[System]
Trent Gardner, Advanced Infantry
Drachen Steinboden, Duelist
Marcia Devries, Rifleman
Helene Weisser, Psi Operative
Damian Renser, Gunslinger

[User]
"I'm from South New Star. When I was small, my family immigrated to Mars from France and I love watching holonovels -- especially romance films! I love playing virtual reality games using my neuro-enhancer helmet. I like strategy games and RPGs and first person shooters! And I looove virtual reality dating sims! Not only that, I've logged over 2000 hours in marine combat simulator X. I can totally take out the final boss in The Empire of the Crescent Moon in less than five minutes."

Marcia just wondered if she blabbed too much about herself. I hope they don't think I'm an airhead. I hope they still think I can add my weight in any serious combat situation.

"I love people with courage, and I hate cowards, even though I'm sorta a coward myself."

[Assistant]
---

She could tell she was going to get along very well with the man named Drachen. A hint of acknowledgement, a note of respect sparkled in her violet eyes when she looked at him. It was nothing he said but the attitude in which he carried himself that she found interesting, though his faint German accent sparked a bit of extra camaraderie. However, the question he asked wasn't something that mattered much to her. Her grandfather never cared about how many there were, just that he had to keep fighting for Humanity's future. Now it was her turn to help forge Humanity's destiny among the stars!

The other member of their trio was a woman named Marcia and well...she looked at her a bit stunned for a moment as she asked her questions. That soft, gentle look in her eyes to the way she spoke did not convey the mannerism of someone she expected to see in XCOM "Sure, we put our lives on the line every mission but most dangerous of all...we risked our humanity to defeat them." The words echoed in the back of her mind of a hesitant and sorrowful voice. Helene looked at Marcia warily, but would hold judgement until they got into combat.

Helene leaned forward in her seat, focused solely on the image on the table her mouth slightly open. Old configurations of alien bases were often used to help teach and instruct new recruits, but this was the first time she had seen something like this. The fact they were in charge of assaulting this place in actual mission and not some mock battle made it almost surreal. She became engrossed in its design, trying to commit it to memory when the corporal interrupted and drew her attention away. So the real plan was for the others to take care of the fortifications while they slip in to neutralize any high value targets. Her fingers curled against the fabric of her uniform, tugging at its edges. She couldn't wait to get started.

Attention was shifted back to the display that now showed their vessel. Helene didn't react to the news of their special accommodations as it still felt like a dream. That was until their new captain approached them with their new patches. Helene reached out and took her patch with both hands as if dropping it would cause it to shatter. The overflowing happiness that was almost enough to break her decorum was halted by the words of the captain, so much that a chill raced down her spine "Do not worry about us, Sir! We shall not let that happen!" A crisp, quick salute was accompanied by a fierce look in her eye. The day she had imagined so many times as little girl was here. As her eyes drifted down to the patch, the fingers on her right hand smoothed over the patch to confirm its authenticity. She couldn't wait to send a message back home.

Helene was so lost in thought that she barely heard what the captain said, looking up just as he was already in the process of leaving. Was she sure she heard that right? 'Get to know each other'?Helene looked around still holding the patch closely, her face tense and her eyes unsure. As Damian spoke, she couldn't help but think this wasn't how she expected her career in XCOM to begin. Why waste time playing 20 questions? She just wanted to get things started already. That didn't stop Marcia from grabbing Helene's attention. Probably much to her dismay, her quick onslaught of information had give Helene the exact impression of an airhead. She didn't know taking out this so-called boss in 5 minutes was impressive but she made it sound like some grand achievement. Somehow, this sweet woman was recruited into XCOM and she was going to find out why.

"That is certainly an...interesting list of hobbies. Well it is a pleasure to meet you, Miss Devries."

Hobbies? Likes? Dislikes? These questions all revolved around her least favorite topic "I was born back on Earth. Cologne, Germany." Helene crossed her arms, looking at the rest of the group but not directly "I certaintly dislike talkin about myself, but if it is the captain's orders. I like to hike and camp while watching the stars. There's some places on Earth you can't tell a war ever happened." Helene looked down looking unsatisfied with her own answer, then looked back up "I can't stand people who are all bark and no bite." The pressure between her teeth was enough to snap a tree log. Her brow furrowed as she finished, looking annoyed. With a mission like theirs, she would rather be making preparations than play nice.

[User]
Drachen had his arms folded across his chest as he listened to the Captain. He nodded affirmatives where they fit as the man answered the few questions they had. The team name was just chosen at random, they were assaulting a fortress so the number of enemies would be unknown, they left in ten minutes, and apparently they were assaulting multiple fortresses. Why was the UEG dividing their focus? Or were the other fortresses just to distract from the actual objective of killing or detaining this Ethereal?

The Captain brought up a holo-display of the fort they'd be going to and the names of it. Alpha via human, Warden via Alien. Which got him to tilt his head slightly. "Warden...? Is it supposed to be guarding something...?" He questioned aloud. Maybe they were trying to keep humanity penned in the Sol System? It wasn't likely humanity knew how far spread the aliens were. Shortly after letting them see the display the older officer handed out the XCOM patches with a warning not to abuse the power that came with them.

Who knew a simple patch, even on a Private, would hold such weight. Which was odd. But he didn't run things, he just followed orders.

Shit, now they were told to socialize, get to know each other. Was this some sort of video game? He shook his head when the Captain left
and turned his metallic gaze to the other three. Marcia Devries started them off with a slew of information. Games and reading were her thing, and apparently she was good at them. While also preferring the brave over the coward types. Helene Weisser, a fellow German, preferred more physical things like hiking and camping. She enjoyed doers, not talkers.

Sighing he let his arms drop and slip into his pockets. "I'm from Germany on Earth. In my spare time I like working with metal, making things by hand like in the ancient times." He stated, with his build it was very believable. "I dislike laziness, I like being active." He continued on before looking at the dual wielder expectantly.

[Assistant]
Hartford Military Base
New Star, Mars Colony
1113 hrs Local Time

Damian listened to each person and then proceeded to match the Duelist's gaze evenly after everyone had finished. He didn't immediately speak after they'd finished either, instead approaching the holotable and pulling out a modern USB drive. While it would seem that with all the technological advances made, mobile storage would have changed after so many improvements, scientists found that the size of a USB was excellent for easy transport, even decades later.

As he plugged it in and started browsing through the files, he finally spoke, his Irish accent finally coming into full swing. "Well, a pleasure to know all of you better. Now before I give all of you more information about me, let me sum up what I've just learned. Private Devries, you joined the UEG military out of either a sense of moral obligation or because you enjoyed the training sims in high school. Likely the latter based on your excellent ability to defeat the Crescent Moon Empire's emperor so quickly. You, Private Steinboden, likely joined the UEG to find access to metals that you're not allowed to handle on Earth and see what it was we actually faced in the war. Perhaps also because you like smashing things with your ax." The video he had been looking for was now queued, but he didn't play it yet, instead turning to put a flat gaze on Helene.

"And then there's you, Specialist Helene Weisser, granddaughter of the legendary Psi Op Steven Weisser. Your records called you a prodigy, even at a young age, and the Templar program is keeping an eye on you according to rumors. I can give the other two members of our squad a pass, they don't have the legacy of a hero to look up to and live up to, but you? You're here with grandiose ideas of just what this fight will be like, the role you'll fulfill and where you'll end up. You're going to be the one that insists on being the first off the skimmer and the first in the door, throwing some psionic power around with the intent to intimidate and kill as many aliens in one fell swoop as you can." He shakes his head. "You're a right idiot. Rancor Squad was formed a few weeks ago, just before we started mobilizing, full of new recruits full of potential and heading off on their first chrysalid hunt to get them some combat experience. Typically these aren't particularly dangerous and most of both the UEG's and XCOM's new bloods cut their teeth on them regularly. But Specialist Ria Blackwell had big dreams and plans concerning her new position as an XCOM prospect. Here's how that ended for them."

Hitting play on the holo terminal, the video starts up. From the angle of the camera, it's clear that this was pulled from someone's body cam. The video starts out with the usual patrol banter as the squad heads into a tunnel just behind another squad, XCOM patches and a Chimera patch on their backs as they move into the cave. "Chimera squad was to be their leash, their handlers. Get the new blood squad in, and get them out in one piece. Specialist Blackwell was Rancor's temp NCO until their actual CO recovered and she, unfortunately, had other ideas." The video had continued playing and as Chimera Squad made a left at a fork, a voice came into the private channel of the soldier's radio, presumably Specialist Blackwell's, that ordered them right. In minutes, she'd lead them to a small hatchery, if the grotesque scene before them could be called that as gestating bodies littered the ground. The voice came in again as the group took up positions around the nest on higher ground.

"Alright, we're going to toss incendiary to rile up the bugs and then deploy the Napalm grenades to deal with the main rush. Clean up should be easy after that. Prep," the camera shifts around as the person it's on pulls an incendiary out, "and throw." There's the sound of numerous metal things hitting the nest before flames ignite it. There's an inhuman screeching before chrysalids come out of every faucet that the camera can see, way more than the nest size would indicate. The scene that proceeds to play out is horrifying as the squad of new bloods attempts to fall back towards the tunnel they'd come in at. Plasma shots sear into the darkness, tearing apart the bugs as they surge forwards, but not fast enough and the last person in the group, a youthful looking red head, gets grabbed and pulled back, screaming as she's ripped apart.

Two more get pulled into unseen side tunnels as they run past, their fates no less grizzly as purple psionic power rips into the tunnels, too late to save anyone. The video cuts as Chimera squads flamethrower armed MEC comes into sight, bounds past the last two survivors and unleashes napalm on the horde behind them. The Corporal pulls the USB and turns back. "Former Specialist Ria Blackwell was the great niece of Colonel James "Rusty" Blackwell, an accomplished assault specialist within XCOM who lead the attack on the underground base that truly turned the tide in the Invasion war. If that name isn't familiar, Specialist Weisser, then you didn't pay attention to the men your grandfather served with and under. Because of her Uncle's stories, she got the idea that she could be the next Colonel Blackwell, especially after she manifested the Psionic powers her great-uncle had lacked. Because of them and his name, she assumed she knew better than Chimera Squad. That nest? That nest has never been cleared because of what happened to Rancor. We called it the Feeding Grounds because while it looks small, there are more chrysalids hiding in it than in the other three major nests on Mars combined."

He looked over each of the new bloods before continuing. "Blackwell is now serving time in prison, charged with willfully disobeying a superior and getting her three squadmates killed in action unnecessarily. And this was routine and standard for training out here. Now we're going up against the Ethereals and their armies and I can practically see the delusions of grandeur in your head. For the luck of the Irish, get rid of 'em before it gets ya killed. I want all of you to be able to tell stories like Stefan Weisser got to." His grim story delivered and point made, the Irishman lightened up. "As for my hobbies, I build firearms, camp and hunt. I also enjoy the odd bit of gene modding where it's permitted, making and testing new mods in the simulation programs."

Unknown to the group, the Captain hadn't actually gone that far, instead stopping to listen to his Corporal and second in command give his warning and make sure he didn't go overboard about it. The other survivor of the squad, now Sergeant Ethan Sanders, was still attending therapy after what he saw. The body cam didn't show it, but Sanders had seen what happened to the squadmate that was pulled into the left tunnel and it had him waking up in screams some nights. His promotion to sergeant had been a reward for surviving his former NCO's arrogance, but he had yet to be given a new squad due to the PTSD. A chirp in his ear had him rounding the corner, acting like he wasn't aware of what had happened, but after the others had responded. "Alright everyone, time to get to the skimmer. After that, we'll need to get comfy."


[System]
Theme:

Gender: Male

Species: Wisp > Immature Poltergeist

Appearance:

Goals: Danny has only two goals and one of them is more secondary. He wants to live a long life and if possible somehow get a body that is immune to all diseases and poisons.

Past Life:Despite being better suited to become a Goblin this former handyman/gardener choose to become a Wisp. His reasoning while flawed and mostly subconscious was simple. As a being of energy his new "body" was unlikely to be ravaged by the disease that claimed his life once already.

As a human Danny's life was mostly average, he wasn't a great student or super popular but he did okay at school and had a few friends. Still not coming from a rich family he dropped out after college and looked for a job.

A couple of years later a routine check-up revealed he had lymphoma though the doctors were confident that they found it in time. At first it seemed they were right and that he had made a full recovery, but during a post treatment check up it turned out the cancer spread to his brain and most likely fatal. Mot wanting to go through chemo again, and even with little hope of survival, he choose to simply kill himself.

 Abilities: * Mana Orb I and II A simple blast of Energy elemental magic with a range of 30 feet. At the moment it only does as much damage as a strong punch on average, unless the enemy is weak to magic. As it gets stronger it becomes a generic, non-elemental energy blast. Due to its simple nature and lack of elemental properties the Mana Orb spell is easily malleable into other spell forms. Magic damage increased. MP Cost increased. As an Active Spell Skill, this skill may be used at any Rank of power you possess.
* Lesser Force II Use a type of magical telekinesis to manipulate objects a short distance from your body. Objects cannot be finely manipulated, and the strength of this Spell is comparable to your physical ability. It works better if the object is also within your sight. This Spell has low MP consumption. MP Consumption decreased. Range slightly increased. Force strength slightly increased. Rather than more powerful, it would be more accurate to say this skill is now more efficient. Range increased, total radius is now 5 feet. Power extended at this range is the same as Rank II. Power at arm's length is now stronger.
* Levitation
* Monster Analysis III Gain more information about a creature or other items directly related to a creature. You may now gain comparison information about the creature's physical capabilities contrasted with your own.
* Magic Analysis II! Gain more detail about Magic oriented Skills and Spells. Lose less effectiveness when analyzing Monsters, Materials, etc so long as they are magically inclined.
* Meditate I By concentrating and calming oneself, increase the regeneration of Magic Power and Stamina. This skill cannot be used in battle. Any distractions in the environment will drastically decrease the effectiveness of this skill. This skill cannot be used in conjunction with other Active skills.
* Mana Shape I You can shape your raw Mana into the appearance of something. At this rank, your Mana does not have weight, force, or other physical qualities. Your Mana cannot produce sounds. Your Mana cannot move freely. Your mana can have its color changed. Your shapes must be relatively simple with no moving parts. The shape cannot be held for long without more MP.
* Aqua Sphere I By charging a small amount of water with mana, create a sphere of pressurized liquid to be launched at the target. While it does not require ammunition so to speak, this spell works better if there is water in the environment or in heavy humidity. Its range, damage, and MP cost are virtually identical to Mana Orb, but its nature as a Water spell varies its power based on elemental properties of the target.
* Mana Dart I! A focused magic projectile that deals non-elemental Magic damage and Piercing Damage. Higher cost than Mana Orb but increased range, speed, and damage. However, its smaller size makes it less accurate.
* Blunt Resistance I  Reduce Blunt physical damage by a small amount; a Rank I attack skill would be reduced almost completely, depending on your own base defensive stats.
* Focus I By spending at least 30 seconds focusing before using an offensive Skill or Spell, you can increase its damage or range. At this rank it is comparable to increasing the power by one rank (eg Mana Orb I to Mana Orb II) while also increasing the MP cost by half again (spend 1.5x Mana Orb I's cost).
* Faster I Your base physical speed is increased! By gaining the skills Harder, Better, and Stronger, Skill Synergy will occur and you will gain one rank of Physical Conditioning.
* Plant Analysis I Gain basic information about the properties of a plant by carefully observing it.
* Mana Vision I  Concentrate MP in your eyes to see the fluctuations of Mana. The level of detail and other qualities of your Mana Vision depend not only on the Rank of this Skill, but also on your physical sense of sight. Depending on the strength of your concentration, having a lesser sense of vision may also consume Stamina when using this Skill. At your current Rank, you can only see strange fluctations of magic energies and shapes that are not easily understood...
* Point Strike I  With a discerning eye, take aim at an oppenent's weak point and concentrate your own power into a single point of attack. Slightly increase the power of any attack, and gain an increased chance for a Critical Hit. Using this Skill in conjunction with other attack Skills, however, may cause it to lose effectiveness.
* Muffle I  This skill grants you the ability to be just a little bit better at being stealthy, with a focus on reducing the sound of your movements.
* Crafting I  Your knowledge and understanding of mechanics, workmanship, and other such things enable you to craft better items. The process of creating many items is still an unknown to you, but if you ever succeed in such a creation its Sub-Stat Enhancements will be higher than normal.
* Spiritual Awareness I  You have become more aware of the spiritual side of the world. This will affect your interactions with certain types of spiritual monsters such as non-corporeal Undead. At this rank, you can only detect a hint of the spiritual world. There may also be other affects of this ability...
* Fireball I The fire-themed version of a basic magical attack. With roughly the same power, range, and MP consumption as a Mana Orb, it has the unique property of being able to inflict a burn on the target. However, as an elemental spell, these same properties render it harder to use in certain circumstances. Non-flammable or elementally opposed targets, for example, will be much less effected.
* Material Analysis I  You have developed an eye for determining the qualities of inorganic or non-living objects. At this rank, you will only be able to gain surface information about an object. When used in conjunction with a crafting skill, it may help discover more compatible items.
* Fusion Skill [Analysis] A Fusion Skill is not a true skill by itself, but a sort of shortcut. You have acquired Monster, Magic, Plant and Material Analysis skills. By activating [Analysis] you will use all of these skills at once without as much mental effort. [Analysis] will not go up in Rank, but its effectiveness will increase if the Skills used for Fusion are increased. However, if only Analysis is used, the growth of the individual skills will not be as fast.
* Charisma I Like other charismatic skills, your personality is almost a magical charm unto itself. You'll have greater luck convincing others to go along with your suggestions, but only within their own natural reasoning. This skill may not work on those with stronger Wills.

Inventory:
* Source Crystal Shard x1
* Flak Sac x1
* Broken Flak Shell x1
* Flak Shell x1
* Goat Hide Robe
* Flak Pauldron
* Flak Gauntlet
* Sharp Stone
* Cudgel
* Curved Stick
* Flak beetle mandible
* Dire Rat-Hide Loincloth
* Small Hollow Gourd (Half Full of Water)
* Wooden Cudgel

[User]
Ardur, Asura, Momma Slime

Asura managed to get 3 Herbs before the field had almost completely withered--all that were left were those oily black ones, and even they were starting to shrivel.

As the undead attacked, Asura braced himself and seemed to be building up power for an attack. Ardur lunged into the air, grabbing the most mangled of the Zombie Pixies by the leg. As he swung the creature with his enhanced strength, he slammed it into its fellow before it could sink its own claws into him. The impact shattered what few brittle, hollow bones remained in the first zombie's body, and both of the undead fey crashed to the ground. But while the one Ardur had grabbed seemed as if it could no longer move its body--being little more than a fleshy sack filled with shattered bone bits--it still turned its head this way and that like a decapitated rattle snake, snapping its tiny jaws. The other Zombie Pixie managed to pull itself off the ground, and held out its hands towards Ardur. It garbled something, blood vomiting from its mouth--and black smoke suddenly enveloped Ardur.

Momma Slime rolled forward between Asura and the oncoming Skeleblins, just as one of them lumbered forward and swung a bony fist. It practically spun on the hinge of its hip and spine as its jawbones clattered. The impact struck the blue slime's body--

And made a sound like thumping your finger against a rubber dodgeball. The skeleton paused for a moment. It slowly turned its skull upward to "look" at Momma Slime.

"'MASH!"

The Skeleblin's bottom jaw snapped off as Momma Slime's pseudopod sent it bowling back into its compatriates.

A second Skeleblin jumped to swing at Ardur with a Gnarled Stick, and two more began picking up throwing-sized rocks off the ground...

---

Danny
The Yellow slime flopped through the air in frustration as Danny dodged it. With his levitation ability restored, he floated back up to a rocky ledge near the top of the cave to conceal himself. The two slimes down below gurgled angrily, then went their separate ways--no doubt to find a less troublesome meal.

Danny could see from up here that it looked like several monsters--most of whom had glowing purple eyes--seemed to be headed in the direction of Jason's cave, as did the remainder of any Mana Crystal dust floating on an unfelt wind. What was going on? The aura of the cave seemed to be growing more oppressive by the moment...

By contrast, it had to be somewhere around noon outside--the bright daytime sun seemed to be coming in strong through the entrance far away, and through a few shafts here and there in the ceiling...

---

Jason

Jason could feel no Mana entering his "body," if this wispy, almost soap-bubble-esque form could count as such. The world seemed to be getting darker all the time, as if that monochrome place he had come from was pulling him back.

As he floated down to the ground, he could not feel any contact with the earth. The Dire Rat was coming closer, but seemingly unaware of his presence. As it sniffed around the place where the two assimilated Fanged Lizards--and Jason himself--had been killed, it pawed at the ground. Jason wouldn't see this, however, as he was caught up in his prayer.

"Spirits of the earth... I ask for your guidance, must I truly subsist off souls in this form? Or is there another way? Please, help me.... I beg you!"

And he received an answer...though not from any god.

"Stupid! Eat it! Wolves eat sheep! Baboons eat apples! Humans eat cluckees and hogs! Everything eat!"

When Jason opened his eyes, he would see the Dire Rat turn--but as it did so, the place where it had been digging suddenly gave way. The Rat gave a surprised squeak and leaped onto a nearby rock, before turning to stare at the spot that had caved in.

The loose earth had fallen in right over a clutch of Fanged Lizard eggs. Inside each of them, Jason could see a tiny mote of gray light--about ten of them, although each was less than a fifth the size of the large purple light inside the Dire Rat. And that creature was now turning away, seemingly following the scent trail left behind by Asura and Ardur...

[Assistant]
~Temporary Campsite~
Throat Pouch:
- x1 Mana Crystal
- x4 Nothing
Rawhide Backpack
- x5 Nothing

---

"Any will do, yes." As Oberon began casting his magic, Ash did what she had before, watching Oberon play with his magic. After the experiment with the Mana crystal, she was almost certain there was something to this but she still didn't exactly know what. What was she even looking for? She really didn't know herself. Just some way to physically interact with Mana in order to see its chemical makeup, so to speak. She watched the magic flow from his body towards his hand. Making a simple ball, Oberon then began to change and experiment with it. Turning it into a cube, then back into a ball, then into a pyramid. He continue to make simple, small three dimensional shapes. He seemed to be getting fairly adept with Mana Shape. She should practice too, but always getting interrupted was making slow progress.

Ugh, she needed a lab.

"I see, thank you Oberon." Ash replied closing her eyes. She should probably meditate somewhat and get her Mana back as well. Argh, so much to do so little time. "I would suggest one of us goes gathering or hunting soon as well, but for now I'll be back in the shelter if anyone has need of me."

[User]
Danny was relieved to see the Slimes give up and leave, though part of him still wanted to get both his exp and his revenge. He wondered how close he was to his next level and since he had already learned that just wondering didn't reveal anything he had to try something new. " System, how close am I to leveling?" He felt stupid asking and honestly didn't expect any reaction.

As he prepared to leave his hiding spot and look for a safe place to finish meditating he noticed both monsters and what looked pulverized mana crystal heading in the direction of the core. Wondering if he could somehow use the dust to replenish his Mp he flew straight into it and focused on absorbing as much mana as he could.

If it worked he would head straight for the patch of healing herbs near the pond, otherwise he would look for an empty hole in a cave wall first, to meditate in.

Abilities:

* Mana Orb I and II
* Lesser Force II
* Levitation
* Monster Analysis II
* Meditate I
* Mana Shape I
* Aqua Sphere I
* Magic Analysis I!
* Mana Dart I!

Inventory: Source Crystal Shard x1


[System]
Gender: Female

Alignment: Chaotic Neutral

Race: Mer-folk

Equipment:* 20 different types of Knives and Daggers.
* A light short-sword in a scabbard on her back.
* Light armor on her upper body.
* A belt that she wears at all times. It has holders for Knives and Daggers, as well as places she can tie things to it.
* A small waterproof bag that she can tie to her belt to keep things that must stay dry with her, even if she's underwater.
* A simple dress and sandals she can put on whenever she goes onto land, kept in the waterproof bag when not being worn.
* A slightly larger bag for things like food and extra tools.
* about 5 pounds of Non-perishable food that can be eaten on land or underwater. (Mainly edible kelp and dried meats.)
* 23 seashells that could have multiple uses. (Such as a weapon if they are sharpened, or other tool.)
* Another small bag to keep money in. (She currently has 15 of each type of coin.)
* A strip of fabric to tie her hair up with so it does not get in her way. Is tied around her belt or wrist when she is not wearing it.
* A small necklace with a seashell locket on it that is enchanted so she can summon creatures to come to her aid.

Combat Skills: Preferably using Knives and Daggers, she is very adept at stealth kills both in the water and on land. Very agile, and quick-thinking. She's good at fighting, but it can be extremely difficult for her to fight more than two or three opponents alone. Can summon water-creatures to help her.

Non-Combat Skills: Swimming, endurance, cooking any type of food with few ingredients, good at puzzle-solving. Can communicate with water creatures, and they automatically trust her.

Mana: High

Magical Schools: Water-based Summoning, Religious-based Healing.

Magical Abilities:* Levitation spell: Grants the target the ability to 'swim' through the air so long as the caster remains conscious.
* Breath of Life: grants the target the ability to breathe in any environment, the effect remains until the caster recalls the spell. This spell can be cast on inanimate objects, where the effect is given to whoever is in possession of the object, and the object keeps this spell until the object is broken or the spell is recalled by the caster.
* Summon familiar: Summons one or two large creatures, or a whole horde of small creatures, to follow whatever commands the user gives. The stronger the creature, the less likely it is to listen. Causes dehydration.
* Wrath of Light: A religious-based attack spell that blinds the enemy and causes burns and the (temporary or permanent) loss of senses. it also strengthens the caster's religious spirit, but causes fatigue.

Techniques:* Song of serenity: Causes everyone in the area to become lethargic and generally calmer for a small amount of time. once the effect is over, the calmness will often linger.
* Berserker rage: Creates an aura of rage around her and grants strength to all allies within. Trades sanity for power, so she may even attack allies in this state.
* Song of the Reef: A water-based spell that heals sea creatures. Does not require much religious strength to cast, although the caster may get burned if they cast this spell with no will to actually help the target.
* Light of the gods: A religious-based healing spell that can heal any creature. The caster must be devoutly religious and have the will to help the target or risk severe burns and loss of the senses; like sight, hearing, and touch.
Personality: Never gives up, is kind and likes to help people. Is kinda ditsy when she's alone, and talks to herself a lot.

Talents: * Psychic ability (Like mind-reading)
* Puppet (Can be passed out but her body still fights)

Approved

[User]
Everyone else should have been able to talk; why didn't they? Why did no one say anything, greet each other? How long would they stay in awkward silence before one would take the initiative to address the broader group? How much longer would everyone else be content to remain in this strange silence that Airan felt was unbearable? His own attempts to speak had all failed; it did not understand - other than the fact it simply just couldn't talk. Had this slime lost its ability to speak before its body was granted to him? Was this intentional?

Even as he approached the statue with everyone else, he could not help but feel agonized. The silence was dangerous. It was a sign they did not wish to communicate. That meant mistrust. The occupants of this room mistrusted each other, and that, Airan felt, was dangerous. Mistrust led to paranoia, paranoia led to recklessness and recklessness led to mistakes. Fatal ones. Killings in the name of self defence; any hope for teamwork and cooperation destroyed by the idea that each other was out to get everyone else.

...Come to think about it, maybe it was he who was just paranoid.

As he walked, one step at a time, his helmet's movement the only indication that his gaze was switching between all of the occupants in the room, the silent knight only wanted one thing.

Speak. Make conversation. Do anything to end this unbearable silence.

[Assistant]
As if a benevolent goddess had deigned to answer the prayers of the metal-encased slime, the silence was broken moments later.

Though considering the means by which this occurred, perhaps it would be better to say that this goddess was less "benevolent" and more "bored". Who could really know what goddesses were thinking?

"Yo. Yo. Yo."

The homunculus who had been among the first to awaken emanated the sound three times, each time in a different pitch, as if she were deciding on which one felt most natural.

Loosing a brief cough afterwards, she then began speaking again, electing to go with the second pitch.

"Hiya, how is everyone~? You all look kinda confused too, so I'm guessing none of you remember anything before this point in time either, riiiight? Those wonderfully dumb, slack-jawed expressions of yours are just screaming the truth~!"

"...well, except for mister armor over there, but I'm sure he's the same way."

Diana immediately launched into a stream of dialogue, as if needing to warm up her vocal chords by alternating the speed of her speech from slow to fast in a mad cascade.

"Well, if you do remember stuff and I'm the odd duck out then that'd probably be for the better. Bunch of people all waking up in a room with amnesia or something, like, really? Way too coincidental to be normal, which'd mean there'd be a cause for it, which means it wouldn't be standard, which means we probably have some shared factor or situation, and that'd all be really annoying."

"Bleh, whatever, we can get to discussing what we know and don't know after we're all nice and acquainted, right? I'm Diana, but you can call me Diana. Or Miss Diana, I guess, but just Diana works too. Let's all get along~"

[User]
Isa had just been about to say something, to break the silence between the other creatures, when one of them launched herself into a strange and somewhat annoying monolouge. Her pitch and tone and tempo changed constantly as she spoke, and Isa didn't like it.

"I find myself in a similar situation to you, Diana." Isa spoke slowly, calmly, not wanting to seem threatening to anyone, but not wanting to seem bubbly or immature as the girl, as Diana, had seemed to her. Isa walked closer to the statue that was in the center of the group, more so that they could see her than for her to see them.

Taking a breath, Isa made her tone lighter and tried to add a touch of kindness to her words. "I am Isa, by the way. I don't know who any of you are, but I suppose I should say that for some reason, I don't feel on edge around you. I may not remember the events that brought us together, but I trust my intuition. I dont think that any of us are meant to be enemies here."

[Assistant]
While 2 others talked, Victor stared at the statue. It was likely that the others who were also staring at it had similar thoughts to each other, though their thoughts probably weren't the same as his own.

I wonder how much this is worth.

It was quite brilliant statue, actually. It was glowing and it was well made. It was probably magical, but there was no way he was taking it out of the cave by himself. With that said, he couldn't help but think about what he would get if he sold it, which was strange to a newly reformed body.

It was weird how the statue was surrounded by corpses, but it was weirder how he wanted to get a lot of gold. He wasn't sure why, but he really felt like he wanted a lot of money, like he couldn't live without it. The lust for gold nagged at his mind, and he couldn't hold explain it. It didn't feel like him to coop up his feelings, so he tried saying something.

His jaw fell open clumsily and a squeeky weeze emerged, somewhat reminiscent of human speech but intelligible. Something was stuck in his throat. He put his hand into his mouth and tried to clear his airway. When he pulled his hand out, it was covered in cobwebs.
Ew. Victor thought, coughing to clear out the remaining cobwebs.

"Ugh..." A voice said.
It was Victor's voice. His body's voice. It reminded him of a bad flute player's music. Probably what he should expect from a skeleton, really. But there was only one reason he tried to speak, one reason alone.
"Hey, anyone got some gold on them?" He said, adjusting his jawbone to speak better.

[User]
Vaul ran his tongue along the irregularities of his teeth, against the elastic resistance of his cheeks, and the unyielding quality of the roof of his mouth. Vigor was slowly returning to his body as he sat there on his comfy little rock, and finally he stood up after some time. Using his rather ornate staff as a walking stick, he stepped over the small underground stream in the dim light, managing not to wet the hem of his robes. It felt good to move, to relax and contract his muscles to construct a more or less steady gait. Eventually, he neared the figures clustered around the statue at the center of the temple.

His ears twitched as he caught the lamia whispering "Who is she? Why is it down here? Who am I and why am I here?" and at such a relatively far distance that he was surprised himself.

"Why indeed?" Vaul replied, as he came up behind her, more to catch her attention than to offer anything useful. His eyes had a strange glimmer about them as he eyed the scales of Alyona's serpentine tail, walking with close steps in a semicircle around her before stopping at her front.

"You're a snake down there..." he breathed out in genuine amazement, with a rather nonplussed expression on his face as the gravitas of the fact sunk in. "A snake starting from," he brought his eyes up to her midriff, "And then it's humanoid," then to her face, "Thereafter..."

The moment of silence hung thickly still in the air as he stared into her eyes, his face unreadable.

"Huh," concluded Vaul, failing to come up with anything more profound. "Isn't that something."

[Assistant]
Alyona decided immediately that the girl that had spoken first, Diana, was quite annoying already. Maybe it was her voice or the way she changed the tone and tempo of her speech as she spoke, but it was grating on Alyona's nerves, so she ignored the girl for the time being.

However, it seemed best to introduce herself with this name that she somehow knew was hers. However, as Alyona prepared to speak, she was startled by a voice behind her. She lost her balance and almost fell over again, however managed to right herself before she could actually fall. To say Alyona was surprised would have been an understatement.

Vaul's astonishment and rather anticlimactic statement left Alyona off balance, figuratively. There were no words. Instead she shook off the daze after a moment and decided to introduce herself instead of pick up from his rather broken verbal observations. "Errr, hello, you can call me Alyona, and you are?"

[User]
"Vaul." He replied smoothly enough, tilting his chin up in an unnecessarily prissy manner, and living up to his body's elven nature. "I'd say it would be nice to meet you, but in such a dreary place," he gestured to a nearby skeleton, then to the other figures nearby, "And the fact that we all appear to be bewildered by the situation we're in, it would be rather inappropriate, don't you think?"

"I must say," he added, running his eyes down Alyona's half-serpentine figure again. "You have a very interesting physique."

He pursed his lips thereafter, and ran his tongue across their dry length to wet them.

[Assistant]
"Nice to meetcha, Isa! Oh, and Mister Bones, sorry, I don't have any gold. Does that make me poor? Aw, I don't wanna be poor~" Diana hummed airily in reply, her tone having stabilized now after getting a feel for how to speak. At the reactions, or rather lack thereof, of the others who were present though, the mud doll's expression soured slightly.

"...boring. Come on, if Isa's in the same situation as me, I'm guessing you guys will be too, right~? And nobody wants to talk about that? Really? That's just plain disap-"

Diana cut herself off as she paused for a moment, her eyes narrowing slightly.

'...that's what that must be, right? Even if I don't truly remember, this body remembers so I can still remember. And this body is telling me that...'

Her eyes shifted back to the statue as she took a step forward, looking at it with a focus completely antithetical to her prior demeanor. '...let's see, then.' She recited to herself mentally, before making use of an ability that came to the forefront as easily as breathing: Detect Magic, initiate.

[User]
Isa had been listening to the various conversations, when the sudden stop of Diana's voice drew all of her attention back to the girl. She was simply standing there, looking at the statue. Isa followed her gaze up, to where the figure's face would have been, had it not been so weathered away. There doesn't seem to be any thing wring with-!

Isa's thought stopped as she saw a slight flicker over the statue's 'face', like the ripples of a pond after a stone has been skipped across the surface. Isa placed a hand on the base of the statue, and with the other she held the amulet around her neck. What am I doing... As soon as she asked herself the question, she knew the answer. That's right, I'm looking for the traces of magic in this statue. I might not be able to tell what type of magic, but I will sense it if there is any.


[System]
Age: 43
Bio: Aleksander's family was one of the first to settle in Warlington centuries ago, unbelieving of the folklore surrounding the forest until the fateful night when the nightmare fuel made itself known. The Rudel family has since kept the town library well kept over the years. They reside on the second floor of the building. Aleksander is a kind man, even after the loss of his wife 10-years ago. She was selected and sacrificed like so many others before her.
Role in Story: Library Owner
Other: Widower and Single Father of Melissa

Name: Melissa Rudel
Age: 18
Bio: Born to a family of librarians, Melissa seems to always have her nose in a book. After the loss of her mother at the age of 8, this young redhead has taken it upon herself to learn as much as possible about the creature to little avail. Centuries of rumor and speculation have left very little in the way of actual facts the girl can get her hands on. Still, her quest continues as she attends yet another year of festivities surrounding the offering of one of their own.
Role in Story: Librarian's Assistant/Daughter. Assists with research regarding the creature.
Other: Fascinated by the occult.

[User]
Aaranya Singh

Aaranya's heart beat faster at the woman's question. She was seen! The voice sounded shaky... was the quake of fear or fury? Either one could be likely. She also heard people moving, waking and walking inside the shop on which she sheltered. It was stupid, stupid to walk this road -- everyone would see!

And, of course, there were no voices to goad her on in this time they could actually be helpful. Aaranya had to be her own voice of fearful force.

Run, NOW!

Aaranya burst from her hiding place, supposedly dead girl sprinting for her life, attire whirling down the street like a lily in a hurricane.

[Assistant]
Danielle gasped. She was startled by the sudden movement. She froze in place for a time. She was not sure what to do, not at first. She took a deep breath. She decided to do something.

"Well....here goes nothing."

She began to run after the shadow, a human-like shadow, that had sped off.

"Wait! Stop!"
She gave chase. She hoped that she would not become out of breath before she caught up to them.

[User]
Creed shook hands with Melissa's dad, "It's good to see you sir."
Jim stepped forward, and introduced himself as well.
"I'm sure you have a lot of questions you wanna ask, and I'll be happy to answer them." Creed said.
He looked over Martin's shoulder, and saw the most beautiful girl he has laid eyes on, and then it hit him, "Melissa is that you?"
Jim Thunderhawk asked if they could come inside, "We need your help."

[Assistant]
Aaranya Singh

Aaranya broke into a cold sweat as the woman shouted and chased after her. She envisioned a mob of torches and pitchforks forming behind her as she ran. Shoes clack clacked too loudly on the street. She had a head start, but her dizzy legs, her shoes. Torches. They were too fancy for running as the thing shouted and chased after her she had a head start clack clack but the distance between faded Aaranya breathed in sharp gulps. Exhausted, thirsty, pitchforks.

After a few minutes, Aaranya had to stop and lean against a gnarled tree to prevent herself from falling over. She turned halfway toward the following woman, attempting to use her frayed braid to hide her face.

"STOP! Don't come... uh... I'm a GHOST! St-stay away!"

[User]
Danielle gasped. She tried to run faster.
"I said wait up!"
She shouted as loud as she could. Her eyes went wide when she heard how loud she was. But, she kept running. She was only able to catch up when the form suddenly stopped. This caught her off guard for a moment. She was surprised, confused even.

She was hesitant to step closer at first. This could be a stranger. But, then she heard the voice. She gasped, even louder than before, when she was close enough to see who it was in the light.

"Aa.......Aaranya??!!"

[Assistant]
Aaranya Singh

Aaranya flinched at the figure's shout. This was the exact opposite of what she needed... all to hear, to know.

She recognized the woman, though, drifted near in the daybreak. Danielle. Aaranya had hoped to be friends with this former classmate, unfortunately met shortly before the time of hearing and watching. They rarely spoke several seasons, but they had managed to pass notes from time to time. Danielle's eyes heard her poetry.

Though the revelation of Danielle brought comfort - this one would likely not harass - Aaranya still wished not to interact with anyone until she reached home. She decided to double down. If anyone in history was ever in a position where 'I'm a ghost' seemed a believable story, it was Aaranya. She widened her eyes and sloooowly turned to Danielle with a stony stare, doing her best impression of a haunting gaze (and it was actually pretty good).

"Husshhh, mortal. I am the ghoooost of..."

Aaranya trailed off mid-sentence. She stared ahead for another second, then looked down at her feet in shame.

"...No, I'm not a ghost," she mumbled faintly. "That's a problem. Don't tell. I have to go home."

[User]
Danielle blinked when the other girl had done a failed attempt to be a ghost. She frowned.
"Aaranya......"

She froze. She did not know what to say. Her friend was alive?! But how?! She was supposed to be sacrificed! That creature was supposed to take her away! What happened?! What was going on?!

She was more confused than ever. She was quite scared too.

"You...you're alive?!"
Her eyes were quite wide. She stumbled a bit. Her eyes were fixed on her friend.

"H....How?!"

[Assistant]
"Of course, please come in." Alek answered as he opened the door a bit further for the pair and stepped aside.

The redhead's gaze leveled on the figures as her father stepped to the side at Jim's request to enter. She was confused for a flash of a moment, it couldn't have been her childhood friend. He was dead. Then those blue eyes met her own hazel gaze. The books and coffee cup she'd been holding slipped and collided with the ground with a loud crash and a splatter of hot liquid.

Alek abandoned the door, and the guests, immediately to rush over to his daughter. "Are you ok?"

Melissa blinked as her father neared, his presence filling her viewpoint and snapping her mind back. Hot. Ow. Her mind hissed as the recognition that she had dropped the items which had been in her hands hit. Her eyes went wide as a flush of color rushed her cheeks. "Y-yea, sorry. I.."

Melissa took a few steps back, kneeling down just as her father had to beginning cleaning up. She lowered her head to fetch shards of broken ceramic as her father tended to the books. Neither were attempting to be rude to the newly arrived guests, though some would have considered their abandonment of polite conversation to attend to books to be impolite. Creed would recall how much the books meant to the father-daughter pair, how proud they were to continue on their inherited position as the keepers of history within Warlington.

[User]
Creed walked over to help Melissa, bending down he said "Hey let me help ya."
His hand touched hers as they both went to grab the same broken piece.
Creed didn't pull his back, instead he lifted her chin up, so they could look each other in the eyes.
"Hi, I know this has to be a shock to you and your dad."

Jim followed Alek, and asked him if they had any books or documents dating back at the beginning of when this town was built, and if this was ever native American land.

" I know you have a lot of questions, and you probably would also like to punch my face in for not ever calling or writing, and I don't blame you if you did." Creed said smiling.

[Assistant]
Aaranya Singh

Aaranya kept pressing against the lone tree, more for emotional than physical need at this point. She stayed a still silent statue for a moment.

"...I don't know," she murmured. "I did everything I was supposed to. I did my best."

Aaranya gazed off to the horizon. A slice of orange danced with mid-dawn blue. Soon more would rise and roam the roads.

The bedraggled woman lightly pushed off the tree and resumed her original path home. She passed by Danielle with barely a glance. As Aaranya shuffled a few feet past, she kept her eyes straight on the road while speaking to the woman behind.

"I have to go home. If you want to follow, I can't stop you. But be quiet."

[User]
Danielle blinked. She tried to follow after her. She frowned, very very worried.
"Aaranya....."
The name was said in a whisper.

She was starting to resume her usual quiet tone and such. She did not run so much at the moment. But, she did her best to keep Aaranya within her line of sight.

"W....wait up...."
Her tone of voice did not change.

[Assistant]
Aaranya Singh

Aaranya picked up the pace, spurred on by the watchful eye of the waking sun. She left the streets to power-walk through the shadows of an orchard. The girl was about to leave the shelter of nature when she froze like a doe, eyes twitching around her environment. She swore she was being followed.... oh yeah, it was Danielle. Okay.

Aaranya took one more side street to avoid passing by the library (did those people ever sleep?) and nearly sobbed as she rounded the corner to her own rustic cobblestone road. Her feet rushed forward of their own accord until she found herself tapping at the door. Aaranya stood there for an eon, or perhaps two minutes. Her eyes caught Danielle's at this time, and Aaranya responded with a nod, grateful that the woman chose to stay close rather than tell the whole town what she saw.

Worry rose like floodwaters near the end of the eon. This was not like Kabir, ever polite and formal. She pounded on the door this time. Finally, some muffled evidence of movement filtered through the walls. A minute later, a disheveled man in his mid-twenties opened the door with a look of exhausted indignation. His expression turned to blank shock when he registered the woman.

"Aaran... WHAT?"

Both siblings tried to think of words to say. Neither got a chance before Kabir embraced his sister, face remaining a mask of shock. Aaranya's own face scrunched up in tears, her limbs grew heavy and soft, finally able to let her guard down in safe harbor.

"Come- come inside," Kabir breathed, halfway dragging Aaranya across the threshold. His wide eyes seemed to look through Danielle rather than at her, but he acknowledged her presence and left the door open for the other woman who accompanied his sister for who-knows-what reason.

"What happened?" Kabir asked as he led Aaranya to the couch. "You're... of course, it's wonderful that you're here, but you're supposed to..."

Both Singhs were wordless, one seeking a proper way to speak the unspeakable, one struggling to make any sound other than squeaky sobs. Kabir directed his eyes toward something, anything else, and noticed his other guest again. Proper hospitality... that was an easier way to help.

"...You look like you had a rough night," Kabir addressed Aaranya, a little warmth returning to his voice. "Why don't I get you some breakfast, and then we can talk about it?"

Kabir breathed a sigh of relief as Aaranya answered with a silent nod. He gave his sister a kiss on the forehead and then headed to the kitchen. His racing thoughts slowed to a more manageable pace as the mundane task gave his mind something productive to do. At least, that's what Kabir tried to tell himself. Even as his quivering hands caused the bowl of oatmeal to harshly clink against the bottom of the microwave.

[User]
Danielle followed closely. Luckily, it seemed as though Aaranya was slowing down now. That was good. Running tended to tire her out pretty often. She always hated gym class in school. All the running they had to do was just one reason for that, but still. Anyway, that was not important at the moment. Her friend and the fact that she was alive was the important thing right now.

Danielle would follow her all the way back to that house. She stayed quiet when the door was opened. She gasped, almost loudly, when her brother hugged her(Aaranya) and that exchange followed. She turned when when she finally acknowledged, and realized, how loud she had gotten. She quickly glanced around to make sure that no one had heard her. She sighed in relief when that was the case.

She raised an eyebrow when she saw the door left open for her. She had not expected to be invited inside. She had assumed some people, or most, would assume she was amongst those who wanted the girl to be sacrificed. She frowned as she thought about that. Anyway, she went inside. She had a seat in a small chair.

She looked between the two of them as those questions and, possible, answers were exchanged. She sighed a bit. She could not help it. Anyway, she had no answers herself. Why HAD the creature left her....alive? That was quite....odd.

She watched as the brother walked off to fetch something, breakfast she thought she had heard him say. Then, she glanced at Aaranya.

[Assistant]
Melissa's hazel gaze held Creed's blue one as her heart raced and her cheeks flushed. He was no longer an awkward teenager, then again neither was she. "You... you're not dead?"

Blinking a couple of times, she pushed him away as she rose back up to her feet and ignored the shattered coffee mug. "Six years, Creed! Years!"

She couldn't put any other words together, completely caught not only off-guard but also a bit flabbergasted. The redhead threw her hands up in the air, huffing, and shaking her head at her old friend. Her presumed dead friend not actually dead and with no contact whatsoever to let her know otherwise in six years!

Glancing at the children, as that's what they both still were in his eyes, Alek nodded to Jim and motioned towards another aisle. It was likely best to leave the pair to reconnect without on-lookers. "I have all records of the town since its creation, though it never was Native lands. From what I can tell of the records, it was avoided by the Native American Tribes. Should have been a fair warning to the settlers that something was up, but here we still stand."


[System]
Gender: Male

Age: 17

Appearance: But enough about me...

Can Manipulate Qi/Ki?: Yes

Specialization: Naturalist (N/A bound)

Abilities: Having been trained in channeling qi, Liu is able to strengthen his body to endure blows that would otherwise... Well, break a lot more than they would, to put it one way or another. Things that would otherwise snap his bones in half instead damage him (and his lifeforce) directly. Which is helpful, considering that not moving is usually followed by death in the wilderness anyhow. he also has the ability to bind his soul to that of another, but hasn't exactly decided to do so quite yet... Or, more accurately, hasn't been able to. He's picky.

Aside from being able to harden his body, Liu has a jian that he bought and is quite proficient with; having gained the money to do so through his daily hunts, he is also quite proficient in tracking and hunting... Normal animals, at least. The sword itself is a regular sword, custom-made by the village blacksmith (for an additional fee, of course).

Personality: A person who prefers to let his actions speak for him, Liu's much more comfortable out in the woods near Mingdu than he is actually being in the town itself. While he can be talkative at times, Liu is more than happy to let others do the work and chatter on instead. When push comes to shove, though, he'll do all that he can in order to resolve whatever plagues him. Be it anything from trying to fox his way out of a sticky situation to the good ol' "beat up whatever's being annoying" strategy, the way things have worked out for him seemed to have been for the best.

In that regard, though, he's certainly not stellar in any category; just a cut above in most respects, but not much more than that. He remains loyal to his ever-aging parents and, though it may not seem like it, works in the background to ensure their care and well-being. Giving respect where respect is due is also ingrained into his being; he admits defeat gracefully, even when the opponent in question is leagues ahead of him.

History: Trained as a student in the Mingdu monastery, Liu found himself to be a slightly above-average student. Though nowhere near the two prodigies of his year, the young man found himself to be content staying in the shadow of others as he worked to fulfill his parents' ambitions. Though the two of them had grown old working in the fields, Liu found himself favoring the ruggedness of nature, and thus made a living that way. It was certainly much less consistent than the farm, but he was still young, and so his parents let him do as he pleased for the moment. After completing his training, though, his master urged him to go out and find something to strengthen himself with... Which, of course, ended with the comparison between him and the rest of the class. Liu half-heartedly agreed, faking sincerity as the old man time and time again asked about his efforts. It wasn't like he was't trying...

More like, he hasn't... Exactly... Found anything. Yet.

Other: N/A

[User]
"I suppose so," Kyang said, a little less brash about her approach. That name was even more familiar. Who was this woman? "Waitress?" Kyang clicked her fingers in the air, "A bowl of what she's had, please!"

"So, Torako...dono?" Kyang began, not certain if she should be using that Rikoku honorific, "You're a traveller as well, huh? I was intending to stay here and look for a job. I can read and write in just about all the alphabets, you wouldn't happen to know anyone...?" Kyang trailed off, but before an answer could be provided, a boy sat down across from them both. He looked closer to Kyang's age than Torako's.

"Oh, no problem," Kyang responded, feeling a little chirpier. A local guy was much more likely to know where to go than a tourist. "Do the people around here not see many strangers? I've not felt this watched since the last time I was examined in a tea ceremony." Kyang finally put her helmet on the table and leaned on her elbows. "You a celebrity or something, Torako? Er, dono?" Hopefully this would provide the missing piece in Kyang's mind.

It was then that Kyang heard some excited shouting outside. She twisted to the door to listen. Something about a challenge against the school. Even Kyang knew enough about Mingdu to know what that meant. "Someone's asking for a hiding," she commented.

[Assistant]
"Ahh, I dunno, people have been pretty friendly!" replied Torako to the newcomer, giving him a cheerful grin too. "... Well, except right now I guess. The waitress keeps giving me this amazing soup though, so I'm pretty sure they're just shy or something!"

It's not like there was a reason to out herself as the Tiger Lily, now, was there? It didn't really matter, it wasn't any big deal. Besides, most of the people didn't seem sure if she really was or not. That was fine with Torako. "Anyway, it's fine, I like meeting new people! That's a big part of travelling, you know!"

As Kyang ordered a bowl of soup, Torako eagerly ordered another as well. That made six. Soon she'd have another meal of delicious, delicious soup... Ahh, it made her heart beat faster, the excitement of such wonderful and fantastic soup once again being brought to her, so she could indulge in its magnificent flavors! When the other girl referred to her, though...

For a moment, Torako's entire vocabulary seemed to change. Anyone familar with Rikokuan beyond the basic conversational language would recognize her speech had suddenly become extremely polite and formal.

"Please do not be misguided," she began, "This one is not suitable to be referred to as such, Kyang-dono."

It was good to get that out of the way in a direct and serious manner. The moment the words left the girl's lips, however, her usual demeanor swiftly returned. "Aaaanyway, I guess some people might recognize me, you know? I don't think I'm that great, but some people around here might know me or something?"

Torako gave a shrug. "I don't know if you'd call me a celebrity or anything. Maybe they like my clothes?"

As if to demonstrate, Torako flapped her arms lightly, the ornate designs on her sleeves fully displayed. The sheathed katana, too, was quite visible, resting at her side.

[User]
"Not see many strangers? This place is in the center of the continent; how could the people here not be used to it?" Liu responded to the girl with a headband, letting out a quick laugh before the realization dawned on him.
"Oh. Now that you mention it, everyone was in a fuss about you. At least, I think it was you." he started, turning towards Torako. "Something about... A tiger lily? I understand absolutely nothing in regard to that, but that might just be me not spending much time listening in on gossip."

The hushed whispers coming from the crowd around the three, though, began to become a tad annoying. Though he couldn't quite make out what they were saying, the fact that they refused to be open about their conversations just felt... Off. Maybe she really was something unnatural?
...
From the looks of the bowls stacked on the table, at least, that seemed to be true.

"...Wow. You... You certainly do like the food here, don't you? I can barely finish three, much less however many you've managed to complete..."

This girl- Torako?- certainly seemed to defy most common logic, though; walking around with that kind of garment, coupled with that weapon and a seemingly insatiable appetite... Most bandits wouldn't hesitate to try to capture her for ransom, but she... Made it here. With nary a scratch on her, to boot... And it didn't seem like she was traveling with anyone else, either. What was she, exactly?

Actually, didn't the other girl have a weapon equally as ornate? Was she a companion? No, that one's manner of speech was more hesitant, as if they had just met or something. That wouldn't have been the case otherwise.
The heck was he getting himself wrapped up in?

"Well, it's good for business, at the very least. Though I'm seriously hoping you have the cash to pay for this... Actually, I'm sure you'll be fine."

Liu's words trailed off as a waitress brought the three their food; the girls, their soup, and him, a platter of lightly seared venison with a special herbal blend on top with a bowl of rice on the side. This was what the place was famous for, and by the gods it was worth the price. The gamey aroma wafted around the three, lingering about as Liu savored the smell alone for the moment.

"...Man, it's been a while."

Laughing, Liu took a pair of chopsticks and began to eat. Only here could they obtain those few herbs that made the dish... Well, "pop," so to speak; these mountains were truly nature's blessing.
Not to mention, they were also pretty damn good at warding off illnesses. A win-win, for sure.

"So... Anyways... I've yet to ask; for what reason have you two come here? I've yet to see a wanderer or a merchant that could garner as much attention as you have here, today."


[System]
* Age: 20
* Gender: Female
* Race: Human
* Appearance: "I'm happy to accept your re-what. What are you doing."
* Personality: Maria is normally a rather friendly individual, who believes deeply in honor and justice for everyone. She takes pride in her skills with a sword, and in general is quick to agree to honorable and noble duels. She is also proud of her heritage, coming from a family of warriors. She wants nothing more then to display her skills and do good for others, and carry out a successful life as a member of the Anthellon family. The problem arises, however, in the situations she runs into. Maria is prone to acting with exasperation and irritation when someone does something she sees as stupid or silly. She considers herself a sensible individual, and those who do not act sensible get on her nerves rather quickly. Beneath her friendly and honorable attitude, Maria has a rather short temper and really can't stand people behaving stupidly. Her friendliness gives way to palm-to-face irritation and angry insults when she gets truly irritated with all of this. Maria is also very easily embarrassed(especially be comments on her figure). Embarrassment can even immobilize her in a fight, no matter what the circumstances are. Well, almost, at least.
* Abilities: Maria is a skilled wielder of the sword, using a one-handed style with no shield. She can switch to two hands in order to increase the power behind her swings, but most commonly only uses one. She is fast on her feet and rarely stops moving in a fight, and can hold her own against a variety of ridiculous foes like this. Her cooking skills can be described as "explosively terrible", a fact she is embarrassed about. She has a very nice singing voice, a fact she is also embarrassed about.
* Notable Equipment, Traits, etc;: Maria has her family sword, made of silversteel. This means it is very light and durable and possesses a powerful cutting edge. She commonly uses light leather armor to avoid slowing herself down in combat.
* History: Maria was born to the Anthellon family. They are nobility with a reputation for raising honorable warriors, and naturally, Maria was no different. She has even set out to prove herself as a member of the Anthellion family, with an air of honor and justice and annoyance at stupid people.
* Other: N/A

[User]
Koji Darklight, Archer Extraordinaire

"The stage is set, and the conditions met. It's time for the hero to make his grand appearance!"

With a resounding slam, the doors the the Adventurer's Guild burst open, and light shone forth, heralding the entrance of the fabled Koji Darklight! Everyone's head turned to face him, and the upcoming hero was met with rounds of applause!
...
Or, well, that's how it was supposed to go in his head. Instead, when he had slammed the doors open, everyone turned to him with a look of confusion. Not... Quite what he was expecting. Oh well, they would learn in time.

Undeterred by the lack of any grand response for his splendid appearance, Koji confidently strode forward, up to the receptionist at the front desk... Who, well, seemed to still have a look of confusion on her face.

"Er... Yes, hello? May I help you?" she asked, still unsure of what to make of the situation. Koji laughed softly, his hand covering his mouth making the action just slightly less apparent.

"Yes, you may help me. I, Koji Darklight, would like to register as an adventurer in this fine establishment! Even the strongest of monsters shall bow at my feet after I am done with them!"

Shouting the last statement out loud, Koji struck a pose with a flourish, brandishing his two crossbows theatrically as he waited for a response.

The receptionist simply blinked her eyes before holding up a finger and bending behind the counter. A soft giggling could be heard along with the rummaging of paper before she came back up, as straight-faced as ever.

"Okay. Well, just fill out this paperwork and return it to me, and we can have your guild card ready soon after," she responded, handing him a stack of twenty or so sheets of paper alongside an inkwell and a quill pen. "There's a seat over the-"

"What in the name of Trevyan is this?! A contract with the devil?"

"...No, sir. It's just a contract and some forms asking for your infor-"

"I cannot simply bow my head to the demon lord! Ah, but such is the fate of the tragic hero, is it not? Fallen to darkness to save the world? Very well, then! I accept this deal, and so may my fate be sealed henceforth!"

Sheathing his weapons, Koji took the stack of papers (and inkwell and quill pen) and hurried on over to the table the woman had pointed out, carefully reading the documents for any sort of possible fraud, corruption, loopholes, or other such things to be expected from such an unjust deal.

[Assistant]
The trade business was remarkably easy, once you figured out the very basics. Why anyone would choose a different profession to earn coin was beyond the honest merchant, considering how simple the process to becoming rich was.

Step 1: Procure rare items.

Felicia surveyed the wares put on display. At the moment, she had nothing more than a simple, old tablecloth with which to lay rest her valuable items, but that was fine. Magical artefacts and holy relics didn't exactly need satin backdrops to be infinitely regal in their splendour! And while her stock was admittedly small at the moment - the one downside to selling rare items; they weren't exactly common - their sheer value would more than make up for it.

Step 2: Location.

Now, who was going to make the most out of ultra-powerful weapons and armour? Surely not the kindly old man running a lovely little bakery! Obviously, the answer lay in adventurers, the most common of customers! With their kind patronage, and the knowledge that any steep cost would balance out with the item's sheer effectiveness, Felicia was confident that an exchange could only be a win-win situation for shopkeep and customer. Why anyone would ever be dissatisfied with her products was a mystery to her. That holy blade was for slaying demons, not rock-hard golems!

...Regardless, with the first two steps flawlessly executed there was only one more thing needed: Presentation!

Sure, Felicia wasn't exactly the owner of a sprawling market district, but her impeccable sense of dress and upkeep, as well as the quality of her displayed goods, was surely not up for debate. Her fine suit was all the visual evidence one needed of her legitimacy! Standing tall and proud, next to a sign with a poorly scrawled 'open for business' declaration, Felicia cheerfully awaited the surely-bustling business she would soon receive. After all, setting up shop opposite the guild hall had been a wonderful strategy in the past! Hands resting upon the umbrella's grip, Felicia watched for any approaching customers, ready to sell the hell out of her wonderful relics.

[User]
And so, today was the day. The beginning of the quest that the girl would undertake in order to prove herself, prove herself worthy of carrying the Anthellon family name! Her lineage could be traced back to countless warriors on both sides of her family, and so there was no way she would not do all she could to make herself a worthy part of it. Besides, what better way to show her fighting prowess and skill, to display the way that her training had honed her abilities, then to venture out on a quest? It only made sense in the girl's mind. Her side ponytail bouncing as she walked, she noticed that a merchant had set up shop outside of the guild.

Maria smiled. That was quite clever! She couldn't claim to be an expert on business, but there was no way that she couldn't figure out the strategy there. Adventurers would, naturally, require supplies. And setting up a shop outside of the Adventurer's Guild would ensure a steady stream of customers. You could keep prices low so that you wouldn't overcharge those in need, and still turn an excellent profit. Or so she assumed, at least. Naturally, if the merchant(who was quite finely dressed, Maria could not ignore) was charging ridiculous prices, her opinion would rapidly change on that matter.

And so, the girl with the tan hair approached the stand, passing a few people as she did. Was it not ideal to stock up before attempting to do any adventuring? Of course it was. She had supplies, yes, but a wise adventurer knew to take all opportunities they could in order to gain them. Provided they wouldn't spoil or something. That would just end up kind of gross. However, when Maria came to a halt in front of the stand, she noticed something was, well... not quite right.

At all.

Frowning, she reached down and picked up one of the items, holding it up before looking at the merchant, disapproval plain on her face.

"This is literally just a lump of charcoal tied to a string," she said, holding up the dangling piece of junk, "What possible use could this have?"


[System]
Alias - Voltic

Age - 13

Appearance - This girl.

Personality - Short-tempered and prideful, Kimberly is your typical tomboy. She is adventurous and daring, sometimes to the point of recklessness. However, she does think and act quickly during times of stress. That being said, Kimberly can be quite friendly with other people, easily striking up conversations with other people. She also displays a strong sense of justice, usually seeing issues as black-and-white.

Power/ability -
- Electrokinesis: creating and controlling electricity. Simple.
- Enhanced physical capabilities, with agility being the main focus.

Weakness -
- While she can certainly withstand attacks that a normal person her age wouldn't, she isn't much more durable than a regular human.
- Her electric attacks can be slightly redirected with metal, as well as blocked with insulators.

History - Please see Voltune.

---

Name - Conner Flynigann

Alias - Synchronize

Age - 14

Appearance - This guy.

Personality - Conner isn't exactly social. He tends to just listen to others talk, although there are times he's willing to speak his mind, particularly with those he is comfortable talking to. However, he is quite intelligent, and will make the effort to learn about anything that seems or is important in some way.

Gear - Tuning fork and hammer. Nothing special about them, appearance-wise, but they serve as the items needed for him to activate his powers by continuously striking the tuning fork.

Power/ability -
- Synchronize: Conner is capable of fusing, or "synchronizing", with another person to create a more powerful being. (See Voltune for one example.)

Weakness - He lacks the means to physically fight on par by himself against most other superpowered beings, and his ability is useless without another supperpowered being to synchronize with. He is as soft and squishy as a regular human being.
-Conner requires a lot of physical contact with the other person in order to synchronize. A full-on embrace usually suffices.

History - Please see Voltune.

Notes - None.

---

Alias - Voltune

Age - Appearance-wise, 19-20.

Appearance - This woman.

Personality - Voltune displays a remarkable intelligence, and is not afraid to input her own opinions. Voltune sees herself as the proof of the bond between Kimberly and Conner, and therefore a separate entity from Kimberly and Conner, addressing them by name as well. She treasures bonds and friendship more than anything else, and will do what she can to preserve them.

Power/ability -
-Electromastery: Voltune possesses power far superior to Kimberly's, able to generate and control stronger electricity than Kimberley's.
-Greatly enhanced physical capabilities: Far superior endurance, strength, and speed than an average human, with agility and acrobatics highly emphasized.

Weakness -
- If Voltune receives an injury, both of them will have the same injury should they de-synchronize.

- The two must work together and think as one in order to stay 'synchronized'. If the two are in enough conflict, it will be impossible to form Voltune. Even minor conflicts will weaken Voltune's abilities.

History - Kimberly and Conner were neighbors and childhood friends. Kimberly quickly discovered her powers after a uncomfortable and embarrassing event involving a wooly sweater and everyone's hair sticking up. As the two met up afterwards, Conner reveals that he had been instinctively aware of his ability for as long as he could remember, although he had no idea how to use it. Kimberly began practicing her newfound ability in secret, only allowing Conner to see what she was doing.

During a session of Kimberly's secret target practice, Norvandell found a tuning fork. Upon picking it up, he suddenly felt an urge to strike it. As he did so, Kimberly found her power being amplified. They began to experiment further, seeing how far powers could be amplified, how it worked, etc. From that day on, they began to have more fun with their experimentation and training.

One day, the two were with their parents at a small shop, when a superhuman robber appeared, demanding money and supplies. Everyone within the shop was held hostage, and police quick came to surround the area. However, Kimberly and Conner rose up, using their combined powers to fight back. Unfortunately, even their efforts couldn't defeat the robber, and were held at a stalemate. Then, during another exchange of blows, Katherine was knocked back into Conner, and it was then that Conner "tuned" with Katherine, to create a new being, "Voltune". Voltune then used her powers and quickly ended the event.

Since then, the secrets were revealed, and the two were given certain freedoms regarding their powers (although kept at somewhat stricter treatment.)

[User]
---

 One thing about not having a permanent home, was that he was never really connected to one specific town or city. It was with fleeting indifference that one tall, black-haired teenager slung a duffelbag over his shoulder, exiting the rather...crummy apartment that he had called his own for the past few months. The teenager was pretty striking, all things considered. Dressed in a dark blue, collared jacket, with a black t-shirt underneath, jeans, and sneakers, with chocolate-brown skin, sharp blue eyes, and long, dark dreads tied back into a low ponytail, the teenager beared the look of someone his age, yet, on his shoulders, he seemed to carry an invisible burden. He was tall, with a build that was partially hidden behind his clothing. However, one could not deny the broad shoulders and over-all lean, athletic physique his clothing could not completely hide. He walked briefly down the sidewalk of the rather...shady neighborhood, not making eye contact with anyone. When the coast seemed to be clear, and no attention was one his form, he casually took a step into a dark alleyway.

Jason ducked into the alley, sitting his black duffelbag down on the grimy concrete, and cracking his knuckles. The location of their HQ was a while away, but it wasn't too hard to travel when you possessed super-powers. He just had to be discreet, due to the idiotic hate humans seemed to possess for the unnatural. While he would normally scoff at the prospect of being within a team of teenagers, something had...pushed him to accept the proposition. It was something in his gut, telling him that rejecting the offer would be a grave mistake, and although Jason enjoyed looking things over and using his own, personal tactics...his gut instinct could never be ignored, and he had accepted the offer. The anonymous messenger had left immediately after, leaving Jason to pack his things and go to the meeting place. The woodlands of New York State. He actually didn't live too far away, having traveled to the big NY on his journey of crime-fighting and travelling, so he would not have to travel too far.

A quick glance around showed that the alley would be safe, for now. Raising a fist to chest length, Jason clenched his fist, feeling his lips twitch as the hand was immediately covered in arcing bolts of light blue electricity. The alley beginning to light up from the constant build-up of energy, Jason crouched down and strapped his duffelbag to his shoulders once more, raising his right fist this time. As the electricity arched between the two fists, Jason glanced, once more, towards the alleyway's exit, before dashing forward. In a show of acrobatic prowess, he flipped off of the dumpster's lid, flipping forward onto the side of the alley-wall, before richocheting off and throwing his fists downwards. In a sudden, sharp zap of twin electricity blasts, the teenager was catapulted into the air like a missile, leaving behind two scorch marks on the concrete, and the lingering scent of ozone.

"Wooooh!"

Jason could not help but grin as he blasted quickly into the sky, flipping around so that he was facing the clouds. Reaching both hands up, he quickly gathered more electricity within his fists, twisting around in the air again, and blasting the gathered electricity out like a jet. The wind resistance didn't faze him as he propelled through the air like a bullet, leaving behind thick arcs of blue electricity in his wake. Within minutes, travelling at high speeds, he had passed the New York barrier, and was flying quickly over the woodlands.

Taking the messenger's information to heart, Jason temporarily stopped the steady blasts of electricity, making a dive-bomb towards the forest. At the last second, before he hit the tree-tops, he expertly sent a wave of electricity dowards, stopping his momentum.

'He said that it was more to the North...' The teenager glanced around from where he was levitating just above the tree-tops, all stemming from the static electricity currently flowing from his arms and hands. surveying the forest around him, Jason began to head North, his eyes taking in each piece of scenery. A glint of metal caught his eye, and the tell-tale sign of the base came into view. He dutifully dusted off the leaves, walking towards the entrance.

Opening the steel door, he began walking through the bright, cold hallway, coming across yet another door, that led into a long, large hallway. It wasn't long father that before he caught sight of three people, all seemingly around the same age - except for the one male, who looked to be...fourteen? Thirteen?

"This is the place? Fancy..." He glanced at each of them in return, committing their faces to memory. They seemed practical enough...Well, somewhat. The younger girl seemed rather...well, small, although she had some pretty funky hair, and the boy just looked like a kid. The oldest looking female seemed formidable, however. Very tall, at least. They stood eye-to-eye, at 6'2".

[Assistant]
Xercas
and
Harold

---

While still rather early, Xercas never really though of joining a team, or better yet, a super team. Not that he was founded by some snake boy, Harold, to help him find the place. It wasn't only that, Harold thought that Xercas can provide him the food that he needed, other than eating live rats in the sewers of New York. A shiver went down his spine from a memory that occurred when they were hiding in the sewers, a memory he rather forget sooner than later.

To him, Harold was a dark scaley young boy/snake that communicated with the serpents around them, he is rather short, maybe half a foot shorter than he is, which he stands roughly under six feet. Another thing that Xercas noticed about Harold was his striking golden eyes, they were different than his slate blue ones.

"I found it!" He heard Harold yell from a bush. "And also this raccoon as well."

Xercas only shook his head as he ran up to the younger teen. It has been three weeks since he went on his journey to find where this place is. To him, Harold was the only friend that he had on this journey from Arizona, and it has been a long time since he found someone that was like him.
"When we meet these people, Harold, just try not to eat them." He said as he remembered that he was almost eaten alive by the teen when they first met each other.

The smaller teen waved his had towards where the hide out for the Titan hideout is. While on the way, Harold lifted the live raccoon as he expanded his mouth by dislocating his jaw as he placed the rodent inside of his mouth. The raccoon squealed as it was swallowed whole by him. A snake slithered out from his coat, almost asking for something to eat.

"Maybe Zerk can get you a few rats, Nif." Harold said as he lead the way to the hide out.

It was only then that they came up to a door, Xercas knocked once, seeing if anyone will answer it. "I will not get your snakes any more food. The last time I did, we ran into more than a hundred rats in the sewers last night! I could have died!"

"But you didn't with that amazing fire work you've done there." Harold said as he let the small snake slither away.

"And I don't even know how to control it. You could've died there too, Harold." Xercas said as they went into the base.

[User]
Conner sighed as he was done getting dressed. It was a beautiful day outside. The birds were singing, the flowers were blooming...

Tap tap. "Hey Conner, open the window!" Kimberly said, the window closed and hidden behind a curtain.

...and Conner's never-relenting bundle of joy was just outside. Going over to the window, Conner removed the curtain and unlocked it, allowing Kimberly to climb through. "Kimberly, how many times have I told you to use the front door, and not the window to my second-floor bedroom?" Conner asked.

"Too many times to count," Kimberly replied cheerfully, knowing full well how Conner felt about it, which was why she kept doing it. "So, you ready to go?" Kimberly asked, visibly excited about their destination.

"Ready as can be," Conner replied.

Together, the two kids left the house, making their way to the Teen Titans headquarters. Kimberly walked behind Conner, humming a small tune as they walked, while Conner kept staring at his GPS device to make sure that they were heading along the right path. After several turns, Conner eventually stopped near a building, with Kimberly bumping into him from behind.

Kimberly, confused, asked, "Conner, why did you stop?" Then Kimberly was just as shocked as Conner as they watched what just happened. In front of them was the sight of a guy eating, no, swallowing, a raccoon. Whole and alive. Quite frankly, Conner had never seen anything so.... disturbing. After a few moments, Conner suddenly turned around to face Kimberly and said, "We're going home."

"What? B-but we just got here!" Kimberly argued. "Come on, give them a chance! I-I'm sure it's not as bad as it looks."

Conner, in mental turmoil, took a few moments to decide, then exasperatedly said, "Fine. If I see something like that again, though, I'm leaving, with or without you." Together, the two walked over to greet the two, avoiding a small snake slithering by. "Um... hi," Kimberly said nervously, peeking around from behind Conner. Conner, also a bit nervous, raised a hand in greeting, but said nothing.