[System]
Sanguine | Caring | Intelligent | Persevering | Logical | Fun Loving
Compulsive | Socially Oblivious | Provoking | Impudent | Vexing | Hedonist

Biological Age: 15
Former Age: 17
Gender: Female
Race: Elfa
Background
Phann wasn't born into the best of circumstances, her mother had died giving birth to her and her father had never forgiven her for that. There wasn't ever a time that her father showed any kind of love towards Phann and when he got drunk, he used to do things to hurt her. She was 6 years old when her father finally went too far, lashing out at her in a drunken rage and permanently marking her face and body.

After that Phann was taken away from home and at the orphanage where she was kept her academic prowess was discovered. Over the next few years she would take to science and philosophy, particularly the latter developing an ethics model in her head and at some point, deciding to stop caring about other people's judgment and start acting like a crazy person, reasoning that it caused no harm and anyone who would judge her for such behavior or the scars on her face was unworthy of her opinion.

Unfortunately for Phann, as smart as she was, no one wanted to adopt a child so horribly scared, especially not one that spent most of their time in public acting like a lunatic and eventually she ended up applying for a scholarship at Kurtzpel. After some debate as to whether it would be more damaging for the university to accept a crazy person or for Phann to publicize her entrance exam results and tell the public she was denied entry, Phann was begrudgingly accepted into the school. Needless to say, in a high-class university filled with stuck up rich kids Phann didn't make many friends.

Phann had watched the hijackers go about their business wanting to do something but for whatever reason finding herself unable to do anything but stare, she saw as the truck sped towards them and in the moments before the eight-wheeler collided with the bus time seemed to slow for Phann as she flinched slightly, she wasn't really that afraid of dying, she'd long since come to terms with death, in fact, living seemed like a scarier prospect if anything and as far as Phann knew no one would miss her, still she was worried it might hurt a little.

Phann was not expecting anything beyond death, she finds the idea that even life isn't sacred rather amusing.
Legend: The Crimson Jester
The Crimson Jester, bringer of madness, killer of kings. One of the better-known legends, if the details are a little unclear. The Crimson Jester is said to be a potent hemomancy and schemer of epic proportions, that parades as a jester and often appears shortly after the emergence of great evil, particularly the emergence of tyrants or similar, from here they are said to go about orchestrating some elaborate scheme to bring their adversary down in some dramatic fashion.

Stealth and subterfuge are the Crimson Jesters weapons, known for spending years formulating complex multi-layered schemes ending in a dramatic and often humiliating loss for their quarry. More than a few times the has the Crimson Jester masqueraded as an ordinary fool, infiltrating corrupt kingdoms and collapsing them from the inside. While they love to put on a good show historically the Jester has shown no need to be in the spotlight, leading a number of scholars to speculated that the Jester has appeared many more times than are recorded and has simply gone unnoticed.

As for the Jesters true nature, there is a great divide in opinion. Some say that they're a champion of the people, fighting for what he believes is right and bringing joy to those in need. Others would say they're a scoundrel, devoid of honour and utterly insane. In actuality it's a combination of both.

Notable Items
Crimson Jesters Garbs: The Crimson Jesters Garbs are a set of magical vestments, always appearing as a many-pocketed jesters costume colored in some combination of red and black or white. The garb itself has a number of magical properties, making it worthy of the Jester's legend.
Firstly, it has many of the standard features of a legendary magical item, including being very hard to destroy or permanently damage.
And secondly, the outfit has transformative abilities that seemingly operate off a mind of its own. Other than completely changing how it appears almost daily it will often make minor alterations to its appearance, like changing a glove or inverting its pattern, when observers, particularly those unaware of this feature, look away. Seemingly the only purpose for this is to confuse and infuriate onlookers.

An Assortment of Props: The Jester is armed with a large assortment of props that one would expect to be found in a novelty store or held by a stage performer. While this seemingly limitless supply is all high quality and durable it lacks any magical capabilities.

Combat Info & Abilities
Stamina: 5 | Strength: 1 | Dexterity: 7 | Intelligence: 12 | Faith: 0
Physical Abilities
Dirty Fighter: Phann doesn't see any innate good in honour and as such doesn't practice it. In a fight Phann utilises deception and trickery, prioritising debilitating and crippling her enemies in a fight, all things she excels at.
Nimble: Small, flexible and nimble Phann uses all of these traits to their fullest extent, weaving in and out of enemies and allies alike in combat and constantly running around both in and out of a fight.
Performer: As the Crimson Jester Phann is gifted in just about every type of stage performance or party trick, particularly favouring magic tricks, acrobatics and theatrics.
Skulduggery: Phann is naturally skilled in stealth, subterfuge and deception.

Magical Abilities
Hammer Space: Phann has the ability to place objects non-living objects into a personal hammerspace by removing them from perspective. Due to the way this ability works she must move the object she is trying to store, and no one can be visually observing it at the point it is stored.
Heamomancer: Though Phann still requires access to a leyline to catalyze her magic once she's going, she burns through lifeforce rather than drawing mana from leylines themselves. The advantage to this is that even in areas where leylines are weak she can use her power at full potency and spells that would take other casters time to gather energy for she can do so near instantaneously, with the drawback being the use of one's own lifeforce being a risky endeavor.
Novice Blood Mage: In spite of having the potential to become a potent spellcaster Phann has very little knowledge on spellcraft itself, with the exception of being an average illusionist and having the unique capability to manipulate her own blood through magic.

* Phann fighting style focuses on melee-ranged spell casting.
* Phann prefers to take cheap wins than engage in a fair fight.
* Though she can hold her own for a while, Phann is poorly suited for engaging in a fair one on one fight usually opting to run away in such a scenario.

[User]
Henry Drake

"Because its the right thing to do." That was all Henry had said to explain his care and concern. It was truthful, sure, they hadn't been close in the old world, but looking out for others was important. No one deserved to suffer a painful death or be left alone in this new place. At least, that was what he felt. He didn't say anything to Amaris when she came up beside him, but he felt grateful that someone had stayed behind. Perhaps he was a fool to do this, but he believed something was important about covering all bases. He'd noticed what the dwarf was doing, by leaving a path. That was both good, for him and Amaris and anyone else who ended up nearby, given he swore he heard someone screeching/yelling out, to follow a route back to them. Bad because a smart monster/animal would follow the way, so that was risky.

As he worked to dig, he listened to Amaris talk, agreeing with her on the whole energy thing. He could feel that down below. It was what made him dig, hoping to find that something.

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Three hours of digging passed. He just kept working at it, hoping something would occur. But after all that digging, something did happen. It was underwhelming, a bit of water/mana shooting up into the air a tad. He stared at it for a few moments, then looked to Amaris. If she'd stuck around by the end of the three hour mark. If she had, he sighed softly. "Unless we're unlucky, and its about to erupt, I don't think any more digging is going to help. I'm gonna go look for the gem I saw. I uh, had a vision when I touched the pillar. It might cause something though, so be ready to run." This was of course, assuming she was still there. If she'd say, gone in search of the screaming midget, then well, hopefully they were fine. He got up, brushing himself off, realizing how big a hole he'd dug, mindful of the pillar nearby, to avoid bringing it down. He began to search around, and if the gem was still in the pillar, he'd get to it as able, and pull it out. Well, he almost did, he stopped, and looked back, if Amaris was still there, he'd smile gently as able. "Stand back.

Only then did he grab the gem, hopping back quickly, hoping that nothing went wrong. Who knew, perhaps they'd all get lucky? Truth be told...if any of those creatures were say, attracted to the energy in the landscape, he was worried the source underground would cause problems...This was going to be interesting, one way or another.

[Assistant]
Albrecht's plan made sense. Something about the 3/3/3/3 rule or whatever it was actually called. 3 minutes without shelter, 3 days without water, 3 weeks without food, and 3 years without entertainment. Wait, was it actually a thing? Jyu-in may have just made up that rule based on some survival documentary she watched years ago. Or was it 'Surviving In A Frozen Tundra With Your Best Friend ASMR'?

"Aye, I'll do just that Azumgi," she replied before freezing. Azumgi? What did that even mean? What had she become? She shook it out of her head, "I'll hook it o'er 'ere if a lassie screams."

Observing the gang, Jyu-in noticed something very peculiar. The group that decided to mess around at the statues managed to say something particularly interesting. The goffick girl had mentioned something about mana and the glade. Was that the tingling feeling? If she wasn't mistaken (she wasn't, she was a lonely nerd), mana was used for spells. Magic, even. Did magic even exist? Judging by the massive fists that floated behind her, yes. Yes it did. If they found themselves in a fantasy world, the first thing Jyu-in would want to do was (of course) become a mage. Mages shot spells everywhere! They constantly blew their magic load! What wasn't to love?

How to cast spells, for starters. Turns out, getting thrown into a different world didn't come with an instruction manual. Still though, magic was important. Importantly cool! How did fantasy mages do it in those Japanese picture books she often read? They would chant stuff, draw magic circles, and just cast by thinking. She didn't know what to draw or chant, though. The best option was, by COMPLEX DEDUCTION, just thinking about it. Simple enough, actually.

Feel the tingling. Understand it. Absorb it. Move it. Collect it into the palm. Breath. Every bodily function being controlled manually. Wait, not that last part. Just move it from the earth to the palm. The tingling began to move up her feet. It took a direct path to her left hand, the magic resounding within her. A neon green light began to form above her palm. First, nothing more than a single spark. The light intensified. It was a barely audible crackle at first, but now it was a discernible hum. The light grew and grew, swirling as ethereal turned to corporeal. A single clear sphere was given form, hardening as the hum retreated within its new form. The light swirled within and green softly tinted the orb.

In other words, she made a marble. A really fancy marble.

"Well gander that..."

Shoving the marble into her pocket, she began her adventures opposite of the distant forest. While she didn't quite have a strict sense of urgency, she really didn't want to shirk her work. After all, she didn't want to encounter whatever was making that noise. It appears there would be no lassies to protect, but she could at least make a path to the nearest road. She left the large group to gallivant towards any sort of objective, a large finger dragging the earth behind her. Her big brain could make more important discoveries later. For now, the dreaded road. Actually, did they even have roads? What if they had awoken in some apocalypse zone with all civilization gone? That would suck.

[User]
Phann had just wanted to eat her insectoid delicacies in peace. That was a lie actually, she couldn't say enjoyed the butterflies taste, quite the opposite in fact, and she didn't exactly have much of a mind for peacefulness either. Either way she hadn't expected to be greeted by the elf girl from earlier flying through the air and colliding with Phann. Unprepared and rather lacking in the strength department, Phann was easily toppled over and found herself pinned underneath the elf's body? Well this was awkward.

"Good eeevening… ahhhhhhh… hehe… this voice still sounds weird!"

Wrestling one of her arms out from under her body Phann began theatrically gesturing with it as if to emphasize her words, putting on quite an impressive show of completely ignoring the fact that she was currently stuck under a elf.

"You can call me Phann, Avoid Her, Go Away or any one of my other nicknames! Anyway, you wouldn't happen to be a student, bus driver or terrorist by any chance would you or do I just sound like a crazy person?"

Phann let out a small deranged giggle and flung her free arm wildly out to the side in a less than comfortable motion, just in case there was any chance that she didn't sound like a crazy person. Quickly trying to work out who this person sitting on top of her might be, assuming that they where another student, Phann came up with nothing, realizing she hardly knew anything about any of her peers at all and hoping that whoever the elf was they would just give her their name. Maybe it hadn't been such a good idea to have isolated herself from pretty much any and all social interaction with normal people for most of her life, then again, it wasn't like Phann had any plans on so easily giving up her ideological beliefs and starting to act like a normal person.

"Ya know it might be worth us moving away from Mr Angry roars at some point, maybe hide from it in the forest when it comes out?"


[System]
Isla Gavins__________________________________________________
_________________________________________________

"Research, battles, and new-land exploration! Och, what a lovely time this'll be!"
Theme Of A Researcher X Battle With A Researcher

_________________________________________________
__________________________________________________
Age:
24
Gender:
Female
Home Region:
Galar
Appearance:
Standing at 5'10" and weighing in at just over 160lbs, Isla sports a head of messy shoulder-length ginger hair complemented with a pair of big, brown eyes. Her fair complexion gives a nice brightness to her smooth skin, allowing her rosy-red cheeks to be clear for anyone to see. Smiles are her go-to expression, cheery demeanor keeping her lips curved as she expresses her curiosity through slight raises of her brows to whatever she's eyeing at the moment. She stands straight, having good posture that allows her full height to be expressed without fail to everyone she meets.

Her usual attire consists of a yellow shirt with black stripes, under a light waist-long jacket with a skirt that remains slightly above her knees in length. Her bright legs are darkened and fully covered by her gray stockings, leading down to a pair of black dress shoes. She has a bulkier yellow coat for colder weather stowed away, along with jeans and general sleepwear for when she's not on the road.

For accessories, she's always carrying around a bag for her clothing and writing supplies. The bag having a few patches on it, marking trips to both Sinnoh and Orre. It also has some initials on it, from an unspecified "D.L" and "R.R", the former having a small smile beside it while the latter is littered by hearts around the letters. A chain dangles around her neck with a fully-colored steel Chansey as it's vocal point, and she has a pair of small hoop earrings that are usually hidden by her hair.

Personality:
Enthusiastic is the simplest way to describe Isla. She's an eager individual, always on the move and ready to spring into action. Nothing excites her like exploration and Pokemon research, the girl willing to go to dramatic length to get her answers and not letting small things like fear get in the way of science. This obsession with research can lead to her spacing out and occasionally rambling off as she takes notes, falling out of a conversation if her mind wanders too far.

Not to say she'd willingly ignore someone: She's kind, one to look out for others as a fair and generally simplistic person. Trouble is not something she can turn away from, a mother hen that's willing to stick her nose in any situation to try and solve it, especially when someone is in danger. Her tolerance for unnecessary violence outside of a sportsman competition between trainers is zilch: Seeing a mistreated Pokemon or person will get her to bare her fangs of aggression and step up to tell someone off, or worse if it comes to it.

While not bossy, she's happy to make suggestions she'd think are best for other people, even if they don't accept it. Attitude directed at her can be met with a hint of sass, though she'll generally disregard it as someone still having some growing to do if they think they need to be aggressive to make a point. Such approaches yield no results with her, the woman not willing to budge to someone trying to force her hand unless the situation was truly dire. To which if extremes were taken, she'd not be one to forgive such a thing.

Scientific side being the key to her adult conversations, she's got a gentle tone to calm younger crowds as well. Always ready to put the kettle on for a conversation, or cook up a storm when presented with the opportunity, she has a way of easily making connections over time. Supportive of people's goals and endeavors, it brings her joy to see others grow: And it brings a hint of sadness to see someone fall off their path and stagnate.

She takes a gentle approach to Pokemon, too. Wanting to get close and study their habits though her friendliness sometimes can get her chased off. She's smarter than to go try and observe an Ursaring up close, but when it comes to smaller Pokemon she's willing to try and slowly slip into the scene to get a closer look, even if it means peeking out of a tree to get a good look at the subject of her study.

And no matter where her studies take her, that smile of hers is sure to follow.

Pokémon

Name:
Conch
Species:
Slowbro (Galarian)
Gender:
Male
Ability:
Quick Draw
Moves:

* Heal Pulse
* Shell Side Arm
* Disable
* Zen Headbutt
* Reflect
* Light Screen

[User]
Ayana & ArloMentions: Yes.
Location: Panmia Island - Base Camp

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Arlo clutched the Pokedex to his chest as the others talked amongst themselves. He found himself just daydreaming about all that was ahead, the comments of his group members weaving even more possibilities into his reverie subconsciously. He held back a wide smile at the thought of catching his first Pokemon. He'd never even tried before, being that his current Pokemon was a gift from his parents and was a perfect companion for him. But having more friends could never hurt!

Arlo was broken out of his trance by the others talking about how to go about starting their trek. He looked down at his Pokedex. The map showed a fine outline of Panmia island and the other, larger islands of the region, but aside from that the detail was limited. It did provide elevation analytics for most of the region though, it seemed, so finding elevated landmarks would be easier, were there any. Honestly to him it didn't matter much whether they had a plan or not.

It seemed on the other hand Ayana wasn't entirely looking to provide her own input either. She listened to the group discussing amongst themselves as her eyes finally left her brother and explored their surroundings as she stood with her arms across her chest. Her Rockruff wandered around nearby, sniffing the shoes of their new travel partners.

Arlo turned his glance back to the Pokedex wondering how exactly they were going to get across the bay of sorts to get to what looked like the mainland island north of Panmia Island. But soon his thoughts were interrupted.

A lanky, middle-aged man pulling along a large cart filled with cases, boxes, tarps, and all manner of things approached the group, adjusting his glasses as he looked over its members. "Hello there young people! I don't believe I've visited your group yet." He said, interrupting the conversation and setting the wagon still as he shifted his heavy, overflowing backpack. He did a short spin and stepped around the side of his wagon before he began digging through the contents intently. "Don't mind me I'm just here to provide you a few travel gifts, curtesy of the Exploratory Office!" There was a short silence from him apart from his rummaging as he struggled to gather the gear he was trying to find. "Ah, here we are." He said, fishing out a few last items and tucking them into a travel bag. He thrusted the package forward to the person he was closest to, that happening to be Ayana, before returning to his wagon and reaching into a box for two specific items held in each hand. He approached again and handed an item each to two others, those being Isla and Felix.

He smiled to himself, seeming content with the gifts before he began speaking. "These two here are very special items." He went, tapping the black top-hinging box that Isla held, and tweaking a small antenna on the radio-esque device he'd given to Felix. "This here is a revival-synthesizer-" He continued, tapping the black box intently. "-useful for generating a few revives per few days, in case your Pokemon become quite injured and you find yourself stuck without being able to heal them to consciousness! Take care of it- it's expensive and you won't get another." He said, the last bit developing a serious tone. But the excited quality of his voice quickly returned. "And this here is a universal tracker/inventory request device. You can use this to request a small supply drop of a couple items from most surface-level areas in the region. The supplies can take quite a few days to arrive and not every request is guaranteed though, so don't rely on it all the time, alright?" He finished looking at their faces to make sure they understood what he was saying. Seeming content, he returned to his wagon and hoisted its pulley over his shoulder. "Welp, it seems like you younguns are all ready to explore this new world-" He said happily. "-I wish you the best of luck!" He finished, and began rolling his wagon away just as he had before, his eyes scanning for other groups.

Ayana seemed a bit surprised with the briefness of the gift-giving, but looked down at the bag thrust into her hands anyways. It seemed a bit full and peeking inside she saw an assortment of Pokéballs and other basic gear.

Arlo chimed in happily as the man left. "Well then! It looks like we're all ready to go, huh? I reckon it doesn't matter too much where we start off, the other islands are so huge there's no way we end up running into another group too often, right? Might as well just head straight onward! Maybe to the Northern Coast?" He asked excitedly, looking at each of the other group members.

[Assistant]
Felix
Mentions: @all y'all
Location: Around

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"Exactly! We're on an uncharted island, that's why we-!" Felix had to bite his lip to keep himself from blowing up on Ferris again. He ran a hand down his face, taking a deep breath as Isla took over the conversation, the revelation of her partner pokemon, one he'd actually never seen before, helping to distract from the near loss of his cool.

"Sure, yeah, that could work," Felix mumbled, pulling up the "map" on his pokedex. "That means we're leaving here entirely, which means we need to keep an eye on the sun so we know when to start looking for a place to set up camp. I don't need a 12-step plan, I ju-" And suddenly he was having some strange device shoved into his hands that could apparently call for supplies if it became necessary. That made sense, actually, since even Jarvis couldn't carry an endless supply of food and they could be here a while. With that distraction, Arlo took the chance to suggest the North coast, in other words, that they should just cut across to the entire other side of the island. It was extreme idea, but technically in line with Isla's idea.

To be fair, he doubted many others would be so bold as to go to the entire opposite end of the island so soon. Felix glanced back at the map, trying to wedge the radio thing under one arm, but in the end opting to drop it into Venus's arms who fumbled slightly, but managed to keep it from hitting the ground, letting out a sigh of relief as the device settled in her grasp.

"We could... and if we veer just a little east, by then we could call in supplies and maybe hop over to explore some of the smaller islands if we've found a pokemon that can carry us, or maybe we can just call for an inflatable boat or something..." Felix mused, but then paused. Was... he getting into this? Whatever, he was already here and he'd promised Venus he'd "give it a go" after all. If he was going to do this, he might as well make it worthwhile. "We can worry about that last bit once we get there, but for now that's a good enough plan for me." He couldn't help but shoot a sideways look at Ferris as he spoke, though he did his best to keep his expression neutral. "Unless anyone objects?" Ferris hadn't offered anything helpful, and thus hadn't given an opinion, and Botan hadn't had a chance to chime in yet.

[User]
𝕀𝕤𝕝𝕒 𝔾𝕒𝕧𝕚𝕟𝕤
𝕃𝕠𝕔𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟: Panmia Island Camp

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---

The items put into their possession from the Exploratory Office brought a look of surprise to Isla's face. Something that could create those little 'revive' things, huh? She hadn't seen such a device herself, but figured it'd be a good thing to have nonetheless. She could aid injured Pokemon, but couldn't revive anyone fainted. It'd definitely prove invaluable if they ended up in a tough spot. She tapped at it curiously, fingers trailing around the box for a moment as she simply took in the information provided. "Why, thank ya!" She happily exclaimed to the worker, before he set off. What a swell parting gift!

Felix and Arlo seemed to be following along with her logic for the most part, though there was a fact that the island was quite large. There was plenty of ways to splinter off, she was sure, but a wood trek sounded fun. "No objections from me, if everyone's feelin' ready, that is?" Isla took the time to account for Arlo's quiet companion through most of this, that seasick lass. Surely the silence wasn't fear, considering she had a survivalist for a brother, right? Maybe she was still a little woozy from the ship.

Plus, being so quiet, maybe she was a shy one! Cute, but in a traveling situation like this, it was much better to get to know your traveling partners. There'd be no fun moping the whole way! She'd have to break the ice while the others got excited, which wasn't particularly a problem. She skipped past the Rockruff who was instead met with the slow and blank-faced creature still standing in her place. It looked down, eyes locking onto the dog before responding to being sniffed with a simplistic and monotone "Bruh."

Ayana could easily notice an approach from Isla, with a big peachy smile on her face. Hands holding the revival-synthesizer (Which she noted to put away before they actually set off,) She couldn't offer a hand like she normally would. But that didn't mean the professor couldn't offer her words. "Noticed you weren't feelin' top notch on the ship," She commented, concern in her calm tone. If Ayana was the shy type, Isla didn't want to startle her. "I hope you're feeling alright to travel. If not, we can surely wait a bit longer." It didn't occur to the woman that Ayana could've felt against grouping up, mostly due to Isla herself being an outward and friendly sort. Figuring instead a caring approach and some concern would help ease her into the surroundings that were much louder than her by a long shot.


[System]
Age:
30

Sex:
Female

Race:
Half Dwarf by her mother, half Human (Rivaini) by her father.

Class:
Rogue/Duelist

Appearance:
At first glance, Feri could quite easily pass as a strangely tall Dwarf, or a very short human, what with her mixed blood giving her a strange height for both races. Her figure is less stocky than that of a female Dwarf, with a more defined waist and hips, and being generally slimmer in the arms and legs. However, in human standards, she would be considered as curvaceous and voluptuous. Her face too, is more angular than that of a dwarf, with prominent cheekbones, full lips, and green eyes.

Feri's Rivaini heritage has given her a tanned complexion, lighter than that of her Father, but enough so to indicate she is no pale-skinned Fereldan. Her skin is mostly clear around her face, barring a few freckles across her nose, which will appear when she's been in the sun too long; however, her body is littered with scars of past skirmishes. While most remain minor, the pale scar tissue stands out against her tanned skin and makes them more obvious. Not that she cares, that is – the main one she dislikes is a particularly deep one running down the length of her back. The tissue there is knotted and ugly, but as it's usually hidden by either clothes or her nearly waist-length hair, she doesn't really have issues with it. As for her hair – a black so dark it almost has tinges of blue in it – it is rarely tied up, usually with some strands plaited together to frame her face, or pushed back with a colourful scarf or bandana.

As far as her outfits go, they are as lightweight and durable as any other rogue's. Leather and fur in a theme of browns and blue's; her leather armour consists of a teal cotton undershirt with elbow-length sleeves; a brown corset and leggings along with knee-length leather boots, light leather pauldrons and gauntlets with teal fingerless gloves beneath. She also has a lightweight and tattered brown leather coat, trimed with fur along the neck and shoulders and tied with a blue sash. As for jewellery, she has seven piercings; two in each earlobe, three along the cartilage of her right ear and two along her left; she also wears her father's amulet (Medium in size, gold, and with a sapphire pendant set within), and a woven leather bracelet – a good luck token from Antiva.

Personality:
While generally a pleasant sort of individual, Feri can often come across as brusque and tactless - not caring much for whining or complaining, she prefers the philosophy of "Get over it and fix the issue." There's no point in feeling sad or angry over something you can't control - all it will do is make you feel worse and not help the situation at all. While this advice can often seem overly harsh - especially if the situation is particularly dire - Feri can be compassionate. She feels a driving need to look after the underdog, the weak or the helpless, particularly children. Because of that, she is appreciative of strength and solidarity, particularly in the face of danger.

In terms of the varying politics of the land, Feri tries to keep herself removed from it all - unless it begins to threaten herself or her morals. She will not stand for discrimination against a race or people, particularly if it is over something they cannot control. Sympathy is often shown for elves and Mages for the toils of their lives, unless they've been ungracious towards someone offering aid. While she can understand hesitancy when trusting others, she gets annoyed when someone becomes angry at everyone for what only a small group has done. To her, life is too short to remain angry for all of it.

Backstory:
Work in progress - y'all know it anyhoo!

Weapons
2 shortswords, steel.
Several steel knives of varying length and style hidden about her body.

[User]
"You got it," he told her, referring to him getting some sleep. He knew he needed it, especially after the past week. He put up the cooking supplies, and while he didn't kill the fire, he undid a few pieces of timber to make it smaller. He didn't want to announce their position, even if they were just out of the wilds. The Darkspawn could have moved, or maybe bandits were around this region. "I'll take a small watch, but I'll head to bed soon." he told her.

With that, he set his rump down by the northmost tree in the clearing, watching and keeping an eye on things as Gideon nuzzled Feri's hand, and licking his lips in a satisfying way as she scratched his head. He plopped down beside her, but looked to Rannon to make sure the Soldier was alright where he was. Rannon nodded, holding up his hand to show Gideon he was fine to sleep by Feri. The dog let out a 'mreor' and laid his head down, his big body beside Feri but his eyes gazing at Rannon.

The Mabari fell asleep soon however, letting out s sigh as he rested. Rannon leaned against the tree, and of course as the hours went by his head turned from their meal to a melancholy that he often got when he was up at night, alone. He tried to bat away the sad thoughts, and glanced at Feri and his new Mabari. He grinned briefly. A part of his thoughts had been on his slain friends, and now he was wondering how they'd act around Feri, or if they knew how attractive he thought she was. Supposed they'd give him a hard time, in which he'd punch one of them, probably Leopold. His thoughts began to wander back to times they had together, with inside jokes and shenanigans that he wouldn't tell a soul about. He started to laugh silently, his smile wide and his hand on his mouth.

But soon, after another hour, he began to drift off. Gideon lifted his great head up when Rannon moved off the tree to lay beside it, using a root as a pillow. The large Hound lifted his entire body up and padded over to Rannon. "You got this watch, bud?" he asked the Mabari in a whisper. Gideon licked his face in response, and Rannon laughed some more before he pushed the Mabari back a bit. "Thanks, Dog. You make sure we're good, ok?"

Gideon sat up, planting himself between Rannon and Feri as Rannon drifted off into sleep. He found a comfortable spot and lost himself once again with thoughts of his friends, and how much he wished they were here to help him, and how many Darkspawn he would need to kill to make himself feel less terrible about him running from the slaughter of Ostagar. Never enough, he knew. The tall soldier's eyes closed, and darkness set in.

The sky was crimson past the whirling clouds, and the field was barren and lifeless. The earth was cracked and molten magma teased the eye with its glow from under. Rannon could hardly run. He could barely move, and it was impossible for him to do anything as his friends were raised before him, spitted on spears. Their chest cavities ripped open to make a grotesque parody of angel wings, their screams filling his ears as the Darkspawn hacked off their limbs, cackling gleefully. It was behind his friends that the ground erupted, and an ancient God lifted forth to consume the world in hatred. Darkspawn blades entered his chest and abdomen as they too, fell over Rannon. Bound by an unseen force and being hacked into by hellish blade... He lost sight of his friends as the great Archdemon pulled them into Oblivion. Rannon cried out...

He cried out into the early dawn, the Sun still blocked by the forest, heavy with tree around them. He jerked powerfully and rolled over, growling and screaming in both denial and rage. Sweat soaked his face, and his body felt half wracked with terror. Feri would see his thick, brown hair covering his eyes. But his teeth were clenched and mouth in a snarl, before he calmed down somewhat, his face growing more lax.

[Assistant]
Feri awoke with a strangled sounding yelp, bleary eyed and scrabbling around in the dirt for her knives, wondering how in the hell a Darkspawn had managed to sneak up on Gideon to attack. Only when she had grasped something and twisted around did she see Rannon, shoulders heaving with exertion and wild hair covering his eyes, fear seemingly reverberating from the clearly terrified man... and a distinct lack of Darkspawn. Shaking her own hair from sleep-laden eyes, Feri realised with a start she was brandishing a stick at her imagined attacker... not her knife.

"Uh... Rannon?" Throwing the stick aside hastily with a blush (Maker, hopefully he didn't notice that), Feri looked at the man tentatively as she began to stand up. "Are you - Ooof - alright?" Having tangled herself up in her blankets in her rush to wake up, Feri fell to the floor in the middle of her question, still looking at Rannon worriedly. Obviously, he'd had a bad dream. Well, either that or a snake had bit him in a delicate area, but with how calm he was now, Feri decided against that one, thankfully.

Now properly untangled from her blanket, the young half-Dwarf walked over to Rannon and knelt by his side uncertainly, wondering what to do or say. She'd been plagued with nightmares before, and as an adult, understood a certain embarrassment behind having them; especially among strange acquaintances. Still, she hardly judged Rannon, from what she could guess he had seen at Ostagar. It was enough to leave any fellow cowering, no matter how tough they were.

"Rannon?" Feri repeated herself after several moments of silence between the pair, pushing back strands of her messy, bed-headed hair from an obviously concerned face. Dried dirt from where she had fallen dusted her rumpled clothing, still warm and creased from what had been a surprisingly comfortable sleep, despite the bumpy rock of the ground.

[User]
He didn't hear Feri at first. All he could hear was his heavy breathing and the pounding of his heart in his ears. The images were subsiding, thankfully. However, waking up so suddenly took its toll on him and he couldn't see very well through blurry eyes, opening them to roughly take in a view of the ground. His large hands closed, dirt being scraped into his fingers as they turned to fists slowly. "I'm ok...I'm ok," he whispered to himself.

Gideon had walked over and nudged Rannon under the armpit on his opposite side, and Rannon fell back to land on his rump. Sweat beaded down his face, and his iron eyes fell upon Feri. His lips parted, and he looked taken aback for a moment. The dream had been so vivid, he felt like he had been back at Ostagar, almost regarding his meeting with Feri being the dream. But she was there, concern on her face.

He regarded her a moment, and seeing her there to support him despite having only met a day previous. He didn't know why, but it was welcome nonetheless.
"I'm fine," he said, his voice breathy and rough from lack of water during the night. "Just...my head went somewhere I don't want to revisit. Don't worry about me, ok?" He reached forward and rubbed a bit of the dirt off her cheek with the only clean part of his hand, the knuckles. It was playful, reassuring, and a sign of affection all in one. He gave her a smile, and met her eyes. "Thank you." he said earnestly, and then stood up to his full height. He reached a hand down to help her up, and would haul her up as effortlessly as a crane if she accepted.

"I say we eat while we walk," he told her, his visage yet again hard, like a soldiers. Gideon reared up and gave a few barks, excited to get going, and perhaps expressing happiness his best friend was alright. "I hope you slept better than I did," he joked to her.

[Assistant]
The sudden change back to normality - well, not entirely normal - but the sudden calmness was a touch disconcerting for Feri. She didn't buy that he was "okay", although appreciated that he was saying it out loud for a reason. Willing his body to realise that the nightmare wasn't real - and perhaps aiming to calm both Feri and Gideon down as well. Either way, she returned his smile, cheeks flushing under his touch and taking his hands, being pulled up as easily as a mother picking up her fallen babe.

"I slept alright. Had a strange dream about giant sheep, but it was nicer than yours by the sounds of it." Feri replied with a grin; concern still etched in her smile as her eyes searched Rannon's face carefully. While pleasant and more relaxed than before, there was a guarded look to his steely eyes; a certain tightness to his expression. The nightmare must have been frightfully vivid for him.

Breakfast didn't take long to make; a gloopy porridge that didn't do much for the taste buds, but it was warm and filling enough to keep all parties interested. Gideon especially seemed excited about it, bounding around the dying fire-place as he waited for all of the bowls to be filled. Then again, dogs got excited about a lot of things. Stirring her bowl thoughtfully, Feri looked to Rannon; the pair had dusted themselves off from the dirt on the ground, and looked about ready to set on the road again. Not before what Feri assumed was a well-needed chat with Rannon.

"I can't help but worry, you know." She began, thinking back to what he had said earlier. "I know we practically just met, but I can tell you're a good person. If you need to talk through stuff... well, we're stuck with each other until Redcliffe, so you may as well make the most of me." Chuckling lightly, part of her wondered what would happen at Redcliffe. She had no real plans - head to the coast, look for her father? Or to Denerim, to see if any had made it there from Lothering? While both fair plans, she knew what she really wanted to do; go with Rannon, and help bring Loghain to justice. It was what he deserved, and Feri had known people who probably perished at Ostagar, good people who would never see their family again. "Hopefully Rannon wouldn't mind more of my company." She pondered to herself as an afterthought.


[System]
Gender: Male
Age: 31 years old
Rank: thegn (nobleman)

Alfed has long dark blond hair and a full beard which he secretly always took pride in. He has a big barrel chest and large arms that are used to always carrying a massive war hammer he called "Beadu." He has a menacing look in his eyes that make people uncomfortable. He also has a huge scar on his face and is missing two fingers on his left hand.

Personality: Ever since he was young Alfred was enamored by stories of great warriors and of epic battles. Although, when the reality of war came upon him it changed him. He became ruthless, sadistic, cruel, and only really finding satisfaction from the thrill of violence. Having such a disposition on life makes for a great warrior but also for a terrible thegn. He doesn't care much what others think of him as long as he continues to have the ear and respect of his Lord Banweald.

History: Alfred served as a high-ranking military officer in Coenwulf's army and was part of some major battles that helped propelled the King to power. However during one significant battle of the war he was captured by the enemy and was tortured for six months. This increased his hated for his enemies and almost drove him mad. During this haunting experience he lost two fingers on his left hand and was left with a huge scar on his face. In the end he was rescued by a small unit of Lord Banweald's men, which is why his loyalty to the Lord runs so deep. Despite his sever injuries he immediate rejoined the campaign. It was since this time when reports of his savage demeanor on and off the battlefield started to emerge.

After the war, Alfred was rewarded with enough coin to be considered a thegn. He was also given the responsibility as Commander over the Cirencester militia and its armory. Despite all this he feels that a life lived apart from war is a stale and boring one. So to make due, he utilizes everything at his disposal to find ways to make things "interesting" and "lively".

Loyalties: Coenwulf the King of Mercia

[User]
As Garod was finishing up his meal, he looked up to notice a woman who seemed to be a few years his junior (though quite a bit taller than him) enter the inn. She looked rather lost, scanning the room as if in search of something or someone. She seemed like an easy mark. He wasn't too good at the whole cheating people out of their money bit, that was more Bado's area of expertise, but if he was lucky he might be able to squeeze a few coins out of her.

Standing up from his table, he approached the woman, already putting on a false grin. Speaking in a more aristocratic tone than usual, he began to speak, milking his foreign diplomat "Good morrow, fair lady. May I ask what you've come to this inn for? If it is to break fast, then I'm afraid you've missed the free hour; however, for six pence, I can gladly cover the rest of the price for you."

[Assistant]
Unicycle
Wilmot smiled politely, but lowered her gaze and kept fiddling with her pendant. "Thank you sir, but I've no money to spend for myself. Even if I had six pence I couldn't stay; you see, I'm just a humble servant. I need to get back to my master soon, or he'll be... he'll be very angry with me." She looked again around the room, but couldn't see a single familiar face. Her eyes returned to Garod. "Oh! Maybe you can help me! Has a judge in red robes been here?"

[User] Sigrid stopped, hearing the sound of a chipper voice. Was it calling to her? She turned, and saw to her surprise saw a tangled mess of brown hair right before her face. Below that were a pair of shining eyes, both affixed to her. "Ves heil," Sigrid responded. Oops. She had let a bit of her accent come through. In her mind, she was panicking, trying to worm her way out of a rude encounter, and praying to Loki the trickster that the other girl suspects nothing. "Ay, It's the market for me. You?" By the instinct drilled into her through experience, one of Sigrid's hands wandered down to her belt, where her coinpouch hung. Best not let the other girl get too close. "I'm Sibley. From . . . " Come on, she has sailed the entire Thames by now! She must know a town far enough away that her false step could be mistaken for a local accent. " . . . Sweyn's Dun. What's your name?"

[Assistant] The girl nodded, pretending to know where Sweyn's Dun was as she shifted her arms to stop the hen escaping her grasp. "I see, then, you're an outsider like me! I'm not from Cirencester either; not from Gloucestershire at all. I'm Mildemaer of Crowland, though..." She smiled wickedly "If you ask the other merchants in town, they'll tell you I'm Mildemaer the Miser."

[User]
Alfred found himself in the middle of the forest. It was foggy and he couldn't really see further than two feet from his face. As he was walking he suddenly felt a chill rise through his spine. It left him with a feeling of utter dread. He remembers feeling exactly like this before. He felt helpless, weak, stupid, worthless, and afraid. Wanting to crawl into a fetal position he instead listened to his instincts and ran as fast as he could trying to get away from that place. As he was running he was suddenly slammed on chest that landed him straight to the ground. It hurt badly and he couldn't breathe. All of the sudden there were a pair of hands wrapped around his throat. The man towering above him was laughing maniacally. It was at that moment Alfred realized who this man is. It was Lord Ædelric. The man that tortured him day in and day out for over six months so many years ago.

That's when Alfred woke up visibly shaken and dripping with sweat in his large but sparse bedroom.

"Not again," he said to himself. "Over ten years and I still can't get you out of my head." Alfred still scared from the torments he suffered in the hands of Lord Ædelric. In his head he knows that he shouldn't have nightmares like these. Especially since Lord Ædelric was confirmed dead before the end of the war. But the nightmares they come. Almost every night they come.

He rose from his bed and decided that it would be best to try and forget the dream and instead go through the motion and get ready for the day ahead. Once he was dressed he slowly grabbed his war hammer and headed out and straight for the town centre. Alfred may live in a stone manor by the farming hides but his home didn't really have the sufficient amount of servants in it. So, when he left that place he didn't even see a single person. He grabbed his horse and headed for the town centre.

Once he got to the town centre he proceeded straight for the county's militia barracks.

[Assistant]
Sigrid laughed. "Everybody's a miser," she said. As far as she has seen, that was true. Up and down the rivers, from small villages with no name all the way to grand Lundenwic itself, the locals worshipped money more than they worshipped Jesu of the Cross. Her mind went back to her early days, when she was but fourteen, and the long hours of haggling and sweet-talking that went into every little transaction. No matter how she seemed to win them over, the final price was never where she wanted it to be. Ruefully, she reminded herself in her head that those times can't have been longer than a year ago, and not to get so high-and-mighty about experience she didn't yet have. Though still not yet visible, the bells of the town square rang out, piercing through the early morning. It was the church, no doubt. "Come, I'll race you to the village," Sigrid said, a grin creeping across her freckled face.

No town she had ever seen was quiet, and this one was not to be an exception. The shouting of angry traders, the crunching of famished peasants, and the preaching of zealous priests permeated the square and its surrounding woods, possibly for furlongs out. Sigrid unslung her sack from her shoulder and loosened the tie, quickly counting up the contents of its insides. Metals were a precious thing, and she was too smart now to flash it in front of everybody like a Jarl. No, this time she would be smart. Trade goods for goods, like a local would, and try to go through the morning without having to dig into her coins at all. "Care to show me around?" she asked. Mildemaer didn't seem like the deceitful sort, not to her at least. Better yet, she must know some of the locals. This would be a good time to get into the market, as well as the good books of a couple of big names. Already, she could imagine how she would leave this town, her karve spilling over the sides with radiant gold and silver.

[User]
"Maybe I will, if your old boat is faster than little ol' me!" Mildemaer taunted jokingly, taking off down the road. Her hound chased her clumsily, almost tripping over itself more than once.
Deep within the girl bubbled a new feeling, a blossoming happiness at making a friend. Among most of the townsfolk she was considered quite an outsider, strange and detestable, and though some had warmed up to her with time it was rare to find anyone she could relate to. As the stone walls of Cirencester proper came into view, Mildemaer saw peasants wading into the river shallows in search of mussels and seasoned sailors untying their boats for the day ahead, as the dawn sun peaked through the otherwise gray sky.

[Assistant] Garod's false smile faltered when the woman told him she didn't have any money and was in fact just a thrall looking for her master. He felt like abandoning the conversation there, but once one committed to a role they had to see it through to the end. She asked if he had seen the man, a judge in red robes apparently, and he shook his head. "I'm afraid that I have not. Though perhaps I could assist you in your search for him." He could only hope this judge would be able to provide a monetary award to whoever brought his slave back to him.

[User] Wilmot seemed pleased by Garod's offer. "You're a very kind man, thank you ever so much! I'm very grateful for the help, I get lost quite often and I don't want him to be upset with me." She stepped toward the door but waited with some hesitation for Garod to lead the way while she nervously chattered on. "My master's name is Alexius, Justiciar Alexius... he's a very fine master, always kind to me; never starves or beats me. Nothing like folks say."

[Assistant]
Alfred finally gets to the barracks where the county's militia has been practicing their regular exercises. The moment they see him they stand to attention clearly noting his presence. Alfred then says, "You, you, and you let's go," as he points to three of the militia men standing with the group. His men dred this ritual that Alfred has adopted ever since he became Commander. The three men he pointed to now start to cautiously move towards him. One of the men takes a swing and Alfred is able to duck this punch, the second man tries and manages to kick Alfred on the back of the left leg. He winces from the pain, and with that delay the last fellow punches him on the mouth, which he starts to bleed from. Alfred thinks that he's getting slower as he gets older. The second guy now wraps his arm around his troat as the two other guys start punching and kicking him. They might be fast but they are still not strong enough he thinks to himself. He then elbows the guy behind him and in a split second flips him to the ground. Alfred stands up smiles and says, "My turn." He then kicks one of his attackers and quickly tackles the other to the ground. He starts hammering the man on the ground with his fists until he has visibly been defeated.

Alfred then screams out, "It doesn't matter if you can land punches and kicks if you can't immediately take out your oppornent. This was just not good enough."

He starts to walk away from the group and starts talking to his second in command asking him, "Any reports from the townspeople today?"

[User]
Beornraed led his commander away from the soldiers' barracks as he began to reply. "Nothing from the town yet, my lord, but the day is yet young." He stopped walking to speak to Alfred more directly, now sufficiently distanced from the sometimes nosy young recruits. Beornraed seemed slightly tense as he reported to his superior.
"There are more pressing matters than local skirmishes today, sir. Lord Banweald has requested audience with you, as soon as possible. Says it's urgently important."

[Assistant]
Alfred is trying hide from Beornaraed his body's need to breath hard after that brawl. As they were walking he runs his arm across his mouth to wipe the blood away. Apparently he bled more than he thought he did. "Beornaraed these skirmishes are important. These men need to learn how to fight and to fight well. I was their age when we went to war for the King and if you weren't ready to fight you'd die, or worse." He would never say it out loud but aside from training his men with these morning "rituals" he just loved the violence to get him going for the day. Pummeling that kid just got his blood going the right way.

Alfred always respected Beornaraed but he could never quite figure out why. Perhaps it's because of the humanness in his second that Alfred suspects he himself had lost a long time ago. "The men needs to get stronger," he says to Beornaraed, "maybe have them lift large rocks or something."

They get to his horse and Alfred turns to Beornaraed to say, "Lord Banweald and I are supposed to have our weekly visit tomorrow. This indeed must be important. I had better be off quickly." He jumps on his steed and as he rides off he yells, "Keep your ears open towards the going on about town, I want us to be ready if something happens!"

He rides speedily that he almost runs over a man. Alfred screams at him, "Get out of the way fool! Or I'll have your head next time I see you." He finally arrives by the entrance Celnaer Manor grabs Beadu and quickly goes in to see Lord Banweald standing there and pondering intently. "My Lord, you wanted an audience with me?" he asks.


[System]
Nicknames: Em or Emy

Age: 17

Appearance: Emerson is a long haired, redhead with freckled very lightly dusted around her nose and cheeks and hazel eyes. Her hair is usually down and messy but she does like to put it up in high ponytails. Emerson stands at 5'6" and weighs about 116 pounds, with a thin and small but athletic build that gives her speed. Em prefers jeans and loose fitting shirts over a tank top and her Joker Converse. Most of the times she wears a zip-up hoodie as well.

Personality: Emerson has a wild spirit that is nearly impossible to break. She is a very curious, energetic ball of pure energy. Some may call her hyper but she can be very calm, mellow, and level-headed as well. Being calm and patient in most situations, she stays focused and aware not making snap judgements right away. She is very adventurous and if given the chance she loves to try new things. Emerson tries to avoid making enemies, befriending most everyone she meets and enjoying the company of others, but sometimes her sarcasm gets in the way and she gets herself in a heap of trouble.

She is very passionate, sometimes in a fiery way, and loving. Em does come across in a flirty way, but she is also respectful and minds boundaries. Em is extremely polite and soft spoken and doesn't care much for rude, obnoxious, or distasteful people. Although kindhearted and sweet, she can be cold or stern when she needs to be, but prefers not to be. Her nature is often useful when breaking up an argument or settling a dispute, as well as making her a great negotiator. Her communication skills make her trustworthy and a faithful friend, however she can be secretive and lie if she needs to.

Skill: Art and Special effects make up

Backstory: Emerson was brought up in a low-middle class family by her parents Adam and Lilith Striker. To most people's surprise the two weren't actually married even though they had been together so long and had two children together. They acted and fought like a married couple, causing Em to hide up in the attic sometimes to get away from the yelling. Her older brother, Dani, was always there with her when she was younger to keep her company. Growing up she always wanted to be like him, a lazy goofball that was always a joy to be around. He lightened any mood with his goofy fun personality.

Throughout school Em gravitated toward the "weird" people. She had a passion for art and special effects in movies so it became her hobby. Tirelessly working on her own special effects make ups and trying to imitate those of movies, she became really good at it. Sometimes she would help her brother get back at her bullies with the help of her talent. When high school came around for Emerson, she had become an even bigger target for bullying and pranks. When she heard about Mary Clarice she instantly began to look into it. Em herself had heard things while she was in the art classroom afterschool. As she grew more aware of the rumors and stories she joined the club to do further research and help prove or disprove what she could.

Other: Anything I should know about your character that doesn't fit any of these fields.
Likes
• Internet games
• Doing make up for Halloween
• Learning new effects tricks
• Making "monster" parts for costumes
• Spending time with her brother
• Rainy, thunderstorm weather
Strengths
• Drawing
• Remaining calm and positive in tough situations
• Resourcefulness
Dislikes
• Her computer being taken away
• Not having materials for effects make ups
• Dry or muggy weather
• Being stuck in the house or class all day
• Boring teachers
Weaknesses
• Overly talkative
• Easy target for bullies
• Hot weather

[User]
Spencer stared at the clock as he sat in his chemistry class. Five minutes remained in the class, a class that bored Spencer to death. He sighed and tapped his pencil on his book as he read the problems he had to solve. Spencer's mind wandered around the thought of this year's first meeting in his paranormal investigations club. He smiled a bit at the thought before realizing that he was slacking on his classwork. He took a deep breath and finally worked on the difficult questions.

Class finally ended and Spencer excitedly hauled a wagon full of equipment to the room the club met at. He showed up early, jotting down notes and ideas in his beloved notebook. He continued to write as he awaited attendance from his club members. He was excited and it was obvious, a permanent smile stuck on his face.

[Assistant]
Joshua had been spinning his pencil as the teacher continued to speak. Physics class. It wasn't all that boring to be honest; actually it was an interesting subject. But his mind was distracted with the thought that later on would be their first meeting of the school year. While he wasn't as interested as the others on the curse itself, he is admittedly enjoying his time there. With the nightly expeditions and interviewing others, there were so many things to do.

Thinking about it, he didn't notice time pass by so quickly. He looked down on his notebook and noticed that he hadn't taken any notes. He looked back up to the teacher who had erased everything on the board. Well crap. Joshua looked at his seatmate, one of his friends, and then signalled to borrow her notes. With a sigh, she gave her notebook to him and he thanked her. They were released from class and Joshua hurried towards the club room.

He opened the door and when he saw Spencer, he plastered a grin on his face and greeted, "Heya Spence!" He went straight to one of the chairs and then sitting down on it. He joined Spencer in waiting for the others.

[User]
Emerson watched as the teacher paced back and forth during their PerCalc lecture. Thinking to herself about how much the teacher much love hearing his own voice. Looking from the teacher at her friend, Autumn, in the corner of the class, Em saw she was asleep yet again. That was the second time just in this class! Em nudged the person next to her and nodded at her sleeping friend. "Do you mind, again? Sorry." she whispered in a low voice to keep the teacher from hearing her. The person next to her shook his head and said she should do it herself.

Em sighed and wadded up a piece of paper. While the teacher had his back to the class, Emerson threw the paper at Autumn causing her to yell out "The answer is 42!". The whole class laughed and even Em gave a slight chuckle. The teacher however was not amused and told Autumn to stay after class. Feeling bad, but also thinking it would be good for her Em left at the bell. Putting her papers and drawing notebook in her backpack she waved to Autumn and walked out of class.

Something wasn't right though. She was forgetting something important today. When she got to her locker it hit her. Today was the first meeting of the year. Emerson grabbed her books out of her locker and bolted to the classroom where the meeting was being held. She was hoping she wouldn't be late. To her surprise, she was only the third to get there. Shaking her head at how silly she felt, she caught her breathe and took a seat, pulling her drawing notebook back out to finish her picture.

[Assistant]
Spencer was too excited to wait for anybody else. "Hey, Josh." Spencer greeted, happy to see a familiar face at the meeting. He looked at the two members that showed up. He smiled and stood up. He felt a bit nervous, not really sure what to say to welcome these two to the first meeting. He took a deep breath and stood, closing his notes and sliding them off the table into the chair he sat in.

"Hey...uh...welcome to the club. I'm Spencer and I'm glad you came. I guess we're just waiting on anybody else." Spencer said, looking to the clock as he finished. It was 3:04 and the meeting didn't start until 3:15. Spencer went to his equipment and pulled out a few gadgets and tools. "I've got some new goodies for investigations." He smiled, placing some technology on his table.

[User]
AP Physics was by far the most challenging class that Zoe had ever taken, but she loved the challenge. Much to the girl's relief, it was the last period of the school day. She sat at her usual seat in the back of the classroom, perfectly erect, with her pencil in hand and eyes on the board. However, as her eyes and hands did all of the work, taking a page full notes from the slideshow, she just couldn't prevent her mind from wandering elsewhere. Only a few minutes seemed to go by before the final bell rang, and the sound of chairs scratching the floor snapped her out of her trance. Looking down at her notebook, she saw that the page had been filled with neat numbers and letters, all written in blue ink.

After quickly shoving her things into her bag, Zoe hurried out of the classroom and towards her locker to retrieve her jacket and car keys. It was about six minutes after three when she entered the club room. She'd arrived a bit early, expecting to be one of the first there, but she was very surprised when she saw that the room had already been occupied by three others. Taking a quick look around, Zoe saw two boys, one seated and the other placing gadgets onto a table, and a red-head girl who was drawing in her notebook.

"I'm not late, am I?" Zoe said nervously, glancing at the time on her cell phone before making her way to an empty seat. She carefully sat her bag on the floor next to her, laying her jacket over top of it before directing her gaze to the technology on the table.

[Assistant]
Brody Morrison

---

As Brody listened to the loud (and a little obnoxious) teacher speak about math, at least that's what he thought at the moment. Brody kept to himself, resting on his desk. Luckily, and soon enough the bell had rang and Brody ran like a blur out the door.

Brody smiled to himself. He was heading toward his club, and they're searching if the Clarice Curse is real. Sure, teachers and students think they're just crazy nerds, but there's waaaaay too much things around the school that prove something's lurking. Brody placed his ear plugs in his ears, and played a song as he headed toward the club room.

He started listening towards the song known as, well, Song 2 by Blur. It was pretty catchy, at least to him. Brody walked into the club room, humming the song.

"Uh... hi?" Brody asked everyone else in the room, he glanced around the room nervously. Since almost everyone was here, he wasn't sure if he was late or not. He figured he wasn't, and pulled out his ear plugs from his ears. He scratched the back of his neck. He figured he wasn't and clasped his hands together. "So, what are we up to today?"

[User]
Joshua watched as another entered the room. A redhead. Hm... he was certain he had talked with her at least once, maybe asked her name. Heck, he always did that. He practically knew everyone in his batch. And some from the lower years. It was mostly because he liked striking up conversation with others, and most don't ignore him. Most. Anyway, this girl's name started with E... he remembered that much. She was bullied. He remembered seeing that flash of bright red hair behind a bunch of mean girls before. While normally, he'd step up to at least get the girls off of her, he couldn't. He was late. He later learned that this happened to her a lot of times. Well, maybe he could help her out more now that they were in the same club. With a smile, he waved at her.

It was then that Spencer started placing gadgets on the table. Joshua stared at them, with an eyebrow raised. He wanted to ask the most obvious questions. What were these stuff, where he got it and if it was safe and effective to use. Then again, Joshua knew better than to question Spencer. The guy knew his way around tech after all.

Then another girl entered, asking a question. "Nah, you're fine. Come on in and make yourself comfy!" He replied with a nod of invitation. The girl sat down on one of the empty chairs and gazed curiously at the gadgets. The another one came in, this time he knew this person. Rather, he was in classes with him.

"Heya Brody." He waved at him. He then gestured at Spencer, "No idea. But I bet it's gonna be introducing the curse, what we've all seen so far and what these gadgets do."

@jaybreezy@mskennedy615@Chaotic Chao

[Assistant]
Spencer smiled as he saw a couple of more people walk inside. "Welcome, welcome! Come on in, guys. Meeting doesn't start until 3:15." He smiled, waving them in. It was now 3:10, and Spencer was getting more excited. He returned to his equipment.

"I was just starting to talk about this equipment I got. Way more professional and reliable. We're going to solve some things this year." Spencer proudly smiled, standing up to set up his laptop. He was getting ready to pull up a list of places he wanted to go investigate. The list was opened and he beckoned everyone to come closer so he could show the list off.

1) Arnold House - abandoned farm house in the country
2) Bright Castle - old, abandoned castle in the hills (illegal to visit)
3) Investigate the "Clarice Curse"

This list had numerous different notes and explanations for each place, but he highlighted what was important. "As you can all see, I've gotten my three ideas of what to do." He went on and on about the information, practically boring those not interested in the history of each location. But then Spencer got to the "Clarice Curse". "This one...would be a huge investigation as well as a very risky one."

[User]
Emerson looked up at the clock then closed her notebook and put her pencil down. More people had come into the room and the meeting was going to start soon. Putting away her notebook Em looked at the equipment for a moment, a little unsure but a bit excited at the same time.

When the club leader, Spencer, called everyone up she stood up and placed her bag against the chair she was sitting in. She brushed her red hair out of her face and walked over with her hands in her back pockets. Looking at the list she was a bit confused. "So, we're going to be checking out three different locations?" Em spoke softly, but loud enough for Spencer and the others to hear. She didn't want to sound stupid, but she was mainly interested in the curse. However, investigating other places did sound interesting. Maybe she could link something or just find more proof.

Emerson went quiet after her question, almost expecting him to snap 'save all questions for the end'. Not that Spencer seemed to be that kind a guy, she just didn't want to cause problems. Em took a step back due to the number of people crowding around the laptop. Close quarters made her a little uncomfortable in groups, mainly because most of the time she was bullied it was a group instead of just one.

Spencer gave a grand amount of information about each location and while she was still listening and taking menatl notes, she really wanted to hear about the curse. What he knew or the others knew. When he got to the "Clarice Curse", Em glanced at the group for a second. "Are we going as a whole group or splitting up for each investigation?" she asked, trying to get more information about the investigations themselves rather than the places. Once she found out how they would investigate, she wouldn't hesitate to want to start the actual searching.


[System]
Nicknames/Aliases: N/A

Age: 22

Gender: Male

Rune/Location:
Berkano, on the nape of his neck.

Rune Powers:
Nature Speak – By touching a plant with his bare skin, he will instantly be connected to the 'wood wide web', if the plant he touches has enough mushroom mycelia in symbiosis. Using this will make him 'aware' of everything in his surrounding area, with more limited communication the further the mycelium spreads. However, it has limited capability – it overrides all of his own mind's functions, meaning that it can be difficult to pull away. He also cannot use his other power during this time.
Phytokinesis – Be it rain or shine, dark or light, Dennis can manipulate nearby vegetation, trees, flowers, and even moss. For the most part, it's his ability to accelerate a plant's growth that comes in use. He is also able to command them to grow to enormous proportions (…to an extent) and develop vines, tangling roots, and barbed thorns. He can even persuade them to quickly regenerate, as long as the 'wound' has not been burned. Not all scars can heal…

Description: Tending to wear things bought cheap or found in charity shops, Dennis is often considered 'simple' in what he wears – consisting of a small range of jumpers, jeans and shirts. It's more out of necessity than desire… okay, it's completely necessity. But, he doesn't mind. It's for Tom, after all.

Personality: Dennis is a tough nut to crack. It isn't that he's antisocial or he doesn't believe in people… he's just rather closed off person. It comes mostly from his situation as his brother's only bodily able relative, and their financial difficulties from the same situation.
He's also been alone for a very long time, and had to grow up far too fast. Caring for an ailing parent and a younger brother tends to do that to you. So he isn't going to bloom without a little coaxing.
 His determination, strong desire to protect, and his reason for joining the Blessed all stem from Tom. And so does his perseverance, strength, and ruthlessness.

Skills:
Photosynthescout – Due to his ability to connect to the plants' network, as long as these things are in the circuit, he can 'see' the surrounding area. It can also be used to identify his, or other people's blind spots. Though, the aforementioned difficulty of disconnecting means that there will be delays in his relaying this information.
Hold Fast Your Determination – As long as he knows he needs to help, and he's not totally incapacitated, he'll keep on fighting. While it might be overall harmful to his own body, it may just be the tipping point needed to win.
Adaptable – He might not always appear to be, but he's a quick learner. He's had to learn a lot of things over the years, and adding another few things to his arsenal isn't going to be a problem. So prepping him for combat, isn't going to be much of a shock.
Cheap Chef – Since he's spent the last five years caring for his younger brother and mother pretty much by himself, he's learned to get a little inventive with limited ingredients – and it turns out he can be quite good at it. He prefers to prepare meat and bread and pasta, mostly, since fruit and vegetables started screaming at him when he tries to eat them.
Athletic – While he hasn't gone out of his way to do running or weights and the like for a while, he's certainly no couch potato. He won't fall behind too far.

Weaknesses:
Arid Areas – if there is little or no life nearby, not even the smallest seedlings, it begins to take a toll on Dennis himself. Quickened exhaustion, increased paranoia and shortened temper – separate him from the plants and he's useless.
Tethered – Dennis' dedication relies solely on Tom's well-being. If Tom – or somebody he believes to be Tom – appears to be in danger, he's not going to think or hesitate. He's going to help his little brother, no matter what he has to do.
Unexperienced – While he's good at training, and perhaps even good at controlling his powers, he has put neither to practice.

Brief History: Dennis Eden, born from Chris and Lily Eden, was relatively happy for most of his childhood. It was the three of them, and then four, Tommy being born when Dennis was nine. They lived in a nice house, with a nice garden, in one of the smaller towns. He went to school there, too. But for him, it was too small a world. He always wanted to see what was beyond that great big wall, and explore, and protect the people he cared for… but that wasn't going to happen.
It was unexpected. There was an attack in their home area – Dennis and his brother and mother were all out shopping, but their father… he'd been at the neighbours, helping them fix their sink or something. And… well, the officer didn't go into details. Just that several parts of town had been… destroyed. So, their mother took them from the town, and to the city.
They moved into a small apartment in the city. The rent was cheap, but Lily could only afford it by working multiple jobs. Dennis learned quite quickly that he had to keep quiet about their home situation. So he kept away from others. Didn't try to make friends. Didn't interact with them. And he definitely didn't talk to the adults. But Tommy did. It took warnings from both his brother and mother to convince him not to talk about their difficulties.
And then… his mother got sick. Dennis was seventeen at the time. At first, doctors didn't believe him, but her condition would worsen by the day. It took a while before anyone figured out that her condition was an Auto Immune Disease – her own body was attacking her. Eventually, Dennis quit school in favour of working in labour or odd errands to keep them afloat, to pay for bills and medicine, and to make sure Tommy got along in school. It was barely just enough to get them by. And then… the Rune etched itself into his neck.
Dennis didn't know the nature of this rune. He wouldn't know just what it could do for a while. But he did know about the Blessed, and what they were trying to do. If this was what he thought it was, then he'd cut them a deal. Proper treatment for his mother, and a much better education for Tommy. That's all he'll ask of them.

Other: Dennis has dated both men and women, though he's never quite put a label on himself.

[User]
The jotun swung at the Uruz rune, teeth bared and hands wreathed in crimson fire. The creature was in no hurry to abandon its cover, especially with one of its attackers separated from the rest.

That changed when the sound of footsteps crashing into the kitchen reached its ears and several shots thudded into the floor. The world eater hesitated, looking back and forth in something approaching alarm.

Outside, Oren stood, steely gaze toward the house. The place was falling apart. Keeping it upright was only going to deplete what little she had to work with. Uruz was going to have to look after herself now.

With the call over from Ansuz, Oren hurried round to the left side, listening over the roar of the fire.

Wait for it-

CRASH!

The wall of the house exploded as the grey shade of the jotun shot through the storm of rubble, trailing fire behind it. Bits of scorched brick and plaster flew in all directions, and Oren took off at a sprint right across the path of the wall of destruction that was the world eater. Just as she crossed in front of it, the Isa Rune dropped into a slide, her hands contacting the ground and raising a slick of ice in her wake.

The jotun hit it with a burst of steam, and its feet were ripped from under it, heavy body slamming into the asphalt and beginning to liquify the tar. Oren sprang up on the other side, shouting as she extinguished the fire on the sleeve of her coat.
"Sowilo! Suppress the fire! Rest of you, fracture points on its body are its weak spots! Aim f-"
Isa cut off as a swipe from a the downed jotun forced her to spring back, narrowly avoiding a blow that would have shattered her knees.
The thing was getting up, they had very little time.

[Assistant]
Maeve had never considered herself a squeamish woman, but in all of five minutes, she had catalogued a considerable list of things she would puke about at a later time. Her gaze was deliberately on the house and away from whatever Silvarae's body looked like drained of blood, but she still had a good idea of what her night was shaping into: She'd have a nice blanket, a trash bin, and the unavoidable mental slideshow of Silvarae's transformation from woman into strawberry icepop on a late-night-infomercial loop. Would it look like spilled daiquiri mix when it melted, or more like first-floss-in-a-week spit in the sink basin? Probably, Maeve figured, it would look a whole lot like the grimy water she helped mop off of the ring floor with push brooms at the end of a long night.

A gurgling snort came from Maeve's sinus as she hocked a ball of mucus.

She caught what Makorai was saying and got ready to hold back the flames from where he had said-

"FUCK!"

That thing was big. It was fucking big, and it was on fire, and it was closer to Oren than it should have been. The hulking, grey, glowing behemoth hit the ground with a thud, and Maeve could feel it through the soles of her shoes. Suppress the fire, Oren said, though the exact best way to do so had Maeve at a loss. She had blocked the wall of flames from the explosion, but that had all been reflex- An involuntary extension of throwing up her hands.

She took a few running bounds, coming in a yard or so behind Oren. Maeve's hand swung out toward Oren as the creature's arm lunged, and the fire burning from the Jotun's flesh was quelled for a moment before flaring back to life.

"I don't know what I'm doing!" she yelled at Oren, but mostly herself. Her palms swept forward again, this time both at once as if trying very hard to hold a door shut. The flames grew brighter, but their range became less, clinging closer to their source. Her control flicked in and out; the fire was squirmy, like a cat that did not want to be held.

"I don't know how long I can do this!"

[User]
Dennis fumbled with his keys as he kicked the door shut behind him, before setting the bags of groceries down on the table. He spotted Tommy sitting back on the couch, TV remote in hand, and the low buzz of a news report coming through.

"What are you doing, Tom?" he asked, ruffling his brother's hair as he passed by. "You never watch the news if you can help it."
In answer, Tommy just waved a hand at the screen, directing Dennis to pay attention to the woman on screen.
"-he Jotun in question is reported to be female, and has reached as far as 34th Street. Thanks to the timely intervention of the Blessed, we now know the surrounding area has been evacuated, and the threat is in the process of being contained with their forces on the scene."

The screen switched over to a bird's-eye view of a dark van, with parts of the buildings around crumbling apart from impacts of incredible strength. There was a group of people gathered around one another, but three broke off, going their separate directions - two charging directly in.

"You shouldn't be watching this..." Dennis said in a low voice.

"Why not?" Tommy asked. "You're the one who said I should be learning things - and Harvey's parents let him watch their action movies."

Dennis held out his hand for the remote. "This isn't a film or a show, Tom. This is an actual thing happening in the city - in our city. People could be dying, for all we know-"

The sound of a large explosion rocketed through the TV, causing both brothers to jump, before Dennis snatched the remote and turned it off.

"Look, you're not a kid. You know what happens with these. You don't need to see this sort of stuff."

Tommy rolled his eyes before getting up. "You're such a downer, sometimes, Dennis."

Standing himself, Dennis looked at Tom. 'I'd rather be a downer than let you lose your youth to what happens out there...' he thought. 'They don't teach you the gory stuff in school.'
The thought passed, and he snapped his gaze away. "Go on - I know you've got some homework to do, go do it."

With a groan, Tommy went to his bedroom, shutting the door behind him. Dennis turned back to the groceries to begin putting them away - but just before he picked anything up, he cried out, causing him to jolt, knocking one of the bags to the ground. Its contents spilled across the floor - luckily, it was nothing that would have broken or smashed. A cutting pain had just shot through his throat, as though a burning needle had been drawn across it. A sickly warmth spread down the front of his neck briefly. Blinking away a blurry glaze of tears, he leaned against a chair.

Both the pain and the warmth had disappeared by the time he recovered from the sudden shock. He put a hand there just to make sure... but felt nothing. Glancing at where the bags were - and the bruised vegetables that he'd knocked across the floor, he sighed. Just... marvelous.

Unbeknownst to him, though, Tommy had opened his door and was staring at his brother. Since when did Dennis have a tattoo? And why was it the letter B of all things?


[System]
Age: 52, but with the physical body equal to a 27 year old, thanks to Institute medical technology

Gender: Male

Appearance:

Home: The Commonwealth, more specifically The Institute. He left after certain events ruined his reputation. His departure involved a lot of gunfire, screaming, and maybe a burning building or two.

Skills:
Medicine(He was the head of the Institute's medical facilities before his incident)
Science(While not as well trained as his medical skills, he's still quite adept at using advanced and pre-war tech)
Repair(He's handy to have around tools, and given the proper ones, can fix just about anything.)
Survival(His medical knowledge can also come in handy when needing to find edible materials, or when making some. He's still primarily trained with medicines, however)
Guns(While not the best sharpshooter, he knows his way around a firearm. Unlike most scientists, he never cared for using energy weapons)

Background: Born to two scientists in The Institute, Mathias has always lived around advanced tech. Unlike most children there, however, he also enjoyed escaping out into the wider Commonwealth, visiting places such as Diamond City, and even once taking a trip to the Capital Wasteland. He loved learning about the wasteland and its inhabitants, and seeing the effects the radiation and other pollutants had on them, and all the other life. He learned to appreciate medicine and its uses, while also seeing how medical science can be used to cause pain and suffering. He would become a very established medical doctor of the Institute, developing things like cybernetic limbs, a cure for diseases like Cancer and Aids, and even a treatment to provide temporary immunity to even the most harmful of radiations with a single dose. However, he had a large skeleton hidden in his closet, so to speak. Word got out of secret experiments he performed on captured raiders in hidden complexes deep under the Institute, some even involving captured strains of the Forced Evolutionary Virus, obtained from the Capital Wasteland. This wreaked havoc with his reputation, leading to the Institute violently removing him from the Commonwealth. He began to travel south, first to the Capital Wasteland, and once his reputation reached him there, further south again. Eventually he arrived in the Carolinas, setting up a medical camp in the wastes with what tech he was able to scavenge from the Institute, and the wastes.

Equipment: He wears various scraps of semi-protective clothing, such as his brown trench coat. He carries a .45 pistol on his side, a combat survival knife in his boot sheath, and a hunting rifle on his back. The rifle takes standard .308 rounds, but has also been jury-rigged to accept auto-inject stimpaks and Med-X as viable ammo, meant for firing into allies for a quick heal or assist. He also keeps a backpack full of pre-war and Institute-level chem and medicine-producing equipment, but nothing that would be unable to survive a rough journey, a large pouch full of stimpaks, Med-X, and other chems, a smaller pouch filled with around 1500-2000 caps, and another pouch filled with ammo for his two guns. Around his neck, generally hidden from view, is a special glass vial with a yellow-orange liquid inside, which when asked is said to hold "A last-resort experiment."

Other: He has a pet dog named "Max", who got his name from one of Mathias' favorite pre-war movie series, where a man wanders a wasteland similar to the current one, only in the movies, the cars actually work. He also has a pre-war quarter he keeps on his person at all times, which he will absentmindedly twirl between his fingers at times.

[User]
Riding on through the heat of the afternoon, a quartet of haggard individuals passed through South of the Border's northmost gate, a Brahmin wagon covered with a thick cloth tarp rolled into the town's main bazaar. Waiting for the wagon was an empty spot amongst the many stalls-- a spot that always remained empty just for this wagon's triweekly visit. With heavily-practiced ease, the lead Brahmin maneuvered into the empty spot, and promptly sat down. It grunted satisfactorily as a rugged, bearded man emerged from the wagon's cloth exterior, and glanced around.

The bearded man reached inside the wagon, and pulled out an old wooden sign, with "LERK JER KY 20 CAPS/ oZ" crudely painted on it. Looking quite satisfied with himself, the bearded man hammered the sign into the ground behind the wagon, and sat down on the wagon's edge. At long last, Hawkeye Joe's Famous Mirelurk Meatwagon had arrived!

"Awright," said Hawkeye Joe, peering around the market for potential customers, "you boys g'wan an' find yerselves a way t' pass time. Ain't hard-- whole town's a tourist trap! Jus' tell me if yer gunna stay, I ain't tellin' yer momma you got lost in South!"

From the wagon came three more strapping men and a hog. The first two were a pair of good old boys, named Muggsley and Puggface. Muggsley was the altogether more intelligent of the two, and enjoyed farming and hunting Mirelurks. Puggface was the altogether more attractive of the two, and enjoyed hunting Mirelurks and farming. Following them soon after was Albus Secundus, a friendly enough fellow from out West, who enjoyed fixing clothes and hunting Mirelurks. Following him was his pet "wild" sow, Heather. Heather enjoyed eating corn, scrap cloth, and Mirelurk meat. The four of them, together with the bearded fellow out back, formed Hawkeye Joe's Famous Mirelurk Meat Company. Curiously enough, not one of them was named Hawkeye Joe.

While Muggsley and Puggface ambled over to the Radiation Roost, a notorious bar for tourists who didn't know the first thing about a decent meal and a strong drink, Albus and Heather stalked further into the sea of market stalls. Albus knew where he was going, and snuck through several alleys to get there.

In the welcoming shade of an alley behind Terry's Gunne Shop, Albus patiently knocked upon a cleverly-hidden sheetmetal door. At the sound of his knocking, a grisly-looking doorman peered through at Albus with an appraising glare. Shortly after, that same doorman peeled the door away, and nodded grimly as Albus passed through.

A dark, armored man on a stage towards the back of the room, face on one side by a crowd of onlookers, nodded as Albus came in through the doorway. When Albus found a place amongst the crowd, the man spoke up.

"I'm glad you all have come here today. As you know, there has been some rumors amongst the wastes of a number of armed and heavily-armored individuals roaming around, killing people. Even stranger, it appears that there is a man--a Vault Dweller--killing some but actively assisting others in their actions. Unless anyone has any issues they'd like to bring up before we start... let the South of the Border Political Forum begin!"

[Assistant]
"Alright, I'm starting the generator. Stay away from the outlets for a second, merchant, this is going to get loud."

Samuel had promised to fix the shop's backup generator for one simple reason: He had an idea for a new weapon and needed fission batteries. The thing is, the shopkeeper's safe was electronically locked, and something was up with the generator he couldn't quite understand. Well, he must have been blind, because the inside had been filthy- like someone had been using it to store food that went moldy since before the War. With all the dirt and rust inside, it was a miracle it hadn't exploded. It had taken several boxes of Abraxo and a toilet brush to do so, but the innards were sparkling as best they could after this long. Reconnecting the wires and returning the switches to their operational state, he lowered his goggles and shut up the generator. With a soft whirr, it came to life, and the lights of the store flickered on. Business concluded, he got the fission batteries and a few parts for his creation- a large metal tube, a motor and belt from a vacuum cleaner, the spherical body of an eyebot, a few yards of copper wire, an aluminum baseball bat, and a throwing spear.

"Alright... this should just about cover it."

He made his way to the crafting bench where his noble steed Lambray stood guard. One of the finest horses the Knights had bought from the Carolinas, the horse was worthy of his name. He began the process of cobbling the items together.

[User]
Zhang sat in the armored cart as Guanyin the Brahman pulled down the dirt road. It was a fairly simple construct, two sets of old world wheels taken from a truck, connected with two axels held to the underside of a deep wooden cart with a canopy over it, surrounded with iron plates by some iron fittings and a harness Brahman to pull it.

"In time of difficulties, we must not lose sight of our achievements." Zhang quoted from the Glorious Chairman Mao as he fanned himself with his map. Chairman Shen had decided that Zhang would be the chosen one of all the people of the People's Republic of Hongmin to spread the glorious revolution for the good of the people. He reached for his copy of the Little Red Book and resume quoting of the hero of the common people, "Once all struggle is grasped, miracles are possible."

As the cart rounded a turn, he leaned back and picked up his gun, an unique version of the venerable Chinese Assault Rifle, the Red Orchestra Concerto. He busied himself by inspecting it as someone pulled up besides him.

"'ello son, were ye headin'?" the traveller looked a sif he's been down some rough roads. Not exactly young by any stretch of the imagination. His face was wrinkler than that of Old Fueng and his whiskers were in dire need of a trim.

"Hello comrade." Zhang saluted the man as he passed, "I am on my way south to spread the teachings of the revolution and to assist the common people. How are you doing today comrade?"

"Just fine if I do say so myself. And what "revolution" are ye tryin' to spread?" the old man took out a bottle of water, revealing a mouth of dirty yellow teeth for a second.

"The revolution of the people!" Zhang proclaimed, "The Glorious Communist Revolution that will liberate the proletariat masses!"

The man tilted his head and looked at him funny, "Pole lead what?"

"Proletariats! The common people, the masses, those workers oppressed by capitalism in this wasteland caused by the endless greed of pre-war capitalist industrialists who look after their own wealth at the expense of the people!"

Zhang spent the next hour telling the teachings of Chairman Mao and the glory of the revolution to the old man, listening with a mix of interest and confusion over some of the words Zhang used. He thought "bourgeoisie" was a type of weapon. Their conversation/learning session went on until they arrived in a fork in the road which the old man waved good bye and headed off with a Communist propoganda poster that Zhang had given him from the statch. Zhang himself continued until he reached a town called "South of the Border". It seemed like a good a place to stop as any. Throwing bits of food from his bag to stragners and beggers, he smiled as he saw their faces light up, although his glared at some of the shiftier merchants so much to the point he nearly ran someone over.

"Sorry comrade!" Zhang stopped his cart and jumped off and reached a hand to help the person he had knocked down, "Do you need any help?"

[Assistant]
Dr. Mathias Johnson had been absentmindedly wandering the town called South of the Border with his dog Max, looking for a place to set up his medical station. He noted that far more than a few people were in need of help only he could offer, so he felt this was as good a town as any to get started. He just hoped he'd finally been able to out-run his reputation, seeing as how the last time it caught up with him, three people were shot, and a small shack exploded, he was due for a good day in a town.

Suddenly, a large Brahman-drawn cart nearly ran him over, knocking him to the ground with a small thud. Max rushed over to make sure he was okay, and after reassuring the dog he was fine, he looked up to see a man of presumed Chinese descent offering to help him up, saying "Sorry comrade! Do you need any help?". Mathias took the man's hand and hoisted himself up, then brushed the dust off himself, saying "Why, thank you my friend. I appreciate the help." He looked over the man's cart briefly, noting the apparent Communist propaganda stowed aboard it. "Well, based on the contents of your cart, you seem to be out to help more than just me. I take it you were raised in a hold-over communist society lasting from before the Pre-war era?" Mathias reached a hand down to pet Max as he spoke, not taking his eyes off the man in front of him in order to show vivid attention and interest.