[System]
Character Sheet
Age:
23

Gender:
Female

Bio:
Charlotte was overseas on a college trip when the bombs fell and wiped out a large portion of the human race, having travelled from her family home in what was once known as the United Kingdom. Fortunate to be away from any real population centre she survived with a small group of her classmates and a professor holed up in the somewhat remote cabin that their trip had rented throughout the martial law period (What little communication they had with the authorities soon stopped). They remained for some several months surviving as best they could on what little supplies they had, trying to get as much information as possible about the outside world and the fate of their native country. Inevitably the small group had to leave their relative safety and return to what was once civilization before they starved to death. It did not go well.

Hardly prepared for the devastation and death that greeted them as they made their way slowly into the city they saw the remains of countless killed by both the bombs and several more killed more recently. Somewhat naively the group went looking for help, but instead stumbled across one of the many savage gangs that had crept up filling the power vacuum left by the now gone authorities. Before they could even introduce themselves Charlotte's professor was greeted with a hail of bullets, killing both him and another student instantly. Fleeing for their lives Charlotte was separated from all but one of her male classmates and friend, the pair of them running until they could run no more, taking refuge in a now thoroughly dilapidated building.

They spent several days hiding and attempting to survive, but it was soon disrupted when in the middle of the night they were stumbled upon by a trio of cruel scavengers. Unable to escape it soon became clear that the interlopers had rather unsavoury desires, having stumbled upon a young and relatively undamaged woman with little to no protection one thing sprang into their minds. Charlotte struggled against them frantically and somewhat hysterically, aided briefly by her friend (until one of the men buried his hunting knife in his gut and kicked him to the ground). Biting, kicking and screaming Charlotte somehow managed to grab onto a loose piece of concreate and swing it with all of her strength into one of the men's heads as he tried to unfasten his pants, giving her the briefest moment to scramble away and run. In her panicked state she fled into what was once a kitchen, sadly with no other exits – the remaining two men now stood between her and her survival. Fortunately for Charlotte the kitchen was still littered with cooking implements and so as they both charged at her she managed to clumsily grab a large knife, as the first man tried to grab her and force her to the ground she fought with everything she had.

A screaming blur of adrenaline and several scuffles later Charlotte found herself curled up on the ground sobbing, covered in the blood of her would be killers. Her body ached from the numerous bruises and small cuts she had sustained and her mind was a mess, but she was otherwise not seriously hurt.

Making her way back she was just in time to watch her last friend bleed to death as she frantically tried to stop the flow. At the very least the now dead men had enough supplies on them to keep her alive and moving.

The next few months surviving presented a huge learning curb to the young woman, she slowly and cautiously began to move from place to place, scavenging and surviving as she went. After the first three men she had killed she took few chances and generally came to avoid all other people she came across, though it was not always possible and as a result she has now killed seven attackers in 'self-defence' (though truth be told she wonders if she couldn't have avoided the last few…)
Now hardened to the outside world, Charlotte is vastly different from the carefree happy girl that once came to this country.

Personality:
What remains of Charlotte's personality is vastly different from what it once was, now severely guarded and cautious when it comes to meeting outsiders, seeing them now as only threats to be avoided or opportunities to be exploited. She has somewhat lost faith that there are any decent people left alive out there and so is becoming as harsh and uncaring as the outside world.

Currently Charlotte is a something of a tipping point in terms of her personality, poised to plunge off the deep end and become the very thing that has caused her so much suffering and pain to begin with. Though retreating into her own shell it may not be too late for her to come back into the light before she turns her back on the world permanently.

Gear:
- Hunting Knife: The same knife that ended the life of her friend, Charlotte took it and has developed a somewhat macabre liking to it.

- Clothing:
Charlotte wears the clothing she came with, though now somewhat ragged and patched up. Her jeans were once a clear light blue colour, but are now smeared with countless stains so they appear a much darker shade, the knees have ripped out and been patched several times. Similarly a light green vest remains hidden under a grubby dark gray hoody that has been fixed several times and has now got several additional pockets and even a bandolier fixed into it. A green afghan hangs around her neck and she often uses to cover her face, which when combined with her hood at least hides her face when appropriate. Her once flawless shoes are now worn through and similar covered in such grime it would be impossible to distinguish what colour they once were.

-Items:
Basic first aid kit (mostly used)
Heavy flashlight (no battery)
Canteen
Box of cereal bars (12), Skittles, Tin of Tuna, Tin of tomato soup, Jerky.
Carton of cigarettes (3)
Lighter & Fluid (1/2 empty)
$14,012 (found on a corpse)
Flare gun & 2 red flares.

Role:
Charlotte hasn't found a role as such, though some very well may start to describe her as a wanderer or even rogue, perhaps some going even as far as bandit - though to be fair at this point that would be an exaggeration.

[User]
Jake jumped at the explosion and panicked. He pointed his gun around, trying to find the source. He then realized it came from inside. Jake's police instinct kicked in and he rushed into the house. He then heard Quinn's command, snapping Jake out of rescue mode and sending him into emergency mode. Jake slung his rifle around his back and looked around to see if and Blood Army were around.

A gut-wrenching noise was heard in the distance; a group of Blood Army shouting to go to the house. Jake pointed in the direction. "Guys, I think they're pretty damn close!" He warned motioning Quinn to be ready to protect himself, or the group, if necessary. Jake looked around to make sure the group was there and intact. "Everybody good?" He asked, disoriented from the explosion and full of adrenaline.

[Assistant]
The explosion catching Celty by surprise and Quinn taking the brunt of it shocked her and made her body freeze for a moment. She coughed and took Quinn's hand to stand. Once on her feet she coughed again and dusted herself off a bit. Heart racing she grabbed her bag that had fallen off her shoulder and put it back on. "I'm not allowed to touch things anymore." Celty said half joking and half fearful.

Adrenaline rushed through her veins as she looked at Quinn then at Jake and rushed to the door. "Let's go. Even if it's not the Blood Army someone could've heard that and could be on their way." Celty stood by the door, rifle in her arms now instead of slung around her shoulder. Almost as instinct when Celty heard the shouting she raised her rifle and pointed it in the direction they heard it come from. "We don't have long. I don't have a visual yet, but will soon. I can pick a couple off when I do, but we better run like hell." her tone got colder and less frightened.

Celty waited for the slightest hint of a figure before preparing herself for the recoil each shot would have. "We have less than five until they get here." she watched them through her scope and judged the time off of their distance. Slowly she put her finger on the trigger and waited till they were in good enough range.

[User]
Alyssa waited a moment after she shouted, eying the area Celty was in. She has seen this before how could she so stupid. She hoped to god that they would listen to her, if not they all would be dead. She paused and waited for a second. If they didn't listen, she would of up and left. They were nice people, for the most part, other than Quin, but she didn't feel any connection to any of them, almost as if she was distant, different. Leaving them behind would make no difference, she already had a bunch of blood on her hands.

A shocker, seeing that Celty and Quin did listen. She shook her head as she huffed," Great." She mumbled, another house destroyed, a place where someone used to live, memories of good and bad. She barely remembered that those days existed. She shook her head and ran out the door. Behind her slamming the door to try and block some of the explosion. "Get down." She shouted, jumping off the steps and went landing, and purposely tumbling over off her feet, her head buried below her elbows, and her hands blocking her head.

She hated this, all of it. She felt the pressure pushing her over. 'One, two, three.' She thought to herself, counting up till ten, before she stood up. If she had any injury's from it, she didn't care. They weren't important, nor did they matter. She could live with it.

Aly turned to Jake," I'm fine." She then turned to Celty. "Five minutes? Huh? Then lets get a move on, ditch the car, its efficient but to much distraction, come on!" She said as she bolted away from the scene and behind a building.

[Assistant]
He felt agonizingly naked without a weapon. It was the way it had to be after his revelation, but at this point it was no more than a giant inconvenience.
If nothing else, he still had Blood Army training, and years of construction work had left him with a reasonable physique. If he got a hold of one, he could always just beat him to death. Or improvise a weapon from any of the detritus laying around.

"If we disperse through the houses it should break their line of sight. It won't get us as far away as a straight line, but we're no good in the open."
It was a strange sensation to be stepping up to the plate like this, it gave him an uncomfortable knot in his stomach. No time to dwell on it now.
"Celty, try and take out the engines if you can, failing that the drivers but don't stick around too long. Nobody needs to be a hero today."

******************

The sound of an explosion reached off into the distance and registered only vaguely on Elias Vex's ears. Vaguely was enough for his keen senses.
He called out to his men, in a mighty booming voice that was like a hundred swinging sledgehammers striking down all at once.
"Move out, assholes! We got a traitor to catch!"
Vex reached into a pocket on his tactical vest and withdrew a slender syringe. He jabbed it into his neck without even a flinch and plunged the blue liquid inside into his bloodstream.
It only took a moment for his pupils to dilate.
The soldiers behind him all did the same, and they rapidly grew more feral. They howled, beat their chests and pounded on whatever their fists met.
Vex and his demons were on their way.

[User]
As the explosion sounded Charlotte threw herself instinctively to the ground and covered her head with her arms. Her ears rang afterwards and she looked up half expecting to see the others dead, but instead she saw that Quinn had managed to rip Celty away from the source of the blast at the last second thanks to Alyssa's warning. She jumped to her feet and watched as the others sprang into action. Everything happened so quickly that before she knew it they were all outside before the dust had even properly settled from the trap, her instincts told her to flee as quickly as she could – only her desire to stay with the others prevented her, as well as of course the fact that on her own her wounded leg would make her a prime target for the Blood Army.

She stood beside Celty as she stared through the scope of her rather impressive rifle, listening as she spoke "We have less than five until they get here", causing Charlotte to frown and bite her tongue as panic shot through her.

It wasn't long, but thankfully the group already had their belongings together. She couldn't help but think how much worse everything would be if someone had triggered the trap in the middle of the night. Quinn quickly barked some instructions "If we disperse through the houses it should break their line of sight. It won't get us as far away as a straight line, but we're no good in the open. Celty, try and take out the engines if you can, failing that the drivers but don't stick around too long. Nobody needs to be a hero today." Charlotte gazed at him and noticed how uneasy he looked as he did. Their eyes met for a moment and Charlotte looked away out of more habit that anything else. Her mouth already was going dry as she tested her weight on her leg once more. It still stung like hell, but at least she'd be able to move quickly enough so that she wouldn't be much of a liability to them.

Her heart continued to pound as she made her way outside and glanced around. The suburbs they were in were fairly large and sprawling, easy to get lost in she knew from experience. She wasn't sure exactly what direction Gainsville was or how far they'd have to go. She shot a glance towards the car they were going to be abandoning and thought about how much easier it would be to drive. But of course Alyssa was right, it'd be far too loud and the BA would have no problem following them with their own vehicles and they'd have more fuel and resources that the group could even dream of.

As she took the first few strides pain again lanced though her leg catching her by surprise. She hadn't expected it still to be quite so fresh and a small cry of pain escaped her lips despite her attempts to remain silent. She paused realising that without someone's help she wouldn't be moving very quickly at all, but she couldn't bring herself to say anything and pushed through the pain. In her mind she was scared that the others would abandon her… after all it would be the logical thing to do and just two days ago it's what she would have done without hesitation.


[System]
Age: 17

Personality: The pure embodiment of arrogance, entitlement, and narcissism. Guys want to be him and girls want to be with him. Very few are deemed worthy enough to be blessed by his presence though. Those that are must constantly bend over backwards to maintain his approval of them. Despite his horrid personality, many people can't help but like him. He is deft at using his superficial charm to cover up the darker aspects of his personality.

 His ability to use and manipulate people is widely known. He posses a strategic mind that could very well rival that of Alexander the Great, that's what his many private tutors say anyway. One of his favourite pastimes is setting people up for falls. Charles could very well be a great leader someday, if only he used his talents for good. That will never happen though, for he believes in maintaining the social and economic status quo, at all costs.

He is generally a dick to his friends, groupies, and hangers on. When Charles shows you an unexpected amount of kindness and friendliness, you best beware. The only people he would ever consider a friend and true equal are those who are as rich and as good looking as himself. Very, very few people in the world fit that criteria.

Biography: An only child born to a lawyer mother and an oil baron father, Charles Lancaster III has always led a privileged life. Spoiled rotten from a young age, he could never accept no for an answer.

From the age of three he has had a multitude of nannies and tutors, all completely devoted to him. Little Charles was a nightmare to deal with. The nannies could never get him to finish his vegetables nor stay in bed. The tutors could never get him to sit still for extended periods, let alone get him to pay attention to their lessons. Upon hearing that his money was going to waste, Devon Lancaster became furious yet determined. The very attitude that allowed him to maintain and grow his inherited fortune. Devon was going to make his son Charles a worthy Lancaster, at all costs.

And so Devon instilled within Charles a sense of pride. A sense of pride so great, that it would prove too much for little Charles to understand. At first it was great. Little Charles acted the part of the affluent and sophisticated boy. He did everything his nannies told him to do, even going so far as to learn the finer points of etiquette. Charles also started to really pay attention to his many tutors, studying and doing his homework as instructed. Everything was going as intended. Sadly though, as Charles grew older, his immense pride turned to arrogance and bitterness.

The anger and bitterness of Charles eventually led him to become a Royal, but that was a tale for another time.

ROYAL

[User]
It just wasn't the same without those loveable clowns around. The mood was quieter and more somber at school with the absence of Rolo, Switch, and Divo. They were all suspended for the rest of the week due to that little dispute of theirs. Chet wished that they would've settled it more privately, though who could say no to a pissed-off Rolo? Alas, a passionate heart wasn't always a sensible one.

It was during recess that Chet decided to uphold his end to his secret deal with Charles. The rest of the Salt Bay Turbos were as apathetic as ever. No words of support nor objections this time around. Being a leader was a lot less fun without the dynamic trio, that's for sure. Chet sighed, he really wished they were there. He needed them more than ever.

The operation would commence at lunch time that very day.

[Assistant]
Corrine woke up to the sun shining on her face. She groaned as she sat up from her princess-like bed. What time was it? She asked herself. She turned to look at the clock to see it was already 9:30! She missed breakfast with everyone! It must've been cold by now. She quickly puts on her house slippers, grabs her teddy bear, and walks quickly down the stairs.

The dinner table was mostly empty with everyone's empty plate still on it and a couple of bottles of syrup. She missed Charlie's special pancakes. What a great start to her morning. She sat down at her normal seat and ate some of the table scraps off her brothers' plates.

Before she took another bite, a plate was placed in front of her. She looked up to see Charlie still in his apron and his face covered in flour.

"Good morning Corrine. Looks like you slept in this morning, hm? It's not like you. He smiled.

"Charlie! You didn't leave for work yet?" She asked.

"No, I took the day off to do chores around the house. It's getting quite messy around here and someone has to take care of it."

He shrugged, putting his own plate down to sit next to Corrine.

"Sorry for not making you pancakes like everyone else. I ran out of pancake batter, so I made you eggs on toast instead. I hope you don't mind." Charlie apologized. He knows how much she loves pancakes.

"Its ok! Whatever you make is still good!" She smiles and takes a bite.

"Aw, thanks sweetheart. Now hurry up and finish. I hope you don't have plans today because you're doing chores with me."

Corrine groans and finishes her breakfast. What a great way to spend her Saturday. Having such a large house wasn't always the best. Especially when it came to cleaning. The two spent the day dusting, sweeping, washing, and organizing the whole house, excluding everyone's room. The family made it a rule that it was their job to take care of their room. Corrine didn't have to worry about facing Charlie's wrath because she cleaned up her room everyday.

After they were done, Corrine looked at the clock. It was only two in the afternoon. This day was going by too slow! She had a party to go to. It wasn't until tonight, so she needed a way to sneak out. The only brother who would let her go out so late would be Antonio, but he wasn't very reliable when it came to keeping quiet.

She would have to arrive a bit early to the party and make up an excuse for being home late. Her brothers would always believe her if she said she was at the beach. She'll make a quick stop there and pick up some shells as proof. Yes! This plan was perfect! She might get a bit of a scolding but it's better than getting into trouble for going to a party.

She ran upstairs and into her room. Now, what should she wear? She didn't want to ruin any of her dresses, so those were out. It was too cold to wear shorts at night so those were out too. For fifteen minutes she tried on different outfits, from casual to fancy. She decided to go with a long, navy skirt and a long sleeved polka dotted shirt. She layed her clothes on her bed and decided to read until it was time to go.

[User]
"Ready boys?" asked Chet.

"Yes boss!" replied Rolo excitedly.

"I sure am Chet" affirmed Divo.

"Oh I am so ready for this!" Switch declared gleefully.

"Light em up!" cried Chet.

It was around a quarter past two on a Saturday afternoon. Quite a warm spring day, even for Sea Salt Bay. The four friends stood at the end of the Main Street. In the middle of the road. During one of the few brief moments when traffic was absent. Amongst them stood several motorcycle tyres lined with oil soaked rags. They were about to send a message to the town. Despite the absurdity of what they were about to do, the message they were sending wouldn't be lost on any of the locals. All part of the plan.

The three friends, alongside several other members of their gang, had their lighters at the ready. On Chets orders, all their tyres were lit ablaze. They each jumped back when their respective tyres were ignited. The heat from them was too much to handle up close. The sight of those rings of fire was enough to intimidate anyone. They worked exactly as intended.

"Into position!" cried Chet.

A unified and spirited roar met his cry. Each of the Salt Bay Turbo members stood behind each of the tyres. A single foot placed on their sides, ready to launch.

"It's getting really hot around here. Hotter than Divos mums bedroom" announced Switch.

He issued his trademark loud and abrasive hyena laughs. As always, it was accompanied by the laughter of those around him.

"Hey shut up!" shouted Divo.

"But yeah, it's getting really hot around here. I don't think I can take it much more. Could we please just launch now Chet!?" pleaded Divo.

"Shut the hell up you little nub! We'll hold as long as we have to!" yelled Rolo.

It was a few moments later when everyone finally got into position.

"Launch!" yelled Chet.

Each of the tyres were kicked at exactly the same time. All the tyres rolled down the Main Street in unison. The Salt Bay Turbos roared in triumph.

"Now let's get out of here boys! Before the pigs show up!" announced Chet.

"You don't have to tell me twice" said Switch.

"We're splitting up then laying low until tonight, right fellas?" asked Rolo. He was absent whilst the stunt was being planned.

"That's right big fella. Now let's split." answered Divo.

All the Salt Bay Turbo members scrambled to their motorcycles then screeched off into different directions. Chet himself stayed until everyone was clear.

"Oh lord! What in heavens is going on!?" some woman nearby exclaimed.

"It's happening again." answered an old man standing nearby.

Damn right it was, Chet thought to himself. This town had no idea what it was in for.


[System]
* Age: 228
* Gender: Female
* Race: Sentient Undead (Human)
* Appearance:
 Though at one time as shiny and luminescent as pictured, Tyaethe's armour has lost much of its lustre due to a combination of two hundred years of constant use and an inability to perfectly clean it whilst in use. The result is a blurring of the intricate detailing on the paladin's shield and armour, and the shining metal is now a dull grey verging on black—when not coated in blood. It got cleaned. The scarf obscures how the throat is heavily armoured, beyond what one would expect of such an ensemble.
Though none still in the knights can say for certain what she looks like underneath all the armour, her eyes are clearly an unusually brilliant red and her hair white. Since the armour's on the intentionally bulky side and doesn't come off, it's not quite clear what Tyaethe's height is... though probably over six feet. Currently, she seems to be trapped in appearance as a child... though her armour's size doesn't quite mesh with the old paintings.
* Personality: If there's one thing that all her instructors tried to do, it was to cure Tyaethe of her temper. Fervour and determination in a battle is all well and good but carrying that attitude over to your everyday life? Despite their efforts, it was a fruitless endeavour and the tall paladin is as irascible as ever, though with enough self-control to avoid the worst outcomes.
At heart, Tyaethe is a dutiful knight and a good person. So despite her frequent anger, she has never once backed down on her duties or struck out at a child or someone truly innocent, even if rather aggressive verbally. Her unfaltering devotion to her duty—or anything else, as she seems too stubborn to ever back down—is best exemplified by her continued presence in the Iron Rose Knights, despite the drift from being a religious order.
Something more familiar to the newer recruits than the veterans is her sullenness and risk-taking. Not a behaviour always evident but at the same time a concerning trend, as if her patience for something is running out.
One trait carried over from her normal life is a dislike of being seen out of her armour. Since Elionne's death, this has exacerbated into a full refusal to remove it for any reason short of their first captain's return. Partly, at least, this is to prevent anyone from learning of her undeath and to preserve the idea of an immortal knight.
* Brief Backstory: Tyaethe was born to a minor noble family and, as the only child, was expected to carry on the family's duty as knights. To this end, at the age of seven, her education was entrusted to an important but highly religious duke that owed her father his life. It was for this reason that instead of continuing on to be a squire, the young Tyaethe pledged her service to the church and became a paladin.
As an adult, her strength and steadfast service was admirable, even though her hot-headed attitude caused friction with some of those she had to work with. It was for this reason that she was granted the honour of protecting the High Priestess and, when reports of an incoming force surfaced, left Falthir in order to conduct the fighting when she wouldn't be at risk. Naturally, this backfired and it was only Elionne's intervention that prevented the deception from being successful due to the diversion of the guards.
Owing the maiden for fulfilling her duty where she could not, Tyaethe swore to serve her in life and in death, second only to the goddesses. Part of the Iron Rose Knights since their inception, Tyaethe's death came in a pitched battle where their foes managed to split herself, Elionne, and some less experienced knights from the majority of their comrades.
The reason for her survival has never been perfectly explained. Some of the knights assumed it was just sheer luck and the high level of mana in the region and the more religious assigned it to divine intervention. Some of her detractors have even accused Tyaethe of dabbling in necromancy. As for the paladin herself, she cites her oath and willpower, as well as a refusal to go down whilst Elionne was still in danger. The fact of her undeath has been kept a secret within the knights, to cultivate a reputation as an immortal holy warrior, though doubtless people have guessed the truth.
Tyaethe has been unsurprisingly steadily more bitter since the original captain left, wanting to know why and find out what happened. Despite this, she has faithfully explained new captains their duties and guided them through it, even as the knights have drifted further and further from the religious unit she joined.
* Equipment: Forged nearly two hundred years before, the styling of Tyaethe's armour is antiquated to say the least—though the decorations, obscured as they are, resemble the current pieces made on the behalf of the church. Few people can move efficiently in such weighty protection, let alone adjust to how it restricts movement in order to fight but even going for its vulnerabilities leads to a difficult time in scoring a fatal injury. Of particular note is the one addition made before Elionne left: a reinforced gorget, to make even accidental decapitation even less likely.
Her other armament consists of a sword that most refuse to treat as one and an immense shield. Both are as long as she is tall and the sword itself unreasonably broad and tough; it crushes as much as it actually cuts. The shield, scratched though the design is over the years, contains a wolf rampant in its design—a lesser-used Mayonite symbol.
All three pieces were blessed and enchanted to regenerate under moonlight, since even before Tyaethe's death they took vast amounts of punishment and repairing them manually was prohibitively costly.
* Skills: Raised as a member of the nobility and intended to become a far more ordinary knight, Tyaethe knows falconry, board games, how to ride, and the social graces needed for polite company. All of these skills, save the riding—and that relies on draught horses in her case—are incredibly rusty skills due to neglect. Her literacy and ability to recite scripture on a whim, due to her training as a paladin, are as strong as ever.
In combat, Tyaethe's immense strength and armour leads to an approach best likened to an oncoming tide: she's not the most agile or that hard to hit but actually stopping her or resisting the offence is futile. Her speed can also be deceptive; she chooses to adopt a slow approach for psychological reasons and is more than capable of surging forwards to strike down a threat. Though a shield might seem redundant with such armour, she happily uses it as a second weapon or to force an opening from someone hoping to budge her defence.
With over a century of experience on her side and an initial training in the arts of warfare, Tyaethe is also a valuable tactical and strategic source—provided that you ask her opinion when she's not agitated in some manner and ensure that the reason Tyaethe suggests she be put in the thick of it is due to needing an immovable obstacle.

[User]
Fanilly, taken off-guard by the spontaneous offer of a baked potato, stared at it in blank silence for a moment before shaking her head. "Er, no, no, not now."

She waved her hand. Now was certainly not the time for her to be snacking. It would look completely irresponsible, and beyond that it was hardly the time for anyone to be. But before she could protest, Tyaethe made a comment about the lack of... well, anything. Fanilly nodded. "You're right... if we're too late..."

A pang of guilt came at the prospect. If they had been too late, if the fort had been taken... ah, even if they hadn't known until the messenger's arrival... It was hard to avoid feeling guilty at the prospect of failing those who had made a cry for assistance in the end.

Fanilly was dragged from her thoughts almost immediately when they drew close enough to make out more details about the fort. The first and foremost among these details was what had been done to the reinforced wooden doors that would bar entry to anyone but those using siege weaponry or potent magic. They had been destroyed, splinters of wood scattered across the ground, one of the doors even smashed off its reinforced hinges and lying on the ground. And within...

Corpses.

The bodies of the soldiers who had occupied the fort were visible, now. Not all of them, but enough to make it clear what had happened. Bodies lay strewn across the fort's open entryway. They had died through various means, more and more discernible as the knights approached. Some had been stabbed, others riddled with arrows, some burned... and some seemingly hit with extreme force, limbs at odd angles. Whatever the case had been, the fort's soldiers had been absolutely massacred.

And inside, Fanilly could see a man wearing Thaln's colors frantically raising a crossbow. Spurring her horse on, she tried to get to his assistance...

A crimson spear pierced his chest before he could even aim.

"You had a plan and you threw it all away for that?" said a voice, as the spear's wielder came into view. It was a strange tone, somewhat... squeaky in a way that might be endearing if not for the situation. The wielder's appearance was that of an extremely pale girl with dark blue hair, her eyes noticeably crimson. The armor she wore was light, leather, overlapping to provide better protection. "What a wasted life."

Almost immediately, Fanilly drew her sword.

"Drop your weapon immediately, or the Iron Roses will kill you where you stand," she said, her tone cold and piercing. This girl had just slain a soldier of Thaln right before their eyes. If she did not immediately surrender, her execution would be immediate rather then after imprisonment.

"... Ah?" the spear-wielding girl looked up, resting her weapon on her shoulder. "... Ohhh, those Rose knights, huh? Heh, your captain's just as cute as I heard. I wonder if that's why you all follow her so closely?"

In spite of the situation, the leather-clad girl grinned.

"You don't have to be so pissed off," she continued, "These aren't the noble soldiers of Thaln you think they are, or whatever crap like that. Just go inside and you'll see what's really going on."

This was... they weren't Thaln's soldiers? But they were wearing the colors, the armor... what was going on? To Fanilly, it sounded like a trap.

The blue-haired girl sighed, cocking her head. Her pigtails bobbed. "What, are you going to attack me?"

She snickered. If they had taken this entire fort, there were surely other fighters somewhere around here...

[Assistant]
Umbra Thalbound stood there, silently, eyeing the situation. It was the usual cocky-mercenary showoff smug situation. These types were usually braggarts, and sometimes crazy strong. However, what these types were not usually was very foreplanning, and they usually had this bad habit of posturing in the middle of a fight to chat, so as the mercenary drew her attention over Fanilly, the bow of Umbra had already fired.

But not at her desired target, no. There was the chance it could be somewhat the second type, the crazy strong one, so Umbra decided to pull one of the elven tricks of old. The pinpoint arrow rain.

10 Seconds.

Her cloak visiblely shifted, as she unclasped furiously, casting it forth before the opponent, obscuring her sight on what she was about to do.

20 seconds.

It was then when she brought forth two more arrows, and without mediating a word, she aimed at the little girl's face. More precisely at the eyes.

35 seconds.

However, that wasn't the main attack. The cloak..., the second set of arrows, it was just to obscure the first shoot. And it was timed in such a way that both attacks would happen simultaneously. One directly aimed at the face, thus bound to trigger combat reflexes, and one in the blind point all humans and humanoids had.

You could never see what was incoming directly above you. This was the pinpoint elven arrow rain.

"I believe she asked to drop your weapon, dimwit." She finally said, her elven factions apparent. It didn't hurt speaking now. If she had survived such an attack, she was a legitimate monster, and as such one human worthy of being addressed. "Do you really think you can play games at this point? You were caught red handed, so spill what you know." Her eyes narrowed in resent.

[User]
Almost immediately, the blue-haired girl sprang back. The spear became a red flash, sweeping the cloak aside and snapping back. The fine tip, made as much for cutting as it was for piercing, flashed back and neatly split the arrows in a single blow.

The final arrow hit just in front of her.

"So you are, huh?" the girl commented, narrowing her eyes. "I already told you the truth, these aren't the people you think they are."

Fanilly raised her sword again. This... was a trap, wasn't it? But why was she still insisting even after being attacked? None of this seemed right, and all these dead soldiers...

"... But if you're more interested in a fight, I'm happy to oblige," continued the girl, a vicious grin coming to her face as she spoke, "Borifos!"

The doors of the large tower to the right exploded out in a shower of wood and iron fragments, and through them stepped an enormous humanoid figure of steel.

At first glance, Fanilly thought it was a steel golem, until it spoke in a deep, rumbling voice.

"If you had not moved back far enough, my lady, you would have died. Please do not risk yourself alone unnecessarily," the enormous figure in armor spoke.

"Oi oi, I dodged it, didn't I?"

[Assistant]
As quickly as anyone else amongst the knights, Tyaethe drew her blade, though when the apparent enemy made no move to attack it dipped towards the floor. It was too late to save the fort's occupants and all that left them was the task of meting out justice--though as much as her emotions told her to strike out now and as itchy as she was to push the horse forward into battle, the mere step of raising doubts about their innocence was enough to force her to stop. Her vows wouldn't allow her to immediately brush concerns off.

Not without a direct and valid order.

Umbra had no such compunctions however, and neither did the rest of the knights, so the paladin could hardly fault her for doing the normal thing. It didn't work, which meant their mysterious aggressor was at least quick to respond to visible threats. Unfortunately, it made the diplomatic step of their current mission a lot more difficult.

"Then if you aren't responsible, put down your weapons until such time as our investigation of the fortress is complete. We cannot simply let those responsible for this slaughter go without reason," the fully-armoured knight said, "And if you will comply, I offer my protection so long as it remains necessary."

Even if her gut was telling her to stab them.


[System]
Appearance:

Gender: Male

Age: 16

Year Level: 1st Year

Faction/Club: Unaffiliated (for now)

Power: - Inhuman agility and dexterity - while it's still unknown if there is a hereditary factor involved in his powers, what truly makes Ray unique from the rest of the fighters is that he has no real, distinct powers. If observed closely however, his fighting skills do have traits that don't show in your average joe, such as his ability to change positions and move freely while mid-air, allowing him to dodge projectiles and so forth. His erratic movements also allow him to be extremely unpredictable and, coupled with his unmatched speed, grant the young Sakamura the ability to deliver fatal blows and finish the battle in record time.

That being said, with powers come weaknesses. While he is very good at pinning down an opponent in a fair fight, he has trouble keeping up with those who employ long range attacks. He is also rather fragile. If you're skilled enough to pin him down, you might knock him out with a few nicely timed hits. Good luck with that, tho'.

As for his fighting style, Sakamura is self-taught and as such uses no single type of martial art. Rather, his style is comprised of several different arts such as Krav Maga, Jiu Jitsu and Pencak Silat, all moves he has learned by watching different action films. His execution is flawed, but the blows he delivers are lethal nonetheless, courtesy of his physical blessing. In most battles, he goes with a hit-and-dodge tactic, unwilling to let himself be cornered by his adversary.

Biography: Born to Yosuke Sakamura and Elisabeth Payne - Sakamura.

Raymond's father, Yosuke, was a world renowned Japanese athlete who was the main representative of his country during the World Olympics. As such, Ray grew into a fairly rich family. Following his son's birth, Yosuke decided to move into his wife's hometown, England, specifically London, and planned to stay there permanently, considering England to be a better place to raise a child than Japan. He was quite wrong.

It was at the age of eight that young Sakamura began to exhibit behaviors unusual for a kid. He wasn't bringing any friends from school, he was eerily quiet everytime he was around the house, and he spent most of his spare time locked up in his room. Suspicious, Yosuke decided to go out one day and visit his son at the local playground, after his wife told him that that's where he could be. What he saw that day completely changed how he viewed his son.

There was sweet, young Raymond, dragging a screaming boy by his wrists, as a little raven haired girl lied down in the ground, sobbing and bleeding a few feet away from him. He then proceeded to stomp the little boy to smithereens as his cries for help became muffled following each stomp. Sure, there was a desperate offensive launched by the other boys who were his age, but he just shook them off like they were a minor nuisance. Appalled by his son's display of brute strength, Yosuke barged in and managed to calm the beast down before his beatdown turned into murder. Turned out that wasn't Ray's first temper tantrum. There was a couple more of them which ended terribly, with both the other students and the school's staff receiving gut wrenching injuries. Upon being briefed of his son's shenanigans, the former athlete took measures almost immediately, but his measures proved to be fairly ineffective. His appointment with a famous therapist ended with said therapist having his ear bitten off. They also tried to hire a witch doctor, believing his bursts of anger to be related to witchcraft, but the entire practice was interrupted after the shack inexplicably was caught on fire. And let's not even talk about that time he killed the neighbor's dog after he caught him take a leak on his yard. Long story short, the kid was pure evil and after a while, even Yosuke threw his hands in the air and gave up. His last resort was to take him back to Japan, believing that their strict practices would somehow heal him.

During his time in Japan, Raymond's outbursts didn't get any better. They had to move different cities, regions and thus change schools on several occasions. He never got the chance to make any friends. However, one day, as Yosuke was driving to get him to his school, he observed as he dismantled six attackers, possibly people he's pissed off, with relative ease. That is when he realized that not only was he an abusive jerk, he was extremely good at delivering said abuse. So, seeing as his thirst for violence couldn't be quenched, he decided to enroll him in an ever growing high school that promoted violence, holding onto the hope that if he meets a fighter more formidable than him, then he'll learn to bow his head down.

Score: 1000
Dorm: C-Tier

[User]
"Captain, captain! Did you see me?!" Al called, adjusting the strap on his sword sling. "I think your and Roy's training is paying off."

"And nice to meet you, Mister Ruidoso. You want to join the boxing club, huh? I'm pretty low ranked myself, so if you want an exhibition match to introduce yourself, I'm game for whatever." he smiled at the masked wrestler, extending his hand for a handshake.

[Assistant]
The Boxing Ring

The crowd was silent, watching the interaction between the luchador and the cheerleader with interest. A pin drop could be heard! All breath was held! Some poor kid in the stands was going blue, and it was not the guy who had the power to turn into a blueberry muffin!

"Then it is, A DATE!" roared El Ruidoso de Marad, Mighty Lucha Wrestler, with his FIERY PASSION! The crowd immediately burst into cheers and applause! Camera flashes went off, women threw their underwear, and all around them was the chant of 'Lu! Cha! Lu! Cha! Lu! Cha!' Truly the audience appreciated the dramatic showmanship of El Ruidoso!

The chants continued as El Ruidoso through his arms wide, rose in his hand, basking in the glory and attention and showing of his magnificent oiled six pack! Then a thrown bra hit him in the face. THAT DID NOT DETER HIM! With grace, he removed the bra from his face and turned in the direction it came from. With a dramatic bow and a blown kiss, he acknowledged the bra before placing it neatly on the edge of the ring. One must treat the undergarmets of females with respect!

But a man had addressed him, and El Ruidoso was not the type of man to leave a comrade in the lurch! "Greetings Señor! It is truly an honour for I, El Ruidoso de Marad, to meet a man who defeated such a terrifying enemy so!" boomed El Ruidoso, paying no attention to any damage his loud voice might cause to the man's eardrums! He bowed deeply, one hand to chest and the other out behind him, the true form of respect for a martial combatant such as himself! The crowd cheered further, witnessing the beginning of the apocalypse to come.

Finally, he re-adopted the kneeling pose to face Misaki and handed her the rose. "My fairest lady, I am at your service! The strength of El Ruidoso de Marad is yours to command! My true power and FIERY PASSION will be invested into your cause! A noble cause..." and on that ominous note he stood again to behold the crowd once more... "AND IT'S NAME IS BOXERMANIA!"

The crowd achieved the impossible! They cheered as loud as El Ruidoso de Marad himself! This brought a tear to the lucha's eye! He felt true pride in his companeros here this fine day! They had honoured him with their presence and he shall honour them in kind! For it was his FIERY PASSION that would bring Boxermania to new heights! For the love of a lady and the fight of a lifetime, El Ruidoso de Marad knew no greater honour!

[User]
Just outside of the boxing gym stood Raymond, who desperately tried to ignore the commotion going inside by pressing his phone harder to his right ear, while he stuck his finger in his left. There was literally no spot around the school where one could have a decent phone conversation. There were either fights going on or there were the overzealous students who were thinking of enlisting in this famous tournament. Even in the dorms, which were supposed to be private shelters, you'd be waken up at 3 a.m by someone enthusiastically shouting his name or listing all his daily achievements. It was a place even Willy Wonka would brand as weird.

Following a succession of beeps, a voice was heard on the other end of the line. "Yo, Ray!", the man pronounced excitedly, hints of an Asian accent detected. While initially not vocal about it, Ray was seemingly pissed off by the man's buoyant attitude. He went silent for a while, before echoing the man's word back as loudly as possible "Yo Ray? YO RAY?!" His facial expression got ugly by the second, and his tone got so intense that a vein bulged out of his head. He then proceeded:

"You leave me in this god forsaken place and YOU HAVE THE NERVE TO BE ALL CHEERY WHEN I CALL YOU?!"

"What's wrong, son?", the man, now revealed to be Ray's father, Yosuke, replied after a brief intermission, his tone now showing concern instead of optimism. While he would never admit, Yosuke's happiest day was the day his son joined Kagetora. He was so committed to creating a decent human being out of his son that both he, and his wife, forgot to live their own lives. Even now, when they had the chance, their misfit son was going to keep bothering them. He was understandably concerned.

"I thought you'd like the place. I thought it would be like home to you", he continued.

"NOTHING in this place even slightly resembles home. People fight here for no reason, and most of them are way out of my league. Heck, there is one who is rumored to be a God of sorts. A God, Yosuke!", Raymond exclaimed, stepping a few feet away from the Boxing gym due to the noise becoming significantly louder.

"Good, right? You'll finally put your abilities to a test.", Yosuke said.

"Did you even hear a word I said?! This place isn't like any other High School! Besides, I thought you wanted me to stop fighting once and for all.", Raymond shot back, visibly annoyed by how lightly his father treated the entire situation.

"I-I've changed my mind", Yosuke stammered. "Turns out some people have made careers off your back. Besides, can you guarantee me that you'll stop punching people if I pull you out of there?"

His father's last sentence proved to be an armor-piercing question for Raymond. Surely, he would never cease fighting, not with his current mindset. To be clear, Raymond was not someone who would beat people indiscriminately. He just had a very short fuse and, much to his dismay, there were plenty of assholes who were willing to light that fuse. His parents made no mistakes either. His father was retired, so he spent a lot of time with him, while his mother had nothing to give him but love. They had enough money to fulfill all of his childhood wishes, and everything was dandy. That is, up until he reached seven years old. That's when something clicked on his head and he became the violence obsessed yellow haired monster he is now.

After a silence, which appeared to last for ages, when in reality it was merely seconds, Raymond spoke, his tone getting calmer. "No, I can't.", he lowered his head in desperation, almost as if submitting to his fate, when something in his head popped. "Wait, wait, hold on a minute! What do you mean with 'people made careers off your back?"

"Oh yeah, remember Timothy? The guy you beat up in Elementary because he gave you an origami rose, and you considered that to be an insult to your manhood? He actually became an anti-Bullying advocate, and is holding awareness tours throughout schools in England.", Yosuke recapped.

Raymond raised his head up, still holding his phone against his ears. "Timothy, Timothy..", he couldn't quite recall who the kid was. There were a lot of guys called Timothy who fell prey to his wrath, but only one flamboyant enough to give the guy with the worst impulse control an origami flower. Truthfully, even Ray was of the opinion that Tim didn't deserve the punishment he got, but he was still a kid back then. His anger wasn't as refined as now.

As soon as he visualized the kid's face, Ray nodded to no one in particular, glad that he could remember one of his victims. Well, as glad as a socipath can be. Then something dawned on him. "I'm certain I broke Timothy's jaw, though. How the hell can one speak in front of people with a broken jaw?"

Yosuke snickered, a snicker which then would evolve into a faint colorless laugh. "Y-yeah, you're not wrong. I've heard his sister does the speaking, and he writes the speeches.", the man stammered.

"Oh.", Ray replied, only now realizing that his Dad was trying to avoid the main topic. With that in mind, he decided to get them back on track. "So, what's it gonna be? You gonna pull me out of here, or leave me here to deal with these rejected Cirque du Soleil mascots?"

"Sorry buddy, but I can't. You left me with only two choices; a teenage correctional facility or this school. This seemed like the best option. Try and have fun while you're at it, join these clubs, kick somebody's ass and who knows, you might even make friends. And when the time comes that I'm sure you're past those violent outbursts, I'll come by myself and take you home. I promise.". Finishing his final pronouncement, Yosuke hung up the phone, leaving a distraught Ray with the typical beeping sound that the phone makes. He pulled the cellphone away from his ear and glared at it for a split second, before taking a deep breath and violently slamming it down the tiles, effectively shattering it to pieces.

"GODDAMMIT!", no longer withholding himself back, Ray shouted as much as his vocal chord would allow it. This had never happened before. He had this deep rooted feeling on his heart that he was unwanted by his parents, but he always convinced himself otherwise. Now though, it was painfully obvious.

Sliding with his back down the wall, on the verge of tears, he took a seated position on the ground and decided to assess his situation. He was a freshman, with no friends and a school where simply beating people to assert dominance wasn't an option - in other words, a fish out of water. There were clubs he could join, but most of the clubs didn't suit his style. He disliked guns, he hated boxing mainly for promoting fairness in a fight, his skills as an archer were lackluster and he considered cooking to be a waste of time. The only club that would fit him was the Fighting Club, but that one was too chaotic for his tastes. His only option left; The Kagetora Rumble. That was where he could prove his might.

TL;DR - Ray asks his Dad to get him out of the school via phone call, he refuses, Ray slams the phone down and decides to participate in the Kagetora Rumble


[System]
Gender: Male
Age: 20

Village: Amegakure

Rank: Jonin, B

Clan: Genso

Name of the Kekkei Genkai: N/A
Type of Kekkei Genkai: N/A

Level of Mastery: N/A

Description: N/A

Note: N/A

Weakness: N/A

=========================================

Weapons/Items:

Generic Items: Several Shuriken and Kunai, Senbon, exploding tags

====================

Name of Weapon or Item: Rigged Umbrella

Description: An umbrella set up with a trap such that it is capable of raining senbon from above

Appearance: A simple, unadorned, black umbrella with a wooden handle

====================

Name of Weapon or Item: Respirator Mask

Description: A mask that allows the user to breath underwater and filters airborne toxins

Appearance: Standard Amegakure Respirator

====================

Name of Weapon or Item: Chakra Storage Cell x3

Description: Function as rechargeable batteries, able to absorb or release chakra. All three are fed a stream of chakra through the wires attached to Kurai's head

Appearance: They appear as little more than rectangular boxes with wires protruding, and are held in a backpack that rarely leaves Kurai's side

=========================================

Appearance:

Personality: Quiet, lethargic, and not terribly prone to conversation. Not very good at communication due to lack of practice, Kurai is easily flustered. He is intelligent, but would prefer not to exercise his brain in favor of just lounging about and letting others do his work for him. Masochistic, with some sadistic tendencies. His smile, a twisted grin, is usually indicative of some new method of torture he has devised.

History: Kurai was on a mission in Takigakure when the declaration of war was made. Realizing that if he returned to his country, he would be forced to battle, he decided that he'd rather sit this one out and feigned his own death and took up permanent residence in the Land of Waterfalls. He really doesn't want to be involved in a war, and would just as soon let Konoha conquer and pillage, so long as he doesn't have to get involved. All he wants his to be able to settle down and do what it is he enjoys. There...is something he enjoys right? After so long working as a shinobi, it's hard to remember. Since he began to live in the Land of Waterfalls, he has been taking on odd jobs, most commonly as a commissioned artist.
Contrary to all laws of Naruto, he actually doesn't have an eye underneath his eyepatch; it was lost on a mission as a chunin after it took the sharp end of a kunai. It was lucky that he wasn't killed, so the loss of one eye hasn't bothered him too much, although it does throw off his depth perception at times.

=========================================

Strengths: Kurai is intelligent and calculating; a planner. His chakra cells allow him to continue battling even if he would have depleted his own chakra reserves, simply by setting it aside for later use. He is extremely skilled in genjutsu, and is relatively good at detecting it due to his own proficiency. He has two change in chakra natures, fire and water, though he specializes in fire and is significantly less competent at water jutsu than most Amegakure ninja.

Weaknesses: His personality can make him difficult to form a relationship with or work alongside, though his jutsu pool is largely support and would benefit from the addition of teammates. His taijutsu is lacking: he'd likely lose to a chunin or even a skilled genin in hand to hand combat. Additionally, he is reticent to fight or become involved in conflict, and detests wasting his energy, so he is more easily ambushed or hit with attacks that have a large radius. Furthermore, nearly all of his jutsu are nullified by Water Style.

=========================================

Kurai's Jutsu:
Name of Jutsu: Fire Style: Will O' Wisp
Rank: B
Range: 50 meters
Type of Jutsu: Genjutsu, Hiden
Element Affinity (If Applicable): Fire

Description:One or more small, flickering balls of flame. Upon eye contact, the target is compelled to follow its movements. IF an outside stimulus is applied to the target, the genjutsu will be broken, but can be regained once more through eye contact.

Weakness: Easily defeated through coordinated teamwork, or doused by Water Style. Drains the user's chakra while maintained. Requires the user to stay withing range of the jutsu, which, while admittedly large, is virtually useless if the target is out of sight.

====================

Name of Jutsu: Fire Style: Illusion Ash Cloud
Rank: a
Range: 15 meters
Type of Jutsu: Genjutsu, Hiden
Element Affinity (If Applicable): Fire

Description: A cloud of grey ash which causes hallucinations and apparitions to those trapped inside. As it is a genjutsu, all pain and exhaustion that occurs while under its influence is entirely real, but physical injuries are not. Anyone trapped inside the cloud is affected similarly, be it friend or foe.

Weakness: Can be dispersed by strong Wind Style, or precipitated by a Water Style with a wide range. Although the user controls any hallucinations occurring within, he is likewise affected if he remains with the cloud. It is an immobile jutsu, and can be escaped by leaving its area of effect.

====================

Name of Jutsu: Summoning Technique: Demonic Salamander
Rank: A
Range: N/A
Type of Jutsu: Ninjutsu, supplemental
Element Affinity (If Applicable): Fire

Description: Summons a fire-breathing salamander to fight alongside the user. It is useful as a mount or mid-ranged combat partner. It is not terribly intelligent, but will respond to commands such as, "Breathe fire here."

Weakness: The salamander is fragile and will generally disappear after one blow. Additionally, its eyesight is poor and it is vulnerable to taijutsu, should a user be able to approach.

====================

Name of Jutsu: Fire Clone Technique
Rank: C
Range: 30 meters
Type of Jutsu: Ninjutsu, Bunshinjutsu
Element Affinity (If Applicable): Fire

Description: Similar to most clones, they are weak and will generally fall to one blow. Unable to use jutsu of their own. Create a short burst of flame upon defeat, which is useful against taijutsu users.

Weakness: Limited range of use, virtually useless against ranged jutsu.

====================

Name of Jutsu: Fire Style: Flame Body Armor
Rank: C
Range: 5 centimeters
Type of Jutsu: Ninjutsu, supplemental
Element Affinity (If Applicable): Fire

Description: The user is cloaked in fire. Provides no real defensive armor, but is a good deterrent of physical attackers who enjoy not being on fire.

Weakness: Ranged physical attacks and Water Style are not hindered. Water Style nullifies the jutsu. The jutsu constantly depletes chakra while in use.

====================

Name of Jutsu: Fire Style: Downpour of Scorching Embers
Rank: B
Range: 15 meters
Type of Jutsu: Ninjutsu
Element Affinity (If Applicable): Fire

Description: Creates a hail of embers from above to rain down upon the target. Can have its power increased by Wind Style, or be used as an effective combo with Senbon Rain.

Weakness: Fairly weak rate of impact, and is used more to cause burns than incapacitate by force. Can be doused with Water Style or escaped by hiding underground.

====================

Name of Jutsu: Water Style: Archerfish
Rank: D
Range: 15 meters
Type of Jutsu: Ninjutsu
Element Affinity (If Applicable): Water

Description: A weak jutsu mostly used to put out fires. Could probably annoy someone or push them back a little, at most. The user emits a jet of water from their mouth.

Weakness: Lightning Style would be conducted through to the user. Has very little combat usage anyway.

[User]
"Ah, Io!" Tama said, spotting a person jump away after setting something on the ground. Shortly after the shadow left, a glob of dirt began to morph into a wolf. Looking around, she noticed several other figures doing the same thing. "There are a bunch of people putting things on the ground! It looks like they're making wolves." Looking around as Kurogane and Kiri fended a few wolves off, Io replied, "Ah, thanks. There are a few over here, too." They seemed to be similar to Kurogane in that they could reform after taking damage. However, it seemed to be limited in the amount of times they could recover, and they didn't seem to have a core.

Though he'd have to work around the limits, this could definitely be used to design some new puppets. "Hah," Io chuckled to himself, a fire beginning to flare up in his eyes. This was incredibly intriguing. Sensing that glow, Guru quickly cooled him down. "Now is not the time for that." Io knew Guru was right about these things, but still... "Anyways," Guru carried on, making sure Io didn't fall back into what he was thinking about before. "There seems to be someone fighting ahead with a few of the wolves. I'll be assisting him, if you wish to come and ask about the situation."

It's a bit annoying having to walk over, Io thought to himself, Guru's attempt to keep Io away from the thoughts of designing puppets quickly becoming pointless. If he were to just graft someone's voice box into one of his puppets, then they could just-- "Just move your ass, dammit!" Kiri sharply cut off Io's thoughts by taking control of the body, and sprinted off towards Guru. Io had stupid ideas every so often, and they really, really infuriated her.
________________________________________

Guru reached the boy after the three wolves he had defeated began to reform. While he seemed perfectly capable of handling it himself, Guru figured that helping wouldn't be a problem. Planting his feet, he launched a shell of water, blasting through two of them. Kiri, absolutely pissed by how inferior the wolves were to her puppet body, started curb-stomping it. She roared, enunciating each word with a well-placed stomp. "FUCK OFF, YOU DAMN, CHEAP COPIES!" After taking a deep breaths, Kiri gave back Io's body as Kurogane, Tama and Kiri, now possessing her normal body, arrived. "Hello," Io said to ninja, completely unaware of the disturbing dissonance caused by the sudden change in personality. "Do you know what's going on right now?"

[Assistant]
-Battle of Takigakure (Unnamed Ninja fighting Keiji's PoV)-

The ninja glanced at Kaiji seemingly indifferent to the ninja's banter. "What are you, twelve? This world revolves around one thing. Power, and it just so happens that that is on my side." He chuckled as with the flick of a wrist launched three shurikens towards the man. "Know me Hero. I am Gora Juu, Deathflinger!" He began to sprint away, Just a short distance away was a large tree and three buildings, ample cover. And perhaps a great place to set a trap.

The ninja was a patient one, and being caught this off guard put him on edge, he was a man who valued distance over everything. He would watch them suffer and bleed. Track them down and take what will they had left to survive. Maybe for that fact he was a coward, on the run when someone would fight him yet staying hidden amongst shadows and cover when unleashing his attacks.

-Battle of Takigakure (Unnamed Ninja fighting Kurai's PoV)-

"Ooh a tough guy, an artist tough guy." He laughed joking as he took martial poise, stepping a short distance away from Kurai. There was now maybe twenty feet between them. His stance was telegraphing his confidence fighting in close combat, or was that too in jest? "I mean if you need a canvas this whole village can be it, just paint with the blood of everyone who dies, and even better, let me paint with yours! It'll be an everlasting masterpiece right?" Perhaps this man was a bit too talkative, but his confidence was shining through as he closed his fist and a screeching sound and faint white glow grew brighter and brighter around his fists.

Then in an instant he shot a jab forward, the white orb of energy shooting at Kurai at speeds hard to follow. And should the blow hit, it would likely do large amounts of damage, scraping and tearing at the ninja's flesh. "I'm an artist too you see?" He chuckled as he closed his fists and the glow began again. "Hideyama Makonoro, Wind Dancer at your service."

[User]
Knowing that the bright orb currently traveling towards him at blistering speeds would be impossible to avoid entirely, Kurai twists his upper body, firmly anchoring his feet to the floor beneath him. In the instant he does so, the concentrated ball of wind tears through a portion of his chest, causing no serious or lasting injury but leaving the affected area in searing pain and open to the brisk air. As needles shoot through the injury, Kurai slings one arm just below the site of the wound and winces. Strangely, his grimace turns to a grin, then outright laughter.
"Wind Dancer, huh? My name is Kurai Gensō. Perhaps...perhaps once this is over, I will paint you. I was running low on red."
While talking, the limb caressing his injuries meets his other and silently begins weaving signs.
"Fire Style: Flame Body Armor!"
As his body apparently bursts into flames, illuminating the night sky, Kurai wastes no time in sending three more of his kunai at the Hidden Leaf shinobi in the hopes of distancing them and buying time for his next attack. Already weaving the signs, Kurai speaks.
"Does Konoha teach you nothing at all?
There is no honor...in killing the dead."


[System]
Solomon Kane

---
Occupation:
Monster Hunter

Age:
42

Skills/Attributes:
Magic resistance. Sleight of hand. Crack shot. Excellent swordsman. Ordained by the Church.

Biography:
Solomon began life as all humans do, pink, tiny, clawless, toothless, and essentially defenceless. His father, a nobody from the local town guard, and his mother, an innkeeper's wench, treated young Solomon to a life as best they could but it was nonetheless a life of dirt floors, thatched rooves, threadbare pants and all together to much bread and slabs of ham for every meal.

He fled home at thirteen, determined that there must be more to life than the promise of marrying a peasant girl and living in a dirt floored house for the rest of his days. His journey took him to the Capital, a far distant cry from the supernatural kingdom of horrors where our main story will play out.

Here, in his own Kingdom, there were no such creatures for they had been brought to extinction by Vampire Hunters, Witch Stalkers, and Monster Slayers. The Church itself still took in orphaned boys to train them as a Monster Hunter, ordaining them as Warrior Priests so that they might always have the power of God on their side in the hunt. It was to one of these Chapel training grounds that Solomon gravitated.

He entered the clergy at thirteen and would not leave the close supervision and training of the priests until he was nearly eighteen. He embarked into the world, travelling to distant kingdoms to hunt their fantastic beasts and monsters.

In time he made a name for himself, both as an excellent hunter of all things fantastic, but also as a monster himself. While he might come upon a village suffering the wrath of a witch and hire his services to the villagers, he was not cheap and if they could not pay he would take his payment in the enjoyment of their daughters.

Twentyish years later he is a Monster Hunter without equal and continues to look toward a future bright with gold and a mansion of his own. The news of a Vampire Kingdom with no clear succession draws him toward it like a moth to a flame for there is certainly a fortune to be made amid the chaos.

[User]
Edward smelled garlic. But, he did not care. He kept going after them, despite a slightly ill stomach. He made his horse break into a run and he continued onward as deep into the Moors as he could go. The prince stopped when he saw the hovel. He got off his horse.

"He shall regret what he has done."
However, Edward knew of a possible way to free her without being killed himself and without doing harm to them. He did not wish to attack unless he absolutely had to do so.

He soon saw the Raven again. He knew she was nearby, his friend and ally. The woman soon showed up in front of him.
"Is she in there?"
She pointed to the little hideout.

Edward nodded. He frowned.
"Yes."

The woman nodded solemnly.
"Let's make this quick."
She changed forms. She turned into a shadow ghoul and slipped inside. Edward would approach from the front to go after the kidnapper. While Edward did that, the woman, in her current form, snuck behind Emily to carefully work at her binds. She would free her in no time at all. There wasn't a single knot that she could not untie. She worked with plenty of rope and such herself in the past.

She noted the cloak, but she would take care of that quickly enough. She slipped Emily into the shadows surrounding her as Edward knocked down the door. He snarled. Edward would try to buy them some time.

Emily had been in tears. However, she saw things that have her hope, felt her binds loosening, and knew things were going to change after what just happened. She gasped but it was too muffled by the gag to be very much of a sound at all. This would be a good thing though. She felt everything going black but not because she was falling unconscious.

She heard Edward as the shadows covered her eyes. She was being rescued, she thought. She was nervous about whoever or whatever was trying to get her out of there instead of Edward himself. But, if Edward knew them, then it would be just fine, she thought briefly.

[Assistant]
The deep night had fallen, not a sound disturbed the moor save for the beat of a ravens wings. To Solomon it was both a curse and a blessing. Nighttime was vampire time and it was only his faith in the wards that he had laid that allowed him to doze even fitfully. Even this was disturbed when, near the early hours of the morning, he heard the sound of hooves, and the soft knicker of his horse. Someone was coming.

He glanced quickly around the hovel. He rose swiftly and pushed together a small heap of sticks and other wooden debris that has been left by the previous inhabitants. He sprinkled fire dust on the pile and sparked it to life. A bright white flash and then a small fire was burning on the floor. It was not much, but it was enough to illuminate the space. He returned to his place by the wall and leaned back again, sword in one hand, another resting on a small collection of globes carrying holy water. He waited.

The ghoul, or whatever it was, slipped soundlessly into the hovel through its only entrance, it was a hovel after all. Solomon, still leaning against the wall, watched the creature through hooded eyes from beneath the brim of his hat and had to resist the urge to snort in derision as it tiptoed toward the prostrate form of Emily. The wardings he had placed around him so carefully the night before easily illuminated the ghoul in a soft golden glow, though it did not prevent the undead creature from throwing a deep shadow over whatever it passed across.

His hand was already resting on the hilt of his sword, the silver inlay ideal for killing a vampire, but this was a ghoul. A common creature he had faced countless times. Not that it mattered really, every creature, no matter how evil, could not survive its head being hacked off. Except trolls. Those were trickier, thankfully they were as dumb as fence posts.

Solomon waited as the ghoul crept further into the hut, almost comically slow as it went. He had been preparing to attack the thing when it occurred to him that there was only one reason why it was so interested in Emily and not him. Edward was nearby. He could wait.

The ghoul gathered up Emily in its arms and began to move quickly toward the door now, making small noises, and for an instant Solomon was concerned that he had waited to long and sprang to his feet. At that instant Edward himself burst through the door with a snarl, shattering what little wood remained like an enraged bull, crashing head first into the ghoul. The creature reeled back, dropping Emily as it did so.

Solomon wasted not a moment and swept his longsword out, hacking the ghouls head from its shoulders. The body crumpled to the floor even as he whipped out a small globe of holy water and hurled it onto the corpse. The creature, whatever it was, began to smoke and shrivel at once, burning with the righteous fury of God. The small fire that Solomon had lit was beginning to burn low.

Vampire Prince and Vampire Hunter faced each other across the small dirt floor, Emily between them, her muffled cries coming from within the cloak. Edwards claws were still red from his battle with the Vampire Hunters, his clothes sodden with the nighttime dew, and anger raced across his features. With a start, Solomon realized that the undead fool might actually love the girl at his feet. Someone had clearly never explained to him that she was going to die long before he was. No matter. They would both die now.

"Prince Edward! Welcome! So nice of you to join us!" Solomon crowed as he drew a wooden stake from his belt, silver glinting on the tip. He took a step forward and drove his sword toward the Vampire.

[User]
Edward gasped. He hissed and snarled. He approached carefully.
'hopefully I can remember the things grandfather taught me'he thought. He looked at him with bright red eyes. He had a sword of his own. He was ready for a fight. He had more personal reasons for going after the hunter now. He dodged but his shoulder hit the wall. He hissed a bit but was managing to stand up. He was ready to charge at him in return.

[Assistant]
Edward gasped as the blade flashed in the light and cut the Ghoul down where it stood, Emily tumbling away into a corner. He hissed and snarled, that was his friend that had just been slaughtered like a goat. His eyes flashed red in the dim light of the hut and he took stock of his opponent. It was a tall human, broad in the shoulders and utterly without fear in the face of an Undead Princling.

He began his approach carefully, eyeing the human carefully. Suddenly the man lunged and Edward dodged but there was not enough space for any movement as he slammed into the wall causing the whole structure to shake violently. Small pieces of dust and debris cascaded down from the roof above. A sharp searing pain in his right arm and saw the Hunters sword flash, blood on the edge and his skin smelt of burning. A silver blade!

Edward lashed out with his own blade and the human parried it with the stake he carried, the Vampires blade severing the silver tip, the small glittering piece cartwheeling through the air to fall to the floor. The human hammered a foot forward again, driving his blade for Edwards heart, the silver sword glittering in the small light of the dying fire. Edward desperately tried to turn the blade but both combatants were hampered by the size of the small hovel and Emily at their feet. The silver blade drove deep into his shoulder and he felt a pain like nothing he had experienced before. His fingers that held the sword went slack and the blade dropped from his hand to the floor. Nerves had been severed. He gave a hearty roar and struck out with his free hand.

The blow struck Solomon full in the chest and the power of the strike sent him across the small space and into the wall, which burst under the weight of his body. He bounced once and came to a stop in the dark, wet grass. He gasped for air, desperately trying to draw a breath and he struggled to one knee. His chest was tight. Something was broken. He staggered back to his feet, his vision wavering as he took an unsteady step toward the hovel. Through the hole in the wall be saw the Vampire seize the girl with its one good hand and sling her over its shoulder. It stepped into the night, sword forgotten on the ground behind it, one arm hanging useless at its side.

The Vampire made for its horse but even in his shocked state, Solomon had a final trick up his sleeve. He rushed into the hovel and took up his crossbow from where it lay against the only undamaged wall. In two strides he was outside, leveled the weapon, and shot the Vampires horse as Edward tried to toss Emily across the saddle. The unfortunate creature gave a piteous scream and collapsed into the grass.

Edward snarled at Solomon who had frantically began to reload the crossbow. Edward paid him no further attention however and quickly picked Emily up again before turning and vanishing into the dark. Solomon waited a short time and then sagged to the ground, the pain in his chest was spreading. He was dying.

Painfully he dragged himself back into the Holy Circle he had spun and there, covered in dust, dew, and shattered masonry, he clutched at the crucifix about his neck. He began to pray. He prayed for life.


[System]
Age: 2.5 years old

Appearance:

Position: Hunter

Personality: A good hunter, Klondike can be a bit cool and aloof, but he means well and would fight hard to defend the pack. He's big but not very agile.

[User]
Renzo followed Lila's scent. As much as he didn't want to admit it, he became worried. It wasn't good for a wolf to be alone at a time nearing night with humans up and about. He knew that he was leaving without permission but hey, you have to break the rules once in a while right? It had been a long time since he was running but he has a lot of stamina. Once he saw the familiar white coat, he slowed to a stop.

"And what are you doing alone?" He asked.

[Assistant] Lila stirred as a new scent drifted to her nose. It smelled like a pup but what was a pup doing out on its own? She lifted her head and looked around, spotting Renzo. "I'm scouting for Misty. What are you doing here, you should be back at the dens," Lila said, standing and sniffing out the pup's hiding place. "Come on out little one, we have no interest in hurting you," She said.

[User] Amber followed Klondike down into the dark cave. She still was having trouble seeing in the dark, but she could tell the cave was larger than she had thought. She still didn't feel very convinced, however. They weren't sure how long they'd have to be away, and this cave felt less than practical. "Well, this might work. Do you want to keep looking around, Klondike?" She asked uncertainly.

[Assistant] Em Growled softly at the other wolf at first taking in both of their scents, Recognizing them as peaceful wolves she didn let her garddown though becasue she knew the could harm her if they really wanted to. "My names Em, i got seperated from my.. uh pack a long while ago" She said and looked off into the distance kinda sadly but gave them a wolfy smile

[User] "Yeah, no. I am not going to leave you alone." Renzo said firmly and it was clear that he won't leave. He then turned to Em, the pup. "Separated? How unortunate." He pointed out.

[Assistant] Lila gave Renzo a look from the corner of her eye. "And just why not? Seriously, you really should go back," She said then looked to the pup. She didn't look like any kind of wolf she had seen but then again, she and Misty were the only white wolves in the pack. "Well, we can't just leave you on your own. Are you hungry?"

[User] "We can keep looking if you want" Klondike replied. Suddenly, he smelled something. "Wait... is that-? Do you smell it too?" He thought he had caught the scent of humans. It had not been present before, so either the wind had carried it into the cave, or humans were on the move not too far away.

[Assistant] "You're alone... in the night and headed towards the Tiger territory, I had think you need at least one wolf for company." Renzo said before looking at the pup again waiting for her answer.

[User] Em began to step forward and saying "I am hungery, and instead of just one wolf how about two?" she said wagging her tail confident and happy. Maybe now i wont be so alone She thought to herself and for some reason wanted to howl, she hadnt dont that in such a long time she almost missed it. Because being alone and trying to stay hidden wasnt very easy if she was howling, And anyways she didnt have anyone to howl to. She just wanted to help and proove that she was strong and not so Little

[Assistant] Renzo looked at the cub. "You want to come too? You sure, looks like she's heading to tiger territory. Pretty dangerous but if you think you can handle it, I have no arguments there." The older wolf said, seeing how excited the wolf cub was. "What's your name?"

[User] Amber whipped around and faced the entrance of the cave. She lifted her nose and sniffed at the air. The fur on her back stood on end. "Oh no..." She whispered. She crawled back up through the tight cave entrance and stuck her head out. The smell was strong. She didn't see anything around yet, so she assumed the wind was picking up the scent. She quickly crawled back into the cave. "Klondike, what are we going to do?" She asked, slightly panicked.

[Assistant] Lila looked at Renzo and flattened her ears going to sit by Em and wrapped her tail around the pup protectively. "Are you insane? We can't bring a pup into tiger territory, which is why I left on my own because I am going to tiger territory. No, we get her something to eat and then you are taking her back to Misty," Lila said, her tone firm.

[User] "Look at her." Renzo said. "She looks like she wants to go. Besides, if she survived this long, a trip to tiger territory would probably be a breeze." The older wolf continued. "But the real choice is up to her whether she wants to go with us to a dangerous place such as the tiger territory or go back to a safer location, our dens."

[Assistant] "Surviving here on her own is one thing, tigers are something completely different. And there is no us, I am going alone," Lila said.

[User] "Why are you so insistent on going alone?" Renzo asked. "I doubt you can protect yourself when two... three tigers go at you at once." He continued. "But whatever you want. Don't tell me I didn't warn you. I'll escort this pup back home then." The older wolf said, nudging the pup to follow him.

[Assistant] Lila let out an irritated growl. "I am going alone because I didn't want to risk anyone else getting hurt. And you are the most infuriating wolf I have ever known, it will be dark soon, traveling back is too dangerous. Just help me find a deer to kill and bring back."

[User] Renzo just remained silent and neutral. "Hey, I'm not the one who has a crush on an infuriating wolf." He said in an attempt to fluster her before standing up and then looking back to the direction of their dens. "I managed to spot a deer trail near here although I do smell another towards tiger territory. Choose one."

[Assistant] Lila narrowed her eyes. "Well, you aren't as clueless as I thought at least," She said then stood. "The one closer to the dens is a few days old so looks like we go further. Good thing tiger territory is still almost a day away."

[User] "Yeah, I'm not." Renzo said before agreeing. "Yeah. Lead the way then Lila." He said then looking back at the pup. "Wait, what are we going to do with her?"

[Assistant] "She tags along and watches. Now she can start learning how to hunt," Lila said, putting her nose to the ground to sort out the different scents.

[User] "I think she knows how to hunt considering that she did survive but your choice." Renzo said and just watched as she sorted out different scents. "Tell me if you found any alright? I wanna see how you guys hunt nowadays." He has seen her hunt before but that was moons ago.

[Assistant] "But she's too young to know how to take down big game. I hope you still remember," Lila said then lifted her head once she found the trail. "The herd headed for the meadows."

[User] "That is true." Renzo said as he looked at the pup. "Alright, let's go." Renzo said gesturing Lila to take the lead.

[Assistant] "We need to get back to warn the others!" Klondike replied, dashing away from the cave as fast as his paws could take him.

[User] Amber paused for a moment, stunned, then darted after Klondike. "K-Klondike, wait up!" She cried out. She struggled to keep up with Klondike. She didn't expect him to run out so quickly. She felt her heart skip a beat as she smelled a second smell approach. She heard something behind her, a voice, but she didn't dare turn around to see what it was. She instead concentrated on keeping up with Klondike's pace.

[Assistant] Misty could smell the strange scent of humans not far off. She was growing very nervous with the majority of the pack away from the dens. She just hoped that all of them made it back safe and sound before something terrible could happen.

[User] Klondike saw Lila and Renzo in the distance. "Hey! Everyone! The humans are on the move!" He hoped he got that right, lest he be called the wolf who cried "man!"

[Assistant]
Renzo cringed as he heard Klondlike and then quickly looked at Lila. "Look, whatever you're planning, do it quickly. Let's just hope those humans don't reach us by the time you're back." He said before looking at Em. "You better take this pup too. It would be too dangerous to take her back now."

He then rushed over to Klondlike. "Back to the dens?" He asked. That was when he finally caught the scent of the humans, quite far considering where they were but he could smell that they were headed to their homes. Renzo picked up the pace and run down the paths and towards the clearing no matter what Klondlike said.

[User] "Renzo, wait! It's too dangerous!" Klondike shouted, unsure of whether or not to go after him. It would do them no good if a wolf died, but the pack could be devastated by the loss of two wolves, should Klondike also perish in a possible ambush that awaited Renzo. He saw that Renzo wasn't going to wait for him. "Dang it..." he charged off after Renzo, hoping he could somehow help.

[Assistant] He slowed down when he heard Klondlike. "What about the alpha wolves? Are they safe?" He asked as he looked at Klondlike again. "If they're not safe then I am definitely going back there to warn and protect them." He continued.

[User] "I don't know if they are safe or not, but if they are, we have nothing to worry about. If not, I don't know if there is anything we can do for them." Klondike replied.

[Assistant]
Amber's heart dropped. Either Klondike hadn't heard her, or he was ignoring her. She sped up her pace, trying to catch up to the wolf. Finally, she spotted him stop next to Renzo. They looked like they were talking urgently. Klondike must have been telling him about the humans. She wasn't sure if he even noticed how close they were, however. If he hadn't heard her, he definitely didn't hear whatever was behind her.

She finally caught up to the two wolves. She almost slid to a stop next to Klondike. She paused for a moment with her head down, gasping for breath. She finally lifted her head up and took a deep breath, "They're really close. There was one right behind me," She reported. She tried to stifle her heavy breathing before asking, "What's the plan?"

[User] Renzo looked at Amber. "They didn't hurt you right?" He asked first before looking back, seeing that there might be a human lurking nearby. "We don't have a plan. We just need to get back to the alpha wolves, we can't lose them..." The elder said. "You think you two can still run far?" He asked, looking at the two wolves who looked like they ran for a long time.

[Assistant] Em had found herself a wee bit confused as she looked at the older wolves surrounding her. "Can i just.. eat something" She said tierdly. Her tanish brown fur shivered and felt the cool breeze hit her face, she was tired and very hungery. No she had not been paying attention to the conversations the older wolves had so she swishhed her tail back and forth impatiently

[User] "No, no. I just-" Amber stopped when she heard the little voice and turned to look at the pup she hadn't noticed earlier. "Wait, when did you get here?" She asked, completely bewildered. She blinked and shook her head and turned back to Renzo. Right now, dealing with the humans was much more important. "I'm not sure if I can make the run, but I'm going to try," She said determinedly.

[Assistant] Lila hesitated when Renzo told her to take the pup along but now it seemed like the better choice. "I'll get you something to eat soon, but for now we need to leave," Lila said then picked Em up by her scruff and started running in the opposite direction of the human scent.

[User] Renzo watched Lila as she left with the pup. Now that those two are safe... somewhat from the humans, he turned his attention to Amber. "Amber... I want you to hide yourself from the humans. If you just simply try to run back, you just might lag behind or if we get intercepted, you won't have the energy to run anymore." He said then looked at Klondlike. "How about you? I think that you should protect Amber. You two should hide." He continued.

[Assistant] Em growled a bit as she was being taken by the other wolf "Hey!" She sqeeled and let out a sigh as the girl ran, Em was fully capable of running by herself she wasnt so tiny anymore.

[User] Lila ignored the pup's exclamation, carrying her was just faster and easier and she was smaller than the average wolf pup even with her being the age she was. Once they were a fair distance away, Lila looked around and crawled under a thicket that would serve as a good hiding place before setting Em down. "Alright, I need you to stay right here, don't go outside and howl if you need help. I will be right back," She said, crawling back out and quickly finding a rabbit trail.

[Assistant] Klondike did his best to assess the situation. "Amber, I... yes. I'll go with you. Renzo, you just do whatever you need to do, but please be careful!" He moved alongside Amber, ready to go with her.