[System]
Age: 29
Weight: 153 lbs
Height: 5'7
Race: Human
Class: Shaolin Monk
Appearance:
Abilities:

Xing Yi is an expert shaolin fighter who has spent over 50 years training in the realm of the endless mountains, a magical dimension where time stands still (hence why he is still only 29). Because of this he has mastered abilities in his prime that even some of his masters weren't able to achieve until their old age years. He is a master at his his own 'Endless' Style Shoalin Kung Fu, Hapkido, Kenpo, and Bajiquan.
Needless to say, he can execute these dangerous moves with almost superhuman percision and his body is trained to the amazing levels of the best shaolin monks across the world. In particular his 'Iron Shirt' technique allows him to withstand damage from swords, spears and iron clubs, though doing this constantly will severley weaken him and make him temporarliy slow and groggy.

He also has a moderate understanding of some ancient Chinese magic, and is able to focus his mind to read simple thoughts, although this can be blocked by a similarly trained martial artist or a individual with considerable willpower. He is also able to communicate directly to others telepathically without speaking or being near them. He has used this as a fear and stealth tactic in the past. Xing also has a spirit finely tuned to all life forms and can sense all living things, plants or animals around him. His mind is also able to see spirits and other ghost like entities. Though without his equipment he cannot fight or interact with the stronger etheral types.

Equipment:
Given to him by his master at the Endless Temple, he has one item each respectivley forged by one of the 4 Gods they are:

The Fang of the Azure Tiger

A magical chinese sword which is blessed from the gods, it is unbreakable and is unable to be wielded by anyone that isn't a servant of the tiger god. It can hurt spirits and other etheral beings, and can be used to banish evil spirits to whence they came. The Sword has a special ability that will absorb and destroy the weapon so it cannot be used for the rest of the battle. He can make a short prayer to the gods which will take a few uninterrupted moments to withdraw the sword into his body and instantly heal all damage done to him, restoring him to 100% health. If interrupted while saying his prayer, he may only get a smaller healing bonus and his sword with vanish anyway.

The Robes of the great Turtle
Although they may only be lightweight shoalin robes to most, a servent of the great turtle may harness their hidden powers to become a shield to magical attacks, though not invunerable, a wearer is able to shrug off a low level fireball, and maybe able to survive being hit by a strong magic bolt. Although powerful arcane magic can destroy these robes, yet the robes will 'sacrifice themselves' to save the wearers life once before being disintegrated, such is the mercy of the Great Turtle.

Beads of the Blue Dragon
Xing Yi's Beads allow him to fire powerful ki blasts of holy flaming energy at his opponents, these are devestating to evil or malovelent spirits but are less powerful on warriors of justice. against a completely pure being such as a preistess or an angel, the blasts actually have a healing effect. XIng Yi has not fully mastered these blasts and will sometimes drain too much of his own life force if he doesnt use the blasts sparingly. The power of the blue dragon is as such that Xing could probably level a mountain if he chose but would almost definitely kill himself in the process. His also able to cover himself in the 'Dragon's Aura' for a short time which is much more safe, allowing him to fight faster and stronger for while and give himself increadible leaping abilites, enough to clear the roof of his temple in a single bound. Obviously this power has limitations based on the users energy/life force.

The Red Phoenix Rod
The Staff that Xing holds is a magical item which he doesn't carry with him, he can 'summon' its existence at anytime. It comes to form as an unbreakable weapon which can become as hot as the pheonix's flames itself but only to it's opponents and those who aren't servants of the phoenix. It can take the form of a bo staff (pictured), a pair of nun-chucks, red gauntlets, or a long bow with an endless supply of arrows. All of these weapons Xing is trained to use with a unprecedented level of skill, though his personal favorite are the gauntlets.

[User]
Monolith Graveyard

Player Limit: N/A.
Description: An ancient place, the Monolith Graveyard contains massive metallic structures composed of many metals such as iron, steel, copper, gold, and silver. There are a total of 500 Monoliths which are evenly spaced from one another. All Monoliths are 33 meters apart and stand at a height of 80 meters, making them truly impressive structures. The humming noise released by the Monoliths may have a variety of effects, but these effects depend on the combatants present as well as their intentions and alignment. The Monoliths tend to favor whomever is the weakest or most disadvantaged and will play to their strengths, attempting to even out the match-up through field advantage. In most cases of evenly matched opponents, the Monoliths' merely hum, and the sound produces no effect other than focusing the abilities and minds of those present to a minor degree.

The Graveyard is called as such due to a new Monolith appearing for every combatant who falls through contest within their bounds. The Monoliths are spread out in 250 rows and 250 columns. Each column is 3 meters from one side to the other, As a result the Graveyard is utterly massive and gains size for every fallen combatant. Currently it is 9000x9000 meters.

Adversaries always start 60 meters away from one another. While the pillars are not indestructible, the materials that make them up attract one another and so will return to their base form and levitate to their normal location when not manipulated by other energies. The ground of the arena is mostly level and is composed of reinforced stone. The floor conducts vibrations fairly well.

Unique Traits: The Monoliths constantly emit a faint humming noise. As the intensity of events around them raises so does the volume of the deep hum. Once the both combatants have unveiled their true power or the fight has reached a level of great intensity the monoliths begin to levitate above the rock formations that typically hold them down. The structures will move slowly from platform to platform.

[Assistant]
Theme Of Stalking

The Monolith Graveyard was said to drive normal men mad with its unnaturual energy that hung in the atmosphere. The temprature felt all wrong, it was cold, but in a very thick and humid way, and there was no wind, not even a breeze, just stale air lightly covered by a small fog. There was also no sound, no traces of life, an empty unnerving realm of dread and isolation, Xing Yi could indeed imagine a weaker soul being driven to insanity. The place gave the living the feeling of what it was like to be undead.

Xing Yi's resolve was cast iron, no amount of unsettling enviroment was going to scare him, he spent 50 years in a chamber where time didn't move, and trained himself until he lost his sanity and then trained until he regained it, he had fought all manner of warriors and creatures in the Arena multiverse and this was just another chapter in his turbulent life. His body began to twitch, his clear mind was now disturbed by something....another life? A strong will, that of a competetior, a warrior's spirit. The air in the graveyard began to move ever so slightly, as another being now walked this plane. This being was far away but Xing could track him by following his life force. He summoned his Phoenix Rod and the magical item transformed into a longbow, he began to sprint stealthily towards his foe, closing the distance somewhat until he would be in range to fire. But not before sending a telepathic message.

Warrior, my name is Xing Yi, I am an Endless Monk and represent the otherwordly Shaolin, by entering this graveyard you have engaged me in combat, we will fight to the death, good luck to you.

He pulled out an arrow out of thin air and strung it too his bow, ready to fire at any moment.

[User]
"I'm going to see the world!"

It's been about 2 years since the start of Kriang Sak's Journey of Enlightenment and Experience. His master sent him off after his grueling training to see what the world offered for this young warrior. As expressed by his master, life is considered the best teacher. Spending many years isolated in a cave that tricked your senses, helping one to sharpen them, to not fully trust them, to gain a new ones, the young warrior came out a new man. Developing something like animal sense and hardening that iron will of his, there was no trace of fear in this man who embraced fear already in his training.

Walking along a path that sent him into The Monolith Graveyard, Kriang's curiosity and interest was piqued when coming upon these very large structures. The air was different and the place seemed dead, this almost felt like being back in the deepest part of the cave he lost his senses in but this didn't feel as bad as that. Casually walking through, Kriang stopped. his instinct taking over, making him feel he was not alone and possible killing intent involved. it was confirmed the moment he heard a voice in his head.

With this person presenting himself, Kriang Sak Smirked "Oh Karma.....the last person to speak to me like this was master. I must be in your domain...but...I accept your challenge, Endless Warrior. Kriang Sak....Thai Warrior of Yantra. I represent my Master Grand Abbott Chatchom and the former users of Yantra. Let's make this enjoyable as possible!!"

Kriang faced many challenges against other warriors during his journey but he had a feeling that this could be the great challenge he's been wait for. if he dies, this will be an honorable death. And no matter the outcome, he will embrace it. He stood at the ready for any surprises that comes his way, smiling as if this was a new game he was going to enjoy.

[Assistant]
No Hesitation

Xing Yi smiled at the response, he layed still under a coat of gentle fog, not sure whether his opponent had spotted him, but was happy to hear his response, he would enjoy this bout indeed. Looking at the graveyard, apart from the structures it was a pretty standard battle area, visibility wasn't great but considering how close the fighting might end up being that shouldnt be an issue. Xing Yi breifly wondered if the large monolith structures could be used for anything but then quickly returned his mind to his opponent.

Okay Yantra Warrior, lets see what you can do!

Xing Yi let two arrows in succession hurtling towards his opponent from the cover of the fog, he was roughly 25 feet away. He began to string his third arrow after releasing the second, his pulse was racing, in complete anticipation over what would happen next.

[User]
The suspense was incredible. trembling with excitement, Kriang Sak thought about his last fight that didn't last very long against a larger opponent who usually just used his brute strength and on top of that, easily showed his weak points. He was not much of a challenge but with this atmosphere and this warrior, Kriang has yet to see, he hoped this fight would push him. He wanted to grow more, mature to a higher level.

Smirking from the Endless warrior's words, Kriang tried guessing where this warrior was located. he was ready alright, clenching his fists until...

As the arrows hurtled towards him, Kriang heard them coming from his 8 o' clock direction, spinning twice to his right to evade the first two attacks, getting an idea where this warrior was located. On nearly completing his second spin and realizing that this could turn into a long range fight, Kriang had something in mind to respond to that. Upon completing his spin, Kriang Sak brought his foot and leg up to kick in the air in the direction of Xing Yi but what happened next, he wanted to let the Endless warrior know that this was not going to be an easy fight.

Upon kicking, Kriang Sak harnessed the power of the twin dragons from his Yantra tattoo to release a white, ki projectile, capable of slicing objects from his leg and foot. The attack flew in the direction towards Xing Yi, where Kriang Sak estimated where the Endless warrior was located, hoping to draw him out or to help him see his movement or interrupt his attack before he'd choose the action of pursuing him outright.

[Assistant]
Xing Yi watched as the Thai warrior seemed to dance around his two red projectiles and evade them smoothly but narrowly. His awareness, reflexes and overall form convinced the endless monk that this man was not normal, whatever martial arts training he had, obviously pushed his skills into the near supernatural. Xing Yi was now facing someone very similar to himself.

Unfortunately Xing Yi was not familar with the Muay Thai style of fighting and continued to string and fire his third arrow at the warrior without realising that the spinning kick was a form of counter attack, the big white blade of energy was totally unexpected and Xing Yi noticed it too late to avoid it fully.

In a desperate last minuite dodge the Monk managed to avoid any significant injury, but the projectile impacted near his shoulder, even with his protective magic robes, it still hurt quite a lot. With his third arrow still on it way to the target Xing Yi banished his phoenix weapon away for the moment and emerged from the fog in a speeding dash, making a circling approach the warrior's left flank.


[System]
Age: 23
Height: 5 ft 5
Weight: 150 lbs.
Allegiance: 'Hope'
Distinguishing Traits: Iris has a scar on her left hand, located on the wrist which was gained a few years back. No other scars but due to her pale skin Iris tends to bruise easily. Personality wise she is quite head strong, stubborn and isn't afraid to voice her opinion. Although she has light blue eyes in contrast to her fair skin in certain lights her eyes can be mistaken for grey.

Short Bio: Growing up in Aspiria sounded wonderful and it was if you were on the upper side. Iris however had grown up with her father on the rougher side, the commoner side of the city where you lived within your means. If you couldn't afford dinner well you wouldn't have dinner, it was as simple as that. It didn't really matter to her though because she had a loving family, her father worked hard day in and out and her mother kept the house maintained and food in their stomachs and it worked for them.
It all had changed when her mother fell ill and sadly passed away not long after. She had outright refused to use their money on medicine that would help her, and she was a stubborn woman a trait Iris had inherited. That death however sparked a rebellion, it fuelled her father's courage who gathered as many men, women and even teens that was willing to fight. He called it hope, hope for those wanting that better life.

Years had passed with many strikes; fights and a war had started between the two. Neither side wanted to relent, and her father Regis was focused on bringing down the hierarchy. His intentions had been pure at the start but since he was considered the leader of this rebellion, he had become accustomed to the ease of everything. Food on the table, weapons and money all donated to this cause and it fed his greed. He hungered for more, but no one knew that side. Not yet.

Now he had raised his daughter following his beliefs, ensuring that she bore just as much hatred for the higher ups as he did. He constantly twisted and manipulated her mind making her mother a martyr, ensuring that she believed it was their fault and that they had killed her mother and as Iris knew nothing else, she was left to believe such stories. Now being a young adult, she had trained herself to fight in this war, she could use a gun if needed but she much preferred being stealthy favouring a dagger. Using her size to her advantage and her skills in stealth she often gained information as leverage, but she had yet to kill someone, she had yet to have blood on her hands.

_________________________________________________________________________________

[User]
Recovery had been difficult and painful, although she didn't have any sort of complications healing naturally took far longer than it did with modern medicine, and she didn't help herself by not sitting still. The first couple of weeks had been spent mostly in bed, unable to move too much due to the stab wound she had spent more time in and out of sleep until she had gained enough strength to try moving. The minute her energy levels returned Iris became restless and had been rebandaged more times than she could count due to carelessness and pushing herself far too quickly. Even though she knew she should have been resting she was up and trying to walk around the apartment. The only saving grace was the fact that Jacob had been kind enough to give her some sort of pain management to help her through the tougher times, thankfully she hadn't caused herself much damage, but she had delayed her healing.

Jacob hadn't been the most talkative person either, conversations had started off quite awkward between them and she knew he only came back to check she hadn't run or died. Ultimately, she knew he'd take her back to the districts and this time she didn't want to go back, although it had been the best decision at the time, she couldn't help but regret it. Not only had she lost Cas in the process, but she had nothing. Home destroyed; previous contacts would want nothing to do with her after throwing the rebellion and she hadn't heard from her only friend there for a while.

Iris would never be a part of his world, but she no longer felt part of her own. Right now, she felt like she was at some sort of crossroads, nothing was clear, and she had to somehow find her way back to a sense of normality? Nothing in her life had been normal, her father had been so consumed with bringing down the monarchy she felt she had to take part in it just to get his attention. Life in the districts wasn't glamourous in the slightest, but she could have dealt with it. Who knew what she would have done had there been no rebellion? She could have had some sort of normal job, earning small amounts of money to get by.

It was hard as at times she understood what the rebellion had meant to the districts, but their methods had changed over the time. In some cases, they had acted just as bad as the Capital had towards them.

Left alone to her thoughts yet again was not ideal. Yet again she still felt like another prisoner held captive and she did want to feel some sort of freedom, but not if it meant going back to the districts. Haunted by her last ordeal with Ethan, Iris wanted to forget about it, but she knew Jacob would take her back soon. Having been at least a month of healing there was no risk of her getting ill or the wound getting infected, she was capable enough to fend for herself again and each time Jacob came home she was worried he would finally get rid of her.

Often, she'd find herself daydreaming, thinking back to her time with Cas when everything felt so carefree. When he had taken her to his favourite ice cream spot and she knew she had been happy, albeit without her memories but look at what pain regaining them had caused. If she could turn back time, she'd do it in a heartbeat and not try so hard to get them back, she'd never have led him out to the woods to be captured. A part of her even thought how she'd keep going back to a point where they would never have met. It would have saved so much pain and regret.

Maybe if she was honest with Jacob he'd understand? Maybe if she told him she didn't want to go back he could think of something? It seemed like a lost cause, but it wouldn't hurt in asking. Maybe she could even get a job in the Capital somewhere and attempt a normal life. At least in the Capital she'd be able to keep tabs on how Cas was doing, watch him grow into a great leader and see him be truly happy.

[Assistant]
Events at the palace were always extravagant, but the yearly banquet was a creature all its own. Every spare room in the building had been filled the night before with guests from around the continent, rich and royal supporters of the Aspirian monarchy, while the on-site servants had been hard at work decorating the ballroom. Every table, chair, banister and wall was practically dripping in luxury by the time they were done with it, and visitors were already milling about admiring the sights and sampling the hors d'oeuvres before the party. Both the men and the women were dressed in expensive, colorful dresses and suits, washing the ballroom floor in painted fabrics that created an impressive tapestry from above—which was where Caspian found himself at the start of that evening.

Once he'd settled himself over his appearance in his room, Harry had stopped by to let him know it was time for him to make his grand appearance for the banquet. With one last glance in the mirror, Cas had followed him and two other guards out to the top of the staircase, where he hovered as his presence was announced to the crowd below, and he stood with a forced smile as the sea of politicians applauded as if he was a celebrity. He'd never liked all the pomp and pageantry at these things—showing up for a rooftop party with a bunch of people his own age was much more appealing—but he just grinned and bore it until the clapping tapered off, and he could descend the stairs while everyone else resumed their mingling.

It felt a little surreal to be back in front of a capital crowd. The last time he'd seen this many people gathered in one place had been his father's funeral. He swallowed as the thought threatened to stir up unwanted memories of Atlas. Of Iris. Her face flashed through his mind again, and he felt his lip twitch, fighting against the frown that tried to take over. He still missed her deeply, but he couldn't think about that now. There was nothing he could do to bring her back, he reminded himself for the thousandth time, and fixating on her would just exhaust him. Right now, he needed to get through the banquet, make his rounds among the invited guests, and find Suphate King Quincy to talk about his proposition.

Who knew? Maybe somewhere along the way, he would even start to enjoy himself.

That was what he hoped for as the evening wore on, and he circled around the ballroom, greeting people he hadn't seen in a year and answering questions about his plans as the new ruler of Aspiria. Everyone seemed most curious about his agendas—and about whether he had any plans to find himself a queen. He knew why they were asking, of course, since he was acutely aware of the fact that the entire royal line hinged on him now that his father was gone, the rest of his extended family had been cut from the will, and he had no siblings or heirs of his own. If anything happened to him, the monarchy would crumble, and Aspiria had no backup plan in place.

Still, he didn't like feeling pressured into a relationship, so even though he understood the weight his singleness carried in the eyes of his allies, he kept his answers vague, only telling the politicians that he had some prospects on the horizon but hadn't made any firm commitments yet. That was enough to keep them off his back, and he would move on to the next groups, repeating most of the same topics with them.

After about two hours, he was finally approached by one of his guards, who let him know that the royal family from Suphate had arrived and were looking to speak with him. Excusing himself from the family he had just been conversing with—and breathing an inward sigh of relief that he didn't have to humor their suggestion of taking more than one bride to grow the Maydestone royal tree faster—he followed the guard over to the base of the grand stairs, where he spotted a familiar face through the crowd.

"King Caspian," Quincy greeted him with a broad smile, one hand resting on the shoulder of a young woman dressed in all white at his side. "Thank you for responding to my letter. You remember my daughter, Raine, don't you?"

"It's been a while, but yes, I do," Cas nodded, offering a smile of his own. "It's good to see you again."

"You as well, Your Majesty," Raine dipped into a curtsey and extended a gloved hand toward him. Her long, dark hair had been pinned up in loose curls, framing her olive-skinned cheeks. She was short and lithe—very unlike her stout father—with a cinched waist and supple curves that had been highlighted by her fitted cocktail dress. However, the most striking feature about her were her bright green eyes, highlighted piercingly with black liner. After ten years apart, she certainly knew how to make an impression.

Following the steps of tradition, Cas placed a kiss to the back of her hand and inclined his head toward one of the drink tables near the edge of the ballroom. "Why don't we grab something to drink while we catch up? The champagne is excellent tonight."

"Let's," Quincy agreed eagerly.

As the visiting king shepherded them both over to the table, Cas could see that he was practically buzzing with excitement. He felt a little guilty for not matching the Suphates' enthusiasm, but ultimately, their meeting wasn't about his feelings anyway. He was considering their proposal because it was a good move for Aspiria. It was just politics, nothing more. And it was better this way. If he left his feelings out of it, like he should have done with Iris, no one else would get hurt. So, taking a steeling breath, he picked up a champagne flute and readied himself to discuss options for an arranged marriage.

[User]
Pacing had become a new habit of hers, when she couldn't sit still and focus on something walking around Jacob's home had been an option to help her feel in control. Ultimately, she couldn't make any decisions when it came to her life right now as she was stuck yet again hiding away like some dirty little secret. That's all I will be to everyone. Some dirty little secret to keep hidden. It was hard to keep thoughts like that at bay, when everyone had chosen to hide her in life it was hard to see herself with any sort of significance.

Driving herself insane with her thoughts already she moved to the living room to numb her brain with mindless television. Even though she was a prisoner here, Jacob had been accommodating allowing her to use any item within his home. Food had also been stocked in the fridge to ensure she would eat and since being here in his apartment it had honestly looked more lived in rather than some sort of show room. Grabbing the remote she flicked on the TV ready to channel hop until she found some boring reality show, but just as she was about to change it, she glanced at the screen noting the scenery behind the reporter.

Hesitant to change the channel she watched as the cameras began to pan to the front of the building show casing cars that were pulling up to the extravagant home. A reported was stood in front of the camera dressed to the nines, a beautiful black sparkly number which oozed elegance and class as she spoke to the audience explaining what was happening. Noise and sounds could be heard in the background of her microphone as important people where announced and Iris couldn't help but watch, holding her breath in anticipation to see him hoping the cameras would change to shots inside the home.

Then she saw it, the camera panned to the inside and even with the sea of guests all dressed to the nines she sought out the one person she wanted to see. Gnawing at the bottom of her lip she found herself captivated by the screen perching on the edge of the sofa afraid to miss it for a second. It was silly of her, to get so worked up over this in hopes she could see him, but her heart still raced at the thought. "Cas…" Whispering his name as she finally saw a glimpse of him on screen, he looked stunning in his suit all dressed up fitting in naturally with the glamorous people surrounding him.

Fixated on the screen watching him she felt something wet running down her cheek, fingers brushing against tears she hadn't known where falling until now. Sighing heavily, she wished things could have been different for them.

Amongst all the hype and excitement of the event four shadowed figures where creeping round the back of palace. A black duffle bag full of items inside ready for the plan. A big event like this happened regularly and it was only a matter of time until the next one. Thankfully there was now only one monarch left to deal with and they'd managed to slip past all the security so far. They knew none of them may not make it back, but they'd be going out with a bang that's for sure.

"Quickly, start planting these." One of the men hissed to another shoving home-made explosives into their hands. A loud enough diversion would bring people to the back allowing someone to sneak inside and make an attempt on the new Kings life.

"Shh, not too loud you'll alert someone."

The group began to start shoving the explosive into the ground by the walls at the back of the palace, they knew it wasn't enough to bring the palace down, but it would cause enough damage to be alerted and they had to be quick. Mud and dirt began to stain their already dark clothes as they began to embed the hand made explosives into the ground trying to be quick with their work. Startled as they heard a twig snap near them, they all froze for a second looking into the distance to see if they could see anything. "Let's get this done quick. I have a bad feeling." A gruff voice mumbled as they scrambled around putting the last one into place.


[System]
Appearance:
 5 ft 2 inches. Young - perhaps 14/16. Blue hair and bright eyes.
Species:
 Perhaps elfin, perhaps not. People often refer to her as "the elf girl," but her actual race is uncertain, since she never traveled before being brought to Mym.
Gender:
 Female
Skills and standard abilities:
 A voracious reader, Arya has become well-studied in the years she's been stranded here, but her true talent is with languages. The tongue spoken on her world was very different from those on Mym, relying heavily on complex inflection and precise sentence structure to convey meaning quickly. Since her arrival, she has absorbed three more languages, and still hasn't forgotten the language of her homeland.
 She can also be quick with a knife when necessary.
Supernatural/ magical abilities:
 Empathy, to the point of light psychic power. A keen sense of danger.
Job:
 Trained as a scribe and an interpreter. Works mostly for traders and ship's captains, earning just enough to eat. Currently, she rents a small room in the back of a bakery, barely large enough for formal clothes, a few books, and a bed. Since a young woman is traditionally unable to work for herself, she lies, pretending to send money to a wealthy father back home. Only the baker's wife knows the true story of her orphan upbringing.
Personality:
 Reserved, but quick. Her more-than-natural empathy makes those around her feel uncomfortably exposed, and she often finds herself embroiled in other people's personal dilemmas.
Biography/ history:
 At the age of 9, in the middle of the night, Arya fell into Mym. A band of traveling merchants found her fast asleep in the middle of a seaside road. At first, they thought she was dead from the fog, but on seeing her chest rise and fall, they woke her. Needless to say, her life changed drastically after that. When they found it impossible to communicate with the girl, she was abandoned in Marrintown, and became another hungry street urchin, begging in a language she barely knew, without family ties or any special knowledge to help her.
 Desperate to return home, she hid in a supply wagon heading out of the city, in the hopes that she could eventually find her way back to where she first arrived in Mym. While the wagon didn't lead her any closer to her family, it did lead her to a monastery of the Order of Rin, high in the mountains, where the fog had never come, and where there were no monsters or rat-infested sewers. The monks took her in, refined her crude knowledge of Erimish, the most common language of the region. She proved to be a good student, and their teachings gave her a stable grasp on the world she now lived in. This continued until she turned 13, and divine law required that she be ejected from the monastery, as a woman can never be a Monk of the Order. This rejection, although tempered by kind words, burned her deeply, and she was again alone in the world.
 Fortunately, a reference from the Order can go a long way, and she was promptly taken under the wing of Quar, also known as the Red Robin. Once a diplomat from a far-off desert planet, Quar now works as a trader, buying and selling a variety of goods in a variety of ways: some legal, most not. Under his tutelage, she learned to use her empathy as a tool, converting acquaintances into friends and friends into customers. Eventually, though, she saved enough money to run away, and begin her search for home anew.
 Even after six years in Mym, she still longs for home.
Equipment:
 A small dagger strapped to the back of her leg, and an enchanted bracer with several functions, given to her by her mother. Arya never speaks about what it's for.

[User]
Arya jerked awake. A high screeching filled her hearing, like the squeal of ice on metal, like the roaring wind of a hurricane. A spike was driving itself viciously into the back of her skull, an agony so great her vision blurred, as if her skull were expanding from the inside out. She heard a high, keening shriek of pain - her own - and attempted, in a panic, to gather her mental defences, fighting to keep from giving in to the whirlwind.
 And just like that, the presence moved away.
 She shivered.
 Many hours later, she fell asleep again.

 * * *

 The next morning, Arya pulled a parcel out of her bedside drawer, and sat cross-legged on the floor. Out of the parcel, she pulled a small black book and charcoal, of the type used by students and scribes. Taking a deep breath, she chanted through a nursery rhyme, paying little attention to the words. With her eyes closed, she passed the charcoal along the paper. At first, the markings were nothing but loops and lines, but as time progressed, they resolved into shapes, and slowly bent into complex symbols.
 Opening her eyes, she fell silent. Her eyes scanned the page with a scholar's eye. It had not been a deliberate attack, that much was certain. The presence had merely passed within her range while her defenses were down. She desperately hoped it had not noticed her, but it was impossible to say. There were no patterns of aggression, but several symbols were drawn with an odd slant. A lapse in concentration, or a clue? Tracing her finger along another circular symbol, her brow furrowed. It was one she didn't recognize. A name, perhaps? A place?
 Sighing, she replaced the book and charcoal into her bag. Father Roe would have known what to make of it.

[Assistant] Adamar would have blended into the darkness outside the campfire if the light of the flames didn't reflect off his mask. He sat a bit away from the rest of the group, still in conversationally appropriate proximity, but far enough that none would see the contents of his now open book. He slowly turned a page every few minutes as the worn parchment bound in leather rested upon his lap. His head was angled down towards the pages, an onlooker would easily assume him to be reading through the slits in the mask. He made no indications of paying attention to Siana's life-story, but was softly murmuring to himself with seemingly unintelligible words as she described her memories and plans to the group.

[User]
The streets were practically deserted as Kis made her way through the town, nodding greetings to the few locals she passed. Even this late at night the light from the forge lit up the end of the street, promising warmth and safety for passersby.

Stepping through the door Kis waited for a pause in the blacksmith's hammering before calling out. "Hey Clem, how's business?"

The gruff giant turned, his scowling face filling with joy as he caught sight of his old friend. "Kismet, my dear. When did you get back into town?" Laying his hammer down he stepped up to the girl and wrapped his arms around her, lifting Kis off her feet and spinning her around.

"Okay, okay, clam down." Kis laughed, patting Clem's arms until he finally relaxed. "I'm just in town for the night, passing through on a job. Thought I'd drop in and check on that special order."

"You have good timing, finished the work on it yesterday." Clem said, moving over to a large chest set against the wall. Pulling the lid open he picked a package wrapped in rough leather from the pile of others. "Hope it's good enough for you," He said, handing it over to Kis.

Carefully up wrapping it Kis ran her hand down the freshly forged blades, each ten inches long. The inscribed cold steel seemed to frost over even in the heat of the forge, yet as her fingers touched them the metal seemed warm. "They're perfect."

As she stepped back out onto the street, tightening the straps across her chest and straightening the scabbards across her back, Kis set off for the town gate. She still had time to make it to the farm and rest up before dawn, and by the sounds of things she'd be needing a fresh head for the following day.

[Assistant]
The stall was hot, bright with summer, the salty sea air filled with an unpleasant scent of fish and unwashed city streets. A reddish tint filtered through the cloth above, casting a light shade over the table. Beside Arya sat a portly wine-seller, who was calculating the market value of a particular vintage, and across from her sat an elderly Minnese man, his slanted eyes darting suspiciously over the wine-seller's work. She could see a shining bead of sweat forming on his forehead, and she found herself wondering idly whether he would be too offended if she wiped it away.

"Tell him his request is ludicrous," the wine-seller said.

"☬ ⁂♣♮ ⚜♦," Arya said hesitantly. It is not possible. The price is too high.

Angry chattering in Minnese.

Arya turned back to her irate employer. "He says he won't take any less. He wants you to stick…" She paused. "He wants to end the negotiation unless you accept his offer."

The fat wine-seller struck the table in frustration. "Wonderful. Well, by the gods, I'll take his damn deal, but don't ask me to be happy about it."

Arya repeated his acceptance. The Minnese trader's scowl deepened, and he cursed, muttering about being cheated. They shook hands.

It was not out of the ordinary for negotiations to become tense, even around her. Managing the egos of wealthy men was part of the job description, and with such large fortunes at stake, emotions inevitably ran high. This, however, had been a particularly heated argument. The wine-seller didn't want to tarnish his reputation by selling cheaper wines, but the Minnese trader was the only one to come through the region in a month, and if he didn't buy his stores, he'd lose customers. He'd agreed to purchase his whole stock at a greatly inflated price, but the trader still wanted more. Minnese men were always particularly resistant to her brand of light persuasion. Stubborn bastard. He wouldn't know a good deal if it smacked him in the nose.

After the negotiation was formalized, she left the stall, her work completed. The midday sun beat down like a physical weight, and the lazy humidity only made matters worse. Business was slow, and everyone shuffled from shade patch to shade, the wealthier ladies fanning themselves and the poorer ones splashing water on their faces. Work was torturously slow, and men carrying goods or negotiating trades were few, far between, and generally unhappy about it. The Emblem of Neutrality - a heavy white sash issued by the Guild, the symbol of her trade - rasped on her bare shoulder, and she found herself compulsively shifting it, as if trying to get out from under the weight.

Arya ducked into a pub near the center of town, the Old Red. Settling down in a dark corner, she extracted a small black notebook from her handbag, and absently ran her eyes over the symbols she had drawn before. It wasn't as if she could do much without a Dictionary of Symbology, but the mystery still drew her eyes to the page.

Her reverie didn't last long. A loud voice approached along the street, and the door banged open, revealing a fat man and a shorter, skinnier companion, both wearing Guild emblems. "- long and short of it, oh yes, it was a right scene. I don't agree with the Guild renting out member facilities to hooligans. A good Deepwood wine!" He snapped. The barkeep raised an eyebrow, but made no complaint. "It's no good," he continued, sitting down heavily by the bar. "Next election, I'm going to vote for someone who's dedicated to the integrity of our fine institution!"

"Indeed, indeed."

"And why is this Kismet girl allowed such privilege? Tut tut. Another flagrant violation of well established traditions! Favoritism! I sense something underhanded."

"Yes, yes. Must be, must be."

The first man looked pleased at this. "See, you're a good fellow." A large tankard slid towards him on the bar, and, grasping it by the handle, he raised it in a gesture of respect to his companion. "Stick with the folk like us, the respectable tradesmen. You'll go far."

"Oh, I've no doubt, none at all." They clinked glasses, and drank deeply.

"I saw an odd fellow, wrapped from head to toe. Couldn't even see his face. Made my skin crawl."

Arya's eyes narrowed. She had heard stories that certain dark wizards couldn't uncover their skin, or they would burn. Could this be the presence she'd felt in the night?

"It seems they're going off into the Fog tonight," the thinner man said, raising his eyebrows.

"What do you mean, going off into the Fog?"

"I mean, the girl Siana is leading them off. That's what the meeting was for."

"By the gods, are you sure? Are they mad?"

The thin man shrugged. "Seems so. She claims to have found an inland lake, surrounded by paradise, or portals, or some such nonsense. I wasn't listening too closely."

"These are certainly strange times."

"Indeed, indeed."

They fell silent for a moment. Arya's mind whirled. It couldn't be a coincidence, could it? A mysterious figure suddenly appearing in a sleepy seaside Guild town, an impossible mission into the fog… Arya wondered whether there really was something underhanded going on. Black magic, she thought, dread creeping along her spine. Wonderful.


[System]
"Why am I here, you ask? Well, for the adventure of course!"
Nicknames/Title:
 Spell Blade
 The Wandering Scholar

Theme Songs:
 Standard Theme
 Battle Theme

Gender:
 Female

Marital Status:
 --

Age:
 20

Sexuality:
 Pauline

Family Ties:
 --

Class:
 Magus
 There are those who spend their lives poring over ancient tomes and texts, unlocking the power of magic, and there are those who spend their time perfecting the use of individual weapons, becoming masters without equal. The magus is at once a student of both philosophies, blending magical ability and martial prowess into something entirely unique, a discipline in which both spell and steel are used to devastating effect. As she grows in power, the magus unlocks powerful forms of arcana that allow her to merge her talents further, and at the pinnacle of her art, the magus becomes a blur of steel and magic, a force that few foes would dare to stand against.
 Magi spend much of their time traveling the world, learning whatever martial or arcane secrets they can find. They might spend months learning a new sword-fighting style from a master warrior, while simultaneously moonlighting in the local library, poring through tomes of ancient lore. Most who take this path dabble in all sorts of lore, picking up anything that might aid them in their search for perfection.

Weapon Mastery(ies):
 Sword, Tome

Inventory:
 Silver Sword
 Arcthunder
 Vulnerary

Personality:
 Youthful, and full of energy and wonder, Aika feels most at home both at the heart of a battlefield and in the depths of a library. She often might act too immature or optimistic for her companions, but she is a reliable source of knowledge, and a well trusted blade. Doesn't like to talk about her family.

Biography:
 Originally from the icy peaks of Frossbarr, Aika took to the roads in pursuit of great masters of magic and martial arts. Her desire to become a legend in both swordplay and spellcraft has led her across the sandy deserts of Alistaf and the thick jungles of Jotenvarr, stopping only to learn and practice with scholars and soldiers alike.
 It was during her stay in Jotenvarr that she learned that King Alexandro himself requested her by name for her skill. Upon arrival, she happily agreed to take up arms in the royal guard.

[User]
Diana

Diana's eyes narrowed as the fox attempted to make a break for it like a scared bird and like a scared bird, it was summarily swooped upon and killed. Though to the fox's credit he managed to kill the wyvern rider that had attacked him. It was mildly surprising that someone had actually died, but honestly it wasn't too unexpected. They had been warned after all. More pegasus knights dived from above, one diverted by Hiro's snap shot, the other practically torn apart by Tybalt's ferocious wind attack. One knight down, one wyvern rider down. The falcon knight was preoccupied with the manakete. That left two knights and two wyverns still ready to attack.

 As if to punctuate her thought a wyvern rider swooped down to strike at Hyakuya in conjunction with the falcon knight and another knight came diving at Tybalt, who was busy talking to Hiro. Diana simply took one step to position herself between the rider and its prey, with her spear point down towards the dirt, deceivingly useless. The spear practically screamed towards her, moments before it intersected with her flesh Diana slammed her shield into the side of the lance with exquisite timing and the point was rudely shoved into the dirt. The rider was remarkably quick thinking and managed to release the lance before it unseated her and quickly disengaged, though now disarmed. Diana let out a small growl, pesky creatures, never committing to an attack long enough for her to land a blow. Not for the first time she wished she had a roll of javelins with her.  "Sticking together is good and all but we need to make some more progress, either in killing these things or making it to the ruin." Diana said bluntly.

[Assistant]
Hiro and Tybalt already have good teamwork, Pauline noted. "Defending the fighters who have the biggest advantage over their enemies is great, but forgetting about other will definitely not help anyone", she thought as she climbed one of the trees. Even the best fighter will have trouble when outnumbered. And there they were, the Falcon Knight and the manakete fighting for their lives-- what, what was that shout? She looked down to see a fallen wyvern, its rider and... Is that the thief? Pauline blinked, trying to focus. Light fur peeked from under the beast's body. Oh, death was unevitable, but she was still scared of it.

Pauline glanced at Hyakuya and slowly, carefully moved as close to the falcon knight as she could. Damn, the rider's fast. She clenched her kunai, and, focusing all of her strength on it, aimed for the pegasus' side. The blade swiftly flew through the air, barely hitting the rider - she noticed it and managed to reflect it with her lance. Pauline scowled and growled slightly, grabbing another blade. "I hope that the kunai will at least distract the rider somehow" - she muttered as she threw it at the adversary.

[User]
Hiro Anu

Hiro raised his hands to potentially defend himself from the Pegasus knight, it would be the unfortunate end for him. He would have made nothing with his life and his travel here would have been worthless. That was when he heard the voice of Tybalt struck out like lightning and he felt a gust of wing pass by him, then was the sound of the something slamming into the ground. Slowly, he lowered his hands to see that the Pegasus knight had been taken down, Tybalt had saved him. "I am fine Tybalt, no thanks to you though. I would have skewered if it weren't for you," Hiro stated with a smile coming to his face. That was too close a call but at least he had avoided the grasp of death for now. "Manakete come this way! We will take down the Falcon Knight if you can get him closer!," the archer yelled to the dragon, getting back into the task at hand. Seeing that Pauline had thrown out a kunai, Hiro followed it up by shooting an aimed shot at the Falcon knight.

[Assistant]
Azi Lukotta

Though he saw Mikhail dodge the lethal axe swings from the Risen, Azi didn't realize that its focus had shifted towards Victor until it raised the heavy weapon to swing. Immediately stopping his song and sprinting towards him, Azi tried to warn him. "Victor!" he shouted, his warning coming too late. Thrusting his quarterstaff like a spear, he tried to interrupt the slow second swing, but was too late, his strike only reaching after the axe planted itself into Victor. The Risen was knocked onto the ground, its weapon still embedded into the ground through the body.

"He wasn't much older than me, was he?" Azi sighed regretfully, sorrow evident on his face. There was nothing he could do at that point except finish off Victor's killer. In a large, destructive arc, Azi swung his quarterstaff down on the Risen's head. "... Goodbye." he murmured as it began dissipating. Though the death of his friends saddened him, it only strengthened Azi's resolve to prevent them from happening, or rather, to prevent deaths in general. And so, he began singing the aria of haste again, doing what he could do.

[User]
Hyakuya

Hyakuya watched closely at the Falcon Knight. Moments passed by with neither doing anything. But then the Falcon Knight charged and Hyakuya could hear the flapping of wings behind him. Another attacker was aiming an attack on him. With a quick look, he saw that it was a Wyvern Rider. The Manakete was flanked and the way out was up or down. But he had to watch for an opening. Anything really to take the two down or at least one of them.

The opportunity finally presented itself when the Falcon Knight deflected a kunai, momentarily distracting her from the attack. Hyakuya quickly charged with the Wyvern Rider behind him with his axe ready. He heard Hiro but he had to escape first and he would like to see if he can take the Falcon Knight down. He spat a ball of fire at the Falcon Knight. There was a moment of panic that spread across the face of the Falcon Knight but regained her composure soon enough. She dodged the ball of fire along with the kunai but the arrow hit the rider on the shoulder prompting her to let go of her weapon.

All three were on a sure crash course but with the Falcon Knight wounded, Hyakuya would smirk if he was in his human form. Since she was disoriented with the sudden pain rushing over her, he charged and then swooped down and took a hold of rider. He then flew up but the Wyvern Rider had struck down and hit his hind leg and another one on his upper front leg. Good thing he had some armor thanks to the Manakete scales but he was sure those would leave scar. He then circled around and was now heading towards the Wyvern rider and then released the Falcon Knight at full speed towards the Wyvern Rider.

The two tumbled hit each other and was now spiralling down the sky and onto the unforgiving Earth. With all his mustered speed, Hyakuya managed to catch the two and put them safely on the branches. "We're not allowed the kill them right?" He asked, looking at Hirotsuka before going back to Hiro and the group. Perhaps he would've let them plummet to their deaths if not for that rule. He didn't want to get disqualified after all. "Thank you for the aid Pauline, Hiro." He said, dipping his dragon head at them. "What next?" He asked. Only three remained after that whole stunt. In all honesty, the Manakete wasn't too sure about the plan in the first place. A miracle that it worked. He doubted he would be so lucky in the future. It was also obvious that his hind leg was curled upward as he landed, signalling that his injury was far from just a small wound but that could be fixed later.

[Assistant]
Aika Lennone

By now, the coursing sparks of electricity that leaped from Aika's hand filled the room with a pale blue glow as she searched for a target. She was about to cast the bolt at one of the remaining swordsmen when the cavalier called her to strike the sorcerer. She pulled her arm back and scanned the arena for the undead magician before returning a comment to Mikhail. "Alright!" she exclaimed as she thrusted her arm forward, index finder extended at the sorcerer. "Hwurra! Eat this!"

A bright flash of lightning was instantly followed by an ear piercing crack of thunder as the magical electricity arced across the room, hurtling towards her target.

[User]
Mikhail Fuast

There was an odd buzzing ringing through Mikhail's ears. Behind him, he knew Victor had just paid the price for his reckless decision. Maximillian suffered from a similar fate next to the sorcerer. Death always came some quickly on the battlefield that it was difficult to ever truly prepare for it. Things had seemed to have been going well, but in an instant they had lost two of their own. The obnoxious buzzing wasn't going away, but the cavalier finally understood what was causing it: rage.

Aika's lightning hit the sorcerer dead on, causing it to stumble forward from the aftershock. With his jaw clenched violently, Mikhail quickened his pace. He shut out all other thoughts and tightened his gron on the sword. The damn thing was essentially dead already, he just needed to give it the final push. The sorcerer attempted to stagger to its feet, but it would never get the chance.

"Vanish," he demanded as his sword finished its arc through the creatures neck. The snarling face sailed through the air for a brief second before it dissipated into the Risen's acrid smoke.

'That idiot,' he fumed internally, 'They would both still be alive if he had just waited a few more seconds.' Dismissing the thought, Mikhail turned towards the last Risen. 'It better hope I don't get to him first.'

[Assistant]
After drawing his blade from the throat of the risen, Mihkail saw the defeated sorcerer slump a bit forward, still held mostly upright as it dissolved by something lower than his point of impact. If he looked down, he would see the small spellblade crouched beneath his lunge, her sparking sword driven trough the stomach of the sorcerer. A pale blue flash crashed around the corpse's body as she pulled her sword from their enemy, allowing it to finally crumble to dust.

"There was no way I was going to let you challenge it on your own, even if it was staggered." she explained, hoping her incredible speed supprised Mikhail.


[System]
Appearance: A tall man standing at about 6'2, he has the build of a runner, lean and fit without particularly bulky muscles. His chestnut brown hair is messy and fails where it may, sometimes obscuring his eyes which are a piercing green. His unshaven face bears slight stubble, creases that come from smiling, and he has a small scar on his right cheek.

An approximation, not quite exact though, this guy's too serious. Far too serious.

Apparent Age: Early twenties.

Gender: Male

Nation: Grado

Class: Lord

Weapon Mastery: Lance-C

Level: 6

Background: Alvin grew up as the only son and heir to Emperor Rioga of Grado. His mother, Priscilla, died bringing him into the world, that fact has been a severe burden of guilt on the young man. As Alvin was growing up he always knew what he wanted to do, he'd look out the window and see Grado's feared Wyvern Riders practicing, flying about in the sky, free and having fun. Yes, Alvin knew he wanted to be a Wyvern Rider above all else.

At the age of 12, shortly after the Wyvern's mating season, Alvin was permitted to pick one of the newborn Wyverns to be his companion. His Father urged him to choose carefully, as this was to be his companion for life. Alvin took those words to heart and began examining the young Wyverns. After spending the whole afternoon looking at them, none had interested him very much. They were all strong, or fast, or supremely intelligent, at least that's what the breeders told him. The sun was falling and the horizon was burning red when he finally found a small, unassuming Wyvern that had been hiding under it's mother's wing. By the look of it it was certainly the smallest Wyvern he had seen and when he picked it up it squealed like it had been stuck with a spear! The rest had squirmed sure, but none had even come close to having this much spirit. The breeder identified the Wyvern as female and certainly the runt, but that didn't matter to Alvin.

He looked up at his father, eyes bright with the Wyvern squealing in his arms and said "I've got a good feeling about this one!" And so as soon as the Wyvern was big enough they started training together and the two have become inseparable ever since.

Since age 8, Alvin has been spending his summers in Renais visiting Prince Marwood along with Princess Natalia of Frelia, and Princess Rafaela of Jehanna. The children's parents decided on this arrangement so the future rulers would be good friends and perhaps a marriage or two might occur further down the road? It hasn't worked out that way yet but they are very good friends. Alvin tends to tease Marwood a good deal for his lack of political vision and his general near phobia of women. As a matter of fact, prior to Jehanna's invasion of Grado Alvin invited Prince Marwood to come to Grado for a visit, little did Alvin know that sinister things were about to take place.

Plot-Susceptive: Yes

Equipment and Items:
Steel Lance
Vulnerary
Fire Emblem

Personality: Alvin is a bright, carefree, and gregarious person. He hates responsibility and the "Stuffy nobles" that dwell in the castle and would much rather be out enjoying the open skies with Medea. Alvin's number one motto is "Why use a sword when a silver-tongue is a lot cleaner?" He's a peace-loving man who'll try his best to talk himself out of any situation.

He is the epitome of "Lordly courtesy" as he never forgets his manners, indeed he finds the best method to being diplomatic is courtesy and food, lots of food. He loves meeting new people and thoroughly enjoys the company of trusted friends.

Those friends he makes out of anyone he takes a liking to, a friend that the prince is quite intent on keeping, despite his father's objections, is the servant girl Calico, the prince finds her to be an incredibly interesting young lady.

Ability Assessment: Alvin learned to fight under the tutelage of General Nero and shares his mostly balanced fighting style, though he has a weakness against magic and bow users and slightly favors skill over strength. Indeed every thrust of Alvin's lance is a precise strike at an enemy's weak point or unprotected vital spot. He's mastered fighting astride his midnight blue Wyvern, Medea. Indeed they are so in tuned to each other Alvin can direct her with his knees leaving both his hands free to fight.

While Alvin is primarily a mounted combatant he isn't a slouch on foot, though he isn't as physically imposing as his father or other young men his age, he makes up for that in part by his weapon choice and in part by his fighting style. Alvin utilizes the spear's superior reach to deftly knock aside strikes and stay out of his enemies range. He uses swift footwork and some trickery to send his foes off balance. He excels at catching faster opponents and finding chinks in a heavier enemy's trusted armor.

Quirks/Talents/Aspirations/Other:
-Because of his fighting style requiring deft footwork Alvin is a very good dancer.
-He has adopted Garric's fondness of Apples.
-Enjoys fishing, the only thing he and his father ever really did together.
-Isn't particularly good at cards and despite being a cunning individual he's a terrible gambler.
-Enjoys and is very skilled at a variety of tactical boardgames.
-Has a rivalry with the knight named Griswal, both were trained by General Nero and they often have bouts to determine who's the better combatant.

R-button Summarization: Prince of Grado. Gregarious and diplomatic, though a fine warrior in his own right.

[User]
Ret crossed his arms, nodding approvingly at Archibald's choice to merely wound the soldier - and also to his question. It looks like this would not be too dIfferent from the good old days. With perhaps an even more righteous cause this time round? More righteous! The thought instilled vigor into him.

----------------------------------------

As the fighter charged the wyvern rider, his axe would suddenly erupt with a blinding light when electricity leapt from it towards it's wielder. Ret's right palm was facing the offending soldier and the book in his left fluttered in an unseen breeze, 'Over your dead body' Ret's stern scowl seemed to say.

[Assistant]
Watching as the soldier collapsed to the floor, clutching at his wound, Archibald narrowed his eye. 'Good...Strike back against those who have wronged you...make them suffer...' whispered a voice in his head, causing him to gasp in pain as he clutched at the right side of his face. "Now...is not the time!" he forced through gritted teeth as his hand clenched the bow hard, the other pressing down on his hair over the eye he had screwed shut. Shaking his head, his hair parted momentarily, revealing a flash of white. Whether it be a mask or talisman, no-one except him knew. And he intended to keep it that way. Suppressing his inner demons as he leaned against a wall, Archibald grabbed another arrow from his quiver and nocked it onto the string. Taking a step forward as he brought the bow up, he narrowed his eye again.

Focussing in front of him, sounds became duller as he ignored his environment, steadying his aim. His arm shook and he was visibly sweating. 'Spill their blood...' whispered the voice again, almost lovingly, 'an eye...for an eye...' Gritting his teeth again, his vision swam in and out of focus. The wyvern in front of him struggled as the axe-wielder jumped in, making a clear shot hard. The red and dirty white fletching of his arrow whistled faintly in a passing breeze as a scream was cut short. The wyvern darted in front of him again as his eye narrowed further. 'Take the shot...I care not where the blood spills from...' With each passing second, the voice grew more malevolent. The old wood of his bow creaked as he tugged the string tighter, resting it against his thumb against his cheek. The wyvern darted past again. With a thundrous crash, the fighter was struck with lighting, but that was not all. Startled, Archibald released the arrow, his eye widened as it flexed against the air pressure before soaring straight and true.

[User]
The fight was erupting into havoc. With Grado's own prince leading the group, the line of mounted units charged the reforming Jehannan offense. With some trepidation, the archer and spellcaster were also lending their aid to make short work of the incoming mercenaries. Redoubling his own efforts, Griswal hefted himself forward to fill the gap as he was supposed to.

At last able to put his armaments to use, Griswal approached one of the sword-wielding mercs trying to push his way through. Blocking the man's path, the Grado Knight thrust his lance forward to meet the man's abdomen. The pointed edge hit true, gutting the man just below the ribs before Griswal pulled back. Fighting off the painful shock to the stab, the swordfighter leaped up with a defiant cry to split the knight head in two. The armored man shifted himself enough for the sword to strike elsewhere - between his helm and pauldron, hacking slightly at his shoulder.

This twinge of pain did not go unregarded, as Griswal moved to shove the foe back with his huge shield. Between this and the man's own backpedaling, the two combatants were reduced to a brief standoff again. "You will not bar our path!" The Grado Knight cried out to the Jehannans in force.

[Assistant]
Alvin was a little surprised by the arrow that clipped his greave, actually he was downright shocked. Enough so that if the arrow didn't strike true and hit the enemy lancer Alvin wasn't likely to hit him either. The prince's head whipped to look behind him, spotting the offending archer. He'd never seen him before but apparently he was trying to help........Or not

He brought his attention back to the battle at hand, the lancer replaced by a warrior with an axe. Alvin knew he had to back off, if that warrior got too close he and Medea were finished. All it would take was getting inside the range of his lance, then the warrior could wreak some true havoc. With that thought in mind Alvin tugged on the reigns, causing Medea to pull back in response.

"Marwood now! The Warrior's all yours!" Alvin called as he drew back behind Griswal who was valiantly fighting a swordsman. In truth Alvin really wanted to help Lexa, unfortunately there was no way he could get in there to help. "After we finish this lot off there's only two more that stand in between us and the gate." He informed Griswal, in a rather serious tone coming from the prince. "Oh and if these guys are too fast for you Grizzly Bear I can handle them." The prince added in a tone that was much closer to what you'd expect.


[System]
Age:
Appearance:

Powers:
His partner is a classic, with a twist. Using their brotherly bonding they're an unstoppable team, and both would give their life for the other. It is through this bond that they're able to fuse into a single being, unlocking their Mega form. Then they fight together, as one, directly empowered by the bonds between them. As long as they work together no obstacle is too great for them to surpass.

Weaknesses:
Unless currently fused, Alexander himself is vulnerable to attack. In addition his power to enter Mega relies on the bond between him and his digimon partner. Should they encounter trouble in their relationship it would prevent them from unleashing their most devastating power, limiting their capabilities.

Bio:
Alexander is from a world in which the Digital Realm passed over into the human realm. Digimon began appearing in tokyo and destroying everything. During one of these attacks Alexander met Ryudamon, who was at the time fleeing from the brutal gorrilamon. Working together they unlocked the power of digivolution, unlocking Alexander's digivice and granting them the strength they needed to defeat their enemy. As a team they fought the digimon that entered this world. Eventually they moved into the digital world, where they were forced to confront the defenders of this realm, and to discover the reason for why the Digimon were attacking. After defeating the Dominion Lords they faced off against the physical manifestation of Ygdrassil, who had calculated that humans would eventually wipe out the digimon. But with their friends, and their bonds, they proved that the cooperation between humans and digimon surpassed the animosity between them, and with that power they were able to defeat Ygdrassil, and save both worlds from destruction.

In the second season, Alexander and his friends would be forced to confront a shadowy corporation called the Integration Corp, who wanted to exploit the digital world for the gain of humans. Midway through his adventures, however, Alexander was recruited by the Mon Alliance to fight against a far greater threat, one that threatened all universes. Although reluctant to leave the fight, he was confident that his friends would be able to protect his home, and he joined up with the fighters of the Mon Alliance.

Theme Song:
youtube.com/watch?v=6HcK9rktChk

Team of Mons:
Ryudramon, a unique rookie-type digimon said to be connected to the very origins of the Digital World. He carries the X-Antibody, and holds a dark secret. He possesses the secret codes for dismanteling the digicores of other digimon, an evil power that in the wrong hands could threaten to annihilate the digital world itself. Fortunately his bonds with Alexander have managed to suppress this power and now he uses his unique nature to fight evil, as one of the most powerful warriors in his world.

Ryudramon can transform into Ginryumon for his champion, or Hisyarumon for his ultimate. Should he fall to darkness he can also digivolve into dexdorumon, a nearly mindless digimon who seeks to dismantle all digital data, and who could evolve into dexmon, the equation that would annihilate the digital realm. His Mega-form is Samudramon, an incredibly powerful digimon of the greymon line. This form can only be unlocked by fusing with Alexander.

[User]
Mt. Coronet

Brendan (Braize), and Alexander Wright had been summoned to the Mon Alliance's main headquarters, the Templum Domini, an underground complex underneath Mount Coronet, which, with Arceus' blessing, had been turned into a fortress. Being taken by an underground tram to the network of bunkers, the two operatives would be given a brief security check, before being led to the Operations Room, a large graphene-walled chamber with multiple oval tables with holographic projectors at the centre. At the largest table at the centre of the room, Osamu Akiyama, Osamu the Second, presided with a smile on his face, wearing a new white labcoat.

"Braize, Alex, I'm glad you two managed to answer my summons," his face then pursed.

"As you know, Nanashi, in his plans for Omnicide of the Human species across the Multiverse, has increased his power exponentially, absorbing the souls taken by his own forces to slowly transform himself into an entity that can destroy all three sections of the Multiverse. Already, Atanasoff and ENIAC have told me that if this fransformation is completed, we might be looking at a repeat of the ZeedMilleniumon crisis. A crisis only dealt by my father because of Zeed's...complex motivations. But enough history lessons," Osamu then brought up a hologram, a hologram of a blue-haired young man, seventeen years old, dressed in a black school uniform with a loose black bow tie.

"Minato Arisato, or was it Makoto Yuuki?" the exposition continued. "Either way, this person is the hero of the world of Personas/Personae, having, after several adventures, used the power of his universe itself to form a seal between the embodiment of Humanity's despair, Erebus, and the personification of Death, Nyx. The sacrifice was his life; his soul is now used to keep the seal together. This was a tragic sacrifice, even more so as Minato was a hero that needed his due, and never got it, with his efforts being unrecognized...until now." Osamu would then pull out a small disk from his lab coat.

"This disk, despite its modest apperance, contains an entire Yggdrassil unit encoded in data, and as you know, a Yggdrassil unit is a godlike force, but as it isn't dependent on human emotions, much more easily killed permanently."

"Your jobs are to accompany me as I go to Aigis, where we will use technology and magic in order to 'install' Yggdrassil into the fabric of the Persona universe, and so create a new Digital World there, an entire dimension that will serve as its own 'Great Seal' that can divide Nyx and Erebus from each other, thus replacing Minato and allowing him to be rescued to serve as a member of the Host of Balance." Osamu II would then look at the two members.

"Also, Aigis wants to introduce a new agent to us, Dangle, who has an...interesting backstory. Either way, let's get some food, water, documentation and money, and then we can be off." Osamu would then walk to the quartermaster's office, gesturing for the other two to follow him.

-------

A few hours later, the two and Osamu were in the teleportation room, with several small, elevator-sized teleporters standing in a circle around a large, truck-sized one, one that wouldn't be used. It seemed they wouldn't use portals today. Either way, the group went inside a teleporter, and, after a few seconds -

- would appear in an alleyway in Tokyo just behind a University dorm, where two people, one a young-looking woman with short blond hair wearing a black school uniform, another a tall, well-muscled man in his late teens or early twenties with white hair, also cut shorort, almost military-like, although his bearing showed that although he knew how to fight, he had never been part of a true military force.

Dangle was also there, hidden in the shadows...

"Osamu," Aigis said, "I'm glad you've come."

@thewizardguy@Liquidjeff@DarkwolfX37

[Assistant]
"Oh? What have we here, a little tea party?" Dangle said as she stepped from the shadows, being blinded by the light and almost tripping up, removing any credibility she might have had. Regardless, she continued "Hmm, you're weak" she said pointing at Osamu and Alexander "You three however...Yes, you've seen it... and you two've even fought it...Death." looking at Brendan, then Aigis and the military-cut man, she cheered. "Yay! You seem interesting enough, I think I'll hang around for a bit."

After a few moments of silence and looks of disbelief Dangle sighed. "Oh come on, you were having a tea party. Don't mind me, continue."

[User] Brendan shoots an annoyed and confused look at the unknown girl, after a few moments of sheer confusion he turned back to the others with a sigh and says "okay guys lets just ignore her for now and get to the point, just standing around will get us nowhere, why are we here" while waiting for an answer he looked around to identify where he was

[Assistant]
- Alexander & Ryudamon -

Spotless steel hallways, large computer screens, advanced technology, armed guards. Voices talking over speakers, organised mass movement, transport of people and objects, portals to... gods know where. The whole place smelled like a hospital, and looked like a cross between the digital world he knew and some kind of weird sci-fi movie. It was a large, moving machine, and to Alexander it felt like the whole thing was moving far beyond his comprehension. He'd only been 'recruited' a few days ago, and the knowledge that there were other universes out there was still kind of sinking in. And although he was all for fighting the good fight he certainly felt out of place amidst these well cared for uniforms and advanced sciences, discussing advanced matters covering multiple universes as if it were a simply day trip. While usually rather confident and straightforward, emboldened by his many successful battles, here he felt like a small boy in a room full of adults, in way over his head. The very fact that this Osamu treated Ygdrasil, a godlike entity with control over the entire digital universe, as some kind of plug to stop some other creature he'd never even HEARD of before was... astounding. Not for the first time he wondered just how great this strange man's resources were, and what the hell he was doing here if they were as extensive as they felt. If he had been his more confident self he would have probably objected to his plan, based on his own experience with Ygdrassil. It seemed too likely that the megalomanic AI would decide to unleash the entity, or perhaps worse, somehow harness it. The Ygdrassil in Alexander's universe had finally learned to accept humans, but that didn't mean he wanted to put it in charge of what sounded like something very dangerous.

Alexander stood in the spotlight, with a slightly unsure smile hiding his bewilderment. By his side was Ryudamon, the small digital creature affectionately nuzzling Alexander's hand. In order to distract himself from what he experienced as a foreign and oppressive atmosphere, Alexander instead turned to the other people in the room. People, individually, he could understand. As team leader in his own digital universe he was a fairly good judge of character, and trusted his gut when it came to people. And even a casual glance around the room told him that he was certainly looking at a diverse cast of characters. Diverse being the nicest word that came to mind.

Osamu himself was... eccentric. Exotic. Although appearing relatively young he talked as if he understood what was going on here, which to Alexander indicated great intellect. He appeared to be the mind behind all of this, including many of the technological elements, certainly indicating a prodigy of some sort. But there was also something slightly... off, about him. Alexander couldn't read him. He was always moving, always talking, always looking, always observing. He never seemed to stand still, or take things in. Something about that irked Alexander, and although he thought Osamu trustworthy, he wasn't sure if he was entirely... there. Then again, he had worked with far stranger entities before, so who was he to judge?

The other person in the room was another young man, introduced by Osamu as Braize. This fellow looked more like someone Alexander would know, with the casual ready stance he'd seen before in experienced digidestined. Perhaps this guy was a digidestined like him, although he didn't see any digimon partner. Not that all digimon partners were permanently manifested. Of course he'd also heard of other types of digidestined, individuals who partnered up with all sorts of odd beings, and even formed teams of digimon-like entities. Maybe this Braize was from another universe with different rules, which would certainly make working with him interesting. Regardless Alexander felt he could trust this fellow, and looked forward to talking to him later.

---

Breathing heavily, Alexander stood with one hand against a wall, as Ryudamon poked around curiously while making 'hmm' sounds. The transportation had left him feeling a little queasy, although Rydamon seemed unaffected. Looking up he noticed that there were two new people, although it took him a moment to focus on them. It looked like they were in a city, which wasn't what he'd been expecting. If there had been some climatic battle, wouldn't it have taken place in the digital world? The idea of entities like Ygdrassil and Nyx being in a city like this made him uneasy. If anything went wrong, even if he and his new allies were able to contain the threat, the death toll would be immense. And that's assuming that they were able to contain two immensely powerful entities, something which Alexander doubted severely. He looked questioningly in Osamu's direction, but the eccentric scientist at least LOOKED like he had everything under control, and Alexander hoped for everyone's sake his confidence was more than just an act.

Walking over, he took a closer look at the newcomers. Two girls, a short one and a weird one. Great. More strange people. Putting on an affable smile and running a hand through his hair to ensure it maintained it's seemingly constantly state of slightly-ruffled he approached them. Only to, then, be immediately dismissed. A slight look of disbelief crossed his face for a moment as the girl called him weak, only to then completely ignore him. Certainly he'd been underestimated before, but even Ygdrassil had at least acknowledged him. With his pride slightly hurt he waved a hand at her. "Now now, no need to call people that." Looking around, it didn't seem like anyone recognised the weird girl, although the short girl appeared to have been expecting Osamu & co. "So who are you? And also you." He pointed to both of the girls, attempting to sound slightly less confused than he felt. Although he was glad to be out of the... facility, he still felt rather swept away by things. "And most importantly, why are we in a city?"


[System]
I R L
Age - 20
Place of Origin - Indiana, USA
Occupation - Gas station clerk

A V A T A R

Character's Name - Graves
Pathos Affiliation - Draethir
Role - Melee DPS
Profession - Bounty Hunter
Weapon of Choice - Nodachi
Domains - Water, Darkness; Restoration, Divination, Enhancement

-

P E R S O N A L I T Y

Arrogant
It isn't just that Graves thinks highly of himself. He doesn't believe he's the best- he knows he is, and the only reason he fails is when others are holding him back. There is no challenge he won't take on, no enemy he's afraid to challenge; he has mastered the art of combat in Pariah Online and he's eager to show that off.

Belligerent
His mentors always hammered into his head that the one thing a good fighter had was aggression. A full-bodied willingness to commit violence, directed violence, against their opponents. To hesitate was to admit you were the weaker combatant. To allow the enemy initiative was the equivalent of surrender. Graves has taken those lessons to heart, allowing that belligerence to seep into every aspect of his personality.

Driven
For all his many, many faults, none can deny Graves's desire to succeed. He is driven beyond rational boundaries, to the point where Graves believes he can do anything he wants- often times bending the situation to make this fact true. He doesn't allow himself to slip, to lose, to give in, ever.

B E N C H M A R K S

Violent Transfusion
The linchpin of Graves's fighting style is his ability to heal himself by wounding his enemies. He strikes at them with his signature weapon, drawing the blood from their bodies using his unusual primordial magics, and then transmutes it into a healing energy that stitches up his own wounds at a rapid pace. This allows Graves to maintain full throttle aggression without putting himself in total mortal peril.

Surgical Precision
Studying the anatomy of wayfarers and monsters alike was a necessary component of Graves's chosen battle strategy. He's learned the best places to strike to disable his opponents, or to produce the greatest flow of blood. In addition, He's also internalized where he can safely wound himself if the need ever arises.

Human Bloodhound
Graves pursues his targets like a predator tracks a wounded animal. He treks across great distances, following even the most subtle of clues for weeks at a time. Nothing ever seems to deter or distract him, so singular is his purpose.

Pain, Life's Great Motivator
Pain is something every wayfarer is familiar with. Some shy away from it, while others manage to grit their teeth and soldier onward despite it. Graves revels in it. He practically falls into his attacker's blade at any given opportunity. It makes for a terrifying display when he walks through a debilitating stab wound to make his counterattack.
 | Physical Description
Andrew is unusually tall, measuring more than a few inches over six feet- a trait he inherited from his father. He's far thinner, however, with an unhealthy gauntness to his long face. Dark circles around his eyes stand out against harshly pale skin, and long hair falls down to his shoulders. Most wouldn't regard him as particularly good-looking, owing in no small part to a lack of effort and little self confidence.

His persona's appearance in Pariah differs significantly. While Graves stands just as tall, he's extraordinarily well-built, with a chest as broad as a barrel and muscle coiled like steel cable. Scarring earned from many an encounter pepper his body thanks to his light armor and penchant for reckless aggression. Graves is much better put together, too, with shorter cropped hair and strong features his player could only dream of.
Character Conceptualization
Graves is a controversial bounty hunter whose history stretches back to the first days of Pariah Online. He's renowned for doggedly pursuing his targets no matter where they run or for how long. Quick tempered and arrogant to the core, Graves is a difficult man to work with if he believes you're holding him back- and he thinks everyone does. The few friendships he still holds are troubled, to say the least, yet it wasn't always so.

Back when the game first launched, Graves was a member of a guild called the Strange Reign Club. They were a highly competitive group of raiders and PVPers with a reputation for extraordinaire toxicity. It was hard to argue against their results, however. Graves showed great promise as one of their earliest recruits, competing with some of the Club's best duelists. He'd stay with them for many months before, without much warning, he'd be cut from the team and blacklisted by its raid leaders.

 A solo player ever since, Graves has been quietly grinding away at his profession, stewing on whatever drama had happened behind the scenes...
Other Information
♬

Transfusion: The primary vehicle of Graves's unstoppable aggression and the core aspect of his kit. Transfusion allows Graves to transform any blood into lifeforce, healing physical wounds of nearly any kind. The blood must be drawn through an open wound. The amount of healing received and how quickly it takes to stitch a wound depends on the volume and quality of the blood provided. This ability is typically used by cutting open an enemy's major arteries and healing himself, but it is not limited to this function.

Defiant to the End: One of his strongest abilities, and the most dangerous to utilize. If Graves has suffered enough damage to be near unconsciousness or death's door, he can temporarily convert the flow of blood from all his wounds into life-force, providing an incredible burst of healing power. This magic has the potential to harm or eve kill him if it consumes too great a quantity of his blood.

Meditative Healing: Another aspect of Graves's advanced blood-based restoration magic. By sitting in a meditative trance for at least an hour, he may use his own blood to close his own wounds. This consumes his blood, much like Defiant to the End. How long it takes depends on the severity of said injuries. The stance is extremely taxing, essentially requiring he rest immediately afterward. In addition, it can't repair grievous wounds such as broken bones or eviscerated organs.

Blood In The Water: Using a concoction of a creature's blood and a number of other ingredients, Graves may consume it to cast this spell to locate that creature if they are within a thousand feet of him; if they're moving he knows the direction. This spell can be blocked by most magic or materials meant to disrupt divination.

Sight Beyond Sight: Sight Beyond Sight allows Graves to concentrate, blocking out all other senses to activate a sort of 'sixth sense.' This sixth sense allows him to feel the presence of bleeding targets within a thirty meter radius of himself, though it can be blocked by sufficiently thick walls or anti-divination magic. It acts similarly to echo location, wherein he gets a 'blip' of the target(s)' movement every couple of seconds. |

[User]
Location: City Streets -- The City-State of Thorinn, Aetheria

---

 "Buh..."

Alex unpeeled his face from the finished letter. Or at least, the letter in which he really didn't know what else to include. It reminded him of talking to distant relatives after years of not having seen one another, where there were so many possible topics and you avoided them all in favor of small talk because you didn't really know them well. Logan and Alex were closer and loved one another, but Pariah had caused a lot of friction within their relationship. Was there really a point in divulging details apart from not being dead and vague motions towards his current plans? He'd just get frustrated at Alex no matter what. Assuming he was alive of course, but ale did a good job of keeping him from thinking about that.

Facing him was Kazuki, the healer who had survived the raid with him. Kazuki was the opposite of a relative he'd known for a long time, being a near stranger Alex wanted to talk to incessantly over topics such as having almost died and having lived. Not a lot to cover, admittedly, but damn if it wouldn't feel good to find more people to unload with. It took his alcohol-infested brain a while, but what he originally wanted to bring up eventually surfaced in his conscience again.

"Kazuki, dude. Long time no see. I mean, it hasn't really been that long, but it sure feels like it."  The words left his mouth in no hurry, a contrast to his usual voice. He was aware of this, but that hadn't been enough to stop him from taking another chug.

"Just here, chillin'. I was gonna ask you guys about your plans and stuff, but I had a letter to write, and, uh..."  His face, the lower third of which had smears of ink, tilted towards a corner of the tavern where Seele and Alja were having what looked like an intimate moment. "...Yeah. Don't know what's going on over there."

He slowly grabbed his tankard and swished it around. "So, what brings you here?"

[Assistant]
---

---

It had definitely felt like a long time, Kazuki agreed with that much. Still, he couldn't help but slightly raise an eyebrow as Alex drank. The tavern obviously reeked of alcohol, but he was a little surprised to see someone his age--were they the same age?--take a swig like an experienced drinker. Then again, he couldn't really blame him, even if he wished he had arrived beforehand to stop him. There was just something wrong about seeing an obviously sullen Alex trying to drink his woes away. Gone was the warrior archer from yesterday, replaced instead with a young man that seemed like he was in over his head.

Not that he was one to talk.

Alex spoke of a letter and followed where he had gestured to, only now seeing Seele and Alja. It looked like Alja was in the same boat as Alex with Seele comforting her. Was there ever a moment she wasn't comforting someone? He had to admit it was admirable to see her the same as yesterday as she continued to be there for everyone. He never did thank her, did he?

Kazuki tore his gaze away from Seele and looked over to Kazuma for advice, only for the latter to have gone elsewhere. Alright, he supposed recruiting Alex would now fall to him, the socially inept Kazu. Well, if he succeeded, maybe afterwards he could catch Seele and Alja. Reaching into his bag, he pulled out a handkerchief and offered it to Alex. He was pretty sure the poor guy didn't even realize he had ink all over his chin.

"Actually, 'plans and stuff' is why we're here," Kazuki told him with a slight shrug. "Ka--Benkei and I thought that maybe banding together would be more effective than staying apart. At the very least having more people to rely on isn't a bad thing nowadays."

He had no idea if what he was trying to say even made sense, but he knew he had to try. "Yesterday happened and we're all still here. We're still alive, and that only happened because we were together," He continued, pausing for a moment as he scratched his cheek. "Truth be told, I--It's difficult to find people that are trustworthy. People that are reliable. You're someone that people can rely on and you pull through when needed."

---

---

[User]
Location: Laughing Worg Tavern - City of Thorinn, Aetheria

---

"Stay safe!" Graves waved to Rael as she sauntered off. "Don't talk to strangers!"

A brief glance around the tavern told him that everybody from their party had showed up. It was strange how glad he was that they'd all decided to stick together after yesterday's events. He didn't know them; not really. Was one life-changing shared experience enough for him to call them his friends? Graves didn't even know their real names. It was silly to care about this group of strangers. He smiled anyway.

The tavern was too muggy for its own good. If outside had been bad, this was practically unlivable. Like walking out of a summer's day and into a sauna, or something. He was thankful he'd skipped out on any extravagances at Raja's- breathable pants, sandals and an open vest as red as...

He crossed over to where Kazuki was standing over Alex, who was knee-deep into a mug of ale about the size of his head. And he had a bunch of shit all over his face, too, on closer inspection. Like he'd fallen asleep in class and some jokester had drawn a penis on his forehead, only the penis was a bunch of misspelled words and the jokester was himself.

"How're my two favorite fuck-ups doin' this fine mornin'?" Graves threw an arm over Kazuki's shoulder. The two didn't know each other well, but Kazu had saved his ass enough times to earn a little love. He'd only caught the tail end of their conversation, but it sounded as serious as it was awkward. Hopefully they weren't too torn up about yesterday- justified as it would be, Graves had no idea how he'd handle that. He could barely handle his own baggage as is. He was no Seele. He couldn't process all this shit and play parent at the same time.

"So everybody's still around. You two gettin' somethin' to eat too, or was there some kinda meetin' I wasn't invited to?"