[System]
Age: 23

Class: Dark Mage

Weapons: Flux Tome and Dying Blaze Tome

Personality: A rather jovial and relaxed man, who posits that killing should be only done to prevent more killing from happening. Gets excited the point of being an annoyance when he is talking about something that strikes his interest, and is rather panicky and unhelpful under pressure. He's worryingly familiar with the dead and dying, and enjoys studying both magic and the inner workings of the human body. He knows that he can make people uncomfortable with his habits, and thus usually keeps his studies well away from everyone else in the army, lest they feel unnerved. Despite this, legitimately enjoys having others around, and the sight of a crowded campfire, in addition to being rather touchy-feeling when it comes to meeting new people. He's a lightweight when it comes to drinking, and absolutely sucks when it comes to bluffing in games of chance. Doesn't like hot climates.

Fighting Style: Slow and carefully measured blows with powerful magic, can't get into a melee brawl to save his life

History: Born as the second child of a reclusive family in the depths of the snowy wilderness in Augur, Nickolas was brought into the field of magic by his aging grandmother, a shaman of some renown who had retreated into the wilderness to study the machinations of the great 'elder' magics with his grandfather nearly sixty years prior. He proved to have an immediate talent with the otherworldly force, but never quite got over his habit of making sure his actions and incantations were aggravatingly exact. Despite this, his power grew immensely under his witch-like grandparent, who suggested that he study the world around him and the relationship thereof, before she ordered the boy's worrying father to take him into one of the towns to further help his understanding of people. From there, he was apprenticed to a variety of local mages and even a priest, before he was finally let free to roam the world at the ripe age of seventeen. Since then, he'd been roaming his homeland with a quiet sort of interest, making a small name for himself as a scholar and a mage as the war on the continent below raged. He proved to be unhappy with the state of the world, but had no way to vent his frustrations until he stumbled upon rumors of a definitive solution to the war, and made his way down south to join up with the Reclaimers.

Rationale: He joined the Reclaimers to serve what he felt was the best course of action and bring a sort of balance to the world.

Appearance: A pasty young man, with short-cropped dark hair and pale eyes. Averagely built and average height, his hooded eyes are constantly darting around with energy that doesn't match his dark looks. Wears dark clothes in greys and purples, with the odd white splash of fur or metallic highlight of gold. He keeps himself and his furs clean. Shows his discomfort easily by shifting(Either from foot to foot, or in his chair) or biting his fingernails.

Name: Kuur Salcair

Age: 20

Class: Archer

Weapons: Iron Bow

Personality: A quiet woman who, while at rest, one could mistake for being solemn or simply emotionless. However, she gets flustered easily, and runs away from her problems. She's quite shy when it comes to the group as a whole, and doesn't like being forced to interact. However, she's quite confident when it comes to her bowmanship, and can get fiercely competitive in practice and in battle. Hates to lose, no matter then game or challenge. Easily fooled and easily baited.

Fighting Style: Prides herself on the doctrine of 'one arrow, one man', and strives constantly to prove it in battle. When charged, she never sticks around in melee, instead relying on her long legs to simply outrun the more armored of her foes.

History: Born the third daughter of a successful Panoplian merchant, Kuur spent her younger years sheltered from the worst of the world due to the rich supply route her father ran. Once she was deemed old enough to begin helping out, she was shuffled around the various jobs of the caravan due to her competitive nature when it soon became apparent that she began to sulk when she lost out on whatever she precived as the 'winning' objective of whatever task she was assigned, causing her father no end of grief when he discovered yet another one of his offspring was unsuited to be heir to his vast fortune. To that end, she finally fell into the laps of the caravan guard to deal with, who soon whipped her into channeling her urge to win into archery and hunting, which she took to like a shark to water. As the war broke out, she separated from her father's caravan(Now under the hand of her younger sister) and, when the Reclaimers crossed her path, decided to see the world.

Rationale: In the style of Panoply citizens as a whole, Kuur wants to strike out on her own, but the war raging around her makes it difficult for her to travel unacosted. She found the Reclaimers as a safe buffer from the world, and one that would eventually end the problem altogether.

Appearance: A strong, rather voluptuous young woman with tanned skin and feathery white-blonde hair in a rough cut around her head. She has striking green eyes, and usually maintains a seemingly stoic expression. Despite her complexion, turns red easy. At six foot and one inch, she's taller than quite a few of the men, and somewhat embarrassed by this fact. Usually wears tan and brown shades in her light clothes, with the leather and metal of her armor sparse at best.

[User]
Syrena Sinclair - Basilmeron Castle Courtyard

Syrena was starting to think this was a bad idea. When her father had first come to her and told her that Basileus Truculenter had agreed to let her apprentice the kingdom's arch mage she had been excited. Maybe, finally someone would be able to teach her how to subdue the flames. Brother Malachi was a nice man and his meditations techniques had been a great help to her but he had little experience in magic and what was happening to Syrena went far beyond his knowledge.

Syrena had thought coming to the capitol was her best choice. She thought she could do some good in the kingdom rather than just let the flames rage. Now however standing among the Reclaimers of Peace Syrena was feeling both out of place and extremely nervous. What would she do if one of them wanted to talk to her? At the thought Syrena clutched her tome, Arma Infernum closer to her chest.

The blue bound book was meant to contain her powers and let her channel them safely when she needed to in battle. It wasn't perfect though. In certain instances her magic had built to the point that the pages could no longer contain it and huge bursts of flame had exploded out of it and her alike. The tome was a help and a great comfort but as for controlling her powers it was little more than a bandage. The real problems festered underneath.

Syrena pulled the hood of her robe up further, casting her face into shadow. She was shorter than most everyone present which meant looking at her most people only saw the top of her hood and if she was looking at them, her eyes peaking out.

The robe itself was green with two yellow lines running over it. They were standard issue at the capitol. Apparently this identified her as a user of Anima Magic. Red would have been more suitable. She thought slightly bitterly. That's the color everyone's skin turned when exposed to her power.

Syrena was so deep in thought that she didn't register the approached of a man until he'd knelt down so he face was level with hers. Syrena gave a slight squeak of surprise and took too steps back, the symbols on her tome started to glow ever so slightly brighter. Once her shock subsided somewhat she peered at him through her hood pulled low. He was older, but then that wasn't saying much as every one of the Reclaimers was older then Syrena. His hair was short and black, his skin pale and he wore garish clothing. Striking purples and yellows and fur that clashed violently with one another.

Syrena could feel her magic bubbling distractedly below the surface though it seemed dormant enough now. Hesitantly she looked into the strangers eyes. "D-did you n-n-need someth-th-thing?" she asked, not holding his gaze for more than a second or two. What if he said something she didn't like? What if the inferno beneath her skin got excited? What if... what if she hurt him... or any of them.

The Reclaimers had apparently been assigned a disproportionate number of mages to knights but not many of them looked suited to help Syrena with her problem. The anima users mostly looked young and inexperienced and the other ones, like this man that knelt before her reeked of a different kind of magic. What if no one could help her? What if no one could save her?

Marcus Ambrosias - Basilmeron Castle Courtyard
Marcus was enjoying himself. Which admittedly he thought he didn't really deserve but at least for a few moments it wouldn't hurt anyone for him to be social and gallant. As the thief queen made her speech Marcus smiled slightly. Now that woman had gall, Marcus liked her almost immediately.

The air in the courtyard was remarkably different from that of the monastery. With the Brotherhood there had always been an overwhelming feeling of emptiness. No that wasn't quite the right word. Calm and quite fit the bill more closely. Everything in the monastery including the monks had been subdued and calm, collected and calculated. It always felt planned and therefore contrived. Marcus much preferred this, there was uncertainty and excitement and adventure in the air.

Marcus decided that sitting quietly in the corner would do him no good so instead he walked up to the thief queen who had a small group of people forming around her. He clapped her on the back, probably a little harder than was necessary. "Well met indeed mi'lady." he said inclining his head to her. "I am Brother Ambrose but most people call me Marcus. I'm the healer and the spiritual guide for the Reclaimer's mission. I suppose I can assume that your talents lie in the use of a blade and opening doors?" he said genially with a smile on his face.

Nothing about his appearance or his manor suggested anything but a content and friendly monk, glad to be out in the world. It was not strictly true but Marcus saw no reason why he shouldn't be social while he atoned for his crimes.

[Assistant]
Franky Lonnas – Basilmeron Castle (just outside the Courtyard...)

As Franky tried to casually stroll towards the meeting ground of the band of men united by the sake of the war, he was struck by the sensation of nostalgia, reflecting on when he first stowed away on a Pirate ship to leave the shores of Bravura as a youth. He wasn't exactly sneaking around, but was trying to avoid making eye contact with any of the guards or staff moving through the Castle grounds. After all, he was man under oath, and should be still at his station on his ship to make the next trip requested by the council of the very castle he was now walking through. He figure his desertion, along with his prior crime of accidentally attacking the convoy of a Bravuran ambassador would be quite the efficient means of getting himself hanged, but he couldn't wait till this war was finished. It could fester longer than his lifetime.

Franky was greeted with a surprise when he turned the corner, walking under an archway shaped out of high-grown bushel. Franky had an axe in hand, resting it by the side of its head upon his shoulder. What he saw was conversations, mainly three groups which people seems to float in and out of. It was not the sight he was expecting. It looked and sounded very diplomatic. Franky was aware that the Basileus requested people with military experience and attributes. He expected that this would be the forming of a suicide squadron. Why ask for men of action if action was not the requirement? Franky was ready to believe he was late to the wrong meeting, if not for a woman belligerently sharpening her sword amongst the chatter. Missing the initial speech by the leader of the group, Franky decided that this woman would be the best person to get clarity from.

"Ahoy lass," he called as he walked towards Meredith. He dropped his axe head down against the ground. "I trying to find out if I am in the right company, seeing as you're the only other person who is expecting to use a weapon soon," Franky remarked facetiously. Even his tone was quite sarcastic for the average pirate. His faces was a hollow smile, the kind one passes to another at awkward socials like this one. His eyes glanced through the crowd as he spoke, still trying to figure out for himself if he got the group right.

[User]
Nickolas Rienbach - Basilmeron Castle Courtyard

The dark mage simply sat down so that he was now even lower than head height for the young girl, calmly letting her stutter out the first words he'd heard from the young girl since he'd joined up with the Reclaimers nearly five days prior. He seemed totally at ease with the situation and her two-step retreat, and calmly folded his legs and placed both hands in his lap as pale eyes remained level on the young blonde girl.

"I'm just getting to know everyone, little miss! Don't worry, I don't bite." He chuckled, seemingly amused by his little joke. "Ah, yes, where are my manners? My name is Nickolas. You can call me Nickolas, Nick, or whatever floats your boat." He flashed another smile. "I like to fancy myself a student of all kinds of magic, although sadly enough the nuances of healing magic always evade me." The smile faded into an expression of mock seriousness as his brows furrowed together.

"And let me guess, before you tell me... you're a..." He held up his right hand, palm forward, and theatrically sniffed the air. A moment passed, and then a look of absolute and total concentration crossed the dark mage's features before he snapped his fingers and a tiny flame, no more than an inch in height, hovered a tiny increment above his right thumb. "An anima mage, right? One who deals with fire?"

Kuur Salcair - Basilmeron Castle Courtyard

"Nice to... meet you." Kuur's voice was a bit stronger now, but it was still soft and lilting as she took time to consider each word carefully. Her face was utterly void of any sort of emotion until the mention of her archery was brought up, and a flash of pride caused her lips to twitch up at the edges. "Yes. I am an... archer." She reached behind her to find her bow, made with wood reinforced with iron and stained a dark brown, and simply touched it. "I don't miss... my targets."

She shifted, the slightly smug expression vanishing as if it were simply a mirage in the desert. She made no move to continue that line of comments, despite lovingly stroking the iron inlay of her bow and tracing the well-oiled wood.. Instead, she gestured to the whetstone and the beautifully kept sword that Lilith was sharpening. "You're very careful... with your weapons. I didn't know that people out... here... did that... to-."

The sudden arrival of the pirate, however, seemingly halted all progress the archer had been making with her permanently fouled-up socialization skills. She stopped talking immediately, and instead stepped backward at the rough man's approach, watchful of any sudden movements by one of the most physically imposing men she'd ever seen.


[System]
Age: 22
Gender: Female
Appearance: Ally is well-built, she's not a girl that will be blown away by wind. She's one of those people who don't look too strong until they flex or exercise. Her skin is slightly gold and easily tans during the summer when she's out and about. She has deep brown eyes that go dark in the center and lighter around the edges. She has dark brown, wavy hair and if she doesn't want to do anything with it she'll put it in a ponytail. Most of her clothes are functional.
Skills: A fighter- mainly American wrestling in college but she has also trained some in a few other styles.
"Medic"- She is currently going to school to be a sports medicine physician so she has good medical knowledge.
Fitness Level: Very fit
Other: I made this at 4:02 AM and I am dying. XD

[User]
Ally sat across from Nicholas. The two had been enjoying lunch together as they caught up on their lives. School, work, and all the other struggles and responsibilities that came with life had prevented the two from seeing each other as often as they'd like.

"I really am glad we've gotten to catch up like this," Ally said, picking off the last couple fries from her plate. They went to a simple burger joint, rather than some overly expensive restaurant. "We should do this more oft-" her words, however, were cut off by a scream.

Ally visibly jumped in her seat, startled by the sudden scream. She looked towards the main lobby and what she saw she couldn't explain.

A corpse of some sort was walking. It stood at the counter, leaning over the register in an attempt to grab the cashier. The cashier looked scared out of her mind, but she slapped the grabbing hand away with a plastic food tray and backed up. Two more of these undead monsters stumbled in, moving towards the patrons.

Ally shot up out of the booth and shouted, "What the heck!" She couldn't believe her eyes. These... zombies were walking right into the restaurant! She didn't know what to do, what to say, how to react.

"W-we need to get out of here and call the cops!" Ally said to Nick, still frightened by the sight in front of her.

[Assistant]
Nick was taking a bite from his burger as Ally said she was happy to catch up. Nick nodded and put his burger down before swallowing and cleaning his face, "Yeah it's been a while hasn't it?". Nick had gone to take another bite of his burger when he heard the scream.

He dropped his burger back onto the plate and put a hand to his chest. "Jesus Christ!" he exclaimed in a slightly annoyed manner. He'd never been one for sudden noises and jump scares. They almost always worked on him even if he saw them coming, to his annoyance. He did crack a smirk after seeing Ally have a similar reaction.

Nick was seated across from Ally and was puzzled by her shocked face. He then turned in his seat to see something he could only describe as a zombie trying to attack the cashier. What the hell!? He stood up out of his chair his face stricken with fear and unease. He looked at Ally and nodded, he had struggled to make words come out of his mouth because of the sheer shock he was in.

"Yeah but, what way do we go!?" Nick was surveying the chaos of patrons running in terror and the three shambling zombies making the way about the burger place. He looked around for exit but his mind was so frazzled he couldn't think that clearly.

He unconsciously put a hand on Ally's shoulder, placing himself between her and the zombies albeit only slightly.

[User]
"I'm not sure!" Ally said, looking through the wave of people. A hand fell on her shoulder, and she felt slightly comforted. She tried to find the emergency exit, but it was being flooded with people. The three zombies were in the way of the main entrance, so they didn't have much of a choice. The two zombies lumbered over to the crowd of people, that pushed through the exit harser in an effort to get through quicker. This only resulted in people getting jammed in the doorway or falling into the ground, which slowed everything else.

The zombies reached the group and grabbed the closest person to them. It was a man, mid-to-late thirties, who tried his best to fight back. The monster grabbed him by the upper arm and ripped him towards it. Both zombies immediately feasted to the fighting man on the floor. He couldn't do anything, and no one could help. His screams had frozen people in fear, Ally one of those people.

Ally swallowed hard as she watched a man being torn apart by this creature. She was frozen for a moment, suddenly unsure of what to do. Could she help this man? Considering his intestines were falling out, there was nothing she could do. Her heart dropped, but she looked back at the entrance. The only zombie there was still distracted by the cashier, who now resulted in throwing straws at the monster.

"Nick!" she choked out, still shook up by the zombie, "The front! Let's go!"

She sprinted across the burger spot, a forty foot sprint that lasted an eternity, to the exit, hoping the zombie couldn't get her or her friend.

[Assistant]
Nicholas watched in shock and disgust as the two zombies started ripping into the poor man. He wanted to help but he saw the mans innards spill out and he almost lost his lunch. "Oh god..." Ally would have felt his grip on her shoulder tighten slightly.

He jumped slightly shocked at hearing his name called out. He look at Ally and noticed his hand was on her shoulder, he promptly removed it as he then followed her gaze to the door and the cashier. He then nodded still shaken from the sights he had seen, and could still hear.

"Sounds good!" Nick runs after Ally and glances back at the man being torn apart. He forced himself to look forward unable to afford to spend more time feeling sorry for the now very dead man. He had to focus on getting out of the burger place and to somewhere safe, his eyes followed the zombie fighting the cashier and he wanted to help. But had no idea what these monsters were they could have been zombies, but he had seen so many different kinds of zombies he had no clue if he could actually help fight against it.

He stayed behind Ally not able to spare the cashier another glance.

[User]
Ally felt Nick behind her and was glad he didn't get caught. "What the heck is happening?" she asked, voice full of anger and confusion. Where did these monsters come from? How could they stop them? Where were the police? Ally didn't know how or where to find answers. She looked around and watched people racing to their cars in an attempt to eacape the now hellish restaurant. In all of the chaos, several car crashed occured.

"Nick this is terrible. What do we do?" Ally asked, unsure and quite scared. She looked beyond the parking lot and saw what she didn't expect to see. Besides a few people running from the restaurant, there seemed to be two more of those zombie-like creatures harassing the people. She continued to look around and spotted another. "Where did these things come from?"

[Assistant]
Nick skidded to a halt behind Ally and looks at her. "I've go no idea. It's like a movie!" He felt mixed emotions about his choice of words but it was to late to change them. He looked up as the cars smashed into each other, then around at all the people running in every direction.

Jesus... This can't be real. Nick refocused on Ally and tried to sound reassuring "First thing we have to do is get our asses out of here. Then possibly arm ourselves, we have no idea how many of these monster there are or where they came from... Come on lets go.". He wanted to put on a smile but the sights he'd just scene made this impossible.

Nick then headed away from the parking lot and the restaurant because those were the last two places he saw the monsters.

[User]
"Alright, that sounds good," Ally said, glad she wasn't alone. She didn't know what she would've done if she didn't have Nick here now. Maybe she would've went running into the street and got hit by a car. She followed Nick's lead, feeling sick from watching someone being torn apart. Like that won't be in my dreams every night, she thought, almost gagging.

"Where should we go? I'm not sure a gun shop would be safest, we might get shot there..." she said, more thinking aloud than giving actual suggestions. She wished her home was closer, there would definitely be more to work with there than shoving through people in the streets like this.

"I hope we're strong enough to fight them off with our fists," Ally said to Nick, "But really I don't want to touch them at all. Maybe we need baseball bats or something?"

[Assistant]
Nick tried pushing hes way through people as softly as possible and almost ended up trampled. He looked back to make sure Ally hadn't been caught by what he had almost caught him, he was relieved to find her right behind him. Fuck I don't know what's more dangerous... The people or those. Zombies. He shivered with that thought.

Nick nodded in agreement having only just heard what Ally had said over the roaring stamped of people. "You're right. People aren't in their right mind at the mom---. Hey watch it!" Nick growled as he was shoved. He continues forward through the crowd with Ally for a few moments gathering his thoughts. "Yeah even a bat would be an invaluable tool. If we can get one that is..."

Nick looked around trying to look over people heads to find somewhere the could stop moving and properly talk. He spotted an alleyway and started trying to move in its direction. "Right now we just gotta focus on get out of the fucking crowd!" Nick was obviously annoyed at being pushed around.

[User]
"Alright!" Ally said, following Nick. She was thankful he was so tall compared to her because she was nearly being absorbed by the crowd. Waves of people pushed and shoved the two as they made their way towards the alley. Ally nearly fell multiple times as people shoved her in every direction. This is insane! Nothing will get done like this! she screamed internally.

Finally, the two were able to burst through the crowd into the alley. "Thank goodness you found this. I'm not sure which we need to be more worried about, the crowd or those... Monsters." Were they zombies? Didn't zombies move slowly, bite people, and eat brains? These zombies were pretty fast and didn't seem too picky about which part of the body they ate.

"We need to arm ourselves in case those things come for us. We don't know how strong they are or when the cops will come to help us." Ally looked around the alley, unsure of how to craft a weapon. Finally, her eyes rested on a dumpster. "Think we're desperate enough for dumpster diving?" she chuckled, hoping to lighten the mood, though she was completely serious about this.

[Assistant]
Nick lets out a sigh of relief as they make it into the alley. He can't help but chuckle as Ally says exactly what he was thinking not 20 seconds ago. "Yeah... The people have gone crazy..." He was a little battered from the ruthless crowd having scrapes on his hands from catching himself on the rough asphalt.

The whole situation was insane. Zombies! Chaos! It was almost to much to comprehend, tho his Nick had his doubts about the situation the pain he felt in his hands dispelled any notion that this was a dream. He took some deep breaths trying to clear his head then looked up as Ally started talking. "Yeah. Even if these monsters are weak it would still be better to be ready for something much worse. And we can't depend on the cops to help us, there is to much chaos..."

Nick couldn't bring a smile to his face despite Ally's attempt to lighten the mood. "It's the best thing we got.". Nick's nose crinkled up as he got close to the dumpster this is going to suck... "We need something with some amount of range. Because if these zombies are like movie zombies, we don't want to get hit." Fear was present in his voice, he wished it wasn't but he could hear it himself. Pull yourself together Nick! You got a decent head on your shoulders, you just gotta think...

[User]
"Yeah, we definitely need to be careful," Ally said, doing her best to ignore the scent of the garbage from the dumpster. She pushed the black lid up, bringing up another strong waft of dumpster-scent. She pulled her shirt to cover her nose a bit and give her slightly fresher breaths of air. The woman reached up and pulled down a trash bag. She jumped out of the way as it tumbled to the ground. "I guess we both search a bit for weapons," she said, tearing open the thin plastic with the heel of her foot.

So glad I wore tennis shoes today, Ally thought with a slight smirk. If they were going to be running around a lot, they would need good shoes. Her thoughts then became more optimistic. Maybe the cops would get there, shoot the zombies, and everything would be done. Or maybe the government would send in soldiers to kill the zombies. The government might even bring them all to a sanctuary while they cleaned up the... Creature situation.

"Find anything?" Ally asked Nick, as she shuffled the trash around, coming up with nothing. She reached for another bag and knocked it down, hoping to either find something useful in the bag or under it within the pile or garbage.


[System]
Long Term Character
Appearance:

She wears this headband (not the one seen in the pic)

Age: 14
Room: 2
Race: Human
Traditional Magic and Draconic Arts
Magic Specialty: elemental control
Rank of the Basic 4:
1) Water
2) Wind
3) Fire
4) Earth
Magic Affinity: Mental
Unique Traits: Ayaka tends to wear a headband that looks like cat ears.
Likes: Cats, Animals in general, learning new things, reading
Dislikes: obnoxious people tend to annoy her though she tries to hide that fact,
Personality: Most the time, if she isn't busy with something, Ayaka would more than likely be one of the first people to introduce herself to someone new. She likes to stay as organized as possible when it comes to school.
History: Growing up, Ayaka was most the time hanging out with friends or studying in her room unless one of the cats decided it was time to bug her, which happened quite often. She got used to the idea of her cats waiting until she was busy to demand attention since it seemed that's what they do. Her parents were always taking in stray cats either as their own or to later find a home for.
Pet desired: Frost Wolf named Rikami
Dragon Type Desired: Riding Dragon - Element Air (as for a picture, I don't have one yet)
Other: -Follow the rainbow?-
 Education Completed:

Independent Study Courses Completed:-currently enrolled in every independent course available for the semester-

[User] "Yeah, I'm ready to eat." Ayaka said and walked over to the buffet and grabbed a tray. She honestly couldn't wait to get this day started. So far things have been mainly introductory stuff and she was excited to get started here. After putting food on her tray, Ayaka sat down just as Lady Violetta was giving her announcement. She made a note in her head not to lose track of time and be late. That is to say she knew it wasn't like being stuck in the village when it got dark. She just made it a point not to be late to something again.

[Assistant]
"I only hope that Ember will behave. He was eating when I left. My this look good!" Mystique quickly took a tray then she heard Lady Mystique's announcement.
"We gotta eat quickly! I didn't think that we were that late!"

[User] Before Lady Violetta could walk off, Sir Mairlyn lightly grabbed her shoulder. "Mi'lady, forgive me for my... forwardness. He said calmly. "But look at yourself. A beauty running around with so many task that slowly driver her crazy. My invitation is still open for you darling, besides wouldn't you like to enjoy a drink or two with a friend? Just give it thought."

[Assistant]
"A drink or two? On a school night? I guess it doesn't matter that much to you but I am on call 24/7. I do not have time to have a cup of fortified coffee or drink wine the whole day. I must decline your invitation on the grounds that I must be at my best, day or night. I am responsible for all of these students. Perhaps I will have more help one day and might be able to relax more.
Oh yes... thank you for putting the Necronmicon on the desk. When I have time, I'll take a look at it sometime when I have time. I need to be familiar with all books that come into the Academy."

[User]
" You just don't know Mi'lady." Sir Marilyn said, sipping his spiked coffee. " I am doing the same, being a reaper isn't what its cracked up to be. Your always alone taking peoples lives away. You kill people, even children with a simple touch of a finger. And to add i cannot sleep, i'm up 24/7. I have to be.

Setting his coffee down on a miniature desk, Sir Marilyn turned to face Violetta. " So in search of friendship, I offer some time to talk to another person.  He then gave a slight bow. Sitting back down.

[Assistant] "I have wondered why a reaper was sent here.... yet you sent out the dogs like I asked to find and save Shermie and you have just touched me and as far as I know, I am still alive. I simply don't understand some things......... But I must get up to my room, get my egg and head for the lecture room. Perhaps we can talk more some other time." Lady Violetta spoke calmly and with a puzzled look.

[User]
As Elizabeth had gathered her eggs, she noticed that Skotadi had chosen to sit in the back, beyond the sight of the unobservant. Elizabeth, however, was not so unobservant. It was in Elizabeth's best interest to associate with her peers, as a number of them were independently intriguing on their own merits. From what she had deserved, Skotadi was among those numbers, and Elizabeth did enjoy to meet people that were like that. So she got a little closer.

"Hello," Elizabeth said. "Things have been quite hectic around here, and its only been a couple of days, especially for those of us who were a little belated in their exit of the village. I suppose that in a place such as this, however, events will only unfold hectically. I don't think that the two of us have been properly introduced; I'm Elizabeth Laurent. The Lady Violetta seems to be recalling us already. She seems to be eager to teach, but if it will speed our progress then I suppose it must be good. I'd like it if we could be friends, even though the Lady doesn't seem to want to give us any free time."

[Assistant] "Yeah, after the village incident, I never want to be late for anything else, though I do hope to see them again." Ayaka said as she quickly ate what she put on her tray. "I gave Rikami a toy so he can be preoccupied. Hopefully, he's still playing with it though... " She waited for Mystique to finish before deciding heading back to her room to get Rikami.

[User]
Mystique was soon done and spoke as she wipe her lips.
"Let's go. I want to get Ember and the egg. I wonder now if I should have just taken one course or not."

Lady VIoletta hurried upstairs to get her smallish egg. She was curious about what kind of a dragon was inside it. Once she was in her room, she put her egg sling on and tucked her egg inside. Then she was off to Lecture room B. She could only hope that the students were on time. SHe had Cheepers! for the first three who came through the door plus extras and other assorted candies to hand out for correct answers.

[Assistant] Skotadi had been looking at her timetable on her PLT, trying to memorize every inch of it. She noticed that she had to go to Lecture Room B and was just about to leave for the lecture so that she wouldn't be late but she wasn't going to be rude towards the girl that had just come up to her, she decided that she had enough time for a chat if she made it quick. "Hello, it has been rather hectic hasn't it, I am Skotadi Lark. The more I learn the happier I will be, even if it is on something I didn't even know to be real. I think that it would be quite interesting if we could be friends so we might as well try it, I'm afraid I normally use my free time doing things that most people ring boring. Some things that I do are read and play chess if it is possible, I would love to continue this conversation but it will have to be on the road as I need to be getting to class immediately." Skotadi replied to Elizabeth before walking off to her room to collect her dragon egg before she went off to the lecture, she figured that if the girl really wanted to talk to her she would have to catch up but she definitely wasn't going to be late on her first actual school day or any day for that matter.

[User] Ayaka got up. Where Mystique was second guessing taking both courses, she was starting to second guess taking only one. "Will you be ok taking both?" she asked as she walked toward the staircase.

[Assistant] "I hope so. I won't get a study hall but I will have a pet and a dragon. I'll have to work extra hard probably but it would be worth it. And it is a small egg so I doubt that it will be a large one. Since you are here you might as well take the classes. I am not sure that we can go home anyways because she said something about summer classes, didn't she?" Mystique asked on the up.

[User] "Yeah she did... wonder what sort of summer classes? And do we ever get to go home at least for a little while?" Ayaka was more of asking herself about going home than anything, but it didn't matter that she said that part out loud. "Well see you in a couple minutes" She went to her room, put the leash on Rikami before picking him up to carry him. The leash was just in case she needed him to walk on his own for some reason.

[Assistant]
Elizabeth was glad that she had been received positively, as, if nothing else, it would be possible to meet a new friend in the way of Skotadi. Skotadi was right, that they needed to go and hurry along. The Lady had given them little time for anything, and had certainly had not given away any time for wasting.

"You are quite right," Elizabeth said. "I'll be on my way as well."

Elizabeth went back to her room to collect her things. That is, she went back to her room go and collect her pet and her egg. When Elizabeth went back to her room, her Arcane Hound was sitting there quietly. So far, she liked her Arcane Hound, and had decided that she would call him Hesiod. Such a name, that evoked both majesty and humility, among other desirable traits, would befit him, or so she thought. So far, he had said no words to Elizabeth. Elizabeth assumed that there would be a day that he would, and that he was currently either too young, too bashful, or too unfamiliar with her to be at the stage yet. She also grabbed her white dragon egg, which Elizabeth thought seemed to shine whenever she took a look at it. She held it carefully in her arms, and made sure that it in no way be endangered. Hesiod followed his new master obediently as they left the room.

She was speed-walking, as they say, as she traversed the still unfamiliar surroundings of the academy. She went into the second lecture hall, and took a seat. She kept the white dragon egg in her arms, and kept a close eye on Hesiod. He seemed to be a good pet, but Elizabeth still had to work out what his personality was.

[User] Skotadi saw Elizabeth sit down and decided to go over and continue the conversation that they had started while they were waiting for the lecture to begin. She walked over, carrying her fiery dragon egg which was still strangely hot, to where Elizabeth was sitting and asked politely," Hello again, may I sit next to you?" She wasn't normally one to go up to people she didn't know but she had decided earlier to have a change in this new place.

[Assistant]
Mystique nodded. She was glad not to have to go home because she had no home to go to. She put the leash on Ember and the egg in her sling then wondered how those who got a larger egg was going to manage their egg. She pushed the thought away and put treats in both pockets before going out the door.
"I am ready to go. We had better hurry so we won't be late."

[User]
Elizabeth turned to Skotadi, just as Skotadi had turned to her. She also had a dragon's egg, although of a different color.

"I wouldn't mind at all if you sat by me, Skotadi," Elizabeth said. "I'm still unused to the schedule around this place. I don't think that any of us were given any schedule, but I suppose that we will have to make do with what we have no choice but to comply with. I'm sure that it will work out in the end, if it has always been like this. How are you, by the way?"

[Assistant] Ayaka was about to walk out the door when she remembered she needed treats for Rikami. She grabbed some treats real quick and walked out carrying him to meet up with Mystique again. "I'm ready too. Hope we aren't late." She hurried to the staircase to go the Lecture Room.

[User]
"You should probably rest more, I've things to do but I don't want to go. If you want me to stay I can..."
Life looked at Shermie, peering through her almost.

[Assistant]
"I hope that we aren't late again. Let's hurry! To Lecture Lab B, please!" mystique spoke as she stepped into the Spiral Stairway. She nearly dropped Ember as they went down. She hurried after Ayaka to the lecture room.

Lady Violetta set a Cheeper! on Skotadi and Elizabeth's desk.
"That is for being early to class. I reward my students with goodies. I have one more for the next person who comes through the door."

[User]
"Thank you, Lady Victoria," Elizabeth said.

Elizabeth had personally little interests in the trinkets themselves of which she was given, as they were in actuality small things, which were irrelevant to the larger scheme of things, and Elizabeth was for the most more interested in things which were relevant to the larger picture. What she did see as important, however, in this was that she was closer to achieving the Lady's favor, or had achieved it, if she was sufficiently lucky and the Lady was sufficiently simple or benevolent. Elizabeth, however, from her observations had to assume that the Lady was not sufficiently simple or benevolent, but that she was merely closer to achieving her own favor. Whatever the case, she was thinking too hard on receiving a Cheeper! for arriving early.

[Assistant]
Skotadi was glad that Elizabeth had accepted her attempts at being social," Thank you very much Elizabeth, I would definitely of thought that we would of gotten a schedule straight away but obviously not. This place in itself is rather peculiar and goes against every law of physics but then I guess that's what you should generally expect from magic, to go past the common boundaries. I of course wouldn't know as before now, I don't think that I even relatively believed in such a thing." Skotadi was happy that she had been rewarded for being early although she hadn't done it for the award but instead to make sure that she didn't miss anything of importance.

Skotadi turned to Lady Violetta and said considerately," Thank you very much, Lady Violetta."

[User] Ayaka waited for Mystique to catch up to her before walking in the classroom. She didn't want to just go in the room without her. Seeing that only a couple others were there, Ayaka gathered that they weren't late. She found a seat nearby the other two in the room and sat down, knowing Mystique will likely sit next to her. Rikami sat in her lap looking around at his surroundings. She just held on to his leash in case he got a sudden urge to want to try playing with one of the other animals in the room.


[System]
Nicknames: Liv, Livie

Age: 19

From: North Woolmarket, Mississippi (located about 15 minutes from the Gulf of Mexico)

Appearance:

Weapons: Takedown recurve bow, ax, bowie knife, any gun with ammo she can get her hands on

History: To come in the main story.

[User]
Olivia sniffled as she hugged Shawn tighter, still pressing her face against his chest. She tried not to think of what just happened. Tried not to think of what could have happened. Instead she focused on Shawn. His scent, his strong arms wrapped around her, his soothing words, the beating of his heart. He was her rock, strong and steady even when she felt overwhelmed. Shawn's very being was a balm to Olivia's fears. Gradually she stopped shaking. Her eyes closed, she took a deep breath and let it out slowly. She pulled away just enough to move her arms so she could wipe away the beginning of tears--tears that she refused to let fall. Looking up at Shawn, she suggested a bit mutely, "Let's go have a seat and I'll tell you what happened."

Guiding him over to a chair, Olivia let Shawn sit down before she sat on his lap. She didn't want to be apart from him right now. She wanted to be as close as possible. To have his arms around her and know she was safe. Taking another deep breath, Olivia began to explain. "I went to Central Park to check my traps as planned," she told him as she settled down against him. "The first three were empty. That was alright. I didn't expect to have something in every trap. Then I moved onto the fourth one. That's when things went crazy." Olivia was working hard to keep her tone even, to keep her voice casual. She didn't want to break down crying. She didn't want to let those assholes get to her even after they were dead.

"There were rabbit tracks in the snow and the trap had been sprung," Olivia said, still working to keep her voice even. "There was nothing in the trap though 'cause out rabbit got stolen by three sons of bitches. When I saw that the rabbit was gone I was just gonna call it a day and come home. Didn't wanna be out of range on the radio, not being able to reach you with other people nearby. Before I could even leave though the guys came back. Guess they musta still been nearby hidden out of sight. They tried to jump me. One guy had a gun, another an ax, and the third a knife. That was all they had though. What a piss-poor arsenal if you ask me." Olivia knew that she was swearing a lot--both mentally and aloud--but in a way it made her feel better. Besides, she was actually being rather sparing with her expansive vocabulary of colorful words.

Shaking her head as she recalled the memories of the fight, Olivia continued on. "I took all three of them down. Knocked their clocks out for good. Since they had taken my rabbit but hadn't split it open yet, I took it back and grabbed everything else they had of use. Fair is fair considering I knew what they intended to do. Just in case they had any more buddies hanging around I decided it'd be best to get on home. So here I am, and there they are dead in Central Park. That's what they get for messin' with the wrong girl." Olivia felt her fear slip away with the end of her tale. She realized now that she had no reason to be scared. It had been a scary situation, yes, but she had easily taken control of it and had come out on top. Three years ago before the start of infection, Olivia would have balked at the thought of killing three men with ease and without remorse, but over the three years she had learned that you had to act with a strong heart and no hesitation if you wanted to survive. There were still kind people in this mad world, but those three men had not been kind.

[Assistant]
Holding Olivia and listening to her tale his face stayed dark. Shawn was grateful for her returning unharmed and that she took out three assailants by herself was impressive. Now was just not the time to be impressed. Shawn held her and rubbed her back. "Your home. I'm grateful that you're safe and I can hold you right now." He sat there with Olivia in his lap and held her close for as long as it took to get her to feel safe.

No matter how long it took Shawn sat there holding Olivia. He rubbed her back and held her gently. He wished the chair would rock but this rich types probably had someone to do that for them. He closed his eyes and softly hummed to her a country song (Keith Whitley - "When You Say Nothing At All"). He rested his cheek against her as he hummed. Eventually he quietly sang to her the same song. Still holding her in his arms.

[User]
Nodding at his words, Olivia leaned against Shawn and lay her head on his shoulder. She let her eyes close and just focused on him. His breathing, his arms around her, how he gently rubbed her back, his warm voice as he hummed an old familiar tune. If Olivia was truthful there weren't too many country songs she really cared for. Even back before everything started she had preferred other genres of music over country, though she did have favorite country artists like Trace Adkins, Gretchen Wilson, and Shania Twain. Mostly she preferred rock, metal, old school swing music from the 20s, guys like Frank Sinatra, and classical artists like Mozart and Bach. But far be it from her to tell Shawn that at this moment. Besides, the song he chose had an all too obvious message of love. Olivia smiled and lifted her head up to kiss Shawn's cheek. "I love you, Shawn," she breathed quietly as she hugged him close.

Thinking of Frank Sinatra made Olivia recall a song of his that he liked. Fly Me To the Moon. Olivia began to hum a bit quietly at first, but then she started to sing aloud, her voice melodic, her tone matching perfectly the style in which the old crooners like Frank used to sing.

"Fly me to the moon
Let me play amoung the stars
Let me see what spring is like
On jupiter and mars

In other words, hold my hand
In other words, darling kiss me

Fill my heart with song and
Let me sing for ever more
You are all I long for
All I worship and adore

In other words, please be true
In other words, I love you

Fill my heart with song and
Let me sing for ever more
You are all I long for
All I worship and adore

In other words, please be true
In other words
In other words, I love you"

At the last words Olivia kissed Shawn on the lips and gave him a smile. She felt at ease once more, being at home with him. Looking around the boat, Olivia started to think. It was winter. They knew that much. They just didn't know what time of the year it was exactly. Perhaps November or December at least. Was Christmas right around the corner? Or maybe it had already passed? Olivia didn't know. She had stopped worrying about the holidays long ago. And yet right at this moment she couldn't help but think how nice it would be if they could decorate the inside of the boat with Christmas decorations. Olivia knew that celebrating Christmas would not restore the world to how it was before the infection, but perhaps this one thing would make their lives a bit brighter for the duration of winter.

"I'd like to visit some thrift shops soon, Shawn," Olivia told Shawn decidedly. They were the most likely place she would find what she was looking for.

[Assistant]
Shawn listened to the melody she sang after his. He didn't recognize it but he listened to the song and the words. Shawn felt her body relax in his arms. Gently kissing the top of her head at the end of her song the message was clear. He kept his arms wrapped around Olivia shifting a little in the chair Shawn held her close. He didn't know what to say anymore. The world was a messed up place and the fact that three people not walkers would try to assault a girl in this world made Shawn take a deep breath to calm himself. He was glad they were dead. Just holding her was calming to him as well. This was a sanctuary Shawn would fight to keep it that way.

The next words took Shawn by surprise. He thought for a moment as to the reason. Putting snow and shopping together it all lead to the thing Shawn would of obviously over look in the current situation. "Why don't we move the boat up town tonight we drive low and park it with some of the other boats and you can have the high end stores. No survival gear in there should be empty. Not many people willing to fight for name brand stuff." Shawn covered Olivia's hands with his own. "Either way I think we should move the boat. Staying here too long is a mistake. I've already took everything from the surrounding boats."

[User]
While visiting some high-end stores was not on the top of Olivia's list of things to do, she couldn't exactly say it wasn't something that she didn't want to do either. Olivia had never been greedy or selfish. She had always been realistic and level-headed, never asking her mother to buy her nice things that they couldn't afford. Olivia had been more than content with the life they lived, though she had strived to do her best in academics so that she could help support her and her mother by getting a good job. That wasn't to say that Olivia didn't want to see what the world of the well-to-dos was like, but she did not yearn for their lives or their material goods. At this time, however, the story was a bit different. If there was a store--any store--that had useful supplies of any sort then Olivia would go and clear it out no matter if it was a thrift store or a fancy department store. Besides, her main goal was still to find some decorations for Christmas.

"I think that's a good idea," Olivia agreed when Shawn suggested moving the boat. "I can't guarantee that I wasn't followed coming back, and like you said we've pretty much wiped this area clean. We'll leave tonight when it gets dark." She squeezed his hands in reassurance--not only for him but for her too. Everything would be alright, she told herself. It would all be alright.

Under cover of night Olivia untied the boat from the dock and hauled up the anchor. They sailed away from the shore for a few miles before heading farther up north, keeping parallel to the shore. Soon they had the boat pulled up to a larger set of docks with even bigger boats than the ones they had seen at the other docks. Yeah, this was definitely the high-end of town alright. At least it had been in its hey-day.

Once they had their Sunseeker settled in, Olivia wandered over to Shawn who was at the helm and came up behind him, wrapping her arms around his waist and leaning in to kiss his back. "Let's go to bed, love," Olivia suggested.

[Assistant]
Shawn was glad she agreed to the move. It was too dangerous to stay blood tends to attract predators others would find the bodies and figure there were others in the area. Well equipped and or skilled they would try to find the person to either recruit or take out. The number of times they walked up the docks. He had gotten careless. Shawn started to feel more responsible. Driving the boat away from the spot slow and quiet made him feel a little better.

Docking at the new spot made him feel better. Shawn just finished dropping the anchor when he stood there overlooking the water He felt a little calmer and safer. Shawn looked at the city. People living on top of each other. Like a kennel. Such a waste. Arms hugged him and Shawn wrapped his arms around them. Everything faded away. The arms held him and the smile grew on his face warm and comforted in the security of her arms. Olivia's trust was something precious to Shawn. As Shawn heard the words he followed Olivia to bed closing the outer door and locking it. Taking off the outer wear and his boots Shawn got ready for bed.

[User] Morning came and Olivia carefully slipped out of bed to dress for the day. She gave her still sleeping country boy an affectionate kiss on the cheek before she quietly made her way into the cabin to start some coffee and heat up something for breakfast. She cooked up some rabbit with some dried apple reconstituted with water, then made Shawn a cup of coffee just how he liked it. Balancing their plates and cups on a tray, she carried it back to the bedroom. Olivia set the tray aside before she sat on the bed next to Shawn. To wake him up she showered him with kisses until he came out of his sleepy stupor. "Mornin', love," she greeted warmly. "I've got coffee and breakfast all ready. Were you wanting to go out today, or stay in?"


[System]
Pandora Quill

Character Quote: What are you looking at, princess?

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Character Summary
Aliases: Dora, Dior, Wicked Bitch of the West
Age: 20
Birthday: October 30
Ethnicity: Caucasian
Fairytale Parent(s) Maleficent
Birth Place: Wichita, Kansas
Gender: Female
Occupation: Con Artist
Languages: English and French

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Appearance

Height: 5'8''
Weight: 122 lbs
Body Type: Slender Curves
Eye Color: Dark Brown
Hair Color: Black
Skin Tone: Tawny
Tattoos/Scars/Piercings: Four Ear Piercings, Tattoo of Black Dragon along inner upper right thigh
Personal Style: Pandora typically wears all black if for no other reason that because she knows she looks great in black. She prefers to wear dresses or skirts, all name brand of course. And she always prefers boots more than any other footwear. She accessorizes like no one's business, jewelry and hats literally can make or break an outfit. Her hair is usually kept long and down. Make-up is simple during the day, but she goes wild at night. She also likes experimenting with hair colors, though she often returns to her natural raven tresses.

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Psychology

Captivating * Vain * Intelligent * Crafty * Undaunted * Vindictive

Sexuality: Bisexual
Relationship Status: Single
Personality: Pandora earned her nickname. She is not afraid to tell someone like it is. There are those that Pandora likes (though there are precious few of them) and then there's the rest. She isn't shy about anything and people are naturally drawn to her when she is in a room. She does not shy away from using underhanded methods to get what she desires. If she doesn't make you wish you never crawled out of bed this morning, she isn't doing her job. She does not back down from a challenge and will go to many lengths to prove herself. She knows she is good and that's all that matters to her. The rest is just background music.
Habits:* Pops gum when chewing
* Puts hair up when swimming

Hobbies:* Shopping
* Conning
* Theft
* Dancing

Fears:
* Going Blind
* Clowns
* Depths of the Ocean

Likes:
* Shopping
* Cool Weather
* EDM
* Pumpkin Spice Lattes
* Halloween
* Being Admired

Dislikes:
* Losers
* Hot Weather
* Beind Told What To Do
* Beaches
* Begging
* Authority

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Skills

General Skills:
* Lockpicking
* Deception
* Persuasion
* Driving
* Fashion
* Pickpocketing

Combat Skills:
* Jujutsu
* Stealth

What Do They Carry On Them:
* Clothing - Black Dress, Black Boots, Gold Moon Necklace
* Purse/Wallet - Driver's License, Credit Cards, Lip Gloss, Compact, Pepper Spray, Fake ID, Bubble Gum
* Lockpick
* Sunglasses
* Cell Phone

Possessions In At Home:
* Laptop
* Fashion Magazines
* ID Creator
* Passport
* Stolen Merchandise
* Assortment of Novels
* Collection of Vinyls
* Record Player
* Flat Screen TV

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History

Biography Pandora doesn't remember much of her childhood apart from a swarm of nannies, each more useless than the last. Mother and Father were never around. She was sure they had only adopted her to either maintain a facade that they were generous people or perhaps it was a tax write off. Either way, they threw money at her to keep her happy.

It suited Pandora nicely as she got older. However, there was nothing like the thrill of the hunt. It started small. Nicking a candy bar soon spiraled into wallets, purses, ID Badges for backstage concerts. She got good at it. Scary good. She was fooling adults much older than her before she even entered high school.

She maintained excellent grades if only to fool the masses into believing she was a good girl, but the others knew better. One word from her and many a reputation was tarnished. Pics leaked, blackmail letters sent. Once she left high school, she debated going to college but determined she was too smart for it. Instead, she sought bigger and bigger prizes. She would work her way up to the greatest heist of all. And if she could not get what she wanted, she would see the world burn around her.

Do They Remember Anything?: Pandora often has dreams that she is being led by the hand by someone she does not recognize in a place that seems very much out of reality. She remembers not being afraid, but not wanting to go at the same time. Apart from that, she does not recall anything.

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Additional Information

Theme Song:

Extra Information:
Favorite fairy tale character is Cinderella. Link
I agree to follow the rules for this RP and understand that if I do not follow the rules, the GM or Co-GM may kick me out of this roleplay.

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Relations

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Pandora Quill
"If I wanted friends, I'd get Facebook."

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⟢ 🎆Respects ⟡ 🌓Neutral ⟡ 👋Acquaintance ⟡ 🙇It's Complicated ⟣
⟢ 💛Friend ⟡ 💙Good Friends ⟡ 💜Best Friends ⟡ ❣Ex-Friends ⟡ 😈Frienemy ⟣
⟢ 💘Infatuation ⟡ 💓Loves ⟡ 💗Couple ⟡ 💕Basically Family ⟡ 💞Family ⟡ 💔Ex-Lovers ⟣
⟢ ♨Tense ⟡ 💀Dislikes ⟡ 😡Hates ⟡ 👿Enemy ⟡ 👹Absolutely Loathes ⟣

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🎆 Colby Jackson 🎆
"I usually don't like people encroaching on my territory, but game recognizes game. Plus, he's kinda cute."
Pandora recognizes a trickster from a mile away. The two have crossed paths on occasion, but if anything it has remained respectable and cordial. If the two worked together? They'd be unstoppable. If they were pitted against each other? Who knows what would happen?

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Symbol Characters Name Symbol
"Overall Thoughts On The Character"
Relation Details

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Symbol Characters Name Symbol
"Overall Thoughts On The Character"
Relation Details

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Symbol Characters Name Symbol
"Overall Thoughts On The Character"
Relation Details

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Symbol Characters Name Symbol
"Overall Thoughts On The Character"
Relation Details

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[User]
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🗡 Megan Pendragon 🗡

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Location: the Morgue
Skills: N/A

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 Megan's interest was piqued. Her brother had also received the bizarre letter, warning about their birth parents being in danger? Their adoptive parents were very well off, since they were both doctors, and she wondered if it was some sort of attempt at stealing money from them. Robbery attempts had had crazier premises before. However, the corpse at the orphanage... It couldn't have just been a coincidence. The universe was rarely so lazy. There then remained just one logical line of inquiry - the letters she and Jack had received must have been connected to the body in the morgue. "I'm coming with you to the orphanage," Megan decided, not giving her brother a choice about it. It wasn't too unusual for medical examiners to assist in investigations anyways.

 "Think about it - we both get this bizarro letter, and then a stiff shows up at the children's orphanage? I doubt that's a coincidence." She didn't know what the explanation behind all of this was, but she didn't like it. And as much as she enjoyed talking about going to crusade for the forces of the night, Megan didn't believe in such things. The only monsters in the world were human. She took off her gloves, tossing them into the bin, and she then put her lab coat up on a hook. Grabbing her coat, she then put that on and looked at her almost-twin brother expectantly. "I think we ought to go see what the current administration there know about all of this - maybe other orphans have gotten letters like these - or maybe they can at least ID our John Doe..."

 She pulled out her phone, before quickly taking a picture of the face of the corpse. "Ready when you are."

[Assistant]
Annabelle Lafeyette

Annie nodded, "That's good to hear. Doug sure seems happy to hear it," she remarked, as the dog wagged it's tail and looked eager for infinite pats. Dogs were funny that way, it felt like they could do one thing that felt good until the end of the universe. Meanwhile, us silly humans get bored of something fun just because we've done it a few times. If only we were nearly as smart as dogs, Annie thought, smiling. The boy turned to wave at someone and Annabelle turned to see who it was.

"That a friend of yours?" One of them was clearly an adult though. Either way, she was heading that way. Too bad she never found out the kids name. Probably too late to find out now.

"Okay, well, see you around. Doug wants to keep going on his walk, I think." The schnauzer was turning in a slow circle. Careful not to get wound up, she began walking towards the kid and the woman who Annie didn't know was Pandora. As she approached and was looking to walk past them around the block she gave a little wave.

"Howdy," she called out, giving a friendly smile and a little too pleased with herself about her slightly unconventional greeting. The pair had actually gone to to the same school, and Anie squinted as she got closer, trying to remember where she recognized the woman from. Pandora was one year older than Annabelle, and Annie only knew about Pandora by reputation at best.

[User]
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Jack Gold

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Location: the Morgue
Skills: N/A

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 Jack didn't really say anything much to Megan right off the bat, more of taking inventory of what it was that was in the victim's possession when he died. He made note of the burned shirt, and started going through it to find something that he could potentially use to ID him, or at least make his life somewhat easier. Finding the wallet, he started flipping through it, looking to see what else there was within it. To his surprise, there wasn't any sort of license or ID, or any sort of credit cards, just some bills and coins. "...That's odd, no credit card, no driver's license, either he lived off of the grid or someone tried to cover up who he was so it couldn't be traced back to them..."

 Hearing Megan's words, he was a little surprised that she wanted to jump out of the morgue and head off to go on an investigation. Though he probably shouldn't be too surprised, after all, this investigation led straight back to the orphanage where they'd been at so many years ago. It seemed like forever ago since they were there, he didn't really remember too much about those early days there, but he remembered when he and Megan were adopted. That was around like, 15 years ago or something now. "Look at you trying to play detective. Alright, let's get out of here and head out," he said, heading out the door of the Morgue.

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Rosalia Rider

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Location: the Streets
Skills: Hand to Hand Combat, Pick Pocketing

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 Rosalia essentially ignored the girl who came up to her in the restaurant, her attention was solely on Pandora, who in her mind was a bit of a stuck up prick, just because she had managed to catch up to her. She wasn't going to make the same mistake, and she was going to teach Pandora a thing or two. With someone who walked up to talk to Pandora and the other thief, this was her chance at a bit of redemption. She stepped out of the building, pulling her hood back up, and instantly turned somewhat towards Pandora and them.

 "No one makes a fool out of me," she muttered somewhat, before she instantly went over, whirled around, and managed to grab Pandora's purse once more, snatching it from her. Rosalia instantly started taking off running, swiping somewhat at the other thief who made a grab to try and stop her, but she managed to avoid her. Instead she just kept running, figuring that it was better off for her to just keep running and hope to lose them somewhere else. That was her mistake last time, going too quickly into a nearby hiding spot. She wasn't going to do that again.

[Assistant]
Location: Wichita, Kansas - Streets
Skills: Deception, Pickpocket

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As Pandora left the restaurant, she fiddled with her purse before she felt a tap on her shoulder. She rolled her eyes and turned to face the same girl as before. "Cute. Don't use my rules against me or next time I won't be so nice about it. Don't you have like....a mother or someone to be watching over you? Or shouldn't you be in school? What time is it anyway?" As Pandora finished her fiddling, she felt the pull, yet again, as her purse was taken by the goggle girl. Pandora would have been annoyed.

She turned to the girl again. "Rule number four: Don't make the same mistake twice in the same day." Pandora showed her hands and the girl would see she had taken out some essential items. Namely, her liscence, credit cards, and fake ID. She had left some things in there, partly due to error on her part in not being quick enough, but also those things were not essential to her. Goggle girl could enjoy the gum, the peppery spray, her compact, and lip gloss. Plus, the purse wasn't a favorite anyway. She had multiple ones back home. "Well this has been a day. Now why don't you run along and go...fly a kite or whatever it is kids do. I have business to attend to."

Pandora spun on her heel and walked towards home, away from the girl and the thief who ran in the opposite direction. If she was smart, she'd leave her well enough alone.


[System]
Age: 30
Sex: Male
Appearance: Cole
Position within The Imperium of Man: Imperial Guard
Armor: Mark XII Carapace Armour
Weapons: Accatran Pattern Mark IV Lasgun
Accatran Pattern Mark II Laspistol
Combat Knife
2 Frag Grenades
3 Smoke Grenades

Equipment: Photo-Visor
Micro-bead
Type 5 Pressure Helmet
Grapnel Launcher

Personality: Cole can be described as a man of few words. Generally speaking when need though he can be sociable when he wants to. Seems distant to people because of this but, when he makes a friend. Cole can be loyal and dependable to those he trusts. If that trust is broken then Cole basically hates and avoids if he can that person. It is hard to regain his trust after that. A stubborn man that can be unyielding when it comes to things he cares about. Making it very hard to dissuade from something once he sets his mind to it. The years spent as an Elysian Drop Troop have shown that he is cool under fire and quick on his feet. Being a veteran of several tours of duty, Cale is proud of his time as a drop troop and is willing to talk about his past if prompted.
Characters Theme Song: N/A
Characters Voice: N/A

[User]
„Indeed, pondering is a dangerous activity!" Medaira confirmed with an exclamation and all too serious look given at the Celestian." I knew a… colleague who was pondering the origin of the chicken and the egg conundrum! He suffered serious overheating damage, dehydratation and logic errors after 10 days of pondering!" The tech priestess proclaimed, but whether or not she was serious or she was suffering her own logic error was completely in the eye of the beholder.

 "On it, Leader Lady Andromedai~" Mediara chirped as she followed closely after the Celestian, her mechadendrites moving jolly around her as she held her boltgun in her right arm and her Melee weapon in the left. The servo head was merrily and sneakily following somewhat behind them, Medaira now using it to keep an eye on their flanks.

 Medaira made a curious sound, studying the traps too." With chaos and traps like this, it's usually for corruption later or ritual sacrifices." She said with weirdly amused voice." Since it's the big brain cult at play, I'd say it's part of a the later rather than the former." Medaira added with a shoulder shrug and continued to follow deeper into the complex of the base." This looks… like an arena!" The tech priestess mused and looked at the big rune covered door." Who want's to bet there's something really big and scary on the other side? I'm betting a month's supplies of sanctified screws."

 And then suddenly a deamonette! A daemonette that speaks!!! What is this madness!? Medaira suddenly recovered from her mock shock and horror as she laid her eyes on the female warpspawn, evaluating her while she spoke. Her gaze momentary turned to Adrianne as if to confirm she has heard the request, but rested her gaze on her chest for a moment instead, then turned to the celestian and her power armored torso, followed by Stukov's for some reason before looking down at herself and back to the Daemonette's chest with the most intense stare she had ever displayed. It wasn't lewd or leering. No it was a 100% deathly serious, studying one. Finally she let out a sigh so great and turned her head to the side, great disappointment filling her eyes.

 "So fake… must be dirt poor or low on the power rankings to not even be able to afford proper 'improvements'… Psyker Friend's tactical padding/secondary sexual characteristics is both greater and natural. Sigh… seen better on pleasure worlds, standards in Daemonette recruitment must have fallen." She finished her sentence with another great sigh, all the while her servo head was tactically making it's way across the roof of the dome, waiting for the right time to zip over and drop some proper frag presents!

[Assistant]
Cole Cerus

Cole silently nods at the Celestian's command and as she ordered the team forward once they regrouped with Stukov and Adrianne. Watching for any sign of the enemy which he expected more of them to show up. Instead of that, Andromedai used a grenade to trigger a trap meant to subdue rather than kill. They want to capture us alive... great, Cole thought. It is one thing to want to kill them but also a need to capture them for no doubt to torture them or, worse, use them as a sacrifice to their dark gods. A fate that Cole intends to avoid if possible and make sure that his teammates do not suffer that fate.

Following Andromedai's lead as they went through the building. Taking position behind her, scanning for targets, and followed in after Andromedai and Stukov into the room. Cole quickly fired his lasrifle at the daemonette when she appeared. Though to his dismay, it was only a hologram as their combined shots went through it. "Blast," he said under his breath, and then the treacherous daemonette began to speak to them. So a deal she wants, and deal that has a catch even if she said another wise. There is always a catch with demons and nothing that ends well. Such is the fate of those that chose to conspire with these damnable creatures of the Warp.

Rather than speak, Cole chose to remain silent, Stukov already saying what was on Cole's mind. No need to say more, and so he stood there vigilant. Watching for when this daemonette plans to do when Andromedai obliviously denies the being's offer. Who knows what else lies in wait for them in this cult's lair.

[User]
The sudden outburst then change of mind from the retinues Psyker caught not only Lillith off-guard but also Celestian Andromedai, who now slowly turned to face the tall woman. For what felt like at least a minute, all eyes were focused upon Adrianne before Celestian Andromedai posed the question that everyone within the room was most likely thinking, "Adrianne, are you alright?" There was no time for a reply though, because Lillith introjected making her own comment, "I have to admit, you are all quite the strange group, I mean that in the most positive way I can, though!" Lillith seemed to peer over her left shoulder at something unseen before turning back to the retinue. "As much as I would like to stay and spend time with all of you, I have others I must turn my attention to. I am sure we will be talking again sometime very soon. Until then, take care of yourselves and enjoy the gift I have left for all of you." Lillith would then bow before the holographic image would vanish.

"I do not like the sound of that, prepare yourselves for a fight." said Celestian Andromedai before taking a few steps backwards. The massive door in front of the retinue that had runes covering it, ceased glowing, the runes vanishing. For a moment, an uncomfortable silence fell over the massive dome shaped room before the door would be violently torn from its secure position and flung across the room at the retinue. Celestian Andromedai quickly jumped out of the way, thankfully missing the door and then moving back onto her feet. What first emerged from the doorway were five Horrors of Tzeentch, but what followed behind it was much worse. A horrific amalgamation of limbs, eyes, teeth, scales, and claws, having trouble even fitting through the doorway. This Chaos Spawn of Tzeentch had a more avian form, almost representing the form of the eagle upon the arch they had entered through earlier ago.

Immediately, the horrors of Tzeentch began charging the retinue, while the Chaos Spawn slowly lumbered forward. Celestian Andromedai knew that if it wanted to, the Chaos spawn could move and great speeds, and from the looks of it even fly, but it seemed to be testing their combat abilities with the smaller horrors before moving to attack. Andromedai immediately unsheathed her Phase Sword and cut through the first horror to get within her range. The blade cut through the demon, with one clean motion, severing the body that seemingly had not noticed that it was now in two pieces.

[Assistant]
"Not now, entertaining daemons is never worth the cost!" Stukov was glaring at the other two, Smiles was concerning him given the back and forth she seemed to be having with herself. Coupled with those....damned eyes in the jump through the warp, and he would have questions that might need answering. Of course, the illusion fizzled out after commenting on being such a strange bunch and leaving them a gift. No gift from a warp spawned abomination was going to be worth waiting for, but given they had deeper to breach into this cult's lair, well, they had little choice in the matter. Of course, with the illusion vanishing, the runes on the door also vanished, and the silence settled in. That was....bad. Very bad, if he had to hazard a guess that door was holding this Throne damned 'gift' back, and it was only a matter of moments before they were dealing with whatever was going to make their lives more difficult. He braced, every muscle tensed and ready to launch in any direction or action he was capable of.

 With the doors going as violently as they did, the Armsman darted sideways, evading the thoroughly destroyed remains of the door, and of course things got worse. Horrors, and a Warp Spawn, all with Tzeentchian influence. That meant flight, the horrors splitting upon trauma, sorcery and the works. He hated Horrors, they didn't know when to stay banished, and he leveled the shotgun and racked a shell, taking aim as it rushed him. Uttering a silent prayer to the Throne above, he opened fire, slam firing the shotgun into the oncoming Horrors, starting from the one immediately coming for him. The first one he hit, rather than simply ignoring the damage or splitting, seemed to reel and actually get torn apart by the blast, sharp eyes seeing the flashes of the blessed buckshot tearing the Horror apart. He kept firing until it was very thoroughly gone, racking the next shell and taking aim at the Spawn.

 "Deal with the rest, I'll get its attention!" Stukov went to slam fire the weapon at the Spawn, but only got a single shell of blessed buckshot off, the resounding, worrying sound of the weapon running empty answering his attempts to keep firing. Throwing it back on the sling, the Armsman ripped the chain cutlass from its sheath, the roar of the weapon coming to life as he drew his Naval Pistol, an autopistol designed for maximum damage to flesh without damaging components. He opened up with the pistol, ready to respond to either a deceptively fast charge, Spawn were tricky like that, or if the Horrors tried to turn from their targets of choice. He was ready, though, ready to face the warp spawned abominations again. Throne above preserve him and his damned fool allies.

[User]
Adrianne could feel the blabbering voices at the edge of her mind before she even saw what came next.

"Throne of Terra, great... !"

She groaned, before the wild mass of malformed limbs and daemons spilled out into the room with them in a blind, reckless charge! Adrianne had enough experience with demons that they were especially fond of swarming and overwhelming their foes with their speed and strength!

Adrianne whirled around to face the door, taking a few steps back and towards a pillar for cover as she raised her staff - pointing it at the daemons' entry point.

"Back!" She proclaimed, channeling her psychic powers into a telekinetic wave. Crackling violet tendrils lashed out from her staff and throughout the room as the psychic wave rushed through the room! An otherworldly, inhuman laugh accompanied the wave; echoing in the minds of any mortal that heard it. The wave hit the daemons like a mighty gust of wind, pushing them back; even slowing time slightly in the affected area.

The wave only slowed the chaos spawn, but it was enough to completely halt the progress of the smaller horrors; who now were pushed back and effectively blocking the path of the larger chaos spawn. It didn't seem that the daemons had taken any damage from the sudden wave, as it was little more than a hindrance to them. But it had sapped their momentum, leaving the daemons currently stuck in the doorway, their charge stopped!

"I have them pinned - now do your thing!" Adrianne called out; her eyes glimmering with dancing violet light as she channeled her powers!

[Assistant]
This is not good, they got a daemonette trying to sway them, and something is going on with Adrianne. He thought, not good at all. Then the daemonette finally stopped talking to him and the hologram dissipated but, not before the daemonette spoke of a gift for them. A gift... that can't be good knowing a demon and when the runes disappeared on the massive door. Cole took aim at the door and waited for whatever would come out. Instead of an enemy, the door was torn and launched at them. Cole side-stepping the debris that came at him just in time. Narrowly getting hit, and returned his gaze to the now open space where the doors were. Five fricking Horrors of Tzeentch, and it looked like these ones could fly. Cole gritted his teeth, of course, it had to be that, and took aim at the foul Chaos spawn.

Firing off a couple of shots at the closest one towards him. The red laser fire hitting the Horror in the head, and it seems to recoil a bit before pressing onwards. Then watching as Stukov run forward with blade and pistol towards one of the Horrors. "Mad man," Cole said under his breath. After that, Adrianne unleashed a wave of psychic at the Horrors and managed to not only slow their advance but pin them in place for the time being. It took Cole no time to take advantage of this. Quickly aiming once again at a Horror, and fired his lasgun rapidly until its barrel turned red hot. Boy, did he wish they had more firepower. Lasguns then to be good when there was a group of them firing at a target. Not a single one and but, still Cole kept firing none the less. Even if his single Lasgun might not be much, it is still doing something, and so he kept firing at the Horrors. God-Emperor willing that they can get through this one.


[System]
Species: Half-Bear
Age: 8 (physically adult)
Gender: Male
Appearance: 10ft, 550lbs. Unusually long torso. Tawny brown fur with dark brown grizzling.
 Claws are aggressively trimmed and filed down to thick nubs. Concealed in thick holocaust cloak/robes, gloves, and heavy boots. Carries a coarse wooden staff. Cloak decorated with typical druid paraphernalia. Colorblind (Yellow-green)

If disrobed, and on all fours, would pass easily as just a very large bear.

Bio: Offspring from the "sordid" (depending on who you ask) relationship between a forest hermit and a she-bear. Learned his craft and appreciation for honesty, integrity, and reverence for natural beauty from his dad. His "Good looks" from his mother.
Shy/sentimental. Has a brother the same age, and numerous younger siblings. Due to events in his home province before his birth, his father is magically connected with a rather expansive magical woodland, which suits him fine. Local logging town and his dad have a 'mixed feelings' relationship about each other. Cedar helps with diplomatic solutions. Is still young and naive in many ways, but shockingly adult and mature in others.

Skillset:
Woodcraft,
basic potion lore,
basic anatomy,
ecology.
Possesses "Speak to animals" spell-like ability.
Superhuman strength.
Superhuman sense of smell.
Low-light vision

Spells:
"Enhance/grow vegetation"
"Entangling roots/vines"
"Light heal"
"Detect magic"

Equipment: Dark brown and green 'holocaust cloak'/robes. Large wooden staff. Small hand axe. Small boot knife. Ball of twine. Antler knapping tool. Flints.

Other: Will arrive 'later' than other players.

[User]
Up above, Aaron Delving was completely unfazed by the spectacular show. "What a dork!"
Indeed, there were several unexpected things happened. He looked at the other side of the platform and glanced at Gerrald's mangled body with a certain amount of condolences. His father will not like it, but at least one potential witness was 'out of the picture' and that was what mattered.

Now, for the optional one; he needed to clear out the trashes.

His only regret was he didn't bring enough archers to keep them pinned. But his men had redistributed the musket and regrouped around him. Inside his barrier. Sadly the time was insufficient to salvage the spare gunpowder and bullets. But this would do for now. They just needed to dig in. His reinforcement will arrive soon.

"Steady! Don't shoot unless you have them in your sight."

Yes, Go ahead and try it! Once they ran for the tunnel, they would have nowhere to hide and no space to dodge.

Deep below, Henri the golem trudged to the other side of the canal, walking slowly toward the other end of the bridge where Delving and his men are making their stand. After a long and tedious journey of swimming in filth, he arrived at his destination. Using his telekinetic power he tried to snatch their metal weapons, but something negated that attempt. Not giving up, the golem launched his hook and had it swept along the edge of the canal, aiming to snare a foot.

Something repelled the metal thing and tossed it sideways, yet, it caused the hook to snag something that wasn't a human foot, rather, it was a metal pole that held the wooden railings near Aaron's company.

***

Jazdia retreated back to the pillar. Biting her lips as she realized that the only hope was through the south tunnel, but Aaron's men seemed to have marked it as the only place to spend their bullet.

"Miss Rosenving. Would you kindly move to that pillar?" She pointed at the middle pillar closer to the mouth of the south tunnel. "Go! While they are still reloading their weapon!"

[Assistant]
Henri swept with the pole, and collided with an invisible force, that slightly moved the pole further away. He felt the wall, but found that it did not extend through it-- only the stone of the wall.

This was curious. Either the barrier was spherical, or some other shape that was confined to its radius. A cylinder with a hemispherical top, or some other form. The simplest would be a sphere, and would be the most likely. Curious.

He moved further down the ledge of the canal, then deployed the hook to climb up just enough to peek above the water.

[User] The orc nodded her head, she understood that Reinhold was quite tired from being up for six days straight. But she needed any kind of information she could. Turning towards the two men, she pointed an armoured finger at them. "I assume you two are Bertolf and Ingmar? What were you doing hunting on the royal grounds? Did you see any suspicious character's while you were out there?" She ignored the fact they broke the law for now, she wanted to know what Reinhold and Bertolf were doing there. And if they had seen anything that could help with the case.

[Assistant]
Kaito's strike to the neck of the soldier landed and the man collapsed unconscious on the ground. The fox quickly disarmed him and collected the weapons of the two soldiers that Chounan had slain and tossed them into the canal. For now that threat was neutralized however on the other side there was still an Aaron Delving with some remaining men.

And with the bridge destroyed, reaching him would be difficult. They could try to swim across but just the idea of diving into the with feces infested sewer water made the kitsune sick. Not to mention that cleaning his brush tail afterwards would be a drag. It might smell for a week. Only the golem didn't seem to care about the risk of attracting unwanted odors. But the rest seemed stuck at the other side of the canal.

To make matters worse, that prick of a constable had raised some kind of barrier that made him and his last few men save from their attacks. The Golem tried to sweep underneath it but by the looks of it the barrier covered all their angles while the two soldiers with muskets could still fire potshots at them.

Kaito could feel the fatigue setting in. He had been covering the entire room into an illusionary mist for quite some time now and it started to drain his mana. The fox wasn't sure if his illusion was still affecting the enemies inside Delving's barrier. There was a magic barrier in the underground arena that had been messing with his abilities and the constable's one looked somewhat similar.

Quickly he assessed the situation. Delving and his men were waiting at the other side. Clearly they were waiting for them to make a move. Kaito and his companions could try to retreat but then the musketeers would most likely open fire on them when they would enter the narrow pathway that they had used to enter the canal room. If they would try to cross the feces canal they would be exposed to the same musket fire. And as long as Delving has his barrier up, there was nothing they could do about it.

Kaito quickly took cover behind the rear pillar and gestured to Chounan to do the same. For now the fox did not see any options to either advance or to retreat. The only thing to do was to wait for an opening. It would be unlikely that constable Delving could hold up his barrier of an indefinite amount of time. With everyone having taken cover, it would be best to conserve his mana so the kitsune ended his illusion.

Speaking from behind the rear pillar, Kaito decided to taunt the constable. Maybe Delving would make a mistake if the fox could manage to get under his skin. " Hey Delving, I always knew you were a crook but you turned out to be also a coward. Hiding like a scared little baby behind a barrier isn't exactly knightly. Why don't you come over to our side and fight like a real man?"

[User]
Yvonne took a glance around as Sparky left cover and traded some shots. Oh boy, a barrier? That ain't looking good. With how Aaron being completely and utterly eclipsed by his brother in every single way possible, it's easy to forget that he's not actually a complete waste of oxygen and had House Delving's extensive resource to improve himself with. The barrier looked simple, but for such things it didn't need to be complicated.

The boss returned to cover soon after. There's the order to move, Yvonne didn't question and sprint toward the directed pillar, keeping her stance low in a zig-zag to minimize chance to hit. Were the enemies reloading? Probably. Would she make it easy for them to shoot at her? Hell nah.

[Assistant]
Henri could barely peek above the rim of the ledge from his current position.

He could see Delving and his men taking shelter inside the glowing dome-like barrier he was projecting from his sword. He was using some kind of gaudy looking claymore. The men under his wing were all wearing metal breastplates, but inside the barrier, they were beyond his reach. One of them appeared to be having a hard time breathing, and another was leveling his musket to fire at the group cross the waterway.

If the swing with the hook earlier had been indication, the barrier is what had arrested his prior attempt to smack Delving in the back of his damn head. Cowardly prig was cowering behind that glowing curtain like a smug little bastard. Well, There was more than one way to deal with somebody like him--- Like trapping him over here, and forcing his pansy ass to get his hands dirty himself to get loose. And he knew JUST the way to make him do it.

Timidly and very slowly, he rose from the water enough to hang over the side of the canal ledge, first the left side, to get access to the iron covering his hip and torso on that side. The heating would make a bright light, and that is unfortunate, but it may also distract Delving's goons for a moment. The heat conduction through his body would begin to boil the water still surrounding his right arm and right leg, still submerged where he was clinging to the side of the canal. This was risky shit, but it was necessary.

Work was slow and difficult, due to trying to equalize the draw of material from that side of his body to avoid having a total and complete hole in the reinforcement, and due to the heat losses from partial submersion, but he commenced work on construction of a melon or large pumpkin sized "sphereoid", with a complex dimpled and form-stiffened surface from the sacrificed metal.

[User]
Aaoron counted that it had been ten minutes of grueling stalemate. Stalemate, the word itself felt exaggerated. Those imbeciles barely held their ground; they were helpless, desperately hiding behind the pillar like a cornered rat.

Even then, he thought about an alternative plan. Something his brother had taught him but he kept forgetting. But that day in the office had given him a valuable lesson, to always come prepared, and be introspective. And that had served him well today. That elven woman was no ordinary archer and the amount of destruction she could dish out in a single spell was staggering. But again, he had come prepared, this protection spell will not fail him. This was his signature, one that he had honed over the years. While his father always had a bias toward the old adage that the best defense is the good defense, his brother had told him everyone was born with different gifts, and he should just be himself and improve what he was good at.

In the middle of his self-admiring, the constable saw something was steaming in the murky water below. He stepped forward to peer at it and found that pesky tutor hanging for dear life on the rim not far from him and his men. He was holding a glowing metal sphere. Whatever it was, it revealed his figure rather clearly

"You! Sailor," he commanded, and the best shooter in the group responded. He lowered his musket, and Aaron only needed to point at the hanging nuisance below. "Put one between his eyes! The rest of you stay on your targets"

And he fired.

Henri's head jerked backward, indicating a bullet hitting its mark. Smiling, Aaron expected the tutor to slip down and lost in the filthy stream, but he was not dead yet. He glanced at them with one eye missing and full of vengeance.

"So, my brother was correct." He gripped his sword tightly and with his left hand, spread some of the light onto his breastplate. His heart raced, but not in fear. Anticipation! He was ready to pay back the humiliation he suffered that afternoon. "Come here if you dare, you renegade!"

[Assistant]
Henri smiled viciously in the warm amber glow of the metal sphere, and continued his work. He positively SEETHED inside, thinking he had unintentionally tipped off the investigation to this sniveling little dog of a man, who cowered like a frightened puppy, practically wetting himself in his brother's presence. His opinion of who's head he would like to liberate from their shoulders changed identity. He would very much like to make this little shit squeal like the pig he was. To think, this little oaf of a man was one of the "Geniuses" behind the abduction of his ward, the erstwhile prince he had grown so fond of for his pluck and wit.

"Or are you afraid that you might get grime and dirt underneath those perfectly manicured little nails of yours? Clearly, never seen an honest day's work in their lives--Oh-- Or perhaps, since you're so salty, that you might melt? Hmm? Funny, how little rats like you always come for the cheese, isn't it Lord Delving? What's the matter, your big brother too busy to do his own dirty work today? Or does he not know where you are right now? Quite the pity."

He dunked the sphere into the water, where it hissed and sizzled, then filled it most of the way full with the fouled river water, then heated only the top part to seal it closed.

"I even went so far as to make you a little present. SOME of us pay attention when we read things in the library, and got promoted to the royal court on MERIT, instead of who their daddy fucked. Oh, I am quite sure you paid a lot of money for that gaudy little pig-sticker you have, but I MADE my shell-- ALL. BY. MY. SELF. Now, I feel I must part company, Lord Dipshit. I have a tunnel to collapse."

Henri then spread his core into the metal of the sphere, then willed it to soar into the air and nestle into the masonry above, seeking a stony overhang to tuck it behind, before slipping back into the water with a sploosh, leaving just his hand exposed through the water.

He began heating the canister.

He rather hoped delving would become so furious that he would drop the barrier and storm at him-- He'd pull that little prig into the drink with him and drown him right then and there.