythemis but she lifted her palm in a gesture which made the girls instantly abase themselves. "Mistress," the whispered as one, grinding their faces into the dirt in obeisance. Such whores had their place of course, but it was not their place to question the initiates of the deeper mysteries. "I have come to seek counsel, you will prepare the bath for me," Sythemis decreed. Both women sprang to their feet and rushed off into the temple. Sythemis turned abruptly, conscious of a gaze upon her and scanned the roofline, but there was nothing but moonlight. Shrugging it of as a passing foolishness she returned her mind to the task at hand. She needed to find a thief afterall. After perhaps ten minutes of waiting the two prostitutes returned. Sythemis nodded and led them into the temple itself. All three of them prostrated themselves before the bronze statue of the Goddess and then stood. The pair of initiates took up their positions to either side of Sythemis. The Stygian began to disrobe methodically, dropping her silken robe to the floor before adding her jewelry and undergarments until she stood naked before the statue. Her body was leaner than her escorts, darker also, dusky with the olive burn of the Stygian sun. In truth she was unusually voluptuous for her race, her bosoms and hips pleasing to Ishtar in the same way as her crooked mind was pleasing to her other patron. She raised both hands above her head. "Eia, Eai Shub-Niggurath," she intoned, using one of the forbidden names of the Goddess, "Calliya, Calliyae, eian sun nyto!" For a moment nothing seemed to happen. Ten heartbeats passed and then a slow grinding sound shook dust from the temple walls. A section of the floor before the statues feet slid inwards to reveal a passageway down into the earth. "Leave me," she told the wide eyed Temple prostitutes. The girls needed no encouragement to scurry back into the courtyard as Sythemis began her passaged down into the earth.</s> <\|message\|>Abelard Fhundil Amal cleaned the blood from his knife, idly wiping out the imperfections on the Nemedian steel. The bright moon glinted off its polish, brightening the darkness of his shemic eyes. Truthfully he had not wished to kill the temple-servant, a boy no older than eleven. But the youth had spotted him among the spires and Amal had been younger than he when he had killed his first. Had he the right mind, he would have run and told someone of the thief's whereabouts. Now he but basked upon the temple roof, perched upon the battlements as he gazed into the structure from above. The temple girls were supple of limb and gifted in ways men only dreamed, so he contented himself with watching them lounge and titter. A few gave prayers and litanies to Ishtar, which seemed fitting with all the death in Xarame surrounding their pretty little temple. He had heard the northerners of Cimmeria worshipped no Gods, and only paid the barest of homage to one. Grom, that was his name. A barbarian god who gave no shits to who spoke of him was amusing. Perhaps he would go there one day. Amal's musings were interrupted when someone else entered the temple. Briefly he wondered if they were guards having discovered the body of the boy, but no. This was a Stygian; a woman at that. She made the other women look like silly girls in comparison. There was sly maliciousness in her eyes that enchanted him as much as the Jewel of Khemi. There was an air of gravity to her presence. Something he couldn't pinpoint but it intrigued him. He watched with bated breath as she dismissed the others from the grounds, opening up a portal to underneath the superstructure of the temple. He watched her saunter within, hips swaying like the head of a cobra. Like a panther he sprung from the heights, landing on the ground in a roll. Some of the women had yet to even exit the door, but their backs were turned. None saw the theif silently pad into the maw of the stone behind the Stygian woman, following her to see what treasures she may seek within...</s> <\|message\|>Anya Sorensdaughter Sythemis passed down through the tunnel of hand smoothed stone until it opened into a chamber that centered around a large pool of dark water that shone like glass under the light of bowls of burning oil. A great statue of Ishtar stood above the pool wrought of gold and naked. This was not the tame Ishtar that the priests of Mitrha bleated about. This was the primal Goddess her hips and bust swollen, her face contorted in ecstasy or agony, her eyes terrible. The chamber had obviously been a natural cavern one, but the walls and roof had been polished and shaped by patient labor. Niches had been caved out of the walls, each glittering with small statues of Ishtar each bedecked in gold and jeweled highlights. The Stygian paid no mind to them, walking with slow gravitas into the pool sinking to her waste in the dark cool water. She raised her arms over her head and met the eyes of the statue. "Bikania Ishtar, emadazu nire senargaia Set," she began to chant, her body began a graceful dance, fingers cutting the top of the water in showers of droplets which set up rippling waves of glittering light. "Bikania Ishtar, emadazu ikuspegia," she chanted, her dance growing more estatic. The lamps began to flicker and writhe weirdly, the light dimming as she moved. Something slid past her in the water, brushing against her leg, but she ignored it continuing the chant and the dance as she beseeched the Goddess</s> <\|message\|>Abelard Fhundil The Shemite thief was many things, but not a fool. There was something ephemeral about what was transpiring; some darkness he could only feel in his soul, causing the hairs on his neck to stand on end. Had he been a man who's sense outweighed his curiosity, he might have fled. But that was not Amal Ibn-Hakeem, jackal of the sands. The scents of jasmine and myrrh wafted up the stone stairway, showcasing the pythoness was performing some rite or ritual. Her echoing words, whispers in a harsh tongue. She sounded as if her statement was both a command and an abasement of herself. The knife clutched in his hand, his arm bent to throw even before he saw her dancing there in the sacred pool. He might have seen the ripples beneath her, but her dancing was mesmerizing. The cutthroat felt a very mannish stirring within him, a warmth spreading from just below his belt as he watched her. He forcibly tore his gaze away to scan the rest of the cavern, spying the statues of gold. The ever pragmatic thief went from desiring her to thinking of slitting her throat before she could halt him from stealing the jewels mounted on the carvings. Lapis and lazulis, garnets and rubies, diamonds and emeralds that glittered like the stars, blinking in and out of existence as the lights began to flicker from what foul magic she was enacting. Amal had made a point to keep away from the dark powers, but this was a scene he couldn't leave empty handed. He made no sound as he stepped down the last steps and stalked across the stone floor behind the writhing seductress. He moved seven steps to hide behind a small dias that raised the carved stone floor. Certain he was no longer in her line of sight, the approached a small bronze statue of a dog-headed man, likely placed here as a war trophy from the old conquests of Xarame, and he used his knife to dig at its agate eyes, attempting to pry them out silently through the priestess's litany. The water sloshed for but a moment, halting his progress and causing him to look over his shoulder. He waited, and his patience was greeted by another, similar sound. The strong young man crept to the edge of his hiding spot, peering out to view what was transpiring. "Dagon and Ashtoreth," he breathed, calling upon his shemite gods to protect him.</s>	<\|message\|>Anya Sorensdaughter Sythemis, Child of the Desert, danced in the sacred pool of Ishtar, her dark hair flying as she spun in increasingly ecstatic arcs. The names of both Ishtar and Set spilled from her lips and the water began to churn and foam far beyond the power of her slim form. Shapes began to appear like queer waves, their crests furrowing to suggest the passage of serpents formed of living water, they curled around the Stygian, sliding over her legs and coiling up around her chest before dropping away in showers rain drops. Her chanting grew more frenetic as the water around her waist surged and foamed and she threw back her head dark eyes wide as she shouted the names of the gods interspersed with the arcane syllables which seemed poorly. The candles which lit the grotto guttered and dimmed, almost extinguishing before bursting into a queer black flame that seemed to fill the chamber with sharp hard edged light. The water spray froze in the air, hanging like a thousand firestruck gems, glowing with light of the braziers and the dark golden gleam of Sythemis' own eyes. "Mighty Set," she intoned in a voice of breathless anticipation, "reveal to me that which I seek, turn your gaze upon the thief whom I have sought in your embrace. Again the light flickered wierdly and then in an instant, every drop reflected the face of Amal Ibn-Hakeem.</s>
<\|description\|>Anya Sorensdaughter Race: Aesir Bio: Anya was born on the frozen glaciers of Asgard, the only child of the famous smith Soren Danicson. Anya was the surviving child of a pair of twins, her brother dying during childbirth. Her icy white hair, already present at birth marked her as particularly fated (for good or ill) by Ymir the Frost Giant. The shaman of the village counseled the heart broken Soren not to despair over his fallen son, and that the child's shade might yet enter Valhalla through the deeds of his sister Anya. Although women were not typically called upon to bear arms, Anya's unique doom made her a special case. From the time she could work Soren trained his daughter in all the arts of war as well as in his smith craft. By the time she was ten should could run for a full day without rest and hold her own with sword, axe or spear as well as any man of eighteen summers. She wen't on her first raid against the Vanir at age sixteen and distinguished herself as a skilled and ruthless warrior. Over the succeeding years she became a champion and a war leader, leading her own raiding parties west into Vanirheim and south against the Cummorians. She developed a reputation for attacking unexpectedly, particularly in bad weather and in the snow, and savagely pressing the attack until the enemy was shattered. When Soren Danicson was mortally wounded in a battle in the Cummorian marches, he told his daughter that the night before he had dreamed of Ymir the Frost Giant and that the time had come for her to venture out of Asgard and find the doom she had been promised. Anya left before her fathers body was cold, working her way south towards an uncertain goal, selling her sword and following the charnel call of the ravens.</s> <\|message\|>Abelard Fhundil Despite the strange spectacle, he still watched in a mixture of fear and lust. For a moment he had worried the water hid some great serpent, but instead it held a surprise the cutthroat not been prepared for. This was why wise men did not trust sorcerers, by Dagon. She was toying with him, he angrily theorized. This would not do for the thief, and so he sprang into action. With the grace of a panther, he scaled the incline of the stones and leaped off at its highest elevation, soaring over the water to splash and land right behind the voluptuous woman, pressing his knife to her throat. By all the gods, he should have cut her slim neck then and there, but her scent overwhelmed him just as the curves of her form pressed to his. Her beauty was even more captivating up close, but truthfully, he was more curious than anything. Why would she seek him of all the theives in Xarame, and there were very many. Amal had the strength and ferocity of an ape, palpably apparent as he wrapped his strong arm about her waist and pressed the knife to her neck, giving her just enough room to gaze into his dark shemite eyes, the smell of poorly bought alcohol on his breath. "Do not play games with me, Witch-priestess," he said in her ear, deathly calm. The waters began to recede about them, whatever magics she intoned draining away to nothingness. "What is it you want of me? Speak any words that do not answer my question, and you are dead." His eyes glinted in the torchlight, and she knew he was serious. Amal would not let any sorcerer or sorceress speak any arcane words to cast a spell as long as he could help it, and so he was prepared for the moment she attempted it. But as he looked at her, he added: "Speak what may please me, and you will yet live." softly. She had either cast a spell on him, or he earnestly was too curious to let the matter drop with a slit throat and a quick run from the scene. Some god wished his presence for some reason, and it may prove beneficial to know why. Plus, he had never had stygian woman before.</s> <\|message\|>Anya Sorensdaughter It had been said by irreverent that the gods had a sense of humor. As the blade pressed against her throat Sythemis wondered if it they had a point. She should still a desert statue, motionless save for the throb of her heartbeat in her supple body. For a moment they stood together in silence. "I asked Ishtar to reveal a great thief to me," Sythemis said calmly and simply. "I did not expect her to answer so swiftly," she admitted truthfully. That was something of an understatement, by Temple Law it was death for any man to set foot within this chamber. It should have been impossible for anyone to find there way into this hallowed space.</s> <\|message\|>Abelard Fhundil His strong hand grabbed her neck to cow her, though he doubted even he could do that. Here she was in his embrace, blade poking into her teasingly, and she seemed to have the power of him in the conversation. The slender, shining skin of her neck tantalizing in the firelight. "Well, I am a great thief. Ishtar did not lie on that count. But that is not the entire picture. You will tell it to me and more." He readjusted his grip on her, hoisting her up in his arms, his eyes never leaving hers. He was afraid she could bewitch him in such a fashion, but he couldn't risk taking his gaze off of her. She had to ring her arms around his neck after he ascended the stairs and began climbing, the acrobatic rogue easily able to haul her up with his ape-like strength. "Perhaps your bite is poisonous... Perhaps you have a hidden blade... I would not be surprised if you could slither out of my grasp despite your lush body, but kill me or escape, and you will fall to your death, serpent woman." He warned, breathing into her ear as she was lifted off the ground and sent to the roof of the temple. The women began to wail in despair and call after him to return her, but he ignored them. Soon they leaped from rooftop to rooftop, his biceps rippling like a constrictor as he grabbed ledges and nooks in the walls he scaled, until finally she was unceremoniously dropped onto her ass on a dusty floor within an old tower of shemite design, only used twice a year during the equinoxes to light the great fires of Xarame during their lavish festivals. Amal crouched before her, his teeth shining in the dark as he grinned ferociously. He toyed with his knife on his left hand, the hilt and blade flipping as it undulated between his flowing fingers. "I advise you to begin speaking. You are tempting to look upon, but even I am growing bored without an explanation. Now speak."</s> <\|message\|>Anya Sorensdaughter Sythemis worked hard to control her breathing and still the swell of her chest. Many times she had stood before the serpents of great Set, whose bit was death and who feasted upon fear. Many times she had delved into ancient tombs for hidden relics or fragments of arcane lore from creatures whose form and memory were lost to the minds of men. All these things she had done but never had she felt herself so surely on the edge of death. The glittering knife and hard eyes of the thief were a hot death, not the cold of a serpent's fang or antediluvian spell. It thrilled her to consider. "For three hundred and thirty three years a precious jewel has lingered in Xareme," she began, her voice was melodic but lacked any suggestion of hypnosis of coercion sure to bring a swift hot stroke of the blade. "It is no earthly gem, but a piece of the Moon itself, fetched back in the times before men rose from the mud of the southern jungles, from before great Atlantis was sunk beneath the waves. Strange beasts brought it in their black galleys which rode the stars on their thousand oars and silver sails," she explained, gesturing up to the waning gibbous moon that hung above the spires of the city. It seemed to peer down at them like the lidded eye of a waking lover, warm and expectant. "Once there were many such gems, prized by the Elder race above gold and silver, above even the glittering anthrax for which they traded armies of slaves and mountains of riches. They are gone now, taken up to the stars or lost in the abyssal depths to the hunger of things that lay below the ocean which men fear to even think of save in the dim recesses of dreams," the stygian continued, her words redolent with forgotten lore and the blasphemous secrets of past ages which had been dredged from the ancient crypts, or drawn from the lips of things long dead but undying. "Only one such gem now remains upon the earth, locked in a chamber within the Emir's palace," Sythemis continued, nothing the glimpse of hungry avarice on the thief's hard face with pleasure. "It is written that during the dark of the moon, in this auspicious year, a great thief will come to Xareme and take the jewel. The Emir's astrologers have seen this written in the stars, as others have seen it in augury and dream. I have come to Xareme to make this prophecy come true so that I may lay my hand upon the Moon Stone. One who has touched it may ask a boon of the moon, and I have such a boon to ask." The air shivered as warm wind blew in of the desert, the smell of hot sand and the cedar of the distant hillsides that made Xareme famous throughout the cradle of the world. "I asked Ishtar to reveal to me the thief that would take the stone, and you stood before me in a chamber where you ought not stand, in a temple which you ought not enter."</s> <\|message\|>Abelard Fhundil There was no dark magic in her voice, and yet Amal could see the jewels of the outer void. Their glimmer in the light of the moon and the mesmerizing glint that begged for his fingers to grasp it. The thief almost reached out as if waking from a dream. He had never been one for histories, but the rise and fall of nations were in her tale, and even the sand beneath their feet seemed to stir as if in awe of the majesty of ages past. Amal was a reaver, slayer, murderer, and thief, but the last was the greatest of his talents. What manner of thief would he be if he did not steal the greatest jewel of the land? His eyes snapped back to reality and regarded the pythoness, realizing he had almost fallen for her honeyed words. Stygians were ever a danger to those they put into their schemes or portents, and he did not trust her. He considered his options, and realized it would be far wiser to heed his perspicacity and cut her throat here, letting this legend die with her black blood spilled in this loney tower. And yet greed was too great of a seductress to him, and he was hungry for her despite his misgivings. "My wont is to enter places I cannot go and and stand in places no man can. I have seen the serpent temples of your country, sorceress, though your kind did not know it. I saw what lay there, though I dare not speak it. I have been to the Scarlet Citadel of Koth, and escaped its clutches unscathed, though it nearly took my life." He looked at the blade of his knife as he spoke, the steel gleaming in the light of the moon. The light illuminated his dread eyes, the orbs as sharp as his whalebone dagger. Beneath them, men had come out to bandy and drink, shouting to one another in their differing tongues and laughing with great mirth. Even the most remote places in Xarames had men stumble upon it, when taken to drink. The only dangers in the city were of Amal's ilk. A knife in the dark or poison in your cup. But beneath the Emir's palace, perhaps there were more dangers than those that men could pose. He would find out, he knew. "I will play the role of what you say I am. I will take the jewel and more besides, but if you betray me, I will open your belly and leave you to bleed." He warned. Amal knew the Witch-Priestess knew the price for betrayal regardless, but he wished to make it clear. He stood up from his menacing crouch, and with a deft twist imperceptible to the eye his knife was sheathed within his shagreen belt, swathed within a softer sash that no doubt hid further dangers. "Does your prophecy tell us of an entrance, or must I find one?"</s>	<\|message\|>Anya Sorensdaughter Sythemis let out a weird shuddering sigh as he sheathed the knife. Behind her the stars seemed to grow brighter and the moon seemed to pulse for a moment like a living heart. She wrapped her arms around the thief, the motion oddly devoid of human warmth despite the soft and pleasant feel of smooth skin. "There are more sources of wisdom than that which is whispered by the stars," she told him. The priestess opened her mouth and breathed, and something silvery and smelling of sharp spices came from her mouth like a hot breath on a winter's morning. Amal had time to stiffen before paralysis locked his limbs, and his vision dimmed down to the dark pinpricks of her eyes before finally going black. When Amal awoke he was in a dungeon. Heavy iron chain had been fastened around his wrists with cunning locks. The cell was small and barred with rods of rusted iron. Festering straw, rank with filth and death covered the floor. Screams could be heard in the distance, the eerie repetition of them bespeaking madness rather than simple pain. Torches of rancid fat guttered and burned in the hallway beyond like snapping dogs. The Black Cells were immediately recognizable from legend, even if few had ever returned to describe them. The Emir's personal dungeons, deep beneath his spire. "Awake is it," a paunchy jailor asked. He had a lazy eye and a wound on his right cheek that constantly leaked some foul-smelling exudate. He cuffed at it with a filthy tunic sleeve. "The last two she brought down here died without waking," the jailers told him conversationally. "I guess this means we will have some time to have fun with you before we take your tongue and your fingers," he went on brightly. The plump man got up and hurled a chicken bone he had been gnawing on at Amal. It struck him on the chest and dropped to the floor. "That's your dinner, you should enjoy it while you still have teeth to chew," the jailer advised, the pulled up his torch and headed off down the hallway, the light fading until Amal was left in near total darkness.</s>
<\|description\|>Anya Sorensdaughter Race: Aesir Bio: Anya was born on the frozen glaciers of Asgard, the only child of the famous smith Soren Danicson. Anya was the surviving child of a pair of twins, her brother dying during childbirth. Her icy white hair, already present at birth marked her as particularly fated (for good or ill) by Ymir the Frost Giant. The shaman of the village counseled the heart broken Soren not to despair over his fallen son, and that the child's shade might yet enter Valhalla through the deeds of his sister Anya. Although women were not typically called upon to bear arms, Anya's unique doom made her a special case. From the time she could work Soren trained his daughter in all the arts of war as well as in his smith craft. By the time she was ten should could run for a full day without rest and hold her own with sword, axe or spear as well as any man of eighteen summers. She wen't on her first raid against the Vanir at age sixteen and distinguished herself as a skilled and ruthless warrior. Over the succeeding years she became a champion and a war leader, leading her own raiding parties west into Vanirheim and south against the Cummorians. She developed a reputation for attacking unexpectedly, particularly in bad weather and in the snow, and savagely pressing the attack until the enemy was shattered. When Soren Danicson was mortally wounded in a battle in the Cummorian marches, he told his daughter that the night before he had dreamed of Ymir the Frost Giant and that the time had come for her to venture out of Asgard and find the doom she had been promised. Anya left before her fathers body was cold, working her way south towards an uncertain goal, selling her sword and following the charnel call of the ravens.</s> <\|message\|>Anya Sorensdaughter Sythemis let out a weird shuddering sigh as he sheathed the knife. Behind her the stars seemed to grow brighter and the moon seemed to pulse for a moment like a living heart. She wrapped her arms around the thief, the motion oddly devoid of human warmth despite the soft and pleasant feel of smooth skin. "There are more sources of wisdom than that which is whispered by the stars," she told him. The priestess opened her mouth and breathed, and something silvery and smelling of sharp spices came from her mouth like a hot breath on a winter's morning. Amal had time to stiffen before paralysis locked his limbs, and his vision dimmed down to the dark pinpricks of her eyes before finally going black. When Amal awoke he was in a dungeon. Heavy iron chain had been fastened around his wrists with cunning locks. The cell was small and barred with rods of rusted iron. Festering straw, rank with filth and death covered the floor. Screams could be heard in the distance, the eerie repetition of them bespeaking madness rather than simple pain. Torches of rancid fat guttered and burned in the hallway beyond like snapping dogs. The Black Cells were immediately recognizable from legend, even if few had ever returned to describe them. The Emir's personal dungeons, deep beneath his spire. "Awake is it," a paunchy jailor asked. He had a lazy eye and a wound on his right cheek that constantly leaked some foul-smelling exudate. He cuffed at it with a filthy tunic sleeve. "The last two she brought down here died without waking," the jailers told him conversationally. "I guess this means we will have some time to have fun with you before we take your tongue and your fingers," he went on brightly. The plump man got up and hurled a chicken bone he had been gnawing on at Amal. It struck him on the chest and dropped to the floor. "That's your dinner, you should enjoy it while you still have teeth to chew," the jailer advised, the pulled up his torch and headed off down the hallway, the light fading until Amal was left in near total darkness.</s> <\|message\|>Abelard Fhundil What he had initially taken as a carnal endeavor had turned into somehow both a fitful and yet deep sleep. He had let his guard down, and while he hadn't paid the ultimate price, it was a hefty one. His body ached, but he still had strength in him. He spat venomous curses at the woman, wanting nothing more than to get his hands on her, and not for anything pleasant. He had gotten out of worse, though this one had particularly caught him off-guard. Amal swore he would get out of here, and when he did he would do as he said and opened her belly with his knife. Amal looked at the man as he casually tossed him a chicken bone, seeing the sneer and watching him walk away into the dank halls of the dreaded cells. As the moments passed, he felt his wrath go from overwhelming to a distant simmer, and he could think more clearly. The fat gaoler had a point. He slid his foot out of its sandal, and he felt around on the floor until his heel bumped into the chicken bone. Sliding the object between his big toe and secondary one, he lifted his leg up by its side and bit into the bone a dozen times with his molars until it snapped in half. He coughed and spat out the lesser side, and arched his back to reach his foot above his head, limber as the apes that lurked south of Kush. He did not know precisely how long he worked at the lock, but he knew the usual shemite mechanisms, and eventually the sharpened bone served as a suitable lock-pick. He felt success flood into him as the manacle snapped open, and he grinned evilly. He placed the bone in his freed hand and picked the lock of the other, and it was during this that he smelled something rotten and awful, followed by a raspy voice of one who seemed on the brink of dehydration. "What know you of the Serpent woman?" It asked. Amal looked to where he heard the voice. A lean, gangly old man with a wispy beard gripped the bars and looked at him with sullen eyes. He looked so malnourished and weaselly, Amal felt a strong breeze would break his bones and rip the beard off his pointed chin. He looked at Amal as if he was the key to the world's redemption, and it both disturbed and confused the cutthroat. The smell, he realized, was from the old man's mouth. "Know you the secret of what she seeks?" "What I know is she will die," Amal promised softly as his next manacle popped open. The bone was still sharp, and so he kept it in his hand as he got to his feet, the thews of his limbs were as ready as the day he had first murdered a man. "Do not get in my way, elder, or you will be first." "All die, thief." He croaked, reaching for Amal as if he could touch him from across the cells. "But there is more to you and the priestess. More you have yet to finish. But my task is done, though my spirit yearns for life." His last word ended in a long breath, and to Amal's horror, snakes began to slither out of the aged vagabond, his mouth, nostrils, and ears like venom pits, and his form went from lean to naught but bones and skin like rags. Amal stepped away from the spent corpse, and to his left he suddenly noticed the door to his cell was open. The old man was not reaching for Amal, but the door. He had opened it, somehow. The serpents coiled away into the darkness as Amal felt a chill run up his spine.</s> <\|message\|>Anya Sorensdaughter There was only one way up from the Black Cells. It wound up a set of basalt stairs, cut too tall for the easy tread of men, though whether to allow the egress of fouler things, or simply to make the passage harder was unclear. The stairs opened onto a room paved with the most intricate mosaic Amal could imagine. It seemed the whole of the city was picked out in tiny tiles of white ceramic, the variations from ivory to a dull brown barely enough to provide contrast. Amal realized they were human fingerbones, cut and polished flat. In the center of the room, perhaps thirty paces away, a man in a snow white robe and a blindfold as black as night sat cross legged. Here, where the Tower would have been, the fingerbones lost their flat cross section and regained themselves reaching up to grasp at the mans legs like drowning victims reaching for a hand. It was very bright, moonlight shafting down from some place impossibly far above through some clever trick of mirrors and engineering. The whole tableau seemed to glow like the stars on fresh snowfall. "Welcome thief," the robed figure said and lifted his left hand. Tendrils of light whipped around Amal's wrists and thighs. They were no solid thing but they burned like fire. Smaller tendrils spread out from their parents, coiling and hooking. "Long have I pondered the secret of the old man, and long have I wondered what this so called Stygian priestess sought. I have long known that she bent the ear of the Emir with her filthy trickery but to what end I had not yet divined," he stated, making a gesture that lifted Amal into the air. The pain grew more intense, like standing too close to a fire that was flaring hotter and hotter. "Little wonder a fool such as you should choose to aid her. You all see only how she appears on the outside, but a pleasant curve can hide things that a man might not want to see. Shall I tell you? You are after all going to die so the secret does you no good, and perhaps it might bring you some extra measure of torment in hell? Well…" The man's voice suddenly cut off as a red line appeared from ear to ear. For a moment the man seemed shocked. Then the red line began to pour down his white robe in a torrent of blood, soaking the pristine fabric in moments. "You always talked too much Antiachus," Sythemeis stated. Her hand gripped the white robed man's cowl and the knife in her hand sawed back and forth, the edge grating against the bone. The fingers on the ground spasmed as blood rained down upon them and their color darkened to black. The ebon hue began to spread from tile to tile like dye poured into clear water. The fiery ropes of light holding the thief aloft vanished as the old man, the Wizard Antiachus, coughed his death rattle. The priestess had not succeded in severing the head, despite her strenuous effort so she let the ruined corpse fall forward into the embrace of grasping fingerbones. "Run!" she called to Amal as the stain spread. "You must reach this side of the chamber without touching the black, move, for your soul dont tarry!"</s> <\|message\|>Abelard Fhundil Amal loathed sorcery. Somehow he had become engrossed with cabals of rival mystics, and he wanted nothing more to be gone from here. Or, nothing more save the jewel, and perhaps even the woman still if she proved faithful and as useful as she just was. By Bel, he would find the truth of this! The daring thief ran forward as the blackness spread, some of the liquid pouring down creases in the tiling but remained off the face of the tiles for the moment, giving him small islands to hop on. He leaped like a puncing jackal, and with the black quickly encircling him, he made a desperate jump to the left. A normal man of comfortable living would have hit the wall and broken bone, but Amal landed on the sandstone and planted his feet as if he were right-side up, and launched himself off the wall like the spring of a lock. He spun mid-air and landed roughly against the solid surface of the ground at Sythemis's feet. He bled from a small wound on his leg, naught but a scrape but he grunted from the pain and rose before her. Beside them, Antiachus's body lay still and bleeding uncontrollably, and the two thieves fled the room into the following tunnel. It was a dark corridor of dim torches and the screaming faces of demons carved into the walls. "This way," Sythemis said, but she did not make it two steps before her slender throat was grabbed and she was shoved into the wall. Amal's eyes were not cold like they had been at the tower. Here they blazed with wrath, the torch-light dancing along his rippling muscles that were even now poised to snap her neck if she made a move. "Using me, I can understand. Even respect. But throwing me into this pit without warning me first would have been your death had you not just saved me there." He told her, his voice like iron. Amal was clearly not a wizard or sorcerer of any kind, for if he could manifest his will, she would have burst into flame. "It will not save you again." He let her go, and gestured with a small tilt of his head for her to continue. Bel curse him, he did enjoy seeing her walk before him, despite his rage.</s>	<\|message\|>Anya Sorensdaughter Sythemeis gave that thief a look that said much without words but tempted though she was she chose not to argue. What good would it do to explain now that if he had tried to cross the wards the wizard had set he would have become the nine hundredth and ninety ninth set of finger bones in the collection of Antiachus the Mooncursed? "Follow man," she instructed the word 'man' laden with contempt. They climbed higher into the tower, the stairs lacking the larger than life rise of the dungeon. At intervals arched windows granted vistas of the palace gardens and the city beyond both illuminated with moonlight and winking with the cruder light of torches. They reached a great doorway and passed through. Inside a dozen guardsmen stood about a circular guard room, its floor tiled with alternating black and white wedges. "Touch them not," Sythemeis advised. The men were typical of the Emir's guard, dressed in studded tunics with silk sashes over their shoulders and belted at the waist. High boots of woven leather gave their legs a rough and unhealthy aspect. None of the guards reacted to their presence as they all stared blind and bemused up at the waxing moon. Their eyes were monochrome and pearlescent like the nacre of a shellfish. One or two of them moaned softly as they passed. "They looked upon the moon," she told Amal as though that explained everything. There was an eagerness in her voice a yearning like a thirsty man at last in sight of a broad river. "We must hurry, she swells," she explained, reaching the stairs on the other side, atop the next flight they came to a door. It was of dark wood, inlaid with golden tracery and thumb sized gems which themself would have been worth a small fortune at the gem sellers and pawn brokers. A great lock was built into its center veins of gold and silver running away from it in a hateful imitation of the sun. "No man has stepped beyond this door without a key," Sythemis explained, reaching out and touching the wood with the palm of her hand. For the first time it was tentative and uncertain as she felt the grain of the wood beneath her smooth palm. "A task for a master thief, one of three which are laid upon this tower," she told Amal, turning to look at him, her dark eyes glittering in the moonlight. "We must hurry," she repeated, "if we are not gone when the bones return Antiachus from the depths, we shall wish for a death that will not come."</s>
<\|description\|>Laki Hirata \|\| 平田ラキ Arcana Chariot Age 3rd Year High Schooler (18) Personality Traits Hardworking and decisive, Laki places great value on spending one's time intelligently. He's never idling–always reading a book, working with his hands, or earning money at a part-time job. He does have an easygoing and comedic side, but it's been largely suppressed by the urgency of his current situation. No time to relax when there's money to be made and material to study. He can easily overwork himself, but believes it's just a result of not being strong enough. Due to his mixed parentage and current situation, Laki often feels a bit put out around others. He's never looked quite like everyone else (dominant Samoan genes will do that) and his Japanese is slightly accented. Combine that with the stigma around single mothers and foreigners, well, you get the idea. Backstory Laki's life is defined by his heritage–his mother a Japan-naturalized Samoan, his father a small-town doctor. The two parents met while his father was doing humanitarian work in the Samoan islands. They fell in love, married, and eventually moved to Japan when Laki was six. Laki's mother naturalized into a Japanese citizen after five years and picked up a job as a hairdresser. Soon after, Laki's mother discovered that her husband had cheated on her, driving a crack into their relationship. Furthermore, Laki was struck by a deadly illness that confined him to a bed for almost an entire year. The fractured marriage alongside Laki's rapidly rising medical costs led to his father filing a divorce. With only the income of a hairdresser and little knowledge of Japanese, the single mother and child fell rapidly into debt. Laki recovered and focused on strengthening his body. His mother worked hard to overcome the language and cultural barrier as best she could. Things were starting to look up–until Laki's mother was struck by the Yellow Plague. Now, Laki spends almost all his time earning money to support himself, pay for his mother's treatment, and studying to make sure he doesn't drop out of school. It's only a matter of time until something goes wrong... Gear Laki is proficient in Limalama, as taught to him by his mother. He makes use of his large frame and strength in order to defend himself and subdue opponents. He hasn't practiced it in a while, though–there's no time! If he were to use a weapon, he'd probably go for a shield. Otherwise, the other thing he has going for him is his physical ability, honed through strenuous part-time work and long jogs/bike rides. He's likely the strongest a high schooler can get while balancing study, work, and training. Persona Laki's persona is Ti'i-Ti'i, the Samoan version of Hawaii's slightly-more-famous Maui. He appears as a muscular man wielding a huge fish hook carved from bone. His muscles are covered in swirling tattoos that glow with ethereal light. Some famous achievements of his include bringing fire to mankind, hauling islands to their proper places, and lassoing the sun itself. Persona Abilities Ti'i-Ti'i focuses on destroying enemies with physical damage, shaping the earth with his might, and protecting allies through buffs.</s> <\|message\|>Yuuhei Seiho Yuuhei Seiho --- As it turned out, the walk from his thinking bench back to the dorm was far too long for Yuuhei to be able to keep his mind off the topic he had just resolved to put on the back burner. But come on, could you really blame him? His juniors at the newspaper club were handling the welcoming fluff pieces for the first issue - which they had sworn was because they wanted the experience rather than their lack of trust in him to take it seriously - and it wasn't like there were any other particularly juicy stories cropping up just yet. So what was a guy to do other than focus his abundant reserves of energy on the current puzzle in front of him? With a deep intake of the brisk April air to collect himself, Yuuhei once again flipped open his notebook straight to the page containing his notes on Yellow Plague. One line in particular stuck out to him more than others, as its wording had been painstakingly explicit whenever it had come up in his initial investigation. He walked briskly through the spring soaked school grounds with his face all but buried in the small bundle of papers, his head cocking from side to side in an all too literal effort to look at the scrap of information from different angles. But no matter how he looked at it, it just seemed all too out of place to Yuuhei. In just about any other scenario, writing it off as nonsense born from small-town syndrome seemed like the only logical conclusion. Yet he couldn't bring himself to do just that due to the fact that the exact wording for it had been used in multiple tellings of the rumor. But even with his barely above middling grades, Yuuhei couldn't figure out how, much less why, a disease would care about how virtuous its victim was. His free hand reached for the handle to the dorms unconsciously, as him wandering through the school on auto-pilot while his mind was tied up elsewhere had become second nature. Yuuhei's sharp brown eyes peeked over the top of his notebook, which he had taken to rotating every which way to mirror whichever position he had cocked his head, only to land on the group of male students that he instantly realized was where he should have been a good five minutes ago. It was hard to tell if Yamada-sensei had noticed him stumble upon the group, as the young teacher was busy handing out keys to the assembled crowd, so with all the grace of a breaching whale Yuuhei plopped down on one of the newly vacated couches. Next to him was Laki Hirata, who he instantly recognized despite having never met before due to the guy's foreign features and relatively monstrous physique. Now while Yuuhei was constantly drawing from a nearly bottomless well of confidence, even he couldn't help but feel tiny next to him. But seeing as how he hadn't gotten up with the rest of the students, Yuuhei figured that the guy was in the same boat as him and had moved in earlier. And thus, the perfect person to question. "So did I miss anything good or was it just business as usual?" he easily asked the big guy with an equally easygoing grin. Yuuhei didn't have much on Hirata, as he wasn't part of any clubs and hadn't stirred up any real trouble, but his gut was already feeling like he fell more on the gentle giant side of things. And he was proud to say that his instincts when it came to people's nature were right about twenty percent of the time on a good day. "Ah, right, manners." And for the first time in a while, Yuuhei actually sounded a bit sheepish. But that was part of the problem with keeping up with so many different people, as sometimes it became difficult to keep track of who you have and have not gotten around to introducing yourself to. I'm Seiho Yuuhei by the way."</s> <\|message\|>Laki Hirata \|\| 平田ラキ --- It took a moment for Laki to realize that Seiho was talking to him. "Ah, Seiho. You were in my class last year, but we didn't talk much at all, did we?" And thank God for that. Laki didn't have a problem with Seiho–the guy was friendly to basically everyone and wasn't bothersome. However, Laki had heard about Seiho asking around about the Yellow Plague. He couldn't have Seiho dropping any information or acciedentally spreading any rumors around. It certainly didn't help that the rumors involved the idea of "sin," that those who were affected by the Plague had committed some sort of misdeed to warrant their affliction. His mother already suffered enough–a damaged reputation would just be fuel for the fire. Plus, he couldn't have any of the teachers finding out about his part-time jobs. Kenkōichi let their students work, yes, but certainly not the amount of time that Laki did. If the school found out that he was bending local labor laws, he could even get suspended. His mother would be deeply disappointed if that happened. "An investment in knowledge pays the best interest," she'd say, quoting either a revolutionary inventor or a musical lyricist–Laki could never remember which. Laki had to choose his words carefully. He bookmarked his book and laid it in his lap. "In case you forgot, I'm Hirata Laki. What were you up to, coming in late like that?"</s> <\|message\|>Caelum Grove --- --- Receptionist or not, whoever the thin japanese woman was had been well-informed. She had instructed him to simply wait till 11 AM. Had told him with a tad bit of suspicion that his advisor was around in the lobby somewhere amongst the other early-arrivals. Caelum thanked her with an appreciative bow and the pulled-tight lips of one aware of his station. He had never gotten used to that subtle but all dominating sense of formality. It could be suffocating at times; pushing him further and further into prudence. It resulted in him speaking far less than he normally would and airing on the side of caution. For a time he sat on one of the couches, waiting and watching as others filed in and settled down. He glanced up at whom he had assumed was the advisor. He had this concrete formality about him, they all did. Society had done its part and that man had carried it on him like a thin veil. ~* ~* ~* Caelum had his hands folded on his rolling trunk between his legs, satisfied with the advisor's introduction and his rooming accommodations. None of that applies to me for now. He sighed as if exhausted, not completely sure as to why. First thing I wanna do is find the kendo room. After I put my stuff up that's what I'll do. Get a lay out of the campus too. He hefted his trunk up off the ground and started for the stairs. Not as if anyone is gonna wanna talk to me anyway, he reassured himself, feeling the slight burn in his arms already.</s> <\|message\|>Naoka Toba \|\| 鳥羽直花 --- --- Sorting out the mess on her floor had taken longer than she'd expected. It probably would've been quicker if she didn't just dump everything on the floor, honestly. But by the time she realised that, it was already too late. Naoka stood up from where she'd been sitting next to her shelves and yawned. She'd been at it for a while. She wasn't too surprised, she always took forever to clean stuff. It was just a waste to get things all neat and organised only for them to become a mess again in a week. She picked up her bag and decided to head down, maybe she'd run into one of her friends and she could pick up that coffee she'd been longing for. Making her way down the stairs, Naoka checked her phone. No texts. Everyone was probably too busy getting settled in to chat and her parents were already at work. They worked such long hours that even when she was at home, she hardly saw them. Staying at the dorms didn't change much. Naoka entered the lobby. A some people had already congregated, a few she recognised, most she didn't. She'd already picked up her key, so she didn't really need to stick around and so continued walking to the great outdoors. The weather was good, with any luck it'd stay that way. There weren't a lot of people outside, but the one that stuck out the most was a blonde girl pulling around a suitcase. Was it natural? It was an international school, so she could just be foreign. Cautiously approaching the girl, she definitely wasn't anyone Naoka recognised. A first-year, most likely. Well, if there was anything Naoka wanted to do, it was to make a good first impression on her underclassmen. "Excuse me," she said, approaching cautiously. "I'm Toba Naoka, one of the third years here. Do you need any help?"</s> <\|message\|>Yuuhei Seiho Yuuhei Seiho --- Hirata's rather innocuous question earned him an unsettlingly mischievous grin from Yuuhei. The blond leaned in conspiratorially with his beefy classmate, looking every bit the part of a guy that was about to spill the secrets of the very world itself. "Well you see," he started quietly, dangling his notebook in front of Hirata expectantly, "I've been chasing down a story over our break, but I just can't seem to get anywhere with it. I've searched high and low, but all I've dug up so far is a bunch of hearsay that even I'm not crazy enough to print." But rather than seem defeated, Yuuhei all but glowed from discussing his utter failure to produce results. "So after I finished unpacking this morning, I hit the bricks and spent the rest of my morning asking around to see if anybody has heard about Yellow Plague." As soon as the phrase passed his lips, Yuuhei's playful eyes immediately focused in on Hirata's expression with intense scrutiny, searching for any kind of reaction from his classmate. Because even if he hadn't intended to drag Hirata into his investigation when he had sat down, Yuuhei simply wasn't the kind to pass up opportunities that gift-wrapped themselves for him like this. The critical look only lasted a few moments though, as regardless of what he saw he shrugged it off with a small laugh. "Ended up completely forgetting that I was supposed to be here at eleven though and all I got out of it were the uncomfortable looks of my cute juniors that I'm sure will haunt my dreams," he finished without the slightest trace of remorse in him. And with his small story finally done, Yuuhei leaned back into the couch and made himself comfortable. But rather than just leave it at that, he leveled another pointed look at his classmate. "So your turn Hirata, ya hear anything interesting lately?"</s>	<\|message\|>Laki Hirata \|\| 平田ラキ "...spent the rest of my morning asking around to see if anybody has heard about Yellow Plague." For all his internal posturing about revealing nothing, Laki's face tightened. Did he know? Did he notice Laki's discomfort? He tried to rearrange his features into something of a neutral expression. Breathing is fun. I like to breathe. Just think about breathing. Seiho seemed to continue on without a care in the world for how Laki reacted. He probably didn't know. He was just making small talk. He was definitely making small talk. No doubt about it. "So your turn Hirata, ya hear anything interesting lately?" Did he mean about the Plague? Small talk, Laki. Small talk... Nothing else. "Nothing in particular. I've been sequestered at home all summer–haven't gotten a chance to really chat with anyone." The statement was at least partially true. Laki certainly hadn't talked with any of his classmates all summer, save for a few close run-ins with them near the construction site where he worked. He had to steer the conversation away from any dangerous territory. "How about you? What'd you get up to over the summer? Do anything with the club?" Renard</s>
<\|description\|>Laki Hirata \|\| 平田ラキ Arcana Chariot Age 3rd Year High Schooler (18) Personality Traits Hardworking and decisive, Laki places great value on spending one's time intelligently. He's never idling–always reading a book, working with his hands, or earning money at a part-time job. He does have an easygoing and comedic side, but it's been largely suppressed by the urgency of his current situation. No time to relax when there's money to be made and material to study. He can easily overwork himself, but believes it's just a result of not being strong enough. Due to his mixed parentage and current situation, Laki often feels a bit put out around others. He's never looked quite like everyone else (dominant Samoan genes will do that) and his Japanese is slightly accented. Combine that with the stigma around single mothers and foreigners, well, you get the idea. Backstory Laki's life is defined by his heritage–his mother a Japan-naturalized Samoan, his father a small-town doctor. The two parents met while his father was doing humanitarian work in the Samoan islands. They fell in love, married, and eventually moved to Japan when Laki was six. Laki's mother naturalized into a Japanese citizen after five years and picked up a job as a hairdresser. Soon after, Laki's mother discovered that her husband had cheated on her, driving a crack into their relationship. Furthermore, Laki was struck by a deadly illness that confined him to a bed for almost an entire year. The fractured marriage alongside Laki's rapidly rising medical costs led to his father filing a divorce. With only the income of a hairdresser and little knowledge of Japanese, the single mother and child fell rapidly into debt. Laki recovered and focused on strengthening his body. His mother worked hard to overcome the language and cultural barrier as best she could. Things were starting to look up–until Laki's mother was struck by the Yellow Plague. Now, Laki spends almost all his time earning money to support himself, pay for his mother's treatment, and studying to make sure he doesn't drop out of school. It's only a matter of time until something goes wrong... Gear Laki is proficient in Limalama, as taught to him by his mother. He makes use of his large frame and strength in order to defend himself and subdue opponents. He hasn't practiced it in a while, though–there's no time! If he were to use a weapon, he'd probably go for a shield. Otherwise, the other thing he has going for him is his physical ability, honed through strenuous part-time work and long jogs/bike rides. He's likely the strongest a high schooler can get while balancing study, work, and training. Persona Laki's persona is Ti'i-Ti'i, the Samoan version of Hawaii's slightly-more-famous Maui. He appears as a muscular man wielding a huge fish hook carved from bone. His muscles are covered in swirling tattoos that glow with ethereal light. Some famous achievements of his include bringing fire to mankind, hauling islands to their proper places, and lassoing the sun itself. Persona Abilities Ti'i-Ti'i focuses on destroying enemies with physical damage, shaping the earth with his might, and protecting allies through buffs.</s> <\|message\|>Naoka Toba \|\| 鳥羽直花 --- --- Sorting out the mess on her floor had taken longer than she'd expected. It probably would've been quicker if she didn't just dump everything on the floor, honestly. But by the time she realised that, it was already too late. Naoka stood up from where she'd been sitting next to her shelves and yawned. She'd been at it for a while. She wasn't too surprised, she always took forever to clean stuff. It was just a waste to get things all neat and organised only for them to become a mess again in a week. She picked up her bag and decided to head down, maybe she'd run into one of her friends and she could pick up that coffee she'd been longing for. Making her way down the stairs, Naoka checked her phone. No texts. Everyone was probably too busy getting settled in to chat and her parents were already at work. They worked such long hours that even when she was at home, she hardly saw them. Staying at the dorms didn't change much. Naoka entered the lobby. A some people had already congregated, a few she recognised, most she didn't. She'd already picked up her key, so she didn't really need to stick around and so continued walking to the great outdoors. The weather was good, with any luck it'd stay that way. There weren't a lot of people outside, but the one that stuck out the most was a blonde girl pulling around a suitcase. Was it natural? It was an international school, so she could just be foreign. Cautiously approaching the girl, she definitely wasn't anyone Naoka recognised. A first-year, most likely. Well, if there was anything Naoka wanted to do, it was to make a good first impression on her underclassmen. "Excuse me," she said, approaching cautiously. "I'm Toba Naoka, one of the third years here. Do you need any help?"</s> <\|message\|>Yuuhei Seiho Yuuhei Seiho --- Hirata's rather innocuous question earned him an unsettlingly mischievous grin from Yuuhei. The blond leaned in conspiratorially with his beefy classmate, looking every bit the part of a guy that was about to spill the secrets of the very world itself. "Well you see," he started quietly, dangling his notebook in front of Hirata expectantly, "I've been chasing down a story over our break, but I just can't seem to get anywhere with it. I've searched high and low, but all I've dug up so far is a bunch of hearsay that even I'm not crazy enough to print." But rather than seem defeated, Yuuhei all but glowed from discussing his utter failure to produce results. "So after I finished unpacking this morning, I hit the bricks and spent the rest of my morning asking around to see if anybody has heard about Yellow Plague." As soon as the phrase passed his lips, Yuuhei's playful eyes immediately focused in on Hirata's expression with intense scrutiny, searching for any kind of reaction from his classmate. Because even if he hadn't intended to drag Hirata into his investigation when he had sat down, Yuuhei simply wasn't the kind to pass up opportunities that gift-wrapped themselves for him like this. The critical look only lasted a few moments though, as regardless of what he saw he shrugged it off with a small laugh. "Ended up completely forgetting that I was supposed to be here at eleven though and all I got out of it were the uncomfortable looks of my cute juniors that I'm sure will haunt my dreams," he finished without the slightest trace of remorse in him. And with his small story finally done, Yuuhei leaned back into the couch and made himself comfortable. But rather than just leave it at that, he leveled another pointed look at his classmate. "So your turn Hirata, ya hear anything interesting lately?"</s> <\|message\|>Laki Hirata \|\| 平田ラキ --- "...spent the rest of my morning asking around to see if anybody has heard about Yellow Plague." For all his internal posturing about revealing nothing, Laki's face tightened. Did he know? Did he notice Laki's discomfort? He tried to rearrange his features into something of a neutral expression. Breathing is fun. I like to breathe. Just think about breathing. Seiho seemed to continue on without a care in the world for how Laki reacted. He probably didn't know. He was just making small talk. He was definitely making small talk. No doubt about it. "So your turn Hirata, ya hear anything interesting lately?" Did he mean about the Plague? Small talk, Laki. Small talk... Nothing else. "Nothing in particular. I've been sequestered at home all summer–haven't gotten a chance to really chat with anyone." The statement was at least partially true. Laki certainly hadn't talked with any of his classmates all summer, save for a few close run-ins with them near the construction site where he worked. He had to steer the conversation away from any dangerous territory. "How about you? What'd you get up to over the summer? Do anything with the club?" Renard</s> <\|message\|>Caelum Grove --- --- His room was as expected and he knew it'd take little time for him to straighten it out when got back. He rolled the trunk to the foot of his bed. There was stuff that he could do or rather should do. His uncle would tell him to be a step ahead of the 'now'-- whatever that meant. He eyed his phone as he traveled back down the stairs, through the throng of conversing students. He let his free arm swing by his side, fist loosely balled. He didn't have any messages from his Uncle, that was either good or really bad. He slid the phone into his pocket and headed out of the dorm. "Now to have a look around." He smiled pleasantly to himself at his next thought. "I wonder how long it'll take me before I'll have to ask for direction."</s> <\|message\|>Sawajiri Touka --- Toba Naoka. It was a significant name! and from a significant senpai as well! Touka blinked, as if forcing herself to focus. Being distracted by her train of thought was normal. After all, she was only really ever focused on stage. There were some small concerns in her head, but most of it was vapid, banal assumptions. She thought to smile wide as she addressed Naoka in a timely and polite fashion. "Oh, thank you, Toba-senpai! I'm, just, guess I might've overpacked. I'm Sawajiri Touka, I'm a first year. Suppose you already knew that, though. You seem to have everything together, helping underclassmen like me and all."</s> <\|message\|>Naoka Toba \|\| 鳥羽直花 --- --- "Oh, I'm really- not at all- well, if you say so," Naoka said, slightly flushed. "But, overpacked? I'm not too sure about that." She looked at Sawajiri's suitcase. Was it even half as much stuff as she'd brought herself? She'd basically moved her entire room over. "There's a lot of space in the rooms, so you don't need to worry. Though you can always pick up extra stuff over holidays or get your parents to drop it off." She gave Sawajiri the most welcoming smile she could muster. "The lobby's over there," Naoka said, motioning to where the entrance was. There were already a few other people coming out of it. "Pick up your room key, put your stuff away and then you've got the rest of the day free. Is there anything else I can help you with? It's no trouble at all." Naoka hoped she was making a good first impression. It would be nice to be popular with the first years. She could be the cool, mature senpai... She was getting a little ahead of herself, wasn't she?</s> <\|message\|>Yuuhei Seiho Yuuhei Seiho --- Yuuhei let Hirata's string of questions hang in the air for a few awful moments as a knowing smirk took over his features. That small reaction that he had managed to coax out of Hirata had only proven that the big guy had at least heard of Yellow Plague. Now, whether he actually knew anything new or interesting about it Yuuhei couldn't be sure, but the way that Hirata had sharply swerved the conversation away from himself was certainly making the blond wonder. The silence couldn't last though, as this was probably his last chance to steer them back towards what he actually wanted to talk about. "As much as it pains me to say out loud, it was mostly just me running around town being a nuisance. Especially since my club all but disappears over breaks." Except this wasn't his only chance to get something juicy out of Hirata. And besides, the big guy already seemed to be on guard so there was a very real chance that he would simply clam up rather than spill anything useful. So for now, he would put a pin in this conversation and come back to it when he was confident that he would get the results that he wanted. Yuuhei's usual big goofy smile returned in force now that his mind was made up. "But don't worry, I'm sure there will be plenty of excitement to be found this year. I'll just have to keep tipping over the right stones and see what turns up." And just like that, Laki Hirata had gone from being an individual that Yuuhei had never really given a second thought about to his prime person of interest in his investigation.</s>	<\|message\|>Laki Hirata \|\| 平田ラキ "But don't worry, I'm sure there will be plenty of excitement to be found this year. I'll just have to keep tipping over the right stones and see what turns up." "Heh. Yeah, I suppose you do." Laki's mouth was moving independently of his brain at this point. There was still a chance that Seiho was just fooling around, but it seemed to be dwindling faster than an ice cream cone on a hot summer day. He didn't hold it against Seiho, though. The guy just wanted to know more about the Plague–which was totally understandable. Everyone wanted to know more about the Plague. It just so happened that Laki was one of the best people to ask about it. Nothing but circumstance had led them to this point. But what if it wasn't? Gotta get it together. Stay composed. Think it through. Seiho had been asking people all morning about the Plague. Laki just happened to be one of those people. It was a little weird that Seiho had just approached Laki right out of nowhere, but it seemd to follow his modus operandi–Seiho likely already had any information he could get from people he knew. Of course he'd have to pester those he didn't. He was just chasing the unknown. Unless, of course, he was lying about asking people all morning and had only approached Laki specifically because he knew something about Laki's situation. No, no, that line of thinking won't get me anywhere. Laki had never heard anything about Seiho being anything less than a little bit annoying with his questions. He wouldn't lie like that to get information. Probably. I'm reading into it too much. Just gotta have faith in my classmates. Laki sighed and leaned back in his seat. It'd be best to just act normally for now. "I hope you find something out soon. Seems like the whole town is looking for information at this point." Renard</s>
<\|description\|>Yuuhei Seiho Yuuhei Seiho Arcana The Magician Age 17 Personality Traits While there is an entire slew of disparaging words that can be used to describe Yuuhei, most people would agree that the one that does the job best is determined. Because underneath his relentlessly upbeat spirit and love for dramatic displays is a guy that will stop at nothing to get to the bottom of any interesting stories that come his way. This all naturally combines to make for a rather off-putting individual for a good chunk of the academy's more respectable students, but the aura of self-confidence that he gives off unabashedly carries on in stride. And although Yuuhei may simply seem like an impulsive individual, that's only mostly the case. Because in the end, he is fully capable of meticulously weighing the pros and cons of any given decision, he just almost always chooses the option that seems more entertaining despite all of that. And to top that off, despite his affable demeanor Yuuhei is inherently free-spirited and rarely if ever looks to others for help. Backstory Born as the only child to two complete workaholics, Yuuhei was your typical latchkey kid growing up. That's not to say that his parents were abusive by any stretch of the imagination, just rarely present. The upside to his living situation meant that money was rarely a concern for him growing up, even if his family could never count themselves among the upper crust of society. Honestly though, if you were to ask him about it he would simply shrug and say that it isn't nearly as big of a deal as it sounds. There's really not much to say about Yuuhei before he started high school. He was quiet and unremarkable, with shallow and low stakes friendships to match. But that of course changed after entering Kenkōichi International Academy and getting more or less coerced into joining the school's esteemed Newspaper Club. His first year as a member saw him come out of his shell and spark his desire to chase after things he found interesting. His second solidified his love for the dramatic and was when he was handed the reins as the club's president. Now entering his third year at the Academy and Yuuhei has managed to cultivate quite the reputation for himself. With the old president stepping down halfway through the previous year to focus on college exams, her replacement has proven to be far more boisterous and relentless in his methods when it comes to chasing down leads. So much so that teachers are finding it harder and harder to ignore the new direction the once prestigious club seems to be heading. Whether you love him or hate him, plenty of students have at least heard of some of Yuuhei's more ridiculous antics. And if you are at all interesting, he has likely heard about you. Gear With no real physique to speak of, Yuuhei is hilariously unsuited for close-range fights. However, he is pretty handy with darts, as he somehow has managed to get away with playing with them in the clubroom without them getting confiscated. It remains to be seen if this talent extends to any other kind of thrown projectiles though. When it comes to his day to day essentials though, you'll never catch the boy leaving home without his pocket-sized digital camera or the little notebook into which he jots down all sorts of tidbits of info that sport varying degrees of usefulness. Persona The Wizard of Oz Persona Abilities As the greatest conman of Oz, the demon focuses on debilitating foes with parlor tricks rather than crushing them with sheer magical might. To accomplish this, the sleazy magician employs pyrotechnics in the form of [Agi], wows them into a tizzy with [Dazzler], and prevents them from catching him during his escape with [Sukunda].</s> <\|message\|>Yuuhei Seiho Yuuhei Seiho --- As it turned out, the walk from his thinking bench back to the dorm was far too long for Yuuhei to be able to keep his mind off the topic he had just resolved to put on the back burner. But come on, could you really blame him? His juniors at the newspaper club were handling the welcoming fluff pieces for the first issue - which they had sworn was because they wanted the experience rather than their lack of trust in him to take it seriously - and it wasn't like there were any other particularly juicy stories cropping up just yet. So what was a guy to do other than focus his abundant reserves of energy on the current puzzle in front of him? With a deep intake of the brisk April air to collect himself, Yuuhei once again flipped open his notebook straight to the page containing his notes on Yellow Plague. One line in particular stuck out to him more than others, as its wording had been painstakingly explicit whenever it had come up in his initial investigation. He walked briskly through the spring soaked school grounds with his face all but buried in the small bundle of papers, his head cocking from side to side in an all too literal effort to look at the scrap of information from different angles. But no matter how he looked at it, it just seemed all too out of place to Yuuhei. In just about any other scenario, writing it off as nonsense born from small-town syndrome seemed like the only logical conclusion. Yet he couldn't bring himself to do just that due to the fact that the exact wording for it had been used in multiple tellings of the rumor. But even with his barely above middling grades, Yuuhei couldn't figure out how, much less why, a disease would care about how virtuous its victim was. His free hand reached for the handle to the dorms unconsciously, as him wandering through the school on auto-pilot while his mind was tied up elsewhere had become second nature. Yuuhei's sharp brown eyes peeked over the top of his notebook, which he had taken to rotating every which way to mirror whichever position he had cocked his head, only to land on the group of male students that he instantly realized was where he should have been a good five minutes ago. It was hard to tell if Yamada-sensei had noticed him stumble upon the group, as the young teacher was busy handing out keys to the assembled crowd, so with all the grace of a breaching whale Yuuhei plopped down on one of the newly vacated couches. Next to him was Laki Hirata, who he instantly recognized despite having never met before due to the guy's foreign features and relatively monstrous physique. Now while Yuuhei was constantly drawing from a nearly bottomless well of confidence, even he couldn't help but feel tiny next to him. But seeing as how he hadn't gotten up with the rest of the students, Yuuhei figured that the guy was in the same boat as him and had moved in earlier. And thus, the perfect person to question. "So did I miss anything good or was it just business as usual?" he easily asked the big guy with an equally easygoing grin. Yuuhei didn't have much on Hirata, as he wasn't part of any clubs and hadn't stirred up any real trouble, but his gut was already feeling like he fell more on the gentle giant side of things. And he was proud to say that his instincts when it came to people's nature were right about twenty percent of the time on a good day. "Ah, right, manners." And for the first time in a while, Yuuhei actually sounded a bit sheepish. But that was part of the problem with keeping up with so many different people, as sometimes it became difficult to keep track of who you have and have not gotten around to introducing yourself to. I'm Seiho Yuuhei by the way."</s> <\|message\|>Laki Hirata \|\| 平田ラキ --- It took a moment for Laki to realize that Seiho was talking to him. "Ah, Seiho. You were in my class last year, but we didn't talk much at all, did we?" And thank God for that. Laki didn't have a problem with Seiho–the guy was friendly to basically everyone and wasn't bothersome. However, Laki had heard about Seiho asking around about the Yellow Plague. He couldn't have Seiho dropping any information or acciedentally spreading any rumors around. It certainly didn't help that the rumors involved the idea of "sin," that those who were affected by the Plague had committed some sort of misdeed to warrant their affliction. His mother already suffered enough–a damaged reputation would just be fuel for the fire. Plus, he couldn't have any of the teachers finding out about his part-time jobs. Kenkōichi let their students work, yes, but certainly not the amount of time that Laki did. If the school found out that he was bending local labor laws, he could even get suspended. His mother would be deeply disappointed if that happened. "An investment in knowledge pays the best interest," she'd say, quoting either a revolutionary inventor or a musical lyricist–Laki could never remember which. Laki had to choose his words carefully. He bookmarked his book and laid it in his lap. "In case you forgot, I'm Hirata Laki. What were you up to, coming in late like that?"</s> <\|message\|>Caelum Grove --- --- Receptionist or not, whoever the thin japanese woman was had been well-informed. She had instructed him to simply wait till 11 AM. Had told him with a tad bit of suspicion that his advisor was around in the lobby somewhere amongst the other early-arrivals. Caelum thanked her with an appreciative bow and the pulled-tight lips of one aware of his station. He had never gotten used to that subtle but all dominating sense of formality. It could be suffocating at times; pushing him further and further into prudence. It resulted in him speaking far less than he normally would and airing on the side of caution. For a time he sat on one of the couches, waiting and watching as others filed in and settled down. He glanced up at whom he had assumed was the advisor. He had this concrete formality about him, they all did. Society had done its part and that man had carried it on him like a thin veil. ~* ~* ~* Caelum had his hands folded on his rolling trunk between his legs, satisfied with the advisor's introduction and his rooming accommodations. None of that applies to me for now. He sighed as if exhausted, not completely sure as to why. First thing I wanna do is find the kendo room. After I put my stuff up that's what I'll do. Get a lay out of the campus too. He hefted his trunk up off the ground and started for the stairs. Not as if anyone is gonna wanna talk to me anyway, he reassured himself, feeling the slight burn in his arms already.</s> <\|message\|>Naoka Toba \|\| 鳥羽直花 --- --- Sorting out the mess on her floor had taken longer than she'd expected. It probably would've been quicker if she didn't just dump everything on the floor, honestly. But by the time she realised that, it was already too late. Naoka stood up from where she'd been sitting next to her shelves and yawned. She'd been at it for a while. She wasn't too surprised, she always took forever to clean stuff. It was just a waste to get things all neat and organised only for them to become a mess again in a week. She picked up her bag and decided to head down, maybe she'd run into one of her friends and she could pick up that coffee she'd been longing for. Making her way down the stairs, Naoka checked her phone. No texts. Everyone was probably too busy getting settled in to chat and her parents were already at work. They worked such long hours that even when she was at home, she hardly saw them. Staying at the dorms didn't change much. Naoka entered the lobby. A some people had already congregated, a few she recognised, most she didn't. She'd already picked up her key, so she didn't really need to stick around and so continued walking to the great outdoors. The weather was good, with any luck it'd stay that way. There weren't a lot of people outside, but the one that stuck out the most was a blonde girl pulling around a suitcase. Was it natural? It was an international school, so she could just be foreign. Cautiously approaching the girl, she definitely wasn't anyone Naoka recognised. A first-year, most likely. Well, if there was anything Naoka wanted to do, it was to make a good first impression on her underclassmen. "Excuse me," she said, approaching cautiously. "I'm Toba Naoka, one of the third years here. Do you need any help?"</s>	<\|message\|>Yuuhei Seiho Hirata's rather innocuous question earned him an unsettlingly mischievous grin from Yuuhei. The blond leaned in conspiratorially with his beefy classmate, looking every bit the part of a guy that was about to spill the secrets of the very world itself. "Well you see," he started quietly, dangling his notebook in front of Hirata expectantly, "I've been chasing down a story over our break, but I just can't seem to get anywhere with it. I've searched high and low, but all I've dug up so far is a bunch of hearsay that even I'm not crazy enough to print." But rather than seem defeated, Yuuhei all but glowed from discussing his utter failure to produce results. "So after I finished unpacking this morning, I hit the bricks and spent the rest of my morning asking around to see if anybody has heard about Yellow Plague." As soon as the phrase passed his lips, Yuuhei's playful eyes immediately focused in on Hirata's expression with intense scrutiny, searching for any kind of reaction from his classmate. Because even if he hadn't intended to drag Hirata into his investigation when he had sat down, Yuuhei simply wasn't the kind to pass up opportunities that gift-wrapped themselves for him like this. The critical look only lasted a few moments though, as regardless of what he saw he shrugged it off with a small laugh. "Ended up completely forgetting that I was supposed to be here at eleven though and all I got out of it were the uncomfortable looks of my cute juniors that I'm sure will haunt my dreams," he finished without the slightest trace of remorse in him. And with his small story finally done, Yuuhei leaned back into the couch and made himself comfortable. But rather than just leave it at that, he leveled another pointed look at his classmate. "So your turn Hirata, ya hear anything interesting lately?"</s>
<\|description\|>Yuuhei Seiho Yuuhei Seiho Arcana The Magician Age 17 Personality Traits While there is an entire slew of disparaging words that can be used to describe Yuuhei, most people would agree that the one that does the job best is determined. Because underneath his relentlessly upbeat spirit and love for dramatic displays is a guy that will stop at nothing to get to the bottom of any interesting stories that come his way. This all naturally combines to make for a rather off-putting individual for a good chunk of the academy's more respectable students, but the aura of self-confidence that he gives off unabashedly carries on in stride. And although Yuuhei may simply seem like an impulsive individual, that's only mostly the case. Because in the end, he is fully capable of meticulously weighing the pros and cons of any given decision, he just almost always chooses the option that seems more entertaining despite all of that. And to top that off, despite his affable demeanor Yuuhei is inherently free-spirited and rarely if ever looks to others for help. Backstory Born as the only child to two complete workaholics, Yuuhei was your typical latchkey kid growing up. That's not to say that his parents were abusive by any stretch of the imagination, just rarely present. The upside to his living situation meant that money was rarely a concern for him growing up, even if his family could never count themselves among the upper crust of society. Honestly though, if you were to ask him about it he would simply shrug and say that it isn't nearly as big of a deal as it sounds. There's really not much to say about Yuuhei before he started high school. He was quiet and unremarkable, with shallow and low stakes friendships to match. But that of course changed after entering Kenkōichi International Academy and getting more or less coerced into joining the school's esteemed Newspaper Club. His first year as a member saw him come out of his shell and spark his desire to chase after things he found interesting. His second solidified his love for the dramatic and was when he was handed the reins as the club's president. Now entering his third year at the Academy and Yuuhei has managed to cultivate quite the reputation for himself. With the old president stepping down halfway through the previous year to focus on college exams, her replacement has proven to be far more boisterous and relentless in his methods when it comes to chasing down leads. So much so that teachers are finding it harder and harder to ignore the new direction the once prestigious club seems to be heading. Whether you love him or hate him, plenty of students have at least heard of some of Yuuhei's more ridiculous antics. And if you are at all interesting, he has likely heard about you. Gear With no real physique to speak of, Yuuhei is hilariously unsuited for close-range fights. However, he is pretty handy with darts, as he somehow has managed to get away with playing with them in the clubroom without them getting confiscated. It remains to be seen if this talent extends to any other kind of thrown projectiles though. When it comes to his day to day essentials though, you'll never catch the boy leaving home without his pocket-sized digital camera or the little notebook into which he jots down all sorts of tidbits of info that sport varying degrees of usefulness. Persona The Wizard of Oz Persona Abilities As the greatest conman of Oz, the demon focuses on debilitating foes with parlor tricks rather than crushing them with sheer magical might. To accomplish this, the sleazy magician employs pyrotechnics in the form of [Agi], wows them into a tizzy with [Dazzler], and prevents them from catching him during his escape with [Sukunda].</s> <\|message\|>Caelum Grove --- --- Receptionist or not, whoever the thin japanese woman was had been well-informed. She had instructed him to simply wait till 11 AM. Had told him with a tad bit of suspicion that his advisor was around in the lobby somewhere amongst the other early-arrivals. Caelum thanked her with an appreciative bow and the pulled-tight lips of one aware of his station. He had never gotten used to that subtle but all dominating sense of formality. It could be suffocating at times; pushing him further and further into prudence. It resulted in him speaking far less than he normally would and airing on the side of caution. For a time he sat on one of the couches, waiting and watching as others filed in and settled down. He glanced up at whom he had assumed was the advisor. He had this concrete formality about him, they all did. Society had done its part and that man had carried it on him like a thin veil. ~* ~* ~* Caelum had his hands folded on his rolling trunk between his legs, satisfied with the advisor's introduction and his rooming accommodations. None of that applies to me for now. He sighed as if exhausted, not completely sure as to why. First thing I wanna do is find the kendo room. After I put my stuff up that's what I'll do. Get a lay out of the campus too. He hefted his trunk up off the ground and started for the stairs. Not as if anyone is gonna wanna talk to me anyway, he reassured himself, feeling the slight burn in his arms already.</s> <\|message\|>Naoka Toba \|\| 鳥羽直花 --- --- Sorting out the mess on her floor had taken longer than she'd expected. It probably would've been quicker if she didn't just dump everything on the floor, honestly. But by the time she realised that, it was already too late. Naoka stood up from where she'd been sitting next to her shelves and yawned. She'd been at it for a while. She wasn't too surprised, she always took forever to clean stuff. It was just a waste to get things all neat and organised only for them to become a mess again in a week. She picked up her bag and decided to head down, maybe she'd run into one of her friends and she could pick up that coffee she'd been longing for. Making her way down the stairs, Naoka checked her phone. No texts. Everyone was probably too busy getting settled in to chat and her parents were already at work. They worked such long hours that even when she was at home, she hardly saw them. Staying at the dorms didn't change much. Naoka entered the lobby. A some people had already congregated, a few she recognised, most she didn't. She'd already picked up her key, so she didn't really need to stick around and so continued walking to the great outdoors. The weather was good, with any luck it'd stay that way. There weren't a lot of people outside, but the one that stuck out the most was a blonde girl pulling around a suitcase. Was it natural? It was an international school, so she could just be foreign. Cautiously approaching the girl, she definitely wasn't anyone Naoka recognised. A first-year, most likely. Well, if there was anything Naoka wanted to do, it was to make a good first impression on her underclassmen. "Excuse me," she said, approaching cautiously. "I'm Toba Naoka, one of the third years here. Do you need any help?"</s> <\|message\|>Yuuhei Seiho Yuuhei Seiho --- Hirata's rather innocuous question earned him an unsettlingly mischievous grin from Yuuhei. The blond leaned in conspiratorially with his beefy classmate, looking every bit the part of a guy that was about to spill the secrets of the very world itself. "Well you see," he started quietly, dangling his notebook in front of Hirata expectantly, "I've been chasing down a story over our break, but I just can't seem to get anywhere with it. I've searched high and low, but all I've dug up so far is a bunch of hearsay that even I'm not crazy enough to print." But rather than seem defeated, Yuuhei all but glowed from discussing his utter failure to produce results. "So after I finished unpacking this morning, I hit the bricks and spent the rest of my morning asking around to see if anybody has heard about Yellow Plague." As soon as the phrase passed his lips, Yuuhei's playful eyes immediately focused in on Hirata's expression with intense scrutiny, searching for any kind of reaction from his classmate. Because even if he hadn't intended to drag Hirata into his investigation when he had sat down, Yuuhei simply wasn't the kind to pass up opportunities that gift-wrapped themselves for him like this. The critical look only lasted a few moments though, as regardless of what he saw he shrugged it off with a small laugh. "Ended up completely forgetting that I was supposed to be here at eleven though and all I got out of it were the uncomfortable looks of my cute juniors that I'm sure will haunt my dreams," he finished without the slightest trace of remorse in him. And with his small story finally done, Yuuhei leaned back into the couch and made himself comfortable. But rather than just leave it at that, he leveled another pointed look at his classmate. "So your turn Hirata, ya hear anything interesting lately?"</s> <\|message\|>Laki Hirata \|\| 平田ラキ --- "...spent the rest of my morning asking around to see if anybody has heard about Yellow Plague." For all his internal posturing about revealing nothing, Laki's face tightened. Did he know? Did he notice Laki's discomfort? He tried to rearrange his features into something of a neutral expression. Breathing is fun. I like to breathe. Just think about breathing. Seiho seemed to continue on without a care in the world for how Laki reacted. He probably didn't know. He was just making small talk. He was definitely making small talk. No doubt about it. "So your turn Hirata, ya hear anything interesting lately?" Did he mean about the Plague? Small talk, Laki. Small talk... Nothing else. "Nothing in particular. I've been sequestered at home all summer–haven't gotten a chance to really chat with anyone." The statement was at least partially true. Laki certainly hadn't talked with any of his classmates all summer, save for a few close run-ins with them near the construction site where he worked. He had to steer the conversation away from any dangerous territory. "How about you? What'd you get up to over the summer? Do anything with the club?" Renard</s> <\|message\|>Caelum Grove --- --- His room was as expected and he knew it'd take little time for him to straighten it out when got back. He rolled the trunk to the foot of his bed. There was stuff that he could do or rather should do. His uncle would tell him to be a step ahead of the 'now'-- whatever that meant. He eyed his phone as he traveled back down the stairs, through the throng of conversing students. He let his free arm swing by his side, fist loosely balled. He didn't have any messages from his Uncle, that was either good or really bad. He slid the phone into his pocket and headed out of the dorm. "Now to have a look around." He smiled pleasantly to himself at his next thought. "I wonder how long it'll take me before I'll have to ask for direction."</s> <\|message\|>Sawajiri Touka --- Toba Naoka. It was a significant name! and from a significant senpai as well! Touka blinked, as if forcing herself to focus. Being distracted by her train of thought was normal. After all, she was only really ever focused on stage. There were some small concerns in her head, but most of it was vapid, banal assumptions. She thought to smile wide as she addressed Naoka in a timely and polite fashion. "Oh, thank you, Toba-senpai! I'm, just, guess I might've overpacked. I'm Sawajiri Touka, I'm a first year. Suppose you already knew that, though. You seem to have everything together, helping underclassmen like me and all."</s> <\|message\|>Naoka Toba \|\| 鳥羽直花 --- --- "Oh, I'm really- not at all- well, if you say so," Naoka said, slightly flushed. "But, overpacked? I'm not too sure about that." She looked at Sawajiri's suitcase. Was it even half as much stuff as she'd brought herself? She'd basically moved her entire room over. "There's a lot of space in the rooms, so you don't need to worry. Though you can always pick up extra stuff over holidays or get your parents to drop it off." She gave Sawajiri the most welcoming smile she could muster. "The lobby's over there," Naoka said, motioning to where the entrance was. There were already a few other people coming out of it. "Pick up your room key, put your stuff away and then you've got the rest of the day free. Is there anything else I can help you with? It's no trouble at all." Naoka hoped she was making a good first impression. It would be nice to be popular with the first years. She could be the cool, mature senpai... She was getting a little ahead of herself, wasn't she?</s>	<\|message\|>Yuuhei Seiho Yuuhei let Hirata's string of questions hang in the air for a few awful moments as a knowing smirk took over his features. That small reaction that he had managed to coax out of Hirata had only proven that the big guy had at least heard of Yellow Plague. Now, whether he actually knew anything new or interesting about it Yuuhei couldn't be sure, but the way that Hirata had sharply swerved the conversation away from himself was certainly making the blond wonder. The silence couldn't last though, as this was probably his last chance to steer them back towards what he actually wanted to talk about. "As much as it pains me to say out loud, it was mostly just me running around town being a nuisance. Especially since my club all but disappears over breaks." Except this wasn't his only chance to get something juicy out of Hirata. And besides, the big guy already seemed to be on guard so there was a very real chance that he would simply clam up rather than spill anything useful. So for now, he would put a pin in this conversation and come back to it when he was confident that he would get the results that he wanted. Yuuhei's usual big goofy smile returned in force now that his mind was made up. "But don't worry, I'm sure there will be plenty of excitement to be found this year. I'll just have to keep tipping over the right stones and see what turns up." And just like that, Laki Hirata had gone from being an individual that Yuuhei had never really given a second thought about to his prime person of interest in his investigation.</s>
<\|description\|>Naoka Toba \|\| 鳥羽直花 Arcana Temperance Age 17 (third year) Personality Traits Naoka's personality is easy to tell. She's the mature, hard-working type that doesn't mind a little bit of nonsense. She has a reputation for being a reliable person that'll help out with anything. She gives off the impression of a capable person who has everything planned out. And indeed, it is everything. Naoka operates on a strict, self-imposed schedule for the sake of her strange fixation with efficiency. She constantly multitasks, trying to get as much done at once as humanly possible. She gets along fine with a lot of people at school, but she's always so busy that she hardly has any time to spend with other people, and paired with her tendency to get skittish when a conversation drags on for too long, she doesn't have very many friends. Backstory Naoka's parents are both doctors at the Kenkōichi Research Hospital, and it is only natural that she would follow in their footsteps. Everything in her life has revolved around that fact, so her attending the school closely linked to the hospital was no surprise. She has always worked hard, kept up with her studies in order to live up to their expectations. Only, that's never been what she's wanted to do. Naoka's greatest passion in life has always been for art, ever since she was little and left to entertain herself as her parents worked long hours. Her determination to keep doing what she loves while still appeasing her parents has lead her to an utterly hectic schedule with a tentative balance between her studies, her passion and everything else. Though she'd mangaged to keep it together, as she progressed through high school, it was becoming harder and harder to manage, and the time she spent with her friends and her other hobbies began to rapidly decline. Entering her third year, her future looms closer, and Naoka's parents refuse to change their stance, no matter how talented she may be. She's no closer to making up her mind than she was two years ago. Gear While Naoka is well accustomed to the occasional heavy lifting, she's not the most suitable for physical combat. She's quite good at archery, but hasn't touched a bow since she left the club in her second year. Other than her usual school supplies, Naoka also carries around a thick, fairly heavy sketchbook. It's a far cry from a weapon, but it'd bruise if she whacked one of her classmates with it. On top of that, her bag is always filled with a wide variety of snacks. You can ask for them, just don't tell anyone else. Persona Arachne Persona Abilities Naoka's persona Arachne, is named after the prideful weaver whose talent eventually became her downfall as she strived to best even the gods. Arachne's abilities consist of inflicting debuffs on her foes in order to finish them off with her electric magic and with slash attacks from her many sharpened legs.</s> <\|message\|>Laki Hirata \|\| 平田ラキ --- It took a moment for Laki to realize that Seiho was talking to him. "Ah, Seiho. You were in my class last year, but we didn't talk much at all, did we?" And thank God for that. Laki didn't have a problem with Seiho–the guy was friendly to basically everyone and wasn't bothersome. However, Laki had heard about Seiho asking around about the Yellow Plague. He couldn't have Seiho dropping any information or acciedentally spreading any rumors around. It certainly didn't help that the rumors involved the idea of "sin," that those who were affected by the Plague had committed some sort of misdeed to warrant their affliction. His mother already suffered enough–a damaged reputation would just be fuel for the fire. Plus, he couldn't have any of the teachers finding out about his part-time jobs. Kenkōichi let their students work, yes, but certainly not the amount of time that Laki did. If the school found out that he was bending local labor laws, he could even get suspended. His mother would be deeply disappointed if that happened. "An investment in knowledge pays the best interest," she'd say, quoting either a revolutionary inventor or a musical lyricist–Laki could never remember which. Laki had to choose his words carefully. He bookmarked his book and laid it in his lap. "In case you forgot, I'm Hirata Laki. What were you up to, coming in late like that?"</s> <\|message\|>Caelum Grove --- --- Receptionist or not, whoever the thin japanese woman was had been well-informed. She had instructed him to simply wait till 11 AM. Had told him with a tad bit of suspicion that his advisor was around in the lobby somewhere amongst the other early-arrivals. Caelum thanked her with an appreciative bow and the pulled-tight lips of one aware of his station. He had never gotten used to that subtle but all dominating sense of formality. It could be suffocating at times; pushing him further and further into prudence. It resulted in him speaking far less than he normally would and airing on the side of caution. For a time he sat on one of the couches, waiting and watching as others filed in and settled down. He glanced up at whom he had assumed was the advisor. He had this concrete formality about him, they all did. Society had done its part and that man had carried it on him like a thin veil. ~* ~* ~* Caelum had his hands folded on his rolling trunk between his legs, satisfied with the advisor's introduction and his rooming accommodations. None of that applies to me for now. He sighed as if exhausted, not completely sure as to why. First thing I wanna do is find the kendo room. After I put my stuff up that's what I'll do. Get a lay out of the campus too. He hefted his trunk up off the ground and started for the stairs. Not as if anyone is gonna wanna talk to me anyway, he reassured himself, feeling the slight burn in his arms already.</s> <\|message\|>Naoka Toba \|\| 鳥羽直花 --- --- Sorting out the mess on her floor had taken longer than she'd expected. It probably would've been quicker if she didn't just dump everything on the floor, honestly. But by the time she realised that, it was already too late. Naoka stood up from where she'd been sitting next to her shelves and yawned. She'd been at it for a while. She wasn't too surprised, she always took forever to clean stuff. It was just a waste to get things all neat and organised only for them to become a mess again in a week. She picked up her bag and decided to head down, maybe she'd run into one of her friends and she could pick up that coffee she'd been longing for. Making her way down the stairs, Naoka checked her phone. No texts. Everyone was probably too busy getting settled in to chat and her parents were already at work. They worked such long hours that even when she was at home, she hardly saw them. Staying at the dorms didn't change much. Naoka entered the lobby. A some people had already congregated, a few she recognised, most she didn't. She'd already picked up her key, so she didn't really need to stick around and so continued walking to the great outdoors. The weather was good, with any luck it'd stay that way. There weren't a lot of people outside, but the one that stuck out the most was a blonde girl pulling around a suitcase. Was it natural? It was an international school, so she could just be foreign. Cautiously approaching the girl, she definitely wasn't anyone Naoka recognised. A first-year, most likely. Well, if there was anything Naoka wanted to do, it was to make a good first impression on her underclassmen. "Excuse me," she said, approaching cautiously. "I'm Toba Naoka, one of the third years here. Do you need any help?"</s> <\|message\|>Yuuhei Seiho Yuuhei Seiho --- Hirata's rather innocuous question earned him an unsettlingly mischievous grin from Yuuhei. The blond leaned in conspiratorially with his beefy classmate, looking every bit the part of a guy that was about to spill the secrets of the very world itself. "Well you see," he started quietly, dangling his notebook in front of Hirata expectantly, "I've been chasing down a story over our break, but I just can't seem to get anywhere with it. I've searched high and low, but all I've dug up so far is a bunch of hearsay that even I'm not crazy enough to print." But rather than seem defeated, Yuuhei all but glowed from discussing his utter failure to produce results. "So after I finished unpacking this morning, I hit the bricks and spent the rest of my morning asking around to see if anybody has heard about Yellow Plague." As soon as the phrase passed his lips, Yuuhei's playful eyes immediately focused in on Hirata's expression with intense scrutiny, searching for any kind of reaction from his classmate. Because even if he hadn't intended to drag Hirata into his investigation when he had sat down, Yuuhei simply wasn't the kind to pass up opportunities that gift-wrapped themselves for him like this. The critical look only lasted a few moments though, as regardless of what he saw he shrugged it off with a small laugh. "Ended up completely forgetting that I was supposed to be here at eleven though and all I got out of it were the uncomfortable looks of my cute juniors that I'm sure will haunt my dreams," he finished without the slightest trace of remorse in him. And with his small story finally done, Yuuhei leaned back into the couch and made himself comfortable. But rather than just leave it at that, he leveled another pointed look at his classmate. "So your turn Hirata, ya hear anything interesting lately?"</s> <\|message\|>Laki Hirata \|\| 平田ラキ --- "...spent the rest of my morning asking around to see if anybody has heard about Yellow Plague." For all his internal posturing about revealing nothing, Laki's face tightened. Did he know? Did he notice Laki's discomfort? He tried to rearrange his features into something of a neutral expression. Breathing is fun. I like to breathe. Just think about breathing. Seiho seemed to continue on without a care in the world for how Laki reacted. He probably didn't know. He was just making small talk. He was definitely making small talk. No doubt about it. "So your turn Hirata, ya hear anything interesting lately?" Did he mean about the Plague? Small talk, Laki. Small talk... Nothing else. "Nothing in particular. I've been sequestered at home all summer–haven't gotten a chance to really chat with anyone." The statement was at least partially true. Laki certainly hadn't talked with any of his classmates all summer, save for a few close run-ins with them near the construction site where he worked. He had to steer the conversation away from any dangerous territory. "How about you? What'd you get up to over the summer? Do anything with the club?" Renard</s> <\|message\|>Caelum Grove --- --- His room was as expected and he knew it'd take little time for him to straighten it out when got back. He rolled the trunk to the foot of his bed. There was stuff that he could do or rather should do. His uncle would tell him to be a step ahead of the 'now'-- whatever that meant. He eyed his phone as he traveled back down the stairs, through the throng of conversing students. He let his free arm swing by his side, fist loosely balled. He didn't have any messages from his Uncle, that was either good or really bad. He slid the phone into his pocket and headed out of the dorm. "Now to have a look around." He smiled pleasantly to himself at his next thought. "I wonder how long it'll take me before I'll have to ask for direction."</s> <\|message\|>Sawajiri Touka --- Toba Naoka. It was a significant name! and from a significant senpai as well! Touka blinked, as if forcing herself to focus. Being distracted by her train of thought was normal. After all, she was only really ever focused on stage. There were some small concerns in her head, but most of it was vapid, banal assumptions. She thought to smile wide as she addressed Naoka in a timely and polite fashion. "Oh, thank you, Toba-senpai! I'm, just, guess I might've overpacked. I'm Sawajiri Touka, I'm a first year. Suppose you already knew that, though. You seem to have everything together, helping underclassmen like me and all."</s>	<\|message\|>Naoka Toba \|\| 鳥羽直花 "Oh, I'm really- not at all- well, if you say so," Naoka said, slightly flushed. "But, overpacked? I'm not too sure about that." She looked at Sawajiri's suitcase. Was it even half as much stuff as she'd brought herself? She'd basically moved her entire room over. "There's a lot of space in the rooms, so you don't need to worry. Though you can always pick up extra stuff over holidays or get your parents to drop it off." She gave Sawajiri the most welcoming smile she could muster. "The lobby's over there," Naoka said, motioning to where the entrance was. There were already a few other people coming out of it. "Pick up your room key, put your stuff away and then you've got the rest of the day free. Is there anything else I can help you with? It's no trouble at all." Naoka hoped she was making a good first impression. It would be nice to be popular with the first years. She could be the cool, mature senpai... She was getting a little ahead of herself, wasn't she?</s>
<\|description\|>Sawajiri Touka Arcana Priestess Age 15-16 Personality Traits Touka could best be described as sociable, spritely, and kind. Despite never getting over her father's death and having to more or less find her own way due to her mother seeming to be always working, Touka doesn't try to publicly appear demure, depressing, or pessimistic. The way she processes things is mostly mired in repression and nostalgia. If she focuses on the good and on music she believes she can pretty much ignore anything sad or cruel. That said, she's afraid of getting too close to people. When teasing can be misconstrued as flirting she backpedals and tries to leave a situation as fast as possible and any friendships she has is skin deep because she's afraid of someone she's close to leaving her. She doesn't know if she could bear it, even through her façade. So as long as her friends don't try to be too close and try to peel away her armor she tends to think she will be fine. Backstory The Sawajiri Family has nothing, well, close-to-nothing. Touka's mother is the head of the household, and has been since the death of her husband and Touka's father five years ago. Despite help by her mother's younger brother, the family has struggled immensely. With her mother overworked at the local hospital as one of the nursing staff and her uncle either halfway into a bottle of Saki or chasing skirts Touka has only really had one solace. Music. A naturally gifted singer and instrumentalist, Touka started playing violin when she was very young. Her fondest memory has been the last performance she had that her father, despite being sickly and near death, had seen. In the years since Touka has tried her best to get through life as quick as possible. She's had the same friends group since pretty much forever and often appears as the center of attention despite not wanting to be. She's never had a boyfriend or girlfriend. N-not that's any of your business! She is currently attending Kenkoichi International Academy with hopes her musical talents can help her become a healthy and more financially stable adult. Maybe one day she can come to terms with her past. Gear The most notable thing Touka tends to have on-hand is her violin. While being athletic enough to participate in team sports, her club activities are limited to music for the most part. Beyond her violin one could often see her with a handbag, backpack, or umbrella depending on the need. She's a High School Student, not a shoujo protagonist. Persona Brigid Persona Abilities The aspects of Touka's Persona revolve around the spring season. Fertility, healing, song, and craft. As such Touka's abilities would revolve around healing wards, support spells, bard-like enchantments, and the element of water for its restorative properties and of the showers that come in spring to restore the earth.</s> <\|message\|>Naoka Toba \|\| 鳥羽直花 --- --- Naoka woke up straight away. It wasn't anything out of the ordinary, she always did that. All of those five-minutes lie-ins added up, after all. What was odd was why she had woken up. Most of the time it was her alarm going off. Instead, a quick glance at her phone told her there were still ten minutes left to go. So it was that weird dream that she'd woken up from, which was the other odd thing, because she usually slept so deeply that she hardly ever had them, let alone that vividly. She got up and finished getting ready by the time her alarm went off for real. Dressed in the highly creative sweater with jeans, Naoka slumped back down on her bed as her phone buzzed loudly. "Six-thirty," she muttered. She glanced over at her luggage. She'd made sure it was all ready a few days ago, with some ungodly combination of packing what she needed and throwing out almost everything else. Without all the mess, the room felt foreign. Then again, it did anyway. After two years, she was getting more used to her room at the dorm than the one at home. "Six-thirty five." Had it already been five minutes? Though it wasn't like she had much to do. There was still some time before they left, but going back to sleep didn't feel right. Instead, she reached into her bag sitting on the floor and pulled out her sketchbook, flipping it open. As she doodled absent mindedly, she thought back to the dream again. There were people that believed what you saw in your dreams could help you predict your future, right? Maybe she ought to look into it. There was... a lot of blue. That might mean something. The time passed as she continued to get lost in her thoughts. Somewhere along the way she'd started going over English vocab in her head. "Naoka! Let's go!" her dad eventually called from downstairs, snapping her out of her thoughts. "Take your luggage down, we're gonna leave in a sec." "Coming! Coming," she shouted back. "Coming! Coming," she shouted back. She hastily closed over the drawing of a woman who looked suspiciously like Safie, shoving her sketchbook back into her bag. Then, she carried her luggage down to where her dad was waiting in the car, sliding wordlessly into the backseat. He started the engine and began to drive towards the school. "You ready?" "Yeah. Is mum... not coming?" They were leaving early, since her parents had to go to work not long after. Naoka didn't mind, since she was used to waking up early anyway. The sooner she got in, the sooner she could settle back into the comfortable school routine. "She was up late yesterday, so she's sleeping in." "I guess it can't be helped." "Don't worry, she'll probably send you a text when she gets up. But you're finally third year, huh? You sure have grown. I still remember your first day of elementary school like it was yesterday." "Oh, really?" "I think we have some pictures somewhere, you know! I should send you them later." "Uh, don't worry. You don't need to," she replied, staring blankly at her faint reflection in the window. She didn't feel very different from the year before. She'd gotten her hair cut much shorter over summer (it had been waist length before, but it was becoming a pain to manage), though that was about it. "You never know when you'll need them. Make sure you study hard this year." "Yeah. I will. College exams are coming up, so..." "Mmm. Good luck, Naoka." She didn't respond. The rest of the ride finished in complete silence. 🂠 🂠 🂠 She'd gotten in early, so the girls' dorms were pretty much empty. There wasn't much hassle, she'd said bye to her dad and gone in. There weren't any tears. They'd see each other again soon enough. Naoka yawned slightly as she trudged up the stairs. She'd forgotten to have coffee that morning. No wonder she felt so off. The dream probably didn't mean anything after all. Her dorm room was pristine. Not for long though, after a week or two she was always left with half the floor space and ten times the mess. She began to unpack, which is to say, she dumped the contents of her luggage onto the floor. Except for her many posters, which were put up neatly on the walls in the exact same configuration as the last year. It was the optimal arrangement for admiring their contents. With that done, Naoka's list of things to do was fully exhausted. In a sense. She'd made sure to study at least three hours a day for the entire holiday, so there wasn't a massive need to go over her notes again. Oh, she really ought to deal with all the stuff she'd left on the floor. Sighing, she sat down next to it and began to unpack properly. Her coffee could wait a little longer.</s> <\|message\|>Caelum Grove --- --- Stephen King had an accident and he had a quote about that accident on the internet. That quote resonated with Caelum deeply as he sat on his impregnated trunk reading it on his phone. `My accident really taught me just one thing: the only way to go on is to go on. To say 'I can do this' even when you know you can't.` "So true," he murmured, grazing the idea of setting aside his misfortune and moving on to his first year of high school. His uncle strode to the door, where his shoes were waiting. He slid on the worn white sneakers and spared Caelum a smile. "You… Umm, you ready kiddo?" Caelum found the 'POWER OFF' button on his phone and touched it, the screen smoothly turned black. "As ready as I'll ever be uncle. Mom," he paused, his Japanese flickering into English. "I just feel like I'm trying to forget, Ma. It sucks monkey balls." Jasper continued in his fluent Japanese; he took the language masterfully. "Forgetting is just the surface of your feelings kiddo. We'll never forget her." He stood to his feet, let Caelum out, and started locking up. "It feels that way now but believe me, its just because you're young." Caelum yanked the handle of his trunk out and wheeled it to the trunk of Jasper's small car. "Yeah," he said in Japanese. "I believe you uncle…" ~* ~* ~* Jasper watched him steadily with that same set burning dark eyes. Caelum had grown use to those orbs, so use to them that he strode up towards the dorm unperturbed. He reached the doors and gave his uncle a reassuring smile and wave, hoping to send him off with some form of confidence. When Jasper's tall form fell into his car, the engine thrummed, and the man's hand (fleeting as a shadow) waved in return: Caelum slid inside. Inside (out of view), he sighed deeply. He dug into his jeans and pulled out the crumpled, damped note he had jotted down. In the thick blue of a highlighter was written "VELVET ROOM?" He had looked it up when he awoke that morning and when concerns of last-minute packing had arisen he quickly wrote it down hoping to remember it later. For some reason the note or rather the words had an odd pull to them. It took some effort for him to stuff the note back in his pocket. The rolling of his trunk following him down the hall. He was early he observed, seeing the emptiness occupied by stragglers or early-risers. "I should find the receptionist." He aptly begun to wander off.</s>	<\|message\|>Sawajiri Touka Touka Sawajiri moved a frayed strand of her dyed blonde hair from her face, tucking it behind her ear. Kenkōichi always seemed smaller than it actually was, so it was cases like this that reminded her how different things were on the other side of the tracks. She was honestly surprised that she got accepted to such a prestigious school, even if it was kind of one of the big fixtures in the city she had grown up in. There was the hospital with its research facilities and state-of-the-art whatever's and whatnot's, but a Senior High School that was seen so highly? Gosh. Did she even belong? She was just a worthless girl from a broken home. She barely had enough to have the confidence that the other girls had. Maybe this was all a mistake. She smiled widely, shaking off the thought before reminding herself that was no way to think. Remember the music, she told herself as the silhouette of the academy came into sight. She had arrived. 🎻🎻 🎻 "See you later, ojisan!" Touka shouted behind her to her uncle, lugging her suitcase to the best of her ability as the old Toyota took off in the opposite direction. She didn't have much, but getting her things into her very first dorm room did require some... direction.</s>
<\|description\|>Sawajiri Touka Arcana Priestess Age 15-16 Personality Traits Touka could best be described as sociable, spritely, and kind. Despite never getting over her father's death and having to more or less find her own way due to her mother seeming to be always working, Touka doesn't try to publicly appear demure, depressing, or pessimistic. The way she processes things is mostly mired in repression and nostalgia. If she focuses on the good and on music she believes she can pretty much ignore anything sad or cruel. That said, she's afraid of getting too close to people. When teasing can be misconstrued as flirting she backpedals and tries to leave a situation as fast as possible and any friendships she has is skin deep because she's afraid of someone she's close to leaving her. She doesn't know if she could bear it, even through her façade. So as long as her friends don't try to be too close and try to peel away her armor she tends to think she will be fine. Backstory The Sawajiri Family has nothing, well, close-to-nothing. Touka's mother is the head of the household, and has been since the death of her husband and Touka's father five years ago. Despite help by her mother's younger brother, the family has struggled immensely. With her mother overworked at the local hospital as one of the nursing staff and her uncle either halfway into a bottle of Saki or chasing skirts Touka has only really had one solace. Music. A naturally gifted singer and instrumentalist, Touka started playing violin when she was very young. Her fondest memory has been the last performance she had that her father, despite being sickly and near death, had seen. In the years since Touka has tried her best to get through life as quick as possible. She's had the same friends group since pretty much forever and often appears as the center of attention despite not wanting to be. She's never had a boyfriend or girlfriend. N-not that's any of your business! She is currently attending Kenkoichi International Academy with hopes her musical talents can help her become a healthy and more financially stable adult. Maybe one day she can come to terms with her past. Gear The most notable thing Touka tends to have on-hand is her violin. While being athletic enough to participate in team sports, her club activities are limited to music for the most part. Beyond her violin one could often see her with a handbag, backpack, or umbrella depending on the need. She's a High School Student, not a shoujo protagonist. Persona Brigid Persona Abilities The aspects of Touka's Persona revolve around the spring season. Fertility, healing, song, and craft. As such Touka's abilities would revolve around healing wards, support spells, bard-like enchantments, and the element of water for its restorative properties and of the showers that come in spring to restore the earth.</s> <\|message\|>Laki Hirata \|\| 平田ラキ --- "...spent the rest of my morning asking around to see if anybody has heard about Yellow Plague." For all his internal posturing about revealing nothing, Laki's face tightened. Did he know? Did he notice Laki's discomfort? He tried to rearrange his features into something of a neutral expression. Breathing is fun. I like to breathe. Just think about breathing. Seiho seemed to continue on without a care in the world for how Laki reacted. He probably didn't know. He was just making small talk. He was definitely making small talk. No doubt about it. "So your turn Hirata, ya hear anything interesting lately?" Did he mean about the Plague? Small talk, Laki. Small talk... Nothing else. "Nothing in particular. I've been sequestered at home all summer–haven't gotten a chance to really chat with anyone." The statement was at least partially true. Laki certainly hadn't talked with any of his classmates all summer, save for a few close run-ins with them near the construction site where he worked. He had to steer the conversation away from any dangerous territory. "How about you? What'd you get up to over the summer? Do anything with the club?" Renard</s> <\|message\|>Caelum Grove --- --- His room was as expected and he knew it'd take little time for him to straighten it out when got back. He rolled the trunk to the foot of his bed. There was stuff that he could do or rather should do. His uncle would tell him to be a step ahead of the 'now'-- whatever that meant. He eyed his phone as he traveled back down the stairs, through the throng of conversing students. He let his free arm swing by his side, fist loosely balled. He didn't have any messages from his Uncle, that was either good or really bad. He slid the phone into his pocket and headed out of the dorm. "Now to have a look around." He smiled pleasantly to himself at his next thought. "I wonder how long it'll take me before I'll have to ask for direction."</s> <\|message\|>Sawajiri Touka --- Toba Naoka. It was a significant name! and from a significant senpai as well! Touka blinked, as if forcing herself to focus. Being distracted by her train of thought was normal. After all, she was only really ever focused on stage. There were some small concerns in her head, but most of it was vapid, banal assumptions. She thought to smile wide as she addressed Naoka in a timely and polite fashion. "Oh, thank you, Toba-senpai! I'm, just, guess I might've overpacked. I'm Sawajiri Touka, I'm a first year. Suppose you already knew that, though. You seem to have everything together, helping underclassmen like me and all."</s> <\|message\|>Naoka Toba \|\| 鳥羽直花 --- --- "Oh, I'm really- not at all- well, if you say so," Naoka said, slightly flushed. "But, overpacked? I'm not too sure about that." She looked at Sawajiri's suitcase. Was it even half as much stuff as she'd brought herself? She'd basically moved her entire room over. "There's a lot of space in the rooms, so you don't need to worry. Though you can always pick up extra stuff over holidays or get your parents to drop it off." She gave Sawajiri the most welcoming smile she could muster. "The lobby's over there," Naoka said, motioning to where the entrance was. There were already a few other people coming out of it. "Pick up your room key, put your stuff away and then you've got the rest of the day free. Is there anything else I can help you with? It's no trouble at all." Naoka hoped she was making a good first impression. It would be nice to be popular with the first years. She could be the cool, mature senpai... She was getting a little ahead of herself, wasn't she?</s> <\|message\|>Yuuhei Seiho Yuuhei Seiho --- Yuuhei let Hirata's string of questions hang in the air for a few awful moments as a knowing smirk took over his features. That small reaction that he had managed to coax out of Hirata had only proven that the big guy had at least heard of Yellow Plague. Now, whether he actually knew anything new or interesting about it Yuuhei couldn't be sure, but the way that Hirata had sharply swerved the conversation away from himself was certainly making the blond wonder. The silence couldn't last though, as this was probably his last chance to steer them back towards what he actually wanted to talk about. "As much as it pains me to say out loud, it was mostly just me running around town being a nuisance. Especially since my club all but disappears over breaks." Except this wasn't his only chance to get something juicy out of Hirata. And besides, the big guy already seemed to be on guard so there was a very real chance that he would simply clam up rather than spill anything useful. So for now, he would put a pin in this conversation and come back to it when he was confident that he would get the results that he wanted. Yuuhei's usual big goofy smile returned in force now that his mind was made up. "But don't worry, I'm sure there will be plenty of excitement to be found this year. I'll just have to keep tipping over the right stones and see what turns up." And just like that, Laki Hirata had gone from being an individual that Yuuhei had never really given a second thought about to his prime person of interest in his investigation.</s> <\|message\|>Laki Hirata \|\| 平田ラキ --- "But don't worry, I'm sure there will be plenty of excitement to be found this year. I'll just have to keep tipping over the right stones and see what turns up." "Heh. Yeah, I suppose you do." Laki's mouth was moving independently of his brain at this point. There was still a chance that Seiho was just fooling around, but it seemed to be dwindling faster than an ice cream cone on a hot summer day. He didn't hold it against Seiho, though. The guy just wanted to know more about the Plague–which was totally understandable. Everyone wanted to know more about the Plague. It just so happened that Laki was one of the best people to ask about it. Nothing but circumstance had led them to this point. But what if it wasn't? Gotta get it together. Stay composed. Think it through. Seiho had been asking people all morning about the Plague. Laki just happened to be one of those people. It was a little weird that Seiho had just approached Laki right out of nowhere, but it seemd to follow his modus operandi–Seiho likely already had any information he could get from people he knew. Of course he'd have to pester those he didn't. He was just chasing the unknown. Unless, of course, he was lying about asking people all morning and had only approached Laki specifically because he knew something about Laki's situation. No, no, that line of thinking won't get me anywhere. Laki had never heard anything about Seiho being anything less than a little bit annoying with his questions. He wouldn't lie like that to get information. Probably. I'm reading into it too much. Just gotta have faith in my classmates. Laki sighed and leaned back in his seat. It'd be best to just act normally for now. "I hope you find something out soon. Seems like the whole town is looking for information at this point." Renard</s> <\|message\|>Yukinari Rio / Yukiya Rurizakura Ms. Suzuki split her attention between the grumpy secretary and most students that passed, offering a few warm words of welcome. Rio didn't entirely understand why the woman put so much effort into it, but at the very least she got the gist of what she was going to be doing. And by that she meant she was probably going to ditch as soon as she had the chance; no way was she going to spend all her free time at a computer doing nothing but talking to people on her free time. Besides, hardly anyone even approached her--anyone that came around was more interested in getting to their dorm or talking to Ms. Suzuki. And speaking of the devil, the old hag had finally given her her full attention, positively beaming at Rio's unsatisfied look. "Alright then, I expect you right here after your classes tomorrow," She informed her cheerfully. "If you don't show up, I'll have to go looking for you, so make sure you're on time, alright?" "Mhm," Rio only offered a noise of confirmation, all too glad to slip out of the desk and snatching her own room key. Walking towards the hall with every intent to spend the rest of her free time in her room, she jumped as a nearby girl squealed loud enough to be heard over the entire lobby's chatting. "Look at that!" The random girl had practically screamed in excitement. Rio nearly ignored it, but the flurry of yellow and blue outside had definitely caught her attention. What the hell was that? Despite her initial impulse to ignore it, she found herself following a few students outside. Said flurry had been a massive horde of what looked like butterflies, each colored yellow and blue and fluttering in a straight path. Rio quirked an eyebrow, watching as they seemed to fly straight towards the roof of the school. Whatever kept them all together at that point seemed to release them, as each of the little flyers went each their own way, as if they had intentionally wanted to scatter. A few had actually decided to fly back towards the dorms, and a multitude of students were hastily trying to grab pictures of them. Rio blinked slowly, still surprised by the display, but for some reason she felt like she had actually seen the butterflies before. They didn't look like the usual swallowtails, and they definitely didn't usually travel in such huge packs. Actually, they reminded her of that chick with the long nosed weirdo from the dream she had. The girl had a hairpin that looked like a butterfly, too. But it was just a weird coincidence--and admittedly she hadn't really thought about it until now--and hearing everyone fawning over bugs was starting to get annoying. Still, it was a really weird coincidence.</s>	<\|message\|>Sawajiri Touka "Oh, I don't think so, Toba-senpai." With the proper instructions, Touka didn't figure she needed all that much else unless her senpai had particularly more to say. It was nice to meet new people in a new environment, though. She wondered what else the older student had to say considering this was a far way from where Touka came from. A different side of the tracks. Everything in this part of Kenkōichi seemed to be an entire different world compared to the rough side of it where Touka's family had struggled to make ends meet for years. It made her feel weird, but not completely uncomfortable. "Unless, like, you want to explain anything else about the school. I dunno."</s>
<\|description\|>Yukinari Rio / Yukiya Rurizakura 幸也璃桜 / 雪也璃桜 Arcana Strength Age 15 Personality Traits Kenkōichi's usual suspect and general headache, Rio is a hot-headed girl whose brashness causes her a lot of trouble. Her tendency to be blunt regardless of who she speaks to makes her come off as cold and uncaring and she is unapologetic about who she hurts so long as she gets to speak her mind freely. There's an underlying sense of arrogance in the way she carries herself, often appearing to be snobbish--though that flies out the window the moment she starts yelling and shouting. Her aggressive demeanor is usually enough to keep people away and her general distrust pushes away the rest. When she isn't riled up, she's surprisingly on the quieter side, preferring to keep to herself. She's extremely expressive, her deadpan looks and scowls obvious even if she does manage to keep her comments to herself. Backstory Rio arrived like a hurricane and completely blindsided the staff--no one seems to know where she came from or why she's attending Kenkōichi International Academy. Despite numerous complaints about her attitude and tendency to get into brawls, she has yet to be suspended or expelled. The staff has been baffled by this, though they are reassured by the principal that she is simply to be disciplined and he would take care of contacting her parents. Said parents are either overseas or nonexistent according to some rumors, although no one seems to be too interested in where she's from and are more concerned about wrangling her under control. From what people have learned, Rio is a latchkey kid currently residing in town with no authority figure in sight. She outright refuses to talk about it, although has let slip that she's an only child. She's not entirely familiar with Kenkōichi but does know where most major landmarks are. She also has some awareness around the town's borders, often taking any tussles there in an effort to get both police and the school off her back. Gear Rio specializes in physical combat, her participation in 'gang' fights giving her plenty of experience--she carries around a baseball bat outside of campus on occasion for protection. Persona Skuld Persona Abilities Physical - Ice</s> <\|message\|>Caelum Grove --- --- Stephen King had an accident and he had a quote about that accident on the internet. That quote resonated with Caelum deeply as he sat on his impregnated trunk reading it on his phone. `My accident really taught me just one thing: the only way to go on is to go on. To say 'I can do this' even when you know you can't.` "So true," he murmured, grazing the idea of setting aside his misfortune and moving on to his first year of high school. His uncle strode to the door, where his shoes were waiting. He slid on the worn white sneakers and spared Caelum a smile. "You… Umm, you ready kiddo?" Caelum found the 'POWER OFF' button on his phone and touched it, the screen smoothly turned black. "As ready as I'll ever be uncle. Mom," he paused, his Japanese flickering into English. "I just feel like I'm trying to forget, Ma. It sucks monkey balls." Jasper continued in his fluent Japanese; he took the language masterfully. "Forgetting is just the surface of your feelings kiddo. We'll never forget her." He stood to his feet, let Caelum out, and started locking up. "It feels that way now but believe me, its just because you're young." Caelum yanked the handle of his trunk out and wheeled it to the trunk of Jasper's small car. "Yeah," he said in Japanese. "I believe you uncle…" ~* ~* ~* Jasper watched him steadily with that same set burning dark eyes. Caelum had grown use to those orbs, so use to them that he strode up towards the dorm unperturbed. He reached the doors and gave his uncle a reassuring smile and wave, hoping to send him off with some form of confidence. When Jasper's tall form fell into his car, the engine thrummed, and the man's hand (fleeting as a shadow) waved in return: Caelum slid inside. Inside (out of view), he sighed deeply. He dug into his jeans and pulled out the crumpled, damped note he had jotted down. In the thick blue of a highlighter was written "VELVET ROOM?" He had looked it up when he awoke that morning and when concerns of last-minute packing had arisen he quickly wrote it down hoping to remember it later. For some reason the note or rather the words had an odd pull to them. It took some effort for him to stuff the note back in his pocket. The rolling of his trunk following him down the hall. He was early he observed, seeing the emptiness occupied by stragglers or early-risers. "I should find the receptionist." He aptly begun to wander off.</s> <\|message\|>Sawajiri Touka --- Touka Sawajiri moved a frayed strand of her dyed blonde hair from her face, tucking it behind her ear. Kenkōichi always seemed smaller than it actually was, so it was cases like this that reminded her how different things were on the other side of the tracks. She was honestly surprised that she got accepted to such a prestigious school, even if it was kind of one of the big fixtures in the city she had grown up in. There was the hospital with its research facilities and state-of-the-art whatever's and whatnot's, but a Senior High School that was seen so highly? Gosh. Did she even belong? She was just a worthless girl from a broken home. She barely had enough to have the confidence that the other girls had. Maybe this was all a mistake. She smiled widely, shaking off the thought before reminding herself that was no way to think. Remember the music, she told herself as the silhouette of the academy came into sight. She had arrived. 🎻🎻 🎻 "See you later, ojisan!" Touka shouted behind her to her uncle, lugging her suitcase to the best of her ability as the old Toyota took off in the opposite direction. She didn't have much, but getting her things into her very first dorm room did require some... direction.</s>	<\|message\|>Yukinari Rio / Yukiya Rurizakura "Yukinari, please sit up properly." Rio sank more into her seat, pointedly staring at her knees. It was getting a little uncomfortable sitting on the chair with the heels of her shoes firmly on the chair, but hey, she never asked to be here. This had to be some kind of record--it wasn't even the first day of school, and she had somehow already ended up in the principal's office. Well, the guidance counselor's office, but basically the same thing. She had stepped a foot into campus and there the lady was, whisking her away before she had the chance to walk away. They had barely spoken once she had put Rio in a seat, instead the woman tapped away at her computer. Despite her tone, the woman looked more amused than anything, brushing her bangs away from her red rimmed glasses as she looked back at her computer. After a few seconds, Rio lifted her gaze to meet the guidance counselor's, a little surprised to find she was staring at her. Rolling her eyes, Rio sat up, waving her hands with a flourish. "Happy?" "Very much so, yes," She replied, pushing back her seat to stand. "Come along now, we'll walk and talk." What the hell was the point of bringing her to the office, then?! Rio resisted the urge to kick something as she got to her feet, trudging behind the woman as she stuffed her hands into her pockets. She swore she heard the woman giggle, though when she leveled a glare on her, she was stone faced. "Are you gonna talk or are you gonna tell me what the hell's going on?" Rio decided to give the woman 'permission' to speak. "What, did the principal tell you to babysit me?" "As a matter of fact, yes he did. My name is Suzuki Eiko, and while you're attending Kenkōichi you'll be under my careful watch," She replied without skipping a beat. "I understand you're new to the academy, and despite your checkered past, it'll be my job to mold you into a proper member of society." For fuck's sake, she was joking! Rio scowled openly, raising an eyebrow. "You must not have a lot to do if they're telling you to 'look after me', what a load of bullshit," She muttered. "Aside from my regular duties, I happily volunteer as the girls' dorm advisor. This is all part of my job, Yukinari." Ms. Suzuki assured her cheerfully. "There is nothing more satisfying than overseeing the students and helping them out to the best of my abilities. That includes making sure you stay out of trouble, like it or not." "Lucky me," Rio replied. "A lot of students would agree," Ms. Suzuki giggled, waving to a few passing students. "Come along now, every year I like to greet my students and I'd like to meet the boys' dorm advisor and warn him about you." Rio would've been offended if she didn't have a point. Oh well, not like she had anything better to do at the moment. That said, she could see why Ms. Suzuki was so damn cocky in her statement--nearly every other student they passed happily greeted her, a few waving and the rest at minimum acknowledging her. She must have been popular. As Rio gave her a look over, she admitted she didn't seem the appeal. They had just met and she was annoying as all fuck. As she scoffed again, the pair walked into the dormitory. Despite it being early, it looked like there were a few people around, likely some early birds. There were a few benches and a multitude of indoor plants, as well as an empty receptionist desk. Suzuki gave the few students around a wave before beckoning Rio to follow her, showing her the desk. "I think that part of your desire to cause trouble comes from having too much free time," She cheerfully informed her. "I think having your cooperation in helping me out with reception should curb that a little." Her jaw dropped as she looked from the desk to the counselor, giving her a look of disbelief. It was like she was being preemptively punished or something! "You're kidding, right?" She asked. "Better than getting turned over to the police for defacing public property, right?" She replied cheerfully, lightly pushing her into the seat. "Now, I'll list of some of your responsibilities, so pay attention." Ugh, Rio was so sure there hadn't been any security cameras around when she did that! The girl scowled again, crossing her arms as she half-listened to her instructions. How hard could putting in names and watering plants be, anyway?</s>
<\|description\|>Yukinari Rio / Yukiya Rurizakura 幸也璃桜 / 雪也璃桜 Arcana Strength Age 15 Personality Traits Kenkōichi's usual suspect and general headache, Rio is a hot-headed girl whose brashness causes her a lot of trouble. Her tendency to be blunt regardless of who she speaks to makes her come off as cold and uncaring and she is unapologetic about who she hurts so long as she gets to speak her mind freely. There's an underlying sense of arrogance in the way she carries herself, often appearing to be snobbish--though that flies out the window the moment she starts yelling and shouting. Her aggressive demeanor is usually enough to keep people away and her general distrust pushes away the rest. When she isn't riled up, she's surprisingly on the quieter side, preferring to keep to herself. She's extremely expressive, her deadpan looks and scowls obvious even if she does manage to keep her comments to herself. Backstory Rio arrived like a hurricane and completely blindsided the staff--no one seems to know where she came from or why she's attending Kenkōichi International Academy. Despite numerous complaints about her attitude and tendency to get into brawls, she has yet to be suspended or expelled. The staff has been baffled by this, though they are reassured by the principal that she is simply to be disciplined and he would take care of contacting her parents. Said parents are either overseas or nonexistent according to some rumors, although no one seems to be too interested in where she's from and are more concerned about wrangling her under control. From what people have learned, Rio is a latchkey kid currently residing in town with no authority figure in sight. She outright refuses to talk about it, although has let slip that she's an only child. She's not entirely familiar with Kenkōichi but does know where most major landmarks are. She also has some awareness around the town's borders, often taking any tussles there in an effort to get both police and the school off her back. Gear Rio specializes in physical combat, her participation in 'gang' fights giving her plenty of experience--she carries around a baseball bat outside of campus on occasion for protection. Persona Skuld Persona Abilities Physical - Ice</s> <\|message\|>Yuuhei Seiho Yuuhei Seiho --- Hirata's rather innocuous question earned him an unsettlingly mischievous grin from Yuuhei. The blond leaned in conspiratorially with his beefy classmate, looking every bit the part of a guy that was about to spill the secrets of the very world itself. "Well you see," he started quietly, dangling his notebook in front of Hirata expectantly, "I've been chasing down a story over our break, but I just can't seem to get anywhere with it. I've searched high and low, but all I've dug up so far is a bunch of hearsay that even I'm not crazy enough to print." But rather than seem defeated, Yuuhei all but glowed from discussing his utter failure to produce results. "So after I finished unpacking this morning, I hit the bricks and spent the rest of my morning asking around to see if anybody has heard about Yellow Plague." As soon as the phrase passed his lips, Yuuhei's playful eyes immediately focused in on Hirata's expression with intense scrutiny, searching for any kind of reaction from his classmate. Because even if he hadn't intended to drag Hirata into his investigation when he had sat down, Yuuhei simply wasn't the kind to pass up opportunities that gift-wrapped themselves for him like this. The critical look only lasted a few moments though, as regardless of what he saw he shrugged it off with a small laugh. "Ended up completely forgetting that I was supposed to be here at eleven though and all I got out of it were the uncomfortable looks of my cute juniors that I'm sure will haunt my dreams," he finished without the slightest trace of remorse in him. And with his small story finally done, Yuuhei leaned back into the couch and made himself comfortable. But rather than just leave it at that, he leveled another pointed look at his classmate. "So your turn Hirata, ya hear anything interesting lately?"</s> <\|message\|>Laki Hirata \|\| 平田ラキ --- "...spent the rest of my morning asking around to see if anybody has heard about Yellow Plague." For all his internal posturing about revealing nothing, Laki's face tightened. Did he know? Did he notice Laki's discomfort? He tried to rearrange his features into something of a neutral expression. Breathing is fun. I like to breathe. Just think about breathing. Seiho seemed to continue on without a care in the world for how Laki reacted. He probably didn't know. He was just making small talk. He was definitely making small talk. No doubt about it. "So your turn Hirata, ya hear anything interesting lately?" Did he mean about the Plague? Small talk, Laki. Small talk... Nothing else. "Nothing in particular. I've been sequestered at home all summer–haven't gotten a chance to really chat with anyone." The statement was at least partially true. Laki certainly hadn't talked with any of his classmates all summer, save for a few close run-ins with them near the construction site where he worked. He had to steer the conversation away from any dangerous territory. "How about you? What'd you get up to over the summer? Do anything with the club?" Renard</s> <\|message\|>Caelum Grove --- --- His room was as expected and he knew it'd take little time for him to straighten it out when got back. He rolled the trunk to the foot of his bed. There was stuff that he could do or rather should do. His uncle would tell him to be a step ahead of the 'now'-- whatever that meant. He eyed his phone as he traveled back down the stairs, through the throng of conversing students. He let his free arm swing by his side, fist loosely balled. He didn't have any messages from his Uncle, that was either good or really bad. He slid the phone into his pocket and headed out of the dorm. "Now to have a look around." He smiled pleasantly to himself at his next thought. "I wonder how long it'll take me before I'll have to ask for direction."</s> <\|message\|>Sawajiri Touka --- Toba Naoka. It was a significant name! and from a significant senpai as well! Touka blinked, as if forcing herself to focus. Being distracted by her train of thought was normal. After all, she was only really ever focused on stage. There were some small concerns in her head, but most of it was vapid, banal assumptions. She thought to smile wide as she addressed Naoka in a timely and polite fashion. "Oh, thank you, Toba-senpai! I'm, just, guess I might've overpacked. I'm Sawajiri Touka, I'm a first year. Suppose you already knew that, though. You seem to have everything together, helping underclassmen like me and all."</s> <\|message\|>Naoka Toba \|\| 鳥羽直花 --- --- "Oh, I'm really- not at all- well, if you say so," Naoka said, slightly flushed. "But, overpacked? I'm not too sure about that." She looked at Sawajiri's suitcase. Was it even half as much stuff as she'd brought herself? She'd basically moved her entire room over. "There's a lot of space in the rooms, so you don't need to worry. Though you can always pick up extra stuff over holidays or get your parents to drop it off." She gave Sawajiri the most welcoming smile she could muster. "The lobby's over there," Naoka said, motioning to where the entrance was. There were already a few other people coming out of it. "Pick up your room key, put your stuff away and then you've got the rest of the day free. Is there anything else I can help you with? It's no trouble at all." Naoka hoped she was making a good first impression. It would be nice to be popular with the first years. She could be the cool, mature senpai... She was getting a little ahead of herself, wasn't she?</s> <\|message\|>Yuuhei Seiho Yuuhei Seiho --- Yuuhei let Hirata's string of questions hang in the air for a few awful moments as a knowing smirk took over his features. That small reaction that he had managed to coax out of Hirata had only proven that the big guy had at least heard of Yellow Plague. Now, whether he actually knew anything new or interesting about it Yuuhei couldn't be sure, but the way that Hirata had sharply swerved the conversation away from himself was certainly making the blond wonder. The silence couldn't last though, as this was probably his last chance to steer them back towards what he actually wanted to talk about. "As much as it pains me to say out loud, it was mostly just me running around town being a nuisance. Especially since my club all but disappears over breaks." Except this wasn't his only chance to get something juicy out of Hirata. And besides, the big guy already seemed to be on guard so there was a very real chance that he would simply clam up rather than spill anything useful. So for now, he would put a pin in this conversation and come back to it when he was confident that he would get the results that he wanted. Yuuhei's usual big goofy smile returned in force now that his mind was made up. "But don't worry, I'm sure there will be plenty of excitement to be found this year. I'll just have to keep tipping over the right stones and see what turns up." And just like that, Laki Hirata had gone from being an individual that Yuuhei had never really given a second thought about to his prime person of interest in his investigation.</s> <\|message\|>Laki Hirata \|\| 平田ラキ --- "But don't worry, I'm sure there will be plenty of excitement to be found this year. I'll just have to keep tipping over the right stones and see what turns up." "Heh. Yeah, I suppose you do." Laki's mouth was moving independently of his brain at this point. There was still a chance that Seiho was just fooling around, but it seemed to be dwindling faster than an ice cream cone on a hot summer day. He didn't hold it against Seiho, though. The guy just wanted to know more about the Plague–which was totally understandable. Everyone wanted to know more about the Plague. It just so happened that Laki was one of the best people to ask about it. Nothing but circumstance had led them to this point. But what if it wasn't? Gotta get it together. Stay composed. Think it through. Seiho had been asking people all morning about the Plague. Laki just happened to be one of those people. It was a little weird that Seiho had just approached Laki right out of nowhere, but it seemd to follow his modus operandi–Seiho likely already had any information he could get from people he knew. Of course he'd have to pester those he didn't. He was just chasing the unknown. Unless, of course, he was lying about asking people all morning and had only approached Laki specifically because he knew something about Laki's situation. No, no, that line of thinking won't get me anywhere. Laki had never heard anything about Seiho being anything less than a little bit annoying with his questions. He wouldn't lie like that to get information. Probably. I'm reading into it too much. Just gotta have faith in my classmates. Laki sighed and leaned back in his seat. It'd be best to just act normally for now. "I hope you find something out soon. Seems like the whole town is looking for information at this point." Renard</s>	<\|message\|>Yukinari Rio / Yukiya Rurizakura Ms. Suzuki split her attention between the grumpy secretary and most students that passed, offering a few warm words of welcome. Rio didn't entirely understand why the woman put so much effort into it, but at the very least she got the gist of what she was going to be doing. And by that she meant she was probably going to ditch as soon as she had the chance; no way was she going to spend all her free time at a computer doing nothing but talking to people on her free time. Besides, hardly anyone even approached her--anyone that came around was more interested in getting to their dorm or talking to Ms. Suzuki. And speaking of the devil, the old hag had finally given her her full attention, positively beaming at Rio's unsatisfied look. "Alright then, I expect you right here after your classes tomorrow," She informed her cheerfully. "If you don't show up, I'll have to go looking for you, so make sure you're on time, alright?" "Mhm," Rio only offered a noise of confirmation, all too glad to slip out of the desk and snatching her own room key. Walking towards the hall with every intent to spend the rest of her free time in her room, she jumped as a nearby girl squealed loud enough to be heard over the entire lobby's chatting. "Look at that!" The random girl had practically screamed in excitement. Rio nearly ignored it, but the flurry of yellow and blue outside had definitely caught her attention. What the hell was that? Despite her initial impulse to ignore it, she found herself following a few students outside. Said flurry had been a massive horde of what looked like butterflies, each colored yellow and blue and fluttering in a straight path. Rio quirked an eyebrow, watching as they seemed to fly straight towards the roof of the school. Whatever kept them all together at that point seemed to release them, as each of the little flyers went each their own way, as if they had intentionally wanted to scatter. A few had actually decided to fly back towards the dorms, and a multitude of students were hastily trying to grab pictures of them. Rio blinked slowly, still surprised by the display, but for some reason she felt like she had actually seen the butterflies before. They didn't look like the usual swallowtails, and they definitely didn't usually travel in such huge packs. Actually, they reminded her of that chick with the long nosed weirdo from the dream she had. The girl had a hairpin that looked like a butterfly, too. But it was just a weird coincidence--and admittedly she hadn't really thought about it until now--and hearing everyone fawning over bugs was starting to get annoying. Still, it was a really weird coincidence.</s>
<\|description\|>Emily Phillips age: 19/20 appearance: girl in the first post picture. role in the story: one of the twins powers(if any): unknown other: unknown name: Eric Phillips age: 19/20 appearance: guy in the first post picture. role in the story: one of the twins powers(if any): unknown other: unknown</s> <\|message\|>Aela Locke Aela flicked her wrist the four flames became one again, and returned to a normal flame. Once it finished Aela felt Emily land in lap, she smiled and pet her a few times a way of comforting her. As Eric rested at her side, she blushed at first. Then she wrapped her arm around him. Comforting him the same way she did with Emily. "I know I can't do much when you two are in these forms. But, I can provide light, warmth, and protection." Aela began drifting off to sleep, even as she slept her flame burned and remained floating above. It remained so until the sky brightened at dawn.</s> <\|message\|>Emily Phillips Lore Sunrise would arrive soon enough when slumber was finally granted to them. Emily and Eric would change back as the curse would have activated. They awoke with a start and moved away from Aela. There was a bit of a reaction to pain from them. Within a few moments, they both stood in front of her, human once again. Emily sighed, and so did Eric. However, they could not help but feel relieved. They felt bad that she got dragged into their problem, but they did not have to keep it a secret anymore. On top of that, they could help her in return. She had a problem of her own and needed help. That was what led them to realize they that both needed help as well. Eric carefully approached Aela. "Aela…" He reached over to touch her arm.</s> <\|message\|>Aela Locke "Hmm.....?" Aela slowly opens her eyes and notices Eric she blushed. "Eric...?" She quickly stands up and brushes off her dress. She was unsure what to say at this point she wasn't fully awake. "Emily...so that is how it works... I'm sorry again about last night."</s> <\|message\|>Emily Phillips Lore Emily and Eric both blinked. They shook their heads. "You don't have to apologize." Eric nodded in agreement. -"We see now that we should have told you." Emily nodded in agreement that time. Then, both she and Eric sighed. They frowned sadly as they sat there. Eric still had his hand on Aelas' arm, a kind gesture. -"We were...cursed...a few days ago." Eric went on to tell her the tale. Emily sat close by, silent. -"We were in the middle of spending a day outside with our parents when some strange woman showed up. She was dressed in black. She said something about finally finding us, and something about a war and a prophecy. Then, she demanded that we join her. We refused. She got angry and cursed us, saying we were given one chance to change our minds and that she would give us time to decide before she vanished. The curse would be permanent if we refused again. We began to search for a way to break the curse ourselves. That was when we found out about....HER...some sorceress queen who lived in what was believed to be in a non-existent kingdom. It seems only she has a magic strong enough to break our curse and put an end to all of this." Emily sighed. "That was why we are leaving town. We were about to go on a journey to find her."</s> <\|message\|>Aela Locke Aela smiled sadly at the remark that she didn't have to apologize. "I almost attacked you two with my own magic. How could I not apologize. Plus... I hid my gifts from you two for years as did my brother." Aela furrowed her brow, a signal she was listening intently. As they agreed to tell her what happened. Aela listened to Eric tell the tale she liked how Eric still had his hand on her arm it was comforting. "To anyone not involved with magic, could make her out to be some strange woman. She is extremely strong to cast a curse like yours. I'm in no way a professional, but maybe I couldn't sense your mana due to it being dormant? Do you remember what the prophecy about you two was? And with this Queen of a hidden kingdom do you have any leads of how to get there or met anyone who knows how to get there?"</s> <\|message\|>Emily Phillips Lore Eric shook his head. -"As we said. you do not have to apologize for the misunderstanding. We did try to hide from you after all." Emily nodded in agreement. Eric and Emily both sighed. "Strong? Maybe." Eric nodded. -"Something about a war, like I told you. Something about us being a key to victory or whatever." Emily nodded. "It didn't make much sense to us. How can we be a key to some victory to some war? And one we are not even involved in?" Eric nodded that time. They both frowned. They were unsure of what to do. "The book we found out about the kingdom in said it was hidden from the world, but would be revealed to those whose hearts believed in magic and carried no ill will. Basically, the gates would open for those of magic blood who truly needed a place to go." Eric nodded again.</s> <\|message\|>Aela Locke Aela thought for a moment, she folded her arms. "Well, I know she's strong because I sensed her curse you. At least remains of her spell not the full extent. I'm still kinda knew at sensing new magic. However, from you two I sense no other mana source within you. At least for the time being." "Those with magic bloodlines have skips or those extremely gifted like my brother Adian. It seems somewhere in your ancestry was magic and the one who cursed you either knows about what magic you posses or wants it for herself. Either way it's bad news. Looking out for this hidden kingdom will be dangerous. If you don't mind me tagging along I can offer protection for you both."</s> <\|message\|>Emily Phillips Lore Emily nodded. "If you believe so." Eric nodded as well. -"What Emily said." They both listened to Aela. They blinked and froze. Then they looked at each other. "Magic?" -"In OUR bloodline?" They both frowned. Eric cleared his throat. -"Are you sure?" "It would be very dangerous." -"Yes, something could happen to you. We wouldn't want anything like that to happen because of US." Emily nodded.</s> <\|message\|>Aela Locke Aela glanced at them completely serious, her green eyes sparked with concern. "You told me she said you both are the key to winning a war. I can only assume she means one with magic. Hence, your bloodlines importance. It would add up if you have magic power it's just dormant due to inuse. Hopefully, your mana can be better handled then my situation." "If you want more answers I'd start asking your parents, if they don't know anything consult your family history records. I'd suggest doing this before you head out." "As far as the trip I'm going. How will you defend yourselves if you run into more magic users? And since you both are the chosen ones you will need protection. That being said give me a moment to situate everything and meet me at my home when you two are ready."</s> <\|message\|>Emily Phillips Lore "We did a lot of research." Eric nodded. -"We did. We went as far back as out great great great great great grandfather who was a stage magician who traveled a lot with his wife and daughter, but that was it. Beyond him there was not much of a record, except that he himself had been an orphan who never knew his parents." Emily nodded. "Our parents have already told us everything they no. Nothing that the sorceress would have targeted us over, or anything that wasn't in the records." Eric and Emily both sighed. "If you insist on traveling with us fine." Emily looked at her brother. -"You can't say we did not warn you. I...um...We like you, you know." Eric quickly looked away. Emily raised an eyebrow.</s> <\|message\|>Aela Locke Aela listened to their ancestry story. "There your orphaned ancestor who was a stage magician? Seems he might have had a love for magic. I wonder if his magical bloodline either skipped him or his mana was low enough to do some fantastic stage magic. For now we can assume that is where your magic is. Until you know more that is all the leads you seem to have at present." Aela smiled toward Emily and nodded "Then it's settled." Aela raised an eyebrow as Eric said his first half of his comment about being warned. But, as he suggested he liked her she flushed completely. Aela laughed with genuine joy "Well Eric, I am flattered. I tend to like you both too.And now your stuck with me." Aela moved to the front of the cave. "I will meet you two in a few hours. Spend that time getting ready and say your goodbyes. Meet me infront of my home and we can head out on our journey."</s> <\|message\|>Emily Phillips Lore Emily and Eric both blinked. They were unsure about what she said about that man. They both simply nodded. "Very well." -"If you say so." They decided not to argue with her or anything. Eric heard her laugh. He found himself blushing. Emily noticed this and nudged him a bit with her elbow. She spoke to him in a quiet whisper. "Well? She already knows about our curse, and got us to let her help. Why not just tell her already? You've known each other for a long time, I doubt she'll reject you, at least not cruelly." Eric frowned and narrowed his eyes at her, blushing. He whispered back. -"Shut up. I...I can't. J...just be quiet." Eric bit his lip. Emily sighed and rolled her eyes. They both looked at Aela again and nodded. "Alright. We will see you very soon." Eric simply nodded, unable to make eye contact. They left. They packed up. They did not tell their parents anything since the older couple, named Sarah and James, already knew. They hugged their children goodbye for what they hoped would not be the final time. Then, Emily and Eric returned to their friends' home and waited for her.</s> <\|message\|>Aela Locke Aela once home, made a quick breakfast for Adian. And told him about her departure and to behave for her replacement she arranged. The person in question was considered distant family member with knowledge of their terrible magic disease. At one point, she had dated their father and saw Adian's first signs of the disease. "I won't be gone too long. I promise to bring you back somethnig from my journey. You need to respect Aunt Mary with respect while I am gone. Enjoy some of the pastries. Those were from the party last night freshend up just for you" She embraced tightly. He held her as well for a few moments. "Just come back home." Adian slipped a ring onto her finger it was their fathers. "Take this with you, it should be your anchor in case things get bad. Remember to not overdo it or you could be a burden to your traveling party." Aela broke from the embrace a bit to get a look at him. Fixing some of his messy hair."Thank you, Adian even know you are trying to protect me." After their tender exchange Aela left and swore to herself she wouldn't return until she found what she was looking for. Aela changed her nice dress into an outfit for the journey. She wore a longer shirt that was a dark blue her trousers were a black and sturdy boots also black. She shouldered a plain pack with all her supplies she needed over a violet cloak. Once finished she braided her black hair using a violet ribbon to hold it in place. It was apparently her mother's. Aela moved downstairs and met with Mary telling her of Adian's routine and all the important information she would need. After that was finished she waited outside her home for Emily and Eric. They didn't take too long to her surprise. Aela offered them two little hankerchief bags. "Here you two. It's breakfeast."</s> <\|message\|>Emily Phillips Lore Emily and Eric were waiting outside. Eric sighed, but Emily tried not to do that. The twins waited rather patiently. When Aela finally showed up, they knew she finally said her goodbyes and everything. They walked up to her. They both blinked when she handed them those little bags and said they were breakfast. "um...we kind of already had something to eat at our parents' insistence." Eric nodded. -"But thank you anyway." They accepted the food anyway. They would eat what food she gave them along the way. "Are you ready to go?" -"Everything settled before we leave?" They both spoke in a kind way. She was their friend after all. They weren't going to be rude to her, not on purpose anyway. Emily faintly smiled a bit for a moment and so did Eric. They would follow her lead.</s> <\|message\|>Aela Locke "Oh. Well that's good you ate something." Aela shrugged off that they already ate, but was grateful they took the food away. "Everything is settled on my end. Adian is in hands that I trust. And everything is settled. Let's get going shall we?" Aela stepped forth on the path and began walking ahead of them through their small village. The sun shone in the morning sky the air had a slight bite, but nothing she couldn't handle. The sun glinted on the sliver band that was now on her middle finger, the band looked pretty thick and held a crest of her family.</s>	<\|message\|>Emily Phillips Lore Eric and Emily nodded. "If we had known, we could have eaten less, or not at all." Eric sighed. -"I...um....we apologize." Eric blushed and looked away. Emily looked at Eric. She frowned at him. She nudged him a bit with her elbow. "Will you just admit it already?" Eric shook his head no. He looked away. Emily sighed and muttered how stubborn he was. Anyway, the twins looked at Aela again. They both nodded. "Very well then." -"alright then." They began to walk with her through the small village. Eric soon noticed the ring on her finger. He raised an eyebrow. He wondered if she was with someone or whatever. But, he hesitated to ask. Emily cleared her throat. "We will have to camp just about every night though, so the journey will DEFINETLY be a long one." She gave a gentle warning. Eric nodded as she spoke.</s>
<\|description\|>Emily Phillips age: 19/20 appearance: girl in the first post picture. role in the story: one of the twins powers(if any): unknown other: unknown name: Eric Phillips age: 19/20 appearance: guy in the first post picture. role in the story: one of the twins powers(if any): unknown other: unknown</s> <\|message\|>Aela Locke Aela wasn't too big of a fan of the nickname but continued on after Emily. The swamp her mind wandered with possible threats within the swamp. Both magical and non magic threats. It made her nervous and quite on edge. "We could set up camp outside of the swamp and focus our journey through it tomorrow? Or we could try to trek through it as much as we can and camp somewhere in a middle point?"</s> <\|message\|>Emily Phillips Lore Emily sighed. "It is getting late. It might be best if we wait until tomorrow to try and make our way through it." She looked at her brother and Aela. Eric shrugged. -"Whatever you think is best, aela. I....have bad judgement when it comes to this stuff." He gave her a sheepish smile and rubbed the back of his head a bit. Emily rolled her eyes.</s> <\|message\|>Aela Locke Aela thought for a moment with Emily's advice and glanced at the sun they didn't have too long. "You're completely right Em. Let's find a place to camp and we can start the trek through the swamp in the morning. Look for a spot and I am going to start gathering everything for a fire. I'd like to conserve my mana if that's alright. Once the fire is started and going I will start on dinner."</s> <\|message\|>Emily Phillips Lore Emily nodded. "Alright." She got to work and helped out. Eric nodded as well. -"ok." He also got to work. He helped find a place to hide out when the camped. Luckily, there was a dirt cave in a hillside not too far away. -"Found it!" Emily walked over to Eric. They set up things they would need since they would all be spending the night there, while Aela helped start a camp fire.</s> <\|message\|>Aela Locke Aela gathered the materials she needed and with Emily and Eric's help was able to start a suitable fire and get a pot of water boiling. She was able to make a stew out of some of the supplies she brought with stag jerky, potatoes, cheese, and various herbs and spices with a side of moist bread rolls. Once dinner was ready she offered bowls and spoons to her companions to consume the stew with. "I hope you enjoy it, eat what you can. You will need the strength and energy I'm sure about it. If you guys need me for any reason just come back to the campsite. Other than that be careful as you wander around in your animal forms, even if you have fangs and claws we don't know the creatures native to these parts."</s> <\|message\|>Emily Phillips Lore Eric nodded. He looked at Aela. He faintly smiled a bit. -"Thank you." He took a bite of stew. He blinked. -"This is good." Emily nodded and said 'Thanks' as well. She blinked after she took a bite. She agreed with her brother and kept eating. -"I'm glad you came with us." "Me too." They both, then, glanced towards the sun. It was a good thing they camped. It WAS getting late, the sun was almost setting...almost.</s> <\|message\|>Aela Locke Aela smiled, "At least I will be good for something right?" She teased hoping to lighten the mood right before their torture began. She felt fairly sorry for them and needed to be strong in case they needed her.</s> <\|message\|>Emily Phillips Lore Eric half chuckled. He shook his head. "Don't joke about that. You are skilled in everything you do." Emily nodded. She had already finished her food. She had been quite hungry. Eric would finish his food some time later. Then, they both glanced towards the horizon.</s> <\|message\|>Aela Locke Aela stood up and glanced over at the horizon. "Good luck you two. If you need any help tonight you know where to find me." Aela finished her meal and began to wash her dishes to put things away back into her bag. She carefully removed the iron pan from the fire and set it aside for it to cool down.</s> <\|message\|>Emily Phillips Lore Eric and Emily both nodded. Then, they both sighed. "Thanks." -"Thank you. Don't worry about us. We'll be fine." They let her take care of the dishes as they sensed the curse would trigger soon. And so, they ducked out of sight, especially when the sun began to set. They expressed a bit of pain, and then their forms had changed again. Once it was fully dark, they were in animal form once again. This time Emily was a duck. Eric, this time, was some kind of toad. They both had human sadness in their eyes as they looked at each other.</s> <\|message\|>Aela Locke Aela tended to the dishes and to the fire. She was sharpening her short sword and dagger with a bit of pain began to bother her. She would need to empty mana soon. But with their surroundings she didn't feel confident she could do it safely. What's more was that she felt she was being watched. She wondered what kind of wild life lived in the swamp. Emily didn't seem to elaborate too much. How many of the creatures were magic based? Did several species favor human flesh?</s> <\|message\|>Emily Phillips Lore Emily moved around a bit. But, she kept falling. She wasn't used to walking with the webbed feet of a duck. Eric also had some difficulty. He was a toad. He had to hop to get around. Of course, being drawn to flies did not help either. Anyway, they managed to make it to the entrance. Eric wanted to check on Aela. He wanted to make sure that she was alright. Emily stayed close to Eric. Emily accidentally made a sound. Eric looked at her. He would have frowned if he were in human form. Eric managed to turn around to look where Aela was again.</s> <\|message\|>Aela Locke Aela had moved on to sharpening her blades. She was working with a stone over her blades she seemed lost in thought to Eric. The glow of the fire danced across her casting her in a warm orange light. When the fire was low she would tend to it kindly, and return to sharping her swords. Her mind continued to race even as she laid out a blanket to lay down on she glanced up at the stars with the fire there and her sword skills she wondered if they would be enough. Part of her joke was part of a worry that gnawed in the back of her mind. She had to support the chosen ones.</s> <\|message\|>Emily Phillips Lore Emily and Eric, even though they were both in animal form, peaked outside. They looked right at aela. They would have frowned if they were in human form, and they would have sighed as well. They felt bad. They wished they weren't so helpless. They felt they would be more helpful if they did not turn into animals because of some curse. The sooner they got to that sorceress queen, the better. They both agreed on that. Sunrise could not come fast enough in their opinion. Eric stayed to the shadows and tried to hop to Aela.</s> <\|message\|>Aela Locke Aela was dozing lightly her short sword on the opposite side of her injured arm. Her hands were crossed across her torso and she was breathing calmly. The fire after a while should have gone out, instead it continued to burn even without fuel.</s> <\|message\|>Emily Phillips Lore Eric continued to hop. The toad that was Eric got close to Aela. He saw that she was sleeping. Once he made sure that she was alright, he turned and tried to hop back. Emily was watching. She waited, anxious.</s> <\|message\|>Aela Locke Aela stirred in her sleep "Eric? Emily? Are you two okay? Do you need something?" Aela began to sit up and looked around a bit tired and out of it.</s> <\|message\|>Emily Phillips Lore Eric not speak. The only sounds he could make were that of a toad. Emily was in the same position. She could only sound like a duck. Both had the human worry in their eyes though.</s> <\|message\|>Aela Locke She noticed a duck and toad. "Oh, that was not what we were hoping for...Okay you two come here Aela began setting out places for them to relax. Get some sleep or relax, I will take the night watch." Aela moved to the front of the outer radius of the fire listening for any sounds or feelings acc</s> <\|message\|>Emily Phillips Lore Eric and Emily has saddened looks in their eyes. They didn't get to choose what animals they turned into each night. It was always random. Anyway, they rested beside Aela on either side. Eric would have leaned next to her, but he couldn't as a toad. He just sat there quietly, resting as best as he could, hoping for no dangers to come. Emily was hoping for the same thing.</s> <\|message\|>Aela Locke As both Eric and Emily leaned against Aela, a sound of movement caught her attention. She quickly moved to her feet, focusing her attention on listening. In the thicket of trees a shadow of something large was moving through the swamp. Branches broke and the trees seemed to crack and snap as it moved. It was big and that thing had massive amounts of mana. "Eric, Emily if that thing comes out here get behind me immediately. For now just remain calm, and it should leave us alone."</s> <\|message\|>Emily Phillips Lore Eric froze. Emily froze as well. As animals, especially ones that were normally prey animals, they were helpless. They did not know what to do. Then, they heard Aela. They would have nodded had they been in human form. However, the look in their eyes said that they understood. They stayed close to her for the time being. They, then, began to wonder what was out there just then.</s> <\|message\|>Aela Locke Aela held her breath until the movements move away and the sound fades. Aela relaxes and sits back down, breathing a sigh of relief. "That might have been close...that beast seems to be a magical one. I'm not sure as to why mortals would risk going through the swamp. Should we continue to go through it? Does the book say we have to? What if we try to go around?"</s> <\|message\|>Emily Phillips Lore Emily could only make a duck noise. Eric could only make a toad sound. Then, they both gave saddened looks. They had no human voices when they turned into animals. If one could read their thoughts, they could communicate that way. But, alas, they doubt that anyone had such an ability. Emily simply wondered back to where she and Eric had been hiding. She tried to drag the book to Aela with her beak.</s> <\|message\|>Aela Locke Aela noticed Emily waddle away she approached her carefully with what she was trying to carry in her mouth. She noticed it is the book. Aela helped with Emily handling the book. "Is it okay if I read this again?" With a confirmation from the two she opened the book and began to read the next step starting from the previous step they completed with the bright roses and going to a place where light ends.</s> <\|message\|>Emily Phillips Lore Emily gave a look that said it was ok. Eric gave the same look. They both watched as Aela opened the book and read it. The book said that after the swamp, there was a mountainside. They had to keep going until they reached the smallest little mountain and then take the short tunnel cave. There was a glowing tunnel that only those who could use magic would be able to notice and reveal. They were to take that tunnel until they sensed fire magic.</s> <\|message\|>Aela Locke Aela knelt down with Emily and Eric letting them see the book too she read the passage aloud. She paused and looked at the circumference of the swamp. "Seems according to this we don't have to cross the swamp. Instead, we could go around." Aela ran a finger over the pages reading the passage of the tunnel and paused at fire magic. "Fire magic... like my own magic? Or could it possibly be different?"</s> <\|message\|>Emily Phillips Lore Emily blinked. Eric blinked. There was that human confusion in their eyes. They were silent, and not just because they could not talk. They watched as Aela continued to read the passage, but she read it out loud for them to hear. Emily wished that she had a voice so she could think out loud and be of help. Eric felt the same way. They would have both sighed at that point if they were not in animal bodies. They could only managed to glance at each other, and then at her again.</s> <\|message\|>Aela Locke Aela realized she was voicing her thoughts aloud. "Sorry about that. Just focus on relaxing and in the morning after breakfast we can start moving around the swamp to reach the mountains." Aela returned to her blanket and set out two spots close to her that Emily and Eric could relax she layed down and began to doze again. This time the campfire had burned through all the wood and kindling yet it still blazed by them.</s> <\|message\|>Emily Phillips Lore Eric had a look in his eyes that said he understood. Emily had the same look in hers. They watched as Aela set up the blanket and such. They barely looked at the fire. They still glanced at the book from time to time. Soon enough, they would lay on that blanket. They tried to save their energy, their strength. The transformation back tended to be just as bad as the change into animals. Anyway, they waited for sunrise, resting. Then, they would become humans again and the journey would resume. They had to get past the swamp and find that mysterious mountain tunnel in question. Time would pass slowly in their minds....</s> <\|message\|>Aela Locke Aela began to drift off to sleep once again. The night seemed pretty calm. Soon Aela fell asleep deeply and after some hours passed the sun began to rise slowly. At the time, Aela was in a deep sleep. Her breath was calm and even. This time she dreamt about meeting other mages who could use fire magic.</s>	<\|message\|>Emily Phillips Lore Emily and Eric barely rested. They were helpless animals and this made them feel worried and anxious. They kept on guard and kept their eyes out for any trouble during the night. They could not wait for sunrise. Time would pass. However, it would seem to pass rather slowly. Eventually, night time would end. The sun would rise. When it did, they would change back into humans. They would be ready to resume the journey some time after that. They waited for Aela and such though. They could not risk hurrying along too soon after all.</s>
<\|description\|>Emily Phillips age: 19/20 appearance: girl in the first post picture. role in the story: one of the twins powers(if any): unknown other: unknown name: Eric Phillips age: 19/20 appearance: guy in the first post picture. role in the story: one of the twins powers(if any): unknown other: unknown</s> <\|message\|>Emily Phillips Lore Emily did not notice the smile at first, but she almost sighed when she did. Eric smiled a bit. Emily nodded. "Sandwiches are fine. Regardless, we can not be picky right now. We each only packed so much in those little bags." Eric nodded. -"Yes. And do not worry, we know better than to venture out by ourselves, especially into the swamp, like that." Emily nodded that time. They were quiet when they finally started eating. They both nodded again. "Alright, but only if we need protection." Eric nodded. -"What Emily said." They both continued to eat after that. Eric glanced at Aela at times, still wondering about what she dreamed about.</s> <\|message\|>Aela Locke Aela noticed Eric's glances and paused while eating her meal. "Something up?" Aela waited for Eric to tell her what was up. "Oh that's right I didn't finish telling you about my dream. So, after everything was solved and done with Emily seemed to find herself someone romantically. And I proposed to you first before you were able too."</s> <\|message\|>Emily Phillips Lore Emily ate. She blinked and listened closely. She gasped a bit. She nearly choked on her food. Eric blinked. He glanced up, again, as he ate. He listened. Then, he heard that last part. He coughed and choked on his food. He had been caught off guard. -"Wh....what?!" He turned red. Emily chuckled a bit. She was still a bit red herself. Eric narrowed his eyes at her.</s> <\|message\|>Aela Locke Aela smiled and folded her arms. "It's true, I proposed to you by making up you a nice meal and presented you with a decorative dagger. I thought you'd appreciate it more than a ring. The meal consisted of fresh game and a few baked goods. I slipped a special message at the bottom of your mug and as soon as you were done reading it, I presented my dagger to you."</s> <\|message\|>Emily Phillips Lore Eric coughed. -"I....I was choking because you caught me off guard with the whole marriage thing. I....I mean....isn't it a little early to be bringing that up?" Emily chuckled and smirked. Eric narrowed his eyes at her again. Eric cleared his throat and turned to Aela again. -"I...I mean...we only just admitted our feelings and such. Unless you're a secret oracle or something?" Emily rolled her eyes at that.</s> <\|message\|>Aela Locke Aela laughed a bit with Emily then watched Eric. "I doubt I'm an Oracle. It was just a dream I had Eric. No need to take it seriously. Besides we are taking it slow and annoying Emily a bit too much."</s> <\|message\|>Emily Phillips Lore Eric took a deep breath. -"....If you say so." He blinked and raised an eyebrow when Aela said they were annoying Emily. Emily shook her head. "I feel bad for you two more than I am annoyed. I wonder what is going to happen when you DO propose to him?" Eric sighed and narrowed his eyes at Emily.</s> <\|message\|>Aela Locke Aela laughed once again. "If you want you could scheme with me when the time comes." She winked at Eric and finished her meal she was putting things away in her pack. (that was a standard size adventure pack.) she looked up at the sunset she smiled "Some of the stars are out already. Aren't they beautiful?"</s> <\|message\|>Emily Phillips Lore Eric turned bright red at that. Emily chuckled a bit. She shrugged. "Maybe." Eric turned redder and frowned. He looked away from the two girls. He sighed. Emily smirked a bit and rolled her eyes. Anyway, at the mention of stars, the twins both frowned. Emily sighed and Eric shook his head. Eric looked at Aela. -"We....haven't enjoyed the sight of the stars since.....you know." Emily nodded. "We were always busy preparing to hide, you know?" Eric looked down at his lap. Emily simply went silent after that.</s> <\|message\|>Aela Locke Aela paused and turned to them. "This May be naive to say to you both. But magic has a side of wonder to it too. It's not just a force of nature that causes devastation. It's like all things good and bad. Maybe your curse is giving yo7 different perspectives of life itself. It can be wondrous if you think about it."</s> <\|message\|>Emily Phillips Lore Eric and Emily both sighed and frowned. They were unsure about that, the both of them. "I...am not too sure about that myself." Eric was silent for a moment or two. Then, he spoke. -"I can not say that for certain. I just know we were cursed, our lives taken away, by someone who is using that world for selfish and evil purposes." Emily nodded at that.</s> <\|message\|>Aela Locke "Maybe it would help if I explain." A flame is summoned in Aela's palm its color slowly began to change. "My brother is suffering from magic or our bloodline due to the vast amounts of mana we have. But in my case, I am able to be useful and protect my friends when I need to. And.the colors the flame can change into are pretty and unique for different scenarios."</s> <\|message\|>Emily Phillips Lore Eric nodded. Emily nodded as well. "We know you have the ability to do something like that. but..." Eric took a breath. -"But there is more to magic than just protection and such. There is a balance to it, as I am sure you know by now." Emily sighed. "There are two sides. The evil side exists as much as the good side does."</s> <\|message\|>Aela Locke Aela nods towards Emily "That's exactly what I mean Emily. But, I will stop bothering you two about it." Aela started pulling out a quill, ink, and parchment as she began writing to her brother of her adventure so far. She wanted to include as much as she could so it would be as if he was experiencing it with her.</s> <\|message\|>Emily Phillips Lore Emily nodded. She sighed. "I...apologize." Eric nodded. -"Same here, my love." He blushed after he said that. Emily blinked. She looked at Eric. She half chuckled a bit. She knew her brother really loved their childhood friend.</s> <\|message\|>Aela Locke Aela glanced up from writing her letter and smiled "No need to apologize you two it's alright. You've been through a lot, and as chosen ones will go through a lot. But, I hope that you don't just suffer through it."</s> <\|message\|>Emily Phillips Lore Emily nodded. "You should not suffer through anything either." Eric nodded. -"I....wish I could help you at night. But this stupid curse.....I...." He sighed and frowned. He looked at Aela again. -"The sooner we find that kingdom, the better. We need to put an end to all of this once and for all." Emily nodded in agreement. ……………… NPC(for now): The sorceress in question, the one who cursed them, was in her hideout, an old sold black painted mansion. She was with her husband and four children, her two sons and two daughters. She was plotting something. Her children all listened. But, the oldest child, her oldest son, was unsure and doubtful. He frowned. He didn't exactly agree with his mother. He was different from her other children.</s> <\|message\|>Aela Locke Aela smiled at Eric and Emily "I'm gonna be fine, I can take care of myself." As soon as she finished saying that a loud hissing sounded from the swamp area. Aela stood up quickly "hurry guys to your spots to transform."</s> <\|message\|>Emily Phillips Lore Emily and Eric both blinked. "What was that?" -"What was that sound?" They both frowned and looked at each other, before looking at Aela again. Eric blinked again. -"Wait....is it sunset?" He and Emily looked and gasped. They ducked under a tree. It was just as painful as it usually was. When the curse had activated, after the transformations were over, they peaked their heads out. They had turned into a mongoose(Eric) and a hawk(Emily).</s> <\|message\|>Aela Locke Aela shoved the parchment into her bag and stood her ground. Something inside her let her know something was very wrong. The same noises of movement was heard, although this time a large serpent emerged from the line of trees. The serpent's scales shimmered like sliver it's eyes were completely black. It's head turned directly at Aela. It seemed to be able to sense her mana, and it attracted the snake. It slithered closer Aela summoned flames to her palms ready to enter combat. As she did it towered over her as it lifted its upper body into the air. It's eyes glittered from the flickering flames in Aela's palms.</s> <\|message\|>Emily Phillips Lore Eric would have gasped if he were in human form. The same went for Emily. Emily flew into the air, having had experience from turning into a duck and such, plus she was a quick learner. She tried to attack the snake. Erics' eyes went wide. He charged forth. He may have been in the body of a mongoose, but he was not about to stand by and let Emily attack the snake by herself, not to mention he was not about to let Aela be alone and having to protect herself against a fierce looking creature like that. Eric bit the snakes' tail. Emily tried to claw at it's eyes.</s> <\|message\|>Aela Locke The serpents tail was hard it's scales were as sharp as a sword. It lowered its head to the earth as Emily tried to fly in. Aela paused and moved forward with a hand stretched out. Her flames lowered in intensity. The serpent waited patiently and didn't attack instead it moved closer to Aela. "Emily, Eric, it doesn't seem to want to hurt us. Lower your guard for now. Eric, did you read anything about a guardian of the swamp? Something to scare off mortals or those who wished harm on the kingdom of magic? Just call out with an animal noise for yes. And remain silent for a no."</s> <\|message\|>Emily Phillips Lore Emily narrowed her eyes. She flew back to the ground. Eric narrowed his eyes as well. He ran over to Aelas' side. They glanced at each other when she asked about a swamp guardian. They would have frowned if they were in human form. Emily made a soft hawk sound. Eric stayed silent. Not all the books he read were the same as the ones Emily read. However, after a couple moments, Eric made a sound as well. He remembered the book he showed Aela, with that information he and Emily told Aela before.</s> <\|message\|>Aela Locke Aela began to stroke the smooth scales of the serpent. Hearing Eric and Emily's response she looked at the snake. "You know that your the first magical creature I've met?" It breathed out as it did white flames left its nostrils. The flames licked Aela's hurt shoulder instantly her graze healed. "Thank you. For helping me. Me and my friends need help making it to the mountain range can you help us get there and the next step? We just want help, I promise we don't wish harm on anyone or anything." The serpent raised it's head again and waited for Eric and Emily to get onto its back. Aela grabbed her pack their bags and other supplies they brought and joined on his back.</s> <\|message\|>Emily Phillips Lore Eric and Emily blinked. They glanced at each other. They would have sighed had they been in human form. Then, they looked at Aela again. They both listened as she spoke with the creature. They did not like this. However, they humored Aela and got onto the serpents' back. They waited for Aela.</s> <\|message\|>Aela Locke Once Aela gathered everything, she joined the twins on the serpents back. She patted it gently and it began to move swiftly toward the cliffs. Aela beamed "This is the coolest thing I have ever done magic wise..that is." The serpent paused by the face of the rock cliffs the mountain range seemed long. Aela was unsure where she needed to guide her friends through using fire. Although the ride certainly cut out maybe a day's worth of walking. "Let's find a cave to camp out for the rest of the night, Eric and Emily." "Thank you." Aela hugged the serpent who lowered it's head to back to the earth before her.</s> <\|message\|>Emily Phillips Lore Eric and Emily both got off of the Serpents' back quickly. They both looked at Aela and waited. Eric was quiet. Emily glanced around for a moment or two. Eric would have frowned a bit if he were in human form. He saw Aela hugging that Serpent. Emily would have sighed if she were in human form and had seen that. Anyway, they waited for Aela and they would go with her to find a cave to rest in for the rest of the night.</s> <\|message\|>Aela Locke Aela finished hugging the snake and saw it off as it disappeared into the swamp. She turned looking for Emily and Eric for where they ran off too. Something was bothering her, if the serpent was actually kind.. then the spiders might be the actual danger. The only problem being do they have nests in the caves of the cliffs? Aela was able to catch up with Emily and Eric. "That was pretty cool wouldn't you say?"</s>	<\|message\|>Emily Phillips Lore Emily would have shrugged if she were in human form. Eric would have done the same thing. Anyway, they simply made mild sounds associated with the animals they had turned into because of the curse. They both glanced around the cave for a moment before they looked at Aela again. Emily flew and landed near her. Eric ran over and stopped near her. He had to really raise his head to look at her since he had turned into a rather small animal. Emily gave a look associated with a sigh. Eric gave the same look after a moment or two.</s>
<\|description\|>Emily Phillips age: 19/20 appearance: girl in the first post picture. role in the story: one of the twins powers(if any): unknown other: unknown name: Eric Phillips age: 19/20 appearance: guy in the first post picture. role in the story: one of the twins powers(if any): unknown other: unknown</s> <\|message\|>Emily Phillips Lore Eric faintly blushed a little when she kissed him on the cheek like that. Anyway, he and Emily would follow her along those tunnels and such. They were careful in the darkness. They were quiet for a time as well. Emily and Eric both glanced around, but they could barely see anything. The flames helped them see just a little bit. They both blinked when Aela stopped in her tracks like that. They ended up stopping in their tracks as well. Emily frowned. Eric whispered to Aela. -"What is it?" Eric frowned when he heard what aela said, and so did Emily since she heard it too. They both were just as confused as she was. "What could this mean?" Eric glanced between his sister and Aela. -"I am.....not sure." He took a breath, thinking.</s> <\|message\|>Aela Locke The lavender flames floated together and merged causing a bright flash. The flames turned into a rose red and split into several pieces as freagents of the flames flew to stone torches. Aela approached a torch carefully feeling it's stone surface. "There's mana in this torch... this isn't ordinary maybe this is supposed to happen? Maybe we follow the lit torches?"</s> <\|message\|>Emily Phillips Lore Emily blinked. She gave a confused frown. "...…." Eric glanced around. He frowned. He nodded once. -"Perhaps." He looked at Aela. -"What do you think? You have a say in this as well after all."</s> <\|message\|>Aela Locke Aela thought for a moment, and spoke calmly. "The book says that fire would lead the way, and it is the same shade as glow from the roses. They must be connected that way for a good reason. I think this is our best bet. What do you two think? "</s> <\|message\|>Emily Phillips Lore Emily and Eric looked at each other for a moment. Then, they looked at Aela again. The two of them both shrugged. Emily spoke first. "I suppose. It would not hurt to investigate at least." Eric nodded. "I agree." He faintly smiled a bit at Aela for a moment. He stood right next to the woman he loved as he said that.</s> <\|message\|>Aela Locke Aela nodded to Emily's suggestion and blushed slightly as Eric gave his response and stood beside her. Their hands were brushing each other's and she lanced her fingers in his. "Okay we can check it out and if there is a slightest hint of danger we come back here." Instead of taking the lead she let Emily or Eric go ahead to lead. As a wave of exhaustion began to settle over her and her pain retreated into a dull afterthought.</s> <\|message\|>Emily Phillips Lore Eric blinked. He looked at their hands. Emily nodded. She blinked when she was suddenly allowed to take the lead. She sighed and started walking. Eric kept glancing at Aela as they walked, following the flames. The tunnel would seem to go on and on. It was quite a while before it showed any sign of ending.</s> <\|message\|>Aela Locke Aela began to slow down before eventually collapsing to her knees once at the entrance. Eric noticed while she held his hand she gradually got colder. Until his hand was warmer than hers. Aela huffed a few times a bit confused as to what was going on..but her pain had completely stopped the feeling was...fantastic.</s> <\|message\|>Emily Phillips LoreEric noticed the feeling in her hand. He glanced down. He gasped, eyes wide. -"Aela?!" Emily soon saw for herself. She gasped as well, her own eyes wide. She ran up to Aela. Eric pulled her into his arms. -"What's wrong?!" He frowned with extreme worry and concern. The feeling was showing in his eyes.</s> <\|message\|>Aela Locke Aela was able to regain her breath after a bit and glanced to them both with a smile. "Sorry to worry you both. I haven't used my powers this much this often... it seems that I have run out of mana for the time being. And... for the first time I am not in pain. " Aela began to cry with happiness from the pain being gone, she was able to feel alive and free for the first time despite how exhausted she was.</s> <\|message\|>Emily Phillips Lore Eric blinked. He was still worried though. Emily was the same way. Anyway, Eric tried to help her up. He also tried to pull her into his arms. He frowned. -"Do you wish to rest?" Emily nodded. "We can stop and rest if you would like, even if it is only for a little while."</s> <\|message\|>Aela Locke Aela accepted Eric's help to stand, however she was a bit unbalanced she laughed a bit nervously. "We shouldn't slow down.. what if night falls and we are still trapped in the cave? We need to keep going. I should be okay."</s> <\|message\|>Emily Phillips Lore Eric blinked. He nodded once. -"If that is what you want." Emily blinked. She sighed and nodded. "Very well." They started walking. Eric made sure Aela was balanced against him so that she would not fall down and such. They continued to follow the path and everything.</s> <\|message\|>Aela Locke Aela leaned on Eric lightly as they continued on, her exhaustion continued to weigh on her yet at the same time everything felt so....light? Almost like a weight had been lifted her chest as she approached the end door which several torches were lit and the door was ready. As soon as Emily moved toward the door it opened into a wall of flames. However they weren't as hot as one would expect, and none of the flames left the door frame.</s> <\|message\|>Emily Phillips Lore Emily followed along. Eric led Aela all the way towards that door in question. He blinked and almost gasped along with his sister when they saw those flames. However, they were confused as to why they were not hot. Eric looked at Aela. -"What do you think?"</s> <\|message\|>Aela Locke Aela glanced at Eric and Emily she let go of Eric and moved forward toward the flames she stretched out her hand and the flames retreated like a curtain. "It seems that we literally have to walk through flames. But it was an extra precaution in case of intruders. The flames feel the same way the ones on the stone torches do. I'm guessing with them lit we can continue on."</s> <\|message\|>Emily Phillips Lore Eric blinked. He looked at Aela. He nodded once. -"If you say so, my love." Emily blinked. She nodded as well. "Very well." She took a deep breath, as did Eric. The two of them helped Aela get through that doorway and such. They needed to continue on after all. The twins closed their eyes, expecting something to happen. But, nothing did. They were confused, but then both figured Aela was correct and such.</s> <\|message\|>Aela Locke As Aela got through with the help of Eric and Emily she walked through the flames. They were cold and didn't harm her, she walked until the end of the hall of flames and leaned on the door to the next area wondering what would come next. However, the door gave way under her leaning against it. She falls on her back, and lays there a moment before rolling on her side to get up.</s> <\|message\|>Emily Phillips Lore Eric gasped. -"Aela?!" He tried to help her up as Emily gasped. She tried to help Eric keep her balanced and off of the doorway. Eric frowned. His worry and such got much worse. -"Are you alright?" Erics' voice gave away how he was feeling at that moment.</s> <\|message\|>Aela Locke Aela was a bit shocked when she heard both Emily and Eric gasp. As Eric ran to her side she was already on her knees about to push herself up. Eric's strong arm wrapped around her own to help her up. Aela noticed the concern in his voice, she glanced at Emily who seemed to share the seemed sentiment. "I am okay, just a little tired and not used to this feeling and my situation. I'm sorry Eric and Emily for worrying you. I really am okay. Do either of you know what we need to do next?"</s> <\|message\|>Emily Phillips Lore Eric still frowned. But, he nodded once. -"Be careful though." The worry never left his voice. Emily nodded in agreement. They blinked and looked at each other when Aela asked them if they knew what to do next. -"I am afraid not." "Neither do I." They both sighed. Eric pulled out that book after he got it from Emily and he handed it to Aela carefully. (You can make up a few things too, if you want. )</s> <\|message\|>Aela Locke Aela leaned against Emily and Eric as she opened the book in between them. Only to find the pages blank. The book began to glow and increased until light melted all of them for a moment. Once the light died down the book had vanished along with the light. Aela's hands slowly fell to her sides from the positions of holding the book. "It looks like we are on our own. All we can do is move forward." Aela wandered through narrow tunnels overrun with moss and spider webs. Light of the sun began peaking through the mouth of the exit. It seemed to be a bunch of ivy. She pushed it aside to revealed a breath taking view of hills and villages. But one thing that caught Aela's attention was the wall of smoke and fire nearby.</s> <\|message\|>Emily Phillips Lore Emily sighed. Eric sighed and nodded. "Alright." -"Very well." The two of them stayed close to Aela. Eric wanted to hold her hand, again, but just kept himself from doing so. Now was probably not the time, he thought. Anyway, they followed her, walking alongside her. They both gasped when they finally saw what was beyond the obstacles, all the spider webs and such. "wow....." -"wow...…." They were speechless.</s> <\|message\|>Aela Locke Aela glanced back to Eric and Emily, she was a bit tired and decided to kneel down and rest a few moments. A feeling was settling over her on top of being out of mana with her pain being gone she felt mana all around her in the air in the grass in the village and in the flames. It was sudden and overwhelming. She smiled at them. "We made it to the other side. How are you two feeling? Any different?"</s> <\|message\|>Emily Phillips Lore Eric blinked. Emily blinked too. They both, then, looked at Aela, and at the same time. "Um......i.....wow....." Emily was still not sure what to say. That much was obvious. Eric cleared his throat a bit. -"It....it's um.....nice....um....wow." He was almost rather speechless himself at the moment. But, then he became concerned about Aela again, and so did Emily, who frowned. Eric spoke up first that time. -"Are you alright, Aela?"</s> <\|message\|>Aela Locke Aela's smile slightly wavers. "I'm getting used to this whole magic world. And my connection to it apparently. I wonder what the effects are from the other side. But I won't know until my mana is replenished. We should probably plan on where to stay tonight and how we are to move forward. I'd assume we would need to know how this world functions and works."</s> <\|message\|>Emily Phillips Lore Eric and Emily both nodded. Eric, however, really frowned a bit. "yes." -"Alright." Eric glanced around. -"Are you thinking that, perhaps, we should camp out for the night? again?" He wondered if she had wanted to do that again. Emily blinked.</s> <\|message\|>Aela Locke Aela smiled while finishing catching her breath she stood up. "If we want to find a camping spot we better start looking before nightfall. And I can start a fire and cook a meal for you two, maybe lay down for a bit." Aela led them down the path to the left it was a bit steep, as she moved carefully and was finally able to reach the base of the cliff. What caught her eye was the village to the group's far right was on fire. Aela jumped slightly at the sudden wall of flames, "That is strange I suggest we find shelter quick seems like bandits are raiding. Or do you think you two are up to face some combat?"</s> <\|message\|>Emily Phillips Lore Eric nodded. Emily did as well. "Alright." -"Very well." The twins followed her down the path. The path was, indeed, a bit steep. They tried to be careful and such. They both blinked and gasped when they saw the fire. Eric narrowed his eyes. Emilys' eyes were wide. They both looked at Aela. "I....I....." -"Well....what would you like to do?"</s> <\|message\|>Aela Locke Aela glanced nervously at the flames then back at them. "Well, I would like to help the villagers. But, I am out of mana. And not too much energy in me. I will try not to slow you two down if you wish to engage."</s> <\|message\|>Emily Phillips Lore Eric and Emily both blinked. They looked at each other for a moment. "......" -"......." They were unsure of what to say. However, when Emily saw one of the bandits chasing a little puppy..... She got angry and suddenly, he was lifted into the air and he landed on the ground far away. Emily gasped.</s> <\|message\|>Aela Locke Aela drew her sword and stayed close to the twins Mainly behind. When she saw Emily throw a guy practically she turned to Emily surprised and shocked. "That was amazing! Keep doing whatever you are doing."</s>	<\|message\|>Emily Phillips Lore Emily backed away. "I....I don't even know HOW I did that." She looked quite nervous. Eric blinked. He frowned and became worried. He was not sure what to do to help. Emily kept backing away.</s>
<\|description\|>Oda Nobunaga Gender: Female Appearance: The most feared warlord of Sengoku-era Japan... has been reborn as a petite girl with long, silky black hair and crimson eyes. Her body is almost like that of a doll, pale and slender, and she has a fondness for military clothing, both more traditional and more modern. Goals: To put it simply, Nobunaga's goal is to do what she was unable to do in life due to Akechi Mitsuhide's treachery: Unite, or in this case create, a powerful and forward-thinking nation. Tradition will be celebrated and maintained, but not treated as something that should restrict progress. Past Life: The life of Oda Nobunaga is a well documented one. Rising to power during the Sengoku era of Japanese history, he conquered much of Japan with a combination of brilliant strategy and pragmatic use of new technology. Favoring both the old and the new, yet not allowing the old to restrict progress, Nobunaga came within a hair's breadth of fully uniting Japan and taking the shogunate for himself. However, the shocking betrayal of Akechi Mitsuhide at Honnoji ended Oda Nobunaga's ambitions and his life... until... Abilities: In terms of personal skills and capabilities, Oda Nobunaga is skilled when it comes to Japanese swordsmanship and marksmanship, particularly with matchlock rifles. Unless granted one from the start, she will be swift to pursue the creation of a katana modeled on her favorite sword, the Hesshikiri Hasebe. While she is curious about western weaponry, her preference when it comes to wielding swords lies in those she is used to. The pursuit of guns will also be an immediate concern. Nobunaga's legendary skill in the matters of strategy, both military and diplomatic, is her greatest asset. Her approach to infrastructure is also one of her greatest assets, as she introduced many popular and lasting reforms. Inventory: NA for now</s> <\|message\|>Novak Novak "A lot happened in the temple that needs to be discussed, but if you're getting ready to meet the Kyrinth, we can worry about it later." Novak paused for a moment, then spoke back up. "Well, actually there one thing you might want to know first, we think we might have learned why the Kyrinth is upset with the village. Lazhira told us that the covenant with the Kyrinth was to give up worship of the Illuminator. And we think that some of the hunters are still secretly worshiping the god of knowledge in defiance of the deal. I'm not asking you to take my word for it, but if the Kyrinth doesn't bring it up, you might want to ask about it." Admittedly, they didn't actually have proof of it, and they didn't even have any faces to go with such serious accusations. With any luck, the Kyrinth would be able to confirm or debunk their suspicions. "Actually, it's worse than that," Novak continued, a bit hesitant, "We're pretty sure some of them tried to kill us when we were in the temple. When we were leaving, we saw evidence of an ambush at the entrance, and when we didn't come out, somebody lit a fire in at the entrance try to flush us out or suffocate us. If we hadn't found another exit, and if it weren't for Lady Mie sending help to guide us back safely, we might not have been able to elude them out there." Again, he had no proof for this, but perhaps the mention of Lady Mie's involvement might help lend credence to it. He also began to wonder if sure whether it had been wise to reveal this to Enli. Could it put Enli in danger, to be told these things? Would the meeting with the Kyrinth go smoother if he stepped into it ignorant of the possible cause of the Elder Beast's displeasure? "Oh, one last thing, this meeting...is this just between you and the Kyrinth, or could I come along? I still don't know understand the context of some of what I saw and heard in the temple, and if I were able to hear the Elder Beast's side of things it might make those things clear."</s> <\|message\|>Takeshima Misaki (formerly Takeshima Mamoru) "Specifications..." To that, Misaki found herself glancing downwards, one hand upon her chin as she considered the possibilities in front of them. Obviously, scale would mean that something akin to a large wall scroll would have been ideal; resizing the paper would take extra effort regardless of which size they chose to make, but that size seemed acceptable enough to not have to worry about the logistics of the drying process at length. After all, it was far easier to cut something large down to size than vice versa. "...Half a square meter... Maybe? That'd give us a proof of concept to present, at least," she concluded, nodding her head as she continued. "Not so big that we'd have to invest too much effort into creating it, and not small enough to write off as worthless. I think that might be worth it as somewhere to start, at least." Of course, Lazirha's unusual discomfort regarding the situation did not pass by Misaki unnoticed, and the foxgirl silently took note of how anxious she was acting. As much as she would have liked to help her resolve that issue, given what she knew, there was nothing that she could really have done to set her mind at ease. It was Narkissa's following comment that promptly brought the foxgirl's focus back from Lazirha's wellbeing, well-timed as it was to coincide with their host's hasty departure. Honestly, there was no reason to leave Narkissa out of the loop at this point—not when it was likely that everyone who was resting in this house would get wrapped up in this web of troubles sooner or later. "With regards to the Kyrinth, though... Apparently, this village used to coexist alongside what I would be inclined to call... Hm... Well, native god may not be quite right, but I suppose that's the closest I can get to explaining the Kyrinth. The arrival of this 'God of Knowledge' split the village's faith, so to speak, and his attempts to unseal something here have only furthered that rift." It was at this point, though, that the young woman paused, as if trying to figure out how to piece together what Lazirha had said upon her return with the situation she knew thus far. "...And apparently, that if he was successful, this place would be flooded outright. Of course, we attempted to propose a deal to the Kyrinth to re-establish that bond by placing it in a more secular position in this town—namely, a teacher of sorts—but the details of the negotiations as they are to proceed today are yet to be seen. I suppose we'll find out how they went later, though." With that, Misaki took a deep breath before glancing out the door, lost in her thoughts for a moment before continuing. "Hopefully things should proceed without too much issue. In the meantime, though... I suppose we should get to work. I'm not particularly looking forward to pounding plants to a pulp, though; would that I could automate this with a waterwheel or something similar." This@Rune_Alchemist</s> <\|message\|>Bella Rosso Augusta was intrigued in what she was learning from what she would basically call an operation. Somehow, she was unsurprised that the elf was unable to learn much about Octavia. Her eyes were being rather evasive about certain bits of information about Octavia so she was hoping that she'd be able to learn more from Rullphana but... Well... She'd need to find out in other ways. "As much as I'd love to learn more about her, I think it'd be a bad idea to keep her here with you overnight. Mostly because I can just tell how irritable she is now being poked and prodded. I believe it's in everyone's best interest to reprieve from this for the moment." She went over to the pup and stroked her head. "I'm going to have to feed her some good food tonight so she isn't too angry with me now." The woman said with a slight giggle. She hoped that Rullphana would come up with some more information with the blood sample. In all likelihood, Octavia was still probably connected to the seed which Augusta assumed was just a part of that demon and if it grew, everyone would have a bad time. If there was a way "Though, I forget. In terms of money, I have no money. Isidore bought this rapier for me so he has some, I should have asked him for some." She gave a slight sigh before she picked up Octavia. "That said, I look forward to working with you and learning from you in the near future, Miss Rullphana. Until tomorrow then, dear Teacher." Augusta said, turning to the exit. Unless the elven mage stopped her, she would take Octavia and leave, heading elsewhere.</s> <\|message\|>Narkissa Langdon Narkissa Langdon @PKMNB0Y A square meter. That too, would have been easy, except… "Hmm. You know, it occurs to me that we're not going to have any rulers or standardized measuring equipment, whatsoever. I mean, I'm sure I can approximate a meter to within a couple dozen centimeters or so, but still, something to consider." Something like creating a standardized set of universal measurements… like reintroducing the metric system, for example. Narkissa was sure that even if some country did have some system set out, it would probably be terrible like the imperial system. Base-ten was superior, after all. "Right, regardless, I can do that. I'd say the most difficult part would be getting the right mix and consistency of the pulp. Get the ratios wrong and we get a communion wafer on one end, and a poorly manufactured rag on the other. Wonder if we'll have the time to get it right, really, but it's still worth a try." Aside from the papermaking matter, there was also the Kyrinth, which Narkissa was beginning to realize was a bigger deal than she had originally thought. In fact, it tied directly into her run-in with the Illuminator, actually. The context she gained was… enlightening, but not exactly reassuring. "Huh. That… explains a lot of what we ran into yesterday, actually. I knew that god was up to no good." If Misaki didn't know already, she gave her an edited recollection of her run-in with the god of knowledge. "Sounds like this Kyrinth is the way to go, here, but I'm studied well enough in the classics to know that making deals with any sort of gods –especially ones in a pantheon—is only going to end in misery for mortals. Hopefully things work themselves out," she agreed. "Right then. You have fun with the plants… building a waterwheel will be a project in and of itself. I'll need to find some good wood from somewhere to work with, in the meantime."</s> <\|message\|>Nicholas "Nick" Gallagher The Journey Begins ~ Unknown Mountains ~ Interacted with: @Rune_Alchemist Nick managed to evade the grab, snow and dirt flying all over the place. Great! His next actions fared less better, though. The giant let out a chuckle at Nick's hopeless situation, raising its other foot to punt the otherworlder into Lord-knows-where. Fortunately, the giant was still slow in its attack so Nick imagined he would be able to dive to the side and avoid the powerful kick. But he knew he couldn't just be dodging forever, the giant was bound to catch him at some point. Nick's pleas for help at least earned the warrior woman's brief attention. But he could not look as he still had a giant on him who was about to send him flying probably kilometers away and several feet into the air. The giant began to swing his foot and Nick prepared to dive to the side. But the giant foot coming towards him was huge, was a dive enough to avoid it? It needed to a complete dodge for a small graze can do significant damage to him. But then, another giant crashed into the first one and the two tumbled down the mountain. Nick scrambled away, barely avoiding the two flesh boulders going down the snowy mount. He didn't need to guess who sent the giant flying. What did puzzle him was how the warrior woman sent the gigantic adversary into the air. Did she lift the creature and hurl? Was she that strong? How did that even work? This world continued to surprise Nick. She didn't need to tell him twice. Nick was too tired to reply and climbed his way towards the warrior woman. There were still two giants though and his eyes widened as he instinctively summoned a bit of strength to yell. "Hey, hey! Watch out!" Nick pointed at the two giants with spears who looked just about ready to attack.</s> <\|message\|>"Malphas" Malphas Employment@Rune_Alchemist The offer given to Malphas was quite a tempting one. A steady income, knowledge of what this land finds valuable, and the potential to have his own business in exchange for his loyalty. Of course, one would assume Malphas, the man who had almost considered slaying his fellow cohorts just earlier, would be appalled at such an oath. While there is evidence that a man such as himself would not be afraid to fill a back with knives should it be revealed to him, the contrary is certain. Malphas is happy to bend the knee for others, especially if there is something in it for him, something that would particularly catch his eye... In this case, it was dollar signs. "But of course! You humble me with such an offer, Lady Mie. What a perfect way to utilize my talents, as well... Ah, but there is one more thing that I may ask of you. My identity has been... tarnished, as you know. If I am to successfully work with you, I would need a new identity, a new name, a new face. Perhaps before we shake on this agreement, we should take heed to what name is signed along the dotted line, hmm?" Malphas stroked his chin exaggeratively, pondering on a new identity for himself. It was then that his wings came to mind. "You wouldn't happen to have an avian mask, would you? Perhaps that of a wise owl, or a grand eagle? Ah, no... the royal and regal raven is likely the best for my sort, isn't it? Black is the new black, after all..." Malphas stroked his hair. "Ah, perhaps I should find a way to change my hair up a bit, as well."</s>	<\|message\|>Oda Nobunaga That theme that had sounded melodic the other day now sounded so very disconcerting. And the one playing it... An elderly man in fine clothing, tinged with silver. There was little doubt in her mind over the nature of the one she faced. Nobunaga had guessed he may make some move. It wasn't unlikely he already knew of her intentions. That did not, however, change anything. She faced the enemy general. The Illuminator sought her attention. Just as all gods did, he wished to take a part of her time away from something far more immediately important. And as such, the petite girl would instead respond with her opening move. A first attack, so to speak. "Forgive me, but I have little time to spare," Nobunaga began, "Should you wish to speak with me, you must wait. Like anyone else." Bowing politely, as she would to any ordinary person, she continued on her way without further delay.</s>
<\|description\|>Takeshima Misaki (formerly Takeshima Mamoru) Gender: Female Appearance: Misaki is a kitsune with white hair that reaches down past her shoulders, which is obviously a far cry from the body she used to have before dying. As of now, she is slightly shorter than she was when she was a human (though not by much), which in and of itself isn't as much of a problem as it could be. Of course, modern clothing would be preferable above all else, but given the circumstances that she finds herself in, whatever works, works. Goals: Given that she passed so suddenly, Misaki's primary goal is to make the most of her new life, which, as vague as it sounds, does have some basis behind it. Given how ruined the world she now finds herself is, that means working to make a place that's hospitable to live in without accidentally dying again. Risks are a given, of course, and the allure of adventure has not yet left her, but once that leaves, reattaining the amenities of modern life would be the most important thing to pursue. Past Life: Mamoru used to be a college student studying history, which, as far as things went, meant that he was one a one-way road to either remaining in academia or ending up as a salaryman like a majority of his peers would. Obviously, the former would be far more preferable than the latter when it came down to it, and with Mamoru's own natural curiosity about his homeland, going out and traveling Japan (be it for entertainment or research) was going to be frequent no matter what. Everything would have been fine, had he not ended up missing a step on a hike in Hokkaido and falling to his death. Ending up in some odd void-like space and being told he would end up being reincarnated like he was in some sort of light novel fantasy was far from the first thing he had envisioned after dying, but that was something he could work with. The body, however... That would take getting used to. Abilities: * Physical Conditioning: Peak Human—Your body is naturally tough, durable, and strong. The pinnacle of human physical strength, endurance, and agility. Keep training, and surely you can surpass even stronger beings. * Soul Flare: The ability to turn ones soul into a weapon itself. Needed for most basic magical feats. Channel the mana present in the air through your body to achieve great feats. Allows one to interact with supernatural things, and perceive things others may not. * Historia Technologica: The goddess has complied every single technological advancement humanity has made up until the point you died. Theoretically, you can call upon this knowledge whenever you desire...should it allow you too. The world follows certain laws. A certain undeniable rhythm. You can not know what you have not interacted with, or spent some time learning on your own. You will start with three branches. You will need to figure out how to 'Unlock' more of them yourself. However, do keep in mind - Some materials here will be as alien to your world as you are to this world. Knowledge Available: + Medicine - You can tell if a plant has medicinal properties or not. Yet for now, you can not determine what those are upon sight alone. + Material Science - At a glance, you can tell what a minerals and are and roughly how decent they would be at performing a certain task. You however, do not know exactly how to forge or implement them yourself quite yet. + Agricultural Science - You know rudimentary agricultural and cultivation techniques and how to achieve a decent crop yield without knowing too much else about the surrounding environment or what plants would grow well in what areas. Inventory: * Clothing.</s> <\|message\|>Oda Nobunaga He still sought her attention did he? Then, that was exactly the thing she wouldn't given him. Nobunaga was quite aware of the type of person this was. Even if the deity's offer was genuine, there was no telling what else would be attached to it. This was the enemy general, and there was no denying the fact that he was a skilled manipulator. So she would not grant him the opportunity to bait her into being manipulated. She would offer him nothing. For Nobunaga did not truly intend to merely destroy his influence in this village. A reckless god had no place in the world. No matter how long it took, she would crush his influence and reduce him to nothing. Knowledge would be forged by discovery, by diplomacy, by interacting with the natural world. Not by the whims of a reckless god. But the first steps were much smaller ones. The petite black-haired girl paused a moment. Ah, Novak? The man who had aided in killing the scaled beast that attacked the hunters. It appeared there were further pressing issues, and possibly quite tied to the matter at hand. But first things first. "Is something the matter, Enli-san?" she asked, as she approached, bowing politely after a moment's pause, "I certainly hope I find you well, but it seems there may be some matters worthy of concern afoot." @Crimson Paladin</s> <\|message\|>Novak Novak "I appreciate your offer, Enli," Novak replied, removing his helmet and placing it on his lap. "As it turns out I do have some questions about it." Enli's offer to answer questions about the temple was fortuitous for Novak, who hadn't been able to get much from Lazhira. The adventurer hoped to further explain more about the temple if they had time, but couldn't pass up an opportunity to learn more about just what he had gotten himself into. In particular, he wanted to know more about the orb that he had perhaps foolishly agreed to help retrieve. Before he could present his question, however, Nobunaga arrived. She spoke to Enli, claiming that there was a matter of concern that needed to discussed. As if there wasn't enough bad news going around today... "Hello, Nobunaga," Novak welcomed her. "I actually have a matter of concern myself that I was about to ask Enli, if you'd allow it." Novak didn't want to delay Nobunaga's news, but he really needed to get this question out of the way. It also might be a good idea to make a mental note to later thank her for killing that beast whose scales he now wore. "As I was saying, there are some things that we discovered that we don't know the entire context of," he said, turning back to the village chief. "While I was searching the lower levels, I learned of an orb that had been stolen from a pedestal in the temple, and that the Illuminator is quite upset about its theft. Lazhira seems to think that returning it would be a bad thing, but she's been stubbornly elusive about what she knows. Just what is this orb? What's so important about it?" There were many other things Novak wanted to ask about- what sort of twisted human experiments were people doing there? Are such dark deeds considered remotely morally acceptable by this friendly village? Were those slimes made from people? What's the deal with Lazhira, and how is she tied into this? Had there been any word of Leannah's return? However, between Enli's meeting with the Kyrinth and Nobunaga's news, it'd be better off to not burden the chief with too many questions. @Rune_Alchemist</s>	<\|message\|>Takeshima Misaki (formerly Takeshima Mamoru) With a somewhat bitter smile, Misaki nodded her head in agreement with Narkissa's comments. Redefining a standardized system would take a great deal of work, but as far as the current situation went, it was less of a priority than the goal that they had in mind. Similarly, the fact that she knew the methodology but not the specifics with which to recreate a basic paper meant that there was a great deal of experimentation in order. With the load split and everyone moving to work on their own tasks for the day, the foxgirl was simply left to figure things out on her own. A rather troublesome task, yes, but not one wholly impossible to do with what knowledge she had. Bidding farewell to Narkissa for the moment, Misaki departed the town in pursuit of the bamboo-like plant she had mentioned earlier. The walk there was not without worry, of course—weaponless as she was, an ambush of any sort would likely not pan out well in the least—but by some miracle or another, no such worries seemed to befall her. Gathering the shoots would prove nice to test in terms of culinary value, but they afforded little value compared to the full-grown plant. The young woman found some manner of peace in her ability to at least snap the stalks and bring the longer plants down without a tool; trees, they were not. Of course, that was where the foxgirl spent most of her time gathering; processing them here would be both inefficient and possibly add additional impurities, neither of which she wished for. But the slightest sound of something approaching caused her to stop in her tracks and look around in worry— Only for the same deer she had befriended the day before to bound through the woods towards her. Momentarily taken aback as she was at its appearance, though, Misaki soon found herself understanding why it had come. "...Oh no." Panic gripped Misaki's heart as she immediately knelt down and grabbed one of the stalks of bamboo at her feet and lifted it up like a spear. She had no formal training, of course, but even a makeshift weapon like this would work better than nothing. It was that thought that led her to posture aggressively towards the oncoming pair of predators, weapon in hand as she attempted to make them back off. If they approached, it would only make sense to try and swing back; if they got close, then the pole could work just as well to block... Right?</s>
<\|description\|>Takeshima Misaki (formerly Takeshima Mamoru) Gender: Female Appearance: Misaki is a kitsune with white hair that reaches down past her shoulders, which is obviously a far cry from the body she used to have before dying. As of now, she is slightly shorter than she was when she was a human (though not by much), which in and of itself isn't as much of a problem as it could be. Of course, modern clothing would be preferable above all else, but given the circumstances that she finds herself in, whatever works, works. Goals: Given that she passed so suddenly, Misaki's primary goal is to make the most of her new life, which, as vague as it sounds, does have some basis behind it. Given how ruined the world she now finds herself is, that means working to make a place that's hospitable to live in without accidentally dying again. Risks are a given, of course, and the allure of adventure has not yet left her, but once that leaves, reattaining the amenities of modern life would be the most important thing to pursue. Past Life: Mamoru used to be a college student studying history, which, as far as things went, meant that he was one a one-way road to either remaining in academia or ending up as a salaryman like a majority of his peers would. Obviously, the former would be far more preferable than the latter when it came down to it, and with Mamoru's own natural curiosity about his homeland, going out and traveling Japan (be it for entertainment or research) was going to be frequent no matter what. Everything would have been fine, had he not ended up missing a step on a hike in Hokkaido and falling to his death. Ending up in some odd void-like space and being told he would end up being reincarnated like he was in some sort of light novel fantasy was far from the first thing he had envisioned after dying, but that was something he could work with. The body, however... That would take getting used to. Abilities: * Physical Conditioning: Peak Human—Your body is naturally tough, durable, and strong. The pinnacle of human physical strength, endurance, and agility. Keep training, and surely you can surpass even stronger beings. * Soul Flare: The ability to turn ones soul into a weapon itself. Needed for most basic magical feats. Channel the mana present in the air through your body to achieve great feats. Allows one to interact with supernatural things, and perceive things others may not. * Historia Technologica: The goddess has complied every single technological advancement humanity has made up until the point you died. Theoretically, you can call upon this knowledge whenever you desire...should it allow you too. The world follows certain laws. A certain undeniable rhythm. You can not know what you have not interacted with, or spent some time learning on your own. You will start with three branches. You will need to figure out how to 'Unlock' more of them yourself. However, do keep in mind - Some materials here will be as alien to your world as you are to this world. Knowledge Available: + Medicine - You can tell if a plant has medicinal properties or not. Yet for now, you can not determine what those are upon sight alone. + Material Science - At a glance, you can tell what a minerals and are and roughly how decent they would be at performing a certain task. You however, do not know exactly how to forge or implement them yourself quite yet. + Agricultural Science - You know rudimentary agricultural and cultivation techniques and how to achieve a decent crop yield without knowing too much else about the surrounding environment or what plants would grow well in what areas. Inventory: * Clothing.</s> <\|message\|>Isidore Coinage: 8 Silver, 5 Copper * The (shredded) clothing on his back. * A fur cloak. * Untanned boar skin. * Leather Belt * Knight's Shield * Knight's Dagger * Knight's Longsword * Dwarf's Polearm * Rope * Some preserved food Enough for two people to last a few days. * Roll of what seemed to be a mat of thick fur, likely for sleeping on Comfortable, but only one. * A heavy looking fur/cloth blanket. Cozy, warm and heavy. Good for sleeping in colder climates. * Communication horn Made from bone, hollow and likely used for communication. * A small pot and a ladle * Frozen canteen of water * Map of the Under roads. A map detailing some routes used by the Dwarves and Shadow Elves to travel in their subterranean homes. Its not entirely complete, but it at least shows the routes to the two most notable settlements and several other places of note. Unless you travel off the paths, you probably won't get lost. Sorcha's murmured assessment of the blades made sense for Isidore. Certainly a better material than Dirithen steel for Augusta then, if such weapons were able to be attuned more easily with magic too. The man took one of the blades himself, pinching the edge and slowly applying more and more strength to it, just to see how well they flexed. Soft as they were, he could expect to cleave through them in a single swing, perhaps. In which case, how could he maneuver an Urutha swordsman into such a position, when their combat style will doubtlessly focus on evasion and footwork to make up for the deficiencies in their material? He tabled such simulations in the same movement that saw the blade returned to the rack, turning his attentions to Sorcha directly. "I would love to collect." Isidore responded, stepping closer to the lady knight. "And as for my payment, it'll be you." His eyes slid from one corner of the dimly-lit armory to another, before returning his gaze back upon her. "But a private dinner and an evening without obligations would be more appropriate for that." He unslung his halberd from his shoulder, one hand massaging, loosening the muscles of his neck. "So, for now, fight me." It was one thing to witness it from a distance, but quite another to experience it himself. If Rullphana were one of the strongest mages across the realm, then Sorcha may very likely be one of the strongest blademages too, possessing monstrous physical capability without looking the part. "And don't hold back." A thin smile to hide the rising anxiety that threatened to seep out from the cracks of his outward calm. "I won't die so long as you don't strike to kill twice."</s> <\|message\|>Bella Rosso Augusta was pleased to see her small elf companion again. "Well, I was half hoping to catch you both together but I'm more than happy to talk to my favorite little Sirithen~." The woman mentioned with a smile. Talking to the girl felt like it took a nice load off her shoulders. She walked into the room a small bit and noticed, "She's a tough teacher? My, am I going to regret asking her to teach me some swordsmanship?" The older elf mentioned aloud. She sat on the bed next to the girl, curious to the look on her face. "I don't know about you, but Octavia and I have been all over this place today and I have something I want to tell you, Isidore and Sorcha together later..." Augusta paused, thinking about how to exactly ask it but found that being straightforward might be the best way to go about it. "But enough about me. "Something seems to be wrong. Are you alright? I might not be Sorcha but you can talk to me if something is wrong." She wasn't exactly sure how the girl felt about her or if she trusted her enough to speak... But... She had a bit of hope that the young elf would talk to her. Especially with that nervous glance toward Octavia.</s> <\|message\|>Narkissa Langdon Narkissa Langdon @Crusader Lord "Sure." Narkissa was a bit surprised to see Leannah being so direct, especially since she still looked wiped. It wasn't a problem though, not like there was anybody else in the area aside from the two of them. "Hmm… I doubt you'll get anything useful out of that man. It was one of the few things that the Illuminator and I could agree on, but alright," she agreed. Clearly, something with her experience with the temple or the god that it belonged to had spooked Leannah. Knowing this strange world and the apparent fickleness of the gods that inhabited it, it really was better to be safer than sorry. "Well, let me recap from where we got split up in the temple…" After the brief summary, she launched into more detail as the cat girl had requested, detailing her encounters with the slimes, praying to the goddess, and for the first time since speaking to Lazhira, mentioned the teardrop that she had received as well. Then she moved on to jumping down the tar pit, and meticulously pieced back together her conversation and encounter with the god of knowledge, before finally recounting the tale of their dramatic escape from both burning temple and cultists hot on their heels. What Leannah offered in return, though, was the same, although with far more oaths attached as stipulations than hers. Narkissa couldn't help but to frown. She hadn't gotten the full picture yet here, sure, but it had already become clear long enough ago that they were already being party to a conspiracy of sorts, either here in the village, or to the greater world in general. All within a few days of showing up. Fun stuff. Frankly, she wasn't sure if she'd cared to hear what extra bad news Leannah had to say. But she did care for Leannah, and her own life, really, so refusing was out of the picture. "…Alright, my lips will be sealed, it's a promise. What exactly is going on here, Leannah?"</s>	<\|message\|>Takeshima Misaki (formerly Takeshima Mamoru) Given the current situation with the Kyrinth and the village, as well as how it had acted the day before, Misaki was surprised to see that the deer had decided to follow her all the way back to Lazirha's house. She had told it to stay put there, of course, lest any of the hunters see a meal in its presence instead of a friend, but that ultimately made her job no easier. Gathering the requisite tools was, at the very least, not particularly troublesome, what with Lazirha only so happy to oblige her requests. The way that the girl was keeping herself at the moment, though, gave the foxgirl pause... But ultimately, if it was something she wanted to share, she would share it; prying into matters she had no say in felt wrong, and she had only known the girl for a few days. If she wanted to open up to her, then by all means she would do her utmost to help, but otherwise, her own pursuits came first. Once she had properly gathered everything and set her workstation (if it could even be called as much) up, Misaki took a deep breath and began to break the plants down. The deer's desire to help, though, however endearing, was difficult for the foxgirl to accommodate. Breaking up the plants in this method wasn't something that a deer could do, per se... Or maybe it was? "Ah... Hm..." she began, thinking for a moment before carefully placing a stick of bamboo (or whatever it was called in this world) in front of the deer before speaking, "Could you try breaking these down for me?" With that, Misaki would attempt to demonstrate, attempting to physically break the stem up before returning to her seated position. Hopefully her point had been made properly. The problem of making the pulp had not yet been resolved, of course, but this was likely something to be taken one step at a time anyhow.</s>
<\|description\|>Takeshima Misaki (formerly Takeshima Mamoru) Gender: Female Appearance: Misaki is a kitsune with white hair that reaches down past her shoulders, which is obviously a far cry from the body she used to have before dying. As of now, she is slightly shorter than she was when she was a human (though not by much), which in and of itself isn't as much of a problem as it could be. Of course, modern clothing would be preferable above all else, but given the circumstances that she finds herself in, whatever works, works. Goals: Given that she passed so suddenly, Misaki's primary goal is to make the most of her new life, which, as vague as it sounds, does have some basis behind it. Given how ruined the world she now finds herself is, that means working to make a place that's hospitable to live in without accidentally dying again. Risks are a given, of course, and the allure of adventure has not yet left her, but once that leaves, reattaining the amenities of modern life would be the most important thing to pursue. Past Life: Mamoru used to be a college student studying history, which, as far as things went, meant that he was one a one-way road to either remaining in academia or ending up as a salaryman like a majority of his peers would. Obviously, the former would be far more preferable than the latter when it came down to it, and with Mamoru's own natural curiosity about his homeland, going out and traveling Japan (be it for entertainment or research) was going to be frequent no matter what. Everything would have been fine, had he not ended up missing a step on a hike in Hokkaido and falling to his death. Ending up in some odd void-like space and being told he would end up being reincarnated like he was in some sort of light novel fantasy was far from the first thing he had envisioned after dying, but that was something he could work with. The body, however... That would take getting used to. Abilities: * Physical Conditioning: Peak Human—Your body is naturally tough, durable, and strong. The pinnacle of human physical strength, endurance, and agility. Keep training, and surely you can surpass even stronger beings. * Soul Flare: The ability to turn ones soul into a weapon itself. Needed for most basic magical feats. Channel the mana present in the air through your body to achieve great feats. Allows one to interact with supernatural things, and perceive things others may not. * Historia Technologica: The goddess has complied every single technological advancement humanity has made up until the point you died. Theoretically, you can call upon this knowledge whenever you desire...should it allow you too. The world follows certain laws. A certain undeniable rhythm. You can not know what you have not interacted with, or spent some time learning on your own. You will start with three branches. You will need to figure out how to 'Unlock' more of them yourself. However, do keep in mind - Some materials here will be as alien to your world as you are to this world. Knowledge Available: + Medicine - You can tell if a plant has medicinal properties or not. Yet for now, you can not determine what those are upon sight alone. + Material Science - At a glance, you can tell what a minerals and are and roughly how decent they would be at performing a certain task. You however, do not know exactly how to forge or implement them yourself quite yet. + Agricultural Science - You know rudimentary agricultural and cultivation techniques and how to achieve a decent crop yield without knowing too much else about the surrounding environment or what plants would grow well in what areas. Inventory: * Clothing.</s> <\|message\|>Bella Rosso Augusta was still a little sad that Leuca was off put by... Something. Octavia by the looks of it. How sad, truly. Not that she could blame the poor girl, really. Still, Octavia was a precious resource. As much as she would desire to say friend, that was far from the truth of it. Still, Leuca agreed to help as much as she could. Perhaps she'd pawn Octavia on Isidore during those times. She didn't want to give her to that greedy mage, Rullphana after all. Perhaps she would see. That aside, Sorcha and Isidore entered the room. Well, this was the perfect time. "Hello friends. Glad to see you all. What Leuca wants to say is... It appears I'm getting married soon." Augusta said before she told Sorcha and Isidore all about what happened. How the Queen asked her to marry the Prince and the small details and what she needed to learn. "That's it generally." "So, that said..." She hesitated a small bit. Was she about to ask this monstrous human for help? Truly, she should be terrified of the Queen by power alone, but there was something about this woman's status that left her uneasy. "I have many things to learn in the days to come, I suppose, but Sorcha... Would you be willing to teach me how to use a weapon?" There was no one better than her for sure. She knew after that fight, no matter how frightened she was this was the woman to ask. "I know little, but I hope you'd be willing to teach me."</s> <\|message\|>Isidore @Pyromania99 Coinage: 8 Silver, 5 Copper * The (shredded) clothing on his back. * A fur cloak. * Untanned boar skin. * Leather Belt * Knight's Shield * Knight's Dagger * Knight's Longsword * Dwarf's Polearm * Rope * Some preserved food Enough for two people to last a few days. * Roll of what seemed to be a mat of thick fur, likely for sleeping on Comfortable, but only one. * A heavy looking fur/cloth blanket. Cozy, warm and heavy. Good for sleeping in colder climates. * Communication horn Made from bone, hollow and likely used for communication. * A small pot and a ladle * Frozen canteen of water * Map of the Under roads. A map detailing some routes used by the Dwarves and Shadow Elves to travel in their subterranean homes. Its not entirely complete, but it at least shows the routes to the two most notable settlements and several other places of note. Unless you travel off the paths, you probably won't get lost. Isidore took a minute or two to process everything, and once he had finished doing so, he came to a very simple conclusion. For someone who came from the same modern society that he did, Augusta was adapting very quickly. Even with all the politicking and grim business from his own past life, the concept of a purely political marriage never arose beyond vague and outdated variations of praise. Perhaps a matriarchal society would benefit her more, and perhaps she will simply always just be a princess, but Isidore had his own doubts. To offer royal authority and power to a stranger with no background, all for the purpose of establishing a peace and alliance that a real princess was already here to do was suspect, especially when it sounded like Augusta would be free to do whatever she wished as well. A puppet princess then? A token symbol, furthering the agenda of an existence closer to Elder Beast than mortal? It was a strange scenario…but not any more so than his own. Anyhow, Augusta's eyes saw all; if she agreed to it so readily, the Queen may be guileless after all. "Congratulations," Isidore said, offering a slow clap and a polite smile. He pitied the Prince, but this reality must be one that the bookish Uruthan would've been long prepared for. "l have come across an interesting proposition as well. An individual of influence suspects the Queen's advisor of something, and will be meeting me at the Rusty Ale Lake to discuss such matters. Tomorrow night." He glanced in Sorcha's direction, a tinge of ironic amusement in his eyes, before turning back to the newly-titled Sirithen princess. "Augusta, lend me your eye for character during that time. And if there is merit, keep that same eye on Rullphana in the future."</s>	<\|message\|>Takeshima Misaki (formerly Takeshima Mamoru) Misaki simply returned Lazirha's comment with a smile and a nod before refocusing her attention towards her current project—at least, for the moment. Granted, it was far from fun to watch water boil, and less so over an open fire, but as far as how good or bad her current situation was... Well, the foxgirl would gladly take a boring day preparing materials over being thrown into life-threatening situtations like the others seemed to have had the pleasure of encountering. Before she could lose herself in her thoughts, though, Misaki managed to catch sight of a few hunters drawing oddly close to the house. Remembering Narkissa's summary of her last encounter, the foxgirl almost instinctively straightened her back, sitting up straight for a moment as she mentally assessed the threat level of the current situation. It was hard to judge if they were hostile and all, but seeing how armed they were... Well, if worst came to worst, she'd have to take the others and run. Warding off wild animals was one thing, but people? That was another matter entirely. It took a moment for Lazirha's words to register, and another few to process, though. Thinking about things now, it was hard to argue that she hadn't technically spent the most time around the village and it's residents... Well, minus the hunters, at least. But given how the girl at her side seemed to be troubled, it only made sense to give an honest reply back. "Hm... Well, I don't quite mind the town," she began, her head moving lightly from side to side, ears swaying back and forth as she did so, "But if I had to be honest, this sort of life isn't... Really my 'thing'. Don't get me wrong; the people here have been really nice and welcoming of me despite being a complete stranger and I'm very grateful for their hospitality, but I guess I'm used to a more... Fast-paced lifestyle surrounded by things to do? I don't think I could deal with a laid-back life for very long, though maybe that's because I'm still curious about the world. Maybe in that regard I'm still a bit naive, though, but, well..." Of course, 'staying alive' and 'exploration' did not necessarily go hand in hand—quite the opposite, in fact—but if there was anything that dying once had taught her, it was that diving into something unprepared was tantamount to suicide... And if the last few days had taught her anything, it was that she was probably well out of her depth when it came to anything beyond what she was already doing now. "...With that said, I think that there are people here who care for you, if Enli is any indicator. My parents were also protective of me just as much as they were anxious of my future," she continued, sighing as she let her shoulders relax for a moment. "Would that I could meet them again. But that aside, if you think it's boring here, maybe it's time to spread your wings and fly, so to speak. Not alone, of course, but I don't think it's a bad thing to want to explore and go on a bit of an adventure. Maybe you'll find something new out about yourself in the process? Though, well, I suppose it is a fair deal more dangerous setting out on a journey here in the first place anyways, but if the benefits outweigh the costs..." Then there's no reason not to consider it, right?</s>
<\|description\|>Takeshima Misaki (formerly Takeshima Mamoru) Gender: Female Appearance: Misaki is a kitsune with white hair that reaches down past her shoulders, which is obviously a far cry from the body she used to have before dying. As of now, she is slightly shorter than she was when she was a human (though not by much), which in and of itself isn't as much of a problem as it could be. Of course, modern clothing would be preferable above all else, but given the circumstances that she finds herself in, whatever works, works. Goals: Given that she passed so suddenly, Misaki's primary goal is to make the most of her new life, which, as vague as it sounds, does have some basis behind it. Given how ruined the world she now finds herself is, that means working to make a place that's hospitable to live in without accidentally dying again. Risks are a given, of course, and the allure of adventure has not yet left her, but once that leaves, reattaining the amenities of modern life would be the most important thing to pursue. Past Life: Mamoru used to be a college student studying history, which, as far as things went, meant that he was one a one-way road to either remaining in academia or ending up as a salaryman like a majority of his peers would. Obviously, the former would be far more preferable than the latter when it came down to it, and with Mamoru's own natural curiosity about his homeland, going out and traveling Japan (be it for entertainment or research) was going to be frequent no matter what. Everything would have been fine, had he not ended up missing a step on a hike in Hokkaido and falling to his death. Ending up in some odd void-like space and being told he would end up being reincarnated like he was in some sort of light novel fantasy was far from the first thing he had envisioned after dying, but that was something he could work with. The body, however... That would take getting used to. Abilities: * Physical Conditioning: Peak Human—Your body is naturally tough, durable, and strong. The pinnacle of human physical strength, endurance, and agility. Keep training, and surely you can surpass even stronger beings. * Soul Flare: The ability to turn ones soul into a weapon itself. Needed for most basic magical feats. Channel the mana present in the air through your body to achieve great feats. Allows one to interact with supernatural things, and perceive things others may not. * Historia Technologica: The goddess has complied every single technological advancement humanity has made up until the point you died. Theoretically, you can call upon this knowledge whenever you desire...should it allow you too. The world follows certain laws. A certain undeniable rhythm. You can not know what you have not interacted with, or spent some time learning on your own. You will start with three branches. You will need to figure out how to 'Unlock' more of them yourself. However, do keep in mind - Some materials here will be as alien to your world as you are to this world. Knowledge Available: + Medicine - You can tell if a plant has medicinal properties or not. Yet for now, you can not determine what those are upon sight alone. + Material Science - At a glance, you can tell what a minerals and are and roughly how decent they would be at performing a certain task. You however, do not know exactly how to forge or implement them yourself quite yet. + Agricultural Science - You know rudimentary agricultural and cultivation techniques and how to achieve a decent crop yield without knowing too much else about the surrounding environment or what plants would grow well in what areas. Inventory: * Clothing.</s> <\|message\|>"Ah yes, the immutable fact. One of the few things that defines a person. Tell me, what is yours..." Skill Seeker --- Paladin@VitaVitaAR --- "They were likely trying to draw it to the village..." Enli would frown. "...if it attacks so broadly and openly then it would only cause even more people to hate the Beast, in turn likely drawing more people to the Illuminator." The older man would frown. "I...may only know a little of this 'Seal'. My grandfather mentioned something about the Illuminator and the Ocean Goddess having some sort of...deal to protect something but it was so long ago I can't remember if there were more details." He'd do his best to avoid looking at the deceased bodies in front of him. "And I would trust Bolcha with my life. I already asked him to watch the longhouse for me. I'll see if I can't find more about what they mentioned once I return." Enli would turn to leave, unless stopped by Nobunaga or Novak, certain at least he could make it back to the village on his own so long as he hurried. The hunters were likely occupied elsewhere, and wouldn't likely be able to realize their ambush had failed yet. They knew at least roughly where the man had spoken of, all that was left was going there and seeing what was what if they desired. Considering how things were clearly escalating, they may need to figure out a plan sooner rather than later. --- "Eh? Fast paced? Like fighting and hunting?" Lazhira would tilt her head to the side with a grin. "Eeeh, Didn't take you for a fighty sort Misaki..." She'd shake her head with a light giggle. "I've thought about it, but even if I do go somewhere...that won't solve anything, will it? It's not like I can get rid of-" Of course, interruptions abound. Before she could finish it seemed Misaki's fears were on point. The two hunters would slowly approach the two, Lazhira seeming to not have been paying attention enough to notice them. "The girl. Nowl." One of the would say, pointing to Lazhira. The other would brandish the spear at his side. "...B-but he said I wouldn't-" "Don't involve yourself traveler. Hand her over." Lazhira would stand quickly, nervously rubbing the silvery emblem on her hand. A little secret Lord --- This "Oi lass, ya most certainly can!" He'd say in a jovial, friendly manner. "In fact, I'm glad ya haven't just shunned me like the other one. Really now. I'm trying to help everyone here. Unlike the other one. No idea what's going on in her head. She doesn't tell us anything! Which is fun, in a game of guess what experiment I'm performing on this mortal, but not when she's doing something I don't want her to." He didn't seem put off or otherwise perturbed by her defensive posture, walking over a bit closer in a casual manner as he'd twirl the can in his hand. "Just a little proposition." He'd say with the same air of mirth. "I want to know...if you'd be interested in possessing a little something that could help you with that whole, everyone wins, lives happily ever after you want. I've got a little something I think you people would like...tried to give it to that black haired girl, but alas, she was too stubborn. Supposed I should have showed her this to start with, but oh well." From one of his sleeves, he'd pull a scroll of paper, slowly unrolling it, briefly showing it to her. "A little something I've been cooking up since you meddling travelers have showed up. I think I knocked it out of the park, this. Better than anything even before the Moonless!" If Narkissa happened to get a good look at it, they seemed to be some sort of blueprint, of some long narrow...cane of some sort? It had a short circular barrel, that slowly grew in size. There was some sort of trigger mechanism too- He'd quickly roll it back up. She didn't get a good look at it beyond that, but it seemed something like she might have seen before. "What do ya say, lass? Help me finish this, and maybe potentially even use it and you could solve all this villages problems if it all goes to hell in a mindbasket. Just need some...help getting the last few materials I need." A Traveler --- Item Acquired: Hunting Knife A fairly standard looking hunting knife. Made of iron. Its age is noteworthy, as with the apparent love it had once been taken care of with. Still sharp enough to cut most things with, but won't provide much in the way of defense. Unlit Torch: Little more than a stick of wood wrapped in cloth and a bit of some burnable resin. Will likely stay lit and provide some light for a decent amount of time, enough to at least guide one out of harms way as long as they move swiftly. Old Lamp & Oil flask: An old metal lamp, with a glass chamber one lights a small wick in to offer light. It didn't have much oil in it when Nicholas picked it up, but should be enough to at least help. Its lightweight and fairly small, easily attachable to ones belt if one wanted too. Having tools to see with was always welcome, but perhaps he should also find a method of lighting said implements with. "Always." The maid would reply airily. "Fools always make messes we have to clean up..." She'd stop her sweeping motion, looking up from her task and towards Nicholas. Not exactly at him, her head was looking in his direction, but she'd be looking a little over his shoulder towards Elisette. "I ask politely that you do not. I do not take kindly to others adding to my workload when I already have ten other things I must see to clean. If you are here to help though..." She'd lean the broom against a nearby wall. "I'm certain both these people and my employer will be quite pleased." The Roma Mob @Pyromania99 --- "That...is a lot to take in." Sorcha would frown, releasing Leuca from a hug. "I have no qualms teaching you how to wield something, as long as you do not complain and can keep up with the training..." The warrior would slowly turn her head towards Isidore. "Our date time apparently already being occupied aside...what do you mean someone of influence is accusing Rullphana of something?" Understandably, Sorcha was likely concerned for Leuca's safety if the Court Mage was up to something shady. Octavia would sit idly next to Augusta, seemingly wanting some pets though she seemed a bit restless again. Seemed she was hungry again already. "Uhm...Sorcha, can Augusta even use the Leargas?" Leuca would ask, pulling her attention from her question with Isidore. "You'll have to help her with that yourself, Leuca. I'm not an elf, though I can at least help with instruction and theory as I did when you did it." "Uhm...R-right." Leuca would nod in an uncertain manner. "Uhm...I guess I can tomorrow a bit before my lessons with Rullphana..." --- Send Feet Pics Chulainn --- "Aye, thank you Nomura." Bolcha would respond, waving him off. "I'll tell Enli you were able to help." Of course, the craftsman would then turn to the Oni, intent on making a deal for the safety of his friend." It was easy enough to return to Mie. The fox was sitting languidly where she was usually, behind a table in her tent. Seemed she had been drinking a bit again. "Ah, well, someone works fast. I've already been informed by Ayumi. Good work, I'm impressed." Mie would say with a nod. "I'll give you a little bonus after this next job I have of yours...and it might require you getting your hands dirty a little, if you don't mind me saying." Mie would say, motioning one of the Oni guards to close the flaps to the tent, silencing and preventing any from seeing within. They were likely preventing anyone else from entering either. "...Someone stole something of mine." Mie would say with a frown. "I want you to find out who...and if possible, return it." The fox's tail would swish back and forth seemingly in thought. "Its...an heirloom of sorts that was stolen from my family many, many years ago. I had been in contact here with someone that managed to find it, but it was stolen before it could be returned to me." She'd tilt her head to the side. "No one in this village would steal it...and if they had, they would have likely already been talking about it or I'd have heard something. So I can only assume one of you travelers have in some fashion." Ayumi would bolt in from somewhere, and position herself in Mie's lap. "You also owe Ayumi...a fish was it?"</s> <\|message\|>Bella Rosso The first thing Augusta replied to was Isidore while giving Octavia some pets on the head. "Of course, Isidore. You're practically my brother at this point. If my gift can assist you, then of course I'm willing." Augusta said with a smile before looking to Sorcha. "Of course, Lady Sorcha. I have many things to learn, as I mentioned, but I'm a good learner." She said with a smile. "I'm a complete novice but I'm absolutely looking forward to it." Then, was Leuca. "And same to you, Leuca. I'm willing to learn as best I can. If it is possible to learn the Leargas, then you and me can make that a definite thing to learn." She cleared her throat. "And that aside, I shall be joining you on this lesson with Rullphana so we'll be together for a good portion of the day then." She mentioned with a smile. Perhaps she'd try to have the Queen watch over Octavia for a while so she could go to these lessons and not have to worry about Octavia going into hungry mode. She needed to find a cure for that.</s>	<\|message\|>Takeshima Misaki (formerly Takeshima Mamoru) "I... Er... Well, not... Quite...?" Misaki responded, shifting back and forth as she tried to figure out a way to explain how a hectic life on Earth would translate to a semi-agrarian society like the one they were in now before shrugging. The girl at her side seemed to have her own set of problems to work through, though, but if she had come to her own conclusions, then— "...Oh." And as if on cue, the two people that she had been monitoring up until now moved over and in no subtle terms attempted to threaten her to back away from Lazirha. A kidnapping, then; with a sharp gaze, the foxgirl shook her head and glanced at her sides. On one side, a clearly anxious Lazirha (though to be fair, it would be odd if she wasn't); on the other, the deer that had followed her until now. They were outside the young woman's home, though, which left precious little to defend either of them with. Everything except... "Ah... I'd rather not be run through, thank you very much," she sighed, giving a slight nod towards Lazirha for a moment as she stood up and walked towards her boiling water. When the hunters moved to collect their target, though, the foxgirl would move with a burst of strength, picking up the pot over the fire and lobbing its contents towards Lazirha's would-be kidnappers' heads before tossing the actual vessel at whoever had avoided the most scalding water aimed at their faces. For what it was worth, though, the adrenaline from burning her hands would keep any residual pain from kicking in immediately. "Run!" To where, though, remained to be seen. The forest was risky, as they were hunters and by nature of their job knew the lay of the land, but heading into town was equally dangerous... Would Mie be willing to give them respite...?</s>
<\|description\|>Takeshima Misaki (formerly Takeshima Mamoru) Gender: Female Appearance: Misaki is a kitsune with white hair that reaches down past her shoulders, which is obviously a far cry from the body she used to have before dying. As of now, she is slightly shorter than she was when she was a human (though not by much), which in and of itself isn't as much of a problem as it could be. Of course, modern clothing would be preferable above all else, but given the circumstances that she finds herself in, whatever works, works. Goals: Given that she passed so suddenly, Misaki's primary goal is to make the most of her new life, which, as vague as it sounds, does have some basis behind it. Given how ruined the world she now finds herself is, that means working to make a place that's hospitable to live in without accidentally dying again. Risks are a given, of course, and the allure of adventure has not yet left her, but once that leaves, reattaining the amenities of modern life would be the most important thing to pursue. Past Life: Mamoru used to be a college student studying history, which, as far as things went, meant that he was one a one-way road to either remaining in academia or ending up as a salaryman like a majority of his peers would. Obviously, the former would be far more preferable than the latter when it came down to it, and with Mamoru's own natural curiosity about his homeland, going out and traveling Japan (be it for entertainment or research) was going to be frequent no matter what. Everything would have been fine, had he not ended up missing a step on a hike in Hokkaido and falling to his death. Ending up in some odd void-like space and being told he would end up being reincarnated like he was in some sort of light novel fantasy was far from the first thing he had envisioned after dying, but that was something he could work with. The body, however... That would take getting used to. Abilities: * Physical Conditioning: Peak Human—Your body is naturally tough, durable, and strong. The pinnacle of human physical strength, endurance, and agility. Keep training, and surely you can surpass even stronger beings. * Soul Flare: The ability to turn ones soul into a weapon itself. Needed for most basic magical feats. Channel the mana present in the air through your body to achieve great feats. Allows one to interact with supernatural things, and perceive things others may not. * Historia Technologica: The goddess has complied every single technological advancement humanity has made up until the point you died. Theoretically, you can call upon this knowledge whenever you desire...should it allow you too. The world follows certain laws. A certain undeniable rhythm. You can not know what you have not interacted with, or spent some time learning on your own. You will start with three branches. You will need to figure out how to 'Unlock' more of them yourself. However, do keep in mind - Some materials here will be as alien to your world as you are to this world. Knowledge Available: + Medicine - You can tell if a plant has medicinal properties or not. Yet for now, you can not determine what those are upon sight alone. + Material Science - At a glance, you can tell what a minerals and are and roughly how decent they would be at performing a certain task. You however, do not know exactly how to forge or implement them yourself quite yet. + Agricultural Science - You know rudimentary agricultural and cultivation techniques and how to achieve a decent crop yield without knowing too much else about the surrounding environment or what plants would grow well in what areas. Inventory: * Clothing.</s> <\|message\|>Donovan MacConaill --- @VitaVitaAR@Crimson Paladin "Dammit!" Donovan hissed through gritted teeth as he cast a panicked glance down the hall leading to the second entrance. "Thought tha door would hold fer longer!" His head snapped to meet the eyes of the hunters before him; the large man's heartbeat skyrocketing as time grew short and tensions rose. There wasn't any time to thoroughly talk things out with these men, but based on what they'd said-- there was common ground. And more than likely... A sense of impending peril. "Listen lads--" Donovan snapped; his voice wrought with urgency, "If yer followin' him fer tha good ah th' village, we're all on th' same side! Tha seal's gettin' weaker by tha damn hour an' we ain't got tha kinda time tah fuck around ere' arguing an' fightin! If yah stay ere'-- yah won't be able tah stop tha Kyrnith. Tha lot of ya 'll get yerselves killed tryin, an' that won't do ah damn thing tah stop what's goin on!" Donovan would turn on the balls of his feet toward the door he'd entered through, hurriedly gesturing for the men to follow."Yah wanna do somethin tah save this village? Then get yer arses movin'! Weh got all tha time in tha world tah spit piss n' vinegar at eachothah once we're outta here!"</s> <\|message\|>Isidore Coinage: 8 Silver, 5 Copper * The (shredded) clothing on his back. * A fur cloak. * Untanned boar skin. * Leather Belt * Knight's Shield * Knight's Dagger * Knight's Longsword * Dwarf's Polearm * Rope * Some preserved food Enough for two people to last a few days. * Roll of what seemed to be a mat of thick fur, likely for sleeping on Comfortable, but only one. * A heavy looking fur/cloth blanket. Cozy, warm and heavy. Good for sleeping in colder climates. * Communication horn Made from bone, hollow and likely used for communication. * A small pot and a ladle * Frozen canteen of water * Map of the Under roads. A map detailing some routes used by the Dwarves and Shadow Elves to travel in their subterranean homes. Its not entirely complete, but it at least shows the routes to the two most notable settlements and several other places of note. Unless you travel off the paths, you probably won't get lost. "Then good night." With a small nod, Isidore bid the ladies a peaceful rest, and slipped into his own room. Upon reflection, it really had been a whole day of movement and a whole night of investigation. Had they really met Sorcha, entered Gloomhollow, had audience with the Queen, and made so many deals and connections within the span of a mere 24 hours? Perhaps it was his more recent experience that was getting the better of his expectations here. Bureaucrats and businessmen rarely made decisions and deals with such swiftness, while in his youth, such deals weren't ever made with words to begin with. Letting his heavier equipments and his pack lean against the wall nearest to the bed, Isidore sighed aloud, feeling for the first time the lightness, and yet stiffness, of his shoulders and back. It was an uncomfortable feeling too, for his clothing to get so thoroughly stuck to his skin, a sensation made worse by the dark truth of a wilderness without toilet paper. Simply put, before he could sleep, he needed a goddamn bath. It took fifteen minutes after he rang for an attendant and instructed them to fill the bathtub and bring some soap before Isidore was able to soak both himself, as well as his clothing, in warm, soapy water. A dozen or so little pains shot into his flesh as he reclined in the tub, smaller cuts and scrapes from days of travel finally making themselves known. He would have preferred a shower, considering how quickly the clear water turned dark, but for all the magic that the residents of Gloomhollow possessed, it seemed that engineering water systems wasn't one of them. Not that he had the faintest clue about that either. For a minute, Isidore was content to just doze off for a minute, dirt and grime gradually seeping off his body. And within that contentment, floating weightlessly in water, he began to breathe deeply. The furnace held heat, immense heat, but it was simply a place to gather energy, to redirect energy. Where did that energy go? How was that energy used? How was he to bridge the gap between himself and Sorcha? Isidore closed his eyes, shut off the world around him, and began to extend his visualizations of magic and creation. If the stomach was the furnace, where fuel was burned and turned into energy, that energy must then be converted into something useful. And where would that be converted? The answer was simple: the heart. The ever-moving organ, the one that propelled blood through vessels tirelessly, granting oxygen to feed the rest of the body. Warmth that merely radiated from the core meant nothing. What it needed was direction. And so, as sweat began to bead upon his brow, Isidore pulled the warmth of his core and guided it into his heart. Into his engine. Was his heartbeat ever this loud? Did it ever resound with such clarity in his ears? The waters of the tub began to ripple, matching with each second, heavier beat. His skin felt like it was about to burst, his muscles screaming for action. Fog began to rise, the smell of damp dirt rising in with every breath he took, but every breath he took was no longer enough, and he breathed deeper and deeper and de- Isidore coughed violently, snapping out of his entranced state, water spilling off the sides as he forced himself upright. Grabbing the side of the bathtub to ground himself in the reality that he still lived in, the man pushed his hair out of his eyes and found himself immersed in fog, found his skin flushed from the heat of the waters and the heat of his blood. That was enough. In the morning, with rest and good food, he will have more time to experiment with the power of creation. He rose from the waters, toweled himself off, left his clothes to hang, and slipped into bed. … Morning came too soon. When had he last woken up to the knocking of someone else? Slipping out of bed and pulling on clothing that was still somewhat damp but at least no longer dirty, Isidore opened the door midway through Nesherit's speech. Regardless of his qualms about Vasserasa's decisions and her influence, he wasn't in a position to refuse either, so he didn't pay much mind to the situation. That didn't stop him from hefting up his pack and his weapons though. A pack laden with knick-knacks and sharpened blades, clothing that looked like black rags, and the thick-furred cloak of a deceased knight. That, alongside his curiously handsome features, had more or less become part of his brand, hadn't it? Couldn't disappoint his host by deviating, then. "An honor for the prince himself to deliver the message," Isidore replied, tone as matter-of-fact and controlled as always. That same tone persisted for his next words. "How was Augusta last night?"</s>	<\|message\|>Takeshima Misaki (formerly Takeshima Mamoru) With fairly few options left in terms of escape, Misaki ultimately decided that the safest place was, in fact, Mie's entourage. They were a neutral party, which just as easily meant that they could turn them down (or in, assuming they wanted to keep trading with the town), but given that the alternatives were getting run down in the wilds or run through in the middle of the village, this seemed like the option with the highest chance of survival. Once they had arrived at Mie's tent, the foxgirl (who was now starting to feel the pain in her hands from haphazardly lobbing the jug of water at Lazirha's assailants) took a few deep breaths before turning to look back over her shoulder. Given the commotion outside, it was likely that the hunters were still on their tail... "Worse than trouble, I'm afraid," Misaki spoke, giving an apology as she bowed her head towards the merchant. "Two men just attempted to kidnap Lazirha, and I'm afraid they're still after us. I will give you my apologies in advance, but could I ask if you could give us some shelter until things settle down?" It was a damn shame about all she had started to work on at this point, but labor could be redone and efforts salvaged; the cost of a life far outweighed such things in the long run.</s>
<\|description\|>Takeshima Misaki (formerly Takeshima Mamoru) Gender: Female Appearance: Misaki is a kitsune with white hair that reaches down past her shoulders, which is obviously a far cry from the body she used to have before dying. As of now, she is slightly shorter than she was when she was a human (though not by much), which in and of itself isn't as much of a problem as it could be. Of course, modern clothing would be preferable above all else, but given the circumstances that she finds herself in, whatever works, works. Goals: Given that she passed so suddenly, Misaki's primary goal is to make the most of her new life, which, as vague as it sounds, does have some basis behind it. Given how ruined the world she now finds herself is, that means working to make a place that's hospitable to live in without accidentally dying again. Risks are a given, of course, and the allure of adventure has not yet left her, but once that leaves, reattaining the amenities of modern life would be the most important thing to pursue. Past Life: Mamoru used to be a college student studying history, which, as far as things went, meant that he was one a one-way road to either remaining in academia or ending up as a salaryman like a majority of his peers would. Obviously, the former would be far more preferable than the latter when it came down to it, and with Mamoru's own natural curiosity about his homeland, going out and traveling Japan (be it for entertainment or research) was going to be frequent no matter what. Everything would have been fine, had he not ended up missing a step on a hike in Hokkaido and falling to his death. Ending up in some odd void-like space and being told he would end up being reincarnated like he was in some sort of light novel fantasy was far from the first thing he had envisioned after dying, but that was something he could work with. The body, however... That would take getting used to. Abilities: * Physical Conditioning: Peak Human—Your body is naturally tough, durable, and strong. The pinnacle of human physical strength, endurance, and agility. Keep training, and surely you can surpass even stronger beings. * Soul Flare: The ability to turn ones soul into a weapon itself. Needed for most basic magical feats. Channel the mana present in the air through your body to achieve great feats. Allows one to interact with supernatural things, and perceive things others may not. * Historia Technologica: The goddess has complied every single technological advancement humanity has made up until the point you died. Theoretically, you can call upon this knowledge whenever you desire...should it allow you too. The world follows certain laws. A certain undeniable rhythm. You can not know what you have not interacted with, or spent some time learning on your own. You will start with three branches. You will need to figure out how to 'Unlock' more of them yourself. However, do keep in mind - Some materials here will be as alien to your world as you are to this world. Knowledge Available: + Medicine - You can tell if a plant has medicinal properties or not. Yet for now, you can not determine what those are upon sight alone. + Material Science - At a glance, you can tell what a minerals and are and roughly how decent they would be at performing a certain task. You however, do not know exactly how to forge or implement them yourself quite yet. + Agricultural Science - You know rudimentary agricultural and cultivation techniques and how to achieve a decent crop yield without knowing too much else about the surrounding environment or what plants would grow well in what areas. Inventory: * Clothing.</s> <\|message\|>Isidore @Pyromania99 Coinage: 8 Silver, 5 Copper * The (shredded) clothing on his back. * A fur cloak. * Untanned boar skin. * Leather Belt * Knight's Shield * Knight's Dagger * Knight's Longsword * Dwarf's Polearm * Rope * Some preserved food Enough for two people to last a few days. * Roll of what seemed to be a mat of thick fur, likely for sleeping on Comfortable, but only one. * A heavy looking fur/cloth blanket. Cozy, warm and heavy. Good for sleeping in colder climates. * Communication horn Made from bone, hollow and likely used for communication. * A small pot and a ladle * Frozen canteen of water * Map of the Under roads. A map detailing some routes used by the Dwarves and Shadow Elves to travel in their subterranean homes. Its not entirely complete, but it at least shows the routes to the two most notable settlements and several other places of note. Unless you travel off the paths, you probably won't get lost. Before any spicy details could be imagined or sputtered out by Nesherit, Augusta swept in, her presence acknowledged with a nod from Isidore. After last night's discussions, perhaps she had developed her own reservations about having made a deal so quickly with someone of such influence and prestige. Still, he recognized a favour for a favour and acquiesced, taking a bit of the preserved meat from his pack and feeding it to Octavia. "Good luck," Isidore intoned, his gaze lingering briefly on her back as she left. After a couple moments, he returned his attention to the Uruthan prince. "Treat her well," he said, tone just a touch lighter than before. "And if you lie, know that if she believes you, she's only playing along." Well, it was also a question of whether or not Augusta would simply make him obsolete as a royal and relocate him to some comfortable, isolated part of the world after the honeymoon was over. The dark-haired youth personally hoped that things didn't go in that direction, but this engagement really was more business than romance. Perhaps the Queen knew of Augusta's eyes and wanted it. But such thoughts were unnecessary when he had no means to verify it, and as they neared the throne room, Isidore focused his mind upon the presence, his back straightening some more, his gait taking a more orderly, purposeful measure. Mentally, he reviewed the weapons upon his person again, halberd strapped to the side of his back, longsword at his left hip, dagger on his right thigh. His fatigue last night had prevented him from experimenting with the other avenue of magic he wished to pursue, but he still had a new card in his deck to play if things became dangerous. When Vasserasa spoke of an underground complex though, of demons sealed away, Isidore recalled the demon-flower rotting away in the depths of that prison and suppressed a smile. "I am flattered," he spoke, leaving more left unsaid. "Has the Urutha's relationship with the demons changed? Or does this involve the Elder Beast who continues to worm its way through this mountain?"</s> <\|message\|>Nicholas "Nick" Gallagher The Journey Begins ~ Liven ~ Interacted with: @Rune_Alchemist Ah, so it was not anything extraordinary. Although, Nick can't remember any disease back in Earth that made the eyes very sensitive to light. The closest he could think of was epilepsy. "I see. Sorry about your eyes." Nick raised an eyebrow to the last comment and turned his head to the church doors to find an impatient Elisette waiting for him, tapping on her arm and... was she bouncing? Nick let out a sigh. "Yeah, looks like this is goodbye for now. Wish us luck, yeah?" And with that, he parted from the light-sensitive maid to meet up with Elisette. He could not gleam much from his talk with Cynthia about who they were, but he supposed there'll be more chances later. "Hey, Elisette. Ready to go?" He waved at his warrior companion, feigning ignorance at her impatience. "Let me just ask Viorel to light this torch and we can head out. By the way, what'd you get from the survivors?" He would ask while brandishing his flammable stick.</s> <\|message\|>Donovan MacConaill --- @VitaVitaAR@Crimson Paladin For the briefest moment, Don's hand rested atop his hammer. Though he preferred not having to use violence here-- Donavan had seen all these men before during his time in Dawn, and knew they didn't pose much of a real threat to his or Akando's safety. Thankfully whether it happened to be by pure chance or some measure of divine intervention, he'd be promptly be joined by two other reincarnators; neither of which Don could recall meeting previously. He wasn't sure who they were nor what they intended to do, but Akando trusted them... So for the moment, Donovan would too. "Appreciate yer help, lad n' lass." Donovan said, flashing Novak and Nobunaga a bright smile before turning back toward the hunters. "Now, you lot drop yer weapons an' follow meh. Don't yah try any funneh business cuz aye'm fast enuff' tah catch even tha likes ah Soyala, an' if yah won't play nice with meh... Well, then aye'll let tha lass deal with yah." Taking care to ensure the hunters were disarmed as he'd hurriedly guide them out, Donovan would lead the group around the back edge of the fog; away from the temple, the Kyrnith's territory, and far enough from the town that they wouldn't be spotted. Glancing up, Don would scowl as he noted the sun sitting directly overhead. It was already midday. He was running out of time. "Arright then you lot--" he would address the group of captive hunters with a clap of his hands, "Aye'm gonna keep this brief; got ah tight schedule tah keep. Name's Don. I'm a follower ah Suthainn, an somethin' of ah warrior-priest aye suppose. Tha other two'll have tah intrahduce em'selves-- but aye ain't got th' time tah wait for em. Yer gonna answer meh questions. Quickleh, an truthfulleh. First, why kill Enleh? Second, why try tah make tha kyrnith attack tha town, an whose idea were it? Third, what's th' Illuminator's goal ere? Last, what'd he promise yah tah make yah turn against yer own?"</s>	<\|message\|>Takeshima Misaki (formerly Takeshima Mamoru) Misaki's eyes would widen briefly before she bowed in thanks, a smile of relief on her face as she entered the tent with Lazirha. Despite the apparent safety, though, the foxgirl felt somewhat awkward when she heard Mie's followup response. With the woman opposite her seated in her usual place and giving them all the more shelter... Well, it was difficult to buy anything, given her distinct lack of cash, which only really left giving information in return. Given her current plans, Misaki was disinclined to speak at length about papermaking. But as her gaze panned around to the other items floating around the shop, other things to dance around came to mind; maybe not all of them were feasible to pursue in terms of knowledge, but it wouldn't hurt to try and speak about those topics in the interim. "Hm... Well, I would like to keep the project I began the other day under wraps until I can present a proof of concept to you," the white-haired girl began, choosing to take a seat perpendicular to Mie's own, "but in the interim... I'd like to speak about the ores that you have here. I don't know where you obtained them or where you can obtain more, but if I said that there were more efficient ways to extract more value out of them than the furnaces here do, would that be in any way surprising?" Her earlier romp around the village made coming to that conclusion fairly straightforward, and given the weapons on the oni (or, at the very least, the ones she had seen), they had the capacity for improved metallurgy beyond just ironworking... "Of course, you might want someone more versed in metalworking to confirm if my ideas hold up, but, well..." Hopefully that little bit of information would be enough to dangle in front of Mie and tide her over, if only for now.</s>
<\|description\|>Bella Rosso Gender:Female Appearance: Goals: Bella was studying to be a History Professor with a focus on classical civilizations to the medieval era. In this other world of scattered people… Maybe she can see if she can make a Roman Empire that doesn't fall. Past Life: Bella grew up the daughter of a politician and a History Professor. Her mother is an accountant turned politician and her father is a long time History Professor. Since she was young, her father introduced her to the History of Rome and taught her all about it. By the time she was out of compulsory schooling, she was about as knowledgeable on everything during the reign of Rome as her father and had a working knowledge of the Latin language. If anyone had a question about it, she could answer easily. She went to college as a history major with a minor in political science. And the political science minor was only because her mother took up a career as a rather successful politician. Through her time in college, she assisted her mother's campaign as well as study history. Every now and then, she would go and look into other politicians and get interviews when she could. In the end, her life ended as someone stabbed her from behind. Likely from asking the wrong individual the wrong question about the wrong person. Abilities: Physical Conditioning: Peak human Your body is naturally tough, durable, and strong. The pinnacle of human physical strength, endurance, and agility. Keep training, and surely you can surpass even stronger beings. Soul Flare: The ability to turn ones soul into a weapon itself. Needed for most basic magical feats. Channel the mana present in the air through your body to achieve great feats. Allows one to interact with supernatural things, and perceive things others may not. Ability Gained: Goddess' Eye The Goddess has given you a prestigious blessing. The eye will allow you to see things about a single living target in your vision that others can not. Status, general health, current disposition, abilities, special and other such information. Use it wisely, and you could use words as effective as any weapon or use it to disable someone with as little conflict as possible. Additionally, you can see things that are unable to be seen, and interact with it, and they you. Spirits, ghosts, and other such beings and things of that nature. However - things with special protections, such as beings with a divine connection, and skills will obscure your vision. It does not reveal things that are hidden through mundane means. Trivia: -Bella played a lot of Total War: Rome II to try and put old Roman strategies to practice. -Bella can speak Italian, Latin and English Inventory: -Padded Armor -Rapier Learned Skills: -Cleansing Fire - Fire, is not always destruction. It is also life, energy. It invigorates and brings warmth to all. Were fire never to exist, humanity may have never made it through the ice ages, for without its warmth they would fall victim to the frigid cold that envelops this land. Though fire can burn wildly, furiously, and destroy all, yours can also heal and bring comfort to those. By focusing positive energies into your fire, you may heal and cleanse small wounds. -Mana Redirect - A skill allowing one to redirect magical energy tossed at them from any supernatural source. Rather than absorbing and meshing it with your own, you redirect it to some other purpose, thus weakening its effects upon you as you turn it towards something else. Generally, this will work with everything but some sources of energy would be far too strong to completely deflect, and some are easier to work with then others. -Flora Command (lesser) - You're able to command the natural world around you, to an extent. Though, as it comes from domination rather than understanding and mutual understanding, it is not out of mutual respect or because they desire it. Rather - they do not wish to incur your wrath, so they cooperate. You can't perform complex actions or move them very quickly yet, and flora with more vitality may still ignore you outright as of now.</s> <\|message\|>Leannah Stromhart Leannah Second Floor, Ruined Building (???), ??? --- ...She'd just been isekai'd. Sure it was a cheeky anime-watcher's way of putting it, but she could only think to herself that she'd been isekai'd. Some goddess from another world, snatching her up and putting her in a new body and sending her here. The catgirl took a look about the room as she took tentative steps forward, for the first few slightly wobbly as she felt the abnormal feeling of being in a new body. A hand came up to touch her fluffy ears. Her head turned back to look at her swishing tail. Her musculature felt...far stronger than it had ever been. Even the tips of her fingers, where nails should have been for a proper human being, were nothing but little razor-sharp claws that she testingly swiped at the air for a moment in play as she took more steps forward. It was all eyebrow-raising, but at the same time she felt like she was rather adjusting to it somewhat already. Looking about, she took note of the layout of where she had appeared soon after she was able to walk properly enough. Grand sort of balcony, check. Whatever fluid had been on her evaporating rather nicely in an abnormal fashion, check. Empty stone shelves seemingly on a tier-like style and odd tube things, check. Looking down and seeing two other strangers spat out in seemingly a similar way, check. Large ominous black structures, giant-ass ruined building that seemed far too ancient, scattered varied weapons near the doorway, and being comfortably warm despite the lack of clothes which in the end she otherwise didn't mind? Check. new ability and having talked to some goddess aside, this was almost deja vu to her in some twisted trope-aware sense of it all. Not that it was guaranteed to follow such a pattern, and she could swear one of the other guys was familiar looking in a very not-good way, but all the same she had to get moving and they'd have to do something. If that 'goddess' was right, then a guardian was here and it was NOT going to be good to get in its sights. If she didn't need more clothes to travel in all of this, then good for her at least. Meant she could carry more, if anything beyond a weapon was necessary at first...well, other than like food or something maybe. If it was around. For a second she even gave a trained kick in the air to test her body, instincts and reflexes kicking in but almost stumbling slightly as she shook it off soon after. Yeah, as soon as she was used to this new body she'd be back in action. Didn't learn all of those martial arts for nothing, after all! Leannah then did her best to quickly move down the stairs to get to the level below her, where the other two strangers (both men as it turned out) had emerged. No use trying to go up anyways. The woman gave a sigh, however, as she approached them and kept a sliiiiight distance just to be on the safe side. Tricky deities from other worlds, not something to rely on to always put you with the most familiar and safe people in a group survival situation (just ask that one shield dude from another isekai anime). "Hey! You two, you're finally awake! You also talked to that goddess and ended up here too? Busted out here in some kind of fluid and tube stuff, like me? But we probably need to get moving if what she said about a 'Guardian' here is meritable. Questions maybe for later. Some weapons are lying over there towards the door as well, and to be frank I'd prefer to get moving first and get out before we're spotted." Of course, perfect first lines to total strangers in another world and all of this craziness. Totally couldn't backfire on her in two seconds with how she looked now or something. That being said, she wanted to be proactive in this before things hit the fan....and she really hoped they didn't hit the fan IMMEDIATELY at least. Then again, waiting around too long fresh out of some divine life-making pod (for all she knew) in some abandoned building was never a good idea. Or at least so her instincts and fiction-savviness told her anyways. She also wasn't sure if anyone else was here, but would assume the potential at least unless proven otherwise. Chulainn @Guy0fV4lor</s> <\|message\|>Takeshima Misaki (formerly Takeshima Mamoru) Death, needless to say, had not been kind to Mamoru. It would have been one thing to have lived long enough to be able to make something of his life—spend more time with his friends and family, invest time into hobbies new and old—but dying so abruptly did not sit well with him. Neither did the supposed 'goddess' that had caught him before his consciousness had slipped away in its entirety fill him with any sort of inspiration. He had read enough isekai literature in his lifetime to get a grasp of the situation fairly quickly during the initial introduction, to the point where hearing of the task set out for him didn't faze him as much as it did annoy him. Of course, that brief moment of consciousness soon gave way to darkness once more, and before long the young man found himself splayed out on the ground, groggy as the faculties that begot his regained consciousness took their sweet time returning. There was a pause as he slowly dragged his body, still drenched in some sort of odd liquid, off of the ground, and after a few moments of staggering and violently coughing out whatever was left in his lungs, he clapped his hands to his face as the sound of someone's voice caught his attention. Not necessarily because of the voice itself, though, but moreso the place where the sound was reaching him. There was the briefest of pauses as he slowly moved one hand to to top of his head, and the feeling of wet fur coupled with long hair that, upon further inspection, reached past his shoulders only brought his attention towards the rest of his—or, rather, her new body. "...Well, I suppose it could be worse," Mamoru sighed, clapping her hands to her face before shaking whatever liquid she could off of her body. Drenched clothing would do her no favors—doubly so given the chill in the air that caught her attention—and the now-foxgirl slowly cast her gaze around. The most obvious thing to catch her attention, though, was the small girl standing in front of her, weapon at the ready. Though the change of her body had not caused any sort of panic, the presence of that black-haired girl... "...Nobunaga? No, wait, that can't be right; that goddess must've just modeled someone's new body after that character..." she said to herself before shaking her head, as if to clear her thoughts, before recalling what it was that the person in front of her had asked. "Right. Well... You wouldn't be wrong there. Though it goes without saying that I'm not exactly sure how I feel about this whole affair... Wait, hold on." Once she reviewed the words in her head, Mamoru took a moment to pause before staring directly at the girl standing in front of her. "That Japanese just now was rather archaic... No, this has got to be some sort of joke, right?" she added, taking a moment to pause before laughing in disbelief. "I'm not even sure if there'd be anyone sticking to that sort of character in this sort of situation... I suppose that introductions might clear things up. My, uh... Hm. Name. I suppose that... Misaki sounds good? Right. Takeshima Misaki it is, then." As she continued to attempt to dry herself (and her clothes) off, Misaki continued to look around the room, her gaze constantly returning towards Nobunaga as she attempted to get a feel for what had occurred in the room up until the time they had 'arrived' and to try and wrap her head around the situation given what she knew thus far. "Seriously, this feels like something out of a light novel..." @Rune_Alchemist</s>	<\|message\|>Bella Rosso Bella coughed as the cylinder opened. The mild nausea she felt caused her to fall to her hands and knees out of it as if she were about to heave, though this passed quickly enough as she stood. As she rose, a hand went to the throbbing feeling in her eye. Goddess? Power? What in the hell did she drink to have a dream like this? Vodka? Lots of Vodka? More Vodka than previously imagined? There was no way she thought of something like this. "I don't even remember drinking anything last night to get a headache like this!" She exclaimed, swatting at the air with her free hand in an irritated fashion. The woman clenched her teeth and closed her eyes. This seemed to make the headache and throbbing disappear as well at least. "Good." She added, thinking on what the hell was going on. She was in some sort of pod from a sci-fi movie? That was odd, to say the least. Given the surroundings it seemed more like some escape game her parents forced her into since she never took much time to just relax. If one could call an escape game a way to relax. Now that she really got to look at her surroundings... "Where the hell am I? A jail? No, this feels like a dungeon from that castle we went to look at." Where-ever this place was, time had not been good to it. Not that rusted chains were an uncommon sight, but they would be able to break easier meaning no one cared to maintain them or there was no one to do so. Bella let out a large sigh as slowly removed her hand from her eye and that was the first thing that she noticed weird. "Heh?" She question, holding her hand out to look at it better. First off, her hands were almost immaculately manicured. Her hands had never been like that before. She had all different sorts of marks and blemishes from the constant typing, writing and other sorts of menial work she tended to do. The fact that the only marks on her hand at the moment was dust from the floor was astounding to her. "What?" Then she noticed that her hair was a hell of a lot longer than she had it. And it was blonde to boot! "What is this!? Who put this wig on me!?" Frowning, she dusted her hands off and tried to remove what she thought was a hairpiece but was surprised to find it quite firmly attached. "Ouch!" She exclaimed with the quick tug. "H-have I been in a coma for a while and they just thought this was funny?" No, that didn't seem quite right. Maybe that goddess thing in her head wasn't quite as made up as she thought. Unsettled, she glanced around the room still until she noticed a pod like hers was laying on the ground and there was a man in it. Whatever color was on her face disappeared as she realized she wasn't alone. "H-hullo!?" She flubbed, speaking in English this time with a fairly light accent. It felt like she hadn't spoke English in a long time, despite having used it a couple days prior to the last time she remembered. "Are you okay?" She asked, extending a hand to the man. Her eyes narrowed as she was worried that this person was going to do something bad... But she was in some odd place that she had no idea about. She could only hope he had a similar thought process to her. "Let me help you up." Before she could really help him up though, the entire place shuddered! It was like something BIG was walking around! She couldn't even think about what. She looked up, somewhat frightened by the incident before she extended her hand again. "Come now, up you go." She seemed calm enough as she did so though worry was lightly painted on her expression.</s>
<\|description\|>Bella Rosso Gender:Female Appearance: Goals: Bella was studying to be a History Professor with a focus on classical civilizations to the medieval era. In this other world of scattered people… Maybe she can see if she can make a Roman Empire that doesn't fall. Past Life: Bella grew up the daughter of a politician and a History Professor. Her mother is an accountant turned politician and her father is a long time History Professor. Since she was young, her father introduced her to the History of Rome and taught her all about it. By the time she was out of compulsory schooling, she was about as knowledgeable on everything during the reign of Rome as her father and had a working knowledge of the Latin language. If anyone had a question about it, she could answer easily. She went to college as a history major with a minor in political science. And the political science minor was only because her mother took up a career as a rather successful politician. Through her time in college, she assisted her mother's campaign as well as study history. Every now and then, she would go and look into other politicians and get interviews when she could. In the end, her life ended as someone stabbed her from behind. Likely from asking the wrong individual the wrong question about the wrong person. Abilities: Physical Conditioning: Peak human Your body is naturally tough, durable, and strong. The pinnacle of human physical strength, endurance, and agility. Keep training, and surely you can surpass even stronger beings. Soul Flare: The ability to turn ones soul into a weapon itself. Needed for most basic magical feats. Channel the mana present in the air through your body to achieve great feats. Allows one to interact with supernatural things, and perceive things others may not. Ability Gained: Goddess' Eye The Goddess has given you a prestigious blessing. The eye will allow you to see things about a single living target in your vision that others can not. Status, general health, current disposition, abilities, special and other such information. Use it wisely, and you could use words as effective as any weapon or use it to disable someone with as little conflict as possible. Additionally, you can see things that are unable to be seen, and interact with it, and they you. Spirits, ghosts, and other such beings and things of that nature. However - things with special protections, such as beings with a divine connection, and skills will obscure your vision. It does not reveal things that are hidden through mundane means. Trivia: -Bella played a lot of Total War: Rome II to try and put old Roman strategies to practice. -Bella can speak Italian, Latin and English Inventory: -Padded Armor -Rapier Learned Skills: -Cleansing Fire - Fire, is not always destruction. It is also life, energy. It invigorates and brings warmth to all. Were fire never to exist, humanity may have never made it through the ice ages, for without its warmth they would fall victim to the frigid cold that envelops this land. Though fire can burn wildly, furiously, and destroy all, yours can also heal and bring comfort to those. By focusing positive energies into your fire, you may heal and cleanse small wounds. -Mana Redirect - A skill allowing one to redirect magical energy tossed at them from any supernatural source. Rather than absorbing and meshing it with your own, you redirect it to some other purpose, thus weakening its effects upon you as you turn it towards something else. Generally, this will work with everything but some sources of energy would be far too strong to completely deflect, and some are easier to work with then others. -Flora Command (lesser) - You're able to command the natural world around you, to an extent. Though, as it comes from domination rather than understanding and mutual understanding, it is not out of mutual respect or because they desire it. Rather - they do not wish to incur your wrath, so they cooperate. You can't perform complex actions or move them very quickly yet, and flora with more vitality may still ignore you outright as of now.</s> <\|message\|>"Malphas" Malphas Second Floor, ???@Rune_Alchemist@Crusader Lord@Guy0fV4lor@malmshodes Malphas grinned as his spell seemingly worked! While the lack of information from his attempt at using his newly given magic may have seemed disheartening, the appearance of this "status" screen was more than enough to allow him to enact his plan. It wasn't the fact that he couldn't see the statuses of his fellows, but rather, Malphas was taken aback by the curt responses he was given by his allies. A lack of respect will surely be a problem he will face in the beginning, it seems. From what Malphas could understand, he will need to give these primates a reason to respect him... After all, if this Guardian truly was a force to be reckoned with, then they would have to believe in him, if they wished to succeed. In the end, it seemed he needed to enforce his own will upon them, whether they wished it or not. Before Malphas could give them a chance to transcend, they will learn to know their place! "I'm afraid I cannot help with digging through the garbage. It is not my place to... and besides, it seems that those weapons there were scattered at that particular part of the room for a reason. Feel free to step into danger, but for our safety, I will not abide by such a self-destructive order!" Malphas looked down, crossing his arms as he shook his head. "Like I said, if you truly wish to defeat this Guardian, then you will be more than thankful when I put my abilities to the test... Which is why it is imperative you all should be defending me, instead." "Unlike all of you, the goddess had been privileged to have given me two cheat abilities. The first, [Humanities Scion], won't be likely to help us here, especially given the mood. The second, my true gift, and yours as well if you put your faith in me... "[God Hand]. Twelve miracles granted to me by the Goddess herself, limited in number, but limitless in power... Only, it can only shine if those who desire them choose to believe... Your lack of faith in me is obvious, and I'm afraid it will be your downfall... But I shall give you all a second chance, regardless! Rejoice in my first miracle!" Malphas raised his arms as he focused the mana around him once more. He did not try and do anything complex, nor did he actually attempt to make a wish. Instead, he commanded the magical energy around him to surround and fill his body, to make it glow as brightly as it can be. "O, Goddess, grant me your first gift... One of obfuscation, to mask the presence of myself, my miracles, and my allies, to hide us from any such heathens that wish us harm!" Malphas continued to allow himself to glow, spreading his light towards the two who had doubted him, and even focused towards the third person, having recently emerged from their own pod. As much as could be done, he accomplished such, before slowly allowing the light to fade. Anything in his power to ensure his gamble would work. They did not need to believe him right away. All Malphas needed was to sow the seeds of piety, to fill these scared simians with hope. They will soon believe in him when the time comes. "And there you go. I have wasted my first blessing just to keep us all safe. If you don't believe me, have a gander among yourselves. The Goddess had told us all we could see the unseen, yes? You will find that this miracle have mine has obfuscated such a gift among ourselves. If you do not believe me after all this, then all I will do is sit and wait in the safety of these chambers, obscured from whatever Guardian lurks these apocryphal halls." Lowering his head and shaking it once more, Malphas awaited their compliance, or their deaths. Whatever came first.</s> <\|message\|>Alice Sicilly Alice Sicilly : Seeking Knowledge --- Interactions --- Flight hadn't been easy, Her hopping and her jumping had been a little tiring, She was however incredibly grateful that this body at least seemed to have some form of muscle memory. With a few minutes of trying and a lot of exercise she seemed to have gotten a semi-hold on the movement of her body and its weight and dexterity compared to her old self. Her hopping about on her isolated shelf around that locked book had only just intensified her curiosity to its contents. Surely if she could open it to find whatever secret it contained she could use it as a bargaining tool at least. Well considering the nature of the book, She had little means to break that lock and while she could attempt to use the glass to fiddle with the tumblers inside it, it was so small and thin that the glass would break off inside and she'd be even worse off. Ergo. She would lean down towards trying to cut the bindings that held the book together, with that in mind she'd try to acquire the largest sharpest piece of glass she could find. Only lightly touching it to avoid cutting her hand on the glass shards, She had no clue how fairy internal anatomy worked so avoiding a cut was probably a good idea! Thus the Fairy would get to work moving the glass shards from her shattered 'pod' over towards the book. When she had acquired a sizeable amount of them, She'd pick up the first and get to work trying to cut through the leather binding to try to open it in order to gleam some sort of aid of the knowledge inside hoping that the leather was worn enough to make the cutting easier. She would have to be quiet though if she wanted to avoid drawing the attention of the individuals just below her. Even if they were reincarnated just like her. She couldn't trust total strangers just yet. That was a total folly.</s> <\|message\|>Nicholas "Nick" Gallagher The Journey Begins "Wait. Did you--" A plunge into the water. Sinking deeper and deeper. There was no breathing in this place. But in this place, there was no need for breathing. Still, the one named Nicholas Gallagher was dragged into the void of this otherworldly ocean. The sinking soon stopped but that was of little comfort. Nick was floating in what might as well be in the emptiness of space. There he floated with only himself and his thoughts. How long was he there for? A day? A month? A year? Or maybe just minutes or hours have passed. The nothingness of this place disorienting his sense of time. But then something happened. He began to rise. Back to the surface, Nick first assumed but then doubted. He was rising faster now and a dim light appeared to break the void's darkness. He continued to rise until he hit the surface. Or perhaps a barrier? Nick was only given a second to ponder before it broke like glass. --- ~ Unknown Location ~ Interacted with: @ERode, @Pyromania99 Nick stumbled out, coughing out water that was not there. He looked back and saw a pod, one that looked like those rescue pods from sci-fi films. Was he there the entire time? How was he placed there? How did he come this place? Probably the same way he cheated death by being reincarnated into another world, he figured. He left his thoughts with the pod and looked around the place he was in. Suddenly, a deep anxiousness or uneasiness fell upon him. Or perhaps it was fear. Whatever it was, Nick sensed he should not be there. Was this the power granted to him by the Goddess? It was uncomfortable but he supposed it was like pain. An unpleasant yet extremely useful feeling. The room he was in was plain and nondescript save for a window on one side and a door that presumably lead deeper into... wherever or whatever this place was. The sense of dread was still there. He should not linger here but Nick decided to check the window first to get a glimpse of an idea of where or what this place was. What he saw beyond the window was a little worrying. It appeared to be a prison cell judging from the iron chains hanging from the wall and shackles. Inside were two people, one woman and one man, and a couple of pods. Pods identical to Nick's. Were they reincarnated people too? "H-Hey!" Nick called out to them. "You guys all right in there?"</s>	<\|message\|>Bella Rosso Bella's eyes narrowed slightly as she gave a small frown when the man had rejected her help. The woman retracted her hand, wondering if he rejected her help because she was a woman or because he didn't want to accept help in general. She gave a light sigh before he asked her a question. Was she human? Did she have an ability too? Well. She couldn't say she didn't have an ability with this odd information box in front of her. Name: Isidore? Similar strengths? "Of course I'm human! Don't I look it?!" She asked, unaware of the odd size of her own ears. She sighed reading the first bit of information in the box again. "As for an ability... Name: Isidore. Physical and Magical Attributes, similar. Ability: Undying Will: A special talent attained through unknown means. Coats ones' body in tough, durable armor the more one sustains physical trauma and prevents further injuries. Seems useful..." She read the bit on his personal information until one part. "Thinks my ears are humongous... What? You want to nibble on them?" She questioned taking a step back from the man before trying to cup an ear and finding them much larger than expected! "What in heavens...!?" They were rather large. She tried pulling them but got a similar sensation when she tried pull her hair off. "OWOWOWO!" She screamed. Quietly rubbing them a small bit, she looked at the man next to her. A small swallow later the elven woman had to question him. "W-why does it say you probably want to nibble my ear?" She blinked blankly. "No, no. You probably don't want to and this is a joke played on me. My name is..." Hmm. Perhaps she didn't need to use her real name. If this was another world like every unlikely thing was pointing to, she didn't have to be Bella. "Ahem. I mean to say, you may call me Augusta." She figured she might as well have fun with this. "And please, don't nibble my ears." Now then. It would be best to get out of here right? With everything rusty, perhaps a little bit of force would cause anything to break pretty easily. Then there was a voice. "H-hey! You guys all right in there?" Was that another person in this forsaken place? Perhaps he was in a similar situation to them. From what she could see of him, he seemed young. She glanced over at Isidore but decided to speak for both of them at the moment. She cleared her throat before speaking. "Yes, we're fine. Just fine." She studied this other person peering through the window. She had a feeling on how to use her ability now, so she should try to use it to learn whatever she could about people. "I think I need some fresh air. It's a bit musty in here. Plus, I'm a bit interested in whatever made that thunderous noise and if it's something to worry about. We just need to get to that door over there, probably. Seems like the only way to go." It seemed reasonable to her. She just hoped this Isidore wasn't a cowardly type of person who would cower at the thought. He didn't seem quite so, at least.</s>
<\|description\|>Bella Rosso Gender:Female Appearance: Goals: Bella was studying to be a History Professor with a focus on classical civilizations to the medieval era. In this other world of scattered people… Maybe she can see if she can make a Roman Empire that doesn't fall. Past Life: Bella grew up the daughter of a politician and a History Professor. Her mother is an accountant turned politician and her father is a long time History Professor. Since she was young, her father introduced her to the History of Rome and taught her all about it. By the time she was out of compulsory schooling, she was about as knowledgeable on everything during the reign of Rome as her father and had a working knowledge of the Latin language. If anyone had a question about it, she could answer easily. She went to college as a history major with a minor in political science. And the political science minor was only because her mother took up a career as a rather successful politician. Through her time in college, she assisted her mother's campaign as well as study history. Every now and then, she would go and look into other politicians and get interviews when she could. In the end, her life ended as someone stabbed her from behind. Likely from asking the wrong individual the wrong question about the wrong person. Abilities: Physical Conditioning: Peak human Your body is naturally tough, durable, and strong. The pinnacle of human physical strength, endurance, and agility. Keep training, and surely you can surpass even stronger beings. Soul Flare: The ability to turn ones soul into a weapon itself. Needed for most basic magical feats. Channel the mana present in the air through your body to achieve great feats. Allows one to interact with supernatural things, and perceive things others may not. Ability Gained: Goddess' Eye The Goddess has given you a prestigious blessing. The eye will allow you to see things about a single living target in your vision that others can not. Status, general health, current disposition, abilities, special and other such information. Use it wisely, and you could use words as effective as any weapon or use it to disable someone with as little conflict as possible. Additionally, you can see things that are unable to be seen, and interact with it, and they you. Spirits, ghosts, and other such beings and things of that nature. However - things with special protections, such as beings with a divine connection, and skills will obscure your vision. It does not reveal things that are hidden through mundane means. Trivia: -Bella played a lot of Total War: Rome II to try and put old Roman strategies to practice. -Bella can speak Italian, Latin and English Inventory: -Padded Armor -Rapier Learned Skills: -Cleansing Fire - Fire, is not always destruction. It is also life, energy. It invigorates and brings warmth to all. Were fire never to exist, humanity may have never made it through the ice ages, for without its warmth they would fall victim to the frigid cold that envelops this land. Though fire can burn wildly, furiously, and destroy all, yours can also heal and bring comfort to those. By focusing positive energies into your fire, you may heal and cleanse small wounds. -Mana Redirect - A skill allowing one to redirect magical energy tossed at them from any supernatural source. Rather than absorbing and meshing it with your own, you redirect it to some other purpose, thus weakening its effects upon you as you turn it towards something else. Generally, this will work with everything but some sources of energy would be far too strong to completely deflect, and some are easier to work with then others. -Flora Command (lesser) - You're able to command the natural world around you, to an extent. Though, as it comes from domination rather than understanding and mutual understanding, it is not out of mutual respect or because they desire it. Rather - they do not wish to incur your wrath, so they cooperate. You can't perform complex actions or move them very quickly yet, and flora with more vitality may still ignore you outright as of now.</s> <\|message\|>Takeshima Misaki (formerly Takeshima Mamoru) Given the situation that she had found herself in, Misaki could only give a curt nod of agreement in response towards the newcomer following Nobunaga's own suggestion. With most of her focus placed upon the odd birds that were staring them down, the foxgirl found it difficult to give any sort of thought to further conversation not related to them. Before she could follow upon the warlord's earlier call to leave, though, the sudden blaring noise that came out of the bird's mouth brought Misaki to her knees, the deafening noise wholly unbearable to her. Covering her ears as her face contorted in pain, the foxgirl could only barely force herself to look at the source so as to not be left unaware, only for another cry to assault her head-on. From what little she had seen in the interim, Nobunaga was already moving to strike them down, but as she was now... Well, it was hard enough just making sure that they weren't going for her prone self at the moment. @Crimson Paladin@VitaVitaAR</s> <\|message\|>Nicholas "Nick" Gallagher The Journey Begins ~ Unknown Location ~ Interacted with: @ERode, @Pyromania99 "Alright, let's get out of here." Nick still had that anxious feeling. He cannot wait to get out of this place. They reunited outside of the cells and proceeded further into this strange, prison-like facility. A long, barely-lit corridor made of black stone stretched before them. Along the walls were cells similar to where they first awoke, all of them having iron bars in various states of disrepair. Some of them were still there, some were broken and littered all over the floor. One thing that Nick noticed though, this place was old. Probably not used anymore and probably no one in here, right? Nick doubted that, considering he was still feeling anxious about this place. "Isidore and Augusta, right?" He started as they made their way into the corridor. "I'm Nick. Nicholas Gallagher. Just an average dude who got on the wrong train at the wrong time." He briefly introduced himself. "A pleasure to meet you." Soon they heard a low gurgling in the corridor. Nick immediately hugged the wall in defensive reflex. He heard footsteps and metal being dragged across the stone floor. The source then came into view. It was an ugly thing: A pale, misshapen humanoid with sunken eyes and holes for ears. Its limbs were long and thin, it was a mystery how it supported the body. Nick could scarcely believe his eyes. It was a monster, and the completely horrifying kind. The worst part was that it had a weapon in its disfigured hand. It appeared it has not noticed them yet and Nick hand signalled the other two to lower themselves to a crouch. "Looks like Mrs. Applebottom from high school." Nick could not help but whisper a joke to cope. "We should probably sneak past it. Buuut, we can also try to gang up on it. Although, we don't know what it can do with that sword." "What do you guys think?" Nick looked to Augusta and Isidore. Looking at the gorgeous Augusta, he could not help but notice some things about her. "Are you an Elf?"</s> <\|message\|>Alice Sicilly Alice Sicilly : Seeking Descent --- Interactions --- Her eyes had poured over the pages as she took in what was written, making note of the map and the three areas she had to visit. The moutainfolk were obviously within a mountainous region, scaling it may be difficult. She had a naught but her map when it came for travelling the regions. SHe may stumble upon a means but for now she'd put that option away, She didn't need to deal with potential frostbite on her new wings. Heading down south may be better, longer trek to be sure but 'Maids' made her think of a well made civilisation. The Death Bringer part didn't bother her in the slightest. She didn't fear the concept of death. Using her glass shards, she'd make 4 vertical cuts into the book cover, in order to create loops for which she could carry the book almost like a backpack. She wanted to take this with her, It was obvious that it had more information she could study. But first she needed to get out of here. Fastening the book to her back, neatly tucked in a way so she could use her new wings she'd do a couple of hops to get used to the weight. Hop hop! jump! The leap of faith! her wings batting heavily against the dead air that filled this place. She was the only one left in the room, ergo she had some leeway in case the book upon her back was.. Heavy. Heavy yes she'd fall a little too fast but manage to catch herself at the last moment with some exhaustive wing beats. As she'd ascend back. Arms outstretched in front of her to steady herself as she'd slowly fly out of the room, Moving in the opposite direction of the ones that had just left, Her goal would be to find an exit. Or perhaps.. She could see if there was that "Tears of Heaven" thing around. Still The Fae had a plan now. A driving force. She would figure out the mystery given to her by this tome, for better or for worse. This had raised the curiosity of herself. Still. She would start thinking over the nature of the words given to her on the front. "The moon shall writhe and cry silver, the stars swallowed by an inescapable void. The blackened sky shall descend, and devour the ancient shell." The Phrase felt so unique in its structure. Perhaps it was a code phrase for something. Or a warning. A blackened sky was much too vague. But it seemed apocalyptic in nature. She'd also be thinking on the nature of the book. How could she get it to spill more of its secrets. What nature of magic enchanted the tome and why was it enchanted so. Though for now the most pressing matter would be to get out into the open air. The staleness of this place reminded her too much of her own home and it sickened her to the core.</s>	<\|message\|>Bella Rosso Augusta gave a slight cringe when Isidore mentioned it was a "nice prison". "If you like this sort of thing, I suppose." Looking at the same wall carving he did. As they moved along the corridors of what definitely seemed like a prison complex the more they explored, Augusta listened to Nick's self introduction. "Yes, you may call me Augusta. A pleasure." She half-heartedly mentioned as she kept her attention on her surroundings. She wasn't too sure what she should think of her surroundings. It seemed like some sort of hellish game that they were thrown into. These cells were all opened as they passed by and that was putting it lightly. One looked like it was ripped open. And that was probably at a time when they weren't all rusted. Was it an empty prison? Devoid of life because of whatever it was that was making that shaking? Well, reality struck sooner than later it would likely seem. A growl of some sort combined with the sound of metal scraping on stone. The elfen eared beauty got a good look at the creature. It's wretched appearance was more than enough to disgust her to her very core. Still... It would seem the gift she received from the goddess worked on creatures like this too. "I see... This thing is called a wretched experiment. I suppose I shouldn't be surprised, but it's weaker than us." She mentioned, taking a second to swallow her spit. "Burns easily, Sensitive to Light, Sensitive to Loud Noises.... Cursed by the Moon?" She questioned to her companions, looking slightly perplexed. "This being earned the Moon's Ire. Cursed with madness. Wretched being, failure.... Weak individually, dangerous in a group. It has a tendency to lunge quickly towards opponents with 'surprising agility' to try and incapacitate them." If there was anything obvious about her expressions and glances. She seemed to think Isidore was a bit more trustworthy in this situation than Nick was. Perhaps it was the rather calm way he talked rather than the constant jokes. "Hmm. That sword is probably in bad shape, but it would probably be useful to have. My eye doesn't say anything about it's skill with the sword so your guess is good as mine, Nick." Augusta told him, "But... I think one of us should be able to overpower it rather easily as long as we're careful. Perhaps a sneak attack so we don't call a horde. I don't hear anything else but considering it says they're dangerous in numbers..." She would leave the decision to Isidore. His 'boon' as he put it, was probably the best for this sort of thing anyhow. As for Nick's last question. "That's something I've been asking myself since I woke up. This body is more... Glamourous than mine was before all this." And she meant that in just about all the right places. "I suppose I have the ears for it now. Though..." She shook her head. She'd bring the homunculus thing up when they were safe. "Anyway, Isidore, do you want to take a crack at this thing?" She asked, pointing to some nearby broken cell bars. Hopefully there was a piece that was just long enough to be used as an improvised weapon.</s>
<\|description\|>Bella Rosso Gender:Female Appearance: Goals: Bella was studying to be a History Professor with a focus on classical civilizations to the medieval era. In this other world of scattered people… Maybe she can see if she can make a Roman Empire that doesn't fall. Past Life: Bella grew up the daughter of a politician and a History Professor. Her mother is an accountant turned politician and her father is a long time History Professor. Since she was young, her father introduced her to the History of Rome and taught her all about it. By the time she was out of compulsory schooling, she was about as knowledgeable on everything during the reign of Rome as her father and had a working knowledge of the Latin language. If anyone had a question about it, she could answer easily. She went to college as a history major with a minor in political science. And the political science minor was only because her mother took up a career as a rather successful politician. Through her time in college, she assisted her mother's campaign as well as study history. Every now and then, she would go and look into other politicians and get interviews when she could. In the end, her life ended as someone stabbed her from behind. Likely from asking the wrong individual the wrong question about the wrong person. Abilities: Physical Conditioning: Peak human Your body is naturally tough, durable, and strong. The pinnacle of human physical strength, endurance, and agility. Keep training, and surely you can surpass even stronger beings. Soul Flare: The ability to turn ones soul into a weapon itself. Needed for most basic magical feats. Channel the mana present in the air through your body to achieve great feats. Allows one to interact with supernatural things, and perceive things others may not. Ability Gained: Goddess' Eye The Goddess has given you a prestigious blessing. The eye will allow you to see things about a single living target in your vision that others can not. Status, general health, current disposition, abilities, special and other such information. Use it wisely, and you could use words as effective as any weapon or use it to disable someone with as little conflict as possible. Additionally, you can see things that are unable to be seen, and interact with it, and they you. Spirits, ghosts, and other such beings and things of that nature. However - things with special protections, such as beings with a divine connection, and skills will obscure your vision. It does not reveal things that are hidden through mundane means. Trivia: -Bella played a lot of Total War: Rome II to try and put old Roman strategies to practice. -Bella can speak Italian, Latin and English Inventory: -Padded Armor -Rapier Learned Skills: -Cleansing Fire - Fire, is not always destruction. It is also life, energy. It invigorates and brings warmth to all. Were fire never to exist, humanity may have never made it through the ice ages, for without its warmth they would fall victim to the frigid cold that envelops this land. Though fire can burn wildly, furiously, and destroy all, yours can also heal and bring comfort to those. By focusing positive energies into your fire, you may heal and cleanse small wounds. -Mana Redirect - A skill allowing one to redirect magical energy tossed at them from any supernatural source. Rather than absorbing and meshing it with your own, you redirect it to some other purpose, thus weakening its effects upon you as you turn it towards something else. Generally, this will work with everything but some sources of energy would be far too strong to completely deflect, and some are easier to work with then others. -Flora Command (lesser) - You're able to command the natural world around you, to an extent. Though, as it comes from domination rather than understanding and mutual understanding, it is not out of mutual respect or because they desire it. Rather - they do not wish to incur your wrath, so they cooperate. You can't perform complex actions or move them very quickly yet, and flora with more vitality may still ignore you outright as of now.</s> <\|message\|>Isidore @Rune_Alchemist@PaulHaynek@Guy0fV4lor The collision of steel sounded, but it wasn't from a sword. Wheeling around, Isidore saw the frame of another man, bracing himself against the wretched creature's charge. Not Nick, but a human all the same, a human that, judging by attire and countenance, was very much the same type of individual as they were. Good. More allies were needed, even if that meant there were more mouths to feed. Sidestepping the blond man, Isidore caught the monster on the rebound, ramming his sword hilt-deep into its throat, before twisting the blade and almost decapitating the creature. Hot, foul blood splattered over his hands, but whatever disgust within him didn't show on his face as he kicked the monster off his sword, then flicked the blood off. Octavia, that cheeky little bitch, ran off before he could grab onto her leash again. That brought a wry smile on his face, as well as the savaging she had inflicted upon the third creature. Born minutes ago and already lethal. The pet they fished out of that stone tablet was certainly looking to be useful. "Isidore," he said, tapping his thumb against his chest as he locked eyes with the shieldbearer. "You're another of the Goddess's, aren't you?" He paused, as if considering something, then continued. "This is a prison, or perhaps a laboratory, filled with more of these creatures. Though I'm invested in that puppy, if you'd rather avoid further involvement in these bloody affairs, it'd be best not to venture further. If you're coming though, welcome." Isidore wiped his hands on his pants, then motioned for Augusta to follow him as he strode after the puppy. Once she came, he turned his head in her direction slightly, murmuring, "Dangerous?"</s> <\|message\|>Nicholas "Nick" Gallagher The Journey Begins ~ Unknown Location ~ Interacted with: @ERode, @Pyromania99,@Guy0fV4lor At first, Nick was glad to be out of that courtyard. It was weird heading back down to the dungeon-prison-whatever but they were in danger up there so down they went. Unfortunately, the demon pup led them to a group of three of those wretched experiment monsters. One of them was armed too! A poor sword like the one from earlier, but still armed! Yeah, they really should've seen this coming. But then Nick witnessed something extraordinary, Augusta put her palm out and a small blue orb formed in front of it. She could do magic?! The blue ball of magic then shot out, hitting the creature with the blade right in the chest. "Wha?! How the hell did you do that?!" It was one thing to be able to manipulate the weird stone's unseen energies but now she can cast actual magic? Why can't he do any of that, Nick lamented. The creature was dazed and that allowed Isidore and the demon dog, now named 'Octavia', to do their work. The former sliced the wretched creature's limb to disarm it from its weapon. He slid it right to Nick, presumably so he could use it to join the fight. Nick reflexively picked it up, but was he really going to have at it? He has not been in a fight before, much less against strange creatures that did not exist back home. Sure they were weak according to Augusta, but how weak was 'weak'? Octavia dealt with the second creature, evading claw swipes with awesome agility. The demon canine was also intelligent, it bit onto the wretched experiment's leg first to force it down before going for the throat. A predator in the making, Octavia was. That left only one more wretched experiment, and that one was about to lunge at Isidore who had no time to react. Suddenly, a stranger appeared. A middle-aged man with a shield charged forth and crashed into the wretched experiment, pinning it against the wall. Isidore was quick to dispatch the creature with a single ram of his blade into its neck. The fight was over and Nick let out a sigh of relief. Octavia had ran off deeper into the complex but they had an ally present that required attention. After Isidore introduced himself and some other words before following the demon dog, Nick was the next to approach the stranger. "Nick. Thanks for stopping by. You come here often?" He introduced himself with a joke. "Listen, the guy's right. Wherever we're heading, it's pretty dangerous. Nice shield, by the way. How come everyone here gets cool powers while I get anxiety attacks?"</s> <\|message\|>Novak Novak The journey to the girl's village was so far uneventful, although Novak felt a bit of concern at her mention of this "Kyrinth". Still, she didn't seem particularly worried about it, so it probably wasn't worth worrying about. Unless, of course, the girl's evident boredom with her life and sheltered lifestyle had eroded her sense of self-preservation. What was more worrying was the presence of more of those iron-beaked birds in the area. Fortunately, they didn't seem to carry the same aggression as the ones that had attacked the trio earlier, and Lazirha paid no heed to them. Perhaps it'd be wise to ask about them when he had the chance. Novak glanced at his companions, satisfied that he at least knew their names now. The fox girl was called Misaki, and and the small of stature swordswoman went by the name Oda Nobunaga. That name sounded familiar, he thought, but he couldn't place why. It couldn't be from his life, for those memories were well and truly gone. Was it someone he knew of, a piece of knowledge from his previous life? I need to find somewhere safe where I can sit down, reorganize, and make sense of what's left of my mind, Novak thought as the girl's town came into view up ahead. The sight of civilization brightened his spirits considerably, and he looked forward to being able to sit down and spend some time making sense of everything. When Lazirha asked the group about where they came from, Novak was the first to speak up. "I'm afraid I don't actually remember anything about my life. It's all a blank. All I know for sure is that I'm not from around here." In hindsight, it was perhaps foolish to reveal his lack of memories so quickly and freely, but with his mind so focused on his mind and his spirits lifted, Novak didn't think his words through before speaking, and at this moment he wanted to get it off his chest. "I don't suppose you could tell us a bit more about here?" he asked. "You said you've lived here you whole life, so you probably know plenty about it, right?" @VitaVitaAR@PKMNB0Y</s> <\|message\|>Takeshima Misaki (formerly Takeshima Mamoru) The lack of any incidents en route to Lazirha's hometown came as a pleasant surprise to Misaki, who would have much appreciated a bit more time to examine the entire situation regardless. To the young girl's questions, though, the foxgirl could only find it within herself to respond with a slight half-grin. Given what she could see regarding the current state of the world, such curiosity was nothing if not admirable, but describing modern Japan and everything it (and the world at large) had to offer might sound too outlandish compared to what little she could make of the settlement in the distance. Even so, given that she planned to tell Nobunaga everything once they had actually reached the village (or, to be accurate, that she expected to have to tell everything), it seemed more useful to find more time to figure out how to describe everything in the simplest of terms. "I'll tell you more once we sit down. There's a lot more to explain than you'd expect, but I'm not sure if you'd believe half of it," she said, shrugging her shoulders. If anything, though, starting in a location like this with at least some semblance of livelihood already meant that they wouldn't be floundering about aimlessly in pursuit of the basic necessities of life. So long as they could make themselves useful here, then it was possible to establish this location as a temporary base, if only for a short while... Novak's question came before Misaki's own, but if anything, it was aimed right where she had planned to target anyhow, and so the young woman simply continued on quietly as she waited for Lazirha's response in turn. Asking about any problems that the village had would have to wait until they got to look around the place, but with the sudden influx of knowledge planted in her brain, development wasn't entirely out of the question so long as the villagers wanted it. Paladin@Rune_Alchemist@VitaVitaAR</s>	<\|message\|>Bella Rosso Augusta the Roman Elf Augusta was mostly off her guard until all the enemies was finished off by her teammates. She was mostly ecstatic that her thoughts were correct and she indeed casted what could be considered a Magic Missle. There was a wide smile on her face as Isidore and Octavia finished off the rest of the Wretches. Hell, she didn't even notice this other fellow join them until after the monsters were finished off, though he seemed friendly enough. Her eye activated when she looked at him. Donovan MacConaill? Seemed there were all kinds here. What was next? Some Japanese person good with guns? "A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Donovan. Thank you for your assistance. Would you like to follow the cute little dog we found further down into this prison? That's quite the interesting ability you have." She was treating her goddess eye as something casual at this point. Like she had it for quite the long time. Perhaps she was adapting to the situation much too fast? Then to address Nick. "Come now, Nick. While the majority of your power isn't immediately available, I believe it will become useful for you in the future. Plus, being able to sense danger is quite the boon." She reached down and picked up the sword the one creature dropped and handed it to Nick. "Now you can help Isidore out next time we encounter those creatures. And besides, to learn how to cast that magic bolt I had to do what can be summed up as a magical tug-of-war with a demonic pup. I can probably teach you later if you so desire. After all, we all seem to have the ability." She aimed her index finger at her magical eye, "Or so my eye says." With that, she started to walk towards where Octavia had run off to. "Octavia, dear! Don't run off too far ahead." For her, it was given that Nick would follow, though with Donovan it was a hard to tell situation. Perhaps he would, perhaps he wouldn't. Still, Isidore was leading the way and Augusta was wont to follow his vanguard at this point.</s>
<\|description\|>Bella Rosso Gender:Female Appearance: Goals: Bella was studying to be a History Professor with a focus on classical civilizations to the medieval era. In this other world of scattered people… Maybe she can see if she can make a Roman Empire that doesn't fall. Past Life: Bella grew up the daughter of a politician and a History Professor. Her mother is an accountant turned politician and her father is a long time History Professor. Since she was young, her father introduced her to the History of Rome and taught her all about it. By the time she was out of compulsory schooling, she was about as knowledgeable on everything during the reign of Rome as her father and had a working knowledge of the Latin language. If anyone had a question about it, she could answer easily. She went to college as a history major with a minor in political science. And the political science minor was only because her mother took up a career as a rather successful politician. Through her time in college, she assisted her mother's campaign as well as study history. Every now and then, she would go and look into other politicians and get interviews when she could. In the end, her life ended as someone stabbed her from behind. Likely from asking the wrong individual the wrong question about the wrong person. Abilities: Physical Conditioning: Peak human Your body is naturally tough, durable, and strong. The pinnacle of human physical strength, endurance, and agility. Keep training, and surely you can surpass even stronger beings. Soul Flare: The ability to turn ones soul into a weapon itself. Needed for most basic magical feats. Channel the mana present in the air through your body to achieve great feats. Allows one to interact with supernatural things, and perceive things others may not. Ability Gained: Goddess' Eye The Goddess has given you a prestigious blessing. The eye will allow you to see things about a single living target in your vision that others can not. Status, general health, current disposition, abilities, special and other such information. Use it wisely, and you could use words as effective as any weapon or use it to disable someone with as little conflict as possible. Additionally, you can see things that are unable to be seen, and interact with it, and they you. Spirits, ghosts, and other such beings and things of that nature. However - things with special protections, such as beings with a divine connection, and skills will obscure your vision. It does not reveal things that are hidden through mundane means. Trivia: -Bella played a lot of Total War: Rome II to try and put old Roman strategies to practice. -Bella can speak Italian, Latin and English Inventory: -Padded Armor -Rapier Learned Skills: -Cleansing Fire - Fire, is not always destruction. It is also life, energy. It invigorates and brings warmth to all. Were fire never to exist, humanity may have never made it through the ice ages, for without its warmth they would fall victim to the frigid cold that envelops this land. Though fire can burn wildly, furiously, and destroy all, yours can also heal and bring comfort to those. By focusing positive energies into your fire, you may heal and cleanse small wounds. -Mana Redirect - A skill allowing one to redirect magical energy tossed at them from any supernatural source. Rather than absorbing and meshing it with your own, you redirect it to some other purpose, thus weakening its effects upon you as you turn it towards something else. Generally, this will work with everything but some sources of energy would be far too strong to completely deflect, and some are easier to work with then others. -Flora Command (lesser) - You're able to command the natural world around you, to an extent. Though, as it comes from domination rather than understanding and mutual understanding, it is not out of mutual respect or because they desire it. Rather - they do not wish to incur your wrath, so they cooperate. You can't perform complex actions or move them very quickly yet, and flora with more vitality may still ignore you outright as of now.</s> <\|message\|>Novak Novak The girl continued to describe the area, mentioning hunters and hunting festivals. Once again, Lazirha mentioned this Kyrinth. Novak had no idea what it was, other than that her description inferred it was a dangerous being of some sort, but not a direct threat to the town. It was definitely something that they should ask about prior to heading back out into the wilderness. Fortunately, if the town was as full of hunters as Lazirha seemed to infer, it shouldn't be difficult getting information on this Kyrinth and any other local beasts worth worrying about. The village was roughly what Novak expected from the girl's description. However, it seemed a little odd that none of the others had a tattoo on their arm like Lazirha's. Did it mean something special in the village, or was it simply a meaningless adornment upon a bored girl? It shouldn't be hard to find out, although it might be wise to wait until a more appropriate time to pry about it. Just as the girl was inviting the group back to her home, they were interrupted by a commotion. Several armed men were confronting a massive, somewhat mammalian armored beast. The creature was covered in what looked like metallic scales, and it was holding something in its mouth. The beast seemed to glare at Nobunaga, and it was only at this point that Novak realized that it had human remains in its maw. Is this the Kyrinth that she was talking about? Novak readied his sword, but there wasn't much he could do with it. He didn't know anything about using the sword, and he certainly didn't know anything about fighting an armored, man-eating monster. Of the three of them, only Nobunaga stepped forward to fight the beast, already barking suggestions to the village's spearmen. Lazirha seemed to be surprised and perhaps a bit confused at their inability to fight. "It's a long story, miss Lazirha, but suffice to say, Misaki and I aren't fighters," Novak interjected. "Heck, I just picked up this sword to defend myself from birds. I'd say the only reason we're alive is because we haven't been doing this for very long, and most of that time has been spent simply trying to not die horribly." Once again Novak was blurting things out that, had he been thinking clearly, would not have revealed to an outsider. Right now, however, the primary thing on his mind was not getting killed and eaten by this strange monster. It was an upsetting realization, that he was so unprepared for this world, and completely unable to fulfill the mission given by the goddess to protect these people. Perhaps now would be a good time to begin making use of his skill-seeking ability. I could learn something quite useful from watching how the hunters move when fighting that monster, but I'd better first he sure that they know what they're doing. @PKMNB0Y@VitaVitaAR</s> <\|message\|>Isidore @Rune_Alchemist@PaulHaynek@Guy0fV4lor Nick lagged behind; it was uncertain whether the young man would follow the rest all the way into the depths, especially as the stench of decay grew stronger, as the darkness grew thicker. Not all were made for such escapades, and Isidore could only hope that Nick didn't make any rash decisions. The darkness shone with blue light as the quartet passed the point of no return. There was a chasm underneath the prison, home to a garden of tar-stained flowers and trees. That sweetness, once overbearing, was now undercut by the smell of brine, like the world's shittiest salty caramel. The walls of this cavern were made inaccessible to them all by the ocean water that seeped into the place, while the garden was the territory of shadowy humans, lumbering disconcertingly around the place. The former researchers of the prison above? Or more of those wretched experiments, made puppets by the tar-plants. Then, there was the clattering of feet against stone off in the distance, muffled by vines. Isidore turned briefly, noting that of the three that had followed, two now remained. Nick was gone, having taken the sealing of the entranceway as reason enough to escape. Isidore's expression remained unchanged. Loyalty or conviction hadn't yet had any chance to grow amongst these strangers. Such action couldn't be faulted, but it would be remembered. Isidore let out a breath, let out all the tension that had built up in his body. Time to continue. Not certain whether the others could see so clearly as he could, he kept a firm grip on Octavia's leash, as he began to walk upon the raised platform, keeping an eye on the largest plant at the back of the garden. Black stones impaled it, but it was through those same black stones that it could grow its progeny upon the surface, to birth creatures such as Octavia. It was a detour, and he had to drag Octavia with him as he did so, but Isidore wasn't fool enough to walk boldly into the territory of the tar-plants. All the toughness in the world meant nothing once restrained by a dozen ancient roots. "Donovan, shield up. Protect the others. Octavia, there are things moving within the garden to our left. We are approaching the largest of the tar-plants, the one whose roots stretch all around this place." He paused. Levity may be appropriate in these dark times, so deep underground. "If any of you were a fire-breather in your past life, this would be a good chance to show off." … Isidore coughed, then allowed his muscles to relax further. The door, he hadn't mentioned. It was left open for a reason, and that reason was still unknown to him.</s>	<\|message\|>Bella Rosso Augusta looked at the pin Donovan was asking about. She was more than ready to trudge forward into this dungeon-like thing in front of them, but the question posed seemed fair compensation. "A pin?" Of course, her eyes reacted not to it. It only seemed to work on creatures of some sort or another. Some issue in and of itself though it would definitely help more than hurt. She sighed with no reply from looking at it. "Haa..." When her eyes fail, there was little more she could figure to do but touch it. "Hmm. Obviously it's... What's the word? Enchanted? Yes, enchanted. Weakly magical?" She questioned, looking at the thing. "It's possibly I might be able to tell you more after I've figured out magic more." She stated, removing her hand and giving a nod to the man. The deeper they went, the more there was that... sickeningly sweet smell. She had done her best to push it to the back of her mind but the more they traveled, the worst it got until finally they reached a rather dark place. The sweet smell was mixed with the all too familiar scent of the sea. "How peculiar." Still, it was rather dark and she couldn't see very well. There was salt water for sure. And those black tar-like plants that came with Octavia. Hmmm. How curious. She sighed and started to walk forward when she heard a rustling behind her. The vines had blocked their path back? Somehow, she expected that much, really. "No going back, it seems." With a slight shrug, she followed Isidore as he took the initiative. He barked out commands that made her wonder if he had prior experience in such a thing. It wouldn't be farfetched after all. Either way, she continued to follow him and tried to look around but... "I can't see a thing in this darkness. Wish I had magic for that." She mentioned, playing around with the idea in her head and at her fingertips. It'd be great to just collect power to her hands and make a ball of light to just, illuminate around them. A certain game called it Mage Light, she seemed to remember.</s>
<\|description\|>Bella Rosso Gender:Female Appearance: Goals: Bella was studying to be a History Professor with a focus on classical civilizations to the medieval era. In this other world of scattered people… Maybe she can see if she can make a Roman Empire that doesn't fall. Past Life: Bella grew up the daughter of a politician and a History Professor. Her mother is an accountant turned politician and her father is a long time History Professor. Since she was young, her father introduced her to the History of Rome and taught her all about it. By the time she was out of compulsory schooling, she was about as knowledgeable on everything during the reign of Rome as her father and had a working knowledge of the Latin language. If anyone had a question about it, she could answer easily. She went to college as a history major with a minor in political science. And the political science minor was only because her mother took up a career as a rather successful politician. Through her time in college, she assisted her mother's campaign as well as study history. Every now and then, she would go and look into other politicians and get interviews when she could. In the end, her life ended as someone stabbed her from behind. Likely from asking the wrong individual the wrong question about the wrong person. Abilities: Physical Conditioning: Peak human Your body is naturally tough, durable, and strong. The pinnacle of human physical strength, endurance, and agility. Keep training, and surely you can surpass even stronger beings. Soul Flare: The ability to turn ones soul into a weapon itself. Needed for most basic magical feats. Channel the mana present in the air through your body to achieve great feats. Allows one to interact with supernatural things, and perceive things others may not. Ability Gained: Goddess' Eye The Goddess has given you a prestigious blessing. The eye will allow you to see things about a single living target in your vision that others can not. Status, general health, current disposition, abilities, special and other such information. Use it wisely, and you could use words as effective as any weapon or use it to disable someone with as little conflict as possible. Additionally, you can see things that are unable to be seen, and interact with it, and they you. Spirits, ghosts, and other such beings and things of that nature. However - things with special protections, such as beings with a divine connection, and skills will obscure your vision. It does not reveal things that are hidden through mundane means. Trivia: -Bella played a lot of Total War: Rome II to try and put old Roman strategies to practice. -Bella can speak Italian, Latin and English Inventory: -Padded Armor -Rapier Learned Skills: -Cleansing Fire - Fire, is not always destruction. It is also life, energy. It invigorates and brings warmth to all. Were fire never to exist, humanity may have never made it through the ice ages, for without its warmth they would fall victim to the frigid cold that envelops this land. Though fire can burn wildly, furiously, and destroy all, yours can also heal and bring comfort to those. By focusing positive energies into your fire, you may heal and cleanse small wounds. -Mana Redirect - A skill allowing one to redirect magical energy tossed at them from any supernatural source. Rather than absorbing and meshing it with your own, you redirect it to some other purpose, thus weakening its effects upon you as you turn it towards something else. Generally, this will work with everything but some sources of energy would be far too strong to completely deflect, and some are easier to work with then others. -Flora Command (lesser) - You're able to command the natural world around you, to an extent. Though, as it comes from domination rather than understanding and mutual understanding, it is not out of mutual respect or because they desire it. Rather - they do not wish to incur your wrath, so they cooperate. You can't perform complex actions or move them very quickly yet, and flora with more vitality may still ignore you outright as of now.</s> <\|message\|>Novak Novak Enli noticed Misaki's interest in the scrolls and offered to let her look through them. Novak was a bit curious about them himself, but could he even read the script they were written in? The people of this new world seemed to speak his language- or was it he who gained the knowledge speak their language? Was his knowledge of the language of his previous, forgotten life lost and replaced with this world's language? If so, did it extend to comprehension of written text as well? He supposed that the only to know for sure would be to try and read some of the texts. He could do that later, however, because for now the more pressing issue was to respond to the man's offer to let them stay in the village. "Thank you sir, we are grateful for your hospitality," Novak responded. "Like my companion said, we were very fortunate to have been brought here." Akando suggested that they could help with the town's problems that both he and Enli had previously alluded to. The chief, however, shot the idea down, not wanting to involve the trio. Novak wasn't entirely sure it was out of distrust of outsiders or the notion that asking guests to risk their lives on the host town's behalf would constitute very poor hospitality. Perhaps it was a bit of both. They mentioned the Kyrinth again. Was that thing we killed not the actual Kyrinth? "If I may, sirs," Novak spoke up, "If that monster is any indication of the problems you're facing, then as long as we're here it's our problem too. The threat to your town is a threat to your guests, as well as anyone else in the region who might have the misfortune to catch this Kyrinth's attention." Novak's motivation to help was indeed partially out of self-interest due to the fact that they would be affected by the local problems as long as they stayed here, but he also wanted to help these people. He wasn't sure how he could help, but perhaps he could learn how, and anything was better than cowering in a hut every time another monster came to terrorize the town. @PKMNB0Y@VitaVitaAR</s> <\|message\|>Isidore @Rune_Alchemist@Guy0fV4lor Was it kind of them to help, or did they just need to release all their stress after their encounter with the demon-flower turned out to be much more benign than Nick's doomsaying? Isidore didn't linger on what thought processes drove his acquaintances to act. If they were going to be here, there wasn't much to be said, after all. Just gonna make it quick then. The plant-like blades could no longer harm him, and Isidore took advantage of that immediately, blocking the swing of the closest creature with his left forearm, before locking that arm into place. Sword still burning bright, he skewered the monster through the chest, black blood bubbling against the hilt of his sword before, with a grunt, he drew the sword upwards and split the monster from stomach up. As two halves spread to either side like a blooming flower, Isidore pushed the corpse away and charged for the one he had injured first. Some pressure was felt against his neck, no doubt from the fifth, unmarked monster, but it was meaningless. Within this hour, he was unkillable. The one with the lacerated back, though aware and ready for combat, wasn't going to have much opportunity for revenge. He closed the gap in three steps, drawing its attention to his sword. They learned fast, gained experience quickly, had intelligence beneath humans but beyond animals. But Isidore was never one to use a single winning strategy, whether in business or at the poker table. With an open palm flicker jab, he splashed droplets of his blood on the creatures face, and then closed his fist, visualizing the ignition of his lifeblood to immolate the creature. And then for good measure, he drove his sword into its neck, whether its face was on fire or not.</s> <\|message\|>Takeshima Misaki (formerly Takeshima Mamoru) With Enli's invitation to dig through the scrolls at her own volition, Misaki could do little to hold back her own curiosity. There were enough questions at hand for her to simply read everything from start to finish and try to gather what information she could, if only because she was at liberty to do so. Depending on how far back these records went, it might have been possible to figure out exactly what had transpired on this ruined world before they had arrived. They could obviously get by for the moment by simply coasting off of deeds that the more combat-capable members of their group performed, but in order to not seem 'out of place', something like this would likely prove to be worth looking into. "If you would allow me to do so..." the foxgirl responded, bowing in thanks to the older man as she moved to delicately begin to sift through the documents in front of her. Given the apparent problem that was plaguing the village, Misaki's eyes seemed to naturally drift towards mention of a 'God of Knowledge'. Ignoring the oddity that was her own ability to freely read documents that were clearly in a language that did not exist back on Earth, the young woman quietly took note of the fact that there was a place of worship within the forest that they would likely be entering soon enough. Given that Nobunaga and Novak were apt to talk their way into getting involved (as far as she could tell), figuring out any bits and pieces about the place before they entered from these documents was of the utmost priority; next, of course, was any actual history, but reviewing what was in front of her could come after the major issues at hand were resolved. @Crimson Paladin@VitaVitaAR</s>	<\|message\|>Bella Rosso Augusta was delighted the fireball seemed moderately effective against these creatures. Though she had not expected Octavia to take a slash from a creature. "Octavia!" She screamed as she heard the demon dog yipe, though she was quick to quiet as she saw the beast heal. Her eyes widened slightly at the sight and it dawned on her even more that this was another world from Earth. She clenched her teeth in anger and stepped forward. She has figured out how to make a bolt of magical energy... And then, a bolt of fire... Now, maybe, she could spew fire out of her hand. She stood over the wretch that Octavia pulled down and pointed her hand out. If a bolt was gathering energy and firing it at once, maybe she could do the same thing but let it freely escape her hand. Just use the same mechanics she had used earlier to make it spew fire and aim it right at the head and shoulders of this wretch that was held down.</s>
<\|description\|>Bella Rosso Gender:Female Appearance: Goals: Bella was studying to be a History Professor with a focus on classical civilizations to the medieval era. In this other world of scattered people… Maybe she can see if she can make a Roman Empire that doesn't fall. Past Life: Bella grew up the daughter of a politician and a History Professor. Her mother is an accountant turned politician and her father is a long time History Professor. Since she was young, her father introduced her to the History of Rome and taught her all about it. By the time she was out of compulsory schooling, she was about as knowledgeable on everything during the reign of Rome as her father and had a working knowledge of the Latin language. If anyone had a question about it, she could answer easily. She went to college as a history major with a minor in political science. And the political science minor was only because her mother took up a career as a rather successful politician. Through her time in college, she assisted her mother's campaign as well as study history. Every now and then, she would go and look into other politicians and get interviews when she could. In the end, her life ended as someone stabbed her from behind. Likely from asking the wrong individual the wrong question about the wrong person. Abilities: Physical Conditioning: Peak human Your body is naturally tough, durable, and strong. The pinnacle of human physical strength, endurance, and agility. Keep training, and surely you can surpass even stronger beings. Soul Flare: The ability to turn ones soul into a weapon itself. Needed for most basic magical feats. Channel the mana present in the air through your body to achieve great feats. Allows one to interact with supernatural things, and perceive things others may not. Ability Gained: Goddess' Eye The Goddess has given you a prestigious blessing. The eye will allow you to see things about a single living target in your vision that others can not. Status, general health, current disposition, abilities, special and other such information. Use it wisely, and you could use words as effective as any weapon or use it to disable someone with as little conflict as possible. Additionally, you can see things that are unable to be seen, and interact with it, and they you. Spirits, ghosts, and other such beings and things of that nature. However - things with special protections, such as beings with a divine connection, and skills will obscure your vision. It does not reveal things that are hidden through mundane means. Trivia: -Bella played a lot of Total War: Rome II to try and put old Roman strategies to practice. -Bella can speak Italian, Latin and English Inventory: -Padded Armor -Rapier Learned Skills: -Cleansing Fire - Fire, is not always destruction. It is also life, energy. It invigorates and brings warmth to all. Were fire never to exist, humanity may have never made it through the ice ages, for without its warmth they would fall victim to the frigid cold that envelops this land. Though fire can burn wildly, furiously, and destroy all, yours can also heal and bring comfort to those. By focusing positive energies into your fire, you may heal and cleanse small wounds. -Mana Redirect - A skill allowing one to redirect magical energy tossed at them from any supernatural source. Rather than absorbing and meshing it with your own, you redirect it to some other purpose, thus weakening its effects upon you as you turn it towards something else. Generally, this will work with everything but some sources of energy would be far too strong to completely deflect, and some are easier to work with then others. -Flora Command (lesser) - You're able to command the natural world around you, to an extent. Though, as it comes from domination rather than understanding and mutual understanding, it is not out of mutual respect or because they desire it. Rather - they do not wish to incur your wrath, so they cooperate. You can't perform complex actions or move them very quickly yet, and flora with more vitality may still ignore you outright as of now.</s> <\|message\|>"Malphas" Malphas Seaside Village@Rune_Alchemist@Crimson Paladin Malphas raised an eyebrow at the man's response. While he chose not to give anything away right now, he also didn't deny Malphas's claims. Perhaps he wasn't one for the limelight? No matter the case, Malphas shrugged and turned his attentions elsewhere for now. He'll keep his eye on the young man, but he'll also respect his wishes of not wanting too much attention to himself at this time. Malphas's attention was then taken by Bolcha's approach. It seemed as if he believed Malphas was part of the troupe that had killed the beast! Well, no point in correcting him now, especially if it leads to his benefit. What's more, he also needed assistance in a few matters. Malphas wasn't really busy with anything at the moment, and while he did wish to leave quickly, it seemed as if helping the craftsman at his work would net him a few more things he could use on his travels. Networking is also a plus, even if it were a village as small as this. Perhaps this might also mean he wouldn't have to leave after all... "Oh, but of course! I'm not one to shy away from hard work, after all..." Malphas stepped forward, eager to get to work. Despite his looks and demeanor, Malphas welcomed the idea of menial labor. Sweat is the salt of man's hard work, after all. And would he truly say he loved his fellow humans if he didn't sweat alongside them? Whatever it was that Bolcha needed done, Malphas would eagerly begin to work on, whether his fellow beast-slayer chose to help as well or not.</s> <\|message\|>Nicholas "Nick" Gallagher The Journey Begins ~ Another Unknown Location ~ Interacted with: @Rune_Alchemist, @Pyromania99, @Guy0fV4lor Nick heeded Augusta's words. She even showed him a couple of demonstrations, first with a ball of magic on her hands then flicking fire into existence with her fingers. She did it seemingly effort, like walking or breathing. Alright, Nick cracked his fingers and mentally prepared himself. Alright, feel the energy like she said. He knew some physics concepts so that should help too and use the hands to help push out the magic. Nick focused and concentrated, attempting to feel the magic and cast it. A simple fireball, a small one, was on his mind. Oxygen and heat combusting and being flung away. When he felt it was ready, Nick pushed his hands forward toward an empty patch of snow. ... Nothing. No matter, Nick doubted he could do it in the first try. One more time! ... Nothing. Alright, third time's the charm! ... Nothing. "This... might be harder than I thought." Donovan placed a hand on Nick's wounded shoulder. "Dude, stop. You might--" The black corruption on his wound soon dissipated and Nick realized that middle-aged guy had just cast some more healing magic on him. While Augusta fixed the physical, Donovan cleaned off the... whatever that was. "Whoa. Thanks for that, dude. I didn't know what that was. I mean, it didn't feel like anything but it still kinda made me nervous." Donovan then went off to find and join Isidore in the snowy woods, leaving Nick with Augusta. "Well, Augusta, what do we do next? I mean, we can still rest here if you're tired while I continue trying to cast magic. Or we can head off and find shelter. Maybe a cave or something?" Thinking about his inability to cast magic yet, Nick decided to add. "Say, got any tips for magic for a newbie like me?"</s> <\|message\|>Leannah Stromhart Leannah --- ...Nothing recognizable. No runes on the tablet, no amount of the relics and trinkets of old or any of it seemed to make sense at this time. Such was the nature of archaeology, however, and especially Egyptology in its infancy. It was one reason the Rosetta Stone had been such a valuable discovery! Two languages upon one great piece of stone, and a particular bit of greco-egyptian influence that had made it easier to decipher things (to say the least). But she was getting ahead of herself. Truth be told, however, the fox girl putting these beautiful discoveries together in an orderly manner was something she appreciated. A little respect for the history these spoke or, and perhaps literally so contained in regards to the runic tablet, that as a historian of sorts she could respect. Yet the fact this woman was still totally foreign to her, and considering the manner of her own death and career before dying there were a lot of people out there...and respecting history didn't mean always being a good person. Still, the fact this girl was translating these arcane runes was something even more enticing. Or at least she'd been trying to do so from what it sounded like. And they now also had the name of the fox girl in turn: Misaki. A very much Japanese name to be sure, and another thing to add to her list of suspicions about the fox being from Earth in turn. That and the mention of this fox having read old scrolls, which if the fortress and this tablet were of any note were indecipherable to anyone from Earth....or at least herself and Narkissa probably. Her own information wasn't very complete about everything in this world regardless, far from it to put it far too mildly, but the mentions of abnormal fog and weird things was enough of a telltale sign of myths and danger to make her ears perk up. Magic wasn't a new concept to her, at least after Malphas' and her own shenanigans back there, but the rest of it spoke of something...hmm...that and the nature of the other relics here... "A curse? Mysterious fog? Strange phenomenon?" the catgirl muttered to herself a moment, putting a hand to her chin in thought before looking back up, "Even if you do not think your translation is very good, Lazhira, it could be a clue to those odd events you spoke of. At least potentially. You have to start somewhere when figuring this sort of thing out, after all! The catgirl sauntered back over and sat down cross-legged at the table, her eyes attentive as much as she seemed to be ardent in her curiosity and earnest in her encouragement. "Apologies for being a bit forward, you've been very kind so far, but if I may...from what you've tried to translate so far: Was there any mention of a 'tomb'? Anything that calls upon gods to punish others? Mentions of something sealed away or closed up?" All she knew to heart, at least right off the bat, was something like the curses put on the tombs of the ancient Pharaohs. Calling upon the gods to curse a tomb looter was one thing. Likewise there was the ilk of greek curse tablets (she'd dabbled in learning of those on the side), and tales like the Minotaur and the Book of Thoth came to mind in turn. Sure back on Earth it was all legend and myth, but here, well, she felt more apt to give this place a LOT of credit to such stories and mentions. After all, magic was REAL...and monsters and cat girls and fox girls and anime Oda Nobunaga looking people were REAL. Etc.</s> <\|message\|>Novak Novak Akando left to take care of other business, leaving Novak with Bolcha and the new arrival. He appeared fully human, but the man's blue eyes and white hair made him stand out, and reminded Novak of Misaki. He certainly looks the part more than me, he thought. Novak was unsure how the goddess chose the forms of the people she summoned, but he was grateful that he himself had been blessed with an appearance that, judging from the reflection he had beheld on the blade of his sword, seemed to not stand out. Not that it stopped this stranger from correctly suspecting Novak of being another of the goddess' chosen. It seems that even without white hair or animal ears, I stick out like a sore thumb to a perceptive soul. Between his attire, quite distinct from the locals' clothing, and Akando mentioning his role in slaying the beast, it was clear he wouldn't be blending in. Whatever the case may be, however, the white-haired man did not press Novak on the matter further, and did not seem to rouse the attention of the locals. Bolcha spoke up, asking the two new arrivals for help with some work. The stranger replied first, offering his assistance without hesitation. Perhaps there was more to him than Novak thought. After all, the goddess wouldn't summon someone whom she didn't see potential in for fixing the world, right? "Certainly, I'll help with whatever you need," Novak spoke. He hadn't been in the town for very long, but he had already become quite invested in the well-being of the locals. Perhaps it was simply his emptied mind latching on to the first friendly civilization he had come across, but he wanted to help put an end to the problems that afflicted them, and every little bit of aid would help. It certainly wouldn't be fitting for one of the goddess' chosen heroes to stand around when there was work to be done. Chulainn@Rune_Alchemist</s>	<\|message\|>Bella Rosso Augusta spent a good minute looking at Octavia's status. Seed Carrier? Hmm. This was nothing to tell Isidore nor Donovan at the moment. Nick... Not him either, really, but the most he could do is mention something to the other two. Isidore didn't seem to like things that would put him in danger and Donovan had that purification magic. She could always lie, if need be. She was particularly adept at that from her prior life. For now, perhaps her best measure was finding a way to remove the seed from Octavia without hurting her more than necessary. If that plant thought it could one up her, then it had another thing coming! Still, she had realized that Nick was talking to her. Oh, what did he mention? What should they do next? Did she have any tips? She gave a small, yet somewhat concerned looking smile. "What next? I would propose to find what civilization we can and hope we don't look too different from those native to the land here. And, umm, I suggest staying quiet about the giant plant thing until we know more about the local culture. Hell, I might have to find a way to make Octavia here a bit more... Natural?" She mentioned, struggling to find the words. "Perhaps there's magic to transmogrify a creature." She mused for a minute more and put a hand on Octavia's back to pet her some until she came back to... Whatever world it was they were on. "And tips. Right. Hmm." The elf woman thought to herself. She gave him most of the information that she knew already. "Most of what I know came from experiencing the draining effect from that slab first hand. It's not too difficult to figure out the barest of ideas when you feel the energy being forced out of you." She pet Octavia, who was what she assumed was the one draining energy from her at the time. "It wasn't pleasant but I felt I had to overcome it. Perhaps I should try and drain all your magical energy and see if you can overcome me?" She teased. Augusta didn't feel confident doing that at all. She would be worried of accidently kill this young man. She wasn't so heartless she could actually kill someone. About that time, however... She heard a call of sorts. From the direction that Isidore and Donovan went. Should she go to them? She stood and pondered. From her experience so far... Wouldn't she be more a hinderance than a help? "Hmm. For now, I suppose we'll hold down the camp." She mentioned to herself as she stared in the direction the call came from. "Perhaps you should try to practice your magic more, young man." She wasn't sure of his age, but she seemed like one of those long lived elves so it only felt fitting.</s>
<\|description\|>Bella Rosso Gender:Female Appearance: Goals: Bella was studying to be a History Professor with a focus on classical civilizations to the medieval era. In this other world of scattered people… Maybe she can see if she can make a Roman Empire that doesn't fall. Past Life: Bella grew up the daughter of a politician and a History Professor. Her mother is an accountant turned politician and her father is a long time History Professor. Since she was young, her father introduced her to the History of Rome and taught her all about it. By the time she was out of compulsory schooling, she was about as knowledgeable on everything during the reign of Rome as her father and had a working knowledge of the Latin language. If anyone had a question about it, she could answer easily. She went to college as a history major with a minor in political science. And the political science minor was only because her mother took up a career as a rather successful politician. Through her time in college, she assisted her mother's campaign as well as study history. Every now and then, she would go and look into other politicians and get interviews when she could. In the end, her life ended as someone stabbed her from behind. Likely from asking the wrong individual the wrong question about the wrong person. Abilities: Physical Conditioning: Peak human Your body is naturally tough, durable, and strong. The pinnacle of human physical strength, endurance, and agility. Keep training, and surely you can surpass even stronger beings. Soul Flare: The ability to turn ones soul into a weapon itself. Needed for most basic magical feats. Channel the mana present in the air through your body to achieve great feats. Allows one to interact with supernatural things, and perceive things others may not. Ability Gained: Goddess' Eye The Goddess has given you a prestigious blessing. The eye will allow you to see things about a single living target in your vision that others can not. Status, general health, current disposition, abilities, special and other such information. Use it wisely, and you could use words as effective as any weapon or use it to disable someone with as little conflict as possible. Additionally, you can see things that are unable to be seen, and interact with it, and they you. Spirits, ghosts, and other such beings and things of that nature. However - things with special protections, such as beings with a divine connection, and skills will obscure your vision. It does not reveal things that are hidden through mundane means. Trivia: -Bella played a lot of Total War: Rome II to try and put old Roman strategies to practice. -Bella can speak Italian, Latin and English Inventory: -Padded Armor -Rapier Learned Skills: -Cleansing Fire - Fire, is not always destruction. It is also life, energy. It invigorates and brings warmth to all. Were fire never to exist, humanity may have never made it through the ice ages, for without its warmth they would fall victim to the frigid cold that envelops this land. Though fire can burn wildly, furiously, and destroy all, yours can also heal and bring comfort to those. By focusing positive energies into your fire, you may heal and cleanse small wounds. -Mana Redirect - A skill allowing one to redirect magical energy tossed at them from any supernatural source. Rather than absorbing and meshing it with your own, you redirect it to some other purpose, thus weakening its effects upon you as you turn it towards something else. Generally, this will work with everything but some sources of energy would be far too strong to completely deflect, and some are easier to work with then others. -Flora Command (lesser) - You're able to command the natural world around you, to an extent. Though, as it comes from domination rather than understanding and mutual understanding, it is not out of mutual respect or because they desire it. Rather - they do not wish to incur your wrath, so they cooperate. You can't perform complex actions or move them very quickly yet, and flora with more vitality may still ignore you outright as of now.</s> <\|message\|>Isidore @Rune_Alchemist Even at the height of his power and influence, Isidore had not had the pleasure of sleeping with two women of extraordinary beauty. Part of it, perhaps, may have been his age at that time; certainly, his youth had been occupied with proclivities sexual in nature, such that if not for more pressing concerns, he'd have indulged in such debauchery freely. But though his heart beat faster, though he had regained his physical youth and some semblance of his vernal predilections, Isidore kept his distance within that cozy alcove, only occasionally reaching over to scratch Octavia behind the ears. The alcove offered sufficient cover from the blizzard, and Leuca's stories kept his mind busy. It was a pleasure, that he could hold onto his thoughts so easily. Superhuman when it came to the mind too. Wonderful. The Apostles were humans, armored and xenophobic, claiming that this world was false. It was worth interrogating, to see if they were otherworlders like himself and Octavia, if they held the same goal of 'return' as Nicholas did. The long-eared came from further south and were possibly nomadic; their current home being Tamaln. The Bastellians lived across a snowy plain, emphasis on 'snowy'. Either this world had no seasons, or they were far north enough that snow didn't melt even in summer, even across open plains with no mountain to cast shadow. The Urutha, the Shadow Elves, lived in Gloomhollow, with previously friendly connections with the Dwarves, and Leuca had come here to foster more positive relationships between the Urutha and the Sirithen. The Dwarves, at least a faction within their society, does not approve of this, however. Lord Firebeard is an individual of influence within their own society, and perhaps, if Leuca's own information was out-of-date, had become the leader of the Dwarves. That may be unlikely though. Firebeard specifically wanted the elf, and would be in trouble if such was found out. So the Dwarves were splintered. Some amongst them, perhaps, wished to sabotage relationships between the Urutha and the Sirithen. Now, why would the Dwarves wish for this upon their allies? Dwarves? He pulled at the threads of his memory a bit more. Dirithen, that was what Augusta had called them. Interesting naming conventions then, for the people present. Sirithen for the pale and long-eared. Dirithen for the short and stocky. Urutha for the 'shadow elves'. More thoughts connected, a network of names, faces, and ideas, but after a certain point, Isidore was content to close his eyes and listen to the sound of the wind and the snow, the thunder and the blast of a distant horn. More Apostles to worry about, but with snow this thick, they'd have to walk over the alcove to see it. Nothing to worry about then. Nothing, but he still only snatched snippets of sleep throughout the night and woke up bleary-eyed. Isidore forced himself up anyways. The deathly quiet and the miserable cold reminded him of the location, and the aches of his body reminded him of how long it's been since he'd rested properly. He grabbed a handful of snow, scrubbing it over his face to chase away the last of his sleepiness, and then split up portions of preserved food for the others to eat. With four mouths, they'd be going through the rations at twice the speed, but with any hope, they'd find a way to the Urutha before then as well. Which meant they couldn't linger. He dug out of the shelter, brushed the snow off the blanket they'd used, melted it loose, and then flung it off dramatically, exposing any of his still-sleepy companions to the painful brightness of pure white snow. It was bothersome, that the snow had covered up any paths and had served too to hide any dangerous crevasses in the mountainside, but there wasn't much that could be done about it. "Should advance early," Isidore said. He removed the cloak he had pilfered from the knight and tossed it towards Augusta. There were only two, and both the Dirithen and the Apostles cared only for two people within this group. "Hoods up, Leuca, Augusta. With luck, they'll only see three humans." There it was again. 'Luck'. He narrowed his eyes. "Any signs for Gloomhollow to look out for?"</s> <\|message\|>"Malphas" Malphas In The Woods@Rune_Alchemist It seemed that Malphas underestimated his ability to jump. Rather than leaping to the treetops of this forest, he instead found himself face-first into the ground! Not realizing that one of the hunters had followed him, Malphas wondered if this was truly the end set up for him. Perhaps those scheming against him had finally decided to act against him! And to do so while he was already taking his leave? So uncivilized... About twenty seconds later, and about fifteen seconds after Malphas resigned to his fate, he was lifted up by the villager who had tripped him earlier. It was from there that Malphas had recognized her in full, the huntress he had gotten to know a lot of the night prior! Was she here to continue their nightly escapades now, or... "Ah, how could I forget? Malphas, although I'm sure you're quite familiar with calling out to it last nightx" Malphas chuckled as he was lifted up, dusting himself off rather quickly. For a man such as Malphas, who loved his followers like they were his own, recalling the names of past lovers was child's play, no matter how drunk he was. "I see now that you have a talent for making me fall for you then, Soyala "It is a shame you caught me with my pants down, again. I've never traveled through the woods alone, much less used something like this." Malphas blushed as he drew his bow out, flexing the string. "Not my style, admittedly, although I still wish to learn how to use it as it was given to me as a gift. I'm sure you understand." Malphas was quite surprised that Soyala had known about his quest. Disregarding how loud he might have been about it, Malphas was sure that the vision he had regarding that place was something of his own. Perhaps he should keep his big mouth more closed next time. Still, to see that the huntress is granting her aide regardless... Perhaps Malphas can indeed make something of an ally out of her. "Whatever do you mean? You were quite fine following my directions earlier." Malphas gave a teasing wink as he let his tongue out, walking ahead. "Very well, then. I'll lead the way. Feel free to do as you please. All I ask in return is that you believe in me." With a playful hum, Malphas continued his march for the temple, keeping an eye out for that same flower the foxy merchant had asked him to find. "I must ask, by the way, Soyala.... but is there anything that interests you about the temple? Perhaps something interesting enough for you to follow me to it? I'm quite new to this place, so I'm not too sure of the tales surrounding it, myself..."</s>	<\|message\|>Bella Rosso Unsure of how long they would be stuck in this small area with only the four of them for company, Augusta settled herself as quick as she could, taking special care to keep this young elf girl warm. Perhaps it was just the shared ears they both had, but she felt a need to protect her. She also listened to all the stories the girl told. Making note of everything she mentioned, the woman smiled and nodded at the girl. When that was all said and done though, and it was time to sleep... Augusta found sleep hard to come by. A good portion of it was spent keeping an eye out in case the Apostles or those dwarves found them. Eventually, she fell into the clutches of the night and her eyes closed. She found herself wake up to Isidore making noise and forced herself to wake up. She'd love to have just went back to sleep at that moment and pull the covers over her shoulders, but that seemed an impossibility at this point. As they went about their morning, Augusta thought some on the previous night and encounters. Firebeard. He was a threat to them on this mountain as were the Apostles apparently. She really should work on some magic aside fire. Perhaps thunder as she had previously considered. If someone were wearing metal armor, it only helped the magic. Perhaps she'd ponder that for the day as they traveled to keep her mind off the snow. She made sure Leuca woke up and had her rations, as well as Octavia. She felt responsible for them, though it was Isidore that secured the provisions from the dead Apostles. Perhaps they would make it to Gloomhallow and the "Shadow Elves" would assist them. Perhaps... Nothing seemed right on this mountain at this point so she had her doubts. After eating her rations, she stepped outside the small shelter and took a look around with Isidore. The clouds in the sky were not the best looking and seemed to threaten them just by existing. With a frown she agreed with him. "Yes, we should move." She caught the cloak and was thankful for it. The cold was getting to her ears. "Octavia, how are you feeling? Still cold?" She asked, petting the demon dog.</s>
<\|description\|>Bella Rosso Gender:Female Appearance: Goals: Bella was studying to be a History Professor with a focus on classical civilizations to the medieval era. In this other world of scattered people… Maybe she can see if she can make a Roman Empire that doesn't fall. Past Life: Bella grew up the daughter of a politician and a History Professor. Her mother is an accountant turned politician and her father is a long time History Professor. Since she was young, her father introduced her to the History of Rome and taught her all about it. By the time she was out of compulsory schooling, she was about as knowledgeable on everything during the reign of Rome as her father and had a working knowledge of the Latin language. If anyone had a question about it, she could answer easily. She went to college as a history major with a minor in political science. And the political science minor was only because her mother took up a career as a rather successful politician. Through her time in college, she assisted her mother's campaign as well as study history. Every now and then, she would go and look into other politicians and get interviews when she could. In the end, her life ended as someone stabbed her from behind. Likely from asking the wrong individual the wrong question about the wrong person. Abilities: Physical Conditioning: Peak human Your body is naturally tough, durable, and strong. The pinnacle of human physical strength, endurance, and agility. Keep training, and surely you can surpass even stronger beings. Soul Flare: The ability to turn ones soul into a weapon itself. Needed for most basic magical feats. Channel the mana present in the air through your body to achieve great feats. Allows one to interact with supernatural things, and perceive things others may not. Ability Gained: Goddess' Eye The Goddess has given you a prestigious blessing. The eye will allow you to see things about a single living target in your vision that others can not. Status, general health, current disposition, abilities, special and other such information. Use it wisely, and you could use words as effective as any weapon or use it to disable someone with as little conflict as possible. Additionally, you can see things that are unable to be seen, and interact with it, and they you. Spirits, ghosts, and other such beings and things of that nature. However - things with special protections, such as beings with a divine connection, and skills will obscure your vision. It does not reveal things that are hidden through mundane means. Trivia: -Bella played a lot of Total War: Rome II to try and put old Roman strategies to practice. -Bella can speak Italian, Latin and English Inventory: -Padded Armor -Rapier Learned Skills: -Cleansing Fire - Fire, is not always destruction. It is also life, energy. It invigorates and brings warmth to all. Were fire never to exist, humanity may have never made it through the ice ages, for without its warmth they would fall victim to the frigid cold that envelops this land. Though fire can burn wildly, furiously, and destroy all, yours can also heal and bring comfort to those. By focusing positive energies into your fire, you may heal and cleanse small wounds. -Mana Redirect - A skill allowing one to redirect magical energy tossed at them from any supernatural source. Rather than absorbing and meshing it with your own, you redirect it to some other purpose, thus weakening its effects upon you as you turn it towards something else. Generally, this will work with everything but some sources of energy would be far too strong to completely deflect, and some are easier to work with then others. -Flora Command (lesser) - You're able to command the natural world around you, to an extent. Though, as it comes from domination rather than understanding and mutual understanding, it is not out of mutual respect or because they desire it. Rather - they do not wish to incur your wrath, so they cooperate. You can't perform complex actions or move them very quickly yet, and flora with more vitality may still ignore you outright as of now.</s> <\|message\|>Isidore @Rune_Alchemist Coinage: 8 Silver, 5 Copper * The (shredded) clothing on his back. * A fur cloak. * Seed of the Demon Plant * Untanned boar skin. * Leather Belt * Knight's Shield * Knight's Dagger * Knight's Longsword * Dwarf's Polearm * Rope * Some preserved food Enough for two people to last a few days. * Roll of what seemed to be a mat of thick fur, likely for sleeping on Comfortable, but only one. * A heavy looking fur/cloth blanket. Cozy, warm and heavy. Good for sleeping in colder climates. * Communication horn Made from bone, hollow and likely used for communication. * A small pot and a ladle * Frozen canteen of water * Map of the Under roads. A map detailing some routes used by the Dwarves and Shadow Elves to travel in their subterranean homes. Its not entirely complete, but it at least shows the routes to the two most notable settlements and several other places of note. Unless you travel off the paths, you probably won't get lost. By the time Sorcha came to view, Isidore found himself settled, his emotions in check and a stalwart purpose behind every movement again. Was this just experience, or had part of his 'peak human' status helped with the processing of toxins that his liver was currently handling? Regardless, he tilted his head slightly to the side at the swordswoman's reaction and said, "I'm perfectly lucid, Sorcha. And it's no problem. Considering circumstances, Leuca most likely needed some fun anyhow." Still too many words. His tongue was still loosened by that ale, and Isidore still found himself speaking before contemplating. He frowned slightly, but whatever concerns he had, whatever thoughts, were chased away by Augusta's arrival. Though the tower certainly hadn't done her any favors in terms of hygiene, with three days of travel bearing heavily on her otherwise alabaster complexion, the difference a well-made dress alone turned Augusta from merely being merely beautiful to being on the cusp of breath-taking. The mixture of colors was reminiscent of the night sky, golden embellishments a mimicry of the moon's splendor. It was curious, that the Urutha, a subterranean race, drew such inspiration from the night sky. Portions of it looked padded though, at least from what he recalled of the woman's silhouette before, serving to accentuate Augusta's natural curves in a tasteful fashion. Useless as protection, but aesthetically pleasing. Isidore kept his mouth from falling open like a punk in the throes of hormonally-driven attraction, however, and nodded at her. "You look good," he said, unbuckling the rapier from his belt and offering it to her. "This will complete the look." Retrospectively, Isidore may have done well to save some of his dinner for Octavia to enjoy as well, but surely if Augusta could afford a dress, she could've afforded a meal for their pet as well. He gave the demonic dog a scratch behind the ears instead, before following in Sorcha's footsteps, settling into the posture he always used when in a meeting with professionals: back straight, eyes forward, shoulders back, and movements deliberate. The Queen of the Urutha, no matter how influential, was not his queen. Her palace room still gave him pause though. A waterfall that created a pseudo-moat around the room, and a throne cut from a massive mushroom that exuded enough of a ghostly radiance to light up the room all by itself? In a past life, this would have been childishly gaudy, the fantasy of an immature dreamer, but here, it only reflected the otherworldly prestige of the palace's owner, Queen Vasserasa No-Last-Name. An Urutha different from the others he'd seen, affected perhaps by the demon that served as Gloomhaven's guardian so many years back. Her dress was understated and elegant, her arms slim but solid. Her countenance was a mask, the same mask that so many other people of influence had learned to perfect, yet worn so naturally that Isidore wouldn't have been surprised if it was simply her natural face. And her crown... Her crown was silver. Isidore narrowed his eyes, ever so slightly, but relaxed just as swiftly. Sorcha being constantly referred to as the Storm Bearer was something worth keeping in mind. Not so different from being referred to as the Undertaker or the Midnight Man, really. A title, manifested from a reputation potent enough to reach across nations, in a world without global media. Impressive. Perhaps he'll make an impression as well. "Call me Isidore," the dark-haired man spoke, striding purposefully across the room towards Vasserasa. His gaze flickered briefly towards the male beside her, whether attendant, guard, or husband, lingering just long enough to show that he was seen, before settling back upon the queen's eyes. "Of those gathered here, I'm the least remarkable, but I thank you yet for the hospitality you extend. After such long travels, it is soothing to see such a pleasant city, no matter the gazes of its occupants." He stopped at the stairs leading up to the throne, allowing the queen to keep her high ground, and extended one hand forward for a shake. "And it's wonderful too, to have affirmed once more that this world full of great horrors will balance itself out with greater beauty."</s> <\|message\|>Novak Novak Novak still had more questions, most importantly what was going on with Leannah, but it looked like the Illuminator had lost interest in them. He felt a sense of dread rising within him over just what he had gotten himself into. Lazhira had made it clear that she believed it to be a very bad idea to do this, and Iva'Krorh had made it clear that there would be dire consequences if Novak reneged on their agreement. He didn't see any other choice of course, not if he didn't want to hand over Lazhira, the girl who had done so much to help him and the others out, or at least that's what he assured himself. Regardless of her unwillingness to disclose anything about herself- something that Novak certainly wasn't guiltless in doing- she didn't deserve to be trapped here with this crazy god. The town certainly wouldn't believe them if they returned without Lazhira and claimed to have met the Illuminator in the flesh, who coerced them into handing the girl over. But what did Lazhira think of this? Would her gratitude for him talking Iva'Krorh out of taking her amount to anything, or would she consider it more important to prevent the Illuminator from retrieving the orb? Would she backstab Novak at first opportunity using whatever powers or skills she had concealed from him? And if she did, would Narkissa cover for her, disdainful as she clearly was of Novak? Just what sort of person was Lazhira really like? Perhaps he should've asked the Illuminator about this while the god was in the mood to answer questions. Just what have I gotten myself into? Novak stepped away from the hag and back into the laboratory room so that they may converse away from the Illuminator. "Well, what do you think we should do now? There's still one unopened door down here, and Leannah still hasn't returned. I don't like the thought of leaving her behind in this place." He didn't want to talk about the deal he made with the Illuminator, so he hoped that focusing on more pressing matters would push that into the back of their minds. It might not be a good idea to spend the night here, but if they needed to, there was a living space on this level, with beds and a kitchen. "Speaking of leaving," he continued, "You two heard the Illuminator's warning too, right? Be careful though on the way out, the foolishness of mortals can't always comprehend the words of a God and may act rashly. It sounds like there's trouble waiting for us if we leave. Lazhira, what do you make of this warning? Do you know who the Illuminator may be referring to? Are there people in this region who still worship him? The people who resided in this temple, for example, are any of them still around?" @Click This</s>	<\|message\|>Bella Rosso Augusta appreciated the looks her companions had gave her as she arrived. Truthfully, this dress was a lot better looking than she thought she was going to get. The tailor definitely had great taste in outfits. "I didn't really pay much but lip service for this. And a future promise I suppose. Regardless, I left my other dress with the tailor in hopes it'll be repaired some time." The elf mentioned as she looked over the dress. This one would also be somewhat better for the cold weather outside. Then Isidore handed over a rapier to her, telling her it would "finish" the outfit. She smiled as she took the weapon. "My, a weapon for me? Well, I won't say no to this in this dangerous world." Then, they headed to the Uruthra Palace. Augusta thought she was ready for anything at this point, but boy was she wrong. The place was like it was straight out of an old fantasy movie. A mushroom throne, waterfall behind it... Truly it was difficult to imagine this prior had she not seen it. And the queen herself! She was as a being that appeared in one's dream. Even in this fantasy setting that Augusta found herself in, the queen was still a standout. Curious, Augusta used the power of her eye but was only met with a message that resounded in her head. It wasn't the same enigmatic message the goddess liked to give her. No. this was the queen herself interfering with her gift. She was glad to have met Sorcha first, as the woman's status gave her the composure to deal with this situations more. The queen knew her name. Her ability even it would seem. She swallowed back but the queen seemed intrigued? No, rather, amused by something. That something was her, wasn't it? Augusta thought to use her eye again but... Well, that seemed a poor decision at the moment. Rather, she thought about how to introduce herself. Isidore beat her to the punch and introduced himself. Well, if the queen already knew... When Isidore was finished with his introduction, Augusta gracefully took some steps forward. She gave a small curtsy to the queen and then met her amused gaze. "Greetings, Your Majesty. We are pleased to finally make your acquaintance." She mentioned giving her a smile. "And, while I feel it is only polite to introduce myself to Your Majesty, I have very recently come to ponder if you in your grand wisdom have need for an introduction from us. If in your magnanimous mercy you would forgive these words, I would appreciate it." Her words had a sense of elegance to them, despite basically calling out the queen. "However, for those that have yet to know, I shall enlighten them." Her look turned to the guards but, more particularly to the rather effeminate male standing near to the Queen. "This one is known as Augusta Aquilonia." The next part was directed towards the Queen. "Please feel at ease to refer to me merely as 'Augusta'." If the Queen knew enough, it was not unlikely she knew the elf's name from her previous life. It's not that she'd have disliked being called Bella, but it complicated things, did it not?</s>
<\|description\|>Bella Rosso Gender:Female Appearance: Goals: Bella was studying to be a History Professor with a focus on classical civilizations to the medieval era. In this other world of scattered people… Maybe she can see if she can make a Roman Empire that doesn't fall. Past Life: Bella grew up the daughter of a politician and a History Professor. Her mother is an accountant turned politician and her father is a long time History Professor. Since she was young, her father introduced her to the History of Rome and taught her all about it. By the time she was out of compulsory schooling, she was about as knowledgeable on everything during the reign of Rome as her father and had a working knowledge of the Latin language. If anyone had a question about it, she could answer easily. She went to college as a history major with a minor in political science. And the political science minor was only because her mother took up a career as a rather successful politician. Through her time in college, she assisted her mother's campaign as well as study history. Every now and then, she would go and look into other politicians and get interviews when she could. In the end, her life ended as someone stabbed her from behind. Likely from asking the wrong individual the wrong question about the wrong person. Abilities: Physical Conditioning: Peak human Your body is naturally tough, durable, and strong. The pinnacle of human physical strength, endurance, and agility. Keep training, and surely you can surpass even stronger beings. Soul Flare: The ability to turn ones soul into a weapon itself. Needed for most basic magical feats. Channel the mana present in the air through your body to achieve great feats. Allows one to interact with supernatural things, and perceive things others may not. Ability Gained: Goddess' Eye The Goddess has given you a prestigious blessing. The eye will allow you to see things about a single living target in your vision that others can not. Status, general health, current disposition, abilities, special and other such information. Use it wisely, and you could use words as effective as any weapon or use it to disable someone with as little conflict as possible. Additionally, you can see things that are unable to be seen, and interact with it, and they you. Spirits, ghosts, and other such beings and things of that nature. However - things with special protections, such as beings with a divine connection, and skills will obscure your vision. It does not reveal things that are hidden through mundane means. Trivia: -Bella played a lot of Total War: Rome II to try and put old Roman strategies to practice. -Bella can speak Italian, Latin and English Inventory: -Padded Armor -Rapier Learned Skills: -Cleansing Fire - Fire, is not always destruction. It is also life, energy. It invigorates and brings warmth to all. Were fire never to exist, humanity may have never made it through the ice ages, for without its warmth they would fall victim to the frigid cold that envelops this land. Though fire can burn wildly, furiously, and destroy all, yours can also heal and bring comfort to those. By focusing positive energies into your fire, you may heal and cleanse small wounds. -Mana Redirect - A skill allowing one to redirect magical energy tossed at them from any supernatural source. Rather than absorbing and meshing it with your own, you redirect it to some other purpose, thus weakening its effects upon you as you turn it towards something else. Generally, this will work with everything but some sources of energy would be far too strong to completely deflect, and some are easier to work with then others. -Flora Command (lesser) - You're able to command the natural world around you, to an extent. Though, as it comes from domination rather than understanding and mutual understanding, it is not out of mutual respect or because they desire it. Rather - they do not wish to incur your wrath, so they cooperate. You can't perform complex actions or move them very quickly yet, and flora with more vitality may still ignore you outright as of now.</s> <\|message\|>Takeshima Misaki (formerly Takeshima Mamoru) Misaki's eyes widened ever so slightly at Mie's initial response, the foxgirl having realized her blunder as soon as the shopkeeper mentioned what she was using to keep records. The scrolls that were in Enli's house had led her to expect otherwise, but the fact that Mie was using bamboo to keep tabs on her sales meant that technology on that front had likely regressed the the point of nonexistence—doubly so, given how Mie was surprised that she even knew of such a thing. Before she could give a proper response, though, Mie left for the storehouse, and Misaki found no real reason to stay behind when she was offering to show them to her. As much as she desired to keep herself out of the spotlight, lacking something as fundamental as paper (or, well, fundamental from her point of view) was not something she could accept. The bamboo slips that the shopkeeper revealed to her were about what she had expected while processing the matter mentally on the walk over. Compared to what she was used to, they were far from ideal; workable, yes, but given the high cost associated with them, Misaki was a bit disinclined to use them. As much as she wanted something to work with, these were still fundamentally a last resort for her. With that said, this chain of conversations had put a spark of an idea into her mind. "Ah... Thank you for the offer, but I must decline," she said, returning what Mie had given her with a smile. "Recordkeeping is essential in this line of business, and something like this is a bit too valuable for me to accept at the moment. Even so, I must thank you for the opportunity; you've given me a bit of inspiration for the rest of my time here." Assuming that Lady Mie did not press her any further, the white-haired foxgirl would promptly leave the premises, making her way off to the side before deciding to take a detour to the beach. She needed somewhere to organize her thoughts, and even at this time of day, she could use light to illuminate the sand as she charted out what she needed to handle. It'd be a troublesome road to make paper, but if she succeeded, then the theoretical return would be insanely high; if her cover as a person from another world was gone anyways, then there was really no point in trying to play coy, right? @Rune_Alchemist</s> <\|message\|>Novak Novak Novak looked over the images that the mask showed him, trying to figure out what they meant. The arrow is pretty obvious- they must have bowmen. For all I know they may have archers hiding in the fog, ready to fire as soon as they have a clear shot. The mask grabbing the symbol...it looks like the symbol on Lazhira. She seems afraid of them...it might mean that they're here for her, which would make sense considering her disfavor with the Illuminator. The flowers...I've no idea what that means. Perhaps Lazhira might understand the symbolism. Novak quickly climbed back down the rope, not wanting to leave himself open to getting shot. His climb back down gave him a bit of time to ponder on the situation. If the hunters were worshiping the Illuminator, it'd explain why the Kyrinth was upset. Not only were they breaking the village's covenant, but for all Novak knew, the hunters might be killing things or encroaching on territory that they shouldn't. It was a shame the Kyrinth wasn't here right now, because the more Novak thought about it on his way down the shaft, the more dire their situation seemed. If it was the hunters lying in wait, that meant Novak and the others wouldn't be safe even if they made it back to the village. The mask might allow Novak to identify Illuminator worshipers among the villagers, but Enli couldn't punish them without evidence. Upon reaching the bottom, he removed the mask, showing visible worry upon his face, and reported what he saw. "The mask showed me a few disconcerting images in the Temple, images that weren't there before. An arrow, a...something grabbing a symbol that looked like the one on Lazhira, and some flowers with something dripping from them, I'm not sure what that last one meant, but I don't think we should go up there." He left out the detail about the phantom mask, worried that it'd draw suspicion upon him. "I'm afraid I don't have a lot of ideas on how to tackle this," he admitted. "If Lazhira's right and it's the village hunters, they'll probably know the terrain better than us, and even if we do make it back to the village, what's stopping them from killing or abducting us in our sleep? If we surrender, they'll probably kill us to keep their secret safe. The only thing I can think of is to hunker down here and find whatever we can on this level to even the odds. I don't suppose either of you have any ideas?" There was one advantage that Novak saw- their foes couldn't anticipate that their arrival was warned of by their own god. @Click This</s> <\|message\|>Nicholas "Nick" Gallagher The Journey Begins ~ Dawn ~ Interacted with: @Rune_Alchemist Nick sighed. Looks like he just missed Donovan. Should he try to find the guy? He really should but Nick had no idea who this hunter was nor an inkling on where they could've went. "Alright, I think I'll do just that. Thank you very much, Lady Mie." Nick bowed before heading on his way. With Donovan gone and his offer to team up with those girls kaput, Nick found himself on his lonesome. Which was a bit of a problem since while his fellow Earthlings had cool, awesome powers when they came to this world, Nick appeared not to get any. Should he find himself in danger, especially against a fantastic beast, Nick could do little to defend himself. With those in mind, it was probably not a good idea for Nick to keep pursuing this dangerous quest and move on. Besides, there appeared to be a lot of people already helping this village. His presence was redundant. Although, he still should pay Enli a visit again and at the very least, tell him about Kyrnith's plan and ask the guy about the Sage and the strange, black stone that apparently belonged to him. It was his first lead to getting back home. And so, Nick went back to Enli's longhouse. "Lord Enli? You still here?" He called out. "Uhh, did a pair of girls just come by here? They're about yay-high, wearing pretty weird clothes? Did they tell you anything about Kyrnith? Uhh, we kinda met up with the god earlier." "I'm also here to ask you about a particular stone. I heard it belonged to someone called the Sage."</s> <\|message\|>Isidore @Rune_Alchemist Coinage: 8 Silver, 5 Copper * The (shredded) clothing on his back. * A fur cloak. * Seed of the Demon Plant * Untanned boar skin. * Leather Belt * Knight's Shield * Knight's Dagger * Knight's Longsword * Dwarf's Polearm * Rope * Some preserved food Enough for two people to last a few days. * Roll of what seemed to be a mat of thick fur, likely for sleeping on Comfortable, but only one. * A heavy looking fur/cloth blanket. Cozy, warm and heavy. Good for sleeping in colder climates. * Communication horn Made from bone, hollow and likely used for communication. * A small pot and a ladle * Frozen canteen of water * Map of the Under roads. A map detailing some routes used by the Dwarves and Shadow Elves to travel in their subterranean homes. Its not entirely complete, but it at least shows the routes to the two most notable settlements and several other places of note. Unless you travel off the paths, you probably won't get lost. Vasserasa's handshake…well, this was certainly a culture clash indeed. Isidore held her hand firmly though, shaking thrice before releasing. More interesting was the evasiveness of her language around topics that seemed self-evident to Isidore. Of course it wasn't a simple raiding party, if there was someone of importance in Dirithen society involved, if the gates to the Dirithen city were sealed off. It would have been wonderful, really, if the queen offered any time for questions, but if the discussion was to be tabled until tomorrow, then there was something to be considered. What preparation needs to be made by Vasserasa before this discussion was had? He remained silent as the rest of the conversation closed out, picking out what information was important to remember. Cultural exchange largely for the purpose of homogenizing history and exchanging military information? Or, in other words, not cultural exchange at all. Rullphana was a name that popped up as well. An advisor or a professor, perhaps, paid for by royalty. And finally, Nersherit was at least willing to talk when asked, establishing that there was a library in the palace. A place worth visiting later on, doubly so if his position as part of the Sirithen delegation afford him more access than a mere guest. The rooms were nice though, and after days spent out in the wilderness without even a proper bed, Isidore's body positively ached for the soft mattress. The cracks in the walls from which vegetation sprouted was a nice touch as well, reminiscent of that Japanese crafts concept that one of his associates had told him about before, and the lighting managed to strike a balance between 'bright enough to read' and 'dark enough to sleep'. It was good, then. Better that he had his own room too. As Sorcha brought everyone into her shared room and spoke, Isidore swung his pack down and retrieved his map. Laying it down on the table, he spoke, "This map may be helpful. There's a sizable Dirithen population in Gloomhaven. I will ask around. As for Firebeard…you believe he's only part of a faction, not the leader? He was addressed as a Lord by the ones that attacked us."</s>	<\|message\|>Bella Rosso Augusta had managed to do two things simultaneously. First, she angered the Royal Guard. Second, she managed to amuse the queen. Still, as they were guided through the halls her vision curiously stayed on the prince. He was a bit more effeminate than she would expect a prince though perhaps his mother's physical appearance as an almost fae like being had some effect on that. The woman wanted to ask him some questions but... well, that could wait for now. Sorcha was to talk to them. She settle what small amount of this she had in her room save her recently obtained rapier that she kept at her side. She stood amazed in front of her bed and wanted to fall into it but kept that desire in check. If she did that, there was no real guarantee that she would get back up. Rather, she walked with Octavia and went to the rendezvous with Isidore, Leuca and Sorcha. She listened to Sorcha speak, followed by Isidore though she found need to interject. "Lord could also mean a noble below the king on the hierarchy somewhere. Well, not that I know Dwarven culture." She made the assumption that there was indeed a king or queen perhaps but who knew. "Alternatively, there could be other types of factions. Religion, an unruly group wanting change... People wanting to further a specific cause." Augusta held a pose in obvious thought. "Sorcha, do you perhaps know the factions in the Dwarven stronghold? And in Gloomhaven?" She asked, turning to the human woman. "I like to battle with words, personally. And I like to know with who I wage war before I commit to it." In obvious reference to the incident she caused in the throne room. "They can make you friends and enemies in the same breath." She obviously didn't take well to someone targeting Leuca.</s>
<\|description\|>Bella Rosso Gender:Female Appearance: Goals: Bella was studying to be a History Professor with a focus on classical civilizations to the medieval era. In this other world of scattered people… Maybe she can see if she can make a Roman Empire that doesn't fall. Past Life: Bella grew up the daughter of a politician and a History Professor. Her mother is an accountant turned politician and her father is a long time History Professor. Since she was young, her father introduced her to the History of Rome and taught her all about it. By the time she was out of compulsory schooling, she was about as knowledgeable on everything during the reign of Rome as her father and had a working knowledge of the Latin language. If anyone had a question about it, she could answer easily. She went to college as a history major with a minor in political science. And the political science minor was only because her mother took up a career as a rather successful politician. Through her time in college, she assisted her mother's campaign as well as study history. Every now and then, she would go and look into other politicians and get interviews when she could. In the end, her life ended as someone stabbed her from behind. Likely from asking the wrong individual the wrong question about the wrong person. Abilities: Physical Conditioning: Peak human Your body is naturally tough, durable, and strong. The pinnacle of human physical strength, endurance, and agility. Keep training, and surely you can surpass even stronger beings. Soul Flare: The ability to turn ones soul into a weapon itself. Needed for most basic magical feats. Channel the mana present in the air through your body to achieve great feats. Allows one to interact with supernatural things, and perceive things others may not. Ability Gained: Goddess' Eye The Goddess has given you a prestigious blessing. The eye will allow you to see things about a single living target in your vision that others can not. Status, general health, current disposition, abilities, special and other such information. Use it wisely, and you could use words as effective as any weapon or use it to disable someone with as little conflict as possible. Additionally, you can see things that are unable to be seen, and interact with it, and they you. Spirits, ghosts, and other such beings and things of that nature. However - things with special protections, such as beings with a divine connection, and skills will obscure your vision. It does not reveal things that are hidden through mundane means. Trivia: -Bella played a lot of Total War: Rome II to try and put old Roman strategies to practice. -Bella can speak Italian, Latin and English Inventory: -Padded Armor -Rapier Learned Skills: -Cleansing Fire - Fire, is not always destruction. It is also life, energy. It invigorates and brings warmth to all. Were fire never to exist, humanity may have never made it through the ice ages, for without its warmth they would fall victim to the frigid cold that envelops this land. Though fire can burn wildly, furiously, and destroy all, yours can also heal and bring comfort to those. By focusing positive energies into your fire, you may heal and cleanse small wounds. -Mana Redirect - A skill allowing one to redirect magical energy tossed at them from any supernatural source. Rather than absorbing and meshing it with your own, you redirect it to some other purpose, thus weakening its effects upon you as you turn it towards something else. Generally, this will work with everything but some sources of energy would be far too strong to completely deflect, and some are easier to work with then others. -Flora Command (lesser) - You're able to command the natural world around you, to an extent. Though, as it comes from domination rather than understanding and mutual understanding, it is not out of mutual respect or because they desire it. Rather - they do not wish to incur your wrath, so they cooperate. You can't perform complex actions or move them very quickly yet, and flora with more vitality may still ignore you outright as of now.</s> <\|message\|>"Malphas" Malphas Super Secret Cult Beating@Rune_Alchemist Malphas was a bit disappointed at how the first group had done nothing thus far. This disappointment was short-lived, however, as Malphas began to assume that those inside the temple were somehow aware of their planned ambush. Not an issue, really. After all, Malphas had already assumed such was the case. With the number of divine interventions he's received, it would only make sense if the others were blessed with such knowledge as well. The only issue was the preparations they could be making while within the temple. With the fear of a planned counter-attack, Malphas quickly made his way to the first group's brash leader. "There's the possibility they may know of our ambush. Change of plans, then." Malphas looked at the arrow in his hand, remembering his flashy entrance moments prior. This gave him an idea. "We'll smoke them out. Build a fire near the temple's entrance. Yes, yes... Nothing you mind getting burned in there, right? Ah, we won't even need to burn anything within the temple proper. Have your group gather some lumber near the grounds, just enough to make a nice and smoky fire. I'll have my group gather the torches from the hall." With that, Malphas walked just out of earshot of the first group's leader, signaling to his group to rally towards him. "Gather the torches from your worshipping hall. We're gonna build a fire pit near the entrance of the main temple and seal them in. I'll be helping the others gather enough wood to do so." With both groups off his tail for the time being, this gave Malphas ample time to think of some sort of escape. Before he could scheme to himself, however, he noticed a familiar sight scurrying off behind the temple! Was that the hag from earlier? Malphas remembered just what she said the night before... Was this a sign of the Illuminator? Or was this a trap? Regardless of what it was, Malphas cautiously made his way towards the ragged figure, clutching onto his poisoned dagger tightly. Assuming this was a trap, Malphas gathered the very same energy he manipulated yesterday into his hand. He'll use that light trick that blinded him moments before to make his escape!</s> <\|message\|>Novak Novak Novak considered his options as he looked down at the mannequin and the note, not particularly surprised or upset that the god had decided to ditch them. If Lazhira's hunches and Novak's mask were any indication, going out the way they came wasn't an option, not unless they wanted to risk getting ventilated by poisoned arrows or getting stabbed by poisoned knives while navigating the fog. On the other hand, they couldn't stay here forever, if the hunters were out there, they might eventually get impatient and delve into the temple. The laboratory and its apparatus wasn't much use to him either. If Novak's hypothesis about it being the source of those slimes was correct, it could be possible to create more to even the odds against the hunters, but he had no idea how to do that, and even if he did, they didn't have the time and they probably didn't have the necessary ingredients. Perhaps one of his companions knew how to better utilize what was here, but the most he could see them doing here was using the furniture to barricade the exit to buy them a little more time. It was possible, Novak considered, that the altar might have a secret exit, with which the Illuminator could have used to slip away without a trace. On the other hand, it might simply be that the Illuminator teleported out. Another possibility would be exploring the barricaded room. Even if it didn't lead out of here, the furniture blocking the door suggested that the former inhabitants feared whatever was behind it. It might be risky to unseal something that the Illuminator's faithful were afraid of, but at this point, riskier still was sitting around and waiting for the Illuminator's faithful to come down here. With his mind made up, he dashed over to the blocked door. "Could I get some help unblocking this door?" Novak said as he tossed a chair away, "I don't know what the Illuminator's faithful were afraid of enough that they'd try try to block this door, but if Lazhira is right about them using lethal poison on their weapons, we're screwed if we don't find either an escape route or a way to even the odds." If Lazhira and Narkissa protested or opposed Novak's actions, he would heed their advice and cease to dismantle the barricade. If not, he would continue to pull it apart until the door could be opened. Judging by the rest of the temple, if there was something alive in there it'd probably be another slime, but fortunately his companions were familiar with how to kill them. @Click This</s> <\|message\|>Nicholas "Nick" Gallagher The Journey Begins ~ Dawn ~ Interacted with: @Rune_Alchemist "Wait, wait. So is the Sage's name Chaenelith or Urumna?" Nick was briefly confused at the multitude of names dropped by Enli. "And they're real friends with the Moon called Delpithi. Did I get that right?" Then came Enli's question as to why Nick was looking for the Sage, to which the young man exhaled a sigh. "I wanted to keep this as a secret as much as possible but... Okay, notice the weird outsiders that's been coming into your village all day? Including me?" Nick gave the village leader time to think. "Yeah, they're... we're... not from this world. While I'm not a hundred percent sure about this, I'm willing to bet that all of us came from a world called 'Earth'. It's another world much different from this one but... It's a long story, okay?" "While my fellow 'outsiders' seem to be having fun running around here, I've got a life in Earth. I wanna get back." Nick revealed his ultimate goal in this second life. "Now, Kyrnith told me that this Sage person may know a thing or two about traveling dimensions. That may be my key to getting back home. If not, well, at least it's a step on the right direction." "No offense to your world, of course. It's pretty nice here but like they say, 'There's no place like home'." Nick finished. "So... are there any specific words or phrases I should say when I pray to the obelisk?"</s>	<\|message\|>Bella Rosso Augusta thought Sorcha's words. "If we ignore any possible reason I'd want to bring about the ruin of Firebeard via the attempt of his subordinates to kill me... I can't forgive what ever possible reason he would want Leuca." For some reason, she felt the need to add. "And, of course, I don't appreciate his men trying to kill me." She went to stroke her chin for a few seconds. "Well, regardless. We have things to do today, do we not? Isidore, I will need to talk to you later about something but for now, I that thing we got underground. You know what I mean. We might get some answers." Obviously, she was talking about the demon seed that was currently in his possession. "I have a meeting with a certain Lady Rullphana with Octavia to do a little research study on it... Oh! And, if you all hear anything about the Earth Weaver situation, let me know. I may be in debt to a certain tailor who seems to have a problem securing a certain type of silk." Augusta stood and thought if there was anything else to discuss. She seemed to be in a rush perhaps, though she was wanting to get as much information as she could. Hopefully, she could ask Rullphana about who she should investigate if it seemed there were those inside Gloomhaven in league with Firebeard. She took a breath and walked over to Leuca before giving her a small hug. "There's no need to worry. Between the all of us, this Firebeard fool doesn't stand a chance." After that, she'd collect the seed... If Isidore would hand it over... and be on her way.</s>
<\|description\|>Bella Rosso Gender:Female Appearance: Goals: Bella was studying to be a History Professor with a focus on classical civilizations to the medieval era. In this other world of scattered people… Maybe she can see if she can make a Roman Empire that doesn't fall. Past Life: Bella grew up the daughter of a politician and a History Professor. Her mother is an accountant turned politician and her father is a long time History Professor. Since she was young, her father introduced her to the History of Rome and taught her all about it. By the time she was out of compulsory schooling, she was about as knowledgeable on everything during the reign of Rome as her father and had a working knowledge of the Latin language. If anyone had a question about it, she could answer easily. She went to college as a history major with a minor in political science. And the political science minor was only because her mother took up a career as a rather successful politician. Through her time in college, she assisted her mother's campaign as well as study history. Every now and then, she would go and look into other politicians and get interviews when she could. In the end, her life ended as someone stabbed her from behind. Likely from asking the wrong individual the wrong question about the wrong person. Abilities: Physical Conditioning: Peak human Your body is naturally tough, durable, and strong. The pinnacle of human physical strength, endurance, and agility. Keep training, and surely you can surpass even stronger beings. Soul Flare: The ability to turn ones soul into a weapon itself. Needed for most basic magical feats. Channel the mana present in the air through your body to achieve great feats. Allows one to interact with supernatural things, and perceive things others may not. Ability Gained: Goddess' Eye The Goddess has given you a prestigious blessing. The eye will allow you to see things about a single living target in your vision that others can not. Status, general health, current disposition, abilities, special and other such information. Use it wisely, and you could use words as effective as any weapon or use it to disable someone with as little conflict as possible. Additionally, you can see things that are unable to be seen, and interact with it, and they you. Spirits, ghosts, and other such beings and things of that nature. However - things with special protections, such as beings with a divine connection, and skills will obscure your vision. It does not reveal things that are hidden through mundane means. Trivia: -Bella played a lot of Total War: Rome II to try and put old Roman strategies to practice. -Bella can speak Italian, Latin and English Inventory: -Padded Armor -Rapier Learned Skills: -Cleansing Fire - Fire, is not always destruction. It is also life, energy. It invigorates and brings warmth to all. Were fire never to exist, humanity may have never made it through the ice ages, for without its warmth they would fall victim to the frigid cold that envelops this land. Though fire can burn wildly, furiously, and destroy all, yours can also heal and bring comfort to those. By focusing positive energies into your fire, you may heal and cleanse small wounds. -Mana Redirect - A skill allowing one to redirect magical energy tossed at them from any supernatural source. Rather than absorbing and meshing it with your own, you redirect it to some other purpose, thus weakening its effects upon you as you turn it towards something else. Generally, this will work with everything but some sources of energy would be far too strong to completely deflect, and some are easier to work with then others. -Flora Command (lesser) - You're able to command the natural world around you, to an extent. Though, as it comes from domination rather than understanding and mutual understanding, it is not out of mutual respect or because they desire it. Rather - they do not wish to incur your wrath, so they cooperate. You can't perform complex actions or move them very quickly yet, and flora with more vitality may still ignore you outright as of now.</s> <\|message\|>Isidore @Rune_Alchemist Coinage: 8 Silver, 5 Copper * The (shredded) clothing on his back. * A fur cloak. * Seed of the Demon Plant * Untanned boar skin. * Leather Belt * Knight's Shield * Knight's Dagger * Knight's Longsword * Dwarf's Polearm * Rope * Some preserved food Enough for two people to last a few days. * Roll of what seemed to be a mat of thick fur, likely for sleeping on Comfortable, but only one. * A heavy looking fur/cloth blanket. Cozy, warm and heavy. Good for sleeping in colder climates. * Communication horn Made from bone, hollow and likely used for communication. * A small pot and a ladle * Frozen canteen of water * Map of the Under roads. A map detailing some routes used by the Dwarves and Shadow Elves to travel in their subterranean homes. Its not entirely complete, but it at least shows the routes to the two most notable settlements and several other places of note. Unless you travel off the paths, you probably won't get lost. So Firebeard was likely a second-tier, hm? He'll have to convene with Otti at a latter time then, to get a grasp of just how wide or tall this social pyramid looked like. Another monarchial society though, perhaps with stricter observations of hierarchy than what was within Gloomhaven. It'd be good to visit some time. Perhaps unavoidable if they were to guarantee Leuca's long-term safety. Isidore looked towards Sorcha. "My work has been pro bono so far, but now…I'll expect proper compensation for my services." He clasped his hands together. "Such matters can be left for another time though." He stood up, nodded once towards Leuca, then said to Augusta, "Yes. Shall we?" And with that, Isidore opened the door for the reincarnated Sirithen, before following her out. He had no intention of being left out of a potentially illuminating discussion with Vasserasa's advisor, after all, especially not when the matter of demons pertained to them both.</s> <\|message\|>"Ah yes, the immutable fact. One of the few things that defines a person. Tell me, what is yours..." Into the depths? This@Crimson Paladin --- Lazhira would start helping Novak dismantle the barricade. It wasn't really hard. The wooden furniture was rotten, starting to break down already. As long as they were careful they could easily have it done in a few mere minutes. Donning the mask, would reveal...surprisingly little to Novak. Though, he'd notice a familiar sight. The skull from earlier, shown squeezing through a crack in the bottom of the door. Had it gone in there? What was that creature, anyway? It would also show a few handprints on the door, like someone had been holding it, or beating against it? Odd, that they'd be on this side. Nothing else could be seen. Narkissa, however, could feel a light draft of air, but where it was coming from was unknown. Perhaps there was an exit in this room somewhere, but there was also a chance that it was just some...ventilation or something from above, not suitable for human passage...but it was their only lead, so far. Inside, should they deign to enter, was...quite the sight. The room seemed to be a large rectangle. Cages. Cages would line the walls. About the size of large dog kennels. Were animals kept here? It was easy to assume that at first, but upon closer inspection, the remains of a few human skeletons could easily be seen. Seems like aside from these features, the room was barren. A prison, or holding area of some sort. At the back of the room, against one wall however, was a some sort of grotesque looking black blob, undulating and writhing as it seemed to be stuck to the wall. It looked fairly similar to the one Narkissa had fought earlier, though it seemed to be stuck somehow, where it was. At the base of it, was that tiny little skull that Novak had seen earlier, it seemed to possess a few tendrils of its own and was holding a small piece of meat up to the larger one. Upon being noticed however, it would give a high pitched shriek as though it was startled, retreat back into its home and scurry into a nearby kennel. There seemed like there might be a door behind the slime, if they could find someway to remove it. The large slime creature would shudder, unlinking one of its gelatinous tendrils from the wall and attempting to lash out towards the group. It seemed slow, cumbersome almost. The Roma Mob @Pyromania99 --- "Hm. I see." Sorcha would reply to Isidore. She had expected no less, really, from the way he carried himself. "Worry not. Remuneration will be plentiful from myself, and I am sure Leuca's uncle would be more than grateful for your services so far." As much as she'd like to have them help for free...it was, in a way, also comforting. She understood desiring payment for services rendered better than most. Perhaps it was a chance to finally put some of it to use, at least. "Regardless, thank you for your services thus far. Now, Leuca...lets get you out of those rags and into something more appropriate." Isiodre and Augusta both would leave the room, with Octavia trotting along behind them and leaving Leuca in Sorcha's care. It wasn't hard to find Rullphana, she was still in the same tower she had been in earlier. The guard from before would eye both Isidore and Augusta with some contempt, but otherwise say nothing and allow them to pass. "Ah. Augusta, you've returned...and...my, that's quite the handsome catch you have there." She'd chuckle. "Weh! Its the old hag and the cool dude that was with that other elf!" Off to the side, was also someone who would be familiar to the both of them. The elf from the weapon shop as well as the one from the tailors. "What are you two doing here?" "Shush, you." Rullphana would smack the back of Raelzeth's head earning a pout and a click of her tongue. "Apologies for my apprentice. She can get a little...hot-headed. Probably that dwarvish blood in her. I swear by the sage, she's more of a handful than the prince was as a child." She'd lament. "A-ahem, but anyways, what brings you back so soon? And who is your friend here, Augusta? Here to fulfill your deal already? I admire your ethic." Builder and a Traveler --- "I'm...not quite sure what you mean." Enli replied to Nicholas with a furrowed brow. "I...yes, you came from elsewhere? 'Earth'? It must be a village very far away, but I don't see how that is...relevant?" It seemed the village elder may have misunderstood Nicholas' words somewhat, assuming that 'earth' was just some far off village or gathering of people or place. "Regardless...yes, the Sage has a number of names. I believe those of the mountain chose 'Urumna' as it means something in their ancient tongue - while Chaenelith is supposedly the name they were born with...though I can't say for certain." He'd pause, humming briefly as he would think over Nicholas' other words. "There's mention of a 'Moonblossom' at times in some records, although I don't know what it is. Other than that...I can't say." He shook his head. "I apologize I can't be of more help in this matter." --- Send Feet Pics Chulainn "How would they know? Unless the girl...hm, its possible. Fine, then." The hunter replied with a grunt. "Alright, good of a plan as any. You heard him, men. Start getting wood. Cut down some smaller trees if you need to!" He'd shout. And so the group of hunters would get to work collecting wood. If they weren't going to come to them, then they'd need to somehow make them come out. The command he gave to his group, too, was soon carried out. They'd grab the torches and other burnable lights that could be carried and carry them to the front of the old temple in order to be used. And then he would notice the hag. Cautiously, he would approach. The mist surrounding the temple rather thick, here, obscuring most of his vision...but a trap, it did not seem to be. "Suspicion will serve you well, boy." She would say, before he even turned the corner of the temple, acknowledging his presence. "But you should know that thing won't even scratch me. More importantly, your quarry is getting away. Or you could choose to quit the field, but eh. I wonder what the hunters would think of you after that. Maybe they'll spread rumors of a coward, and it'll reach other people!" She would cackle. "Seize every opportunity, boy. Those who don't never amount to anything." "Malphas." A familiar voice. Soyala would approach from around the other side of the temple, a mildly concerned face. "Seems that merchant has taken an interest in our thief. She's sent one of her...specialists to find them. I tried waylaying her, but the skills those from Chagawa possess are...difficult to deal with...why are you back here, anyways?" She'd ask, taking a quick look around, but the hag was gone, as though she had never been there to start with.</s>	<\|message\|>Bella Rosso Isidore coming with her wasn't too surprising really. Augusta wasn't the only one curious about the demons after all. Still, it was somewhat insulting having someone call her an Old Hag when she as much as entered the room. Somehow, she seemed a bit visibly irritated with this. "My, my. Madame Rullphana, your apprentice has as loose a mouth as she is cute. Perhaps she should learn to watch it carefully before she speaks the wrong thing to the wrong person." There was a rather intense glare from Augusta toward the apprentice that dissipated rather quickly as she turned her attention back to Rullphana. The elf quickly cleared her throat before she spoke again. "But yes. I've come to deliver on a part of our deal. This man is Isidore. I believe I mentioned my human partner prior..." She's had a busy day so she can't quite remember if she mentioned it. "Regardless, I figured you'd love the chance for an extended study while we're in town. Isidore, would you be a dear and hand the seed to Madame Rullphana?" She asked the man with a smile. "She's going to have a fun time studying it for a bit." Of course, there was nothing in the deal that said Rullphana got to keep the seed. "In return, she's going to teach me magic and give a rundown of demons. I figured you'd be interested in that as well." Augusta seemed confident in her choice at least. She was rather excited to learn more about magic, even if she didn't start that lesson today. She wondered if she need to take care of some other things first or not. Well, Rullphana might be excited to study it, guess she'll see.</s>
<\|description\|>Bella Rosso Gender:Female Appearance: Goals: Bella was studying to be a History Professor with a focus on classical civilizations to the medieval era. In this other world of scattered people… Maybe she can see if she can make a Roman Empire that doesn't fall. Past Life: Bella grew up the daughter of a politician and a History Professor. Her mother is an accountant turned politician and her father is a long time History Professor. Since she was young, her father introduced her to the History of Rome and taught her all about it. By the time she was out of compulsory schooling, she was about as knowledgeable on everything during the reign of Rome as her father and had a working knowledge of the Latin language. If anyone had a question about it, she could answer easily. She went to college as a history major with a minor in political science. And the political science minor was only because her mother took up a career as a rather successful politician. Through her time in college, she assisted her mother's campaign as well as study history. Every now and then, she would go and look into other politicians and get interviews when she could. In the end, her life ended as someone stabbed her from behind. Likely from asking the wrong individual the wrong question about the wrong person. Abilities: Physical Conditioning: Peak human Your body is naturally tough, durable, and strong. The pinnacle of human physical strength, endurance, and agility. Keep training, and surely you can surpass even stronger beings. Soul Flare: The ability to turn ones soul into a weapon itself. Needed for most basic magical feats. Channel the mana present in the air through your body to achieve great feats. Allows one to interact with supernatural things, and perceive things others may not. Ability Gained: Goddess' Eye The Goddess has given you a prestigious blessing. The eye will allow you to see things about a single living target in your vision that others can not. Status, general health, current disposition, abilities, special and other such information. Use it wisely, and you could use words as effective as any weapon or use it to disable someone with as little conflict as possible. Additionally, you can see things that are unable to be seen, and interact with it, and they you. Spirits, ghosts, and other such beings and things of that nature. However - things with special protections, such as beings with a divine connection, and skills will obscure your vision. It does not reveal things that are hidden through mundane means. Trivia: -Bella played a lot of Total War: Rome II to try and put old Roman strategies to practice. -Bella can speak Italian, Latin and English Inventory: -Padded Armor -Rapier Learned Skills: -Cleansing Fire - Fire, is not always destruction. It is also life, energy. It invigorates and brings warmth to all. Were fire never to exist, humanity may have never made it through the ice ages, for without its warmth they would fall victim to the frigid cold that envelops this land. Though fire can burn wildly, furiously, and destroy all, yours can also heal and bring comfort to those. By focusing positive energies into your fire, you may heal and cleanse small wounds. -Mana Redirect - A skill allowing one to redirect magical energy tossed at them from any supernatural source. Rather than absorbing and meshing it with your own, you redirect it to some other purpose, thus weakening its effects upon you as you turn it towards something else. Generally, this will work with everything but some sources of energy would be far too strong to completely deflect, and some are easier to work with then others. -Flora Command (lesser) - You're able to command the natural world around you, to an extent. Though, as it comes from domination rather than understanding and mutual understanding, it is not out of mutual respect or because they desire it. Rather - they do not wish to incur your wrath, so they cooperate. You can't perform complex actions or move them very quickly yet, and flora with more vitality may still ignore you outright as of now.</s> <\|message\|>Oda Nobunaga He still sought her attention did he? Then, that was exactly the thing she wouldn't given him. Nobunaga was quite aware of the type of person this was. Even if the deity's offer was genuine, there was no telling what else would be attached to it. This was the enemy general, and there was no denying the fact that he was a skilled manipulator. So she would not grant him the opportunity to bait her into being manipulated. She would offer him nothing. For Nobunaga did not truly intend to merely destroy his influence in this village. A reckless god had no place in the world. No matter how long it took, she would crush his influence and reduce him to nothing. Knowledge would be forged by discovery, by diplomacy, by interacting with the natural world. Not by the whims of a reckless god. But the first steps were much smaller ones. The petite black-haired girl paused a moment. Ah, Novak? The man who had aided in killing the scaled beast that attacked the hunters. It appeared there were further pressing issues, and possibly quite tied to the matter at hand. But first things first. "Is something the matter, Enli-san?" she asked, as she approached, bowing politely after a moment's pause, "I certainly hope I find you well, but it seems there may be some matters worthy of concern afoot." @Crimson Paladin</s> <\|message\|>Novak Novak "I appreciate your offer, Enli," Novak replied, removing his helmet and placing it on his lap. "As it turns out I do have some questions about it." Enli's offer to answer questions about the temple was fortuitous for Novak, who hadn't been able to get much from Lazhira. The adventurer hoped to further explain more about the temple if they had time, but couldn't pass up an opportunity to learn more about just what he had gotten himself into. In particular, he wanted to know more about the orb that he had perhaps foolishly agreed to help retrieve. Before he could present his question, however, Nobunaga arrived. She spoke to Enli, claiming that there was a matter of concern that needed to discussed. As if there wasn't enough bad news going around today... "Hello, Nobunaga," Novak welcomed her. "I actually have a matter of concern myself that I was about to ask Enli, if you'd allow it." Novak didn't want to delay Nobunaga's news, but he really needed to get this question out of the way. It also might be a good idea to make a mental note to later thank her for killing that beast whose scales he now wore. "As I was saying, there are some things that we discovered that we don't know the entire context of," he said, turning back to the village chief. "While I was searching the lower levels, I learned of an orb that had been stolen from a pedestal in the temple, and that the Illuminator is quite upset about its theft. Lazhira seems to think that returning it would be a bad thing, but she's been stubbornly elusive about what she knows. Just what is this orb? What's so important about it?" There were many other things Novak wanted to ask about- what sort of twisted human experiments were people doing there? Are such dark deeds considered remotely morally acceptable by this friendly village? Were those slimes made from people? What's the deal with Lazhira, and how is she tied into this? Had there been any word of Leannah's return? However, between Enli's meeting with the Kyrinth and Nobunaga's news, it'd be better off to not burden the chief with too many questions. @Rune_Alchemist</s> <\|message\|>Takeshima Misaki (formerly Takeshima Mamoru) With a somewhat bitter smile, Misaki nodded her head in agreement with Narkissa's comments. Redefining a standardized system would take a great deal of work, but as far as the current situation went, it was less of a priority than the goal that they had in mind. Similarly, the fact that she knew the methodology but not the specifics with which to recreate a basic paper meant that there was a great deal of experimentation in order. With the load split and everyone moving to work on their own tasks for the day, the foxgirl was simply left to figure things out on her own. A rather troublesome task, yes, but not one wholly impossible to do with what knowledge she had. Bidding farewell to Narkissa for the moment, Misaki departed the town in pursuit of the bamboo-like plant she had mentioned earlier. The walk there was not without worry, of course—weaponless as she was, an ambush of any sort would likely not pan out well in the least—but by some miracle or another, no such worries seemed to befall her. Gathering the shoots would prove nice to test in terms of culinary value, but they afforded little value compared to the full-grown plant. The young woman found some manner of peace in her ability to at least snap the stalks and bring the longer plants down without a tool; trees, they were not. Of course, that was where the foxgirl spent most of her time gathering; processing them here would be both inefficient and possibly add additional impurities, neither of which she wished for. But the slightest sound of something approaching caused her to stop in her tracks and look around in worry— Only for the same deer she had befriended the day before to bound through the woods towards her. Momentarily taken aback as she was at its appearance, though, Misaki soon found herself understanding why it had come. "...Oh no." Panic gripped Misaki's heart as she immediately knelt down and grabbed one of the stalks of bamboo at her feet and lifted it up like a spear. She had no formal training, of course, but even a makeshift weapon like this would work better than nothing. It was that thought that led her to posture aggressively towards the oncoming pair of predators, weapon in hand as she attempted to make them back off. If they approached, it would only make sense to try and swing back; if they got close, then the pole could work just as well to block... Right?</s> <\|message\|>Narkissa Langdon Narkissa Langdon @PKMNB0Y Narkissa wasn't too picky about quality wood. She was just going to build a basic frame, after all, not a precision instrument or timber for an actual wood frame house. Even so, finding wood that suited her tastes –which paradoxically still remained at a high standard—took her a while. It was only after became fed up on her own that she found something that suited her task after asking some of the villagers. Very conveniently, it was an actual lumber gathering site. Small, yes, but complete with all the basic tools that she needed, minus the convenient electric saw to reduce logs to nice uniform planks. She knew she couldn't win it all, though, so she picked up an idle hand axe and got to work, grateful for her newfound youthful body. It didn't take long for her to realize that she had company, though, although she had to question the wisdom of anybody trying to sneak up on and attack anybody that was brandishing a handaxe. Thankfully, she realized it wasn't a cultist on a misguided attack, but a friendly face. "Oh, Lazhira! Fancy seeing you here," she greeted, before giving the girl a bit of a questioning look. Despite her own words, she doubted she'd run into her here by coincidence, and indeed she wasn't, as she quickly realized. "It was pretty obvious from the start, yeah," she agreed, before setting down the axe against a nearby log. "I can't say I'm that busy since this is a bit of a side project… I do appreciate the trust you've put on me, though." They'd only known each other for a few days, after all, so really, she was flattered. "Ah, yes, the Illuminator is your dad—wait, what!?" Of all the secrets that Narkissa thought Lazhira was going to hit her with, that one was not what she expected. Wow, was she actually in the story of some ancient Greek legend? The new information made a lot of things make sense, though, but at the same time, it changed just about everything. "Err… does that make you a demigod, then?" She couldn't help but to open with that line, but immediately moved to rub her temple with her fingers. "Well, that explains why he wants you back so much." She coughed. "What's your story, then?"</s>	<\|message\|>Bella Rosso Augusta smiled at Rullphana before she left. "It's not that I don't wish to know more, but a well sharpened knife cuts meat easier than rusty one, wouldn't you agree?" From there she turned and left with the guard woman huffing behind her. The woman smirked and looked at the guard. She used her power to glance a name from her. "Yes, it's sad I must leave. But worry not Vallanur, I shall return tomorrow. It should only be a fleeting moment until I return. I just know how dearly you'll miss me~" The above ground elf said before walking off, waving goodbye. But it wasn't much longer before Octavia started to act weird. Even without her eye she could tell something was really weird. Rampage, huh? Well, that could prove to be a problem. "Now then... How to rectify this problem..." The woman spoke to herself. Of course, she had no money. Another problem to compound on it. She pondered on it for a bit. She went through options in her head. People? Obviously not. In fact, she was slightly worried that thought popped in her head. The mushrooms around this place? Potential problems with that on multiple levels. A favor from the Queen? Perhaps she could ask the Queen. That prospect was possibly the most frightening yet... realistic option. As far as preparing a lot of food. She ushered Octavia along and approached the Throne Room again. She mustered her courage before showing her face to the guards. They probably disliked her for her attitude earlier and that was all thr more reason not to back down. She didn't want the to look down on her for a weak personality that stepped back from a hostile glance. "Greetings, I wish to have an audience with Her Majesty." She told the guard at the front of the door leading into the room. He let her in, though he hid his emotions well. She couldn't exactly tell what he thought of her. As she entered the room, she took to walking towards the throne and at a certain distance, she stopped and gave the Queen a curtsy. "Greetings, Your Majesty. It pleases me to see you once again." The woman held her curtsy as she said that and returned to a normal stance with one hand cupped over the other in front of her after. She looked the Queen in the eyes though refused to use her power. Whenever she used it on these powerful beings, she would get this body-wracking headache and Augusta did not wish to feel that again. "I came to request a favor, or perhaps a trade of something, though I have little to offer but my limited skills and an able body." Augusta said, giving the Queen a small wink for emphasis. Assistance to feed a seemingly ever hungry dog. She wondered what price she would have to pay for such a thing. "Of course, I assume you already know what favor I would ask?" She couldn't help but be a little cheeky in the situation."</s>
<\|description\|>Alice Sicilly Gender: Female Appearance: A fay of standard stature, she stands at 20cm in height with a thin build and is incredibly light-weight, Her wings are similar to the ornate ornmanets adorning her head. But they are hidden from view much of the time. Goals: To draw out the potential of non-humans to the fullest. Past Life: A crescendo of calamity that is what is best used to aptly describe the life of the girl known as Alice, brought up in a strictly religious household, under strict tenants, a personality as soft as hers couldn't hope to make it through unscathed, No amount of prayer to a god would alleviate the suffering she went through, Neither could she ever truely connect with friends due to her parents strict rules. She could only hope that people believed her friendship to be true when she worked extra hard for them. Though this only lead to more pain in her future as she would give them everything she had. Only for it to be used by malignant persons. For a free lunch, A free seat? Perhaps even free labour. If she didn't comply then she was insulted, and if she did comply then she only fed their view of her. But still she held onto some thin ghost of a hope that being a good person was good enough. And that humanity wasn't all bad. Until. She was beaten bloody for allegedly trying to take another womans boyfriend. She became a recluse however as time went on, becoming more and more afraid of upsetting others that she would lock herself away for increasingly long periods of time drowning herself in study of book and biblical. She felt so small and insignificant in front of others that perhaps she should simply disappear. But that faded cursed hope within her still drove her to try to help others for it was what a good person would do? Alice was shot in her home, aged 24 after the delusional homeless man she had been helping at the shelter had accused her of theft. It was in her final moments that she gave up on it all... Damned be all the people that had used her, and damned be all the people that had allowed her to be used. Humanity was diseased, rotten to its core. And god if he existed was never a loving sort. Of course... it wasn't the end was it? Abilities: "Your body is already in peak physical condition. I made sure of that myself. Can't have you dying to some random angry deer, now can we? Let me take a look, and see what defines you..." Physical Conditioning: Peak Fay Your body is naturally tough, durable, and strong. The pinnacle of Fay physical strength, endurance, and agility. Keep training, and surely you can surpass even stronger beings. Soul Flare: The ability to turn ones soul into a weapon itself. Needed for most basic magical feats. Channel the mana present in the air through your body to achieve great feats. Allows one to interact with supernatural things, and perceive things others may not. Monstrous Charm - Unlike what some people think, some people simply have a natural charm around them. Less how you speak, and more how you act. Your mana has turned into a force of will that marks you as...wrong.A passive ability that influences how others perceive you. Simple beasts will likely leave you alone, should you not antagonize them. Demons will see you as one of their own, and the intelligent Elder Beasts may decide to actually speak with you. Be warned, however, humans and their kin will view you with great suspicion and other races typically shunned will find you to be oddly compelling. Inventory: The Clothing on her back, fitting for her size at least</s> <\|message\|>Leannah Stromhart Leannah Second Floor, Ruined Building (???), ??? --- Leannah seemed to blink slowly at Malphas as he spoke, seemingly reacting to his own new voice or something before continuing on. Between his familiar-ish appearance and the sound of how he seemed to speak and carry himself, it rang more alarm bells in the catgirl's head than she'd care to have heard. Perhaps she was acting a bit 'trope aware', but this was more her common sense kicking in after a lifetime spent around people of upper class standing who could spin a silver tongue top try to get their way with things. Nope. Nope nope nope nope. At least the other man seemed to be more agreeable, if not rather Irish between his accent and that snort and near-laugh she heard from him. Or was it Scottish? Eh, maybe that was not a good question right now. He did seem to give off that 'simple working man' kind of presence, which she frankly could respect. Plus she could admire or laugh at her new form later, as even her senses were picking up quickly on something going funky around here. Stone grinding on stone, and a low rumbling roar from far away. Not that it wasn't already close enough to be heard at least. Not only that, but the sound of another pod opening and the thunk of another person thrown out! The catgirl looked up towards the source, lightly grimacing before letting out a small, quiet sigh. "Name's Leannah. Have martial arts skills, more so once I get a moment of practice in here to adjust to this new body. But sounds like someone else just joined the party to boot...and perhaps that Guardian is getting closer out there as well. So I'll cut to the chase," she said, trying to get to the point as she pointed up to the third shelf and the doorway in turn as she looked between the two men, "Mr. Donovan, would you be able to get some stairs or something simple rigged up to get someone down from that third shelf? Then ah...Malphas you said? Malphas. Yes. Would you be able to help me scavenge some things up for us? Just enough to arm ourselves and try to get out at least, and try to make good time with it all before things go south. Meanwhile I'll keep my ears open for whatever is going on out there as well." Giving a nod to the men, the catgirl would then bluntly move to go do as she said she was going to do. Though along the way she'd cock her head towards the third shelf and call out just loud enough to make sure she would be able to be heard if someone was up there. She wasn't going to shout loud enough to try to call over the Guardian unintentionally, but just enough volume so that anyone on the third shelf would be able to hear her clearly at least. "Hey, whoever's up there! We'll see if help can come your way, but we need to get moving out of here! So be ready to get moving once you get down!" Then, trying to keep an ear on what was going on, she moved off to the side to actively practice for a moment. If she could just get her new body to fall in place, then she'd frankly be fine if they 'had' to fight. Maybe. Not that they would win such a thing if that warning was holding true still, but having those skills ready was better than nothing. Then once this was done she'd immediately go to look for some fitting weapons for herself, at a minimum, and see if there was an armor or other things here that might be useful to herself or the others otherwise. Nothing too much, just...just enough to be armed and get out of here in one piece. Time was of the essence. Maybe the others would listen to her sudden plans for this, or maybe not. Either way she was taking action. Such was the nature of a survival situation like this one. @malmshodes@Guy0fV4lor@Cu Chulainn</s> <\|message\|>Oda Nobunaga Nobunaga quite eagerly hung on every word. Some of it was rather unusual, but most amusing was the fact that her new form resembled a media depiction incredibly closely. So, they had reinterpreted her time and time again? Given her untimely death, the fact that she had left such a deep impression on Japan to be so widely utilized in all sorts of stories and interpreted in so many different ways was quite satisfying. Perhaps she had been unable to unify Japan, but she most certainly had unified its people in their remembrance of her conquest. "Wahahaha! How fascinating!" declared Nobunaga, grinning, "So I am presented in so many different ways? Morever, the Japan of the modern world sounds truly wonderful! I should like to have seen many of these technological advancements, but alas it was not to be." Truly, to see so many incredible steps forward in the world of technology... not simply for warfare, but for the consumption of the common person... merely knowing of them drove her to wish to know more! It was at that moment, however, that another figure, this one a man, practically crashed headfirst through a table. She could not blame him, in all honesty, due to the rather discomforting way she herself had been ejected from the strange pod. The birds did not frighten her in the least, but it seemed for the best that they made effort to leave this location. "Nothing can be accomplished by simply remaining here," she asserted, "As such, we should collect this man and make our exit in order to more properly get out bearings." @Rune_Alchemist@Crimson Paladin</s> <\|message\|>"Malphas" Malphas Second Floor, ???@Rune_Alchemist@Crusader Lord@Guy0fV4lor@malmshodes Malphas grinned as his spell seemingly worked! While the lack of information from his attempt at using his newly given magic may have seemed disheartening, the appearance of this "status" screen was more than enough to allow him to enact his plan. It wasn't the fact that he couldn't see the statuses of his fellows, but rather, Malphas was taken aback by the curt responses he was given by his allies. A lack of respect will surely be a problem he will face in the beginning, it seems. From what Malphas could understand, he will need to give these primates a reason to respect him... After all, if this Guardian truly was a force to be reckoned with, then they would have to believe in him, if they wished to succeed. In the end, it seemed he needed to enforce his own will upon them, whether they wished it or not. Before Malphas could give them a chance to transcend, they will learn to know their place! "I'm afraid I cannot help with digging through the garbage. It is not my place to... and besides, it seems that those weapons there were scattered at that particular part of the room for a reason. Feel free to step into danger, but for our safety, I will not abide by such a self-destructive order!" Malphas looked down, crossing his arms as he shook his head. "Like I said, if you truly wish to defeat this Guardian, then you will be more than thankful when I put my abilities to the test... Which is why it is imperative you all should be defending me, instead." "Unlike all of you, the goddess had been privileged to have given me two cheat abilities. The first, [Humanities Scion], won't be likely to help us here, especially given the mood. The second, my true gift, and yours as well if you put your faith in me... "[God Hand]. Twelve miracles granted to me by the Goddess herself, limited in number, but limitless in power... Only, it can only shine if those who desire them choose to believe... Your lack of faith in me is obvious, and I'm afraid it will be your downfall... But I shall give you all a second chance, regardless! Rejoice in my first miracle!" Malphas raised his arms as he focused the mana around him once more. He did not try and do anything complex, nor did he actually attempt to make a wish. Instead, he commanded the magical energy around him to surround and fill his body, to make it glow as brightly as it can be. "O, Goddess, grant me your first gift... One of obfuscation, to mask the presence of myself, my miracles, and my allies, to hide us from any such heathens that wish us harm!" Malphas continued to allow himself to glow, spreading his light towards the two who had doubted him, and even focused towards the third person, having recently emerged from their own pod. As much as could be done, he accomplished such, before slowly allowing the light to fade. Anything in his power to ensure his gamble would work. They did not need to believe him right away. All Malphas needed was to sow the seeds of piety, to fill these scared simians with hope. They will soon believe in him when the time comes. "And there you go. I have wasted my first blessing just to keep us all safe. If you don't believe me, have a gander among yourselves. The Goddess had told us all we could see the unseen, yes? You will find that this miracle have mine has obfuscated such a gift among ourselves. If you do not believe me after all this, then all I will do is sit and wait in the safety of these chambers, obscured from whatever Guardian lurks these apocryphal halls." Lowering his head and shaking it once more, Malphas awaited their compliance, or their deaths. Whatever came first.</s>	<\|message\|>Alice Sicilly Alice Sicilly : Seeking Knowledge --- Interactions --- Flight hadn't been easy, Her hopping and her jumping had been a little tiring, She was however incredibly grateful that this body at least seemed to have some form of muscle memory. With a few minutes of trying and a lot of exercise she seemed to have gotten a semi-hold on the movement of her body and its weight and dexterity compared to her old self. Her hopping about on her isolated shelf around that locked book had only just intensified her curiosity to its contents. Surely if she could open it to find whatever secret it contained she could use it as a bargaining tool at least. Well considering the nature of the book, She had little means to break that lock and while she could attempt to use the glass to fiddle with the tumblers inside it, it was so small and thin that the glass would break off inside and she'd be even worse off. Ergo. She would lean down towards trying to cut the bindings that held the book together, with that in mind she'd try to acquire the largest sharpest piece of glass she could find. Only lightly touching it to avoid cutting her hand on the glass shards, She had no clue how fairy internal anatomy worked so avoiding a cut was probably a good idea! Thus the Fairy would get to work moving the glass shards from her shattered 'pod' over towards the book. When she had acquired a sizeable amount of them, She'd pick up the first and get to work trying to cut through the leather binding to try to open it in order to gleam some sort of aid of the knowledge inside hoping that the leather was worn enough to make the cutting easier. She would have to be quiet though if she wanted to avoid drawing the attention of the individuals just below her. Even if they were reincarnated just like her. She couldn't trust total strangers just yet. That was a total folly.</s>
<\|description\|>Alice Sicilly Gender: Female Appearance: A fay of standard stature, she stands at 20cm in height with a thin build and is incredibly light-weight, Her wings are similar to the ornate ornmanets adorning her head. But they are hidden from view much of the time. Goals: To draw out the potential of non-humans to the fullest. Past Life: A crescendo of calamity that is what is best used to aptly describe the life of the girl known as Alice, brought up in a strictly religious household, under strict tenants, a personality as soft as hers couldn't hope to make it through unscathed, No amount of prayer to a god would alleviate the suffering she went through, Neither could she ever truely connect with friends due to her parents strict rules. She could only hope that people believed her friendship to be true when she worked extra hard for them. Though this only lead to more pain in her future as she would give them everything she had. Only for it to be used by malignant persons. For a free lunch, A free seat? Perhaps even free labour. If she didn't comply then she was insulted, and if she did comply then she only fed their view of her. But still she held onto some thin ghost of a hope that being a good person was good enough. And that humanity wasn't all bad. Until. She was beaten bloody for allegedly trying to take another womans boyfriend. She became a recluse however as time went on, becoming more and more afraid of upsetting others that she would lock herself away for increasingly long periods of time drowning herself in study of book and biblical. She felt so small and insignificant in front of others that perhaps she should simply disappear. But that faded cursed hope within her still drove her to try to help others for it was what a good person would do? Alice was shot in her home, aged 24 after the delusional homeless man she had been helping at the shelter had accused her of theft. It was in her final moments that she gave up on it all... Damned be all the people that had used her, and damned be all the people that had allowed her to be used. Humanity was diseased, rotten to its core. And god if he existed was never a loving sort. Of course... it wasn't the end was it? Abilities: "Your body is already in peak physical condition. I made sure of that myself. Can't have you dying to some random angry deer, now can we? Let me take a look, and see what defines you..." Physical Conditioning: Peak Fay Your body is naturally tough, durable, and strong. The pinnacle of Fay physical strength, endurance, and agility. Keep training, and surely you can surpass even stronger beings. Soul Flare: The ability to turn ones soul into a weapon itself. Needed for most basic magical feats. Channel the mana present in the air through your body to achieve great feats. Allows one to interact with supernatural things, and perceive things others may not. Monstrous Charm - Unlike what some people think, some people simply have a natural charm around them. Less how you speak, and more how you act. Your mana has turned into a force of will that marks you as...wrong.A passive ability that influences how others perceive you. Simple beasts will likely leave you alone, should you not antagonize them. Demons will see you as one of their own, and the intelligent Elder Beasts may decide to actually speak with you. Be warned, however, humans and their kin will view you with great suspicion and other races typically shunned will find you to be oddly compelling. Inventory: The Clothing on her back, fitting for her size at least</s> <\|message\|>Leannah Stromhart Leannah Second Floor, Ruined Building (???), ??? --- Well...it would be up to Malphas to accept the bow or not perhaps. Irregardless of if the man accepted the bow and Donovan's wisdom or not, or at least the other man's seeming attempt to make peace in her eyes, her attention returned to the higher floor above the broken stairs. She knew she'd heard the thunk of another person up there, though the lack of any return call after she'd shouted up there before was concerning. Frowning, the catgirl walked over towards the back of the second floor 'shelf' and put a hand to her mouth to try to call up there again. Well, shout just loud enough for whomever was up there to hear. Wouldn't take much, and she really didn't want to draw attention to them. Time was wasting as it was. "Hey, you up there! If you're alive, let us know so we can send someone to come help you down! It won't be safe here for long, and we need to get moving while the Guardian is moving away from our location! Unless you wanna stay stuck up there and eventually get caught if anything else less-than-friendly might be wandering around here!" Leannah sighed after speaking, putting her hands (including the one holding her spear) on her hips and lightly shaking her head. Maybe they'd been spooked by them or something? She had no idea regardless. She wasn't sure if Donovan was the type to leave such a person behind if they refused to cooperate, but based on his patience and interactions with Malphas so far she felt she at least had some vague-ish idea somewhat. Maybe. Not much to go on right now, since they'd all just woken up and all of this. She just didn't want them all to die if they kept getting stalled like this, especially if Mr. or Ms. Third Shelf turned out to be stubborn...hopefully they weren't like that though. Though this in mind, she walked back over to the other two men to speak to them once more. "Er, not to be an ass here but we have one last thing to solve before we get moving. We've killed enough time as it is. Donovan, can you get back to helping us get whoever is on that third floor down? Just tell me if i need to do anything as well. We need to get them fast if we're getting out of here, not sure if whatever drew attention out there will keep that attention for much longer. We'll lose our advantage if we dawdle too long." Politeness was giving way to survival right now, as they really needed to get moving as soon as possible. It was a matter of time, and for all she knew that time was close to running out. This @Cu Chulainn @Guy0fV4lor @Rune_Alchemist</s> <\|message\|>Oda Nobunaga The ringing in her ears very slowly fading, Nobunaga didn't spare any further attention to the bird she had already crippled and left to bleed out. Taking notice of the other fowl's stunned state, the petite girl didn't waste a single moment in sprinting towards the creature and swinging her katana down in a flash of steel. It parted flesh and bone cleanly, and left the bird's head sailing through the air away from its twitching body. She straightened, and flicked the blood from her sword before sheathing it cleanly. Her hearing was beginning to return in full. "... A shame there isn't a cooking fire, at least these wretched fowl could have served a purpose in death," she commented, glancing towards the others... ... Ah... Misaki... it was no small wonder she had taken that piercing shriek more poorly then anyone else. She had the ears of a fox, after all. Given the kitsune's nature as her chief source of information, and someone who originated from her homeland... The petite girl approached. The thuds from beyond their room already indicated that they should not linger any longer then they had already. She placed a hand on the other girl's shoulder, and then offered one to her. She could not be sure if Misaki's hearing had returned, but her wordless actions had to be enough to understand. She had no intention of leaving behind her clearest source of information, but they had to move quickly. @PKMNB0Y@Crimson Paladin</s> <\|message\|>Bella Rosso Despite Isidore's warning, Augusta watched the sight. It was a modern world they use to live in. She was not stranger to the odd video of someone being shot. Admittedly though, a melee kill such as the young man performed was a slight bit more gruesome. Still. It felt like movie more than real life. Yes, that thing, the poor wretch, was definitely real to her senses. It wasn't some CG monster in a movie. It looked and sounded real. When it seemed Isidore had the situation under control, she moved from her spot behind cover. She closed distance as Isidore delivered the final strike to the monster. "Good work." Augusta praised, looking to the sword in the creature's hand. Yes. They should take that with them. If Isidore performed the kill, then she should at least remove the weapon from the creature's hand. She knelt down, rubbing the odd but beautiful dress, that she just noticed she wore, against the floor. She hesitated touching the creature for a second but bite her lip and, perhaps easier than expected, released the weapon from it's grasp. When she saw that they were in peak physical condition, she wasn't expecting how much easier of a time she had prying the creature's fingers from it's weapon than she would in her prior life. Pushing that discomforting thought and any others to the back of her head for now, she took the weapon and stood. She gave it a practice swing as if she was a profession in swordplay. It seemed lighter than expected. That goddess was something else. "Right then, gentlemen, shall we make our way out and to somewhere safe?" There was an obvious way out from where they were. "Of course, we could always scout the rest of this place out but... We could always just come back. This place gives me the creeps but... Well, Isidore, Nick? What do you two think? Oh, and do either of you want to use this?" It's not that she was leaving the heavy thinking to Nick and Isidore but Isidore was the one leading them physically and really, it didn't hurt to get everyone's opinions. Of course, she wouldn't be adverse to leaving but there was some merit in trying to find an actual weapon for everyone. "I wouldn't mind using this but if either of you have actual skill with this weapon, that would be best." Despite appearances, she wasn't just some dainty princess. It was survival now. She came back after being stabbed to death. There was no way in hell she was going to sit down and die.</s> <\|message\|>Takeshima Misaki (formerly Takeshima Mamoru) With her head still pounding from the cry from the bird earlier, Misaki could only watch as the other two dispatched the errant wildlife around her. Obviously, with them now dead (or close enough to it), there was no need for her to cover her ears; rather, it was more of a question about when they would recover from that. As it turned out, that 'when' didn't take too long at all; the young woman found it surprising that she could even hear Nobunaga's words at this point, as she had been under the assumption that with her new vulpine ears came all the benefits and downsides thus. She wasn't going to complain, though; even if it felt like someone was still ringing her head like a gong, she could at least try and move. The sensations of the earth shaking were not solely derived from sound, after all, and only something massive could produce shockwaves of this level. Turning towards the black-haired girl as she placed a hand on her shoulder, Misaki slowly nodded and took Nobunaga's aid in helping herself get up. It was obvious that she was being a burden right now, but there was no reason to not try to get out of here as fast as possible, at the very least... @Rune_Alchemist@Crimson Paladin</s> <\|message\|>Nicholas "Nick" Gallagher The Journey Begins ~ Unknown Location ~ Interacted with: @ERode, @Pyromania99 "Wait. So you were... changed?" Nick did not know that not all of them were as the same as in Earth. He was relieved he stayed the same in this world. At the same time though, he sure could have used some extra features to help him out here. Like a pair of wings or something. But enough about that, Augusta somehow identified the creature as a Wretched Experiment. It was... weaker than Nick thought. It was sensitive to light, burns easily, 'Cursed by the Moon' whatever that meant and pretty weak individually. They relied on their quick bursts of speed and numbers to defeat their foes. Which meant this one on its lonesome was nothing to be concerned about. They left it to Isidore to take care of it. With the chains he took from the cell they woke up in and a few sleek moves and the Wretched Experiment was down, finished off with a brutal boot to its head. The poor thing did not even stand a chance. Nick pondered why it was named 'Wretched Experiment'. Was it a subject in some insidious procedure? Hold on, how did Augusta know what it was? Was that her power from the Goddess? Nick followed Augusta towards the corpse of the wretched creature. "Pretty nice. Where'd you learn to fight like that?" Augusta knelt down and pried the sword from the Wretched Experiment's hand. Its grasp on it was not solid and the blade was taken easily. Augusta gave it a practice swing before she spoke. "Yeah, ah, I vote we leave this place as soon as possible. This place is giving me the heebie-jeebies." Nick quickly said. He was still feeling anxious but was that because of his power or was it a natural reaction to what just happened? "I mean, I bet there's fun taking these things down but I think it's in our best interest to get somewhere safe and get our bearings." "Well, I can't say I've got skill with swords but I'll take it if neither of you want it." Nick wanted the sword to have something to defend himself with. But he kept that to himself, it was probably better if it was in the hands of someone more capable.</s>	<\|message\|>Alice Sicilly Alice Sicilly : Holding Nose --- Interactions --- Alice would have been incredibly slow with her flying, still getting used to strain of having to also carry her acquired book. She would have had seen the abominations as she had made her movement through the stone hallways of this ancient place. Part of it gave her pause for a moment as she would have looked them over more throughly. Stalling for a moment before she entered the room to look over these abominations more closely. What wretched means spawned these wretched things that would be the thoughts going that would go through her head. Her mind would take but a few more moments to ponder such outcomes before she shook her head. She moved on. She would immediately come to realise that something had escaped from the room ahead, mostly from the situation she had seen before her very eyes. The damaged door opened from the inside. Still she'd press onwards and enter the room, immediately gagging at the strong smell of chemicals that filled her nose. Her suspicion that something had forced its way out was confirmed by the broken straps on the table. "Chemicals and broken table straps. Frankenstein mayhaps." She'd say quietly to herself as she would flutter about the room. She looked up her small pixie eyes taking note of the very obvious exit in the windows. The stench of the chemicals was getting to her. But so too had her curiosity. So she would scour this room looking about for anything she could take with her through the window, or anything else of interest. She guessed if any of the big other people that were here were to find her. The Abominations would stall them good and proper.</s>
<\|description\|>Alice Sicilly Gender: Female Appearance: A fay of standard stature, she stands at 20cm in height with a thin build and is incredibly light-weight, Her wings are similar to the ornate ornmanets adorning her head. But they are hidden from view much of the time. Goals: To draw out the potential of non-humans to the fullest. Past Life: A crescendo of calamity that is what is best used to aptly describe the life of the girl known as Alice, brought up in a strictly religious household, under strict tenants, a personality as soft as hers couldn't hope to make it through unscathed, No amount of prayer to a god would alleviate the suffering she went through, Neither could she ever truely connect with friends due to her parents strict rules. She could only hope that people believed her friendship to be true when she worked extra hard for them. Though this only lead to more pain in her future as she would give them everything she had. Only for it to be used by malignant persons. For a free lunch, A free seat? Perhaps even free labour. If she didn't comply then she was insulted, and if she did comply then she only fed their view of her. But still she held onto some thin ghost of a hope that being a good person was good enough. And that humanity wasn't all bad. Until. She was beaten bloody for allegedly trying to take another womans boyfriend. She became a recluse however as time went on, becoming more and more afraid of upsetting others that she would lock herself away for increasingly long periods of time drowning herself in study of book and biblical. She felt so small and insignificant in front of others that perhaps she should simply disappear. But that faded cursed hope within her still drove her to try to help others for it was what a good person would do? Alice was shot in her home, aged 24 after the delusional homeless man she had been helping at the shelter had accused her of theft. It was in her final moments that she gave up on it all... Damned be all the people that had used her, and damned be all the people that had allowed her to be used. Humanity was diseased, rotten to its core. And god if he existed was never a loving sort. Of course... it wasn't the end was it? Abilities: "Your body is already in peak physical condition. I made sure of that myself. Can't have you dying to some random angry deer, now can we? Let me take a look, and see what defines you..." Physical Conditioning: Peak Fay Your body is naturally tough, durable, and strong. The pinnacle of Fay physical strength, endurance, and agility. Keep training, and surely you can surpass even stronger beings. Soul Flare: The ability to turn ones soul into a weapon itself. Needed for most basic magical feats. Channel the mana present in the air through your body to achieve great feats. Allows one to interact with supernatural things, and perceive things others may not. Monstrous Charm - Unlike what some people think, some people simply have a natural charm around them. Less how you speak, and more how you act. Your mana has turned into a force of will that marks you as...wrong.A passive ability that influences how others perceive you. Simple beasts will likely leave you alone, should you not antagonize them. Demons will see you as one of their own, and the intelligent Elder Beasts may decide to actually speak with you. Be warned, however, humans and their kin will view you with great suspicion and other races typically shunned will find you to be oddly compelling. Inventory: The Clothing on her back, fitting for her size at least</s> <\|message\|>Isidore @Rune_Alchemist@PaulHaynek "Unfortunate," was Isidore's only comment. Without a proper belt to secure the arming sword in, he had settled for holding it in his left hand instead, and while the large-eared woman examined the slabs more closely, Isidore took in the rest of their surroundings. The twin moons looked as if it were out of a movie, while the sky shone with their reflected radiance with such brilliance that it still looked like daylight. The snow that covered the ground must have fallen some time ago; no clouds were in sight on either horizon. A Tower of Babel, black and imposing, sliced into the scenery in the distance, while the crash of the ocean continued to echo in their ears. What irony, that he would be reborn so close to where he had once chosen to die. Isidore adjusted the chains wrapped around his arms, eyes flickering towards the direction of the rumbling. That overweight warden was still out there, wasn't it? Good. Better it be out there making noise than lying in wait to ambush them. "It's convenient, the moons," he spoke. "Won't have to worry about nighttime if this is the darkest it'll get. But for now, let's move towards the mountainside building. Regardless of how forsaken this area is now, I doubt the experimenters would be so keen as to house themselves in the same building as the experimented." Unless they were sadists who slept to the lullaby of tortured screams. Maybe one needed such predilections, if they were to create beings so twisted and foul. While Nick occupied himself with looking for a portable stone, Isidore crouched beside one of the large slabs himself. The swirling patterns reminded him of the prison's interesting décor, but what was carved over it gave him more food for thought. Placing a finger on the fresher carvings, he traced the path of the newer patterns, eyes narrowed as he too felt the energy that Augusta described. Using tactile sensation to commit such script to memory, Isidore then hefted up his sword. With a quick, precise strike, he struck the edge of the slab with the sword's pommel, repeating three more times before a piece broke off. He held that piece in his hand, feeling for the same energy, and then stood up, dusting off his pants. "We should get moving," were his words to Augusta, before he strode towards the leftside building at a clipped pace.</s> <\|message\|>Leannah Stromhart Leannah Second Floor, Ruined Building (???), ??? --- Leannah found herself feeling a bit grateful for the current circumstances regardless. Donovan was a hard worker before, she could tell that much by the man's attitude and behavior so far. Something she definitely appreciated to be sure. Now that they were all armed, though, all that remained was seeing if the one above them would respond well once they could get up there to see them. She'd heard them come out of the tank, even the shuffling of the feet and such as the moved about. It was one thing she liked about her body...er, rather this new body of hers in this new life therein. However, they still had to make some kind of battle plan to get out of here. If this was anything like 'those games', then some shambling disaster or magical experiment gone wrong or angry mimic could be lying somewhere. Only their immediate area had been guaranteed to be safe after all, and that much hadn't been lost on the woman. With that in mind, she let out a small sigh and turned to Malphas and Donovan once more, hands on her hips as one hand also held her spear. She'd want to look at it more later after getting that information on it, but-...eh. One thing at a time here. "Well, while they get working we probably need to get a working escape plan shaped up by the time we get our last group member down from there. My initial thought is keeping us close, tight, and basically finding a vantage point to see where the exit is if we can. I could also hang at the front or back and keep my ears out, even, if that would be helpful. What do you both think? Any ideas to toss in?" Maybe they'd brainstorm something in time. Maybe not. She was hoping to not waste this new life in the first mere minutes and hours before getting ground to death by a giant walking millstone for all she knew.</s> <\|message\|>Novak Novak Novak was greatly startled by the large hunk of stone slamming down in front of him. It he had taken a few steps further, it'd have ended this new life just a few minutes after it had begun. He then realized that it was no mere hunk of debris, but the foot of what appeared to be an animate stone colossus. Judging by the blade protruding from the statue's arm, it was probably a guard or a soldier of some sort. This must be the guardian, he thought. Fortunately, the colossus didn't seem to notice him, and it trudged away, causing the ground to shake with each step. It was probably drawn here by the sound of that bird's screeching. Or perhaps it it simply patrolling. Whether or not it was actively searching for them, it was clear that they couldn't hide here forever. The colossus wasn't the only danger; whatever that thing that was climbing that tower in the distance might also be a threat. The ruined gatehouse he had spotted looked like it might be the way out. Once they got past it, they should be safe from that stone monstrosity, assuming it didn't decide to smash its way through to pursue them. On the other hand, he had no idea what awaited them on the other side. Faced with the prospect of ending up the wrong end of that stone blade- or any of the many other ways it could kill them- whatever might be on the other side of the gatehouse was probably preferable to taking their chances with the colossus. There were other things to worry about, of course. Judging by the snow, it looked pretty frigid outside, and they weren't exactly dressed for this weather. They would also need to find food, water, and shelter, although such concerns were presently eclipsed by the matter of immediate survival. Perhaps it would be a good idea to discuss their options with his two companions. "You two might want to see this," Novak spoke softly as to avoid drawing the walking statue's attention. "I think we've found that guardian that the goddess warned us about. Some sort of stone colossus, from the look of it." "Fortunately, I also see what looks like an exit out of here, some sort of destroyed gatehouse. What do you two think? Should we take our chances and slip out through there?" @VitaVitaAR</s> <\|message\|>Narkissa Langdon Narkissa Langdon@Cu Chulainn For somebody who just had the experience of a lifetime, Narkissa definitely had an odd reaction to it. Throwing caution to the wind by archeological prospects in the books before her, she had a one-set mind to go through all the tomes in the decrepit bookshelf. She vaguely remembered that there was supposed to be some sort of danger in the vicinity, but with no way outside of the room, studying the books remained the best thing to do. Unfortunately for her, most of the books were so faded that it made them impossible to read with her naked eye. She was well aware of advanced archeological tools that could scan such pages and discern the faded ink to make pages legible –such technologies were used to scan ancient Roman scrolls in the past—but that was something she hardly had access to. As book after book turned up blank or crumpled to pieces, she began to despair. But at last, she came across a book with legible letters; a strange book, in a language that she had never seen before, but somehow, she found herself intuitively able to make sense of it. Although it was in quite a bad state, she could still tell the title from spine, and an intriguing title it was. If this were in the past, she would have simply dismissed its title as a novelty book, but with recent events, there was a very real possibility that it could be useful. So, she began to read. Using some broken furniture as a makeshift chair, she carefully cracked the tome open. Every so oftern, she would stop and peek out from below, to see what the situation was. Narkissa wasn't completely oblivious. She knew that she would have to deal with the people down below eventually. She had no idea who they were, or their intentions, so making contact was indeed risky. After all, having been in a pod in an isolated upper floor, there were no indicators for her to assume that there were people similar to herself. Eventually, she was able to get a better sense of the people down below. Although they were clearly strangers to each other, it didn't seem like they were the menace spoken of in these ruins, and it was clear they knew she was there, because they were now repairing the staircase to her level and making good on that progress. She stuck out her head once again, this time less discretely. "Er, hi. Who are you people?" Lord @Guy0fV4lor @Rune_Alchemist @Cu Chulainn</s>	<\|message\|>Alice Sicilly Alice Sicilly : Out through the window --- Interactions --- The stench of this chamber was getting to her, Even after she had ransacked and looked through the entire room for stuff to use, The fact she couldn't find anything of note bothered her. The scalpels for instance? which betrayed that in this room some sort of heinous experiment had occured. Interesting. Neat even and an abomination had even walked in. But The fumes were making it difficult to think. She didn't want to open her book for fear that if she did it would become contaminated by the fumes. She had known from personal experience that browning of paper or ruining of ink can occur due to chemical fumes. Ergo! Until she figured out if it was mystery ink or magic ink. (She'd begin her experimentation when she was sufficently away from everything) She would have to leave through the window. And as such she would begin to fly up to the cracks, Slipping her small fae body through, Angered to be alive. But grateful for her small frame. AS it made this feat remarkably easy for her. So as she exited through that gap... she would open her eyes wide. To take in the world before her.</s>
<\|description\|>Alice Sicilly Gender: Female Appearance: A fay of standard stature, she stands at 20cm in height with a thin build and is incredibly light-weight, Her wings are similar to the ornate ornmanets adorning her head. But they are hidden from view much of the time. Goals: To draw out the potential of non-humans to the fullest. Past Life: A crescendo of calamity that is what is best used to aptly describe the life of the girl known as Alice, brought up in a strictly religious household, under strict tenants, a personality as soft as hers couldn't hope to make it through unscathed, No amount of prayer to a god would alleviate the suffering she went through, Neither could she ever truely connect with friends due to her parents strict rules. She could only hope that people believed her friendship to be true when she worked extra hard for them. Though this only lead to more pain in her future as she would give them everything she had. Only for it to be used by malignant persons. For a free lunch, A free seat? Perhaps even free labour. If she didn't comply then she was insulted, and if she did comply then she only fed their view of her. But still she held onto some thin ghost of a hope that being a good person was good enough. And that humanity wasn't all bad. Until. She was beaten bloody for allegedly trying to take another womans boyfriend. She became a recluse however as time went on, becoming more and more afraid of upsetting others that she would lock herself away for increasingly long periods of time drowning herself in study of book and biblical. She felt so small and insignificant in front of others that perhaps she should simply disappear. But that faded cursed hope within her still drove her to try to help others for it was what a good person would do? Alice was shot in her home, aged 24 after the delusional homeless man she had been helping at the shelter had accused her of theft. It was in her final moments that she gave up on it all... Damned be all the people that had used her, and damned be all the people that had allowed her to be used. Humanity was diseased, rotten to its core. And god if he existed was never a loving sort. Of course... it wasn't the end was it? Abilities: "Your body is already in peak physical condition. I made sure of that myself. Can't have you dying to some random angry deer, now can we? Let me take a look, and see what defines you..." Physical Conditioning: Peak Fay Your body is naturally tough, durable, and strong. The pinnacle of Fay physical strength, endurance, and agility. Keep training, and surely you can surpass even stronger beings. Soul Flare: The ability to turn ones soul into a weapon itself. Needed for most basic magical feats. Channel the mana present in the air through your body to achieve great feats. Allows one to interact with supernatural things, and perceive things others may not. Monstrous Charm - Unlike what some people think, some people simply have a natural charm around them. Less how you speak, and more how you act. Your mana has turned into a force of will that marks you as...wrong.A passive ability that influences how others perceive you. Simple beasts will likely leave you alone, should you not antagonize them. Demons will see you as one of their own, and the intelligent Elder Beasts may decide to actually speak with you. Be warned, however, humans and their kin will view you with great suspicion and other races typically shunned will find you to be oddly compelling. Inventory: The Clothing on her back, fitting for her size at least</s> <\|message\|>Isidore @Rune_Alchemist@PaulHaynek Maybe he should have snapped her neck after all. Isidore entertained that thought for a moment, before brushing it aside. Demonic beast it may be, he had no intention of killing young animals unless absolutely necessary, no matter what problems they brought up. Even if those problems were of the long-limbed, incredibly ugly type. By the blessing of the Goddess, or just by good fortune, only one of the shambling creatures wielded a proper weapon, though, and that weapon would go to… They could consider the split afterwards. Octavia pulled at the chain, eager to attack, while Augusta was treading new ground again, that same strange energy she exuded before now shooting out from her palm in a burst of light. It shot out at a speed that the dark-haired youth could only barely follow with his eyes, before scattering over the sword-wielding monster's body with a concussive force. He breathed in. Release the dog. It'll draw attention. Close the distance. They'll swing outwards. Block with chain, counter with swing. Disarm and deliver to Nick. Dodge offhand swing. Draw blade against its neck. Disengage with shove. It will bleed out. But he wouldn't let it die so slowly. He breathed out. Visualize and execute. The chain links didn't even hit the ground when Isidore released Octavia, the puppy shooting forwards in her eagerness to pounce. Moving in step with the hellhound, Isidore charged for the sword-wielder as well, watching its movements slow to a fatal speed. Struck by Augusta's bolt and beset with two different targets, it wasn't able to commit to either one before Isidore was upon it. Rust scattered as the monster's sword clanged ineffectually against links of chain. He sliced deep into its arm, hearing the satisfying 'pop' of a tendon being ruptured, before tearing the sword out of the monster's hand. No muscles could sustain its grip now; it came loose easily. Catching the dropped weapon, Isidore slid it back towards Nick and instinctively ducked down, his legs bending and his head craning to the side. Wind brushed overhead, the sign of the offhand claw-swing that he visualized. He stepped out to the monster's side, pivoted on his front foot, and drew his arming sword against its neck. They were of flesh, and flesh parted easily when faced against sharpened steel. The blood that gushed out and the gurgled bubbling of disrupted breath told him what he needed. A left-handed shove followed, sending the creature face-first. The stomp that crushed the skull followed soon after, even as he faced the creatures that remained. How many were left? How reliable were the pup and the boy? Isidore assessed the situation and breathed in.</s> <\|message\|>Leannah Stromhart Leannah --- No time to think. No time to process. Just react. The martial artist's years of training and skill would kick in the moment the sword-wielding monstrosity would lash out at her. For her, it was almost like time had slowed to a point, even, as her instincts kicked in and she moved to return the favor to this thing. After all, even without time to process what it was at the moment she was getting the chance to finally put her new body into action! In lieu of this The spear point would deftly rise up as the thing swung down its sword, her body ducking a bit and dodging to the left of the lunging strike at the right moment as she then in an instant drove herself immediately straight and up at the creature. With all her weight behind it, and two hands on the shaft of the spear now, she would simply thrust the spear at the thing's face in one fluid motion. Plus the surge of adrenaline in her system at this point in time could be called a boon of sorts, perhaps, in driving her counterattack home. ...Even so, the words of an old master of the martial arts rang in her head, a quote she'd memorized as a child for reasons she couldn't currently ponder on. However, the intent of those words seemed to match the ferocity of her attack. 'I need No Second Strike!' And if she was lucky enough, it would work out like that. Maybe.</s> <\|message\|>Takeshima Misaki (formerly Takeshima Mamoru) With a pensive gaze, Misaki quietly considered the girl's words as she seemed to circle about. That childlike curiosity, if anything, was a bit refreshing after a few brushes past death, and if she was giving out all this information freely, then they would likely be all the better for it. Of course, that natural curiosity had already given them enough to work with—a nearby village, travelers, and other people like herself further to the north—which already provided a starting point. Lazirha, as she had introduced herself, was already curious enough about them, after all; pulling out more information was probably the only thing they could do at the moment, anyhow. "Lazirha... Was it?" the foxgirl asked, nodding her head before smiling. "You can call me... Right, I suppose family names might be a bit confusing for now, so Misaki it is, then. It's a pleasure to meet you. For now, though, uh... I'd be happy to answer your questions, but at the very least, can we move somewhere a bit warmer? The chill in the air is a bit..." Of course, shelter took a bit more priority than information, but there was nothing saying they couldn't get both at once... @Crimson Paladin@Rune_Alchemist</s> <\|message\|>Narkissa Langdon Narkissa Langdon She was so close. The gate was in easy reach now, to the point that she could begin to make out the individual bricks on the flanking walls. What she hadn't counted on, however, was that the stone monstrosity had some other ability other than wildly swinging its arms around and stomping its feet. For somebody that used to be a well-respected professor, she let out a long string of colorful profanities as a strange ethereal projectile smashed itself into the gatehouse. It was a near miss, but the sheer force of the impact caused her to trip forward. Bringing her book in against her chest, while making sure to not impale herself on her weapon, she hit the ground with the side of her body with a painful groan. Thankfully, she didn't flail around on the ground and managed to transfer the momentum to a roll. The danger of the situation and the resulting burst of adrenaline got her off the ground right quick. Wincing at the pain, she began to run again, taking a backwards glance at the stone giant. Unfortunately for her, while it seemed she could outrun the thing before it reached the gate, it seemed to be charging up for the seemingly magical attack. Making a split second decision, she cut away from the person nearest to her –which seemed to be Malphas—while heading towards the gate, both hoping it would miss or aim elsewhere, or she could reach the gate first. Lord @Guy0fV4lor @Rune_Alchemist @Cu Chulainn</s> <\|message\|>"Malphas" Malphas Almost there...!, ???@Rune_Alchemist@Click This Malphas ran for dear life, hitting the dirt hard as the giant fired its magical blast towards the gatehouse. The use of magic to accelerate his movements were really getting to him as well, but Malphas knew that such inconveniences were the least of his worries. Quickly getting up and restoring his footing, his body started to run only on adrenaline as he continued his pace forward. Looking back at the giant, Malphas surmised he would be able to outrun it. He just needed to anticipate its next attack. Like Narkissa, Malphas also made his way out to the gate. After being spotted and focused on, it seemed the best course of action in Malphas's case was to just cut his chances and leave while he still could, following the woman's lead and running opposite of where she is. Hopefully he'll be able to find his own out there in the wild, for there was nothing left here that might interest him in the slightest. As he picked up the pace, he began to think on himself, his capabilities, and his core beliefs. His physical prowess, while among the best a human could be, was quickly draining, and the use of magic surely would make things worse for him. This meant that Malphas could only do what he had done his entire life. At this moment, Malphas began to put all his faith in himself.</s> <\|message\|>Donovan MacConaill --- "Dammit!" Don cursed as the rock he'd thrown at the guardian simply bounced off it's colossal frame. He hadn't expected the rock to do much, but he'd at least hoped to get it's attention back on himself while the others ran. As much as he wanted to rush after it, the man knew that such a suicidal stunt would only be to the detriment of the others. They hadn't the tools, nor knowledge to fight such a monstrosity. Huffing a flustered sigh, Don sank into a light jog and continued his path around the cliffside. Hopefully he could get a chance to regroup with the others, given that he arrive timely enough to do so. It was upon entering the courtyard of sorts that caused the man to stop completely. This entire place, as far as he'd seen-- had long been left untouched, and snow-covered. But amongst the snow laden ground was a large black stone; fissures bordering it's edges, covered with withered vines of tar, and not a lick of snow to be seen in it's immediate vicinity. Had someone been here? Were they 'chosen' like the others he'd met? Or were they something else entirely? Kneeling down before the large stone, Don picked a piece of the tar, and examined it in his fingers for a bit. The stuff was still warm to the touch. Someone had to have been here, and recently at that. As he wiped his fingers on some nearby snow, Don heard something echo from the building he'd just rounded. A bark. "Tha hell's a dog doin' ere?" Don thought out loud as he rose to his feet. Several sets of fresh footprints led toward the building in question, ending at the open door of whatever that place was. If there was another group that could possibly help Don save the others from the Guardian, they were here-- and he was going to find them.</s>	<\|message\|>Alice Sicilly Alice Sicilly : Skull-faced Friend? --- Interactions --- The way the book reacted to her cleaning it had given a small chuckle from the fay, as if the very being inside the book thought such actions immodest. This would prove good enough to Alice that whatever simulacra was within the book itself had enough emotional merit to it that it was worth saving. For the information within if nothing else and to preserve whatever entity protected that information as well. So then say. The fact she had chosen so readily to follow inside and to confront this skull-faced entity it best be said she was doing it for her own merits. "Who said I wanted to leave so soon and readily?" The Fay would say looking upon his figure, obviously he wasn't exactly human, a monster most definitely and the goddess gift as accursed as such a being was for dragging her back to the world of the living could be. Had given her a boon fitting for talking to such a person. "Nay, if I wished to leave I would of been gone from this place with haste befitting my winged self no? I am here to attempt to repair something." She gestured to the book behind her. "And you, A being who seems most knowledgeable with a form that is not one that makes me sick. Happened to be within my view. So say I that i ask you. May you help me repair this book so that I may preview the contents within?" She would ask simply fully expecting the skull-faced creature to ask for something in return.</s>
<\|description\|>Alice Sicilly Gender: Female Appearance: A fay of standard stature, she stands at 20cm in height with a thin build and is incredibly light-weight, Her wings are similar to the ornate ornmanets adorning her head. But they are hidden from view much of the time. Goals: To draw out the potential of non-humans to the fullest. Past Life: A crescendo of calamity that is what is best used to aptly describe the life of the girl known as Alice, brought up in a strictly religious household, under strict tenants, a personality as soft as hers couldn't hope to make it through unscathed, No amount of prayer to a god would alleviate the suffering she went through, Neither could she ever truely connect with friends due to her parents strict rules. She could only hope that people believed her friendship to be true when she worked extra hard for them. Though this only lead to more pain in her future as she would give them everything she had. Only for it to be used by malignant persons. For a free lunch, A free seat? Perhaps even free labour. If she didn't comply then she was insulted, and if she did comply then she only fed their view of her. But still she held onto some thin ghost of a hope that being a good person was good enough. And that humanity wasn't all bad. Until. She was beaten bloody for allegedly trying to take another womans boyfriend. She became a recluse however as time went on, becoming more and more afraid of upsetting others that she would lock herself away for increasingly long periods of time drowning herself in study of book and biblical. She felt so small and insignificant in front of others that perhaps she should simply disappear. But that faded cursed hope within her still drove her to try to help others for it was what a good person would do? Alice was shot in her home, aged 24 after the delusional homeless man she had been helping at the shelter had accused her of theft. It was in her final moments that she gave up on it all... Damned be all the people that had used her, and damned be all the people that had allowed her to be used. Humanity was diseased, rotten to its core. And god if he existed was never a loving sort. Of course... it wasn't the end was it? Abilities: "Your body is already in peak physical condition. I made sure of that myself. Can't have you dying to some random angry deer, now can we? Let me take a look, and see what defines you..." Physical Conditioning: Peak Fay Your body is naturally tough, durable, and strong. The pinnacle of Fay physical strength, endurance, and agility. Keep training, and surely you can surpass even stronger beings. Soul Flare: The ability to turn ones soul into a weapon itself. Needed for most basic magical feats. Channel the mana present in the air through your body to achieve great feats. Allows one to interact with supernatural things, and perceive things others may not. Monstrous Charm - Unlike what some people think, some people simply have a natural charm around them. Less how you speak, and more how you act. Your mana has turned into a force of will that marks you as...wrong.A passive ability that influences how others perceive you. Simple beasts will likely leave you alone, should you not antagonize them. Demons will see you as one of their own, and the intelligent Elder Beasts may decide to actually speak with you. Be warned, however, humans and their kin will view you with great suspicion and other races typically shunned will find you to be oddly compelling. Inventory: The Clothing on her back, fitting for her size at least</s> <\|message\|>Isidore @Rune_Alchemist@PaulHaynek@Guy0fV4lor Nick lagged behind; it was uncertain whether the young man would follow the rest all the way into the depths, especially as the stench of decay grew stronger, as the darkness grew thicker. Not all were made for such escapades, and Isidore could only hope that Nick didn't make any rash decisions. The darkness shone with blue light as the quartet passed the point of no return. There was a chasm underneath the prison, home to a garden of tar-stained flowers and trees. That sweetness, once overbearing, was now undercut by the smell of brine, like the world's shittiest salty caramel. The walls of this cavern were made inaccessible to them all by the ocean water that seeped into the place, while the garden was the territory of shadowy humans, lumbering disconcertingly around the place. The former researchers of the prison above? Or more of those wretched experiments, made puppets by the tar-plants. Then, there was the clattering of feet against stone off in the distance, muffled by vines. Isidore turned briefly, noting that of the three that had followed, two now remained. Nick was gone, having taken the sealing of the entranceway as reason enough to escape. Isidore's expression remained unchanged. Loyalty or conviction hadn't yet had any chance to grow amongst these strangers. Such action couldn't be faulted, but it would be remembered. Isidore let out a breath, let out all the tension that had built up in his body. Time to continue. Not certain whether the others could see so clearly as he could, he kept a firm grip on Octavia's leash, as he began to walk upon the raised platform, keeping an eye on the largest plant at the back of the garden. Black stones impaled it, but it was through those same black stones that it could grow its progeny upon the surface, to birth creatures such as Octavia. It was a detour, and he had to drag Octavia with him as he did so, but Isidore wasn't fool enough to walk boldly into the territory of the tar-plants. All the toughness in the world meant nothing once restrained by a dozen ancient roots. "Donovan, shield up. Protect the others. Octavia, there are things moving within the garden to our left. We are approaching the largest of the tar-plants, the one whose roots stretch all around this place." He paused. Levity may be appropriate in these dark times, so deep underground. "If any of you were a fire-breather in your past life, this would be a good chance to show off." … Isidore coughed, then allowed his muscles to relax further. The door, he hadn't mentioned. It was left open for a reason, and that reason was still unknown to him.</s> <\|message\|>Bella Rosso Augusta looked at the pin Donovan was asking about. She was more than ready to trudge forward into this dungeon-like thing in front of them, but the question posed seemed fair compensation. "A pin?" Of course, her eyes reacted not to it. It only seemed to work on creatures of some sort or another. Some issue in and of itself though it would definitely help more than hurt. She sighed with no reply from looking at it. "Haa..." When her eyes fail, there was little more she could figure to do but touch it. "Hmm. Obviously it's... What's the word? Enchanted? Yes, enchanted. Weakly magical?" She questioned, looking at the thing. "It's possibly I might be able to tell you more after I've figured out magic more." She stated, removing her hand and giving a nod to the man. The deeper they went, the more there was that... sickeningly sweet smell. She had done her best to push it to the back of her mind but the more they traveled, the worst it got until finally they reached a rather dark place. The sweet smell was mixed with the all too familiar scent of the sea. "How peculiar." Still, it was rather dark and she couldn't see very well. There was salt water for sure. And those black tar-like plants that came with Octavia. Hmmm. How curious. She sighed and started to walk forward when she heard a rustling behind her. The vines had blocked their path back? Somehow, she expected that much, really. "No going back, it seems." With a slight shrug, she followed Isidore as he took the initiative. He barked out commands that made her wonder if he had prior experience in such a thing. It wouldn't be farfetched after all. Either way, she continued to follow him and tried to look around but... "I can't see a thing in this darkness. Wish I had magic for that." She mentioned, playing around with the idea in her head and at her fingertips. It'd be great to just collect power to her hands and make a ball of light to just, illuminate around them. A certain game called it Mage Light, she seemed to remember.</s> <\|message\|>Nicholas "Nick" Gallagher The Journey Begins ~ Unknown Location ~ Interacted with: @Rune_Alchemist Despite his protests, the party continued on. Nick really didn't want to head down further but he couldn't just leave these people behind, even if they were heading to certain doom. He lagged behind them as they descended, wary of the black tar-like substance that was abundant in this place. "Shouldn't be doing this, shouldn't be doing this..." He repeated to himself and clutching the harmless blade he had as hard as he could. His eyes darted all over the place, waiting for anything to happen. That was the worst part of it all, the tense waiting. Nick knew something was going to happen to them here but they didn't know what or when or how. Each step Nick took, the other guys had already taken five. But he didn't notice, too occupied in his paranoia as he descended the staircase. The other three were already way past the staircase bottom when he arrived there. Nick heard the sounds of rushing water and saw his three other companions standing and probably admiring whatever it was that was there. He moved to join them but suddenly, the ground shook as black vines began growing over the staircase exit. Nick quickly backed away before realizing that he was now separated from the rest of the group. In this place that ticked off his anxiety powers. Surrounded by probably evil goo. And as defenseless as a newborn babe. "Interesting. Very interesting." Nick muttered, amused. A figure dashed upwards the staircase, frantically trying to get away from this place as fast as he could. Nick should've figured something like this would happen. He felt bad not noting his companions that he was hauling ass, but they'd understand right? There was little he could do down there, save for trying to hack away the vines with the old blade. Nick hoped they would be alright down there, though. He would try to make it back to that courtyard they were in earlier, no longer caring if the black tar was growing all around him as he fled. Now that he was alone, it was up to him on what to do next in this alien world. Troubling, Nick thought but enough about that, he needed to get to safety first.</s> <\|message\|>Leannah Stromhart Leannah --- 'Not today!' Putting her all into jump, adrenaline still pumping through her system, Leannah pushed herself to jump from the top of this one foot to the top of the other. With this one foot raising up it gave her a little height, just enough to try for this chance! If she could get to the other foot, she'd try to right away begin climbing up the shin. Unless this thing wanted to fall over, it couldn't pick up and kick it's only two feet at the same time...right? Maybe. Hopefully. If she could get up to the head, and wherever her spear had hit as well, then perhaps she could really pull it out and get to more stabbing! Her body was athletic and stronger, her martial arts skills and training were intact, and she could do this! She had the agility and smaller size, she just needed to capitalize on that and she could do this. And again she made some attempt in the process at this whole 'magic' business, trying to squeeze out and focus anything, something, just to help her move faster. Speed. Agility. Distance. Height. She could imagine it to such a fine degree in her mind's eye, and imagined the flow of magic through her as if it was her very blood. She was Speed, Power, Precision. She was a moving, breathing weapon gunning for its target. She would produce a miracle of her own this day, or die trying! Either way she was going out on her own terms, whether now or later, and that wasn't for anyone else to decide! Who was this giant stone monster thing to think it could crush her? Who decided that? She would be the one to decide that, and she had decided it would not happen! On top of that perhaps this daylight gift would assist some more as well for all she knew, but even that was a gamble. Even so, it was the only gamble she knew to take right on on top of her attempts to channel and use magic to some kind of miracle. She knew Malphas could do it, so she believed she could as well! It would work! It had to!!!</s>	<\|message\|>Alice Sicilly Alice Sicilly : Skull-faced Friend! --- Interactions --- "You speak as if I should congratulate you, and as such, Yes, this is quite an amazing feat you've pulled off." The fay would say as she would have been flitting about the room for a good while. Trying to explore their local before she returned to the beasts side, looking up at him for a moment she would try to see if she could see any eyes behind that mask as she would sigh. "So now that we are here, what are you looking for? And how does it help me?" She would ask wanting to avoid talking about the fact she was still in the middle of trying to work out the creases in her outfit from being stuffed in the pocket of the beast. Her fairy eyes locked on his as shee looked at him carefully to judge the merit of the next words he spoke, her trust was still in the air, though he had been incredibly helpful getting them to... wherever here is, and if he had more of those arrows then making him a trusted ally would grant her a powerful infiltrator would it not?</s>
<\|description\|>Donovan MacConaill Gender: Male Appearance: Sporting the physique from his college football days, Donovan stands at 6'2" and weighs 220lbs (other features are as the picture shows.) Goals: To build a new world for his fellow man before finally joining his wife in the afterlife. Past Life: The old man took another sip of his coffee as he walked the dimly lit Philidelphia streets. For the last five years he'd been making this trek nightly, ever since Beatrice had last her battle with cancer. It helped him keep going, despite the loneliness he felt without her; reminded him of why he got out of bed in the morning despite the protests of his aging body. He passed by a diner; closed by now of course. Between the peeling paint and dirt-stained windows, it's age and level of disrepair were apparent. But past the moldering wood and crumbling plaster, the old man saw something else-- a memory. A tired-eyed young man was seated at one of the booths. Across from him was a scrawny, elderly fellow, wearing a well-ironed white shirt. The waitress was the most beautiful thing the young fellow had ever seen. Her name was Beatrice. Continuing down the road, the old man continued to reminisce. The streets around him were important to him. They were where he'd walked Bea home every night from work. Where he'd taught all seven of their children to drive. Before he'd even realized; he was once again where his life took a turn for the better. A bridge. A small, dainty little thing. Not to mention ugly as sin. It'd been his first design after graduating from his civil engineering courses back so many years ago. He'd just about been ready to jump off the damn thing to his death. Just the thought of it made him chuckle. To give up on life over such a silly little thing? What a fool he'd been back then. If Reverend Stuart hadn't pulled him away from the ledge that day, and treated him to lunch-- it all would've ended there. Donovan smiled at the moon overhead, it'd been nearly 60 years since that life changing day. And in that time he'd built much more than bridges, and skyscrapers; he built a family, a legacy-- a life. One he was truly grateful for. Donovan yawned as he bundled himself up tight in his jacket and sat down on the sidewalk of the bridge. Was it just him, or was the air a wee bit chillier than usual tonight. Maybe he was just tired. A few minutes of sleep wouldn't bring an end to his nightly stroll, would it? Abilities: [Physical Conditioning: Peak human] Your body is naturally tough, durable, and strong. The pinnacle of human physical strength, endurance, and agility. Keep training, and surely you can surpass even stronger beings. [Soul Flare] The ability to turn ones soul into a weapon itself. Needed for most basic magical feats. Channel the mana present in the air through your body to achieve great feats. Allows one to interact with supernatural things, and perceive things others may not. [Foreman] Because of your past lifes accomplishments, you have been granted the ability to summon your own personal army of construction workers. They take an ethereal appearance and number from 5-20 depending on how many are needed for the job. These people do not tire, do not require rest or breaks and could theoretically stay active 24/7. However, they run on your own personal physical stamina and Magic ability. With proper planning, timing, and personal training, they could finish building a project that would have taken a month, in little over a week or so. All you have to do is give them direction and make sure you have your plans in hand. They are incapable of fighting, and may be disrupted with certain magical skills. [Whispers of Suthainn] Though this God was once known by a different name, you have given it another. What is a name, aside from how one is recognized? Oft, Gods go by many names. Perhaps this is no different. Its agelessness and ancient fury remain but a distant, fleeting, feeling. You have made contact with a currently nameless God. You know little about them, save for the iconography of the Serpent and Star. The only thing you know, is that when you invoke its abilities you sense an ageless, unfathomable, yet comforting and fleeting presence. Underneath however, lies an ancient, furious anger silently watching and judging you. Whatever the case, you seem to be able to channel small divine miracles related to purification with some effort. [Stealth (lesser)] You've managed to acquire some knowhow for moving unseen and unheard. While its not going to fool any particularly vigilant person or animal, you could easily slip by unnoticed by unaware or those distracted by something else. Less agile acrobatics, and more simply being able to use your surroundings to slip around unseen. [Point Fracture] An ability to 'fracture' the flow of time on a space. A rather dangerous ability in theory but weak in practice, since it causes time in the affected small area to become twisted and knotted, merging time into a brief single point before it explodes outwards with rainbow colored shards. Weak, but effective in dealing minor injuries or disrupting singular targets or objects. This is an ability your patron has gifted, or you have learned through them in some manner. Can reasonably be expanded or modified to be stronger or divergent abilities with proper practice or use. Does not cause lasting Time Wounds in an area, and is clearly divine in nature which other divinities will recognize in some manner, even if not the specific god. Inventory: * Serpent Star Necklace * Ancient Shield * Ancient War-Hammer * Illu Gem * Gambeson {Equipped}</s> <\|message\|>Bella Rosso The further and further they walked, the more and more Augusta started to question her choice. Still, it was the choice that she had made. She needed to see it through at this point. No matter the weird experiment, cryptic wall designs or tar-like plants, she would move forward with her companions! Still, it didn't mean it made her feel very good. Perhaps it was the fact that they seemed to be moving in deeper to the earth but she felt like it was getting harder to breath. Perhaps her nerves were actually getting to her. A shame, really. She had almost thought she wouldn't be afraid of dying again but the first time around was rather... Frightening. The elven woman pushed the thoughts out of her mind as best she could and focused on the here and now. There were tar plants like back on the surface when Octavia first appeared. There was no doubt it was related. Perhaps they should prepare for more demon dogs? She stepped forward to move ahead with Isidore, ready to use her eye to their advantage if they needed to... But well, Nick was having cold feet now. Something to do with his power? She frowned, hoping they'd all go forward together despite his warning of danger. She was slightly shook, but didn't show it or try to think of it. The woman turned to Nick and smiled. "Well, it's fine if you don't. I think Isidore and I are going regardless. If it's a living thing, I can gleam information from it and all. It's probably related to Octavia there anyhow, isn't it? My curiosity will probably be the death of me, but not today." There was a confidence in her voice. Augusta cleared her throat and spoke again. "I won't think any worse of you one way or the other. If you want to come with us ahead or retreat to the surface. Same goes for you too, Donovan, of course. Not that it's been long since I've met Nick or Isidore but it's only been some minutes." She gave them both a smile and moved towards Isidore and Octavia, ready to head forward.</s> <\|message\|>Narkissa Langdon Narkissa Langdon As far as Narkissa was concerned, what she saw was impossible. Then again, the original appearance of the wall in front of them should have been impossible, so the sight of the strange man flying, if briefly, on ethereal wings was no less strange than any one of the things that she had seen or happened to her today. Then, in the blink of an eye, he was over the wall and gone. He had escaped. That also meant that Narkissa was now alone. With the stone giant. She had long lost track of her other brief allies, Leanna and Donovan, leaving her by her lonesome in the stone ruins. Thankfully, it seemed that the giant had been disoriented by Malphas' escape and busied itself scanning the area. By the time that it glanced in her direction, she had long ducked into the safety of the building. Perhaps she could attempt to scale the wall when the giant had its attention taken elsewhere. For now, she looked around the room; seeing another weapons pile, she was drawn towards it. An axe was rather less than ideal; to her, a sword felt more natural, and for one she searched, biding her time before she could attempt the wall herself.</s> <\|message\|>Oda Nobunaga Kyrinth, hm? By context it was easy to establish that there was some kind of threat... Nobunaga didn't push for any further answers immediately. Rather, she decided to observe their surroundings. While this girl certainly had some useful information, it was also a good idea to wait until they could speak to someone with greater authority. Something she did quickly notice, however, was the fact that only Lazhira had that silvery tattoo, among all the other people in the village... did that denote her position in some manner? It may have been unwise to ask directly, but perhaps not. Regardless, it could wait for now. At the moment she was attempting to absorb as much information as she could as quickly as she could. Their surroundings were quite rural, but the village seemed populated with a number of people. Ah, she was offering them to go to her place? That hardly seemed like a poor idea, as much as Nobunaga desired to speak to someone in power. Coming to understand the kind of culture they were dealing with was a valuable thing. But before she could finish her offer... A great beast burst into view, surrounded by spear-wielding men. It did not have any specific comparison to a living creature Nobunaga had seen in her previous lifetime, but it was likely the Kyrinth that Lazhira had mentioned previously. This was an opportunity. Nobunaga placed her hand on the hilt of her katana, stepping forward. "I believe I may know a few things," she said, simply, as she approached. As the small girl approached the circle of spear-wielding men, unsheathing her blade as she did, she took stock of the enemy. It was well-defended by silvery scales arranged in something like a pelt, and had quite clearly eaten a man. However... the underside of the animal did not appear so sturdy. In that case... "I understand I may be a foreigner here, but if the men to the beast's left side would harrass it with their spears I would be quite grateful," she said, raising her weapon carefully, "You need not place yourselves in any further danger, simply get its attention." Attacking the creature from head on would be foolish, as that was where its offense was focused. But all Nobunaga needed was a brief moment of distraction... as she was the smallest potential threat to the creature, it was unlikely that it would focus on her. Even if a piercing blow to the flank did not kill it, being able to make the first strike while it was distracted would be ideal. @PKMNB0Y@Crimson Paladin</s> <\|message\|>Takeshima Misaki (formerly Takeshima Mamoru) Being used to the social structure of the modern-day globalized world did not make things any better for Misaki as she followed Lazirha into the village; the odd stares from those who lived here made it obvious that they were foreigners, and some part of that irony was not lost upon her given how Japan usually was. Of course, being aware of that which was 'foreign' was but human nature, and so she couldn't necessarily fault them for much of anything. Rather, given the current situation (and how they didn't seem to be going after them in any meaningful way), it seemed best to let sleeping dogs lie. At least, for the moment. "Your house? Well, if it wouldn't be any—" she began to say, only for the arrival of a massive beast to stop her mid-sentence. Of course, it wasn't like she could do much of anything about it; the arm that fell from its maw only solidified that idea within her mind. Going after it for the moment would be tantamount to suicide, and though the various spoils of previous hunts adorned the village, the exasperation from one of the apparent hunter at seeing one sent mixed signals. Regardless of that, though, it wasn't as if there was much she could do regardless. "Sorry, but I've never held a weapon in my life," she said, taking a step back as she shook her head. Seeing Nobunaga move so confidently forward to take on the beast, though, gave her a bit of reprieve in that regard. Escaping death thrice over in a single day was already insanity enough, given how she had already crossed that boundary once already... @Rune_Alchemist@Crimson Paladin</s>	<\|message\|>Donovan MacConaill Don knelt down to inspect the dead bodies littering their path, had the plants done this? Or had they been slain long before the plants had taken root? The large man shifted uncomfortably as his hand rubbed his chin. Was it wise to continue further? Or would it lead them to certain doom? Whatever had been nesting down here, was meant to be kept here, trapped and hidden. Had that messy tangle out in the courtyard been a smaller chunk of this greater mass? Well-- it was hard to imagine it came from anywhere else. Moving forward, Don reached the door; running his fingers across the many fine grooves etched into it's ancient surface. It took less than a moment for Don to notice what lay outside the circle of protective sigils, a rather distinct design of two serpents on either side of the door sharing an orb in their fangs. Don knew in the pit of his gut that this bore a connection to the pin he'd found. "Oi Augusta--" he called to the elf girl, as he produced the pin from his jacket, "Yer eyes tell ya anything about this?" Holding the pin out for Augusta to examine, Don focused those energies once more-- attempting to make the pin glow just enough to be clearly visible in the darkness.</s>
<\|description\|>Donovan MacConaill Gender: Male Appearance: Sporting the physique from his college football days, Donovan stands at 6'2" and weighs 220lbs (other features are as the picture shows.) Goals: To build a new world for his fellow man before finally joining his wife in the afterlife. Past Life: The old man took another sip of his coffee as he walked the dimly lit Philidelphia streets. For the last five years he'd been making this trek nightly, ever since Beatrice had last her battle with cancer. It helped him keep going, despite the loneliness he felt without her; reminded him of why he got out of bed in the morning despite the protests of his aging body. He passed by a diner; closed by now of course. Between the peeling paint and dirt-stained windows, it's age and level of disrepair were apparent. But past the moldering wood and crumbling plaster, the old man saw something else-- a memory. A tired-eyed young man was seated at one of the booths. Across from him was a scrawny, elderly fellow, wearing a well-ironed white shirt. The waitress was the most beautiful thing the young fellow had ever seen. Her name was Beatrice. Continuing down the road, the old man continued to reminisce. The streets around him were important to him. They were where he'd walked Bea home every night from work. Where he'd taught all seven of their children to drive. Before he'd even realized; he was once again where his life took a turn for the better. A bridge. A small, dainty little thing. Not to mention ugly as sin. It'd been his first design after graduating from his civil engineering courses back so many years ago. He'd just about been ready to jump off the damn thing to his death. Just the thought of it made him chuckle. To give up on life over such a silly little thing? What a fool he'd been back then. If Reverend Stuart hadn't pulled him away from the ledge that day, and treated him to lunch-- it all would've ended there. Donovan smiled at the moon overhead, it'd been nearly 60 years since that life changing day. And in that time he'd built much more than bridges, and skyscrapers; he built a family, a legacy-- a life. One he was truly grateful for. Donovan yawned as he bundled himself up tight in his jacket and sat down on the sidewalk of the bridge. Was it just him, or was the air a wee bit chillier than usual tonight. Maybe he was just tired. A few minutes of sleep wouldn't bring an end to his nightly stroll, would it? Abilities: [Physical Conditioning: Peak human] Your body is naturally tough, durable, and strong. The pinnacle of human physical strength, endurance, and agility. Keep training, and surely you can surpass even stronger beings. [Soul Flare] The ability to turn ones soul into a weapon itself. Needed for most basic magical feats. Channel the mana present in the air through your body to achieve great feats. Allows one to interact with supernatural things, and perceive things others may not. [Foreman] Because of your past lifes accomplishments, you have been granted the ability to summon your own personal army of construction workers. They take an ethereal appearance and number from 5-20 depending on how many are needed for the job. These people do not tire, do not require rest or breaks and could theoretically stay active 24/7. However, they run on your own personal physical stamina and Magic ability. With proper planning, timing, and personal training, they could finish building a project that would have taken a month, in little over a week or so. All you have to do is give them direction and make sure you have your plans in hand. They are incapable of fighting, and may be disrupted with certain magical skills. [Whispers of Suthainn] Though this God was once known by a different name, you have given it another. What is a name, aside from how one is recognized? Oft, Gods go by many names. Perhaps this is no different. Its agelessness and ancient fury remain but a distant, fleeting, feeling. You have made contact with a currently nameless God. You know little about them, save for the iconography of the Serpent and Star. The only thing you know, is that when you invoke its abilities you sense an ageless, unfathomable, yet comforting and fleeting presence. Underneath however, lies an ancient, furious anger silently watching and judging you. Whatever the case, you seem to be able to channel small divine miracles related to purification with some effort. [Stealth (lesser)] You've managed to acquire some knowhow for moving unseen and unheard. While its not going to fool any particularly vigilant person or animal, you could easily slip by unnoticed by unaware or those distracted by something else. Less agile acrobatics, and more simply being able to use your surroundings to slip around unseen. [Point Fracture] An ability to 'fracture' the flow of time on a space. A rather dangerous ability in theory but weak in practice, since it causes time in the affected small area to become twisted and knotted, merging time into a brief single point before it explodes outwards with rainbow colored shards. Weak, but effective in dealing minor injuries or disrupting singular targets or objects. This is an ability your patron has gifted, or you have learned through them in some manner. Can reasonably be expanded or modified to be stronger or divergent abilities with proper practice or use. Does not cause lasting Time Wounds in an area, and is clearly divine in nature which other divinities will recognize in some manner, even if not the specific god. Inventory: * Serpent Star Necklace * Ancient Shield * Ancient War-Hammer * Illu Gem * Gambeson {Equipped}</s> <\|message\|>Oda Nobunaga Nobunaga had never embraced the supernatural. If it existed or not, it mattered little to her, there was no need to kowtow to some divine being that had no true proof in its existence. But this was a world where such beings provably existed, and once again she had come face to face with one. That did not mean that she felt it necessary to engage in worship, however. She sought an audience, and the ritual was merely fulfilling the conditions to gain one. The petite black-haired girl lowered the flute. Indeed, Nobunaga did not believe in the worship of deities as it were, though she supposed religion could be a uniting force. That being said, this was the Kyrnith's domain. Its territory. It would be foolish not to treat it politely and with respect, just as any guest should treat their host, or any two negotiators should treat one another. Nobunaga bowed, politely. "We are here to seek an audience, o Kyrnith," she began as she straightened, "As you mentioned, it has been some time since the villagers came here to offer you tribute." In a world where the gods existed, it was a matter of negotiation. Of diplomacy. "Their failure to uphold their end of the bargain has lead to the suffering of the village, and left you without tribute. So I shall not hide my intentions." She spread her arms. "I believe the potential of a new deal that benefits both yourself and the people of the village equally remains." @PKMNB0Y</s> <\|message\|>Takeshima Misaki (formerly Takeshima Mamoru) Misaki crinkled her nose in slight distaste once the smell of the burning reed hit her nostrils. She had encountered something similar once in the past—on a brief trip overseas to America—but even with this little, the stench was almost enough to warrant her backing away entirely. Even so, there was still a job she had to do, even if it meant putting up with... This. Maybe it was her sensitive nose speaking, but the intensity of the burning smoke felt so much stronger than it should have been; given Nobunaga's reaction, though, that was likely the case. As her companion played the flute, though, the foxgirl placed her attention elsewhere—mainly towards the deer who, at this point, had focused their attention towards them instead. It was expected, yes, but no less unnerving to experience. As the song reached its end, a massive deer broke through the woods, causing the foxgirl to immediately snap to attention. Its appearance was certainly awe-inspiring—like something out of a proper fantasy story—and the way that it spoke so easily to them only served to further cement that mental image within her mind. At the very least, introducing itself as the Kyrinth made everything a lot easier to digest. She wasn't any more religious than her Japanese peers, but it was a different matter when seeing a divinity in the flesh. Of course, Misaki was promptly snapped out of her awestruck stupoqr as it addressed her. As Nobunaga spoke to the Kyrinth, the foxgirl nodded and slowly walked up to the fawn that had been following them and, after a brief pause, left the untouched reeds in front of it. She wasn't in any position to negotiate, nor did she know how to do so with someone of this stature anyhow, which meant leaving the matter to Nobunaga seemed to be the best option anyhow. @Rune_Alchemist</s> <\|message\|>Novak Novak The line of light leading to the unexplored path was definitely worth investigating, but the pedestal room was of far more interest to Novak. There were figures of light, figures that had not been visible without the mask, whispering indiscernibly. A chill ran down his spine as the realization dawned upon him- whether these were spirits, phantoms, or vestiges, he and Leannah were not alone down here. A small part of him wondered if it had been a mistake to use the mask, before the rest of him banished the notion- the truth may be scary, but with knowledge came power. Novak picked up the glowing crystal and slowly approached the pedestal room and the invisible beings within. As he entered the room, however, the figures dispersed. Had they fled from his presence? Was there a consciousness within them? Or was it merely magic taking the form of humanoid figures? The phantoms were not the only thing to respond to his arrival; several images lit up upon the pedestal. These appeared to be a crown, sphere, trident, eye, and...a chain link. Curious. Novak wasn't sure what it meant, not yet. Still holding the mask to his face, he looked around the room, hoping to find clues. Upon the walls there were several strange markings carved. Each was a set of what looked like tally marks, or an equivalent simple numbering system, ranging from one through five. It wasn't clear, however, what they were referencing or alluding to. Novak removed the mask, curious as to what was visible without it, and what he saw was quite curious. Under the light of the glowing crystal, the tally marks were gone, but next to where they had been, he could now see previously unseen carvings identical to those on the pedestal. Where the "1" tally had been, there was now a carving of the eye. The sphere was with 2, the crown with 3, the trident with 4, and the chain link with 5. If it's assigning them an order, it's "eye, sphere, crown, trident, chain link", he observed. It was fortunate he had taken the mask, because even if he had opted to explore the pedestal room without it, he would have not been able to discern the tally marks. Now the challenge would be how to correctly apply this knowledge. Perhaps if I were to select the glowing pedestal images in order... Novak carefully touched the luminous images on the pedestal in the order corresponding to the tally marks. First was the eye, then the sphere, then the crown, next the trident, and finally the chain link. He hoped that this world work, and that if it didn't, that it at least wouldn't make things worse.</s> <\|message\|>Nicholas "Nick" Gallagher The Journey Begins ~ Dawn ~ Interacted with: @Rune_Alchemist, @PKMNB0Y, @VitaVitaAR "They went where?" Nick just saw them a while ago! How could they have already gone? They sure were fast. Nick was told they went into the forest and towards 'Kyrnith's Grove'. He could hazard a guess as to what they would be doing there. Nick wondered if he should go get Donovan for this, but decided to head off on his own. He just needed to find those two girls, right? Surely he would not encounter anything untoward in the forest so long as he didn't go looking for it, right? He thanked Haruno, especially for telling him the easiest path there, before quickly making his way to the forest. Hold on, if those two were meeting with Kyrnith, then this could be his chance to meet the deer god himself. The thought made him hesitate. Oh man, what was he gonna say? Does he ask the deity his questions first? Will it even entertain him? Or flat-out just smite him on the spot? Oof, that one sent shivers down the spine. No, no, Nick told himself to stop worrying about it. He should meet with this Kyrnith before deciding what to do next. Nick approached the forest line and took a gulp of air. He was no trekker of woods, but he did escape from that prison-ruins place and had some success against those evil gooey creatures. He also had directions, so what was he really worried about? A lot, in fact, but Nick put those thoughts down and entered the domain of Kyrnith to search for the grove as well as those two 'Chagawan' girls.</s>	<\|message\|>Donovan MacConaill Don nodded to Lady Mie as she offered him the small sack of fruit, "Yer a generous soul lass-" he responded with a smile, giving the 'gambesons' a steady lookover as he spoke; though they weren't a single shirt like Don would've preferred the material seemed sturdy enough. "Consider et done." Even though the thought the merchant may have possibly upcharged him; taking advantage of the fact he was clearly in a rush, and clearly was unfamiliar with the market-- Don pushed it from his mind. He could worry about being swindled later... The village's safety came first. He headed east, towards and into the forest; the creature's less than subtle tracks making his job rather easy. Before long, he would come across a giant weasel-looking thing; which appeared to be the source of the rather obvious trail. Reaching into the sack he was given, Don tore a small chunk off one of the fruits tossed it before the Kamaitachi, slowly approaching the creature with another chunk extended in his hand. This task was easy. Too damn easy.... "Aye wonder why she ain't sent nobodeh else tah get cha..."</s>
<\|description\|>Donovan MacConaill Gender: Male Appearance: Sporting the physique from his college football days, Donovan stands at 6'2" and weighs 220lbs (other features are as the picture shows.) Goals: To build a new world for his fellow man before finally joining his wife in the afterlife. Past Life: The old man took another sip of his coffee as he walked the dimly lit Philidelphia streets. For the last five years he'd been making this trek nightly, ever since Beatrice had last her battle with cancer. It helped him keep going, despite the loneliness he felt without her; reminded him of why he got out of bed in the morning despite the protests of his aging body. He passed by a diner; closed by now of course. Between the peeling paint and dirt-stained windows, it's age and level of disrepair were apparent. But past the moldering wood and crumbling plaster, the old man saw something else-- a memory. A tired-eyed young man was seated at one of the booths. Across from him was a scrawny, elderly fellow, wearing a well-ironed white shirt. The waitress was the most beautiful thing the young fellow had ever seen. Her name was Beatrice. Continuing down the road, the old man continued to reminisce. The streets around him were important to him. They were where he'd walked Bea home every night from work. Where he'd taught all seven of their children to drive. Before he'd even realized; he was once again where his life took a turn for the better. A bridge. A small, dainty little thing. Not to mention ugly as sin. It'd been his first design after graduating from his civil engineering courses back so many years ago. He'd just about been ready to jump off the damn thing to his death. Just the thought of it made him chuckle. To give up on life over such a silly little thing? What a fool he'd been back then. If Reverend Stuart hadn't pulled him away from the ledge that day, and treated him to lunch-- it all would've ended there. Donovan smiled at the moon overhead, it'd been nearly 60 years since that life changing day. And in that time he'd built much more than bridges, and skyscrapers; he built a family, a legacy-- a life. One he was truly grateful for. Donovan yawned as he bundled himself up tight in his jacket and sat down on the sidewalk of the bridge. Was it just him, or was the air a wee bit chillier than usual tonight. Maybe he was just tired. A few minutes of sleep wouldn't bring an end to his nightly stroll, would it? Abilities: [Physical Conditioning: Peak human] Your body is naturally tough, durable, and strong. The pinnacle of human physical strength, endurance, and agility. Keep training, and surely you can surpass even stronger beings. [Soul Flare] The ability to turn ones soul into a weapon itself. Needed for most basic magical feats. Channel the mana present in the air through your body to achieve great feats. Allows one to interact with supernatural things, and perceive things others may not. [Foreman] Because of your past lifes accomplishments, you have been granted the ability to summon your own personal army of construction workers. They take an ethereal appearance and number from 5-20 depending on how many are needed for the job. These people do not tire, do not require rest or breaks and could theoretically stay active 24/7. However, they run on your own personal physical stamina and Magic ability. With proper planning, timing, and personal training, they could finish building a project that would have taken a month, in little over a week or so. All you have to do is give them direction and make sure you have your plans in hand. They are incapable of fighting, and may be disrupted with certain magical skills. [Whispers of Suthainn] Though this God was once known by a different name, you have given it another. What is a name, aside from how one is recognized? Oft, Gods go by many names. Perhaps this is no different. Its agelessness and ancient fury remain but a distant, fleeting, feeling. You have made contact with a currently nameless God. You know little about them, save for the iconography of the Serpent and Star. The only thing you know, is that when you invoke its abilities you sense an ageless, unfathomable, yet comforting and fleeting presence. Underneath however, lies an ancient, furious anger silently watching and judging you. Whatever the case, you seem to be able to channel small divine miracles related to purification with some effort. [Stealth (lesser)] You've managed to acquire some knowhow for moving unseen and unheard. While its not going to fool any particularly vigilant person or animal, you could easily slip by unnoticed by unaware or those distracted by something else. Less agile acrobatics, and more simply being able to use your surroundings to slip around unseen. [Point Fracture] An ability to 'fracture' the flow of time on a space. A rather dangerous ability in theory but weak in practice, since it causes time in the affected small area to become twisted and knotted, merging time into a brief single point before it explodes outwards with rainbow colored shards. Weak, but effective in dealing minor injuries or disrupting singular targets or objects. This is an ability your patron has gifted, or you have learned through them in some manner. Can reasonably be expanded or modified to be stronger or divergent abilities with proper practice or use. Does not cause lasting Time Wounds in an area, and is clearly divine in nature which other divinities will recognize in some manner, even if not the specific god. Inventory: * Serpent Star Necklace * Ancient Shield * Ancient War-Hammer * Illu Gem * Gambeson {Equipped}</s> <\|message\|>Oda Nobunaga Nobunaga brushed off the statements by the new arrival. She had little interest in openly discussing her own otherworldly nature(nor any reason to reveal that she was the same as him). No, she had a far more important purpose. A smile crossed the small girl's lips. "In that case, my proposal is a simple one," she began, "It is plain to me that the value of access to the forest was not enough to override the desire for knowledge, even if they lack any idea of how this pursuit could effect them." She spread her arms. "Of course, you could merely insist this pursuit was punished in forming a new deal, but even the threat of punishment cannot stay the desire for knowledge," Nobunaga continued, "As such, that desire must be met with something else. Not only must this adherence to this reckless and careless God of Knowledge be punished, but an outlet for the desire for knowledge must be provided." Nobunaga's smile grew. She had considered this the moment that the Kyrinth spoke of the root of the trouble between itself and the villagers. "The villagers are to protect the forest, to ensure that it will flourish, to treat it as valuable not only for the sake of the resources they require but also for its own sake," the warlord continued with a flourish of one hand, "Because the guardian of the forest is also their beloved teacher." The value placed on a teacher, someone who gave their knowledge to others, was high. And in a world like this... there was so much that the elder beast could share, wasn't there? "You cannot move against this god directly, but you can supplant its purpose," the very thought of punishing the reckless god of knowledge in such a way, even if he had long sense moved on from this experiment, was pleasing to the practical-minded girl, "Those who seek knowledge will merely need to consult with the teacher they knew from childhood. The one whose very existence is tied to the natural world, whose knowledge of this world improves their lives." She had no way of knowing just what the Kyrinth knew, but its very nature as a beast of the natural world and the title of 'Elder' implied wisdom if nothing else. "Replace this god of knowledge. The value of not only access to the forest, but of a teacher who is far less reckless and far more wise, who will become beloved for the knowledge they pass on, will seal a renewed pact with the villagers. After all, knowledge is a valuable thing, and thus those who can provide that knowledge are beyond value." It was something of a gambit... but surely, the capacity to guarantee care for the forest improve giving knowledge, and also begin wearing down the reckless deity's influence... it had to count for something, didn't it? @PKMNB0Y@PaulHaynek</s> <\|message\|>Takeshima Misaki (formerly Takeshima Mamoru) The fact that the deer seemed to not shy away from her touched gave Misaki more than enough of a push to actually begin petting the animal, her hands scratching behind its ears and under its chin as she might a dog or cat. The foxgirl took care not to be too rough with her touch—though it did seem to enjoy what contact she had given it—and the reaction given in response to that was positive enough for her to keep going. It was this action that she chose to use as cover against the newcomer's words; if she did not yet trust the others who had so suddenly come up to her the day before, then what reason did she have to act the same towards this one? Reasonably speaking, though, their desire to return to Earth was not something unwarranted, but considering that statement brought to mind her last moments. "Going back" probably wasn't an option for her, loathe as she was to admit it, which meant that their goals did not so easily align. It wasn't like she had a clue as to what this person had in store or if he could be trusted, either, though. Nobunaga's suggestion, though, had caught the young woman off guard. To suggest that the Kyrinth be a teacher to the residents of the town... The thought hadn't crossed Misaki's mind, but the way it was framed made it seem like a fairly reasonable way to repair the broken contract between the two factions. It wasn't foolproof, of course—if there were people working against the Kyrinth still milling about, then it was possible that they could incite ill will as rogue agents. That much needed to be addressed, else their efforts go to naught before 'proper' negotiations began. "I think that replacing that 'god' would go a long way," Misaki began, slowly turning to face the Kyrinth as she continued to pet the deer's head, "but that's not really a 'true' solution, is it? People aren't ants or bees; not everyone will unilaterally agree on a course of action. But it might be better to at least reward the ones who maintain this relationship, rather than only punishing those who do not." What that might entail, though, would probably fall to the townsfolk; it seemed that they already feared the Kyrinth prior to their meeting now, so turning it into something more benevolent (in their eyes) rather than purely terrifying... Logically speaking, it'd probably be better for everyone in the long run, right? @Rune_Alchemist@PaulHaynek</s>	<\|message\|>Donovan MacConaill Donovan laughed heartily at the little lady's protests as he ran from the pursuing creature, "Lass, much as aye'd be happeh tah help ya pulp th' damn thing-- aye been hired tah return et to th' folk that own... An' they wannet alive!" Don did his best to duck branches and weave between trees as he ran, but the giant rat-creature seemed to be a hell of a lot faster than he'd thought and was hot on his heels; and the fact that the dwarf was wiggling so much didn't help. "Quit strugglin'! Yer slowin us down!" As the creature drew ever closer, Don called upon that divine might once more-- the ever present force protecting and empowering him. He channeled that power downward through every nerve, muscle, and tendon in his leg. As the Kamaitachi would pounce, Don would fire the gathered power out his back foot, launching himself forward!</s>
<\|description\|>Donovan MacConaill Gender: Male Appearance: Sporting the physique from his college football days, Donovan stands at 6'2" and weighs 220lbs (other features are as the picture shows.) Goals: To build a new world for his fellow man before finally joining his wife in the afterlife. Past Life: The old man took another sip of his coffee as he walked the dimly lit Philidelphia streets. For the last five years he'd been making this trek nightly, ever since Beatrice had last her battle with cancer. It helped him keep going, despite the loneliness he felt without her; reminded him of why he got out of bed in the morning despite the protests of his aging body. He passed by a diner; closed by now of course. Between the peeling paint and dirt-stained windows, it's age and level of disrepair were apparent. But past the moldering wood and crumbling plaster, the old man saw something else-- a memory. A tired-eyed young man was seated at one of the booths. Across from him was a scrawny, elderly fellow, wearing a well-ironed white shirt. The waitress was the most beautiful thing the young fellow had ever seen. Her name was Beatrice. Continuing down the road, the old man continued to reminisce. The streets around him were important to him. They were where he'd walked Bea home every night from work. Where he'd taught all seven of their children to drive. Before he'd even realized; he was once again where his life took a turn for the better. A bridge. A small, dainty little thing. Not to mention ugly as sin. It'd been his first design after graduating from his civil engineering courses back so many years ago. He'd just about been ready to jump off the damn thing to his death. Just the thought of it made him chuckle. To give up on life over such a silly little thing? What a fool he'd been back then. If Reverend Stuart hadn't pulled him away from the ledge that day, and treated him to lunch-- it all would've ended there. Donovan smiled at the moon overhead, it'd been nearly 60 years since that life changing day. And in that time he'd built much more than bridges, and skyscrapers; he built a family, a legacy-- a life. One he was truly grateful for. Donovan yawned as he bundled himself up tight in his jacket and sat down on the sidewalk of the bridge. Was it just him, or was the air a wee bit chillier than usual tonight. Maybe he was just tired. A few minutes of sleep wouldn't bring an end to his nightly stroll, would it? Abilities: [Physical Conditioning: Peak human] Your body is naturally tough, durable, and strong. The pinnacle of human physical strength, endurance, and agility. Keep training, and surely you can surpass even stronger beings. [Soul Flare] The ability to turn ones soul into a weapon itself. Needed for most basic magical feats. Channel the mana present in the air through your body to achieve great feats. Allows one to interact with supernatural things, and perceive things others may not. [Foreman] Because of your past lifes accomplishments, you have been granted the ability to summon your own personal army of construction workers. They take an ethereal appearance and number from 5-20 depending on how many are needed for the job. These people do not tire, do not require rest or breaks and could theoretically stay active 24/7. However, they run on your own personal physical stamina and Magic ability. With proper planning, timing, and personal training, they could finish building a project that would have taken a month, in little over a week or so. All you have to do is give them direction and make sure you have your plans in hand. They are incapable of fighting, and may be disrupted with certain magical skills. [Whispers of Suthainn] Though this God was once known by a different name, you have given it another. What is a name, aside from how one is recognized? Oft, Gods go by many names. Perhaps this is no different. Its agelessness and ancient fury remain but a distant, fleeting, feeling. You have made contact with a currently nameless God. You know little about them, save for the iconography of the Serpent and Star. The only thing you know, is that when you invoke its abilities you sense an ageless, unfathomable, yet comforting and fleeting presence. Underneath however, lies an ancient, furious anger silently watching and judging you. Whatever the case, you seem to be able to channel small divine miracles related to purification with some effort. [Stealth (lesser)] You've managed to acquire some knowhow for moving unseen and unheard. While its not going to fool any particularly vigilant person or animal, you could easily slip by unnoticed by unaware or those distracted by something else. Less agile acrobatics, and more simply being able to use your surroundings to slip around unseen. [Point Fracture] An ability to 'fracture' the flow of time on a space. A rather dangerous ability in theory but weak in practice, since it causes time in the affected small area to become twisted and knotted, merging time into a brief single point before it explodes outwards with rainbow colored shards. Weak, but effective in dealing minor injuries or disrupting singular targets or objects. This is an ability your patron has gifted, or you have learned through them in some manner. Can reasonably be expanded or modified to be stronger or divergent abilities with proper practice or use. Does not cause lasting Time Wounds in an area, and is clearly divine in nature which other divinities will recognize in some manner, even if not the specific god. Inventory: * Serpent Star Necklace * Ancient Shield * Ancient War-Hammer * Illu Gem * Gambeson {Equipped}</s> <\|message\|>Nicholas "Nick" Gallagher The Journey Begins ~ Kyrnith's Grove ~ Interacted with: @Rune_Alchemist, @PKMNB0Y, @VitaVitaAR "I'd say that making a trail would be easier than constructing another shrine, but since your grove is just a couple of stone slabs sitting atop each other then I suppose making a new one's definitely the easier option." Nick agreed with the Elder Beast's idea. "We should probably include, like, a board with a list of directions on how to meet you and all." "...That's reassuring." Nick sarcastically replied. "I'll try to go as soon as I can, but I'm going to stick around and help take down this God Of Knowledge guy as well as build your shrine for the village of Dawn. I mean, fair's fair, right?" Nick then looked toward Nobunaga and Misaki. "So bottom line, we starve out the God Of Knowledge by essentially replacing him with Kyrnith, right?" He then sighed. "I doubt the Knowledge God's followers will just roll over and let us do this, though, so we'll have to watch out. Say, since we'll be working together, mind blessing me with your names? I heard that people work together better if they know each others' names."</s> <\|message\|>"Malphas" Malphas Delivery!@Rune_Alchemist Malphas looked down at the flower, then back at the foxy merchant once more. He simply needed to hand over the flowers to the merchant, but given the circumstances, perhaps he could use these as leverage? There were more things he needed to ask her, after all, especially given this turn of events. An explanation of the flower's effects could be lovely, but he was pressed on time, so he instead went to make a different proclamation: Insurance. Malphas revealed the flower to Lady Mie, but kept it just out of reach as he cleared his throat. "Before I hand you this flower, I'd like to add to our agreement. Make this transaction sweeter for the both of us, if you will." Malphas grinned, stroking an imaginary beard. He would stroke his own chin if not for fear of the flower's residue ending up on his hands. "I actually had a much easier time retrieving these herbs than I had initially surmised. Perhaps I can get more for you before you leave? In exchange, I wish for your protection. More specifically, I wish to continue to be under your management, and hopefully under your protection. I may not look it, but I am blessed with quite a few talents you may find useful, just believe me! It'd be nice to be out of this village and in the hands of a group who knows the world much better than I... So, what do you say?" Malphas offered the flower to Lady Mie with a grin. As much as he pondered about becoming a leader of these cultists and mused about his new role as Torchbearer, Malphas was not as pleased to learn he was surrounded by more potential enemies than allies in this village. The Illuminated's clandestine nature also did not seem to have much good outcomes as far as longevity was concerned. He did not want to be landlocked to such a primitive place, after all. If his fate is to be stuck in such a fantastical world where he is destined to rule, then he shall choose a much more lively and exotic place to rule over! All that aside, while Malphas wished to assure his safety in this arrangement, what he really wants is a way to get a more refined version of these poisoned flowers for his own use. Such opportunities were worth him being employed by someone else. One cannot make it to the top without first starting at the bottom. Malphas learned this lesson in his past life. While he may have had a head start due to his inborn advantages in the past, would this not be the same thing here with all these gifts given to him by the Goddess?</s> <\|message\|>Takeshima Misaki (formerly Takeshima Mamoru) Despite her apparent silence as she continued to pet the deer at her side, Misaki almost instantly snapped to attention the moment she heard Lazirha's name mentioned by the Kyrinth. Rather than worrying about any diplomatic relationships between the two groups in question, the fact that she had been called out by name emphasized that there was more to her than she had initially thought. Of course, it had been Lazirha who had set them down this path in the first place, so a relationship between the two was already possible, but that didn't make it any less noteworthy. "I thank you for your time in speaking with us," she finally said as the conversation concluded, standing up and bowing towards the Kyrinth before giving the younger deer one last scratch under the chin. As much as it seemed to have taken to her, bringing it back and away from the forest it called home didn't feel like the right thing to do. If it followed her on its own accord when they returned to the village then by all means she would keep it as a companion, but ultimately it was still a wild animal. Or, well, 'wild' by a modern definition of the term, at least. The foxgirl's move to start leaving with Nobunaga was paused by the person who had abruptly entered the conversation in the first place, and Misaki had no desire to deal with him after seeing how he had acted thus far. She could not deny the intent he seemed to have, but the way he carried himself and spoke... It just rubbed her the wrong way, and that dislike only seemed to intensify once he attempted to sidle up to them. As much as she would have preferred returning to town and speaking with the other team that had left with Lazirha (because this was most certainly relevant to them), not speaking up about the way he was acting now would be difficult at best. "What do you mean, 'we'?" she finally asked, breaking the awkward silence that had come about as a result of the young man's assertion. "Our goals may be similar, and I cannot speak for my companion, but I have no intent of working with someone so flippant as you." There was a variety of reasons for leaving things at that, but speaking bluntly about all the reasons why she didn't wish to associate with him wasn't something she would do unless pressed for that information. With that, Misaki nodded towards Nobunaga before starting down the path back to the village, come what may. @PaulHaynek@Rune_Alchemist</s> <\|message\|>Oda Nobunaga "Excellent, o Kyrinth," Nobunaga bowed her head, "Your wisdom has exceeded my already high expectations." It wasn't empty flattery. The elder beast's apparent wisdom and understanding of her intent made everything about this negotiation far easier then it could otherwise have been. It was natural to expect an ancient creature of nature such as this to have wisdom born from age, and the fact that the Kyrinth understood her intentions quite well confirmed that. Nobunaga had no doubt she could mend the relationship between the Elder Beast and the villagers, but it was the matter of destroying the worship of that fool god of knowledge that would be most complex. "I expect you shall soon hear word from the village chief. For now, farewell." With that, the petite girl turned to depart... only to be stopped by the boy who had intruded on them. He came close to outright insulting their host, and on top of that acted as if he spoke for them... "... I am disinclined to work alongside one who assumes they speak for others without asking," Nobunaga said, without facing the boy, "Nor do I care much for one who clearly runs their mouth without a single moment of consideration towards their words. Spare some thought before you speak next time, or don't speak at all." With that, she departed for the village alonside Misaki. @PKMNB0Y@PaulHaynek</s>	<\|message\|>Donovan MacConaill "Think Lass!" Donovan hissed as the beast crashed against his shield; his stance (though holding fast) tearing up topsoil as the sheer force of impact forced him back, "Herbs, spices, furs, fruit-- nuthin? Are yah sure???" Snapping jaws forced Donovan to retreat lower behind his shield, the creature's forward weight leaning almost entirely on the shield arm. Don grunted forcefully, his eyes darting about the surrounding area as he quickly assessing the situation. The Dwarf seemed clueless about what may be aggravating the beast, and the damn thing's claws and teeth were likely to rip him to bits before the Oni workers could do anything to aid him if he didnt do something quick. If he used his hammer, he'd likely kill or cripple the creature. If he used his magic, that'd draw too much attention-- and folk would start asking questions, while tipping off the hunters that he may be a threat. In a sudden motion, Don stuffed the sack of fruit he'd been given into the open jaws of the massive rodent. Gritting his teeth, Don crouched low, his back foot pivoting as he would wrench his shield out from between himself and the animal. "Arright Beastie--" he bellowed as every muscle in his body; from the tips of his toes, up his calves and into his thighs, hips core and arms, all fired in a synchronized motion-- all leading into a devastating superhuman uppercut! "Time tah learn yeh some manners!"</s>
<\|description\|>Donovan MacConaill Gender: Male Appearance: Sporting the physique from his college football days, Donovan stands at 6'2" and weighs 220lbs (other features are as the picture shows.) Goals: To build a new world for his fellow man before finally joining his wife in the afterlife. Past Life: The old man took another sip of his coffee as he walked the dimly lit Philidelphia streets. For the last five years he'd been making this trek nightly, ever since Beatrice had last her battle with cancer. It helped him keep going, despite the loneliness he felt without her; reminded him of why he got out of bed in the morning despite the protests of his aging body. He passed by a diner; closed by now of course. Between the peeling paint and dirt-stained windows, it's age and level of disrepair were apparent. But past the moldering wood and crumbling plaster, the old man saw something else-- a memory. A tired-eyed young man was seated at one of the booths. Across from him was a scrawny, elderly fellow, wearing a well-ironed white shirt. The waitress was the most beautiful thing the young fellow had ever seen. Her name was Beatrice. Continuing down the road, the old man continued to reminisce. The streets around him were important to him. They were where he'd walked Bea home every night from work. Where he'd taught all seven of their children to drive. Before he'd even realized; he was once again where his life took a turn for the better. A bridge. A small, dainty little thing. Not to mention ugly as sin. It'd been his first design after graduating from his civil engineering courses back so many years ago. He'd just about been ready to jump off the damn thing to his death. Just the thought of it made him chuckle. To give up on life over such a silly little thing? What a fool he'd been back then. If Reverend Stuart hadn't pulled him away from the ledge that day, and treated him to lunch-- it all would've ended there. Donovan smiled at the moon overhead, it'd been nearly 60 years since that life changing day. And in that time he'd built much more than bridges, and skyscrapers; he built a family, a legacy-- a life. One he was truly grateful for. Donovan yawned as he bundled himself up tight in his jacket and sat down on the sidewalk of the bridge. Was it just him, or was the air a wee bit chillier than usual tonight. Maybe he was just tired. A few minutes of sleep wouldn't bring an end to his nightly stroll, would it? Abilities: [Physical Conditioning: Peak human] Your body is naturally tough, durable, and strong. The pinnacle of human physical strength, endurance, and agility. Keep training, and surely you can surpass even stronger beings. [Soul Flare] The ability to turn ones soul into a weapon itself. Needed for most basic magical feats. Channel the mana present in the air through your body to achieve great feats. Allows one to interact with supernatural things, and perceive things others may not. [Foreman] Because of your past lifes accomplishments, you have been granted the ability to summon your own personal army of construction workers. They take an ethereal appearance and number from 5-20 depending on how many are needed for the job. These people do not tire, do not require rest or breaks and could theoretically stay active 24/7. However, they run on your own personal physical stamina and Magic ability. With proper planning, timing, and personal training, they could finish building a project that would have taken a month, in little over a week or so. All you have to do is give them direction and make sure you have your plans in hand. They are incapable of fighting, and may be disrupted with certain magical skills. [Whispers of Suthainn] Though this God was once known by a different name, you have given it another. What is a name, aside from how one is recognized? Oft, Gods go by many names. Perhaps this is no different. Its agelessness and ancient fury remain but a distant, fleeting, feeling. You have made contact with a currently nameless God. You know little about them, save for the iconography of the Serpent and Star. The only thing you know, is that when you invoke its abilities you sense an ageless, unfathomable, yet comforting and fleeting presence. Underneath however, lies an ancient, furious anger silently watching and judging you. Whatever the case, you seem to be able to channel small divine miracles related to purification with some effort. [Stealth (lesser)] You've managed to acquire some knowhow for moving unseen and unheard. While its not going to fool any particularly vigilant person or animal, you could easily slip by unnoticed by unaware or those distracted by something else. Less agile acrobatics, and more simply being able to use your surroundings to slip around unseen. [Point Fracture] An ability to 'fracture' the flow of time on a space. A rather dangerous ability in theory but weak in practice, since it causes time in the affected small area to become twisted and knotted, merging time into a brief single point before it explodes outwards with rainbow colored shards. Weak, but effective in dealing minor injuries or disrupting singular targets or objects. This is an ability your patron has gifted, or you have learned through them in some manner. Can reasonably be expanded or modified to be stronger or divergent abilities with proper practice or use. Does not cause lasting Time Wounds in an area, and is clearly divine in nature which other divinities will recognize in some manner, even if not the specific god. Inventory: * Serpent Star Necklace * Ancient Shield * Ancient War-Hammer * Illu Gem * Gambeson {Equipped}</s> <\|message\|>"Malphas" Malphas Delivery DiGiorno!@Rune_Alchemist While Mie was preoccupied with beasts, shorties, and Donovan of all people, Malphas snuck away for a moment. He pondered the idea of just tuckering out for a moment especially since he was more-or-less free from obligations for the night. Still, he was curious about the progress of the little cult of the Lightbringer or whatever it was they were called again. Definitely not his problem anymore, but still a group he has some ties to. There was also the matter of them gathering more of those flowers, perhaps one that Malphas can take for himself seeing that the fair lady didn't need anymore. Whatever the case, Malphas made his way to the temple once more, armed with his poisoned dagger. If there were any creatures to pop out at him, all he really needed to do was swipe, run, and let the poison do the rest of the work. However, unlike before, he did his best to stay quiet as he traversed the woodlands. Avoiding conflict was always a good thing, after all. Still, with no huntress to swoop in at a convenient time, Malphas wonders just how well he would fare against the next beast he comes across. Assuming his trip was uneventful, Malphas would make his way to the secret entrance once more. With all his scheming, he realized he forgot to speak to Enli! Ah well, he'll just come up with some excuse as to why. They've no reason not to trust him, after all... well, aside from the fact he's new to this world and is an absolute stranger.</s> <\|message\|>Oda Nobunaga "Then I believe you shall grow younger by another ten, perhaps twenty years with the news we bring," Nobunaga began, a smile on her lips and one hand placed to her chest as she regarded the village's chief, "The Kyrinth will be happy to meet with you and negotiate tomorrow, provided you come to the Sacred Grove yourself. I believe you may be quite intrigued by the details of the new proposal." She clapped her hands together. "However, I believe those are best kept waiting until you have the opportunity to speak with the Elder Beast itself. I should hardly like to make it appear as if I speak for it, after all." It was far more wise to ensure that the Elder Beast was able to lay out the terms of the new agreement itself, even if the terms had been suggested by Nobunaga herself. "Along that same vein, however... I'm afraid I need your assistance on some matters," the petite black-haired girl continued, "Firstly, I would like to speak with Lazhira, so if you know where she is that would be excellent. Secondly... I must know whatever information you have about the God of Knowledge." @PKMNB0Y@PaulHaynek</s>	<\|message\|>Donovan MacConaill "Nonesense Lass!" Don exclaimed with a chuckle, giving the dwarf a firm pat on the head. Though he couldn't really put his finger on it, the large man could 'sense' the little needed some help, "Ain't no sense in turnin' the Ladeh down. Least any of us can do fer yah!" The man looked to Mie, rubbing his knuckles, "Sorreh bout yer beastie. Heard somethin' break when aye hit et.". Donovan let out a deep, heaving sigh; his necklace slipping from his shirt, "Right then, waht's next?"</s>
<\|description\|>Donovan MacConaill Gender: Male Appearance: Sporting the physique from his college football days, Donovan stands at 6'2" and weighs 220lbs (other features are as the picture shows.) Goals: To build a new world for his fellow man before finally joining his wife in the afterlife. Past Life: The old man took another sip of his coffee as he walked the dimly lit Philidelphia streets. For the last five years he'd been making this trek nightly, ever since Beatrice had last her battle with cancer. It helped him keep going, despite the loneliness he felt without her; reminded him of why he got out of bed in the morning despite the protests of his aging body. He passed by a diner; closed by now of course. Between the peeling paint and dirt-stained windows, it's age and level of disrepair were apparent. But past the moldering wood and crumbling plaster, the old man saw something else-- a memory. A tired-eyed young man was seated at one of the booths. Across from him was a scrawny, elderly fellow, wearing a well-ironed white shirt. The waitress was the most beautiful thing the young fellow had ever seen. Her name was Beatrice. Continuing down the road, the old man continued to reminisce. The streets around him were important to him. They were where he'd walked Bea home every night from work. Where he'd taught all seven of their children to drive. Before he'd even realized; he was once again where his life took a turn for the better. A bridge. A small, dainty little thing. Not to mention ugly as sin. It'd been his first design after graduating from his civil engineering courses back so many years ago. He'd just about been ready to jump off the damn thing to his death. Just the thought of it made him chuckle. To give up on life over such a silly little thing? What a fool he'd been back then. If Reverend Stuart hadn't pulled him away from the ledge that day, and treated him to lunch-- it all would've ended there. Donovan smiled at the moon overhead, it'd been nearly 60 years since that life changing day. And in that time he'd built much more than bridges, and skyscrapers; he built a family, a legacy-- a life. One he was truly grateful for. Donovan yawned as he bundled himself up tight in his jacket and sat down on the sidewalk of the bridge. Was it just him, or was the air a wee bit chillier than usual tonight. Maybe he was just tired. A few minutes of sleep wouldn't bring an end to his nightly stroll, would it? Abilities: [Physical Conditioning: Peak human] Your body is naturally tough, durable, and strong. The pinnacle of human physical strength, endurance, and agility. Keep training, and surely you can surpass even stronger beings. [Soul Flare] The ability to turn ones soul into a weapon itself. Needed for most basic magical feats. Channel the mana present in the air through your body to achieve great feats. Allows one to interact with supernatural things, and perceive things others may not. [Foreman] Because of your past lifes accomplishments, you have been granted the ability to summon your own personal army of construction workers. They take an ethereal appearance and number from 5-20 depending on how many are needed for the job. These people do not tire, do not require rest or breaks and could theoretically stay active 24/7. However, they run on your own personal physical stamina and Magic ability. With proper planning, timing, and personal training, they could finish building a project that would have taken a month, in little over a week or so. All you have to do is give them direction and make sure you have your plans in hand. They are incapable of fighting, and may be disrupted with certain magical skills. [Whispers of Suthainn] Though this God was once known by a different name, you have given it another. What is a name, aside from how one is recognized? Oft, Gods go by many names. Perhaps this is no different. Its agelessness and ancient fury remain but a distant, fleeting, feeling. You have made contact with a currently nameless God. You know little about them, save for the iconography of the Serpent and Star. The only thing you know, is that when you invoke its abilities you sense an ageless, unfathomable, yet comforting and fleeting presence. Underneath however, lies an ancient, furious anger silently watching and judging you. Whatever the case, you seem to be able to channel small divine miracles related to purification with some effort. [Stealth (lesser)] You've managed to acquire some knowhow for moving unseen and unheard. While its not going to fool any particularly vigilant person or animal, you could easily slip by unnoticed by unaware or those distracted by something else. Less agile acrobatics, and more simply being able to use your surroundings to slip around unseen. [Point Fracture] An ability to 'fracture' the flow of time on a space. A rather dangerous ability in theory but weak in practice, since it causes time in the affected small area to become twisted and knotted, merging time into a brief single point before it explodes outwards with rainbow colored shards. Weak, but effective in dealing minor injuries or disrupting singular targets or objects. This is an ability your patron has gifted, or you have learned through them in some manner. Can reasonably be expanded or modified to be stronger or divergent abilities with proper practice or use. Does not cause lasting Time Wounds in an area, and is clearly divine in nature which other divinities will recognize in some manner, even if not the specific god. Inventory: * Serpent Star Necklace * Ancient Shield * Ancient War-Hammer * Illu Gem * Gambeson {Equipped}</s> <\|message\|>Narkissa Langdon Narkissa Langdon @Crimson Paladin In the end, they'd agreed to go deeper into the catacombs to confront whatever danger there was as a group and rescue Leannah. There was the niggling concern that it was a danger that was out of the scope of their abilities to deal with… but Narkissa was still coming down from her high on using water to slice and explode things. Too cool. Too awesome. It felt like she could do anything. And she was promptly disabused of that notion when they made it to the main altar. The first thing that struck her about the scene was how creepy the entire thing looked. No matter how you could slice it, dancing in the dark with a mannequin –a mannequin made out of bloody body parts—was not something that a mentally sane, well-functioning individual did. No siree. That wasn't to mention the internal cringing Narkissa did when the strange girl introduced herself. Oh, no, it wasn't just a deranged individual. It was a deranged god. She was fairly sure that none of them here could kill a god, if this girl was actually a god. "Archeologist. Not scavenger," she couldn't help but to mutter under her breath. "No thieves here." Lazhira scooting closer to her wasn't lost on her at all, though. "Well, if you think there's nothing but empty space in his head, then at least we agree on one thing." Traitorous mouth! … Not that she disagreed. But it didn't exactly give her much of an advantage in verbal rhetoric. Because if this girl was Iva'Krorh, The Illuminator, Narkissa was sure the only thing that could get them out safely at this point was talking, or hoping this god –the whole pantheon of them were starting to seem as fickle as the Greeks—was in a very good mood. The problem was, she didn't know how to respond, and she didn't know how much the Illuminator did actually know about her. Surely, she didn't know a lick about her past life, either? She could just ask her 'what now,' but she didn't exactly fancy giving the god the initiative either. Since it seemed like she only had beef with Lazhira and Novak, she could simply try to just wiggle out of this herself… but it would feel wrong to do that to Lazhira, even if there was no lost love for Novak. Right, fishing for more information it is. "Well. Please forgive our intrusion. At this point we're only searching for our lost friend. Forgive my curiosity, but how much do you know?" She left the 'about us' or the 'about me' hanging, hoping that either way wouldn't be too… offensive. It hadn't exactly been her style to address a random person dancing with corpse parts with the reverence of a god either, but Lazhira had already done worse and she hasn't been immediately struck down by the will of a god.</s> <\|message\|>Novak Novak Upon getting a closer look at the inhabitant of the room, Novak eased up slightly. On one hand, it was an old woman dancing with what looked like a bunch of body parts stitched together into a dummy, in the sealed sublevel of an abandoned temple. On the other hand, she didn't react with hostility as they approached, and that alone made it seem like things were going better than he expected. And the woman's eyes...they were silver. Novak momentarily touched his face, assuring himself that he was not wearing the mask, that the silver color of the woman's eyes were not merely an effect of the mask's insight. What would I see, I wonder, if I were to look upon her with the mask on? Before he could come to a decision, the woman introduced herself- or rather- himself- as Iva'Krorh, Illuminator. The very god whom this temple was dedicated to the worship of. This in itself was a rather alarming revelation- assuming this stranger was telling the truth, they were in the presence of a literal god. Lazhira appeared to be quite concerned about his revelation, pulling closer to Narkissa and refusing to converse when the stranger addressed her. Curious...so Lazhira isn't one of the thieves that stole the crystal. This Illuminator seems to think she intended to, but the phantoms that I saw...they must have been someone else. So far this stranger's knowledge seemed to fit their claim of being a god, but nothing that compared their analysis of Novak. When the Illuminator addressed Novak's amnesia- and acknowledged that it was by choice- there was no doubt in Novak's mind that this person standing before them was indeed a god. The fact that this god was calling him a fool, or that Narkissa openly concurred- seemed inconsequential compared to the realization that within a day of arriving on this world, Novak had already found himself face-to-face with a god. And that god didn't seem to think very highly of him. Novak wisely chose not to rebuke the Illuminator's quip about him being foolish. Aside from the fact that angering a god could end very, very badly, he did not want to enlighten Narkissa and Lazhira to the full context of what Iva'Krorh meant about Novak's head being empty. If others knew he had given up his memories, and struggled to recall whatever was left behind without some sort of external stimulus, they might seek to manipulate him. Better to let them assume that the Illuminator was simply accusing Novak of being conventionally vacuous. There were many questions he had. Narkissa had taken the initiative to ask about Leannah, so Novak opted to ask about questions to a topic that was clearly of interest to the Illuminator. "If I may, Illuminator," Novak asked, unsure how to properly address this god, "You're the one showing me the things with the mask, right? The crystal you showed me, whispered about to me...what exactly is it? Who stole it? Why did they steal it?" Novak has so many more questions- why was this temple abandoned, why was a god dancing with a macabre dummy at the bottom of an empty temple, just what was the deal with Lazhira- but pestering a god with unwanted questions on topics whom they had not expressed interest in was a good way to get on their bad side. @Click This</s>	<\|message\|>Donovan MacConaill The gears in Don's head turned as he considered the fact that his 'time' was seemingly unharmed by the Kamaitachi. The ticking, the seeming slow of time, the accelerated rate of withering of the demons, and now the protection of his 'time'? Was Suthainn perhaps some kind of time god? Don looked around the tent; seeing that a fair amount of townsfolk were still milling about, including a few hunters. The man rubbed his chin in careful contemplation for a long moment; in all likelihood-- he could fix what was wrong with the dwarf... However, doing so would certainly reveal his hand to the Illuminator's faithful... But Donovan was never one much to go about things the easy way, what mattered here was to do that which was right, not what was easy. "Truth beh told Mie, th' power yah saw? Ain't mine... But-- aye'll give yah ah demonstration bout' what et can do." The large man stepped forward, placing his right hand gently atop the dwarf's head as he would grip the emblem of his necklace firmly with his left. Closing his eyes, and focusing his mind, he sensed it... Something, 'off' slightly; not quite like the demonic infection incurred by the garden's thralls, but something more akin to a knot of sorts. "Oh Suthainn--" he loudly beckoned to the deity, focusing any of the divine power he could draw from his emblem into his right palm. "Aye ask once more fer yer aid this day. By yer eternal benevolence an' timeless wisdom, may yer faithful bring forth yer blessing. Just as time heals all wounds-- aye ask this lass made whole, en bodeh an' spirit. May that what been wronged be righted, an' what stolen be returned." "May yer radiance feravah grace our lives with time lived well, an' justleh... Amen."</s>
<\|description\|>Donovan MacConaill Gender: Male Appearance: Sporting the physique from his college football days, Donovan stands at 6'2" and weighs 220lbs (other features are as the picture shows.) Goals: To build a new world for his fellow man before finally joining his wife in the afterlife. Past Life: The old man took another sip of his coffee as he walked the dimly lit Philidelphia streets. For the last five years he'd been making this trek nightly, ever since Beatrice had last her battle with cancer. It helped him keep going, despite the loneliness he felt without her; reminded him of why he got out of bed in the morning despite the protests of his aging body. He passed by a diner; closed by now of course. Between the peeling paint and dirt-stained windows, it's age and level of disrepair were apparent. But past the moldering wood and crumbling plaster, the old man saw something else-- a memory. A tired-eyed young man was seated at one of the booths. Across from him was a scrawny, elderly fellow, wearing a well-ironed white shirt. The waitress was the most beautiful thing the young fellow had ever seen. Her name was Beatrice. Continuing down the road, the old man continued to reminisce. The streets around him were important to him. They were where he'd walked Bea home every night from work. Where he'd taught all seven of their children to drive. Before he'd even realized; he was once again where his life took a turn for the better. A bridge. A small, dainty little thing. Not to mention ugly as sin. It'd been his first design after graduating from his civil engineering courses back so many years ago. He'd just about been ready to jump off the damn thing to his death. Just the thought of it made him chuckle. To give up on life over such a silly little thing? What a fool he'd been back then. If Reverend Stuart hadn't pulled him away from the ledge that day, and treated him to lunch-- it all would've ended there. Donovan smiled at the moon overhead, it'd been nearly 60 years since that life changing day. And in that time he'd built much more than bridges, and skyscrapers; he built a family, a legacy-- a life. One he was truly grateful for. Donovan yawned as he bundled himself up tight in his jacket and sat down on the sidewalk of the bridge. Was it just him, or was the air a wee bit chillier than usual tonight. Maybe he was just tired. A few minutes of sleep wouldn't bring an end to his nightly stroll, would it? Abilities: [Physical Conditioning: Peak human] Your body is naturally tough, durable, and strong. The pinnacle of human physical strength, endurance, and agility. Keep training, and surely you can surpass even stronger beings. [Soul Flare] The ability to turn ones soul into a weapon itself. Needed for most basic magical feats. Channel the mana present in the air through your body to achieve great feats. Allows one to interact with supernatural things, and perceive things others may not. [Foreman] Because of your past lifes accomplishments, you have been granted the ability to summon your own personal army of construction workers. They take an ethereal appearance and number from 5-20 depending on how many are needed for the job. These people do not tire, do not require rest or breaks and could theoretically stay active 24/7. However, they run on your own personal physical stamina and Magic ability. With proper planning, timing, and personal training, they could finish building a project that would have taken a month, in little over a week or so. All you have to do is give them direction and make sure you have your plans in hand. They are incapable of fighting, and may be disrupted with certain magical skills. [Whispers of Suthainn] Though this God was once known by a different name, you have given it another. What is a name, aside from how one is recognized? Oft, Gods go by many names. Perhaps this is no different. Its agelessness and ancient fury remain but a distant, fleeting, feeling. You have made contact with a currently nameless God. You know little about them, save for the iconography of the Serpent and Star. The only thing you know, is that when you invoke its abilities you sense an ageless, unfathomable, yet comforting and fleeting presence. Underneath however, lies an ancient, furious anger silently watching and judging you. Whatever the case, you seem to be able to channel small divine miracles related to purification with some effort. [Stealth (lesser)] You've managed to acquire some knowhow for moving unseen and unheard. While its not going to fool any particularly vigilant person or animal, you could easily slip by unnoticed by unaware or those distracted by something else. Less agile acrobatics, and more simply being able to use your surroundings to slip around unseen. [Point Fracture] An ability to 'fracture' the flow of time on a space. A rather dangerous ability in theory but weak in practice, since it causes time in the affected small area to become twisted and knotted, merging time into a brief single point before it explodes outwards with rainbow colored shards. Weak, but effective in dealing minor injuries or disrupting singular targets or objects. This is an ability your patron has gifted, or you have learned through them in some manner. Can reasonably be expanded or modified to be stronger or divergent abilities with proper practice or use. Does not cause lasting Time Wounds in an area, and is clearly divine in nature which other divinities will recognize in some manner, even if not the specific god. Inventory: * Serpent Star Necklace * Ancient Shield * Ancient War-Hammer * Illu Gem * Gambeson {Equipped}</s> <\|message\|>Takeshima Misaki (formerly Takeshima Mamoru) Given the current situation with the Kyrinth and the village, as well as how it had acted the day before, Misaki was surprised to see that the deer had decided to follow her all the way back to Lazirha's house. She had told it to stay put there, of course, lest any of the hunters see a meal in its presence instead of a friend, but that ultimately made her job no easier. Gathering the requisite tools was, at the very least, not particularly troublesome, what with Lazirha only so happy to oblige her requests. The way that the girl was keeping herself at the moment, though, gave the foxgirl pause... But ultimately, if it was something she wanted to share, she would share it; prying into matters she had no say in felt wrong, and she had only known the girl for a few days. If she wanted to open up to her, then by all means she would do her utmost to help, but otherwise, her own pursuits came first. Once she had properly gathered everything and set her workstation (if it could even be called as much) up, Misaki took a deep breath and began to break the plants down. The deer's desire to help, though, however endearing, was difficult for the foxgirl to accommodate. Breaking up the plants in this method wasn't something that a deer could do, per se... Or maybe it was? "Ah... Hm..." she began, thinking for a moment before carefully placing a stick of bamboo (or whatever it was called in this world) in front of the deer before speaking, "Could you try breaking these down for me?" With that, Misaki would attempt to demonstrate, attempting to physically break the stem up before returning to her seated position. Hopefully her point had been made properly. The problem of making the pulp had not yet been resolved, of course, but this was likely something to be taken one step at a time anyhow.</s> <\|message\|>"Malphas" Shigenaga Nomura Macar-Oni and Cheese@Rune_Alchemist Nomura was instantly annoyed at this fox, especially given that she is able to pierce his very thoughts. Does it go both ways? Whether it did or didn't, Nomura would think of a video he watched in his past life involving the fur industry and an organization that rhymes with "beata." It did make sense that Mie sent a spy after him, but did it really have to be someone so annoying? "Unlike you, I am not a petty thief! I'm simply holding onto it because I saw a dubious little creature getting up to mischief." Nomura stated, waving his finger in front of Ayumi's little fox snout. "Still, you being here is useful... I'm sure you've overheard the conversation Bolcha and I were having. Enli's life is in danger, and he's interested in hiring one of Lady Mie's oni. Now, I'm not aware if I'm even able to authorize such a transaction, but I'm sure something could be arranged..." Nomura looked back to the longhouse, then back at Ayumi, an idea coming to mind. "Tell you what... relay this offer to Lady Mie for me, and I'll see if I can get you a new fish. How does that sound?" Whatever Ayumi would respond, Nomura would make his way back towards the longhouse, extending a hand- and Enli's delivery- to Bolcha. "I believe you are to be trusted. Now, how about we continue to talk about the situation regarding Enli? Perhaps we can come to some sort of arrangement, oni or not."</s> <\|message\|>Nicholas "Nick" Gallagher The Journey Begins ~ Liven(?) ~ Interacted with: @Rune_Alchemist Nick saw the structure Elisette referred to and followed her closely as she made her way there. He had been scratched lightly as he shoved aside the zombies. Hopefully these undead were just magical and not something from an infectious virus or something. The duo soon reached the church-like building with the warrior woman quickly opening the door... to no avail. Nick looked back to the zombies and expected them to be right in his face. But to his surprise and relief, they gave up the chase. The undead watched the two living humans, standing just outside the village's perimeter. It was not a mystery to Nick that there was something in this settlement that repelled the shambling corpses. But looking around, it was not clear what or where the source of this ward came from. The village was half-buried in snow and what remaining wooden buildings that could still be seen looked abandoned. If Nick had to guess, the repelling force probably came from this church-like structure since it stood out from all the rest, also being made of stone and all. "No, no it doesn't..." Nick agreed with his companion. Well, at least they were free to explore the village without being the danger of the zombies. But the emptiness of the place gave it a creepy and ominous atmosphere, as if there was something worse hiding somewhere under all this snow. It unnerved Nick, making him gulp, but Elisette was right, they should search for anyone still alive. If there was a ward in place, then surely someone alive must have put it there and repelled all the nasty zombies. Right? "Should we look for a way into this building? I'll bet it's got windows or a cellar door we can use to get inside." Nick suggested to Elisette. "The other places here look like no one's in them. But, if you wanna take a look then I guess we could." It was on his mind to split up to cover more ground, but that was most likely a bad idea.</s> <\|message\|>Novak Novak Novak watched as Nobunaga dismembered one of the hunters, picking up on her sword movements. He could feel his martial skills growing, and while it wasn't much, it nonetheless felt like a step up from from the utterly untrained newbie he was previously. One had been dealt with, but there were still two of them, and one of them was headed straight for Novak and Enli. This would be his first real fight with a human opponent in this new life. The thought of actually killing another human in close combat unnerved him, but the hunter's murderous intentions were quite clear- at this moment, it was kill or be killed. And if he was killed, then the village chief would likely die, too. Novak deflected the incoming spear strike with his sword, while using his ability to observe the incoming attack in hopes that he could discern something useful. Before the hunter could line up another thrust, Novak counterattacked almost reflexively, stepping forward and swinging his sword at his foe's neck. He himself found himself a little surprised at the aggression of his move. Was it simply the rush of adrenaline in a fight-or-flight situation that had compelled him to attack rather than defend, it was it the skills and reflexes that he was picking up from watching Nobunaga fight? It might have been possible to learn some more from this hunter's moves by trying to draw out this fight, but right now, Novak just wanted to get himself and Enli out of this ordeal alive, and that meant not holding anything back and trying to end the fight as quickly as possible. @Rune_Alchemist</s>	<\|message\|>Donovan MacConaill The hair on Don's neck stood on end the moment the thud gave way to silence... No birds, no crunch of snow, no skittering of the squirrels in the trees, no deer dashing about amongst the brush. Only the wind remained... But something was still off. Donovan had a gut feeling that something shit was about to hit the fan... If it hadn't already. Straightening himself, the man would head in the direction of where he'd expect Akando to be at good speed, hoping to reconvene with the man quickly whilst not startling the hunter lest his concern accidentally get him stabbed by the man's spear or shot with an arrow. Small beads of sweat began forming above the man's brow as his concern mounted; Had splitting up been the wrong decision? Did the Kyrnith mistake Akando for an intruder and engage him? Was there some kind of Assassin lurking nearby that the animals could sense? Regardless of the truth, Don's eyes raked the woods ahead as he'd keep moving; hammer in hand, as he'd scan for any sign of the Veteran Huntsman.</s>
<\|description\|>Novak Photo Gender: Male Appearance: Standing at approximately 5'10" or 178cm and with no distinguishing markings, Novak appears entirely human. Goals: Novak was summoned by the goddess to rebuild the world, and that is what he intends to do. His more personal goals can be summed up by a pair of phrases he vaguely recalls from his previous life: "Begin again", and "Let go". In other words, he wishes to start over in this world, unburdened by whatever past he once had. Past Life:Novak remembers nothing of his previous life, other than a nagging notion that it was uneventful, unremarkable, and cut abruptly and unexpectedly short. He isn't even sure if Novak was his family name or given name. What he does remember is that for whatever reason, he made a deal with the goddess who plucked him from death: in exchange for the memories of his life, he would gain the ability to learn new, more relevant skills at a supernatural pace to replace that which he gave up. From what he can gather from what remains of his mind, he had at least a high school education, lived in an urban region, and the notion of being reincarnated in a new world is something that seems not entirely unfamiliar to him. Abilities: Physical Conditioning: Peak human Your body is naturally tough, durable, and strong. The pinnacle of human physical strength, endurance, and agility. Keep training, and surely you can surpass even stronger beings. Soul Flare: The ability to turn ones soul into a weapon itself. Needed for most basic magical feats. Channel the mana present in the air through your body to achieve great feats. Allows one to interact with supernatural things, and perceive things others may not. Supernatural Learning: Thanks to the sacrifice of your previous life's memories, you have gained the ability to rapidly pick up on new skills to fill the void left behind. This ability is consciously activated, and can function through visual, auditory, and kinesthetic cues. This power is not limitless, however, and will cease to function once it has refilled the void in your mind. Fortunately, this limit is not affected by any knowledge or memories that are gained "normally". Inventory: Clothing</s> <\|message\|>Isidore @Rune_Alchemist@Guy0fV4lor@PaulHaynek Isidore stared down at Octavia, standing at his feet. He raised his sword up and swung down. Shnnk. The hind leg of the boar was severed from the rest of its body and struck the snowy ground softly. There would be a time to dispose of the creature, but not tonight. He stepped around Octavia, leaving the puppy to enjoy her meal. Augusta and Nick, thankfully, had gotten a fire started, even if there didn't look to be any shelter in place, nor a stockpile of wood to keep the fire burning through the night. Isidore let out a breath, watched it rise into the sky. More things to deal with, later. He sat down, cross-legged. He did not acknowledge his injuries, and focused only on cleaning up the boar as best as he could. The fur came first, pulling at the parts already flayed by wind, cutting into it from the side to separate it from the meat. The organs went next. His sword was sharp enough to disembowel the corpse, and though it was a curious sensation, digging through the still-warm, still-bloody organs of a dead animal, it wasn't too unpleasant. Nothing like watching a body dissolve in a chemical bath. Nothing like the stench of smoke and body odor in an unventilated basement. He pulled them out, cut them out, and laid them out on the snow. They steamed there, rancid but appetizing. It was nice, that all four-legged beasts were fairly similar, from big pigs to little rats. Some time after his work began, Isidore spoke up. "There's humans south, beyond the mountains. In the mountains, there are 'those of Shadow' and 'Mountain Folk'. Non-human, but possibly hospitable." He furrowed his brow. A sword was good for slicing flesh, but less good for the fine work of butchery. With a grunt, Isidore cracked the front legs out of their joints, ignoring the pain that flared up from the cuts on his shoulder and neck. "There's a deer that owns the forest. We can stay the night, but Octavia can not be let into the forest." The fire was warm, but it looked insufficient for cooking. He started regardless, setting a leg on the ashen coals. "Should gather more wood." Or cut down a tree. Would that invoke that deer's wrath again?</s> <\|message\|>Bella Rosso Augusta was sitting around camp, waiting for Isidore and Donovan to come back. Eventually, they did. It felt longer than it probably took since she was just sitting there waiting. When they did come back, though, she was excited to have food. Though something caught her eye a bit more than the food. Her vision stayed on Isidore as she gave him an almost tired look. He was going about things rather casually, cutting a leg of the boar for Octavia and then starting to cut it up. "Umm... Isidore. You look injured." He seemed to ignore that, focused on his work or perhaps thoughts and started speaking some time later. A deer? People in mountains? Non-human village? "Non-human is probably more interesting anyway. No, no." She pushed such thoughts from her mind. "Isidore, you're injury. Let me..." The elf woman cut herself off and cast a healing flame on Isidore's wound. "Seriously, did that deer give you these wounds or was it the boar?" She asked. The man should be able to continue working on the food if he so wished, though he might get a couple of irritated elf complaints. "Stop moving." or "Hey". Still, soon enough she finished when at least a number of his wounds seemed to be much better. With a sigh, she turned to Donovan. "And you, how are you? Any wounds?" She asked, trying to look the man over for injuries.</s> <\|message\|>"Malphas" Malphas Seaside Village@Rune_Alchemist@Crimson Paladin The drunk women hiding away in the village masquerading as a fox would definitely be something interesting to Malphas. He'd love to ask for her opinion on the magic he had attempted to do, as well as if she could teach him any tricks as well. Perhaps he could learn to turn himself into a fox as well? So many questions and propositions, so many mysteries within her den... It was a shame Malphas had chosen not to follow the fox after all. Instead, Malphas had spent the time cleaning off the stolen fish discarded by the fox. One of the many lessons Malphas had learned during his previous life ws to choose his victories. He was a bit tired of chasing a fox around, especially after spending the last few hours running for his dear life. For now, he'll let Novak chase after the furry thing, while Malphas would tend to cleaning the mess it left, as well as returning the fish it had stolen. Someone's livelihood was at stake! Whether the fisherman accepted the stolen fish back or not, Malphas scratched his head, wondering just where Novak had gone. Perhaps he went deeper into the woods and got lost on the way? As much as Malphas wished to go and find him, he still needed at least a nice hide cuirass, if not a couple arrows, before he made his trek onward. Malphas could also report to the craftsman and let him know what had happened... but they might just get upset, and also forfeit Malphas's reward. What to do, what to do... Maybe Malphas will grab a snack. See what the local food tastes like. Yes, that sounds like a wonderful idea! He closed his eyes and allowed his nose to guide him, following any scent of food he could pick up. If this were a cartoon, he would be humorously floating off following the visible aroma of food.</s> <\|message\|>Leannah Stromhart Leannah --- Fire go boom. Dizzy. Hell. Leannah could now see that for a moment that becoming a flaming rocket cat was possible to some extent, but not withstanding an unintentional fireball to the face. Then again this was a learning moment rather than an application of desperate 'I don't want to die" effort. It was enough to make the catgirl feel a bit humbled in regards to magic in the wake of it all, more so in the fuzzy but dawning retrospective that she'd imagined a 'light source' rather than simply 'light'. The burns were also nothing new to her in comparison to other injuries she'd sustained back on Earth, the simple fall from knocking herself down was itself worse, but even so they did hurt. They were also still injuries that would need to be treated. Not the best thing, especially when having just met this fox and Nobunaga-looking person...even Narcissa only some time ago. For the love of her own sexy catgirl ass, she didn't want to be the next person around here that no one wanted to be around. "I-I'm...ok. Yes, o-outside would be better. Call it trial and error," the skimpily-clad catgirl said in the direction of Narcissa from where she lay, doing what she could to shake off the bit of pain and brief disorientation after hitting the ground like that. It was like the first day of Bajiquan class all over again, landing flat on he ground, but at least she knew how to cope somewhat due to that. Once Lazhira helped her up, however the catgirl looked to the human girl as she spoke once more. She then lightly shook her head back and forth once the girl stepped back and Leannah felt she could stand well on her own. "No need to apologize, Lazhira, my mistake was not doing it correctly. I was imagining a light source to produce light, rather than forming a simple ball of light itself. It seemed to be working fine for a moment too, but then...how can I describe it? Something lurched out of the blue and shoved more mana into it than I was putting in," she said, thinking deliberately on what had just happened as she made visual cues with her hands, "It wouldn't let me stop it. Then just...boom. Angry, pulsating, exploding fireball point-blank." The sun-touched girl let out a long and deep sigh. Even the exhaustion from earlier was seemingly setting in more alongside the darkness. Ugh. She'd just been born today of all things, she wanted to learn! But at least they didn't have to grow up all over again. Plus they didn't die back in the fortress, had somewhere to be for the night, etc. That much she was grateful for at the very least. "I'd be happy to accept your help though! Ah...maybe outside as Narkissa said though, to avoid 'that' again. I'll help you clean things up before I leave as well, though, since it's only fair to own up to what just happened." She wasn't a slob, of course she'd help before leaving! Then hopefully she could catch up with Narkissa to room for the night, depending on how things went down. Blargh. But it was a start, one had to take baby steps to learn a new field of knowledge and its applications. Martial arts was especially keen on getting you to learn to take the hits and put in the blood, sweat, and tears to maintain it. Magic would be no different, though...one thing lingered in her mind. Just what had that surge of magical energy been from? Lack of control on her part? Something else? Ugh. For now, just one thing at a time.</s>	<\|message\|>Novak The fox girl continued to profess her innocence and dismiss the notion that a person could shapeshift into an animal. Her augments didn't come off as convincing in her arguments, and her mischievous tone only further undermined any chance of it alleviating Novak's suspicion. If anything, her nonchalant, playful denial suggested that she wasn't making any real effort to convince him of her innocence. She's playing around, just like before. She's clearly not the least bit worried. It was at this point that Novak noticed the items behind her as she moved. The leather bag was there, as he expected, but what really caught his notice were the fox mask and a pair of bladed weapons. Together with the woman, these items spelled out a concept that Novak could recognize. This woman is dangerous, no wonder she's so calm, Novak concluded, alarmed. The blades were enough to worry about- people didn't usually carry weapons unless they knew how to use them (with obvious exceptions like himself), but together with the mask, it cast the impression that she was fighter or...what was the word...ninja? The point was that fox transformation or no, the woman had nothing to worry about. It was also only at this point that he realized that his white-haired companion had not followed him in at all, meaning he was alone with this potentially dangerous fox-girl. "I'm not accusing you of anything," Novak responded, not quite able to mask his alarm, "But that bag there appears to be the one that the fo...err, the animal had run off with. If you would allow me, I would like to return the misplaced item to its owner." In truth he had already resolved to play along in this manner, to politely and non-confrontationally talk her into allowing him to return the bag, but it had suddenly seemed very unwise to deviate from this approach.</s>
<\|description\|>Novak Photo Gender: Male Appearance: Standing at approximately 5'10" or 178cm and with no distinguishing markings, Novak appears entirely human. Goals: Novak was summoned by the goddess to rebuild the world, and that is what he intends to do. His more personal goals can be summed up by a pair of phrases he vaguely recalls from his previous life: "Begin again", and "Let go". In other words, he wishes to start over in this world, unburdened by whatever past he once had. Past Life:Novak remembers nothing of his previous life, other than a nagging notion that it was uneventful, unremarkable, and cut abruptly and unexpectedly short. He isn't even sure if Novak was his family name or given name. What he does remember is that for whatever reason, he made a deal with the goddess who plucked him from death: in exchange for the memories of his life, he would gain the ability to learn new, more relevant skills at a supernatural pace to replace that which he gave up. From what he can gather from what remains of his mind, he had at least a high school education, lived in an urban region, and the notion of being reincarnated in a new world is something that seems not entirely unfamiliar to him. Abilities: Physical Conditioning: Peak human Your body is naturally tough, durable, and strong. The pinnacle of human physical strength, endurance, and agility. Keep training, and surely you can surpass even stronger beings. Soul Flare: The ability to turn ones soul into a weapon itself. Needed for most basic magical feats. Channel the mana present in the air through your body to achieve great feats. Allows one to interact with supernatural things, and perceive things others may not. Supernatural Learning: Thanks to the sacrifice of your previous life's memories, you have gained the ability to rapidly pick up on new skills to fill the void left behind. This ability is consciously activated, and can function through visual, auditory, and kinesthetic cues. This power is not limitless, however, and will cease to function once it has refilled the void in your mind. Fortunately, this limit is not affected by any knowledge or memories that are gained "normally". Inventory: Clothing</s> <\|message\|>"Malphas" Malphas Seaside Village@Rune_Alchemist Malphas was pleased that he could help the fisherman, but also... insulted. For saving his livelihood, all Malphas got in return were quarters?! And only five of them, as well. Well, if that's what his work amounted to, then so be it. Smiling and nodding curtly, Malphas stepped away from the fisherman and began his quest to mend his ailing stomach. He had finally settled on the local gathering, the pleasant aroma of a hard day's work fluttering within his nostrils. Malphas was pleased at this outcome. It seems that the hunters, and perhaps the other hard workers of the village, all gathered together to partake in the spoils of the day. Malphas surely felt like he contributed as well, what from chasing after that fox and retrieving that fish. Perhaps such a meal was truly the reward that awaited him after such a hard day's work! His tummy aching with gleeful anticipation, Malphas approached the feast, prepared do take what was due to him! However, before he could, a dirtied hand grasped at his wrist. He turned to see a beggar most foul, asking for his hard-earned cash! To think someone, something of this caliber, would think they're worthy to grasp Malphas's beautiful form? Absolutely disgusting! If they weren't in a place so public, he'd probably recoil in outrage. Instead, his eyebrow was only raised in surprise as he saw this thing grab at him. Scoffing uncomfortably, Malphas feigned a smile as he looked upon the begging old woman. Wanting to leave this situation as quickly as possible, Malphas quickly procured about two silver pieces, not bothering to count or separate them, before placing them in the beggar's hands. Hopefully this was enough for her to leave him alone. "Don't use it on anything that will make you even more destitute" Was all Malphas could say under his breath as he stepped away from the feast, his appetite spoiled. The nerve of such people, being poor in front of him?</s> <\|message\|>Takeshima Misaki (formerly Takeshima Mamoru) Given that she had no adrenaline pumping through her system like she had earlier, Misaki was at the very least able to take a few deep breaths in an attempt to ignore the pain running through her body. Though she was no longer deafened by the makeshift flashbang, the ringing in her head still seemed to remain. Shakily rising to her feet, the foxgirl gave Nobunaga a slight nod in return before turning to Lazirha with a half-smile. "A-ah... I feel about leaving that to you, but if you insist..." she trailed off, glancing at the soup before slowly moving to seat herself in a place closer to the fire. And, of course, away from the walking fire hazard. Even if the incident was an accident, Misaki was not particularly inclined to associate with a scantily-clad catgirl with the inability to prevent the equivalent of a stun grenade from blowing up indoors. Once the meal had concluded, the foxgirl quietly excused herself from the house and stepped outside, making sure to take a deep breath of the cold evening air to shock herself slightly more awake than she had been before. The headache had all but left in the time it had taken to eat her meal (which, while impressive given what she had tasted, was still immediately lacking in the wonders of modern seasonings), which gave her more than enough time to consider what to spend the night on. Given that Lazirha would not allow her to help fix things up again (the small spot on her head where she had been smacked by her ladle showing as much), the foxgirl considered focusing on her newfound magical abilities before night took over anyhow. Taking care not to stray too far from Lazirha's house, Misaki quietly began to focus as she held her hands out in front of herself. Despite ending up as collateral damage, the foxgirl found at least one positive takeaway from that debacle: the ability to manipulate the 'type' of magic cast. For starters, then, she would attempt to see to what extent that theory held firm. Fire and light were obvious, but what of water? Stone? Could she generate electricity from nowhere? Given that 'gift' that the 'goddess' had given her, being able to use electricity would be a major boon, should it prove to be manageable. Of course, she would not go so far as to test her limits; small quantities of whatever it was she was trying would be more than sufficient for the sake of trying. @Click This@Crusader Lord@Rune_Alchemist</s>	<\|message\|>Novak The fox-woman assured Novak that she was not a violent sort, and even gave him the stolen bag. Unlike her previous assurances, this one was more...convincing to Novak, and caused him to relax a bit. She even handed him the bag, after having posed a question to him. "I haven't been here long, so far they seem like decent, hospitable folks suffering from misfortune," he replied to her query as she pulled on her boots. "You may have noticed the remains of the beast that attacked the town. From what I've heard, it sounds like their woes stem from a compact or covenant with an elder beast going sour." Novak had made a few more observations about this woman. First, from the way she spoke, and from the way a stolen bag found its way into her possession, carried by a fox with the same features as her, she appeared to be a thief. Second, while she certainly stood out as much as Misaki or Nobunaga or the white-haired man, she seemed too...settled and familiar with the village to be one of the goddess' recent arrivals. Assuming she was a native of this world, she was clearly well-traveled, and Novak might learn something conversing with her. "If it's possible to communicate with this elder beast, I'm sure it'll have its own side of the story, and its own grievances," he continued as the walked through the village "But whatever the case is I hope that reconciliation is possible, before the village is pushed to its breaking point." Perhaps it was unwise to disclose this to a stranger, especially an unscrupulous one, but if she had been squatting here for any period of time, she probably already knew of what was going on. If she could shapeshift into a fox, perhaps she even may have even been able to "hear" the Kyrinth's anger and its inciting of beasts to attack. "How about you?" he asked. "You seem to have some familiarity with this village. What do you think of them? And do you have any idea why this Kyrinth might have become angry with them?" In any case, Novak would eventually arrive at the workshop and return the bag of tools to Bolcha. "Here are those tools back," he stated, not remarking on the assuredly not-suspicious fox-woman accompanying him. "I'm afraid I lost track of that other fellow, however."</s>
<\|description\|>Novak Photo Gender: Male Appearance: Standing at approximately 5'10" or 178cm and with no distinguishing markings, Novak appears entirely human. Goals: Novak was summoned by the goddess to rebuild the world, and that is what he intends to do. His more personal goals can be summed up by a pair of phrases he vaguely recalls from his previous life: "Begin again", and "Let go". In other words, he wishes to start over in this world, unburdened by whatever past he once had. Past Life:Novak remembers nothing of his previous life, other than a nagging notion that it was uneventful, unremarkable, and cut abruptly and unexpectedly short. He isn't even sure if Novak was his family name or given name. What he does remember is that for whatever reason, he made a deal with the goddess who plucked him from death: in exchange for the memories of his life, he would gain the ability to learn new, more relevant skills at a supernatural pace to replace that which he gave up. From what he can gather from what remains of his mind, he had at least a high school education, lived in an urban region, and the notion of being reincarnated in a new world is something that seems not entirely unfamiliar to him. Abilities: Physical Conditioning: Peak human Your body is naturally tough, durable, and strong. The pinnacle of human physical strength, endurance, and agility. Keep training, and surely you can surpass even stronger beings. Soul Flare: The ability to turn ones soul into a weapon itself. Needed for most basic magical feats. Channel the mana present in the air through your body to achieve great feats. Allows one to interact with supernatural things, and perceive things others may not. Supernatural Learning: Thanks to the sacrifice of your previous life's memories, you have gained the ability to rapidly pick up on new skills to fill the void left behind. This ability is consciously activated, and can function through visual, auditory, and kinesthetic cues. This power is not limitless, however, and will cease to function once it has refilled the void in your mind. Fortunately, this limit is not affected by any knowledge or memories that are gained "normally". Inventory: Clothing</s> <\|message\|>Narkissa Langdon Narkissa Langdon For all of Lazhira's cute behavior and strange quirks, she wasn't half bad at fighting. Whatever she was doing with that odd magic of hers, she was getting the smaller blobs' attention and keeping them away from Narkissa, letting her focus on the big bad blob that remained the primary threat… and if the goddess was to be believed, her own little personal trial after praying to her. Either way, once she dealt with it, she could help out her villager friend. Thankfully, her magical creativity seemed to be working. However, she wanted to shape her magic, nature and her spells seemed to bend to her will effortlessly. Doing her best to barrage the beast to prevent it from properly reforming, her bullet of water acted like an exploding shell once it entered its body, rupturing its blob structure as the superheated steam forced itself away from its body. It created a surprisingly gory mess, but it was one heck of a timely attack, as its counter lashed out but fell short of Narkissa, prompting her to jump back regardless. With such a huge eruption of slime, she thought the fight was over, but despite all the damage, the bloody thing still seemed to be trying to recover! "Damn! Why won't you die already!" Yelling out in frustration, she could see its blue stone core still active within the constituted parts of its clear body. It was almost dead, but still trying to claw itself to life, but not if Narkissa had anything to say about it. Feeling emboldened by her new abilities and apparent martial skill, she charged the oversized gelatinous stain and blasted it again with another destructive water spell, just to keep it from regenerating. Then, sword in one hand, and the other outstretched, she slashed at the beast's remaining jelly flesh, and then with the other hand, grasped for its crystalline core to rip it out of its worthless, evil body.</s> <\|message\|>Oda Nobunaga Nobunaga had never embraced the supernatural. If it existed or not, it mattered little to her, there was no need to kowtow to some divine being that had no true proof in its existence. But this was a world where such beings provably existed, and once again she had come face to face with one. That did not mean that she felt it necessary to engage in worship, however. She sought an audience, and the ritual was merely fulfilling the conditions to gain one. The petite black-haired girl lowered the flute. Indeed, Nobunaga did not believe in the worship of deities as it were, though she supposed religion could be a uniting force. That being said, this was the Kyrnith's domain. Its territory. It would be foolish not to treat it politely and with respect, just as any guest should treat their host, or any two negotiators should treat one another. Nobunaga bowed, politely. "We are here to seek an audience, o Kyrnith," she began as she straightened, "As you mentioned, it has been some time since the villagers came here to offer you tribute." In a world where the gods existed, it was a matter of negotiation. Of diplomacy. "Their failure to uphold their end of the bargain has lead to the suffering of the village, and left you without tribute. So I shall not hide my intentions." She spread her arms. "I believe the potential of a new deal that benefits both yourself and the people of the village equally remains." @PKMNB0Y</s> <\|message\|>Takeshima Misaki (formerly Takeshima Mamoru) Misaki crinkled her nose in slight distaste once the smell of the burning reed hit her nostrils. She had encountered something similar once in the past—on a brief trip overseas to America—but even with this little, the stench was almost enough to warrant her backing away entirely. Even so, there was still a job she had to do, even if it meant putting up with... This. Maybe it was her sensitive nose speaking, but the intensity of the burning smoke felt so much stronger than it should have been; given Nobunaga's reaction, though, that was likely the case. As her companion played the flute, though, the foxgirl placed her attention elsewhere—mainly towards the deer who, at this point, had focused their attention towards them instead. It was expected, yes, but no less unnerving to experience. As the song reached its end, a massive deer broke through the woods, causing the foxgirl to immediately snap to attention. Its appearance was certainly awe-inspiring—like something out of a proper fantasy story—and the way that it spoke so easily to them only served to further cement that mental image within her mind. At the very least, introducing itself as the Kyrinth made everything a lot easier to digest. She wasn't any more religious than her Japanese peers, but it was a different matter when seeing a divinity in the flesh. Of course, Misaki was promptly snapped out of her awestruck stupoqr as it addressed her. As Nobunaga spoke to the Kyrinth, the foxgirl nodded and slowly walked up to the fawn that had been following them and, after a brief pause, left the untouched reeds in front of it. She wasn't in any position to negotiate, nor did she know how to do so with someone of this stature anyhow, which meant leaving the matter to Nobunaga seemed to be the best option anyhow. @Rune_Alchemist</s>	<\|message\|>Novak The line of light leading to the unexplored path was definitely worth investigating, but the pedestal room was of far more interest to Novak. There were figures of light, figures that had not been visible without the mask, whispering indiscernibly. A chill ran down his spine as the realization dawned upon him- whether these were spirits, phantoms, or vestiges, he and Leannah were not alone down here. A small part of him wondered if it had been a mistake to use the mask, before the rest of him banished the notion- the truth may be scary, but with knowledge came power. Novak picked up the glowing crystal and slowly approached the pedestal room and the invisible beings within. As he entered the room, however, the figures dispersed. Had they fled from his presence? Was there a consciousness within them? Or was it merely magic taking the form of humanoid figures? The phantoms were not the only thing to respond to his arrival; several images lit up upon the pedestal. These appeared to be a crown, sphere, trident, eye, and...a chain link. Curious. Novak wasn't sure what it meant, not yet. Still holding the mask to his face, he looked around the room, hoping to find clues. Upon the walls there were several strange markings carved. Each was a set of what looked like tally marks, or an equivalent simple numbering system, ranging from one through five. It wasn't clear, however, what they were referencing or alluding to. Novak removed the mask, curious as to what was visible without it, and what he saw was quite curious. Under the light of the glowing crystal, the tally marks were gone, but next to where they had been, he could now see previously unseen carvings identical to those on the pedestal. Where the "1" tally had been, there was now a carving of the eye. The sphere was with 2, the crown with 3, the trident with 4, and the chain link with 5. If it's assigning them an order, it's "eye, sphere, crown, trident, chain link", he observed. It was fortunate he had taken the mask, because even if he had opted to explore the pedestal room without it, he would have not been able to discern the tally marks. Now the challenge would be how to correctly apply this knowledge. Perhaps if I were to select the glowing pedestal images in order... Novak carefully touched the luminous images on the pedestal in the order corresponding to the tally marks. First was the eye, then the sphere, then the crown, next the trident, and finally the chain link. He hoped that this world work, and that if it didn't, that it at least wouldn't make things worse.</s>
<\|description\|>Novak Photo Gender: Male Appearance: Standing at approximately 5'10" or 178cm and with no distinguishing markings, Novak appears entirely human. Goals: Novak was summoned by the goddess to rebuild the world, and that is what he intends to do. His more personal goals can be summed up by a pair of phrases he vaguely recalls from his previous life: "Begin again", and "Let go". In other words, he wishes to start over in this world, unburdened by whatever past he once had. Past Life:Novak remembers nothing of his previous life, other than a nagging notion that it was uneventful, unremarkable, and cut abruptly and unexpectedly short. He isn't even sure if Novak was his family name or given name. What he does remember is that for whatever reason, he made a deal with the goddess who plucked him from death: in exchange for the memories of his life, he would gain the ability to learn new, more relevant skills at a supernatural pace to replace that which he gave up. From what he can gather from what remains of his mind, he had at least a high school education, lived in an urban region, and the notion of being reincarnated in a new world is something that seems not entirely unfamiliar to him. Abilities: Physical Conditioning: Peak human Your body is naturally tough, durable, and strong. The pinnacle of human physical strength, endurance, and agility. Keep training, and surely you can surpass even stronger beings. Soul Flare: The ability to turn ones soul into a weapon itself. Needed for most basic magical feats. Channel the mana present in the air through your body to achieve great feats. Allows one to interact with supernatural things, and perceive things others may not. Supernatural Learning: Thanks to the sacrifice of your previous life's memories, you have gained the ability to rapidly pick up on new skills to fill the void left behind. This ability is consciously activated, and can function through visual, auditory, and kinesthetic cues. This power is not limitless, however, and will cease to function once it has refilled the void in your mind. Fortunately, this limit is not affected by any knowledge or memories that are gained "normally". Inventory: Clothing</s> <\|message\|>Isidore @Rune_Alchemist For a moment, as Octavia made that dumb animal look, Isidore wondered if he was truly losing his mind. Talking to animals and giving them complex instructions like this may seriously be a sign as to just how much his sense of reality had been disturbed over the past few days. But the demon dog took it in stride, and soon after, Ocavia was off, scampering towards the western peaks. He turned briefly to Augusta and Leuca, their bodies still entwinned with each other, and then said flatly, "It'll be a hike. Let her walk on her own." It turned out he was right on both counts. The sun dipped dangerously close to the horizon, and Octavia had indeed lead them to the ones they were searching for. The situation though, was unfortunate. There was logic, of course, in the occurrences before him. Sorcha had been pursued by Apostles, who she evidently had a hand in killing. Railey had been out scouting for the Stieneter, meaning he was likely in the area when one or more of those killings happened. It was a miracle, really, that neither of them had continued to fight beyond that first clash Isidore heard. And as for identity, Leuca confirmed Sorcha, and Railey's armor confirmed his own standing. His eyes examined them briefly, lingering on the exposed upper thighs of Sorcha's own outfit. Strange girl, to be sporting such wear in these parts, but it was certainly eye-catching. Undoubtedly, the great ugliness present in the world was counteracted by equal beauty. What a boon it must be, to be a man. What pressure too, to ever be considered a fitting match for these women. Isidore glanced over at Augusta, silencing the question that was about to seep out of his open mouth. He settled for pulling her hood over her head instead, before giving her a pat on the shoulder. "Hoods up, heads down," the man murmured as he stood up. He wouldn't die, so he would approach first. And a 'ladies first' mentality didn't make sense when walking into a battlefield anyhow. With a nonchalance that did not betray the primal apprehension building in his spine, Isidore crested the hill, and allowed his body to be fully illuminated by the setting sun. He looked down at the two below, his gaze sweeping from Sorcha to Railey, before he called out, "Railey! Morgan requests your return immediately." All convenient truths. Sorcha would, if Leuca wasn't lying, be on their side so long as the Sirithen child was safe, so all he had to do was rid her of Railey. By words, because even without blessed eyes, Isidore could tell that the best he could hope for was an exchange of lives if it came to a fight. "It's a matter of urgency, if he's even asking strangers to relay such a message." No sign of the massive centipede Railey had been pursuing. Who had ran away first, man or monster?</s> <\|message\|>Bella Rosso Augusta had found no real tracks and considered they were probably covered by the snowfall. Isidore had already beat her to telling Octavia to try sniffing for any signs of people. The elf merely followed along, eventually letting Leuca down when she was sure she wouldn't collapse, though the two both had the same thoughts in following close to each other just in case. Soon enough, they came to a spot to set up camp and Augusta started to look around for some supplies to set up... Then they all heard clanging steel against steel. "What?" She questioned as they all made haste to the location. What they came upon was a rather beautiful woman, only slightly ill-dressed for where they were. Not that she was one to talk, but having the upper thighs exposed in weather like this was odd. Then there was the man. He seemed a bit older by hair color and some facial details, though he didn't seem to lack for it otherwise. "Who do we have here?" Railey. That was the captain that was missing from the camp right? It would seem they've found him fighting another person. Leuca's word's identified her as Sorcha, so... This was the that THEY had been searching for? She made a quick note in her head of Railey's skills and abilities. "What a power house. Don't even need the eye to see that." Then she turned to Sorcha. Augusta knew that... Either of these two would probably turn her to mincemeat if they fought... She needed to learn more about Sorcha then. Perhaps there was something to complime... "What!?" Augusta exclaimed as she looked at the woman's status. "Bu- What!?" She stared at the oddest thing since they had come here. So much missing information! It was like the missing demon clan name back in the prison but... This? This was something absolutely different! She took a step back. From what? Fear? She had spent twenty and some years living without seeing specifics about people but she felt a small amount of fear just looking at this woman. Sorcha, a human. Holder of a Dying Wish and.... Human... Sympathy? How peculiar to have "Human Sympathy" as a human. Leuca didn't have a "Elven Sympathy" nor did any of those cult members, nor Railey for that matter, have a "Human Sympathy" Attribute... She was shaking a small bit, though she wasn't sure if this was from the cold or the fear that was slowly creeping through her system at the moment. She muttered, "Why can't I read hers..." Loud enough for her small party to hear, though not the other two if they were even listening. Her head started to hurt as she continued to try to decipher the nonsense before she lowered herself closer to Leuca's height, "Sorcha... Is a human, right?" If she was a human, perhaps she was blessed by a goddess like she, Isidore, Nick and Donovan had been? Or was she... Something else? She stopped using her eyes power and instead glared at Sorcha more to keep an eye on her movements. Something was incredibly wrong.</s>	<\|message\|>Novak It seemed at first that Novak's symbol-pressing had no effect. But when he viewed the pedestal with the mask's sight again, he was greeted by the sight of a light floating over the pedestal, and figures surrounding it. He beheld as the phantoms grabbed the light and a series of flashing images depicted them fleeing down the hallway into the unexplored section. Beyond the darkness, Novak beheld what looked like...something humanoid peeping at him from behind the corner. A disconcerting giggle sounded and the figures vanished, followed by a few strange whispers. Perhaps it was simply a primal fear that would spook almost anybody, or perhaps it was the vestige of a fear from his past life. Whatever the case, it was too much for Novak, who let out a short, quiet scream from beneath his mask. He put the glowing crystal down and moved his hand to the hilt of his sword, fearful at the prospect that something was down here watching him. He stood there, frozen in fear, heart pounding, waiting to see if those...things would emerge from the darkness. Would he be able to defend himself against them? Would he even be able to hurt them? Or were they just more memories of this place, perceptible only through the mask? As Novak pondered on this, the latter possibility- that they were harmless phantoms that the mask was showing him- seemed to become more and more plausible as nothing happened, and with it his fight-or-flight instinct subsided slightly. The place was almost certainly empty, and the figures he saw were nothing more than memories that the mask was recounting to him. At least that's what he told himself. He pocketed the mask, bent down to pick up the crystal, and it was only then he noticed the skull in the room, which once again caused him to let out a short, relatively soft scream. How did that skull get here? Was that always here? I don't remember it being here before. The presence of human remains, even if it was just a skull, was of some concern to Novak. Just what happened here, he wondered. With one hand holding the crystal and the other tightly gripping the hilt of his sword, Novak tentatively walked down the unexplored hallway, as his alarmed mind tried to make sense of what he had seen. Those figures had taken the light from the pedestal and run off- it almost looked like they were stealing something, some sort of object that had once been stationed on the pedestal? What would happen, he wondered, if someone were to return that stolen object here? Further speculation could wait; first he needed to explore here and prove to himself that it what he saw was just the mask's images. At least that's what he hoped he'd prove.</s>
<\|description\|>Novak Photo Gender: Male Appearance: Standing at approximately 5'10" or 178cm and with no distinguishing markings, Novak appears entirely human. Goals: Novak was summoned by the goddess to rebuild the world, and that is what he intends to do. His more personal goals can be summed up by a pair of phrases he vaguely recalls from his previous life: "Begin again", and "Let go". In other words, he wishes to start over in this world, unburdened by whatever past he once had. Past Life:Novak remembers nothing of his previous life, other than a nagging notion that it was uneventful, unremarkable, and cut abruptly and unexpectedly short. He isn't even sure if Novak was his family name or given name. What he does remember is that for whatever reason, he made a deal with the goddess who plucked him from death: in exchange for the memories of his life, he would gain the ability to learn new, more relevant skills at a supernatural pace to replace that which he gave up. From what he can gather from what remains of his mind, he had at least a high school education, lived in an urban region, and the notion of being reincarnated in a new world is something that seems not entirely unfamiliar to him. Abilities: Physical Conditioning: Peak human Your body is naturally tough, durable, and strong. The pinnacle of human physical strength, endurance, and agility. Keep training, and surely you can surpass even stronger beings. Soul Flare: The ability to turn ones soul into a weapon itself. Needed for most basic magical feats. Channel the mana present in the air through your body to achieve great feats. Allows one to interact with supernatural things, and perceive things others may not. Supernatural Learning: Thanks to the sacrifice of your previous life's memories, you have gained the ability to rapidly pick up on new skills to fill the void left behind. This ability is consciously activated, and can function through visual, auditory, and kinesthetic cues. This power is not limitless, however, and will cease to function once it has refilled the void in your mind. Fortunately, this limit is not affected by any knowledge or memories that are gained "normally". Inventory: Clothing</s> <\|message\|>"Malphas" Malphas Delivery!@Rune_Alchemist Malphas pondered his choices for a moment. He had never met this "Enli" yet. Perhaps he should get himself acquainted with the leader of this village, especially with his new gifts in mind. Would he be the type to accept such an idea? And even then, would the dinner be successful? Malphas thought about it for a moment, wondering if those who recognized him would also be a part of this outcast girl's retinue... If that were the case, he would definitely need a disguise, but the Illuminator seemed like a fickle type. The pale man surmised that he would have to prepare a backup disguise just in case. Of course, there was also the much more blunt approach of just commanding these hunters to ambush this girl alone. While such a plan was much simpler, there was also the added risk of her using whatever it was she stole from the Illuminator. Worse, perhaps she'd come out of that temple with even more treasures, ones that would make her a more formidable foe to face. A mere annoyance, at the very least. "Hm. I'll speak to Enli, for now. I must know what sort of man he is, though. Is he easily swayed, or is he the stubborn type? More specifically, what does he think of the temple, and of this outcast girl? Is he any close to her?" Malphas asked his questions, staring at his mitts as he had done so. Whatever their answers, he would keep this all in mind on his trek back to the village. On his way out of this secret meeting place, Malphas backtracked to the marked tree in order to retrieve the intact flower. He would scoop up the soil holding the herb into his hand, folding the mitt he's wearing on that hand into some sort of makeshift pot. Once that was retrieved, Malphas would procure his poisoned dagger with his free hand before setting off into the wilderness, and back to the village. Malphas would see to that merchant's request first, as there was one more thing he needed from her. Hopefully, the return trip wouldn't be full of those dastardly birds...</s> <\|message\|>Isidore @Rune_Alchemist Lightning and incomprehensible physical capabilities. As expected of someone, if Leuca was being literal, blessed by the 'Fey' with eternal youth. Certainly, such a boon would allow any number of people to become incredibly competent. No failing memory, no wasting muscle mass. Made it more impressive that Railey had survived any amount of time against Sorcha then. If it wasn't for his prior engagements, Isidore may not have been opposed to learning from the Apostles. As it was, however, Leuca was with him already, Augusta was his partner, and the Urutha had a unique history beneficial for them. So all Isidore did in response to Railey's offer was a curt nod, before his gaze settled upon Sorcha once more. Even with this much distance, it probably wasn't safe to play around. He flipped his polearm upside down, planting the axehead into the snow, then turned his head sideways. "Leuca's spoke of you." He gestured for the young Sirithen to stand up and come over. Beside him, not in front. "Are you still her guide?" No trust existed still, only circumstance and stories, both which could change with the drop of dwarvish coin.</s> <\|message\|>Nicholas "Nick" Gallagher The Journey Begins ~ Kyrnith's Grove ~ Interacted with: @Rune_Alchemist, @PKMNB0Y, @VitaVitaAR Nick dutifully followed the directions, taking him up a sloping trail until he reached a hill. The undergrowth of the forest soon turned into snow as he ascended and Nick soon arrived at his destination: A small grove with some sort of shrine sitting near a cluster of trees. The shrine seemed nothing special, just two slabs of rock with one standing straight atop the other. A clay bowl was there too with something burning in it. So that was where that faint smell of smoke came from. There, he did indeed find the two girls that he saw earlier. There was another figure with them, an epically large deer with antlers so tall it reached the tree branches. That was probably Kyrnith. Nick wasn't gonna lie, the deity looked pretty damn awesome despite the simplicity of its appearance. There were also a lot of deer around them. Nothing really surprising about that. The three seem to be talking and Nick got a rundown of what was happening to the Dawn village. It filled in the holes Nick still had about the story. Quite the trouble Dawn found itself in. Nick gulped. Well, here goes nothing. "H-Hey there, Lord Kyrnith. Umm, my name's Nick and I'm a friend of Donovan's." He first introduced himself. "You know, the tall guy with the accent who agreed to help you? I, uhh, tagged along with his quest so I could have a chance to see you, but I guess that was sooner rather than later." "A-Anyway, I was actually here looking for these two." Nick pointed to Nobunaga and Misaki. "We heard that they were going to help Dawn too so I came wondering if they're interested in a little team-up. The more the merrier, right? Four heads better than one, right?" He then turned to the aforementioned girls. "Hehe, right?" "But now that we're here though, might as well ask this." Nick continued before anyone could speak. "I'll bet my sister that you already know that we're not from this world. We're brought here by someone named 'The Goddess' and I was wondering if you, like, know a way back?" He asked his most important question. He doubted that it was going to be easy. "I'll settle for clues or hints, by the way." "Oh, uhh, since you're a deity and all..." Nick fished the strange, black diamond thing he found back in the courtyard where they first arrived. "Got any idea what this is?"</s> <\|message\|>Bella Rosso Augusta had to look away from Sorcha. She couldn't help but curiously use her eye on the woman and for some reason, it was giving her some great headache the more she looked. She considered what Leuca had said about her being Fey-Blessed but, well, that seemed weird. That seemed like it'd belong in that Special Attribute area with "Holder of a Dying Wish" and "Human Sympathy" which she could see both. These were her assumptions so far... This Sorcha... She either had an ability that she could not see that prevented her status from being read or she was just too strong for the elven woman or her eye to currently comprehend. Either way, it left her wary. She was sure that, if she so desired, Sorcha could eradicate them from existence. There were many things she wanted to say. "Who are you?" "What are you?" "Are you really a human?" But, well, she couldn't find the guts to say that aloud. She opened her mouth to say something else but... The words didn't leave her mouth. She couldn't manage to breath the words at first. She made sure she didn't use her eye to look at Sorcha again. She wasn't getting that headache now and she got a real look at the woman in front of the group again. She was beautiful, Augusta supposed. She studied the woman's features for a short time. She was strong enough to hold her own to that man, Railey, but was she strong enough to cancel the effect of her eye? What is she joking about? Augusta knew she was a stranger to this land. It shouldn't surprise her that there were people and creatures stronger than her... But this one was? She swallowed the thought. She had plenty of time to ponder the subject. She didn't want to make Sorcha concerned by studying her too much so she spoke after making sure that Railey man was gone. "I've found myself rather fond of Leuca in the last couple of days." She took off her hood to reveal her face and, more importantly, her ears. "I'd like to follow her to her journey's conclusion at this point. I also have an interest in reaching the Urutha. Would you guide us as well, Miss Sorcha?" She tried to be cautious with her words but she was starting to hope for a truely warm place to rest.</s>	<\|message\|>Novak It appeared that Novak had stepped into a laboratory of some sort. There was no sign of whatever he had seen peering from behind the corner, only a room filled with tables, an assortment of glasswares, and books. Novak was equally relieved and curious as to the purpose of this room. It seemed quite odd for a place of worship to have a laboratory. On the other hand, if the temple's former inhabitants worshiped the god of knowledge, perhaps experimentation was just another means of gathering knowledge. If so, exactly what sort of experiments were carried out here, he wondered. Novak noticed two doors in the room. The first one, located across from where he had entered, was barricaded by furniture, and an ominous looking puddle of tar appeared to have seeped underneath the door. Somebody had clearly blocked that door, and it didn't take much thinking for Novak to conclude that it'd be wise to leave it that way. The second door was much more interesting. It was ajar, and light shone through it from within, indicating the room beyond was well-illuminated. But what really caught Novak's attention was that the light appeared to be moving or shifting, strongly suggesting that something, or someone, was in the room. Could it be Leannah, casting that powerful light spell of hers? Until he knew for sure, it'd be wise for Novak to keep quiet and avoid drawing any attention to himself. Novak crept up to one of the tables, trying to move as quietly as possible. He looked at one of the books, curious as to what its contents were. He wasn't sure if he'd be able to read the texts, but perhaps he could glean something from illustrations or diagrams. After looking through the book, he'd don the mask again to see if it'd provide any further insight. It was at this point Novak noticed a skittering noise behind him. Pocketing the mask, he peered around the corner to see what it was. It was the skull, having moved from the pedestal room to halfway through the corridor. If Novak hadn't been trying to keep quiet, he'd have let out a chuckle. By themselves, the skittering and the moving skull both unnerved him greatly. Together, however, those phenomena suggested a more mundane and less dreadful explanation- that some crawling critter was underneath the skull, using it as shelter or camouflage. There was no way of knowing whether the skittering creature was dangerous or not, but Novak saw no reason to antagonize it as long as it remained out of stabbing distance. Perhaps it might even be useful for something. Novak returned to the laboratory. There was still the matter of where to proceed to next, and there were two doors leading out of here. Why was this door barricaded? Is it a dead end meant to keep something from getting out, or was it an exit meant to keep others from getting in? Regardless, the more pressing matter was the second door, the ajar one leading to the illuminated room. Whether Novak chose to take the barricade down or ignore it in favor of the second door, he needed to know what moving around in there, whether it was dangerous, and whether it would react to the noise that removing the barricade would create. Novak looked over the glassware and vases, looking for anything that might help. Perhaps he could toss the crawling skull into the room to see if it was safe. Wait, I have an idea. He drew his sword and carefully used his sleeve to wipe whatever blood and dirt may have been on the blade. He approached the iron door, careful as to not step into the light emanating from beyond, using the blade of his sword as a crude mirror to try and see what was moving in the altar room. Whether or not the sword was able to cast a clear reflection, Novak would follow up by carefully peeking through the door to get a better look. If whatever in there appeared to be or one of his companions or otherwise non-living, he'd slowly open the door and walk in. If, however, the occupant appeared both alive in any sense of the word and unfamiliar to him, he'd carefully move back, and consider heading back to the tar room to see if the others had made their way down the pit.</s>
<\|description\|>Novak Photo Gender: Male Appearance: Standing at approximately 5'10" or 178cm and with no distinguishing markings, Novak appears entirely human. Goals: Novak was summoned by the goddess to rebuild the world, and that is what he intends to do. His more personal goals can be summed up by a pair of phrases he vaguely recalls from his previous life: "Begin again", and "Let go". In other words, he wishes to start over in this world, unburdened by whatever past he once had. Past Life:Novak remembers nothing of his previous life, other than a nagging notion that it was uneventful, unremarkable, and cut abruptly and unexpectedly short. He isn't even sure if Novak was his family name or given name. What he does remember is that for whatever reason, he made a deal with the goddess who plucked him from death: in exchange for the memories of his life, he would gain the ability to learn new, more relevant skills at a supernatural pace to replace that which he gave up. From what he can gather from what remains of his mind, he had at least a high school education, lived in an urban region, and the notion of being reincarnated in a new world is something that seems not entirely unfamiliar to him. Abilities: Physical Conditioning: Peak human Your body is naturally tough, durable, and strong. The pinnacle of human physical strength, endurance, and agility. Keep training, and surely you can surpass even stronger beings. Soul Flare: The ability to turn ones soul into a weapon itself. Needed for most basic magical feats. Channel the mana present in the air through your body to achieve great feats. Allows one to interact with supernatural things, and perceive things others may not. Supernatural Learning: Thanks to the sacrifice of your previous life's memories, you have gained the ability to rapidly pick up on new skills to fill the void left behind. This ability is consciously activated, and can function through visual, auditory, and kinesthetic cues. This power is not limitless, however, and will cease to function once it has refilled the void in your mind. Fortunately, this limit is not affected by any knowledge or memories that are gained "normally". Inventory: Clothing</s> <\|message\|>Takeshima Misaki (formerly Takeshima Mamoru) With a nod and a bow, Misaki watched as Haruno left, leaving both her and Nobunaga behind on the beach. To think that a race of people in the same make as classic oni, not too unlike those seen in old folktales, would be in such a state in this world... It was intriguing to the foxgirl, of course; there were a lot of questions to ask and a lot more to dig into, but if she wanted to pursue this in its entirety, then actually getting to Chagawa was her top priority. That, of course, led her back to the schematics she had briefly drawn out in the sand. The oni hadn't exactly reacted to them—whether that was a good thing or not was up for debate—which meant that she only needed to execute what it was that she had in mind. Of course, it seemed like getting her to help was out of the question by now... Which, in other words, left few others she could attempt to ask for help. Most of the other residents of the town were unlikely to see the benefits inherent in making paper—not as they were now, at least; the caravan was even less of an option, really, given how much they would stand to gain after the fact. In short, she could only ask Lazirha and the others living with her at the moment for help, and with them being out of the town at the moment, the most she could really do was detail her plans for the near future before wiping them all away as the sun began to set. Being engrossed in her work as she was, the foxgirl found herself only now growing hungry, which in turn only led her to head back to her benefactor's home to see if the other group had returned. And when they hadn't? That was cause for concern, but given that she had no knowledge of the lay of the land nor any actual combat capabilities, the only thing she could do was wait. When the group (or, rather, pair) had finally returned , Misaki found herself listening to a rather hard-to-follow synopsis of the day's events. To be frank, the situation was one that she could only barely grasp the basics of. What was clear, though, was that some mess involving the god they were attempting to usurp on their end had taken place, which meant that they were at least on the same page. Well, that and the fact that Lazirha was important regardless of that fact, which, given Enli's words, was not too much of a surprise anyhow. Of course, Misaki did not fail to give them the far-less-eventful synopsis of the events on their end, either; it only seemed right, after all. The matter about the paper could be discussed tomorrow, when the other two were less worked up about the day's happenings. --- After waking up after a night's rest, Misaki found that Narkissa was already up and about, with Lazirha nowhere to be seen. Though the latter's absence was a bit troubling, given how the same thing had occurred the day before, the foxgirl decided that it would probably be best to not worry about her for the moment. Instead, though... "Ah... Excuse me," she began, calling out towards the white-haired girl before pausing and taking a deep breath. "...I'd like to apologize for being so curt with you the past few days. It's been... A bit difficult to adjust, admittedly, and being asked if I was from Earth so abruptly in front of so many people was a bit troublesome for me. There was another yesterday, when we went to see the Kyrinth, who was a lot more brazen about his origins and attempted to spread ours, and given how I have no idea about how that would affect how the people here would perceive us..." The foxgirl found herself nervously scratching the back of her head as she rambled before getting up and giving a proper bow of apology instead. "...I hope you might be able to forgive me. I am not particularly skilled at dodging questions, and so if I have insulted you in doing so, I apologize." There was a pause as Misaki let the moment hang in the air before taking a step back; regardless of if a response came, though, after waiting a few moments, the foxgirl would move on to continue speaking once more. "Shameless as this may sound, and despite the situation, I would like to ask if you could assist me in something today. I wish to create screens and frames for papermaking, but I'm not certain if I can do so alone. Of course, given what happened, I would understand if you were to decline in favor of searching for the one who went missing, but..." A few minutes after she had made her request, Lazirha's return caused Misaki to focus her attention towards her words instead. There was undoubtedly a problem at hand now, though; that much was certain. But coupled with Enli's meeting with the Kyrinth today, this only seemed to bode ill for everyone involved. "...I can... Sort of understand what you're saying, but I don't think we have enough information to try and find it without putting everyone at risk. You mentioned that there were people who were trying to kill you, right? I don't think that you can afford to throw yourselves into danger again—not until we know a bit more, at least," she finally said, glancing at Narkissa and Lazirha before shaking her head. "But if we have the Kyrinth's cooperation, it might be possible to ask him after Enli's meeting... Which would mean that would have to proceed without incident. I don't think I can be of much use, though; I'm not much of a fighter to begin with, so if anything was to happen, I'd likely end up a burden." Making paper seemed like a far less productive way to spend her time, given the situation, but at this point the only thing she could think of doing that might have a chance of helping with regard to the more violent problems was experimenting with the plants she had gathered the day before, and even that line of experimentation wasn't guaranteed to bear fruit at the moment. @Click This@Rune_Alchemist</s> <\|message\|>Bella Rosso Augusta sighed. Somehow she expected Rullphana would say as much. "I suppose I haven't be able to practice as much as I would like." Augusta continued with a shrug. "I only started practicing less than a week ago though, so I hope you don't expect as much out of me as your apprentice. I've had to figure most of this out on my own." The elfen woman added. "I like to think I've had some steady improvement... Though, I suppose that attempt casting Lightning was a failure." She looked at her hand for a second, clutching at the air with her fingers before giving a small sigh and looking towards Rullphana. "If you wouldn't mind, I'd like to witness your studying of Octavia." Augusta mentioned, "I think you'll find her more cooperative anyhow. Also, I'm curious as to how you'll study her." The woman moved a little closer, "Besides, you can never know too much in this world."</s>	<\|message\|>Novak "Good to meet you too," Novak replied to the dwarf as he took a seat at the table. Despite the fox opting to sleep on him last night, he had slept fairly well, or at least better than if he had gone back to Enli's place. After everything that had happened, he didn't feel particularly safe sleeping among the villagers, within reach of the hunters, and it was of no small relief to be offered to stay at Lady Mie's tent for the night. While it was true that he hadn't actually seen any of the hunters trying to kill him, the mask's vision, the Illuminator's warning, the smell of smoke, and the fox's guidance all pointed towards someone having malicious intentions towards him yesterday. Novak speculated that the mask he picked up might allow him to identify among the hunters served the Illuminator, but wasn't sure how people would react to him donning the mask, especially if they recognized where it was from. "I have to say it's a very tempting offer," Novak spoke to Lady Mie. "I think some traveling would do good for me, and provide the opportunity to learn some new skills." There was a lot he could see himself gaining from traveling with Mie; he could learn to use a sword properly, gain some firsthand understanding of this world and its civilizations beyond this little village, and perhaps pick up on prices of goods and value of whatever currencies this world has. Not to mention traveling from place to place in a merchant caravan could help to track down the orb that the Illuminator desired, while simultaneously getting him far, far away from whoever had tried to kill him and his companions yesterday. "That said, I do have a bit of unfinished business in this village that I'm hoping to conclude before I could commit myself to your service," he continued. "I'm hoping that I can get it taken care of today." First, Novak was hoping that Bolcha will have finished the armor he had agreed to craft, so he'd have some form of proper protective attire. Second, it might be enlightening to track down one of the Illuminator-worshiping hunters and ask them about the orb, about the theft, and about Lazhira. Alternatively, they could be as blinded to the theft as the Illuminator was, and/or try to kill Novak to maintain their secrecy. Perhaps he'd be better off asking one of the other of the Goddess' chosen if they had learned anything about the situation in the village. If Lady Mie had nothing else to discuss, Novak would grab his belongings, leave the tent, and head for Bolcha's place of work. It might be too much to ask for someone to make armor out of the creature's hide in a day and a half, but it wouldn't hurt to see what progress had been made. I wonder how many of the hunters are with the Illuminator, he pondered. A few of them? Most of them? Is Akando one of them? Novak hoped that he had garnered enough goodwill helping against the armadillo beast and retrieving Bolcha's tools that whatever malefactors resided in the village would stay their hand.</s>
<\|description\|>Novak Photo Gender: Male Appearance: Standing at approximately 5'10" or 178cm and with no distinguishing markings, Novak appears entirely human. Goals: Novak was summoned by the goddess to rebuild the world, and that is what he intends to do. His more personal goals can be summed up by a pair of phrases he vaguely recalls from his previous life: "Begin again", and "Let go". In other words, he wishes to start over in this world, unburdened by whatever past he once had. Past Life:Novak remembers nothing of his previous life, other than a nagging notion that it was uneventful, unremarkable, and cut abruptly and unexpectedly short. He isn't even sure if Novak was his family name or given name. What he does remember is that for whatever reason, he made a deal with the goddess who plucked him from death: in exchange for the memories of his life, he would gain the ability to learn new, more relevant skills at a supernatural pace to replace that which he gave up. From what he can gather from what remains of his mind, he had at least a high school education, lived in an urban region, and the notion of being reincarnated in a new world is something that seems not entirely unfamiliar to him. Abilities: Physical Conditioning: Peak human Your body is naturally tough, durable, and strong. The pinnacle of human physical strength, endurance, and agility. Keep training, and surely you can surpass even stronger beings. Soul Flare: The ability to turn ones soul into a weapon itself. Needed for most basic magical feats. Channel the mana present in the air through your body to achieve great feats. Allows one to interact with supernatural things, and perceive things others may not. Supernatural Learning: Thanks to the sacrifice of your previous life's memories, you have gained the ability to rapidly pick up on new skills to fill the void left behind. This ability is consciously activated, and can function through visual, auditory, and kinesthetic cues. This power is not limitless, however, and will cease to function once it has refilled the void in your mind. Fortunately, this limit is not affected by any knowledge or memories that are gained "normally". Inventory: Clothing</s> <\|message\|>Takeshima Misaki (formerly Takeshima Mamoru) Given how curious she had seemed, Misaki found herself slightly confused at Lazirha's hesitance at going to check the situation out. Risk-averse as she tended to be, though, the foxgirl could not willingly leave herself in the dark—not in this situation, at least. Of course, when that reticence disappeared after she gave her confirmation, her earlier worries seemed to not matter; with the younger girl dragging her out in full force now, the young woman could do little but to keep up. Of course, the sight that they came across was none too comforting—an ambush in the works seldom was—but who that was meant for... Well, who could tell? It was at this point, though, that Narkissa seemed to pop up, and just as Lazirha began to call her over, Misaki waved for the other girl to come to their side before promptly gesturing at Lazirha to lower her voice. A quick glance towards the nearby hunters to confirm that they hadn't caught wind of their arrival would come before hushed whispers, the foxgirl peeking out from behind cover in an attempt to piece together what exactly they were trying to do. "Suppose we both ended up curious... What do you suppose they're trying to catch—or kill, maybe?" she asked, hoping that she didn't stand out too much against the underbrush. The snow helped her blend in, at least, but... This@Rune_Alchemist</s> <\|message\|>"Malphas" Shigenaga Nomura It's dangerous to go alone...@Rune_Alchemist Nomura considered Mie's suggestion of training carefully. He had thought of such a prospect before, especially given how treacherous this new world happened to be. As much as he wished to rely on others for protection, it was clear to Nomura that he would not always have someone to protect him. That is to say, it's not as if he didn't plan to form his own entourage. Rather, it would be in his better interest if he were able to defend himself in the event he would be separated from any form of help, be it against the strange beasts of this or the treacherous men who live upon it. "Hm, you do raise a good point, Lady Mie. I have been meaning to improve upon my skills with the bow as of late." Nomura stated, making his way to the gathered weapons and eyeing the arrows. "That said, I could also use a weapon in case threats come a bit too close for my liking. Perhaps a concealed weapon of some sorts, something that wouldn't draw too much attention or ire from others. You wouldn't happen to have anything like a blade hidden in a cane, or other such weapons, would you?" Nomura examined the different weapons on display, looking for something inconspicuous. He already had a dagger, but he could still use something more to protect himself, particularly something with a longer reach. Perhaps a simple staff? In any case, he awaited Mie's suggestion, stroking his beak inquisitively as he gazed at the weapons with thought.</s> <\|message\|>Narkissa Langdon Narkissa Langdon @PKMNB0Y Narkissa slowly made her way towards the scene of the commotion. Carrying all the new stuff was still a bit cumbersome, even with two bags to hold all her stuff and her sword awkwardly holstered in a makeshift belt, but she managed. It did make her a little less than stealthy, though, so she approached carefully. It seemed she wasn't as good at making herself unseen as she thought, though, when she heard her name called out by none other than Lazhira. Raising an eyebrow at the waving girl, she made her way over. Hopefully Lazhira was the only one that had seen her, as she would soon find out. By the time she reached the girl, Narkissa realized they weren't alone, in more than one way—Miksaki was there, shushing the other girl, and it was also evident there were hunters down in the darkness. Hunting something, obviously. "Hello," she greeted simply, keeping her voice down. "I'll confess I'm out of the loop, seems a lot has happened since we met at Mie's," she shrugged, peering over at the scene. She crossed her arms. "Considering their track record over the past couple days, nothing good. Lazhira, they aren't after you, are they?"</s>	<\|message\|>Novak Novak took a seat by the fire as Enli had suggested. The things he had to reveal would be something best discussed while seated. "The hunters told us that the Illuminator appeared to them in person, and told them about the seal, and that it was failing," Novak began. "They claim he said that there's a goddess trapped down there, and if she gets out, the sea will swallow this land, and then that the Illuminator assailed them with nightmares of it happening to get the point across. I suppose that's how he sunk his hooks into them." Novak took a deep breath and glanced away for a moment, before turning back to Enli to continue explaining what he had learned. "They believed that the seal wasn't eroding on its own, somebody was weakening it, and the hunters were trying to find who was responsible. They seemed to think it was Lazhira, but the Illuminator recently gave them a new plan. He told them that if you died, it'd both draw out the culprit and convince the villagers to worship the Illuminator again. I'm not really sure how I can do to stop the seal from breaking, but I promise you, I will not abandon the village." Novak had been hoping that the urgency that gripped him over the last two days would subside if the hunters were dealt with and the Kyrinth's wrath turned away from the village, but that wasn't to be. They had stumbled right into a potentially apocalyptic scenario and from the sound of it, they had dashed the Illuminator's schemes to avert it.</s>
<\|description\|>Narkissa Langdon Female Appearance: Even as she grew older and her body more frail, the youthful spirit and the sense of adventure within her never died out. The presence of a new body only made things more perfect. Narkissa has the appearance of a youthful, slender adult. She stands an average height of 5' 5", and while fit, weighs a paltry 111 lbs. Although her hair and eyes have taken a strange albino coloration, her professional sartorial aesthetic remains. Goals: What more can Narkissa wish for than to rediscover progress and reclaim the world? To build an empire under a reborn flag, so large in which the sun would never set on its lands? What more can it be than providence? Would it really be fine if it ended like this? As the darkness surrounded her, accompanied by the creaks and groans of her vessel of demise, a lifetime of past thoughts flashed through her eyes. Even now, Narkissa was fascinated with the past. As long as she could remember, her mind had always fluttered to the tales of the past, the mystery, the majesty, and the grandeur of countries long past. But of them all, there was only one country that had them all… and it wasn't too long ago that her country had stood at the peak of the world. There was nothing more that could fascinate her than the story of the early modern era, of the rise of the British Empire, and its maritime hegemony. She couldn't love the history any than she could love her own country. Well, in other words, she was a nationalist. But unlike others, Narkissa really was more interested in learning about things than shitposting on the internet. She became a scholar of history of early modern Britain. What was it like in the early modern era? How did people live? What technology did people use, how did it work? What food did people eat? What was life at sea like, how did people survive? Those were the questions that she asked, answered, and taught. By the time she was beginning to reach her middle ages, she had become a marine archeologist, traveling to the ends of the world —and the depths of the sea— to explore the secrets that the oceans had swallowed long ago. It really would be the past that would cause her demise, too. Narkissa recalled the closing years of the American Revolution, when the British Empire had won a great battle against the French off Dominica. The battle won, the fleet sailed home with their prizes, only to meet their untimely demise in a hurricane in the Atlantic. It was the topic of her research. Her life's work had finally culminated in finding the wrecks at the bottom of the sea, and for the first time in almost 250 years, human eyes finally beheld the hulls of the wooden battleships. It really was just a damn shame that the pressure hull of the research submersible began to leak. Abilities: Physical Conditioning: Peak human Your body is naturally tough, durable, and strong. The pinnacle of human physical strength, endurance, and agility. Keep training, and surely you can surpass even stronger beings. Soul Flare The ability to turn ones soul into a weapon itself. Needed for most basic magical feats. Channel the mana present in the air through your body to achieve great feats. Allows one to interact with supernatural things, and perceive things others may not. Affection of the Sea: The goddess has given you some of her own favor. The sea itself seems to bend to your will. Should you travel by it, you'll always find favorable winds and currents, the sea always seemingly directing you to where your destination is need to go whilst also hindering whatever may wish to do you harm. Theoretically, it can also extend to anything or anyone you 'own' as well, such as ships and sailors, but they will need some sort of relief or symbol to do so. Perhaps should you gain more favor with the goddess, you may even be able to command the seas themselves on some level... Her clothes on her back… or maybe not?</s> <\|message\|>Leannah Stromhart Leannah --- Looted. Nothing of interest with the tapestries, not even so much as anything left on what she assumed was the old warden's desk and effects. Hell, someone else could have popped in here a long time ago, or even as recent as herself and anyone else on these premises waking up from a certain moon goddess' offer. Either way it had been just one little monstrous abomination in here, which was a relief, but at the same time it left her with not much choice of what to do. The thing was still out there, and from what she could see in the window it was not too happy after-...wait did Malphas just fly? Ok, even she had to admit that was kinda great to be honest. Guy seemed to have his own attitude, but he'd just proven his little stunts could have good effects potentially at least. Gave her a little more faith in him, at least, though her situation wasn't much helped at the moment. ...Heh, but of course it would be like her to think of this as a 'backup' plan. Would be a hell of a way to go out if it went down as she thought, but all the same it was her terms and also kinda badass in concept. Soon, behind the angry and roaring Guardian that was looking for its other quarry, Leannah would pop back out of the tower's entrance door. Except instead of running away from the monster, she was running toward it at top speed. Her breathing was controlled, her eyes locked onto her target with unwavering abandon, and every muscle in her body channeling the fullness of her might at its very peak as she would throw the spear at the Guardian's head with the precision of an Olympic Champion and the might of a battle-ready martial arts master. After this, she was blitz toward the Guardian with the intent to leap up on it and do battle with her fists and body. Screw this thing, she was going to kick its ass, die trying, or something!</s> <\|message\|>Isidore @Rune_Alchemist@PaulHaynek@Guy0fV4lor Isidore stared at Augusta for a long couple of seconds, before continuing to follow Octavia. He hadn't been democratic in his past life, but there were only implicit understandings between himself and this group of strangers. Best to let this go. The architecture changed as they strode down the stairs. It was curious, that this building was constructed atop something older, something fouler. Not just a place for foul experimentation, but perhaps a place for archaeologists to delve into the mysteries of the past too? It smelled of a bad movie, really, the sort that the young uns in his business would simultaneously deride and eat up. As the surroundings worsened and worsened, shadows lengthening and the stench of the ghettos seeping into Isidore, the man began to consider. Black slabs that ate the soul, which transformed into flowers birthed of tar. Emancipated monstrosities, wandering empty corridors and hallways. A warden of titanic proportions, stalking the aboveground. Once again, curiosity and ambition got the better of one's common sense, hm? Black vines crawled over old stone, wretched creatures turned into fertilizer from which the tar flowers grew. The lighting conditions were practically non-existent at this point, and the stench strengthened too, every cell of the dungeon empty. A disgusting place, a proper oubliette, a place that even he feared. And at the very end, where the demonic dog awaited them like a guide to the bowels of hell, stood a door, wrenched open by masses of vines. The occult circle engraved upon its surface had its own implications, as did the runes inscribed upon them as well. A different script from the ones that adorned the black stone slabs. A different meaning. In the suffocating silence, Isidore spoke up. "They were studying something. It got out." He picked up Octavia's chain, looping it twice around his hand. He forced the tension out of his shoulders, and felt again for that energy within his own body. Once, he had formed a connection with another soul, and became more grounded for it. Now, he envisioned it coalescing on his eyes, drawing more light into it, as vestigial as it was. And, whether or not his eyesight improved from it, Isidore strode boldly forwards. It didn't matter, after all. He had walked to certain death once, the waves burning his lungs from inside out. But this? This was just another alleyway back home.</s> <\|message\|>Nicholas "Nick" Gallagher The Journey Begins ~ Unknown Location ~ Interacted with: @ERode, @Pyromania99,@Guy0fV4lor "Wait, we do? And you can teach me? Sweet!" Nick's head immediately to the things he could do with magic. Could he lift stuff up from far away, like the Force in Star Wars? Alright, calm down Neil. Don't get too excited over this. First, focus on the task at hand and get somewhere safe before fawning over magic. "And I don't think Isidore needs help fighting." Especially not now, now that Donovan was with them. They continued to follow Octavia deeper into the prison-ish complex. As they descended stairs, the surroundings shifted from the smooth black surfaces to rough and old stone walls. Kind of like those ancient Medieval dungeons. But onward they went, following the demon pup to the bottom of this wretched place. The smell was horrid, something was rotting and Nick had to cover his nose even if the odor was not particularly strong yet. Where was Octavia leading them? Nick had a bad feeling about this, and it was not from his power. At least, not yet. He was not sure if those were bodies on the floor and Nick preferred if he didn't find out. The hallway they were in were lined with cells. The strange black tar crawled up the walls like vines, sprouting those flower-like plants that spawned Octavia. They were everywhere, even covering the lifeless bodies of wretched experiments. It was then that Nick felt that anxiousness again. This time it was strong, and he was certain it was his power. This place was obviously dangerous, but what in particular. Octavia stopped at the end of the hallway and allowed Isidore to come and take her chain. They were at a large iron door, wedged open by those black vines. "Guys, I don't think we should continue this." Nick said, looking a bit dazed. Even if Augusta and Donovan joined Isidore and Octavia, Nick would not move a single inch forward. "Seriously, guys. I think... I think we should get back up. And far away from this place." He glanced at the black plants made of the tar-like substances. Remembering how Octavia came to be... Hold on, could it be...?</s> <\|message\|>"Malphas" Malphas Freedom@Rune_Alchemist Malphas wondered to himself if this was what true death was like. As soon as he leapt into the air, he had closed his eyes, welcoming whatever fate had in store for him. That weightless feeling that surrounded him gave him the same sensation that swept his body when he imbibed the poison that lead to his downfall. It was a feeling of ascension, a feeling of freedom... It was an ecstasy that Malphas fully absorbed himself in. At least, that was before his shins slammed into the upper edges of the rock wall before him. After a rather comedic sequence of him tumbling down the other side of the wall, Malphas finally took in the true feeling of freedom. Looking behind him as he was made aware of the ethereal wings that made his escape. Was this the true power of faith in this world? Is this merely a taste of what he could truly attain should he amass a large enough following? Motivated at the prospects of this idea, Malphas quickly stood up, stopping halfway as he crumpled back down into exhaustion. His accomplishments have taken a toll on him, and it was only now that the rush of adrenaline had ended that Malphas finally felt his energy fading. Rather than continuing forward, Malphas instead turned onto his back in order to rest. He should treasure these brief moments of respite while he can, and it would be especially to his favor if he awaited for his allies to make their escape as well. As obstinate as they may be, traveling alone in this new world would be a dangerous prospect no matter what. Malphas did not want to end up like another winged fool, Icarus, who flew too close to the sun. Instead, he will stay by the moonlight, guided by its cold embrace. "I believe in you, you fools..." Malphas uttered as he closed his eyes, drifting to rest for a time.</s> <\|message\|>Bella Rosso The further and further they walked, the more and more Augusta started to question her choice. Still, it was the choice that she had made. She needed to see it through at this point. No matter the weird experiment, cryptic wall designs or tar-like plants, she would move forward with her companions! Still, it didn't mean it made her feel very good. Perhaps it was the fact that they seemed to be moving in deeper to the earth but she felt like it was getting harder to breath. Perhaps her nerves were actually getting to her. A shame, really. She had almost thought she wouldn't be afraid of dying again but the first time around was rather... Frightening. The elven woman pushed the thoughts out of her mind as best she could and focused on the here and now. There were tar plants like back on the surface when Octavia first appeared. There was no doubt it was related. Perhaps they should prepare for more demon dogs? She stepped forward to move ahead with Isidore, ready to use her eye to their advantage if they needed to... But well, Nick was having cold feet now. Something to do with his power? She frowned, hoping they'd all go forward together despite his warning of danger. She was slightly shook, but didn't show it or try to think of it. The woman turned to Nick and smiled. "Well, it's fine if you don't. I think Isidore and I are going regardless. If it's a living thing, I can gleam information from it and all. It's probably related to Octavia there anyhow, isn't it? My curiosity will probably be the death of me, but not today." There was a confidence in her voice. Augusta cleared her throat and spoke again. "I won't think any worse of you one way or the other. If you want to come with us ahead or retreat to the surface. Same goes for you too, Donovan, of course. Not that it's been long since I've met Nick or Isidore but it's only been some minutes." She gave them both a smile and moved towards Isidore and Octavia, ready to head forward.</s>	<\|message\|>Narkissa Langdon As far as Narkissa was concerned, what she saw was impossible. Then again, the original appearance of the wall in front of them should have been impossible, so the sight of the strange man flying, if briefly, on ethereal wings was no less strange than any one of the things that she had seen or happened to her today. Then, in the blink of an eye, he was over the wall and gone. He had escaped. That also meant that Narkissa was now alone. With the stone giant. She had long lost track of her other brief allies, Leanna and Donovan, leaving her by her lonesome in the stone ruins. Thankfully, it seemed that the giant had been disoriented by Malphas' escape and busied itself scanning the area. By the time that it glanced in her direction, she had long ducked into the safety of the building. Perhaps she could attempt to scale the wall when the giant had its attention taken elsewhere. For now, she looked around the room; seeing another weapons pile, she was drawn towards it. An axe was rather less than ideal; to her, a sword felt more natural, and for one she searched, biding her time before she could attempt the wall herself.</s>
<\|description\|>Narkissa Langdon Female Appearance: Even as she grew older and her body more frail, the youthful spirit and the sense of adventure within her never died out. The presence of a new body only made things more perfect. Narkissa has the appearance of a youthful, slender adult. She stands an average height of 5' 5", and while fit, weighs a paltry 111 lbs. Although her hair and eyes have taken a strange albino coloration, her professional sartorial aesthetic remains. Goals: What more can Narkissa wish for than to rediscover progress and reclaim the world? To build an empire under a reborn flag, so large in which the sun would never set on its lands? What more can it be than providence? Would it really be fine if it ended like this? As the darkness surrounded her, accompanied by the creaks and groans of her vessel of demise, a lifetime of past thoughts flashed through her eyes. Even now, Narkissa was fascinated with the past. As long as she could remember, her mind had always fluttered to the tales of the past, the mystery, the majesty, and the grandeur of countries long past. But of them all, there was only one country that had them all… and it wasn't too long ago that her country had stood at the peak of the world. There was nothing more that could fascinate her than the story of the early modern era, of the rise of the British Empire, and its maritime hegemony. She couldn't love the history any than she could love her own country. Well, in other words, she was a nationalist. But unlike others, Narkissa really was more interested in learning about things than shitposting on the internet. She became a scholar of history of early modern Britain. What was it like in the early modern era? How did people live? What technology did people use, how did it work? What food did people eat? What was life at sea like, how did people survive? Those were the questions that she asked, answered, and taught. By the time she was beginning to reach her middle ages, she had become a marine archeologist, traveling to the ends of the world —and the depths of the sea— to explore the secrets that the oceans had swallowed long ago. It really would be the past that would cause her demise, too. Narkissa recalled the closing years of the American Revolution, when the British Empire had won a great battle against the French off Dominica. The battle won, the fleet sailed home with their prizes, only to meet their untimely demise in a hurricane in the Atlantic. It was the topic of her research. Her life's work had finally culminated in finding the wrecks at the bottom of the sea, and for the first time in almost 250 years, human eyes finally beheld the hulls of the wooden battleships. It really was just a damn shame that the pressure hull of the research submersible began to leak. Abilities: Physical Conditioning: Peak human Your body is naturally tough, durable, and strong. The pinnacle of human physical strength, endurance, and agility. Keep training, and surely you can surpass even stronger beings. Soul Flare The ability to turn ones soul into a weapon itself. Needed for most basic magical feats. Channel the mana present in the air through your body to achieve great feats. Allows one to interact with supernatural things, and perceive things others may not. Affection of the Sea: The goddess has given you some of her own favor. The sea itself seems to bend to your will. Should you travel by it, you'll always find favorable winds and currents, the sea always seemingly directing you to where your destination is need to go whilst also hindering whatever may wish to do you harm. Theoretically, it can also extend to anything or anyone you 'own' as well, such as ships and sailors, but they will need some sort of relief or symbol to do so. Perhaps should you gain more favor with the goddess, you may even be able to command the seas themselves on some level... Her clothes on her back… or maybe not?</s> <\|message\|>Novak Novak It seemed at first that Novak's symbol-pressing had no effect. But when he viewed the pedestal with the mask's sight again, he was greeted by the sight of a light floating over the pedestal, and figures surrounding it. He beheld as the phantoms grabbed the light and a series of flashing images depicted them fleeing down the hallway into the unexplored section. Beyond the darkness, Novak beheld what looked like...something humanoid peeping at him from behind the corner. A disconcerting giggle sounded and the figures vanished, followed by a few strange whispers. Perhaps it was simply a primal fear that would spook almost anybody, or perhaps it was the vestige of a fear from his past life. Whatever the case, it was too much for Novak, who let out a short, quiet scream from beneath his mask. He put the glowing crystal down and moved his hand to the hilt of his sword, fearful at the prospect that something was down here watching him. He stood there, frozen in fear, heart pounding, waiting to see if those...things would emerge from the darkness. Would he be able to defend himself against them? Would he even be able to hurt them? Or were they just more memories of this place, perceptible only through the mask? As Novak pondered on this, the latter possibility- that they were harmless phantoms that the mask was showing him- seemed to become more and more plausible as nothing happened, and with it his fight-or-flight instinct subsided slightly. The place was almost certainly empty, and the figures he saw were nothing more than memories that the mask was recounting to him. At least that's what he told himself. He pocketed the mask, bent down to pick up the crystal, and it was only then he noticed the skull in the room, which once again caused him to let out a short, relatively soft scream. How did that skull get here? Was that always here? I don't remember it being here before. The presence of human remains, even if it was just a skull, was of some concern to Novak. Just what happened here, he wondered. With one hand holding the crystal and the other tightly gripping the hilt of his sword, Novak tentatively walked down the unexplored hallway, as his alarmed mind tried to make sense of what he had seen. Those figures had taken the light from the pedestal and run off- it almost looked like they were stealing something, some sort of object that had once been stationed on the pedestal? What would happen, he wondered, if someone were to return that stolen object here? Further speculation could wait; first he needed to explore here and prove to himself that it what he saw was just the mask's images. At least that's what he hoped he'd prove.</s> <\|message\|>Leannah Stromhart Leannah --- ...Seemed whoever wrote that page was not a fan of the Illuminator, but more worrying was the seeming gusto to one-up a god at something. Sure whomever it was could erase memories, it seemed, but trying to one-up a deity was usually a sign of the kind of hubris that would doom someone in legend. Or at least the kind that led to bad things happening in anime and movies. Maybe even, as she suspected most of all, the words of a rejected follower or apprentice or something who was trying something ultimately stupid and dangerous to try to one-up the master or deity or so forth who cast them aside. The mention of an orb was also something odd, however, as they'd already seen one after coming in. Was it the same one they wanted to take? Was it another one hidden deep in this temple? Both could be valid, and her own suspicions immediately went to the latter option unless it would be proven different otherwise. Either way, the mysterious writer who left this behind a complex trap would be something to get back to sooner or later depending on what happened next. Maybe she could even ask Lazhira about it all, to be frank, and see if she had any insights. The girl bore markings like this place and was suspiciously able to get to and fro to here with a strange ease compared to them. So perhaps she knew something? Leannah didn't want to assume anything outright at the moment about the newfound companion, but hell the mysteries behind her too and the fact they'd only met some shorter time ago did indicate something of potential mischief and strangeness afoot if naught else. So much didn't add up, so much she had already theorized about, and so much more was here to learn if she didn't get herself killed first. Mostly she was thankful the crystals on the walls were back, and that the one she had was still glowing well in the dark. She'd put out her magic light well enough by this point to simply see better with the crystal, or really it could be said her concentration was broken and it went out when she fell down the pit in the first place, but still she pressed onward through the path that opened up from the cistern. By the time the catgirl reached the large pool, she immediately paused in her movement to observe and look around...carefully this time. It was a big rectangular area, wrought of bricks and glowing crystals. Things were moving in the large pool of water (not always a good sign), though light was coming from the bottom of it as well. Most worrying was that more of that 'tar' was hanging from the edges of the pool, which wasn't a good sign if she went into the thing. Reminded her of a local YMCA really, at least when she'd managed to first see one after many years of travel and training and so forth. It smelled of a trap. Jump into the water to get things, things turn out to be monsters or cursed or evil slimes or something, can't get out because of the tar on the edges. Ensue a stamina struggle to swim whilst fighting, and then basically either die or manage to get out. Such a thing seemed fitting for a deity who wanted to 'test' how far others were willing to go for knowledge. Of course she could be reading too much into this as well, that much was always a possibility. Either way her curiosity was something fierce about all of this, and she couldn't just sit idly by after what had just happened either. There was a lot up with this place, and it was important to ensure she learned something as she went along to help ensure her owns survival and maybe unravel one or two clues about here at least. Still, in the end she would decide to keep her feet away from the tar and patrol around the pool with her crystal in hand. From this safe distance of the tar she'd look around the walls and edges and floors about the pool, minding her steps and looking cautiously for obvious 'push me into the water' traps. She'd also, from this safe distance, look over into the pool and use her own handheld crystal as a light source extra to see if she could tell what was down/in there without stepping as far as the tar. Once she was done, if nothing crazy happened, she'd stand near the far end of the pool close to exit from (not where she entered into here from) this room. Here she would try to cast a 'Light' spell like earlier, but this time take time, control, and caution to the extreme to do so. Because in this case she was trying to cast a light attached to the edge of the pool to give her more of a look into the water. It would probably cancel out the crystal light, but all the same it would be another perspective. If it gave her any better view or look at what was in the pool from here, or not, she'd gently snuff out the light once more with the same level of extreme caution in her magic use.</s>	<\|message\|>Narkissa Langdon Despite the slime's weakened state, it was still giving Narkissa more trouble than she had expected. Through its damaged, eviscerated form, it still fought for every inch of its life –and literally—as she reached for its core deep inside of its gelatinous body. But she eventually grasped it. From its determined shrieking, she knew that this was its lifeline. Without remorse, she pulled, and pulled, until she yanked it fully out of its body, awkwardly falling backwards from the sudden loss of resistance. Panting, she watched from the ground as the creature continued to gurgle and shriek, until it finally dissolved into a watery mess on the temple floor. Still catching her breath, she kept her grip on the strangely cool core, looking down at it, she couldn't help but to laugh. She'd done it. Perhaps she'd been a little too bold with that, but it seemed to work out alright. She was still recovering from her exertion when she jerked up, looking up at the temple ceiling as she heard the voice of the goddess once more. The voice was perhaps not quite so welcome as it had been after her brief ordeal, but Narkissa wasn't going to ignore it, either. Furrowing her eyebrows at the fight being referred to as a tutorial, she watched as a familiar drop of water fell from the sky. For a moment, she almost cringed, expecting it to be a 'reward' that brought yet another gauntlet of monsters, but it stopped and hovered in front of her. She looked at it apprehensively, but after a few moments, she reached out and took the floating raindrop-like gem. With a frown, she turned it over in her fingers, wondering what it was for. Not finding an immediate answer from the goddess or from observation, she sighed and pocketed the reward as Lazhira bounded over to her, clearly having taken the lesser slimes to task already. As far as rewards went, she felt it was a strange one, but perhaps the greater reward was the newfound –if now somewhat subdued—feeling of magical power within her body. "Ah? I'm not sure, actually…" For a moment, she thought about hiding the gem from Lazhira, considering its strange origin, but she'd helped her in the fight, and it was only fair to at least show her. "Well, I've got the big slime core, if that's actually worth anything… and this gem that seems to have fallen from the heavens," she replied, holding out the two objects in each hand. Once she'd had her fill, she pocketed both items again and stood up, dusting herself off. Feeling some pain in her arm, she frowned at the welts and scratches on her skin from her little bit of bravery. "Perhaps I overdid it a bit," she grimaced, before peering back down into the hole. "So, hmm. Is Leannah and that other man still down there? Should we… look for them down there?" Really though, Narkissa wanted to just go back to the village at this point and rest. Now that the issues up here were dealt with, however, she remained worried for her fellow dimension traveling companion. The other guy… well, not so much. As far as she was concerned, he was just a random stranger that abandoned her in a time of need.</s>
<\|description\|>Narkissa Langdon Female Appearance: Even as she grew older and her body more frail, the youthful spirit and the sense of adventure within her never died out. The presence of a new body only made things more perfect. Narkissa has the appearance of a youthful, slender adult. She stands an average height of 5' 5", and while fit, weighs a paltry 111 lbs. Although her hair and eyes have taken a strange albino coloration, her professional sartorial aesthetic remains. Goals: What more can Narkissa wish for than to rediscover progress and reclaim the world? To build an empire under a reborn flag, so large in which the sun would never set on its lands? What more can it be than providence? Would it really be fine if it ended like this? As the darkness surrounded her, accompanied by the creaks and groans of her vessel of demise, a lifetime of past thoughts flashed through her eyes. Even now, Narkissa was fascinated with the past. As long as she could remember, her mind had always fluttered to the tales of the past, the mystery, the majesty, and the grandeur of countries long past. But of them all, there was only one country that had them all… and it wasn't too long ago that her country had stood at the peak of the world. There was nothing more that could fascinate her than the story of the early modern era, of the rise of the British Empire, and its maritime hegemony. She couldn't love the history any than she could love her own country. Well, in other words, she was a nationalist. But unlike others, Narkissa really was more interested in learning about things than shitposting on the internet. She became a scholar of history of early modern Britain. What was it like in the early modern era? How did people live? What technology did people use, how did it work? What food did people eat? What was life at sea like, how did people survive? Those were the questions that she asked, answered, and taught. By the time she was beginning to reach her middle ages, she had become a marine archeologist, traveling to the ends of the world —and the depths of the sea— to explore the secrets that the oceans had swallowed long ago. It really would be the past that would cause her demise, too. Narkissa recalled the closing years of the American Revolution, when the British Empire had won a great battle against the French off Dominica. The battle won, the fleet sailed home with their prizes, only to meet their untimely demise in a hurricane in the Atlantic. It was the topic of her research. Her life's work had finally culminated in finding the wrecks at the bottom of the sea, and for the first time in almost 250 years, human eyes finally beheld the hulls of the wooden battleships. It really was just a damn shame that the pressure hull of the research submersible began to leak. Abilities: Physical Conditioning: Peak human Your body is naturally tough, durable, and strong. The pinnacle of human physical strength, endurance, and agility. Keep training, and surely you can surpass even stronger beings. Soul Flare The ability to turn ones soul into a weapon itself. Needed for most basic magical feats. Channel the mana present in the air through your body to achieve great feats. Allows one to interact with supernatural things, and perceive things others may not. Affection of the Sea: The goddess has given you some of her own favor. The sea itself seems to bend to your will. Should you travel by it, you'll always find favorable winds and currents, the sea always seemingly directing you to where your destination is need to go whilst also hindering whatever may wish to do you harm. Theoretically, it can also extend to anything or anyone you 'own' as well, such as ships and sailors, but they will need some sort of relief or symbol to do so. Perhaps should you gain more favor with the goddess, you may even be able to command the seas themselves on some level... Her clothes on her back… or maybe not?</s> <\|message\|>Nicholas "Nick" Gallagher The Journey Begins ~ Kyrnith's Grove ~ Interacted with: @Rune_Alchemist, @PKMNB0Y, @VitaVitaAR Nick dutifully followed the directions, taking him up a sloping trail until he reached a hill. The undergrowth of the forest soon turned into snow as he ascended and Nick soon arrived at his destination: A small grove with some sort of shrine sitting near a cluster of trees. The shrine seemed nothing special, just two slabs of rock with one standing straight atop the other. A clay bowl was there too with something burning in it. So that was where that faint smell of smoke came from. There, he did indeed find the two girls that he saw earlier. There was another figure with them, an epically large deer with antlers so tall it reached the tree branches. That was probably Kyrnith. Nick wasn't gonna lie, the deity looked pretty damn awesome despite the simplicity of its appearance. There were also a lot of deer around them. Nothing really surprising about that. The three seem to be talking and Nick got a rundown of what was happening to the Dawn village. It filled in the holes Nick still had about the story. Quite the trouble Dawn found itself in. Nick gulped. Well, here goes nothing. "H-Hey there, Lord Kyrnith. Umm, my name's Nick and I'm a friend of Donovan's." He first introduced himself. "You know, the tall guy with the accent who agreed to help you? I, uhh, tagged along with his quest so I could have a chance to see you, but I guess that was sooner rather than later." "A-Anyway, I was actually here looking for these two." Nick pointed to Nobunaga and Misaki. "We heard that they were going to help Dawn too so I came wondering if they're interested in a little team-up. The more the merrier, right? Four heads better than one, right?" He then turned to the aforementioned girls. "Hehe, right?" "But now that we're here though, might as well ask this." Nick continued before anyone could speak. "I'll bet my sister that you already know that we're not from this world. We're brought here by someone named 'The Goddess' and I was wondering if you, like, know a way back?" He asked his most important question. He doubted that it was going to be easy. "I'll settle for clues or hints, by the way." "Oh, uhh, since you're a deity and all..." Nick fished the strange, black diamond thing he found back in the courtyard where they first arrived. "Got any idea what this is?"</s> <\|message\|>Bella Rosso Augusta had to look away from Sorcha. She couldn't help but curiously use her eye on the woman and for some reason, it was giving her some great headache the more she looked. She considered what Leuca had said about her being Fey-Blessed but, well, that seemed weird. That seemed like it'd belong in that Special Attribute area with "Holder of a Dying Wish" and "Human Sympathy" which she could see both. These were her assumptions so far... This Sorcha... She either had an ability that she could not see that prevented her status from being read or she was just too strong for the elven woman or her eye to currently comprehend. Either way, it left her wary. She was sure that, if she so desired, Sorcha could eradicate them from existence. There were many things she wanted to say. "Who are you?" "What are you?" "Are you really a human?" But, well, she couldn't find the guts to say that aloud. She opened her mouth to say something else but... The words didn't leave her mouth. She couldn't manage to breath the words at first. She made sure she didn't use her eye to look at Sorcha again. She wasn't getting that headache now and she got a real look at the woman in front of the group again. She was beautiful, Augusta supposed. She studied the woman's features for a short time. She was strong enough to hold her own to that man, Railey, but was she strong enough to cancel the effect of her eye? What is she joking about? Augusta knew she was a stranger to this land. It shouldn't surprise her that there were people and creatures stronger than her... But this one was? She swallowed the thought. She had plenty of time to ponder the subject. She didn't want to make Sorcha concerned by studying her too much so she spoke after making sure that Railey man was gone. "I've found myself rather fond of Leuca in the last couple of days." She took off her hood to reveal her face and, more importantly, her ears. "I'd like to follow her to her journey's conclusion at this point. I also have an interest in reaching the Urutha. Would you guide us as well, Miss Sorcha?" She tried to be cautious with her words but she was starting to hope for a truely warm place to rest.</s> <\|message\|>Novak Novak It appeared that Novak had stepped into a laboratory of some sort. There was no sign of whatever he had seen peering from behind the corner, only a room filled with tables, an assortment of glasswares, and books. Novak was equally relieved and curious as to the purpose of this room. It seemed quite odd for a place of worship to have a laboratory. On the other hand, if the temple's former inhabitants worshiped the god of knowledge, perhaps experimentation was just another means of gathering knowledge. If so, exactly what sort of experiments were carried out here, he wondered. Novak noticed two doors in the room. The first one, located across from where he had entered, was barricaded by furniture, and an ominous looking puddle of tar appeared to have seeped underneath the door. Somebody had clearly blocked that door, and it didn't take much thinking for Novak to conclude that it'd be wise to leave it that way. The second door was much more interesting. It was ajar, and light shone through it from within, indicating the room beyond was well-illuminated. But what really caught Novak's attention was that the light appeared to be moving or shifting, strongly suggesting that something, or someone, was in the room. Could it be Leannah, casting that powerful light spell of hers? Until he knew for sure, it'd be wise for Novak to keep quiet and avoid drawing any attention to himself. Novak crept up to one of the tables, trying to move as quietly as possible. He looked at one of the books, curious as to what its contents were. He wasn't sure if he'd be able to read the texts, but perhaps he could glean something from illustrations or diagrams. After looking through the book, he'd don the mask again to see if it'd provide any further insight. It was at this point Novak noticed a skittering noise behind him. Pocketing the mask, he peered around the corner to see what it was. It was the skull, having moved from the pedestal room to halfway through the corridor. If Novak hadn't been trying to keep quiet, he'd have let out a chuckle. By themselves, the skittering and the moving skull both unnerved him greatly. Together, however, those phenomena suggested a more mundane and less dreadful explanation- that some crawling critter was underneath the skull, using it as shelter or camouflage. There was no way of knowing whether the skittering creature was dangerous or not, but Novak saw no reason to antagonize it as long as it remained out of stabbing distance. Perhaps it might even be useful for something. Novak returned to the laboratory. There was still the matter of where to proceed to next, and there were two doors leading out of here. Why was this door barricaded? Is it a dead end meant to keep something from getting out, or was it an exit meant to keep others from getting in? Regardless, the more pressing matter was the second door, the ajar one leading to the illuminated room. Whether Novak chose to take the barricade down or ignore it in favor of the second door, he needed to know what moving around in there, whether it was dangerous, and whether it would react to the noise that removing the barricade would create. Novak looked over the glassware and vases, looking for anything that might help. Perhaps he could toss the crawling skull into the room to see if it was safe. Wait, I have an idea. He drew his sword and carefully used his sleeve to wipe whatever blood and dirt may have been on the blade. He approached the iron door, careful as to not step into the light emanating from beyond, using the blade of his sword as a crude mirror to try and see what was moving in the altar room. Whether or not the sword was able to cast a clear reflection, Novak would follow up by carefully peeking through the door to get a better look. If whatever in there appeared to be or one of his companions or otherwise non-living, he'd slowly open the door and walk in. If, however, the occupant appeared both alive in any sense of the word and unfamiliar to him, he'd carefully move back, and consider heading back to the tar room to see if the others had made their way down the pit.</s>	<\|message\|>Narkissa Langdon "Without saying too much, huh," Narkissa mused aloud. If that wasn't a giant billboard with flashing arrows and lights saying 'I clearly know a lot more than this topic than I want to say', that was it. Still, it was a strange reward from an even stranger god. Maybe she would try to pry some information from Lazhira later. "Well, I don't intend to lose it," she quipped, before she tucked both the teardrop and core into the safety of her clothes' inner pockets. Taking a moment to pick her weapon back up, she continued to peer down the hole with the younger girl for a moment. Narkissa was still contemplating her options when Lazhira made the decision for her, jumping down the pit with a whee, of all things. She sighed and shook her head. Once more unto the breach, it seemed. She took a far more pragmatic way of doing that, though. If that dungeon ended up being a big fat dead end, they'd be trapped in the pit forever. Being the smart little cookie that she wanted to be, she searched for some masonry to loop the remaining rope around as an anchor before dropping the sword down the pit (hopefully without bonking Lazhira) and shimmying down the rope to the bottom of the bit. Or, her pathetic attempts at shimmying down a rope. She'd never done such a thing before, so although Lazhira's landing wasn't the most graceful, there was still an agonizing moment where she had to witness Narkissa awkwardly fumbling and swaying down the rope until she was on the ground next to her. Maybe she should have cannonballed down the hole with a whee as well. With an immensely awkward expression on her face, she looked around, frowning at the tar at the bottom of the pit as she grabbed her weapon again. "Tar? Made from petroleum, maybe?" she wondered aloud. It was definitely a strange, if nasty substance. "Could be worth bringing back, actually…" She didn't have any jars, though, so she didn't press the topic. She peered down the sole opening that the pit opened up into, a hallway of some kind. "Well, I suppose Leannah and that man went down that ways," she shrugged, heading in that direction. She looked back at Lazhira. Now was a better time than ever to ask her just what those powers she displayed earlier. "Say, Lazhira, what were those abilities you displayed earlier? Your secrets are safe with me, you have my word, but I can't help but to be curious why you went to such lengths to hide your ability to fight earlier." She recalled her having to be rescued by Leannah, but paradoxically also letting on that she was able to fend against the birds in that incident. Clearly, there was more between Lazhira and just a simple curiosity over this temple.</s>
<\|description\|>Narkissa Langdon Female Appearance: Even as she grew older and her body more frail, the youthful spirit and the sense of adventure within her never died out. The presence of a new body only made things more perfect. Narkissa has the appearance of a youthful, slender adult. She stands an average height of 5' 5", and while fit, weighs a paltry 111 lbs. Although her hair and eyes have taken a strange albino coloration, her professional sartorial aesthetic remains. Goals: What more can Narkissa wish for than to rediscover progress and reclaim the world? To build an empire under a reborn flag, so large in which the sun would never set on its lands? What more can it be than providence? Would it really be fine if it ended like this? As the darkness surrounded her, accompanied by the creaks and groans of her vessel of demise, a lifetime of past thoughts flashed through her eyes. Even now, Narkissa was fascinated with the past. As long as she could remember, her mind had always fluttered to the tales of the past, the mystery, the majesty, and the grandeur of countries long past. But of them all, there was only one country that had them all… and it wasn't too long ago that her country had stood at the peak of the world. There was nothing more that could fascinate her than the story of the early modern era, of the rise of the British Empire, and its maritime hegemony. She couldn't love the history any than she could love her own country. Well, in other words, she was a nationalist. But unlike others, Narkissa really was more interested in learning about things than shitposting on the internet. She became a scholar of history of early modern Britain. What was it like in the early modern era? How did people live? What technology did people use, how did it work? What food did people eat? What was life at sea like, how did people survive? Those were the questions that she asked, answered, and taught. By the time she was beginning to reach her middle ages, she had become a marine archeologist, traveling to the ends of the world —and the depths of the sea— to explore the secrets that the oceans had swallowed long ago. It really would be the past that would cause her demise, too. Narkissa recalled the closing years of the American Revolution, when the British Empire had won a great battle against the French off Dominica. The battle won, the fleet sailed home with their prizes, only to meet their untimely demise in a hurricane in the Atlantic. It was the topic of her research. Her life's work had finally culminated in finding the wrecks at the bottom of the sea, and for the first time in almost 250 years, human eyes finally beheld the hulls of the wooden battleships. It really was just a damn shame that the pressure hull of the research submersible began to leak. Abilities: Physical Conditioning: Peak human Your body is naturally tough, durable, and strong. The pinnacle of human physical strength, endurance, and agility. Keep training, and surely you can surpass even stronger beings. Soul Flare The ability to turn ones soul into a weapon itself. Needed for most basic magical feats. Channel the mana present in the air through your body to achieve great feats. Allows one to interact with supernatural things, and perceive things others may not. Affection of the Sea: The goddess has given you some of her own favor. The sea itself seems to bend to your will. Should you travel by it, you'll always find favorable winds and currents, the sea always seemingly directing you to where your destination is need to go whilst also hindering whatever may wish to do you harm. Theoretically, it can also extend to anything or anyone you 'own' as well, such as ships and sailors, but they will need some sort of relief or symbol to do so. Perhaps should you gain more favor with the goddess, you may even be able to command the seas themselves on some level... Her clothes on her back… or maybe not?</s> <\|message\|>Takeshima Misaki (formerly Takeshima Mamoru) Misaki simply returned Lazirha's comment with a smile and a nod before refocusing her attention towards her current project—at least, for the moment. Granted, it was far from fun to watch water boil, and less so over an open fire, but as far as how good or bad her current situation was... Well, the foxgirl would gladly take a boring day preparing materials over being thrown into life-threatening situtations like the others seemed to have had the pleasure of encountering. Before she could lose herself in her thoughts, though, Misaki managed to catch sight of a few hunters drawing oddly close to the house. Remembering Narkissa's summary of her last encounter, the foxgirl almost instinctively straightened her back, sitting up straight for a moment as she mentally assessed the threat level of the current situation. It was hard to judge if they were hostile and all, but seeing how armed they were... Well, if worst came to worst, she'd have to take the others and run. Warding off wild animals was one thing, but people? That was another matter entirely. It took a moment for Lazirha's words to register, and another few to process, though. Thinking about things now, it was hard to argue that she hadn't technically spent the most time around the village and it's residents... Well, minus the hunters, at least. But given how the girl at her side seemed to be troubled, it only made sense to give an honest reply back. "Hm... Well, I don't quite mind the town," she began, her head moving lightly from side to side, ears swaying back and forth as she did so, "But if I had to be honest, this sort of life isn't... Really my 'thing'. Don't get me wrong; the people here have been really nice and welcoming of me despite being a complete stranger and I'm very grateful for their hospitality, but I guess I'm used to a more... Fast-paced lifestyle surrounded by things to do? I don't think I could deal with a laid-back life for very long, though maybe that's because I'm still curious about the world. Maybe in that regard I'm still a bit naive, though, but, well..." Of course, 'staying alive' and 'exploration' did not necessarily go hand in hand—quite the opposite, in fact—but if there was anything that dying once had taught her, it was that diving into something unprepared was tantamount to suicide... And if the last few days had taught her anything, it was that she was probably well out of her depth when it came to anything beyond what she was already doing now. "...With that said, I think that there are people here who care for you, if Enli is any indicator. My parents were also protective of me just as much as they were anxious of my future," she continued, sighing as she let her shoulders relax for a moment. "Would that I could meet them again. But that aside, if you think it's boring here, maybe it's time to spread your wings and fly, so to speak. Not alone, of course, but I don't think it's a bad thing to want to explore and go on a bit of an adventure. Maybe you'll find something new out about yourself in the process? Though, well, I suppose it is a fair deal more dangerous setting out on a journey here in the first place anyways, but if the benefits outweigh the costs..." Then there's no reason not to consider it, right?</s> <\|message\|>Nicholas "Nick" Gallagher The Journey Begins ~ Liven(?) ~ Interacted with: @Rune_Alchemist Nick listened intently on Viorel's explanation. The zombies came gradually but steadily, and soon came an entity that slaughtered the people in each house. A cold shiver went through Nick. He thought he and Elisette would only be dealing with some zombies and a witch. Speaking of the witch, apparently she was once a resident and... that was pretty much it. Nick would have to ask the survivors for anymore details. As for supplies and armaments, there were some that Nick could use. Then he was pulled aside by his warrior woman companion. Nick let out a heavy sigh. It had been at the back of his mind, that Viorel and Cynthia may not be who they said they were. The village's undead problem only forming a border was also strange. "Yeah, we should probably be wary even here. Anyway, I'll continue being cute over here then. I'll come find you if anything comes up. Rummaging through the church for equipment, Nick helped himself to a hunting knife whose owner was long gone as well as a torch and a lantern. Nick emptied the lamp of its oil into a flask that was also ownerless. When push comes to shove, Nick would need something to 'shove' with. Once that was done, Nick noticed the 'maid' Cynthia sweeping the floors of the church. He felt she was someone he would need to meet, seeing her dress in his vision and all, so he approached. "Hi there. You're Cynthia, right? I suppose even in dire times like these, things still have to be neat and tidy, no?"</s> <\|message\|>Oda Nobunaga "I see. I will commend you for your honesty, and uphold my end of our bargain." Nobunaga straightened, pointing the tip of her katana at the man's throat and giving it a firm thrust, and flicking it to the right. Red sprayed across the white snow. His death would be swift and with little further pain, just as promised. The petite girl flicked her blade once more, clearing it of fresh blood before slipping it back into its sheath. "The words of a man whose death is inevitable are often more honest then the words of a man who still sees a chance of survival," she said, simply, turning away from the corpse, "That being said, there is always a chance that it could be a trap, even if he remains utterly unaware of that possibility." As she spoke, Nobunaga turned to face Enli. "Is there anyone whose loyalty you can be completely certain of? Only they are fit to protect you in our absence." A barrier, then... And the Illuminator 'protecting a seal'? That sounded unlike what the Kyrinth had described, and she doubted the ancient beast was lying. That being said, it was worth investigation. Perhaps more could be gleaned of the situation. @Crimson Paladin</s> <\|message\|>Novak Novak Novak looked away as Nobunaga delivered the coup de grace to the first hunter, then again when she finished off the other one. It was clear that he wasn't used to this sort of thing. It was probably a mercy, but he wasn't sure if he'd have the stomach to do it if it were up to him. The words of the second hunter were of particular interest to Novak. The seal they claimed that they protect, that they claimed the Illuminator protected was probably the same seal that Lazhira had mentioned when discussing the Orb with the Illuminator's avatar. Lazhira seemed to think that the god's goal was to open the seal, and up until now Novak had assumed that this was the case. On the other hand, the Illuminator never actually claimed that this was his goal. There was one other thing Novak hadn't considered. A key doesn't just open things, it can also lock them. It wouldn't help to reveal possibly incorrect hearsay and conjecture to Nobunaga, however, so Novak didn't speak up it. Besides, he didn't want to let slip the deal he had made with the god to someone so dangerous, ruthless, and opposed to the Illuminator. "Judging by how the Kyrinth reacted to threats to the deer, I'd guess they were trying to anger it," Novak spoke. "They were probably hoping it'd kill Enli and us. Still, I'm not quite sure how antagonizing the Kyrinth and making the forest a more dangerous place helps to protect that seal they mentioned." @VitaVitaAR</s> <\|message\|>"Malphas" Shigenaga Nomura Macar-Oni and Cheese@Rune_Alchemist Nomura smiled confidently under his mask, crossing his arms as he admired the deal he has facilitated. As much as he wanted to haggle alongside the oni, however, he was still not too certain about the worth of their work, much less discuss it in front of their faces. No, he's sure that this much should be enough. Nomura would take his leave with a bow, making his way back to Lady Mie after one last remark. "Pleasure doing business with you. I'm glad you were able to put your faith in me." Making his way back, Nomura wondered what else needed to be done. Hopefully Lady Mie wouldn't be too upset with him taking his time with Bolcha. It felt rude to keep a concerned customer waiting, after all. More importantly, that craftsman knew quite a bit about these lands. Oh, if only Nomura had asked him how to get rid of some particularly meddlesome deer from his back... At the very least, this deal would further help him get rid of any cultists on his tail. The sooner they were taken care of, the better. "I return!" Nomura stated with a bow. "Apologies for taking my time. I wasn't sure if Enli's attendant was to be trusted with his commission, so I had to get to know him a bit more. But it turned out quite lucrative for us, did it not? The delivery has been made, and another deal is just about to be cemented!" Nomura proclaimed, proudly, before awaiting his next task.</s>	<\|message\|>Narkissa Langdon Thankfully, she was able to find the tools she wanted. The frame itself also came along easily enough, only hampered by her lack of nails—it took her a little more time, but she was able to fasten a sort of mortise and tenon-like system to fit the fashioned planks all together, drawing from her knowledge of historical woodworking –it was a method common enough in houses and older wooden vessels from before the age of sail, after all—to create something workable. All she needed to do now was to meet back up with Misaki and discuss how they'd like to proceed with the rest of the project. She wondered if the Japanese woman had an success with finding a suitable pulp for the paper. She was in the process of sanding the nearly completed instrument that she realized she as being approached, this time by a stranger. Seeing that it was probably a villager, and not one Lazhira had seemed to have mentioned or introduced her to, Narkissa was immediately on guard, despite the frail and frankly ridiculous outfit that he seemed to be wearing. Setting down the frame against the side of Lazhira's house, she raised an eyebrow before addressing him. "Yes? Can I help you?" He seemed harmless, but nonetheless, she positioned herself in a way to bolt or defend herself if she really needed to.</s>
<\|description\|>Narkissa Langdon Female Appearance: Even as she grew older and her body more frail, the youthful spirit and the sense of adventure within her never died out. The presence of a new body only made things more perfect. Narkissa has the appearance of a youthful, slender adult. She stands an average height of 5' 5", and while fit, weighs a paltry 111 lbs. Although her hair and eyes have taken a strange albino coloration, her professional sartorial aesthetic remains. Goals: What more can Narkissa wish for than to rediscover progress and reclaim the world? To build an empire under a reborn flag, so large in which the sun would never set on its lands? What more can it be than providence? Would it really be fine if it ended like this? As the darkness surrounded her, accompanied by the creaks and groans of her vessel of demise, a lifetime of past thoughts flashed through her eyes. Even now, Narkissa was fascinated with the past. As long as she could remember, her mind had always fluttered to the tales of the past, the mystery, the majesty, and the grandeur of countries long past. But of them all, there was only one country that had them all… and it wasn't too long ago that her country had stood at the peak of the world. There was nothing more that could fascinate her than the story of the early modern era, of the rise of the British Empire, and its maritime hegemony. She couldn't love the history any than she could love her own country. Well, in other words, she was a nationalist. But unlike others, Narkissa really was more interested in learning about things than shitposting on the internet. She became a scholar of history of early modern Britain. What was it like in the early modern era? How did people live? What technology did people use, how did it work? What food did people eat? What was life at sea like, how did people survive? Those were the questions that she asked, answered, and taught. By the time she was beginning to reach her middle ages, she had become a marine archeologist, traveling to the ends of the world —and the depths of the sea— to explore the secrets that the oceans had swallowed long ago. It really would be the past that would cause her demise, too. Narkissa recalled the closing years of the American Revolution, when the British Empire had won a great battle against the French off Dominica. The battle won, the fleet sailed home with their prizes, only to meet their untimely demise in a hurricane in the Atlantic. It was the topic of her research. Her life's work had finally culminated in finding the wrecks at the bottom of the sea, and for the first time in almost 250 years, human eyes finally beheld the hulls of the wooden battleships. It really was just a damn shame that the pressure hull of the research submersible began to leak. Abilities: Physical Conditioning: Peak human Your body is naturally tough, durable, and strong. The pinnacle of human physical strength, endurance, and agility. Keep training, and surely you can surpass even stronger beings. Soul Flare The ability to turn ones soul into a weapon itself. Needed for most basic magical feats. Channel the mana present in the air through your body to achieve great feats. Allows one to interact with supernatural things, and perceive things others may not. Affection of the Sea: The goddess has given you some of her own favor. The sea itself seems to bend to your will. Should you travel by it, you'll always find favorable winds and currents, the sea always seemingly directing you to where your destination is need to go whilst also hindering whatever may wish to do you harm. Theoretically, it can also extend to anything or anyone you 'own' as well, such as ships and sailors, but they will need some sort of relief or symbol to do so. Perhaps should you gain more favor with the goddess, you may even be able to command the seas themselves on some level... Her clothes on her back… or maybe not?</s> <\|message\|>Nicholas "Nick" Gallagher The Journey Begins ~ Liven ~ Interacted with: @Rune_Alchemist "Yep, we're here to help. And... we'll try not to make this... messy." Nick replied to the maid. He tried his best to reassuring but he could not hide that things may not go according to plan. He knew enough that plans rarely do that. "No promises, though. There are a lot of zombies outside and who knows what that witch could do." Glancing at Elisette for a moment and seeing that she was still busy talking to the town survivors, Nick figured he still had time to talk. "If you don't mind me asking, can you tell me about your blindfold? Does it like... give you superpowers?" He decided to be forward with his thoughts. "Sorry, I'm just curious. Thought you were blind when I first saw. No offense and all that." Just then, a remembering thought entered Nick's head. A missing puzzle piece now clicking in with the rest. "Tsk! Aww crap, forgot to look for matches."</s> <\|message\|>"Malphas" Shigenaga Nomura Seek & Go Seek@Rune_Alchemist Nomura pondered this task for a moment, wondering just how he'd find that thief. He had no tracking skills of his own, his elongated proboscis being only suitable for aesthetic purposes rather than for any meaningful tracking. Perhaps he could rally some of the villagers to his side, but... the ones worth their salt are likely the same ones who wish ill upon himself. There's no trusting the hunters, after all. Asking for the help of the oni would also be disingenuous as well, seeing as the forces protecting Lady Mie's camp have already dwindled due to the deal he had made... Well, there's no use dwelling about allies now if he doesn't even know what the thing looks like! "Hm, yes yes, I'll retrieve this heirloom of yours. But I'll have to know of this treasured object a bit more. Surely, I cannot find what I am looking for if I don't know what it looks like, yes? I'll also have to know of every... foreigner who had stepped into and out of your tent between the time you last remember having the object and now. Without much else, the most I can do is strip myself down, but I have no desire to become that familiar with my employer. Done it before, ended disastrously." Nomura glanced once more at the conniving fox, her smug aura for once not feeling as if it were mocking him. "I'll also need some help from... Ayumi, if I may. Yes, yes, she may be able to sniff out the scent of this thief, fit into small spaces I cannot. Of course, I'll be doing the main sleuthing, but my skillset is ill-suited for tracking others and I'd like to avoid certain hunters if I can. "Oh, right, and I'll give her two fishes for her services." Whether or not Ayumi is allowed to follow him, Nomura would make his way out of the tent and once more looking for Bolcha, seeing as he is the only person he could trust in this village of imposters.</s> <\|message\|>Novak Novak They now had a location and some idea of what the hunters' goals were, but there were still many questions that were left unanswered. There was still more that Novak needed to uncover, and the hunters' hideout may have the answers he was looking for. Novak needed to know more about this seal, the orb, and whatever they might know about that old temple that had disappeared. "I think we should look for this hideout," Novak suggested to Nobunaga. "We might be able to learn more about what they're up to. With the Kyrinth angry and alert, whatever hunters are still out there are probably too distracted to notice a few outsiders like us sneaking about." As he voiced his suggestion, Novak walked over to the dead archer. He became uneasy and perhaps a bit nauseous at the sight of the headless corpse, but he had a feeling he'd be seeing a lot more of this sort of thing in this world. He reached into the man's quiver and removed every last arrow, placing them into his own quiver. He didn't have a bow, but it might be helpful to hold onto these arrows for Nobunaga. "Goodbye, and please be safe, Enli," Novak spoke as the chief departed. He was still a little uncomfortable leaving Enli by himself, but they might not get another opportunity to investigate the hunters while an enraged elder beast was running interference. @VitaVitaAR</s> <\|message\|>Oda Nobunaga "I agree," Nobunaga responded, as she watched Enli's departure. To be truthful, she wished she had someone to spare to ensure his safety. But the Hunters would not likely realize that their ambush had failed, and beyond that were almost certainly going to be preoccupied with the rage of the Kyrinth. It wasn't something she liked, but at the same time they had far too few options to do anything else. This information had to be capitalized on as soon as possible. "We must take advantage of this situation as quickly as possible," she continued, "For the sake of this village, we must kill the worship of the Fool God of Knowledge. One way, or another." With that, she began to make her way in the direction of the temple... @Crimson Paladin</s>	<\|message\|>Narkissa Langdon Narkissa unconsciously kept her eyebrow raised as the man kept going on in what seemed to be an overly enthusiastic demeanor. Friendly, but a bit excessively so for a stranger, no? She quickly latched on to what he was saying nonetheless. Other one? Mortal…? Oh no. Was this another god? She wasn't sure if she liked propositions from deities. "Well, I'm listening," she finally said, carefully. "I doubt any one thing can provide such a fairy tale ending, though," she decided to point out. Black-haired girl? Lazhira? Misaki? Nobunaga? If one of them turned it down, it could be a trap— The man unrolled his scroll, and Narkissa was able to get a glimpse of it. It looked very much like a gun. In fact, with the long tube and trigger mechanism, there was really no mistaking it as anything other than an object that at least acted like a gun. That definitely got her attention, but not enough for her to immediately dive for the scroll or even accept it. After all, designing a rudimentary firearm was easy enough. All you needed was a metal tube with an end closed off, and wouldn't explode under the pressure of gunpowder. But therein was the hard part—making the gunpowder, and a tube sufficiently strong enough that it wouldn't explode. The gunpowder wasn't too unreasonable—all you needed was the right ratio of sulfur, charcoal, and saltpeter, and you had to know how to properly corn it. Narkissa knew the ratios the larger European powers used during the age of sail—there was actually a surprising amount of variation. The metallurgy to make a barrel that wouldn't result in a large grenade, however… Making an actual gun –full sized cannon—was very easy. It could be done with bronze-age technology; the same techniques to cast bronze statues worked for creating bronze cannon. Making a handheld weapon… was almost impossible without the proper metallurgical knowledge, and the world she had seen thus far hadn't demonstrated the ability to forge strong enough iron. Then the question was, would a god know? At the very least, a gun didn't usually bring a happy ending. "I can't say it's not tempting," she admitted. "I think some introductions would be in order, first. I'm Narkissa. You are…? If you don't mind, I'd like to ask you a few more questions." She glanced back at the scroll. "What is the Moonless? And what girl were you talking about? That project of yours might be something that I'd be able to help you with, but you have a very ambitious design there, friend. If you can tell me what materials you need and what specific sort of help, then I'll be able to know if I can help you," she offered, cautiously.</s>
<\|description\|>Narkissa Langdon Female Appearance: Even as she grew older and her body more frail, the youthful spirit and the sense of adventure within her never died out. The presence of a new body only made things more perfect. Narkissa has the appearance of a youthful, slender adult. She stands an average height of 5' 5", and while fit, weighs a paltry 111 lbs. Although her hair and eyes have taken a strange albino coloration, her professional sartorial aesthetic remains. Goals: What more can Narkissa wish for than to rediscover progress and reclaim the world? To build an empire under a reborn flag, so large in which the sun would never set on its lands? What more can it be than providence? Would it really be fine if it ended like this? As the darkness surrounded her, accompanied by the creaks and groans of her vessel of demise, a lifetime of past thoughts flashed through her eyes. Even now, Narkissa was fascinated with the past. As long as she could remember, her mind had always fluttered to the tales of the past, the mystery, the majesty, and the grandeur of countries long past. But of them all, there was only one country that had them all… and it wasn't too long ago that her country had stood at the peak of the world. There was nothing more that could fascinate her than the story of the early modern era, of the rise of the British Empire, and its maritime hegemony. She couldn't love the history any than she could love her own country. Well, in other words, she was a nationalist. But unlike others, Narkissa really was more interested in learning about things than shitposting on the internet. She became a scholar of history of early modern Britain. What was it like in the early modern era? How did people live? What technology did people use, how did it work? What food did people eat? What was life at sea like, how did people survive? Those were the questions that she asked, answered, and taught. By the time she was beginning to reach her middle ages, she had become a marine archeologist, traveling to the ends of the world —and the depths of the sea— to explore the secrets that the oceans had swallowed long ago. It really would be the past that would cause her demise, too. Narkissa recalled the closing years of the American Revolution, when the British Empire had won a great battle against the French off Dominica. The battle won, the fleet sailed home with their prizes, only to meet their untimely demise in a hurricane in the Atlantic. It was the topic of her research. Her life's work had finally culminated in finding the wrecks at the bottom of the sea, and for the first time in almost 250 years, human eyes finally beheld the hulls of the wooden battleships. It really was just a damn shame that the pressure hull of the research submersible began to leak. Abilities: Physical Conditioning: Peak human Your body is naturally tough, durable, and strong. The pinnacle of human physical strength, endurance, and agility. Keep training, and surely you can surpass even stronger beings. Soul Flare The ability to turn ones soul into a weapon itself. Needed for most basic magical feats. Channel the mana present in the air through your body to achieve great feats. Allows one to interact with supernatural things, and perceive things others may not. Affection of the Sea: The goddess has given you some of her own favor. The sea itself seems to bend to your will. Should you travel by it, you'll always find favorable winds and currents, the sea always seemingly directing you to where your destination is need to go whilst also hindering whatever may wish to do you harm. Theoretically, it can also extend to anything or anyone you 'own' as well, such as ships and sailors, but they will need some sort of relief or symbol to do so. Perhaps should you gain more favor with the goddess, you may even be able to command the seas themselves on some level... Her clothes on her back… or maybe not?</s> <\|message\|>Isidore Coinage: 8 Silver, 5 Copper * The (shredded) clothing on his back. * A fur cloak. * Untanned boar skin. * Leather Belt * Knight's Shield * Knight's Dagger * Knight's Longsword * Dwarf's Polearm * Rope * Some preserved food Enough for two people to last a few days. * Roll of what seemed to be a mat of thick fur, likely for sleeping on Comfortable, but only one. * A heavy looking fur/cloth blanket. Cozy, warm and heavy. Good for sleeping in colder climates. * Communication horn Made from bone, hollow and likely used for communication. * A small pot and a ladle * Frozen canteen of water * Map of the Under roads. A map detailing some routes used by the Dwarves and Shadow Elves to travel in their subterranean homes. Its not entirely complete, but it at least shows the routes to the two most notable settlements and several other places of note. Unless you travel off the paths, you probably won't get lost. "A belief reinforced by your advisor's interest in them," Isidore responded lightly. The work itself was certainly interesting though. He knew nothing about the value of fabrics himself, only that the more people paid for, the less they got out with each incremental increase in price. To have such creatures though, and not make any progress towards raising them like farm animals…either the techniques of the Urutha were lacking, or it was simply culture that caused them to harvest from the wild what could be raised in their own homes. As he contemplated this commission, Isidore pressed his thumb against his chin, dark eyes gazing upon the length of silk that was placed before him yet focused on the troubles of the work ahead. If Naraheim had been a slums or something, that would be his home ground, but dark ruins inhabited by demons and monstrosities? For work that required the touch of an outsider, rather than any elite already in Vasserasa's employ? It demanded caution, and that did not even include the limited amount of time he had to pursue such tasks. Three days. Complete the investigation or solve the problem in three days, so she had something tangible to announce at the ball. Three days, compressing the amount of time he already had into something much tighter, much more consuming. It truly was curious, how much faster this world moved. It was something that the Storyteller prepared him for, giving him the physical ability to bear such a world. "I am a stranger to these lands," Isidore spoke, removing his hand from his chin and settling it upon the pommel of his sword instead. "As such, I have requirements." His finger began to tap against the steel. "100 silver coins, to be paid immediately. Access to all information regarding Naraheim, demons, and silk-weavers. And a time piece, to keep on schedule." With that same crisp, controlled audacity, he took the piece of paper and slipped it into the folds of his clothing, before examining the ring slowly, bringing it up to eye-level. Framed by the contours of the ring, Vasserasa looked at once massive and minuscule. "If this is agreeable, your problem will be solved." And if it wasn't? Well, Isidore never had any real intention of refusing. This would be a good test, after all. A true test of his capabilities in this new world.</s> <\|message\|>Takeshima Misaki (formerly Takeshima Mamoru) Upon hearing Mie's explanation with regards to the ores present in her shop, Misaki took a few moments to consider what the shopkeeper's words meant with regards to what information she had to bargain with. The furnaces she had seen thus were far from able to create the temperatures necessary for steel production, and that process was inherently slow as it was... But 'some time' by these standards could take anywhere from days to week. That part, she couldn't quite change—not unless a high enough temperature could be sustained and kept constant for hours on end. The presence of steel, though, meant that Chagawa had at least accomplished some form of small-scale manufacturing process. Even so, the sale of low-quality iron ore meant that they might have at least enough excess iron in the first place to be in a position to do so. "Hm... Maybe...? No, but that doesn't solve the issue of speed..." she mused quietly to herself, taking note of Mie's general attitude as various images from textbooks periodically flashed through her mind. Luckily, the foxgirl had some more time to herself to consider the possibilities as the shopkeeper seemed to go check on whatever commotion was going on outside (which, in all likelihood, probably involved them anyways). Once Mie returned to her seat, though, Misaki had come to at least something resembling a suggestion in hand. Whether or not it would be enough would be up for debate, of course, but given that their ultimate role in this world was to try and get everything to be a bit less ancient... Well, maybe there was some leniency to be had on her end. "If we're speaking in regards to time efficiency, then what comes to mind for me is that the production of iron is in... Well, batches, so to speak, rather than being continuous," she began, gesturing slightly towards Mie before continuing. "There are ways to automate some of the processes—for example, heating the metal to the point of melting, then using ways to drain both the metal and the runoff—but again, I would recommend someone more versed in metallurgy to confirm my thoughts. With that said, provided my ideas are sound, I could offer test schematics for a smaller-scale version. That aside, I also have basic ideas for pulling iron from certain types of sand, but I assume that such processes are already available. I haven't actually spent much time looking into these things until a few years back, truth be told, and it is not as if I was able to visit forges as a child, but compared to what I have seen here..." There were, admittedly, bits and pieces of the truth scattered about in her closing statement to Mie; hopefully, that excuse would be enough to excuse her lack of knowledge on how technologically advanced Chagawa as a whole actually was. But if a proper blacksmith was on hand, then the only real loss would be the time spent to make the furnace in question and all the fuel burnt in the process... Provided she wasn't shut out completely in the process, of course.</s> <\|message\|>Nicholas "Nick" Gallagher The Journey Begins ~ Liven ~ Interacted with: @Rune_Alchemist "Nothing much on my end, either." Nick sighed, a bit ashamed. "Just that there's a reason for covering her eyes. Although, I think it's obvious that she's more than meets the eye. Err, no pun or joke intended." So the witch would be a child in appearance? But they were also not human... how? Will the witch have obvious inhuman features or will they be human-looking? Like Augusta, his Elven acquaintance. But enough of that, it's time to meet with Viorel. Hopefully not for the last time. Nick agreed that it was a good question. Maybe it would have been better to have just stayed behind, but he had already made his decision. He looked to his lit torch as he knew what he needed to do to defend himself. The question was: Could he actually do it? "Thanks, Viorel. Actually, I have--" But before he could finish, Viorel had already gone to Cynthia who gave him an item which he then brought back to the duo. It was a cross, plated in silver. It was like a rosary, an Earthly one, except there was skull on one arm and a rose-like shape on the other. Another similarity, Nick noted. The charm even made its wearer undetectable to the unholy creatures outside, like a stereotypical holy item. Nick stared at the cross, ruminating at the coincidences and missing Viorel and Elisette's exchange before he snapped back to reality. Really, this was not the time. He had a job to do. Nick thought for a moment. What was the best way to take advantage of Viorel's little gift? "Hmm, I'd say we can do a little divide and conquer." He replied to Elisette with a suggestion. "You can take on mobs of the zeds which means you can draw their attention the most. You can distract most of them while I sneak behind and look for the witch." There's just one problem with that plan. "Of course, once I do find the witch, I'll have to throw down with her... which might likely end poorly for me." Unless he can stop the witch without violence. "Or we can reverse roles. I'll be zombie bait while you use the charm to look for the witch undisturbed." Nick offered. "I think I've got a way to defend myself from zombies, so long as their flammable. But... please be fast if we're going with this."</s>	<\|message\|>Narkissa Langdon Despite his denial, Narkissa couldn't help but to frown. He still couldn't be trusted… but at least he wasn't speaking in riddles anymore. So that was it, then. She recalled Leannah's explanation of her understanding of the situation. The goddess Delphiti was the goddess that brought them all here, and also happened to be the god that Narkissa had prayed to in the temple. As it happens part of her, the aspect of Conflict was sealed within the village, and it would be terrible news if she was unleashed. Right then, if this 'auntie' of his was sealed beneath here, then that was her. Perhaps it was because she had summoned her, and she also had prayed to her, but Narkissa felt reluctance to actively mess with the goddess so. Don't bite the hand that feeds you, and all that, and it would be a big betrayal if she turned around and stabbed her in the back. On the other hand, if what she knew was true, then the part of her that was sealed under the village needed to be dealt with. Also, gun. That in itself was important, because she really wasn't the best at sword fighting in this hostile world. She clicked her tongue. It still felt like she was operating partially in the dark, but she knew something had to be done, even if her gut was telling her to get the hell out of town and drop this entire matter like the hottest potato known to man. "Fine. But only if it's limited to this scope, to the part of the one sealed below," she hedged. "I'll need money and supplies to make what you need," she added.</s>
<\|description\|>Narkissa Langdon Female Appearance: Even as she grew older and her body more frail, the youthful spirit and the sense of adventure within her never died out. The presence of a new body only made things more perfect. Narkissa has the appearance of a youthful, slender adult. She stands an average height of 5' 5", and while fit, weighs a paltry 111 lbs. Although her hair and eyes have taken a strange albino coloration, her professional sartorial aesthetic remains. Goals: What more can Narkissa wish for than to rediscover progress and reclaim the world? To build an empire under a reborn flag, so large in which the sun would never set on its lands? What more can it be than providence? Would it really be fine if it ended like this? As the darkness surrounded her, accompanied by the creaks and groans of her vessel of demise, a lifetime of past thoughts flashed through her eyes. Even now, Narkissa was fascinated with the past. As long as she could remember, her mind had always fluttered to the tales of the past, the mystery, the majesty, and the grandeur of countries long past. But of them all, there was only one country that had them all… and it wasn't too long ago that her country had stood at the peak of the world. There was nothing more that could fascinate her than the story of the early modern era, of the rise of the British Empire, and its maritime hegemony. She couldn't love the history any than she could love her own country. Well, in other words, she was a nationalist. But unlike others, Narkissa really was more interested in learning about things than shitposting on the internet. She became a scholar of history of early modern Britain. What was it like in the early modern era? How did people live? What technology did people use, how did it work? What food did people eat? What was life at sea like, how did people survive? Those were the questions that she asked, answered, and taught. By the time she was beginning to reach her middle ages, she had become a marine archeologist, traveling to the ends of the world —and the depths of the sea— to explore the secrets that the oceans had swallowed long ago. It really would be the past that would cause her demise, too. Narkissa recalled the closing years of the American Revolution, when the British Empire had won a great battle against the French off Dominica. The battle won, the fleet sailed home with their prizes, only to meet their untimely demise in a hurricane in the Atlantic. It was the topic of her research. Her life's work had finally culminated in finding the wrecks at the bottom of the sea, and for the first time in almost 250 years, human eyes finally beheld the hulls of the wooden battleships. It really was just a damn shame that the pressure hull of the research submersible began to leak. Abilities: Physical Conditioning: Peak human Your body is naturally tough, durable, and strong. The pinnacle of human physical strength, endurance, and agility. Keep training, and surely you can surpass even stronger beings. Soul Flare The ability to turn ones soul into a weapon itself. Needed for most basic magical feats. Channel the mana present in the air through your body to achieve great feats. Allows one to interact with supernatural things, and perceive things others may not. Affection of the Sea: The goddess has given you some of her own favor. The sea itself seems to bend to your will. Should you travel by it, you'll always find favorable winds and currents, the sea always seemingly directing you to where your destination is need to go whilst also hindering whatever may wish to do you harm. Theoretically, it can also extend to anything or anyone you 'own' as well, such as ships and sailors, but they will need some sort of relief or symbol to do so. Perhaps should you gain more favor with the goddess, you may even be able to command the seas themselves on some level... Her clothes on her back… or maybe not?</s> <\|message\|>Nicholas "Nick" Gallagher The Journey Begins ~ Forest Near Liven ~ Interacted with: @Rune_Alchemist The red-hooded figure ran as Nick warned them, but they seem to be running away from Nick himself rather than from the undead dogs onto him. Something Nick would have noticed had he not been worrying about said hounds chasing him. The undead canines were far quicker than Nick, one outpacing him and blocking his path. Nick was forced to halt in his tracks, his mind quickly scrambling for anything he could do. Running was clearly out of the question now and so, like a cornered rat, decided to bite back. Nick didn't want a fight, especially with such unfavorable circumstances, but there was no choice. This would be his first fight in his life. Nick pulled out his hunting knife and barely avoided the hound lunging at him by stepping to the side. However, he was never aware of the canine behind him which then helped itself to a biteful of Nick's ankle. "Argh!" He yelled in pain as he fell down into the snow. The pain was immense, but adrenaline dulled some of it. He still held the torch and the knife, needing the torch to be lit for his plan to fight back. He had doubts about successfully pulling it off, but it was his best bet right now. From the snowy ground, Nick slammed his hunting knife into the canine's head. Hopefully killing it but at least, driving it away for the moment. He left the knife there as he pulled out the oil flask and quickly popped it open. Okay Nick, remember the procedure. Follow the steps and maybe he could walk out of this without being dog food. Nick took a sip and looked for an undead hound coming at him. He brought his burning torch to the fore and spat out the oil, blasting the hound with a small jet of flame. Hopefully, undead were weak to fire like in the movies. Okay, wipe mouth and take a sip again for the next hound. Nick was adamantly careful about sipping oil, always making sure the liquid never came close to the throat lest the hounds become the least of his worries.</s> <\|message\|>Bella Rosso She carefully cleansed her wounds and used a small amount of magic to close the wounds ever so slightly so they stopped the bleeding at the least. She was tired and exhausted as she finished up and made herself look appropriate. Then, went to Rullphana's tower. It felt like a longer walk than it actually was. Much longer. When she got to Rullphana's place however, she made sure to kill the guard with kindness. "Hello there, how are you?" She asked before heading inside. "Very." The woman would say as she entered the magical place and responded to her would be teacher. "But, it won't impede my learning today, teacher." Almost as a joke. "Speaking of, where should I start?" She asked, genuinely curious.</s> <\|message\|>"Malphas" Shigenaga Nomura The Watching Game@Rune_Alchemist Interested in how potent this visual empowerment was, Nomura would spend a good amount of time watching Donovan intently, mostly out of interest of his ability to see things from afar clearly. It seems that the rambunctious catgirl also seemed to find herself in Donovan's mischiefs, alongside the dwarf and a hunter. It seems he really was interested in meddling with that gods-forsaken place after all. Whatever foul magics they wished to unearth from that prison was of no real interest to Nomura, his main concern being if he plans to abscond from what he owes Nomura or not. And seeing that he's going deeper into that place is enough of a guarantee that Donovan isn't going anywhere for the time being. While he didn't trust Donovan particularly, he trusted the sort of person he was. More importantly, he knew that fox would watch Donovan for him, or at the very least inform Nomura if he truly planned to run once the dust has settled. In other words, Donovan was no longer Nomura's immediate concern. Having enough of his show, Nomura allowed his vision to return to normal before making his way back into the village. He wasn't keen on reporting to Mie right away as the current going-ons would only bring his patron unneeded stress. It's better for both their sakes if she believed Nomura was still hunting for that heirloom of hers. As far as the village itself was concerned, Nomura was unaware nor did he care for its current state. All he was truly concerned about was finding something interesting to do. Perhaps he'll find that fish for Ayumi, after all. --- Nomura sat by the shoreline, watching the tides move ever so slightly as his rod was cast into the ocean. Obtaining it was rather easy, needing only a few choice words for a particularly hospitable fisherman to borrow his fishing implement for a time. Of course, he could have probably charmed that same fisherman into giving him a fish for himself, but he didn't want to cheat out a poor man's livelihood for his own self-benefit. After all, he had all the time in the world to figure out the art for himself. Might as well make the most of it. All this watching, this waiting... it gave Nomura ample time to think about his situation. Namely, his place in this new world and his own capabilities. He began to wonder if ascension, if perfection was truly within his grasp. Sure, his place in this world might have been dictated by the wills of gods and goddesses, but it wasn't his faith in those beings that allowed Nomura to reach where he was now. Rather, it was Nomura's faith in himself that allowed him to thrive in this world. He was given a body sculpted by the divine, capable of accomplishing its own miracles. Wings that allow one to move with grace, a boundless spirit that empowers his every movement, eyes that can reach the farthest of distances... In the world where Nomura was once from, these would be considered miracles in their own right. And with the potential to accomplish feats far grander filled Nomura with a new sense of purpose. Perhaps he can craft his own miracles. Perhaps he can truly form his wishes, his desires into a truly actualized form. Perhaps he was already a god, perhaps something more, and he just needed to look deeper within himself in order to truly tap into his potential. Nomura chuckled at his musings, the ridiculousness of his own claims setting in. After all, if he could truly shape miracles, he wouldn't need to go through such great lengths to catch a fish. He was, in the end, a mere human. Like the fisherman he had borrowed the rod from. Like the craftsman concerned for his village's elder. Like the hunters who gathered in secret. Nomura's acts, as miraculous as they are, were brought forth not from him creating his own miracles, but instead from believing in himself. He believed he could run faster, so he did. He believed he could jump higher, so he did. He believed he could see farther, so he did. He did not break any perceived limits to accomplish what he had done. He did not perform the impossible. He simply believed in what he could do and did it. A fisherman believes that he will eventually catch fish. A craftsman believes that they will craft something worthy of praise from others. A hunter believes that their hunt will be fruitful. To proceed and to progress is to believe that one could accomplish anything. It is this belief that allowed humankind to flourish, to reach heights once believed unimaginable. This is what made Nomura a human, in the end. Even with an otherworldly body, even with the magical energy that encompassed his soul, he would not act on his own whims or accomplish what he has if he weren't a human. A drive to accomplish the impossible was far greater than simply performing the impossible. After all, the latter implies that even the impossible is limited to what one believes to be impossible. Accomplishing the impossible, however, was not at the top of Nomura's priorities for the time being. After all, all his current goals are in the realm of possibility. Instead of worrying about such things, he fished, believing that he will catch something to his liking.</s>	<\|message\|>Narkissa Langdon "Seems so," Narkissa replied, with a bit of a smirk of her own as she followed Mie deeper into the camp. She would have some very fun chemistry to do later… or was it alchemy here? Soon enough though, she was collecting the ingredients she needed at a rapid pace. It wasn't the wholesale amounts that she ideally needed, but it couldn't be helped if what Mie offered was all that a traveling caravan could offer. She wrinkled her nose as she inspected the more odorous of the materials that she needed, quickly inspecting the box of sulfur before closing the lid. The saltpeter was… was it was, and she piled it on top of the other box. Hopefully, with the tools and processes she was going to use, Narkissa wasn't going to blow herself up accidentally, but she was confident in her skills. Together with the charcoal, it was an impressively cumbersome amount of material to carry. "Ayumi… right. Well, I think you know where I'll be staying," she replied, curious about the manner of messenger she was going to send. "No, definitely not," Narkissa agreed, drifting over to the cornucopia of tools that Mie had indicated. "Thanks for the help, especially on this short of a notice, by the way. I really appreciate it." Although she raised an eyebrow at the mention of Leannah, the tools took her attention away and she let the fox attend to the other matter. She didn't know some of the names for the instruments she needed in this world, but she definitely needed a proper bag for everything at this point, so she made a beeline for picking a good one out first. Then… the tools. She probably was going to have to get some more wood again, because Narkissa was sure she'd have to remake a few things herself.</s>
<\|description\|>Narkissa Langdon Female Appearance: Even as she grew older and her body more frail, the youthful spirit and the sense of adventure within her never died out. The presence of a new body only made things more perfect. Narkissa has the appearance of a youthful, slender adult. She stands an average height of 5' 5", and while fit, weighs a paltry 111 lbs. Although her hair and eyes have taken a strange albino coloration, her professional sartorial aesthetic remains. Goals: What more can Narkissa wish for than to rediscover progress and reclaim the world? To build an empire under a reborn flag, so large in which the sun would never set on its lands? What more can it be than providence? Would it really be fine if it ended like this? As the darkness surrounded her, accompanied by the creaks and groans of her vessel of demise, a lifetime of past thoughts flashed through her eyes. Even now, Narkissa was fascinated with the past. As long as she could remember, her mind had always fluttered to the tales of the past, the mystery, the majesty, and the grandeur of countries long past. But of them all, there was only one country that had them all… and it wasn't too long ago that her country had stood at the peak of the world. There was nothing more that could fascinate her than the story of the early modern era, of the rise of the British Empire, and its maritime hegemony. She couldn't love the history any than she could love her own country. Well, in other words, she was a nationalist. But unlike others, Narkissa really was more interested in learning about things than shitposting on the internet. She became a scholar of history of early modern Britain. What was it like in the early modern era? How did people live? What technology did people use, how did it work? What food did people eat? What was life at sea like, how did people survive? Those were the questions that she asked, answered, and taught. By the time she was beginning to reach her middle ages, she had become a marine archeologist, traveling to the ends of the world —and the depths of the sea— to explore the secrets that the oceans had swallowed long ago. It really would be the past that would cause her demise, too. Narkissa recalled the closing years of the American Revolution, when the British Empire had won a great battle against the French off Dominica. The battle won, the fleet sailed home with their prizes, only to meet their untimely demise in a hurricane in the Atlantic. It was the topic of her research. Her life's work had finally culminated in finding the wrecks at the bottom of the sea, and for the first time in almost 250 years, human eyes finally beheld the hulls of the wooden battleships. It really was just a damn shame that the pressure hull of the research submersible began to leak. Abilities: Physical Conditioning: Peak human Your body is naturally tough, durable, and strong. The pinnacle of human physical strength, endurance, and agility. Keep training, and surely you can surpass even stronger beings. Soul Flare The ability to turn ones soul into a weapon itself. Needed for most basic magical feats. Channel the mana present in the air through your body to achieve great feats. Allows one to interact with supernatural things, and perceive things others may not. Affection of the Sea: The goddess has given you some of her own favor. The sea itself seems to bend to your will. Should you travel by it, you'll always find favorable winds and currents, the sea always seemingly directing you to where your destination is need to go whilst also hindering whatever may wish to do you harm. Theoretically, it can also extend to anything or anyone you 'own' as well, such as ships and sailors, but they will need some sort of relief or symbol to do so. Perhaps should you gain more favor with the goddess, you may even be able to command the seas themselves on some level... Her clothes on her back… or maybe not?</s> <\|message\|>Bella Rosso She had the basics down? How odd. It felt like she knew next to nothing about magic. Really, it felt more like an applied science to her. She want to protest but perhaps that was good. Rullphana said it took time and research to come up with new things. As for a goal... Did she have anything planned for? No, not really. She had just wanted to survive. "What do I want to learn? I suppose everything might be too much to ask." Augusta mentioned, thinking on it a few seconds more. "Perhaps I want to be unrivaled in power. A lofty goal, though probably common amongst magic users. The woman stopped and wondered. "If you wanted something more immediate perhaps I want to figure out how to shoot a lightning bolt."</s> <\|message\|>Takeshima Misaki (formerly Takeshima Mamoru) "Eh? Wait, isn't it still—?!" Wholly taken off guard by how casually Lazirha dragged her out of Mie's tent, Misaki stumbled a bit as she attempted to not trip over herself. Given what she had done to help the young woman escape from her would-be captors, the foxgirl was not particularly looking forward to possibly facing off against them again... And without the element of surprise, it wasn't likely she would get off scot-free like she had the last time. Her hands still stung even now, even if the pain was fading a bit faster than she would have expected. Luckily enough, it seemed that the worst of the trouble had passed them by. Whether that was related to the commotion outside the tent during her negotiations or something else entirely was something to consider, of course, but when she arrived back at Lazirha's home... Well, the sight she found was not all too surprising. If anything, the fact that there was even anything left slightly untouched was a miracle unto itself. "...Well, I was—" she began to say, only to be promptly knocked to the ground by the fawn she had left behind. Though slightly rattled by the impact as she was thrown to the ground, Misaki managed to gather herself and pet the animal on the head as it rested on top of her... Despite the pain from the impact, at least. "It's good to see you're all right," she said back, smiling as she slowly guided the fawn off of her and shakily rose to her feet. One would have usually expected 40 kilos of animal rushing at a person to not leave them unscathed, but it seemed that she had come out with little more than a pain that was quickly fading. Food for thought. As she brushed herself off, though, the sight of the nearby obelisk grabbing her attention. As much as she would have liked to stay out of harm's way, though, something about the situation seemed to suspicious for her to simply ignore. Lazirha seemed to want to check whatever it was out too, given the look on her face, but... "...I don't think it'd be any safer here left in the dark about whatever insanity's going on, given how close we are," Misaki sighed, scratching the back of her head before looking between the deer, Lazirha, and the array of flashing lights and whatnot off in the distance. "So I suppose that the recovery here can wait a bit longer. Is there anywhere we could get a better look? Ideally, safety would be included in that, but..." It wasn't as if she could offer much in the grander scheme of things—at least, not as she was now—which meant that if the others were involved and nearby, being dead weight (or just dead) in the middle of combat or something like that would not end well for anyone involved.</s> <\|message\|>Nicholas "Nick" Gallagher The Journey Begins ~ Forest Near Liven ~ Interacted with: @Rune_Alchemist The jets of flame Nick spat out were more pitiful than he thought. He was no pro at this, he admitted, but that was just bad. The undead hounds didn't even caught fire, just singed from what Nick witnessed. He'd bet they didn't even feel it. Oh, he was so dead. Or so he thought, the sudden bursts of fire from Nick seemed to have put the dogs on edge. They had stopped their attack, now wary of their seemingly-firebreathing prey. The belligerents kept their eyes on each other for a short while. Nick still held his torch and flask firmly, his mouth and lips burning from the slight backdraft, expecting the fight to resume any moment. But to Nick's surprise, it never did. The undead canines turned their heads towards the village and went off, deciding that Nick wasn't worth it. As soon as they were out of his sight, Nick dropped to his knees. He quickly jabbed his torch standing in the frost and put away his oil flask and began scooping up snow from the ground and stuffing them into his mouth before spitting them out. He soon scooped smaller amounts and let them melt in his mouth before spitting out, trying his best to wash off the residue oil. He repeated this crude procedure several times until his mouth could no longer stand the cold and he was forced to stop. He would need to wash properly later. Inspecting the ache on his ankle, Nick found that the hound's bite had torn through his denim pants but fortunately, the wound was not at all deep. Still, the pain stung and he had to sit on the snow to cool off, maybe literally, from the fight. Placing his face unto his hands, Nick suppressed sobs and stopped tears from forming. How long was he going to stay here? How long would he last? Will he even make it back home? Did he ever stand a chance? His heart was still beating fast from the encounter, exacerbating his despair. Oh, how Nick wanted to scream and how angry he was for knowing it would probably invite more danger. Wiping his watery eyes from the self-pity, Nick forced himself to stand up. He still had a job to do, a job he didn't even know how to accomplish. Taking his torch, Nick saw the trail the hooded figure left that lead into another part of the forest. It was good a lead as any so Nick decided to follow.</s>	<\|message\|>Narkissa Langdon Narkissa gave Mie a thumbs-up before rummaging through the tools. A cheap cloth bag did well for keeping the basic ingredients all together, but together with that and all the various knickknacks she'd procured over the past few days, she needed a proper bag for the rest of her stuff as well, so Narkissa picked out a leather knapsack looking bag where she promptly shoved her books and the godly blueprint thing (that she still wasn't entirely too confident on.) A nice pestle and mortar was a given, together with a few miscellaneous tools, she also needed a flat press of some sort for the corning process—she found a tool used for another purpose as a stop-gap for the time being, but she'd probably have to fashion her own later on if she wanted to be more efficient about it. It was probably better if she fashioned some of her own specialized tools, anyway… She didn't want others deducing her own formulation and methods from the ingredients and tools she picked out. Thinking about it further, she'd nearly forgotten a minor ingredient, and ended up asking the Oni for a bottle of distilled alcohol –not a required ingredient, but one that would make creating corned powder far easier than just using random impure water. Finally equipped with the basics for recreating boom boom powder, she thanked the Oni and Mie if she was around once more, before glancing curiously at the odd display over at the Obelisk. Well, fixing up the powder could probably wait just a bit… she still needed to get an idea of what was going on, after all.</s>
<\|description\|>Arin von Astastel Sex Male Age 35 Race Elf History Arin was born into the House of Astastel, a prestigious yet mysterious family whose influence can be felt in virtually every part of the civilized world. Although they are not officially recognized as a noble House, members of the Astastel House are accustomed to a life of luxury and being treated with the uttermost respect. There are many speculations on how the Astastel House came to gain such power, but no one knows the truth: not even their own members truly know the answer. There are only three things people know with absolute certainty. First, unless you are born a von Astastel, you either marry into or are adopted by the House. Never the other way around. Never. Second, those who claim to be a von Astastel are a von Astastel. Finally, the House of Astastel has become increasingly interested in collecting magical items and investigating places associated with magic these past few generations. Other * In general, something about Arin rings false. * Arin seems to have an aptitude for magic, but non-family members have only seen him use it for minor things such as creating light or detecting magic. He does, however, practice alchemy and abjuration magic. * Arin is by no means a specialist in combat: he can protect himself well enough against the common thug, but that is about the extent of his combat skills. He is much better at dodging attacks and escaping from dangerous situations than being an active participant of one. * Arin's strengths lie in academia and investigation.</s> <\|message\|>Elra Silverfang Elra Silverfang Day of the Selection Location: Eastormel Castle, Ironkeep, Ovyadell --- Elra said, "Horses don't like me much. So, I'd be willing to fly with you if that would be okay." The wolf in her did not like the thought, but she did not like the thought of the horse wanting to throw her.</s> <\|message\|>Ernestus Greye Ernestus Greye "I'm not one for flying, and i'll be honest, i've never ridden a horse before. I have mostly walked." Ernestus said feeling a bit awkward, "But i'll try riding nonetheless." he then said. He pondered for the moment on whether he could outrun a horse if they'd happen to go down the road of a forest, if he allowed himself to fully transform, but such a thought should remain such. I doubt they would be happy finding out about me. he thought to himself.</s>	<\|message\|>Arin von Astastel Arin's patience was wearing thinner by the second. Waste of time? The only person wasting his time was the princess. Who was she to tell him how to do his job? No proper investigation has ever been done, and never will be done, by not looking. Why was he even summoned here in the first place if not to investigate? Slowly, but surely, the letter in his pocket became something unpleasant and hard to ignore. Reminding him of what happened to bad little Astastels who failed to uphold a deal made in the House's name. The thought sent shivers down the elf's back. You just had to make life harder for me, did you? Reluctantly, but no less annoyed, Arin focused on gathering arcane energy to one focal point. When just the right amount accumulated, he cast two spells in quick succession. Sensing something amiss, the guards rushed forward to defend their princess, ready to cut down the foolish elf who dared to ambush a member of the royal blood. Arin, unfazed, raised his hands in the air and waited for them to settle down. They anticipated for an attack that never came. When nothing happened a few more seconds later, the soldiers relaxed a bit. "V pnfg n fcryy gung rapelcgf jung jr fnl. Ab bar urer rkprcg sbe lbh naq V pna haqrefgnaq jung jr ner fnlvat. V oryvrir guvf jvyy znxr vg rnfvre sbe lbh gb nafjre… jung V cerfhzr gb or qvssvphyg dhrfgvbaf," Arin bowed dramatically and added, "Ynql." The guards looked at each other in confusion, before aiming their confused expression at their mistress. The elf straightened up and began to peruse the study. Examining whatever he got his hands on, squeezing past others when he needed to, in order to find the thing that he requested earlier from the princess. Seeing that she never said no ---she in fact, never spoke about it---, Arin decided that it was a yes. As he did, he spoke in an even tone. "Gb ortva, V zhfg cbvag bhg gung V unir orra fhzzbarq urer gb qb n irel fcrpvsvp wbo. N wbo juvpu lbh ner npgviryl trggvat va gur jnl bs zr qbvat. Gb vairfgvtngr vf gb pneel bhg n flfgrzngvp be sbezny vadhvel gb qvfpbire naq rknzvar gur snpgf pbapreavat jungrire gur fhowrpg vf, va guvf pnfr, n frevrf bs gursgf. Guvf vf qbar gb rfgnoyvfu gur gehgu. Ceriragvat hf gb vafcrpg gur fprar bs gur pevzr, cevaprff, vf gur rdhvinyrag bs gelvat gb qrgrezvar gur pnhfr bs qrngu bs fbzrbar jvgubhg gurve obql; tb ubefr evqvat jvgubhg gur ubefr; n grn cnegl jvgubhg grn. Be jungrire nanybtl lbh cersre. Gur cbvag vf: lbh ner ceriragvat hf sebz qbvat n gubebhtu vairfgvtngvba. Lbh... qb haqrefgnaq ubj fgenatr lbhe vafvfgrapr gung jr qb abg qb bhe wbo pbzrf bss nf, lrf? Znxrf lbh ybbx qhovbhf." Arin closed the book he was skimming through and slid it between his underarm. "Qb lbh xabj jung unccraf gb pbzzbaref jub qb abg yvir hc gb n fbirervta'f rkcrpgngvbaf, cevaprff? Jung lbh znl trg n fync ba gur jevfg sbe, pbzzbaref ner rkrphgrq sbe. Vg vf abg haurneq bs va bgure xvatqbzf naq gurer vf abguvat lbh pna fnl gung jvyy pbaivapr zr gung lbhe snzvyl qb abg unir gur fnzr grzcrenzrag. Fb vs lbh ner gelvat gb znxr hf gnxr cneg va fbzr xvaq bs rynobengr ehanjnl, cyrnfr, qb vg ba lbhe bja gvzr." Arin turned to Rynn, giving his undivided attention. "Vs lbh ner frevbhf nobhg jung lbh fnvq, ubjrire, gura cyrnfr fgbc jnfgvat bhe gvzr naq tvir zr fgenvtug nafjref gb zl dhrfgvbaf. V arrq snpgf." The elf stared straight into Rynn's eyes, "Jul qb lbh abg jnag hf gb vairfgvtngr gur inhyg?." "Vs lbh zhfg xabj, jr qba'g shyyl gehfg lbh nyy. Ng yrnfg, abg rabhtu gb yrg lbh nebhaq gur inhygf." "Nf tbbq nf nal ernfba, V fhccbfr." The guards expressed shock when they heard the princess speak. It didn't take them long to figure out what or who caused it. Their bodies tensed once again, ready to attack as soon as their mistress would allow it. Fortunately for the elf, the Lady didn't. "Qvq lbh yvr gb hf ng nal cbvag?" "V unir abg yvrq gb lbh, ohg V frr ab arrq va nafjrevat evqvphybhf dhrfgvbaf." "Yrg zr fnl vg vf sbe gur fnzr ernfba lbh qb abg jnag hf gb tb vagb gur inhygf, ohg V qvterff. Ner lbh vaibyirq va gur gursg bs gur qnttre?" "Ab. Lbh jbhyqa'g or urer vs V unq orra." "Jbhyq V abg? Orvat cneg bs n eblny snzvyl jbhyq znxr vg irel rnfl gb uvqr va gur bcra. Abar bs lbhe fhowrpgf jbhyq qner, ng yrnfg bcrayl, fhfcrpg gurve cevaprff." For the first time since he cast the spells, the elf's voice took a softer tone, "Vf lbhe yvsr va qnatre?" "V unir fcrag zl yvsr genvavat, orpbzvat gur orfg jneevbe V pna or. V yvxr gb guvax gung vs zl yvsr jrer va qnatre, V jbhyq or noyr gb unaqyr vg zlfrys." Arin seemed to contemplate something before pulling out the letter that was safely tucked away in his pocket. There was nothing extraordinary about the paper minus the insignia of two intertwined wyverns on it, "Qb lbh xabj, rknpgyl, jub erdhrfgrq nffvfgnapr sebz Ubhfr Nfgnfgry? Jub neenatrq n qrny jvgu... 'hf'?" "Ab, V qba'g. V jbhyq nffhzr zl sngure, vs abg ol uvf bja unaq." Satisfied with the answers, Arin finally took his gaze off of Rynn and returned the letter into his pocket, "Gunax lbh sbe lbhe ubarfgl, Ynql Elaa." He bowed slightly before resuming what he was previously doing, "V qb erfcrpg lbhe pnhgvbhfarff ba gur znggre, ohg 'gehfg' vf n gjb-jnl fgerrg, Ynql Elaa. Abar bs hf urer gehfg lbh rvgure. Lbhe eblny gvgyr nybar pnaabg jva bhe gehfg. Guvf vf, ng gur raq bs gur qnl, n ohfvarff. N zbqvphz bs gehfg zhfg or tvira sbe rirelbar gb cresbez gurve tvira qhgl. N fbpvrgl whfg jbhyq abg shapgvba cebcreyl vs rirelbar vf cnenabvq. Jung vs gur onxre cbvfbarq gurve ybnirf bs oernq? Jung vs gur crbcyr jub znqr gur ebnqf znqr fher vg yrq gb bhe qrnguf? Rgprgren, rgprgren. Vg vf arire-raqvat naq hygvzngryl n cbvagyrff raqrnibe. Ynql Elaa, V nz abg gryyvat lbh gb gehfg hf jubyrurnegrqyl, gung vf hajvfr rira nzbat sevraqf, ohg nyybj zr gb qb jung V jnf uverq gb qb. Gb vairfgvtngr gur gursgf." Arin pointed at his pocket without looking away from the book in his other hand, "Guvf yrggre vf zber ovaqvat guna lbh pna rire vzntvar." Arin added another book between his underarm, "Qhr gb gur angher bs guvf pbagenpg, V jvyy raq hc ragrevat gur inhygf ertneqyrff bs ubj zhpu lbh gehfg zr. Zvaq lbh, guvf vf abg n guerng, vg vf cneg bs gur Ubhfrf' erjneq sbe urycvat: gb fghql gur zntvpny vgrzf lbhe snzvyl cbffrffrf naq obeebj vg, ohl vg vs jr zhfg, qrcraqvat ba vgf zntvpny cebcregvrf. V crefbanyyl jnagrq gb rknzvar gur inhygf gb frr vs zntvp jnf rira hfrq gb oernx vagb gurz. Vs gur inhygf qb fgber n terng ahzore bs zntvpny vgrzf, V pna bayl nffhzr gung gur inhygf ner rdhnyyl zntvpny be nagv-zntvpny. Gung vf nyy vtabevat gur cbffvovyvgl gung gurer ner frperg cnffntrf gung bayl n unaqshy bs crbcyr fubhyq xabj nobhg. Gb or noyr gb pvephzirag nyy gung erdhverf fcrpvsvp xabjyrqtr naq erfbheprf. Guvatf gung V jvyy abg or noyr gb svaq gur fcrpvsvpf bs orpnhfr V pnaabg rknzvar gur inhygf." Arin walked back to his original position, "Fb jura lbhe sngure nfxf zr ubj gur guvrs tbg va, naq jr svaq bhg abguvat va gur Haqretebhaq, V nz cbvagvat zl svatre ng lbh." He shrugged, "Ubcrshyyl orsber gung unccraf lbh jvyy erpbafvqre naq nyybj zr gb rknzvar gur inhygf… ohg ol gura V srne gurer jvyy or yvggyr gb ab genprf bs gur crecrgengbe'f zntvp yrsg gb qrgrpg. Whfg xrrc gung va zvaq." Arin snapped his fingers, dispelling whatever it was that he cast. "Well then, I suppose I should go get my bags. Long way ahead and all that." He then took the two history books between his underarm and showed the cover to the princess and her guards. "I am also going to borrow these."</s>
<\|description\|>Arin von Astastel Sex Male Age 35 Race Elf History Arin was born into the House of Astastel, a prestigious yet mysterious family whose influence can be felt in virtually every part of the civilized world. Although they are not officially recognized as a noble House, members of the Astastel House are accustomed to a life of luxury and being treated with the uttermost respect. There are many speculations on how the Astastel House came to gain such power, but no one knows the truth: not even their own members truly know the answer. There are only three things people know with absolute certainty. First, unless you are born a von Astastel, you either marry into or are adopted by the House. Never the other way around. Never. Second, those who claim to be a von Astastel are a von Astastel. Finally, the House of Astastel has become increasingly interested in collecting magical items and investigating places associated with magic these past few generations. Other * In general, something about Arin rings false. * Arin seems to have an aptitude for magic, but non-family members have only seen him use it for minor things such as creating light or detecting magic. He does, however, practice alchemy and abjuration magic. * Arin is by no means a specialist in combat: he can protect himself well enough against the common thug, but that is about the extent of his combat skills. He is much better at dodging attacks and escaping from dangerous situations than being an active participant of one. * Arin's strengths lie in academia and investigation.</s> <\|message\|>Ernestus Greye Ernestus Greye Ernestus slowly opened the door, and averted his gaze from her at first out of respect. "Do I need to go hide?" Elra asked while trying not to cry. She gave in putting her head in her hands and cried a bit, "He was trying to break in. I didn't mean..." she paused and let the tears flow. "If he wouldn't have struggled.." Ernestus sighed "Its alright. Let it out of your system if you need to." he said as he approached. "I won't need the salve." he then said, his hands beginning to glow a small radiant light. Ernestus knelt, and his hands hovered over the wound, it slowly closing and coming back together as if time itself was reversing on that one spot alone. He briefly peeked at some of the scars that she had on her arm, "Everyone has scars, both mental and physical. They may be subtle or obvious." he kept his hands over the wound to make sure it fully healed. "Do not think yourself a monster. What you did was admittedly a bit rash, but for all we know, the man could of been an assassin. The princess is leading our party after all." The wound was closed, and he shook his hands as the glow faded away. Magic slowly made his hands numb the longer he channelled it. Ernestus sighed as he stood up, "You are not alone." he hesitated as he turned away to leave, "I too, have a beast within." he then left Elra to rest.</s> <\|message\|>Vuthaternock (Blackscale) Vuthaternock wakes up, hearing snarling, and waits until everything quiets down to investigate. He sees a body lying on the floor, throat torn out, and kneels down next to it to see if that is how the man truly died, or if it was meant to cover something else up. "I wonder what happened...?" He takes the body, hefting it over his shoulder, and casts a small spell to remove the blood, and smell of death. He carries the body outside, and whistles. A giant wyvern lands nearby, folding massive wings to his back. Wux relgra ihk ve rilnom? He nods. "Si rigluin wux ekess itrewic rid di nomeno mamiss." The wyvern grins, and takes the body. Si geou ti shartleg vhira duulo rhyaex. He then flies off a short distance to enjoy his meal, cooking it with a blast of fire.</s>	<\|message\|>Arin von Astastel A voice came from behind Vuthaternock, "If this was an option, you should have told us when I asked the others to report the body." Arin was looking at the wyvern devouring the man with keen interest. He was brewing potions when he saw the dragonborn walk outside with a body and was curious what he was planning to do with it, especially since no one called for the guards just yet. "It would have saved us the trouble of reporting it… but now that you did that after Mr. Greye most likely told the innkeeper… well, you know that makes him look bad, yes?" He turned his attention briefly back to the dragonkin, "I do hope you have the perfect excuse to tell the innkeeper or guards." He let a few seconds pass to admire the creature in the distance. "Does your cousin have a name?" He also wondered if it was who Vuthaternock was talking to every now and then. It was comforting to know that the dragonborn didn't spend time speaking in draconic out loud just to show off that he can or that he lacked the ability to keep his internal monologue, internal. Arin stayed outside just long enough to hear Vuthaternock's response before he remembered that he was in the middle of brewing potions. "Well I shall leave two to it. I must return to the kitchen before I burn the potions." All of Arin's tasks ---cleaning included--- completed only after the sun peaked out from the horizon. More and more people were waking up and becoming more active. The potman of the inn walked into the kitchen just as Arin confirmed the crystalized essence was fully absorbed by the wooden ring. "Good morning, sir. You must be a very early riser, or you never went to bed." "It would be the latter." "Oh… it must have been a very important duty if you had to stay up all night." Arin offered a polite smile, avoiding a direct response. Instead, he thanked the lad, and by proxy the innkeeper, for allowing him to use the kitchen for the night. He reached out his hand towards the area of the kitchen he borrowed, as if to present it to the potman, "I made sure to clean up after myself. I hope this will suffice." The potman perused the kitchen, touching areas of most concern to him with his finger to see if anything would stick to it. His face lit up at the clean finger, "It is more than satisfactory, sir. You practically did my morning chore for me! I have never seen this kitchen this pristine before!" The young man covered his mouth, realizing that he probably shouldn't have said that. He quickly tried to change the subject as subtlety as he possibly could, "I didn't know nobles can clean up after themselves so well!" I imagine that is what the nobles pay servants for. "I am not a noble." The potman looked surprised, "You're not? You could've fooled me. I thought only nobles wear those clothes." Arin looked down at his attire. As the potman pointed out, his clothes were the kind commonly worn by nobility and wealthy merchants. The materials that made the outfit were valuable enough to buy most, if not all, of Timberholde. At the end of the day, however, it was a costume. Something to wear to feel important in front of people of influence to make them feel important. Outside the capital boundaries, it was a target. Everything had been so rushed, Arin forgot that he was heading into a territory notorious for overflowing with lawbreakers, with luxurious garments on. He was careful when he chose the wooden ring to serve as a detector ---it was made of wood found anywhere and it had no decorative engravings, making it an unappealing item to steal---, but it would be meaningless if he was mugged because of what he wore. He needed to change. Arin inspected the young man in front of him, who looked like he was as tall as Arin was and had close enough body types. The potman shifted uncomfortably under Arin's gaze, "Is there something you need, sir?" "As a matter of fact, there are a number of things I need. Can you run a few errands for me? I will pay you once you are done." "I can," the potman sounded a little hesitant, unsure what the elf needed him to do. "Do you have an apothecary or an herbalist?" "We do." "Excellent," Arin fished out a list and coins and handed them to the other man, "I would like you to buy these ingredients. Get as much as you can with the money I've given you." The potman visibly relaxed, seemingly relieved that Arin wasn't asking him to do something unusual, "I can do that." "I would also like to buy your clothes off of you." The man stared dumbly at Arin. A beat later Arin spoke, "Let me rephrase that. I would like to acquire some less flamboyant clothing. This trip was a bit sudden, so I did not have time to pack proper travel wear." Arin spread his arms out to the sides, "It looks like we are of similar stature and build, so I thought I could persuade you to let me have a set of clothing… Unless I am mistaken in assuming that your village does not have a clothier." The man laughed a bit, "No, you are correct. Our village is much too small to have something as fancy as a clothier. My mother had to make my clothes." He looked Arin up and down before his eyes stopped at the shoes "I have some clothes that I can give, but I don't have any spare shoes." He stuck one foot out and wiggled it, "These are the only pair I have." "The clothes will do, thank you." While he waited for the potman to come back with the items he requested, Arin decided to try out the ring. He needed to see if the item would work as intended and to make alterations if necessary. More importantly, he needed the ring to recognize and memorize Rynn to prevent it from responding to her in the future. When Arin placed the ring on, he immediately felt it resonating with something ---the blood that flowed within Rynn--- nearby. Though it didn't physically emit a sound or move, the ring "sang" directly into the wearer's mind. It was a sound that would always be "heard" even in the loudest of places but can never be heard by others besides the ring-wearer. The song grew in intensity as Arin got closer to where Rynn was. When he reached the door to her room, it was impossible to ignore. It was even difficult to concentrate on what he was doing. Something to adjust, Arin vaguely thought. He remembered knocking on the door as the world started to--- Trwil. Sipn aornud. Lkie a brllooam dance. The wrold daecns to the music. Nhtoing sayts sltil long enoguh for him to get his biaengrs. He tkihns he hreas Rynn, but the snog it stuhs it out. It stuhs amolst envyerhtig out. It gets worse. She's cnmiog. She oneps the door and the olny thing he is able to do is garb on to her for daer lfie. The song is so luod now, he flees lkie his head is auobt to eloxdpe. It geivs him no time to reregt. It gives him no tmie to think. It gvies him no tmie to do ahinntyg. He just exsits. The snog eitxss. It just sings, sngis luod and porud. Of teihr boold, a glrouios hrsioty pseasd dwon form gienoaertn to gotenaerin. It ddeanms aeottntin, it dnaemds paisre and more. Mroe. Why won't you lstien Arin? Tiher one and olny aeidncue. Ltsein. Look. It's rhgit here. The key. Look at it. Look at her. She lokos at you. She's lonoikg at you. You see her. Arin sees Rnyn. As the song started to subside, Arin's brain regained functionality. He noticed that he was staring at Rynn's face and grabbing her arm with an iron grip. The ring touched her skin, memorizing her. He just needed to stay like this until the ring had nothing else to sing about. He also became keenly aware that he felt more than a little queasy. He closed his eyes and focused on taking deep breaths. With each breath he loosened his grip. As soon as the song was completely silenced, Arin pulled his hand away as fast as he could, almost as if Rynn was made of fire. "Many apologies," Arin rubbed his forehead to alleviate the headache that was forming. He stood like that for a while before finally speaking, "I wanted to report to you my findings. Though… now that I think about it, maybe I should have waited until breakfast when everyone is around to hear it. " He sighed and straightened himself, "Well, I might as well tell you now seeing that I have your attention and I do not want to make this a wasted trip." Arin took a step away from Rynn, feeling that he was still too close for either of their comfort, "After analyzing what samples I could obtain in the allotted time, I came to the conclusion that magic was not used to break into the vaults. If some form of magic was used, it was the ones already in place." He waited for the words, and the implications that came with it, to sink in. "I understand you want to believe your family and those who work in the palace took no part in the theft in any capacity… but unless the spells on the vault were public knowledge, we can narrow our suspects down from the entire population to those who are, or were at one time, close to the crown, whether by blood or not. At the very least, someone who has intimate knowledge of the castle's architect was involved." The name Callin crossed his mind. "I am willing to change my mind once we find evidence that proves otherwise, but with what we have, this is currently my strongest hypothesis."</s>
<\|description\|>Valyrim Phithyra Valyrim Phithyra --- --- Character Summary Aliases: (Nicknames, previous names, maiden names, etc.) Ree, Phaeros Ianro, Auteis Restarice Age: 104 Species: Elf Aasimar Gender: Male Occupation/position: Quartermaster/Sorcerer Alignment: Neutral good --- --- Appearance Height: 6'0 Build: Light and slender Eyes:Topaz and without pupils Hair: Red Skin Tone: Silver grey Tattoos/Scars/Piercings: A burn scar on his right arm and other, less pronounced scars on both. Personal Style: He likes having rings on him and a necklace with Avandra's symbol on it. Otherwise, his clothes are mostly practical. Normally, he wears a belt with pouches for assorted supplies and is very partial to a red cloak. --- --- Personality: IntelligentCollectedDogmaticAloofCompassionate Relationship Status: Single Questionnaire: What first impression do you make? I believe I come across as cool in temperament although perhaps rather unbending in my ideas and strict in my actions, especially if advised by my angel. What are you like in a high stress situation? I believe I can handle them rather well, partially because I am naturally level-headed and partially because there is a certain sense of calm that comes from the certainty of visions. What are your best and worst qualities? The most useful to the rest of the crew is that I am methodical in everything that I do. It ensures I keep calm and organized as well as giving me a good head for strategy. My worst is that I rarely change my mind on anything (or want to). What is something about yourself that you would never admit to anyone? It does bother me that I am as dismal with connection to others as I am. I prefer to file that feeling away for future examination. What are your dreams? To force the governments that refuse to allow people true freedom to return them or be brought to their knees. How do you want to be seen by others? Organized enough to follow me and intelligent enough to join my cause. How do you see yourself? I'm not quite sure, to be completely honest. I suppose as a sorcerer doing his best to do good by the path set out for him. Do you tend to make snap judgements, or stop and think about things? I try not to do the former. I am strongly in favor of separating my emotions from my decisions as much as possible when reason will likely get me much farther. What haunts you? Aside from the occasional ghost, the first time I saw someone die in person. It was not a peaceful passing, as the Eisengrad system's planets are not as kind to their people as Esari's. What is your philosophy on life? Stick to your virtues and do whatever is best by them. Habits: * Fiddling with his jewelry * Gestures excessively when engaged in conversation * Plays with puzzle box Hobbies: * Reading * Gardening * Playing the guitar * Solving puzzle boxes Fears: * Failure * Enclosed spaces Likes: * Magic * Freedom * Music * People with strong morals * Nature Dislikes: * Being ignored * Apathy * Current governments * Shoes --- --- Information: General Skills: * Medicine * Strategy * Stealth * Horticulture Magical/Speciality Skills: * Basic skill with most magic except divination, proficiency in evocation and illusions * Some training in medicine * Espionage * Guitar * Darkvision Inventory: * Assorted herbs * Spellbook * Ritual knife * Inventory notebook * Rations/Water * Quill and ink * Puzzle box --- --- History: Summary: Valyrim was born on Cirrane, where his gift and his personality made him stick out like a sore thumb. His parents were typical citizens of the planet, as his parents ran a hot spring. They and other elves recognized that he was Aasimar rather quickly as his appearance is notably different from the average elf. Although his appearance might have earned respect among elves, his personality most certainly did not. As a young child, his well meaning parents attempted to mellow his character; it was mostly unsuccessful, especially if someone said something he disagreed with. He felt an unexpected level of indignation and even as a child was prone to argument with much older elves. It did not truly dawn on him that such feelings were not completely his own until his time receiving a prophecy, promising that one day the people would know true freedom. Afterwards, it was silence from his angel, resulting in hours spent attempting to puzzle out the prophecy. The answer came in a series of two short but vivid dreams: the first was a flashback to his guide kneeling to Avandra, filled with a feeling of devotion-the second was a glimpse of his future, staring at the stars from the deck of a ship, nearly overcome with such a freedom that he felt almost empty once he awoke. From then on, he devoured knowledge of magic and the known universe along with odds and ends he saw in visions. His guide would help him along his path, giving him the occasional burst of confidence that he knew promised he would help bring about the winds of change. One day, he had an unfamiliar vision. He was making his way off of a skyship, and a rather ornate one at that. As he made his way out, he glanced into the window to see nothing but the rails of the ship behind him. He patted his pocket and felt crinkling of a scroll. Grim satisfaction washed over him as he made his way into the night. After months of mulling over the dream, Valyrim accepted the next step his angel pushed him to take and left Cirrane, working his way up the criminal underworld in Iyananor by stealing and spying for crime bosses and shadier companies. Despite his intense disdain for his employers and his actual job, the travels through Esari and its nearby systems served to remind him of his end goal. Eventually, a contact who knew of his aspirations pointed him the way of the Consortium. He felt a sudden rush of certainty at the suggestion and made for the Summer's Escape, ready to fulfill his destiny. --- --- Extras Character Quote: "If we live without freedom, we hardly live at all." Anything Else: Speaks with a Welsh accent</s> <\|message\|>Avi Starcaller Kaladan watched from his comfortable position, out of the way of the hustle and bustle of the deck, as the vast majority of the crew made their way up to where their captain stood. The mechanic, bosun, quartermaster, and navigator all appeared to be vying for her attention as they prepped to get under way. An amused smile worked it's way onto his face as he watched her address each of them, this was certainly going to be an interesting group of people to work with. They seemed reliable enough, judging by the fact that they all seemed to be providing assurances that the entire ship was prepped for setting sail. He took a moment to ponder about the member of the crew he could see: the quartermaster seemed calm enough, which would be a good balance to the more...eccentric types on the ship. Their dwarven mechanic appeared to be an interesting character, and he figured that he'd probably need to work with him on their cannons; that'd be an interesting conversation judging by the quiet ramblings he'd heard. He wasn't even sure he'd be able to understand half the things that he said. Their unique looking bosun seemed to have a way with the small powder monkeys, despite their obvious size difference. Though being made of stone probably had its benefits against their tiny, sharp teeth. He'd never met a dryad before, so actually getting to know their navigator should prove to be an enlightening experience. If he could keep up with her rapid speech. He certainly looked forward to getting to know all the members of the crew better. It had been quite some time since he'd actually joined a crew he wanted to be on. His meandering thoughts were cut off at the shout from the Captain. The excitement he'd felt before kicking back up as the crew began to rush around and do as she said. He kept a close eye on the goings on, making sure that no one got caught underfoot and none of them needed any aid in prepping to set off. The pixies were surprisingly quick and efficient when it came to all of these things. He moved to stand at the base of the stairs just in case one of them needed something. He hoped they didn't need his particular brand of help, since that mostly involved hitting something with a sword or cannon balls, but you never know. He glanced up towards the Captain and gave her a nod and a sharp-toothed grin as the sails unfurled and the anchors were drawn up. Avi immediately brightened at the call from the captain for them to set sail. He trotted over to and carefully made his way up the stairs to the helm, hooves clopping across the wooden boards of the deck. He took a spot among the group, standing significantly taller than most of the crew surrounding them, except for the genasi. "Med-bay is prepped for anything Captain," he directed towards the tiefling at the helm, "Hopefully we don't need it anytime soon." He quickly took in the nearby pixie that appeared to be high as the tips of their sails along with their mechanic, and shook his head slightly with both amusement and exasperation. He gave a polite nod to the other members of the crew that were still gathered nearby. Once they were under way he was sure they would have some time to sit down and get to know each other a bit more. The clattering and clanking noises of the sails unfurling, the anchors rising, and the gangplank being stowed were music to his ears. It'd been some time since he'd had the chance to travel by ship and the prospect of doing so with such an interesting group of people had him smiling brightly towards the stars. The sails catching and billowing outwards forced him to plant his feet more firmly on the deck, if only for a moment, as the movement evened out. He was excited to see what new adventures awaited them among the unexplored parts of the universe.</s> <\|message\|>Barnabum Yerickford the IV Barnabum Yericksford "Yoooooooooo, dwarf. That's a funny little beard you got there." The pixie giggled, waving his hands in what could be misinterpreted as Treant sign language. He took another puff of the cigar, pupils crooked in opposite directions, as he stared dazedly out into the space port. Barnabum gingerly took the cigar from the pixie and took a puff, wheezing as the dry smoke entered his lungs and made him briefly retch for a second. Ah, this was the life. Hanging out and smoking mushrooms with pixie sailors. Unfortunately, pixie constitution's didn't quite hold him to gnomish constitutions. One of the pixie sailors didn't take quite as well as his other compatriots, his head tilted upwards and walking around in circles repeatedly. " All these stars make a salad. All these stars make a salad. All these stars make a salad. All these stars make a salad. All these stars make a salad." Barnabum perked up at Dihala's command and rubbed his hands together excitedly. Finally, they could get out of this blasted rock and finally set sail into the far outer reaches of this quadrant. He stood up, knees a little wobbly from chomping down 3 mushroom cigars, before replying back. " Aight, c'ptain. I'll just go downstairs and warm her up. Don't want her dying of a stroke on her first voyage afér all." The pixie who had been staring upwards suddenly shouted. " BARNEY! I need you to tell me that I can have the rest of your cigars!" " You can have the rest of my -" "SHUT UP, YOU'RE NOT MEH DAD!" The pixie then returned back to his routine. " All these stars make a salad. All these stars make a salad. All these stars make a salad. All these stars make a salad. All these stars make a salad." He might have given him a little too much dried shroom. Poor lad. He didn't develop the taste for it yet. Barnabum gently picked up the pixie by the shoulders who was still muttering incessantly to himself and set him on top of a barrel full of pickled dloops. He then made his way again down towards the engine room. " Come on, old girl. Don't be temperamental with me." The gnome murmured, finding the button, and resting his finger against it. He sucked in a breathe and pressed it. Nothing for a moment. Then, the old engine began to whirr to life. Barnabum wiped off the tang of grease off his hands, grinning, as he felt the Maiden's heartbeat in the palm of his hand. Outside, the thrusters began to belch green smoke as the Wayward Maiden shuddered, the runic fields on her hull blinking with energy as arcane energy soared through conduits and reignited the sails, now shimmering with golden light.</s>	<\|message\|>Valyrim Phithyra Valyrim eyed the chaotic flurry of activity on deck and looked up to the sky, silently praying for tranquility. He turned back to the captain at her request, wincing inwardly. The idea of dealing with an irate pixie was less than appealing. "Understood, captain." He raised a hand in a polite if stiff greeting to the dryad-Felosial, if he wasn't mistaken-although he guessed she hardly cared for social niceties if she understood them at all. The elf turned away to take up a better vantage point on the quarterdeck, returning the nod of medic who for his part seemed to be one of few on the crew of a serene disposition. He paused, eyed catching on a pixie who had somehow managed to hang himself upside down in the ropes by his legs. He sighed. "Do I want to ask?" The pixie paused his wriggling to grin sheepishly. "At least you have some shame, I suppose." Despite his scolding, he untangled the faerie gently, catching him in his hand and lowering him to the ground. The pixie chirped gratefully and gave Valyrim a perturbing sharp-toothed smile before scurrying belowdecks. The elf watched him for a moment before leaning on the rail, watching for any more inexplicable predicaments. His attention was torn away by the now familiar shuddering of the deck and golden light of the sails. He smiled faintly, shaking his head. It wasn't exactly what he had pictured but at any rate, he was here.</s>
<\|description\|>Valyrim Phithyra Valyrim Phithyra --- --- Character Summary Aliases: (Nicknames, previous names, maiden names, etc.) Ree, Phaeros Ianro, Auteis Restarice Age: 104 Species: Elf Aasimar Gender: Male Occupation/position: Quartermaster/Sorcerer Alignment: Neutral good --- --- Appearance Height: 6'0 Build: Light and slender Eyes:Topaz and without pupils Hair: Red Skin Tone: Silver grey Tattoos/Scars/Piercings: A burn scar on his right arm and other, less pronounced scars on both. Personal Style: He likes having rings on him and a necklace with Avandra's symbol on it. Otherwise, his clothes are mostly practical. Normally, he wears a belt with pouches for assorted supplies and is very partial to a red cloak. --- --- Personality: IntelligentCollectedDogmaticAloofCompassionate Relationship Status: Single Questionnaire: What first impression do you make? I believe I come across as cool in temperament although perhaps rather unbending in my ideas and strict in my actions, especially if advised by my angel. What are you like in a high stress situation? I believe I can handle them rather well, partially because I am naturally level-headed and partially because there is a certain sense of calm that comes from the certainty of visions. What are your best and worst qualities? The most useful to the rest of the crew is that I am methodical in everything that I do. It ensures I keep calm and organized as well as giving me a good head for strategy. My worst is that I rarely change my mind on anything (or want to). What is something about yourself that you would never admit to anyone? It does bother me that I am as dismal with connection to others as I am. I prefer to file that feeling away for future examination. What are your dreams? To force the governments that refuse to allow people true freedom to return them or be brought to their knees. How do you want to be seen by others? Organized enough to follow me and intelligent enough to join my cause. How do you see yourself? I'm not quite sure, to be completely honest. I suppose as a sorcerer doing his best to do good by the path set out for him. Do you tend to make snap judgements, or stop and think about things? I try not to do the former. I am strongly in favor of separating my emotions from my decisions as much as possible when reason will likely get me much farther. What haunts you? Aside from the occasional ghost, the first time I saw someone die in person. It was not a peaceful passing, as the Eisengrad system's planets are not as kind to their people as Esari's. What is your philosophy on life? Stick to your virtues and do whatever is best by them. Habits: * Fiddling with his jewelry * Gestures excessively when engaged in conversation * Plays with puzzle box Hobbies: * Reading * Gardening * Playing the guitar * Solving puzzle boxes Fears: * Failure * Enclosed spaces Likes: * Magic * Freedom * Music * People with strong morals * Nature Dislikes: * Being ignored * Apathy * Current governments * Shoes --- --- Information: General Skills: * Medicine * Strategy * Stealth * Horticulture Magical/Speciality Skills: * Basic skill with most magic except divination, proficiency in evocation and illusions * Some training in medicine * Espionage * Guitar * Darkvision Inventory: * Assorted herbs * Spellbook * Ritual knife * Inventory notebook * Rations/Water * Quill and ink * Puzzle box --- --- History: Summary: Valyrim was born on Cirrane, where his gift and his personality made him stick out like a sore thumb. His parents were typical citizens of the planet, as his parents ran a hot spring. They and other elves recognized that he was Aasimar rather quickly as his appearance is notably different from the average elf. Although his appearance might have earned respect among elves, his personality most certainly did not. As a young child, his well meaning parents attempted to mellow his character; it was mostly unsuccessful, especially if someone said something he disagreed with. He felt an unexpected level of indignation and even as a child was prone to argument with much older elves. It did not truly dawn on him that such feelings were not completely his own until his time receiving a prophecy, promising that one day the people would know true freedom. Afterwards, it was silence from his angel, resulting in hours spent attempting to puzzle out the prophecy. The answer came in a series of two short but vivid dreams: the first was a flashback to his guide kneeling to Avandra, filled with a feeling of devotion-the second was a glimpse of his future, staring at the stars from the deck of a ship, nearly overcome with such a freedom that he felt almost empty once he awoke. From then on, he devoured knowledge of magic and the known universe along with odds and ends he saw in visions. His guide would help him along his path, giving him the occasional burst of confidence that he knew promised he would help bring about the winds of change. One day, he had an unfamiliar vision. He was making his way off of a skyship, and a rather ornate one at that. As he made his way out, he glanced into the window to see nothing but the rails of the ship behind him. He patted his pocket and felt crinkling of a scroll. Grim satisfaction washed over him as he made his way into the night. After months of mulling over the dream, Valyrim accepted the next step his angel pushed him to take and left Cirrane, working his way up the criminal underworld in Iyananor by stealing and spying for crime bosses and shadier companies. Despite his intense disdain for his employers and his actual job, the travels through Esari and its nearby systems served to remind him of his end goal. Eventually, a contact who knew of his aspirations pointed him the way of the Consortium. He felt a sudden rush of certainty at the suggestion and made for the Summer's Escape, ready to fulfill his destiny. --- --- Extras Character Quote: "If we live without freedom, we hardly live at all." Anything Else: Speaks with a Welsh accent</s> <\|message\|>Dihala Varzand "Thank you, Mister Starcaller," the captain replied to their medic. The ship buzzed and got just a little more chaotic as her orders were carried out. Pixies flitted to and fro storing whatever last bits had been forgotten, the gravity anchor was being hoisted up, ropes were tied off and double-checked, the high pixie was shooed away from potential danger- and finally the sails were unfurled. It was a beautiful sort of music. Like the sound of a flock of birds ascending to the sky, their sails fluttered and and flapped as they opened and began to shimmer with solar energy. There was a brief and electric moment where everything fell silent. Dihala's grip on the helm tightened, the excitement threatening to make her squeal like a child opening a present. Then the ship lurched forward. She'd grown accustomed to their dryad's form of coordinates and quickly adjusted the helm as instructed. Seven acorns starboard, five windward. As the ship picked up speed the lights of Iyananor began to fade and dim, and eventually the planet itself faded as well. The sails were producing a low hum (as they should be), none of the ropes had come loose, and no one was tossed overboard, so all in all Dihala was calling it a successful departure. They were now on their way out of the solar system and in a month's time would be in unexplored territory, on their way to riches and glory. Everything was going according to plan. Yes, this was going to go well. After all what could go wrong? Oh a lot. A lot could go wrong. The sails could die, they could be attacked, arrested, crash, explode, suffocate. They could get stranded on a hostile planet with no hope of escape, or they could stumble across some hidden gang hideout and get murdered. Someone could get space madness and try to take over the ship, slitting Dihala's throat in her sleep in order to rise to the rank of captain. They could decide they hated her and start a mutiny. That damned crazy old dwarf could have a horrible experiment go wrong that leaves all of them horribly disfigured for the rest of their lives. A star could go supernova right as they pass it and decimate the ship. Oh there was a never ending list of things that could go wrong, but Dihala was going to try to focus on what was going right. Their ship had taken flight and they were well on their way to fulfilling her- uh, the crew's dreams, they weren't broke (yet), no one on the crew hated her (yet), no one seemed like a terrible person (yet), they had plenty of supplies (for now), and everything was going well (for now). With this thought in mind Dihala locked in their heading and left the helm for a brief moment to triple check that everything had been stowed correctly. "Mister Clay, all of the cargo still secure and undamaged after take off? I know how pesky that atmospheric turbulence can be. Also," she raised her voice a little bit, "if the quartermaster, navigator, and of course our dear mister Clay could join me at the helm in about twenty minutes after we're very well on our way, I'd be very much obliged. I'd like to discuss our destination."</s> <\|message\|>Barnabum Yerickford the IV Barnabum Yericksford Once the Sky Maiden had eventually reached an altitude high enough for a blind man to see the stars, Barney gave a wistful sign. His analytical mind yammered away at the back of his mind, pointing how the specific names of star systems that he was seeing, the location of various nebulas that buffeted the blackness of the cosmos and the paths of various comets that streaked across the night sky like migratory birds. The skyport soon became a speck in the distance. Stardust looked beautiful from a skyship rather than through the suffocating guise of a planetary atmosphere. Barney briefly remembered an elf sorcerer who tried to enchant his corneas for a university project. He ended up being blinded for the next semester until a nearby cleric could provide their services. He had to thank the benefits of gnomish darkvision, though. The Skyship swayed a little as it ascended, a bobbing lurch like a feather floating about in a gale. It was imperceptible to most of the crew but Barney frowned. He double checked to make sure that the engines wouldn't hiccup. It was his finest work yet. For a newly built engine to have a slight malfunction in the first few hours…….The gnome checked over his shoulders to make sure no one was following him before sneaking down towards the engine room. Perhaps, he'd tightened the bolts too much or - Uh oh. " KILL IT! KILL THE STAR DRAGON!" The pixie pirate along with several others were banging the engine with pieces of lumbar and their swords, slashing away at the assembly with all the fury their tiny bodies could muster. The engine was belching smoke and coughing, several nicks in the pressurised valves and tubes that connected it to the thrusters. The pixies eyes were bloodshot and the room smelt heavily of smoked mushrooms. " Alright, that's it, ya little blighters." Barnabas was picking up the pixies one by one and tossing them out of the engine room but it was too late. He then stared in horror at the mangled mess of the engine and began to pull on the roots of his hair. Oh, he should have never given those damn flowerspawns his supply of mushrooms. What was he thinking? What would the captian do if she found out? Nevermind that, the whole crew would die once the engine self-dest- He paused for a moment. Why did he need to tell her in the first place? The mushroom fumes gave the air an electric tingle as he breathed it in, wondrous ideas flashing in his mind. Oh yes, he could improve the engine. He could make it even better than it was before. " Well," He strapped on his googles and took out his trusty wrench. " What the captain doesn't know won't harm her." He rubbed his hands eagerly together as he pulled out a cobweb tattered box from the corner. Blowing the dust off, he clicked open the lock and opened it, the room filling with a nauseous green glow. " Besides, I've always wanted to experiment with radioactive fuel."</s>	<\|message\|>Valyrim Phithyra As the (miraculously) functional chaos continued with what seemed to be only minor incident, Valyrim allowed himself a moment to be lost in the stars. He had traveled theough space a number of times but until now he had never let himself do so when he was about as significant to employers as a blade of grass. The Iron Maiden's crew seemed as though it would prove to be more personable than hardened executives of shadowy conglomerates. As he stared out, part of him wished he had indulged more often. Even the horizons planetside didn't hold a candle to the awestriking enormity of space and the stardust littering it. The vivid illusions of Cirrane's finest couldn't quite capture it, let alone the books he had spent much of his time in. He was jolted out of his unusually welcome distraction by the sound of acorns clattering on the ground. Clearly, he had misjudged Fel's abilties. They were in good hands if she knew the intricacies of acorn-based navigation. That at least was one worry quelled, although he got the impression that his concerns about the pixies and the engineer were rightly so. He may be certain he would get off of the ship alive but unharmed was no guarantee. Your guidance would be greatly appreciated now. He pouted continued to survey the decks when no response from his angel came, fiddling with the charm that hung from his necklace. Later in the voyage, perhaps. It had been an eventful day, he reminded himself, and more would come soon enough. For now, he still had an obligation to the crew. Speaking of, the ship had sailed a ways away from Iyananor. Per the captain's orders, the elf made his way to the helm, taking care to avoid fairies and scattered acorns alike.</s>
<\|description\|>Cassius Vance Cassius Vance ● 27 ● He/Him ______________________________________ Appearance: Cassius is lithe and fairly well built, standing at just over 6ft tall. His hair is a jet black with silver-blue eyes. He wears a set of well made armor that is a combination of leather and metal: leather at the joints to keep things flexible and metal to protect vitals. He wears a cloak over it that is lined with fur for when he travels to colder regions. He carries his swords in a sheath on his belt and his shield slung over his back, so he can dual wield or use a shield as the situation requires. He has many different pouches and vials on a belt that carry anything he may need for his hunts. Reputation: Cassius can come off as cold and unfeeling to those who first meet him, as his job always comes before anything else. He is quick to the point and focused on gathering information. However, if one was to meet him off the job while he's relaxing and having a good time they would see that he's fairly open to meeting new people and is pretty quick to laugh or jump into crazy ideas. Reason for Traveling: Cassius works as a spellsword all across the whole of Sedaia, mostly working on tracking down monsters that are threatening a city, but he doesn't often turn down any work that happens to come his way. He's done guard jobs, bounty hunting, or traveling to far reaches of the continent for expeditions or otherwise. No part of the continent is off his radar and he will explore all of it if he has the chance. At present he is working on a job for a wealthy landowner that owns a large estate in The Midlands who has been having some trouble with a magically enhanced beast on one of the large plantations he owns in The Croplands. The beast is more dangerous than others he has tackled previously, or so his employer says. He is in the process of tracking it down, as he is unsure of its exact location, both so he can get paid and to help out the neighboring cities. Skills: * His favored weaponry is longswords and a shield, though he capable of wielding most weapons. * He practices elemental magics-specifically fire and lightning-that he can imbue his weapons with * He is fond of woodcarving, riding horses, and is a surprisingly good cook. Meta: Getting to meet up with the other travelers and make connections is going to be a big part of this for him. That being said I'm pretty open to most anything when it comes to drama, complications, etc. I'm mostly in this to make a good story with y'all! For character progression I think he wants to know that he can be more than just his job, which has kept him traveling for most of his life, and he's never really had a solid connection with anyone for more than a short time. He'd like to know that there's more than just surviving and killing. He loves exploring new lands, but doing it alone isn't always the most enjoyable experience. That being said something else he could probably stand to learn is how to ask for help when a job is too much for one person. I suppose how that comes about is up to you guys! Extra: Cassius worships Palir-mainly for his focus on both danger and safety</s> <\|message\|>Jason Miller Jason was glad he wasn't the only one concerned about this situation. A tall man armed with a sword also got involved with the scuffle, and wanted to know what was going on. The girl at the center of all of this was red in the face. Jason didn't know what she was feeling right now. Probably nervous, considering she was surrounded by strange men. The two strange men tried to talk themselves out of this. They claimed they weren't doing anything wrong. But isn't that what someone who was doing something wrong would say when they'd been found out? The way this guy so casually touched the girl he didn't know didn't exactly read innocent in Jason's eyes. Then the other man, who was missing several teeth, some of which were replaced with crystals, got in between them all. He tried to talk his way out of this mess, and convince them that they would lose their place in line or whatever. All that did was just make Jason more suspicious of these two in all honesty. What were they trying to get away with? The farmer rolled his eyes. "Yeah... I don't know about that... Jason's free hand sparked with electricity, and he fired some lightning at the man with his hand on the girl's shoulder. "Girl, run!" Then he turned his attention back to the strange men. Ha! betcha didn't expect that from a farm boy!" He boasted with a smug grin on his face.</s> <\|message\|>Nea @Crimson Flame@Yankee "We're just looking for someone, okay?" And in that moment, Nea woke up. Oh. Ok. That's how it was. Of course. Wow. Just looking for someone, huh? Not looking for her, but someone else, huh? Probably someone tall and lithe, with hips wider than her shoulders and breasts the size of melons, huh? Ain't hurting anyone, huh? We're all friends here, huh?! JUST FRIENDS, HUH?!!! Nea Honeyforge of the Highlands was a peaceful girl. She enjoyed idling away warm spring days in the orchards when she could, listening to the chirping of the birds and the buzzing of the bees as she drank in the sweet aroma of ripening fruits. She enjoyed talking to her fellow maids about all sorts of nonsense, boasting about things she's never done before, laughing over stupid word plays or silly gossip. She ate healthily, slept as well as she could, and prayed on the holy days to Tazia on high, as pious as any other Highlander. She was a peaceful girl, after all, unwieldy with a weapon and not prone to fits of violence. She was also a sixteen year old girl who could dismantle a boar in half an hour with a single knife (admittedly also with others assisting). And she did not shy from the many penises she removed during such bloody work. The red of embarrassment, of such naïve dreams of being accosted by four ruggedly handsome men, turned into the red of embarrassment, of a maiden deceived, honor besmirched by rapscallions on the road. And that, in turn, gave way to uncommon indignation, a desire to retaliate! That leathery-skinned old bat. Who taught him it was a good idea to keep such an unseemly wisp of a beard? That shiny-toothed creeper. Didn't he learn his lesson about cleaning is teeth after the first one rotted out and fell? "We," she said, with all the fury of a furry puppy, "are not friends." Nea gripped her club, knuckles tightening over the stout wood until they turned white, her gaze settling on the smooth-talker. A swift strike to the crotch then? Or maybe a hearty whap to the face? How about end his ability to have children? Not that any woman would want to anyways. Pah, that bitch Mira. Bet this was her design. The maid drew her breath, hardened her amber gaze, an- Lightning cracked, a thunderous boom following instantly as a magical force shot into the leathery-skinned uncle, shooting into his chest, through his blood, down his limbs…and then into Nea herself. BZZZT went the maid, and she promptly fell unconscious.</s>	<\|message\|>Cassius Vance Cassius tensed slightly and tightened the grip he had on the hilt of his sword as the man raised his voice. Best he could tell these men were a couple of idiots at best and hired thugs at worst. He'd dealt with their type plenty in his travels around and had seen his fair share of encounters get violent quick. While that wouldn't be a problem for him, he didn't want to put anyone else in the area in harms way. Better to just try to smooth this over without crossing swords... He scowled down at the shorter man who stepped up between them, clearly trying his hardest to appear amiable. He'd have had a better shot if he bothered to take care of himself at all. His pallid skin and poorly done implants just further proved this. We're all friends here, huh? He highly doubted that. He reached a gauntleted hand forward and placed it on the shorter man's shoulder, tightening his grip to the point that it was almost uncomfortable. He heard the angry voice of the girl come from behind the man, confirming his suspicions that they were not friends. "Just let the little lady go and then, maybe, we can see about finding that person you're looking for, alright." His grip tightened just a bit more, a pleasant smile crossing his face, but a threatening undertone to his voice. It wasn't a suggestion. "No need for anyone here to get hurt." A sudden spark of lightning flashed from the hand of the younger man; he felt a brief moment of surprise that moved into concern as he saw both the tanned man and the girl drop to the ground like a puppet whose strings had just been cut, "Spoke too soon I guess." Using his hand on the man's shoulder as an anchor point, and the moment of surprise, he slammed his knee into the stomach of the smaller man causing him to double over. A swift blow to the temple and the man was on the ground with his friend. Cassius shook out his hand as he stepped over the man to kneel next to the unconscious form of the girl. He wasn't a doctor but he figured she would be alright in time. He looked back towards the other man, "Not the wisest course of action, but it got the job done I suppose."</s>
<\|description\|>Artemie Isra Gender: Female Age: 23 (Born 211 SA) Personality: Brave, enterprising, dutiful, and resolute… On duty. Artemie had to be all of these things to volunteer for the mission she did but she couldn't have predicted the toll that it would take on her personally. On her own time Artemie feels out of place, or more accurately out of time. Even though the years passed like the blink of an eye for her she is acutely aware that events that feel like yesterday for her happened, in some cases, years before her colleagues were old enough to serve. Every now and again the reminder can give the naturally outgoing girl pause, putting her on the back foot until she can power through it. She tends to overcompensate by trying to learn everything that has happened since her mission began all at once, cramming information in until she can't help but get some of it muddled. These habits can give the impression of someone a little absentminded. In the cockpit all of her uncertainty disappears replaced with calm assurance. Despite being one of the most junior members of the expedition experientially she has no problem holding her own with people actually her own age. Artemie loves to chat when she has her feet firmly planted in the present, and remains fascinated by the years of Orbital development that happened while she was gone. Backstory: Artemie Isra was born in 211 SA on the Moon colony of Armstrong, a thriving city of almost a million souls. She was given up for adoption but the fact never really bothered her; she had loving adoptive parents, a home, and a comfortable childhood. The probe bound for Proxima Centauri launched when she was three years old and little Artemie was fascinated. Her excitement never died down, not when the probe arrived, not in the years waiting for the data to come back, and certainly not when she became a pilot in preparation for any expedition that might come her way. Or when she studied in her free time to become a technician. Artemie Isra had been born in time to explore the stars and she was determined to do just that. Most of her training was done on recently decommissioned Heavies, graduating to the newer Orbitals during her service and signing up for any mission that might get her closer to the stars. And then the probe data failed to return on time. Months dragged on, and the diagnosis came back; the booster the probe had dropped on its way to Proxima Centauri had malfunctioned. Two and a half lightyears away, too far for any drone to repair it and too far for it to be easily replaced. Someone would have to go and fix it. Artemie volunteered. Her adoptive parents had passed away a few years earlier, she had no siblings, and few attachments. And it was a chance to go farther than anyone had traveled to date. Two and a half lightyears, almost ten years of travel, just to reach the booster and repair it. She strapped into the first deep space Orbital anyone could lay hands on and went to sleep. When she awoke she had reached her destination and nothing could have prepared her for the emptiness so far past the limits of her solar system. She made her repairs in just under twelve hours, and went down again for the cold sleep to wait for CAPEI Operations to confirm the data had been received. Not, admittedly, before she took a peek for herself. The computer woke her again with a choice; the data had been received, and an expedition had been greenlit. It would leave before she returned. She could set course for home and settle in for the long nap, and the twenty year wait for what answers the expedition would find… Or she could go back into cryo and wait for the Pandora to collect her on its way to Proxima Centauri. She went to sleep again, with a preprogrammed intercept with the Pandora scheduled in twelve years. She wouldn't wake again for another twenty. But she would see the light of another star. Skills and Flaws: Despite one of the longest service records, Artemie has among the least actual combat experience among the Pandora's pilots. She was born, raised, and served on the Moon; so far in-system there was no cause for Orbital deployment on anything more than routine patrols. Her simulator scores, her practice battles, all of her scores on paper are excellent and indicative of the gifted pilot that she is but she has never had to face a real battle; an opponent with the intent to kill. Similarly, despite her best efforts, her knowledge of Orbitals is thirty years out of date. On the other hand, her engineering knowledge is top notch. She was tapped to fix the relay for her knowledge in both piloting and electronics, after all, and had to have the requisite knowledge to repair any one of the systems that may have malfunctioned. Additionally, she would need to be able to repair her Orbital, her cryostasis equipment, or any one of half a dozen critical systems necessary for her mission. As a result, Artemie is a repairwoman and Macgyver par excellence. Her piloting style tends more towards the creative than the textbook, a work of instinct and not of protocol. She always looks for the edge, the upgrade that she can fashion for herself to narrow the playing field. Equipment: Artemie has nothing on her person that she did not take on her original mission. Owing to the original mission profile, that means she has an extensive tool box, a standard issue sidearm, a diagnostic computer, a pilot suit, and her uniform. Model Number: IS-049 Voyager ("Starlight") Role: Deep Space Operations Appearance: Tall and powerfully built at 24.5m tall, with tapered spires upon its shoulders and a protruding chest like a bomber's nose. Inset in the tip is a gleaming red circular emitter. Its shoulders descend into cylindrical forearms, its legs long and aerodynamic. A regal, crested helm with a red sensor visor to protect its cameras adorns the top. Variable wing stabilizes adorn its back and calves, with thrusters mounted on its back, shoulders, calves, and the bottom of its feet. The Starlight is cast in hues of blued steel, with small red details and gold accents. Inscribed just below the emitter on its chest in hand sprayed gold letters are the words "Ultima Ratio Regum", and on either shoulder "Luci Ad Tenebras". Powerful boosters in unaccented black are added to its shoulders and calves when fully equipped for deep space operations. Systems: -X Corp "G-Aegis" Emitters: Beam emitters mounted in the shoulders and chest, designed to form an arrowhead shaped shield ahead of the Voyager during flight to incinerate any debris that might cause harm during its relativistic journey. Can be formed in an arrowhead 'above' and encompassing the upper body of the Voyager, or the emitters can flip forward and cast a wider, more blunted shape over the front of the Voyager above the head and down to the waist. -Isurugi Heavy Industries "Dauntless" Booster System: Four boosters, with their own additional capacitors charged off of the Voyager's Oberth Reactor. Fitted on its shoulders and calves, the Dauntless boosters are capable of significantly increasing the Voyager's straightline acceleration and stamina at the cost of some maneuverability. Can be purged, but cannot be reattached in the field. -Isurugi Heavy Industries "Starlight" Electronics Suite: Something of a misnomer, "Starlight" is the Voyager's computer. Capable of filtering interference out from signals at great distance, limited automation of Orbital functions slaved to voice command, and following preprogrammed flight plans with self correcting trajectories due to outside interference. Weapons: -X Corp G-Lancier: The torso emitter for the G-Aegis is also capable of acting as a beam cannon of considerable strength, enough to destroy an Orbital if it hits. The output is variable and can be cranked higher than is recommended, but at substantial drain to the Voyager's power. The Voyager does not have powerful enough targeting systems to make a shot at greater than medium range unassisted. -X Corp G-Aegis: Though intended to deal with debris, the G-Aegis is both the Voyager's most powerful (and only) defense as well as one of its most powerful offensive tools. The same beam shield intended to protect it from debris will protect it from solid projectiles, as well as energy attacks… As long as the power supply holds. In the same fashion, it can be used to turn the entire Orbital into a beam tipped projectile with considerable ramming speed. -Isurugi Heavy Industries 50mm Rotary Cannon: Mounted in the right forearm, magnetically fired. -Jawaid and Jawaid Cluster Missiles x2: Hip mounted. -Isurugi Heavy Industries Beam Saber: Left arm stored. Manufacturing History: Isurugi Heavy Industries' Voyager is a second generation Orbital hurriedly commissioned in 234 SA.. Without the time for a long development cycle Isurugi borrowed one of the prototype frames for what would eventually become the IS-50 Odysseus in reference to the long journey of their sister. Despite their shared base the Voyager was designed from top to bottom in less than six months for use in deep space beyond any hope for assistance. First and foremost, the Voyager was fitted with thirty percent more capacitors than any Orbital at the time. It wouldn't speed up the recharge, but it would make sure there was more power initially available. And it was necessary; the booster assemblies that would accelerate it to the nearly same maximum speed available to an Oberth Reactor-powered ship needed an incredible amount of power to start up. From there the Voyager needed to be able to sustain its pilot for the planned round trip, nearly twenty years. That meant building the facilities to keep Artemie in cryostasis into a single 'room' on board the boosters, along with building an access point on the Orbital's back to move from her stasis chamber to the cockpit. The Voyager required an above average AI to control its functions, as well. Though far from a true artificial intelligence the on board computer needed to be able to follow a programmed course, recognize debris in the way, and wake its pilot in case of emergency. And in keeping with standing human policy, it had to be armed. No sanctioned human excursion into the black went without the capability to defend itself. Weaknesses: The Voyager is fast, strong, enduring… And it was never meant to be a frontline combat unit. Its arsenal draws on the same enhanced capacitors it needed for its sustained mission, and the most potent of its offensive arsenal simply repurposes the same technology that mission required. Used at its full potential the Voyager will run out of power rapidly and be left dead in the water. Owing to this restriction, Artemie will refrain from using its beam options (aside from the saber) as much as she can. This means the Voyager makes requent use of its rotary cannon, and frankly, its bare hands. Though the G-Aegis is a powerful defense, against any sort of sustained assault it will drain the capacitors rapidly. Against a sustained energy attack the shield would drain the capacitors exponentially, while physical munitions are less of an issue.</s> <\|message\|>Volana Jacira --- For a moment it sounded as if she had never actually left Venus, and it was all Volana could do to avoid lapsing into her native tongue. Still, she appreciated the small amount of comfort and familiarity that it brought, lightyears from a home that she would in all likely hood never see again. It was reassuring that her now fifteen year old first impressions of her comrades-in-arms still seemed to hold true, it was more likely than not that these individuals would ostensibly be the only souls she would meet for a very long time. Volana nodded in greeting to Zakharin, the older pilot more robot than she was, as her mouth currently occupied at the moment. It was then that Konstantin drew her attention to another pilot who had stepped into the mess. She was definitely a pilot, her flight suit couldn't be anything but, however it was of a complete unfamiliar design to Volana. That, and the fact that she was completely blanking on both a name and a face. Volana was fairly certain that she had met every other pilot that was on board just before they all went under for cryo, though she didn't preclude the possibility that maybe her brain got a bit too frozen during the trip. Either way, she was obviously part of the crew, even if her unifrm and patches were unfamiliar. "Don't worry, they made sure to get me food to keep that from happening," the cytherean pilot smirked, padding the empty seat next to her own with her artificial hand. Which was held by her real hand. It was then that Holden made his way over, it seemed like the bunch of them were all cut from the same cloth. Food was very important. "Plenty of room!" Volana reassured him, padding the seat on the other side in a similar manner to before.</s> <\|message\|>Zakharin 'Iron Side' Brusilov "It's a simple trick although it was quite harsh you have to take a shot of a hot sauce of at least a 1000 Scoville." He explained to Konstantin. "I promise that it will wake you right up." The colonel looked over the newcomer that Konstantin pointed out had arrived. He racked his brain to put a name to the face. Zakharin was concerned that names were beginning to slip from him. She was familiar to him as he couldn't figure out where he saw her. But these were laid to rest as the rest of the group also didn't know who she was. For now he decided to wait for her to introduce herself. "Morning or at least I think it's morning." Zakharin said to Holden as he arrived. "What you think Proxima is going to be like?" The old cyborg asked the group finishing up his own meal.</s>	<\|message\|>Artemie Isra "I'm..." The Lunite grimaced at the sound of her own voice. Cryosleep was harmless, and on paper there wasn't really any difference between being under for ten minutes or ten years. Maybe, maybe, if you stayed under for thousands of years you'd start to see some real ill effects. It didn't completely halt you after all, just ground the passage of time to such an infinitesimal rate that no change seemed to have occurred. You would have to stay under for a long time for that to add up. In practice, however, the body had something to say about occupying the same position for years and years. Her voice grated still, and the word came out in a parody of her usual tone. She took the man across the table from her's hand and shook it firmly, holding up a finger on her other hand to plead his indulgence for just a moment. Artemie took a few long, deep drinks of water and cleared her throat quietly in an effort to clear the sandpaper from her throat. When she spoke again her voice came out clearer and stronger, if not quite normal. "I'm Artemie Isra," She began again, shaking his hand once more before she released it. "It's a pleasure to meet you all. Rude of me not to meet you all before you slept, I know, but I'd been waiting for quite some time. You all are...?" Artemie took a quick glance around the table, particularly raising her eyebrows a moment at the hot sauce remark. She'd been eating... Never mind. Why did so many of them have prostheses of some kind? Was it a new trend? They weren't uncommon at home, of course, but only when medically necessary. Was it just happenstance that multiple people here needed them, or a factor of their careers? Two of them had clearly had lengthy ones just looking at them, but what about the paler girl? Was it weird that she was a pilot who hadn't undergone any upgrades now? Suddenly she felt even more out of place. Taking a break outside the flow of time sucked.</s>
<\|description\|>Artemie Isra Gender: Female Age: 23 (Born 211 SA) Personality: Brave, enterprising, dutiful, and resolute… On duty. Artemie had to be all of these things to volunteer for the mission she did but she couldn't have predicted the toll that it would take on her personally. On her own time Artemie feels out of place, or more accurately out of time. Even though the years passed like the blink of an eye for her she is acutely aware that events that feel like yesterday for her happened, in some cases, years before her colleagues were old enough to serve. Every now and again the reminder can give the naturally outgoing girl pause, putting her on the back foot until she can power through it. She tends to overcompensate by trying to learn everything that has happened since her mission began all at once, cramming information in until she can't help but get some of it muddled. These habits can give the impression of someone a little absentminded. In the cockpit all of her uncertainty disappears replaced with calm assurance. Despite being one of the most junior members of the expedition experientially she has no problem holding her own with people actually her own age. Artemie loves to chat when she has her feet firmly planted in the present, and remains fascinated by the years of Orbital development that happened while she was gone. Backstory: Artemie Isra was born in 211 SA on the Moon colony of Armstrong, a thriving city of almost a million souls. She was given up for adoption but the fact never really bothered her; she had loving adoptive parents, a home, and a comfortable childhood. The probe bound for Proxima Centauri launched when she was three years old and little Artemie was fascinated. Her excitement never died down, not when the probe arrived, not in the years waiting for the data to come back, and certainly not when she became a pilot in preparation for any expedition that might come her way. Or when she studied in her free time to become a technician. Artemie Isra had been born in time to explore the stars and she was determined to do just that. Most of her training was done on recently decommissioned Heavies, graduating to the newer Orbitals during her service and signing up for any mission that might get her closer to the stars. And then the probe data failed to return on time. Months dragged on, and the diagnosis came back; the booster the probe had dropped on its way to Proxima Centauri had malfunctioned. Two and a half lightyears away, too far for any drone to repair it and too far for it to be easily replaced. Someone would have to go and fix it. Artemie volunteered. Her adoptive parents had passed away a few years earlier, she had no siblings, and few attachments. And it was a chance to go farther than anyone had traveled to date. Two and a half lightyears, almost ten years of travel, just to reach the booster and repair it. She strapped into the first deep space Orbital anyone could lay hands on and went to sleep. When she awoke she had reached her destination and nothing could have prepared her for the emptiness so far past the limits of her solar system. She made her repairs in just under twelve hours, and went down again for the cold sleep to wait for CAPEI Operations to confirm the data had been received. Not, admittedly, before she took a peek for herself. The computer woke her again with a choice; the data had been received, and an expedition had been greenlit. It would leave before she returned. She could set course for home and settle in for the long nap, and the twenty year wait for what answers the expedition would find… Or she could go back into cryo and wait for the Pandora to collect her on its way to Proxima Centauri. She went to sleep again, with a preprogrammed intercept with the Pandora scheduled in twelve years. She wouldn't wake again for another twenty. But she would see the light of another star. Skills and Flaws: Despite one of the longest service records, Artemie has among the least actual combat experience among the Pandora's pilots. She was born, raised, and served on the Moon; so far in-system there was no cause for Orbital deployment on anything more than routine patrols. Her simulator scores, her practice battles, all of her scores on paper are excellent and indicative of the gifted pilot that she is but she has never had to face a real battle; an opponent with the intent to kill. Similarly, despite her best efforts, her knowledge of Orbitals is thirty years out of date. On the other hand, her engineering knowledge is top notch. She was tapped to fix the relay for her knowledge in both piloting and electronics, after all, and had to have the requisite knowledge to repair any one of the systems that may have malfunctioned. Additionally, she would need to be able to repair her Orbital, her cryostasis equipment, or any one of half a dozen critical systems necessary for her mission. As a result, Artemie is a repairwoman and Macgyver par excellence. Her piloting style tends more towards the creative than the textbook, a work of instinct and not of protocol. She always looks for the edge, the upgrade that she can fashion for herself to narrow the playing field. Equipment: Artemie has nothing on her person that she did not take on her original mission. Owing to the original mission profile, that means she has an extensive tool box, a standard issue sidearm, a diagnostic computer, a pilot suit, and her uniform. Model Number: IS-049 Voyager ("Starlight") Role: Deep Space Operations Appearance: Tall and powerfully built at 24.5m tall, with tapered spires upon its shoulders and a protruding chest like a bomber's nose. Inset in the tip is a gleaming red circular emitter. Its shoulders descend into cylindrical forearms, its legs long and aerodynamic. A regal, crested helm with a red sensor visor to protect its cameras adorns the top. Variable wing stabilizes adorn its back and calves, with thrusters mounted on its back, shoulders, calves, and the bottom of its feet. The Starlight is cast in hues of blued steel, with small red details and gold accents. Inscribed just below the emitter on its chest in hand sprayed gold letters are the words "Ultima Ratio Regum", and on either shoulder "Luci Ad Tenebras". Powerful boosters in unaccented black are added to its shoulders and calves when fully equipped for deep space operations. Systems: -X Corp "G-Aegis" Emitters: Beam emitters mounted in the shoulders and chest, designed to form an arrowhead shaped shield ahead of the Voyager during flight to incinerate any debris that might cause harm during its relativistic journey. Can be formed in an arrowhead 'above' and encompassing the upper body of the Voyager, or the emitters can flip forward and cast a wider, more blunted shape over the front of the Voyager above the head and down to the waist. -Isurugi Heavy Industries "Dauntless" Booster System: Four boosters, with their own additional capacitors charged off of the Voyager's Oberth Reactor. Fitted on its shoulders and calves, the Dauntless boosters are capable of significantly increasing the Voyager's straightline acceleration and stamina at the cost of some maneuverability. Can be purged, but cannot be reattached in the field. -Isurugi Heavy Industries "Starlight" Electronics Suite: Something of a misnomer, "Starlight" is the Voyager's computer. Capable of filtering interference out from signals at great distance, limited automation of Orbital functions slaved to voice command, and following preprogrammed flight plans with self correcting trajectories due to outside interference. Weapons: -X Corp G-Lancier: The torso emitter for the G-Aegis is also capable of acting as a beam cannon of considerable strength, enough to destroy an Orbital if it hits. The output is variable and can be cranked higher than is recommended, but at substantial drain to the Voyager's power. The Voyager does not have powerful enough targeting systems to make a shot at greater than medium range unassisted. -X Corp G-Aegis: Though intended to deal with debris, the G-Aegis is both the Voyager's most powerful (and only) defense as well as one of its most powerful offensive tools. The same beam shield intended to protect it from debris will protect it from solid projectiles, as well as energy attacks… As long as the power supply holds. In the same fashion, it can be used to turn the entire Orbital into a beam tipped projectile with considerable ramming speed. -Isurugi Heavy Industries 50mm Rotary Cannon: Mounted in the right forearm, magnetically fired. -Jawaid and Jawaid Cluster Missiles x2: Hip mounted. -Isurugi Heavy Industries Beam Saber: Left arm stored. Manufacturing History: Isurugi Heavy Industries' Voyager is a second generation Orbital hurriedly commissioned in 234 SA.. Without the time for a long development cycle Isurugi borrowed one of the prototype frames for what would eventually become the IS-50 Odysseus in reference to the long journey of their sister. Despite their shared base the Voyager was designed from top to bottom in less than six months for use in deep space beyond any hope for assistance. First and foremost, the Voyager was fitted with thirty percent more capacitors than any Orbital at the time. It wouldn't speed up the recharge, but it would make sure there was more power initially available. And it was necessary; the booster assemblies that would accelerate it to the nearly same maximum speed available to an Oberth Reactor-powered ship needed an incredible amount of power to start up. From there the Voyager needed to be able to sustain its pilot for the planned round trip, nearly twenty years. That meant building the facilities to keep Artemie in cryostasis into a single 'room' on board the boosters, along with building an access point on the Orbital's back to move from her stasis chamber to the cockpit. The Voyager required an above average AI to control its functions, as well. Though far from a true artificial intelligence the on board computer needed to be able to follow a programmed course, recognize debris in the way, and wake its pilot in case of emergency. And in keeping with standing human policy, it had to be armed. No sanctioned human excursion into the black went without the capability to defend itself. Weaknesses: The Voyager is fast, strong, enduring… And it was never meant to be a frontline combat unit. Its arsenal draws on the same enhanced capacitors it needed for its sustained mission, and the most potent of its offensive arsenal simply repurposes the same technology that mission required. Used at its full potential the Voyager will run out of power rapidly and be left dead in the water. Owing to this restriction, Artemie will refrain from using its beam options (aside from the saber) as much as she can. This means the Voyager makes requent use of its rotary cannon, and frankly, its bare hands. Though the G-Aegis is a powerful defense, against any sort of sustained assault it will drain the capacitors rapidly. Against a sustained energy attack the shield would drain the capacitors exponentially, while physical munitions are less of an issue.</s> <\|message\|>Volana Jacira --- That caught Volana's attention. Or more specifically, a number of things which Artemie had mentioned caught her attention within quick succession. The unfamiliar addition to their little gathering of pilots had glossed over more than a few points so nonchalantly that it took a few moments for them to sink in properly, and Volana to actually parse exactly what was being said. 241? Were we not all in cryo at that point? None of us would have been woken up during the trip, only ship crew and colony personnel. How did she? 229 doesn't make- In an effort to stem the rising tide of questions building up in the back of her mind, Volana addressed the most peculiar of the bunch. Her bright eyes fixed themselves on Artemie intently. "Wait, you are saying that planet is alive? It is not just another irradiated dead rock?"</s> <\|message\|>Konstantin Stojanović --- "A breathable atmosphere." he repeated simply, as though casting aside every other detail as extraneous. He'd already guessed she was old, no point stressing that. No mission would take him near the unlivable equator to begin with— not important. Vegetation would naturally lead to the detail he had focused on, so it in essence was relegated to the realm of an explanation rather than an important finding. He understood its scientific merit— exobiologists held alien flora and fauna as the Holy Grail of discoveries in their fields, but Konstantin had grown into a much simpler creature than they. Seas, if not oceans. Lakes and Rivers. Liquid water would regulate temperature, provide a cycle of both humidity and air currents, predictable patterns of wind between the airmasses that hung over them. Closer to the mark. But breathable. In some manner, Earthlike. He began to steeple his fingers in front of him, furrowing his brow as his eyes took on a new and intense light. His plain affectations were replaced by a bombardment of muttered conclusions, as if the pilot was attacking the questions in his mind as they came. "Putting aside the obvious necessary similarity in composition, that means a similar barometry, if our lungs could process it. The same regarding density. Maybe closer to the top of a mountain or the depths of a canyon than sea level, but all told, human respiratory systems have a definite range of what constitutes proper breathability. So long as there are no curveballs on the fluid dynamics, that means lift generation isn't unthinkable. Did the probe get readings on airborne dust, by chance? Any sort of particulate that would jam a turbofan?" He was already confident his Orbital could truck through most skies one might expect to encounter, but if traditional engines were capable of working, that opened a whole slew of possibilities.</s>	<\|message\|>Artemie Isra Okay. So the Colony Module was what it said on the tin, but how was the ship carrying it? That had to be a sizable piece of equipment. Or, pieces of equipment. What she wouldn't have given to see the ship from the outside when it launched. That line of thought could wait, though. Whoops. Lots of questions. Okay. "Well, there wasn't really anyone to stop me." Artemie began to explain, directing her answer to Holden with a slightly sheepish smile. "I thought about it, and I suppose I could have gotten in trouble if anyone noticed. But I mean, I didn't expect them to. And as far as I know they didn't. If they did what were they going to do? Come get me? It would have taken years just to hear their lecture." "Anyway, my computer couldn't really display a lot of the data. It was really meant to be opened on science stations, obviously, so I could only take a peek at maybe half of what was there. But it could handle satellite images fine, and there were a lot of those. Um..." She refocused on Volana, Zakherin, and Konstantin, repeating their names in her head to fix them more firmly in her mind. Her voice was getting stronger as she spoke, some life returning to her features and mannerisms. "I'm afraid the majority isn't very lush, Colonel, but from what I saw it should be reasonably familiar. The areas near water looked fairly temperate, but to tell you the truth meteorology isn't exactly my specialty. But definitely alive. There is vegetation of some sort along all of the major sources of liquid water that I saw." "As for dust... I'm sure that data was there, but it wasn't anything I could open. The official briefing should fill us all in on the rest, right?"</s>
<\|description\|>Artemie Isra Gender: Female Age: 23 (Born 211 SA) Personality: Brave, enterprising, dutiful, and resolute… On duty. Artemie had to be all of these things to volunteer for the mission she did but she couldn't have predicted the toll that it would take on her personally. On her own time Artemie feels out of place, or more accurately out of time. Even though the years passed like the blink of an eye for her she is acutely aware that events that feel like yesterday for her happened, in some cases, years before her colleagues were old enough to serve. Every now and again the reminder can give the naturally outgoing girl pause, putting her on the back foot until she can power through it. She tends to overcompensate by trying to learn everything that has happened since her mission began all at once, cramming information in until she can't help but get some of it muddled. These habits can give the impression of someone a little absentminded. In the cockpit all of her uncertainty disappears replaced with calm assurance. Despite being one of the most junior members of the expedition experientially she has no problem holding her own with people actually her own age. Artemie loves to chat when she has her feet firmly planted in the present, and remains fascinated by the years of Orbital development that happened while she was gone. Backstory: Artemie Isra was born in 211 SA on the Moon colony of Armstrong, a thriving city of almost a million souls. She was given up for adoption but the fact never really bothered her; she had loving adoptive parents, a home, and a comfortable childhood. The probe bound for Proxima Centauri launched when she was three years old and little Artemie was fascinated. Her excitement never died down, not when the probe arrived, not in the years waiting for the data to come back, and certainly not when she became a pilot in preparation for any expedition that might come her way. Or when she studied in her free time to become a technician. Artemie Isra had been born in time to explore the stars and she was determined to do just that. Most of her training was done on recently decommissioned Heavies, graduating to the newer Orbitals during her service and signing up for any mission that might get her closer to the stars. And then the probe data failed to return on time. Months dragged on, and the diagnosis came back; the booster the probe had dropped on its way to Proxima Centauri had malfunctioned. Two and a half lightyears away, too far for any drone to repair it and too far for it to be easily replaced. Someone would have to go and fix it. Artemie volunteered. Her adoptive parents had passed away a few years earlier, she had no siblings, and few attachments. And it was a chance to go farther than anyone had traveled to date. Two and a half lightyears, almost ten years of travel, just to reach the booster and repair it. She strapped into the first deep space Orbital anyone could lay hands on and went to sleep. When she awoke she had reached her destination and nothing could have prepared her for the emptiness so far past the limits of her solar system. She made her repairs in just under twelve hours, and went down again for the cold sleep to wait for CAPEI Operations to confirm the data had been received. Not, admittedly, before she took a peek for herself. The computer woke her again with a choice; the data had been received, and an expedition had been greenlit. It would leave before she returned. She could set course for home and settle in for the long nap, and the twenty year wait for what answers the expedition would find… Or she could go back into cryo and wait for the Pandora to collect her on its way to Proxima Centauri. She went to sleep again, with a preprogrammed intercept with the Pandora scheduled in twelve years. She wouldn't wake again for another twenty. But she would see the light of another star. Skills and Flaws: Despite one of the longest service records, Artemie has among the least actual combat experience among the Pandora's pilots. She was born, raised, and served on the Moon; so far in-system there was no cause for Orbital deployment on anything more than routine patrols. Her simulator scores, her practice battles, all of her scores on paper are excellent and indicative of the gifted pilot that she is but she has never had to face a real battle; an opponent with the intent to kill. Similarly, despite her best efforts, her knowledge of Orbitals is thirty years out of date. On the other hand, her engineering knowledge is top notch. She was tapped to fix the relay for her knowledge in both piloting and electronics, after all, and had to have the requisite knowledge to repair any one of the systems that may have malfunctioned. Additionally, she would need to be able to repair her Orbital, her cryostasis equipment, or any one of half a dozen critical systems necessary for her mission. As a result, Artemie is a repairwoman and Macgyver par excellence. Her piloting style tends more towards the creative than the textbook, a work of instinct and not of protocol. She always looks for the edge, the upgrade that she can fashion for herself to narrow the playing field. Equipment: Artemie has nothing on her person that she did not take on her original mission. Owing to the original mission profile, that means she has an extensive tool box, a standard issue sidearm, a diagnostic computer, a pilot suit, and her uniform. Model Number: IS-049 Voyager ("Starlight") Role: Deep Space Operations Appearance: Tall and powerfully built at 24.5m tall, with tapered spires upon its shoulders and a protruding chest like a bomber's nose. Inset in the tip is a gleaming red circular emitter. Its shoulders descend into cylindrical forearms, its legs long and aerodynamic. A regal, crested helm with a red sensor visor to protect its cameras adorns the top. Variable wing stabilizes adorn its back and calves, with thrusters mounted on its back, shoulders, calves, and the bottom of its feet. The Starlight is cast in hues of blued steel, with small red details and gold accents. Inscribed just below the emitter on its chest in hand sprayed gold letters are the words "Ultima Ratio Regum", and on either shoulder "Luci Ad Tenebras". Powerful boosters in unaccented black are added to its shoulders and calves when fully equipped for deep space operations. Systems: -X Corp "G-Aegis" Emitters: Beam emitters mounted in the shoulders and chest, designed to form an arrowhead shaped shield ahead of the Voyager during flight to incinerate any debris that might cause harm during its relativistic journey. Can be formed in an arrowhead 'above' and encompassing the upper body of the Voyager, or the emitters can flip forward and cast a wider, more blunted shape over the front of the Voyager above the head and down to the waist. -Isurugi Heavy Industries "Dauntless" Booster System: Four boosters, with their own additional capacitors charged off of the Voyager's Oberth Reactor. Fitted on its shoulders and calves, the Dauntless boosters are capable of significantly increasing the Voyager's straightline acceleration and stamina at the cost of some maneuverability. Can be purged, but cannot be reattached in the field. -Isurugi Heavy Industries "Starlight" Electronics Suite: Something of a misnomer, "Starlight" is the Voyager's computer. Capable of filtering interference out from signals at great distance, limited automation of Orbital functions slaved to voice command, and following preprogrammed flight plans with self correcting trajectories due to outside interference. Weapons: -X Corp G-Lancier: The torso emitter for the G-Aegis is also capable of acting as a beam cannon of considerable strength, enough to destroy an Orbital if it hits. The output is variable and can be cranked higher than is recommended, but at substantial drain to the Voyager's power. The Voyager does not have powerful enough targeting systems to make a shot at greater than medium range unassisted. -X Corp G-Aegis: Though intended to deal with debris, the G-Aegis is both the Voyager's most powerful (and only) defense as well as one of its most powerful offensive tools. The same beam shield intended to protect it from debris will protect it from solid projectiles, as well as energy attacks… As long as the power supply holds. In the same fashion, it can be used to turn the entire Orbital into a beam tipped projectile with considerable ramming speed. -Isurugi Heavy Industries 50mm Rotary Cannon: Mounted in the right forearm, magnetically fired. -Jawaid and Jawaid Cluster Missiles x2: Hip mounted. -Isurugi Heavy Industries Beam Saber: Left arm stored. Manufacturing History: Isurugi Heavy Industries' Voyager is a second generation Orbital hurriedly commissioned in 234 SA.. Without the time for a long development cycle Isurugi borrowed one of the prototype frames for what would eventually become the IS-50 Odysseus in reference to the long journey of their sister. Despite their shared base the Voyager was designed from top to bottom in less than six months for use in deep space beyond any hope for assistance. First and foremost, the Voyager was fitted with thirty percent more capacitors than any Orbital at the time. It wouldn't speed up the recharge, but it would make sure there was more power initially available. And it was necessary; the booster assemblies that would accelerate it to the nearly same maximum speed available to an Oberth Reactor-powered ship needed an incredible amount of power to start up. From there the Voyager needed to be able to sustain its pilot for the planned round trip, nearly twenty years. That meant building the facilities to keep Artemie in cryostasis into a single 'room' on board the boosters, along with building an access point on the Orbital's back to move from her stasis chamber to the cockpit. The Voyager required an above average AI to control its functions, as well. Though far from a true artificial intelligence the on board computer needed to be able to follow a programmed course, recognize debris in the way, and wake its pilot in case of emergency. And in keeping with standing human policy, it had to be armed. No sanctioned human excursion into the black went without the capability to defend itself. Weaknesses: The Voyager is fast, strong, enduring… And it was never meant to be a frontline combat unit. Its arsenal draws on the same enhanced capacitors it needed for its sustained mission, and the most potent of its offensive arsenal simply repurposes the same technology that mission required. Used at its full potential the Voyager will run out of power rapidly and be left dead in the water. Owing to this restriction, Artemie will refrain from using its beam options (aside from the saber) as much as she can. This means the Voyager makes requent use of its rotary cannon, and frankly, its bare hands. Though the G-Aegis is a powerful defense, against any sort of sustained assault it will drain the capacitors rapidly. Against a sustained energy attack the shield would drain the capacitors exponentially, while physical munitions are less of an issue.</s> <\|message\|>Zakharin 'Iron Side' Brusilov As Zakharin finished the instant coffee more of the pilots trickled into the mess hall. The old marine greeted them as they came to the table. Fishing out the leather case in his breast pocket as he listens to Artemie's story. He agreed with Holden's assessment that the Lunite must be here for a desire to explore the unknown. Taking out one of the cigars from the package he took a moment to glance around the "If we're lucky we will all get some place named after us." He said cutting the cigar. He took a quick glance over to Adam. The old marine noticed the way the Martian was looking around the room. He figured that Adam was getting upon the same train of thought he was on. As quickly as it appeared the younger man covered it up with a grin. Zakharin made a mental note to talk to the Martian about it when the opportunity presented itself as he open his lighter.</s> <\|message\|>Volana Jacira --- Artemie's explanation raised as many questions as it answered, though she held her tongue for now. Volana had a feeling that the myriad of questions beginning to bubble to the surface of her mind would be addressed either during the briefing, or more directly, once they reached the surface of the planet proper. That, and she had no desire to overwhelm the other pilot, especially now that she knew just how long Artemie Isra had actually been frozen for. If she had felt disoriented when coming out of a fifteen year stint in the tube, Volana could only imagine what sort of cobwebs Artemie was shaking out of her mind at the moment. Speaking of the briefing... "Perhaps we should bring that up during the briefing, yes?" Volana suggested at Brusilov's mention of getting naming honors, the slight lilting cadence of her accent indicating the half-serious mirth in which she put forth the idea. The Cytherean pilot stacked the packages of her MRE together before standing. "I am going to head to the hangar, maybe I find out more information if I arrive early." Volana made her way towards the door of the mess, disposing of the remains of her MREs as she went. "If anyone would like to join me."</s> <\|message\|>Fox Fox As the other pilots discussed the state of the planet and queried their "new" squad member, Fox simply sat back, ate his MRE and listened. Letting his head bob along to the flow of the conversation, the young man took the opportunity to silently size up his squad mates. Behind the impassive mask of his face, Fox caught Adam's nervous glance around the otherwise empty mess hall. ...Of course we're the first ones up. If things go sideways, we need to be ready. Why does everyone seem to forget that the mechs we pilot originated from an alien war machine? And here we are, light-years from "home" on the first interstellar colony ship, makes perfect sense to me that the Higher Ups would want to be prepared for a hostile first contact... Not letting himself shake his head in irritation, Fox allows himself a slight smile as the Cytherean pilot made mention of heading to the hanger early. "An excellent idea. Give me a moment and I'll join you." His PDA chirps for him as he signs one-handedly, his other quickly shoving the rest of his MRE into his face.</s>	<\|message\|>Artemie Isra "Not in the slightest." "Not that it'll hurt going back to all that money if I ever make it back to the Moon." Artemie's grin came back with a slightly knowing tilt. He was right; after a minimum of forty five years on ice before getting home there'd be a hefty paycheck waiting for her. Enough to go on 'vacation' for decades if she really wanted. Not to mention the seniority she was accruing. But it wasn't the point and Holden had hit the nail on the head. "I've wanted to make this trip my whole life. What was ten more years in cryo in comparison?" She shrugged a little, pushing herself carefully to her feet and nodding at Adam's introduction. "It's nice to meet you, Adam. I think Volana's right about getting to the hangar. If we don't hurry, they might name things after other people."</s>
<\|description\|>Zakharin 'Iron Side' Brusilov Gender: Male Age: 67 Appearance: Brusilov stands an impressive 6'5 with a strong build to his body thanks to the amount of cybernetics in his body. In fact up-to 65% of his body is composed of cybernetics. Consisting of replacement heart, left lung, and spine. Bot of his arms and legs have been replaced as these old 3rd gen parts are far more utilitarian lacking the synthetic skin. Earning the nickname iron side. He keeps his hair in a marine buzz cut. While keeping a magnificent beard and mustache. As his brown hair has long since turned white. He wears the standard UN marine uniform. Personality: Brusilov is known to be quite a stubborn man. He carries himself with a degree of professionalism that was instilled into him while he was still in basic. Expecting the same from those under him. The old marine firmly takes to the old notion that a good officer must lead from the front as it inspires his men. He has known protective lives under his command more than his own life. Brusilov hates being reminded of his old age. Backstory: Born to a blue collar family in the slums of Moscow around 182 SA. Life was tough upbringing in the old capital of the Russian federation. He struggled in school throughout his youth and nearly dropped out of school during his freshman year. He had already joined a small street gang. But despite this Zakharin still wanted more to his life. Soon an opportunity presented itself as a United Nation marines corps recruiter came to Moscow. Hearing the possible life he could have in the marines granted the young man some clarity. Brusilov was able to lie about his age and joined the marines. Zakharin shipped out to the UN marine training camp. Unlike his struggles with school he took greatly to his new life in the military. His zeal during his time earned him a promotion to the rank of corporal. Once his training was complete Brusilov was shipped out to the fight in the belt pacification campaign. Clearing out pirate and smugglers bases hidden among the asteroids. He performed admirably during the operation earning him an officers commission. Over the next couple of decades Brusilov sent to different hotspots across the systems earning fame and metals for his service in the marine. Eventually making up to the rank of major where he stayed for several years avoiding any promotion to a higher rank. His desire not to achieve higher rank came from a concern that he would no longer be able to take part in front-line combat. This fear came back when assisting in a peacekeeping operation on Titan. A car bomb went off next to his squad during one of their patrols. Taking the full brunt of the explosion he was quickly evacuated to a medical station. And after a grueling 12 hour surgery ended up with most of his body being replaced with cybernetics. When Brusilov recovered from the wounds he was able to get sent back to his unit. As Zakharin's long and illustrious career dragged on a certain issue became more apparent. The cyborg became more concerned that one day he would be pulled from combat and stuck behind a desk. He started to look for a way to avoid retirement. Brusilov soon was informed about an opening on Pandora for their head of security requested a transfered to the expedition. Having the old marine on the ship was considered to be a major boon for the expedition but they informed him if he wanted the position he would have accepted the rank of colonel. Reluctantly Brusilov accepted the position. Skills and Flaws: -Cybernetics: Since a lot of Brusilov body have been replaced with cybernetics it confers many benefits to him. Enhance strength, durability, and inbuilt weapons. But he has several medical issues due to the implants. For one his blood has to be dialysis as his blood is synthetic. Another problem is that he has older generation cybernetics thus requiring him to take special drugs in order to keep his body from rejecting the implants. -Harden Veteran: A long and extensive career in the UN marines as both a regular enlisted man to piloting an Orbitals has molded Brusilov into a dangerous foe to engage. With a large amount of training and experience to call upon. - Old age: The colonel has begun to slow down in his old age and has trouble accumulating new technology. Equipment: -Standard issue UNMC uniform -.45 handgun - Automatic 8 gauge shotgun -toolkit - box of cigars/zippo lighter Cybernetics implants: -Dermal Armor: Zakharin has armor woven into his skin that is able to reduce inflicted damage effects from blunt trauma, ballistic attacks, cutting, and/or slashing attacks. Secondary functionality also provides protection from electromagnetic pulse (EMP) assault. Although it limits the flexibility of his own skin. The dermal armor lacks in comparison to proper ballistic protection. -Nanoblade: mounted on the top of his right arm is a monomolecular edge blade. Works great against flesh and light armor. But is ineffective for cutting through ceramic-metallic plate armor or similar material. -Implanted SMG: In his left arm is mounted into his arm. Meant to be a holdout weapon in case of an emergency. It can't be reloaded without removing some of the arm plates. -Shock absorbed: The leg's higher-density muscle bunches in tandem with the shock-absorbing gel matrix found in its knee joints is far better at absorbing shock. Allowing the Zakharin to survive longer falls. ============================================== Model Number: CO-m31(A) Odysseus Role: Command Appearance: The Odysseus stands at the regular height for an Orbital about 21 meters. Its body is the most noticeable thing about the orbital as all that comes from that orbital series. Its body is designed to maximize protection of the more important systems while trying to reduce weight. Systems: Sensor Array: The sensors on Odysseus are highly advanced, able to cut through most forms of interference giving it a clear view of the battle field harvesting any information is funneled into the pilot and to the battle net for other Orbitals to use. Battle net: Far more than just a simple Communication system. The battle net links many different orbitals onto a signal network. This new work provides Common operational picture to not only the pilot of the Odysseus but to all Orbitals on the network. The net relies on an advanced A.I that the command can use to perform complicated maneuvers co-ordinates ground, air, and orbital assets. Drone network: The Orbital carries a series of modular drones that can be outfitted for various duties. From armed with mounted auto-cannons and missile pods. Extra sensor equipment to give a larger view of the battle field for spotting and recon. Even outfitted with some simple repair equipment for battlefield maintenance. Weapons: The CO-m31(D) due to its role is armed with; -H&K ac-40: A favorite among those of the UNMC developed by Heckler and Koch. The bullpup gun offers firepower and accuracy. As well as it can fire a variety of ammunition types from solid slugs to HE rounds. -M-50: A multi rocket missile launcher that can fire either smart or dumb fire ammunition. The system has an autoloader to refill the empty tubes in between salvos. -Vibro-blade: For close quarter combat it has a blade vibrate at an incredible speed causing it to be able to cut through all sorts of material and it is mounted into the wrist. Manufacturing History: Developed by the UN Military commission on Orbital development in 240 as a part to develop the next generation of orbitals. The goal of which was to create a series of Orbitals to take advantage of the newly created battlenet called the Trojan series. Each given the names of Greek heroes the first to make it through the design was Odysseus as the Achilles and Ajax are stuck in a bureaucratic gridlock. The series disposed most of the established design traditions of orbital giving the series its unique look. The Odysseus was sent out to units for field trials. The feedback from pilots led to improvements in the survivability of the unit. Weaknesses: The main drawback to the unit is the lack of offensive capabilities and defensive that the Orbital has. As armor and shielding units had been removed to make room for the various sensors and communication within the Orbitals body. Due to all the sophisticated systems it has a vulnerability to electronic warfare.</s> <\|message\|>Zakharin 'Iron Side' Brusilov As Zakharin finished the instant coffee more of the pilots trickled into the mess hall. The old marine greeted them as they came to the table. Fishing out the leather case in his breast pocket as he listens to Artemie's story. He agreed with Holden's assessment that the Lunite must be here for a desire to explore the unknown. Taking out one of the cigars from the package he took a moment to glance around the "If we're lucky we will all get some place named after us." He said cutting the cigar. He took a quick glance over to Adam. The old marine noticed the way the Martian was looking around the room. He figured that Adam was getting upon the same train of thought he was on. As quickly as it appeared the younger man covered it up with a grin. Zakharin made a mental note to talk to the Martian about it when the opportunity presented itself as he open his lighter.</s> <\|message\|>Volana Jacira --- Artemie's explanation raised as many questions as it answered, though she held her tongue for now. Volana had a feeling that the myriad of questions beginning to bubble to the surface of her mind would be addressed either during the briefing, or more directly, once they reached the surface of the planet proper. That, and she had no desire to overwhelm the other pilot, especially now that she knew just how long Artemie Isra had actually been frozen for. If she had felt disoriented when coming out of a fifteen year stint in the tube, Volana could only imagine what sort of cobwebs Artemie was shaking out of her mind at the moment. Speaking of the briefing... "Perhaps we should bring that up during the briefing, yes?" Volana suggested at Brusilov's mention of getting naming honors, the slight lilting cadence of her accent indicating the half-serious mirth in which she put forth the idea. The Cytherean pilot stacked the packages of her MRE together before standing. "I am going to head to the hangar, maybe I find out more information if I arrive early." Volana made her way towards the door of the mess, disposing of the remains of her MREs as she went. "If anyone would like to join me."</s> <\|message\|>Fox Fox As the other pilots discussed the state of the planet and queried their "new" squad member, Fox simply sat back, ate his MRE and listened. Letting his head bob along to the flow of the conversation, the young man took the opportunity to silently size up his squad mates. Behind the impassive mask of his face, Fox caught Adam's nervous glance around the otherwise empty mess hall. ...Of course we're the first ones up. If things go sideways, we need to be ready. Why does everyone seem to forget that the mechs we pilot originated from an alien war machine? And here we are, light-years from "home" on the first interstellar colony ship, makes perfect sense to me that the Higher Ups would want to be prepared for a hostile first contact... Not letting himself shake his head in irritation, Fox allows himself a slight smile as the Cytherean pilot made mention of heading to the hanger early. "An excellent idea. Give me a moment and I'll join you." His PDA chirps for him as he signs one-handedly, his other quickly shoving the rest of his MRE into his face.</s> <\|message\|>Artemie Isra "Not in the slightest." "Not that it'll hurt going back to all that money if I ever make it back to the Moon." Artemie's grin came back with a slightly knowing tilt. He was right; after a minimum of forty five years on ice before getting home there'd be a hefty paycheck waiting for her. Enough to go on 'vacation' for decades if she really wanted. Not to mention the seniority she was accruing. But it wasn't the point and Holden had hit the nail on the head. "I've wanted to make this trip my whole life. What was ten more years in cryo in comparison?" She shrugged a little, pushing herself carefully to her feet and nodding at Adam's introduction. "It's nice to meet you, Adam. I think Volana's right about getting to the hangar. If we don't hurry, they might name things after other people."</s> <\|message\|>Holden "Castle" Cross --- That first reply from her surprised him a little. It meant she had little to no attachment back to wherever her home was... though he supposed that he should've expected a response like that. If you went into the ice on the regular, you probably didn't have much waiting for you back home anyway-- and she's been in the ice longer than anyone else he's ever known. Holden merely nodded at her second response with a satisfied look. "Fair enough." Holden smiled. "It's good to have you with us then, Miss Isra." As Adam went to speak to Artemie, Holden looked to Zakharin, Jacira, and Fox. The prospect of having a place named after himself certainly sounded interesting to Castle, but the recognition wasn't why he was here. Jacira mentioned heading to the hangar bay, to which the man nodded. "It's about that time." Castle rose from his seat on the bench, glancing at his watch. It looked like they had enough time to walk to the hangar with time to spare, though it would be nice to be punctual. He also noted that the date read fifteen years ahead from the time he went into Cryosleep. Holden took a small satisfaction in the fact that his timepiece remains reliable, and picks up the remnants of his meal. "Let's get moving." The man followed shortly behind the others, disposing the remains of his MRE into the waste heap, before stacking his tray on top of the others.</s>	<\|message\|>Zakharin 'Iron Side' Brusilov "Yeah we should be making our way over there." He looked up to the clock mounted on the wall seeing they had time but not enough for what he wanted to do. The old marine return the cigar to his pocket figuring he did not have the time to properly enjoy it. And he figured it would be unbecoming of him to miss the briefing to just because he wanted a smoke. Zakhain made a note to try and smoke it after the briefing. His limbs creaked as he stood up to join his compatriots to head to the hanger. Zakharin dropped his leftovers into the waste heap before joining the group.</s>
<\|description\|>Zakharin 'Iron Side' Brusilov Gender: Male Age: 67 Appearance: Brusilov stands an impressive 6'5 with a strong build to his body thanks to the amount of cybernetics in his body. In fact up-to 65% of his body is composed of cybernetics. Consisting of replacement heart, left lung, and spine. Bot of his arms and legs have been replaced as these old 3rd gen parts are far more utilitarian lacking the synthetic skin. Earning the nickname iron side. He keeps his hair in a marine buzz cut. While keeping a magnificent beard and mustache. As his brown hair has long since turned white. He wears the standard UN marine uniform. Personality: Brusilov is known to be quite a stubborn man. He carries himself with a degree of professionalism that was instilled into him while he was still in basic. Expecting the same from those under him. The old marine firmly takes to the old notion that a good officer must lead from the front as it inspires his men. He has known protective lives under his command more than his own life. Brusilov hates being reminded of his old age. Backstory: Born to a blue collar family in the slums of Moscow around 182 SA. Life was tough upbringing in the old capital of the Russian federation. He struggled in school throughout his youth and nearly dropped out of school during his freshman year. He had already joined a small street gang. But despite this Zakharin still wanted more to his life. Soon an opportunity presented itself as a United Nation marines corps recruiter came to Moscow. Hearing the possible life he could have in the marines granted the young man some clarity. Brusilov was able to lie about his age and joined the marines. Zakharin shipped out to the UN marine training camp. Unlike his struggles with school he took greatly to his new life in the military. His zeal during his time earned him a promotion to the rank of corporal. Once his training was complete Brusilov was shipped out to the fight in the belt pacification campaign. Clearing out pirate and smugglers bases hidden among the asteroids. He performed admirably during the operation earning him an officers commission. Over the next couple of decades Brusilov sent to different hotspots across the systems earning fame and metals for his service in the marine. Eventually making up to the rank of major where he stayed for several years avoiding any promotion to a higher rank. His desire not to achieve higher rank came from a concern that he would no longer be able to take part in front-line combat. This fear came back when assisting in a peacekeeping operation on Titan. A car bomb went off next to his squad during one of their patrols. Taking the full brunt of the explosion he was quickly evacuated to a medical station. And after a grueling 12 hour surgery ended up with most of his body being replaced with cybernetics. When Brusilov recovered from the wounds he was able to get sent back to his unit. As Zakharin's long and illustrious career dragged on a certain issue became more apparent. The cyborg became more concerned that one day he would be pulled from combat and stuck behind a desk. He started to look for a way to avoid retirement. Brusilov soon was informed about an opening on Pandora for their head of security requested a transfered to the expedition. Having the old marine on the ship was considered to be a major boon for the expedition but they informed him if he wanted the position he would have accepted the rank of colonel. Reluctantly Brusilov accepted the position. Skills and Flaws: -Cybernetics: Since a lot of Brusilov body have been replaced with cybernetics it confers many benefits to him. Enhance strength, durability, and inbuilt weapons. But he has several medical issues due to the implants. For one his blood has to be dialysis as his blood is synthetic. Another problem is that he has older generation cybernetics thus requiring him to take special drugs in order to keep his body from rejecting the implants. -Harden Veteran: A long and extensive career in the UN marines as both a regular enlisted man to piloting an Orbitals has molded Brusilov into a dangerous foe to engage. With a large amount of training and experience to call upon. - Old age: The colonel has begun to slow down in his old age and has trouble accumulating new technology. Equipment: -Standard issue UNMC uniform -.45 handgun - Automatic 8 gauge shotgun -toolkit - box of cigars/zippo lighter Cybernetics implants: -Dermal Armor: Zakharin has armor woven into his skin that is able to reduce inflicted damage effects from blunt trauma, ballistic attacks, cutting, and/or slashing attacks. Secondary functionality also provides protection from electromagnetic pulse (EMP) assault. Although it limits the flexibility of his own skin. The dermal armor lacks in comparison to proper ballistic protection. -Nanoblade: mounted on the top of his right arm is a monomolecular edge blade. Works great against flesh and light armor. But is ineffective for cutting through ceramic-metallic plate armor or similar material. -Implanted SMG: In his left arm is mounted into his arm. Meant to be a holdout weapon in case of an emergency. It can't be reloaded without removing some of the arm plates. -Shock absorbed: The leg's higher-density muscle bunches in tandem with the shock-absorbing gel matrix found in its knee joints is far better at absorbing shock. Allowing the Zakharin to survive longer falls. ============================================== Model Number: CO-m31(A) Odysseus Role: Command Appearance: The Odysseus stands at the regular height for an Orbital about 21 meters. Its body is the most noticeable thing about the orbital as all that comes from that orbital series. Its body is designed to maximize protection of the more important systems while trying to reduce weight. Systems: Sensor Array: The sensors on Odysseus are highly advanced, able to cut through most forms of interference giving it a clear view of the battle field harvesting any information is funneled into the pilot and to the battle net for other Orbitals to use. Battle net: Far more than just a simple Communication system. The battle net links many different orbitals onto a signal network. This new work provides Common operational picture to not only the pilot of the Odysseus but to all Orbitals on the network. The net relies on an advanced A.I that the command can use to perform complicated maneuvers co-ordinates ground, air, and orbital assets. Drone network: The Orbital carries a series of modular drones that can be outfitted for various duties. From armed with mounted auto-cannons and missile pods. Extra sensor equipment to give a larger view of the battle field for spotting and recon. Even outfitted with some simple repair equipment for battlefield maintenance. Weapons: The CO-m31(D) due to its role is armed with; -H&K ac-40: A favorite among those of the UNMC developed by Heckler and Koch. The bullpup gun offers firepower and accuracy. As well as it can fire a variety of ammunition types from solid slugs to HE rounds. -M-50: A multi rocket missile launcher that can fire either smart or dumb fire ammunition. The system has an autoloader to refill the empty tubes in between salvos. -Vibro-blade: For close quarter combat it has a blade vibrate at an incredible speed causing it to be able to cut through all sorts of material and it is mounted into the wrist. Manufacturing History: Developed by the UN Military commission on Orbital development in 240 as a part to develop the next generation of orbitals. The goal of which was to create a series of Orbitals to take advantage of the newly created battlenet called the Trojan series. Each given the names of Greek heroes the first to make it through the design was Odysseus as the Achilles and Ajax are stuck in a bureaucratic gridlock. The series disposed most of the established design traditions of orbital giving the series its unique look. The Odysseus was sent out to units for field trials. The feedback from pilots led to improvements in the survivability of the unit. Weaknesses: The main drawback to the unit is the lack of offensive capabilities and defensive that the Orbital has. As armor and shielding units had been removed to make room for the various sensors and communication within the Orbitals body. Due to all the sophisticated systems it has a vulnerability to electronic warfare.</s> <\|message\|>Volana Jacira --- Oberth Reactors? Volana's eyes darted across the sensor data which had been sent over to the Orbital team, following the blips of heat signatures lining up with changes in density from the subsurface readings. The image slowly resolved itself into something clearer; hard, distinct shapes coming into sharp focus. Though the sudden, sharp delineation between what was obviously natural erosion and buildup, and a hard, decidedly unnatural plane thirty meters down caught her attention. Her mind raced. Not even an hour after having arrived on the surface and they had already found something more than just a planet that was alive. Something had lived here. Someone. And they wanted to dig it up. Volana glanced around, the rest of the ground team was currently in position around the perimeter, and she was the closest to the near-surface heat signature. Just her luck. <<Affirmative,>> Volana replied, a mix of trepidation and excitement bubbling up beneath the surface, though she did her best to keep it at bay. <<If uh, anything jumps out at me you will be sure I am clear before firing, yes?>> That last part was to no one in particular, and she was only half-joking. Volana advanced forward, the Aurora's heavy footfalls sinking the machine a few inches into the soft, sandy ground. She stopped just above the heat signature, the glow from her data-augmented view emanating from beneath her. She let out a curse, and took a long breath. While the Aurora wasn't exactly outfitted for digging of all things, it was still a twenty meter tall humanoid machine, and the mass of sand between her and the very artificial, very alien heat source below was no obstacle as she began to dig her way into the soil.</s> <\|message\|>Holden "Castle" Cross --- Castle chuckled a little at Adam's response (and also at Halim's failure to recognize levity). It was bad luck to be praying in the middle of a mission... but a little faith went a long way. <<I don't know about that, miss Alexandros. Weren't Adam and Eve created in God's image? In that case, I'd imagine they'd bear some resemblance to Him.>> Religious and philosophical debates on the origins of man aside, the Ajax continued sweeping the area from its position upon the dune. Outrider, the much smaller Exo-Frame had landed some distance away from the larger Orbital. It moved south from where Castle had initially landed-- it was a wise idea to have a target designator some distance away from the actual artillery, to widen the range of fire, after all. <<Copy that, Fox. Happy hunting.>> The Ajax had nothing but the bare essentials when it came to its own sensor arrays. However, in spite of that, there was a wealth of information received on comms-- whether that was from the Odysseus' Battle Net, the Bedwyr's Merlon Target Acquisition Suite, or the Outrider's Hermes Communications Suite. This particular ping, however, came from the science team that was currently on the ground. Castle grimaced slightly as he received their information. An Oberth Reactor? Here, right underneath the LZ? Was this a lucky coincidence, or an intentional placement? How many more of these were scattered around the planet's surface, he wondered. Shaking the thoughts out of his head, the man looked over to the Aurora; it looks like Volana had drawn the short straw. <<If anything pops out of the ground, you'll be far too close, even taking danger close into account...>> It was true. The only things safe for use at this range were the HAG, or the Keraunos Hypervelocity Driver, and even then friendly fire was still a risk. Firing from this position onto the dig site with high-explosive weaponry was not advisable for... multiple reasons. With that in mind, that danger could still be alleviated with a bit of preparation, even if it might result in some close-encounters. Castle opened comms to the other Orbitals <<...ground team, secure the perimeter. To all other free assets, I recommend supervising the Aurora's excavation with non-destructive armaments. The last thing we want is for an explosion to send the Oberth Reactor into meltdown.>> Free assets referred to anyone who wasn't currently assigned a task, and with ten different Orbitals on-site, there was certainly no shortage of those. Unfortunately, 'non-destructive armaments' was a catch-all term for anything that could cause excessive collateral damage if there was a missed shot. This meant that explosive weaponry was off the table, but anyone with kinetic or energy weapons could still ably function, with a bit of precise aim. Of course, in the absence of those, there were always melee sidearms... which may prove necessary if something actually does pop out of the ground. Holden continued his vigilant observations from the north side. One could call him nervous, but trigger-discipline was everything for an artilleryman. His eyes deftly moved in a rotation, from his own sensors to his comms, to his diagnostics, and back to his sensors on repeat-- a habit he had developed while working in the military. Now all he had to do was wait. ...and waiting was the hardest part.</s>	<\|message\|>Zakharin 'Iron Side' Brusilov Zakharin looked over the data from the drone as the lead scientist pinged a location of the heat signature. The fact that it appears that someone bury an Oberth Reactor raises more questions than answers. But Zakharin decide to leave those questions for later as Volana went to dig up the reactor. His Odysseus H&K fit the need for a non-destructive weapon. The old marine moved to provide cover for the digging mech. Sending two gun drones ahead to watch over Volana while he got into position. <<I got you covered.>> The old marine had moved his Orbital so he had a clear line of fire without the risk of hitting Volana.</s>
<\|description\|>Fox Gender: Male Age: Physically in his early 20s, chronologically older, exact age unknown Appearance: Standing on the short side of average at 5' 9", Fox has a lithe but well muscled classical figure. Of note, Fox bears two, technically three, sets of unobtrusive cybernetics. First is an artificial set of vocal cords, capable of producing a vast range of voices. Second is a series of wireless sensors built into his hands capable of translating ASL to text or speech. Both parts of his body bear faint scars from their surgical implantation. Backstory: In 244 SA, after over two years of investigation, the paramilitary company Outer-Orbital Legion was charged with extortion, bribery, human trafficking, and tax evasion. They did not come quietly. It was only after a six month system wide fleet hunt, the combined effort of multiple organizations, both national and independent, that the Legion would be brought to justice. After the first couple of engagements, it was quickly discovered that not all of the Legion's soldiers were there of their own will. And so, over the course of the six month fleet hunt, the joint task force did it's best to save as many of them as they could. Fox was among the rescued slaves. During the post-operation clean-up, the I was the UN Social Worker assigned to piece together Fox's story. In terms of official records, Fox did not exist. No birth certificate, school records, or DNA match at any official institution. Unless someone had gone to significant lengths to scrub his identity from the system, he had born and raised outside of civilized space. The further I dug, the more and more the latter seemed to be true. When questioned about his combat experience, Fox was happy to supply as much information as he could. The young man had spent his teens fighting for various groups of pirates or outlaws before he had ended up in the Legion; typically having been pressed or sold into each subsequent group. Corroborating Fox's stories with after-action and civilian news reports, We were able to place some of his earliest engagements at nearly a decade prior. However, when it came to his early life Fox clammed up completely, stating that couldn't remember anything from that far back. When pressed further, The young man admitted he had a few hazy memories of his life before the battlefield, but he simply stated that they were, and I quote: "Nothing good." After that he refused to say any more on the topic. Given everything else I'd dug up so far, I decided it would be best to not push the topic further. After all was said and done, we still had to figure out what to do with him. At the time, Fox had many of the skills of a highly trained soldier and a total lack of understanding of "normal" life. A dangerous mix. It was eventually decided to see about rehabilitating him. He was sent to an out of the way earth-side retreat center with a therapist and a UN Marine Vet to ride herd on him in case things got out of hand. Six months later when I went to check in on him, a much more put together Fox adamantly stated that he was going join the crew of the Pandora as an Orbital pilot. When I asked him why, he said it was both an opportunity for him to put his skills to use and to start his life over again. Since then, Fox has thrown himself at this goal, working hard these past four years to achieve it, without getting into any trouble for the most part. (Though I did hear about the ritual initiation hazing from some Marines that went rather sideways) While I haven't seen much of Fox lately, I do believe he has integrated into normal society enough to serve on this mission, and should the worst come to pass, his skills and experience will prove invaluable to the Pandora and Pyxis. See Dr. Holland's psych report or Fox's Orbital training records for more details. ~ Eva Strikler Personality: At a cursory introduction Fox is quiet sort of fellow, seemingly more interested in listening than he is in talking. Though once you've read his file, it quickly become obvious that this is a finely honed survival instinct from having spent most of his life being treated as less than human by others. Several years of therapy have helped to take the fanatical edge off of it, but certain habits die hard. Still, Fox has taken to his new freedom with gusto, sometimes to the point of chafing against against authority figures, especially when he thinks they're wrong. By no means does this make him a loose cannon, he simply values direct experience more than any constructed system of authority. So long as he has a level-headed and veteran senior officer, I don't believe this will be of any real issue. Once I finally got him to open up a bit, Fox developed a dry, acerbic and rather dark sense of humor, a typical coping mechanism for those who have suffered any kind of serious trauma. He has also had moments of pure childlike joy before almost sheepishly slipping back behind his mask. Presumably, this is on account of some horrific mess of a childhood, which brings me to the one rather broad point of issue. Fox is completely unwilling to discuss the early years of his life. If you want to know, he's perfectly willing to share the horrible things he's seen or been forced to do on the battlefield, much like a sinner confessing to a priest. But the moment you ask him about his life before that, Fox clams up immediately, offering only silence or one of a handful of vague cookie-cutter answers. On a similar note, Fox has an, as of yet, unexplained aversion to talking unless genuinely necessary. What I have been able to piece together is that this is connected to his artificial vocal cords. During his initial medical examination, it was determined that his bio-synthetic vocal cords were well over a decade old, placing their implantation before his battlefield days. What little I have been able to glean from Fox on the topic is that their implantation was not due to some accident or illness, but a deliberate action and one almost certainly made against his will. Despite his issues, Fox has proven to driven and committed to the project. In the not quite five years since we first met, Fox has pieced together a new life for himself, and made enormous strides in improving his mental health. I can wholeheartedly recommend Fox as a member of this expedition. ~ Dr. Holland Skills and Flaws: + Having spent much of his life being the only one looking after his own well-being, Fox is an experienced jack-of-all-trades survivalist. In particular, since his recovery, he has received proper training in field medicine, Orbital maintenance, and wilderness survival. + Through a combination of luck and skill, Fox has survived nearly a decade of regular combat as an exo-frame pilot and cannon fodder for pirate raids, giving him a level of experience many will find hard to match. - Years of self reliance have left Fox stubbornly independent to a fault, often resulting in him tackling tasks alone that any normal person would ask for help with. - On a similar note, Fox is slow to trust others, and almost completely unwilling to open up twice should his trust be betrayed the first time. Equipment: - S&W 5mm gauss pistol: Built as mil-spec service weapon designed for void & boarding actions; though it works just as well planetside. 30 round capacity. - utility knife / multi-tool - PDA Model Number: IPS-XF-MMR-002 - Inter-Planetary Shipping's second generation multi-role maritime exo-frame, AKA "The Jack"; Fox has dubbed his personal unit as "Outrider". Role: Originally designed as a multi-purpose space worthy civilian exo-frame, Fox's "Jack" has been so heavily modified that it's almost unrecognizable. With all of it's modifications, the Outrider serves as a reconnaissance, stealth-ops and target designation unit. Appearance: Clocking at a mere 6.5 meters tall, the Jack is tiny by most Orbital standards, so much so that it's technically categorized as an "Exo-Frame" despite running on and being built around the same technologies as it's Orbital cousins. Fox's Outrider has a low profile backpack which houses it's comms suite and carries the reconnaissance drones when not in use. Systems: While the original Frame had nothing that was particularly noteworthy, Fox's Outrider bears a fair number of specialized add-ons, most of which is from Pantheon Aerospace Engineering. - Hermes-class communications suite: In addition to an increased comms range over standard equipment, the Her-Comm Suite also has a command & control node and an electronic warfare system. - Half a dozen Raven-class reconnaissance drones. - Loki-class stealth suite: A four part suite, the Loki system includes color-changing smart paint, an optical refraction field generator, an emissions control unit and multi-spectrum sensor baffling. - Artemis-class multi-spectrum laser designator. (attached to the rifle) - Boston Dynamics' 1-to-1 dynamic control system: Allows the pilot to control their mech as an extension of their own body while still maintaining the option for a traditional twin stick & pedal piloting system. Weapons: - Aquilian Armories "Bolt-Thrower" Anti-materiel rail rifle: Featuring a compact bullpup design, the Bolt-Thrower fires 30 mm armor-piercing explosive saber darts. Despite it's destructive potential, the Bolt-Thrower can prove tricky to use. Direct hits against main armor plating, while visually impressive, tend lack the raw force to punch all the way through. On the other hand, limb hits often go clean through, the explosive charge not detonating in time to do any real damage. Semi-Automatic Only. - Bushido Engineering's Tanto beam-edged saber: Among the more unique beam swords, Bushido Engineering makes use of an advanced ion field polarization technique to "stream" the sword's energy beam down the edge of it's blade. The end result creates a beam saber with half the power draw, and no loss in cutting power. Their primary drawback is the physical blade itself. Most pilots simply don't find the added power efficiency worth the hassle of a physical blade. 3 meters long, the Tanto was built as a knife for standard orbitals, but in the hands of Fox's Outrider, it's a two-handed sword. - Two IPS point defense light beam vulans: Effectively useless against proper orbitals, though they can be used against smaller, more lightly armored targets. The Outrider has one mounted on the back of each of it's forearms. Manufacturing History: In 224 SA, Inter-Planetary Shipping released their XF-MMR-002 aka "The Jack". Intended as a highly adaptable civilian workhorse, the Jack was an instant success thanks to it's simplistic, rugged, and modular design. Quickly becoming commonplace, the Jack saw the creation of a multitude of specialized upgrade kits, for everything from mining to search & rescue. Of course, that's not all it ended up being used for. Quickly finding it's way into the hands of mercenaries, pirates and paramilitary organizations, the Jack proved to be unexpectedly adaptable to a combat role. Small enough to have a better thrust-to-weight ratio than most proper Orbitals but large enough to still carry weaponry capable of damaging their larger cousins. Relying speed and numbers, combat-modded Jacks quickly became a scourge of the outer system shipping lanes and isolated locales. Weaknesses: Strength and durability. Even with military grade plating, other upgrades and a rugged construction; at it's core the Jack is still a civilian craft. A clean hit from a weapon that only a true Orbital could tank will heavily damage even the most well armored of Jacks, potentially even crippling or killing the exo-frame. And in a melee fight against a true Orbital, a Jack has to rely on it's smaller size and higher agility to win; being incapable of winning a direct contest of strength.</s> <\|message\|>[ERR.084 // FIELD CORRUPTED.] // "Gypsy Alexandros" [afterpost with mass]</s> <\|message\|>Stel Nebula What in the blue hell? came as a thought when the two... lifeforms? Things, appeared. Then came the scream. It was unlike anything Stel had ever heard before, and it terrified her. Her previous thoughts of the treasure trove of knowledge that these entities could provide were wiped out and replaced by thoughts on how to best survive. She wasn't confident enough in her piloting to rush forward into close range where her Orbital would thrive, instead being paralyzed with fear while all the other pilots took action. By the time she recovered, Gypsy Soul was already about to crash into one of the entities with blade drawn. As her fight or flight instincts took hold, she had just enough rational thought to throw up the METATRON's Particle Energy Shields and open comms, though only silence came through them from her to the others. She found herself unable to speak and shaking in place at the speed of these metallic enemies. A small part of her that was still functioning as normal was telling her that, if they were made of any known metal, all she had to do was get close enough to fire off her Orbital's main attraction, but that voice was drowned out. She instead stood still with her shields up, trying to recover from the shock that these monsters inflicted on her.</s>	<\|message\|>Fox "Shit." Fox's casual profanity went effectively unnoticed against the metallic screeching of the unknown hostiles. As the smaller exoframe seemed to not have drawn any attention yet, Fox took the opportunity to fully engage all of his stealth systems, the small suit momentarily dropping off allied sensors as it reconnected to their shared battlenet via tightbeam laser. With the Outrider's systems automatically highlighting the unknowns as assumed hostiles, Fox simply confirmed the assessment and let the computer handle the rest. As the Her-Comm Suite's EW system kicked into high-gear searching for a counter to the unwelcome noise, the young man took moment to more carefully analyze their alien attackers. Frowning at the lack of any clear joints or other separations in their armor, Fox let out a small sigh of relief as EW system's AI produced a countermeasure; the incessant mechanical chattering finally coming to a halt. <<Aurora, Gypsy; See if you can't get your dance partners to lift their arms. I'd like a clean shot at the underside of them. Outrider over.>> The young man said, disseminating the emergency countermeasure to the rest of the squad through their shared battlenet.</s>
<\|description\|>Halim Gender: Male Age: 24, chronologically older. Appearance: Personality: Halim is a sweetly tempered young man and very eager to please, to a decidedly unhealthy degree. If he's ever learned to say no to someone, he certainly has never exercised that skill. He doesn't seem to shy away from his past and often thinks people are a little strange when they react with horror or disgust about it. After all, the BTF was everything to him up to this point, why would they ever do anything to hurt him? While he wont admit it, he is terrified of not being useful. So when he's behind the controls of an Orbital he falls into a strange zen like panic, anxiously jerking and flitting about the controls with a fevered grace that few can match. While always glad to help; he rarely accepts any amount of credit due to him, either thinking himself not really worthy of the praise or attributing it to the actions of another pilot. Largely, this seems to be a result of Halim considering himself not as a person, but as equipment. Backstory: Halim was born among the Bratox Trade Flotilla(a politically independent fleet of trade vessels that had grown to dominate the trade routes through the asteroid belt between the inner and outer systems) to the non-critical renewable labor caste. Like most children in the BTF Halim was raised in the communal education centers, where in he was tirelessly drilled on the various jobs he could be asked to perform upon reaching reproductive viability as well as reminding them all for how thankful they should be to the BTF for providing them with their existence for only a nominal annual fee. Halim took to his lessons well showing exceptional aptitude in simulated Orbital operation and astronavigation. At 15, after passing his provisional exams, he was finally deemed competent enough to enter the BTF's labor force and was swiftly assigned to Field Asset Protection. Halim considered the years he spent with Field Asset Protection to be very fulfilling, if perhaps a little dull. In theory, most F.A.P Orbital pilots where armed deterrents for piracy, but that never really held up with Halim's experience. Most pirates wouldn't bother with targeting BTF ships and what few that where dumb enough to try normally shot down long before they came within his weapon range. In truth most of the time was spent using his orbital to block or destroy potentially damaging debris from hitting any freighter he was escorting or racing through the belt at what were (for any other pilot than BTFs finest!) near suicidal speeds to do more of the same. Halim would have been happy to remain like this until the day he was euthanized, but the Pandora Expedition put an end to that. He along with three other high performing pilots from the F.A.P where 'generously donated' to the project with shiny new Orbitals to match, though for what reason he did not know. Still, his was not a place to question and now, as he blinks the last vestiges of cryosleep from his eyes, he is eager to make himself useful to his new owners. Skills: Space Ace: Having lived his whole piloting career in space, Halim can fly in zero gravity and high orbit with a grace and speed that would impress even veteran pilots. More over, there is no pilot that could hope to match his pace in a debris field no matter their experience. Astral Navigator: Halim is able to astronavigate, a somewhat outdated skill set given modern instrumentation and automated navigation computers. However, one never knows when instruments fail. Absolute Loyalty: Halim is ready and willing to follow any order given to him to the letter with a happy smile! Neither fear nor ego cloud his judgement, making him an ideal wingman. A Tool that Knows its Tools: Halim has never piloted an Orbital that wasn't a Casket. This familiarity makes him and other F.A.P pilots uniquely suited to handling their more finicky systems, even without instrumentation for aid. Additionally, he can diagnose issues with his Orbital from sound and feel alone. Flaws: Combat Novice: While Halim's piloting is certainly good, his combat experience is frankly laughable. He'll need a firm guiding hand and some time before he'll be considered a true combat pilot. Space Case: Halim has some serious gaps in his knowledge base. He is barely able to read beyond a 5th grade level or perform math beyond firing calculations. He has no familiarity with any political or social norms beyond the BTFs. Gravity!?: Halim has never been planet side, nor has he ever piloted within an atmosphere. Expect a radial display of under performance under such conditions. Absolute Loyalty: Halim will HAPPILY follow ANY order given to him by those he perceives to own him. This includes the entire expedition currently. Even those who might abuse that power. Equipment: He has a standard issue flight suit with helmet and a BTF uniform (pictured above). He owns nothing else, not even blankets or pillows for his bunk. Surely if he needed those things someone would have given them to him....right? Model Number: Cerbain Security Corp model, CSC-37. Aka, The Casket. Role: Deep Space Escort, Mid Range Variable Combat Appearance: Halim's Casket is 20.6 meters tall with the stock 'Lunar Landing' paint option, and only can be differentiated from the other BTF provided Orbitals by the operator number on the shoulder. Systems: Cerbain Optimized Power Suite: Cerbain is noted for having a certain level of care for their customers...which is to say absolutely none at all. This power suite heavily optimizes weapon and defensive systems while effectively gutting life support, climate control, and all other 'none vital' systems to their barest minimums. Shahmaran Thruster Suite MK 3.3: A highly tuned thruster suite exclusive to the Casket Series that priorities control and tight maneuvering over all else. Many old school pilots consider this suite, and this suite alone, to be the reason to get a casket and the latest version does NOT disappoint. Weapons: Persephone Shield Emitter Array: The one true piece of innovation to come standard with a Csc-37. The PSE is a fantastic defensive option for both the Orbital and its escort, allowing the pilot to form large and sturdy hard light barriers effective against both kinetic and energy weapons. However, due to its rather large energy demand, it cannot be run in concurrently with weapon systems. Isurugi Heavy Industries 50mm Rotary Cannon: Mounted in the shoulder weapons compartment. A bog standard option. X Corp Beam rifle: Mounted in Shoulder weapons compartment. A high intensity Beam rifle still in service at the time of the Caskets initial release. While many swear by this weapon, citing its excellent accuracy and energy efficiency, it has a noted lack of penetration or stopping power compared to more 'modern' beam weapons. 2x Cerbain TCK-B: Tactical Combat Knife-Beam Variant. A short cost effective beam weapon directly mounted to the upper arms, just before the wrist. While their cutting powered can't be argued, CQC with this Orbital has been noted to be more akin to fist fighting than anything else. Manufacturing History: Cerbain Security Corp is an Orbital manufacture that believes in building BY the numbers so they can build IN the numbers. They are less known for their innovation and more for their ability to field large orders of Orbitals quickly and inexpensively without compromising on (reasonable) quality. They have, and always will be, leaders in making infantry fodder machines, thus why their most famous series ended up with the nick name "The Casket". Still, the 37 does its job and damned if it doesn't do it well, able to fill any role within a team and provide a slight defensive edge. Weaknesses: Like many previous entries in the Casket series, lack of specialization and an over focus on economy HURTS this Orbital more than anything. It also suffers from having to commit to going on the offensive or defensive, unable to spare the energy for both DESPITE having its none critical systems gutted. A less talked about, but still present, issue is the shoulder mount being the only platform for body mounted weapons and creating a blindspot on the pilots left side.</s> <\|message\|>Volana Jacira --- Volana watched, with growing apprehension, as the mass of sand and dust being kicked up by whatever was approaching rushed closer and closer to their location. Vaguely, she could comm traffic from the science team as they made their way back onto the landing craft, though their words weren't entirely registering at the moment. No, her focus was on the phenomenon ahead. <<As of this second I am confirming a Case Siberia, and your RoE changes with it. Don't start anything if you can help it but you are not, I repeat not, expected to let them take the first shot. If they look nasty you are cleared to engage.>> Those last few words resonated as the COO's orders came over the comm. Giving voice to what they were probably all thinking at that moment. In terms of welcomes go, the billowing cloud of dust was- At that the two forms burst to the surface, and froze in place. Volana felt her heart jump and her breath catch as the two gleaming alien forms caught the yellow-orange glow from the unfamiliar star above. They were massive, nearly reptilian in their basic forms. Sleek and seamless, though unmistakably metallic in construction. If such things were even constructed, their hunched posture and clawed limbs sowing doubt that these were machines like the one she had just unearthed. Utterly alien. The was a moment, the only motion visible was that of the pair of... entities scanning their surroundings with an unnerving precision. Volana didn't breath, scarcely blinking as she stared at the identical pair of towering things before her. She watched with growing confusion as their search snapped upward, towards what Volana could only assume was one of the Orbitals currently patrolling the airspace above. What was- A wave of sound hit her square in the chest, broadcasting over the Aurora's internal speakers as much as it was seeping into the cockpit itself. A high pitched, metallic tone that made her jaw ache. Her proximity to the two screaming alien contacts only intensifying the auditory assault. Through narrowed eyes Volana watched as a pair of brilliant golden beams of light lanced out from them, tracing a path that followed whatever had disturbed them in the sky. Things happened quickly after that. Volana dropped low as instinct overrode conscious thought, a wave of dust and sand rising up from the Aurora's armored feet as the Orbital mirrored the tensed crouch. She was almost entirely certain this counted as looking nasty as the COO had put it. That, and the fact that one of the pair had suddenly shot forward directly towards her, propelled by some unseen force and gaining ground at an alarming rate. No time for thought. As far as she knew the shuttle had yet to clear the AO, and the hostile contact charging towards her was on no uncertain terms not to get any closer. It made Volana's next course of action clear, as she pushed off the sandy ground to lunge forward to meet the gleaming alien form. Sparks whipped in an arc around the Cytherean Orbital as Volana ripped her blade from its sheathed position in a single motion that accompanied the Aurora's next bounding step. <<Aurora, engaging!>> Thirty meters. Twenty... The gap between them was closing faster than Volana truly felt prepared for, but that thing couldn't be allowed to get any closer. Even as its looming form grew even larger in her panoramic view. And they met. Gram's prismatic edge refracted a kaleidoscope of color that danced across the surface of her Orbital's armor as she pivoted hard into an arcing swing. The final step that the Aurora took throwing as much force behind the strike as Volana could leverage as if attempting to completely cleave the metallic alien in two. Above the roar of automatic explosive weaponry rained down in waves, though the majority of her view was occupied by the bulk of the entity before her, so their target wasn't entirely visible.</s> <\|message\|>Zakharin 'Iron Side' Brusilov Zakharin looked over the strange new orbitals that have shot up from the dust cloud. The old marine gave the alien constructs a carefully look over. He spent a few moments analyzing the mechanoids. Making note to possible weak points in the armor in case they had to engage them. Thankfully there COO gave them full clearance to shoot back if there were engaged. The cyborg set about tasking his two gun drones to protect the Dr. Harding drop ship in till they left the zone. Then came there screeching penetrating the cockpit the cybernetics within his body seams to vibrate with the sound. As soon as mechanoids took there shoot at Gypsy Soul Zakharin went into action. Years of experience made the action second nature. Snapping his rifle at the close mechanoids. The old marine let out a series of shot burst into the mechanoid in time with the roar of Bedwyr's cannons. Each of the burst was aimed at diffrenet part of the mechanoids seeking to hit a critical system or weak point of the alien constructed.</s>	<\|message\|>Halim Halim resisted the urge to grip his ears as the sound hit him, the poorly sound proofed cockpit of his Casket shuddering unnervingly as the screeched rolled through him on its hateful trajectory. He felt something dribble down the sides of his face, warm and thick and causing a knot of vertigo to form in his stomach as a ringing began to drown out the noise. He was grateful for it a moment later as the world (more specifically, the world directly surrounding one of the drones) exploded silently, signaling the true beginning of the battle. <<"Moving to assist Aurora!">> Halim screamed into the comms, voice cracking from its own volume as he attempted to hear himself over the ringing. Halim couldn't hear the scream of his boosters as they roared to life, but he felt them. A violent and sudden lurch of motion that hurled (for it was too inelegant to be called flying by the standards of the more veteran pilots) in a quarter circle around the charging mechanoid a few meters away. The Casket skidded to a halt flanking the mechaniod, one leg creaking dangerously (not that he noticed) as its rotary canon spun to life, slamming 50mm rounds into its broad side without risking the chance of friendly fire.</s>
<\|description\|>Kaitlyn Elise Holliday Aliases: Kate Age: 23 Birthday: December 29th, 1993 Nationality: American Ethnicity: Russian-Kazakh Birth Place: Burlington, Vermont, USA Current Residence: Los Angeles, California, USA Gender: Female Education: Bachelor's of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Southern California Job: Suspension Specialist at Webbsport Tuning --- --- Appearance Height: 5'9" Weight: 150 lbs Build: Skinny Eyes: Brown Hair: Brown Skin Tone: Fair Tattoos/Scars/Piercings: N/A, but she wants a nose ring someday. Personal Style: Kate's style is basic in theory, yet exotic in execution. She owns one dress, which she busts out in formal events every so often. Other than that, she's most commonly seen in a t-shirt, jeans, and whatever pair of sneakers goes with her outfit, with a sweater in chilly weather. However though, what makes her outfits more exotic is the branding of her apparel. Kate doesn't shy away from big name streetwear brands like Supreme, Bape, Crooks and Castles, etc. She likes her jeans skinny, her t-shirts a little baggy, her hats worn backwards, and her shoes a little loose. As Kate does have perfect vision, she doesn't need glasses to help see. Kate also does wear her hair down very often, only having it up when she's working with things that could she could get it trapped in. Despite her very lazy nature, she does put a lot of effort into her appearance. She follows a strict and tedious skincare routine and does have adept knowledge in applying makeup by herself (although she rarely wears it). --- --- Psychology Shallow * Dedicated * Ambitious * Oblivious Sexuality: Pansexual Relationship Status: Single. She has yet to have her first kiss. Personality: Kate, to put it simply, is a very shallow person. Whether it's actually the way she is or if it's because she doesn't know how to acknowledge her own feelings - it comes across the same way. She seldom gets into feelings with anyone, often opting to direct conversations away simply because she does't care. She doesn't care how she feels or how anyone else is feeling. She cares more about her vehicles and her dog (a Samoyed), Bella. Despite her inability to properly convey her feelings in general, Kate is very excellent at gauging what someone is feeling. It may sound contradictory, but she has an incredible ability to read people like a book. However though, if you get her to talk about her cars (which isn't really that hard at all), she lights up like a Christmas tree in December and goes on and on about it. Habits: * Immediately steers herself away from anything that gets touchy-feely. * Keeps her bottle caps tucked in a bottle until she gets off her ass and empties it Hobbies: CARS Fears: * Airplanes * The ocean * Heights Likes: * Cars * Her dog, Bella * Craft beer (has to be craft beer, she doesn't like many big brands) * Hip Hop * Video Games * Clothes Dislikes: * Airplanes * Touchy-feely shit * Tomatoes * Small cars * Pickles * Frogs --- --- Extras Character Quote: "Okay..." Theme Song: Post Malone ft. 21 Savage - Rockstar Anything Else: * Is a full bonafide virgin. She has yet to have her first kiss, let alone lose her virginity. * Drives a tuned Mitsubishi Evolution IX but is in possession of a Porsche 911 Carrera 993 shell she intends to fully restore one day. * Her favorite types of beer are honey ales, blonde ales, and American IPAs. * Ambidextrous - she writes with her left hand and does literally anything else right handed. * Is incredibly fond of Chinese food.</s> <\|message\|>Kaitlyn Elise Holliday Somewhere... Athena sat at a table, a bright light illuminating the entire room as she had her hands on the table. A quick look would reveal that the woman was in the midst of cleaning and putting together her Sig Sauer P226. The gun was assembled for the most part, the bottom frame being completely assembled. All that was needed at this point was for the slide to be installed, and that was that when it came to the gun being operational once again. Taking the black part, she picked it up, the other half to the gun in her other hand, and slid it back until it locked, the gun exposing its empty chamber as she glanced inside, to double check her work. As expected, it was as clean as a gun should be. Athena hit the slide release on the gun, letting the slide rack forward and snap into place as she set the gun down, now ready for use. --- Miami, Florida, USA "Ay caramba." Valentina sighed, leaning back in her chair. The waves of the Atlantic Ocean were crashing onto the beach as she enjoyed the sunlight that Florida typically offered. She turned over to her friend, who was also soaking in the sun with her. "This Zoe lady is gonna drive me nuts." Valentina rolled her eyes, "But, she's the only person who's just as crazy as I am when it comes to this stuff." Valentina flopped back around, putting her sunglasses on her face. "Don't involve me in your crazy shit. That's your alley and I want no part of it." Her friend replied. Valentina scoffed, shaking her head. "There's crazy, and there's crazy for crazy alley." Valentina's friend laughed. "What's the worst that can happen?" --- Los Angeles, California, USA "And now introducing: CASTROL Valkyrie Racing!" Kasumi, along with the rest of her team walked out and waved to the crowd, who were all standing and clapping for the newest team on the grid. It was an exhilarating feeling to finally be a part of Formula 1, the pinnacle of motorsport. Everyone sat down at their seats, with Kasumi being on Kimberly's right hand side and Hugo being on her left. The crowd settled very quickly, as the emcee carried out formalities and introduced everyone. It didn't take long for questions to start being asked. The emcee picked a random reporter to ask a question, who promptly stood up and cleared his throat. "David Chester from F1Weekly, this one is to the rookie driver, Kasumi." He said, before the camera and attention shifted onto her. "What are your expectations for this season for yourself and for the team, given the fact that both you and the team are new to Formula 1." Kasumi nodded, and looked at the journalist. "My goals for my debut season is to show that I deserve my seat in Formula One, and as for my team, we both agree that the expectations are to put me in the best position for success. I trust that Kimberly and Valkyrie Racing will do a very good job at that." --- Los Angeles, California, USA A quick turn of a wrench did it. Pulling the socket off of the bolt, Kaitlyn had managed to adjust the aerodynamics of her spoiler to the point where she determined would provide the best amount of downforce for her driving style. She liked her cars to be very grippy, and have a stable rear end. She didn't trust rear ends that kicked out. Putting the ratchet wrench and accompanying socket away, she shut her toolbox, before looking over her Mitsubishi Evolution IX, ready to be thrown about and thrashed at tonight's festivities. Her buddy, Magnus, had sent her an invite to tonight's events, and Kaitlyn was more than grateful for it. It was yet another opportunity to show off her tuning prowess and just what exactly she could do with a car, for both driving and tuning it. Her Evo was a car she'd been developing for quite a while, always tinkering with it just a tiny bit to achieve perfection. Hopefully, if her calculations were right, she'd be able to really tear up the streets tonight. Climbing into the car, Kaitlyn locked up whatever she needed to before she set out for the somewhat long drive to the other side of town. Not like she minded, it gave her a chance to get the new adjustments she made to the car down. Turning the key to the ignition, the four cylinder engine inside of her car roared to life, crackling and popping as Kaitlyn gave it a few revs. The gray car was eventually shifted into gear, slowly rolling out of the driveway it was in and onto the street, before Kaitlyn floored it, the 4G63 popping and roaring, the tires squealing as it fought for traction and made its way toward the venue. A bit of a drive later, and Kaitlyn had arrived to what was unmistakably the event. There were so many cars around, ones that weren't exactly cars you saw every day on the streets. McLarens, Lamborghinis, Ferraris, you name it and it was there. Magnus sure knew his way through the car scene in this place, because he had managed to organize a massive congregate of sweet cars in this very spot. Kaitlyn might've looked cool on the outside as she found a parking spot, but inside, she was practically geeking. So many people she could talk to and so many cars she could check out. She was itching to get out and see what she was in the company of. Rolling through the parking lot, the Evo sputtered and popped as she eventually found a parking spot. As was customary in the car community, Kaitlyn pulled a bit forward in front of the parking spot, before slowly backing her way into the spot. Cutting the ignition to the car, the car settled down, as Kaitlyn climbed out and put her own pair of sunglasses on. California still managed to be bright as fuck, even in the evening hours. Walking around the front of her car, she could immediately spot Godzilla. Not the giant lizard that attacked Japan every now and then, but the Nissan that terrorized Bathurst and many touring car series many years ago. Kaitlyn had seen a couple over here from time to time, but they were so rare that it was definitely worth checking out. And just to Kaitlyn's luck, someone who she could assume was the owner was nearby. "Hey, nice car." Kaitlyn smiled, before looking the car over, studying the car rather intensely, "How'd you get one of these over here?"</s> <\|message\|>Maxwell "Max" Parker Max nodded, turning around to see the sight of the girl adoring his Skyline, stopping him right in his tracks as he looked back, tilting his sunglasses up and chuckling. "You know how it is, same way they do overnight parts shipping from Yokohama. Straight off the boat. She's still a work in progress but....I just had to get it out here. This is all a bit insane!" Max said, his soft northern English accent blending with the Manx, a hearty and wholesome accent that wasn't like Ross's, a hearty Scots one- but a more English, clear and concise accent that didn't hide the cheekie-chappie that Max was. On another note though, he had to just take the girl in, her demeanour inquisitive, clearly someone who wasn't just here to oggle at cars but drove one. Nerding out, but understanding the machinery. Something just said that to him, it just came naturally, as he smiled, patting the bonnet, as he sighed. "Glad to hear someone appreciates Japanese tuners too. Nothing like a well oiled machine made by people who know their engineering. Don't get me started on the last BMW I had....what about you?" Max added, chuckling as he looked across to another pair of Porsches coming in, sighing. "Damn, this really is Magnus's haunt alright....sorry, I haven't introduced myself at all. I'm Max Parker, and yeah, "he's from England"..." He said, in a sarcastic American tone right at the end, a little self-aware of the fact that he was a Brit in the streets of LA, and he was always gonna stick out like as sore thumb. She seemed cute, whoever she was, very pretty, and had a charm, a mechanical interest that wasn't of some dumb random girl who saw a Skyline once- but actually took notice. Whoever she was, Max was piqued, but hey, plenty of women were getting into cars these days- so probably another one of those, he reminded himself before jumping to conclusion.</s>	<\|message\|>Kaitlyn Elise Holliday So this car was fresh off the boat. Kaitlyn wasn't sure what she was expecting. There was no other way this man could've come in possession of such a legendary car. Standing up from closely examining the finer details of this car, Kaitlyn only nodded as she readjusted her sunglasses, making sure it was shielding her from the sunlight. Now begged the question of the hoops he went through to get this car here. Every gearhead and their mother in this country knew just how difficult it was to get a car like that over here. Especially with the canning of Motorex, getting a Skyline over here was a process that had many hoops that had to be jumped through. This man seemed like a huge car geek, and was definitely very enthusiastic about his car. Kaitlyn was the same way when it came to her car. Any question about her car and she would've been able to speak a practical dissertation on it, or be able to pull off a filibuster just talking about her car's suspension setup. Not many people assumed that Kaitlyn knew her way around a car, but rest assured that she very much did. She did nearly all of the work on her car by herself, save for a few tweaks with electronics and wiring because that was always a pain in the ass no matter who you were. Moving from BMW to Nissan was an interesting move, a wise one, but still nevertheless interesting. After the man finished talking and introducing him, Kaitlyn reached a hand out to shake Max's. "I'm Kaitlyn, Kaitlyn Holliday." She smiled, before turning back to look at her gray Mitsubishi. She took her other hand and pointed it over to where she was looking, before looking at Max. "That's my car. Built it up myself."</s>
<\|description\|>Kaitlyn Elise Holliday Aliases: Kate Age: 23 Birthday: December 29th, 1993 Nationality: American Ethnicity: Russian-Kazakh Birth Place: Burlington, Vermont, USA Current Residence: Los Angeles, California, USA Gender: Female Education: Bachelor's of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Southern California Job: Suspension Specialist at Webbsport Tuning --- --- Appearance Height: 5'9" Weight: 150 lbs Build: Skinny Eyes: Brown Hair: Brown Skin Tone: Fair Tattoos/Scars/Piercings: N/A, but she wants a nose ring someday. Personal Style: Kate's style is basic in theory, yet exotic in execution. She owns one dress, which she busts out in formal events every so often. Other than that, she's most commonly seen in a t-shirt, jeans, and whatever pair of sneakers goes with her outfit, with a sweater in chilly weather. However though, what makes her outfits more exotic is the branding of her apparel. Kate doesn't shy away from big name streetwear brands like Supreme, Bape, Crooks and Castles, etc. She likes her jeans skinny, her t-shirts a little baggy, her hats worn backwards, and her shoes a little loose. As Kate does have perfect vision, she doesn't need glasses to help see. Kate also does wear her hair down very often, only having it up when she's working with things that could she could get it trapped in. Despite her very lazy nature, she does put a lot of effort into her appearance. She follows a strict and tedious skincare routine and does have adept knowledge in applying makeup by herself (although she rarely wears it). --- --- Psychology Shallow * Dedicated * Ambitious * Oblivious Sexuality: Pansexual Relationship Status: Single. She has yet to have her first kiss. Personality: Kate, to put it simply, is a very shallow person. Whether it's actually the way she is or if it's because she doesn't know how to acknowledge her own feelings - it comes across the same way. She seldom gets into feelings with anyone, often opting to direct conversations away simply because she does't care. She doesn't care how she feels or how anyone else is feeling. She cares more about her vehicles and her dog (a Samoyed), Bella. Despite her inability to properly convey her feelings in general, Kate is very excellent at gauging what someone is feeling. It may sound contradictory, but she has an incredible ability to read people like a book. However though, if you get her to talk about her cars (which isn't really that hard at all), she lights up like a Christmas tree in December and goes on and on about it. Habits: * Immediately steers herself away from anything that gets touchy-feely. * Keeps her bottle caps tucked in a bottle until she gets off her ass and empties it Hobbies: CARS Fears: * Airplanes * The ocean * Heights Likes: * Cars * Her dog, Bella * Craft beer (has to be craft beer, she doesn't like many big brands) * Hip Hop * Video Games * Clothes Dislikes: * Airplanes * Touchy-feely shit * Tomatoes * Small cars * Pickles * Frogs --- --- Extras Character Quote: "Okay..." Theme Song: Post Malone ft. 21 Savage - Rockstar Anything Else: * Is a full bonafide virgin. She has yet to have her first kiss, let alone lose her virginity. * Drives a tuned Mitsubishi Evolution IX but is in possession of a Porsche 911 Carrera 993 shell she intends to fully restore one day. * Her favorite types of beer are honey ales, blonde ales, and American IPAs. * Ambidextrous - she writes with her left hand and does literally anything else right handed. * Is incredibly fond of Chinese food.</s> <\|message\|>Magnus Pal Haldorsson Max chuckled, shaking Kaitlyn's hand, looking across at the grey Evo, a smile forming on his face as he looked at the intricacy of the build. Yeah, his insticts were right, he mused internally to himself. "Pleasure to meet you, love. Damn, Kaitlyn, that Evo is something. Nothing beats four-wheel drive, right? That and the amount of aero on that thing, shit it probably stays glued t' tar through corners!" He added, chuckling as he looked across, giving a sweet whistle. "So I guess you're a built, not bought sort of girl. I'm sorta the same, but well....I ran out of ideas and money for now." Looking across, more cars were coming in as a Supra's turbo whine interrupted the two, more people joining in, and while Max wanted to talk cars all night long, he knew they had other things to be getting on with right now. "Shit, tell you what. Magnus himself actually invited me down, I sort of know him through a friend of a friend thing deal....wanna come wtih and see if we can find him?" The music was blaring from the soundsystem of one of the converted VW Camper vans that had turned up, the empty shell of the warehouse containing the bit of Nordic Customs that had come with the lease, yet Magnus hadn't actually needed for any workshop at all. Instead, it was empty, and filled with people grabbing light beer at a long bar, this basically being a giant cafe of sorts for street racers. A weird atmosphere, but given the crowds that came here, it only made sense, as Max could only smirk at the sight of it all, knowing somewhere inside would be the mad Faroese tuner that'd made his fortune out here.</s> <\|message\|>Kaitlyn Elise Holliday As thing stood right now, it seemed like Kaitlyn and Max had a mutual friend. Magnus, the car extraordinaire, had managed to bring them together at this event. Not that Kaitlyn had any objections to it. Magnus was a man of much power and allure, of course he would manage to attract so many different people from all over. Based on how many people were here already, Kaitlyn could assume that Magnus played at least a significant part in gathering all of these people. It didn't seem like Magnus had a type of subculture he was particularly attracted to either. "Yeah, sure, why not?" Kaitlyn shrugged, before starting to walk down the parking lot. The woman was careful to make sure she was walking along the sides of the parking lot, close to the parked cars as she knew very well that cars were still rolling in. It also gave her a good opportunity to gawk at cars that caught her fancy. Such as the Mercedes AMG GT-R that passed by, or the Pagani Zonda Cinque that also slowly rolled its way into the venue. There was probably enough value in these cars to fund a small country. "Where could Magnus be? This is his thing, isn't it?" Kaitlyn asked curiously, hoping she was heard over the sound of a Dodge Charger Hellcat being revved. It couldn't be too hard to spot Magnus, the man had a bit of an aura to him that was impossible to miss. Either he wasn't at the event, or he was somewhere that Kaitlyn hadn't thought to look in. Along the way, Kaitlyn quickly glanced at a Mazda RX-7. Man, there were all sorts of cars around.</s> <\|message\|>Magnus Pal Haldorsson Max walked on through, wading through the crowd, the sight of exotica to tuner a sight to behold. While Nordic was a predominantly McLaren and Porsche specialist, the fact all sorts came here said volumes, perhaps even lengths about what sort of a car culture was bred here in this carpark. Somehow the Brit wondered how the fuck this was still going, given that there were so many people, but then again, that wasn't his thought to comprehend. There was something brewing here, more than just a car meet. And Max really wanted to get stuck in. "Yeah, but there are a fucking lot of people here....and a tall Nordic bloke is gonna be fairly average for LA. It's weird here, right? Glad we have a mutual friend though." Max said, a laddish but wholesome comment as he chuckled, the sight of the cafe inside filled with fewer cars, yet more people. Going inside, the tall Faroese man could be seen across the bar, heartily chuckling as he stood by his McLaren 720S, the blue and gold coloured car an archetypal example of what Nordic could produce. Whilst it looked not too dissimilar, it had a bodykit that made the already glued together supercar look even more gorgeous, with a power map and customisation inside making the interior even more...homely, warm, and tight fit as a supercar like this could be. It was an incredibly difficult modification to pull off on an ultimately desgined machine, yet Magnus was showing it could be done with taste, class and exotic design. The zero-alcohol can of beer in his hand probably told him he was socialising, staying sober for the fact that he may have been involved in something logistical. "There he is." Max said, walking across and past a few groups of other owners, waving over to the Norseman. Magnus waved back, Max chuckling as he felt he'd finally come across a more familiar face now, someone a little more known. "Hey, Magnus! Pleasure to meet you mate, Max Parker, one of Simon's mates....holy shit, this is a party..." Max said, Magnus laughing, the Faroese viking sipping the rest of his can, as he crushed it in his hand, yeeting it towards a bin in the distance. "Yeah, well, what did you expect, welcome to Nordic! Uhh, you're Kaitlyn, right? I didn't think you two were a pair, unless I'm wrong...?" Magnus asked, the Brit looking perplexed for just a second, happy to meet him but a bit awkward. Ah yeah, they had mutual friends, but not in that way! Max blushed, chuckling, looking to Kaitlyn with a gentle look, almost to say "Oh Shit", as if it was a little awkward. "Uhh...nah, we just met outside. You know, tuners and all haha!" Max sheepishly replied, Magnus chuckling, shaking his head. "Alright, if you say so, Mister Parker. You're both probably wondering what's going on- I mean, this is the quarterly meet, but someone in the crowd, pst, not me, has something going. No pink slips- people here are way too attached to their cars to even dare gamble them, but $1000 gets you a buy in. Man over there, in the black hoody is doing something. Trying to get numbers together, but again, half the fucking people here won't dare put a scratch into their cars now they souped them up....crazy, right? "Now as a reputable business owner, I have absolutely nothing to do with street racing. Nooothing at all. Just a guy running a party that keeps most of these people from racing, but hey, if they decide to it's up to them. Up to you guys though if you're all in. Feel free to grab a Monster before you go though!" Magnus said, Max chuckling in response to Magnus's antics, knowing full well he was playing it quite cleverly, somewhat balancing the buisness in here with the straight up illegality someone else organising a street race would have. "If you say so too, Magnus...thanks man. Kaitlyn, what do you think? Up for some shenanigans?"</s>	<\|message\|>Kaitlyn Elise Holliday Kaitlyn only nodded as the Brit beside her raised a fair point. There were always a variety of personalities and people that you'd find in a place like Los Angeles. But, that just made the task that they had of locating Magnus all the bit harder, considering just how many people were before them. As they continued to walk and look around for Magnus, the crowd that had gathered at this party had only grown larger and larger. At this point, it was hard to track the sheer amount of cars coming in and joining the festivities. Even Kaitlyn, as much of a car nerd as she was, she wasn't able to really comprehend just how many cars were here at this point. The only thing she could be really be sure about, however, was that there was a little bit of everything. It was reasonable for Kaitlyn to extrapolate that cars from pretty much all aspects of car culture were here. Tracked out cars, exotic cars, stanced out cars -- they were all at this very event. Soon enough, Max lead Kaitlyn into a cafe of sorts, which wasn't something that Kaitlyn had expected to find at a place like this. There was a significantly higher amount of people at this cafe, but Katilyn supposed that people had to somewhere to gather that wasn't just around a bunch of noisy cars. Stepping inside, Magnus was spotted faster than a blink of an eye. That man, despite the crowd in the cafe had a penchant for sticking out and making his presence known. Seemed like Max saw him as well, because she spotted him moving toward Magnus. It took her not much longer to follow after him and catch up. There he was -- the boisterous Magnus, the man who commanded attention no matter where he went. Though, the implication of her and Max being a pair was a bit humorous. "Nah. We're not a pair." Kaitlyn shook her head, "We'd barely even met... a half hour ago? Yeah. A half hour ago." Kaitlyn laughed, before listening to what it was that Magnus had to say. Man was definitely speaking in some sort of code, but it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what exactly he was getting at. There were some less than legal occurrences taking place later tonight, which Kaitlyn was hoping what would happen at an event like this. Though, it was understandable that there were no pink slips involved. After Magnus finished his spiel, Kaitlyn chuckled and shook her head, before looking up at Max, who had asked her if she was going to be involved. "Yeah, why not?" Kaitlyn smiled, "Be ready to kiss your thousand dollars goodbye, though." Kaitlyn teased, before setting off again. "Let's go find this black hoodie man."</s>
<\|description\|>Freya Carstensen Age: 17 Gender: Female Appearance: Likes: * Creating art * Music * Writing * Nature, especially small animals Dislikes: * Coffee * Hot weather * Bossy, stubborn people * Whispers make her deeply uncomfortable Skills: * Drawing and writing * Climbing, specifically rock climbing * Archery, if she could find a bow and arrows Fears: * True, complete silence, especially in darkness * Nightmares Inventory: * Her phone * Car keys * A few hair ties Personality: Freya's quiet on the surface, and not the easiest girl to open up. She'd much rather listen to others than talk about herself, and at times can seem secretive or sly. She may enjoy writing, but she's not the best with words when put on the spot. She's never made friends easily, something she's actually quite hard on herself about. Despite her enjoyment of archery, Freya is not violent at all, practicing it at first as a way to spend time with a friend and later as a way to find some inner peace. She'll resort to violence only if she feels she has no other choice. Bravery is not something she lacks, though, and she'll jump at a chance to help others, so she can make ties with actions rather than words. Freya has been looking for a fresh start around new faces for a while now. This is not exactly what she had in mind. History: Freya grew up the younger of two children in a fairly well off family, spending most of her childhood in a moderately sized Pacific Northwest town. She had a stable, normal life for the most part, finding her interests in school in things like art and writing, and beyond it in activities like archery and rock climbing. Freya wasn't the most popular or outgoing girl, but she had a steady circle of friends and a healthy home life. Her world was turned upside down at the age of 16, however, when she and her best friend were hit by a drunk driver while Freya was behind the wheel. She made it out with only a broken bone in her arm, but her friend was killed. The trauma from that is something she still hasn't properly dealt with, and over her senior year of high school is proceeded to deteriorate several aspects of her life, the social parts more than anything. She withdrew into isolation for a while, but near the end of her senior year her friends convinced her to skip school on a Friday and take a camping trip. It proved to be just what she needed, and started the process of turning her spirits around before she heads off to the east coast for a fresh start at a university. But she never made it home. Freya got separated from the others on the road back, and pulled over to look up directions. That was when she felt the dizziness set in, and a few seconds later she slumped back in her seat. She woke up somewhere completely different.</s> <\|message\|>Hannei Baizō Hannei Baizō/Aina Baizō Aina looked at Brenton and smiled. "Hey, Brenton. You're an American?" She asked quietly, listening to his voice with a tilt of her head. Hannei, however, scoffed. "Of course it's a magical forest. I've never been in a forest my whole life, I live in Japan. I was in Japan and now I wake up in magical forest. Not that hard. Everyone here is a westerner, too, just like in all the magical forests. We've been taken away to a magical forest. Obviously." She explained condescendingly yet earnestly. She twiddled with the three wheeled drone in her hands, shoving the controller in her pocket. In her mind, there was no other explanation. To be honest, if anyone was going to get taken away to magical forest, it would be her. Some people were arrogant and dumb and thought it would be a prank or a kidnapping but they just don't want to see what was right infront of them. Perhaps the two sisters had an "advantage" in coming to this realisation as the land they found themselves in was so utterly foreign to them. Green and blue, massive trees, forest as far as the eye could see. It was like they were on another world. If one woke up on Mars, would one not assume they were on Mars? This place was a textbook magical forest. Aina frowned but then glanced up at the cat. "Why are you throwing rocks at cats?" She asked, offended on the feline's behalf. Hannei and Aina stuck together, trailing behind the group. "We need to find the magical portal out of here." She said nonchalantly, kicking at a nearby root. "You seem to be making-" "No assumptions. Facts. That's the only way out. It's how we got here." "I saw you faint, and then I passed out-""Ontop of me! I fainted. That's your-" "My thing? Maybe this is all-" "-a dream? You wish. I-" "You can't tell when-" "-can tell when I'm dreaming. I'm a lucid dreamer." "Are not." "Are too." "Are not!" "Are too!" "Threepio." The girls giggled. Aina and Hannei froze up when they heard a scream. A boy was pleading for help and being attacked by- "Goblins! Goblins! It's a magical forest I knew it! The goblins are going to eat that little boy! Then they're going to eat us!" Hannei pointed and frantically bounced up and down, with an almost excited tone of voice. "Get away from him you freaks!" Aina shouted, following Freya into the action. She waded into into lake and reached out for the boy, a little grossed out by the mud. Her heart was racing. "We'll save you, take my hand! Quick, quick! Hurry hurry hurryhurryhurry!" Her voice was raised and her purple-tipped fingers reached out for the child asking for help.</s> <\|message\|>Victor Durolo Victor Durolo Staying out of the conversations was something Victor did best at, he just stood back and listened to everyone not really wanting to be involved and just wanted to get the hell out of wherever they were at. Though he wanted to chuckle when one of the twins spoke of a magical portal, what did they think this was a comic book or television show? Suddenly a scream was breaking almost all of them into moving towards the sound, Victor was one of the last person to get into the clearing and saw everything that was happening around. Creatures were coming out of the muck and starting to attack them, 2 people were trying to fight back and it seemed like it was going well. Victor saw a boy crying out in the water, and one of the twins was reaching for him. He didn't really know what to do, but something made him feel like he needed to help the other people with the creatures. They were the bigger threat, the guy and girl that were fighting back seemed like they were taking care of themselves just fine. So Victor ran up and grabbed a rock off the ground throwing it at one of the creatures to try and get it's attention away from going after the twins that were trying to get the boy out of the water. "Anytime you want to grab him. We will try and keep them off of you." he shouted at the twins. "Somebody help them." he said grabbing another rock off the ground to throw it. He cringed and ground his teeth together feeling a sharp pain on his leg and looked down to see one of the creatures scraping it's sharp claws across his leg. He brought his leg back and shot it forward hard wanting to get the thing away from him. The pain was immense as he tried to push through it and he could feel the warm blood dripping down his leg and soaking into his jeans. Throbbing pain shot through his leg and he wanted to stop but adrenaline was surging through his body and he needed to save the kid, it wasn't really like him but he couldn't exactly watch other people being hurt or god forbid not being able to save the kid.</s> <\|message\|>Brenton Ackerley @Platinum Cobra @geminironin @Ryona Zako @alexfangtalon @Typical Brenton Ackerley Right away, Brenton rushed towards the sound. Was this the sister Aubrey was talking about? Instead, when the lake came into view, so did a young boy thrashing in the water - and two green-skinned, sharp-toothed creatures. Brenton's eyes widened. Ok, there was no rational way to explain THAT. With no time to think on it anyway, he sped up his sprint, taking action alongside the others. Freya's attack hit home, earning a garbled screech from the target. Spitting out oil-dark blood and two of its teeth, it flailed and grasped its long fingers at Freya's ankle, while the other creature fared little better as Marcus' branch swing knocked it back into the lake. When it tried to climb out, Brenton gave it a swift kick in the forehead. To his bewilderment, the little boy stopped struggling and laughed. Not a sound of relief, but of amusement. "Well, that wasn't very nice," he said, eyes turning eerie pale blue as they flicked around Aina and the others with a mock accusing look. At once, the rest of his body transformed, the air shimmering as he swelled and contorted into a monstrous horse. Pondweed-mane dripping, white scales all over his body glinting as he moved, he lunged to grip Aina with his teeth. Before Brenton could process the situation, he grabbed the utility knife from his pocket, flipping up the blade even as it felt unwieldy in his hand. "Leave her alone!" He knew how to chop through branches and vines, but defending against wild animals wasn't something he'd had to master. As clumsy as his desperation strike was, though, the horse whinnied as the blade swiped across its front leg. Flesh hissed as if the metal were hot, burn marks spreading over scaled skin. Surprise flashed across Brenton's face, but he kept enough of his wits about him to call to the others over the chaos. "Run!" --- Aubrey Hughes Aubrey had known this place had to have a sinister side beneath the sparkle, but this was something else. "Get away from that kid, you bastard!" she yelled, stomping on a lake goblin's hand before it could reach Freya or harm the boy - just as said 'kid' turned out not to be quite who or what he seemed. She gasped as the trick became apparent, the boy's true, equine form showing. She was sure she'd seen illustrations like it before, but this wasn't the friendly water horse of storybooks... Kelpie. Not that it mattered what it was called. What mattered was getting the fuck away from it. Springing into movement, she glimpsed the knife slash across its leg, the red welts as if from a burn. Through her whirling thoughts, something else from the folktales came to mind. Iron. Of course... "Quick! Does anyone have anything made of iron or steel?" she called, wrapping her arm around the torso of an injured Victor to support him. With her free hand, she unhooked her belt chain, ready to use it as a makeshift whip if necessary. Hauling the wounded guy along as fast as she could, she glanced over her shoulder. The kelpie started to clamber from the water, as did its two goblin friends, and Aubrey could only hope against hope their injuries would slow them down.</s> <\|message\|>Hannei Baizō Hannei Baizō/Aina Baizō Aina's eyes widened in horror as the boy she was just a few feet away from transformed into a disgusting monster. But she came in to save him? Why would he trick her like this? There was a shot of adrenaline and fear and...Aina turned around, her eyes wide, but her knees buckled and she fell onto all fours with a splash. Her head was swimming and she was losing feelings in her limbs. The sudden shock had sent her into a cataplectic attack and she was no longer in full control of her body. "Uuhhsshh..." With her face drooping, she moaned hauntingly, the terror apparent in her dull eyes as she clumsily clambered through the water back to shore. Hannei, for her part, began to shriek wildly. "AAAIIEEEEE! AAAAAAHHHH! AIINAAAAA! KUSOOOOO! SOMEBODY SAVE HER!" Hannei, for as thin and ineffectual as she was, the spindly girl not even able to climb out from underneath her sister, rushed into the water. "HELP MEEEEEEEE!" She cried. She attempted to loop her sister's arm over her shoulder but she ended up falling into the muck, spitting and coughing as she did so. Her heart was racing a million miles a minute and she was on fire with fear. The twins were in an immediately bad way.</s>	<\|message\|>Freya Carstensen Freya's kick blasted a few teeth out of the nasty green creature, but still it grasped at her, long fingers closing around her ankle. She panicked, trying to take a step back but tripping and falling backwards. She hit the mud with a splat, but getting dirty was the last thing she cared about right now. The goblin was trying to grab her legs now and climb on top of her, and Freya frantically kicked at its face until she was free. The boy was gone, a horrific horse-like creature replacing him. Brenton tried to fight it before shouting to run, and Aubrey called for iron or steel. Freya crawled backwards on her back, but she thought of little. Maybe her belt's buckle would work, but she didn't like her chances using it as a weapon. She had to agree with Brenton: they need to run. Aina went down, her twin shrieking for help. Freya was closest, scrambling out of the mud and quickly getting to Aina's other side. "I've got her, come on!" she urged, taking half of Aina's weight under one shoulder and hoping Hannei could handle the rest. "We have to get out of here!"</s>
<\|description\|>Elsa Jackson "I'm passionate as ice, a relentless force of nature that will freeze you in your tracks." Official Title: Ice Mother Team Title: Wrecking Team Gender: Female Age: (Chap 1) 21/ (Post Chap 1) 24 Position: Linked Asylum Specialty: Sniffer Alchemic Style: Motem (primary) Sigillum (secondary) Asylum Code: XXX (30) Weapons: Primary Weapon Composition Bow: During her youth, Elsa showed a passion and talent on the composition bow. With her sharp eye, she rarely misses. Despite its complicated appearance, the bow can break down into two parts. The string to be hidden around her waist with the wheels being buckles and the main shaft can be folded up to about half the length of her leg. Making it easy to stash somewhere on her person. Each part has a magnet which when activated will automatically pull the correct part into the right area and fix them in place. It is undetectable by metal detectors and under x-ray, it appears to be completely solid thanks to an alchemy coating. Arrows: Her quiver has up to fifty arrows which when hidden, appear to be nothing but wooden rods in a canister. Their tips and feathered backs fold in to create a smooth appearance. There are a few different types of arrows in her arsenal alongside her normal ones. Every single specialized arrow is prepared before a mission and the amount on her person always differs depending on the mission's information. Smoke Arrow- When activated on impact, it emits a thick fog which disperses in a 25-foot radius all around the point of landing. This is usually used for escaping or hiding her allies, mainly Samad, from sight. Acid Arrow-Filled with highly acidic compounds, this cocktail can burn through flesh or metal the moment it lands. Depending on the thickness, it can take time and be washed off by water. Ice Arrow- Using her own alchemy, she imbued her and shoot them at a target. Patches of thick ice will form over one section of that target. With some selective aiming, she can freeze someone solid. Fire Arrows- The complete opposite of her ice arrows, when this lands on a target it burns and spreads like wildfire. Unless put out quickly, it will cause heavy damage until it finally fizzles out. Secondary Weapon Karambit Knife: Should the enemy get too close for Elsa to use her bow and arrows, she'll fall back to her Karambit. She's learned how to channel her ice ability into the blade and with each score, it will freeze the wound. The ice spreads outward to constrict the target's movements. It's a thin patch and with a little effort, the ice can be broken off or melted. Alchemy Specialization: Ice- Elsa is able to lower temperatures enough to create ice from multiple water sources. In her capable hands, she can mold it into any shape, size, or structure in her imagination. These structures are not thinking or alive. Her power is limited by the water source and its state. The more spread out and less around, like in dry climates, the harder it is to collect. The opposite is true for liquid and wet climates. Appearance: Elsa is your average, caucasian blond beauty. She keeps her wavy hair to about shoulder length and combed to one side, pulling her bangs clear of her face. A strong feature is her bright, green eyes. They are filled with warmth most the time, but when her fury gets the better of her... they turn colder than ice. Trailing down her figure, most will notice she has a pleasant mix of soft curves and muscle. With her job, it's hard not to. During her casual time off, she enjoys sweats and loose shirts. Especially the type from Samad's culture. It's caused a few arguments until Samad finally gave in to her whims and accepted she wouldn't take no for an answer. There is a heavy contrast to her 'work' clothes and casual. Her work focus on movement, practicality, and bending in. So they vary based on her current job. A default one is jeans, shoes, and a pretty shirt. Personality: Compassionate/Empathic: Brought into AMRO during her pre-teens, Elsa managed to retain her humanity. She's able to relate and understand other's points of view, or at least respect it. This allows her to connect to those often left unstable after traumatic events. However, despite these qualities, they will never get into the way of her mission's goal. Relaxed/Friendly: Reports on the team's interactions with others have shown Elsa took the lead during them. Unlike her partner, she has the ability to start up a conversation and endear others toward her. This has left a positive impression and made her a few friends in unexpected places. When conflict starts, she'll be the first to cease it with reason and her partner backing her up. Insults due out of rage often run off her back, like water from a duck's back. She pays them no mind or importance. It is believed she learned to improve her patience from Samad, but sources can't confirm this. Her default behavior oozes a cool, calm nature overall. Ice Cold: Only in set conditions has she been forced to ignore her morals and humanity. An icy cold fury settles into her soul as she will speak little, and become hostile. Little deters her from the goal she sets. In this vision of herself, she truly reflects her ice alchemy in its purest form. Ruthless and determined. History: Will reveal IC.</s> <\|message\|>Elsa Jackson --- Elsa hated teleportation alchemy. Out of all her options in alchemy, it still gave her dread and anxiety. Her breath fixed in her lungs as it settled down, her body was frozen in place until the experience ended. A tingling raced down her limbs with the sensation of pins and needles. It faded into the air to signal its completion causing her eyes to open. The foilage curled around her legs and grew into a thick jungle setting. She was glad she brought proper attire rather than her casual uniform. The thick humidity blanketed her as she absorbed her position. Terra never gave hints to the location specs when she designed them for the trials. The Chrono felt it risked giving some students unfair advantages from their favorite teachers. Elsa couldn't argue against it since the teachers enjoyed pitting their favorites against each other. Something to chase away the boredom she assumed. The sounds of water rushing along drew Elsa's attention. With a small smirk, she began to carve out a path to the source. Tall trunks began to thin out as a clearing came into view. It didn't take her long to recognize Bella's dark hair and quirky glasses. The words started in Elsa's throat when someone's screams broke the silence. Her head snapped to the side. A dark-haired student, Italian in descent, bolt into the clearing. The girl continued to shout behind her. "Run, you idiots. NOW!" As the student rushed over fallen trees and bushes, Elsa rushed forward. Her arms tossed about Bella's shoulders and immediately pulled themselves down onto the ground. Their figures vanished out of sight as two more boys burst into a small clearing. Elsa's finger pressed against her lips in a universal hush signal. ~,~ Samad frowned as they were teleported into the trial grounds. A thick, humid blanketed the Iranian while his eyes scanned the stage for the student's trials. He should've assumed Terra would've picked something green. A sigh slipped from his lips as he began to look toward the trees, a quick judgment over their high ground. With only a bit of help from Alchemy, he managed to scale it to the highest branch. When he finally found purchase on its surface, a scene began to unfurl beneath him. His dark eyes narrowed on someone below. A woman with long, dark hair stood in the open. She appeared to be scanning her whereabouts for other students.</s> <\|message\|>Bella Palladino Bella watched as colors ebbed and flowed from her vision as she continued to walk. Most of the colors were soft with an occasional jagged burst of color when she stepped on a decaying tree branch that snapped under her weight or kicked over a rock. As she reached the clearing a larger burst of orange came into her vision and Bella tensed up as she looked for the source of the intrusive noise. She got her answer when she saw a girl followed by the written captions of her yell appearing. Multiple sources of running appeared as an indicator on her glasses at the last moment she noticed that one source was coming from behind her and growing stronger. Bella turned around and saw Elsa as she pulled her down. Bella gave a small nod to Elsa's gesture along with a small smile. She was glad to find a friend amongst the jungle. Bella turned her attention towards the students as they rushed through the clearing. They nearly made it to the edge when Bella observed a vine dart out towards the students and wrapped itself around one of the boys which caused the student to fall forward before being dragged back. "Dan!" The other students yelled as they ran back to their ensnared peer. "Run? Run where?" A woman said as she slowly walked towards the students as the trio frantically tried to undo the vine. "Why run? That's no fun? Let's dance or skip or play but don't run away from me?" As the rouge stretched her arm out a second vine grew out and formed a whip. A large crack was heard when the whip landed which was followed by the girl screaming out in pain as the whip tore into her back. Bella winced as she watched the student get hit. If the students weren't there for the exam Bella knew she would have rushed out with no hesitation but with the order given to observe the woman unhappily watched with clenched hands. "I thought we were friends." The rouge continued before swinging again as she laughed, this time hitting the tangled boy. "I just wanna play with my friends." Seeing the second boy charge, the woman lifted up her left hand which caused the first vine to lift Dan up about twenty feet in the air before the vine thrashed twice, causing him to be thrown into the nearby tree trunks before dangling the boy by his leg between the two. Another fit of laughter erupted from the woman as the boy stopped his charge and glared at the woman. "Let's play Simon Says." The woman said as she nodded frantically. "Yes! Yes! A marvelous idea but we need to keep this fun. Yes, very fun indeed. But we need more fun. Yes. A lot more fun. Let's say if one of you lose I will kill Dan Dan." "Run! Leave me-." Dan started to yell before the vine thrashed around again. "No no no no no no! Simon didn't say that." The woman yelled angrily before turning her attention back to the other two. "The first one is a piece of cake. Simon says pull off your left thumb nail off and have your partner eat it."</s>	<\|message\|>Elsa Jackson The damp, earthy scent snaked into her nostrils. Greenery half shrouded her vision as it hid her from sight, the scene unfolded before the pair. She pressed her arms into the soft ground just enough to proper herself to watch the scene unfold. The woman's vision sent a shiver down the blond's spine. Every living, breathing cell within her nature screamed to interrupt the sadistic event. The rogue toyed with her prey like a predatory cat with an appetite for malice. Despite her training, Elsa hated the exams. She saw them as a barbaric practice. One long overdue to be culled from AMRO's educational programs and faded into the history books. Samad was confident it would never happen, but she held hope. Elsa gritted her teeth to silence her protest when the vine lashed across the female student's back. It retracted, a bloodied and torn aftermath left in its wake. The uniform barely hung off her form now. Impulsively, Elsa's eyes shifted to the right and noticed Bella's reaction. She carefully placed her hand on her ally's in a comforting gesture. The blond asylum turned back to watch the widened eyed students track the rogue's smirking form. She circled closer, her mockery filled the thick jungle air. While the rogue twisted an innocent child's game into something dark, Elsa tapped Bella's arm. She pointed to another location just outside the immediate area. Somewhere safer to talk than where they were. With a cautious movement, Elsa began to lead the way toward it. Meanwhile, the boy trapped earlier glanced at the girl and gave into his fate. He pressed his thumb to his mouth. The nail edge pinched the nail edge between, a firm grip. A tug began to peel the nail away. Blood trickled from lips onto the boy's chin as it muffled his groans. With a rough tug, it came off in his teeth in a jagged strip. He fought back a gag before he passed it to the girl. She stepped back, her hand covered her mouth, as she glanced at him in total horror. It was clear she wasn't willing to carry out her part of the game.</s>
<\|description\|>Aurora Lune de Realis-Donati Personal Dossier --- Age 19 Gender Female Origin Terra Nova Appearance Standing at five feet six inches, Aurora is a young woman who carries herself with grace and dignity at all times. Her heart shaped face adds to her attractiveness, her big, chocolate brown eyes makes her expressions stand out. She sports an extremely curvaceous body, her fair skin is flawless and her long, brown hair is always shiny--it's obvious that she takes pride in her appearance and takes very good care of herself. Everything she wears from head to toe probably costs more than anything most can afford, as she wears only the finest. Personality Aurora is the best of the best and would rather you don't go forgetting it. The word 'tact' doesn't exist in her dictionary, speaking her mind freely and disliking it when she's told to do otherwise. She loves playing coy and plays the part of a flirt well when needed, although she prefers making people chase her. The only thing she likes more than people telling her how beautiful she is is getting as much praise as possible. Her tendency to hone in on people's weaknesses and her delight at exploiting them tend to make people very wary of her. Nevertheless, her bravery is second to none, having no fear of the unknown and is more than willing to jump in headfirst into any new challenges. Background Information The marriage of the heir of the Realis Holdings to the Donati Corporation's heiress was celebrated as a union of two industry giants. While the two remain separate, the family is united through Aurora. Of course, a marriage of convenience can only be tolerated for so long, especially with the disappointment concerning heirs; both camps had hoped for a male heir. After fourteen years of pampering their princess and readying her for a life of luxury, everything was tossed aside at the arrival of a bouncing baby boy. Since she was no longer needed, Aurora decided to make herself useful by using her talents elsewhere; in her mind, if she could prove herself by becoming a successful pilot and make a name for herself, then she wouldn't need anyone. Attributes & Other Information --- Coordinator Type TC Coordination Profile Awareness \| ■□□□□ Composure \| ■■■■□ Endurance \| ■■■■■ Instinct \| ■■■■□ Intellect \| ■□□□□ Breasts \| ■■■■■■</s> <\|message\|>Kalian Bel Cyris II. He commonly goes by Bel. --- --- Bel had been somewhat preoccupied by his mentor's whirlwind arrival and then departure, and as such, had failed to do two things. Firstly, he hadn't paid much attention to the crowd of fellow students slowly surrounding him and filling up the nearby tables, until the air had already begun filled with a rather annoying drone of constant chatter. Secondly, he hadn't managed to finish eating his dish of ration slurry until the already unappetizing paste had now become lukewarm to boot. He poked at it with his spoon, a grimace of disgust forming on his face as he realized that one of the only saving graces of the alleged "food" had now come and gone, despite his dedication to arriving early. He was just lamenting the inevitability that his lunch was already ruined, however, when he caught sight of a rather furious looking boy rising up and storming off from a nearby table holding... Wait a second, was that a bloody Zhenko bar? It was. It was. ...To be honest, under normal circumstances, the sweet snack would have been a welcome addition to his meal, but it wasn't something he'd go out of his way to obtain - particularly not to the point of bothering someone just to get his hands on it. However, that girl over there looked awfully proud of herself, and he had heard rumors about a black marketeer who could get contraband foods and was willing to trade for them... And the nightmare called "lunch" sitting in front of him definitely meant this situation wasn't normal by any stretch of the imagination. So it was that, steeling his resolve to deal with the inevitable hassle of social interaction, the dark-haired lad slowly stood up and approached Cicinna's table. Rapping a knuckle against the back of the chair opposite her, he glanced down with one eyebrow quizzically raised, his eyes awkwardly sliding between the seated girl and the area around them, as if suspecting that one of the station's administrators would come bursting in at any moment to bust the illegal contraband trade that was about to go down. "Oi, you wouldn't happen to... uh... have any more of those, would ya?"</s> <\|message\|>Cincinna "Cinny" Siloux --- Just as the dopamine was wearing off, and the food was beginning to taste like the garbage slop that it was again, lo and behold, there be delivered before her another hungry sap to torture. He approached cautiously, with all the confidence of a lost fawn. His eyes were mile-a-minute between her and everywhere that wasn't her, and she craned her head this way and that trying to snatch his gaze up in the brief instants they made eye-contact. God, how come nobody'd told her it was her birthday? There was a touch of command in his voice that the rest of him couldn't back up, which was surprising coming from a red. As far as she'd seen in the past few weeks, the engineering students tended to keep to themselves, and she'd picked up a sort of toothless hostility from them towards the operators and, especially, the pilot-cadets. Of course, it didn't help that the pilots played into it. Some of her peers relished in the envy, which seemed like a great way to utterly ruin things for themselves down the line, when their livelihoods would depend on those reds. Of course, that didn't mean Cinny was about to show the guy any mercy. Cinny tapped her lips in feigned thought, then snapped her fingers and, at a prompt from her, he held out his hand. She dug into her pockets, miming excitement when she found what she was looking for. With the reverence and sincerity of someone bequeathing a precious family heirloom to a loved one, Cinny took his hand in hers, and gently closed his fingers around the prize that had been hiding amongst the lint in her pocket. When he opened his hand, there it was. An empty, crumpled Zhenko wrapper. Cinny pretended to be shocked. She quickly snatched the wrapper up, inspected it, sniffed it, pulled it flat and taut. She rolled her eyes and smacked her palm against her head, as if to say, Ah, of course, how silly. The wrapper was sealed at one end, so Cinny put the other end to her lips and with a quick breath, inflated it. Then she licked her finger, sealed the other end, and playfully bounced the ballooned wrapper between her hands. This went on for some moments. Patience was a rope you could measure many times, but cut only once, so before too much time had been wasted, she signaled again for her victim to hold out his hand. She was surprised when he did, but not very. Taking the featherlight wrapper, she waved it about like a wand and tapped it three arbitrary times against her forehead, before holding it out over the red's hand. Lem would have said: "Now you really, really have to want it." Cinny just waggled her eyebrows. She let go, and the wrapper dropped like a rock into Bel's open palm, full of Zhenko-goodness. Cinny did some mystical jazz-hands, then picked up her fork and let the serotonin persuade her to take a few more bites of slop.</s> <\|message\|>Sirius Elhart Leverant Sirius Leverant If there was any satisfaction to be had on this day, it was the small sliver Sirius managed to gain as he watched the cogs in Miss Realis-Donati's head turn. She had done well enough to hide her offense, something that gave him an inkling as to her social strata, but the sharpness of his words seemed to catch her just off guard enough that it shone through. It was unfortunate that she had so much composure, as verbally sparring with someone would have been a worthwhile distraction from pitiful sports scores. Instead, it seemed his unwanted guest insisted on remaining, brushing off his comment like so much water off a duck's back. "I wouldn't know," Sirius fired back in retort, flicking the retort pouch that held the remainder of his lunch. He wasn't about to let her totally sidestep his attempts to inflame her, after all. But he didn't entirely intend on hinging the whole of their conversation on her bovine like endowments—she had come to him for some reason or another, and it was at least worth inquiring as to why. "Most people can't help themselves when it comes to irritating me. But, you've come all this way, so you might as well tell me—just why do you think you'd like to get to know me?"</s> <\|message\|>Aurora Lune de Realis-Donati --- This one wasn't much of a talker, was he? Or at least, he didn't seem the type to enjoy a conversation with anyone. Still, he hadn't dismissed Aurora entirely--not yet, anyway--and actually continued said conversation. She was, however, just a touch surprised that he didn't seem to recognize her. Unless he did recognize her and was still being dismissive? Could that be it? No, there was absolutely no reason for her to doubt that her status had gone unawares even by the rabble. Aha, maybe that was it! She would love to put a name to his face, after all, so an introduction was definitely in order. His next question did put a halt to that line of thinking, however. She thought the reason she was here was obvious, but he must have missed it. Perhaps she should be more straightforward. And less...aware of her chest, since for whatever reason, it didn't seem to please him. That was definitely a first, too, but she wasn't going to dwell on that for long, either. Aurora gave him a small smile as she placed her hands on her lap. "I think most people don't aim to irritate you," She let out a small, girlish giggle. "But you should look at it from their perspective! You keep to yourself and give off this air of mystery...I would very much like to unravel you if you know what I mean." She concluded, giving him a wink. ---</s> <\|message\|>Sirius Elhart Leverant Sirius Leverant "They succeed in spite of their trying, then." Sirius was quick to retort at the intruder to his reprieve. After all, she surely hadn't set off with the intention of gaining his ire, but her incessant giggling and airy demeanor had managed it all the same. The way she winked at him only stoked his anger all the more; had she really come all this way just to flirt with him and make vague innuendo? If he hadn't been in such a foul mood he might have admired the initiative. However, he had arrived at Taiyōtawa to dominate the rankings of the ICW course, not the first airheaded bimbo to come drifting his way after class. A firm rebuke was in order, to make this fact clear. "We all have things we'd like to do," he mused coldly, "A tragedy that more often than not they don't come to pass."</s>	<\|message\|>Aurora Lune de Realis-Donati It was hard to get a read on him. If she didn't know better, she would think that he didn't want her around. Aurora straightened up a touch, smoothing out her skirt as she thought of her next step. Subtlety would get her nowhere--or at least, nowhere she wanted. She rested her elbow back on the table and perched her chin in her palm, examining the boy carefully. Her spirit wouldn't be downcast just yet, however; she was persistent above all else. "Tragic? That's an interesting way to put it," Aurora replied. "But where are my manners? I haven't even introduced myself! My name is Aurora de Realis-Donati, heiress to the Realis-Donati Conglomerate." She paused for just a second to let the implication sink in before continuing with, "And you are?' </s>
<\|description\|>Erik Nyqvist-Åkerfeldt Personal Dossier --- Age 18 (2708 CE) Gender Male Origin Terra Nova, Barnard's System Gandvik, Van Maanen's System Appearance Rarely comfortable without being under several layers of grease and oil, Erik maintains a minimalist attitude when it comes to fashion, preferring practical clothes that fit rather than keeping up with gaudy trends like other Terra Novan teenagers. The only exception to this are a number of rings and studs on his left ear that he claims to have gotten on a whim. He keeps his flaxen hair relatively short to avoid getting it in his eyes or stuck in some errant piece of machinery. He stands at a short-for-Gandvik height of 5'7", and seems to take great pains to keep his body in the same shape as his mind. His most strikingly Gandvikian feature are his oftentimes cold gaze and yellow eyes, supposedly the result of a genetic modification fad centuries ago. Time will tell how well the rest of his frame will fill out over the course of his time at Taiyōtawa Academy. Personality Ostensibly, Erik Nyqvist is defined by fierce independence and the will to overcome the circumstances of one's birth. He is living proof that with enough dogged determination even the lowest orphan can reach for the stars. An inspiration to everyone in the Confederacy. Or so he likes to think. In practice, Erik is a young man with very little experience dealing with people his own age, and it shows. Most of his newfound classmates claim he is haughty, dismissive, and altogether full of himself, and such accusations are not without merit. He takes no small amount of pride in being the smartest person in the room at all times, and his tendency towards blunt criticism and bold declarations of his own intellectual superiority have rubbed many people the wrong way. Background Information Erik Nyqvist was born to unknown parents on the dour mining planet of Gandvik in Van Maanen's System and subsequently left on the door of one of the planet's orphanages; a fact that has shaped nearly every aspect of his life even after his emigration to Terra Nova. Relentlessly bullied by his peers during youth for everything from his diminutive stature to his erudite disposition, Erik dedicated his life to study at a very young age. While other children were running through the streets, Erik was either reading textbooks or tinkering with numerous broken appliances around the orphanage. Needless to say that other than the rare moments where he'd repair the building's heating system at the onset of winter or fix the building's connection to the Hypernet, it was a solitary life. This would all change after the discovery of a unique element now known as Dromium in one of Gandvik's mines several years ago. Ordinarily considered little more than a galactic backwater, Gandvik was suddenly set upon by hundreds of scientists and government agents. (Technobabble about what super special element can do here maybe). One day, Erik's orphanage was visited by one Dr. Øystein Åkerfeldt. Although the staff had made sure to inform the children to be on their best behavior, the vast majority found themselves bored and ignored most of what the doctor had to say. Erik, meanwhile, was entranced. He spent hours inquiring into every aspect of the doctor's work, from how he'd gotten into science to his government contract and just what (super special element) was theoretically capable of; not that the man could actually answer most of the boy's questions. The next day, Øystein returned, only with a number of other men. He subjected Erik to a number of written and practical tests over the course of several hours. Before he knew it, Erik was called into the headmaster's office and told to pack his things, he was heading for Terra Nova. Thus ended his life on Gandvik. He has never looked back. Given only minimal time to adjust to life on the capital planet of the Confederacy, Erik was put under Dr. Åkerfeldt's personal care. He excelled in his new environment, taking in as much of his guardian's knowledge as the man could impart. However, unbeknownst to him, the doctor had him enrolled in the Taiyōtawa Academy's engineering program, and although Erik has since skyrocketed to the top of his class in grades, his ability to work with his fellow students has been called into question. Time will tell whether or not he improves in said aspect. Attributes & Other Information --- Coordinator Type Physical Coordinator Coordination Profile Awareness \| ■■■□□ Composure \| ■■■□□ Endurance \| ■■□□□ Instinct \| ■■□□□ Intellect \| ■■■■■</s> <\|message\|>Sirius Elhart Leverant Sirius Leverant The shrill chime of the academy's PA system shook Sirius from his inattentive trance, and it was as close to a mercy as he could receive on this godforsaken station. He had imagined an allegedly prestigious university such as Taiyotawa would have been, at the very least, worthy of his time. But in the month since his on-boarding, the youth had been subjected to the menial busywork one expected of a secondary school student. On what miserable world would writing an essay on Isao fucking Taiyotawa make somebody a more suitable pilot? He was just another colonist in an era of colonialism. Probably never set foot in the cockpit of an ICW. The indignity of it was infuriating, and Sirius could only imagine that was the point. The esteem with which the rest of the Confederacy held this school was just a sop to an otherwise inglorious exile. Ruminating on it all just caused fury to roil up in his throat like bile, and it fueled Sirius' hasty exit from the classroom, muscling his way through what few students dared to cross paths with him. What spurned his break from academic drivel certainly didn't promise to alleviate his frustration either. The finest pilot school in the whole of the Confederacy and they couldn't even manage to serve solid food to their cadets. It was sold to the student body as a health service, to ensure they received the optimum nutrition to keep themselves in top form. Sirius knew better than that. He could spot a cost-saving measure when he saw one. It was to be expected, though: the Confederacy was little more than a collection of hanger-ons and grifters, clinging to the coattails of a few prominent planets. Any joint endeavor by its constituent worlds was bound to cut corners wherever possible. This knowledge did not make stomaching the slop they dispensed to the student body any more tolerable. It was all just another trial to preserve through. He would do it just as he had with all others. Receiving his daily share in spite of the crowds was of no great difficulty—he was head taller than the majority of his peers, and had taken care to remind them that if they did not make way for him when he willed it, he would make them make way. It was perhaps this reputation for black moods that ensured his ability to find an empty table once his tray was full of the ill-considered paste. That suited him just fine. Solitude allowed him to decompress from the frustrations of the day without the inane chittering of his so-called peers. As he settled in, the teen reached into his belongings and produced a small, vacuumed sealed bag. The hiss it produced as he tore away the edge with his canines was like music to his ears, and in lieu of a mouthful of chemically-enriched sludge, he treated himself to the bite of contraband aurochs jerky. It was pathetic that something so essentially human as the consumption of meat managed to soften his mood, but deprivation bred fondness, and he had already fished another piece from the bag as he laid out his datapad and tapped away upon the holographic interface. For all the ire he had towards the food served, the free time lunch intermission gave him at least had some value. It gave him enough time to check up on basquash scores, a small consolation for being unable to watch the matches directly. What little goodwill the flesh of the humble steer had managed to provide him disappeared almost instantly as he navigated his way through the holonet. His expression darkened visibly, and he had to fight the urge to swear out loud as the results displayed before him. 97-124?! How did anybody manage to lose that badly?!</s> <\|message\|>Aurora Lune de Realis-Donati --- "Ugh." The sound came out unwillingly, the brunette holding a hand over her mouth as she squeezed her eyes shut. The first and last bite of these 'meals' were always the hardest in the girl's opinion, but at the very least she was able to stuff them down without throwing up at this point. She naively believed after a month she'd get used to it, but honestly, the tasteless meals just made her depressed whenever it was mealtime. The only silver lining was that she was probably thinner than ever, but she had to admit it came at a price too great. Would it really be too much to make this stuff have some kind of flavor? Aurora placed down her utensils, more relieved that she was finished. The smart thing to do was to probably get started on her assignment; the science side of being a coordinator was definitely a weakness of hers. Sure, she was brilliant of course, but actually sitting down and writing out these assignments bored her to death. Not that she'd let that stop her, but it did require giving herself a pep talk anytime just to start. If only she was back in high school where she had droves of nerds willing to do her assignments for her again. Clucking her tongue at the thought, the brunette decided to take her leave; there wasn't any point in dawdling in a sea of strangers. Maybe she should take some of her pent-up energy and actually try to get to know someone, but no one really caught her attention. Well, there was Erik Nyqvist-Åkerfeldt, the adopted son of Dr. Øystein Åkerfeldt, but it wasn't like she was familiar with him. The two had met in passing some time ago at a fundraiser but barely exchanged pleasantries. He was definitely cute, yes, and she would give him some credit in that he was certainly enthusiastic when it came to anything involving the Valkyries. But she wasn't looking for a lecture, she was looking for fun. No sooner had she let out a tiny sigh of exasperation when she spotted a dark-haired boy staring down at something. That one was in her class, too, wasn't he? She wracked her brain for a name, eventually landing on Sirius. Not that she remembered his last name, but as far as she was aware, it wasn't relevant. What was relevant was that she was very much a fan of the tall, dark, and handsome type. He looked annoyed at something, but that could easily be remedied. With her mind made up, Aurora disposed of her tray before confidently taking a seat across from the boy. Resting her elbows on the table and her chin in her hands, she put on her best smile. "No need to get so worked up, here I am. Don't worry, you still have two other wishes," She teased, holding back a giggle. ---</s> <\|message\|>Sirius Elhart Leverant Sirius Leverant Sirius wasn't sure if the disbelief made his outrage better or worse, as he seethed in the second-hand embarrassment of having invested his emotional energy into a group of losers. It was a small consolation that he hadn't put money on the match; he would need his stipend from home to continue purchasing outside food, or his rage truly would have nothing holding it back. Still, his inquiring mind needed to know just how it was possible a team with such a track record managed to botch such a simple game, and as he frantically tapped his way across the screen to find just that out, he caught sight of something—someone—in his peripheral vision. "No need to get so worked up, here I am. Don't worry, you still have two other wishes," He looked up just in time to hear that, and witness the bright, bubbly smile that accompanied it. The sweetness with which it was delivered might have softened the resolve of many a male cadet. Not so for Sirius. He had known this type before, even attracted them. The green stripes on her uniform at least separated her from the average harlot in his mind. Aurora de Realis-Donati, a fellow pilot-in-training. He had gone to the lengths of memorizing at least those who would be his competition in the rankings, something those of lesser colors did not have the privilege of. But acknowledgement wasn't a shield from his wrath. He affixed her with piercing silver eyes for a long moment, expressing both disdain and perplexity at her statement as he mowed over his response. Apart from her pedigree, there wasn't so very much that separated her from the others of her ilk. Well, aside from one thing. The vexation of his gaze changed to a certain sharpness as he came to a decision. "You aren't the kind of cow I was wishing for." Another piece of jerky found itself between his lips after he deadpanned those words.</s>	<\|message\|>Erik Nyqvist-Åkerfeldt At the highest level of the lecture hall, an engineering student resisted the urge to yawn into his hand. "And that will end our brief lecture on the role of mecha preceding the Valkyrie Project." The doctor had been sure to brief him on the general curriculum of the academy before his enrollment, but he'd hoped that by thirty days into his stay at Taiyōtawa they would've at least gotten past subjects he'd already read up on years prior. From the way the vids had described it, Taiyōtawa Academy was the highest institution of learning in the entire Confederacy; where the galaxy's brightest minds flocked to determine the future of all who lived in it. So far, other than the frankly uncomfortable amount of attention he'd gotten from his teachers and classmates alike, the experience had been singularly unengaging. While his peers all but began stampeding out of the classroom the instant the clock hit 1200, Erik listlessly opened his datapad, cycling through a number of diligently organized screens before tapping a label simply marked 'Taiyōtawa Essay'. The words had hardly left his instructor's lips before Erik was submitting the assignment and turning his datapad off once again. He hoped he'd get his results sometime over the weekend, not that it particularly mattered. As the last student to make his way out of the classroom, Erik bowed respectfully towards the instructor and took his leave. --- If there was one thing Erik could appreciate about the academy, it was the food. Not only was it parsecs above the kind of barely edible gruel they called food on Gandvik, but there was an almost endless amount of it. He didn't understand why the rest of the student body turned their noses up at it. If they'd ever felt real hunger in their lives their tunes would change in a heartbeat. Nevertheless, unlike many others, lunch was the highlight of Erik's day. The slightest hint of a smile even crossed his lips when it was his turn in line. If not for his concentrated effort to avoid doing it, the former orphan likely would've gotten his food all over his uniform after he found a seat on the outskirts of the cafeteria. Even then, he devoured his meal uncharacteristically swiftly when compared to most everyone else in attendance. Although he'd been one of if not the last people to enter the lunch line, he was certainly the first to make a second, and probably the only, to make a third trip. To think, Dr. Donati thought the meals would be his least favorite part of school life.</s>
<\|description\|>Eyrie Schemacloves Eyrie Schemacloves Personal Dossier --- Age 18 Gender Female Origin Boletus, Kepler System Appearance Usually, Eyrie's clothes consist of long-sleeved shirts that hide the skin up to her wrists, yet she doesn't attempt to conceal her legs in a similar manner, donning skirts when she's able to instead. Though her outfits commonly exhibit desaturated colors, mostly shades of grey and dark blues, the brightly red-framed glasses that sit upon her nose draw attention to her snow white hair and dull green eyes. The only significant features of her appearance. Personality Eyrie is an optimist. A gross overestimation, but the closest word to how she sees the world. It isn't confidence that drives her thinking, as her ability to argue is next to non-existent, nor is it an overestimation of the future, which would've been a symptom of pride. Rather, Eyrie merely believes that things will eventually sort themselves out, a baseless hope that allows her to get through each day. No matter what happens, no matter the struggles, the future is always capable of bringing light into her world. Any victory, no matter how small, is a victory, and she will treasure every single one. Background Information On Boletus, a world where a bigger population than most results in bigger problems, The Schemacloves family barely scraped by. Living day by day, paycheck to paycheck, the young Eyrie was merely happy to be alive. To her, they had everything they ever needed, no matter if she would sometimes have birthdays go by uncelebrated or merely acknowledged with a cupcake and a single candle. Her parents worked hard, she could understand that, and the discomfort of a usually empty household was worth the happy moments that lightly sprinkled her life. She did not expect the sudden bomb dropped upon her a certain night, that she would be shipped to a different system to study in the most prestegious school in the known universe. Eyrie couldn't imagine a world outside of the city she lived in her entire life, yet she knew any sort of disagreement would be met with indignation, merely by the unsettling light within her parent's eyes. A desperate air that rolled around their home, an atmosphere she purposely ignored every time she heard the shouting in the middle of the night about bills and impossible future plans. Something she understood, deep down, was somehow her fault. So when they asked, no, commanded her to excell at Taiyōtawa Academy, all Eyrie could do was bow her head in defference, no matter the emotions that swirled within her gut. Attributes & Other Information --- Coordinator Type Tactical Coordinator Coordination Profile Awareness \| ■■■□□ Composure \| ■■■■□ Endurance \| ■■□□□ Instinct \| ■■■■□ Intellect \| ■■□□</s> <\|message\|>Aurora Lune de Realis-Donati --- "Ugh." The sound came out unwillingly, the brunette holding a hand over her mouth as she squeezed her eyes shut. The first and last bite of these 'meals' were always the hardest in the girl's opinion, but at the very least she was able to stuff them down without throwing up at this point. She naively believed after a month she'd get used to it, but honestly, the tasteless meals just made her depressed whenever it was mealtime. The only silver lining was that she was probably thinner than ever, but she had to admit it came at a price too great. Would it really be too much to make this stuff have some kind of flavor? Aurora placed down her utensils, more relieved that she was finished. The smart thing to do was to probably get started on her assignment; the science side of being a coordinator was definitely a weakness of hers. Sure, she was brilliant of course, but actually sitting down and writing out these assignments bored her to death. Not that she'd let that stop her, but it did require giving herself a pep talk anytime just to start. If only she was back in high school where she had droves of nerds willing to do her assignments for her again. Clucking her tongue at the thought, the brunette decided to take her leave; there wasn't any point in dawdling in a sea of strangers. Maybe she should take some of her pent-up energy and actually try to get to know someone, but no one really caught her attention. Well, there was Erik Nyqvist-Åkerfeldt, the adopted son of Dr. Øystein Åkerfeldt, but it wasn't like she was familiar with him. The two had met in passing some time ago at a fundraiser but barely exchanged pleasantries. He was definitely cute, yes, and she would give him some credit in that he was certainly enthusiastic when it came to anything involving the Valkyries. But she wasn't looking for a lecture, she was looking for fun. No sooner had she let out a tiny sigh of exasperation when she spotted a dark-haired boy staring down at something. That one was in her class, too, wasn't he? She wracked her brain for a name, eventually landing on Sirius. Not that she remembered his last name, but as far as she was aware, it wasn't relevant. What was relevant was that she was very much a fan of the tall, dark, and handsome type. He looked annoyed at something, but that could easily be remedied. With her mind made up, Aurora disposed of her tray before confidently taking a seat across from the boy. Resting her elbows on the table and her chin in her hands, she put on her best smile. "No need to get so worked up, here I am. Don't worry, you still have two other wishes," She teased, holding back a giggle. ---</s> <\|message\|>Sirius Elhart Leverant Sirius Leverant Sirius wasn't sure if the disbelief made his outrage better or worse, as he seethed in the second-hand embarrassment of having invested his emotional energy into a group of losers. It was a small consolation that he hadn't put money on the match; he would need his stipend from home to continue purchasing outside food, or his rage truly would have nothing holding it back. Still, his inquiring mind needed to know just how it was possible a team with such a track record managed to botch such a simple game, and as he frantically tapped his way across the screen to find just that out, he caught sight of something—someone—in his peripheral vision. "No need to get so worked up, here I am. Don't worry, you still have two other wishes," He looked up just in time to hear that, and witness the bright, bubbly smile that accompanied it. The sweetness with which it was delivered might have softened the resolve of many a male cadet. Not so for Sirius. He had known this type before, even attracted them. The green stripes on her uniform at least separated her from the average harlot in his mind. Aurora de Realis-Donati, a fellow pilot-in-training. He had gone to the lengths of memorizing at least those who would be his competition in the rankings, something those of lesser colors did not have the privilege of. But acknowledgement wasn't a shield from his wrath. He affixed her with piercing silver eyes for a long moment, expressing both disdain and perplexity at her statement as he mowed over his response. Apart from her pedigree, there wasn't so very much that separated her from the others of her ilk. Well, aside from one thing. The vexation of his gaze changed to a certain sharpness as he came to a decision. "You aren't the kind of cow I was wishing for." Another piece of jerky found itself between his lips after he deadpanned those words.</s> <\|message\|>Erik Nyqvist-Åkerfeldt Erik Nyqvist-Åkerfeldt At the highest level of the lecture hall, an engineering student resisted the urge to yawn into his hand. "And that will end our brief lecture on the role of mecha preceding the Valkyrie Project." The doctor had been sure to brief him on the general curriculum of the academy before his enrollment, but he'd hoped that by thirty days into his stay at Taiyōtawa they would've at least gotten past subjects he'd already read up on years prior. From the way the vids had described it, Taiyōtawa Academy was the highest institution of learning in the entire Confederacy; where the galaxy's brightest minds flocked to determine the future of all who lived in it. So far, other than the frankly uncomfortable amount of attention he'd gotten from his teachers and classmates alike, the experience had been singularly unengaging. While his peers all but began stampeding out of the classroom the instant the clock hit 1200, Erik listlessly opened his datapad, cycling through a number of diligently organized screens before tapping a label simply marked 'Taiyōtawa Essay'. The words had hardly left his instructor's lips before Erik was submitting the assignment and turning his datapad off once again. He hoped he'd get his results sometime over the weekend, not that it particularly mattered. As the last student to make his way out of the classroom, Erik bowed respectfully towards the instructor and took his leave. --- If there was one thing Erik could appreciate about the academy, it was the food. Not only was it parsecs above the kind of barely edible gruel they called food on Gandvik, but there was an almost endless amount of it. He didn't understand why the rest of the student body turned their noses up at it. If they'd ever felt real hunger in their lives their tunes would change in a heartbeat. Nevertheless, unlike many others, lunch was the highlight of Erik's day. The slightest hint of a smile even crossed his lips when it was his turn in line. If not for his concentrated effort to avoid doing it, the former orphan likely would've gotten his food all over his uniform after he found a seat on the outskirts of the cafeteria. Even then, he devoured his meal uncharacteristically swiftly when compared to most everyone else in attendance. Although he'd been one of if not the last people to enter the lunch line, he was certainly the first to make a second, and probably the only, to make a third trip. To think, Dr. Donati thought the meals would be his least favorite part of school life.</s> <\|message\|>Aurora Lune de Realis-Donati --- A what? Slowly blinking her eyes, Aurora was a little confused. For one, the comparison was less than flattering--cows weren't exactly cute or nice to look at. She opened her mouth to ask before the realization hit her: he was comparing her unfavorably. But why? Was he blind? No, he wasn't if he knew what a cow looked like, but why would he say that? Every hair of hers was perfectly in place, her skin was smooth, and while the uniform wasn't the best, she didn't think it was that bad. It must have been a misunderstanding of some sorts--unless he was from some backwater planet that revered cows? Either way, the brunette wasn't amused. She tried not to show it, but it wasn't often that she was handed an insult right off the bat like this. Was there something she had done to unintentionally insult him? Considering this was the first time they were interacting, no. She supposed the best thing to do would be to take her leave, but that would be too boring, wouldn't it? The best thing to do would be to brush it off; his type probably reveled from the attention. Pursing her lips, Aurora made a small hum as she closed her eyes. "I suppose missing real food can do that to anyone," She mused out loud, placing her hands on the table as she thought of a way to recover. "I hope you'll forgive the intrusion, I just couldn't help myself. I think it'd be nice if we got to know each other a little better." ---</s>	<\|message\|>Eyrie Schemacloves "And that will end our brief lecture on the role of mecha preceding the Valkyrie Project." Eyrie hadn't reacted to the professor's concluding statement as the rest of the class began to leave the classroom, eyes still locked to her datapad up until a fellow student brushed past her seat on their way to the door. Like waking from a dream, her head snapped upward from the desk, eyes blinking rapidly as she noticed the lack of people in the room aside from a couple of students slowly packing their things and a bored-looking boy still seated in his chair. Scrambling to collect her belongings, she was one of the last to rush out the door, sending the instructor a hurried "have a good day" as she passed him by. As she moved through the hallways, Eyrie pulled out her datapad once more, reopening it to reveal multiple windows, each of them for every single one of the subjects in her curriculum. Eyes darted across the screen and ignored their surroundings, relying entirely on muscle memory to take her to the cafeteria as she attempted to absorb as much information as possible with what little time she had. A month was a short time for most, but to Eyrie it had been the longest month of her life. She knew better than anyone else that the only reason she was at Taiyōtawa at all was through her parents' efforts and not her own. Unlike the naturally gifted elite who come to Taiyōtawa because it was the best the galaxy could offer, Eyrie had to work hard for every single inch she could take on the mile-long trek to graduation. Every second she didn't spend studying was a second she was wasting. When Eyrie entered the cafeteria, she didn't even look to see what sort of paste they had for the day as she momentarily put away her datapad to take the offered tray. All of it tasted the same to her, no matter what sort of artificial flavoring they put in it. Goop was goop. But in all honesty, it was better than the sand-encrusted leftovers that were normal on her planet, so she didn't much care what it was. Though she looked for a place to sit, she couldn't find an open spot. Sure, there were seats left unoccupied, but most of them were either next to tables with friend groups, reserved, or just a single spot surrounded by crowded seats. She knew, no matter how hard she tried, she wasn't going to be getting anything done with all those people around. Too much noise. Too little privacy. So she left, tray in hand, headed for the bathroom. Seated in a locked cubicle, she picked at her daily dose of food paste with one hand while the other interacted with her datapad, propped up to the wall on top of the toilet roll holder. It was a sad sight, and she would most certainly die of embarrassment if anyone ever saw her, but it was a necessity. She couldn't let any of her classes suffer just because she wanted to have a comfortable lunch rather than sitting cramped on a toilet with her food in her lap. A loud bang of something hitting the metal of a neighboring cubicle startled her, nearly causing her to squeak with surprise. Only a hand covering her mouth kept her from making her presence known as she began to hear the sounds of girly gossip. Though she couldn't see them, she guessed it was a group of four or so standing by the sink. Silently, as she began to move her spoon slowly and gently as to not make a sound that would draw their notice, Eyrie internally sighed. She hoped they left soon. She didn't want to miss her next class.</s>
<\|description\|>Sex \| Age \| Race Optional Image --- Basic Info Alias: Look: Heritage: Vice/Purveyor: --- Stats Insight \| Prowess \| Resolve Stress: Trauma: Starting Abilities: Special Abilities: * * * Friends: * * * Equipment: * * * Bonus Dice Gambit</s> <\|message\|>Sex \| Age \| Race Black Market Runners This was a ramshackle base of operations if you had ever seen one. Tiles once meant to give these sealed corridors a pristine look already practically falling off from age and misuse. Idly you view a worn symbol of the Brazen Eagles across the next archway, a once infamous military arm of the Hegemony accused of high treason three decades earlier. It betrays the previous use of this station, meaning it was once a military installation. As you approach the hanger bay, you see two surly looking pirates with outdated but still very deadly submachine guns framing the door from both sides. The left one yanks his head to indicate you should keep moving. Further in there's machines made to fix other machines and manned lifts to be used to help repair Starships. There's five men from what you can see standing under the nose of the Stardancer, two of them reclining on the foothills of a veritable mountain of crates. They're smoking a substance you can't quite get a good gauge on. The other three are more notable. A younger man, very much a pilot is standing there with his hand on the Stardancer's hull, admiring it. A towering Xenos with what look to be tentacles for hair crossing his four arms and frowning with his lipless mouth. In the center is the man you were told to contact based on a look one could hardly forget. His smile is crooked, both in manner and from some mistreatment of his face. One could likely imagine the Xenos or one of his kind having remade it with a mightly blow. He wears a jacket and worn privateer clothes, smiling impishly when he views the newcomer as they approach, rubbing his hands. "Ah, there you are! My you're a desperate one aren't you?" He utters with a hissing lisp. "I like that in a man/woman, don't worry. You better be glad we've made this deal with you. Rico here never got the chance to fly the ship. Too bad for him, he still has to pay off his debt to the Blackcloaks..." --- You three find yourselves in the Hanger of this ruined military installation after getting sent here by your contact, Schill. Whoever posts first gets there first, who posts second gets there second, and the third one is the last to get there. Consider this first job the prologue, but you still have a myriad of options. Obviously, you have the option to ask further about this pilot and perhaps try to get him on your new 'crew' or at least get him to join the mission with you. Or you can ask further on the installation, the pirates, your job, etc. The game has officially begun!</s> <\|message\|>Even Im Even ImLoad(?/?): \| Armor: Stress:0/9 \| Harms: --- --- Even sauntered into the former military base with a toothpick in his mouth, and without an ounce of hesitation in his posture. This place was a bit run down, sure but Even had spent many nights in places far worse at many points in his life for a myriad of reasons, this one wasn't anything out of the ordinary. If there was anything to be surprised about, it was that the Hegemony would let a place of strategic import like a military base just go to waste rather than repurposing it, but those pencil pushers never seemed like the types to do the smart thing anyways. As he stepped into the hangar, Even pulled out the splinter in his mouth an flicked it into the box of crates before addressing his client. "Hey, as long as I get paid, everything will work out just dandy for the both of us," Even replied, flashing a toothy grin of his own. "Schill never gave me all the details of what this job entails, mind filling me in?" Personally, Even didn't care for the client's assumptions and assertions, but he wasn't here to argue with his source of income. For another man, the potential implication of Rico's inexperience with ship handling would be another red flag, but as Even saw it, if worse came to worse and the kid turned out to be a dud, he'd end up meeting an unexpected tragic fate and he could helm the ship in the time being. Someone incapable of even driving the bus stood no hope of paying off a debt to an organization like the Black Cloaks anyways.</s> <\|message\|>Ito Shirai Ito ShiraiLoad(?/?): \| Armor: Stress:0/9 \| Harms: --- --- Shady dealings in former military bases were not precisely the ideal location for Ito, in fact it was a place that he openly disliked due to having to use such derelict bases to try and oppose the Hegemony. The memories flooded into the back of his mind as he walked down the hallway of broken tile, remembering the gun fire of the dishonorable Hegemony and being forced to run and hide in the shadows. Ito let out an audible sigh as he shook the memories away as best he could, trying to focus on the xeno family that he had been raised with. Eventually, he would finally shake free those thoughts, stepping into the hanger and allowed himself to look around to absorb the locale. It definitely seemed a place of banditry and pirateering, a harsh reminder to how desperate he had come to for needing money. It was a reminder that he hate but knew that he would have to deal with for the time being. As Ito reached the contact that Schill had pointed him to, Ito felt an overwhelming feeling of disdain come behind his mask but was forced to swallow his pride as he allowed himself to interact with the man. Ito gave a customary bow to the impish man, still showing the politeness that he would need to, even offering a bow to a man who had the toothpick in his mouth. Ito did not personally know either of them so he had decided to follow the path of politeness for a good first impression, rather than acknowledging the pirates with a sword as he had been told to do in his youth. He met the eyes of the contact before speaking, his voice holding a neutral tone, "I do not suppose that this installation has been used for some time before the Blackcoats had come."</s> <\|message\|>Miranda Castle Miranda CastleLoad(?/?): \| Armor: Stress:0/9 \| Harms: --- --- It irritated Miranda to see a Hagemony base in such disrepair. Hallways that should have been sparkling were shabby and run down. All in all the effect was too close to a metaphor for her own fortunes to be entirely comfortable. Despite her current shortage of credits she was dressed in a sleek suit of shimmering silk which shifted between dark gray and black depending on the lighting or angle of the viewer. Her natural dark brown hair was concealed beneath an expertly applied wig of platinum blonde. "Gentle...men," she paused for a heartbeat as she took in the presence of Xenos. They certainly were a rough looking crew but a ship was a prize worth almost any risk. They looked as though they would be good material for the plan already forming in her mind. "Are we all here?" She asked, having deliberately timed her arrival to ensure she was last.</s> <\|message\|>Sex \| Age \| Race "Yeah, why don't you fuck off with that, Skrivver?" The pilot tells the ugly one, betraying the contact's name. The two pirates smoking laugh, high as the stratosphere. They don't realize what had just happened, though neither does the pilot it seems. He is suddenly grabbed from behind by two of the four armed Xenos's powerful hands to be slammed into the hull of the ship, cheek pressed to the Syronian Steel of the hull. Skrivver shambles over to him and punches the immobilized man in the gut, sending him reeling. "You owe us 1,500 small ones there, Rico. You keep it up and I'll carve the money out of you." He promises, before clearing his throat and turning to put on a pleasant smile to answer Even's question. Somehow it makes him look all the more ugly. "The details of the assignment is simple." He makes small guns with his fingers at the three of them. "You got the coordinates in the ship. You have the codes to get in close. Once you land you're in what's pretty much the only Embassy within two systems, which means it's not just a prison. In fact most of it is a pit stop for big name nobles looking to refuel and planetary chiefs to fly up and suck their dicks. You go in, go to the bottom level, spring our boss out and get him back on the ship without anyone being none the wiser. You do that and you get the ship. I don't need to ask if we have a deal because we've made it already. You should be glad I like Schill." At Miranda's question, the two smokers howl with gusto. Skrivver looks around. "We don't have anyone else coming unless you brought a crew in your shoes." --- So, just tell me you pass in the OOC or make a post and roll for it in here. Though you'll probably want to tell me what kind of roll it is in the OOC too.</s> <\|message\|>Ito Shirai Ito ShiraiLoad(?/?): \| Armor: Stress:0/9 \| Harms: --- --- Ito watched as the pirate berated the underling, Rico, with a certain level of disdain as Skrivver shoved the would-be pilot into the side of the ship. He knew that discipline had to be instilled every now and again but the manner about which it was instilled was always something to be watched, never too lenient nor too forceful. Skrivver, however, would dare to threaten his own underling with such a horrid punishment that it made Ito sick to his stomach. Such threats were beneath someone who was supposed to be a higher up, remembering that those under you needed to be not only worked with but also work without fear. Fear was the path of the coward, and it seemed that Skrivver was very much a coward who would resort to fear in order to keep his crew in line. The most honorable of the people there snarled behind his mask before he would declare, in a stern voice, "Treating your underlings in such a manner is without honor!" He took a moment to make sure that Skrivver was paying attention to Ito before stepping forward, "Fear is the path of the coward! Anyone in a place a command should know such things," the Viper hissed, eyes narrowing and metaphorical fangs bared as he stared down the pirate. His eyes focused purely on pirate, unmoving and unwavering as his arms crossed themselves over his chest as he took another step towards Skrivver, awaiting whatever response the pirate would dare throw his way. --- Rolled 3 for Command on Skivver</s> <\|message\|>Sex \| Age \| Race Skrivver turns his attention to Ito, his mangled face muddied in confusion. "What?" He asks you, though you realize it's more of a rhetorical statement than him wishing you to repeat yourself. Rico tries to turn his head to look at you but he's stuck in his position, being pressed into the hull. "He's not a member of our band. He bloody owes me! You know what? Just for that he now owes me 2,000." Skrivver gives you a gaptoothed grin, clearly enjoying raking up the price as long as he's given a reason. "You and your new crew better get the fuck out of here and get us Marco or we'll string this pilot here up and use him for target practice!" --- As this is the prologue, nothing bad happened to you personally. But generally a 6 is a favorable outcome, a 4-5 is a partial success, and a 1-3 is a bad outcome which means not only do you fail, but something bad happens. In this case, the pilot was simply given a larger debt, but that doesn't mean it can't be talked down nor he can't win his freedom.</s> <\|message\|>Miranda Castle Miranda cleared her throat pointedly having managed to blend into the background while the altercation had taken place. Fortunately she was as good at avoiding attention as attracting it when the circumstances were right. "I am quite certain Mr Skrivver, that the rescue of your pirate captain will not be hastened by shooting this miscreant, nor by battering a hole in the side of our ship with his skull... amusing though that might be," she gave Rico a look of cold appraisal. "You have taken care of your end of the business, let us take care of ours," she wen't on the slight edges of her Imperial accent sharpening. "We will bring the kid along to, who knows he might catch a bullet during the break out and spare you all the trouble," she concluded brightly.</s>	<\|message\|>Sex \| Age \| Race That wasn't something Skrivver foresaw, and the same could be said for the Xenos who's grip on Rico slackens. The pilot wriggles out of its grip and slides away with a screeching of his shoe leather over the station-steel floor. "What? I never said!" The underboss says, but as Miranda speaks, he clearly feels this was killing two birds with one stone. Having the pilot help get his boss back to pay off his debt, though it also meant that if he were to die he wouldn't get any of what the pilot owes him. Still, he thinks for a moment and acquiesces to the request. "Fine, but he still owes me. He can talk to Marco about that maybe, but you have to grab him first!" The fellow declared, and waves you all off. If there was no more questions among you, then it would be time to depart. The pilot practically leaps into the ship to keep the xenos off of him, and the two fellows smoking laugh again. Until Skrivver smacks one over the head, that is. --- Can't really argue with 2 6's</s>
<\|description\|>Sex \| Age \| Race Optional Image --- Basic Info Alias: Look: Heritage: Vice/Purveyor: --- Stats Insight \| Prowess \| Resolve Stress: Trauma: Starting Abilities: Special Abilities: * * * Friends: * * * Equipment: * * * Bonus Dice Gambit</s> <\|message\|>Miranda Castle Miranda tossed her head and then took a seat at one of the consoles, bringing up some of the video compiler software and beginning to tap at the holographic keys. She began to import footage she had prepared before the mission on the off chance she ran into just this kind of idiocy. "Perhaps we should name the ship?" she suggested with tart sarcasm tinging an artificially bright tone. She made a show of considering it, looking back and forth between the two other newcomers. "Perhaps 'The Cowardly Boyscout' would suit you gentlemen?" she asked with pie eyed innocence. "Or maybe 'Opportunity Lost' is more to your taste?" Considering that the pirates were giving away a ship for what they were billing as a simple extraction, Miranda might have gone with 'Obvious Setup' but that really didn't fit in with the through line of her other jokes.</s> <\|message\|>Even Im Even ImLoad(?/?): \| Armor: Stress:0/9 \| Harms: --- --- "I'm quite partial to 'Nagging Hen,' myself. Or perhaps 'Overconfident Fool.' You're here the same as the rest of us for the same reason: you need cred, and you need it bad. Probably need it worse than any of the rest of us, so it's funny that you're looking to backstab your employer at the drop of the hat for short-sighted gain without so much to show as payment in advance." Even could feel an impending headache come in if he had to deal with this for a prolonged period of time. If he'd wanted to be pestered for every little thing he did or didn't do, he'd have gotten married and probably end up like his old pal Nyx. Poor bastard would try to stay in the bar as long as possible to avoid her, only to make the tongue-lashing he got even worse. Even chuckled to himself as he briefly reminisced before he reached into his jacket and pulled out his deck of holocards and began to fiddle with them. Although they were designed to trick suckers into parting with their funds prematurely, he didn't use them for that purpose often these days. He'd been on many ship rides, many of them without built in entertainment and they got drear real quickly. On one of these voyages he had picked up sleight of hand from another passenger. The only people Even cared to show off the tricks to were his family, but it was a good way to pass the time and keep his hands busy.</s> <\|message\|>Miranda Castle "No payment...you realize the ship is the payment right?" Miranda began, wondering if the fool could possibly be that dense. She gave up on arguing the point, he was certainly sexist so why not simple as well. Shaking her head and adjusting her expectations downward she went back to work. The pirates claimed they had taken care of everything, but if that were true they could certainly have just had Rico fly them in to retrieve their boss. They needed a plausible reason to be on the station if things turned out to be more complicated than advertised, well that could be arranged. While she had what she needed for herself, the cameras on the ship itself weren't of good enough quality for her purposes. "Do either of you have holos of yourselves, preferable something not quite current and at high definition?" she asked. [Asking for assistance on a hacking roll to create some false documents]</s> <\|message\|>Even Im Even ImLoad(?/?): \| Armor: Stress:1/9 \| Harms: --- --- "Hey, that's not what Schill told me." Even kept the rest of his words cursing Schill for not telling him all the details in his head, not realizing the fact that both Schill and Skrivver had both told him, but he wasn't listening when either of them said so. He couldn't pay the bills with a ship, especially not one he owned with 2 other people who weren't likely to sell it, which meant he'd need to go on another job soon that he really wouldn't be able vet. "If you need them to make forgeries, you don't need to both with mine. They're already done." Even put down his cards to pull out the forged documents from his coat and tossed them over to Miranda before going back to what he was doing. She could reference what he already had done to maintain consistency with whatever she was planning or just look at them to be sure of their (apparent) legitimacy. "Nice job communicating on our plan of action by the way. I guess we're using fake documents to slip into the prison and then busting the boss out before the whole station can notice?"</s> <\|message\|>Sex \| Age \| Race The display monitor on the ship shows everyone the opening of the hanger, revealing an endless void of blackness and stars before you. Rico seems eager to get moving, though there was a nonchalance to him, as if all he needed to see was the image of space to feel right at home. He sets coordinates to the Garneki Station, merely 0.57261 Light Years from your current location and sets the flight plan. "I'm not as intimate in detail on this job of yours as say...well you guys. But I'm pretty certain the ship is the main payment and they'll add a bit more for your trouble to keep you from bailing." Rico informs all three of you as you two forge the documents. Your journey is uneventful, smooth sailing throughout. In fact it lasts merely fifteen minutes, moving at around 0.001% of your optimal speed with your lightspeed engines. Jumping out of hyperspace, you three see a vast installation, somewhat similar to the one you just left, at least in overt style. The shape of the architecture looks somewhat like a slowly spinning top, with your destination being on the very, very bottom. Rico flies you in effortlessly, speaking to the comm once you're hailed and using a guest's landing code which gives you a limited window to 'park.' Clearly he's done this before and it's lucky you lot recruited him. You fly in closer and slide into a far more sophisticated hanger than the one you just left. It's guarded by a shield of energy that allows ships to fly in and out seamlessly without exposing anyone within to the void of space beyond. As you park, you get a quick glance of your surroundings on the display. You are located in subsection B16 of the station, with five spots to land in but three are already filled up. You see two Hedgemony troopers casually walking across the inner railing, with various engineers and utility workers milling about fulfilling tasks that would no doubt bore you. At the very left of the hanger, after you climb the stairs to the walkway, is the entrance to the Station proper, guarded by two more SDO's (Stationary Defense Officers). --- You are now in the belly of the beast. What is your first course of action?</s> <\|message\|>Even Im Even ImLoad(1/3): Fine Coat(1), Forged Documents \| Armor: Stress:1/9 \| Harms: --- --- Even stepped out of the ship looking far more presentable than he had when he went in. You could even call it corporate in appearance, and his body language changed to match. Although very little had actually changed, it were the little things that counted. His face was clean shaven, his hair tidied up and slicked back, and his clothes were worn much tighter and cleaner. Perhaps if he had more time he could have pushed it further, but he preferred to adapt to the situation rather than dwell on what ifs. Without waiting for the others to get out of the ship, Even strode forwards to the SDOs and made his introductions. "Greetings, gentlemen. I and my associates are with the IBHS, Iona Board of Health & Safety. We're a third party organization affiliated with the Hegemony that makes sure that your facilities up to code on the current mandates and policies." Even produces one of his forged documents to add credibility to his claim before continuing on. "I'm sure you've been filled in on it, but we perform unannounced audits so that we can understand what the state of the affairs truly are, and today is one of those days. However, while this audit will not be exhaustive, if we find 3 major infractions or more, we will have to notify the company and have them perform larger, more rigorous inspections regularly until you pass. Now if you would allow me and my compatriots to pass, when they arrive." In a hushed voice he whispered to them, "Don't pay mind to the scruffier ones. They simply piloted the ship on the way here. You know how those spacer types can be." --- Rolling Sway on the guards to allow us free access to the station and using a gambit on it as well.</s> <\|message\|>Ito Shirai Ito ShiraiLoad(3/3): \| Armor: Stress:0/9 \| Harms: --- --- Ito, stepping out of the the ship, looked past Even to see the Hegemony presence on the station and noted it to be a bit lighter than what he was used to, given his past of fighting these types. His eyes scanned the hangar and he kept his weapons close, keeping himself lightly armed so that they would not immediately gain the ire of the station. The two weapons that he had brought were his vibrosword and his flamethrower, not being too heavy and still being able to somewhat come across as inconspicuous. Regardless, he moved behind Even, keeping his distance and looking more as a personal guard for the man as he worked whatever charisma that he had, though the Viper kept his mask on just so his eyes had the leeway to look around without anyone directly seeing where his eyes were. At least Ito knew that at this point, he would not have to act as any form of face.</s> <\|message\|>Miranda Castle Miranda hastily gathered her hair into an officious looking bun and grabbed a data-slate. Fortunately her dress suit already made her look sufficiently business like. The boots she was wearing were a little too officious for this particular role but she rather doubted the Hedge had their best and brightest on a station like this, or, for that matter, in a sector like this. It was one of the things that made them so easy to fleece. "Keep the engine running," she told Rico and strode down the ramp to join the two males. She thrust her dataslate in the general direction of the guard. "We will need floor plans, particularly with regards to plumbing and power usage," she stated in a bored, boring tone. "Your chief engineer should have the access we need, or one of his subordinates if you cannot disturb him." [Assisting]</s> <\|message\|>Sex \| Age \| Race You three make it to the SDO's, and the two men guarding the entryway show absolutely no skepticism. The look of the crew coupled with the believable alibi and papers check out. The SDO on the left, a man with greyed hair though he couldn't be over fifty radios his Officer on the comm linked to his ear. "Sir, we've got IBHS associates here. They need to see our floor plans, plumbing, electricity, the whole thing...Yes sir...very well. I'll send them in." The SDO clear's his throat. "You can go along inside. Walk up to the front desk and ask for the floor plans. They'll give you whatever you need. The Engineer keeps a copy on every level in case there's an emergency. Though I should inform you this Hangar is an exclusive one. You only have three days, though I doubt you'd need that long." Passed him, the hallway has a neon-like feel to the smooth surface of the walls. The light almost seems to be transformed into softer and yet colors with blue being the prominent one. Once you step out, the chamber is hexagonal in structure and multifaceted as the walls rise to the ceiling, though the lights are noticeably normal. A stately woman with a look similar to Miranda resides behind the front desk. She gives you the floor plans without complaint when asked. If you peruse them for a good minute, you find the second hallway to your left, known as hallway 4D, leads to the access elevator you need a code to gain entry for, and it will take you to any level you see fit. You find a small slip of paper on the floor plans. A note that gives the code: 179463. --- Assume you make it to the Elevator. One of you needs to put the code in and everyone will hop in and you can discuss a further strategy or simply wait.</s> <\|message\|>Miranda Castle Miranda steeped into the elevator, beckoning the others to follow her before punching in the code. "If we claim there is a leak of some kind in the prison ventilation system, we might be able to march our guy right out of here."</s> <\|message\|>Even Im Even opened up the various plans and looked over them in regards to the plan Miranda suggested. "Perhaps we might be able to take that idea one step further. It's a lot more credible of a claim if we can actually force a leak in the necessary location. Hey big guy, what do you think?" Their masked fellow was certainly the most quiet of the three, but maybe he was one of those types that picked up on everything and preferred to not speak up. Even if he turned out to be a complete imbecile, it would be better to learn straight away rather than be taken off guard by it later. Regardless of if/what Ito decided to add in, Even would check to see if there were any fuel lines or such nearby the cell for their mark, as well as anything that might be of interest in the area for him to exploit. As far as he saw things, if nothing popped out to him, they could just keep winging it.</s>	<\|message\|>Sex \| Age \| Race Once you three make your plan, the elevator/lift door opens to reveal a hall much more utilitarian and barren than the almost eloquent and brightly furnished upper foyer. There's no carpet on the floor, giving everything a very purgatorial and uniform look. You do notice it has a lot of good lighting, and you see two SDO's making their rounds walking over to the elevator, likely curious on who was coming down, or at least being told to confirm your location. One waves at you, but it seems they knew someone with the right clearance was coming down because they simply turn the corner and go left down the hall. The forward hall leads...well forward, with four other halls intersecting. Two on the left and two on the right, likely leading into different areas with different cells. You see a terminal just outside of the elevator door, which looks to be a list and catalogue of all the criminals and undesirable people they have locked down here. A large touch keypad is laid out on display to be used at your convenience. However, you need a password or you need to hack it to start it up, or it might be easier and less suspicious to simply start walking. You know by the map in your possession that anything that has to do with core units of the ventilation system is through the right hall. --- Make your rolls and decisions, ladies and gents!</s>
<\|description\|>Even Im Male \| 32 \| Human --- Basic Info Alias: The Wild Ram Look: Fiery Eyes and gaudy suit clothes Heritage: Wanderer Background: Syndicate Vice/Purveyor: Obligation: Support his adopted daughter Ohna Trauma: --- Stats Insight 0 * Doctor * Hack * Rig * Study Prowess 3 * Helm 1 * Scramble * Scrap 1 * Skulk 1 Resolve 2 * Attune * Command 2 * Consort * Sway 2 Starting Abilities: Serendipitous Special Abilities: * Daredevil * * "Friends": * Nyx - A moneylender from a different, but neutral syndicate. They used to go drinking * Ora - Annoying info broker. Terminal case of dunning-kruger * Jal - Ship mechanic and Ohna's aunt. She houses the girl most of the time * Rhin - A smuggler who snuck Even out the night he was ejected from his old gang. Smells strongly of rosemary. * Battro - Bounty Hunter Even used to employ frequently, now hired to hunt him down. Doesn't talk much. Equipment: * Fine Blaster Pistol - Got it from his old boss * Fine Coat - His lucky coat is highlighter green, although faded with time. At first he hated it but is now convinced it has semi-magical powers * Trick Holo Cards * Forged Documents * Mystic Ammunition - Raided from the office of a defeated rival gang lieutenant * Personal Memento - Family photo Bonus Dice Gambit</s> <\|message\|>Miranda Castle Miranda leaned forward and examined the control panel, running her fingers over the surface of the nearest console. "It does have a certain elegance," she admitted, forming her finger and thumb into a child's imitation of a gun. "We drop a plasma blast in the landing bay, Skrivver and his boys get all cripsy, the Hedge execute a pirate chief, the Blackcloaks are leaderless, piracy goes down and we get a ship... everybody wins."</s> <\|message\|>Even Im "That's not how that works, Sugarplum." Even chimed in, finding a seat in the cockpit and strapping in before the overzealous pilot could take off. "Any survivors or friends of the Blackcloaks hear about that stunt and want blood and will gather as much support as they can possibly muster. Even without a leader they've managed to procure a ship like this and will let us just fly off with it. Anyone else who hears about this won't trust you in the future, cutting off possible jobs, contacts, and resources. This is a hot ship. We're in a Hegemony base, abandoned or not. If any shrubs decide to look into the whole situation, they ain't comin' down on our side. And on top of all that, we don't get paid. If you pull a stunt like that right now, the ones you know for sure who aren't winning is us. For now we should be thinkin about springing Gaebril without getting our asses burnt." Of course, after the job's settled and the checks are cleared, making off with a nice ship like this could be a very valuable asset, but one thing at a time. He needed the cred first. Betrayal could come later when this whole agreement had worn out all of its use. But right now? What would the point be of deciding to plant a sapling only to burn it the moment you finished digging the hole for it.</s> <\|message\|>Miranda Castle Miranda affected an exaggerated yawn. "Sounds like a marketing problem easily handled. Personally, I'm not too worried about a group of pirates who don't have the balls to spring their own boss," she disagreed fixing her companion with a speculative look. "But then perhaps the shortage is sector wide..."</s> <\|message\|>Ito Shirai Ito ShiraiLoad(?/?): \| Armor: Stress:0/9 \| Harms: --- --- Ito shot a silent look to the woman, taking a moment to think of a proper response to dignify such a suggestion of betrayal. "Betrayal will get us nowhere, once our deal with those pirates is up you may do whatever with them. For the time being focus on the mission at hand," the warrior stated, agreeing with his other companion for about the issue displayed. After making his statement, he proceeded to walk around the ship to get a feeling for it, allowing the silence to follow him as the sound of the ships engines cut into his thoughts for the time being. Eventually, he found the engine room, the source of the noise that had dulled his mind to a lovely, momentary silence. Quickly did Ito make himself comfortable, sitting on the floor of the ship and crossing his legs as he kept his back straight. These moments of reflection were rare, especially when he was unaccompanied by the delights of liquor or other dulling substances to make sure that he could not fully remember the past and its tribulations.</s> <\|message\|>Sex \| Age \| Race The ship began to lift itself off the ground, pushing no air current as it via a different medium. You could see Rico gaze down at the pirates who watched them with a mixture of haughty arrogance, mirth, or hatred. Despite his suggestion, Miranda's tone noticably chills him and he glances back at her. He gives her a measuring look while Even speaks. You can tell he does not wish to admit it, but Even's suggestion has merit in his eyes. Rico turns back to the controls, confident the team behind him won't resort to infighting and keeping his more private thoughts unreadable. Ito would feel the thrum of the engine beneath him as the ship slowly drifted towards the pressurized hanger bay; a massive wall that opened and closed that separated the inner hanger to where the ships then begin to enter space. "I suppose that was a no to my suggestion," He says as he flips a few switches, analyzing a 'flight' path for them as they enter the outer bay. He doesn't look to perturbed by it, however. Rico has the look of a soldier; youthful, fit, and apparently a reputable pilot. "At least I know which of you is the coldest." --- You can take this time to speak to Rico, roll to influence him on anything, or speak to one another in the OOC on plans after the mission.</s> <\|message\|>Miranda Castle Miranda tossed her head and then took a seat at one of the consoles, bringing up some of the video compiler software and beginning to tap at the holographic keys. She began to import footage she had prepared before the mission on the off chance she ran into just this kind of idiocy. "Perhaps we should name the ship?" she suggested with tart sarcasm tinging an artificially bright tone. She made a show of considering it, looking back and forth between the two other newcomers. "Perhaps 'The Cowardly Boyscout' would suit you gentlemen?" she asked with pie eyed innocence. "Or maybe 'Opportunity Lost' is more to your taste?" Considering that the pirates were giving away a ship for what they were billing as a simple extraction, Miranda might have gone with 'Obvious Setup' but that really didn't fit in with the through line of her other jokes.</s> <\|message\|>Even Im Even ImLoad(?/?): \| Armor: Stress:0/9 \| Harms: --- --- "I'm quite partial to 'Nagging Hen,' myself. Or perhaps 'Overconfident Fool.' You're here the same as the rest of us for the same reason: you need cred, and you need it bad. Probably need it worse than any of the rest of us, so it's funny that you're looking to backstab your employer at the drop of the hat for short-sighted gain without so much to show as payment in advance." Even could feel an impending headache come in if he had to deal with this for a prolonged period of time. If he'd wanted to be pestered for every little thing he did or didn't do, he'd have gotten married and probably end up like his old pal Nyx. Poor bastard would try to stay in the bar as long as possible to avoid her, only to make the tongue-lashing he got even worse. Even chuckled to himself as he briefly reminisced before he reached into his jacket and pulled out his deck of holocards and began to fiddle with them. Although they were designed to trick suckers into parting with their funds prematurely, he didn't use them for that purpose often these days. He'd been on many ship rides, many of them without built in entertainment and they got drear real quickly. On one of these voyages he had picked up sleight of hand from another passenger. The only people Even cared to show off the tricks to were his family, but it was a good way to pass the time and keep his hands busy.</s> <\|message\|>Miranda Castle "No payment...you realize the ship is the payment right?" Miranda began, wondering if the fool could possibly be that dense. She gave up on arguing the point, he was certainly sexist so why not simple as well. Shaking her head and adjusting her expectations downward she went back to work. The pirates claimed they had taken care of everything, but if that were true they could certainly have just had Rico fly them in to retrieve their boss. They needed a plausible reason to be on the station if things turned out to be more complicated than advertised, well that could be arranged. While she had what she needed for herself, the cameras on the ship itself weren't of good enough quality for her purposes. "Do either of you have holos of yourselves, preferable something not quite current and at high definition?" she asked. [Asking for assistance on a hacking roll to create some false documents]</s> <\|message\|>Even Im Even ImLoad(?/?): \| Armor: Stress:1/9 \| Harms: --- --- "Hey, that's not what Schill told me." Even kept the rest of his words cursing Schill for not telling him all the details in his head, not realizing the fact that both Schill and Skrivver had both told him, but he wasn't listening when either of them said so. He couldn't pay the bills with a ship, especially not one he owned with 2 other people who weren't likely to sell it, which meant he'd need to go on another job soon that he really wouldn't be able vet. "If you need them to make forgeries, you don't need to both with mine. They're already done." Even put down his cards to pull out the forged documents from his coat and tossed them over to Miranda before going back to what he was doing. She could reference what he already had done to maintain consistency with whatever she was planning or just look at them to be sure of their (apparent) legitimacy. "Nice job communicating on our plan of action by the way. I guess we're using fake documents to slip into the prison and then busting the boss out before the whole station can notice?"</s> <\|message\|>Sex \| Age \| Race The display monitor on the ship shows everyone the opening of the hanger, revealing an endless void of blackness and stars before you. Rico seems eager to get moving, though there was a nonchalance to him, as if all he needed to see was the image of space to feel right at home. He sets coordinates to the Garneki Station, merely 0.57261 Light Years from your current location and sets the flight plan. "I'm not as intimate in detail on this job of yours as say...well you guys. But I'm pretty certain the ship is the main payment and they'll add a bit more for your trouble to keep you from bailing." Rico informs all three of you as you two forge the documents. Your journey is uneventful, smooth sailing throughout. In fact it lasts merely fifteen minutes, moving at around 0.001% of your optimal speed with your lightspeed engines. Jumping out of hyperspace, you three see a vast installation, somewhat similar to the one you just left, at least in overt style. The shape of the architecture looks somewhat like a slowly spinning top, with your destination being on the very, very bottom. Rico flies you in effortlessly, speaking to the comm once you're hailed and using a guest's landing code which gives you a limited window to 'park.' Clearly he's done this before and it's lucky you lot recruited him. You fly in closer and slide into a far more sophisticated hanger than the one you just left. It's guarded by a shield of energy that allows ships to fly in and out seamlessly without exposing anyone within to the void of space beyond. As you park, you get a quick glance of your surroundings on the display. You are located in subsection B16 of the station, with five spots to land in but three are already filled up. You see two Hedgemony troopers casually walking across the inner railing, with various engineers and utility workers milling about fulfilling tasks that would no doubt bore you. At the very left of the hanger, after you climb the stairs to the walkway, is the entrance to the Station proper, guarded by two more SDO's (Stationary Defense Officers). --- You are now in the belly of the beast. What is your first course of action?</s>	<\|message\|>Even Im Even ImLoad(1/3): Fine Coat(1), Forged Documents \| Armor: Stress:1/9 \| Harms: --- --- Even stepped out of the ship looking far more presentable than he had when he went in. You could even call it corporate in appearance, and his body language changed to match. Although very little had actually changed, it were the little things that counted. His face was clean shaven, his hair tidied up and slicked back, and his clothes were worn much tighter and cleaner. Perhaps if he had more time he could have pushed it further, but he preferred to adapt to the situation rather than dwell on what ifs. Without waiting for the others to get out of the ship, Even strode forwards to the SDOs and made his introductions. "Greetings, gentlemen. I and my associates are with the IBHS, Iona Board of Health & Safety. We're a third party organization affiliated with the Hegemony that makes sure that your facilities up to code on the current mandates and policies." Even produces one of his forged documents to add credibility to his claim before continuing on. "I'm sure you've been filled in on it, but we perform unannounced audits so that we can understand what the state of the affairs truly are, and today is one of those days. However, while this audit will not be exhaustive, if we find 3 major infractions or more, we will have to notify the company and have them perform larger, more rigorous inspections regularly until you pass. Now if you would allow me and my compatriots to pass, when they arrive." In a hushed voice he whispered to them, "Don't pay mind to the scruffier ones. They simply piloted the ship on the way here. You know how those spacer types can be." --- Rolling Sway on the guards to allow us free access to the station and using a gambit on it as well.</s>
<\|description\|>Even Im Male \| 32 \| Human --- Basic Info Alias: The Wild Ram Look: Fiery Eyes and gaudy suit clothes Heritage: Wanderer Background: Syndicate Vice/Purveyor: Obligation: Support his adopted daughter Ohna Trauma: --- Stats Insight 0 * Doctor * Hack * Rig * Study Prowess 3 * Helm 1 * Scramble * Scrap 1 * Skulk 1 Resolve 2 * Attune * Command 2 * Consort * Sway 2 Starting Abilities: Serendipitous Special Abilities: * Daredevil * * "Friends": * Nyx - A moneylender from a different, but neutral syndicate. They used to go drinking * Ora - Annoying info broker. Terminal case of dunning-kruger * Jal - Ship mechanic and Ohna's aunt. She houses the girl most of the time * Rhin - A smuggler who snuck Even out the night he was ejected from his old gang. Smells strongly of rosemary. * Battro - Bounty Hunter Even used to employ frequently, now hired to hunt him down. Doesn't talk much. Equipment: * Fine Blaster Pistol - Got it from his old boss * Fine Coat - His lucky coat is highlighter green, although faded with time. At first he hated it but is now convinced it has semi-magical powers * Trick Holo Cards * Forged Documents * Mystic Ammunition - Raided from the office of a defeated rival gang lieutenant * Personal Memento - Family photo Bonus Dice Gambit</s> <\|message\|>Miranda Castle "No payment...you realize the ship is the payment right?" Miranda began, wondering if the fool could possibly be that dense. She gave up on arguing the point, he was certainly sexist so why not simple as well. Shaking her head and adjusting her expectations downward she went back to work. The pirates claimed they had taken care of everything, but if that were true they could certainly have just had Rico fly them in to retrieve their boss. They needed a plausible reason to be on the station if things turned out to be more complicated than advertised, well that could be arranged. While she had what she needed for herself, the cameras on the ship itself weren't of good enough quality for her purposes. "Do either of you have holos of yourselves, preferable something not quite current and at high definition?" she asked. [Asking for assistance on a hacking roll to create some false documents]</s> <\|message\|>Even Im Even ImLoad(?/?): \| Armor: Stress:1/9 \| Harms: --- --- "Hey, that's not what Schill told me." Even kept the rest of his words cursing Schill for not telling him all the details in his head, not realizing the fact that both Schill and Skrivver had both told him, but he wasn't listening when either of them said so. He couldn't pay the bills with a ship, especially not one he owned with 2 other people who weren't likely to sell it, which meant he'd need to go on another job soon that he really wouldn't be able vet. "If you need them to make forgeries, you don't need to both with mine. They're already done." Even put down his cards to pull out the forged documents from his coat and tossed them over to Miranda before going back to what he was doing. She could reference what he already had done to maintain consistency with whatever she was planning or just look at them to be sure of their (apparent) legitimacy. "Nice job communicating on our plan of action by the way. I guess we're using fake documents to slip into the prison and then busting the boss out before the whole station can notice?"</s> <\|message\|>Sex \| Age \| Race The display monitor on the ship shows everyone the opening of the hanger, revealing an endless void of blackness and stars before you. Rico seems eager to get moving, though there was a nonchalance to him, as if all he needed to see was the image of space to feel right at home. He sets coordinates to the Garneki Station, merely 0.57261 Light Years from your current location and sets the flight plan. "I'm not as intimate in detail on this job of yours as say...well you guys. But I'm pretty certain the ship is the main payment and they'll add a bit more for your trouble to keep you from bailing." Rico informs all three of you as you two forge the documents. Your journey is uneventful, smooth sailing throughout. In fact it lasts merely fifteen minutes, moving at around 0.001% of your optimal speed with your lightspeed engines. Jumping out of hyperspace, you three see a vast installation, somewhat similar to the one you just left, at least in overt style. The shape of the architecture looks somewhat like a slowly spinning top, with your destination being on the very, very bottom. Rico flies you in effortlessly, speaking to the comm once you're hailed and using a guest's landing code which gives you a limited window to 'park.' Clearly he's done this before and it's lucky you lot recruited him. You fly in closer and slide into a far more sophisticated hanger than the one you just left. It's guarded by a shield of energy that allows ships to fly in and out seamlessly without exposing anyone within to the void of space beyond. As you park, you get a quick glance of your surroundings on the display. You are located in subsection B16 of the station, with five spots to land in but three are already filled up. You see two Hedgemony troopers casually walking across the inner railing, with various engineers and utility workers milling about fulfilling tasks that would no doubt bore you. At the very left of the hanger, after you climb the stairs to the walkway, is the entrance to the Station proper, guarded by two more SDO's (Stationary Defense Officers). --- You are now in the belly of the beast. What is your first course of action?</s> <\|message\|>Even Im Even ImLoad(1/3): Fine Coat(1), Forged Documents \| Armor: Stress:1/9 \| Harms: --- --- Even stepped out of the ship looking far more presentable than he had when he went in. You could even call it corporate in appearance, and his body language changed to match. Although very little had actually changed, it were the little things that counted. His face was clean shaven, his hair tidied up and slicked back, and his clothes were worn much tighter and cleaner. Perhaps if he had more time he could have pushed it further, but he preferred to adapt to the situation rather than dwell on what ifs. Without waiting for the others to get out of the ship, Even strode forwards to the SDOs and made his introductions. "Greetings, gentlemen. I and my associates are with the IBHS, Iona Board of Health & Safety. We're a third party organization affiliated with the Hegemony that makes sure that your facilities up to code on the current mandates and policies." Even produces one of his forged documents to add credibility to his claim before continuing on. "I'm sure you've been filled in on it, but we perform unannounced audits so that we can understand what the state of the affairs truly are, and today is one of those days. However, while this audit will not be exhaustive, if we find 3 major infractions or more, we will have to notify the company and have them perform larger, more rigorous inspections regularly until you pass. Now if you would allow me and my compatriots to pass, when they arrive." In a hushed voice he whispered to them, "Don't pay mind to the scruffier ones. They simply piloted the ship on the way here. You know how those spacer types can be." --- Rolling Sway on the guards to allow us free access to the station and using a gambit on it as well.</s> <\|message\|>Ito Shirai Ito ShiraiLoad(3/3): \| Armor: Stress:0/9 \| Harms: --- --- Ito, stepping out of the the ship, looked past Even to see the Hegemony presence on the station and noted it to be a bit lighter than what he was used to, given his past of fighting these types. His eyes scanned the hangar and he kept his weapons close, keeping himself lightly armed so that they would not immediately gain the ire of the station. The two weapons that he had brought were his vibrosword and his flamethrower, not being too heavy and still being able to somewhat come across as inconspicuous. Regardless, he moved behind Even, keeping his distance and looking more as a personal guard for the man as he worked whatever charisma that he had, though the Viper kept his mask on just so his eyes had the leeway to look around without anyone directly seeing where his eyes were. At least Ito knew that at this point, he would not have to act as any form of face.</s> <\|message\|>Miranda Castle Miranda hastily gathered her hair into an officious looking bun and grabbed a data-slate. Fortunately her dress suit already made her look sufficiently business like. The boots she was wearing were a little too officious for this particular role but she rather doubted the Hedge had their best and brightest on a station like this, or, for that matter, in a sector like this. It was one of the things that made them so easy to fleece. "Keep the engine running," she told Rico and strode down the ramp to join the two males. She thrust her dataslate in the general direction of the guard. "We will need floor plans, particularly with regards to plumbing and power usage," she stated in a bored, boring tone. "Your chief engineer should have the access we need, or one of his subordinates if you cannot disturb him." [Assisting]</s> <\|message\|>Sex \| Age \| Race You three make it to the SDO's, and the two men guarding the entryway show absolutely no skepticism. The look of the crew coupled with the believable alibi and papers check out. The SDO on the left, a man with greyed hair though he couldn't be over fifty radios his Officer on the comm linked to his ear. "Sir, we've got IBHS associates here. They need to see our floor plans, plumbing, electricity, the whole thing...Yes sir...very well. I'll send them in." The SDO clear's his throat. "You can go along inside. Walk up to the front desk and ask for the floor plans. They'll give you whatever you need. The Engineer keeps a copy on every level in case there's an emergency. Though I should inform you this Hangar is an exclusive one. You only have three days, though I doubt you'd need that long." Passed him, the hallway has a neon-like feel to the smooth surface of the walls. The light almost seems to be transformed into softer and yet colors with blue being the prominent one. Once you step out, the chamber is hexagonal in structure and multifaceted as the walls rise to the ceiling, though the lights are noticeably normal. A stately woman with a look similar to Miranda resides behind the front desk. She gives you the floor plans without complaint when asked. If you peruse them for a good minute, you find the second hallway to your left, known as hallway 4D, leads to the access elevator you need a code to gain entry for, and it will take you to any level you see fit. You find a small slip of paper on the floor plans. A note that gives the code: 179463. --- Assume you make it to the Elevator. One of you needs to put the code in and everyone will hop in and you can discuss a further strategy or simply wait.</s> <\|message\|>Miranda Castle Miranda steeped into the elevator, beckoning the others to follow her before punching in the code. "If we claim there is a leak of some kind in the prison ventilation system, we might be able to march our guy right out of here."</s> <\|message\|>Even Im Even opened up the various plans and looked over them in regards to the plan Miranda suggested. "Perhaps we might be able to take that idea one step further. It's a lot more credible of a claim if we can actually force a leak in the necessary location. Hey big guy, what do you think?" Their masked fellow was certainly the most quiet of the three, but maybe he was one of those types that picked up on everything and preferred to not speak up. Even if he turned out to be a complete imbecile, it would be better to learn straight away rather than be taken off guard by it later. Regardless of if/what Ito decided to add in, Even would check to see if there were any fuel lines or such nearby the cell for their mark, as well as anything that might be of interest in the area for him to exploit. As far as he saw things, if nothing popped out to him, they could just keep winging it.</s> <\|message\|>Sex \| Age \| Race Once you three make your plan, the elevator/lift door opens to reveal a hall much more utilitarian and barren than the almost eloquent and brightly furnished upper foyer. There's no carpet on the floor, giving everything a very purgatorial and uniform look. You do notice it has a lot of good lighting, and you see two SDO's making their rounds walking over to the elevator, likely curious on who was coming down, or at least being told to confirm your location. One waves at you, but it seems they knew someone with the right clearance was coming down because they simply turn the corner and go left down the hall. The forward hall leads...well forward, with four other halls intersecting. Two on the left and two on the right, likely leading into different areas with different cells. You see a terminal just outside of the elevator door, which looks to be a list and catalogue of all the criminals and undesirable people they have locked down here. A large touch keypad is laid out on display to be used at your convenience. However, you need a password or you need to hack it to start it up, or it might be easier and less suspicious to simply start walking. You know by the map in your possession that anything that has to do with core units of the ventilation system is through the right hall. --- Make your rolls and decisions, ladies and gents!</s>	<\|message\|>Even Im Even ImLoad(1/3): Fine Coat(1), Forged Documents, Communicator \| Armor: Stress:1/9 \| Harms: --- --- "Alright, don't say anything." Even closed the map as the doors opened. He turned around to the others before stepping back just to be sure the elevator wouldn't be too frisky and try shutting on them immediately. "I'm going to check out their ventilation systems and see if they're up to code. You can come along with me or inspect the other areas of the floor. If you split off and need anything, ring me on my communicator. If nothing of import happens, I'll be back here waiting in no more than an hour." Without saying anything more, Even turned around and walked off towards the ventilation systems. Whether they followed was no matter, he already gave them as much of the plan as he had settled on in his head up until that point.</s>
<\|description\|>Ito Shirai Male \| 29 \| Human --- Basic Info Alias: Viper Look: Mask and leathers. Heritage: Xeno - An honorbound culture, Background: Military - A former resistance fighter turned mercenary. Vice/Purveyor: Stupor - Drink until the thoughts go away. --- Stats Insight \| Prowess \| Resolve Stress: Trauma: Insight 1 * Study 2 Prowess 2 * Scrap 2 * Helm 1 Resolve 1 * Command 2 Starting Abilities: Unstoppable Special Abilities: * Wrecking Crew * * Friends: * Krieger, a blaster pistol. A lost pistol once a symbol of the Viper. * Shod, a weapons dealer. A former fellow resistance member. * Chon-zek, a bounty hunter. A hunter who is still out to capture Viper. * Yazu, a crooked cop. Still giving leads to potential work, for a price. * Aya, an assassin. Nemesis of the Viper, and the fiercest killer he knows. Equipment: * Ite, a fine sniper rifle. [2 Load] * Doragon, a fine flamethrower. [2 Load] * Sureiya, a fine vibro-blade. [1 Load] * Zarathustra, a detonator launcher.[2 Load] * Fine martial arts style. [0 Load] * Mystic ammunition. [0 Load] Bonus Dice Gambit</s> <\|message\|>Sex \| Age \| Race Black Market Runners This was a ramshackle base of operations if you had ever seen one. Tiles once meant to give these sealed corridors a pristine look already practically falling off from age and misuse. Idly you view a worn symbol of the Brazen Eagles across the next archway, a once infamous military arm of the Hegemony accused of high treason three decades earlier. It betrays the previous use of this station, meaning it was once a military installation. As you approach the hanger bay, you see two surly looking pirates with outdated but still very deadly submachine guns framing the door from both sides. The left one yanks his head to indicate you should keep moving. Further in there's machines made to fix other machines and manned lifts to be used to help repair Starships. There's five men from what you can see standing under the nose of the Stardancer, two of them reclining on the foothills of a veritable mountain of crates. They're smoking a substance you can't quite get a good gauge on. The other three are more notable. A younger man, very much a pilot is standing there with his hand on the Stardancer's hull, admiring it. A towering Xenos with what look to be tentacles for hair crossing his four arms and frowning with his lipless mouth. In the center is the man you were told to contact based on a look one could hardly forget. His smile is crooked, both in manner and from some mistreatment of his face. One could likely imagine the Xenos or one of his kind having remade it with a mightly blow. He wears a jacket and worn privateer clothes, smiling impishly when he views the newcomer as they approach, rubbing his hands. "Ah, there you are! My you're a desperate one aren't you?" He utters with a hissing lisp. "I like that in a man/woman, don't worry. You better be glad we've made this deal with you. Rico here never got the chance to fly the ship. Too bad for him, he still has to pay off his debt to the Blackcloaks..." --- You three find yourselves in the Hanger of this ruined military installation after getting sent here by your contact, Schill. Whoever posts first gets there first, who posts second gets there second, and the third one is the last to get there. Consider this first job the prologue, but you still have a myriad of options. Obviously, you have the option to ask further about this pilot and perhaps try to get him on your new 'crew' or at least get him to join the mission with you. Or you can ask further on the installation, the pirates, your job, etc. The game has officially begun!</s> <\|message\|>Even Im Even ImLoad(?/?): \| Armor: Stress:0/9 \| Harms: --- --- Even sauntered into the former military base with a toothpick in his mouth, and without an ounce of hesitation in his posture. This place was a bit run down, sure but Even had spent many nights in places far worse at many points in his life for a myriad of reasons, this one wasn't anything out of the ordinary. If there was anything to be surprised about, it was that the Hegemony would let a place of strategic import like a military base just go to waste rather than repurposing it, but those pencil pushers never seemed like the types to do the smart thing anyways. As he stepped into the hangar, Even pulled out the splinter in his mouth an flicked it into the box of crates before addressing his client. "Hey, as long as I get paid, everything will work out just dandy for the both of us," Even replied, flashing a toothy grin of his own. "Schill never gave me all the details of what this job entails, mind filling me in?" Personally, Even didn't care for the client's assumptions and assertions, but he wasn't here to argue with his source of income. For another man, the potential implication of Rico's inexperience with ship handling would be another red flag, but as Even saw it, if worse came to worse and the kid turned out to be a dud, he'd end up meeting an unexpected tragic fate and he could helm the ship in the time being. Someone incapable of even driving the bus stood no hope of paying off a debt to an organization like the Black Cloaks anyways.</s> <\|message\|>Ito Shirai Ito ShiraiLoad(?/?): \| Armor: Stress:0/9 \| Harms: --- --- Shady dealings in former military bases were not precisely the ideal location for Ito, in fact it was a place that he openly disliked due to having to use such derelict bases to try and oppose the Hegemony. The memories flooded into the back of his mind as he walked down the hallway of broken tile, remembering the gun fire of the dishonorable Hegemony and being forced to run and hide in the shadows. Ito let out an audible sigh as he shook the memories away as best he could, trying to focus on the xeno family that he had been raised with. Eventually, he would finally shake free those thoughts, stepping into the hanger and allowed himself to look around to absorb the locale. It definitely seemed a place of banditry and pirateering, a harsh reminder to how desperate he had come to for needing money. It was a reminder that he hate but knew that he would have to deal with for the time being. As Ito reached the contact that Schill had pointed him to, Ito felt an overwhelming feeling of disdain come behind his mask but was forced to swallow his pride as he allowed himself to interact with the man. Ito gave a customary bow to the impish man, still showing the politeness that he would need to, even offering a bow to a man who had the toothpick in his mouth. Ito did not personally know either of them so he had decided to follow the path of politeness for a good first impression, rather than acknowledging the pirates with a sword as he had been told to do in his youth. He met the eyes of the contact before speaking, his voice holding a neutral tone, "I do not suppose that this installation has been used for some time before the Blackcoats had come."</s> <\|message\|>Miranda Castle Miranda CastleLoad(?/?): \| Armor: Stress:0/9 \| Harms: --- --- It irritated Miranda to see a Hagemony base in such disrepair. Hallways that should have been sparkling were shabby and run down. All in all the effect was too close to a metaphor for her own fortunes to be entirely comfortable. Despite her current shortage of credits she was dressed in a sleek suit of shimmering silk which shifted between dark gray and black depending on the lighting or angle of the viewer. Her natural dark brown hair was concealed beneath an expertly applied wig of platinum blonde. "Gentle...men," she paused for a heartbeat as she took in the presence of Xenos. They certainly were a rough looking crew but a ship was a prize worth almost any risk. They looked as though they would be good material for the plan already forming in her mind. "Are we all here?" She asked, having deliberately timed her arrival to ensure she was last.</s> <\|message\|>Sex \| Age \| Race "Yeah, why don't you fuck off with that, Skrivver?" The pilot tells the ugly one, betraying the contact's name. The two pirates smoking laugh, high as the stratosphere. They don't realize what had just happened, though neither does the pilot it seems. He is suddenly grabbed from behind by two of the four armed Xenos's powerful hands to be slammed into the hull of the ship, cheek pressed to the Syronian Steel of the hull. Skrivver shambles over to him and punches the immobilized man in the gut, sending him reeling. "You owe us 1,500 small ones there, Rico. You keep it up and I'll carve the money out of you." He promises, before clearing his throat and turning to put on a pleasant smile to answer Even's question. Somehow it makes him look all the more ugly. "The details of the assignment is simple." He makes small guns with his fingers at the three of them. "You got the coordinates in the ship. You have the codes to get in close. Once you land you're in what's pretty much the only Embassy within two systems, which means it's not just a prison. In fact most of it is a pit stop for big name nobles looking to refuel and planetary chiefs to fly up and suck their dicks. You go in, go to the bottom level, spring our boss out and get him back on the ship without anyone being none the wiser. You do that and you get the ship. I don't need to ask if we have a deal because we've made it already. You should be glad I like Schill." At Miranda's question, the two smokers howl with gusto. Skrivver looks around. "We don't have anyone else coming unless you brought a crew in your shoes." --- So, just tell me you pass in the OOC or make a post and roll for it in here. Though you'll probably want to tell me what kind of roll it is in the OOC too.</s>	<\|message\|>Ito Shirai Ito ShiraiLoad(?/?): \| Armor: Stress:0/9 \| Harms: --- --- Ito watched as the pirate berated the underling, Rico, with a certain level of disdain as Skrivver shoved the would-be pilot into the side of the ship. He knew that discipline had to be instilled every now and again but the manner about which it was instilled was always something to be watched, never too lenient nor too forceful. Skrivver, however, would dare to threaten his own underling with such a horrid punishment that it made Ito sick to his stomach. Such threats were beneath someone who was supposed to be a higher up, remembering that those under you needed to be not only worked with but also work without fear. Fear was the path of the coward, and it seemed that Skrivver was very much a coward who would resort to fear in order to keep his crew in line. The most honorable of the people there snarled behind his mask before he would declare, in a stern voice, "Treating your underlings in such a manner is without honor!" He took a moment to make sure that Skrivver was paying attention to Ito before stepping forward, "Fear is the path of the coward! Anyone in a place a command should know such things," the Viper hissed, eyes narrowing and metaphorical fangs bared as he stared down the pirate. His eyes focused purely on pirate, unmoving and unwavering as his arms crossed themselves over his chest as he took another step towards Skrivver, awaiting whatever response the pirate would dare throw his way. --- Rolled 3 for Command on Skivver</s>
<\|description\|>Ito Shirai Male \| 29 \| Human --- Basic Info Alias: Viper Look: Mask and leathers. Heritage: Xeno - An honorbound culture, Background: Military - A former resistance fighter turned mercenary. Vice/Purveyor: Stupor - Drink until the thoughts go away. --- Stats Insight \| Prowess \| Resolve Stress: Trauma: Insight 1 * Study 2 Prowess 2 * Scrap 2 * Helm 1 Resolve 1 * Command 2 Starting Abilities: Unstoppable Special Abilities: * Wrecking Crew * * Friends: * Krieger, a blaster pistol. A lost pistol once a symbol of the Viper. * Shod, a weapons dealer. A former fellow resistance member. * Chon-zek, a bounty hunter. A hunter who is still out to capture Viper. * Yazu, a crooked cop. Still giving leads to potential work, for a price. * Aya, an assassin. Nemesis of the Viper, and the fiercest killer he knows. Equipment: * Ite, a fine sniper rifle. [2 Load] * Doragon, a fine flamethrower. [2 Load] * Sureiya, a fine vibro-blade. [1 Load] * Zarathustra, a detonator launcher.[2 Load] * Fine martial arts style. [0 Load] * Mystic ammunition. [0 Load] Bonus Dice Gambit</s> <\|message\|>Even Im "That's not how that works, Sugarplum." Even chimed in, finding a seat in the cockpit and strapping in before the overzealous pilot could take off. "Any survivors or friends of the Blackcloaks hear about that stunt and want blood and will gather as much support as they can possibly muster. Even without a leader they've managed to procure a ship like this and will let us just fly off with it. Anyone else who hears about this won't trust you in the future, cutting off possible jobs, contacts, and resources. This is a hot ship. We're in a Hegemony base, abandoned or not. If any shrubs decide to look into the whole situation, they ain't comin' down on our side. And on top of all that, we don't get paid. If you pull a stunt like that right now, the ones you know for sure who aren't winning is us. For now we should be thinkin about springing Gaebril without getting our asses burnt." Of course, after the job's settled and the checks are cleared, making off with a nice ship like this could be a very valuable asset, but one thing at a time. He needed the cred first. Betrayal could come later when this whole agreement had worn out all of its use. But right now? What would the point be of deciding to plant a sapling only to burn it the moment you finished digging the hole for it.</s> <\|message\|>Miranda Castle Miranda affected an exaggerated yawn. "Sounds like a marketing problem easily handled. Personally, I'm not too worried about a group of pirates who don't have the balls to spring their own boss," she disagreed fixing her companion with a speculative look. "But then perhaps the shortage is sector wide..."</s> <\|message\|>Ito Shirai Ito ShiraiLoad(?/?): \| Armor: Stress:0/9 \| Harms: --- --- Ito shot a silent look to the woman, taking a moment to think of a proper response to dignify such a suggestion of betrayal. "Betrayal will get us nowhere, once our deal with those pirates is up you may do whatever with them. For the time being focus on the mission at hand," the warrior stated, agreeing with his other companion for about the issue displayed. After making his statement, he proceeded to walk around the ship to get a feeling for it, allowing the silence to follow him as the sound of the ships engines cut into his thoughts for the time being. Eventually, he found the engine room, the source of the noise that had dulled his mind to a lovely, momentary silence. Quickly did Ito make himself comfortable, sitting on the floor of the ship and crossing his legs as he kept his back straight. These moments of reflection were rare, especially when he was unaccompanied by the delights of liquor or other dulling substances to make sure that he could not fully remember the past and its tribulations.</s> <\|message\|>Sex \| Age \| Race The ship began to lift itself off the ground, pushing no air current as it via a different medium. You could see Rico gaze down at the pirates who watched them with a mixture of haughty arrogance, mirth, or hatred. Despite his suggestion, Miranda's tone noticably chills him and he glances back at her. He gives her a measuring look while Even speaks. You can tell he does not wish to admit it, but Even's suggestion has merit in his eyes. Rico turns back to the controls, confident the team behind him won't resort to infighting and keeping his more private thoughts unreadable. Ito would feel the thrum of the engine beneath him as the ship slowly drifted towards the pressurized hanger bay; a massive wall that opened and closed that separated the inner hanger to where the ships then begin to enter space. "I suppose that was a no to my suggestion," He says as he flips a few switches, analyzing a 'flight' path for them as they enter the outer bay. He doesn't look to perturbed by it, however. Rico has the look of a soldier; youthful, fit, and apparently a reputable pilot. "At least I know which of you is the coldest." --- You can take this time to speak to Rico, roll to influence him on anything, or speak to one another in the OOC on plans after the mission.</s> <\|message\|>Miranda Castle Miranda tossed her head and then took a seat at one of the consoles, bringing up some of the video compiler software and beginning to tap at the holographic keys. She began to import footage she had prepared before the mission on the off chance she ran into just this kind of idiocy. "Perhaps we should name the ship?" she suggested with tart sarcasm tinging an artificially bright tone. She made a show of considering it, looking back and forth between the two other newcomers. "Perhaps 'The Cowardly Boyscout' would suit you gentlemen?" she asked with pie eyed innocence. "Or maybe 'Opportunity Lost' is more to your taste?" Considering that the pirates were giving away a ship for what they were billing as a simple extraction, Miranda might have gone with 'Obvious Setup' but that really didn't fit in with the through line of her other jokes.</s> <\|message\|>Even Im Even ImLoad(?/?): \| Armor: Stress:0/9 \| Harms: --- --- "I'm quite partial to 'Nagging Hen,' myself. Or perhaps 'Overconfident Fool.' You're here the same as the rest of us for the same reason: you need cred, and you need it bad. Probably need it worse than any of the rest of us, so it's funny that you're looking to backstab your employer at the drop of the hat for short-sighted gain without so much to show as payment in advance." Even could feel an impending headache come in if he had to deal with this for a prolonged period of time. If he'd wanted to be pestered for every little thing he did or didn't do, he'd have gotten married and probably end up like his old pal Nyx. Poor bastard would try to stay in the bar as long as possible to avoid her, only to make the tongue-lashing he got even worse. Even chuckled to himself as he briefly reminisced before he reached into his jacket and pulled out his deck of holocards and began to fiddle with them. Although they were designed to trick suckers into parting with their funds prematurely, he didn't use them for that purpose often these days. He'd been on many ship rides, many of them without built in entertainment and they got drear real quickly. On one of these voyages he had picked up sleight of hand from another passenger. The only people Even cared to show off the tricks to were his family, but it was a good way to pass the time and keep his hands busy.</s> <\|message\|>Miranda Castle "No payment...you realize the ship is the payment right?" Miranda began, wondering if the fool could possibly be that dense. She gave up on arguing the point, he was certainly sexist so why not simple as well. Shaking her head and adjusting her expectations downward she went back to work. The pirates claimed they had taken care of everything, but if that were true they could certainly have just had Rico fly them in to retrieve their boss. They needed a plausible reason to be on the station if things turned out to be more complicated than advertised, well that could be arranged. While she had what she needed for herself, the cameras on the ship itself weren't of good enough quality for her purposes. "Do either of you have holos of yourselves, preferable something not quite current and at high definition?" she asked. [Asking for assistance on a hacking roll to create some false documents]</s> <\|message\|>Even Im Even ImLoad(?/?): \| Armor: Stress:1/9 \| Harms: --- --- "Hey, that's not what Schill told me." Even kept the rest of his words cursing Schill for not telling him all the details in his head, not realizing the fact that both Schill and Skrivver had both told him, but he wasn't listening when either of them said so. He couldn't pay the bills with a ship, especially not one he owned with 2 other people who weren't likely to sell it, which meant he'd need to go on another job soon that he really wouldn't be able vet. "If you need them to make forgeries, you don't need to both with mine. They're already done." Even put down his cards to pull out the forged documents from his coat and tossed them over to Miranda before going back to what he was doing. She could reference what he already had done to maintain consistency with whatever she was planning or just look at them to be sure of their (apparent) legitimacy. "Nice job communicating on our plan of action by the way. I guess we're using fake documents to slip into the prison and then busting the boss out before the whole station can notice?"</s> <\|message\|>Sex \| Age \| Race The display monitor on the ship shows everyone the opening of the hanger, revealing an endless void of blackness and stars before you. Rico seems eager to get moving, though there was a nonchalance to him, as if all he needed to see was the image of space to feel right at home. He sets coordinates to the Garneki Station, merely 0.57261 Light Years from your current location and sets the flight plan. "I'm not as intimate in detail on this job of yours as say...well you guys. But I'm pretty certain the ship is the main payment and they'll add a bit more for your trouble to keep you from bailing." Rico informs all three of you as you two forge the documents. Your journey is uneventful, smooth sailing throughout. In fact it lasts merely fifteen minutes, moving at around 0.001% of your optimal speed with your lightspeed engines. Jumping out of hyperspace, you three see a vast installation, somewhat similar to the one you just left, at least in overt style. The shape of the architecture looks somewhat like a slowly spinning top, with your destination being on the very, very bottom. Rico flies you in effortlessly, speaking to the comm once you're hailed and using a guest's landing code which gives you a limited window to 'park.' Clearly he's done this before and it's lucky you lot recruited him. You fly in closer and slide into a far more sophisticated hanger than the one you just left. It's guarded by a shield of energy that allows ships to fly in and out seamlessly without exposing anyone within to the void of space beyond. As you park, you get a quick glance of your surroundings on the display. You are located in subsection B16 of the station, with five spots to land in but three are already filled up. You see two Hedgemony troopers casually walking across the inner railing, with various engineers and utility workers milling about fulfilling tasks that would no doubt bore you. At the very left of the hanger, after you climb the stairs to the walkway, is the entrance to the Station proper, guarded by two more SDO's (Stationary Defense Officers). --- You are now in the belly of the beast. What is your first course of action?</s> <\|message\|>Even Im Even ImLoad(1/3): Fine Coat(1), Forged Documents \| Armor: Stress:1/9 \| Harms: --- --- Even stepped out of the ship looking far more presentable than he had when he went in. You could even call it corporate in appearance, and his body language changed to match. Although very little had actually changed, it were the little things that counted. His face was clean shaven, his hair tidied up and slicked back, and his clothes were worn much tighter and cleaner. Perhaps if he had more time he could have pushed it further, but he preferred to adapt to the situation rather than dwell on what ifs. Without waiting for the others to get out of the ship, Even strode forwards to the SDOs and made his introductions. "Greetings, gentlemen. I and my associates are with the IBHS, Iona Board of Health & Safety. We're a third party organization affiliated with the Hegemony that makes sure that your facilities up to code on the current mandates and policies." Even produces one of his forged documents to add credibility to his claim before continuing on. "I'm sure you've been filled in on it, but we perform unannounced audits so that we can understand what the state of the affairs truly are, and today is one of those days. However, while this audit will not be exhaustive, if we find 3 major infractions or more, we will have to notify the company and have them perform larger, more rigorous inspections regularly until you pass. Now if you would allow me and my compatriots to pass, when they arrive." In a hushed voice he whispered to them, "Don't pay mind to the scruffier ones. They simply piloted the ship on the way here. You know how those spacer types can be." --- Rolling Sway on the guards to allow us free access to the station and using a gambit on it as well.</s>	<\|message\|>Ito Shirai Ito ShiraiLoad(3/3): \| Armor: Stress:0/9 \| Harms: --- --- Ito, stepping out of the the ship, looked past Even to see the Hegemony presence on the station and noted it to be a bit lighter than what he was used to, given his past of fighting these types. His eyes scanned the hangar and he kept his weapons close, keeping himself lightly armed so that they would not immediately gain the ire of the station. The two weapons that he had brought were his vibrosword and his flamethrower, not being too heavy and still being able to somewhat come across as inconspicuous. Regardless, he moved behind Even, keeping his distance and looking more as a personal guard for the man as he worked whatever charisma that he had, though the Viper kept his mask on just so his eyes had the leeway to look around without anyone directly seeing where his eyes were. At least Ito knew that at this point, he would not have to act as any form of face.</s>
<\|description\|>Miranda Castle Sex Female \| Age 27 \| Race Human --- Basic Info Alias: Locks Look: Classy eyeliner and a business suit Heritage: Imperial Vice/Purveyor: Luxury - Wild parties, wanton extravagance, sex, drugs and futuristic synth music. --- Stats Insight 2 \| Prowess 0 \| Resolve 3 Stress: Trauma: Starting Abilities: Consort 2 Command 1 Sway 2 (You get more with a kind word and a laser rifle than just a kind word) Hack 1 (these books aren't going to cook themselves) Study 1 (Regrettably, it pays to do your homework) Special Abilities: * Disarming * Air of Respectability * Friends: * Je-zee (Enemy) - Diplomat, it wasn't my fault that peace talks fell through! * Manda - (friend) A guild executive who made a lot of money when I made those peace talks fall through! * Arryn - A noble I left at the altar * Kerry - A doctor who always treats me, even though he despairs of my sinful ways Equipment: * Fine Clothes- expensive suits, elegant dresses * Legitimate ID - Miranda Castlereagh, Hagemony Intercessor * Luxury Goods - Expensive liqours, drugs and jams * Momentous of a past encounter - Wedding Dress Bonus Dice Gambit</s> <\|message\|>Miranda Castle Miranda CastleLoad(?/?): \| Armor: Stress:0/9 \| Harms: --- --- It irritated Miranda to see a Hagemony base in such disrepair. Hallways that should have been sparkling were shabby and run down. All in all the effect was too close to a metaphor for her own fortunes to be entirely comfortable. Despite her current shortage of credits she was dressed in a sleek suit of shimmering silk which shifted between dark gray and black depending on the lighting or angle of the viewer. Her natural dark brown hair was concealed beneath an expertly applied wig of platinum blonde. "Gentle...men," she paused for a heartbeat as she took in the presence of Xenos. They certainly were a rough looking crew but a ship was a prize worth almost any risk. They looked as though they would be good material for the plan already forming in her mind. "Are we all here?" She asked, having deliberately timed her arrival to ensure she was last.</s> <\|message\|>Sex \| Age \| Race "Yeah, why don't you fuck off with that, Skrivver?" The pilot tells the ugly one, betraying the contact's name. The two pirates smoking laugh, high as the stratosphere. They don't realize what had just happened, though neither does the pilot it seems. He is suddenly grabbed from behind by two of the four armed Xenos's powerful hands to be slammed into the hull of the ship, cheek pressed to the Syronian Steel of the hull. Skrivver shambles over to him and punches the immobilized man in the gut, sending him reeling. "You owe us 1,500 small ones there, Rico. You keep it up and I'll carve the money out of you." He promises, before clearing his throat and turning to put on a pleasant smile to answer Even's question. Somehow it makes him look all the more ugly. "The details of the assignment is simple." He makes small guns with his fingers at the three of them. "You got the coordinates in the ship. You have the codes to get in close. Once you land you're in what's pretty much the only Embassy within two systems, which means it's not just a prison. In fact most of it is a pit stop for big name nobles looking to refuel and planetary chiefs to fly up and suck their dicks. You go in, go to the bottom level, spring our boss out and get him back on the ship without anyone being none the wiser. You do that and you get the ship. I don't need to ask if we have a deal because we've made it already. You should be glad I like Schill." At Miranda's question, the two smokers howl with gusto. Skrivver looks around. "We don't have anyone else coming unless you brought a crew in your shoes." --- So, just tell me you pass in the OOC or make a post and roll for it in here. Though you'll probably want to tell me what kind of roll it is in the OOC too.</s> <\|message\|>Ito Shirai Ito ShiraiLoad(?/?): \| Armor: Stress:0/9 \| Harms: --- --- Ito watched as the pirate berated the underling, Rico, with a certain level of disdain as Skrivver shoved the would-be pilot into the side of the ship. He knew that discipline had to be instilled every now and again but the manner about which it was instilled was always something to be watched, never too lenient nor too forceful. Skrivver, however, would dare to threaten his own underling with such a horrid punishment that it made Ito sick to his stomach. Such threats were beneath someone who was supposed to be a higher up, remembering that those under you needed to be not only worked with but also work without fear. Fear was the path of the coward, and it seemed that Skrivver was very much a coward who would resort to fear in order to keep his crew in line. The most honorable of the people there snarled behind his mask before he would declare, in a stern voice, "Treating your underlings in such a manner is without honor!" He took a moment to make sure that Skrivver was paying attention to Ito before stepping forward, "Fear is the path of the coward! Anyone in a place a command should know such things," the Viper hissed, eyes narrowing and metaphorical fangs bared as he stared down the pirate. His eyes focused purely on pirate, unmoving and unwavering as his arms crossed themselves over his chest as he took another step towards Skrivver, awaiting whatever response the pirate would dare throw his way. --- Rolled 3 for Command on Skivver</s> <\|message\|>Sex \| Age \| Race Skrivver turns his attention to Ito, his mangled face muddied in confusion. "What?" He asks you, though you realize it's more of a rhetorical statement than him wishing you to repeat yourself. Rico tries to turn his head to look at you but he's stuck in his position, being pressed into the hull. "He's not a member of our band. He bloody owes me! You know what? Just for that he now owes me 2,000." Skrivver gives you a gaptoothed grin, clearly enjoying raking up the price as long as he's given a reason. "You and your new crew better get the fuck out of here and get us Marco or we'll string this pilot here up and use him for target practice!" --- As this is the prologue, nothing bad happened to you personally. But generally a 6 is a favorable outcome, a 4-5 is a partial success, and a 1-3 is a bad outcome which means not only do you fail, but something bad happens. In this case, the pilot was simply given a larger debt, but that doesn't mean it can't be talked down nor he can't win his freedom.</s> <\|message\|>Miranda Castle Miranda cleared her throat pointedly having managed to blend into the background while the altercation had taken place. Fortunately she was as good at avoiding attention as attracting it when the circumstances were right. "I am quite certain Mr Skrivver, that the rescue of your pirate captain will not be hastened by shooting this miscreant, nor by battering a hole in the side of our ship with his skull... amusing though that might be," she gave Rico a look of cold appraisal. "You have taken care of your end of the business, let us take care of ours," she wen't on the slight edges of her Imperial accent sharpening. "We will bring the kid along to, who knows he might catch a bullet during the break out and spare you all the trouble," she concluded brightly.</s> <\|message\|>Sex \| Age \| Race That wasn't something Skrivver foresaw, and the same could be said for the Xenos who's grip on Rico slackens. The pilot wriggles out of its grip and slides away with a screeching of his shoe leather over the station-steel floor. "What? I never said!" The underboss says, but as Miranda speaks, he clearly feels this was killing two birds with one stone. Having the pilot help get his boss back to pay off his debt, though it also meant that if he were to die he wouldn't get any of what the pilot owes him. Still, he thinks for a moment and acquiesces to the request. "Fine, but he still owes me. He can talk to Marco about that maybe, but you have to grab him first!" The fellow declared, and waves you all off. If there was no more questions among you, then it would be time to depart. The pilot practically leaps into the ship to keep the xenos off of him, and the two fellows smoking laugh again. Until Skrivver smacks one over the head, that is. --- Can't really argue with 2 6's</s> <\|message\|>Even Im Even ImLoad(?/?): \| Armor: Stress:0/9 \| Harms: --- --- Even watched the scene play out before him, silent and the smile on his face unbroken. He had seen many kids like Rico have far worse to them done for less, one more such incident didn't sway his heart with sympathy, even if he didn't like to see it. However, it was the reactions of his two soon to be crewmates that he diverted his attention to. The masked one seemed very ill-suited to this business with the way he spoke of honor and cowardice. True there was a way you should and shouldn't conduct yourself even in the lowest pits of criminal society, but the way he said it reeked of one of those warrior cultures you'd run into occasionally that would get demolished as soon as they made any trouble for The Hegemony or anyone of worth. The woman on the other hand, she seemed to have a better head on her shoulders, but everything about her screamed "bureaucrat." You dealt with that lot all the time, especially as you moved up the ranks, but seeing someone like her in a situation like this was rather rare. Politicians tend to loathe dirtying themselves with any of the work they want done. Even wouldn't be surprised if she still held the illusion of her being better than the job she desperately needed. But if there was any job where having her type around would help, it'd be this. "Before we go, got any details on the boss. A face? Name? Where he's probably being held in the embassy? Wouldn't want to spring the wrong sap and end up getting your boss relocated somewhere less accessible." These were pretty vital details that hadn't been explained, and the last thing he wanted to do was roll into the black without even a clue who they were supposed to rescue.</s> <\|message\|>Sex \| Age \| Race "A name? You haven't been listenin' have you?" Skrivver challenges, looking at you with a suspicious gaze. He shakes his head. "Schill told you his name and where to go. He's Marco Gaebril, and when you land you go to the bottom section of the station. Wherever the guards aren't? That's where he'll be. But you need to leave now or you'll lose your window. You got here just when you needed to get here and now you need to fucking leave when we need you to fucking leave get it!?" It was clear Skrivver didn't have the most meticulous specifics in mind, but following the directions and the proper excuses and you would make through it easily. He tugs at his belt and yanks it up as if to make himself look taller. Once in the ship, it's clear the Stardancer has little to no modifications done to it. Rico finds the cockpit in no time, not waiting for an invitation before he takes his seat at the helm and begins arcing the power up, awaken the ship with an advanced thrum from within. Despite the bruises on his face, he seems to have kept his anger and nerve. "While it's probably true Skrivver intends to pay you a bit of pocket money, if you're planning on fucking him and just steal the ship let me know. I'd love to imagine his face if you go down that route." --- I couldn't find a Stardancer map. But you can safely know there are * Cockpit * Cargo bay * Leisure area * 4 small sleeping quarters * Engine room * Pressurized connecting pods for connecting to other ships * Access corridors to each of these chambers</s> <\|message\|>Miranda Castle Miranda leaned forward and examined the control panel, running her fingers over the surface of the nearest console. "It does have a certain elegance," she admitted, forming her finger and thumb into a child's imitation of a gun. "We drop a plasma blast in the landing bay, Skrivver and his boys get all cripsy, the Hedge execute a pirate chief, the Blackcloaks are leaderless, piracy goes down and we get a ship... everybody wins."</s> <\|message\|>Even Im "That's not how that works, Sugarplum." Even chimed in, finding a seat in the cockpit and strapping in before the overzealous pilot could take off. "Any survivors or friends of the Blackcloaks hear about that stunt and want blood and will gather as much support as they can possibly muster. Even without a leader they've managed to procure a ship like this and will let us just fly off with it. Anyone else who hears about this won't trust you in the future, cutting off possible jobs, contacts, and resources. This is a hot ship. We're in a Hegemony base, abandoned or not. If any shrubs decide to look into the whole situation, they ain't comin' down on our side. And on top of all that, we don't get paid. If you pull a stunt like that right now, the ones you know for sure who aren't winning is us. For now we should be thinkin about springing Gaebril without getting our asses burnt." Of course, after the job's settled and the checks are cleared, making off with a nice ship like this could be a very valuable asset, but one thing at a time. He needed the cred first. Betrayal could come later when this whole agreement had worn out all of its use. But right now? What would the point be of deciding to plant a sapling only to burn it the moment you finished digging the hole for it.</s>	<\|message\|>Miranda Castle Miranda affected an exaggerated yawn. "Sounds like a marketing problem easily handled. Personally, I'm not too worried about a group of pirates who don't have the balls to spring their own boss," she disagreed fixing her companion with a speculative look. "But then perhaps the shortage is sector wide..."</s>
<\|description\|>Miranda Castle Sex Female \| Age 27 \| Race Human --- Basic Info Alias: Locks Look: Classy eyeliner and a business suit Heritage: Imperial Vice/Purveyor: Luxury - Wild parties, wanton extravagance, sex, drugs and futuristic synth music. --- Stats Insight 2 \| Prowess 0 \| Resolve 3 Stress: Trauma: Starting Abilities: Consort 2 Command 1 Sway 2 (You get more with a kind word and a laser rifle than just a kind word) Hack 1 (these books aren't going to cook themselves) Study 1 (Regrettably, it pays to do your homework) Special Abilities: * Disarming * Air of Respectability * Friends: * Je-zee (Enemy) - Diplomat, it wasn't my fault that peace talks fell through! * Manda - (friend) A guild executive who made a lot of money when I made those peace talks fall through! * Arryn - A noble I left at the altar * Kerry - A doctor who always treats me, even though he despairs of my sinful ways Equipment: * Fine Clothes- expensive suits, elegant dresses * Legitimate ID - Miranda Castlereagh, Hagemony Intercessor * Luxury Goods - Expensive liqours, drugs and jams * Momentous of a past encounter - Wedding Dress Bonus Dice Gambit</s> <\|message\|>Miranda Castle Miranda tossed her head and then took a seat at one of the consoles, bringing up some of the video compiler software and beginning to tap at the holographic keys. She began to import footage she had prepared before the mission on the off chance she ran into just this kind of idiocy. "Perhaps we should name the ship?" she suggested with tart sarcasm tinging an artificially bright tone. She made a show of considering it, looking back and forth between the two other newcomers. "Perhaps 'The Cowardly Boyscout' would suit you gentlemen?" she asked with pie eyed innocence. "Or maybe 'Opportunity Lost' is more to your taste?" Considering that the pirates were giving away a ship for what they were billing as a simple extraction, Miranda might have gone with 'Obvious Setup' but that really didn't fit in with the through line of her other jokes.</s> <\|message\|>Even Im Even ImLoad(?/?): \| Armor: Stress:0/9 \| Harms: --- --- "I'm quite partial to 'Nagging Hen,' myself. Or perhaps 'Overconfident Fool.' You're here the same as the rest of us for the same reason: you need cred, and you need it bad. Probably need it worse than any of the rest of us, so it's funny that you're looking to backstab your employer at the drop of the hat for short-sighted gain without so much to show as payment in advance." Even could feel an impending headache come in if he had to deal with this for a prolonged period of time. If he'd wanted to be pestered for every little thing he did or didn't do, he'd have gotten married and probably end up like his old pal Nyx. Poor bastard would try to stay in the bar as long as possible to avoid her, only to make the tongue-lashing he got even worse. Even chuckled to himself as he briefly reminisced before he reached into his jacket and pulled out his deck of holocards and began to fiddle with them. Although they were designed to trick suckers into parting with their funds prematurely, he didn't use them for that purpose often these days. He'd been on many ship rides, many of them without built in entertainment and they got drear real quickly. On one of these voyages he had picked up sleight of hand from another passenger. The only people Even cared to show off the tricks to were his family, but it was a good way to pass the time and keep his hands busy.</s> <\|message\|>Miranda Castle "No payment...you realize the ship is the payment right?" Miranda began, wondering if the fool could possibly be that dense. She gave up on arguing the point, he was certainly sexist so why not simple as well. Shaking her head and adjusting her expectations downward she went back to work. The pirates claimed they had taken care of everything, but if that were true they could certainly have just had Rico fly them in to retrieve their boss. They needed a plausible reason to be on the station if things turned out to be more complicated than advertised, well that could be arranged. While she had what she needed for herself, the cameras on the ship itself weren't of good enough quality for her purposes. "Do either of you have holos of yourselves, preferable something not quite current and at high definition?" she asked. [Asking for assistance on a hacking roll to create some false documents]</s> <\|message\|>Even Im Even ImLoad(?/?): \| Armor: Stress:1/9 \| Harms: --- --- "Hey, that's not what Schill told me." Even kept the rest of his words cursing Schill for not telling him all the details in his head, not realizing the fact that both Schill and Skrivver had both told him, but he wasn't listening when either of them said so. He couldn't pay the bills with a ship, especially not one he owned with 2 other people who weren't likely to sell it, which meant he'd need to go on another job soon that he really wouldn't be able vet. "If you need them to make forgeries, you don't need to both with mine. They're already done." Even put down his cards to pull out the forged documents from his coat and tossed them over to Miranda before going back to what he was doing. She could reference what he already had done to maintain consistency with whatever she was planning or just look at them to be sure of their (apparent) legitimacy. "Nice job communicating on our plan of action by the way. I guess we're using fake documents to slip into the prison and then busting the boss out before the whole station can notice?"</s> <\|message\|>Sex \| Age \| Race The display monitor on the ship shows everyone the opening of the hanger, revealing an endless void of blackness and stars before you. Rico seems eager to get moving, though there was a nonchalance to him, as if all he needed to see was the image of space to feel right at home. He sets coordinates to the Garneki Station, merely 0.57261 Light Years from your current location and sets the flight plan. "I'm not as intimate in detail on this job of yours as say...well you guys. But I'm pretty certain the ship is the main payment and they'll add a bit more for your trouble to keep you from bailing." Rico informs all three of you as you two forge the documents. Your journey is uneventful, smooth sailing throughout. In fact it lasts merely fifteen minutes, moving at around 0.001% of your optimal speed with your lightspeed engines. Jumping out of hyperspace, you three see a vast installation, somewhat similar to the one you just left, at least in overt style. The shape of the architecture looks somewhat like a slowly spinning top, with your destination being on the very, very bottom. Rico flies you in effortlessly, speaking to the comm once you're hailed and using a guest's landing code which gives you a limited window to 'park.' Clearly he's done this before and it's lucky you lot recruited him. You fly in closer and slide into a far more sophisticated hanger than the one you just left. It's guarded by a shield of energy that allows ships to fly in and out seamlessly without exposing anyone within to the void of space beyond. As you park, you get a quick glance of your surroundings on the display. You are located in subsection B16 of the station, with five spots to land in but three are already filled up. You see two Hedgemony troopers casually walking across the inner railing, with various engineers and utility workers milling about fulfilling tasks that would no doubt bore you. At the very left of the hanger, after you climb the stairs to the walkway, is the entrance to the Station proper, guarded by two more SDO's (Stationary Defense Officers). --- You are now in the belly of the beast. What is your first course of action?</s> <\|message\|>Even Im Even ImLoad(1/3): Fine Coat(1), Forged Documents \| Armor: Stress:1/9 \| Harms: --- --- Even stepped out of the ship looking far more presentable than he had when he went in. You could even call it corporate in appearance, and his body language changed to match. Although very little had actually changed, it were the little things that counted. His face was clean shaven, his hair tidied up and slicked back, and his clothes were worn much tighter and cleaner. Perhaps if he had more time he could have pushed it further, but he preferred to adapt to the situation rather than dwell on what ifs. Without waiting for the others to get out of the ship, Even strode forwards to the SDOs and made his introductions. "Greetings, gentlemen. I and my associates are with the IBHS, Iona Board of Health & Safety. We're a third party organization affiliated with the Hegemony that makes sure that your facilities up to code on the current mandates and policies." Even produces one of his forged documents to add credibility to his claim before continuing on. "I'm sure you've been filled in on it, but we perform unannounced audits so that we can understand what the state of the affairs truly are, and today is one of those days. However, while this audit will not be exhaustive, if we find 3 major infractions or more, we will have to notify the company and have them perform larger, more rigorous inspections regularly until you pass. Now if you would allow me and my compatriots to pass, when they arrive." In a hushed voice he whispered to them, "Don't pay mind to the scruffier ones. They simply piloted the ship on the way here. You know how those spacer types can be." --- Rolling Sway on the guards to allow us free access to the station and using a gambit on it as well.</s> <\|message\|>Ito Shirai Ito ShiraiLoad(3/3): \| Armor: Stress:0/9 \| Harms: --- --- Ito, stepping out of the the ship, looked past Even to see the Hegemony presence on the station and noted it to be a bit lighter than what he was used to, given his past of fighting these types. His eyes scanned the hangar and he kept his weapons close, keeping himself lightly armed so that they would not immediately gain the ire of the station. The two weapons that he had brought were his vibrosword and his flamethrower, not being too heavy and still being able to somewhat come across as inconspicuous. Regardless, he moved behind Even, keeping his distance and looking more as a personal guard for the man as he worked whatever charisma that he had, though the Viper kept his mask on just so his eyes had the leeway to look around without anyone directly seeing where his eyes were. At least Ito knew that at this point, he would not have to act as any form of face.</s> <\|message\|>Miranda Castle Miranda hastily gathered her hair into an officious looking bun and grabbed a data-slate. Fortunately her dress suit already made her look sufficiently business like. The boots she was wearing were a little too officious for this particular role but she rather doubted the Hedge had their best and brightest on a station like this, or, for that matter, in a sector like this. It was one of the things that made them so easy to fleece. "Keep the engine running," she told Rico and strode down the ramp to join the two males. She thrust her dataslate in the general direction of the guard. "We will need floor plans, particularly with regards to plumbing and power usage," she stated in a bored, boring tone. "Your chief engineer should have the access we need, or one of his subordinates if you cannot disturb him." [Assisting]</s> <\|message\|>Sex \| Age \| Race You three make it to the SDO's, and the two men guarding the entryway show absolutely no skepticism. The look of the crew coupled with the believable alibi and papers check out. The SDO on the left, a man with greyed hair though he couldn't be over fifty radios his Officer on the comm linked to his ear. "Sir, we've got IBHS associates here. They need to see our floor plans, plumbing, electricity, the whole thing...Yes sir...very well. I'll send them in." The SDO clear's his throat. "You can go along inside. Walk up to the front desk and ask for the floor plans. They'll give you whatever you need. The Engineer keeps a copy on every level in case there's an emergency. Though I should inform you this Hangar is an exclusive one. You only have three days, though I doubt you'd need that long." Passed him, the hallway has a neon-like feel to the smooth surface of the walls. The light almost seems to be transformed into softer and yet colors with blue being the prominent one. Once you step out, the chamber is hexagonal in structure and multifaceted as the walls rise to the ceiling, though the lights are noticeably normal. A stately woman with a look similar to Miranda resides behind the front desk. She gives you the floor plans without complaint when asked. If you peruse them for a good minute, you find the second hallway to your left, known as hallway 4D, leads to the access elevator you need a code to gain entry for, and it will take you to any level you see fit. You find a small slip of paper on the floor plans. A note that gives the code: 179463. --- Assume you make it to the Elevator. One of you needs to put the code in and everyone will hop in and you can discuss a further strategy or simply wait.</s>	<\|message\|>Miranda Castle Miranda steeped into the elevator, beckoning the others to follow her before punching in the code. "If we claim there is a leak of some kind in the prison ventilation system, we might be able to march our guy right out of here."</s>
<\|description\|>Acion Nakamiji Appearance: Costume: Hero/Vigilante Name: Stratosphere Seraph Gender: Male Age: 16 Height: 6'0 / 183cm Weight: 156 lbs / 71 kg Personality: If anything, Acion is a virtuous man, with a very firm sense of moral code and heroism, even if they are different from existing ideals. A man of action that often doesn't need any prior validation from any other people for anything he does, whether it is helping a friend in need or saving a person's life, even though the latter case might put a small brake on his decision due to past incidents. Inaction is still action to him, and it is much less regretful to act and fail rather than staying still and doing nothing. Nevertheless, he still requires his own rational reasons for what he does rather than just relying on his own idea of righteousness. Acion is also a prideful individual. He was, after all, on the competing list for one of the more prestigious Hero school for his unique style and skilled utilization of his quirk, despite being more disadvantaged in more traditional combat circumstances. He worked hard for it, to keep up with his family tradition and his dreams, and it paid off for the most part. He had a reason to be proud of his accomplishment, and consequently his lack of tolerance for petty insults. He can put up with criticism, but he doesn't at all appreciate disrespect on his, or anybody else's, honest efforts. God forbid his mannerism when he snapped to this. Outside of these special circumstances, he's generally not a very talkative person. He isn't afraid of conversations, but chances are he will not be the one initiating it with the other party. He does lack a little bit of conversational skill and can sometimes lead to awkward situations, but regardless Acion is an understanding fellow whose empathy and sympathy will shine through during times of need. Background: Acion's family was almost good up until he was getting ready for his Hero school enrolment. Born with several significant mutations from their family, who only have more conventional 2 wings, Acion at first wasn't too looked upon with great eyes. But his family tree has contained some of the very successful heroes in the past, even before heroism as a business even became a thing. It was a mark of pride, and a source of great encouragement for him to work towards his goal of being a professional hero. His older sister Aurelia Nakamiji is also one of the very promising new generation of heroes, having won first places in many region-wide tournaments, which also helps his desire to not be just the ugly duckling in the family. Acion knew he isn't going to win any prizes with his physicality, unlike his sister who never had any issues with aerial combat, but he knew better than trying to do something he's not designed to do. He spent his free time practicing flying as high as possible, trying to push his physical and mental limits, all the while coming up with his own style of combat. Eventually he did come up with it, and it proved to be quite effective in combat tests. Mock test results began to look up for the young hero, and it seemed as if he was on track to be enrolled in a Hero school as soon as the real test period comes. However, during a camping trip with a couple of friends a few months before, a low-threat villain passing by the area found the opportunity to make some quick buck. He consequently held one of his friends captive and was demanding ransom or else. Acion didn't hesitate to not only not comply with his demands, but also engage the villain directly in combat. While his training did allow him to hold his own against a relatively no-name villain, his inexperience with actual combat meant it was quite a mess of a fight. Eventually though, with the help of his accompanying friend, they managed to subdue the villain for the authority and saved his kidnapped friend. It sounded great to put on his resume for professional heroism, but no. Acion was accused of vigilantism, and he had to go through a long and complicated procedure to resolve the case. His family was involved, and it took a bit of their influence to sweep the case under the rug. However, it was a permanent mark on his study record, and school after school denied his enrolment due to this reason. It was his first brush through with the reality of professional heroism, and he wasn't in any sense ready to accept this. He wouldn't talk about it, but if you ask him, he would still be proud and unrepentant of what he did that day. Eventually, a school did accept Acion into their Hero program. A relatively lesser known school with limited hero classes, but it would still give him a chance to actually become an actual professional hero. Quirk: Archangel Wings: Acion has a total of six wings, three pairs in total, two stretching from the back of his shoulders and four more from his backs. This magnanimous number allows him very long durations of flights and quick ascension high into from any potential sudden threats. The wings are quite sturdy and can withstand high pressures and beatings before giving in. However, having many wings to manage proves to be huge problem as it greatly hampered his agility in the air, turning back and forth in quick succession. The problem is twofold providing he is in ground combat, as he also became a relatively large silhouette to be targeted. Other: The Nakamiji family are great flyers, and so is Acion. He luckily inherited the family's great eyesight, capable of spotting small targets from high above, along with enhanced lung capacity, which allowed him to hold his breath underwater along with flying at higher altitude, where oxygen level is lower, for an extended period of time. Acion is also an aviation enthusiast. He loved to play around with kites when he was a little kid, and still does if he was given the opportunity to. He also enjoys reading about aerodynamics, and often applies physics to his advantage to mitigate his shortcomings when it comes to agility. Acion also likes swimming and he likes to come to the swimming pool at least once or twice a week.</s> <\|message\|>Kouji Majima The walk from his small home on the other side of the city wasn't much one to speak of, and the morning was just like most others. School being school it didn't matter that he was going to a hero school so much as he was excited to learn, and see how things worked. Kouji was very interested in seeing what the school's teachers were like. It was like stepping into a new world full of incredible things but at the same time he didn't get accepted into U.A due to the strain he had on his mental facilities when he was using his quirk. But that being said he was glad he at least took the shot. Being rejected didn't even ruin is confidence, and he was determined to prove U.A wrong, or at least get a good enough education on how to join the police force so he could at least do something useful with his career. Even if he wasn't able to become a first responder being a cop meant he could still at least eventually get a chance at being useful to someone in this place. Even if it was a desk job it was better than being thrown into the heaping mess of show business... When Kouji finally arrived at school his uniform was messy, and so was his hair but it was in passable shape they weren't wildly out of place it was just his shirt was unbuttoned, and his pants had gotten a little dirty on the way there to the train station. He waved at the teacher in front of class. "Hey! Names Kouji Majima! Nice to meet you teach! Sorry about being messy on the first day, and all! Never was a clean guy all things considered." he says enthusiastically. He didn't catch the names of the other students but he wandered over to one of the middle seats and plopped himself down.</s> <\|message\|>Dulga Tatara Dulga Tarata Dulga woke up to the sound of her cellphone alarm reminding her that today was the first day of school. After washing up she changed into her school uniform. Due to her anatomy it needed to be customized and looked more like a boy's uniform more than a girl's. Then Dulga went to her kitchen to have breakfast. "Dad was here... And he ate my cereal again." Dulga lifted up the extremely light box of Frankenberry, sighing before pouring what was left into a bowl with some milk. She turned on the TV and watched the news for a bit before she finished her breakfast and went back to her room to get the rest of her things. Her school bag, her bike, and a large black case. As she was leaving she donned her mask and cloak, closed the door behind her, and locked it. Biking from her apartment to school didn't take very long. Most everyone in her neighborhood was heading towards the train station, so Dulga's bike path was left clear. On her way an old couple was trying to move a small freezer off the back of a truck and onto a flatbed. Dulga quietly parked her bike and helped them get the freezer off the truck before heading towards school again. Unsurprisingly it was busy. A lot of excited kids and busy teachers. Dulga just walked passed everyone, locking her bike onto the bike rack before heading over to the lockers to change out her shoes and head to class. She still kept her black case tightly gripped in her hand, not trusting even the school to safeguard her own things. Soon she would arrive to class without a word. It looks like everyone was picking their own seat so Dulga made sure to find a spot where she wouldn't get in the way of things. "I guess this is the hero class." She thought to herself as she read some news on her phone.</s>	<\|message\|>Acion Nakamiji Life before sunrise was noticeably more peaceful than what he ever knew. The cold morning mist brushing through his face as the stretch of calm before the sun were to take it all away from him in a short while. Feeling the radiating light of the sun coming soon, Acion landed back on the ground, his six wings twitching briefly before he retracted them back to wrap nicely around his two sides. It would have been illegal if this was on public ground, unless in specialized training area, but thankfully Acion already had such a place right at his house. A field enough for him to express his bloodline's gift to the fullest, and he was going to take advantage of every minute of it. After the exercise, Acion returned to his house, just in time when his older sister was also around. Unlike him, whose day was just beginning, her day was ending. She was still in her hero costume, her equipment just been taken off and laid on the counter next to the kitchen area as she was having breakfast, or rather a midnight snack for her. And her great attempt to still put up an impeccable appearance was falling apart as she gave a long covered yawn. "Excuse me." She inadvertently blurted out. "You're home now, you don't have to be so formal." Acion replied. "Can't help it." Aurelia gave a short reply, as she brushed her long white hair. "Oh wait, today is your first day right?" "Yeah. I'm gonna leave soon to catch the train." "Aye, have fun. Also, take the keys with you." She reached for the key chains near her on the table and threw it to her little brother, who caught it perfectly with his hand. "I'm gonna finish this bun here and call it a night." It was always nice to have a chat with his older sister, even if for just a quick bit. Hearing her stories about her heroic works were great ways to get himself used to the hero world. Especially now since she was working night shift, which meant they didn't get to see each other often. When he got back, she would usually be gone already, but hey that's part of hero work. It would probably fall down on him to do the task one day as well. Acion left for school earlier than usual, expecting the coming train to be very crowded. It's the first day of school after all. And he was dead right. The first few stations were okay, considering they were close to the terminal station, but as the train was getting closer and closer to the city, more and more people began to board, and for Acion, whose mutant quirk took a little bit too much space on board, he quickly found himself standing near the entrance, where more...sizable things can fit in better. But the claustrophobic atmosphere didn't last very long, as he soon reached his destination. If he wasn't certain of where to go, then the sight of other students wearing the same uniform as him were the sure sign that he was heading off in the right direction. Lots of students were chatting and trying to strike up conversations with each other, but the winged man just ignored all the commotions around him. He didn't find their conversations that enticing to begin with, considering they were mostly just small chitchats. That was the reason why while some might find themselves lingering around in the courtyard to hangout, Acion made his way straight toward his class. "Good morning." Acion made himself visible as soon as he opened the door. With the door being a little thinner than he does, he had to turn a little sideway in order to enter. Briefly, he glanced around the room, looking at the students that just arrived. His first impression was...interesting. There were a lot of things he was curious about them, but for now, he gave them a quick wave before settling at the back of the classroom, since spaces were quite generous.</s>
<\|description\|>Acion Nakamiji Appearance: Costume: Hero/Vigilante Name: Stratosphere Seraph Gender: Male Age: 16 Height: 6'0 / 183cm Weight: 156 lbs / 71 kg Personality: If anything, Acion is a virtuous man, with a very firm sense of moral code and heroism, even if they are different from existing ideals. A man of action that often doesn't need any prior validation from any other people for anything he does, whether it is helping a friend in need or saving a person's life, even though the latter case might put a small brake on his decision due to past incidents. Inaction is still action to him, and it is much less regretful to act and fail rather than staying still and doing nothing. Nevertheless, he still requires his own rational reasons for what he does rather than just relying on his own idea of righteousness. Acion is also a prideful individual. He was, after all, on the competing list for one of the more prestigious Hero school for his unique style and skilled utilization of his quirk, despite being more disadvantaged in more traditional combat circumstances. He worked hard for it, to keep up with his family tradition and his dreams, and it paid off for the most part. He had a reason to be proud of his accomplishment, and consequently his lack of tolerance for petty insults. He can put up with criticism, but he doesn't at all appreciate disrespect on his, or anybody else's, honest efforts. God forbid his mannerism when he snapped to this. Outside of these special circumstances, he's generally not a very talkative person. He isn't afraid of conversations, but chances are he will not be the one initiating it with the other party. He does lack a little bit of conversational skill and can sometimes lead to awkward situations, but regardless Acion is an understanding fellow whose empathy and sympathy will shine through during times of need. Background: Acion's family was almost good up until he was getting ready for his Hero school enrolment. Born with several significant mutations from their family, who only have more conventional 2 wings, Acion at first wasn't too looked upon with great eyes. But his family tree has contained some of the very successful heroes in the past, even before heroism as a business even became a thing. It was a mark of pride, and a source of great encouragement for him to work towards his goal of being a professional hero. His older sister Aurelia Nakamiji is also one of the very promising new generation of heroes, having won first places in many region-wide tournaments, which also helps his desire to not be just the ugly duckling in the family. Acion knew he isn't going to win any prizes with his physicality, unlike his sister who never had any issues with aerial combat, but he knew better than trying to do something he's not designed to do. He spent his free time practicing flying as high as possible, trying to push his physical and mental limits, all the while coming up with his own style of combat. Eventually he did come up with it, and it proved to be quite effective in combat tests. Mock test results began to look up for the young hero, and it seemed as if he was on track to be enrolled in a Hero school as soon as the real test period comes. However, during a camping trip with a couple of friends a few months before, a low-threat villain passing by the area found the opportunity to make some quick buck. He consequently held one of his friends captive and was demanding ransom or else. Acion didn't hesitate to not only not comply with his demands, but also engage the villain directly in combat. While his training did allow him to hold his own against a relatively no-name villain, his inexperience with actual combat meant it was quite a mess of a fight. Eventually though, with the help of his accompanying friend, they managed to subdue the villain for the authority and saved his kidnapped friend. It sounded great to put on his resume for professional heroism, but no. Acion was accused of vigilantism, and he had to go through a long and complicated procedure to resolve the case. His family was involved, and it took a bit of their influence to sweep the case under the rug. However, it was a permanent mark on his study record, and school after school denied his enrolment due to this reason. It was his first brush through with the reality of professional heroism, and he wasn't in any sense ready to accept this. He wouldn't talk about it, but if you ask him, he would still be proud and unrepentant of what he did that day. Eventually, a school did accept Acion into their Hero program. A relatively lesser known school with limited hero classes, but it would still give him a chance to actually become an actual professional hero. Quirk: Archangel Wings: Acion has a total of six wings, three pairs in total, two stretching from the back of his shoulders and four more from his backs. This magnanimous number allows him very long durations of flights and quick ascension high into from any potential sudden threats. The wings are quite sturdy and can withstand high pressures and beatings before giving in. However, having many wings to manage proves to be huge problem as it greatly hampered his agility in the air, turning back and forth in quick succession. The problem is twofold providing he is in ground combat, as he also became a relatively large silhouette to be targeted. Other: The Nakamiji family are great flyers, and so is Acion. He luckily inherited the family's great eyesight, capable of spotting small targets from high above, along with enhanced lung capacity, which allowed him to hold his breath underwater along with flying at higher altitude, where oxygen level is lower, for an extended period of time. Acion is also an aviation enthusiast. He loved to play around with kites when he was a little kid, and still does if he was given the opportunity to. He also enjoys reading about aerodynamics, and often applies physics to his advantage to mitigate his shortcomings when it comes to agility. Acion also likes swimming and he likes to come to the swimming pool at least once or twice a week.</s> <\|message\|>Hana Saki Saki The girl Alice appeared very timed as she spoke back. Saki quietly studied her behavior as her power cord softly waved around the chair. Saki repeated after Alice in happy and timid manner. "Pleasure to make your acquaintance Alice~" Saki smiled as she brushed a lock of hair behind her ear in playful manner. Alice could become her friend she would believe, probably need to talk with her a lot for that before she opens up to her. "You can connect your phone, I have my own wifi build in my body~ Feel free to use it~" Saki was somewhat focused on Alice her hair seeing two strands of hair perk up from her perfectly smooth hair. Alice just probably hasn't noticed yet, her eyes looked rather tired as well. Maybe nervous for school? "Sorry to say but you have some bed-hair~, should I brush it out for you?~" Miss Mako spoke up meaning the class had started, Saki turned back to the teacher and gave a soft smile as she spoke. They were gonna introduce themselves by name and their reason of wanting to be a hero. For Saki it was mostly clear but she still found herself to be lucky not being the first on the list. Quietly she traced the finger going around the room as the students introduced themselves one by one. First the black blob Donny, despites his shyness, he did make most points Saki would make. The quirk of his did look quite interesting, definitely a mutant type quirk. Seemed to be some oil type of stuff that is either covering his body or is his body. Kouji and Yukari both came from UA, Saki hadn't realised yet that UA could have been proper hard to attend to, this school was a good choice after all. They should be older then her right? Would they be senpai's in that aspect then? Out of school perhaps. Despites that, would they already know each other from UA before this? Lucky it would take much less effort to make friends that way. Next kousuke, it was a tad weird that he typed his speech into his phone first to let it play via speaker. If he couldn't talk he had found a plenty good way to fix it somewhat for himself. Saki gladly smiled at the boy as he finished speaking and glanced her way. He seemed honest and nice enough. When Dulga came up it took but a moment for her to stand up and sit down once more. Saki gave a wry smile at her speech, somewhat simplistic but not all people had to have a long reason to be a hero. Dulga did seem rather in herself from the looks of it, saki wondered how it would be like talking to her. Next was a rather nervous looking girl named Junko, it would appear she is a somewhat lonesome girl that has her own reasons for being here. The girl did seem to be happy to see her teacher at least which was rather... Strange, yet Saki was glad for her that she got into this school. Seventh in place, Saki stood up pushing the chair behind her with her legs. Her tail came free happily dangling besides her as she straightened her back facing the rest of the class. "Hana Saki, pleasure to meet you~ My reason for wanting to be a hero is~ Helping the country as much as I can to my ability~ Doesn't matter if it is a animal in need or a big villain to defeat~" Saki tilted her head together with a kind smile and sat down again.</s> <\|message\|>Alice Nova Alice Nova The impression of a cheerful girl that Saki seemed intent on keeping up would stay on Alice's mind throughout their conversation. It seemed genuine in nature and was almost heartwarming to see. Or rather, those were the observations that Alice had made from the first interaction the two of them shared. Suffice to say it was nowhere near enough to be a proper introduction. However, more intriguingly, Saki really seemed to be some kind of computer-like being, considering how there was wifi coming out of her, supposedly. That raised a whole bunch of questions! Does she have to pay an internet provider? How does she set the name and password? Was the wifi any good? Questions she'd be sure to ask later... should she be bothered to do so. Saki pointed at Alice's hair which she deemed "bedhair". To be fair, it was an adequate judgement to make should one not be familiar with Alice's quirk but the owlgirl couldn't help but chuckle as a result of it because it seemed kind of cute. In actuality, of course, it was nothing like bedhair. Instead, it was a result of her owl quirk's type being the great horned owl for which these outgrows of feathers were typical. In Alice's case, they manifested as outgrowths of differently coloured hair. "Ah that? Nono that is not bed-hair, but rather-" Alice was then cut off by the teacher commencing the first class session, which promptly caused Alice to stop talking and focus back on the class, similarly to Saki and all the other students. One after the other they began introducing themselves and listing their reasons for becoming heroes, or rather, describing the image of a hero in their mind. While Alice did pay attention to what they said, it was quite hard to focus on since she was so tired. Her eyes felt like they would fall shut any moment now... but of course, they wouldn't. Naturally, she had enough willpower to fight through a bit of tiredness..., especially on her first day! First impressions mattered after all. And with that thought in mind, Alice finally rose as well once she was pointed at by their teacher to introduce herself. Making sure her posture was as excellent as she managed to, Alice politely began speaking. "My name is Alice Nova. It is my pleasure to meet all of you." The girl followed this up with a slight and courteous bow forward out of politeness and her own manners. "A hero represents and fights for true justice. I wish to represent that concept myself one day." ...is what she could think of before sitting down again. Truth be told, her ideals weren't exactly chiseled in stone yet, however, this was a close approximation to how she truly felt. So far Alice just wasn't sure how to properly word it. After having spoken her introduction the glasses-wearing girl quietly sat down again so that the next person could begin their introduction.</s>	<\|message\|>Acion Nakamiji The reunion talk with Kinoko was halted when the teacher, Ms Mako, spoke up, signifying the start of the first day at a hero high school. For a start was the usual activity that Acion was kinda familiar with from having attended a couple of social events back in middle school: icebreaker. A short introduction from everybody in the class and answering one simple yet open question. From his old acquaintance Kinoko, or Donny Yang as he also said in his introduction, to the sleepy looking girl Alice sitting close by the windows, everybody had different ideals and reasons to be a hero just like their different identity, even though most of them are pretty similar. The only odd one out of them were from that girl sitting in that remote corner at the back, whose ideals were pretty...zoomed in. Yeah, heroes are strong, but villains are strong too. But hey, she probably never thought about it before. Acion was near last. That allowed him to mentally prepare himself a little bit for a short speech. He didn't plan to make this a grand introduction, as that would make him seem like a showoff, but he did want to give the confident first impression on people. Once he was pointed, he stood up firmly, suppressing any non-related thoughts in his mind. "I am Acion Nakamiji. It's a pleasure to be here with all of you." What was next... "A hero to me is someone who regardless of everything he could lose or gain, does the right thing. And that's what I want to become...do the right thing, so that this world can be a little better for everyone." Once done, he sat down and deeply exhaled. That went a lot better than he thought. Speaking in front of many people wasn't exactly his specialty after all.</s>
<\|description\|>Acion Nakamiji Appearance: Costume: Hero/Vigilante Name: Stratosphere Seraph Gender: Male Age: 16 Height: 6'0 / 183cm Weight: 156 lbs / 71 kg Personality: If anything, Acion is a virtuous man, with a very firm sense of moral code and heroism, even if they are different from existing ideals. A man of action that often doesn't need any prior validation from any other people for anything he does, whether it is helping a friend in need or saving a person's life, even though the latter case might put a small brake on his decision due to past incidents. Inaction is still action to him, and it is much less regretful to act and fail rather than staying still and doing nothing. Nevertheless, he still requires his own rational reasons for what he does rather than just relying on his own idea of righteousness. Acion is also a prideful individual. He was, after all, on the competing list for one of the more prestigious Hero school for his unique style and skilled utilization of his quirk, despite being more disadvantaged in more traditional combat circumstances. He worked hard for it, to keep up with his family tradition and his dreams, and it paid off for the most part. He had a reason to be proud of his accomplishment, and consequently his lack of tolerance for petty insults. He can put up with criticism, but he doesn't at all appreciate disrespect on his, or anybody else's, honest efforts. God forbid his mannerism when he snapped to this. Outside of these special circumstances, he's generally not a very talkative person. He isn't afraid of conversations, but chances are he will not be the one initiating it with the other party. He does lack a little bit of conversational skill and can sometimes lead to awkward situations, but regardless Acion is an understanding fellow whose empathy and sympathy will shine through during times of need. Background: Acion's family was almost good up until he was getting ready for his Hero school enrolment. Born with several significant mutations from their family, who only have more conventional 2 wings, Acion at first wasn't too looked upon with great eyes. But his family tree has contained some of the very successful heroes in the past, even before heroism as a business even became a thing. It was a mark of pride, and a source of great encouragement for him to work towards his goal of being a professional hero. His older sister Aurelia Nakamiji is also one of the very promising new generation of heroes, having won first places in many region-wide tournaments, which also helps his desire to not be just the ugly duckling in the family. Acion knew he isn't going to win any prizes with his physicality, unlike his sister who never had any issues with aerial combat, but he knew better than trying to do something he's not designed to do. He spent his free time practicing flying as high as possible, trying to push his physical and mental limits, all the while coming up with his own style of combat. Eventually he did come up with it, and it proved to be quite effective in combat tests. Mock test results began to look up for the young hero, and it seemed as if he was on track to be enrolled in a Hero school as soon as the real test period comes. However, during a camping trip with a couple of friends a few months before, a low-threat villain passing by the area found the opportunity to make some quick buck. He consequently held one of his friends captive and was demanding ransom or else. Acion didn't hesitate to not only not comply with his demands, but also engage the villain directly in combat. While his training did allow him to hold his own against a relatively no-name villain, his inexperience with actual combat meant it was quite a mess of a fight. Eventually though, with the help of his accompanying friend, they managed to subdue the villain for the authority and saved his kidnapped friend. It sounded great to put on his resume for professional heroism, but no. Acion was accused of vigilantism, and he had to go through a long and complicated procedure to resolve the case. His family was involved, and it took a bit of their influence to sweep the case under the rug. However, it was a permanent mark on his study record, and school after school denied his enrolment due to this reason. It was his first brush through with the reality of professional heroism, and he wasn't in any sense ready to accept this. He wouldn't talk about it, but if you ask him, he would still be proud and unrepentant of what he did that day. Eventually, a school did accept Acion into their Hero program. A relatively lesser known school with limited hero classes, but it would still give him a chance to actually become an actual professional hero. Quirk: Archangel Wings: Acion has a total of six wings, three pairs in total, two stretching from the back of his shoulders and four more from his backs. This magnanimous number allows him very long durations of flights and quick ascension high into from any potential sudden threats. The wings are quite sturdy and can withstand high pressures and beatings before giving in. However, having many wings to manage proves to be huge problem as it greatly hampered his agility in the air, turning back and forth in quick succession. The problem is twofold providing he is in ground combat, as he also became a relatively large silhouette to be targeted. Other: The Nakamiji family are great flyers, and so is Acion. He luckily inherited the family's great eyesight, capable of spotting small targets from high above, along with enhanced lung capacity, which allowed him to hold his breath underwater along with flying at higher altitude, where oxygen level is lower, for an extended period of time. Acion is also an aviation enthusiast. He loved to play around with kites when he was a little kid, and still does if he was given the opportunity to. He also enjoys reading about aerodynamics, and often applies physics to his advantage to mitigate his shortcomings when it comes to agility. Acion also likes swimming and he likes to come to the swimming pool at least once or twice a week.</s> <\|message\|>Yukari Yozakura Yukari Yozakura After finishing her meal, Yukari put her dishes away and wandered outside. There was still time in lunch left, and she figured she might as well get some exercise in so she doesn't feel so bloated. Nothing too serious, just something to keep her stomach from getting too heavy. After she washed up in the bathroom Yukari went outside to get some fresh air and sunlight. As she walked further away from the cafeteria things got quieten, but at the same time Yukari would pick up more noises from her surroundings. Because of her blindness she was much more sensitive to the ambient noises of city life, and even subtle feelings like the air pressure, temperature, and even soft scents in the air were all things Yukari both notices more, and has gotten used to filtering. She wonders if any of the other students have picked up on her disability yet. She could only imagine maybe two from her hero class who might have some clue, but she does her best to hide it so no one would ever suspect it. "I just hope this won't become a problem later. Like if people ask me to describe what someone looks like or shows me pictures... Uwa..." Eventually Yukari would find herself back at the gym. Since everyone had gone to lunch, the gym was mostly empty. She could hear the faint buzzing of the electricity and pipes in it's larger corridors as she went inside and just walked around. The faint smell of soap told her that the janitor must've been here at least an hour ago, and some parts of the floor was still wet. Soon she'd find herself back inside the main gym area where she had demonstrated her quirk. "Ora! This will be a good place to train!" Yukari spent a few moments to stretch, literally, extending her arms and legs a couple meters in order to get herself limbered up. She wasn't going to do anything as fancy as what she did this morning, not yet at least, but just enough to get the blood pumping. As she was walking around she found a smelly room that had some of the sport equipment in it. "Ah, Mako-Sensei must've not locked the supply room. Or maybe another class opened it? Either way, I'm sure there's something fun in here." Digging around the room Yukari eventually found what she could identify as a basketball. It was bouncy but had a thick exterior with bumps, which she's been told is what a basketball is suppose to be like. So she gave it a few bounces, getting a feel for it's weight. "Hmm... Maybe one day I can be bouncy like a basketball too." Yukari bounced the ball in her hands for a while, dribbling it around the court. If anyone had seen her though they could tell she has no idea how to properly dribble a basketball since she was using both hands at the same time. "Ano ano.... I think I'm suppose to throw these into hoops right?" Yukari had a vague idea where these hoops were at since she had been making some noise in the room. She knew there was something big and flat above her, but her senses weren't so sharp that she could keenly identify what it looked like via just noises alone. But she guessed that's what she was suppose to throw the ball at, so picking up the basketball in her dominant hand, she wrapped her arm around the ball before spinning it over her head once and slinging it at the backboard. She managed to hit the backboard solidly, causing the ball to bounce straight back to Yukari. That would be when a couple of other students would arrive just in time to see Yukari get hit in the face with the basketball, causing her entire body to bounce off the ground from the surprising recoil and shock. "Uwa! It didn't swoosh!"</s> <\|message\|>Kouki Sendachi What the… Kouki's brow furrowed deeper as he watched the last performance, the shock and disgust in his mind translating directly to disgust on his face. There were people with strange faces and people with weird abilities and people with extra body parts, but this was the first time he saw someone so...gross. At no time in his life had he ever thought about wanting to see someone twisted into a flesh-coil or stuffed into a bottle. That was the stuff of fiction, after all, the stuff of body horror rendered in ink and printed across the world to shock and delight audiences. To see that reflected in…Yozakura-san was it? That did a number on him. Definitely someone to avoid during practical exams. He didn't even want to think about how it'd feel to have her wrapped around him like rope, or anything else as gross as that. At least he didn't throw up. At least. But he did sway a little more as he stepped out of the gym back into the classroom. Thankfully, the following classes were less psychologically traumatizing. He kept his head down, kept his wits about him, and went through it without being selected for anything like, gods forbid, answering questions on the blackboard. Easy and quick, like all school days ought to be. Lunch though…that was the problem. Today's weather was good. Rooftops were off-limits. The sun was pretty bright. Back of the school was off-limits. First floor had too many students. Hallways were off-limits. Classmates were mostly social and hadn't formed cliques yet. Classroom was off-limits. Clubs were doing demonstrations. Extracurricular rooms were off-limits. Yozakura was at the gym. Gym was off-limits. Wandering through the school with his headphones on and his face set to 'do not approach', Kouki eventually found himself a snug spot beneath the west wing staircase between the second floor and the third floor of the school. It was a bit on the dusty side, but it was less musty than the equipment warehouse, and it was quiet too, outside of the pipes that gurgled somewhere within the wall. He squatted down, placed his hands together in gratitude, and resolved two things. One, he'll try harder to be social tomorrow. Two, he'll have to eat all of this today. Foreign vocals blasted into his ears as Kouki began his lunchtime food challenge.</s> <\|message\|>Dulga Tatara Dulga Tarata Junko's quirk turns fear into power. "I see. Sounds useful. Like if you had to rescue a lot of people." No doubt if Junko had to help say, a room full of hostages, their fear over the situation would grant Junko a lot of power. It could have a lot of potential in disaster situations where hundreds if not thousands of people are in danger and fear for their lives. Though at the same time, Dulga wasn't sure if Junko was even aware of that sort of potential, or if she even planned to use her powers for that reason. After all Junko said she was interested in Mako, who herself was no hero, and her demonstration certainly didn't instill any notion that Junko was a perfectly good hero. "... Perfect. Socializing wasn't Dulga's strong suit. While she may have been taught manners ever since she moved here she has failed to really make friends. She's been so focused on self-improvement that she doesn't even remember anyone from middle school and is already struggling to remember some of the students she just met today. So the idea that Dulga needed to make friends was going to be hard. "Think carefully. What do you know about this girl and what do you think you can use to your advantage? Junko Kurowai. Her power is Fear Monger. Without any fear she's only as strong as a regular girl. But even just one person who's frighten would grant her physical abilities that are clearly superhuman. She seems shy. Perhaps that is why she looks up to Mako. The criminal teacher. Use that." Dulga waited for Junko to finish chewing her food before she spoke again. "Detention's afterschool. I wonder what you will do. What Mako will say." Dulga turned her music off and gathers up her trash. She had to carefully think of what she wanted to say, being deliberate with her words to mask her intentions. "Maybe she'll scold you for attacking a student. Sounds foolish to me." Though Dulga spoke with a flat, almost robotic tone there was hints of annoyance and almost aggression. Taking the trash in her hands Dulga crushed it into to flat disk no bigger than a one yen coin. "You'd think she would know what our quirks would be. Maybe she already does." Finally she looked over to Junko. Junko could then see the burn scars on the left side of Dulga's face. Most of it was hidden by her mask, hair, and hood, but this close Junko could even notice that Dulga was missing most of her left ear and what was left was burnt scar tissue. "Tell me how it goes. Maybe she'll be understanding. Or maybe not."</s>	<\|message\|>Acion Nakamiji Secondhand pain is a thing. He walked in not only just in time to watch Yukari took the blow from the basketball directly to the face, but also witness how the ball travelled. It did not take his deep understanding of physics to understand that it probably hurts real bad. If it had been him, it would for sure. Acion didn't wait for anyone cueing him. Upon seeing the girl bouncing off the ground from the effect of the ball, he entered the gym and jogged straight up to Yukari. "Are you okay?" Eventually, he did recognize this girl as his classmate, in particular that incredibly elastic girl that twisted herself into a small bottle somehow. Though that never was his impression with her. His impression from that particular performance was the almost perfect coordination between her body parts. Therefore, it never occurred to him that the seemingly clever and agile one would take a basketball right into her face. But it happened to the best of us sometimes. "Are you Yozakura-san from hero class?" He asked.</s>
<\|description\|>Acion Nakamiji Appearance: Costume: Hero/Vigilante Name: Stratosphere Seraph Gender: Male Age: 16 Height: 6'0 / 183cm Weight: 156 lbs / 71 kg Personality: If anything, Acion is a virtuous man, with a very firm sense of moral code and heroism, even if they are different from existing ideals. A man of action that often doesn't need any prior validation from any other people for anything he does, whether it is helping a friend in need or saving a person's life, even though the latter case might put a small brake on his decision due to past incidents. Inaction is still action to him, and it is much less regretful to act and fail rather than staying still and doing nothing. Nevertheless, he still requires his own rational reasons for what he does rather than just relying on his own idea of righteousness. Acion is also a prideful individual. He was, after all, on the competing list for one of the more prestigious Hero school for his unique style and skilled utilization of his quirk, despite being more disadvantaged in more traditional combat circumstances. He worked hard for it, to keep up with his family tradition and his dreams, and it paid off for the most part. He had a reason to be proud of his accomplishment, and consequently his lack of tolerance for petty insults. He can put up with criticism, but he doesn't at all appreciate disrespect on his, or anybody else's, honest efforts. God forbid his mannerism when he snapped to this. Outside of these special circumstances, he's generally not a very talkative person. He isn't afraid of conversations, but chances are he will not be the one initiating it with the other party. He does lack a little bit of conversational skill and can sometimes lead to awkward situations, but regardless Acion is an understanding fellow whose empathy and sympathy will shine through during times of need. Background: Acion's family was almost good up until he was getting ready for his Hero school enrolment. Born with several significant mutations from their family, who only have more conventional 2 wings, Acion at first wasn't too looked upon with great eyes. But his family tree has contained some of the very successful heroes in the past, even before heroism as a business even became a thing. It was a mark of pride, and a source of great encouragement for him to work towards his goal of being a professional hero. His older sister Aurelia Nakamiji is also one of the very promising new generation of heroes, having won first places in many region-wide tournaments, which also helps his desire to not be just the ugly duckling in the family. Acion knew he isn't going to win any prizes with his physicality, unlike his sister who never had any issues with aerial combat, but he knew better than trying to do something he's not designed to do. He spent his free time practicing flying as high as possible, trying to push his physical and mental limits, all the while coming up with his own style of combat. Eventually he did come up with it, and it proved to be quite effective in combat tests. Mock test results began to look up for the young hero, and it seemed as if he was on track to be enrolled in a Hero school as soon as the real test period comes. However, during a camping trip with a couple of friends a few months before, a low-threat villain passing by the area found the opportunity to make some quick buck. He consequently held one of his friends captive and was demanding ransom or else. Acion didn't hesitate to not only not comply with his demands, but also engage the villain directly in combat. While his training did allow him to hold his own against a relatively no-name villain, his inexperience with actual combat meant it was quite a mess of a fight. Eventually though, with the help of his accompanying friend, they managed to subdue the villain for the authority and saved his kidnapped friend. It sounded great to put on his resume for professional heroism, but no. Acion was accused of vigilantism, and he had to go through a long and complicated procedure to resolve the case. His family was involved, and it took a bit of their influence to sweep the case under the rug. However, it was a permanent mark on his study record, and school after school denied his enrolment due to this reason. It was his first brush through with the reality of professional heroism, and he wasn't in any sense ready to accept this. He wouldn't talk about it, but if you ask him, he would still be proud and unrepentant of what he did that day. Eventually, a school did accept Acion into their Hero program. A relatively lesser known school with limited hero classes, but it would still give him a chance to actually become an actual professional hero. Quirk: Archangel Wings: Acion has a total of six wings, three pairs in total, two stretching from the back of his shoulders and four more from his backs. This magnanimous number allows him very long durations of flights and quick ascension high into from any potential sudden threats. The wings are quite sturdy and can withstand high pressures and beatings before giving in. However, having many wings to manage proves to be huge problem as it greatly hampered his agility in the air, turning back and forth in quick succession. The problem is twofold providing he is in ground combat, as he also became a relatively large silhouette to be targeted. Other: The Nakamiji family are great flyers, and so is Acion. He luckily inherited the family's great eyesight, capable of spotting small targets from high above, along with enhanced lung capacity, which allowed him to hold his breath underwater along with flying at higher altitude, where oxygen level is lower, for an extended period of time. Acion is also an aviation enthusiast. He loved to play around with kites when he was a little kid, and still does if he was given the opportunity to. He also enjoys reading about aerodynamics, and often applies physics to his advantage to mitigate his shortcomings when it comes to agility. Acion also likes swimming and he likes to come to the swimming pool at least once or twice a week.</s> <\|message\|>Kouji Majima "Eh yeah I think I got history next...pretty boring all things considered since all we learn about is mostly pre-quirk stuff but hey everyone needs to know what happened before so we don't make the same mistakes right?" Kouji says as he gets up he grabs his trey and winks at Nadeko. "I'm going to go to the bathroom before that though so I don't need to leave during class. But I'd like it if we could meet up after school. Maybe call it a date?" he says to her flashing a smile at Nadeko. "But...I don't know I wouldn't presume a girl as pretty as you would like to consider it a date Maeda-San?" Kouji says to her as he waits for her response he feels just a tad bit nervous, and he doesn't expect a yes but you miss every shot you don't take, and its always nice to get a friend on your side regardless. Carrot</s> <\|message\|>Mako Akane Maeda Nadeko Mentions: @vancexentan Nadeko stared at him for a beat or two, before suddenly giggling to herself. "Slow down there, Romeo! And you told me that just talking to people might be jarring for them! Listen, you seem pretty nice, so let's actually become friends first, okay? I'd take the offer to meet up but I've got to get straight to my parents and tell them how my day went. They'll be worried if I'm late, and I, uh, can't use cellphones. They don't play well with magnets, and they have touch screens and stuff. We'll arrange something in advance another time, okay? Anyway, see you in class!" And with that, Nadeko got up to leave. --- --- Mako Akane DAY TWO Mentions: @Melpaws@ShwiggityShwah@Lucius Cypher@Conscripts@TheWendil@Ryonara@vancexentan@Norschtalen@liferusher@alexfangtalon@Animal Hero class for day two was the last class of the day as opposed to the first. With a long second day of Math, Japanese, Science, Home Ec and other assorted classes, the class was probably drained at this point. Mako had accounted for this, and as the class filed in, she was smiling her foxlike smile as usual, and greeted every member of her class who walked in and took their seat. Once everyone was seated, she began. "Now, I had thought about doing a more theory-based lesson about morality and duty, but as you've had a long day and are probably quite mentally drained, I decided to do something a little more fun and practical. As you know. This was once a serious dedicated large Hero Academy, so while the old Hero training facilities are out of date and in need of repair, we nonetheless have them at our disposal. So I thought why not do a good old round of Heroes vs Villains? This exercise seemed to be popular with previous Hero classes here. Now, instead of let you assign the teams, or assign you based on what I think you'd be good at," Mako briefly glanced at Junko, "I've decided to assign you Hero or Villain based on what I think you could gain from or learn from more. Or at the very least which one won't make any bad habits worse. So, here's the Hero team; Alice Nova, Maeda Nadeko, Kaijiwara Homura, Hana Saki, Donny Yang and Kurowai Junko. I have chosen this team because I think you would have more to gain from being heroic and virtuous than by simply trying to win a competetive exercise. I want you to remember that. This exercise, for your team, will be scored not only by if you win, but how you win. Here is the villain team; Carol Tennebalm, Yozakura Yukari, Dulga Tatara, Nakamiji Acion, Majima Kouji and Katō Emiho. If any of you are wondering why I chose you for the villain team, well, some of you need a little push in confidence. Others might benefit from getting their hands dirty or getting a taste for the bad guy's perspective so you can perhaps empathise in the future. This team will simply be playing to win. Now, are there any questions? If not, change into your gym gear and we will all meet up at the old 'Cityscape' training ground. It's hard to miss. It's behind the gym and looks like an atom bomb went off in one of U.A's training grounds. Also a lot smaller than one of theirs. It...should...be safe enough. I'll go over the rules once we're all set."</s> <\|message\|>Donny Yang The first day of school wasn't too bad. Though Donny wasn't a fan of all of the homework they gave him, he did his best to do them before going to bed. The important thing was that it was done after all, and anything he didn't understand he was certain he could figure out eventually. That night he had dinner with his grandfather, eating a somewhat fancy bowl of instant noodles with ramen eggs and fresh nori. He was rather excited and thought that his first day of school went pretty well for him. The second day however was a drag. Most of Donny's classes were rather boring lessons that nearly made him fall asleep and on top of that more homework. So much so that Donny seriously considered trying to get some of it done during lunch so he wouldn't have to spend all night on it, but ultimately Donny simply ate his lunch and played with his cellphone instead. "Ugh what a slog. Education's important and all but you'd think they'd make learning more interesting in this day and age…" Eventually Donny would reach his final class, Hero Course. Already fairly beaten down by the earlier classes Donny figured they would go back into boring stuff again, like the history of heroism or laws and such. Things that ordinarily may interest Donny but at this moment he just wanted to take a nap and eat some somen. However what surprised Donny was that Mako was going to put them straight into a practical exercise. Heroes vs Villains, though Donny wasn't sure what exactly that entails. Did they have to chase down the villains? Protect an objective? Both? Additionally Donny was chosen to be on the hero team. While part of him was eager another part of him was worried. He's never really done anything remotely heroic and a lot of people on the villain teams are really tough! Donny was too nervous to really ask any questions and simply went to the lockers to change. Or rather, offload all the food he had stored inside of his body. Today he had brought chips and a thermos of barley tea. Neither which he figured would be of much use, so he stashed that away. He also put his wallet away in his locker and was considering putting his phone away too. However he decided to keep it: perhaps he could make use of the flashlight or something. As for his gym uniform, once more he simply took off his school uniform, folded it, and headed to the training ground. "Oh boy oh boy oh boy…"</s>	<\|message\|>Acion Nakamiji The rest of the school days were uneventful and grindy at worst. His curriculum put him in classes that lean more on the technical science rather than social, and as a result, Acion was rather surprised at how much assignments were given out to him on the first day, a stark contrast to the mere introductory classes before lunch. While the most of them would not be due the next day, he preferred if he got it finished while the iron is still hot. And to make even further use of his long commute time, Acion did some of them while on the train home. Once he was back, what greeted him was a silent and locked house, just as expected. His sister had already left for her hero works, but not before leaving a neat little dish of rice and salmon, accompanied by a bowl of Shchi soup. A pleasant surprise indeed, he hadn't had it for a while, and that time were still vivid as if they were yesterday. A cherry on-top for what was otherwise a successful start to his school year. The next day's classes followed exactly the same pattern as the afternoon of the day before: long, grindy and uneventful, and more assignments. Despite knowing and having interests in science, the sign of fatique was plastered all over his face as he walked into his final class, which also happened to be the Hero class. From the back of his head, he begged for something interesting. If it's anything about hero history, organizations or definition, his neck would hurt after this. But thankfully, he wasn't disappointed. 'Villain? Very interesting.' He actually never did this kind of exercise, let alone being a villain. But it might just end up being a 'Red versus Blue' kind of training, something in which he did know a little something about. The teacher did indicate that the Hero would be judged on how they conduct their exercise as well, something which did pique his interests. He'd probably have to face some sort of deficits to balance this out? Well, only one way to find that out. After changing into his gym clothes, he made a beeline for the training ground. It really did look like ground zero of a cataclysmic explosion. Everything looked like it hadn't been touched for a very long time. Is this really safe like the teacher said? But considering he would probably not touch the area with a ten foot pole for like half the exercise, Acion could brush his concern off his shoulders for now.</s>
<\|description\|>Acion Nakamiji Appearance: Costume: Hero/Vigilante Name: Stratosphere Seraph Gender: Male Age: 16 Height: 6'0 / 183cm Weight: 156 lbs / 71 kg Personality: If anything, Acion is a virtuous man, with a very firm sense of moral code and heroism, even if they are different from existing ideals. A man of action that often doesn't need any prior validation from any other people for anything he does, whether it is helping a friend in need or saving a person's life, even though the latter case might put a small brake on his decision due to past incidents. Inaction is still action to him, and it is much less regretful to act and fail rather than staying still and doing nothing. Nevertheless, he still requires his own rational reasons for what he does rather than just relying on his own idea of righteousness. Acion is also a prideful individual. He was, after all, on the competing list for one of the more prestigious Hero school for his unique style and skilled utilization of his quirk, despite being more disadvantaged in more traditional combat circumstances. He worked hard for it, to keep up with his family tradition and his dreams, and it paid off for the most part. He had a reason to be proud of his accomplishment, and consequently his lack of tolerance for petty insults. He can put up with criticism, but he doesn't at all appreciate disrespect on his, or anybody else's, honest efforts. God forbid his mannerism when he snapped to this. Outside of these special circumstances, he's generally not a very talkative person. He isn't afraid of conversations, but chances are he will not be the one initiating it with the other party. He does lack a little bit of conversational skill and can sometimes lead to awkward situations, but regardless Acion is an understanding fellow whose empathy and sympathy will shine through during times of need. Background: Acion's family was almost good up until he was getting ready for his Hero school enrolment. Born with several significant mutations from their family, who only have more conventional 2 wings, Acion at first wasn't too looked upon with great eyes. But his family tree has contained some of the very successful heroes in the past, even before heroism as a business even became a thing. It was a mark of pride, and a source of great encouragement for him to work towards his goal of being a professional hero. His older sister Aurelia Nakamiji is also one of the very promising new generation of heroes, having won first places in many region-wide tournaments, which also helps his desire to not be just the ugly duckling in the family. Acion knew he isn't going to win any prizes with his physicality, unlike his sister who never had any issues with aerial combat, but he knew better than trying to do something he's not designed to do. He spent his free time practicing flying as high as possible, trying to push his physical and mental limits, all the while coming up with his own style of combat. Eventually he did come up with it, and it proved to be quite effective in combat tests. Mock test results began to look up for the young hero, and it seemed as if he was on track to be enrolled in a Hero school as soon as the real test period comes. However, during a camping trip with a couple of friends a few months before, a low-threat villain passing by the area found the opportunity to make some quick buck. He consequently held one of his friends captive and was demanding ransom or else. Acion didn't hesitate to not only not comply with his demands, but also engage the villain directly in combat. While his training did allow him to hold his own against a relatively no-name villain, his inexperience with actual combat meant it was quite a mess of a fight. Eventually though, with the help of his accompanying friend, they managed to subdue the villain for the authority and saved his kidnapped friend. It sounded great to put on his resume for professional heroism, but no. Acion was accused of vigilantism, and he had to go through a long and complicated procedure to resolve the case. His family was involved, and it took a bit of their influence to sweep the case under the rug. However, it was a permanent mark on his study record, and school after school denied his enrolment due to this reason. It was his first brush through with the reality of professional heroism, and he wasn't in any sense ready to accept this. He wouldn't talk about it, but if you ask him, he would still be proud and unrepentant of what he did that day. Eventually, a school did accept Acion into their Hero program. A relatively lesser known school with limited hero classes, but it would still give him a chance to actually become an actual professional hero. Quirk: Archangel Wings: Acion has a total of six wings, three pairs in total, two stretching from the back of his shoulders and four more from his backs. This magnanimous number allows him very long durations of flights and quick ascension high into from any potential sudden threats. The wings are quite sturdy and can withstand high pressures and beatings before giving in. However, having many wings to manage proves to be huge problem as it greatly hampered his agility in the air, turning back and forth in quick succession. The problem is twofold providing he is in ground combat, as he also became a relatively large silhouette to be targeted. Other: The Nakamiji family are great flyers, and so is Acion. He luckily inherited the family's great eyesight, capable of spotting small targets from high above, along with enhanced lung capacity, which allowed him to hold his breath underwater along with flying at higher altitude, where oxygen level is lower, for an extended period of time. Acion is also an aviation enthusiast. He loved to play around with kites when he was a little kid, and still does if he was given the opportunity to. He also enjoys reading about aerodynamics, and often applies physics to his advantage to mitigate his shortcomings when it comes to agility. Acion also likes swimming and he likes to come to the swimming pool at least once or twice a week.</s> <\|message\|>Alice Nova Alice Nova The situation was too tense to be crept out by some crooked smile- feeling no emotions at all would surely be more helpful and aid her in thinking rationally, is what Alice thought. Unfortunately however, Junko's encouraging joke went right over Alice's head. For all the smarts that she had, Alice was always a bit... socially dense. "No. I can assure you that my quirk is all you can see." Alice replied reassuringly. While she regretted not having any instructions for Nadeko on the fly, since the magnet-wielder appeared rather suddenly, the idea which Nadeko had more than made up for it. It just made sense! If the briefcases were influenced by her magnetism then she could probably easily steal it from anyone even at a longer distance, with the exception of the villain's hulk Dulga maybe. "Good thinking Nadeko. I'll leave that part to yo-" Yet another member appeared? It was the cheerful Saki whom Alice had met yesterday and who also was sitting in front of her in hero class. Maybe the number's disadvantage was a false initial impression? It could be that their team members were just late. While not an applaudable quality, Alice would never think of complaining about receiving additional backup, especially for an exercise of this caliber. "Seems like you two want to go together. That's fine, working as a team is certainly smarter. As the owl watched Donny and Junko begin to disappear underground, she made sure to give one last word of advice before taking off herself. "I will mostly hold back on direct confrontations. I'll be your airial support for the exercise- Remember, I can hear you most likely from anywhere. If you need help, shout. Otherwise, I will shout callouts as I see fit. Good luck everyone." And with those words, Alice flapped her wings and drastically increased her horizontal speed. She decided to keep a low profile for now as she zoomed past Nadeko and Saki. For now, being a watchful eye was certainly more appropriate than recklessly charging in, especially considering that some of the opposing members were quite adept at close quarter combat and physical confrontations. Alice discovered a relatively large building about 3/4 of the way from the heroes' base to the center of the field and decided to land on top of it. To do so she ascended the wall facing away from villain spawn to make sure she could not be spotted. Once on top the girl would squat near the edge of the roof and look down, keeping an eye out for anything unusual. It was her ear, however, that picked up the first unusual occurrence. A relatively loud bang emitting from the other side of the field, quite close to the villainous base. "Too far away. No need to bother investigating Alice thought to herself. Just as she expected, Alice was able to see the angelic boy Acion weave around the buildings in the distance. Keeping track of him was a bit difficult considering there were many buildings in between them so she could only see him fly through the few gaps that were there. As long as he stayed low like that she would not be able to predict any actions for now. However, the main target which Alice was searching for was someone else anyway. The "Raidboss", so to speak, Dulga. Using her owlish predatory vision, Alice would be able to see Dulga in the instance that she appeared anywhere visible to the owl. However, she would likely have to get closer to the center for that to occur. "Gather as much intel as possible. Information is key. @liferusher @Silver Carrot @Lucius Cypher</s> <\|message\|>Mako Akane Maeda Nadeko Mentions: @liferusher@Ryonara Nadeko looked troubled for a minute, and turned away from Saki to look towards the center of the area. After a few seconds and several 'hums', Nadeko turned back to Saki, just in time for Saki to embrace her and hold on tight. Nadeko cleared her throat and looked away before muttering "This is embarrasing..." but then put one of her arms besides Saki's midriff, acting as a bar to keep her in place. There was a gentle pulling feeling as Saki stuck to the arm. Nadeko was being very careful not to pill too hard. "I don't think I'll mess with your head like this, though if there's any important electronics there, you might have a sore stomach. Anyway, hold on tight. I've actually never done this properly before as it would definitely break some laws in the real world, but I've thought about it a lot so we should be alright." With that, Nadeko pointed her free arm at the nearest of the center buildings and pulled. She pulled very hard, and kept all the magnetic attraction forward, so none of it would affect Saki inn theory. She pulled as if her wish was to bring the building to them. Saki could feel her friend's body tense with the effort. Then, suddenly, they started to move, dragged along the floor like being pulled by an invisible rope. The pulling got faster and faster, and anything small made of metal flew towards Nadeko's outstretched arm and stuck to the front of it. Soon, they were going faster than their legs could carry them, and Nadeko leaned forward, forcing Saki's feet to leave the ground. Now, they were both flying towards the building. When they were close, Nadeko started to ease up and they slowed down enough for their feet to touch the floor again, before they came to a dead stop. From here, Nadeko saw the tail-end of the first briefcase hitting the floor, and Yozakura-san picking it up and starting to run back to base. Nadeko pointed her out to Saki. "I'm too close to this building to do that again whilst carrying you, Saki. Can your quirk let you catch up to her?"</s> <\|message\|>Dulga Tatara Dulga Tarata Dulga moved slow and low, keeping out of sight as best as she could. As she was moving further within she caught a glimpse of something flying through the air. It might've been Acion, or perhaps Alice. Maybe someone else who could fly through the air like Kou or maybe even Junko. Dulga didn't get a good enough look so she was extra cautious. But she knew that both sides were moving in now and it was only a matter of time before there's a clash. "Focus on the objective." None of the buildings Dulga had gone into had any gold briefcases. As the first building was short and unassuming, Dulga checked a few more similar buildings but didn't find anything useful or important. She was also in the area with more towers and tall buildings so Dulga was certain what she was looking for was in there somewhere. But as she was passing through the street her eyes caught something interesting. It was a staircase leading downwards. "Of course. There are subways in the city. One of the briefcases might be down there as well." Taking a quick look around to ensure she was being followed, Dulga went down stairs. Unsurprisingly, it was very dark. There were a few emergency lights near the entrances but nothing in the halls themselves. Dulga ripped off the metal handrail from the wall to use as a stick and check her path. Her eyes were slowly getting used to the darkness as she walked further and further through the tunnel. By the time Dulga was in the tunnel long enough that she could make out shapes in the dark, she spotted something up ahead. It looked like a bench but when she got closer it turned out to be another stone podium with a gold briefcase. Dulga was about to go grab it when she paused. The hairs on her neck was starting to rise up as she hugged the wall as silent as a mouse. She listened carefully. "Something is coming...."</s>	<\|message\|>Acion Nakamiji After inspecting from outside all the buildings, Acion realized he was just wasting his time. It would be too easy if the briefcases were visible. He definitely had to break in somehow. But thankfully, the buildings, having suffered some terrible conditionings, the sky entrance were loose and easy to open. For one of the tall buildings in the center, he just flew close to the building, slammed his legs onto the window a couple of times to make it slide open. Upon arrival, he immediately made his way into the other rooms deep into the building. The rather fruitless search on the top floor convinced him he needed to go lower, and lower, and lower, to which after spending minutes trying to navigate the maze of empty rooms, he finally found the briefcase in one of them. 'That consumed too much time.' He wondered if his teammate had already found briefcases. But on the flip side, nobody seemed to have noticed him...yet. If he was ambushed in this narrow hallway full of rooms, it would've been a disaster. Now that he got hold of the briefcase, Acion made his exit. But after seeing how close he was to the ground than before, the angelic boy decided against this idea. That one moment where he threw himself out there before he could ascend up could mean being knocked out if they noticed him. He didn't know how, but he knew the possibility. So instead, he made his way up to the top floor again, trying to exit where they would least likely be able to reach him. Instead of making his way out via the window he used to get in, Acion opened another window on the other side, facing the center buildings, being careful not to break the rusty metal. Like this, the hero team wouldn't be able to notice him exit, due to the height, the direction and the timing. Well, except one. She could position and reposition herself really quickly on the field, so she could see this kiting briefcase thief if she was in a good spot. Let's just hope he could make his way back quick enough before she could act.</s>
<\|description\|>Yukari Yozakura Appearance: Costume: Hero Name: Ragdoll Gender: Girl Age: 13 Height: 5'7 Weight: 114lbs Personality: Yukari is gentle and careful. Being blind she has to take things slowly and balance everything closely, since she has no idea just how tilted things really are. Yet she's also fearless and isn't afraid to get right up to the faces of villains and problematic people. Yukari is like a sweet flower, pretty and kind to her friends, but those who try to pick on her would find that she has thorns. She can certainly be cunning, even savage, as the situation demands and isn't afraid to take advantage of other people's weaknesses to get by. But she tries not to manipulate others and is mostly honest, but she's not going to let honesty put herself or others in a bad situation. One problem Yukari does have is her reliance on others, not only to help her around her daily life, but just the fact she's very clingy. While her disability and her ability despite that has garnered her many fans and friends she still is very self-conscious about how others perceive her and always suspects that they might be lying just to make her feel better. She has issues trusting people's words yet at the same time tries too hard to get them to like her. She hates the thought of people just using her just about as much as people taking pity on her. Ultimately Yukari is actually a very selfish person who has gotten too used to always being praised and can sometimes to bad things in order to gain more attention or just to make sure she herself doesn't end up in a very pitiful position. Background: Some kids run away to join the circus. But Yukari was born into the circus; her parents were both acrobatic dancers for a trope of quirk-powered freak shows and performers. But Yukari took things up a notch; while she showed early sign of sharing her parents quirk (Flexibility and shock absorption), she was born with one more thing: Blindness. They learned about it when she was three years old, unable to see where she was going nor identify simple patterns and shapes. Despite this her parents didn't let this stop them from teaching her everything they knew; if anything they took advantage of their daughter's disability to turn it into a strength. It wasn't long before Yukari learned how to balance, tumble, and jump as well as her parents, and without ever knowing how she looked. Her parents trained her hard and emphasized her blindness in order to help the circus bring in more customers. Little Yukari became her own attraction at the circus, combining her high-risk acrobatics and her quirk to impress the audience and bring in droves of attendees. However Yukari quickly started to get disillusioned at the whole circus life; it was just one performance after another with very few chances for her to relax or just be herself. Her only solace was hearing about the gossip and news outside of the circus tent; tales of other super powered individuals making a real difference in their lives. In the entire world. While Yukari might've been able to entertain others on the stage she wanted to bring smiles to everyone in the world. So one day, she ran away from the circus. Yukari fled to Japan, where she personally sought out a place she heard so much about. UA academy, a school for super heroes! She wanted to apply but... As it turns out having a strong quirk isn't good enough when you're effectively an illegal immigrant. When Yukari approached the proctors of the UA entry exam and told them her situation, they didn't allow her to participate due to her questionable legal status. But because she was too young to be left on her own, they tried to get into contact with her old family, but Yukari refused to return to the circus and ran away once again. Without much direction and no where else to go, Yukari ended up having to find a different school to attend, going through some very questionable means to do so. That's how she ended up in Matsubara Academy. It wasn't the greatest place to be, and Yukari struggles with some of the more mundane topics of a Japanese Highschool, but it was better than having to go back home or living in the streets. There was even a hero course at this school. So Yukari was going to make the most of it. Quirk: Rubber Soul - Yukari's quirk gives her insane flexibility and turns her body into something akin to rubber. She can stretch any part of her body out, or expand it like a balloon. Yukari can contort her body extremely and literally tie herself into a knot with no problems. This also makes her practically immune to blunt-force attacks and being crushed to death, and even her bones cannot break. She can twist her neck without hurting herself or even suffocating. However she can still get hurt, and thus die, from cuts and stabs. Others: Despite being blind, Yukari's other senses have sharpened exponentially, allowing her to live a somewhat normal life with a fair amount of ease. She utilizes all her senses, her ears, her nose, her sense of touch, and even taste to sense the area around her. While the range of her senses isn't as far as some people's regular sight, she can still perceive most of the world around her in a 60 feet radius and react to it quickly. Yukari has an amazing sense of balance and acrobatics thanks to all her years with the circus. She can balance on a thread and always lands on her feet no matter how she falls. Her balance extends to anything else she's using to balance too, such as unicycles, sticks, and other people. Yukari's acrobatics also allows her to easily avoid people's attempts to trip her or maneuvering on slippy surfaces like ice or water. Yukari is technically still homeless, but managed to apply to Matsubara due to her sorta part-time job at a flower store. The old woman who owns the building thought Yukari was one of her grandchildren, so Yukari took advantage of this to make the shop her residence and the old woman her legal guardian. Yukari does actually work there to help the old woman, mostly by carrying flowers and arranging them by scent. Yukari just lives at the shop after it closes.</s> <\|message\|>Mako Akane Maeda Nadeko Mentions: @Lucius Cypher@Conscripts@TheWendil Nadeko thanked Donny, and sipped at her Soda as she listened to him and the winged boy talk. They seemed to know each other, so she didn't interrupt. She noticed a slightly creepy shy girl approach them and grab and handful of Donny without saying anything. Her excuse was that he was cool. "Told you," Nadeko remarked to Donny with a smirk, as she downed the rest of her soda, then aimed her arm, with the can stuck to the flat of it, and fired the empty can at the waste basket next to the teacher's desk. It was a bullseye. She looked back to make sure they had all been watching, but then sobered up from feeling smug when she was asked why she had come here. "My parents don't want me to be a Hero. They want me to work in science or engineering. I tried pleading with them but we eventually settled on a compromise where I'd come here and take Hero classes but also take science and math and get high scores in them. They seem to think wanting to be a Hero is a silly dream I'll have grown out of by the time I graduate." Mako Akane Mentions: @Melpaws@ShwiggityShwah@Lucius Cypher@Conscripts@TheWendil@ERode@Ryonara@Polaris North@vancexentan@Norschtalen The teacher, glanced at her watch, then cleared her throat. Her eyes were constantly closed and she had a sly smile. Her voice was high and sweet-sounding, but in a way that didn't make you think of a kind mother. More like a doppleganger who'd taken the place of your kind mother. There was something inherently off and untrustworthy about the way she presented herself. "Alright, if anyone else shows up, they're late. It's time for class to start. Good morning. My name is Mako. Call me Mako-sensei. I'll be your Hero Studies teacher for this year. This is the first time I've actually taught a real class, so today is going to be an easy one. I'm just going to get to know you all. So, here's what we're going to do, when I point to you, stand up and tell us all your name, why you want to be a Hero, and what a Hero means to you. Before I begin to teach you how to be a Hero, I think it's important to first make sure you're taught what a Hero is." Mako explained, before pointing to her first student.</s> <\|message\|>Donny Yang As Donny listened to Acion reminiscing about their past, he felt someone grab him. At first the his texture was somewhat solid, but it wouldn't take much before his blacken mass would easily give and let Junko's hand sink into him and get metaphorically consumed by his blacken mass. His body had a texture of particularly thick mud. More importantly because Donny was caught by surprise if or when Junko would remove her hand, she'd notice the oily black stains. Bits of his biomass that Donny sometimes loses control over if he's not paying too much attention. It was like sweat, except because it was black it was much more noticeable. At least it cleans fairly easily. "What are you... W-What? Cool? You... Okay I guess?" Donny had been called cool before back in middleschool, but because everyone in his class had been freakish like him he had just assumed it was basic compliments since neither he nor his fellow students looked "cute" or anything like that. So to hear normal looking people call him cool was... Still something he needed getting used to. It had been on his mind so much he almost missed out on what Nadeko was saying. So Donny produced another can of soda to offer to Junko as he was about to respond to Nadeko and Acion. But then the teacher announced that it was time for class to start, and so their conversation had to be cut short. "Oh. Class it starting. Let's chat some more later." As everyone got back to their seats Donny checked his phone and saw that he had lost his battle. He saved his data and reorganized his things, even taking our his "Heroics" journal. Unsurprisingly Mako wanted to start off with introductions followed by why they wanted to be a hero what students thought about heroism. This made Donny nervous considering he didn't exactly prepare a speech or anything. "Short and sweet I guess. Don't need to give them a whole TED talk about heroics or something just enough to give them an opinion." Donny did his best to gather his thoughts before he was selected to stand up and speak. "Chill, chill... Phew. Okay. Ahem." He said to psyche himself up before stood up, bowing the top portion of his mass with the mask before he spoke. "Hello my Japanese name is Sekai Kinoko. My birth name is Donny Yang. You can call me by either." Donny said in a very well practiced manner. His Grandfather made sure to drill him to say it correctly whenever he has to introduce himself. Plus it gave him some time to stall and think about why he wants to be a hero and what it meant to him. "I want to become a hero because... I think I can use my powers for good things that can help people and make me useful to everyone. And being a hero means... Um... It means... W-When something needs to be done, even when no one else wants to do it, you're willing to get the the job done as best as you can. Yeah." Donny ended awkwardly before sitting back down. He was pretty sure he did a good job. @Silver Carrot@Conscripts</s> <\|message\|>Kouji Majima Carrot As Kouji watched the Donny kid stand up and give his speech about what he felt things were going to go, and what he was aspiring to be Kouji gave a few claps before he stood up himself when pointed at. "First name Kouji. Family name Majima. I'm actually from the city I tried out for the UA Academy but my quirk gave me one too many headaches and I couldn't properly do much. Eh not that big a deal I'm just aiming to be a hero for the sake of it. I want to grow up to help people. Money, and stuff is just an extra. If I can't be a hero I'd like to be a cop. I just want to help clean up the community a bit make sure people are safe. Besides what's life without a bit of excitement right?" Kouji announced as he looked at his professor with a laid back smile. "World may not be all full of sun shine, and rainbows professor. But I'd like to leave it a bit cleaner before my clock goes up. Really though...I just hope I can be the best version of myself I can be." Kouji finished as he sat back down. He looked around hoping the next student would have something more exciting planned for class. Maybe something cute judging by how many girls there were in class. He knew he didn't wow anyone but he was speaking honestly and he felt being a show off wasn't anything to show off about.</s>	<\|message\|>Yukari Yozakura Yukari was practically shaking in excitement as class was starting. She waited her turn, listening to the people around her until the student next to her had finished. Once her turn was up Yukari stood up with a smile. "I'm Yukari Yozakura! Wait... Yozakura Yukari. I want to become a hero because I know I can do more with my life. Things didn't work out when I tried for UA, but that isn't going to be enough to stop me! Because being a hero is more than just a job. It's a promise to make people happy everywhere you go when they see you. Being able to show up to a bad situation and make everything better. That's something I want to learn how to do. And that's what being a hero means to me!" After her passionate speech Yukari bows her head and sits back down. Start off strong and show that she's not going to be meek anymore.</s>
<\|description\|>Alice Nova Appearance: Costume: Hero/Vigilante Name: Silence Gender: Female Age: 15 Height: 1.58m Weight: secret Personality: Alice is a well behaved and studious girl. Coming from a fairly normal upper-middle-class family, there is nothing that can be considered as "striking" about her initially. She looks like a classic introverted nerdy bookworm which you'd probably rather find in a library, reading quietly by herself than in the middle of the city going shopping with her besties. If one were to make that judgment based on first looks and the first impression they would soon find out that that judgment is... pretty accurate. By no means is Alice a shy person, she has no problem socializing with people and interacting with others in a friendly manner. Quite the opposite in fact- She is proud of her courteous, friendly nature and knows how to make a good impression on people. Yet however, she is indeed an introvert. After all, spending time with oneself is often more fun than the alternative. Alice has acquaintances and friends- She just does not hang out with them as often as "normal" people do with their friends. Outside of her social behavior, Alice can be considered to be quite intelligent. Her profound interest in science combined with an affinity for learning and studying, allowing her to learn new things more quickly than many of her peers. A privilege which would often earn her excellent grades. The girl would often find herself tutoring other students- Sometimes with a monetary reward and sometimes because they were friends. In essence, Alice consists of a touch of non-shy introvert combined with nerdy bookworm and glued together with a friendly and kind nature, glazed with so far mostly unused potential. Whether that potential will be used in science or heroism remains to be seen- Background: A long lost twin-brother, the dramatic betrayal of her family by an ancient clan and a lifelong rivalry with her dark equal... are all things which you can use to describe cheesy adventure prose but they could not be further from the truth when describing Alice. Born into a family of two middle-class parents as their only child, Alice lived probably the most generic kind of childhood which you can imagine for someone with her character. She went to school as every normal child would, made some friends along the way, lost some friends along the way and grew up at her own pace. Honestly, there was nothing special about her upbringing. No drama, no intense origin stories for why she wanted to become a hero, no major problems. The latter might be the reason why she never quite understood her own decision to join the hero's course at her highschool. The reason she joined the highschool in the first place was due to convenience since it was rather close to her own home and not because of some hope to become a hero at some point. Yet when she was offered the opportunity to make the decision to join the hero's course, it did not take long for her to make that choice. It felt like some sort of calling; An instinctive decision done in the spur of the moment because it felt like the right thing to do. Maybe it was the untapped potential in her wanting to finally be released from this bland normality because she was destined to reach greater things than the happy but empty life of a hermit-crab. Not like it mattered in the end. What mattered was that she had signed up for the hero course and she certainly wouldn't give it a half-assed approach. Maybe it was time for her oh so normal life to finally change and for Alice to tread into the unknown and uncertainty that is a hero's career. Quirk: Owl!</s> <\|message\|>Hana Saki Saki The soft humming of power coursing through her transformators sounded throughout the room together with a soft gentle snoozing. A cable coming from her lower back was plugged into the wall socket right next to her bed. Today will be the first day of her high school debut, she had to make it shine in front of the class with plenty of energy. 7 o'clock, there was a soft beeping of her alarm clock while her energy meter reached a full 100 procent. Saki gently opened her eyes as she stretched her whole body out unplugging her tail in the progress. Quickly getting out of bed she dressed herself in her uniform and washed herself up. After making sure her hair looked good and her uniform was fold free she got out to the kitchen and ate her favorite, some pancakes with coffee. Saki her father and mother wished her luck on her first day of school. Giving them both a big kiss as thanks before leaving for school. Saki got earbuds out of her schoolbag and plugged them in somewhere under her blouse. With a click of her smartwatch she turned on the music booming through the earbuds. She put one into her ear and started walking her 20 minutes course through the city towards her new school life. Once near the school the uniforms started to gather more and more. Saki straightened her back and smiled some more to make a good impression on the others. Definitely nervous down to the bone. With her power cord softly trailing behind her from left to right she carefully slid the door open from the classroom. Saki glanced into the room for a moment to see some of the students already sitting at their self chosen desks. They mostly looked normal at first glance, most notable where the big black blob and the bird winged boy but she decided to pay more attention to it later. Saki took a few steps into the classroom clutching her bag in her hand and shockingly noticed the teacher already at their desk. "Good-morning teacher~" Saki made a long bow and gave a gentle smile towards the teacher Mako before turning back to the path and continuing towards a seat. For her the best seat would be by the window next to a power outlet for solar energy and perhaps some energy from the school. Once by the window row she looked under the desks but there were no power outlets to her expectations. Saki simply chose the first seat on the window row in front of a bird type looking girl. "Good-morning, I'll be your front neighbor I suppose~ My name is Saki and you?~" Saki sat down in front of the girl treading her tail cord between her seat. She gently smiled towards Alice and gave her a small piece of paper with wifi settings on it. Reading 'Hanagasumi' as network name and 'panda' as password. "If you're ever close to me you can use my wifi~ Feel free to tell it around~"</s> <\|message\|>Carol Tennebalm NOEL North And slowly her fellow classmates trickled in. Little by little. She was surprised that the majority of them were girls. Interesting since the hero circuit was primarily males, but that was just an extra bit of enjoyment on top of things. She wasn't great talking to guys. That was just the usual teen jitters she realized. But that would change this year. She'd make friends. Boys and girls. Everyone in her class if she could help it. She wanted to get a bit more with Yukari. Sudden she felt a tap on her shoulder. She was looking the other way around at the class, seeing the numerous conversations that more or less broke out, getting more and more excited that it seemed most of the class was pretty open. Her head swung back, her antlers lighting up with a combination of red and purple that blinked twice. It was the boy with the phone, err the translator. The brightness of him along with a smile. It was a welcome sight. Enough that she was beside herself. Her white cheeks went a shade of pink and her antlers went yellow brightly. A boy was talking to her... DONT SCREW IT UP! Horiyama Kousuke. "Hi Kou-shan!" Her response came a bit louder then she intended and she nearly jumped in her seat, making her instinctually reach up to make sure her glasses were okay. One light when red, another green before she grumbled and sat, her hands folded and a smile forced. It was quite obvious she was trying very much to be cool and failing. "Im Carol Tenebaum. But jusht call me Carol. It'sh nicshe to meet you." Curse that stupid lisp! She then asked about her quirk. She knew at some point she would have to show off. She let her hands rest in her lap, all the while the index fingers fidgetting as she struggled to find the words. "Yep yep. While it looksh like a mutation itsh actually a transhformation type. Here' I'll show you." She took a deep breath and seemed to hold her breath. A moment of effort later, the lights took on a rather bright vibrance in intensity and color. Her hair ruffled a bit, there was a spark between her antlers. Most unusually, her nose seemed to glow... and glow and glow brigher, becoming a nice vibrant red. it looked like she was wearing christmas ornaments. There was also a weird static in the air around her, like enough to make the hair on your arm stand on end. She was still kind of blushing but her excitement pushed through. "Now all i got to do is..." She didn't know how it would look as shes sitting and didn't want to make a nose and disturb others, so she just kind of flailed her arms up and down for a few seconds like she was trying to dry off her hands by flicking them. Eventually. POP A little light suddenly appeared between her antlers and suddenly started floating towards the ground. Carol grabbed it in her hand, then holding the light in her thumb she moved her fingers and open palms towards him. "Tadaa! Jazzsh Handshs."</s> <\|message\|>Acion Nakamiji Acion Nakamiji --- Kinoko had then recognized Acion after a while. So his memories wasn't wrong. His black blob form was too unique to miss. Where did he come across this nice lad in the past... "Oh yeah, I was wondering what was the place myself." Acion was smiling as Kinoko mentioned exactly what he was searching for. "Right, Monoyama. Yeah I asked if I can have something to give, but I didn't expect both my parents to all jump in on it so wholeheartedly. But then again, they don't really live a materialistic lifestyle." His family are rich people, but unlike many they lived quite a spiritual life. Not just contributing to society with their own wealth, but also literally being very spiritual. They prayed to ancestors at their altar quite often, more than Acion found it necessary. Trips to the family's private cemetery were more often as well. But hey, no one said it is a bad way to live life. "Ahaha, I would argue otherwise that I just grew taller. Also these things kinda gave out that feeling of largeness." Acion responded as he opened all six of his wings a little bit out carefully not to hit anyone, before retracting them back around his sides. If anything, Acion was considered lightweight for his height. It's just that the way he was designed gave him that daunting impression. "Thanks." He took the can of soda materialized from Kinoko and easily tabbed the can of soda. Taking a sip before Kinoko asked about why he was here. Well, it's bound to come up at some point anyway. It's a special class in a normal school after all. "...I hate to say it, but I'm here ONLY for the hero course. Reason being..." He tilted his head a little, staring to the window near him for a brief few seconds, trying to articulate his thoughts. Saying that he broke the law so he got rejected wouldn't sound nice to the ears. Of course it had been for a good thing, but it's still the law. And people could interpret that differently than he does. "Let's just say I was inadvertently pulled into a fight, and that kind of stained my application. It sucks that it happened quite recently, so the schools were quite shy to take a student with this kind of record. So here I am." "How about you?" Acion turned to ask the girl next to him, whom he noticed she struggled to open that soda can due to her magnetic arm. He tried to steer clear of anything having to do with that physicality of hers, making it a little bit light-hearted. "If you're ok with talking about it. I hope it's not as dramatic as mine." Carrot@Lucius Cypher</s>	<\|message\|>Alice Nova As time began to pass, more and more students began filling the room. Needless to say, just like many of her peers before, Alice noticed them as well. While her severe lack of sleep and subsequent drowsiness caused her senses to dull off a bit, she was still attentive enough and also interested enough to observe her fellow hero course students. While her observations would remain rather superficial for now, it would likely become much more in-depth once Alice actually started interacting with them. For now, this was more than sufficient though. The owl knew that her energy for social interactions was rather limited and, especially on her first day, she would need all the energy she had to get through the day without feeling exhausted. Well... more exhausted than she already was feeling anyways. Just as Alice was idly staring outside, letting her weary eyes trail over anything that could be seen from the classroom window, familiarising herself with her surroundings, another student decided to sit down in front of Alice. The four-eyes turned her head to face the newcomer who would likely sit in front of her from now on, the way it seemed. Silently Alice awaited for her to finish and used the time to eye the body of Saki. While it might have been rude to do so, the owl could not help but notice the... power cord that was sticking out from where would expect a tail to emerge. When Alice looked back up, she saw Saki hand her a piece of paper with a wide cheery smile. Alice would take a mental note of the fact that Saki seemed to be a rather cheerful and open personality. Why else would she simply talk to someone she didn't know just like that? A little "gift" to solidify their potential friendship was handed over as well... While this was tedious, Alice most certainly felt flattered and intended to respond appropriately, in her mind anyway. "Thank you... Saki. My name is Alice, it is my pleasure to make your acquaintance." As she was replying, Alice put the piece of paper away safely in her bag. "Your Wifi you say?" Wanting to inquire about the subject matter more, Alice was somewhat intrigued by the idea of someone having a power cord attached to their body. She really made a conscious effort not to appear like she was dead-tired which, in reality, of course, she was.</s>
<\|description\|>Alice Nova Appearance: Costume: Hero/Vigilante Name: Silence Gender: Female Age: 15 Height: 1.58m Weight: secret Personality: Alice is a well behaved and studious girl. Coming from a fairly normal upper-middle-class family, there is nothing that can be considered as "striking" about her initially. She looks like a classic introverted nerdy bookworm which you'd probably rather find in a library, reading quietly by herself than in the middle of the city going shopping with her besties. If one were to make that judgment based on first looks and the first impression they would soon find out that that judgment is... pretty accurate. By no means is Alice a shy person, she has no problem socializing with people and interacting with others in a friendly manner. Quite the opposite in fact- She is proud of her courteous, friendly nature and knows how to make a good impression on people. Yet however, she is indeed an introvert. After all, spending time with oneself is often more fun than the alternative. Alice has acquaintances and friends- She just does not hang out with them as often as "normal" people do with their friends. Outside of her social behavior, Alice can be considered to be quite intelligent. Her profound interest in science combined with an affinity for learning and studying, allowing her to learn new things more quickly than many of her peers. A privilege which would often earn her excellent grades. The girl would often find herself tutoring other students- Sometimes with a monetary reward and sometimes because they were friends. In essence, Alice consists of a touch of non-shy introvert combined with nerdy bookworm and glued together with a friendly and kind nature, glazed with so far mostly unused potential. Whether that potential will be used in science or heroism remains to be seen- Background: A long lost twin-brother, the dramatic betrayal of her family by an ancient clan and a lifelong rivalry with her dark equal... are all things which you can use to describe cheesy adventure prose but they could not be further from the truth when describing Alice. Born into a family of two middle-class parents as their only child, Alice lived probably the most generic kind of childhood which you can imagine for someone with her character. She went to school as every normal child would, made some friends along the way, lost some friends along the way and grew up at her own pace. Honestly, there was nothing special about her upbringing. No drama, no intense origin stories for why she wanted to become a hero, no major problems. The latter might be the reason why she never quite understood her own decision to join the hero's course at her highschool. The reason she joined the highschool in the first place was due to convenience since it was rather close to her own home and not because of some hope to become a hero at some point. Yet when she was offered the opportunity to make the decision to join the hero's course, it did not take long for her to make that choice. It felt like some sort of calling; An instinctive decision done in the spur of the moment because it felt like the right thing to do. Maybe it was the untapped potential in her wanting to finally be released from this bland normality because she was destined to reach greater things than the happy but empty life of a hermit-crab. Not like it mattered in the end. What mattered was that she had signed up for the hero course and she certainly wouldn't give it a half-assed approach. Maybe it was time for her oh so normal life to finally change and for Alice to tread into the unknown and uncertainty that is a hero's career. Quirk: Owl!</s> <\|message\|>Mako Akane Maeda Nadeko Mentions: @vancexentan Kou's opening line caught Nadeko off-guard briefly. So, he wasn't shy after all, then. Not trying to play the cool loner either, actually. Maybe his friends had just already left. She grinned, tutted and shook her head. There might have been the hint of a flush there too. "I bet you say that to all the girls," she teased in a dramatic, soap-opera voice, before giggling and reverting to a more natural delivery. "Majima-kun it is, then. And yeah, I already finished but it's a new school on the first day, and none of us can really talk in class, so I'm just trying to talk to as many of my classmates as possible. School sucks without a couple of good friends. And I saw you were sitting alone when I walked past. So, what did you think of Hero class?"</s> <\|message\|>Kouji Majima Mentions: @Silver Carrot "Well hey if I can make someone smile its worth it in my opinion. There's no room in the world for more complaining, and stuff. If I can get a smile or two out of ya its better for the both of us." Kou says as he grins at her he finishes his food and scratches his head as he listens to her talk for a moment. He wonders just exactly how many people she had already talked to? It was an interesting change of pace to see someone so proactive about going out and meeting people but she had a good point when it came to going out making sure you had someone to talk to. "You got a good point Maeda-San school really is a pain in the ass but we're all here to get better. Just gotta be careful with who you choose to talk to you know? Some people are still adjusting and may not be ready to talk like me. May be worth waiting a day or two for everyone to get settled down into the route so to speak. But by all means keep going. I think you've got a good idea going." Kou thought for a moment longer as he considered what he should say about class? It was...different so far but he hadn't experienced enough to form a proper opinion. "Got to be honest with you I don't really got a real opinion. Think Teach has a lot of faith in us, and she wants to help us but...I can't exactly say if she's going to do a good job yet. Some people respond differently regarding how class is taught, and it being the first day I don't want to give her too much praise or too little. I'd say I have faith in our teacher, and our class to give it their best. That sounds about fair right?" Kou scratches his head wondering just exactly she wanted him to say.</s> <\|message\|>Donny Yang Eventually Donny would reach his lockers. As he doesn't wear shoes, he could afford to stash the rest of his snacks in here. He put his bento box, his bread, and a few of his soda cans here so he could pick them up later. Unfortunately he picked a rather bad time to show up: a lot of students were crowding near the only exit, with many turning around to find another way out. "Aya. Hmm hmm hmm…" Donny needed to get around these students, and simply slithering beneath their feet would be easy enough. But he didn't want to get in trouble on his first day for invading the personal space of his fellow students, nor get in trouble with any of the girls who'll feel uncomfortable with him underneath them. That's when he spied one of the open windows. It was a bit of a drop, only about ten feet, nothing he couldn't handle. Not to mention he had a particular destination in mind. "Yeah this oughta work." So gathering his things Donny flung himself out the window. However he grabbed onto the edge as his body slapped the wall with a heavy thud. The sticky parts of his ooze helped keep him attached, as well as the multiple tiny talons he produced from his body to help keep traction against the walls. Then like a grotesque sort of giant slug he began to crawl up the side of the wall and onto the roof tops. This would give him the highest vantage point to look at the students above and below him. "Lets see lets see… Acion and Alice are probably flying around here somewhere…"</s> <\|message\|>Yukari Yozakura Yukari Yozakura It was just her luck. Every time Yukari ended up doing something embarrassing, someone was nearby to witness it. Though she wasn't at all hurt physically, emotionally Yukari felt like she took a slap to the face. She recognized the voices that were talking to her, Nakamiji Acion and Hana Saki. Both of them were from her hero class. "I'm fine, I'm fine! I was uh... Just learning how to play basketball! You know, just something to do after lunch you know?" Quickly getting to her feet Yukari also wanted to quickly change subjects so no one had to ask her about her little flub. She wasn't sure why these two people were here but she figured she could distract them with some other topic. "S-So what are you two doing here? Did you come to play too? I'm not very good at most sports but I'm willing to learn anything!" Yukari stretched her hand out to grab the basketball that had bounced away, spinning it on her finger and expertly bouncing and rolling it around her body. While she was terrible at actually making the shots she could do tricks with it easily. @Conscripts</s>	<\|message\|>Alice Nova Eventually, Alice had split away from Acion as she had no real interest in spending the last few minutes of her break in the gym. Rather, she wanted to sip her freshly purchased box of orange-mango juice in peace somewhere quietly. Well, as quietly as the campus of a highschool would allow anyways. She had thought about flying up to the rooftop to spend her break there but... Alice genuinely thought that'd be a bit too much. A nice shadowy bench would do the trick for now. Luckily, the nocturnal girl quickly found one which exactly suited her requirements! A bench nicely secluded from the main area, right beneath a tree where she could listen to the rustling of the wind and which also provided shade. Alice walked up to it, put her bag onto it, and sat down right next to the backpack with a relaxed sigh. Only shortly after she used the provided straw to pierce a hole into the designated spot and then slurped her orange-mango juice. It was deliciously sweet! Out of the corner of her eyes she spotted a familiar but no-less creepy frame... "climbing" up the building to reach the top of it. It appeared as though a certain Donny had similar ideas to the owl- The need for seclusion, peace and quiet. The girl chuckled at the sight as she just imagined the poor janitor who would have to clean this mess up later. That did not matter at that moment though as Alice averted her eyes again and just watched the distant main part of the campus with the other students hanging out while drinking her beloved juice. Cypher</s>
<\|description\|>Kouki Sendachi Male \| 15 y/o \| 5'8 \| 121/1165 lbs Personality Though he has a resting bitch face and a cynic's sneer for a smile, Kouki certainly wished he were more extroverted than he currently was. Having spent middle school with the unearned reputation of a truant delinquent who habitually stares down teachers and being subsequently ostracized by his peers as a result, his social skills are moot, and his friend circle exists only outside of school. He keeps quiet and keeps to himself, too shy to strike up conversation with a stranger but too self-conscious to admit to wanting to join up with a group in the off-chance that he is invited to anything. And even if he does accept an invitation somewhere, at some time, Kouki's bad habit of overthinking everything often ends up with him just not showing up at the end, citing some bullshit excuse to not show up. What's worse though? That by the end of middle school, he's become comfortable being with himself, and even though he wants to become more outgoing, more social, he's also fine with not becoming so. With one exception, of course… Background A baby boy born with an extra hole above his butt would have been cause for concern in any other era except the era of mutants. As such, it was just an incredibly embarrassing fact to talk or even think about as he grew up. Having weird eyes or big hands was one thing, but having an extra butthole that leaked white stuff if he didn't stay focused? Eugh, no please. Didn't help that his parents were the loving, spoiling type either, seeing Kouki's solemn, grim expression as reasons to excessively praise his "extra hole" in a bid to raise his self-esteem. He was mature as a child, as mature as a precocious, lonely brat could be, but even though he could understand why his parents were that way, Kouki wasn't going to be any happier with that sorta praise too. Thus, his frown grew. Thus, he withdrew further into himself. Thus, by the time he got to middle school, Kouki's attitude was already fixed in place, staring down others with a cold expression, his scrambled thoughts never moving fast enough to actually formulate an answer before they assumed his disinterest or disgust and scampered off. Though no one bullied him, most people avoided him too. School festivals were painful. He would slip away from groups and squat at the back of the school buildings, waiting for it to end. School trips were even more so. If he went missing, everyone else in his group would get in trouble too, so he maintained a distance of twenty meters instead, plugging his ears with his headphones so they wouldn't feel any obligation to converse. His middle school life wasn't devoid of social interaction though. Kouki found places and people who didn't know of his baggage by slipping into the backdoors of night clubs. Though it rarely went beyond a couple of words, dancing was fun. He really got into it, even, clearing out the basement of his house so he had space to practice by himself. It was fun. It was enjoyable. It kept him alive. But Kouki did not go to a high school with a dance club. He applied and was accepted into a hero course for a local high school instead. His parents questioned him about it, of course, and after twenty minutes of emotionlessly freaking out over how to answer, if he even could answer, the youth spoke two words. "For love." Then he immediately self-combusted from embarrassment. Quirk - Quicksilver Mutant-Type Kouki produces a silvery-white liquid metal within a hole positioned over his tailbone at a rate of about six milliliters per day. After being alive for fifteen years, he has about 35 liters of this curious metal, which, when kept inside his body, increases his weight by 474 kg (1044 lbs), exhibiting a density similar to that of mercury, though without any of the toxicity. Acting as an extension of his own body, Kouki's Quicksilver can take an array of imagined forms and can alter itself to heat up, cool down, or become magnetic. Though it takes time to make these alterations upon his material, the movement of his Quicksilver itself is fairly effortless for Kouki: so long as it remains within twenty meters of himself, Quicksilver moves as fast as any other limb of his, floats in defiance of gravity, and appears to have enough 'strength' to sustain 40 kg for each 1 liter of Quicksilver used, capping out at 1400 kg. This speed lowers past the twenty meter point, until the metal becomes wholly inert at the fifty meter point. Though Kouki cannot feel through his Quicksilver, he is able to sense when others interact with it; if he's not actively maintaining a form, the liquid metal has a consistency similar to putty. Though Quicksilver cannot be destroyed, it can certainly be lost. Complex alterations will lead to headaches and nosebleeds, and potent disruptions will cause the Quicksilver to become a formless blob once more. Due to lack of opportunities to be rendered unconscious through violent means, it's unknown how Quicksilver responds in such situations.</s> <\|message\|>Mako Akane Maeda Nadeko Mentions: @Lucius Cypher@Conscripts The black blob was stammering at being called cool, and it was awkwardly adorable. Still, it probably meant he was shy, and she'd just make him nervous if she was too friendly. Nadeko wondered why he was so shy, and why he reacted that way to being called cool. Maybe he, like, her, was here with something to prove to the rest of the world. To make a statement, that even with their quirks, they could be Heroes. He probably just needs to believe in himself a little more. "Thanks!" she replied with a grin as she took the soda, gave a glance to the teacher, who glanced at her watch, smiles and shrugged, and then Nadeko tried to open it. Usually she asked her parents or friends to do it for her, but today, at this school, the last thing she wanted to seem to others was handicapped. So she placed the flat surface of her magnet arm, where ordinarily a wrist and hand might protrude from, against the top of the can. Very delicately, she tried to pull the ring tab, and only the ring tab. The entire can being metal was not making it easy. She bit her lip in concentration and was staring at the can as she tried to pull the ring tab and only the rind tab. There was a tiny clink, and she lifted her arm to reveal the ring tab had came clean off. Now th sode wasn't open, and there was no way to get it open without piercing the top another way. She sighed, and turned back to Donny, who was now in the company of a tall white-haired Bishounen with angelic wings. He was a bit too dazzling, so she didn't look at him and kept her attention on Donny as she held out the tab-less can. "Kinoko, san? Can you, uh...Sorry, but can you open this?."</s> <\|message\|>Donny Yang "Ah. Of course." Donny tried not to feel too dumb right now. Of course the girl with no hands can't open a can of soda. It was a good thing Donny didn't have a face or he'd look real stupid right now. Instead he simply reached out with a black tendril, but from the blacken mass a bony hand was pushed out. Gripping the edges of the can, Donny simply popped the tab in, doing his best to make sure he didn't leave any stains. "S-Sorry about that..." in the midst of the conversation, the one with wings approached Donny and seemed to already know him by name. Donny was confused at first until he got a closer look at the young man. "Wait a sec.... Nakamiji-san? Whoa. I didn't think know you went to this school!" "I haven't seen you since what... Five, seven years ago? At Manoyama, that little village in the countryside. I forgot what the festival was called, but I know we were doing a fundraiser for our grade school. Your family showed up and really helped bring in donations! I remember my gramps making me try and talk to you and the other heroes, but I was kinda nervous. I've never actually met any pro heroes in person. Man you sure did grow up, I used to be bigger than you. " Donny fondly reminisced back to his younger years. Back when he was still getting used to living in Japan, getting used to his Japanese name, and in generally still trying to adapt to being himself. "Wow. Small world huh? I never thought I'd see you again, but I'm not surprised to see that you're part of a hero school. But uh..." Donny looked at Nadeko. It would be rude to just push her aside in this conversation. Fortunately Donny had an idea for a topic they could discuss. Thus Donny produced another can of soda for Acion. "W-What brings the two of you to Mastubara? I-I can't imagine that you're here for just the hero course I mean..." Donny spoke quietly as he didn't want to offend, but surely these two would have had this thought pass through their minds before. "... Mastubara isn't exactly the best hero academy. I-I mean, it's like... Um... I just attend Mastubara since it's the closest high school near my home. Other schools would take much longer and they're harder to get into. So... Yeah. What brings you two to this school, and this class?" Donny hope he didn't sound too confusing dancing around his words like he did. He didn't want to imply that Mastubara is a bad school by any stretch but he was mostly just trying the hero course to see if it would be a good fit for him, lacking the confidence to apply to an actual hero academy. He couldn't imagine these two people lacking the same confidence to apply somewhere better. Carrot@Conscripts</s>	<\|message\|>Kouki Sendachi There was a saying that for one to eat healthily, they must eat thirty different ingredients every day. Before him, however, Kouki could count forty, and all of this was just for breakfast. His mother, eyes bagged from an early morning but face beaming with an excitement that he couldn't show as easily, patted him on the shoulder, encouraging him to eat. So he did. It wasn't like he was against good food anyways. He drank the miso, chewed on natto, flaked apart mackerel, cracked open an egg, tried an assortment of pickled vegetables, cleansed his palate with rice, tried out some porridge, mixed his sprouts with mayonnaise, soy sauce, and wasabi. And that was a quarter of the table. His father had his own breakfast of coffee and the newspaper, sipping quietly, while his mother continued to motion for Kouki to eat. "It's your first day to high school, after all," she beamed warmly. "I made you extra for lunch too, so make sure to share with your classmates, ok? Especially the girl you're interested in!" Kouki hunched his shoulders, his ears burning. He covered his thoughts in savory pudding instead, before grunting vaguely. Probably was a mistake to tell the truth, but it was worse to lie. Or maybe he was already pretty bad just for joining a hero class without heroic aspirations? He chewed on stir-fried tofu skin and crunched on julienned carrots. If the clock was accurate, there was another fifteen minutes before he would be late. Not nearly enough to clear the table, not when his stomach already felt half way through popping out. He looked up at his mother again, who had moved on to washing the gratuitous amount of dishes that such a breakfast would demand. She hadn't eaten either yet. That made him feel slightly better to not finish his meal. Someone else, however, didn't want such a defeatist attitude so early. "C'mon and eat up, son." His father, stubble-faced with a natural sneer, motioned. "Gonna need plenty of stamina if you wanna be a hero, yeah?" Kouki looked at him, shook his head. "Hey now, you can be a hero for just one special someone too, y'know?" The man drained his mug of coffee, before pushing away from the laden table and walking to his workplace, five meters away. "And if you ever need any advice, I'm always willing to lend an ear." "Mhm." "Of the romantic kind, of course. Can't remember shit 'bout high school sciences." The man chortled, then plugged his headset in and began the hour-long process of replying to his e-mails. "Nn." Kouki continued to eat. Fifteen minutes passed, and he made it one-third of the way through the breakfast buffet. He had a good idea of what dinner was going to look like tonight, at least. The boy shrugged on his blazer, picked up his bag in one hand, and grabbed his lunch box with the other. The weight gave him pause; it looked like the amount one would pack for sports day. A whisper of a sigh seeped out from between his teeth. He could try at least. If others asked. They probably wouldn't. Sliding his chair back into the table, the gray-haired youth made off. He managed to open the door part way before he heard his mom speak up. "Kouki, what do you say when you leave?" "See you." A pause. He should be thankful for the food. He was a first year high school student now. He could try making a more mature effort. "Have a good day." "You take care too," she said, sliding over to give him a tight hug. "Make sure to take lotsa photos and show us later, ok?" Better than having his parents show up like they had during middle school. Kouki nodded, then walked off. Down the apartment staircase, down three blocks, and there Matsubara High School was. Ten minutes away walking, a boring building that he had seen every day of his life here in this city. Other students filed into it, while salarymen headed the opposite direction, towards subways that would carry them into the business district, or perhaps an entirely different city. He slipped his headphones out of his bag, plugged them into his phone, put them over his ears, and continued walking to a remix. The teacher manning the gates made a disapproving motion when Kouki passed by, but he couldn't hear him, so he wasn't going to stop for him either. Steps matching the beats of the song, he swapped his sneakers for slippers, strode into his classroom, nodded once at the teacher, beelined for a desk at the back, plopped his bag and lunchbox down on either side of him, as if erecting walls, and reclined on the chair. It would be harder to see the board from the back of the class, but Kouki was willing to make the sacrifice this time around. He'd be able to see her from the back as well, after all. The music continued to play, as the clock continued to tick down.</s>
<\|description\|>Kouki Sendachi Male \| 15 y/o \| 5'8 \| 121/1165 lbs Personality Though he has a resting bitch face and a cynic's sneer for a smile, Kouki certainly wished he were more extroverted than he currently was. Having spent middle school with the unearned reputation of a truant delinquent who habitually stares down teachers and being subsequently ostracized by his peers as a result, his social skills are moot, and his friend circle exists only outside of school. He keeps quiet and keeps to himself, too shy to strike up conversation with a stranger but too self-conscious to admit to wanting to join up with a group in the off-chance that he is invited to anything. And even if he does accept an invitation somewhere, at some time, Kouki's bad habit of overthinking everything often ends up with him just not showing up at the end, citing some bullshit excuse to not show up. What's worse though? That by the end of middle school, he's become comfortable being with himself, and even though he wants to become more outgoing, more social, he's also fine with not becoming so. With one exception, of course… Background A baby boy born with an extra hole above his butt would have been cause for concern in any other era except the era of mutants. As such, it was just an incredibly embarrassing fact to talk or even think about as he grew up. Having weird eyes or big hands was one thing, but having an extra butthole that leaked white stuff if he didn't stay focused? Eugh, no please. Didn't help that his parents were the loving, spoiling type either, seeing Kouki's solemn, grim expression as reasons to excessively praise his "extra hole" in a bid to raise his self-esteem. He was mature as a child, as mature as a precocious, lonely brat could be, but even though he could understand why his parents were that way, Kouki wasn't going to be any happier with that sorta praise too. Thus, his frown grew. Thus, he withdrew further into himself. Thus, by the time he got to middle school, Kouki's attitude was already fixed in place, staring down others with a cold expression, his scrambled thoughts never moving fast enough to actually formulate an answer before they assumed his disinterest or disgust and scampered off. Though no one bullied him, most people avoided him too. School festivals were painful. He would slip away from groups and squat at the back of the school buildings, waiting for it to end. School trips were even more so. If he went missing, everyone else in his group would get in trouble too, so he maintained a distance of twenty meters instead, plugging his ears with his headphones so they wouldn't feel any obligation to converse. His middle school life wasn't devoid of social interaction though. Kouki found places and people who didn't know of his baggage by slipping into the backdoors of night clubs. Though it rarely went beyond a couple of words, dancing was fun. He really got into it, even, clearing out the basement of his house so he had space to practice by himself. It was fun. It was enjoyable. It kept him alive. But Kouki did not go to a high school with a dance club. He applied and was accepted into a hero course for a local high school instead. His parents questioned him about it, of course, and after twenty minutes of emotionlessly freaking out over how to answer, if he even could answer, the youth spoke two words. "For love." Then he immediately self-combusted from embarrassment. Quirk - Quicksilver Mutant-Type Kouki produces a silvery-white liquid metal within a hole positioned over his tailbone at a rate of about six milliliters per day. After being alive for fifteen years, he has about 35 liters of this curious metal, which, when kept inside his body, increases his weight by 474 kg (1044 lbs), exhibiting a density similar to that of mercury, though without any of the toxicity. Acting as an extension of his own body, Kouki's Quicksilver can take an array of imagined forms and can alter itself to heat up, cool down, or become magnetic. Though it takes time to make these alterations upon his material, the movement of his Quicksilver itself is fairly effortless for Kouki: so long as it remains within twenty meters of himself, Quicksilver moves as fast as any other limb of his, floats in defiance of gravity, and appears to have enough 'strength' to sustain 40 kg for each 1 liter of Quicksilver used, capping out at 1400 kg. This speed lowers past the twenty meter point, until the metal becomes wholly inert at the fifty meter point. Though Kouki cannot feel through his Quicksilver, he is able to sense when others interact with it; if he's not actively maintaining a form, the liquid metal has a consistency similar to putty. Though Quicksilver cannot be destroyed, it can certainly be lost. Complex alterations will lead to headaches and nosebleeds, and potent disruptions will cause the Quicksilver to become a formless blob once more. Due to lack of opportunities to be rendered unconscious through violent means, it's unknown how Quicksilver responds in such situations.</s> <\|message\|>Alice Nova Alice Nova The impression of a cheerful girl that Saki seemed intent on keeping up would stay on Alice's mind throughout their conversation. It seemed genuine in nature and was almost heartwarming to see. Or rather, those were the observations that Alice had made from the first interaction the two of them shared. Suffice to say it was nowhere near enough to be a proper introduction. However, more intriguingly, Saki really seemed to be some kind of computer-like being, considering how there was wifi coming out of her, supposedly. That raised a whole bunch of questions! Does she have to pay an internet provider? How does she set the name and password? Was the wifi any good? Questions she'd be sure to ask later... should she be bothered to do so. Saki pointed at Alice's hair which she deemed "bedhair". To be fair, it was an adequate judgement to make should one not be familiar with Alice's quirk but the owlgirl couldn't help but chuckle as a result of it because it seemed kind of cute. In actuality, of course, it was nothing like bedhair. Instead, it was a result of her owl quirk's type being the great horned owl for which these outgrows of feathers were typical. In Alice's case, they manifested as outgrowths of differently coloured hair. "Ah that? Nono that is not bed-hair, but rather-" Alice was then cut off by the teacher commencing the first class session, which promptly caused Alice to stop talking and focus back on the class, similarly to Saki and all the other students. One after the other they began introducing themselves and listing their reasons for becoming heroes, or rather, describing the image of a hero in their mind. While Alice did pay attention to what they said, it was quite hard to focus on since she was so tired. Her eyes felt like they would fall shut any moment now... but of course, they wouldn't. Naturally, she had enough willpower to fight through a bit of tiredness..., especially on her first day! First impressions mattered after all. And with that thought in mind, Alice finally rose as well once she was pointed at by their teacher to introduce herself. Making sure her posture was as excellent as she managed to, Alice politely began speaking. "My name is Alice Nova. It is my pleasure to meet all of you." The girl followed this up with a slight and courteous bow forward out of politeness and her own manners. "A hero represents and fights for true justice. I wish to represent that concept myself one day." ...is what she could think of before sitting down again. Truth be told, her ideals weren't exactly chiseled in stone yet, however, this was a close approximation to how she truly felt. So far Alice just wasn't sure how to properly word it. After having spoken her introduction the glasses-wearing girl quietly sat down again so that the next person could begin their introduction.</s> <\|message\|>Acion Nakamiji Acion Nakamiji --- The reunion talk with Kinoko was halted when the teacher, Ms Mako, spoke up, signifying the start of the first day at a hero high school. For a start was the usual activity that Acion was kinda familiar with from having attended a couple of social events back in middle school: icebreaker. A short introduction from everybody in the class and answering one simple yet open question. From his old acquaintance Kinoko, or Donny Yang as he also said in his introduction, to the sleepy looking girl Alice sitting close by the windows, everybody had different ideals and reasons to be a hero just like their different identity, even though most of them are pretty similar. The only odd one out of them were from that girl sitting in that remote corner at the back, whose ideals were pretty...zoomed in. Yeah, heroes are strong, but villains are strong too. But hey, she probably never thought about it before. Acion was near last. That allowed him to mentally prepare himself a little bit for a short speech. He didn't plan to make this a grand introduction, as that would make him seem like a showoff, but he did want to give the confident first impression on people. Once he was pointed, he stood up firmly, suppressing any non-related thoughts in his mind. "I am Acion Nakamiji. It's a pleasure to be here with all of you." What was next... "A hero to me is someone who regardless of everything he could lose or gain, does the right thing. And that's what I want to become...do the right thing, so that this world can be a little better for everyone." Once done, he sat down and deeply exhaled. That went a lot better than he thought. Speaking in front of many people wasn't exactly his specialty after all.</s> <\|message\|>Carol Tennebalm NOEL Honestly when Kou reached out to touch the light, Carol withdrew the light and raised another hand stopping him. She literally was about to explain why it wasn't a good idea but then the teacher got everything started. This made Carol snap to attention. Class was starting, ready to learn. Ready to be a hero. She'd talk with Kou later... maybe others too. A deep breath to center herself and the field of energy dissipated, the lights dimmed and she was back to normal. It was a combination of keeping her eyes on Mako Sensei and then looking to each member of the room in kind. Her notebook, something quite childish designs with stickers on it that said 'Property of Carol Tenebaum' in felt marker, hit the desk and she was writing as fast as she could, giving every face to a name. It helped her remember. Licorice - Donny Yang Soap Box - Kouji Majima Violet - Yukari Yozakura Friend 1 Phones - Horiyama Kousuke Friend 2 Sigourney Weaver - Dulga Tarata Def secret badass Snooze Button - Junko Kurowai, and incidentally the information of the teacher and her previous villain past made Carol kind of pause as her antlers flashed red for just a second. She wanted to look up the teacher on her phone but considering her turn might come up, thought against it. It was scary, but kind of exciting. Panda Hood - Hana Saki Eyebrows - Alice Nova Cute Angel <3 - Acion Nakamiji And then as the room was called out, she realized as each talked, they had a bunch of good reasons. Awesome reasons. Better reasons. Her pen stopped as she suddenly came to the realization. Why did she want to be a hero? The finger made it to her in that moment, and she dropped her pen. Her antlers shimmered and flashed with greens reds and purples before she stood up and loudly announced with reddened cheeks. "Hi! I mean- Hi every- everyone." She stammered a little before centering herself. "My name'sh Carol Tenebaum from Alashka, United Shtatesh. A hero ish, a hero ish... well- shuper cool I guessh." She said kind of being a loss for words. "They help people and people love them for it. And, uhh I kind of want that." She began to play with her fingers, her antler lights going crazy. "I mean, I like to help people, and it feelsh good to help people. I love doing it." She realized she was blabbering. She gave a nervous smile before sitting back down. "If that makesh any shenshe."</s>	<\|message\|>Kouki Sendachi The teacher reminded him of a fox. Kouki didn't actually think people like that existed in real life, people who radiated "suspicious person" vibes while stretching their lips up into a fake smile and having their eyes opened only just enough to see a sliver of the world around them, but, well, she was a villain, after all. As class started and she began opening her mouth to speak, the gray-haired youth pulled his headphones off, letting it hang off his neck. He wished he hadn't. Maybe then he could've just pretended he didn't hear anything. A self-introduction was fine, but to ask for a topic as heavy as what heroism is? While also going as deeply personal as where their heroic aspirations come from? Good lord, where all teachers here gonna be so direct? It was one thing to tell his parents, but another to tell a total stranger, in a class full of somewhat-strangers. Kouki's eyes settled into a dark glare as he tunneled into himself, hoping Mako would fuss over other students first and give him time to fake his way through questions he hadn't yet thought about. Maybe he could plagiarize? … Fuck, he couldn't do it. Except for one person, everyone was either a UA-wannabe or someone whose ideals of heroism stemmed from the purity of wanting to be 'useful' to their nation, or just straight-up both. And that one person who had a different thing to say? They were even more cringe-worthy. They want to be a strong? Had Kouki stepped into another dimension here? No way in hell he could repeat what the others had said with any of the same level of r- That fox-woman's finger settled onto him, and in that instant, the entire classroom's attention shifted from the cheery, bubbling, cutesy reindeer girl to him. Yep, he really hated it when people pointed. Seconds passed, tension building up. Kouki's gaze shifted upwards towards the fox-woman. Like ripping off a bandaid. Like pulling out a thorn. The faster, the better. He stood up, hands slamming onto his desk as he did so. Rather anger or irritation, it was a cold detachment that emanated from his posture, his body tense with restrained violence. "Sendachi Kouki." He sat back down, the legs of the chair clattering against the classroom floor. Welp, there went his high school debut.</s>