[System]
Grade Level: Junior

Appearance:

Graduation major: Physical science

Academics/Clubs: Captain for the varsity golf team, student manager of the school's cafe "Cougar's Den"

What would you say your home life is like?: Pretty good, my parents are cool but usually work, my younger sister is a pain but whatever.

What are your dreams for your future? Your ideal job?: Ideally I'd love to open my own resturant and get a popular cooking show and make that money.

If you were given one million dollars, what would you do with it?: Get a car, like a Ferrari or Porsche or something rad like that. Our oven at the house sucks too, oh and sweet new golf clubs would be great!

What would you say is the best thing about yourself?: I'm not one to brag (usually) but I am a handsome man and I believe people notice. I can out cook anyone, five star chef or not, and I do have a hole in one to my name. Not that I'm bragging or anything.

What about the worst thing about yourself?: Not having a car sucks, I mean my grades could be better I guess. Though I don't worry about those as much as my parents do.

What would you say is a fact about yourself you're most afraid getting out? (Reminder all information is strictly protected, with privacy protected): Well I mean I always go after girls and try to go out with them. Though I just can't really care about them like I'm suppose to I guess? I've been noticing guys more but that would make me gay right?

-

Codename assigned: Captain Titan

Power gained: 730143 – Able to adjust body's size, to either grow taller up too 100 ft, or shrink down to the size of a small insect. Can also make muscle mass larger to increase strength but requires better concentration

Costume design plans:

 A sleeveless red, silver, and black design with boots, red full eye cover goggles, and a lower face covering mask which provides oxygen for when too high up in atmosphere or shrunken down too small for normal oxygen. (Yeah I'm using a concept art piece for Ant Man so sue me...)

Assigned backstory: A scientist from a small town in Kansas, Captain Titan discovered the ability to grow and shrink in size from an experiment and decided to use his powers to protect our fair city.

[User]
All Lyra asked for was an explanation for what the hell was going on, and all she got at first was a scream, the sound of shattering glass, and a thud, like someone had just fallen to the floor. Lyra jumped, unsure of what had just happened and no one was talking to her. And then another voice spoke up. Lyra immediately recognized it from her dream last night, but this time she could hear the words that were being spoken…and she sounded annoyed. Before Lyra could answer any questions though, she and the others were lead out of the room and into cars, being driven away to…well Lyra wasn't sure where. Lyra stayed quiet for the whole trip, trying to take in all that was happening, especially what had been going on with her sight and that weird thing that had happened to her in the janitor's closet.

Finally they got to wherever it was that mysterious woman wanted to take them and once they were at seated, they finally got an explanation. Lyra listened carefully as this woman, Maria Stanford, told them all that she worked for the Superhero Legion and that all of them in the room had been drafted to be superheroes based on how they had answered a personality test, and Lyra was given hers back. What had she put on here to make them think she was superhero martial? Lyra continued to listen as they were all lead around the base, from bedrooms to training rooms to a kitchen and etc. They were finally lead to where their costumes would be and handed another piece of paper with their powers on them and their secret identities. Lyra couldn't help but to wonder how she was going to tell her mother that she was going to become a superhero…But she would cross that road when she got there.

Once Maria had dismissed them, Lyra was quick to catch her. "Excuse me Dr. Stanford. Um, could you read my paper to me?" Maria obliged and Lyra learned that her powers had…only been theorized? They weren't sure she would develop powers with the serum they gave to her? Well, at least the powers she did get were what were listed. And this meant that she could see. All those outlines and colors, those had been real! She could finally see again! Well, kind of. But being able to see in the dark only was better than not being able to see at all! "Okay then, I guess I'll just get into my costume then and-" But Maria interrupted her to tell her that she didn't actually have a costume yet because they weren't sure she would have any powers. Oh…well that would have to wait then. "Then I guess I'll go train then…" Lyra said with a shrug.

Lyra decided it would be best to walk with someone, get to know her new teammates and all. That's when she heard a familiar voice.

"Rashid. Wasn't he the islamic hero from back in 9/11 who could turn himself into sand? I'm a ghost...Tom Fan, Phan-tom. Cute. Let's just hope they never pin the goth kid for being the ghost of an arabic assassin... Problem, I don't know Krav Maga or speak ANY middle-eastern dialect, I only know American, French, Japanese. How am I supposed to be an Arabic ghost?"

"It's never too late to learn a language Thomas." She told the leader of the Misfits as she walked over to him. "Especially when you already know three. I'm sure you can do it." She added, giving him a encouraging smile. "Anyways, want to go practice?"

[Assistant]
Thomas was a bit surprised to find three of their group in the meeting hall, it was one of those details that sank in after the storm. Had he been so focused on Carol that he hadn't noticed Lyra? That was not only against the code of the misfits, it also creeped himself out a bit.

"It's never too late to learn a language Thomas. Especially when you already know three. I'm sure you can do it. Anyways, want to go practice?"

Noting to fix that now, he looked to carol with a smile and approached Lyra. He took her hand and put it to his arm as a guide to try and lead her to the training area after the speedster and the giant man. He did not change into his costume as she did not have one either but stopped short as she was literally running circles around the towering teen.

"You know, I think our powers aren't as... physical as theirs, We could probably do meditation or mental exercises instead... But if you really want to go at it, can I recommend staff or batons to use your stick skills?"

Something on his paperwork he really didn't feel like sharing right now was ten years of ninjutsu under his belt. He saw Paul bunion over there and could see the achilles tendon tense up as he moved nd thought about a single strike would being him down. Cheeta was too fast for melee, best taken out at ranged or a trap she couldn't outrun like a glass pane in a doorframe.

Lyra did bring up an interesting second point on accident, he already knew two languages with no similar syntax like french does to spanish. He could learn Farsi, he could also learn Krav Maga and his ninjutsu would onl strengthen what he was going to learn.

[User]
Eric was wondering about the best way for him to train his new powers, since he didn't know how much control he had and he didn't want to harm anyone by accident. The fact that fire extinguisher girl was running around the entire room also made it impossible to simply throw small fireballs in the direction of the metal walls, because he might hit her.

Eventually he got an idea, he would try and see if he could combust again like he did back at school, only entirely and on purpose this time. It was a lot harder than he though it would be. But after five minutes of focus so intense he didn't even notice the small whirlwind, he managed to cover his his arm in flames. When he got that far for some reason it became a lot easier and before he knew it his entire body was on fire.

[Assistant]
Carol did not enjoy being whisked away or learning that they had been part of some procedure to make new heroes. Not without consent anyway. The explanation was not enough to dissuade the feeling either. Maybe she was being unreasoable. Everyone else seemed to take the news in stride. Don't get it wrong, she was greatful that the process had given her use of her legs back. It would also be extremely cool to be a superhero. But she still couldn't shake the feeling.

Having lost the wheelchair she walked with the rest through the tour. It was a lot to take in at once. For sure she was going to have to sleep on this. Assuming she wasn't already and this was just some fantastical dream. Eventually she was given a sheet with an overview of her new hero persona and what what to expect with her powers. Seemed that the serum she was given had some variation from one person to another. Mostly in the degree of strength and speed at which they could fly.

The cover they picked for her was interesting though. They must have been watching her checkout list from the library. Definitely based on mythologies she'd done some reading on. Probably a good idea to brush up on them to. Thomas probably could help with that. Deciding to pass on suiting up it seemed that the others were heading to the training room. Figuring it was as good an idea as any she went with them, catching up to Thomas. It was weird standing next to him rather than in the wheelchair. "I dont think all of this has sunk in yet. I'm not sure I'm ready for this job."

[User]
Paul still couldn't wipe the smile off of his face, the power, the mass, the fact that he was literally bigger than life! Sure the grin was hidden behind his mask, and the mask made it all the more surreal. Like he was a space traveler journeying to some planet of little people. Every step he took made the ground shake, and he had a feeling him strolling around and doing things like he was could be making everything ground level above quiver a bit. But hey they have earthquake provisions in the city for a reason right?

Still he took a knee as he glanced down and watched the others doing things. It was admittedly cool seeing the other powers (Plus Eric's costume, which was kind of cool in that dorky kind of way.) in action did leave him a little jealous of some of the other powers. Ms. Velmont's was one, as being able to stretch like that did seem like a great way to be exceptionally lazy. Plus when he was little he did enjoy reading the trade stories for StretchTastic. Who worked in Capitol City for a long time, and was quite the looker. Well for a guy at least. But Paul when he was growing up looked up to the guy, even got his autograph when he visited Capitol City one summer. When StretchTastic though opened up to the public that he was gay, the then less than open minded people shunned him and he hasn't been seen since. That always stayed stuck in Paul's mind. On the one hand it sucked and wasn't fair, on the other, the guy brought it on himself.

Still Paul had an idea and started to reach out for Ms. Velmont. "Hey teach I have an idea!" Paul exclaimed as he grabbed his rubbery math teacher. When he squeezed her body her head swelled up like a balloon before shrinking back down when he loosened his grip. Then he stood back up, positioning her in his hand as he reeled his arm back and slung it forward. Cia's entire body flew forward and made an amazing snapping noise when she just hit the floor a very good many feet away. "This would be a great way to take down bad guys! Just whip them to death!"

[Assistant]
When Cia was grabbed all she could think of was that she was just a toy to Paul. After he finished his little fun of whipping Cia though she turned into a balloon and got out of his hand. "WHAT THE HELL!?!" Cia said not enjoying being grabbed like that. "Ask permission before you do that! And don't use my head as the whip!" Cia said furious of what had just happened. "That really hurts when you use my head like that." Cia added holding a hand to her head as she went back down to normal human form. "Use my leg or something instead, NEVER use someone's head like that. I may be able to stretch but I'm not immune from a concussion. My brain doesn't exactly stretch you know." Cia said angry at Paul.

With that outburst Cia walked right out of training room fuming. "Communication is the most important part of team work. If we are going to be doing this, then you have to learn to tell people what your doing before you do it so they can prepare." Cia added before leaving the training room with an eerie quietness about it. This was more than one of Cia's normal outbursts, that was for sure.

[User]
Paul was too busy giggling like a school girl to realize that Ms. Velmont was royally pissed at him for what he did. So suddenly feeling a lot of outward pressure in his hand he glanced over realizing she was puffing up like a balloon in his grasp. Even with his enhanced strength she freed herself and laid into him in a way she never had before. Sure he had goofed off in her class more than once and gotten an ear full for it. This one was different though, it was the kind of one his mom would give him when he did something REALLY stupid.

"But I..." He tried to say before she cut him off.

"Well no but I me..." Again Paul couldn't get it out in time.

"But..." Ms. Velmont was easily not going to let him say it.

As she went back to normal, standing on his open palm and chewing him out he kept suddenly growing smaller and smaller with each point of the finger, and accusing tone she hurled at him with force. Getting yelled at like this in front of the others was leaving him blood red in the face from embarrassment and shame. Shrinking more and more until he was basically ankle high to her. He knew everyone was looking at him after that, and shrinking more to a very small height he just quickly got out of the room, seemingly beating Ms. Velmont out as he was running full speed. Somehow his speed even small was matching his normal running speed which he would of noticed if he wasn't feeling so humiliated. His face was hot, and he did have a tear going down his face.

He slipped into one of the bedrooms, where he stayed small for a while, just taking a seat against one of the posts of the bed against the floor as he peeled off the mask and threw it as it grew back to normal before hitting the ground. As much as he wanted to get mad at her for yelling at him like that for something he didn't mean to do. Plus honestly he was pretty sure if her brain wasn't elastic that would make slipping into thin spaces technically possible. Still he knew she was right, he was being stupid, and if he was going to do this like he knew he wanted too he had to pay attention. He sighed, clunking his head against the wood he leaned on as he just tried to relax.


[System]
"I sell my sword to the highest bidder. And by sword, I mean the gun I'm holding that's as big as you."
Age:
 27

Race:
 Zaetherian
Race Info: Beginning on the extremely arid and volcanic planet of Zaetheri, Zaetherians are a tall, lizard-like people that accomplished space travel not long after Humans entered the Galactic Committee. They originally came from a Hunter/Gatherer society, and evolved to a stationary lifestyle upon the discovery of the Undercroft, a massive spring of fresh water that sat miles underneath the surface of Zaetheri. The meager population of barely more than a thousand rose to around a million over the course of a millennia. As technology advanced, a fair hierarchy was established that still stands to this day, and a city was built around and over the Undercroft, then named after said location.
 Zaetherians are a tall and slim race, males standing at an average height of seven feet, and females at six feet. The standard structure of the body consists of a bipedal figure with two arms and a single head. Each hand has two fingers and an opposable thumb, while each foot has four adjustable toes. The legs possess what is known as a second knee, in which doubles back behind the first knee to assist with jumping and maintaining balance. The elbows possess a bony spur left over from evolution, meant to strike behind oneself when alerted in some way (This reflex still exists, making most dangerous to sneak up on). The facial structure is a bit strange by all standards, consisting of a flat nose with no obvious opening, controllable mandibles to cover the sides of the mouth and express emotion, and two eyes that appear to be behind a barrier that matches the scales of an individual. The entire body possesses plating that's meant to repel solar radiation, but is by no means a form of natural armor. Bullets will still punch through these plates, as if meeting with a piece of leather. Male genitalia is housed in a sort of sheathe between the legs, and only emerges upon arousal. Female genitalia is in the same location. Females do not have breasts, as they do not give birth to live young. The major defining feature is a set of crest plates that females lack. These plates, only present on males, consist of three thin extensions protrude symmetrically from the sides and center of the head backwards. Scale color typically ranges from light browns and yellows to black. As colonies have formed on nearby planets, many have taken to using tattoos and face paint to define where one is from. These tattoos are worn on the face in very specific patterns and with certain colors. One without facial markings is commonly referred to as a "Bareface," and is usually not trusted by fellow Zaetherians.
 In Zaetherian society, it is customary for one to welcome strangers into their homes without hesitation and to treat guests with honor. In a militaristic sense, every member of the race that lives on Zaetheri is required to perform at least five years of active service and remain in the reserve for the next ten years. The earliest one can begin their service is usually fifteen. Those who don't complete their requirements are shipped to colonies and live with the stigma of that forced life. Crime is defined very closely to the Human definition of it, and criminals are punished with either time in prisons, mandatory rehabilitation, and execution for serious-enough offenses. The food is largely hot and spicy. Children are born sparingly, as the Undercroft can only support so much life.
 They stumbled upon the secret to efficient space travel a small amount of time after Humans and stuck to the nearest solar systems for years, eventually finding the Galactic Committee and offering an olive branch, so to speak. They have remained peaceful for the most part and have actively participated in sending outlaws to adventure into the unknown. Only one has survived for more than a few weeks so far.

Faction:
 Marauder, Criminal.

Role in Team:
 Enforcer

Bio:
 Born on Zaetheri in the very heart of the Undercroft, Galvus Velinian was expected to do the same as everyone else in life. Join the military, complete the service, then return home and give back the community. He did the first two parts perfectly, basically becoming an ideal soldier with his superiors asking him to stay beyond the standard time. He, however, had other plans, as a sort of wild streak took him soon after, causing him to leave Zaetheri and head for one of the major colonies, the name he had forgotten after a short time due to its complexity.
 He arrived under the impression that everyone there had seen a Zaetherian before, but he was wrong. The moment he stepped off the shuttle he'd booked travel in, duffel bag over his shoulder, he was greeted with numerous camera flashes. He stayed for a little while, despite the attention he was getting, and took up work as a mercenary. Galvus' skill as a soldier was advertised, and someone bought him up quick. The twist was that he had to provide security for a known drug trafficker in the area, but the pay made the job worth it.
 A few months into this line of work, Galvus slipped. On a routine run, he had failed to spot some law enforcers, and both he and his charge were detained. The trafficker had a worthy alibi and got off with only a slap on the wrist, while Galvus was arrested for several crimes, most of which involved firearms or drugs.
 Almost directly after the hearing, in which he was found guilty on all charges, the Committee intervened and offered him a chance to work with the Marauders. The people were legendary, and exploring was better than rotting in a cell. The obvious answer was yes.

Personality:
 A chronic narcissist, most of which he's probably earned. At this point, since he was considered the ideal soldier and knows how to fight just about everything, he considers himself invincible, and has a habit of making such facts known. He's no leader and acknowledges this, happy to let someone else call the shots… as long as they make sense, that is.

Weapons:
 -Incendiary Assault Rifle
 -Revolver
 -Punch dagger

Family/Relationships: N/A

Other: He once shot someone in the forearm over a dollar in a pool hall.
Zaetherian culture and appearance is HEAVILY inspired by the Turians from Mass Effect.

[User]
After he left the small shop/gambling ring, Tahillie slowly made his way back to the ship without the things that he needed. He knew that the messenger will deliver his new visor, but it will be some time before he has anything on the virus and firewall security system that he found on the Naked Moles ships mainframe. He had to wonder who gave them such items, when they themselves cannot handle high quality tech like the firewall. He needed to know, but that would have to wait till he's in the Spires Network to see what's going on in the black market.

Shaking the thoughts from his head, Tahillie entered the Elevators, heading further down to where illicit fight rings, trades of drugs and other substances, and a smaller portion of the black marker. He noticed that this wasn't where he wanted to be, but rather farther away from the ship. It was the last place he wanted to be, at lease the beings here wouldn't want to deal with an angry or frustrated Furtim on their hands; a growl escaped. Tahillie wanted to get back to the ship as soon as possible. He watched as a group of bodyguards and a young adult entered the Elevator. A thought came to him. Either the kid is a mod bosses kid or the kid already runs a mob themselves.

Twenty minutes passed as they headed up the elevator, the silence thicken as Tahillies bright yellow eyes stared hard at one of the kids guards. He wasn't used to others staring at him without his visor, and this guard only irked him further before his stop came as he left the group of seven, including the kid, as he headed for the Monroe. This day was slightly longer than he liked, and that there were new crew members, not that he cared for, and boarded the ship without saying anything to the crew before he holed himself in his mess of a room. From there, he can enter Cyberspace and the Spires Network and dig a littler further down and enter the Black Market that way.

[Assistant] Rae hicupped, peeking out slowly from under the covers she had bundled herself under as if to make a cacoon. She still hurt but the tears had finally come to stop and now she was just trying to get her breathing under control but was failing miserably in that endeavor. She debated just ignoring the noise outside the quarters for the crew but the singing from the corridor made her wonder what in glazed...blades...whatever name was going on. It was just so loud and an unusual one at that which had her pulling herself away from the comfort of her bed. She carefully moved towards the door in a manner that ended up looking like a child creeping towards something they were scared of but trying to be brave. Once she made it to the door, she put the panel back into the wall, taking a breath before pushing the button for the door to open. She tilted out a bit, actually looking nervous for once as she spoke in the softest of voices since it was a bit scratchy from the heavy crying she had done."What is all the co-commotion out here?" Rae asked with a slight jerk in her breath.

[User]
When the automatic door flew open Reena flinched and faced the newcomer, hunched over and with her hands outstretched like she a wrestler getting ready to face his next challenger. The tipsy Sorlas was pleased to see that it was Rae who came out of the other room to ascertain just what was going on out here. Reena, of course, was incredibly happy to see her!

"Raaaaaae!" Reena exclaimed with her arms outstretched. "Vanquisher of moles, healer of plants, and second in command of the biggest bunch of idiots in the whole Quadrant, the MAUVE RAIDERS!"

Without warning, Reena darted forward and wrapped her arms around the co-captain in a tight hug. "Thank Malunista we have you around, doc," Reena continued before pulling apart, only to notice with alarm that Rae had been crying. It would have been awkward in any other time and place, but like before the fun and happily buzzed Sorlas ignored most of the nuances of social interaction.

"Is...is something wrong?" Reena asked as sincerely as she could muster.

[Assistant]
Galvus, having restored his weapon to a factory-new state after a long couple of hours, made his way to the upper decks of the ship, and noticed a certain Sorlas standing by someone's door... damn, names were a weak spot for him if anything was. He approached as the door slid open with an audible shooming sound, and he noticed something off about her behavior. Her movements seemed... loose, out of the ordinary for the typical Sorlas. Fighting a quick internal debate, he made the decision to follow the suited aquatic life form.

 Needless to say, his suspicions were confirmed by a slurred exclamation. They say drunken Sorlas are rare, but he knew better. He once saw one of them win a drinking competition in a bar on some colony in the ass-end of nowhere and walk away, the advanced suit on his body failing to accurately compensate for the erratic, drunken stumbles.

 "I wasn't told there was alcohol here." He pulled a mandible back in a smirk as he said this.


[System]
Age: 18
Appearance:

Bio/Summary: The Brandeau family owns lands not far from the Empire's northern frontier. Hence, the family has become keenly involved in keeping their lands safe from dangers. The Brandeaus have developed a strong sense of noblesse oblige from their time as wardens and protectors of the folk of the north, and they are considered among the most dedicated to the safety of the people. However, as a consequence of their mingling with commoners and isolation from the heartlands, the Brandeau family has diverged from contemporary noble culture more and more over the years, and is considered to only technically be nobility.

Leon is but one of many children of the Brandeau family, but he is the only one that has been sent to the Cadenza Military Academy. Leon is an exemplary son of the Brandeau family; he is polite and honest and dedicated to protecting both the common man and the empire. However, while he isn't stupid by any means, his naivety can lead him to make many mistakes out of ignorance, and he is incapable of subtlety unless coached through it carefully by someone else.

Vessel: When dormant, Leon's vessel is a crest in the shape of a spear that he wears on his chest. When activated, it transforms into a glaive, being his weapon of choice. The vessel's name is Bastion.

Abilities:
Bastion's abilities involve manipulating earth and stone to Leon's advantage.
-Granite Phalanx: By jamming his glaive into the ground, Leon creates a wall adorned with rocky spikes.
-Lucerne Breaker: Leon slams the flat of his glaive on the ground, causing the ground around him to shake violently for a few seconds and break apart.
-Terra Spike: Engaging in a lunging thrust, Leon causes the ground immediately in front of him to bellow forth in a sort of spike.

Equipment: Leon carries a handful of javelins to hurl at his foes if he finds himself bereft of other options.

[User]
---

ORELLO

---

The first rays of the morning sun would herald the end of the Cadets' struggle. Despite all the harshness of the previous night, they reached the ancient ruins that marked the entrance of the village of Orello and, beyond it, the fortress. It didn't took long for a patrol to cross the Cadets' way and take them straight to Fort Orello, where they would receive any medical treatment need and have some warm food and a common room with a fireplace waiting for them.Fort Orello wasn't exactly that much of an spacious garrison. For students used to the luxury of the Imperial Academy, a frontier fort, guarding a tight mountain pass certainly wasn't something they would be immediately used to. Regardless of that, Orello could provide the with all they would need for the time being, including adequate medical treatment for Wagnil at the Fortress' main building.

"It seems that Orello has more stationed troops than normal, so you'll only have this building to work with while we stay here, Cadets. I hope that none of you have qualms about shared lodgings," the Captain said as soon as everyone got in their new dormitory. "I'll be on the main building, doing a report on our situation. You have the rest of the day until further orders, you can't leave the fort, though. Also, I know that War stories are a good way to make acquaintances, but remember that everything that happened from yesterday night until now is classified information. You are forbidden to talk about it without permission," the Captain talked like someone that was merely following the protocol, despite trusting the Cadets after their unexpected baptism of fire.

"Enjoy your break, you've earned it," was the last thing the Captain said before requesting Wagnil's journal from Althea and leaving for the Fort's main building.

---

[Assistant]
@Lonewolf685@Crimmy@Mercurial@KoL

She felt the weight depart from her and immediately scrambled back up to her feet, ears ringing from the point blank detonation. That had perhaps not been the best idea, but it seemed to have worked as the woman was now nowhere to be seen and in her place where Leblanc and Crispin. Perhaps not the best improvement, to replace an assailant with two sociopaths, but she was glad she wasn't getting assaulted anymore. She gave the two a thumbs up as she would have no idea how loud her voice would be due to the blast and then turned to head back to the troop line.

---

Once they had arrived at the fort Althea immediately escorted the stretcher all the way to the main building, pausing only to hand over the journal to the captain. There they were greeted by Dr Eirin Clemmons, who took over the care of the unlucky Wagnil. Dr Clemmons ensured he was properly bandaged and given a bed to lay in while he recovered.

"Your stitching could have been better"
"yes Dr"
"And ze wounds should have been bandaged"
"yes Dr"
"Do you have any injuries?"
"no Dr"
"I'm glad. You should thank those two gentlemen for their hard work"
"oh, uh, right"

Althea turned away from her relative and walked back over to where Leon and Tzi had been left after the patient had been unloaded.

"Thank you both for your efforts in carrying Wagnil. I am so sorry I wasn't there to help with ze wolf and boulder attack "

She said sheepishly, before adding:

"Shall we go find the others? I don't know about you but I could do with drying off by the fire after being tackled into ze snow by that shark toothed woman."

[User]
Leon Brandeau

They had finally made it to their destination. Between the enemy ambush, the snow, the wolves, the boulders, and apparently ghosts, Leon was starting to think they would have to face down every threat known to man before they actually finished this patrol. It was all over for now though, and they all finally had the chance to rest. Of course, Leon couldn't just turn himself in before helping to deliver Wagnil to the local doctor. Aside from needing to see through the commitment he had made, he couldn't leave without getting his vessel back from the stretcher. Having Bastion back in his hands was a great relief; it even took his mind off all the fatigue. He remained at the main building to make sure Wagnil was properly secured. It seemed he was in good hands with Althea's relative. It seemed he was not the only one with family stationed at the fort.

When it seemed that Wagnil was seen to fully, Althea came and thanked him and Tzi for their work. "Think nothing of it." Leon replied. There was certainly no way he would have done anything less.

She then asked if they should go find the others. Truth be told, he was inclined to find his brother, but he didn't want to be rude, and he was hoping to check in on the rest of their group. "Sure, let's find them." He told her. He wasn't sure what Tzi would say, but he had few ideas as to why he would decline, aside from the uncanny scenario of him also having some family at this fort.

@Crimmy

[Assistant]
@Mercurial

TZI TI'AMTUM

Tzi, currently in the middle of pulling off his uniform shirt and baring his muscled torso to the world once more, paused for a moment, bringing his shirt down slightly so his companions could better see his face. He didn't have any other real plans beyond cooking up some grub at some point, because after that cold trek he was real hungry, but hey, he was down with checking up if the others were alright. They'd done a pretty cool job in the snow and all, and you gotta congratulate a solid hustle.

"That's down my alley," he said with a grin, before voice was muffled and face obscured as he took off the shirt with one final, smooth motion. "Just gimme a sec and ..."

The tall young man grabbed his mantle, hidden in his pack the entire time, and placed it back on, the piece of clothing now settling over his shoulders.

"Alright, where we gonna start?" he asked, stretching arms out above him. He was looking forward to a bit of resting time after everything. And a fireplace sounded pretty great. Needed to heat up and all.

[User]
Esther von Degraff

---

Esther watched as Gradon took out another wolf. As usual, he made it look so easy, she thought. When he reassured her that he wouldn't let any of the wolves get to her, she nodded to him, trusting his ability wholly as a partner, and most importantly, a friend.

She then heard the captain's command to push up the hill. Before she knew it, Gradon already grabbed her hand, guiding her towards the shorcut. She blushed a little at his brazenness. She had never held hands with a boy before. Her grandfather didn't really care for courting her with the other noble kids.

"Are we still counting?" he asked as he slayed another wolf as they climbed up the hillside. "Y-yes, I suppose..." she answered, flustered.

Finally, they rejoined the others with the downed Wagnil. Unfortunately, as Gradon talked with the others, he forgot to release her hand, so Esther had to ask, "Umm, Gradon, c-can you please release my hand?" She felt terribly embarrassed now that the others could see him holding her hand.

After that, they finally managed to go through the storm and arrived at Orello. She was relieved that it hadn't fallen to the enemy yet. See, there was indeed no point in thinking the worst, since most of the time, things wouldn't actually get that bad.

After the Captain gave her closing briefing, they were dismissed, free to have the rest of the day to their own.

Aaah, finally, she could rest at last!

She immediately headed to the assigned dormitory, saw that no one was there, changed to her nightgown, and then threw herself into one of the beds available. The bed wasn't that soft, but she didn't care. She just wanted to rest. And soon after, she fell asleep.

[Assistant]
When Natus reached the fort, he did not relax immediately. He went into the shared lodging which he was not comfortable sleeping in, however he had his ways to feel safe while sleeping, most of which seem to be against the military code. He was almost jealous of Esther carefree nature being able to sleep without layers of precaution, however he was a Finis, and carelessness was not a luxury he could afford.

He went into the corner immediately right of the room and took out his journal. He first look at the first page, which had only a few lines of text written on it in a strange text, and began to mumble something to himself. After this, he turned the page to next blank page and started to write quick notes in the same code.

[User]
She was glad neither of them resented having to help in the slightest, how fortunate she was that both of the ones who had pole mounted weaponry were also such gentlemen. She could think of a few of the others who might have been much less gracious. She headed out of the medical lab with hase before someone came to bother Tzi about baring his chest in the hospital being unsanitary and/or distracting.

She briefly stopped by the closest kitchen for something to fill her belly with and ended up going with some porridge. Warm and filing if a little bland. Then she made her way to the common room which was surprisingly empty.

"Huh. I wonder where everyone is?"

She briefly poked her head into the dorm, giving Natus a wave. She was confused as to what he was doing but left him too it. She didn't want her speaking with him to wake Esther.

"Two in there. Not sure about anyone else."

She settled down by the fire anyway, drying her outside with the comforting flame and her insides with the food.

"If you want to join me I'd appreciate the company, but I imagine you might have things to do or maybe just want some rest like those two"

She indicates to the dorm with its sleeping and writing occupants.

[Assistant]
✠ G R A D O N G I L T W I T H ✠

⛨ Current Location: Fort Orello ⛨

It seemed the next best course of action was to march onwards to Fort Orello. Gradon would continue to hold onto Esther's hand until she said so otherwise, gently doing so. He had mixed feelings on the situation though; while he was happy that Wagnil had survived and they had the day off, feelings of unease couldn't be shaken off. Who were those soldiers that wanted to kill them and why did they seek Wagnil's journal?

A low grumbling sound interrupted his thoughts and he looked down on himself. Well, he couldn't just continue on an empty stomach. While sleep was essential, food and nourishment were of the utmost importance right now. Besides, he hadn't been able to finish the stew a few hours earlier before being ambushed. Without much else thought put to it, he headed in the direction of the cafeteria.

A loud crash made him instantly regret the decision. Rather, it was multiple crashes, as if something had been slammed to the floor to shake the entire fort itself. Yells and haughty voices were made known to his ears and a small crowd was blocking the way to the cafeteria; though it wasn't too big as to impede him from shoving himself through. Apparently a fight had broken out.

Two men, both who looked to be soldiers off duty, were rumbling and tussling with each other on the ground. Tables and dishes had been knocked over but no one seemed to want to stop the brawl. In fact, many if not all of the crowd jeered and cheered these two on. What had started the fight? Gradon didn't know but whether he should try and stop it was a different matter entirely, the noise of it escalating to reach others in the surrounding area. It would no doubt catch the attention of any wandering Cadets.

[User]
Accompanying Althea all the way, Leon acquired some stew from the kitchen. He hadn't gotten to finish his meal before they were ambushed, so it was almost like making up for the loss. When they entered the common room, Leon took a seat while Althea looked for the others. It seemed there weren't that many around. Perhaps they were all making the most of their break elsewhere? As for Leon, while he still wanted to visit his brother eventually, he began to think that it was possible he might start searching for him as well, and if that were the case, they could easily miss each other by poking around the fort by themselves. Leon made up his mind to stay in the common room and wait in hope his brother would come to him. That made it easy for him to respond to Althea.

"No, I'll stay here." Leon replied to her. It wasn't all about enjoying the pleasure of her company at this point, but he wasn't opposed to it. "So...how are you related to that other Doctor Clemmons?" It seemed obvious from the name that they were related in some way, though Leon did not yet know exactly how. He didn't think she would be too closely related, else Leon wondered why she wasn't more inclined to stay and converse with her.


[System]
UserName: Konan375
Age: 32

Mageblood type: Clima

Favoured Magic Aeromancy

Previous Magic training: Has no clue he has mageblood.

Race: Yarosmerian

Standing at 6'5", Darius is a large man with broad shoulders. His dark skin is marred by many scars from battles he has had. The largest being a scar that extends from his right shoulder down to his left hip. He has a broad nose that has been noticeably broken and left unprepared several times. His eyes are brown, and he has short black hair.

Short Bio: Darius was born in Porti, the Market centre of Shanna. He had a normal childhood, playing with friends in the streets. When he was old enough, he joined the army. He started out as a grunt, which he loathed to no extent. Being told what to do was something that Darius did not like at all, and it had caused some fights when he didn't like what he was being told to do. Quickly, though, his fights were quickly quelled by his superiors. The Shannian army had some rather harsh punishments for violent behaviour against other fellow soldiers. While it did stop Darius from fighting, it didn't stop him from hating being told what to do in the way his superiors did.

Years passed, and Darius moved up in the ranks, despite his earlier fights against the people that told him what to do. He earned some extra money in some pit fights when times were slow. Had had won some battles, and lost some, and he had gained a multitude of scars from his battles. He had made friends and enemies. One day, he was picked as part of the group that would go up to a mage college that he had never heard of and protect the people that represented Shanna.

Good Attributes: Strong, proficient sword fighter and hand-to-hand combatant. If anything, Darius is a good soldier, and he works well with others if he has to, and if he needs to, he can lead people quite well. He's patient when teaching others about sword fighting and hand-to-hand fighting.

Bad Attributes: Arrogant, bigoted, and loud. He has a short temper, and he hates being talked down to. If he doesn't have to work with someone out of necessity, he won't. Respect is a hard thing to get from Darius, and very few people have earned it.

Secret Word: Rebirth

[User]
Ssarak Dyreackthanose

---

Just as Ssarak feared, Alaira began to collapse in pain when the psychomancer reached into her mind. As he already had hold of her, he was able to support her enough to keep her from falling. He certainly did not want to add to her pain, so instead of a telepathic message, he leaned close to whisper to her quickly. "The robed one is the psychomancer. Let us just get through this peacefully, if at all possible."

Ssarak let Alaira down gently, then looked at the robed man. He heard what Meirin said and the thoughts in her mind, just as the psychomancer no doubt had. He had also likely already determined that it was he who caused Alaira's pain, and simple deduction would tell him that Ssarak too shared his mageblood. If he focused psychomantic attacks on the robed man's wards, he might distract him from being able to harm Alaira, but he did not yet want to take such aggressive measures. For now, he could only hope that the man would stop his attempts to reach into her mind. Ssarak had not yet attempted to read the man's mind, but he no doubt had wards as well. Since both sides had a psychomancer, the advantage those abilities bring to negotiations would essentially be negated for both sides, so they would need to reach an agreement through more traditional means.

Ssarak continued once Meirin finished speaking. "The bandits ambushed us on a bridge like this. They did not pose as guardsmen, but such a strategy is not uncommon. I am sure you all can attest to the danger present in this region. Our friend is rash, foolish, and judgmental, but she is not without good intentions. I regret that her paranoia brought you harm through her mistake, and I believe it would be best for us just to move on, and out of your lives."

[Assistant]
_Lyn _

After Lyn had dropped the toy outside and made sure it would stay, she had pulled her upper half back inside rather quickly. She had barely concealed herself again when she spotting Mei appear nearby, as if out of nowhere, and made her heart rattle the small ribs. A slight guilty sensation swelled within her chest at realizing what she had done. She bit her lip, but the young girl shook her head and tried to ignore it. Most using excuses that her Aunt wouldn't have regretted it, making her feel only a margin better.

Her relief was short lived when several things happen at once. Lyn had felt Satori brush her mind many times, but nothing like this as something barely touched her awareness and made her small body pause. She wasn't sure what it was for sure. Merely a feeling or something icky had grazed her mind, easily pushing through her newly made wards without any trouble at all. She didn't like that and her arms wrapped around her shoulders, trying to rub off the feeling like she did the cold. A fruitless effort though as it didn't change what she felt. Her thoughts were pushed aside when Alaira started to slam her head against the wagon, the cart jerked and creaked anew with the reaction, causing the little girl to reaction impulsively.

She had to get out.

Lyn let the need to do something stir her to react and her arms reached for the wagon's edge, her fingers started to pull her body from her hiding spot. Her head lifted upright to spot the two figures on the opposite side of bridge but paid them little mind. All that mattered was her loved ones. Ignoring any words or mental demands, Lyn's feet slapped the bridge's solid road then turned to spot Alaira's huddled figure pressed against the wagon's rear wheel. Her voice soft and unlike anything the child had ever heard before. It made Lyn's stomach twist into knots as she immediately drew closer, her eyes building tears and panic piling in her core at the sight. She had only managed to get to her Aunt's side when she was stopped, her legs feeling weak and almost slammed into the ground, by Mei. Her head whipped into the red head's direction, giving Mei a look mixed between confusion and on the verge of crying.

[User]
**_Caravan Escort_**

The guardsmen had a mixture of fear and anger. Fear that they'd have to fight such formidable opponents, and anger because they were getting pushed around and quite frankly, they were growing rather tired of people abusing them. The guard captain gave Ssarak and Meirin a dirty look, disbelieving their words. "You think that justifies her actions!? We have served loyally here for a week, weathering storms and diseases, and you expect us to just forgive when your bitch decides to act on her paranoia?" If the guard captain was a Pyromancer he would be smoking from his fury, but the robed man stepped forward, raising a hand so the guard captain could calm down. A little. "I too would like use to forget about this incident and move on without any bloodshed. But I do believe some... Recompense is in order. You there! What is your cargo?" The robed man spoke towards the caravan master who sat up in shock. He began to sweat and looked nervously between the robed man and Ssarak. "I-I delivering textiles and... Other luxuries... To Hysteria, sir. Silk curtains and engraved bowls." The caravan master gulped.

The robed man stroke his chin and contemplated this new information as he continued to using a Wide-Concentration telepathy on everyone but Ssarak. The man could feel Ssarak's wards deflect his own magic, though he already guessed he was a Psychomancer by the Eysire's scales. "I suppose it would have to do than. A 100 gold in reparation for the harm your friend has done to one of my guardsmen... And 50 for each guardsman here for needlessly endangering them." That was 350 gold at a minimum, which was almost three years worth of pay for most of those guardsmen. But the robed man didn't care for the money. He wanted to see the merchant's contraband, as he had a feeling that the caravanners couldn't get the money to pay for reparations. "Or, these gentlemen can simply pick what they'd like to take from this wagon."

**_Tyrael Marchosias_**

Tyrael entered the messhall looking for Pitch. With all these new recruits coming in, Tyrael aimed to make use of them. The messhall was rather empty and he saw Pitch and Cynn sitting together. The Fallen Orc strode towards the two and called out to them. **"Pitch. Cynn. I have a job for the both of you, if you are available today. Come with me."** As if he was giving them a choice, Tyrael than walked back towards the exit of the mess hall, stopping at the doors to see if they were going to follow him. From his stern glare, he was expecting them to follow him.

[Assistant]
Ssarak Dyreackthanose

---

Most of the guards were still angry, which was perfectly understandable, but the robed man seemed much more calm. Unfortunately the amount he demanded in reparation was far above reasonable. It was possible that it was simply a high first offer which could be haggled, but in any case, it was far too much for them to pay. It did, however, open up an avenue of conversation that could get them through witout further violence, as the promise of gold could, even a smaller mount, could significantly lower the weary guards' willingness to fight. Lyn had also revealed herself, which was concerning, but as long as they were still negotiating, Meirin would have time to get her back into the wagon.

"I understand your anger, as I would share it in your position, but you know that a bloody nose and bruised neck is not worth three years pay. The idea of reparations, however, is not unreasonable. OUr friend was out of line. It was her judgment, her mistake, and it should be her consequences. I can offer all of her gold for the transgression. It is not three years pay, but it is a price we are actually capable of paying. This is gold on top of the normal toll, for your own use. It goes to yourselves, not your superiors, and most of all, it comes at no risk to you. You need not fight well-trained guards to obtain it;, you can just have it at no risk to your own lives. Just free gold, with no more hassle. Alaira, give me what you have so I may count it." Ssarak said. He had a few ideas in mind for his counteroffer. For one, it offered something of a sense of justice, as it punished specifically the one who harmed them. For some, seeing somone who had hurt them suffer could make up for a lesser monetary reward. As well, it was an offer that took advantage of some of their fears. Even just by appearances alone, most of the caravan guard looked to be in better shape than the bridge's guards. Fighting the caravan guard would be a significant risk to their lives, and what Ssarak was offering allowed them to recieve extra payment with none of that danger. Ssarak made sure to look across each of the guards as he made his offer so that they knew he was talking to them all, as even if his words did not convince every single one of them, he could possibly divide their opinions.

[User]
**_Alaira Taenn_**

Alaira could not hear, or really even perceive Ssarak, everything was a foggy haze of screaming pain as her mind ore itself apart. And it only got worse as it continued. She did even see Lyn as she approached, just distorted silhouettes of everyone. She had to make this stop, at any cost... Shaky, she rose to her feet, shoving the larger shadow aside... those other shadows on the other side, they were causing this... She rushed one of the diseased guards, howling in fury and pain, tackling him to the ground as she clamped her hand over the sides of his head. Her arms crackled with energy as enormous amounts of power crackled through, no doubt cooking his mind...

[Assistant]
Darius raised an eyebrow when Alaira dropped to the ground grabbing at her head. Something happened to her, but nothing happened to anyone else. Maybe the Psychomancer that Ssarak mentioned had done something to cause the half-elf pain. Either way, it stopped the situation from getting worse. The man in the robe began negotiating a fee for attacking the guardsmen. Darius didn't care what they were talking about. He was watching the guardsmen just in case one of them decided to attack.

However yet again it was Alaira that attacked first. She ran at one of the guardsmen and tackled him to the ground. Her arms started crackling with energy. If it was anything like last time, the man was either dead or going to be very soon. With sigh, Darius ran over to Alaira, and after taking a few deep breaths, he pulled her off of the man with enough force to send her sliding back a few feet. He then looked at the guardsmen and put his hand on the hilt of his sword.

"I do not believe that negotiations are an option anymore. Am I correct? And I will not allow you to take anything from the caravan. It is our job to ensure it arrives at Hysteria intact." Darius was ready. The prospect of a fight after having gone so long without one was an exciting one.


[System]
General Information
Age: Late 30's
Class: Mage, specialization in illusion and destruction
Gender: Male
Length(in meters): 1.7
Race: Human

Character Perk: Studious. Dacheus has spent decades in focused study, devoting himself to the arcane arts. If something holds his interest, he has a nigh-supernatural ability to focus and study and retain almost everything he reads.

Character Flaw: Ooh, Shiny! The myopic focus required to learn such advanced techniques comes with a downside. Dacheus is powerfully distractible, not by traditionally shiny things like jewels and coin, but by arcane oddities. Outside of urgent situations like combat, he may need to be physically dragged away from things which capture his attention.

Appearance: Dacheus is a man with a medium, ordinary build. Jet black hair with a streak of white along one side. Rich brown eyes that seem to turn bronze in the right light. Rather than a pale skin characteristic of his profession, he has a mild tan, studying and working outside when he can. Various scars, resulting from arcane mishaps of one kind or another, have been covered and disguised with intricate tattoos.
Looks (and sings) kinda like:

Alignment: The Fools, I'll Show Them All! (Neutral)

Stats

STR(Strength): 10
DEX(Dexterity): 12
CON(Constitution): 12
INT(Intelligence): 18
WIS(Wisdom): 10
CHR(Charisma): 16

Skills:
[WIP]

Spellcraft [50]
Concentration [40]
Disguise [40] - limited to illusions.
Search [30] - Dammit, where did I leave it this time?
Decypher Script [50]
Language: Eldritch [30]
Performance: Dancing [20]
Performance: Singing [50]

Abilities:
[WIP]

Dumb Luck: Most magical progress is made through careful study and practice. Most of the time, Dacheus follows this principle. Once in awhile, he gets an idea and decides to try it out before studying its consequences. Sometimes it works, and he discovers that he can make the illusory dragon breathe fire. Sometimes it doesn't, and he gets a fresh scar to cover up.

Illusory Casting: One such successful experiment taught him how to cast evocation spells (fire, etc) from his more powerful illusions. If he has a Major Illusion cast, he can cast weakened evocation spells which originate from within the illusion. The illusion and the target of the spell must be within the spell's normal range of Dacheus and each other.

Spells:
[WIP]

Lightning Bolt [50] - A simple blast of lightning leaving his hands and traveling in a straight line. For when a single thing (and whatever's standing behind it) needs to suffer.
Fireball [50] - A small ball of flame leaves his hand, flies to a given spot, and detonates. Capable of filling an ordinary room with flames. (20' radius, 8d6)
Firebolt [60] - A more powerful ball of fire which strikes a much smaller area with much greater force. Capable of hitting a single target and people adjacent to it. (10' radius, 12d6)
Telekinesis [40] - Allows the caster to move objects with his mind.
Disguise Self [40] - A simple illusion to change his appearance.
Minor Illusion [20] - Small sounds and images.
Major Illusion [60] - Not-so-small sounds and images. Depending on the time he has to dedicate to crafting the illusion, this might be as simple as a person or animal appearing or as complex as a pair of armies doing battle, though larger illusions will be less believable and easier to see through.
Mirror Image [20] - Several duplicates of the caster appear around him.
Mislead [50] - An image of the caster appears in his place while he turns invisible.

Items
[WIP] (there's a pattern here)

Armour: Very little. Working in his lab/library, he wears an ornate leather jerkin and matching bracers, enchanted to protect him from his own mishaps. Over that, he wears a jacket with at least a dozen pockets. Simple shirt, pants and shoes, usually black and grey.
Weapons: A knife, but it's a tool more than a weapon.
Items: Enchanted knife, writing tools (parchments, quills), spellbook.
Gold: Left it at home.
Miscellaneous:

Biography

Dacheus Zaraphiston liked to tell people he was a wizard. After all, his father had been, and his grandfather, and several others throughout the family tree. And when he'd first started to manifest arcane talent, that's how he'd been treated. Taught to read, to study, to learn from books and rituals and theory.

And it hardly worked. The young mage drove himself to the point of madness, trying to learn to be like his father. He forced himself to sit and read a tome from cover to cover, absorbing everything it contained and yet unable to turn that knowledge into more than slight arcane progress. Months went by like this, even years, before a family visitor finally noticed the problem: Dacheus wasn't a wizard in the first place. He was a sorcerer, and under proper instruction (again, from outside the family, to his father's chagrin), his abilities grew in leaps and bounds.

They weren't royalty, but a family line with a history of wizardry was going to be well off. They may have been the lower part of the aristocracy, but aristocracy they were. Dacheus was accustomed to fine food, fine clothes, and minimal consequences as a young man. When he wasn't studying the arcane arts, he was learning to sing and dance like a proper young man, wooing young women and otherwise getting into trouble.

As a young man, Dacheus had focused primarily on illusions, the sort that could be used to entertain others or to disguise himself. Simple evocations, summoning fire or electricity, augmented this.

The first of his scars came as a result of a mishap shortly before his twentieth birthday, one which burned down much of his family's home and saw him exiled from his home city of Aasleagh. Exactly what he was trying to accomplish, no one ever quite determined. Either way, it saw him turned loose upon the world, making a living by selling his skills, usually as an entertainer, occasionally as a spellslinger. He put more effort into learning his evocations; a surprising number of problems could be solved with the judicious application of fire and lightning.

Over the next nearly twenty years, he traveled around the countries of Tiltha and Ambrogio. He somehow avoided building a reputation by putting on a different illusory mask every time he pulled up stakes. Any time he visited a major city, he would find a library, read for three days straight, and then head back out into the wilderness to experiment with his new knowledge. These days, after discovering a way to cast an evocation spell with an illusion as its origin, he is now working on mastering teleportation as an escape tool while leaving an illusory copy of himself behind.

[User]
Dacheus moved his hands through the barrier several more times, watching them and the subtle ripples in the air around them. "Oh, that's… huh. I wonder…" He continued muttering to himself as he pulled his spellbook from its pouch and started reading, comparing what he had written with what he was seeing. "Oooh, that's interesting. But it's… no, wait."

He continued his myopic inspection of the windows until someone interrupted him. He turned and looked over the shoulder as if annoyed. Oh wait. Other people. Probably gotta deal with them, they don't know why we're here either. He turned back to his book and took a breath. They're not enemies yet. They're lost too. We should try to work together. Then he tucked his book under his arm and turned back toward the larger man standing by the statue. "Oh, yes! I should have a look at that, shouldn't I?" he answered, walking quickly -- almost skipping -- across the room. There was simply so much to see and to try to understand, even if he was stranded in a strange place with no idea how he'd gotten there or how to leave, he was still visibly excited.

He came to a stop at the base of the statue and looked up at the stone. "Well, it's big and red. Gems don't usually get that big though, so it's probably magical," he said, thinking aloud. He opened the tome he carried once more and flipped through it, glancing between the book and the stone, back and forth several times. "Yeah, magical… and I think I've seen that… yes!" The book stopped on a page with a teleportation spell. He stared at the stone and then at the page, twirling his fingers in the air in some sort of pattern. "Yes, that it's. Teleportation of some kind, has to be. Probably what brought us here, although I can't say that for certain." He shut the book again and smiled in satisfaction as he looked up at it. "I'll need a closer look to be sure…"

After a few seconds he stopped and turned to the green-eyed man next to him. "What's your name, by the way? I'm Dacheus. I'm a mage," he said, glancing down at the spellbook in his hand. "But I guess that's obvious."

[Assistant]
He looked down at the man's hand, pausing for only a moment. The word *mage* circled meaninglessly in his head. He had heard the word before, but not in any ways he could have applied to a person or title. More like forces of nature, destructive unknowns. He resisted a shudder and took the mans hand, shaking it eagerly. "Captain Raikon Delnai of the Unserving Band. Pleasure to meet you, Dacheus."

He remembered back when his mother used to tell him stories. Of mages waging wars and bringing ruin to the land. Beings of strife and chaos she called them, harbingers of the Gods and the embodiment of their fury. They had been spoken of like demons, but the man who stood before him looked nothing like what he had imagined as a boy. He wasn't shrouded in fire, or wielding a sword made of glass with the soul of a king trapped inside. His mouth twitched, uncertainty filling his mind.

He looked back at the statue for a moment, the feeling in the pit of his stomach expanding outward to fill his chest. He didn't know anything about this, and felt completely unprepared. He swallowed loudly and nodded towards the statue before turning back to face Dacheus, "I saw some railings near the top. I figure if you stood on my shoulders you may be able to reach them to steady yourself." His eyes narrowed, "Just... be careful. I don't think I like this thing. I remember something about it, before waking up here. At least I think so, I was fairly drunk at the time."

[User]
Dacheus returned his book to its satchel. "Yeah, that should work." It wasn't ideal, but it should work, right? Raikon was clearly strong enough to support him. With some help, he clambered up onto the soldier's shoulders and turned to look at the stone. Clearly magical, clearly powerful, clearly related to their teleportation…

"Ooh… oh, my…" Without thinking, he leaned forward to get a better look. Time seemed to slow as the large gem suddenly occupied all of his attention, a superhuman focus that shut out everything else to devote its efforts to the wonder in front of him. "Closer!" he called out. "Move closer, yes, like tha--"

Slowly, the fact that he was no longer quite upright dawned on him. Raikon was not moving closer; the mage was simply leaning forward. Too far forward, in fact. "Ack!" His arms pinwheeled, trying to keep his balance, but the satchel with his spellbook swung forward, throwing off what little balance he might have had. He managed to raise his hands as he pitched forward and tried to grab hold of the statue to no avail.

His hands served some purpose, slowing his fall so that his face didn't hit the statue quite as hard. It all seemed to be happening in the background, though, as he twisted his neck to continue looking at the gem even as he fell. "No, no! Come back!" he cried out as he reached toward the receding ruby with one hand while he slid down toward the floor.

After a couple seconds of absurdity, he finally reached the floor, planting his hands on it to keep from landing on his face. It was only a minor distraction, as he kept trying to turn his head and look up at the magic gem. "It's so… I need to get… Dammit, put my feet down already!" he spat, though he at least had the good sense not to try and kick himself away from Raikon. He needed to get back up to the gem, and clearly the soldier wasn't going to be of any help.


[System]
Nickname: 'Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhh!!'
Age: 20
Gender: female
Power: walking through walls, dissolve and appear out of a sudden, deafening scream, creating illusions
Species: Ghost
Crush: -
Relationship: -
Appearance:

Personality: Actually, Maxine is a very cheerful and friendly person. She has some issiues with her past and get's melancholic sometimes, but for the rest of the day, she enjoys 'life' at the fullest.
Bio/history: TBR
Likes: the beach, sunshine, dark humor, cemetries
Dislikes: Horror movies, olives, arrogant people, talking about her life before death
Other: Maxine has a solid form, so everybody can see her, touch her and talk to her. She is not really a registered citizen and has no home, but she spends most of her time at the cemetry or at the beach. Eventhough she is dead, Maxine has the same problems as humans like getting hungry, the need to sleep and feeling cold, which makes her life sometimes more troublesome.

[User] Knowing she would follow, Arin went in the direction of his house hoping to find some peace there.

[Assistant] @Ninkitty The snake finished watching where Drake was, and began to head back. But on the way, it saw the tornado girl and her boyfriend. The wooden snake crept up behind, almost invisible in the bushes.

[User] "Why do you get gut punched?" Matt questioned leaning over the table to show how interested in this guys life he was. Not in a weird way but a friendly caring way. Anyways Matt noticed that Bart kept looking over at the gas station that was across the street. He didn't tknoe why he kept looking at it but there had to be a good reason.

[Assistant]
With his back faced to her, Maxine inspected his wings and his tail. The tail was moving, what reminded her somehow of a cat that was observing his prey right before it would attack. She whirled slowly around him to his right sight and returned the look. He was confused but still calm, not a sign that he wanted to attack anybody. Perhaps Maxine herself was disorientated - for one moment she thought that he would dart upon the masked man and rip of his head, what wouldn't match to the situation at all. It felt like she reminded something but then it vanished again. She was still staying by his side and watching his eyes, which fascinated her for some reason, she couldn't explain herself. And she tried a second time to recall his face, if she ever met him before. At the end, Maxine gave up and shook her head. 'No, I don't remember his face.', was her conclusion. "Look how he is meditating, from one moment to the next one.....", Maxine noted as she averted her gaze from the dragon and drew attention to the masked man.
@Jhett314

[User]
I watched the spirit briefly and wondered if it was ever alive, or something that was never alive. So many questions but none I dared asked now, suspicious of such entities could be unpredictable. In addition I tried keeping most of my attention towards the masked man, still meditating in front of me. Watching him I realized that the toy man got away, which caused some sub conscience frustration. However I kept a calm and relaxed expression, my tail only moving and writhing about vigorously in contrast to the rest of my still body, waiting if the man will ever speak up or do something.
 @Jhett314

[Assistant]
Graeme sat in his own thoughts for a few more minutes. It wasn't until one of the small hands tugged his leg and pointed to the half-dragon he snapped back to reality. He gasped quietly, and stood up awkwardly. With all the sitting down, blood was rushing out of his head and he felt slightly dizzy.

"Half-Dragon, do you go by a name?" He called out. A small part of him thought that this conversation would be important for some reason, but as soon as Graeme looked to postulate the thought it vanished quickly. "Are you alone, Or hostile...? You have the chance to explain yourself now. I will not accept silence as an answer."
@Rallou

[User] Being called a half dragon was almost as offensive as a demon, but then again he wasn't far off either. I wouldn't hesitate to answer the stranger in a clear tone, "I wouldn't go as far as to say I'm not hostile, but I do not waste my energy on those who haven't crossed me, let alone innocent people, the only exceptions are those psychopaths like that hooded man you made me get off of, as he was causing murder and chaos." My tail would straighten out as I finished my sentence. My wings lowered a bit as well. My crimson, luminating eyes would be parallel to the afternoon sun.

[Assistant] "First I thougth.....",she started hesitantly "that he is a street artist or something because of his mask and his cloak. - Now it's obvious that he isn't one, but I still don't understand what he is doing here. Is this a religious thing? I have never seen any buddhist that runs around like he does...." Her body dissolved and the smoke fell from the branches, recollected itself on the ground and grew to a human body. Changed into her solid form, Maxine took a few steps carefully into the masked man's direction, as if she wanted to creep up on him. "And why.....does he even wear a mask? What's so special about his face, that he needs to hide it?", she thought loudly. Her hands reached to his face almost touching the mask. As he opened his eyes, she dissapeared.

[User]
Graeme sensed a sharpness in the creature's tone. He remained on edge. He felt his magic pulse just under the skin, ready to manifest into his will if need be.

"What do you mean, he was a murderer? None on the beach looked exactly dead. As far as I know, people don't exist past death in this realm." Graeme turned to look at the sea. It glittered in the evening light. He wished he really did have a peaceful promenade on the beach and didn't have to play monster hunter again.
@dragonmancer

[Assistant]
@Jhett314 I watched the spirit transform into a more beautiful figure, silent still, before the masked man woke up.

"I chased him to the beach after he killed a store owner and some civilians, he had some kind of toy controlling ability. He also looked like he was getting in trouble with some other strangers." My once human tongue became forked, transforming for a moment as it licked the air as if to identify the scents of my surroundings, I couldn't smell him clearly but I had an idea on a trail.

[User] The wooden snake turned around and slithered back to the abandoned beach hut. The snake reported that everyone was still on the beach, in the same position. Damien stood up and ruffled around under his bed. He took his face mask off and reached far under. He pulled something out, but it turned out to be a human skull. Damien chuckled and nonchalantly threw it beside the door. Then he found what he was looking for. A different colour hoodie and some jeans, which had belonged to the man whose skull Damien had just found. He changed, and went outside. He had no facemask on, which revealed a pale, cold, yet somewhat handsome face. He wandered past the demon and the masked man, trying to keep his distance. @Jhett314 @dragonmancer

[Assistant]
The shock made her create an illiusion intuitivley and change into her nonsolid form back again. It looked like the body bursted under the pressure of the smoke inside it and the dark cloud wafted into all directions. That was what it looked like, when Maxine got surprised, she litteraly exploded. Normally, creating illusions was only possible for her in her solute form, otherwise her body couldn't bear to change reality around her. The smoke condensed itself, formed the shape of a female body. Her luminous eyes watched back to the ground as she was sinking with her head first. Then she realized, what happened. A fright reaction, that happened from time to time, but still too often for Maxine. It made her feel dizzy and dispersed.
But even in her confused state, she noticed a third person coming up to the masked man and the dragon. She turned around and landed on the sand smoothly. After that, she sticked herself to the masked man's back.

[User] @KaijuBaragon I glanced at the particles of smoke that were the residue of the spirit that was watching me. Blinking I'd also see an unfamiliar stranger walk by, thinking nothing of it. I found some joy in the company the beautiful ghost gave me while it lasted, though to where she went off now, or whether she was still here or not, I couldn't tell. Perhaps we would meet again or perhaps not, so little do I know about the other oddities here in spite of my lengthy existence. I was able to spot her again, this time near the masked man, or rather, over him. I wondered if this was going to be some sort of possession, or just a seemingly reoccuring habit of her looking deeply into others. My attention again returned to this new stranger approaching us.

[Assistant] @Rallou @Jhett314 Damien saw that the demon man and the shadow had noticed him. He began to slowly walk over. Most of his face was covered by his hoodie. As he spoke, he tried to mask his voice as much as possible. Damien was insane, but he was also smart. @I couldn't help noticing how you were staring me down, do you need something?" Damien tried to put as much emotion into his voice as possible.

[User] I was suspicious of him, but his scent and voice were unfamiliar. "Yes well, no reason, just some suspicious I guess." I said flatly, my reptilian, ruby eyes staring at his with a stern expression yet filled with uncertainty.

[Assistant]
The introduction of a third person walking down the shore relaxed Graeme a little. If the half-dragon was truly docile, then he wouldn't attack with an innocent man nearby. "We'll finish this later," Graeme remarked, staring him square in the eyes. The wind gave an odd chill as the man walking to the beach called out "I couldn't help noticing how you were staring me down; do you need something?"

"Perhaps," Graeme said aloud. His instinct told him to remain on guard. "Who are you? And -" He turned to the half-dragon, "Who are YOU? As I said earlier, I won't accept silence for an answer and my patience runs thin."

[User] His questioning was pushing the boundaries of my already thinned patience after today, but I answered anyway. "Drake." I said with a flat tone.

[Assistant]
Graeme almost laughed. Drake. How ironic.

He folded his arms and a hand blossomed from the ground. It reached the height of Drake's own, and was extended as if to shake. "My name is Graeme. It's good to make your acquaintance." He looks over to the other man and says, "and you? We don't need any hostility. I'm Graeme," He called. "Pleased to meet you."

Another hand emerged from the ground for the other man to shake. There was a pause as he waited expectantly for one of them to shake one. @dragonmancer@KaijuBaragon

[User]
Her curiosity about the upcoming person grew bigger, so she let he masked man behind her and moved swiftly forward. His face was covered by his hoodie, therefore Maxine tried to get as near as possible. The illusion was still working, partly, because she could just be invisible to the people she concentrated on. At this moment, only the dragon could see her moving. Another thing was, that other people always noticed a cold breeze when she would be to close to the ones, that could not see her - the disadvantage of illusions, because it would only hide her appearance.
There were only some centimeters left between the face of the third person on hers, but she still couldn't chatch a glimpse of his eyes. His skin as pale, perhaps he didn't like to be outside, what would not explain why he was at the beach.

[Assistant]
My eyes would follow to the apparation move towards the newcomer, I didn't see her as malevolent however there was something ominous about her very being that made me somewhat cautious seeing her move in such a form. Though, it would be hypocritical as I myself am an abomination.

I shook his hand, my once clawed, reptilian hands turning more human. I was hot to the touch, not so much to burn but fairly close to such a temperature, Had I not have soft human skin upon contact one could swear my grip was like that of hot iron. "Likewise." I said, still in a stern tone.

[User] "Funny story.." Bartholomew trails off for a minute, before continuing. "I tend to run at people violently asking for change, and apparently women especially, find that intimidating, thus resulting in gut punches, and pepper spray. oh! and that one time a baseball bat!" Bartholomew smiles, possibly because of brain damage from the bat?.

[Assistant]
Graeme smiled grimly at Drake - only to remember he was wearing a mask and so he wouldn't see it anyway. He elected for a quick downwards nod.

The cold chill disappeared now. Strange, on a hot day such as this Graeme was usually covered in a light film of sweat - metal bracers and under-armour weren't very breathable under a heavy cloak. Graeme was growing impatient with the hooded man a short distance away - where he came from, not accepting a greeting, even in a time of conflict, was a disrespect higher than betrayal. "If you have nothing to hide, take it...stranger."

[User]
@Jhett314 Damien shook the hand and said "My name's Edgar, pleased to meet you". Damien felt a very cold breeze, effectively out of nowhere. That was odd. The sun was still shining. He whispered a very quiet "hello".

[Edit: Dammit, I got ninja'd]

[Assistant] Maxine smiled as Damien whispered 'Hello', thinking it was meant for her. She responded also with a simple 'Hello' not knowing if he could hear her or not. She came closer, wanted to touch his face, that he could feel she was there, but then she saw his eyes and cringed. They were red like the dragon one's but without any warmth and sympathy.


[System]
Age: 18

Height: 1,68 m (5'5")

Weight: 54 kg

B/W/H: 96/85/94

---

Appearance:

---

Wish: "I want her to be happy, then..."

Powers: Emiri wished for a dear friend's happiness instead of her own, and thus her true strength can only be manifested when fighting for others sake. When Emiri fights for herself she can't display many of her more powerful abilities, but on the other hand the selfishness saves her mana avoiding the rapid increase in soulgem corruption that comes when she's fighting at full power.

Soul Gem Color: Golden

---

Weapon:

- Able to create illusions, summon and control fantastic beings and various other types of magic, however the power is limited by Emiri's wish.

---

Personality: Emiri is a kind and caring person with a view of life that's far too pure for the path of life that she has chosen. She had a selfless dedication to her others and will go as far as she can, and then some more, to help those in need, specially her loved ones and fellow magical girls.

She also does have a motherly side to her personality and will try to take any newcomers under her wings until she's sure they can fly for themselves. Emiri sees this as a way to repay her own senpai who did so much for her, even going as far as sacrificing her own life to allow Emiri to escape from a certain death she she was an inexperienced magical girl.

Despite all this facade, the true face of Emiri's interior only shows when she with people that can fend for themselves. When she has nothing to focus her protective nature on, Emiri crumbles into insecurity and self-deprecation, barely being able to fight for her own survival of need arrives.

Bio: Emiri's past is a mystery, ever since she decided to dedicate all of her being to become a hero of justice, Emiri forsake her previous identity, running away from home when her parents began questioning her always more frequent night escapades and decreasing exam scores.

After that she began to live with her magical girl senpai. They shared an apartment, owned by her senpai for almost an year, growing their bond in many different ways. However, Emiri lost the last person that she could trust and love in one night after a mistake she committed almost took her life, only for her senpai swap places with her at the last instant.

From the on Emiri lived alone at her former senpai's apartment, using the large amount of money that she left behind to live her life in total dedication to others. After some time Emiri meet with a pair of other senior magical girls and came to know and trust them.

With the arrival of a new batch of magical girls at the city, Emiri looks forward to finally achieving the results she's been seeking for so long.

Themes: All of Sayaka's themes.

[User]
The Truth Behind the Project

---

Miso City.
A breeding ground for mystery and secrets in on itself. Ordinarily, the city was so elusive and enigmatic, that frankly, people didn't care if it landed on the map or not. If the resident's attitudes towards the place were anything to go by, then this was perhaps for the best. Nothing really happened in Miso City. It wasn't too large, wasn't too small, wasn't too crowded, and wasn't too clean.

It simply was.

The only thing setting the place apart from anything else was the high amounts of magical power practically leaking out of the city. Of course, normal humans couldn't feel the presence of such arcane things. Only those gifted with special abilities beyond human belief and comprehension were granted access into the world of magic. They were blessed with wonders…and burdened by curses.

Even now, the sky was darkening in Miso City. Rain fell hard and heavy on this Monday afternoon. It was only a few blocks that separated Miso Junior High and Miso High School. A girl with dark hair and gray eyes stood at the rooftop of the latter.

She held out a matching gray umbrella before her to conceal her body from the rain's drops. School had just gotten out and she was the first to arrive to the meeting spot. She was always the first to come and the last to leave. The girl mused on these thoughts as she looked up at the heavens above. The rain would not stop for some while.

Akame Natsuko was a Magical Girl. A being that sold away her life to enter the world of beyond. Today's meeting would be alongside her fellow senior Magical Girls. They had felt it in the last few days, all three of them. New presences that entered into Miso City. New, fresh Magical Girls.

Akame had sent the other two to invite the new residents to Miso High's roof after school today. It was there where they would be discussing their plans for the future as well as welcoming their fellow Magical Girls to the city. It was the least they could do before the fighting started.

"Staring at the rain again?"

Akame didn't have to turn as the familiar voice reached her ears. It was childish in nature, though she found out long ago that the owner of said voice was nothing conceived by human thought.

"Yes," she answered back as a white creature resembling a cross between a cat and a rabbit landed on her shoulder, nudging her face with its cheek gently. "It's been raining for two days now. I take it you didn't come here by chance Contractor?"

"Yes, you are correct in assuming that, Akame Natsuko," the creature replied happily-or what at least sounded like happiness to Akame-eyes never blinking and expression never wavering. "I wanted to see this batch myself, if you don't mind?"

"Not at all. Rose and Emiri should be here soon with their recruits."

The senior Magical Girl glanced to her left, trying, and failing, to judge the Contractor's thoughts.

"Will you be staying for tea?"

"No, that won't do. I have some things to attend to."

Akame said nothing more, giving up on trying to understand the Contractor's ways. Instead, she looked out at the wet city once more. She'd wait a few more minutes before contacting the other two via thought through her Soul Gem. Worse case scenario was that they were caught in the middle of a Primordial attack, in which she'd depart to assist them. But for now she waited in silence, leaving the Contractor to its own thoughts as she shifted the umbrella.

"And so it goes," Akame murmured to herself.

[Assistant]
The sky darkened as storm clouds rolled in over the city of Miko. The rain came down slowly at first but steadily grew in intensity. It came down all over the city. Sitting alone on top of one of the large suspension bridges leading out of the city, sat the magical girl known truly as Rose Andrews. She was in casual attire just watching the cars drive by below her. When the rain hit her, she did nothing to stay dry though it was easily in her powers to divert the raindrops. The rain felt cool and refreshing to Rose. She sat there for a moment enjoying the rain. Rose felt that the rain was like someone was crying. Who she did not know. Maybe god. Maybe god was crying because the people of this city were oblivious to the suffering of others around them. They all drove their cars completely unaware of the actions their neighbors. Criminals robbed on the streets, homeless filled the parks and libraries, and cops try their best and are tore apart in the news. This world Rose wanted to understand. She was seeking the answer to it. She did not know what the question was. What was the correct question to ask? and would she like the answer?

Rose sensed a presence far off in the distance. Another magical girl. Rose stood up from her perch and gazed over into the direction of the presence. She transformed without flair and leaped from the top of the bridge. She dove head first into the river. A dive from that height might have killed a normal person but with the aid of water magic she was able to do it elegantly and without fear. She swam until she got back to the surface then darted over the surface to where the other magical girl was. While she ran, her soul gem called out the her. It was the fire girl, Akame. She wanted to have a meeting with all the magical girls. Akame was among the few friend Rose had so she felt obligated to go but first this new presence. Rose just said she acknowledged back to Akame.

Coming up the were the other magical girl was she saw the new girl. Bright red and wielding a large sword. Not normally the thing on might expect. Standing on top of a light pole, Rose called down to the girl, "Good evening, miss. I must regretfully inform you that you are hunting on my turf. An insult that can easily be overlooked if you agree to join forces with my group. Less danger hunting Primals, and evenly split rewards. Plus friends if your into that. What do you say?" Rose made no threatening action. Her two swords were still on her hips and she gave no indication on her powers. @Ariamis

[User]
Somewhere on the streets of Miso City's downtown

A long and wavy blond haired girl, dressed in a Victorian inspired dress walked the damp landscape of the concrete forest under an old British umbrella, in her free hand she had an antique looking book and was reading it while paying no heed to the crowd around her.

The busy looking adults, most of them underpaid salarymen trying to go back home safely, that ran frenetically under the dark canopy of clouds that hang high above their heads seemed to avoid her path in an almost unnatural way, never even sparing a glance towards the girl who was clearly out of her place, or better yet, not even towards the coat wearing white rabbit that she seemed to be following with the corner of her field of vision.

Actually, it was not the people's fault that they ignored the girl, they couldn't even see her at all because she was a bieng that, right now, existed on a realm totally different from theirs. Yes, she was a magical girl and the rabbit that she was following was one of the many different types of familiars that she could summon and control with the magic book that she had in her hands.

"So much negative energy, it's no wonder that a primordial had manifested itself here... good thing that someone has already taken care of it before it did any harm to the civilians, don't you think, Miss Tresspasser?" Emiri towards the other girl that was standing in the middle of crossing, right where the white rabbit had disappeared.

The girl was dressed in an exquisite green attire and held a species of sword and staff combo weapon in her hands, a magical aura reeked off the girl's body and her eyes had a confident glare shining on them. Emiri closed her book with a THUD sound just as the traffic lights began to indicate that they would switch from red to green in a matter of seconds. Emiri didn't had go any further, she had found her target for tonight, the second newbie magical girl.

"Pardon me for my rudeness, I'm Asuka Emiri, one of the senior magical girls that oversee this city. While your help in dealing with the primordials is more than welcome, we'd ask of you to do a formal introduction first. If you like we can even cooperate towards the greater good. Now, be a kind girl and follow me to where my friends are waiting, please?"

After finishing her speech Emiri turned her back toward the girl and began walking back in the school's direction just as the cars zoomed in between both girls, on the way there she contacted Akame to report her findings.