[System]
Nickname(s): Roze (Used more commonly by friends), Rozie, Roza.

Gender: F

Age: 11

House: Ravenclaw
Appearance:

Try ignoring her hair and eye colour, as it changes quite often. Depending on her mood, they'll change colours, which is fairly unavoidable. More often than not, she'll have blonde hair, as she has a naturally happy disposition, and her eyes will be a warm amber colour. Blue is sad, black is pain, red is anger... you get the idea.
Other than that, she stands at a short height, with just the slightest beginning of curves along her slim body. With a pale, heart-shaped face (Although when very happy, her skin will often warm up to a healthy tan) and a sweet, dimpled grin, she often looks a few years younger than her actual age.

Just thought I'd put this on so you guys know what she's feeling when her colours of hair/eyes change.
Happy – Gold
Sad – Blue
Pain – Black
Tired/bored – Grey
Curious – Purple
Amused – Pink
Envious/Jealous– Green
Angry – Red
Fear – White
Neutral – Brown

Sometimes if two or more emotions conflict, they'll create highlights in her hair or just blend together, so she can have some funky looking rainbow locks at some points. Also, the stronger the emotion, the more vibrant the colour - and the eyes only change if the emotion is strong. Like, if she got a cut on the arm or something, her eyes wouldn't turn black in pain - but multiple cuts or broken bones, they'll turn black.

Wand: 12 1/2 Inch wand, made of a springy and intricately patterned Apple wand, and a Phoenix feather core.

Pet: A black kitten called Sora - unknown breed.

Strengths: Whether it's because she is a form of Metamorphagi or not, Roze's Transfiguration abilities are astounding for her age - on top of all the extra research she's been doing, she's already practicing to be an Animagus, and is curious as to what form she'll take once she manages it. She also has an uncanny ability of picking up new languages, whether it be Tolkien's Elvish (Which she adores) Or Gobbledegook. Also a surprisingly good singing voice, although is very shy about it. On top of this, she's been trained in hand-to-hand combat from a fairly young age. Although far from being an expert, she knows enough to stop an older kid in his or her tracks. That's what you get from coming from a slightly paranoid military family.

Weaknesses: Is often easily anxious about things, and isn't uncommon for her to fret over seemingly silly things. Feeling the need to do the best she possible can in every subject - on top of all the extra activities she'll sign herself up for - she gets stressed out from too much work to do. On top of this, she has a certain naive outlook on things - this can lead to her easily walking aimlessly into danger, not considering consequences at the thought of knowledge; her temper hardly helps with that either. Although it takes quite a bit for her to blow, the outcome is far from pretty; not too dissimilar from a volcano.

Personality: Because of her introduction to the wizarding world, Roze is still amazed and overwhelmingly curious of all the new things in this world - already adding to her naturally inquisitive nature, this made her crave for more knowledge of her new existence. Suddenly, Muggle knowledge wasn't enough for her.
Although her curiosity and wit are her most overwhelming attributes, she has a great deal of bravery within her - and of course, bravery can often go hand in hand with wisdom, for sometimes you need to be brave to acquire knowledge. She has kindness and honesty, and above all, she values friends and those she loves. However, this can be a downside for her. She is big on protecting those she cares about, probably brought on by the loss of her Mother. Because of this, she can be almost obsessive in keeping people safe, not caring if it puts herself in harms way. It also gives her knack for making plenty of enemies.

History: Roze has known of the wizard world all of her life, thanks to her Mother's legacy; sadly, her Mam died shortly after Roze's birth during a raid gone badly - she had been an Auror - and her Muggle father was left with 2 half-blood children, and a lot of information he really shouldn't have known. Thankfully, what with being in the Army and all, he was used to being discreet. So, he tried to integrate as much of the Wizarding world into his children's lives as the Muggle world they lived in, but it was hard, considering his wife was dead and he had no real connection left to the wizarding world. Rozalia's elder brother - Leo - is about 10 years older than her, and works as a junior Auror in the Ministry of Magic. He still keeps in touch with her, often joining Roze and their Father on trips back to their family's home country of Italy.

NPCs:
Antonio "Tony" Éathliel - Rozalia's Muggle Father; a Sergeant in the UK Army, he came to the country at the age of 3 with his immigrant Italian parents. Both have passed away naturally a few years before the birth of his first child, Leo. He regrets this, and also regrets that Roze never got to know her Mother; Megara. Following his wife's murder, he became slightly paranoid, and sure that his wife's work would follow her home one day. Because of this, he made sure to keep Roza and Leo trained in different manners of combat. Although Roze is only 11 years old, she knows quite a bit in hand-to-hand combat, and can work her way around a knife too. In terms of magical combat, she seriously needs to work on it - something Tony worries over a lot.

Leo Éathliel - Rozalia's 21-year-old brother; following the death of his Mother, he vowed to knuckle down on his schoolwork and gain enough marks to become an Auror. Although going against his naturally, easy-going and fun-loving nature, he managed to pass all his OWL and NEWT grades, and joined the Auror's department with no trouble. He worries about his Father and sister a lot, but makes sure to keep them safe as much as possible. He works with his Uncle - Mother's older brother - in the Auror's office, still attempting to track down those responsible for his Mother's death. Although five of the murderers were captured, three escaped; and they're on his hit-list.

Robert 'Bobby' Thrussell - Megara's older brother, and the Uncle of Leo and Rozalia. An Auror for a good thirty years, Bobby has seen plenty of shit. But, he sticks with the job, just so he can track down the people who killed his sister and a few of his good friends. A genius when it comes to lore on various beasts and whatnot of the Wizarding world, he also likes to spend his time drinking and dealing with the various scumbags that come with the job of Auror. Despite all of this, he's like a second father to Roze and Leo - having babysat them more than a couple of times while their Father was on a tour. He's also an excellent primary resource for when Roze is stuck with her homework.

[User]
The walk to flying was a nice relief for Nolan, and certainly the high point of his day so far. Not only was he excited for his first lesson in which he would know what was going on, he also got to spend the walk telling Caelum and Chandler about Quidditch.

He told them of the thrill of flying and of his misadventures trying out Judoc's Cleansweep Fifteen the past summer. He filled them in on the various positions involved in Quidditch, as well as the balls. The walk wasn't too long, but by the time they got to the courtyard, he felt he had covered the game well enough. He wondered if it was too early to offer to invite them to go see the Ballycastle Bats with his family next year. They didn't go often, but his dad generally tried to take them to at least one match each summer.

A few moments later he was lined up with the rest of the first years, staring down at his broom. Of course he knew he could do it. He'd been flying around the neighborhood for six months now. And yet, what if the broom refused to come up and everyone saw that he was just as bad at this as everything else? He shook the thought out of his head. That way of thinking made you fail for sure, he knew from experience. He simply breathed and imagined how fun it would be to fly out over the lake and smiled. Cursing a teacher position was easily out of hi range, but this, this was an attainable goal.

"Up!"

The broom rose slowly but steadily up to his hand. It wasn't as quick as some of the others, but something told him it was the old broom that was at fault here. He gently got onto the broomstick, holding onto the handle with a steady grip. There were already a few students zooming about, some on purpose and some on accident. However, he knew from experience that just taking off before getting a feel for the broom was not a good idea. Especially on old school brooms that didn't get used often. With a look of concentration he rose slightly off the ground and drifted past Chandler then over to Caelum. Sure he wasn't a natural like Tidus or Judoc, but he'd been working at it. Just as he reached Caelum, her broom flew up into her funny bone. Stifling a chuckle, he floated in front of her.

"Don't worry. That happened to me a few times. Actually it hit me in the face once. I had to go to my aunt's wedding with a black eye."

He didn't mention that the black eye had actually been from one of the Weasleys' boxing telescopes his cousin had tricked him with, but this version of the story would probably make her feel better. Thinking he had gotten a good feel for the broom, he leaned forward and pulled his broom up zooming away from the ground. From this height, he looked out across the lake then toward the forbidden forest. Either looked like a great place to explore. And what better place to start than with a view from above?

But now wasn't the time. He did a few rounds of the courtyard, trying to gauge the highest speed he trusted this broom with. If he went to fast it started to tip forward a bit, which wasn't fun. And something told him he didn't want to have to brake on it to quickly. After the rounds he rose to the highest point he could reach without the broom shivering, and hovered for a while looking out at the majesty of the castle and grounds. He could get used to this.

[Assistant]
The students high enough to see and brave enough to not-look-down might notice something peculiar.

Did something pass in front of the sun? A witch on a broom? Or perhaps it was an eagle passing over... Yet... At a second glance the sky was clear. No birds in sight. Perhaps a could then? More plausible, yet, it was difficult to look back and make sure. The light of the sun burned more the longer you looked to it.

Caelum was having a bit more luck. She had managed to get atop her broom, and was wobbling away a few feet off of the ground. Her cheeks were flushed red with embarrassment.

Moirah was doing better. Not quick, but she climbed into the air with an expression of determination.

Professor wood hooted and hollered at each first years fumble, and cheered on those doing well.

"There you go! That's the spirit! Twenty points to all your houses!"

[User]
Despite Roze's previous escapades on a broomstick, she was still a wee bit nervous. This certainly was nothing like the one her Brother had - his was new, well-looked after, and an incredibly smooth ride. She was frankly amazed that this decrepit one was happy enough to give into her commands. Upon her stating of 'Up!', it wavered ever so slightly, then shot into her hand, tail end wobbling slightly as if it were a dog, pleased to meet it's new owner.

Hopefully it didn't act like that in the air.

Mounting her quivering broom, Roze couldn't help but smile at everyone else's reactions to their own brooms. The New Zealander had let off an impressive tirade of swear words as his broom took of with him; a few people were zooming around the courtyard; and some people were getting smacked right in the fact by their broomsticks.
Kicking off the floor gently, nothing happened. Frowning, Roze kicked again more forcefully, only for the broom to finally get the idea and jolt her up in the air about 10 feet.

"Ehh.... easy boy." She muttered nervously as it continued to quiver. Seeing Daniel zooming around quite happily, Roze gritted her teeth and leant forward. Surprisingly, the quivering stopped, and it went forwards quite smoothly. Much like with a horse and it's rider, once Roze gained control and her confidence grew, the broom seemed to relax around her.

"Broom makers make these things way too intelligent." Roze muttered, but now she was grinning as the elation of the air got to her. Accelerating on her broom, she continued flying upwards at a fairly hair-raising angle; not that she found herself perturbed by this. In fact, she felt all the memories of her flying back at home coming back to her, which only made the experience better.

And yet, something in the distance marred her experience. As a few of the others landed, something dark flitted across the sun in the distance. Holding a hand over her eyes, Roze peered forward. It had been too big to be a bird... a dragon?! No... there weren't any in this area of Great Britain. She'd been excited enough about the prospect to question her Uncle Bobby about any indigenous species. The closest dragons to... wherever the hell in Scotland Hogwarts was, was the Outer Hebrides. So what had it been?

Hearing whoops from down below, Roze cast one last dubious glance at the horizon before descending, falling back into place beside Daniel. Dismounting, she returned her smile to her face, ignoring the niggling feeling of doubt she had just discovered. Why was she so bothered? There were loads of magical creatures in and around Hogwarts. It was probably just a Hippogriff... or... something...

"Well," Roze said to Daniel, deciding not to bring the subject up unless someone else did - she didn't want to come across as some paranoid weirdo. "That was better than expected!"


[System]
Age: 27
Gender: Male
Race: Half-elf
Occupation: Hunter, Scout, Bow for Hire

Personality: Nydris is the strong, quiet type; short on words, but means what he says when he talks. He is very at home alone in the woods, and sometimes an urban environment gets under his skin; especially a crowded market or inn.

Bio: At a young age Nyrdis' parents found him very comfortable in the woods. So comfortable that they found it hard to get him out; he would leave for days at a time, causing a clamor in the village as a search was conducted. To combat this, his parents apprenticed him to the local hunter and Ranger. Nyrdis grew to become a formidable tracker and hunter. He spent a few years earning his way through the world doing just that for mercenary armies. Finally making his way to the village around the inn, he makes his living providing fresh meat to all.

What's in your bag:
Longbow, quiver with 20 arrows
A fire starting kit
Skinning knife
Short sword
Sleeping blanket
Dresses in typical Ranger mottled green and brown

Extra: Has 2 river otter companions named "Truffles" and "Bucket"

[User]
Vesper
"Wearing some armour might help," A child suggested to Vesper once, "At least then you won't look like some scary ghost."

 Well, It's a little heavy sometimes, but at least now people can see me without being scared.

 Vesper sparked through the bar as his form levitated above the wooden surfaces. Those who were regulars since he got there were used to that prickly static sensation that drifted over their backs when he rushed by, but sometimes guests and newer people didn't really know how to act around the lightning-personified. The armor buzzed with sparks and glowed neon blue like the rest of him as he pulled a bucket in one hand along with a mop in the other.

 For someone that came into existence only a few years ago, with shockingly little information surrounding how the world worked, he did know how to work hard. In essence, he was created to be a servant, so things like sweeping and wiping tables and mopping floors came easily to him. Even now, just as the Lady Veda's glass shattered against the floor; he was there a moment later with the mop at the ready, though it seemed that they'd already solved the problem just as he arrived there.

 "Oh dear, a little slow on the upkeep, it seems," Vesper sighed as he let the mop droop down just a little bit.

 He'd been doing this for about a year now. Doing simple chores and odd jobs around the Inn to keep it looking tip-top. He rarely took requests on the board, and when he did usually it was to assist with research or simply to fetch something for someone else. To be honest, he only really did them for a sense of purpose. He didn't need to eat or sleep really. Usually, all he had to do was go into a storm every few months and recharge by pulling the lightning towards him. They kept him around because he was so willing to help out, and, well, the rest of the world didn't really know what to do for him.

 Plus, having a living incarnation of magickal energy around to scare off some unruly patrons was usually a good thing.

 In his moment of hesitation, he looked up to realize the man whose space he'd invaded. He tended to space out every now and again in his own reflection, leaving him staring both partially at the bartender and the man who was talking to Veda only moments before.

 "Oh, uh… Hello. I'm sorry for rushing in here like this and I hope I didn't surprise you!"

 His voice exudes a level of sincerity, the like of which is akin to an eager adolescent ready to take on the world, but the living plasma isn't quite ready for something like that yet.

[Assistant]
Taraah - Still waiting
Although she would not ever admit it to anyone, even herself, Taraah was enchanted by the pixie's true form. With her affinity for magic, the pixies looked even more ethereal than to a lesser creature like the humans. Her eyes kept tracking the little bug as he flown around her head. FOr a second there she thought about reaching out with her paw to catch the flickering ball of energy, perhaps taking him to her lair to decorate it - after all, he glittered much like a precious metal, but his motion (Not to mention his adoration of her being) made him uniquely desirable as a den ornament.

Still, the thought perished at the memory of her own kin's captivity by many a human wizard. Those egg thieves! How dare they put their filthy hands on the offspring of those second only to Gods! Perhaps for her next destination she should find a wizard tower and burn it to the ground. It would be a chore, but she would never forgive the fact that her very sister was taken! But nonetheless, she decided to let the beautiful creature fly free.

And speaking of mages, her senses were assaulted by a presence that came out of the Inn. Her magical sense was tingling - The man in front of her had enough magic flowing around and through him to best that of a dragon, and yet she couldn't feel it being actively directed - it was in fact more like an enchantment, on a far greater scale. To what purpose she couldn't tell, but it made her wary.

As if that did not suffice, the primate also besieged her ears with his likely drunken shouting and had the gall to ogle her like some kind of animal in one of their thematic gardens! She was not an object to be judged, like some kind of stable animal on a market!

Her eyes snapped back to the Pixie boy as he prepared to leave and to her delight expressed a desire to keep her company again. "In fact I insist upon it. Until then, may your path be safe, where ever it takes you." she gave him her blessing and turned back to the human.

Lowering her head to haze straight into his eyes from barely farther than the length of her snout, Taraah held her breath - He was clad in magic, his mouth produced annoying noises and his behavior was irritating, surely he also smelled awful, if only because the stench of the Inn and whatever existences dwelled inside would be all over him. Why in the world would someone of format like Mr. Montmorency or a person of beauty like the Pixie whose name she forgot to ask seek this establishment was beyond her.

"You reek of arcane, human. If you hope to claim me as a well of power, you will only find a quick demise!" she thought to him, her eerie mind-voice having an underlaid growl in it. "If you studied my kin like your knowledge of our exodus implies, you would know we do not have any love for your kind's magicians." Rearing her head back, she thought that perhaps inspiring some fear might do these parts of land some good after all. Instill some respect into the lesser beings. Perhaps she should barge in - make the entrance to the building a bit grander, perhaps not in style but definitely in size.

Thinking of the dear gentleman in a hat though Taraah grinned, her rows of spiky teeth baring slightly but enough to convince anyone who seen them that dying to her flame would be the preferable alternative. The dragoness focused her thoughts. The magic that coursed through her veins came to life, like another limb it reached out.

Inside the Inn, two eyeballs seemingly made out of fire would wisp into existence, imitating her gaze as she made them look form one end of the room to another, eventually falling on Scarper before her voice thundered across the mind of everyone inside.

"My patience grows thin!"
And with that the pair of flaming eyeballs flickered back into nothingness.

@Jin Of Mana @harinezumikouken @BlytheChi

[User]
Jin the Undying

Jin should have expected the response which the Dragon gave. Yet excitement distracted him from thinking about that. Deciding not to approach the comments of 'arcane' and him being 'magic'. Jin retorted. "Heh. That's right, the last dragon i spoke too, oh what was it." More than obviously, the man took a moment to think. "Right, thirty years ago." A nod of triumph was performed. "Yes. He also said very similar words to yours. Yet I didn't hear them from the fool until after our battle began. For he was not nearly as patient with me as you're being now. Which i thank you for." Yet a bit after finishing his sentence, a devious smirk entered his expression while speaking his next words. "But I assure you. If I really wanted a violent confrontation, I wouldn't of made my presence known before initiating a battle with you." The smirk he wore, was easily triggered anytime combat was thought of.

Though the look quickly faded. Expression was now, monotonous, his average tone. "But I digress. Not only do I not wish to use you as any source of power, Nor do i wish to fight. I merely came to see you. It's not an everyday occurrence that one gets to see a dragon. Ya kno'?" Right when someone would expect his talking to cease, his look of excitement came back. "OH. Also. That is, if you wish to give this information. I'd like to ask, why you are here? In these parts. The last dragon said he was far to old for long distance travel. But you look quiet young compared to him. So what gives? What binds you to these lands?" When it comes to Jin, curiosity can easily get the best of him. Jin doubted the Dragon would even continue speaking to him, considering the circumstance. But said situations or circumstances never stopped him before.

[Assistant]
"Oh, me?" She smiled, looking at the man with her green and blue eyes. She turned her body to face him and put her hands behind her back, her left hand inside her right. Many men found this pose attractive for some reason, especially when she twisted side to side slightly. She wasn't going to question what little tricks she could use to get free meals.

"Well, I used to be a princess, but I ran away from home because I didn't like it there anymore." She'd learned that most times, people had a set expectation about her. An orphan who got tired of sleeping on the streets, or an escaped slave, or a failed enchantress. Telling people the truth seemed to throw people off, making them believe it was just a cover story. It also gave her an edge, because she reasoned that most men would just love to tell their friends they've bedded a princess.

As she spoke to him, she glanced up and down at his arsenal, noting that he carried both a longsword and dagger. Smiling to herself, she breathed an internal sigh of relief and again touched the copper piece in her armwrap for comfort. She would be decently protected, at least. Motioning to the board with a nod, she asked "Do you see anything you like?" She made sure to phrase it that way, so the answer didn't necessarily have to mean the bounties. Men were prone to crass responses whenever she offered the opportunity.

At that moment, a pair of firey eyes appeared in the middle of the room, and a voice thundered through her head, so loud that it made her reflexively cover her ears, to no avail. She didn't understand why, but everything seemed brighter for a few moments after that. From an onlooker's perspective they would've seen her eyes seemingly glow, even though there was no light to reflect off them. Rather, light appeared to be coming from her eyes as the magic of the dragon's gaze mingled with that which lay dormant within her. Blinking a few times, trying to force her eyes to adjust and dealing with a new headache, she tried to direct her focus to the board, selecting a job at random and studying the paper. Hunting. Great. The headache flared up again, and she quietly said "excuse me" to the man standing next to her, stumbling slightly to the nearest chair.

[User]
Ocellus Aquilae

("Dear Lord, she's good! Maybe if she's not some sort of soul-sucking monster I could recruit her for this job... or have her around. Either is fine. She's a lovely woman. Could almost BELIEVE what she says.")

Ocellus smiled slightly, rubbing his scraggly beard as he stared at the board. Nothing in particular stood out to him aside from the largest, most central post, whereupon a decree by the Lord High Tax Collector was posted raising the monthly tithe from some obscene number to an even more obscene number. He wasn't sure that this elf was a thief, but he knew a self-made woman when he saw one, and she seemed like she had seen her fair share of intrigue. Only one way to test that...

("Mmmm... wait... what if she's an assassin come for me? Bah! Look at her, then! I bet that body could conceal... nary but two knives at most. And this must be true, for those folds on her legs..." Ocellus coughed, his face contorted into something of worry, "She is armed, and she doesn't want anyone to know she's armed. Dangerous, dangerous. What a game I play, eh?")

"Well... these all look all fine and good to me, but there's nothing up there that's quite as interesting as what's down--are you all right?" The woman was having conniptions! No, wait--she's not. But he saw... those were eyes that couldn't be humanoid. No elf, no human could have had those... and for a moment at least she almost seemed animalian. Ocellus pressed on regardless of his trepidation of the woman, because after all it wouldn't matter much anyways whether she killed him or not. It was bound to be some woman eventually (though he suspected that woman from Hyre would have done him in, with all that drama and whatnot).

He proffered a canteen of water and handed it to the elf, his brows knit with calculated concern: "You all right, darlin'?" These words are spoken lightheartedly and with a smile, but they lack the seductive, arrogant tone of before.

[Assistant]
Nyrdis knocked on the back door hard because of all of the racket that the dragon had made. "I wonder what brought one of the Great Wyrms to this area?", he mused. Shaking his head, he knocked again, this time wrapping on the skull of the man who opened the door.

"Whayadda want?", the man growled. "I have this side of hart to sell, or perhaps trade for lodging and meals." I am an excellent hunter, and can provide meat to the Inn."

"Okay, you'll do.", the man growled. "I'm Sid, the cook." he said. " Come and look for me in the morning. "If not me, then Miss Veda."

Nydris hung the meat on a hook. "Thank you, Master Sid.", he said as he moved through the doors to the Great Room.


[System]
Description:

Civilization: Age of War - Few eras came before this chaotic age. In the beginning, exploration and knowledge of the past was key in obtaining a life beyond simply surviving. Villages and towns started springing up in areas where ancient artifacts were discovered. After a few short years of research, some cultures began to change based on what they had found, developing into many separated kingdoms. Each of those that flourished had one thing in common; keeping the knowledge they had found, a secret. Conflict was quick to grow and the leaders of each unique kingdom organized a greater military presence, both to protect the artifacts that aided them, and to forcefully obtain those of their enemies. Generations passed with no one gaining advantage over another, until scrolls and books had been found from what the discoverer could tell, was the first era. The Final Kings and Queens of the Age of War gathered on a single battlefield, each thinking they now had a power over all other kingdoms. A greater force was at play behind the scenes and created the biggest graveyard in the known histories.

Bio: Kritz was born fifty years before his civilizations final moments. He was raised as a soldier in the Alerian Kingdom, which had used the ancient technique of bestowing the worlds essences into everyday items like trinkets and weapons. Kritz, along with his fellow soldiers, trained tirelessly with weapons able to release small bursts of elemental magics. He fought at the front line of many battles, only to return home empty handed. After years of mindless fighting, Kritz abandoned his home in search of meaning. He crossed paths with a traveling elderly who would eventually train Kritz in the art of blacksmithing. It seemed to be a natural talent and had joined the old mans group called Smiths Company.

 As a traveling Bladesmith, Kritz picked up many tricks to further advance his craft, which he learned from other kingdoms. His most famous series of weapons, Which was a concept of his late mentor, were weapons able to change form through the use of small mechanisms built inside. In his later years, Kritz was contracted by a Mage King who offered to unlock hidden potential within him in exchange for a new weapon made with that power. Kritz agreed and when informed of what his new ability was, he was off to understand it and keep up his end of the deal. He returned a month later with a staff sword attuned to the wind element, and greatly amplified by fusing his blood with the weapon; a process he called Blood Forge

 Over the next few years, Kritz crafted many weapons through blood forging, mostly for Kings and Queens along with their highest commanding officers. He was highly sought out and became known as The Bloodsmith when he left Smith Company.

Affiliations: Smith Company, The Bloodsmith

Equipment on death: Nothing

Abilities: -Bladesmith
- Blood Amplification
-Blood Manipulation

Adversaries:

Reason for death: King Ferro of Montille had contracted Kritz to make a special weapon. This weapon would replace the left arm of the King, which had been removed during a battle with a neighboring Kingdom. When it came time to perform the Blood Forge, Kritz presented a metal arm. At the request of the King, this arm was to possess no magical properties. Another request was that the King witnessed the final process. When it came time to perform the Blood Forge, Kritz presented a metal arm. The King then said an enchantment unfamiliar to the Bloodsmith. After the king was done, Kritz was struck in the back of the head. When he came to, he was hanging upside down, over the metal arm. The King told him the power that would be imbued into the arm would be his own. Kritz looked at the arm to see his name written on the forearm. The King of Montille then slit Kritz' throat and watched as the blood blanketed the arm. As he started to go, Kritz heard a voice deep in the darkness to which he headed. It was not the voice of the King that betrayed him, but of one that assured him that nothing was over... yet.

 It felt like an eternity, but Kritz had somehow awoken, unable to move. It didn't take long to realize that he was trapped inside the metal arm.

Personality: Normally patient, but with his ability being what it is, it can sometimes be quite erratic.

[User]
Sunumi

 She gazed at the wall as the massacre unfolded, finding no comfort in senseless slaughter, yet understanding its inevitability. The blood splashed against the faded stone, dripping slowly as the last body fell, Kritz claiming his own. He was always one to jest, but at least when he was joking her was manageable. "I can see much deeper than that puppet you wear," she reminded him, "and I'm afraid that no accessory that could pull away from the ugliness that is your soul."

 The words were harsh, she had become harsh, but sweetness worked less and less in a growingly hostile world. There was a time when the man would listen to reason, a time when she would have even considered him amongst the living, but that was eons ago, and she had his wickedness extinguished more times than she could count. Still, Kritz could have been of use.

 "You know," Sunumi said, walking past the arm, inspecting the blood closely as she followed the cool air to the next set of halls that would free her from the temple, "no matter how many times we play this game, we always end up here." Her fingers traced the doorway, as if she was searching for some something more in the mossy stone. "That can't be by accident, right?"

 Her hand dropped, gripping the other in comfort as she turned to Kritz, allowing the smallest vulnerability as she peered through his vessel. "I don't just want to win," she explained, thinking of that that looked like throughout the years, "I want to win for good. I'm tired, Kritz. I'm tired, and I want it to be over," she peered to arm, acknowledging it for the first time since the swap. "For good this time. Don't you?"

[Assistant]
"Of course it's not by accident," Kritz confirmed. He thought about all the times Sunumi had trapped him in some way or another. Even the times she hadn't, Kritz always found his way back to this very temple. It was always by accident. Strange for someone who has been around the world many, many times. He questioned, "You think I end up here by choice? As much as I've grown to adore that colorless face of yours, I just want to sleep." He followed her through the hall as he spoke. Once they walked through the double stone door, Kritz looked up to find the moon. It was full, bright, and just about to hide itself behind the towering mountain side. It wouldn't be long before the moon's radiance was filtered out by the jagged earth that surrounded the duo.

 "It can all end," he said. "But one thing needs to change from all the other times." He smiled big. "I'm coming with you. So no more of your fancy little traps." Kritz continued walking, heading for the exit of the narrow crevasse. As the light quickly began fading, he looked at Sunumi and chuckled under his breath. Failing to ignore it, she grimaced.

 "Sorry," he joked. "I was just thinking about how dark it was about to get, until I realized that you're basically a flashlight." He chuckled some more. After a few more steps and inching closer to the exit of the first valley, Kritz glanced back to the temple. Darkness seemed to radiate from the entrance. He pondered for a moment. "Have you ever thought about destroying the place we always come back to?"

[User]
Sunumi

 "Destroy the temple?" she questioned, glancing back at the rocky gate. Of all the times she had arrived, the option never occurred to her. The cycle never stated with a temple, nor was it the origin of her sin, the place was merely where the veil was the thinnest. If destroyed, there was no doubt in her head that some unsuspecting mortals would build another, the same way all old magics managed to find their way back into the worst hand. Fate was unyielding, and here she was, trying to bend it in her favor. It was stupid, but maybe he was right, even if for purely symbolic reasons. "You know, you just might be onto something, lefty. If this going to work, I'm going to need to be a little more like you, and you're going to need to be a little more like me. Whatever that equates to, I'm sure it is going to scare the hell out of the stone."

 The moon's light bathed her every minute she was in it's site. It never took long to find her grace, but nights such as this made Sunumi particularly dangerous. The necklace radiated as she closed her eyes and let the energy in. Her mind opened, searing the past for the memory she needed, a name to call, a name that still might linger in the world today, waiting to find purpose once more. "There it is," she whispered, looking up to Kritz. "But it might sting a bit."

 Sunumi knew by the look on his face that Kritz could remember who she was to call, and how she used against him. Even so, he didn't protestest as she called out, "Terra, mother of Earth, grace us with your beauty." Her left hand found get necklace, grasping its reserves as her right channeled a thick white light ahead, flowing a singular entity that slow took form.

 A woman rose from the light, skin of bark and long vibrant wines sprouting from her head and wrapping around her like a thin coat of armor. The woman was disoriented at first, but her demenor changed when her sights met Sunumi, then quickly diverting to Kritz. "My lady, mistress of the night, giver of life, protector of the pure, have you summoned me again to rid the world of this.. this metallic abomination?"

 "Not at all," she interjected, not unknowing on how the fight would ultimately be settled. Terra was no god, not really, just a person that had pushed the limits of humanity too far, and become something else in the process. She was born of one of the few ages that respected magic for its true form, and had grown an attachment to Sunumi when she arrived at the end, and helped vanquish the rise titans, as they were called, Terra included. "I'm afraid we don't have much time, not yet, but I do have a favor to ask of you." Sunumi glance at Kritz, and then the temple, affirming her decision. "Destroy this place, bury the temple under so much earth that not even Kritz will live to see it again." She walked to the woman, cupping her delicate fingers against Terra's toughened chin, "can you do this for me?

 Terra's arm reached up to grasp Sunumi's, her eyes never leaving her. "Of course I can," she acknowledged, retreating her grip and turning to the temple. "You will have no more comfort, stone," Terra yelled, as the vines untangled from her body and pierced the ground. "You have betrayed me, betrayed my people, and you shall have no more shelter now." The grew larger from the base as they dug deeper into the ground.

 The earth shifted, forcing Sunumi to find her balance before meeting the ground. A rumble bellowed ahead, as the sides of the crevasse lost their form, threatening to fill from above. "Kritz," Sunumi yelled, coming to a careful dash as soon as the words left her mouth. Step by step she propelled further, until she felt a shock of air blast her from behind. The girl tumbled to the ground, rolling forward and out to a clearing where the mountains opened up. She felt a sting as she inched her leg back into place, her glimmering essence dripping from the wound. 'I'm still too weak,' she thought to herself, giving herself a moment before attempting to lift herself from the ground. The toll was too much, even under a full moon, yet somehow she was able to roll herself over, propping herself up enough to see the leveled land that was behind her. "Subtle," she laughed, almost forgetting that she could. "Subtle," she said one more time, before dropping back and catching the moonlight, while the sky still allowed it to glow.

[Assistant]
Deja vu struck Kritz as soon as the mountains began to crumble. It was not at all unlike the time Terra had buried him under the crushing weight of earth so long ago. He waddled backwards while he watched the scene unfold. Sunumi yelled to him, and without thinking he dodged back. He avoided a boulder falling from the sky, but where he landed, another found him. Fortunately for Kritz, the metal arm that was his vessel was the only body struck. The meat suit was safely out from under the rock that pinned Kritz at the forearm. He'd have screamed in pain, but the metal arm felt nothing. A few moments of earth crashing to the earth had passed when he heard the muffled voice of Sunumi. Rubble? Krits thought to himself. Way to state the obvious.

 A determined battle roar escaped from somewhere beneath the crumbled mountain. A single boulder struggled to slowly rise above the rest. Underneath, A barely visibly crimson aura surrounded the metal arm that held the hulkish rock. It rocked from side to side before finally taking one last plunge to the ground. Kritz climbed onto the highest peak of all the piles and yelled, "NOT THIS TIME YOU VINEY BITCH." When he scoured the area, he realized that she had disappeared. "Hmph," he mocked. "Not even a 'Your so very welcome, Masters.'" Kritz looked to where the entrance had been and witnessed Sunumi taking a break. He headed over.

 Kritz snickered when he approached a lying Sunumi. Blood soaked through the black shirt under Kritz' green leather vest. It had spilled from the shoulder of the metal arm when he was trapped. "She was..." he paused for a brief moment to choose his next words. "Very rude," he finished while shaking his head. Then he smiled a devious grin. "You want some company down there?"


[System]
Leda Storm
Character Quote: "When it rains, look for rainbows. When it's dark, look for stars."

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Character Summary
Aliases: Leddie, Princess Rainbow Unicorn
Age: 16
Birthday: November 28th, 2002
Ethnicity: British
Birth Place: Los Angeles, California
Godly Parent: Iris
Cabin Number: Cabin 14; Year Round Camper
How Many Years At Camp: Two
Gender: Female
Occupation At Camp: Shrine Maintenance and Upkeep
Languages: English, Ancient Greek, Spanish

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Appearance
Height: 5'8"
Weight: 120 pounds
Body Type: Skinny
Eye Color: Blue
Hair Color: Blonde (Rainbows)
Skin Tone: Tanned (Rainbows)
Tattoos/Scars/Piercings: Scars on her knees
Personal Style: Leda generally will wear a jean jacket, a tie-dyed Camp Halfblood t-shirt, white shorts, and converse sneakers. Any deviation from that usually means that her grandparents are coming to visit her in the United States and they tend to expect a little higher dress for outings. She loves to style her hair and explore with various colors, which makes sense given her godly parent. Of course, even if it is fashionable, it has to be comfortable and practical or she won't wear it. Heels for example are out - monsters would so show up to fight the instant she put them on and she does not want to get permanent blisters.

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Psychology
Creative * Idealistic * Empathetic * Careless * Insightful * Two-Faced

Sexuality: Bisexual
Relationship Status: Dating Rebecca Eventide, Daughter of Hecate
Personality: (One paragraph or more)
Fatal Flaw: Excessive/Personal loyalty
Habits: Fidgeting, braiding and unbraiding her hair
Hobbies: Running
Fears:
* Wasps
* Enclosed Spaces
* Complete Darkness

Likes:
* Reading
* Nature
* Wide Open Areas
* Marshmallows
* Colors
* Sweets
* Celestial Auroras
* Design and Construction
* Comic Books
* Thunderstorms

Dislikes:
* Tripping (fuck you, Zeke)
* Dismissal of any god/goddess
* Bigots
* Modernism
* DC Movies
* Any man who tells her to calm down
* Coffee
* Cliques

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Skills
Demigod Abilities:
* Superhuman Speed
* Rainbow Manipulation

General Skills:
* Greek Mythology
* Singing
* First Aide
* Weaving
* Lock Picking
* Driving (Car)

Combat Skills:
* Sword-Fighting
* Agility
* Endurance
* Flexibility

Magic Item:
* Enchanted Compass: It always points where to go, as long as a question has been asked.
* Ultraviolet: Celestial bronze sword disguised as a necklace, gives off a faint hue that varies depending on Leda's mood

What Do They Carry On Them:
* Clothing - Denim jacket, camp necklace, tie-dyed camp shirt, white shorts, black converse, rainbow socks
* Purse/Wallet - 20 Gold Drachma, picture of her grandparents, $100, £50, driver's license, lucky silver Drachma
* Celestial Bronze Sword (appears as her necklace)
* Witch's Pendant - gift from her girlfriend, Rebecca
* Swiss Army Knife - Celestial Bronze
* Light purple backpack
* Baggie of Ambrosia Squares
* Assorted Twinkies
* Water Bottle
* Enchanted Compass
* Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Possessions In Cabin:
* British and American Passports
* Wardrobe of Winter and Summer Clothing
* Shrine Maintenance Kit
* A crate full of Twinkies
* Letter from her mortal mother; unopened
* Kindle
* Celestial Bronze Sword
* Remaining Harry Potter books
* Polaroid Camera
* iPod
* Earbuds

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History
Biography Leda was adopted by her grandparents, as her mother was deemed unfit to raise a child. She was too free spirited and flighty, claiming that Leda didn't have a father and that her mother was a goddess. It was strictly speaking nonsense. Contact from her mother was forbidden and since she a little under two years old when her grandparents took her in, Leda didn't really feel like she missed out on much growing up. She loved her grandparents dearly and they took good care of her - so what that she didn't know her mother or father?

Her grandparents were rather rich and wealthy Brits, living in southern England. They paid for her to attend the very best schools, especially when she was diagnosed with severe dyslexia and ADHD. She could never quite sit still. Her teachers complained that although she was sweet and bright, she was wild and undisciplined. There was some improvement when she joined a running club, discovering that she was easily faster than anyone her age. Yet when she could easily outrun all the other kids without breaking a sweat, she was accused of using performance enhancing drugs and kicked out of the school.

This pattern kept on happening, causing Leda to withdraw slightly into herself. She quit running and would instead sneak out of her house in the middle of the night. Her grandparents, while good to her, were fairly easy to trick as they were getting rather old. She didn't really have any friends and of course, that meant that she had more than enough bullies. One night the bullies were chasing her and she was heading for the water - and something told her to take that leap of faith. She dashed across the water's surface, going faster than she ever had before, as if she were some sort of superhero.

She had never been happier than in that moment.

How Long Have They Been At Camp Half-Blood: Leda didn't tell anyone at first. They would think she was insane - she even went to comic book stores, reading about the Flash and trying to figure out how she could run so quickly. Unfortunately, her scent grew stronger and attracted a group of Empousai. They cornered her in the locker rooms at her school and would have killed her, had her powers not triggered and she blasted them with rainbow light. The monsters crumbled into dust and a satyr located her soon after, taking her to Camp Half-Blood.

As a daughter of Iris, she feels safe staying at camp year round. The entire concept that she didn't actually have a father but rather a divine mother still confuses her... Yet given that Iris doesn't have a cult of worship, Leda has gotten interested in the restoration and maintenance of shrines to all gods and goddesses, minor and major. She created one for her mother.

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Additional Information
Theme Song: E.T. by Katy Perry
Extra Information:
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.

[User]
Kristin Reynolds

Location: Comedy Club, Houston, Texas
Skills: N/A

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Kristin looked at Zeke wondering what his plan actually was at the moment, she looked over towards the windows high above the auditorium seeing some movement there, as they took up positions nearby, seeing that they were the Hunters. She moved over towards Leda and Zeke and whispered to them. "Artemis' hunters are nearby." She said to them before taking a few steps back looking over at Marsyays who then looked at Calliope. "Nope, not letting her go she can judge using her eyes!" Marsyays yelled back as the cyclops looked a little bit bored after waiting forever. "Can we just eat them now?" One of them called out as the satyr gave the one cyclops who said that and gave him an annoyed glare before turning his attention back to Zeke.

"I'll let her go if you can beat me in a dance off, and I challenge the son of Apollo. If you win i'll let her go, and if I win my one eyed friends get to have their feast." Marsyays said crossing his arms over his chest as Kristin looked at Zeke and couldn't help but snort slightly as far as she knew Zeke never danced at all. "We are so dead." She muttered to herself.

[Assistant]
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🌈 Leda Storm 🌈

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Location: Houston, Texas
Skills: N/A

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 Leda snickered slightly at the notion of Zeke having to compete in a dance off. At least it spared them from having to hear his singing skills. And it did mean they wouldn't need to handle the impossible horde of cyclopses - even with the Hunters of Artemis lying in wait, it would be a difficult fight. There wasn't much she and Kristin could do to support Zeke in this endeavor, but then she realized something. Monsters usually were a bit thick. Marysas probably wasn't any different.

 "Oh Marysas, we all know it's no contest between you and this puny kid of Apollo. I mean, he couldn't even handle a baby cyclops earlier today. And at Camp Half-blood, we all pretty much just get annoyed by him and wish that he would leave. So honestly, in this dance off, I'm rooting for you mate. And once you beat Zeke, you can even challenge his disaster bi of a father. And let's be real, Apollo's been resting on his laurels for too long. He's out of shape. He's got flab," Leda said. Lord Apollo if you heard this I am so fricking sorry I do not mean it at all! "But how can we appreciate the amazing victory you're about to have in this lit af dance off if the judge can't speak? How can Calliope praise your sick moves if she can only move her eyes? I want to hear her praise you and lift you up. And more importantly, I want to hear her roast Zeke."

[User]
Ezekiel Kel

Location: Comedy Club - Houston, Texas
Skills:

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 Ezekiel tried not to look nervous or worried when Marsyas challenged him to a dance off. How the hell was he supposed to manage a dance off? His father was a god of poetry and music, not dancing. He plastered a grin on his face, hoping to fake it until he made it. [i]Dad, seriously if you can hear this Apollo, some help would be greatly appreciated with beating this guys ass. He opened his mouth to answer when Leda spoke up, supposedly helping. He looked over at her, annoyed. "Hey!" he protested, growing annoyed with her insults and downers. He handled that baby cyclops just fine, she knows that. Oh wait. Ezekiel crossed his arms in annoyance but understood what Leda was doing now. The gods after all were vain, why wouldn't their creatures be the same and prone to praise.
 "They do say a dancer is only as good as their audience cheering," he noted and looked back at Marsyas. "What harm could it do? Not even my companions think I will win." He shot Leda a look for good measure and that was not faked at all.

[Assistant]
Kristin Reynolds

Location: Comedy Club, Houston, Texas
Skills: N/A

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Marsyays stared down at both Leda and Zeke as the two of them spoke and instantly shook his head, he knew what they were actually doing and he wasn't going to fall for it at all. "Noooope, nope, I am NOT falling for that i'm not vain like all of your moms and dads are at all." He said, as he looked at Calliope who still remained calm for the most part despite her current predicament. Kristin looked at Zeke and Leda letting out a little bit of an annoyed sigh as she started to think of an idea. "At least let us speak on her behalf then, it's only fair." Kristin said, as Marsyays thought for a moment before relenting and nodded. "Fiiiine." Marsyays said, as he motioned for three of the cyclops to grab them. One of them was grabbing Zeke by the back of his shirt and plopped him down right in front of the crazed looking satyr.

The other two cyclops gently set Kristin and Leda down by the bound Muse, but they remained rather close to the three of them, just in case the two demigods did anything suspicious. "While they are dancing, and distracted then we break her free." Kristin whispered to Leda, as Marsyays stared at Zeke and smirked a bit. "Since it's my show i'll go first, and if you do anything you three are cyclops food." Marsyays said as he burst out into a breakdance as Kristin watched she was actually impressed since he had hooves and all which she assumed made moving around really hard.

[User]
🌈 Leda Storm 🌈

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Location: Houston, Texas
Skills: Superspeed

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 Leda didn't actually expect that Marysas would be able to beat Zeke easily, but that definitely seemed to be the case. Did Zeke even know how to breakdance? Maybe Apollo could sneakily come and possess his son or something just to make things a bit more fair and even in this match. At any rate though, that was Zeke's problem and not hers. Kristin had proposed a plan of action for them to take - while Marysas and Zeke were dancing, they'd free Calliope. There wasn't a situation that superspeed couldn't improve, especially when it came to stealth, so Leda moved as fast as she could over to the Stolen Muse and untied her.

 Unfortunately, just as Leda darted back to resume her innocent pose, she realized Marysas had seen her. Not only could he bust a sick move, but he could also see people moving at superhuman speeds. Maybe he was a minor god or something at this point - or he just had really good eyesight. Maybe that was why he employed cyclopses - their eyes sucked, his were great, so it evened out. "You okay there, mate?" Leda asked Marysas, playing dumb.


[System]
Age: 24.
Hair: Brown.
Eyes: Brown.
Weight: 210 pounds
Classification: Magic user – summoner.
Powers: Can summon physical objects to him, and teleport object he had in his hands to a place. The objects must be visible, or he must have a very pristine mental image of where they are to be able to do so. Using his magic taxes him physically and mentally based on the frequency of use and the size of the object.

Picture:

Bio: Tom was born and raised around Chicago and joined the Marine Corps, serving for 4 years. He got out and eventually went to school and in the middle of transitioning from school to working, the world changed. Out of nothing but curiosity, he took a government test to see if he was imbued with any SN power and it was discovered that he was.
His military training made it an easy transition into the government job and he was tutored by a League teacher in the ways of a summoner. Most of his powers center around him being able to summon things to him but he can also additionally summon things he touched and have them appear elsewhere, so long as he has a pristine mental picture of the location.

As a kid, Tom's father left and he was essentially working to help his mother pay for the bills around the house. His mother was a huge part of her life, but she'd passed away several years ago.

Personality: Contrary to his background and abilities, he's somewhat of a quiet individual and some would call him a closet nerd as in his off time, he plays video games, talks about comics and the such. While generally silent and insulated initially, he's one of the most selfless, duty orientated individual and extremely loyal to those who he calls friends.

[User]
Emily, who just had enough with Christy's liberal way of introducing herself, loudly sighed and turned her head away from the disaster that she felt played out before her eyes. Of course, anyone who had taken the opportunity to properly get to know Emily knew that she never had any bad intentions—and her honest approach could be quite amusing—but sometimes, she wasn't really careful with how she presented herself. "Well, I better get going then", she said, raising her hand to silence everyone. "Even though I've already met you and whatnot. I'm Emily, Emily Soto, and I'm just like you. No fun powers going on here, but I reckon I do a pretty darn good job anyway. When I'm not here I'm probably at home taking care of my boys." With the last words, her harsh tone softened and she even let out a slight smile. Unlike most of her colleagues, she deliberately avoided any gimmicks, and sank back in her chair as soon as she was done.

Glancing around the room, Audrey's eyes met Nicholas', who kindly gestured with his hand at her. "Ladies first."

Audrey jumped up in her seat and pulled her hair back as if she needed preparation for her presentation. Waving her hand in the air, she started. "Hi there, I'm Audrey. I'm actually so happy to have you here. Gives all these people someone else to pick on—I'm kinda new too. As you can probably tell, this isn't always the easiest place to work at, but don't be afraid to bite back when they tug at you."

Realising that she hadn't said anything about herself, Audrey hastily continued. "I'm just an ordinary girl too, just like Emily, except I haven't got any kids. I love hiking and sailing though, so if you're into that, cool! Uh, I've moved a lot but spent most of my time in Virginia... and I kinda ended up here by accident."

Noticing how some people in the room were struggling to hide their condescending smiles, Audrey could see what everyone else was already thinking, but she hoped that they would spare her any remarks asking whether, if by accident, she meant her father. Luckily, before anyone could say anything else, Nicholas cleared his throat. "I'm Nicholas Forster. If you ever want to hear my life story, I'll drag you all the way back to the Little Red Dot in the early 20's", he smiled slightly. "That is, I was born in Singapore quite a while ago. Yes, yes, I know you're probably wondering why I look like I do, and yes, you're right, I'm indeed a vampire."

"Meaning that one does bite for real, so watch out", Audrey threw in as she smirked and winked jokingly at a chuckling Nicholas.

"But I wouldn't worry if I were you, Stan. If you're keen on nicknames, you may call me Nick, but I do prefer my full name. I'm an old man, you know, and my dear old mother would be shamed to find out that people didn't take the time to call me by my full name. " With those words, Nicholas nodded in Skye's direction. "You're next, young lady."

"Well, you know my name already." Nonetheless, the sudden thought hit her that the poor guy was probably flooded with impressions—new names and smiling faces, Christy throwing herself at him and Tom showing off his abilities—so she repeated it again to be sure. The young woman was already taking her commitment as his partner seriously. Rather than recounting anything specific about herself, she launched into explaining that she and Stan would work together. "I don't know how much you've been told, but I'm guessing not a lot. I just heard that you'll be my partner for a while, so you'll be stuck with me. It shouldn't be too bad though, I'm an enhancer, so if we work together we could do some neat stuff. I'm pretty nifty with healing too, so don't you worry about getting hurt", she said, disregarding that a fear of pain was probably not all too developed within a former Marine and cop. "What else… I was born and raised in Connecticut, but now I live just a couple of blocks from here."

Although she had decided that that was enough introduction for the day, Skye ended her presentation with a closed-lip smile. "Please don't hesitate to ask me anything if you're feeling lost."

As soon as Skye had finished her introduction, it did not take long before Audrey looked anticipatively at Ken again. "So, boss, what's on the agenda today?"

[Assistant]
Ken looked around the room as the last person went through their intro, mentally shaking his head at the antics, but also taking a slight appreciation for it. No one liked working in an environment that was like working in a graveyard, or one filled with competition and negativity. He, and most likely all of the others, would take this over those any day. And truth be told, he was happy about the group and the way they worked. He had no complaints, besides maybe a slight lack of professionalism, but when it mattered, they could fake their way through it long enough.

He took one last moment to put things together in his head and then put his elbows on the table. "Ok, as mentioned, Asselta you're going to run with Humes. No case immediately, spend a few hours showing him around here and all that before you pick a case, and run it by me. James, we're going to finish up our case. Groves, Mashinski, Mareno, you all are working that case with the human trafficking with the state troopers, get back to it. And Forster, you and Soto are still closing out your case, try to get that done in a few days. Keep me briefed on it. Nothing crazy. Keep in mind this next Monday and Tuesday are a sweep slash warrant day." There was a chorus of groans at that bit of information. Sweep/warrant days meant rounding up SNs that needed to be checked on, serving warrants, checking leads on fugitive SNs and other things of that nature. Basically, a bunch of phone calls, door knocks, greetings, and people telling the agents they didn't know where whoever they were looking for way. It was a big game of chasing one's tail. Best cast scenario, they find a person--but that was rare.

"If no one else has anything, fall out."

[User]
While the others returned to their work, Skye immediately took Stan for a tour of the building. Throughout the first half of the day, Skye busied herself with showing her new partner around the facilities and introducing him to a couple of people from other units that he would most likely collaborate with at one point or another. The people from Tactical, most of them guys with a background that resembled Stan's, were almost all of them quite easy-going, fun and caring once one got past their crass attitude. There was also the administrative group who, although they often seemed tiresomely meticulous with paperwork, actually deserved a lot of credit for the massive amount of work they had been dealing with ever since the ASA had been launched.

If Skye had doubted that Stan would remember all the names of his own team members, she highly suspected that he hardly even tried to process all of the information she threw at him. She foresaw that he would probably run and ask her questions that she had already answered, but she made a silent promise to herself to be as understanding as possible. Skye knew that it was hard being thrown into an eclectic group of people and expected to get to work at once. In fact, she hardly remembered her first days at the ASA herself, only that she had been incredibly overwhelmed.

After the tour, Skye decided to go ahead with a case that seemed relatively straightforward, and, while perhaps not particularly exciting, would give Stan the opportunity to grow into his role. Quite frankly, Skye also chose the case for her own sake. She had never led anyone new and wanted to make sure that she kept her head above water. While she had worked for the agency for a couple of years, she had always been kept under the guidance of one of the more experienced agents—especially the recently departed idiot who Skye, although she disliked him, must admit had been quite good at his work.

Suddenly erupting from another door into the room where she had left Stan, Skye waved a folder crammed with papers at her new partner. "Here we go. I just briefed it with Agent Granderson and it should be alright for the two of us—nothing major, just something to get you into this whole thing that we do here." Skye opened the folder, but before looking through the papers she gazed gravely with her light green eyes at Stan. "Honestly, I have no idea how experienced you are with investigations of this kind, but you'll get the hang of it. It's really not that complicated, and once you get into it, I promise it gets really interesting—perhaps not this case, but it usually does. It's nothing like working in Tactical, where it's all brawns—here you might get a bit of that, but it's mostly your head doing all the hard work."

She gave him another one of her slightly visible smiles, mentally biting her tongue not to make a rude comment about his background in the military and the police probably making him a better fit for Tactical, before pulling out the first paper in the file. "Take a look at this. It's a complaint filed by a woman who's property has been ravaged by what she suspects is a supernatural." Skye couldn't help but to roll her eyes at the thought that ever since the supernaturals were revealed, mundanes had become too quick to judge animals or oddballs to be cases of supernatural people, while most of the time, weird occurrences had perfectly normal explanations. Often, that judgment could have severe consequences on either people's lives or the cluttered work schedules of already busy ASA teams across the country. "Apparently it's not the first time this has happened in the neighbourhood".

Pulling out another paper, she read on. "Another victim reports that there is this old man in a neighbourhood close to town who's been acting weird lately—throwing tantrums and behaving aggressively, even threatening people. According to the source, the old man has always been a bit of a recluse, so it might just be anxious neighbours, but he has never been aggressive. Recently, the man was reported lost, but the property damage reports have continued. The rumour around the neighbourhood is that he has turned into some kind of were-beast still running around—you know how people talk, it's ridiculous. Hopefully though, his neighbours are wrong, and there's some animal living in the area and the old man might just have a case of severe dementia kicking in, in which case he shouldn't do the Test or report to the League of Magic, but simply go to the hospital."

She handed Stan the papers and continued without waiting for any intervention from his side. "Anyway, there's a lot of things we can do from here. Talk to people, ask around, look for evidence, examine any records or lawsuits related to the man, you know the drill. I suggest we start as we usually do once all the paperworks' started—head out into the area and take a look around. If we're lucky, we might see something interesting or meet someone who can tell us something. Either way, it's always good to get acquainted with your case."

Skye looked curiously at him, as if she was testing to see whether he would be brave enough to go against any of her conclusions and suggestions, or facile enough to go with the flow. She wasn't sure which option she preferred.

[Assistant]
The first half of the day was what Stan would consider dull and uneventful. He met people but forgot most of them and what they did, and was sure they did the same and would not remember who he was if he seen them tomorrow at the office, or tonight in the bar. It was nice to get a better grasp of the grounds though, so he was appreciative of that. Then came the part he was looking forward to the most: business. Actual business.

Truth be told he wasn't happy at the nature of the case, but it wasn't like he wasn't used to it, or expecting otherwise. Even when he was in good graces with units, there were slow days and slam dunk cases that needed to be made. Sometimes, the day consisted of simply busting a drug dealer on a corner because it was that kind of day. He also knew every day wasn't shaking down crime lords, extortion rings, or chasing down cold blooded killers. Some days, there were no doors that needed to be kicked down.

And, he was the new guy. He smirked, thinking about his old training officer. She told him, "starting at a new department is like dating a prude. You don't get to stick your dick in the first day. You start off slow."

He didn't say much after Skye finished with her case introduction and instead busied himself looking through the file at pictures, statements, and reports. He flipped back and forth a few times, raising an eyebrow curiously. Something seemed to be screaming out at him from his psyche but he couldn't quite lock it down.

"Why don't we go take a look around the suspect's house first Agent Asselta? Best case, he's home. Worst case, we see if we can get some profile up on him, find something telling, or maybe even remove him as a suspect. But going to the areas, the witnesses, we won't get anything new. The pictures will be the same, the damage will probably be removed or cleaned, and the witnesses will say the same thing."

They made it to the car as he finished and they stopped a few feet in front of it. "I mean, sorry Agent Asselta. I didn't mean to just commandeer things. I just, I guess I know how things move like this, at least where I have been." He stood there somewhat awkwardly and waited to see if she'd be driving or if he would.


[System]
Age: 16
Rank: II
Nationality: German
Weapon: Twin short swords
Gear: A modified messengers bag that hooks over his left shoulder and rests on his right hip. It has specially placed sheaths for both of his weapons. But mainly it is used so he can have access to the various nicknacks he carries, along with a good amount of bandages, gauze, and suturing tools.

Appearance: Roughly standing at 6'7 and weighing roughly 215pounds, Raine is a fairly tall, lanky teenager. His hair is relatively long, going well past his shoulders and half-way down his back, falling in uneven blackish-blue locks. He often keeps it braided though or tied back or has a thick headband on, it is rare for him to leave it unmanaged. His eyes are pale green, which match rather well with his pale skin and lightly freckled cheeks. With his skin seeming to lack much color, despite the amount of sun he gets, it is very easy to see the countless scars that dot his body. Most of them are pale pink and old, though some are just a few shades whiter than his skin itself. Most of them take the shape of claw and bite marks. There are quite a few of them, though they do not often get seen.

As far as clothing goes, Raine is often found to be lacking in any kind of fashion sense. He doesn't like suits in the slightest, it is hard, if not impossible to get him to wear one. He is most often found in what most would call common-wear, consisting of long sleeved T-shirts, hoodies and jackets, baggy shorts, and anything else he finds comfortable. And quite often these objects of clothing do not match, either.

Personality: Quiet with a rather rich inner-world, Raine doesn't often initiate a conversation or speak up unless it is absolutely necessary. He mostly expresses himself through his facial features and body language, which is very expressive most of the time if people look, its easy to catch him smirking or dragging his feet in irritation. He is truly a very friendly and accepting fellow of everyone, always enjoying watching those around him with great interest. It is hard, if not nearly impossible to actually anger or irritate him. He is more likely to burst into tears rather than he is to start yelling, though.

History: Around the time Raine five, he was found by a Knight in an abandoned home while on a hunt for a Warlock. It was by a spur of bad luck that the monster had used young Raine to lure the Knight in for the kill. Or well, that was what its plan had been. But instead the Knight turned the tables on the monstrosity and managed to destroy it, at the cost of nearly loosing an arm. It was at that time in Raine's child-filled panic that caused his light to show itself, managing to not only mend the woman's arm, but also tending to his own gashes and cuts that the creature had caused when coercing him to be bait. Since it was unknown if he had family or where he was from, Raine was adopted by the Knight that had rescued him, which resulted in the start of his training. He was brought along on many trips and the learning of his abilities and more about the monsters that had left him with so many scars.

By the time he was 12, he entered his Knighthood and was assigned to Greyridge.

Hobbies: Much despite his quietness, Raine actually really enjoys reading out-loud to people. He likes to read in general and actually finds a lot of fun in various sports.

Style: Support
Abilities: Able to mend wounds by focusing light into his hands or an object. Often he imbues bandages and other things with light to gradually mend minor wounds and sometimes greater (non-lifethreatening) wounds. The bandages can also alleviate pain and prevent/dissolve infection. But for things like broken bones or the alike he is required to touch them, otherwise it could take days or longer to heal them. The amount of healing he is able to do is highly dependent on how much energy he has. The less energy he has, the less effective his healing is. His healing can be fairly self-exhausting, depending on how long it takes him to heal the various wounds. It isn't entirely uncommon for him to be napping frequently in odd places.

[User] "Oh, there's a lovely place on Dover Street." Daniel says, looking up from his work. "You remember, Sir Fuchs? Near the library? Penguin in the window?" He suddenly turns his attention to the whole room. "Lovely place, family owned for three generations. Literally the greatest ice cream I have ever had. Dame Kalu, if you're going out walking anyway I highly recommend their frozen yogurt as a post work-out treat."

[Assistant]
When Ayashe walked into the room, she simply stole the show. She didn't crave attention, she didn't want everyone's approval, she just wanted them not to be in her way. Only she asked such with all the grace of a tempest. There is something to be respected of brutal honesty, the resolve to be your own person and march forward, Katsu admired this, but he knew there was room for improvement. "Dame Kalu," he greeted with a slight bow, keeping his eyes locked to her's. "I plan to hold the briefing of my visit to headquarters in the morning. As such the evening is free, you may do as you desire."

Breaking the gaze he pulled out his chair and sat down. "I have noted you're concern for little children and your disdain for tiny monsters, should either of these come into play I will make my attempts to contact you." With that he set off to the what little work he had to for the night. HQ had given him a flash drive with various documents for him to look over and get back to them on. As he connected it to a rather small laptop he produced from his desk he listened to everyone around him and was content.

[User]
Her eyebrows shot up as she glanced into the corner of the room at Aleksandr, and she quickly took in the fact that he had been buried in his books. Ayashe was sure that he had just been a pile of books on her first sweep of the room. She was positive that all he ever did was read, read, read, and wondered how his eyes didn't fall out. "Oh, I'm sorry Romanov, what did you say? Hard to understand you when you're talking behind the pages of your book. How heavy is that thing, really?" She ignored his offer of coming with her altogether, swiveling her head around when the loud and deep voice of Raine came from the stairwell.

She managed to stifle most of her sigh this time. Something about Raine made her want to just get him the damn ice cream. Was it the way he asked? The fact that he was huge, lanky, and positively clumsy, in her opinion? Or was it the fact that he had healed her bruises and scrapes on more than one occasion? Just maybe it was because if he went out to get it, he may not come back until he had had a pleasant time napping in the middle of the street like road kill? She was sure that had occurred, at least one time in the ridiculously tall fellow's life. "Fine, whatever. What flavor, Pipsqueak? 'Cus if you don't tell me, I'm getting you one of those stupid tri-flavor vanilla, strawberry, chocolate things, and it'll probably be gross."

She placed a hand on her hip before turning her attentions to Daniel, or DeeDee as she so appropriately named him. She couldn't help it, when she saw him, she saw him in a pink tutu pressing all the buttons in a figurative laboratory. His very alliterate name also helped. Daniel Dashing. C'mon, it'd be asking her to pass up gold if she didn't call him that. Or even Double D. She gave a smirk at the thought. That would be a nice nickname, for a change of pace. "Doesn't surprise me that you know of literally everything, Double D." She said, putting the same emphasis on the word "literally" as Daniel had used. She could never get used to the way people called her "Dame", especially a person so much younger than herself. She put the location of the ice cream shop in the back of her mind, she'd just go there. It was simple.

When Katsu finished talking to her, she retrieved her tablet from a small bag hanging from one of her shoulders and gave it a cheerful little wiggle in his direction. "You can contact me through my handy-dandy tablet if a horde of zombie babies come, Mister M." She hoped that something interesting happened at Headquarters, because life around here had been boring lately. Her designs had even lost their usual flair in the last week or two, but she refused to admit that even a fraction of her creativity came from battling monsters.

[Assistant]
In the short period of time in which their handshake lasted, Aaron did his best to extract as much data as he could. He had read Katsu's file, since after all he was his leader and potential friend, but files usually stored superficial information like biography, age, gender, et cetera, information which wouldn't be of much help. He needed to know his colleagues deeper, and thankfully with the right mindset, something as customary as shaking hands could tell a lot about the other person. For example, in that case, within the first seconds of the grip, Aaron could already see that Mr. Fukui, in spite of his short height, had a very roughened palm. That was obviously courtesy of his previous adventures, taking into account he was Rank V, and Rank V always translated to 'highly experienced'. He had slain a great deal of monsters before, and the fact that he didn't throw in a quip about Hodge's blue hair signified he was already accommodated to the bizarre and possessed a great level of maturity, which he could imagine was what got him promoted in the first place. Aaron was well aware that there had to be more to him than that, but for the time being, he was satisfied.

The blue haired teenager opened his mouth in an attempt to answer Mr. Fukui's question, but he was interrupted by the emergence of another Knight, female; of african descent, slightly shorter than him and possessing great physical feats. At this point, he figured out she must be Ayashe Kalu. He had thrown a quick glance at her file during his break, but there was no mention of her tendency to tag her peers with nicknames. Either way, she seemed to be the agency's diva. She stole everyone's sights, and consequently, hearts, with her elegant and confident waltz, an indicator that she was the heir to a wealthy and influential family. Her appearance provoked two other Knights which Aaron hadn't met before to reveal themselves - a Russian muscle and a German, manchild version of Stephen Merchant. At this rate, the British Knight realized he had a lot of catching up to do.

Leaving Mr. Fukui's question unanswered for the time being, the boy slightly leaned towards Jasmine, using the confusion to throw in an inaudible buzz. "Psst, Jazz!"
The secretary immediately shifted his sight at the boy, visibly disorientated by the way he referred to her.

"What are the chances that you've gotten hold of my cane?", the boy proceeded with a query, his tone now slightly higher than before. Ms. Gilboa's stutter showed she was still muddled, but managed to land an answer anyway.

"Oh, oh..yeah. It's in your desk. I polished it a little bit, I hope you don't mind."
"I don't", Aaron responded yet again, sneaking a passing smirk at her before speeding towards his desk, away from the crowd.

The way his backpack bounced visibly annoyed him, so as soon as he made his way to the desk, he slammed it down on the seat. Quickly pulling the zipper down, he opened his backpack and pulled a couple of books. Needless to say, his desk was organized to an extent. The right side was infested by different board games; chess, jigsaw, monopoly, brain teasers and books with logic as their main theme. The right side was filled with Conan Doyle novels and the latest season of BBC Sherlock, while the middle space was reserved for stuff which he thought would benefit him in evolving as a Knight. In there, he stacked a couple of books about mythology, ranging from the Mediterranean to Scandinavia and beyond. It was thanks to those books that he finally realized that the creature that attacked him that dreaded night was, in fact, a Griffin as opposed a Fury, which was his initial assumption. It was worth stating that the monsters looked extremely different from how they were portrayed in ancient literature, which justified the boy's mistake.

After neatly stacking his books up, he grabbed his cane and slowly folded it, placing it at a side slot in his backpack.

[User] "Oh, by the way." Daniel speaks up, and after a few quick keystrokes the tablet in her bag beeps. "So long as you're going that way, there's apparently been some sort of spooky poster showing up around the area. Shop owners keep tearing them down, they keep going up without anyone seeing how or why. Most likely just viral marketing for some Japaneses style horror movie, but there isn't any harm in checking. I've sent the report to your tablet."

[Assistant]
"Schok-" Raine stops mid word, knitting his brows together for a moment before speaking again. "Chocolate. Please." His voice was a great deal quieter this time he spoke, just barely loud enough to hear. Though it was clear with how he was grinning, from nearly ear to ear, that he would be fine with whatever she brought back for him. And in truth, be it chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, a mix of the three, or anything else, he wouldn't complain about it. In fact, he would still be just as happy with raspberry or pecan... Raine was not a very picky fellow when it came to food, especially sweets that someone else was getting him.

Slowly Raine would duck his head once again, though this time he lifts both of his hands up to carefully start patting his head, probably feeling around for his glasses. Which, it did not take him long to locate the spectacles tangled in his hair on the back left-side of his head. He would then quickly start to attempt to untangle them while finding himself a seat, a corner opposite of the Russian. Not that he had any problems with the fellow, but if he was going to have his arms up like this for a short while, it was better to do it out of range form elbowing anyone in the face or elsewhere while he did. Even as he sat down in the somewhat confining chair, he only managed to mildly untangle the glasses.

After a minute or two though, he finally managed to pull them from the mess of his hair, save a few strands that had decided the glasses were a better place to reside. He wasn't paying much attention to the others around, as usual, much preferring to preoccupy himself with removing the several stands of hair that had gotten tangled on the glasses and ripped out. As most knew, he wasn't much of a talker and didn't really bother with people he didn't know unless they were hurt.


[System]
Description: Tales of the the Hermit always describe him differently, but a common thread among them has been he appears as a man in sweeping robes surrounded by undulating shadows, holding a staff of charred wood etched with glowing runes. His facial features are hidden by the shadows, but they say he is pale of skin and that his eyes radiate with the power he holds.

Race: It's said he was once human

Faction/Unit: The Hermit is his own master

Location: A labyrinth of ruins near the base of the Godsfang Mountains

Synopsis of Role: The Hermit was, in fact, once a human from the Rainlands. He left his home and traveled up the Godsfang Mountains to the Mountain Wisdoms. He asked the Wisdoms for the tools he needed to find answers in the ruin left by the Old Ones. He was mutated by them into a being of shadow and ichor. The tools they provided were small white-skinned creatures with claws and fangs called Shadowlings. He is convinced the Wisdoms cursed him and have sent him along a fruitless quest simply for their own amusement, but he is determined to use what they gave him to seek answers in the ruins.
My concept for The Hermit is for him to be a mythical, wiseman figure in the desert with a darker feel to him. Not evil, mind you, but definitely corrupted by the mutation/curse he suffered from the Mountain Wisdoms. I aim for him to have some illusionary magic along with his servants.

[User]
THE MAD KNIGHT

---

"The great scholar Em'kel, despairing at the folly of the great lords, was said to have wandered alone into the heart of the Great White Erg, and there, hidden by the ever-shifting sands and surrounded by monsters, he fashioned a great tomb for himself using the magic of the Old Ones...burying his great and terrible knowledge where none could find it." - from the journals of the wizard Umver

---

"I shall lay my head down, strike it off he that can," the knight offered, removing her great helm, and solemnly bowing her head.

"Are you mad?" the guardsman asked, forcing a fearful laugh from his throat as he cast his eyes desperately towards his companions who appeared much too amused to bother moving from their comfortable and very safe spot in the shade of the Great Northern Gate. A crowd of passerby had gathered, mostly street urchins and cutthroat merchants plying their wares nearby, a mixture of curiosity and impatience, of youth and greed, awaiting what promised to be a bloody but entertaining spectacle, exactly the sort of thing that was held in great esteem in Zar Vorgul.

"Where is your courage? You challenged me, you called me a coward, you threatened to kill me, and worst of all, you suggested that I was some sort of assassin sent to murder your king," Meg said, bristling with anger, "I will permit you to strike me once and then I will return the blow."

"His lordship doesn't take kindly to armed strangers wandering unquestioned through his gates," the guardsman said, taking a step closer, resting a hand demonstratively on the hilt of his sword. "Not when the Salished are massing on our borders and especially not when those uninvited guests decide to mouth back, there's seven of us and one of you, do you really want to continue making trouble?"

"Not one of you can match me, not even in great numbers, but draw that ugly blade if you have the courage."

"Meg! Old friend! What business have you with the most honorable men of the city guard?" Came the desperate greeting, the half-shouted words of a robed craftsman, full of panic and possessing a face and skin marked by fire, edging his way through the gathered crowd. "I sent my apprentice to find you, but it seems he was too slow..."

"Do you know this woman, artificer?"

"Of course, good sir, she is-"

"Do not interrupt, Samald."

"Wait! Just wait, Meg! This man made a mistake, he is young, surely it would be a great wrong to slay a man that has through no fault of his own made a mistake?"

Meg sighed.

"Perhaps, we could resolve this matter with words rather than swords," Samald said, approaching the guardsman with a bag of coin held out in his hand. "My friend is weary from her travels and it is clear to me that you did not mean to offend her. In fact, I will be sure to tell your commander what a fine job it is you are doing here."

Smiling, the guardsman nodded, clearly having finally arrived at familiar territory, pocketing the small coin purse with a well-practice motion. "Sorry for the trouble, miss, now move along before I change my mind."

"You are children with swords, not warriors," Meg said to the guardsman, making no effort to hide the heavy disappointment in her voice as she allowed the scared artificer to shepherd her away, ignoring the ignoble jeers they shouted after her.

"Did you find it?" Samald asked once they out of earshot of the guardsman, casting a careful eye to make sure they had not been followed, hope and impatience for once taking hold of his placid voice.

"By the grace of the Old Ones, I have retrieved the lost tome of Em'kel."

[Assistant]
One Month after Origin

On the eve of the longest day of the year, an old woman stood trembling in the center of the Blackwater Tribe's gathering place. She gazed unseeing over the mass of people gathered before her, her watery eyes milky with cataracts, her shriveled hands held out as if to gather in all who watched in respectful silence. Despite her frail, stooped appearance, the woman's quavering voice projected well over her audience, the tone rising and falling with all the art of an experienced storyteller.

 "Today, there are four tribes of the Arakkai," the old wise woman began, "For one bastion of our great people was lost only a moon before now. The sixth clan, as recorded by the wise women of that time, fell centuries ago, but not to any invading force.

"In that ancient time, Arianwen the Farsighted, a wise woman of this very tribe, was granted a prophecy of days to come. She stood before her clan and told of a day when one among us would be chosen by the god above all others to lead the Arakkai down from these harsh mountains, to raise this people above our enemies.

"After learning of the prophecy, which was shared by wise women in every tribe, it is said that Chieftain Meilir Serpentsbane scoffed in the face of his council. He claimed to need no Chosen leader. His people, he said, were strong enough on their own…"

Cerys, seated near the front of the crowd, let her eyes slide over to Eranor Blackwater where he sat watching the wise woman, his chin resting comfortably on one hand. The last several weeks had been ones of increasing tension as Cerys's followers spread the tale of her rebirth among the Blackwater tribe and both she and Chief Blackwater had waited for her warriors to heal. The priestess had seen the preparations for war all through the camp, expecting Blackwater to rise up and lead his warriors to battle, to unite the clans and secure himself in the eyes of his people. Now, however, the eve of the summer solstice had finally arrived. Would the Blackwater Chief head the warning in the old wise woman's story? Or would there be bloodshed tonight?

"…and so, Meilir Serpentsbane turned away from the wisdom of his spiritual council and lead his people in human sacrifice to prove their savagery to the Red Gods. At first these were enemies and outsiders caught within our lands, but soon Meilir's thirst for blood ran out of easy victims and he turned instead to offerings from other clans. It was then that the first Great Convocation was held, the wise women from the five other tribes meeting to remove this heretic. Together, they conjured Tribe Serpentbane's banishment from the Gradsfang Mountains. Today these people are the Saliszi, dark creatures enthralled by the bloody worship of their demonic weapons."

The old woman let her hands fall to her sides, her face pensive while the crowd waited quietly for her blessing, wrapping up the evening of feasting, singing, and storytelling. Instead, however, she went on.

"This old story is full of great warnings and truths," she started, "no less potent because of its great age. Perhaps the most important to us now, however, is the prophecy.

"I lift my old, useless eyes to the stars and see that future coming rapidly upon us. The Chosen, once so far away, is now close at hand. I may not live to see the coming glory, but many of you will so prepare yourselves to rise with your people."

At the beginning of this benediction, Cerys had risen to her feet to the surprised looks and murmurs of those surrounding her. She did not interrupt, of course, but instead kneeled before the old woman deferentially. When the storyteller finished, Cerys raised those frail, trembling hands to her marked face and pressed them there.

The old woman froze, shocked with some knowledge only her blind eyes could see. She dragged dry, papery fingers over the priestess's lips, cheeks, eyes, and soon tears coated the ancient one's craggy face. She cupped her hands around Cerys's face and leaned down to kiss her own each cheek.

"Let joy fill your hearts, my people! The Voice of the Wanderer lives!"

All was pandemonium. Tribesmen jumped to their feet, shouting in joy, in fear, in disbelief, those close to Eranor Blackwater protesting the loudest. The Chosen of the Wanderer was a leader, and Cerys did not fault their loyalty to their Chief in the circumstances, but something would need to be done.

Chief Blackwater himself soon made it to the raised platform and wrenched the old wise woman from where she still stood with Cerys. Shouts of shock and protest rose at once from all quarters. All wise women were revered and this old mother had likely blessed these people in their cradles, had stood over their coming of age ceremonies, had performed their marriage rites.

Cerys touched her left hand to her throat, projecting her voice across the noisy gathering. "Eranor Blackwater!" she yelled. "I name you a traitor in the likes of Meilir Serpentsbane for so mistreating a member of your council, on the summer solstice no less. Such a heretic has no place as the leader of one of the greatest tribes of the Arakkai. I, Cerys Shadowborne, Voice of the Wanderer, Defender of the Arakkai, challenge you for the right to rule this tribe!"

Where all had been clamor, silence now reined, the gathered people holding their breath in the face of this brazen challenge. Their leader only sneered.

 "I invited you and your people, shivering and broken into my home. I have fed you and clothed you and given you a place, and this is how you repay me? With false accusations of heresy? Fine, you will have your challenge and have it now before you can scurry off to more womanish plotting. I will put you down like the two-faced bitch you are."

Eranor flung off his bear pelt, revealing the impressive dark steel armor beneath, and drew the massive sword at his waist. Cerys gestured with a single hand over her simple leather clothing and sighed as the cool sensation of writhing black armor wrapped itself around her torso and limbs, its surface shifting with the indecipherable runes of some lost language.

"May the Wanderer judge my actions before the Pantheon," she called. "And may all the Arakkai stand by his choice in this challenge."

With a savage roar, Eranor charged, his massive longsword held out like a joust. Cerys eyed him calmly, waiting before dodging out of the way, her right hand closing around a sword of sinuous shadow.

Eranor whirled, quick and agile for so large a man, and brought up his sword to bring it cleaving down upon Cerys's head. This time she did not move, but widened her stance and brought her own sword up to parry.

It seemed to take an age for the two blades to meet, the second stretching into years. Eranor kept his bowling down with all the strength of a man born in raised in the mountains, a man who had fought off constant attacks by the Saliszi, the Dratha, the wilds of the Greyfangs themselves. He meant to slice through the sword and the priestess alike.

When the two blades finally did meet, one solid steel, the other writhing magic, the dark blade melted through Eranor's fine steel longsword like it was nothing, an entire foot of beautifully tempered metal thunking down on the wooden platform heavily.

The big mountain Chieftain seemed stunned, but Cerys was unfazed. Like a viper, she lunged forward and sank her flickering sword into the throat of the man before her, sending streams of black-red blood spurting into the clean mountain air.

[User]
Something small and white darted from the shadows and fell upon a rat that was skulking about. It shrieked and squirmed as a clawed fist closed around it. A moment later, it gave a last feeble jerk then fell limp in the clutches of the tiny creature with leathery white skin. It popped the rat in its mouth and began crunching with teeth like needles, the tail still dangling from its mouth. Satisfied, it turned it obsidian eyes to its master. The Hermit shifted from the shadows, trailing them after him. He patted the shadowling on the head as he passed it, holding his charred staff and tapping it on the stone floor as he walked. They were interesting little creatures, given to him by the Wisdoms. Maybe not the most intelligent, but they were loyal and obedient to a fault. The one with a rat tail drooping from its mouth followed after him.

He stopped at the end of the hall, an opening that looked down into an enormous cavern dominated by a massive glass tube filled with ichor. The liquid sloshed around in the bottom of the tube, bubbling every so often. Once, it would have been pulled up and directed elsewhere to power machines the Old Ones used for who knows what, but that was why he came to this labyrinth. He desired the answers hidden here under the red sands of the desert above, the secrets the Old Ones took to their graves. That was why the Wisdoms gave him the shadowlings and the power he now held, tools to find his answers.

The Hermit turned his head downward as he felt a tug on his robes. The shadowling was holding its hand up to him, the rail tail laying on its palm. Odd creatures, indeed.

"Thank you, little one," his voice was low and soft, like a whisper on the winds but chillingly close to the ear of whomever he was speaking to.

The little creature gave what he assumed by now to be a smile, showing off the rows of teeth like blackened needles, then scampered off to rejoin the others. It stepped into the nearby shadows of a corner and then reappeared far below on a stone walkway with the others of its kind. It fell into the crowd of tiny white bodies as they went about searching the area around the tube for anything of interest to their master, who watched from above in his alcove wreathed in shadow.