[System]
{ Ignore the tail }
Alias: Princess Kinoko/Kinokou, Princess of Saiyans (formerly), Son Kinoko/Kinokou, Universe 7's Last Female Saiyan, Third-Mightiest Saiyan.
Date of Birth: April 18, Age 735.

Age: 44 (physically 30-31).
Height: 5' 7".
Weight: 121 lbs.
Species: Saiyan.
Gender: Female.

Relatives/Relationships:
* Bardock (biological father; deceased).
* Queen of Planet Vegeta (biological mother; deceased).
* Raditz (older paternal-brother/former teammate; deceased).
* Vegeta (older paternal-brother/teammate).
* Goku (younger paternal-brother/teammate).
* Tarble (younger paternal-brother).
* Android 21/"Amaia" (younger adoptive-sister/teammate).
* Gohan (paternal-nephew/teammate).
* Goten (paternal-nephew).
* Trunks (paternal-nephew).
* Bulla (paternal-niece).
* Pan (paternal-grandniece).
* Chi-Chi (sister-in-law).
* Gure (sister-in-law).
* Bulma (sister-in-law).
* Ox King (father-in-law).
* Dr. Brief (father-in-law).
* Panchy (mother-in-law).

Occupation(s): Princess of Planet Vegeta (formerly); High-Class Warrior; Farmer/Grocery Clerk.
Affiliation(s): Dragon Team/Z-Fighters.
Former Affiliation(s): Galactic Frieza Army.

Hair Color: Black.
Eye Color: Black.

Personality: Mature, Caring, Capable, Helpful, Intelligent, Optimistic, Confident, Honorable, Gentle (yet Tough), and Stubborn.
(When Turned-Evil: Ruthless, Arrogant, Devious, Selfish, and Manipulative.)

Power(s): Super Saiyan 1-3 (possibly 4), including Blue.
Abilities: Superhuman Strength/Speed/Durability/Senses, Martial Arts, Acrobatics, Flight, Afterimage/IT, Telekinesis, Ki-Control/Sense/Transfer/Regeneration/Rapid-Fire, Kamehameha (descended from Bardock), Galick Gun (taught by Vegeta).

Voiced By (actor/actress): Liza Jacqueline
Live-Portrayer (actor/actress) {just for fun}: Chloe Bennet
Theme Song:

[User]
There were a lot of things being said between the heroes of Earth just immediately following Frieza's sudden visit to Earth. It was soon learned that his troops used the Dragonballs in order to bring him back to life and with his renewed vigor tried to get his revenge but was soon stopped by Goku and Vegeta. The following day after that, all of them were within Bulma's home. Well, all except Goku and Gohan. Since Chi-Chi caught wind that Goku was back, immediately put him back to work in the fields. However everyone else had been there and decided to talk amongst themselves about that day's events.

The first one to speak up was Krillin, who had just shown up after a couple of others had arrived. The rest had looked at him as he had flown in.

"Hey guys! I'm here! Sorry it took so long, I had been training a bit before and realized what time it was. 18 had to come and remind me." he said with a chuckle as he landed down softly beside Yamcha.

"Oh it's no problem. A lot of us just got here too. Don't know where Goku is but Vegeta is training as usual. Wouldn't kill him to show at least just a little interest after what happened yesterday." he said huffing a bit.

"You already know how he is and I don't think Goku will be here. Last I heard, Chi-Chi caught him immediately and he's out there working in the field already." Piccolo quietly said, he was leaning against one of the pillars of the small patio out there in the backyard of the Capsule Corp.

"Right, right. So what are we here for? Moreover, who told us to come here? I thought it was agreed we'd be training after what happened." asked Tien who then walked up to the rest.

"I don't know. I got a call from Bulma and she told me to come here yesterday. Said something about the Dragonballs. I'm not really sure since she was shouting so loud. So glad 18's not like that..." Krillin had gave a light sigh.

It was almost noon there in West City. Goten and Trunks were playing outside like usual, the Pilaf Gang were down in the lab along with Bulma' father who had been working on something for the past few days. Soon enough Gohan had came but unlike the tracksuit he was wearing when Frieza first came to Earth but his regular Gi just like his father.

"Gohan." Piccolo said just as he landed on the ground.

"Everybody. I decided to come after all. After what happened yesterday, I thought it'd be a good idea to keep myself in the know what might be going on or will be." the Saiyan said before looking around before raising and eyebrow. "Where's my dad and Vegeta-san?" he questioned.

"Goku's working and Vegeta's training. Apparently neither of them has gone back with Whis this time. I figured at least Vegeta would but he's been acting kinda weird all day long. Bulma knows but she won't say anything about it." says Tien.

Gohan was about to ask what he meant by that when a spaceship was seen overhead, everyone knowing who that belonged to didn't say anything until it touched down. Out of it popped out the Galactic patrolman that they all knew.

"Whew, Bulma has a way with words. I was out on official duty when she called me. Sounded kind of important so I just couldn't ignore." Jaco said as he coughed into his hand.

Everyone knew what he meant by that considering she kinda forced everyone to be here literally the next day but they figure it was important enough in light of what happened yesterday during the assault and considering it had something to do with the Dragonballs, they couldn't ignore it either. Piccolo had a guess to gather them so they couldn't be used again, at least to revive any enemies they may have had but considering they were stone until next year, that would be impossible to find them until they became active again. So they talked among themselves until Goku decided to sneak in and show up or Bulma came out, one of the two.

[Assistant]
Kinoko figured that Frieza's assault on Earth would make her push pass her limits of protecting her family. When Gohan, her eldest nephew, got repeatedly and nearly shot-to-death by the Emperor himself, the ex-princess had to step in, and cover him, right up to the point where Piccolo sacrificed himself to save them both...until her two brothers finally showed up: Vegeta, the eldest, and Goku, the younger.

During that whole scenario, Kinoko kept both Gohan and Piccolo in her care, while she took care of the remaining soldiers who'd dare get any closer to them. This battle became one of those she would never forget. Even to this day of celebrating, it continued to haunt her; probably as much as was for Vegeta. She left her older brother alone to his thoughts, just knowing that those said-thoughts would continue to bother them both, as they contained the memories of their servitude for Lord Frieza himself, back in the past.

The female Saiyan did consider going with him, in order to get those traumatizing memories out, including the ones involving the amount of abuse Raditz put on her. But then, she decided to stay behind, and look after her family. The Dragon Balls then came to her mind. If anybody wishes to revive their evil superiors, then the only option would be the retrieve them before it again ends up in the wrong hands. Floating above everyone, still in her battle outfit, and staring towards the sunset, she finally crossed her arms upon her chest, until Jaco arrived. That was when she decided to descend gracefully back down to the ground.

It felt as if they wouldn't go away...the memories. As much as Kinoko wanted to forget them, she feared that the more they continued to bother her, the more she feared of becoming an uncontrollable Super Saiyan. However, the only reason she didn't was because of Goku and Vegeta, who've managed to convince her that she wouldn't. From there, she believed, thanked, and loved them. Whenever times like these began to take their toll, she would go to either go to Chi-Chi, Bulma, or Videl to talk about it. The ex-princess knows that she's really tough like her father, but yet, she was a gentle soul, like her mother.

With much thought, she decided to use Instant Transmission to quickly change into something that was suitable for the occasion: a dark-blue midriff top, a pair of dark skinnies, and high-heeled boots.

[User]
Everyone had looked up when they felt Kinoko's presence, well, mostly Piccolo was the first to notice then the others did as well. All of them were rather fond of the Saiyan princess. After all, she had done much to help them in their long journey. They remember it like it was yesterday when she had came to Earth with Raditz. Some of that were bittersweet memories and even to this day, none of them knew what prompted her to switch sides like that but they couldn't have been more thankful especially Gohan as young as he was.

They had gotten rather used to her fast soon after, considered her one of the gang with much help of Goku of course. Took Piccolo a lot longer to come around but consider she didn't kill him after he had no choice but to kill Goku that day to make sure Raditz had perished, he thought she couldn't have been that bad and he was right after he had mellowed out over the years. The others had various opinions of her, none of them were too out there...I mean, if we're talking about right now at this moment.

"Glad you decided to join us finally, Kinoko. I didn't get a chance to tell you yesterday but thanks for saving us both. I don't think we would've made it without you." Piccolo had walked over to her as he said that.

"I agree. I didn't know that Frieza had gotten so much stronger. I should've been more careful...no matter how many times I go through it in my head. I feel like I could've done better then." Gohan said with a heavy sigh.

"I wouldn't worry about it Gohan. None of us knew that he would get that strong. We're sorry we couldn't do anything to stop him at the time." Krillin had added.

All of them agreed and had a moment of silence after that. Jaco had something he wanted to say, a joke to lighten the mood but he advised against it since he didn't want to get blasted just for making light of a dire situation yesterday. Probably the only time he seen Frieza up close, just thinking about it gave him the shivers something awful. It wasn't just him, however. All of them were more on alert after that. Peace had really gotten them soft and after what happened, it gave them a wakeup call that they should not be slacking off when there's no threat to be had just yet. No one really felt that more than Gohan, the more he thought about it, the more the strain on his face worsened a bit.

His mind fell back on both Videl and his child, Pan. What had happened if Kinoko wasn't there? What if he had died as a result? He'd be leaving them and that thought alone really bothered him. He had asked Piccolo to train him again, from the basics up. He really didn't want to mess up again. Things may have changed but he was still a warrior, he needed to keep up with his father and everyone else. Sure he handled himself well against Frieza's henchmen but Frieza himself was so much stronger than him it wasn't funny. He looked down at his own hand and squeezed it, the only time he was horribly disappointed in himself. He was hoping he'd get over this wall pretty soon, he didn't want to be a burden to everyone like he was when he was a child.

[Assistant]
Kinoko had landed a few feet away from Piccolo, and she had heard his every word when she had done so. As much as she knew about the Namekian, there was no surprise about when he knew detect her looming presence. "There's no need to thank me; I had to do what I had to do, and that's to protect my family; every call must be answered", she assured, giving him a friendly smile. It was a vow she was sure to follow, ever since the defeat of Raditz. The abuse had taken its toll, and it finally made her decide to kill him, probably for the first time without honor. That was the reason Kinoko had changed sides in the first place: She had enough of it.

She looked at her nephew when he began to ponder about his own actions during the battle. "Gohan, don't doubt yourself. You did what you could; by giving it your all", the princess walked to Gohan, stopping next to him, and gently placing a hand on his shoulder. It felt as if he was back as a child again; back when she had rescued him and Goku. This time, as much as she could remember, it was as if it would never get old. Like she said, she had a family to protect; as an aunt, and a sister, she will live up to that expectation. If she had to babysit her nieces, nephews, or her siblings, she would.

It felt as if her sixth sense was her ability to detect the melancholy auras of people. Because she was certainly seeing it in Gohan. "Gohan, there was no chance that Frieza would ever defeat us. Know why? Because we are family. We fought as one; the bond is much stronger than you think", the princess smiled once more, before nodding, hoping to give him hope that they will succeed...and that there's always a way.

In some ways, like how she is with Goku, she had gotten closer to Gohan, ever since the incident. Of course, before the eradication of their homeworld, she had remained really close with Vegeta, considering that they had obviously grew up together in the same status and household. As close as they were, rather emotionally, Kinoko just knew that, even though her older brother would be out training, he wouldn't put it above family-oriented scenarios. Especially when it comes to the wellbeing of his wife, his son, or his sister. As much as he didn't want to admit it, the Saiyan prince will put their wellbeing before his own.

Since there wasn't necessarily a place for her to reside, the princess normally stayed with Goku and his family. At first, she found Chi-Chi to be somewhat strict, but Kinoko could only understand that she just wants what's best for her family. As much as those expectations were overbearing, Kinoko tries to do the best she can, in order to help her younger brother with the amount of stress his wife puts on him. Sometimes, they were rather lucky in getting her to agree with them taking a break or two, but this varied. Especially when it came to Goku and training...


[System]
Age: 29

Class: Soldier (Acolyte?)

Equipment:
Bionic augmentaton: Ben's left arm, and both of his legs are bionic limbs. The lower half of his spine is made of metal, and his left eye is a red monocle, surrounded by scar tissue.

Power fist: Ben wears a power fist on his left hand.

Plasma Pistol: Ben's side arm of choice is a plasma pistol, useful for it's stopping power against the enemies that have burned Ben's home.

Shotgun: Ben's shotgun is a relic from his time on Armageddon, useful in the bloody close quarter fights he often found himself in with the green skins.

Background: Ben is from the underhive of Armageddon, Hive Tarterus. When the Orks attacked, the gangs enlisted in droves, finding a common enemy to defend the planet from. After a short basic training, lasting only two weeks, he was flung into battle. Age 20 when the war broke out, he fought for 5 constant years of hell, before being conscripted to the Inquisitor's aid.

Notable Deeds:
-Served 5 years in the third war for Armageddon.
-Received field promotion to Lieutenant and led his platoon in constant fighting actions for over a year.
-Led from the front, taking a trench by storm. Accounted for over a dozen Ork casualties, included the Warboss. The fight is where he suffered his near mortal injuries, and led to his augmentation.

Skills:
Veteran - Ben has seen some of the worst the galaxy can throw and has emerged the other side.
Hard to kill - Ben has suffered horrendous injuries at the hands, or rather klaws of the Orks. As such, his willpower to survive to fight another day is absolutely resolute.
Angel of Death - Although not as well known as commissar Yarrick, Ben was known among Orks as a man that was impossible to kill. His 5 years of war on Armageddon make him a master of dealing death to Orks should they ever rear their head.
Hatred - Ben hates orks.
Commander - Ben has proven himself as a skilled commander, especially of mechanized divisions. He doesn't actively look for the opportunities, but if needed, he will get the job done.

Time with Inquisitor: 4 years

Appearance: Ben is around 6 Feet tall in his full combat dress. He wears the mustard yellow great coat of his home legion, wearing his gas mask, goggles and helmet. His bionic limbs are hidden, but his power fist is now, worn over his gloved hand. His pistol is on his hip, and his shotgun is slung over his shoulder. He wears an inquisitorial rosette, on his collar, but it is small, and quickly concealable.

Out of uniform, he wears black pants, a gray tee-shirt and a leather coat that can hide a plasma pistol. He also wears leather gloves to conceal his bionics to blend in.

At one time, Ben was probably a handsome man. His hair is long on top, and shaved on the sides in a style that was popular in his old gang. His entire torso up to his neck line is covered in tattoos. His single human arm is also covered in various tattoos. He is unshaven, with a respectable beard, and his scar tissue around his left eye make him a rough looking person now. Under his real eye are usually shadows, caused by the night terrors that plague him.

[User]
" ... or should I find your soul wanting among the impure?"

Adrianne would turn around from the Inquisitor and instead look back towards the Sister of Battle through her skeletal visor, eyeing the sister for a moment. Though any facial expression was concealed behind her mask, she would raise an eyebrow at the sister's statement.

No words were spoken, but a cold staring duel would instead take place in the elevator between the Psyker and Aviza!

"Does she have an Imagifer stuck up her big butt or something!?"

Her fingers would grip harder around her staff as she glared back at Aviza, still not having uttered a sentence in return. Fortunately however, before things could go any further, Stukov would be the first to take action; the armsman suddenly getting between the psyker and the sister, a hot spot to be in if anything!

" ... so if we could put off infighting until after we are done with this mission, that would be good."

"You should learn from the armsman, sister." Adrianne would finally speak, focusing her attention on Aviza whilst motioning towards Stukov.
"Despite the lack of power armor, a bolter or ecclesiastical blessing, he is clearly far more wiser than you. I recommend you leave your dogmatism at the door, for bigotry is a weakness the daemons of Slaanesh love to exploit. They feed on pride."

Adrianne would remark, before turning to the rest of the party. There was really no point trying to hide it any longer, was it? Tossing a quick glance at Zhevon, Adrianne would look towards the rest of the group before slamming the button of the elevator, causing it go move down along the building down towards the parking lot.

"Yes, what I did feel back in the apartment was the aura of a Greater Daemon here on this planet. I recognized it because it is a presence I have felt before, back on Mordran V... "

Adrianne explained to the group, pausing for a moment.

" ... where I detected a Bloodthirster the moment it manifested on the planet." Biting her lips behind her mask, she looked across the rest of the group.
"Yet I cannot say for sure if this Greater Daemon just recently manifested on this planet. It could have been here for a long time for all I know for sure, masking its presence. Yet its presence is unmistakably real as of now. Whatever camouflage it may have used, it just made a slip, or intentionally decided to reveal its psychic presence."

Giving the group a few moments to digest the news as they traveled down in the elevator, the hum and clanking of the gears the only source of noise in the small confinement of the elevator, Adrianne would eventually continue.

"Make no mistakes, my friends." She said as she looked out at the group, but left her gaze on Aviza.
"We are facing a considerable foe. Forget about whatever threat assessment previously given to this planet. If the chaos cults on this planet have themselves a Greater Daemon on their side, the only thing that could be worse would be an all-out chaos invasion!"

[Assistant]
A metal snapping sound came from Aviza's heavily modified bolter as she snapped yet another attachment onto the side of it, a target designator and range finder. Having managed to find this device, she quickly took it and contemplated where the best place would be to attach it. In the end she decided to attach it next to the bolters scope, for easy accesses. Ranger finders are a device that measures the distance from the observer to a target. A target designator is a laser light source which is used to designate a target. Laser designators provide targeting for laser-guided bombs, missiles, or precision artillery munitions.

The chances were small but they could eventually end up with such support and when they did, she could direct those munitions with pinpoint accuracy upon the hostiles. While looking down at her bolter and adjusting the new modification, Aviza managed to catch what Stukov was saying to her. Slowly she raised her head to look at Stukov then very lightly tilted it to the left, "Do not speak of the Emperor in such a blasphemous way Stukov, this is your second warning. Adrianne chooses to withhold important information that is essential to our survival and the success of our mission."

After waiting quite a while for the squad to finely leave the apartment, Aviza walked alongside the Inquisitor without speaking to anyone. Inside of her helmet, she had turned on her own music which flooded her senses with satisfying sounds. The squad walked down the hallway and stepped inside of the elevator, Aviza switched the safety upon her bolter on once more before letting it rest upon her back. The music kept on playing for a while in the silence until Adrianne finely spoke. It was as if the Psyker had been trying to choose the exact words she wanted to say with extreme caution. What she said was not about the Greater Daemon but about how Stukov was wiser than her and that her dogmatism should be left at the door.

"You speak to me as if I am an unintelligent, egotistical chauvinist who thinks that she is infallible beyond all others. I know I am not the most amenable Adeptus Sororitas in the universe but none of those statements about me are true, including being dogmatic or a being a bigot. I am not concerned of the way I am viewed from within the squad, only that I hope we can carry out our mission and bring an end to this Greater Daemon."

Once the elevator reached the bottom floor, Aviza left the elevator first and quickly walked up to the transport truck, jumping into the back of it and readying her weapon for whatever may come next down the road or at the brothel. Once safely in her seat, she pressed a button on the side of her helmet and spoke to Adrianne privately, "One must keep up there act if they wish to keep their image intact, I will let you think on that."  Leaning back against the seat behind her, she turned on her music once more and waited.

[User]
"Its origin was that of a Greater Daemon." Adrianne stated. She paused to give Zhevon time to think. "I do not know its exact origin, but if I am to guess, I would suspect it to be a Keeper of Secrets, a Greater Daemon affiliated with Slaanesh. Hiding on a garden world is typical of their kind. We are going to need some heavy weapons and support if we are to deal with a Greater Daemon." She continued as they reached the elevator. "But I'm sure you already knew that." She quickly added.

Zhevon rubbed the bottom half of his faceplate and let out an "Mmm" of agreement, "I'll have to make some calls before I come to a decision on what to do about our problem." He replied. His mind went to several of his friends who were sure to help, if they could reach the planet in time. His train of thought was broken by their resident Sister of Battle, Aviza. She approached them and confronted Adrianne about the big problem. Zhevon inhaled to reply, but Stukov was quicker. He added his own thoughts to the confrontation, thoughts that Zhevon found himself agreeing with. Adrianne was then next to speak. Zhevon rubbed the back of his neck as he found no comfortable place for him to enter the conversation.

Soon they reached the ground floor and Aviza was the first one out and the first one into the truck. Zhevon waited a second just to be sure that nobody else had something to say. "Well." He began, letting out a long exhale, "Cults have been known to summon Greater Daemons to expand their influence on the world, eventually launching an invasion, and conquering the world easily once all their pieces are in place. If they plan to do that, we'll have some time still. I'll be sending some messages before I decide on what to do about it. For now, we will progress as usual." He said, taking his leave of the elevator and walking towards the truck. Once everyone had gotten in, Bravo began to drive, switching on the sirens to ensure a quick trip.

[Assistant]
Ben watched as the psyker told the Inquistor something private. He didn't really concern himself with it. But the sister was upset, and raised her weapon. Ben put his hand to his rifle, but didn't move, not sure what was going on. Ben rubbed his chin with his real hand, feeling stubble through his gloves.

He was growing tired of the Sister. That's when the psyker told them about the bloodthirster. Ben's stomach seized up, but hearing about a deamon was easier than dealing with one. A problem for the future, and he repressed any fear.

When the elevator arrived, Ben stepped in with the group. He followed the group out and watched the sister isolate herself again. Ben followed her into the truck, and looked at her. He pointed. "You. I need to talk to you right in private. Now." He said. He didn't know about the music, but he wagged his finger at her when he had her attention to convey his intent.

When the two were alone. Ben spoke before she could say anything. "You need to check your pride at the door. You are the newcomer here, not us. I don't need your stories, or your opinions. I need your gun." Ben spoke with the authority that had sent soldiers to their deaths at the hands of Orks. He continued. "We are not you. Do you understand that?" Ben asked, but the question was rhetorical. "There are things that soldiers need to know, and do not need to know. And the presence of a demon is not one of them. My mission is to help the Inquisitor. He determines what we need to know and do not need to know. And you need not undermine his authority any more." Ben paused. He produced an Inquisitorial rosette from his pocket. "Last I checked, this is the badge of the highest ranking Imperial office, appointed to enact the very will of the Emperor himself. Do you have one of these? Sister of the order Bloody rose? No, I thought not. Do I make myself clear? This is a yes or no question." Ben finished with, his face calm and blank, his red monocle of an eye reflecting Aviza's own visage back at her.

If Aviza said anything to the Veteran other than Yes or no, he would ignore her and look at the large Red and black I in his hand, and back up at her. Once she was done, he would put the Rosette back in his pocket, and climb into the passenger seat of the truck, and smile to Bravo. "Ever heard of Armageddon? I feel more comfortable in the front of anything with wheels or treads."

Bravo and Ben made small talk about vehicles, half tracks, tanks, and artillery pieces and the things they did as they drove rapidly through the city.

The brothel could be seen for blocks. Or the aftermath of it. The fire illuminated the sky and the black column of smoke stretched off into the sky reaching for the heavens. The black smoke was underlit by the fire, but once the light faded it blended seamlessly into a sky with no stars. Once within a few blocks, Bravo turned off the sirens, and a dull roar could be heard.

The mob was loud, raucous, rambunctious. The arbiters were issuing demands. When Bravo pulled up and parked, Ben looked over at the mass of bodies. There was a wall of shields between the Arbiters and the mob. There was a woman on a truck yelling at the mob, rising from the masses. The view was impressive, backlit by a roaring fire, the mob was very intimidating.

The arrival of the truck would prove to be the straw that broke the camel's back. Ben brought his wrist up to his mouth, pressing the key in his glove, keying up his mic. "Alright, maybe a peacefu-" The mob fired, and the woman screamed. The mob charged the Arbiter wall. A few broke, but the majority stood. Potshots bounced off the truck, making loud 'pings'.

Ben sighed. "New plan. Pick targets, there are a lot out there. Try to only fire when fired upon. Looks like one of your friends is out there, sister. We need to get in that building." Ben opened the door of the truck and stepped out, raising his weapon to his shoulder and firing single flashes of red light at the mob, picking ones with firearms as his targets. Hopefully the Arbiters recognized the squad as friendlies.


[System]
Age: 18

Gender: Female

Race: Hundi

Class: Monk

Appearance: Haruka is rather short and has a very petit build. Good for martial arts, but not so good for not being mistaken for a boy. She has short dog ears that tend to stick straight up, and her skin is tan as she spends most of her time outdoors. Her hair is short and black while her tail is rather fluffy, and is of the type that turns up and curls slightly. Her eyes are dark brown. Being the scrappy little thing she is, she has a few cuts and scars here and there. She generally wears the yellow robes associated with her temple, along with a pendant shaped like the sun. This was given to her by her master, and is very precious to her.

Personality: Haruka can be rather hot-headed and act rashly, but she always means the best. Haruka isn't super bright except when it comes to combat, thus she tends to offer half-baked ideas on the spur of the moment. She's generally very kind and tries to always stay optimistic, even when things seem grim.

Brief Backstory: Haruka was dropped off at an Eastern temple when she was a baby in the dead of night, leaving the monks there to raise her. They did so happily, never having seen a Hundi before but taking the dog-girl as a sign of good fortune. Most of the monks were very calm and quiet folks, but Haruka was always very energetic and enthusiastic. Well, at least when it came to training her body. Book learning didn't go quite so well, but the monks there always adored her all the same. One monk in particular got along with her very well, and they trained together often. While the monk was old, his skill in the martial arts was unmatched even by the other monks. His training could be harsh at times, but Haruka completed each task until there was nothing left to learn. Then, one night soon after the final lesson, her master was slain by a lone swordsman. She decided then and there that she would leave the temple that had been her home for so long to find the person who killed her master and avenge him at the tender young age of 16 (A part of Hundi tradition, but completely unbeknownst to her). She finds herself currently quite far from home, in a strange new land very different from what she had known. As she was the only one of her kind known to her in the east, she was surprised to learn that there were many more besides her and even more surprised at their traditions. She was defeated multiple times by her master during training, but the fact that he was now dead made marriage somewhat impossible for her. Thus, she decided to marry the first other person who could beat her after learning of the Hundi's cultural rule. After all, the only person who had ever beaten her was her master. If anyone else could do it, they must be equally amazing. In addition, though she was separated from other Hundi and their culture throughout most of her life, Haruka is an honorable and honest girl none the less, making her transition from culture to culture a little easier. She's everything one might expect from an honorable Hundi.

Equipment: Rope, throwing stars, sun pendant, rations, a waterskin, herbs, poultices, tinctures, salves.

Abilities: Haruka's body, having been through rigorous secret eastern training, is overflowing with ki that modifies her base properties. Poisons and diseases are driven away more quickly than they can take root, and her mind cannot be tampered with. In addition, she is always stronger and faster than most humanoids of her build could be. Her body is as iron, her fists are as steel, and her speed is like that of a cheetah. She can also channel her ki into other living things to stun them or into inanimate objects to shatter them. After the death of her master, she has been taking her mental studies more seriously. While she is still not the sharpest knife in the drawer, she has become somewhat skilled in medicines and herbal healing, believing that if she knew more about those things she could have possibly saved her master. In addition, she's become somewhat fluent in western language although there are still many words she doesn't know. When surprised, flustered, or overexcited she tends to have a tougher time stringing the words together.

[User]
"That's easy, boss. You're not thinking like an explorer. Or a thief. Or anyone who doesn't use the front door. It's alright; you'll get used to it." Al said, rubbing the back of his neck.

"See, you gotta think in terms of... you know. This." he tried to explain by waving his arms around. "Look. The top bit crumbled down to where it ain't nothing. So if the front door's trapped from the inside, we'll send someone to the other end, disarm the traps, and kindly unlock the door for us."
He pointed up. "I can totally throw someone light up to that ledge there. Or, y'know, smash the door and hope the trap breaks."

[Assistant]
Vendrael took a moment to recollect his thoughts as the group neared their destination. The journey from his home past the Veil to the center of the land of humans had by no means been an easy one; the various scorch marks scattered across the land proved as much. Lightning could spark a flame, yes, but at the same time...

The young high elf quickly pushed those thoughts out of his head; every single time that he had set a fire, it had never done anything worse than burn down a tree or two. There were more than enough of those, so what did a few piles of ash along the road matter?

Nevertheless, his journey had been one with... Rather lackluster incidents. If a beast of some sort attacked him, he had left it paralyzed on the ground and left nature to take its course. If bandits had ambushed him, a sudden flash of bright light (even in the middle of the day!) was all it took to buy him enough time for a quick getaway.

And yet nobody anywhere seemed to have anything in regards to what he was looking for. No advances in technology, no leaps in magic... Nothing. Then again, it wasn't as if any of the rural villages he passed through would have any of those in the first place, but still...

The further he ventured into this foreign land, however, the livelier and more advanced it became; what was initially simple villages turned into bustling towns, and then...

Well, the first thing to do was to get some sort of drink, and one thing led to another, and now...
Here he was. Granted, it seemed like nobody was calling him out on being an elf, a fact which amused him; did he look 'normal' enough to pass for a human, or were his kind common enough to not make it worth mentioning?

...

Well, that matter could wait. For now, his... Erm... "Employer" was calling for action. They were supposed to delve to the bottom and kill some sort of unholy abomination or something, right? The rewards didn't interest him as much as the possibility of forgotten ancient tests did, but...

"If the building's as old as you're making it out to be, miss, then I assume someone's probably already blown a hole in it..."

In a deliberate attempt to move as far away from the musclehead offering to throw someone to the top of the tower, Veldrael began to walk around the perimeter of the tower, in hopes that his theory was right. Not many buildings could stand this long unscathed, after all.

[User]
Olivie, too, examined the crumbling ruin from a seated position and wondered if the insides matched the legends. It was the sort of thing that she'd grown up on, after all. Al's offer to... throw someone to a ledge and try and break in seemed a bit questionable; what if they fell through the roof? Or could be put that high with less danger involved.

More importantly however, the door was still shut. This held a bit more significance than was immediately apparent, due to the simple fact that they had some idea what was inside beyond the legendary 'trapped castle'.

"I think you miss the easier solution, Mr. Valkanos. The door is shut fast, yet we know of rats inside. This is not the first time that adventurers have ventured into these ruins. Nay, there must be a trap-less path towards the interior," the half-giant reasoned, eyes following the elf as he went in search of a breach.

Given the risk of someone being attacked on their own, Olivie rose from the grass and strode after him, slowing once the gap was closed.

[Assistant]
Segi wasn't particularly excited to work with the Reonese Paladin, or any of the others that had composed their party. However it was necessity that he traveled with them; he had no allusions to his own skills. He would certainly perish if he undertook the inspection of the castle himself. The Church of Mayon had their own interest in the ruins: To ascertain if Haldric succeeded in his search for immortality, and eliminate him in the unlikely case that he did. Of course, even if Haldric had perished it would be a valuable public service to clear the ruins of any undead abominations. So the task was placed upon Segi, who was known in the Church for his great knowledge and skill. Segi, of course, didn't breath a word of his intents to his party. To them he would not be an Inquisitor of the Mayonites; instead he was merely an adventurer in search of some loot, not dissimilar to most of them. Perhaps, in time, he may trust the Paladin with his identity if she proved reliable, but for now it would remain a secret. Inquisitors had a dour reputation among the populace, seen as gloomy agents of divine justice.

Or something like that.

For the time being Segi would help his companions enter the castle. The Paladin was correct, of course. He had done his research into the building- the front door certainly wasn't the way to go in this situation. He cleared his throat, "If I might input, I would agree with Miss Olivie. There are other ways into the keep, judging by its inhabitants. However I do wish to echo some words of warning: this castle was as much a prison for its inhabitants as it was a fortress. It is unlikely that there will be an easy way to shut off the traps within, certainly not anything as simple as an 'off' switch. It is also unlikely we'll find something quite so easy as a back-path in, if the books are to be belived our King Haldric wouldn't have a safe path in our out- after all, it is called the Prison-Castle for a reason. Rats can find many ways in we won't be able to access- especially you, Miss Olivie," He said, the ghost of a bemused smirk on his face, "We could hope for another path in our a convenient hole in the wall, however if we do not find one there is another way in," Segi pointed up towards the crumbling tower, "Mister Valkanos' suggestion is a viable path in. If it comes to that I would volunteer myself for the task- I already know much of the mechanisms within and could make a try of clearing the path."

Segi stroked his whiskers, once again allowing a smirk to creep onto his face, "Of course the hole in the wall is preferred, so let's hope for that." He said, joining the others in the survey of the tower, running his hands across the stones of the building, hoping perhaps for some convenient hidden mechanism.

[User]
Haruka's eyes were alight with an innocent fascination as she looked at the ruins before her. Her tail wagged back and forth in a sort of furious excitement as she imagined all the adventure that awaited just inside. Haruka could not help but think about how proud her master would be to see his favorite student travelling so far and seeing so much, just as he had so many years ago. The petite Hundi clutched her pendant for a few seconds before looking around at her new companions.

"I have not so much weight for the throwing," Haruka cried, practically bouncing up and down, "but also there is the hole-finding! Or we can also make the holes for to go inside! I am a much good breaker of things, and also a puncher! I am not so good a doer of puzzles, however, so please be telling me what is needing and I can do it, yes?"

Saying this, Haruka began jumping up and down in excitement, casually reaching heights impossible for those whose bodies had not unlocked their ki. She had been travelling a great deal, but this was her first time entering a real dungeon with a group. She was certain of treasure to be found in this decrepit place, and with it, coin to exchange for information about her master's murder. Soon, she knew, there would be justice for him.


[System]
"I'm surprised I've lived this long, lmao."

Ghoul Mask:
Nono wears a simple Noh mask.
Nicknames:
Nono, "Noh Mask"

Age:
Twenty

Gender:
Male

Rank:
A

Kagune:
Shaped like a scorpion's tail, its design is almost as bland and forgettable as Nonozumi without his mask. The only difference to an actual scorpion's tail is it's ability to stretch out several meters and retract back to a smaller size, as well as the fact that it has three "stingers" one located a knock under the one at the standard scorpion spot, an another one between those, but on the other side. Uniquely, Nono releases a stinging poison with his stingers, creating a dull sensation for a short period of time. Sort of that feeling you get when you go to the dentists, with the same half to full hour of effect as well as the numb sensation. You can still swing the affected area around, but you just can't feel whatever you're doing.

RC Type:
Bikaku

Personality:
Nono is quiet and joking all at once, the very sort of average person that would go unnoticed. He practiced this quite a bit, which makes killing out in the open that much more easy- something that Nono doesn't do, but has toyed with the idea of. He's the type of guy that would seem quite dull to talk to in real life but says stupid stuff (like "omg" or "lmao"- he says that in real life that's how stupid he is), and would be the type to eagerly make cute emoticons at the end of his text messages. o w o )b He doesn't text humans in school though, just ghouls and people from the internet.

Biography:
He goes to the university and studies literature, just for the sake of studying. He doesn't make a large group of friends and is easily forgettable, thus making his other life that much easier. He made the mistake of trying to hunt CCG Doves without knowing what they actually were and received a killer scar on his back, as well as a rep as the "Noh Mask".

"Hey daddy, why don't we play some games?"

Ghoul Mask:
Her mask is actually a complete opposite of what is pictured above, covering the top half of her face rather than the lower half. Pictured as so, it features a plain white mask cut with a shape around her mouth, decorated with a crudely drawn eye.
Name:
Totsuka Chou

Nicknames:
N/A

Age:
Seventeen

Gender:
Female

Rank:
N/A

Kagune:
Chou's Kagune spreads out and is patterned beautifully, almost so that it reminds many of butterflies. She, and hardcore butterfly fanatics, know full well however that its pattern is a moth's, and while she has a bit of a complex about it, she doesn't complain about how it protects her. Able to shield her by covering over her body or attack by releasing shards that come out in groups (usually of six to ten, but when Chou's just letting loose, it kinda doesn't matter). As versatile as it sounds though, it comes with a few openings in between attacks, not to mention in addition to her own childish inexperience. Despite being wings, she cannot fly with them, though manages to convince otherwise with her graceful leaps able speed.

RC Type:
Ukaku

Personality:
Chou behind the mask is very docile and flirtatious, quick to show a sliver of her pale skin or "accidentally" bump herself against unsuspecting victims. As she kills, however, there's a noticeable switch, the most important being her absolute silence and focus. She hunts her meals in the lower red district of the city, using charms she learned from watching other women to seduce men into her hideout. A meticulous eater, she makes sure to clean to the bone, meaning she doesn't feed often as she often has a meal waiting at home. One could say that Chou lives for the sake of living, eat for the sake of eating, sleep for the sake of sleeping. She tries not to leave her hideout during the day often, having lived this long without learning much about humans and unsure about how well she would fit in.

Biography:
The basics of Chou's upbringing is that she was born with two other sisters in a trio, each of them receiving the same traits from dainty features to large wings. They survived as their father- who wasn't necessarily their father, simply a man who found them in a box- hunted food, giving to them the bare minimum. It was from these small scraps that Chou learned how to savour things to the bone, enjoying her small piece as her sisters planned larger, fighting their father to receive more.

Stuff happened, and one of the triplets disappeared, the father not saying a thing about it and continuing to feed them their scraps. On the second month, Chou's sister was convinced what they were eating was not human, and was in fact their sister. Their stomachs were a mess that night, but Chou didn't vomit, savouring whatever kept her alive, even if it was her sister.

Two nights after the revelation, her sister woke her up to run away.

The two barely made it a few blocks down before meeting with another ghoul. They defeated him, but at a cost, Chou's sister having lost her entire left side. Though Chou wanted to help her live, her sister confessed she had always hated pain and asked of Chou the same funeral they had given their other sister. And so, that was how Chou ate the other triplets.

She made sure to do with her sister as her other meals and savour her, at the end finally reaching the cleanest she could make of her bones, and crying about how awful it was. She moved out of the nook in the alley she had made her home in, making her way from nook to nook to nook, moving always to prevent herself from vomiting her sisters out. She lasted a month before hunger overwhelmed her, and she ate a girl walking in the late streets.

It was from this that Chou started her pattern of slow eating and hiding, her late night frequenting introducing her to the power of prostitution, and considering she preferred the taste of men moreso than women anyways, she used that as her means of ware. Spending most of her time indoors, Chou started a habit of carving her bone collection into kitchen utensils, selling them to drunkards in the night to get them off her hands. While she still has a large collection, she eats meagerly enough for the CCG to take notice.

[User]
Targa Household
"Of course. We'll be notified if anyone shows up." Yuuma paused, noticing Luca eyeing something. "Hm? What's wrong--"

He heard the ghoul before he saw her, the tell-tale sign of crystal spikes cutting through the air alerting him. Taking a simple, sharp step to the side, he swung his briefcase in an arc above his head, catching most of the spikes with it, and narrowly dodging the rest.

He stared hard at the figure that landed before them, mentally noting any information he could get. The ghoul looked like a younger female, so most likely not Akurai. Yuuma didn't recognize her mask or kagune, which meant she was either unregistered or from another district.

Her kagune was shaped like butterfly wings... no. Moth wings. And most importantly, it was an ukaku.

He frowned. The fact that he had never seen her before meant she likely wasn't a troublemaker. Yuuma wasn't fond of killing those who didn't truly deserve it.

But she had engaged him and Luca. That was enough reason to fight. If she made any move against anyone else present...

That would be enough reason to kill.

The cops surrounding the house started reacting, finally noticing her. Some drew their useless weapons, some took cover, and others tried to get the neighbors on scene away.

"Jumping in here was idiotic, girl. You're outnumbered, and I've always had an easy time with ukaku ghouls. Especially now that I have this..." He held up his quinque, clicking it open, causing it to unfurl and reveal it's form. He let the hammer side drop to the ground with a heavy thump, the pavement below it cracking and giving way. "If you stay, you will die."

And that was when Akurai showed up. Yuuma's eyes widened for just a moment, but his face quickly hardened again.

The boy started speaking, desperately trying to garner sympathy. Throughout the little speech, Yuuma's expression never changed. From the first gunshots, to the story being told, to the boy revealing his kagune.

He glanced towards Luca. "Watch my back," he said, before easily lifting up his quinque. It was only the second time he had wielded it. It still felt foreign in his hands.

With long, purposeful strides, he stepped towards Akurai. The boy had a strong kagune, but no fighting experience. He had no chance. There were too many people here, bearing witness. Yuuma was a ghoul investigator, and in front of him were two ghouls -- his job was to eliminate them, or face consequences. He had to keep up appearances.

As Yuuma reached Akurai, he said one word, with little emotion, and quietly enough that only the two ghouls could hear him.

"Run."

A moment later, he spun around on his feet, winding up and taking a heavy side-ways swing at Akurai, preparing himself for any counter-attack from either of them. He aimed not to do damage, but instead launch the boy several dozen feet away -- which would undoubtedly still hurt, but wouldn't kill.

[Assistant]
Giichi Hadwin
Targa Household

On route to the old victim's basement, Giichi just came around the street corner with his food trailing beside him when he saw the fight go down at the Targa household. {Whale oil bee.} He thought to himself. {Just when I was about to enjoy my food, the neighbors just had to cause a commotion...} "Hey, I do-" Before Giichi could finish his sentence, the ghoul that was following him disappeared without a trace. Without much else to do, Giichi desided to watch the event close up. He didn't really know what was going on at the moment, but hopefully he might be able to pick up a small snack when it was said and done. That moth girl sure did look scrumdiddlyumptious~

Giichi quietly walked to the surrounding corner and leaned against the side of the building. The cops there didn't seem to mind too much as they were busy protecting the people and shooting at the other ghouls. {Heh, foolish fools} There was one cop, however, that did try to get him to move back to safety, to which Giichi just shrugged and waved him away with his hand. Giichi's mouth started drooling at the thought of the feast about to come from this battle. So much so, that he had to cover his mouth with his hand to try to get a hold of himself and eventually began chewing on his own thumb.

[User]
Targa Household
As the kagune appeared from behind the ghoul, Luca quickly activated his quinque. The weapon flung into his hand from the briefcase as the ghoul shot her projectiles. He dashed to the side, making his way away from the trajectory of the attack. He shot a glance over at his partner who was almost trying to warn their attacker. After hearing Yuuma tell him to watch his back, Luca locked his gaze on the ghouls. Before he could object, Luca saw Yuuma charge in. "Hey! Don't rush in on your own!" Clicking his tongue, the young investigator followed after he saw Yuuma swing his quinque, making his way towards the ukaku to make sure she wouldn't go after Yuuma along with the other ghoul, wary of any attack that may come his way like the one he'd witnessed but a few minutes earlier.

[Assistant]
Totsuka Chou
The moth clicked her tongue as her shots missed, several striking other humans' arms, but not detrimental enough it seemed to stop them from clearing the scene. Just as her wings arched back to ready a second wave, her head twitched to the side- Akurai? It was at this point that she stopped listening, her senses overwhelmed with keeping up with making sure Akurai was unharmed, and the two briefcase-toting strangers didn't take a step closer.

Her attention flickered back into focus when one of the two investigators made a move, her body already ready to turn sharply towards Akurai. Her eyes glanced over as the second human rushed behind the first, clicking her tongue again before releasing a loud and distracting shriek, followed with a quick array of seven shards poorly aimed. Chou pushed off the ground towards Akurai, her arms wrapping over him and pulling him away from the oncoming swing, Chou's wings lifting to cover her as the force of the weapon forced her back, reopening mid-flight to let loose another barrage of shards, her attention too busy on landing to aim properly.

Upon feet hitting ground, however, Chou smacked Akurai on the head as though scolding him for not listening to her, chiding him with a stern- "Please. Run. I'll be right behind you." And, after letting go of him, stepped in front of him, her wings unfurling to their fullest. There was a small pause, Chou sucking in air as her body leaned forward slightly, her wings retracting slightly, shards starting to form.

With a release of her breath, the butterfly leapt to the air, releasing three bursts carefully aimed, her landing reaching her closer slightly towards the investigators, the touch of her feet against the ground releasing another sharp burst of shards.


[System]
gender: male
godly parents: Aisoyimstan, Mahina
sphere of control: Cold, Darkness, Moon
personality: Landon's powers are very powerful, but unfortunately unreliable for himself. Having such an expanse of powers that couldn't be used for himself have put him in a confusing position. He would use his powers to help himself and others as he sees fit, but due to his mother they tend to only want to respond to others needs of them. Feeling like he was destined to be used and controlled has given him a bitterness against everyone, but as fighting them is completely useless he tends to just go along with the flow. He is very smart and wise, but often dark in his thoughts as he cares for no one. He can still be jovial and witty once he opens up, but that's just him suppressing his bitterness.
sacred animal: Walrus
powers: Landon has very strong control and manipulation of both cold/ice and shadows/darkness. Unfortunately the full strength of these powers can only be brought out at other's request. Few know this and Landon doesn't like to tell anyone feeling he'll just be a tool for their use afterwards.
weapon(s): Landon often uses his prosthetic as a shield and weapon and his arm as the manipulator of magic. He now wields Freya's Runic sword with his arm, as it greatly amplifies his magic powers.
History:
Landon is currently twenty-seven, and grew up with a foster family in Washington. He found out about his powers at a young age and tried training them on his own. Not having anything to compare his powers with, he was content with the growth in his powers. That is until he met a demi-god that threatened his siblings on the way home from school. He realized he was still very weak as he couldn't do anything to save his brother, but he found a surge in power as his sister cried for help from him. He tore the man apart and saved his sister with his new found power. Afterwards he tried to find that same power and became frustrated as he found he couldn't. One day he met his wandering father by chance and learned of what his mother did to him. Having lost her love, she "cursed" him with the need to help others, stunting his powers until someone unlocks them.

His time with the Merged was a massive growth experience in godhood. He learned a lot about his powers and their capabilities. He also learned a lot about the other gods and how they thought and acted. His character began to change as well. He lost his connection to the humans and the current world they were in. Normally he would have felt sad at their extinction, but now he was beyond all that. He decided to partake in making of a new race with the other gods. He moved to the north and created his people to comfortably survive the harsh regions. The role of a god was becoming him. He could tell that it was happening to himself as well. He tried to keep himself humble, by interacting with his people often. They were good at problem solving and thinking, and Landon was finding it easier and easier to solve all his problems with powers. He enjoyed thinking with them, helping them solve their troubles with new discoveries and teaching them some of the basics of tools and weaponry that he knew previously. He found he had stopped aging apparently as well. After several years and no changes in his appearance he found that this was what he would look like. A few years later he even found he could slightly change the look of his age. He could take the appearance of a fresh twenty year old, all the way to that of a eighty year old man. He most often kept his looks in his state where he met the merged and how most knew of him. His physical appearance would never be the same as when he first met them though. He lost his right arm in the battle against Zeltrax. He was able to keep a prosthetic very easily, but sometimes he embraced only having one arm as who he was.
other:

Appearance: The Tari are very humanoid. They have purplish grey skin, that could range from a solid grey to more rarely a vibrant purple, and primarily white fur. They have horns that begin just above their foreheads and run close to the skull and curve down behind their ears. They have long pointed ears, that protrude from their thick fur. They have hair that begins at the elbows and knees and gets longer as it approches their hands and feet. They have claws on their hands and feet as well. The males hair tends to stay shorter, but grows aound the jawline and mouth as well. Females have no facial hair, but their hair grows longer and fuller. Females also have fur covering their breasts and groins, whereas males just have fur covering their groins. The Tari don't wear clothes, but may wear jewelry/adornments.
I couldn't find any pictures that matched what I had in mind, but these might help a bit with visualization.

Name of Civilization: Tari
Leadership Style: Tribal/Republic, Male dominant.
Powers of race: Immune to cold. A little stronger than humans. Much stronger lungs and respiratory system. They have the ability to use echolocation. Just as intelligent as humans, but obviously young in their technology. Their advancements will be appropriate and up to date with the age, sometimes leading the technology race. They can handle most heat, but start to overheat near 40
o
C. Humidity helps prevent this and dry heat worsens the condition.
Unique traits: Their fur will begin to darken after a few months in the warmth, and after a few years a Tari would have a pelt of black fur with a blue sheen. Their skin doesn't change color.
God or Goddess: Primarily Landon/ all gods as their sphere of control shows necesity.
Other:
They are quick to accept other races ways and technology. They have even been seen taking lessons from captured Nej in the arts of war. They try to get the most out of everything and capitalize on all their resources. Hard work is greatly rewarded in the society and the lazy are commonly looked down on.

[User]
@Banana

Claire was busy trying to fix her voice to sound different. Being a goddess that frequently visited the planet to check on her Duskicians, that race in particular could easily recognize her. Interesting fact, they could also recognize her particular voice. Since there plenty of travelers among the Duskician race, she would most likely run into them. So, she had to change her voice in order to keep her cover.

She had a bit of trouble, thinking that it was too young or too deep or something, but eventually she managed to get something passable. It was a bit of seductive-sounding voice that still showed off youth, but also managed to hold the tone of a mature woman. Sort of like an older sister. Though she did like her own actual tomboyish voice, she had to keep her cover, so some things she'd just have to bear with.

Finally returning her attention to the others, she heard bits about going to other countries, and particularly something about Arizona.

"huh? The U.S.?"

Claire thought about it. On one hand, it would have given CIA the chance to look at the what was left of the race she had wiped out. Maybe it would bring more guilt and force her to truly think about what the consequences were, rather than sleep on it and try to hide. Unfortunately, Claire didn't feel ready to see the survivors. If by chance there were some of her old friends in that community...she didn't really want to know what she herself would do.

...Of course, to her knowledge, Italy was empty, so it didn't seem like there was much other choice.

"I guess that could work. Yeah, I've never been to Arizona. It sounds cool. Let's go there."

Somewhere in the back of her mind, a small part of Claire was looking forward to throwing CIA into some sort of guilt.

...

Somewhere nearby, a figure was sitting on a rock. In front of it was a sort of haze. Through it, the figure watched as three women idled about. It assumed that they were traveler's, and given the fact that most of their clothes lacked signs wear and tear, they must be experienced. Experienced people always had something of value with them.

The figure dispelled the looking-haze, and began walking. It seemed to have found something fun to do.

[Assistant]
@banana

Cia got extremely nervous when Arizona was suggested. That was the last place that Cia wanted to go. Sure no humans knew that it was her fault for wiping our almost all of them, but she would have to face this one day. "I-I guess we should go... I'll open a portal." Cia said nervously. She opened a portal that connected to the portal already set up near Arizona.

The Town was full of people whom seemed to be doing well for themselves despite many of them having to bury loved ones after the recent attack. Cia only looked through the portal for now though, she hadn't walked through it yet as she was extremely nervous. If the humans did find out that she was the reason they were nearly extinct they would tear her apart.

Cythlla only smiled as he tried to brush off the illusion. The only reason he could for now though, was because it hadn't take full effect yet. "You do realize that this the leech field your standing in though right? Inklings love to eat em, but they do have neutralize the creatures or else they could end up with some excruciating pain as the leeches dig their sharp teeth into their victims. Nasty things you know." Cythlla mentioned as she pointed at the leeches that had already jumped onto Tlraven.

The gas was finally starting to take hold. It was real enough to make him feel the pain even, something that was the reason for the gas taking so long. "So no, you can't kill any more of my inklings. The humans may not be here but there are plenty of other creatures around, why not go after those slime creatures instead? I hear their far more fun to kill." Cythlla suggested as she started to walk away. It would be around an hour until the illusion wore off, even if he did realize that it was an illusion he would still feel the pain for atleast an hour.

[User]
of flames01
Axis stands and dusts himself off. His clothes now dry he runs down after them. Mentally he is flipping them off. He stops next to them and looks apologetic. "Hey i swear I'm not a perv....or anything...that was a complete accident. I enjoy that particular hot spring as well and i wasn't paying attention until it was too late" He rubs the back of his neck awkwardly. "If theres anything I could do to make it up to you....or anything i could do to help you with anything....please let me know" He looks innocent as he talks awkwardly. Hopefully, they would say yes. That would get him one shoe into his plan. If not...he was going to have to change his appearance again. That would be annoying.

[Assistant]
Rhona turned back and faced the newcomer. "Unless you can turn back time... I'm afraid their is nothing you can do. Besides... It doesn't matter. You've already been forgiven." She replied mournfully, her eyes tainted with sadness and guilt.

Leon placed her hand on her shoulder with a sympathetic look. "We'll get him back. I promise." his thoughts echoed to Rhona.

Rhona looked back at Leon. "I hope so... This is all my fault..." Her thoughts echoed back to Leon. No words were said aloud. They were not needed, because they already knew what the other was thinking. Tis the amazing, telepathic bond between twins.

[User]
@OtomostheCrazy

Xoxi sees Cia's unease as she stares through the newly made portal.

"Are you sure you want to go to Arizona now? We don't have to immediately go... we could probably go to see what remained of San Fransisco first before going to where all the humans are being buried."

Xoxi really didn't want Cia to feel nervous if they went somewhere. Let alone the place where they'd be in other's territory, and causing any crime while getting caught would lead to near war... or worse... punishment at the hand of Flemmings. Nonetheless, Xoxi sneakily put on pants and went up to Cia, and by sheer dumbassery, probably would regret doing this thing.

Xoxi hugged Cia very tightly, attempting to keep her from being uneasy about going to Arizona.

"Listen. If you want to go through with this, you can, and I'l' go with you. I said I would take you sightseeing and I'm gonna keep that damned promise. Plus having the world's best thief at your side isn't really a terrible thing to have."

A loud roar sounded, as Tlevran tackled Cythlla to the ground, and pinned her.

"You're gonna have a bad time here."

Tlevran stared hard and piercingly into Cythlla's eyes, and raised her heartbeat forcefully.

"You remind me a lot of my mother. You were both ignorant to my powers, and like my mother, you will see the blade of my cleaver for it. You are spared but this once, child, but be warned the next time we meet, my blade will thirst for the flesh of your tentacles... and for good measure that you remember who I am..."

Tlevran sliced Cythlla's right hand off, but since he was chopping while pinning Cythlla down, he cuts a small bit of his own finger off. The hand was left it where it was. He stood up and spat on Cythlla.

"I'll see you around, o' bastard child of Cthulhu."

Using the souls of the ones he killed, he teleported out to the middle of New Mexico, and sat down, trying to get over the gas before it's full effect would take place while also grieving over his new stumpy finger.

[Assistant]
Landon chuckled a bit at Reese's question. It was a very deep question and it appeared that he was certainly in a vulnerable state. Landon gave a moment of thought trying to recall his own thoughts on the matter. When he was finally collected his thoughts, he gave Reese this answer. "There are a thousand philosophical answers I can give to that question, and every one can be debated to be true or false. I'm not one to normally act on instinct or emotion, but when there is no solid answer, just do what you want. What's wrong to one person isn't wrong to the next. I mean we're gods. We write the rules of right and wrong. Since the fall of humans, races have been created with the sole purpose of destruction. I'm sure they aren't wrong when they senselessly slaughter other mortals. With so many gods to disagree, the only thing that really decides what's right and wrong is power, and I know you are certainly powerful enough to decide your own right and wrong. So go love your woman, or all the women. Love whoever you want, however you want, and love all of them."

Landon's lust began to come through towards the end of his speech. As he spoke he even began to influence himself. He held onto the idea of sex meaning something intimate until now, but as he spoke all his thoughts turned toward merely satisfying a desire. Maybe Zeus isn't as mindless as I used to think he was. It's not like relationships matter to gods anyways. Power is all that matters. His thoughts were beginning to turn on him. He looked back to Reese to see what he thought about his rant on love.


[System]
Rank: Swords of Sanghelios Commando

Species: Sangheili

Appearance:
Tar (right) practices CQC tactics with an energy lance

Skills:
Experience of piloting Banshees (Type-27 & Type-54) and Type-57 Phantoms
Covert infiltration
Sabotage
Close quarters combat
Military administration & combat training
Application of non-standard weaponry

Preferred Weapons/Equipment:
Type-1 Energy Sword for hand to hand combat
Type-52 Mauler for closing with targets
Type-57 Carbine for medium/long range engagements
Commando Harness (halopedia.org/Commando_harness) with propulsion unit
Type-2 Spike Grenades and Type-3 Firebombs, if available

Background:
Tar 'Mdalak was born on Brissekh, a pristine frontier world, in the 2520s. Her father was Tarkr 'Mdalakai, old swordsman and kaidon of the planet's largest settlement.

Her homeworld was heavily tapped by the Covenant for fighters, with nearly all Tar's numerous siblings conscripted into the military.

Tar was desperate to earn glory along with her brothers, but the Sangheili ranks wouldn't have her. The place of females was to guard their home keep, and a lot of the Covenant traditionalists preferred it that way. So instead she served as the captain of the guard for her father's keep.

Frustrated with the relatively small scope of her responsibilities, Tar put all her effort into modernising her troops. She expanded their training far beyond basic guard duties, incorporating asymmetric warfare tactics and mechanised detachments.

She also supplemented the traditional energy lances favoured by traditional guard units with the latest Covenant weaponry, like Carbines and Beam Rifles.

There were lots of opponents to her reformist vision, especially seeing as she was a female wielding significant influence over the old kaidon. This often resulted in skirmishes between would-be dissidents and Tar's well equipped militia. It was in danger of boiling over into all out civil war until the Brutes attacked.

The Sangheili-Jiralhanae war hit Brissekh completely by surprise. None of the Keeps received warning of the raid until Brute RCS class cruiser was in low orbit. Before any of the Keeps could react, they'd destroyed the space port and bastion compounds before deploying two companies of heavy infantry to kill as many citizens as they could find.

With the distress signal sent, Tar deployed her troops to the large city outside the Keep. With everyone behind the fortifications, maybe they could hold out until friendly ships arrived.

However, her father wasn't content to cower behind walls while Sangheili across Brissekh were slaughtered. Despite Tar's protest, he struck out for the landing zone with his retinue, seeking a duel with the War Chieftain. They found each other, but survivors say Tarkr 'Mdalakai was separated from his bodyguards during the fight and captured by the enemy.

When Tar found out her father had been imprisoned, a much worse fate than death for Sangheili, she went mad with rage. Abandoning her position near the gates of the Keep, she plowed into the marauding Brute hordes. Her vigorous training and agility let her use the Brute numbers against them, with the weight of bodies allowing her to get in close and butcher them.

When her Energy Sword expired from overuse, she took Maulers and Spike Grenades from eviscerated Brutes and pushed forward. Whipped into a frenzy by their commander's raw fury, her troops set upon the Brutes with a cruel precision. The narrow streets of Brissekh's main city ran with Jiralhanae blood.

Such was the ferocity of the Sangheili counter attack that the landing party never even reached the gates. And when a nearby Swords of Sanghelios battle cruiser arrived to help, the Brutes fled the system, taking Kaidon 'Mdalakai with them.

Upon meeting the rescue ship's commanders, Tar immediately invoked the right of release, an intention to rescue her father from a shameful life of capture. In the spirit of Thel 'Vadam's liberalisation of the Swords military, the cruiser's captain granted her passage and enlistment aboard.

The cruiser gave chase to the Brute ship, but it got away. They searched for the aggressors, but the trail went cold. Tar vowed never to give up, but accepted that she needed to contribute.

She quickly fell in with a squad of Brute hunters that were formerly part of the Silent Shadow division of Covenant crack troops. They were operating from the battle cruiser and had learned of Tar's plight. When they realised her ability in combat, they offered her a place on missions slaughtering any Jiralhanae they could find. Tar gained a reputation for exceptional cruelty when it came to Brutes, often appearing to exact personal revenge on each combatant.

It took three long years of searching before Tar got a solid lead. Some of the Brutes they'd interrogated had heard a rumor Sangheili kaidons were being held on Brute ships near a Forerunner construct known as Sarcophagus. Her squad tried to convince her the intel was shaky at best, but Tar didn't care.

She parted ways with Silent Shadow and set out on her own. Finding passage aboard a military vessel, she gained access to the Sangheili-Human facilities on Sarcophagus by joining the colony's defensive contingent.

However, despite searching for months, Tar could find no trace of the Brute cruiser. To make matters worse, she couldn't stray far from her unit for fear of being tried as a deserter. Many of the assignments on Sarcophagus were for life, but Tar certainly wasn't planning on staying that long if she could help it.

[User]
Spartan Lucas Ryker

The sudden barrage of SAW fire was more than a bit annoying for the SPARTAN IV as he was forced into cover once more, though at least this was more the kind of suppressive fire that kept him from getting a clear shot. Since he was on the high ground, the shots had less chance of hitting his shielding, but he couldn't get a clear line of fire. So, swapping the SMG for his DMR, he braced and waited. Eventually, he could hear the sound of the Mgalekgolo's cannon charging and he knew he'd have his chance soon.

However, as he went to relay an idea he had to Grikgar, the cannon fired and the Unggoy opened fire with his pistol. "Well, I can work with that too." Popping up with his DMR already tucked snuggly into his shoulder, Lucas opens fire, first putting a bullet through the head of the SAW gunner before shifting to pick off another designated rifleman thinking he was sneaky from the doorway. {Heads up, Squad Leader, they're taking cover in the hallway beyond...well, it looks like another hallway at least. I know they're using the door way.} A couple of AR rounds ping off the SPARTAN-IV's shielding and he ducks briefly before popping back up and returning fire, missing the intended head shot and instead putting the bullet through the insurgent's shoulder.

[Assistant]
Yalu 'Suumko

Good, clear from above, Yalu thought towards the dead brute that tumbled off the walkway above him. That was one way to signal that the high ground was taken.

Yalu reloaded his carbine. He was at his second-to-last magazine now. Unfortunately, just as his shields found a moment to hum back to full strength, the telltale stomps of the brute chieftain heralded the charge against Rex.

The spartan was struck deep into the chest. Yalu was in no position to do anything about it. He fell into hesitation, even as the invincibility module faded away. If it weren't for the ONI agents keeping the enemies suppressed, their flank might have been completely done in.

But he shook it off. He filled his lungs and charged. "Rrrraaaaaaah!" Yalu's warcry steeled his nerves as much as it was meant to catch the chieftain's attention. Any one ally would be in danger brawling against a brute with a hammer, but two against one tipped the scales. He fired scattered carbine rounds against the chieftain's shield on the way in. He feigned suicidal rage. However, he kept his footwork ready to void aside or back from a hammer swing in retribution. He did not intend to fight like a mad animal.

[User]
Vael 'Virisusai and Tasuma

---

The detonation of Tasuma's fuel rod blast was the signal for Vael as well. While Ryker and Grikgar fired from above on the right flank, Vael moved in on the left flank. He initially moved in under the cover of active camouflage. The imperfect invisibility could be spotted at such close range, but in this case, he only needed it to give him a few moments to approach while his enemy was otherwise occupied.

For Vael, he was able to rush in to close the gap on the left pillar while the rebels were hiding from Tasuma's fuel rod. By the time one of them peered out and spotted the shimmering in the air, he was already upon them. His blade ignited mid-swing, and the body of the Human he was looming over put up no resistance as it cleaved through. The second rebel behind the pillar did manage to land a few SMG rounds on Vael in the second or two he had to react, but it was far from enough to break the Sangheili's shields before his body too was pierced by the energy sword.

Ryker was correct that the remainder of the rebels were trying to move into the hall. They no longer had much of a defensive position, and those that were left were willing to retreat. The volume of plasma bolts from Grik, couples with accurate DMR fire from Ryker, put on them a great deal of pressure. Three made a run for the door while firing blindly back at the pair, and two went down before they could make it into the hall. For the few that remained pinned behind the right pillar, another fuel rod from Tasuma landed directly beside them.

When there were no more left to retreat, the rebels closed and locked down the door to the hallway. It would only delay their team for a short time if they decided to pursue, but it would let the rebels put some distance between them. However, Vael had other priorities than ordering a chase. As soon as the room was cleared, he ran back to the center to the nearest crate. Their objective had been to find the armory, so using his strength to simply pry open the lock, Vael pulled open one of the crates to see its contents. Unfortunately, it was not weapons within, but rather sealed, packaged foodstuffs. He let out an irritated growl and flared his mandibles. "This is not the armory. Fall back, and we will rejoin the others."

[Assistant]
Spartan Lucas Ryker

{Copy, coming down.} Turning to the Unggoy, he nodded before heading for the ramp back down. "Sounds like we didn't get the fun objective. Squad lead says back to the split." Obviously the walk back down the ramp was going to prove far less dangerous and the trip back out of the room, but that didn't bother the SPARTAN-IV. It gave them time to strategize and re-establish contact with Aviza's team, though he wasn't sure that they'd answer if they were in the midst of a fire fight. Reaching the bottom of the ramp, Ryker took up a position looking down the hall from the door way. "That sure was an awful lot of fight for some food stuffs. Are we sure they're nothing special?" It wasn't an uncommon thing for things like food stuffs to be used as IEDs, especially with the peacetime they were in and the shortages some sectors were facing.

Then again, if they'd been rigged, suppose the Innies would have detonated the stash then and there and there'd have been no firefight like there was. Still, perhaps having a bomb removal team come through and check wouldn't hurt in the post-operation. "Ready to move when you are squad lead."

[User]
The first thought that ran through Aviza's mind as soon as she witnessed Spartan Rex receive the devastating blow from the Brute Chieftains Gravity hammer was immediate medical attention for what was most likely a life threatening injury. She knew this could not be done in their current situation, given the circumstances and the obvious threat that was still prevalent. With very few options available at the moment, Aviza sprinted forward towards her fallen Spartan, only coming to a stop when she arrived by his side. "Shih, I need a full scan of Spartan Rex, or as detailed as you can give. Once that is done, I want you to send a message to the Chorus of Thunder and inform them that we have injured and will need a fully detailed medical team on standby once our mission here is finished."

For the moment, Aviza's Argus armor was informing her that she still had a few more seconds before she had to actually face the Brute Chieftain in combat, but a few seconds was all she needed to at least attempt to stabilize Spartan Rex. Quickly reaching onto the advanced medical kit she kept on herself at all times, Aviza produced a biofoam dispenser and was about to place it back inside of the medical case when she witnessed the Chieftain slam his hammer down at the feet of Tar, thankfully no energy wave was dispensed. With some quick thinking, she tossed the biofoam canister at the Brute Chieftains head and then rapid fired the underslung shotgun upon her MA5D Assault Rifle untill the eight round clip ran dry and had to be replaced.

If this did not severely injure the Brute Cheiftan, they would be in serious trouble. Thankfully though, Aviza found an opportunity to assist Tar, and grabbed onto the back of her armor, pulling her back and away from the Brute and helping her onto her feet before once more turning to face the Brute Chieftain.

[Assistant]
The Brute Chieftain recoiled under the barrage of shotgun shells, but possessed the presence of mind to raise the bulky armour plate attached to his left arm. It absorbed some of the impact, shattering to pieces.

The Chieftain issued a guttural, gurgling roar. He raised his hammer off the floor, jabbing it straight out in front of him at Aviza before lurching round and swinging it in a wide, brutal arc at Yalu as he rushed in from behind. The Elite's battlecry had obviously alerted the Chieftain to the danger.

Tar sprung to her feet with Aviza's interrupted help. She dodged the Chieftain's savage jab, aided by the fact she wasn't the principal target. As soon as the Brute turned his back to pound Yalu, Tar jumped forward and clambered up his back. She reached for her holstered energy sword, intent on ramming it through a chink in the Brute's neck armour.

Before she could, the Chieftain's head jerked backwards in a panicked motion; his helmet smashed into her face. One of Tar's feet slipped, and she was forced to quickly put both hands back on the Brute's armour to avoid falling off and being trampled. She tried to grab her sword again.


[System]
Age: 22
Gender: Female
Personality:
Artemesia's character combines a number of traits that would typically be seen as diametrically opposed. She's usually quiet and can be reclusive, lazy, and withdrawn, but never surly or defensive, and in moments where her passions shine through she can become a completely different person, enthusiastic and talkative to a fault. Though empathetic and considerate, Artemisia tends to also be spiteful, vengeful, and short-tempered if wronged. Her passions include knowledge -trivia in particular-, stories, and drama, and it's no surprise that those plus her good memory and quick wit incline her towards large words, formal speech, occasional babbling, theatrical behavior, and interesting people. Eloquence plus her notable wits allows for some persuasiveness when she wants, but she's surprisingly naive about normal things. She's a believer in karmic justice, including paying violence against violence, but more than that she's a believer in Gwynism, the rare but ardent faith in the ancient King of Night's Blaze that idolizes him as a deity. As such, she is rather Machiavellian. In short, while she might seem like a passive, silent shut-in, she often exhibits intense bouts of enthusiasm or violence, as the situation calls.
Backstory:
The strongest fires leaves lasting embers.

In a remote valley between the misty mountains of the Lothian Empire's northern border lies Charna Bog, a perennially overcast mire of mud, water, plantlife, and cruelty. Few venture to such a inhospitable, nigh-malicious land, but deep within that dark, damp shroud a certain bowl of embers has blazed for centuries. Known to myth and rumor as the Charnail Coven, the society buried deep within the swamp claims to be descended from Gwyn, the infamous tyrant known to history as the King of Night's Blaze. Though insular and isolated, its appointed Wayfarers often travel abroad, gathering information, developments, magical knowledge and artifacts from the outside world before returning. Nevertheless, the Coven is a community steeped in decadence, its cult feverishly devout to their legendary ancestor, revered as a god of cleansing flame. It was into the Charnail Coven's domain, elevated above the swamp on trees and stilts and sustained by mad fervor, that Artemisia was born.

From her early years, in the manner of all children whose gifts in magic were identified by the village elders, she was trained in sorcery. Like the others, her parents raised her as a wholehearted follower of Gwyn, adored savior of flame. Yet, she received something the others didn't thanks to her father, and outsider who 'converted' to Gwynism following his own salvation at the hands of the woman who'd go on to become Artemisia's mother, who had plied her talent for White Magic to save his life. A wyvern rider of a nearby kingdom, Solomon could visit the village and his daughter regularly, bringing goods to trade to endear himself to the locals while keeping up the guise of being a devoted Gwynist. He helped reel her back from sinking too deep into the cult, and once in a while managed to sneak her out of the swamp to visit civilization. Her love for knowledge and drama bloomed during this time, and she longed to learn more of the outside world. As a result, she grew more worldly than her peers, so it came naturally that when she came of age Artemisia would be given the duty as one of the Coven's Wayfarers. Big things were brewing—for some time now, the prophecies of the elders foretold the existence of eight extraordinary individuals in the world, descendants of the Eight Heroes, who are necessary catalysts for the ceremony that would supposedly revive Gwyn from his age-long slumber.

Artemisia joined the seven other Wayfarers on their hunt for the children of prophecy, taking the chance to leave the Charna Bog behind. Even as she's begun truly exploring the outside world, however, she struggles with the duty she's been given and her misgivings about both the Coven and Gwynism itself. Yet, the mark of the swamp has never left her, burned into her mind to deep to be ignored. Her primary goal in her travels is to identify her mark and bring him or her back to the swamp (she only knows that her target has pink eyes and some kind of illness), but she doesn't mind dawdling a little to experience what the world has to offer on the way. After all, Gwyn's slept so long already; surely he can wait just a little longer.
Class: Occultist
Affinity: Umbral
Inventory:
Vulnerary, Book of Secrets (a journal containing interesting stuff she reads or witnesses and writes about to not forget)
Abilities:
Personal: Eye for an Eye – if struck, Artemisia's next attack increases in potency.
*
*
*
*
*

Spells/Weapon Arts:
Flux, Miasma
Stats
END: E
STR: E
MAG: C
DEX: E
SPD: D
DEF: E
RES: D
LCK: C

Talents: Dark Magic
Experience: 50
Support:
None

[User]
---

Branna Naves

---

Town Edge || Lothian Empire: Garleton || Evening

|
|  |
| Branna pulled her spear back just as Mors tugged on the archer, his jaws crunching down on his new toy. The spear came out with a wet 'shik' as the archer screamed, but the sound was swiftly silenced as Mors adjusted his bite.

Movement at the corner, though, snapped over attention from both rider and wyvern, and Branna watched with a smile as the swordsman maneuvered around the axe-wielder's swing. Glancing down the street showed what quick work the imperial guards had made of the rough rabble, and Branna's smile stretched into a grin when she made out the lordling's sword embedded in one of the bandits.

"What fun," she croaked, her giggles scratchy over Mors' crunches.

When the children emerged from the rubble, their injured father in tow, Branna narrowed her eyes. Though the swordsman looked more than capable of besting the axe-wielder, it seemed he'd reached a stalemate in his attempt to play hero. Whether he'd be able to turn the situation around now, though, didn't matter; the only thing Branna hated more than waiting was watching.

A pat sent Mors in the right direction, Branna timing her stab with the momentum of his swoop. Her grin fixed itself on her face as her spearhead aligned with the axe-wielder's ribcage. |
_________________________
Status: Delighted
Class: Wyvern Flier
Exp: 0
Inventory:
* Iron Spear
* Vulnerary

END: D
STR: C
MAG: E
DEX: D
SPD: C
DEF: E
RES: E
LCK: D |

[Assistant]
|Sumire
An Inn, Garleton: Evening
|  |

The suspicious man they apprehended earlier that day turned out to be nothing more than a fellow traveler, or so he explained. Sumire decided it wasn't worth the trouble to start a fuss over and made her exit. After the events that transpired at the plaza, the dancer and her bodyguard decided to take a much deserved rest at a local inn. The profit from the performance was able to cover all the cost from the room to the meals for two.

"You're dismissed for the day, do as you wish for the rest of the evening! Just do avoid trouble when you can, do you hear me Rin?" The tone of Sumire's voice at the end of the statement was that of a lecturing older figure knowing the younger could easily cause trouble when her attention was away from him. As she gave a simple wave as a farewell gesture, the dancer turned towards the door to her room and shut it behind her upon entering.

POOF. Sumire fell backwards onto the bed, body exhausted. Despite the slight fatigue, there was a feeling of content swelling up in her chest. Another town, another applauding audience ecstatic to watch the colorful art weaved by her hands. This sort of feeling was what she lived for, vibrantly blooming to be appreciated for the art she constantly polished and improved over time. A soft smile found its way upon the maiden's lips as she was left to her own musings.

Not too long after, a disturbing ruckus could be heard from out the window of the dancer's room, causing her to look over at the crowd of people panicking over to a similar direction. Something about the way they behaved told her that it wasn't just something to be ignored. Darting out of her own room and banging on the door to her bodyguard's room, Sumire audibly called out, "Rin! Something seems to be happening outside! I apologize for the interruption but please accompany me!"

Before the younger male would leave the room, the pinkette hurried towards the exit of the inn to take a better inspection of the situation outside. But unfortunately for them, a certain familiar figure awaited at the entrance to the inn. "Oh not you agai--" The irritated voice was interrupted upon finding a man raising his axe towards the spectacled man. "Nosferatu!", she screamed a defense buff in a quick impulse. |

_________________________
Status: AlarmedClass: Dancer
Inventory:
* Vulnerary
* Iron Sword
 |

[User]
Merchant Row, Garleton
|  |

The rush of battle got Artemisia's blood pumping, and things began to feel very clear. Her bow-wielding foe spotted her spell taking shape and called in backup before knowing another arrow. Neither seemed especially composed, talented, or well-equipped. Bandits, then. Not even the advance wave of the enemy force. In a way she felt disappointed, insulted even. At least this would be easy.

All the same, she did not feel comfortable taking the initiative, but it came in the form of a new arrival to the fight. Oh, he's here too. Followed me I'll bet. Trace appeared from behind Artemisia and her new knight friend, which made her realize that a third bandit could have stolen up on her with a back-stabber in hand just as easily. The spearman, however, was a welcome arrival, and he charged to clash with the axefighter head-on.

Their bout could be decided in a split second; if Trace thrust just right, he could pierce the vagabond's heart before he got close enough to swing. If he missed that pivotal chance, however, the brute power of the axe could easily split his lance's shaft in twain, followed shortly by the boring man's head. Artemisia, who knew none of these weapon-based intricacies, at the very least wished that Trace fought more adeptly than he conversed. Primarily, she wished that the both of them would get out of her way. Unlike arrows, weightless magic projectiles arced barely if at all, which meant she needed a clear shot at the archer to take him out. With the melee in the middle there wasn't much of a chance of that, and it would reflect poorly on her if she went with her first instinct to hurl her Flux at Trace and the bandit both.

Just a moment passed before the answer came to her. Artemisia thrust her hand outward, throwing the Flux at the ground to the left of the melee fighters. With a deep tone followed by caustic sputters, it burst into purple waves and large black particles. Into the haze Artemisia rushed, using it as cover while she prepared a second. When in position she raised her hand above her head and hurled the Flux at the archer, crying, "To pieces!" She aimed for the ground between his feet to catch him in the blast. Such a target made hitting almost guaranteed, though it'd be a miracle if it did lethal damage. With a little luck, though, it could cripple his ability to fight, and Artemisia liked the odds.
 |

__________________________
Status: AttackingClass: Occultist
Inv: Vulnerary, Book of Secrets |