[System]
Age: 9
Gender: Female
Appearance: "Can we do something fun now? My bunny has seen more interesting things then this, and he's stuffed."
Personality: Cynthia is very easily bored. As such, she prizes new and unusual things, eagerly seeking them out whenever she is able. Unfortunately for her, she is rarely allowed out to find such things. She is a very stubborn girl who dislikes listening to others and refuses to pay attention to them if they have annoyed her, or if they're preventing her from seeing something fun and interesting. She is highly impatient, and at the same time dislikes doing things unless they're fun for her. However, she is very capable of being friendly and kind to others, as long as they are friendly and kind to her. That said, she is just as prone to pouting and refusing to do anything with someone if she feels like they're just being annoying. It takes a lot to convince Cynthia to do anything with someone she's been annoyed by. While Cynthia is perfectly fine with small spaces, small dark places frighten her and she does not like them. Darkness in general makes her nervous and uneasy.
Backstory: When Cynthia was very, very young, something happened to her parents. She doesn't remember what, but she remembers being in a small, dark place, and that her parents were gone when she was finally taken out by her uncle. It was only later that she learned her parents had most likely been killed. While she did have attachment to them, she was very young and does not remember them well. Much of her life has been spent with her Uncle and his wife, in their estate. They have been quite caring but very protective of her given what happened to her parents, and Cynthia grew more and more irritated with being left locked up and barely allowed to go outside. This has resulted in her bored attitude and interest in new and exciting things. She has managed to lockpick her way out of her home several times, but she always gets caught.
Skills: Cynthia can pick locks and she is rather good at hiding. That is about it.

[User]
VV

The moment the words left the nun's mouth, VV's lips spread into a wide grin.

She let out a small laugh. There it was. The completion of their deal. The seal that would confirm the nun's nature as her anchor. Now, they had forged a contract that could not be broken, at least not without certain extreme circumstances being met. VV was in the human world, and she knew there was nothing that could take her out. "Contract accepted."

The Marionette had evidently gotten over his shock, one fist lunging towards her, towards her at an impossible angle. That wasn't right at all...! It was then when she noticed, the coiling shadow that was the Puppeteer wasn't inside the man's body, but to the side, to the right of him. So that was it...

Moments before the fist could connect, VV's fist lashed out! It struck the air beside the Marionette's head, and there was an ugly crack as the image of his body snapped to the side, relocating to its appropriate location. He reeled back, clutching his nose as he fell backwards, toppling off the balcony and to the ground below. He hit the ground with a thud below. Idiot. Didn't he know anything about dealing with Dolls?

Placing one foot on the railing, VV looked back over her shoulder at the nun. "Now don't do anything stupid."

With that, she sprang off of the railing, landing boots-first below on the cobblestones. They cracked beneath her from the impact, dislodged and kicked into the air, several cobblestones clattering across the ground as she straightened. The Marionette was back on his feet already, both eyes fixed firmly on her. His body was already to the right of the shadow within again. Placing one hand on her hip, VV laughed.

"Really?!" she began, "Do you seriously think that's going to work? I can see you inside him. Twisting around like the parasite you are. You can't solve that, can you?"

The Marionette's hands clenched into fists. "Doll... I'll butcher you and that bitch!"

"Pffftahahahaha wow, you're funny," VV wiped a mock tear from one eye. This idiot seriously thought he had a chance? That parasite was going to learn a whole new world of knowledge in a few moments. Well, before dying. "But there's no more time to mess around. Come on out, Calamity Edge!"

VV outstretched her right hand. The air seemed to warp and distort, as red sparks materialized from nothing and gathered in her palm. With a flash, an immense pair of gold-and-silver shears had formed. The center of the handles was held tight, shut so that each blade formed a single double-edged sword. The metal hissed as VV swung it into the air, red sparks still raining down from the pristine metal that composed the massive shears. There was no further hesitation, VV's crimson-clad body blurred as she suddenly charged towards the Marionette! The sheer speed, the speed of a Doll and even moreso, dislodged cobblestones from the ground with each step.

The Marionette attempted to use his distorted image, pushing himself to the side harder than before, but really it was useless. VV's free hand latched out and caught his shoulder with an ugly crack. Well, something near it. It was hard to tell where it had hit, but wherever it was had sent the bastard stumbling!

She wouldn't use Calamity Edge to inflict lethal injury, especially not now. Not until her real target was exposed. The red-headed Doll's hand blurred, and with a thunk slammed directly into the spot that was occupied by the Puppeteer. The Marionette let out a stranged cry of shock as his image once again returned to its proper place, and it was now clear what was going on. VV was reaching inside, a shimmering light around her wrist as her arm sunk in deeper, grabbing for her target. The parasite was about to get just what it deserved!

There was a hiss of metal through the air, and VV barely snapped Calamity Edge up in time to deflect it. It was, apparently, the Marionette's hand, reshaped into a metallic blade. He was already preparing to lash out again, but...

"There. I've got you now, bastard!"

VV's fingers wrapped around the coiling darkness and began to draw it free. The Marionette's hand returned to normal and he staggered, letting out a gurgle as VV began to pull the parasite from his body. Finally, his eyes glazed over as he passed out, his body going slack. VV wrenched the monster free as he collapsed, and tossed it down onto the cobblestones! It was human-like in shape,though it lacked most features beyond eyes and pale skin... and its hands were simply sharp edges. No wonder it had wanted a human body so badly.

She could already see its shape shimmering! But it was disoriented, she wouldn't let it get away!

Calamity Edge slammed downwards. There was a wet thunk, then a crunch as it pierced all the way through and cut into the stone below. The Puppeteer's body ceased to shimmer and returned to its natural place as blood sprayed from its chest, splattering across VV's clothing and across the ground.

"Like I said, not your lucky day, is it?" she commented as she drew Calamity Edge from his body. The shears faded into red sparks as she straightened, standing over the monster.

The parasite's body went limp, collapsing onto the ground as blood continued to spray from it, coating the red-headed Doll. But it was starting to vanish, the blood seeming to seep into the girl's body. Indeed, the body was dissipating into a red mist too... all of it flowing into VV. Soon, the blood, and the corpse, was gone, the only remains of a battle being the unconscious former Marionette and the damaged cobblestones.

"Sheesh, he wasn't even very filling," VV stretched, "Oh well, he's dead now."

[Assistant]
Ah, there it was. She'd found her Alice. With the acceptance of her help, the anchor was formed and the Transient Princess was here to stay as she turned her head to the side and smiled at the fearful being behind her. A peasant before a Queen, challenging her domain, her rule, and her beloved Alice...? What an insult to royalty. A snap of the fingers and the creation of circles in the ground behind him -- ones that held large spades within -- bought life to two Pawns of her army. The metal clang of two halberds crossing against one another to block his way of running followed the Transient Princess picking up her Alice with both of her arms to let her rest on her shoulder. A draw of the snowflake hairpin from the side of her hair and those silver eyes of hers focused on the corrupted being before her. The mist that escaped him, the evident lowering of temperature around...

Was he expecting her to be scared from the weak display?

"I deem you under the highest of treason for your actions. Hurting my dear Alice is a crime that ends in death."

The mist concerned her not -- her only concerned dealt with keeping her Doll Master on her shoulder and away from this man's reach as the flicking of the hairpin's clasp opened it up all the way and allowed the snowflake to converge into larger, brighter snowflakes and extend out the shape of the small adornment. With a sound akin to the cracking of ice, the hairpin had forged itself into a scepter fit for a Queen with that snowflake decoration at the top of it, bladed for the sake of combat and ready as the Doll grinned at the events to come. A wordless command, and the two Pawns -- human-sized beings dressed in shimmering white armor -- charged at the peasant -- the putrid Marionette -- that she'd given the penalty of death for. With halberds stretched out, they'd aim for the shoulders -- trying to avoid lethal wounds as she took a single step forward and aimed for the midsection of the mist-breathing antagonist herself.

"Hang on tight, Alice.~ This will only take a moment!"

The peasant knew what she was, and he showed the right kind of fear for it -- but he had stayed. And with his stay came her need to end his life. Not like her big sister, no, but sometimes a bit of red had to splash into the white in order for things to be completed.

[User]
Alexander

Alexander brushed his clothes off of any dust and smoothed out any wrinkles he had. He smiled, glad that he had Matthe on his side.... sort of. Time to defuse this situation here if I want that dessert, Alexander thought.

Putting his best innocent face on, he said, "Come on, Matthew, don't threaten me with that. You know I love your desserts." Bending down to collect the money the goons had failed to collect, Alexander continued, "Besides, if you really were watching, you would have seen those goons threatening me and pulling out weapons. They were trying to rob me." After straightening out the bills and placing them back into a fold of his clothing, Alexander asked while raising his hands in an "I don't know" gesture, "What was I supposed to do, let them take my hard-earned money?"

"It was entirely self-defense," Alexander reassured his faithful Doll. "Besides, I'm a priest. I have no reason nor intention to initiate meaningless brawls with people I don't know."

Megumi
Megumi pulled herself up into the window, performing a flip through it and landing silently so as to not alert Annalee's parents. Megumi looked at Annalee and nodded, then leaned against a wall and sat down crosslegged, placing her hands on her knees. She didn't like to waste words when they weren't necessary. Still, she sighed. The Puppeteer was stronger than she had expected, and it took quite a bit of effort to defeat it. However, the deed was done, and that was one less threat against her and Annalee. Now was the time to rest while she could. She would need her energy if she was to perform her duties as best she could.

[Assistant]
CLACK!

The plastic ball rolled its way through one wicket, smashing into the blue ball, and entering another wicket.

"Good show!" A series of claps followed as Shane watched the game of croquet play out. He looked at his watch. It had been a few weeks since he became a Hunter, and yet outside of the training, he hasn't gotten a true hunting opportunity. He sighed.

"Something the matter, son?" His father asked him.

"Eh, Not much. I'll get a big break soon." Shane got up from his seat and left. "Tell me who wins, okay?"

"Where are you going?" His father asked.

"Well, I'm not just gonna wait for the prey to show up, right?" Shane said. He walked out of the small gathering. He only knew a bit of details over what he's looking for. He took out his Doll Hunters Guide and began to read about things like tell-tale signs and how to effectively fight a Doll.

[User]
She was really a Doll! Cynthia couldn't get over her excitement. As horrifying as the man was-and still was, rising to the ground in such an awkward, jerking fashion-the little girl was entranced by this new being... A Doll. A real Doll! She knew Dolls were real! Did that mean that guy was a... a... what were they called again? A puppet? Something like that... Whatever the case was, Cynthia sat there, trembling in her Doll's arms in fear and excitement, eyes fixed on the beings she had summoned and on the man who was breathing mist. The moment that the beings thrust their halberds at him, he attempted to dodge.

But as one missed, the other hit home, slicing deeply into his shoulder. Along with blood, more fog poured from the wound, a testament to the possession the Marionette was undergoing. He howled in agony and stumbled back. Even as he did, however, the flesh was already gruesomely knitting itself back together. Filling ill, Cynthia covered her eyes and tried to look away.

The few moments the Marionette spent healing left it wide open, however, and Transient Princess's fist struck him right in the stomach. Not to be delayed, his hand suddenly grew grotesquely deformed, fingers stretching and nails forming into blades as he lashed out.

"I'll kill both of you! I'LL EAT THE LITTLE ONE ALIVE!"


[System]
Nickname(Optional): Pfft, no.
Age: 24
Gender: Male
Physical Appearance: Of Average build with short dark hair, Neil isn't exactly the most unique specimen. He is fit but not noticeably so. He isn't big at all, but he is also not small. He has a face girls can find cute, but not exactly dreamy. Tanned skin and a ruddy complexion from all of the machine's he's worked on, coupled with the calluses on his hands gives him an experienced look despite the very youthful appearance he has. All in all, other than the twinkling of his eyes and the trademark grin, he is essentially average. He has dark eyes and very dark brown hair, enough to be considered black under most light. He's about 5'10 and 165 pounds.
Clothing: He often wears baggy pants, mostly military cargo. He likes to wear single colored T-Shirts. Usually he wears red.
Personality: Oh, now that is a question. To say Neil is eccentric is...well, that hits the nail on the head. Very good with hand-eye coordination, competent combatant, good engineer, and a daring pilot. But prone to sarcasm, snide remarks, unorthodox behavior, and just good old fashioned explosions. He's a born jokester, though behind his charming yet insufferable demeanor belies a certain intelligence, and to those he enjoys, he does tend to have a big heart.

[User]
Junebug watched in amazement as the door irised open before them. Inside was a strange swirling opalescence like the surface of a soap bubble but opaque to the eye. She looked dubiously at the holographic line that her helmet had projected as the limit of the shield. She moved forward cautiously while the Terrans hunkered down pointing weapons at the building, though what threat they thought would emerge from it she had no idea.

Reaching the projected limit of the shield she took a small ultraviolet marking beacon, a flat cylinder the size of her palm and tumbed it on before tossing it like a discus. The plastic unit bounced off the wall of the newly risen building and fell to the snow. A continual strobe of ultraviolet light pulsed from the unit, clearly visible to her helmet which was set to carrot such things.

"Looks like the tech shield is down entirely," she called back to the Terrans and without another word stepped across the threshold. Absolutely nothing happened, whether temporarily or permanently, it seemed that the defences that had protected this place were down. She trudged the thirty meters to the wall and retrieved the beacon, turning it off and clipping it to her belt. The rest of the party was moving cautiously forward, even Sven who had more reason to fear technological disruption than the rest of them.

Junebug moved to the portal and unslung her Terran plasma rifle. Holding it by the grip like a vast pistol she slid it into the opalescent portal so that the rubberized eyepiece of the optical sight was on the outside but the end of the lens was on the inside. Rather than crouching down to look through the sight directly, she touched a button on the stock of the weapon that remoted the sight picture to her helmet. It was a technique which was occasionally useful for shooting from positions where you didn't dare stick your head up, but more frequently used by command staff to view what their troopers were seeing. The sight picture opened in her helmet in a small window in the upper right corner.

"Whoa," she breathed and stepped through the portal vanishing from sight.

Junebug stood at the edge of a vast city of bone white monoliths. At least her mind told her it was a city even though none of the 'buildings' had any recognisable function. The portal still shimmered behind her, set into a large lintel of the same cream white material. Here and there ancient and twisted trees coiled towards the sky in odd spiral shapes, their bark curiously rough in a place where everything was so smooth. The air above her head was filled with hundreds, or thousands of what appeared to be floating leaves of pale blue, though they bore no resemblance to the foliage of the trees and were completely independent of any kind of support. The volume of space here couldn't possibly fit into the entryway she had come through. Looking up she saw that the sky above was completely black, lacking any visible stars.

Curiously she flicked her helmet selector to through its various modes, thermal revealed nothing other than that the place was of an unusually uniform 25.3 degrees but the return on the lidar was so chaotic and fragmented that the helmet display crashed back to regular viewing with a trailing stream of red error messages. The movements sensors too were going crazy. Although the blue leaves, or whatever they were, appeared stationary they must have been moving enough to trip the motion detection program. The atmosphere sensors reported breathable, if slightly too oxygen rich, air so she pulled off her helmet.

There was a slight movement behind her as one of the Terran commandos stepped halfway through the portal. The man, Rosenant she thought his name was, paused halfway through the portal, giving the distinct impression of being cut in half. He stuck his head back through the portal and then stepped fully through. A moment later York appeared, snowflakes still decorating his hair and an irritated expression on his face.

"Captain Cyckali, did it occur to you that the environment here might be animical to human life?" he asked acidly. Junebug shrugged her shoulders.

"The bunker wasn't and nothing in the old records suggested humans and ancients had different metabolic requirements," she said her smile hardening as she continued to speak. No doubt the Terrans had drones and other such equipment which they would have used before sending anyone through the doors.

"Besides you can fuck around on your own time, the sooner we are done with this the sooner my crew and I can be on our way."

[Assistant]
"You are on our time until we see your service through." York reminded her.

Neil poked his head through next, looking like a body-less head floating in the iridescent portal. York thought it looked very much like Mr. Edwards on the chopping block, and judging by the way the Captain Cykali had been angered earlier, he did not know if it was an echo of things to come. Neil moved his hand through next, and then his entire body. He grinned at himself, feeling, knowing he was completely fine. He poked his head back out to tell Taya and the others, and soon the rest of them stepped through.

Tentatively, they moved forward, spreading out in a loose, skirmish formation as they lowered themselves into the sloping 'jungle' of whatever these constructs or materials were. Even Saxon stepped with caution. His race was older than that of the human's, and though they did not know the Ancient Ones well, they were recorded in their histories from antiquity, rather than being cordoned off as myth by the younger races. He was now stepping back in time, to those who had integrated and mentored his Ancestor Gods.

Neil watched Sven run his hand over one of the monoliths, a very human gesture, though no doubt filled with calculations beyond measure. "Harder than steel," he croaked, examining the material. "Less ductile, and lighter, if my scans are correct. But far harder, and able to..." He stopped, and blinked, as if he what he was going to say, but he had run into a mechanism that blocked something harmful or overwhelming to his senses.

"Now what?" Woods asked, her gun up and ready. Her team's locations were on the HUD of her tactical helmet, spreading out further as they explored the vast room. There had to be an end to it, but it already defied physics judging from the space they now traversed. What if there was no end?

"Mr. Edwards, if you would kindly step forward with me." York said, hailing Neil to him. Taya stuck close to York and Sayeeda already, and Neil moved from his examination of the monolith with Sven to report for duty. Though as he approached the center lane, his hand began to pulsate feebly, and he felt strange. A sensation he had felt before but...not like this. He suddenly felt as if he had a biological need to move forward, not by York's orders. But something greater. Deeper. Like a hunger, or even a sexual appetite.

He moved forward then, his irises growing larger in his dark eyes, unable to pull himself from the teasing call he received in his mind. York began to speak to him, and then attempted to halt him. But Neil could no longer hear him. Instead he moved forward, enthralled to the call that flowed through his very being, the catalyst of which was his hand.

It was at that moment, that Woods noticed two of her men had disappeared from the HUD.

[User]
"Cambre? Khan? Report," Woods called, every member of the small team paused and scanned as if expecting to see the two men even though they had vanished from sensors more advanced than human eyes by an order of magnitude. Woods scrolled back throught the sensor logs before looking at York with a worried expression.

"Nothing, it looks like they were there one minute and gone the next..."

Junebug moved closer to Taya, as though by her presence might protect the girl. Taya wore borried body armor but it clearly had been intended for medics or other support personnel rather than front line troops. A side arm was belted to her hip but right now all she was holding was a multiphase scanner unit many times more powerful than those that the helmets used.

"I dont see anything but there is an odd... disturbance in the air flow," Taya reported glancing skywards at the odd floating leaves. Junebug tracked the glance with her rifle but saw nothing to alarm her.

"It looks as if they should be moving, but they are not..."

"Sir," Woods called, "We need to search for our people." York looked around as though vexed.

"Ok everyone stay in visual range, skirmish line with five meter intervals, keep everyone in visual," he commanded. The soldiers spread out as best they could into a ragged line.

"Are we just going to wander blindly or..." Junebug began but York cut her off.

"Previous ancient sites we have surveyed tend to be organized around a central hub. The curve of the wall here can be used to suggest the center," York explained. Junebug couln't imagine he was much of an archaeologist but he had clearly read the field reports of those who did have the specialist knowledge.

"Mr Edwards will lead us with his magic hand," York added as he fell into his own position with the line. A directional line appeared on Junebug's helmet, leading deeper into the strange cityscape. She gudied Taya next to Neil, reasoning his presence was the best gaurntee of safety they had.

"Lets move out!"

[Assistant]
Neil moved forward inexorably, no longer aware of his companions around him. Taya, having noticed that nothing witty or silly had come out of Neil's mouth for more than a minute, waved her hand in front of his face. He gave no indication that he saw her, still walking forward with his hand out, as if to grasp something that was always just beyond reach. Woods squinted and looked at Neil, noticing Taya's concern. "Pretty boy?"

"Captain," Taya said, drawing Junebug's attention. "I think there's something wrong with Neil..."

Junebug looked at him, shaking his shoulder. When he didn't respond, she barked. "Edwards! Front and Center!" But it was to no avail. York shrugged, only glad the pilot was still walking. Junebug sighed, shaking her head at their predicament. Saxon and Sven walked behind them, silently moving and observing, with little interest other than what lay ahead.

Another dot on the radar disappeared. Woods spun, her gun trained on where O'Bannon had just disappeared. She could see nothing. Only the ghost-like monoliths standing erect and silent. York spoke over the comm. "I ordered all eyes on everyone" he lectured. "What is happening, Lieutenant?"

Woods shook her head, full lips parted and blue eyes searching for any sign of the soldier. "Everyone close in." she ordered, and the men began to form up in an archaic, closed formation one might expect from a las-lock world where soldiers used single shot volleys against locals. The leaves still hung above them, silent yet somehow exuding a sense of watching the group as they moved. At the fore, Neil suddenly halted, and his fingers began to twiddle in midair.

Taya shook her head, confused. It took a moment, but a holograph began to form. It took the shape of a console, smooth and advanced, with dimensions that seemed somehow off. A certain wrongness to it that annoyed the eye, and yet remained elusive to its shape. Neil's hands intricately pressed the various buttons on the console, as if writing a 'code' or an algorithm as he often did on the Highlander.

Without warning, the monoliths began to shift. Stone-like material grinded against the smooth structures as they began to turn, lifting up to lay horizontally rather than standing vertically scant seconds before. Somehow, the room seemed even more silent than it had been when they had first entered, as if the very movement of the monoliths caused a silence before the storm. Junebug grabbed Neil, shaking him. "Neil! Wake up!" she called to him.

Hesitantly, Woods approached one of the monoliths. She wanted to help Neil, but she was married to her job first, and she needed to admit she had a rapt fascination with what these structures could possibly be for. Her gun pointing upwards, she lay a strong hand on the smooth metal, suddenly realizing there was a small pressure button near the top of this particular piece. Her slim fingers merely brushing it set it off, and a small portion of the metal 'slipped' open at the top.

She gasped, stepping back, unable to process what she had seen through the glass opening. Junebug noticed and approached too, stepping forward and peeking over to see a Xenos, though one unlike any she had ever seen. Its head was tall and nearly pointed, with large eyes and two slits that no doubt served as a nose. The mouth was covered by a mouthpeice, and its skin was leathery. If it lay in the monolith, it must be tall, albeit lithe.

"What in Gideon..."


[System]
Gender: Male

Age: 38

Race: Formerly Canopian human, now effectively undead with living weapon

Death Day: February 26th

Blood Type: B-

Height: 5'11"

Weight: 292 lbs

Likes: Desperation, not dying, karmic justice, underdogs, getting points across, and using the wild part of his brain

Dislikes: Pride, envy, wrath, greed, lust, sloth, gluttony, and having to use the human part of his brain

Living Weapon: Tick Tock – a clockwork heart of dizzying complexity, built to function like a parasite. Tick Tock has no mind of its own, performing an autonomous function. When Grumm's body is damaged, it goes into overdrive with tiny clockwork drones and chemical cocktails to repair the damage as quickly as possible. If part of Grumm is irreparably destroyed or separated from the whole, it uses scrap metal that Grumm has ingested to create new clockwork body parts.

Blockbusters:
Level One – Rot Wrecker - Grumm springs forward, spewing bile, and delivers a crushing hydraulic punch with his clockwork arm that will often cause a wallbounce.

Level Two – Clockwork Carnage – All seven tentacles erupt from Grumm's belly, weaving through the air in search of a target. Upon contact, they chomp down on the victim repeatedly before flinging it away.

Level Two – Grave Filler – Grumm hurls his axe ahead, and when it embeds itself in the target, he rushes across the ground, grabs the axe's handle, and then punches the enemy off of it with his clockwork arm.

Level Four – Vigilante Justice – Reaching out with his clockwork arm, Grumm grabs a close-by opponent. He forces it to its knees, spewing disease-ridden bile over their head as he does so. Finally, Grumm performs an inside-out cut with his axe, dealing both incredible damage and a DoT to boot.

Bio:
The esoteric Gurghamstead Revolt failed almost as soon as it was started. The Canopy armed forces overran the small but petulant cluster of farming villages, crushing their one uniting factor -political conservatism- by taking out the ringleaders and then extinguishing any fire that remained. One noteworthy thing did result of the Revolt, however; Percival Botley. The cold-eyed man because a vigilant, taking justice into his own hands when the hard-handed government failed to serve the people that it claimed to. Cloaked in black, he sought out and brought unnecessarily merciful ends to the cruel underlings of corrupt officers, executives, and politicians; soon, he targeted the string-pullers themselves. Canopy Kingdom was better served for his illegal but morally justified activity, however bloody and unlawful.

Still, Percy deeply regretted what he had done. However just his actions, he had still killed people—which flew in the face of his own moral code and religion, making him a glorified hypocrite. In the early days, after leaving his wife and child behind for their own safety and pledging to return, he had told himself that he was doing what needed to be done, and that nobody else had the courage necessary...but now, the veil grew ever thinner. Percy developed a consuming fear of death and judgment, fearing he'd be sent to hell despite all the good resulting from his vigilante campaigns. Terrified, he sought out what some might term a mad scientist and begged of him a means to cheat death. The man he pleaded with turned a sympathetic ear to his claims; the corrupt officials Percy strove to remove had confiscated his medical degree (For what ultimately proved to be good reasons) and subsequently ruined his life, turning him from an esteemed doctor into a crazed tinkerer. At Percy's behest, the scientist created one of the first living weapons, a clockwork heart which he dubbed Tick Tock, and installed the device in Percy's body. The incredible machine was designed to sustain him from the inside out, replacing Percy's organs from the inside as they failed.

At first, it seemed lucrative. Thanks to Tick Tock, Percy redoubled his efforts, finding death would always ellude him. Poison was ineffective; being shot a minor inconvenience. Even when Percy was seized by a crooked police squad, tortured, and robbed of his left arm, bronze mechanisms replaced what was lost. Suddenly, no mission was too dangerous and Percy could cast out for the biggest fish to fry. Justice, though, awaited the vigilante too. As time wore on, Percy found himself changing. Tick Tock was malfunctioning. It made more and more errors, failing to keep him healthy. Percy's skin turned pale and bloated, his blood clotted and green, and when his intestines were torn out by a particularly vicious street gang they were replaced were clockwork tentacles tipped with fearsome mechanical maws. All this, however, failed to alarm him. His mind was withering too, leaving only feral, killer instincts where a brilliant psyche had been. And yet, Grumm could not die. Finally, the Black Egrets captured the monster and, unable to kill him, made him into a secret weapon—a loose cannon able to be thrown at an enemy as a last resort. This was achieved by tapping into the part of Grumm's brain that was still human, and helping it to forget what it was fighting for.

[User]
She simply smiled as Morgann left the building. It's all going well. With luck she could just infiltrate the circus or whatever and make off with whatever she had. Old school burglary on some circus hicks none of the authorities would really care about.

"Miss, your food has arrived." A waiter covered with bandages came and placed several platters of food on her table.

"THANK YOU KIND MEAT MAN!"

Juno froze at Marionette's voice, wondering if the waiter would freak out and sic the cuffers on her. To her surprise, he just nodded and gave a strained smile before leaving. Guess after what happened with the magician, he simply decided to stay low and do whatever it takes to not meet another piranha.

Shrugging, she started on her meal, shoveling food into her mouth as fast as she could. Tomorrow would be a great day.

[Assistant]
Morgann

"Gross," Morgann grimaced, hesitant to even breathe after the spray of bile had dissipated. What if it smelled bad? Would it even matter? She was around elephants and Goddess knows what at the circus, so perhaps she shouldn't be such a girl about the possibility of an undesirable scent. After a few moments, she inhaled slowly before letting the cool breath escape her lips once more, relieved that the bile left no scent. She pulled her wand out of her coat, readying herself for the chance that the creature might attack.

Realizing she wasn't going to get an answer nor was the tall figure going to pursue her, Morgann watched helplessly as the woman was attacked before shoving her wand back into her suit, dashing over, and holding her arms out, staring directly up at the attacker. "I'm not going to move until I receive some sort of explanation," she explained slowly through her clenched pearly whites, "as to why you are attacking this woman." She swung one of her gloved hands around to hold up over her face, partially to get his attention and partially to not stare at his face. "As far as you know, I am an innocent bystander who merely works at the circus," she went on, narrowing her eyes through the mask's white film, "so I could damn well put you out of business if you laid a hand on me. You think I'm bluffing, you can take it up with my boss after you crush my face or completely dislocate my jawbone."

Gale

Gale listened from her tall roommate's shoulder to the conversation that the parasite was having with her host. From what she remembers, Brandy had told her at some point that the parasite was named Pharona and the host Angus, but she wasn't quite sure. During the period that Brandy maintained control, memories and conversations seemed to blur together to her, and she didn't particularly care to recall, to be honest. Her parasite had truly heard and experienced plenty that she was not eager to remember, and she was just fine with that. After hearing the parasite confirm her thoughts, she nodded sleepily and flicked her ears before closing her eyes again. "Pharona's voice is so chipper though," she thought sadly, "I actually like hearing it. Too bad I can't see what she or anyone else look like."

"Oh wait," she murmured, sitting up and reaching into one of her boots to grab her bandana. As she delicately wrapped it around her head, she began to address Angus's worries. "We will not harm the two soldiers," she spoke in a somber tone, proceeding to pull a couple of black rubber bands out of her shoe and pulling her spiky, unruly locks into two pigtails. "The mafia does not care for such petty crimes that we have committed, such as the one here today," she explained, moving closer so that she could curl up in the crook of Ash's neck, "they only care for the critical hits that we are ordered to take out. Believe me when I say that Ash has already intervened, so I do not think you will have to do so." Gale tucked her knees up against her chest and curled up in the gigantic jacket that Angus had given her, enjoying the warmth and protection from the wind that it provided. Goddess, it was getting chilly. "If you're so cold all the time, why don't you wear an actual coat instead of this stupid down vest?!" Brandy roared from within the depths of her mind, and though she winced, she did not say anything about how loud his static voice was. "Brandy," she began silently, her thin eyebrows furrowing together, "shut your mouth."

Brandy remained silent for a few moments before responding, "Gale, your mouth is my mouth, remember?" Groaning quietly, she clawed at the sides of her head before deciding it wasn't worth arguing over.

[User]
"Alright, we're heading out!"
Ash walks forward, step by long step she navigates the twists and turns of Little Innsmouth, passing by sunken boulevards and overly complex compounds of shacks stacked in uneven piles amongst one another. Ferals and Dagonians pass in droves, making the trip a lengthly venture to the train station to Meridian. On the way Ash has to stop several times, so that she can spot a gap in the crowd to set her foot, or for the crowd to just part to make a path for her. "Is Brandy okay there?" Ash asks Gale as they approach the train station "You guys sound like you're having an argument" Ash adds with a worried smile.
Once the small group is there, it's just a matter of waiting in the deeply congested line to the one ticket booth, surrounded by impatient citizens of Little Innsmouth. "Please be patient." the lone Dagonian pleads, handing out tickets as soon as he's handed loose coins, or change, but the people receiving them are blocked by a pair of large men donning all too familiar gas masks. What would be causing such a horrid back up?

Elsewhere

On the fifth train car (out of twenty) sits a tank, two to be exact, both of which are tied down to their respective car, the pair of armored behemoths appear to be factory new, with barely a thin coat of olive paint to cover the red steel underneath. On top of the car in front of the vehicular dreadnoughts sits a lone, bored Egret smoking a cigarette, letting his gray helmet rest beside him. "By the goddess, where are our Parasitic scum?" he asks himself impatiently, putting out the cigarette on his armored thigh. "Captain, we're holding up service here..." one of his eight guards say nervously, watching the pair of soldiers the Honorable Captain had dispatched at the entrance to the station not ten minutes ago struggle against the mounting crowd. The Captain shrugs, his vaguely blue eyes scanning the crowd outside "Let them in, I think there will be at least one rat for us in there. Hopefully that anonymous tip holds true."

[Assistant]
Faced with Morgann, the monster hesitated. From beneath the mire of rage and confusion bubbled up a shred of Grumm's human consciousness, which busied itself thinking about the situation. The inside of Grumm's head began to pound; rational thought, already so hard to dredge up, hurt worse than a sledgehammer to the cranium. It was so much easier to let go, to let the mind slip away beneath that murky bog of beastliness. Yet, whenever that human side did arise, it asserted that at the very least it was supposed to persevere. Human nature was supposed to be indomitable—all the stories said so. When bombarded by that pain, however, that strain of holding together focus, justifications came easily. No being could have withstood that agony enough to stay sane.

So naturally, Grumm hesitated only a moment, but it was enough to draw a conclusion. In his experience, no normal human, even armed ones, would dare to so boldly interpose herself between a hunter and its prey. That could only mean that the masked woman that stood before him, arms raised in a gesture of placation, was extraordinary. Her words bounced dimly around inside his skull. All he could really gather was that she thought that attacking her would be a mistake on his part. A snorting, ugly laugh escaped the wreckage that was his mouth, rattling through the metal guard that covered it: "Hagh. This individual was keeping him from bringing to justice the water-wielding woman with whom he had a personal quarrel. Halte had been seeking him out lately. He had no clue why, but she seemed determined to keep him from capturing and/or killing his targets. Annoyingly enough, it was working, and that made Halte his dire foe. Anyone who attempted to keep him from his revenge was just as guilty. Besides, Morgann had a strange smell on her. The same aroma wafted from each of the parasites he hunted, slightly different for each, but all still identifiable.

Grumm grunted and raised his axe for an overhead chop, bringing it down with enough force to cleave bone if Morgann allowed it to hit her.


[System]
Alias: Kid Rogue, formerly Kid Kold
Age: 18
Sponsor: The Flash
Personality: Rude, opinionised, determined

Powers:
A form of technopathy, Dominic has the superhuman ability to innately understand any mechanical device he comes into contact with. This enables him to know how to manufacture a whole range of devices, as long as he has the available materials at hand.
As well as this, Dominic has been trained in some combat during both his time with both the Rogues and the Flash. While no expert, Dominic has also had some training in the use of the tools utilized by the Rogues, such as Pied Piper's sonic technology and Mirror Master's mirrors.

Weaknesses:
Aside from the typical weaknesses that come with being a typical human being, Dominic has a severe nut allergy.

Equipment:
* Sonic Gauntlets – Based on the technology built into the Pied Piper's hypnotic flute, Kid Rogue has equiped his gauntlet to perform similar results, with them able to emit a hypnotic signal which suggests that people evacuate the area which they are currently located. This is mostly used for crowd control, or to disperse mutiple entities that he may have to go up against. The gauntlets can also emit sonic vibrations which could shatter glass at high frequencies.
* Mirror Gauntlets – Kid Rogue's gauntlets also make use of two mirrors, which contain small doorways to Mirror Master's mirror dimension. While too small to travel through, Dominic uses this to store and retrieve a variety of weapons, for quick access in the field.
* He also makes use of various explosive devices similar to that used by the Trickster which he has stored in his gauntlet mirrors.
* Ear plugs, due to hypnotic gauntlet related reasons.

Appearance:

BRIEF Bio:
After witnessing The Flash fail to save the life of his mother during a fire, Dominic's hatred for the scarlet speedster started. Instead of idolising the heroes like the rest of the kids in his new home, the orphanage, Dominic set his eyes on a new group of idols; the Rogues. He admired their rules and efficiency, with the boy keen to follow in their footsteps. In his early teens he made a small record for himself, mostly due to petty theft and shoplifting. Although he followed the rules of the Rogues, not harming anyone. Discovering that he had meta-human abilities, Dominic decided that he could finally be of use to his heroes, and was determined to join their ranks. He tracked the team's whereabouts to their regular bar but was unfortunately rejected by ol' Captain Cold himself, who told the kid to "Fuck right off". That didn't stop him though, as Dominic managed to get an imprint of how to make the villain's weapon just by giving it a simple touch.

Within a few days, he had completed recreating the gun, and after suiting up in a homemade costume, he took to the streets. Finding the Rogues outside the Central City National Bank, Dominic managed to come to the aid of Captain Cold, by getting a hit on the Flash. After joining the group's escape, they deemed themselves impressed and after learning of his abilities they decided to keep Dominic along. While mostly staying behind in their safe house while the team went on heists, he trained in the use of their gear, as well as adding advancements to it. After a while, he joined the team for his first real heist, under the guise of Kid Rogue, mirroring the alias of the Flash's old partner, Kid Flash. The mission was successful although during his second outing, he was apprehended by the Flash.

Despite first resisting and fighting back due to him believing that his team would come save him, he realized that the Rogues weren't coming and that he had been abandoned. Reluctantly, he decided to put his feelings against the Flash aside and let the hero help him. He was relocated to a new foster family and was instructed to give up his previous costumed activities. That didn't stop him though, as Kid Rogue continued to hit the streets at night, although this time as a hero.

Sample post:
"I thought I told you to give up with this, kid?"

Despite currently focussing on not being taken out by the group of thugs surrounding him, the sound of that distinctive voice caught his attention. Groaning, Kid Rogue lowered his raised sonic gauntlets, his eyes watching his current predicament disappear in a blur. Or for use of a better word, in a flash. In front of him, the scarlet speedster darted about, quickly pinning the hooded goons against the parking lot wall, locking their hands together behind their backs using some kind of futuristic handcuffs.

While many would have loved to witness such a sight, the teenage vigilante was extremely pissed off. Every time! Every single time he ventured out at night to fight the good fight, this guy always turned up and sent him packing.

"I take it you have my place bugged or somethin', old man?" Dominic questioned as he approached the superhero, adjusting the circuitry on his gauntlets as he did so.

The Flash simply gave the boy his signature smile and let out a short laugh. "You're not going to stop doing this are you?" He spoke, ignoring the question. The grumpy look on Dominic gave him his answer instantly. "Well if I can't stop you, then at least I can make sure you go about this the right way! It's time you and I had a little chat."

Notes:
Due to Captain Cold choosing not to come rescue Dominic from the Flash, Dominic has stopped idolising the villain so decided to no longer use a cold gun out in the field, relying on his sonic gauntlets and technomancy instead!

[User]
Scourge, Guardian Angel, and Black Hood had all come down to the viewing room of the War Room area of the HQ. Inside two Dittos could be seen drawing the attention of Grundy away from civilian holo-droids while another got them to the designated safe zones in this particular program. Once the civilians were all taken care of, it was a three man tag team taking on the brute in the already wrecked battlefield.

One of the Dittos dropped to one knee and cupped his hands together while another ran and propelled from the cupped hands into the air. The third Ditto got behind the legs of Grundy and crouched as the airborne Ditto landed a clothesline that took the behemoth off of his feet. The teamwork of the triplicate man was something to note, as Red Tornado had now found himself in the viewing room as well.

"It would seem teamwork comes naturally to this young man." the Tornado commented in a monotone robotic voice that sounded something like Morgan Freeman's voice with auto-tune.

After two Dittos landed several punches on the grounded Grundy the monster managed to bat one of the Dittos back with his free hand. The last Ditto, originally the one cupping his hands, leaped into the air with a piece of concrete debris weighing roughly three hundred pounds and came down on the pale powerhouse. The face of the holo-droid was cracked and the holographic 'skin' on the droid faded as did the damaged city block setting. The parts of the setting that were pieces of the room itself sunk back into the walks and floor of the War Room, a large hole closed in the floor, and the three men became one as Ditto wiped the sweat from his forehead and made his way to the exit. The windows became visible now upon getting closer to the exit and Ditto started to grin.

"How'd I do, Red?" the Carggite asked.

"You operated at 92% efficiency. Still room for improvement, however it is acceptable in the field. Good work." the Justice Leaguer stated.

"So, anybody else gonna give it a go?" Ditto asked, "And by chance was there any of the barbecue left?" he continued stepping away with another smile heading back to the rest of HQ.

~KL~

[Assistant] Scourge tilted his head as he watched, he wasn't used to using his abilities in combat, he had only used them to assist in rescues and his job. He still hadn't understands why Tornado had decided to sponcer him. Tornado patted his shoulder indicating that he should go. James shook his head, "I'll just wait for when we do team exorcizes, I'm not so good with the fighting and such." He stated stepping backward. He looked at the others a little embarrassed. He had never actually fought any crime. Sure he had practiced the use of his abilities but as a firefighter he never had to fight anyone, especially with his abilities.

[User]
Kid Rogue groaned in annoyance at the loud booming sound that echoed through the tower and rose to his feet. Pushing aside what he was working on, he made his back through their new headquarters towards wherever the sound had come from. The sound's source? The basement, or in other words, the war room. During his tour, this had been his favourite stop. The technology here was outstanding! Dominic smiled as he thought of all the possibilities that could come with weaponising this place! Fighting a supervillain? No biggie, all he had to do was materialise an army of hardened holographic Batmen. Unfortunately The Flash had refused to let his get his hands on the War Room's machinery so that dream would have to wait.

He passed one of his teammates as he approached the room's doorway. He believed the guy to be some kind of alien, evident from the bright yellow bleepers the guy had for eyes. Deciding that it was probably a decent idea to start learning some names, he entered the viewing room just in time to hear Scourge state his weakness in combat. Dominic was about to make a snarky remark before his eyes landed upon ol' Tornado-Bot. Thinking it best not to insult Scourge in front of his sponsor, Kid Rogue instead flexed his muscles before volunteering himself.

"I'll gladly have a go!" He declared loudly, heading towards the door leading to the simulation area.

Eyeing the consoles he spotted what the image of Solomon Grundy and mentally gulped. Despite his arrogance, Dominic knew when he was outgunned! Unless he could the big guy down with just a few blasts from his grenades, Grundy here would most likely turn him into lunch. Putting on a fake smirk, he turned back to his teammates.

"You guys want to come along?" He offered, eyeing both Guardian Angel and the hooded archer. "May as well try and work on some of that teamwork shit!"

[Assistant]
The technology of the facility was well beyond her understanding. The way the room changed and seemed to make new environments was amazing. And there was a giant robot that looked like a zombie creature. Grundy aparently. This was going to be quite interesting. Scourge excused himself from trying a hand at the space below. However Kid Rogue wanted to spar against the automated contraction.

Nodding Angel stepped up to Kid Rogue. "I would gladly join you. Pray tell what is your skill so we may better assist one another?" The idea of building comradery was a plan that she very much wished to accomplish. The only real way to build it was together at every opportunity.

[User]
"Excuse me young man," the robotic Red Tornado spoke up to Kid Rogue, "Watch your language. You are being sponsored by a member of the Justice League and should act mannerly and with respect." Tornado said getting right to the point on cussing and showing respect.

"I believe, if you're ready to go, that I have an excellent simulation in mind." the robot continued.

In a gust of red wind Tornado flew up the stairs to the control room above the much larger War Room and took to the controls. The setting faded into place as what appeared to be a mall. At least a dozen civilian holo-droids in panic mode were running around as a holo-droid of an injured Flash laid on the ground. The enemy was the magnetism manipulator Magenta.

~KL~

[Assistant]
Photon was sitting at the table when he heard an explosion. Someone is using the danger room. he thought. He'd get around to it. For now he would just sit back and talk with the others.

Of course, within seconds the others started to get up and head down there. He got up too, and strolled down to the war room. He arrived just in time to see the glowing-eyed alien take down a holo-graphic zombie. And here I thought we were doing training exercises, not playing second-rate video games. When Red Tornado reset it to a woman with magnetic powers, though he became interested. "Mind if I join in?" he asked. "I can manipulate light, if you were wondering, though these holograms have an underlying robotic core which I can't simply dissolve, so I can't defeat them that easily."

[User]
At the comment to mind his language, Dominic rolled his eyes in annoyance, although not before checking to see if his face was out of view of the walking tin-man. Normally he would have retaliated, much like he had done previously in the kitchen. Now however, he kept his mouth shut, as despite how he acted and tried to rebel, he wasn't ready to give up all this junk yet! Instead he turned his attention to Guardian Angel as she spoke. He smirked at her question before eyeing her and her wings. If she really was an angel as she claimed, then that gal was surely packing some serious heat! You'd think that Dominic would be sceptical of such things, although after everything you saw on TV while growing up in a world like this, magic didn't seem that hard to get his head around. It was just some kind of ancient science, right?

"Me? I can built things." He spoke in an extremely vague manner as he adjusted his gauntlets. At the twitch of one of the servos on his wrist, the machines shot into life, with an array or violent emerald LED lights flickering on. Flexing his hands, he emitted a low level frequency in order to test that they were fine before heading once more to the door. As he moved, yet another voice caught his attention; a young man wearing a collection of neon lights. "Come on down Tron!" He called before entering the War Room, with him quickly followed by his two teammates.

Instantaneously the room around him began to shift and change, until finally Dominic found himself in an all so familiar location. Central City Mall. His eyes darting around through his mask, taking in the situation; the injured Flash, the panicking civilian and of course the big baddie herself. It didn't take long for him to recognise her. Magenta. Personally he'd never met her, although he'd heard plenty of the Rogue's speak about her. Apparently she was a class-A looney. Something about her being deeply in love with the Flash? The details didn't exactly matter, just that she was a threat. Especially to Dominic considering her abilities. Magnetism. That pretty much meant that his gear would be useless if he didn't act fast. His mind quickly attempted to pull together some kind of plan. Then he got it. Hypnosis!

"Cover your ears, boys and girls!" He declared loudly, raising his arms in a very dramatic manner. "I'm leading the rats out of Hamelin!"

Flexing his hands, he activated his gauntlets.


[System]
Race: Human

Gender: Male

Age: 27

Appearance:
5'8" 150 lbs tanned skin, athletic build, Shoulder length blonde hair, blue eyes

Bio:
Born Prince to the Empire of Man Leonidas' path in life was set from the start. Every aspect seemed to be laid out before him with little choice of his own. As a boy he was subject to lots of classes and teachings on world powers, political treaties, and anything else that a prince would need to know. After he was assigned his guardian Siegfried Leonidas was given the first glimpse of a choice in his life.

The young prince opted to take that choice if only to get away from his classes even for a little bit. That choice you might ask was to become a Paladin of the Silver flame like Siegfried. The Prince knew the tenets of the Silver Flame already but took to the religion in times of hardships and used his belief to strengthen himself. Leonidas became a fine young squire under Siegfried excelling in his training.

After Years of service within the Order of the Silver Flame it was decided that it was time for Leonidas to leave the capital and see the land that would one day become his to rule. Given orders to investigate recent reports of orc and goblin attacks up north he has assembled a small army and marched onward looking to see to the safety of his people.

Personality quirks:
Traits - I can stare down a hell hound without flinching. , I don't like to sit idle.
Ideal - Noble Obligation. It is my duty to protect and care for the people beneath me.
Bond – My honor is my life.
Flaw – My hatred of my enemies is blind and unreasoning.

Friends/Rivals:
Siegfried Lightbringer – Human Male, Leonidas' Mentor and Friend
Lyndis Helmsguard – Human Female, Childhood Friend

Fighting Style: Leonidas is a Paladin through and through, Blending Martial Prowess with Light Magic in combat.

Equipment:
Weapons – Warhammer, Longsword
Armor – Full Plate with chainmail underlay
Other – Waterskin, Holy Symbol of the Silver Flame, Pouch with 5 days rations,

Skills/Abilities:
Silver Tongue – Born a natural leader Leonidas uses his natural charisma to persuade others to see his way.
Martial Prowess – Leonidas never skipped a day of Martial training and took the lessons to heart. He is a good fighter on the battlefield and hard to match.
Light Magic – As a follower of the Silver Flame Leonidas has tempered himself in the use of Light Magic.
Holy Smite: Leonidas' weapon glows with radiant light bringing down Holy Wrath against his foes.
Lay on hands: By the divine power of the Silver Flame Leonidas can heal others with a touch of his hand.
Aura of Light: Leonidas' presence bolsters his allies increasing their moral and protecting them from fear.

[User]
"As do I," Faira said, taking the rein, and watching as her masked comrade vaulted up to a rooftop. "Gods' blood, she wasn't kidding."

While Zatana was making her way to the meeting place, Faira dismounted, so that she stood between the two horses. When Zatana's unnamed steed made to bite her, Faira, without looking at it, kicked the horse in the shin. It was a light tap, not to hurt the beast, but just to distract it. And distracted it was, the horse started and looked at Faira in some confusion, then settled down, though still watched her from the corner of her eye.

"Hold," Faira said, handing the guard both reins and ignoring him as the mare tried to snap at him, while Steak moved behind him to get away from the more aggressive horse.

While this was happening, Faira began to undo straps on her armor(further distracting the guard). She loosened several around her biceps, thig, and calves. She redid the straps, and tested the new configuration by stretching.

Ready now, she looked to the rooftops for Zatana's return.

[Assistant]
Co-GM IC:

The rooftops provide for an excellent way to maneuver around the city, and its use now allows for rapid movement, compared to the streets. The light of the sun shines down on the city as the battle rages all around. Most citizens and townspeople have been moved to the city's keep for safety, the streets now used by soldiers and militia to move supplies to the front quickly. Still, the odd peasant, merchant, or child lingers around, gathering their things as they prepare to move.

It doesn't take long for Zatana to reach the West Gate, though, by the end of it, she's gotten quite the workout. Speed for energy, and all of that. True to Balthazar's words, the gatehouse is mostly occupied by soldiers and the occasional straggler. She spots a lone beggar near one of the alleyways next to the Gate. The decrepit-looking man is dressed in a raggedy cloak and scraps of cloth, the pewter bowl in front of him likely his greatest possession. Is this Balthazar's man? You don't see any other beggars around here. As you walk up to ask, he looks up at you.

"Spare some change, good miss?"

[User]
Were these people simply foolish? Zatana watched as a small family slowly gathering their things, to the dark elf's eye it appeared as though they had no understanding of the danger that was coming. Were they so foolishly sure in their gate against a horde of creatures that would carve them to pieces? Turning away from the scene, Zatana continued to scan the small open space. If all went well the orcs and goblins would be routed or slain one and all. Which meant she needed the package she had been sent for, and to get back over the rooftops to Faira. Seeing one beggar more on his own, she approached the pewter bowl.

A contact would remain in position until the last moment. Their duty was thus and most all of them had the good sense to know multiple paths out of a dangerous situation. Those that failed to understand the meaning of an exit? They did not stay in business long. It had been one of her first jobs when her grandfather had wanted her trained to the shadow and dagger. 'First you listen and you learn. Then you strike with the tool the enemy hands you.' The old adage was useful, but it was a slight bit more complex than surface value. If someone was waiting for a message, then why group up? It would only deter any attempt of contact, and you would only join a group if you were trying to blend or avoid someone. That this beggar was not cringing away gave her a bit of hope as she adjusted her leather breastplate.

"A token of value." Two coins fell into the bowl. Their clamor covering the thunk as the wooden token was dropped right after the first but before the second. Zatana had fished it out but moments before. "Gods, deliver us from this horde." Though the words would signal fear in a plea to the gods, Zatana was more interested if this beggar would pick out what she wanted.

[Assistant]
Co-GM IC:

"You are a kind soul, good miss." The beggar says as he examines the alms given to him, a knowing look shining in his eyes. Whether or not his words were simply meant to keep up the facade, or if he actually meant it, you're uncertain. The man scans the area with a practiced eye, before standing up and dusting himself up, picking up the bowl and pocketing the alms as he does so.

"With luck, the Gods may deliver us yet." He says, walking closer as he reaches into his cloak. "Blessings upon you."

Any less experienced eye would've missed the fact that he had quickly reached into his clothes and retrieved a rather thick-looking brown envelope, but you spot it. This drop is well-practiced-- if someone didn't know what they were looking for, they would've simply seen it as an old man moving his begging spot to another area. The man presses the parcel to your side for only a moment, subtly beckoning you to take it.

You do so, and with that, he slinks deeper into the alleyway and turns a corner, disappearing from view. The envelope is sealed with wax, and shouldn't take much to open it if you so desire. Regardless of your choice, you now have the package you need. Time to head back, preferably before the Prince and his retinue arrive.

[User]
Leonidas Lead the charge and by the time the goblins noticed it was to late. The Prince came up upon one of the riders ready with one mighty blow. The goblin had seen him coming and tried to raise its shield, But it did little to help as Leoidas' Warhammer shattered the shield and embedded itself into the goblin's side. Cracking was heard as the goblin was removed from its mount dead before it even hit the floor. Leonidas quickly Spun the hammer in his hand adjusting his grip before dropping it onto the skull of the wolf mount slaying the beast as well. The rest of the charge went reasonable well. Many of the goblins found their lived ended by the spears of the Imperial Calvary and things had gone according to Leonidas' plan.

That is except for Acrius... Somehow the fool ended up on foot... A fact that didn't go unnoticed by the enemy forces as well. And although he was able to kill the one that looked like the leader of the goblins he had still left himself open. Two nearby rides had seen their master die and became enraged charging Acrius from both sides. Leonidas was able to see this and quickly rushed pulled the reigns of his horse rushing over to help the boy. Wolves although fast weren't bread for war and luckily Leonidas' horse was and had the speed advantage allowing him to catch up. The end Leonidas' hammer began to have a goldish glow come from it as he swung the mighty weapon crashing into the Goblin's head nearly taking it off just before it was able to throw its spear at Acrius. As the goblin's body fell to the side The wolf continued its charge a bloody frenzy in its eyes. And with the weight of the rider gone the wolf rushed forward in a burst of speed leaping at Acrius.

Balthazar shook his head in disapproval as he watched Acrius dismount, presumably to give the goblin leader a fair fight. Although he managed to dispatch of the rider with relative ease, now there were two Wolfriders moving to attack him. The Prince moved to deal with one, so the warlock decided to deal with the other. He spurred his horse forward, gripping the reins tight. With his free hand, he flipped back to the page he was once at, before firing off another shadowy ray, lancing downwards through the goblin's gut, and into the wolf's back. Both rider and mount soon curled up on the ground, presumably to die of blood loss. The rest was up to Acrius, now.

After the ordeal was dealt with, the remaining 3 goblins were able to see what was going on and took the smarter option retreating and started riding away headed North. Before any of his men road off to hunt them down Leonidas held up his hand, "Let them go, We don't know where they are going and we have something more important to do than hunting down a few stragglers." He said in a commanding tone before turning to the cart that had been the target of this small force. The horses that were to pull the cart were dead pelted with arrows to ensure the cart couldn't escape. It looked like the belongings inside the cart were still intact, but it seemed there had been a cost two bodies lie in the cart an older male and what could of possibly been his daughter. But it wasn't all bad as from underneath the cart the rest of the family started to emerge. A Woman presumably the wife of the slain man in the cart, a young boy that couldn't be more than 5 and a girl who must of been around the age of 18.

The knights circled up around the cart ensuring that no attack would come for the moment and the family looked around. The mother would come up to Leonidas her young son holding onto her let. "Mylord, thank you for coming to our rescue. We wouldn't of lasted long if you hadn't rushed to our aide how could we ever repay you?" The woman said giving a bow to the prince. The daughter on the other hand instantly rushed jumping at Acrius wrapping her arms around him "My hero! You were so amazing the way you leapt in to save me!" The girl said excitedly. Leonidas saw this and just sighed before turning back to the older woman. "There is no need to thank us, It is my duty as Prince to defend my people... I'm just sorry we didn't arrive sooner so we could of prevented this." He said sadly motioning to the two dead in the cart. "You have my condolences for your losses..." Leonidas continued before turning to Acrius. "Acrius since you don't seem to like your horse you are going to saddle yours up to the cart and ride with these fine people back to Bergkoff. You two stay with them as escort." He said while pointing out two of the Knights who responded with a salute. The mother smiled at the prince. "The loss of my husband and daughter will be a great one, but we will move on thanks to your actions my Lord," She says while turning to her daughter. "Elisabeth stop being rude and come show the prince some gratitude." She snapped back at her daughter who reluctantly let go of Acrius and came over giving the prince a curtsy "Thank you for saving us my lord" She said flatly before quickly turning and returning to Acrius while receiving a nasty glair from her mother. "So your name is Acrius then? I'm Liz nice to meet you." she said grabbing onto his arm.

The two knights Leonidas had picked up helped wrap the dead in blankets and got things ready for the cart to move again. After everything was set the group made its way back to the infantry troops The Calvary falling in on the sides to protect the flanks and the cart falling in behind the march. Leonidas made his way to the front seeing Rudolph and Merik as he approached. "Merik what happened to your horse this time?" Was the first thing that came out of his mouth as he fell into his position at the front before turning to Rudolph "Sorry we're late had something we needed to take care of." He added knowing that Rudolph would want to get to Bergkoff as soon as possible.

The rest of the march to Bergkoff was uneventful for most. Acrius on the other hand had to deal with Liz the entire ride as the girl seemed to be stuck to him, constantly asking questions. As the small force reached the southern gate the massive gate swung open and allowed them to enter the city before quickly being closed again. Leonidas would then order his troops to rest and be ready for new orders after finding out the situation within the city. Taking Balthazar and Rudolph with him as Rudolph knew the way to the town center and Balthazar would need to know where he was going to set up his desk.


[System]
"Hey, you wouldn't have seen any flower around here that has a yellow petal, would ya? I need one for, uh...'flavoring'."

"Charlotte LaChance. Now, if you don't need anything I really should be watching this beaker before it explodes."
"Nineteen."
Age:
19

Race:
Human

Appearance:
Charlotte stands around five foot six. A pale complexion with messy, somewhat unkempt dark brown hair and cold blue eyes adorn her face. She has a slender frame, with no obvious muscles as she's not entirely one for physical activity, often time spending her days reading or practicing her chosen craft. She wears comfortable clothes that look like one might expect of someone born from high-society. Short pants, held up by a belt with a golden buckle, adorned with various pouches to carry items. Comfortable shoes with long, knee-high socks. Over her upper body, she wears a thick cloak with a hood, designed mostly to protect the wearer from the cold. Rarely takes it off, even in the warmer lands she finds herself in.

Personality:
Insatiable curiosity, confident, stubborn, a bit on the childish side, doesn't like not getting her way, and has a bit of a one-track mind. As such her alchemy can sometimes suffer a bit as a result. Though indeed, she is talented, and if she doesn't let her one-track mind focus on something else after she starts something, she'd be fairly successful. She prefers to spend time outdoors with her plants and other alchemy reagents than in the company of people.

She tends to come off as rather serious and no-nonsense, and sometimes a sarcastic grump. Often time she wears a serious expression when people first meet her, though its only because she tends to have a one-track mind about things, and really doesn't like being interrupted. She's often thinking about various things and what properties plants might have.

That said, she is fairly friendly to most, and isn't hostile by any means. Just don't interrupt her work unless you have a really good reason. Aside from this, she's fairly intelligent and knows about a great deal many scholarly subjects. Mostly dealing with Magic and Alchemical pursuits, but she's read a great many number of books so she might surprise someone with her knowledge every now and then about something.

"DAMN YOUR EYES DON'T TOUCH THAT BEAKER-Argh, this is sensitive equipment!"

Abilities:
Aside from the obviously impressive physical and mental abilities that humans possess, Charlotte is adept at potion brewing. Meaning, alchemy and making useful concoctions out of herbs, remedies, antidotes and other items found in the natural world. She's pretty much a savant when it comes to everything relating to it. Add that to some beginner interest in Botany, she could probably make quite the living selling and brewing potions. That said, she is still fairly young and has a lot of room for improvement in the field. Plus, almost all the flora and fauna on this new continent has yet to be documented. Meaning, until she goes around documenting and doing some trial and error, she's gonna be somewhat useless.

Not something a lot of sleepless nights watching beakers and flasks bubble can't fix, however.

A neat little list:
-Good at alchemy
-Fairly intelligent
-Beginner Botanist
-Cold tends to not bother her so much, since her home country was notoriously cold.
-Not so good with animals, unfortunately. They tend to like using her as a chewtoy.
-Physically speaking, she's a wet noodle strength wise. Fairly average stamina due to her fairly active lifestyle.

History:
Born in Astril, Charlotte has been brought up around science, logic, reason, and even the odd magical related things most of her life. Aside from that, its not particularly interesting. While she herself wasn't born into the magic-using citadel of Astril, and was instead brought up in a small farming community near the border, she has always held an interest in magic, alchemy, and scholarly pursuits herself. So in between farming duties and helping her parents run the farm, she studied all sorts of books. Ones about history, magic, and otherwise.

And when she was fourteen, she was accepted into Astril itself as a student. And as confident as she was, she was sorely outclassed by a lot of the students there who had been training formally since their birth. She spent quite a few years there struggling to keep up with the other students, and quickly found herself as a bit of a loner and outcast among her peers. Not that she particularly minded, she'd rather have her books and studies anyways. Eventually she was labeled a bit of an eccentric.

It was when she was nineteen, she had to make a choice. Leave Astril and set off on her own, or effectively become a test subject. She doesn't like talking about the events that transpired leading up to that event, but she will say she killed about five scholars and blew up a lab.

Nation of Origin:
Astril. A small, somewhat isolationist country known for its heavy delving into intellectual pursuits of all kinds.

Nation Lore:
Astril is a small nation located far to north. Most of the country is cold, mountainous, and cold tundra and thick pine forests make up most of the climate. Over time, they have tamed the lands somewhat and built a thriving city located high in the frigid mountains. A tower like citadel, simply named 'Astril' over their first leader, that later became their small city.

In the past, they were a small group of intellectuals, scholarly types, dissatisfaction with their own cities. They traveled far to the north, seeking land unclaimed by others they could call home themselves. Eventually, they found their land in the cold north.

Overtime, they built a thriving city, founded upon not on diplomacy or military might, but on science, magic, and logic. When it was first founded, they welcomed all inquiries into the arcane and scientific nature, and shunned no question or line of research...no matter how 'unethical' it might have been perceived to be. Human, animal, and all sorts of experimentation was, and still is quite common. Of course, they don't exactly advertise this fact these days. If you're going to be doing something somewhat unethical, then you are expected to keep it under wraps and deal with any unintended consequences yourself...

Eventually, the city began withdrawing from the outside world, and though they still welcome intellectuals and those who wished to pursue arts of science and magic, they had developed a bit of a mindset that those outside their walls were somewhat...barbaric and uncivilized. Typical mage superiority mindset, really. Mix that with a somewhat reactionary mindset with a healthy dose of Xenophobia, (anyone considered an outsider and not born there, not racism per say. There are a variety of races that live here) you get some pretty narrow minded individuals.

Of course, it wasn't all easy for them. With their small numbers and generally small sized city, was almost taken over quite a number of times, if it wasn't for the quick thinking of their leaders. They maintain uneasy peace with any other city state in the area, but for the most part keep to themselves, and any outsiders are turned back at the border.

Misc:
-Not everyone pursues magic theory or science here. Not everyone has the aptitude to perform equally well with magic, after all. As long as you make yourself useful, you'll probably fit in well.
-A bit of a Meritocracy
-Ruled by the 'Deacon of Astril'

Other:
-Can be somewhat socially awkward at times, and has trouble holding a decent conversation about anything other than alchemy.
-Makes some questionable potions sometimes. You really shouldn't get curious about some of the stuff she makes.
-Don't bring up anything regarding an elixir of life or philosophers stone. You have been warned. If you do, bring ear plugs and make sure you don't have anything to do for the next hour.

[User]
~Charlotte LaChance~

---

The...stars? Her people had a rather...odd relationship with the stars. They revered the bodies, and that inky blackness in general, and at the same time didn't think much of them. They didn't question their existence, and didn't try and explain them. To do so, would be folly according to ancient texts. Her people weren't very religious nor did they believe in many supernatural things, even if they accepted some things couldn't always be explained with logic and reason. When it came to stars though, they were oddly reverent.

Cait's explanation was completely and utterly foolish, though.

"I can't say how big our world is, since there's clearly things I have still yet to understand about it, but that is ridiculous." Charlotte replied, speaking of the whole talking animal thing. She didn't share Cait's grin however, merely looking at the other woman with a somewhat blank stare. Could she say her peoples beliefs were any better, though? She couldn't, honestly.

"My people...well truthfully, we have a rather...complicated relationship with them." She tried to think of a good way to put it in a way Cait might understand. "Most revere the stars as Guides, as well as beacons of safety and bringers of knowledge. There's an entire level in the tower that has an accurate depiction of the stars in the region, made out of bright gemstones embedded into the ceiling for study. It's called the Planetarium." She doubted Cait would have a word for that, but it was important regardless. "The tower is quite high up as well, and offers quite the pleasant views from its many balconies, and the observatory on the upper floors is one of the places I miss quite a bit..." Realizing she was getting a bit off topic, Charlotte cleared her throat.

"Erm, a bit off topic. Anyways. At the same time, my people think the stars are messages or messengers from some sort of powerful beings. Beings too powerful and alien for the human mind to really comprehend. They say that the cosmos, the night sky, and the stars, are domains of creatures far beyond humans current understanding and that is why the first Deacon Astril built the tower. He wanted to get closer to the sky and commune with these beings." She scoffed at the idea, though. "Of course, he never succeeded." Charlotte shook her head. "I don't believe them, but I'm not going to say I know what they are. They are what they are to me. Points of light in the sky useful for navigation and a pleasant distraction." After a small moment of silence, Charlotte hummed.

"Which gives me an idea. The sky is as unchanging as my homeland." She said, glancing over to Cait. "Would your people have ever mapped the stars? A Star Chart?"

[Assistant]
The native listened to Charlotte speak, smirking initially as her ideas were called ridiculous but adopting a more intense and serious expression as eventually Charlotte started discussing the seriousness of the matter. The room sounded interesting for sure like most of the tower, but couldn't one simply look at the sky to admire them? Still though, it seemed Charlotte was a little homesick in spite of herself and the orange haired girl put a single comforting hand on top of Charlotte's, giving it a small squeeze before letting go and becoming lost in thought.

A star chart though, for navigation? All of the young girls were of course taught about the North Star before their hair was potent enough, but most of them favored speaking to friends if they were lost since it provided pleasant company anyways. "Perhaps the Great Mothers have one or maybe someone has painted one, but if I am understanding our purpose is accomplished differently. Since our terrain shifts, it is far more useful to speak to the friends for their guidance. Besides, they can warn of other dangers such as storms even by watching them. You don't have to hear them speak to be able to tell what they are saying most of the time." It probably wasn't a good idea to drift back to that subject though.

"Perhaps I could visit your tower one day. I feel it would help me understand you. Maybe I could show them about the friends even?" Caitriona already knew the other woman would reject that offer, or warn her against it. But despite that understanding, the smile of idealism crossed the orange haired girl's face. "Although, such grand structures aren't necessary to understand the world. Many peoples seem to seek raising them above the world ... but they all collapse in time. Not even the continents last forever."

[User]
Cait? Visit the Tower?

"You have no idea how bad of an idea that is." Charlotte replied with a yawn. It could only end badly, really. "The tower has lasted for at least passing of five hundred years." Urgh, she was tired. Probably the side effects of that smoke or whatever. Normally she didn't really get tired at all. Years of experimenting and other things made her used to late nights, and sleeping only as much as needed. Not to mention the various things she made to help with such things. "The ice does well to preserve things, and the upper parts of the tower have a thin layer of ice coating it. In time it will likely become entirely encased unless we decide to clean it, but I doubt they will." She yawned, unintentionally resting her head on Cait's shoulder. The ice was a great way to make sure something lasted, if it was cold enough. They even found ruins of other lost things, the Old World, as the scholars called it up there.

"...this smoke makes someone tired, doesn't it?" Truthfully, Charlotte disliked sleeping. Always better things one could do with their time than waste it doing some silly thing like sleeping. Besides, she had never slept well...especially recently. "I would prefer to wake within an hour or so and head back to the cave..."


[System]
Aurora: 14
Halander: 13
Gabriel: 12
Feras: 12
Brutrumukk: 11
Zavakri: 11
Jub: 10
Tsak: 9

Passive Investigation

Aurora: 15
Jub: 12
Zavakri: 12
Gabriel: 12
Halander: 11
Tsak: 11
Brutrumukk: 10
Feras: 10

Passive Insight

Halander: 13
Aurora: 12
Jub: 12
Gabriel: 12
Feras: 12
Brutrumukk: 11
Zavakri: 11
Tsak: 9

---

[User]
Zavakri whirls through the portal, collapsing onto herself as she appears on the Other Side. A groan. A wince. An exhausted twitch. Oh, such artistry made flesh. She slowly pushes herself to her feet, the weight of what she just did finally settling itself upon her shoulders; falling from on-high upon wings of retribution to finally feel the gravity of utter reality and dismal truth.

"Golly Gosh!" she cursed heartily. "Blimey! Spittle and bloodshed!" She leapt up and down, a sudden vigor coursing through her veins, soon whirling about as if just awakening for the first time. "A SWAMP??" She cries out, before her seething calms itself to a belated and finally appearing exhaustion. She falls onto her knees, pulling her cloak about herself.

"If this is how I find her, so be it." She sighs to herself, conviction worming its way into her tired voice. "At least it's no longer that Carnival...Oh, Riri, I hope you don't worry..."

She casts her gaze about, searching her companions intimately for the first time.

"If it's up to me, which it hardly is due to my sudden decisionmaking skills ending us up here, a rest is in good order. Just tell me when it's my watch or whatever it is we adventuring types are supposed to do, yeah? I've got to run some numbers..."

She wraps herself up tighter in her cloak, shifting the otherwise hidden crossbow she carried into her hands and lap as she slowly rocked where she sat, mumbling numbers in a calming manner.

[Assistant]
Aurora

When the human woman spoke the words to open the portal before everyone had a moment to respond, Aurora stood there for several seconds in surprise. Once the human woman through the portal, Aurora dashed forward to the follow. The sensation that followed was unlike any she had experienced in recent memory. It felt almost like falling forward without actually falling at all.

The sensation stopped once Aurora felt the soft earth beneath her boots. A quick glance had only resulted in seeing the dense fog and ruin near where the others started to arrive. Gabriel's exclamation of something being here drew her attention back to the group.

"Well Brutrumukk mentioned trying to rest back in the carnival but she..." Rory pointed towards Zavakri, "decided to open the portal before we could really discuss it. Personally I would have preferred resting somewhere not in a swamp. If we rest here I suggest we have someone keep a watch once we find somewhere less in the open." Aurora understood why the bugbear was upset and to some extent agreed with him. At the Carnival they would have at least been safe and less exposed to whatever may lurk in this fog.

"What did you mean by hag or no hag?" Aurora asked Zavakri while stepping toward Jub offering a hand to help him back to his feet. "Not quiet like jello but I am feeling tired from being up all night. I don't think any of us knew what to expect. Expect maybe the carnival owners."

[User]
"What did you mean by hag or no hag?" Aurora asked Zavakri while stepping toward Jub offering a hand to help him back to his feet.

Zavakri's attention snapped back to reality at being addressed.

"Oh, nothing much, methinks; the talking unicorns mentioned a hag, and someone else let slip that the Witchlights were victims in their own right, so I put two and two together and made some assumptions. Some lass named Skabither Nightbloom or something- Skabitha Nightblossom? No, that's not right; Nightshade. Skabitha Nightshade. Droll name, but I suppose a hag isn't exactly born to good things, eh?" She rambles on for a bit, before clicking her tongue and shifting to sit more comfortably.

"She sleeps in a dollhouse; she forgets the first creature she sees. I suppose I can't expect unicorns to make sense."

[Assistant]
Brutrumukk

"So we're dealin' with an 'ag then?" Brutrumukk said in response to Zavakri's words. "I've 'eard a thing or two about their type. Can anyone else 'ere say the same?" Should another party member indeed also know a thing or two about hags like Brutrumukk did, they would have a decent amount of knowledge on the subject of hags between the two of them.

Provided that someone negates the disadvantage with the help action, Brutrumukk rolls a 19 to know stuff about hags.

[User]
Jub the Peculiar

Jub glanced up at Aurora as the elven woman offered to help him to his feet - not unlike how she had before the two of them had entered the carnival. With a weak smile, he let her help him to his feet. "Thank you," he said, before taking a moment to dust himself off.

When the human woman spoke again, Jub swerved to face her, only just managing to avoid falling over again. "Well, next time, maybe consider asking the rest of us before you do anything like that," he said. He was attempting to sound stern, but the affect was lessened by the fact he was slurring his words slightly.

[Assistant]
Brutrumukk

"I agree." Brutrumukk agreed with an annoyed growl. "The fuck were you thinkin' pullin' somethin' like that? Some of us would 'ave liked to sleep before divin' through some mirror portal leadin' to Mag knows where." Brutrumukk then turned to the rest of the party. "An' what the fuck were the rest o' you thinkin' followin' 'er?" Brutrumukk asked. "Jus' cuz some mad cow decides to be fuckin' stupid, don't mean you gotta go with 'er! Now we're stuck on some broken bridge above some gods fersaken swamp with no idea where to go or what to do! An' to make matters worse, we're all fuckin' tired...! Great work everyone. Great fuckin' work."

[User]
G A B R I E L

Gabriel had untied the straps holding the sleeping roll in place from his backpack and set to unrolling it, rubbing his temples as the bugbear grew more and more frustrated.

As the half-elf listened to Brutrumukk berate the party, Gabriel gritted his teeth his head pounding wishing he had a bottle of whisky to calm his nerves.

"You're one to talk!" he snapped back angrily a tinge of an accent in his voice "Ya bloody well followed too, the god damn mirror pulled some of us in!" he pointed to the spot they appeared from "Like fuck'n hell ya couldn't have just left! It isn't our fault we left in a rush, those old farts likely didn't want to let us stay." he said meaning the two Misters.

[Assistant]
Tsak Vlos

---

Tsak was had been second to last through the portal, dashing forward to grab her pack from the misters and hug them both tightly. With a kiss on both of their cheeks, the overly giddy fairy flew right into the portal at top speed. Now, planer travel was nothing new, she's traveled to all sorts of planes all her life, but the fey never really got used to the sensation. Well, one mistake she had made was flying into the portal in the first place. As Tsak came out the other side, the tattooist came cometing down into the ground, roughly crashing into it. A yelp, groan and giggle later, the fairy would move to her feet and take in her surroundings. At first, excitement over took her, she did it! She finally became an adventurer! Then.... panic. Tsak, breath becoming heavy and quickly, took out her sketchbook as she looked around for the others. After taking a few deep breaths, the fairy would fly up to the others and called out, "Uh... I could fly up to the air and see if there are any towns or villages nearby..."

[User]
Brutrumukk

When Gabriel spoke up, Brutrumukk wheeled around to face him, looking just about ready to club someone to death and subsequently mount their head on a spike. "Yeah, some o' you were pulled in. I weren't talkin' ta them" Brutrumukk said. "An' yeah, I followed even though I coulda jus' left. But that woulda meant leavin' you and the others what got sucked across to deal with whatever mess ya got sucked into after that bitch opened the portal. An' fer various reasons, I weren't all that keen on the idea. An' as fer those fuckin' knife ears-" It was at that moment that Tsak chimed in. The interruption took the wind out of Brutrumukk's sails. And after staring at the fairy for a moment, Brutrumukk heaved a growly sigh. "Do what ya like. I'm gonna get some rest." Brutrumukk said before finding a decent looking spot on the bridge and beginning to set up his bedroll.

[Assistant]
Zavakri's exhausted emotional state cannot handle the torrent of anger and vitriol coming towards her. She goes wide eyed, like a deer in headlights, and curls inward on herself.

"If Rirvudd were here, he wouldn't let anyone say such things to me. But he isn't. And I am. So say what you want. I deserve it, I suppose. I'll do my best to not let anyone else down or to disappoint anyone ever again."

She curls into a sobbing ball of sorceress.

[User]
Jub the Peculiar

Aaaaand now everyone was shouting at each other. Any annoyance towards the human woman (or any of his companions for that matter) that had been building up within Jub melted back down and he was just left feeling exhausted. "Yeah, I think it best we just set up camp here instead of traipsing through the swamp while we're all tired and upset," he said to Tsak. "Even if you happen across some form of civilisation, it'll probably just be a weird fairy town with weird fairy rules." He paused, suddenly realised who he was talking before adding, "No offense."

[Assistant]
Tsak Vlos

---

Tsak frowned as she looked around the group, and she thought the carnie life was stressful. Slowly nodding to the grouchy bugbear, she would take to the air, flying up past the trees and took a look around for any towns or villages.

7

[User]
G A B R I E L

Both what the bugbear said and how the poor dark skinned reacted to the whole situation was a real punch in the gut for the likes of himself, it was bad enough to see that their argument had hurt her but the fact that Gabriel hadn't helped matters made the half-elf feel poorly about his words.

Brutrumukk while his words might have been harsh were also right in a way, the bugbear just did what he thought was right to do "Oh gods, I..." Gabriel looked from the bugbear to the woman crying on the ground "I...I am so sorry." all the anger fell away replaced by worry, his brow knitted together as he knelt by Zavakri "Look Brut...You just did what you did and I understand that," he sighed "You did what you thought was right and I don't blame you for that."

[Assistant]
Jub the Peculiar

"Aaaaaand she flew off anyway," said Jub as he watched Tsak head upwards into the trees. He then looked over at his group, shaking his head slightly. "I think I'm going to start crying now," he muttered as he watched Gabriel try and comfort the sobbing woman. With a sigh and a slight shake of his head, he started rifling through his stuff in search of his sleeping bag and other assorted camping gear. It was clear that no reasonable conversation was likely to occurr while everyone was sleep-deprived.

[User]
Tsak Vlos

---

Tsak spent a bit of time in the air, taking in their surroundings while calming herself down. She knew what she was getting into, yes, a less... conflicted group of adventures may have been better, but at least Rory was chill. Taking a deep breath, the fairy would fly down to the others before finding a branch to sit on, "Sooo... I know I'm new, to all this, but, umm... is it normal for an adventuring group to be this loud and boisterous? Or is it just this group?" Tsak would look at the group, between the bigoted goblin, arguing bugbear and bard, then the slightly unhinged human lady who's name she never learned, she was fairly concerned about her current situation.

[Assistant]
Hither
Queen's Way

The sky begins to darken slowly as everyone realizes how tired they are, the twilit sky becoming night as the discussions and arguments continue. When Zavakri begins crying, the party would feel rain begin to fall on them. The rain is not heavy enough to seriously drench the party and prevent them from going to sleep, but it is enough to really compound the feelings of sadness and melancholy that are now present in the group. The rain will not let up until the party calms down and recovers from this sadness.

As Brutrumukk leaves to go find a place to rest, he notices that there is now a nearby stone that has a frowning face made of cracks in the stone. Zavakri notices, as she curls in on herself, that there are thorns growing next to her that weren't there before.

In the middle of their rest, Aurora sees something during her watch or after her 4 hours of rest.

In the distant sky, she spots a great balloon made of patchwork material. It spins out of control as though punctured, causing the wicker basket that hangs from it to swing wildly. She can hear the distant sound of screaming coming from it. The balloon plunges out of sight, disappearing into the fog approximately a mile away.

The rest passes by quietly for the party. When they wake, they will be well rested and ready for this swamp and its unknown dangers.