[System]
Age: 24
Gender: Female
Species: Shifter (Griffin)
Appearance:
 Human Form. She has tufted, feline-like ears and a tufted tail with spiky feathers at the base.
Griffin Form. In this form, she is roughly the size of a draft horse.

[User]
Eincrad had always hated the meeting spot for the Hunters society. The run down monolith of a church always appeared as a silhouette against the soft white light of the moon. The cold time stained walls of the church stretched up into a once beautiful mosaic window. The walls gave off their own soft almost comforting light as a sign that it was warded against malice and anger towards the hunters if any mythical beings got inside the church. The runes also made the building look like a fire gutted corpse of an apartment. It was also centered in possibly one of the most annoying spots of the city. Run down apartments were all around the block, mostly housing shifters that didn't make it big int he criminal world. There were also a few small human run stores around the block.

As he passed one of the small grocery stores he noticed several more homeless shifters that wouldn't be missed as well as a few walking through the thinning crowds of poor. A few caught his interest, but one more then the others. A griffon shifter, Her hair parted by a pair of cat-like ears and a rather bird-like tail the griffon shifters were known for. " I wonder how much she would be worth intact?...Hm. First observe, then hunt." Eincrad always had a habit of talking out his plans so one or two passerby's looked at him with worried looks before moving on and deciding it wasn't their business.

A thin smile playing on his lips he took the cigarette from his lips and flicked it to the curb before slipping into one of the alleyways and leaning against the grime and filth covered wall, letting the darkness cover his features as he watched the female griffon shifter meander her way somewhere up the street from him. As she got closer he saw more of her features. " What a shame, a curse not to be born human I suppose. But we all have to make money somehow." A chuckle escaped his lips before his attention was diverted when a homeless shifter, even more foul smelling then the other two, approached him and looked at the tails hanging off his coat before looking at his eyes " H-Hey man...do you have any food? or money?"

Half tempted to just leave him alone and continue to watch the girl, he instead slipped a thin dagger from his coat and spun on the heel of his foot planting the silver lined blade into the mans chest, slipping between the ribcage and puncturing the poor souls lungs. He placed his free hand over his mouth to block any cries for help or pain and began to lower him onto the ground. " You will be dead soon, then I'll take your tail and add it to my paycheck, Okay?" Eincrad smiled down at the shifter who was choking on his own blood before looking out of the alley to see if he garnered any attention.

[Assistant]
The grocery store was within her sight now. Or maybe it was because she had pretty good eyesight in the first place. Her sense of smell was dull compared to others, but her hearing and eyesight were much better than a human's. Her ears picked up almost anything that was within a broad radius, except for rather low pitched sounds or sounds that came from extremely tiny animals such as mice or bugs. Kaethe was happy that she wasn't that good at hearing; all the noises would torment her more than they did already. Thankfully, she had slowly learned how to block specific noises out and only tune in to one or two of them. The headaches that plagued her when she wasn't used to her adept hearing left when she was around her midteens.

Her dark gaze had slowly made its way to the floor as she walked. She grew tired of watching the streets, as seeing the poor shuffle around without aim depressed her greatly. The homeless were mostly made up of shifters, who stalked the alleyways in search of food. Kaethe didn't know why the people disliked them so, but she guessed that she was in no place to argue or question things. She was grateful that she was one of the few known shifters who acquired a human job and worked with normal people. It wasn't common that such a thing happened. Many of her kind would have been kicked out of the place if they came looking for work. Perhaps it would have been better if all of us were killed way back when, just like the stories say.

A heavy sigh escaped her lips, and she closed her eyes as she ran her hand through her hair. Her ears had flattened slightly in distaste, but she still caught some rather... concerning sounds coming from an alleyway. Kaethe's lips curled downwards as she slowly approached the alley, taking delicate and quiet steps as to not let anyone find out that she was getting closer. Once she reached it, she caught sight of something extremely troubling. A man had plunged a knife into the chest of a shifter. Fear razed her heart, taking a step back and staring at the killer with wide eyes. Was that one of the hunters? Or was it just a killer?

Either way, Kaethe didn't take a chance by staying. The young griffin shifter sprinted down the street as soon as the man caught sight of her. She couldn't risk shifting in the middle of the street, especially when there were people around to give her a bad name for shifting. And so she ran, hoping to get away from the man before he could gut her just like he did with that other shifter.

[User]
His cold eyes narrowed when he saw the griffon shifter at the edge of the alley. They then closed when she bolted up the street in an attempt to escape. A slight sigh escaped his lips as he turned his attention back to the now dead shifter on the floor and removed the knife from his chest. He wiped the silver tinged blade on the dirty coat before sheathing it into the folds of his coat. " Why couldn't it be some useless shifter. Not one that could be big pay..." With one last look down at the still warm body, Eincrad spun on his heel and bolted out of the alley. He crashed into an older male and without a second glance started after the griffon shifter.

His steel plated boots tapping loudly against the concrete floor as he pushed past assorted humanoids. His senses barely picking up the plethora of curses and attempted grabs. His mind was only on one prey and he wouldn't rest until he got what he was hunting. With every step he got closer to her, and with every step he began to wonder why she didn't just shift if she was so afraid of what might and will happen to her. Eventually one rather large human male grabbed Eincrad's shoulder forcing him to stop. " Hey buddy, Watch where you are going. You should also apologize. You made me spill my beer." The man's breath reeked of alcohol and his body language painted him as drunken. Eincrad looked up at the big man and let out a sigh as his hands tightened around the cold steel grip of his pistols inside of his coat as he drew them and fired two rounds into the air, causing most of the other people to scream in terror and fall to the ground in hopes that they wouldn't be killed. The big man also dropped to the ground as Eincrad planted the butt of the gun into the other mans throat." I do not have time for this."

With practiced motions Eincrad replaced his guns and resumed his pursuit of his prey. His effort considerably lightened as the number of people on the street lessened after the initial gunshots. "At least people are smart enough to stay out of the way now." The hunter grumbled under his breath as the girl shifter came back into his sights.

[Assistant]
The man was fast. Too fast. He was catching up to her in almost no time, and she dreaded being caught by such a vile fiend. Kaethe didn't even spare a glance behind her; she just knew that he was practically at her heel. But she didn't want to take a risk and shift in the middle of the crowd. If she did, she would probably cause some damage with her wingspan and body mass. Yet, she guessed that she would have to. The man was too fast for her, and if she kept on running, he would catch up in no time. She would exhaust herself before she could get away, and then she would have no escape.

Gunshots roared out behind her, and her ears flattened against her skull. She thought that she had been shot, but no pain streaked her torso. The man was getting way too aggressive for her comfort. Perhaps it was better if she just shifted and flew the coop. Kaethe sighed, her brows knitting together as she thought for a second more. She didn't care what the humans thought about her. She could just say that she was running for her life. They would understand... Right?

The change was instantaneous; there was no tearing of clothes or cracking of bones, but instead a glowing light that enveloped her form. She became quadrupedal and wings sprouted from her back as she ran down the street. Many people were pushed down by her brute force, screaming in shock and fear. The griffin knew that she had to leave the narrow streets, and so, she decided to take flight. She leapt on top of one of the cars parked near the curb of the road and sprang into the air, her wings picking up dirt and grit as they carried her off the ground. She would be fine. The man couldn't reach her from all the way down there.

[User]
The shifter girl was almost within his reach, just a few more seconds and he could grab her by the neck. His breath picked up as he felt her hair between his gloved fingers and just as he grapsed at her head a flash of light enveloped her form and he was pushed back from the force of the change. As other people screamed in terror from being pushed to the ground by the sudden beast among them, Eincrad was merely silent, His mind's eye taking in her human and shifted forms burning it into his memory. " No one gets away from me, little kitten. Now I know your appearance, There is no where you can hide. Soon you will be mine." He mumbled up at the shrinking form of the griffon flying away for her life.

A small grimace escaped his happy facade as he drew out his phone and brought it to his ear. " Blitzkrieg here, cleanup ordinance 4b." He waited for a few seconds as the confirmation order was processed. He hung up the phone after he heard the mechanical voice tell him the media head and police chief were notified of a now suppressed crazy drunk by local police. The next day the newspapers would read a headline of crazy drunk killing homeless, both shifters and humans."

He breathed out as his clothing changed from their normal red into a dark grey of a businessman or rich fellow. He then turned down an alley way to hide from the encroaching sirens and any potential people that may have saw him. After a good thirty minutes he emerged from the filthy alley and made his way back to the origin of where he saw her. As he passed the grocery store he stopped and smiled before pushing gently on the glass door and it swung open with a happy ding sounding his entrance. The old man looked shaken from the commotion outside but luckily kept the door open. " M-may I help you?" The old man shakily said. Eincrad smiled warmly. "Yes, I'm with the NYPD special investigations unit and I was wondering if you know of any griffon shifters in the area. Cat ears and bird like tail." He did imitations of both to lighten the mood a little." The old man's eyes widened slightly at the mention of Kaethe and nodded a little bit. " H-her name, I don't know it but she comes in here for groceries and the likes...I know she works at a restaurant nearby. Nice girl, Might I ask why you are asking about her?"

Eincrad's smile dropped a little bit and he narrowed his eyes at the old man. " She was last seen fleeing the crime scene with another man, who killed several other people. If you see her, call my cell and I'll come pick her up. Don't alert her that you know of what she is involved in. Okay? I thank you for your help, and try to have a good night." He left a solid black card with the number on it and disappeared into the night planning to visit the restaurant in the morning.

[Assistant]
She did not sleep at all during the night. All she dreamt about was the man's frightening complexion and the smell that enveloped him. Kaethe was not often plagued by nightmares, especially ones about people wanting to hunt down and kill her. But the strange man left an impression on her; she felt like she was no longer safe, that there was someone after her. Knowing about killers due to the movies that she watched on the television, she knew that he would not give up easily. What exactly did he want to do with her? If he wanted her dead, he could have just shot her. Maybe he was some sort of freak who just wanted to kidnap her?

A shudder blazed up her spine as the young woman walked to work. Kaethe had to be there at around eleven due to the fact that that was when the people mostly came in for lunch. She could tell that it was going to be a busy day that early Thursday morning... maybe she would be faced with taking the orders of more people than she was used to. A groan escaped her lips as she entered the restaurant, rubbing the back of her head as she found herself face to face with one of her male co-workers.

"You were almost late again," he sighed down at her. "Thankfully the noon rush hasn't come yet."

"Sorry about that." she mumbled as she pulled on her apron. "I'll get to work right away."


[System]
With faded brown green scales, and clad in flexible leather armour and cloth, Kij strikes a formidable figure even standing only at 5'3.
Race: Slith (Lizardperson)

Personality: Kij'hara is, suffice to say, more comfortable in the company of shadows and thieves than the more socially acceptable kinds, finding they often tend to talk less than others. She prefers the quiet people, the people who don't need to say much to convey what they want or need, and she will often lapse into a 'comfortable' silence that can be misconstrued – by the louder types – as uncomfortable, or even expectant. She is unusually lacking in her ability to judge what would be appropriate to say and what would not, resulting in her often saying the wrong thing to the wrong person and getting herself in trouble. However, over time she has learnt to know when to not say anything at all, so as to limit the amount of fights she finds herself in due to her lack of judgement. Staying silent also causes anger, she has found, but it is often less physical. She is distrusting and fearful of Orcs in particular, and views each and every one as lowly mercenary scum.

Background: Kij'hara was born on the far outskirts of a small village in the west of Ruritania. She grew up with five other siblings, but would spend more time exploring the forest than playing with her sisters and brothers, preferring to be alone. Her parents were hunters who supplied meat for the village, and – knowing the local forests – let their children roam freely once they were able to look after themselves. Kij learnt how to climb trees, forage, and handle a knife, all well before the age of ten. On her thirteenth birthday, when most of her other siblings had left home to become apprentices (or were too young to do so yet), she asked to be taught how to hunt, and, in time, continue the family business. Her parents were glad to take her on as an apprentice and over the course of two years she learnt the job; how to shoot a bow, and how to move quickly and quietly, unseen by deer or a boar. At the age of seventeen, secure in her apprenticeship and almost fully trained, she decided to make her first overnight trip on her own, hunting larger prey. She set out at dawn, and returned with the carcass of her fallen prey at dusk of the following day. Welcoming faces did not greet her when she returned home, as expected, but instead she watched from afar as the corpses of her parents were cremated in the fire that ate through their house. Bandits, primarily Orcish, had raided her house, murdered her parents, and burned what they could not steal. She did not wait for them to find her, and turned back into the forest.
For the next few years she lived off the land and, although she departed the forests where she had been born after only a few months, did not go back to civilization unless the winter was particularly harsh and she was driven to buy food or clothing. However she began to grow tired of the constant restlessness of her life and sought to settle down, finally venturing into the city to find somewhere to live. She stayed for three months with her younger sister, but after many subtle hints (and being directly told to her face that she was no longer welcome to stay), she began to look for a job to earn money with. By a chance of fate, she heard the rumours regarding the Old Country, and – deciding that it was a sign that she was doing the wrong thing – set about finding more information...

Abilities: She is deft at using a knife and bow, and when she is unable to catch anything to eat herself can set traps that do the job for her. Although unused to climbing stone or buildings, she is nimble and can use her claws to find small pits and dents to hold on to, making her capable of climbing most structures, natural or unnatural. Her training and skill in hunting also result in her being light on her feet, able to blend in with the shadows and go undetected.

Equipment:
A flatbow and a knife. Though used primarily for hunting, they are also suitable for combat.
A water pouch and a basic medicine kit (which also contains rations of dried meat, etc).
Leather armour, worn and patched but still usable.

[User]
Their small movements made her flinch. Any raise of the hand could release a weapon; any step, another danger. She tilted her head slightly to the side, regarded the two unlikely 'adventurers'. They weren't the type of people she had expected to be interested in this work. Though still wary, she began to relax her almost painful grip on the hilt of the dagger, and partially flattened the scales back down. She knew no display of size or strength would be of use when dealing with the clown, at least. He seemed... too perceptive, too poisonous and dangerous a character. She didn't trust him; she doubted she ever would trust him. As for the other...

"You seem weak, and a coward. Why would you wish to sign up for the job?" Kij turned her head to the first figure with little more than a subtle twitch of her head. The question was not meant to offend, the statement not said in a way that was meant to insult, but was instead the summary of her perceptions - whether they were accurate or not. She waited silently for the reply, oblivious.

Though the clown troubled her, she ignored him for now, and the suggestions to go inside. She would see what the trickster did first before she made her move, reluctant to trap herself inside with potential enemies. They said they were here for a reason, but it was easy to say one thing and for the opposite to be true. No matter what happened, she had to stay alert, she had to be cautious.

[Assistant]
Caractacus takes a step back. Coward? Is that the impression he gave? It certainly wasn't a flattering description, but it was better than outright hostility and lynching. He shook his head. "I am t-taking this job because it's the right th-thing to do. W-we have to stop the lich and his uh, undead. And all the other bad stuff." He nodded. That would be a sufficient explanation, right? Something a hero would say, surely.

Caractacus leans down to pick up his staff. "Besides, I d-don't need to be physically strong wh-when I have my mind and my m-magic. It will p-protect me." He once again tried a smile. He's not very confident looking. "I underst-st-stand I don't make a good first impression, h-heh, but I am truly quite capable."

Caractacus was about to turn to go inside, when a thought struck him. "W-wait. You never answered my question. What are y-you here for?"

[User]
Sam looked down at the trembling man in the robe. It was pitiful, but then, most wizards were. Bookworms were like that, and most wizards were bookworms, by nature of the position. Admirable in a way, though. Sam was curious as to how his performances could have been enhanced had he spent the time to sit down and learn some magic of his own, but there was no time to find that out anymore. He answered the wizard in the Slith's place. "She's here for the job - the same as you and I, I assume. Or she's here to kill you and is trying to determine whether she can do the job. But honestly, she had her chance for that on the approach, so that probably isn't it."

Sam walked, one foot directly in front of the other, down one of the remaining roofing beams that supported the thatching, and dropped down in front of the inn door, which he opened and entered. A sense that he should probably act with some degree of mild courtesy struck him as he closed the door behind him, and he reopened it, sticking his head out for a moment to speak.

"That knight is probably awake by now, or will be shortly. When you're done pissing yourself, wizard, feel free to join me. And you as well, whatever-your-likely-extremely-difficult-to-pronounce-name-is."

The door closed again.

[Assistant]
She watched the jester go with a grimace, or the Slith's equivalent to a grimace. Though doubtful that she would ever be able to trust the man - crucial on such a job - she was hesitant to give up so soon. She doubted that, if this was no good, she would have the strength to return to civilisation. The ways of humans, orcs, even Slith tired her. But no, she would not give up on this so soon, first she must consider all the information.

For a final time before entering the tavern, she looked towards the forest and flexed her claws, felt them sink into the mud and earth. With a deep inhale of the marsh scented air, she made her way over to the doorway. There was a light in the window, weak in comparison to the now rising sun that peered over the tree tops. Two fire drakes flitted in the dark sky above and for a fleeting moment she felt a longing, but she soon turned away and grasped for the door handle.

With the door half ajar, about to step in, she faltered in her stride and turned back to the wizard. "If that is your true reason for wanting to fight the Lich, then that is commendable. But it will be dangerous..." Kij's head tilted to the side, reptilian eyes regarding him piercingly. "So you must be strong enough, or it could be fatal for all of us. You understand?" She didn't wait for a reply, but instead walked through the door and shut it behind her. Tiredness finally seeping into her muscles, she welcomed the chair and slumped down, looking about the tavern as she did so.

[User]
Caractacus scowled as the jester went inside. He was hardly pissing himself. He just had some trouble formulating words was all. Anyone would after so long in isolation, really. He would have to think of a few choice words for the jester next time he saw him. Which would most likely be soon, as they were working the same job.

Caractacus then looked to the slith, she seemed at least a little more at ease, which was decent news. She took a look back at the forest before approaching him. Or the door. Definitely the door. Caractacus watched her approach, but didn't speak. He instead waited for a response to the question he posed. Whether or not the jester answered for her, it would be better to hear it from the slith herself. She was about to head in when she stopped, and spoke.

 "If that is your true reason for wanting to fight the Lich, then that is commendable. But it will be dangerous..." She locked him with a gaze that shot through to his core, and continued. "So you must be strong enough, or it could be fatal for all of us. You understand?"

"I u-under-- The door slammed shut, cutting short his response. Caractacus sighed; he understood what it would take to succeed. It was all planned out, and as long as he followed the plan, nothing, not even the pit of fear sitting low in his stomach, would stop him from achieving his goals. Reassured, Caractacus pulled open the door, and slipped inside. He took a place close to, but not quite on, the undead side.

[Assistant]
Sam Duval was sitting at a table inside, clowning around, so to speak. A group of groggy patrons had gathered around him to observe magic trick after magic trick and to partake in tarot readings. Caractacus entered the room shortly after Kij, and Sam found himself wondering exactly what was going through their minds. A flashy introduction like his own at that hour of morning may have put the two off-balance in a way, which he figured was a particularly good way to get them prepared for stressful situations. He very much doubted that they would make it far without a healthy degree of paranoia, regardless of whether it was directed toward himself or toward the undead.

A patron chose his cards, and Sam pulled them out to reveal the results. The Fool, The Devil, The Emperor, The World, The Magician, and the Wheel of Fortune. Sam himself never really cared much for this 'divination' method - it was roughly as accurate for determining one's path in life as sticking one's hand down a badger hole. Or, perhaps, even less so, as sticking one's hand down a badger hole nearly guarantees that one's hand will be bitten, which at least can be predicted, provided one isn't an absolute moron - which most of the tavern's patrons unfortunately were.

He eyed the other side of the tavern, where a couple undead were idly milling about, posing no real threat to anybody and serving the purpose of marking which side of the tavern one really shouldn't start a brawl on. They seemed about as useful as his future companions would be. Speaking of whom, why hadn't the Knight awoken yet...?

[User]
"Get up."
The elf groaned and lashed out clumsily. Her hand fell through the air and fell back to her side with a thump. Morro wasn't impressed.
"You've overslept, get up now." The knight moved over to the younger one and kicked the sheets off him with an idle flick of her foot. Groans filled the air. She watched them until she was sure they were stirring, then turned away with a curse. What had she done to deserve this mission? The weak light was already shining through the gap where half of the wall had gone missing, but it didn't matter whether or not they were late downstairs. Nobody had come, and nobody would come. Still, she had been charged with the two new recruits. If anything, she would use this time to toughen them up. Out of the corner of her eye she watched the youngest stumble into the door frame. They needed it.

"Full armour on, we're training before we eat." She beckoned to the rusted over suits of armour. The pair gawped at her incredulously.
"That's crazy! How are we supposed to do anything with food?" The elf demanded. The younger one laughed. Mistake.
"If you find each other so damn funny, why didn't you become comedians? Why are you here wasting Three Nation's time and resources?" They stared at her blankly, fear almost palpable in the air. Morro tutted with disgust and made her way towards the stairs, pushing the subordinates out of her way. "No, do what you wish. A jester would be more helpful than you." They stared at her back blankly, as she stormed downstairs. Today was going to be a bad day.

The downstairs of the tavern was buzzing with activity, unusual for this time. She hesitated at the entrance to the room, scanned it to find the source of the disruption. There, somebody dressed in bright clothes doing... Card tricks? She groaned incredulously, but quickly pulled herself together. Her armour weighed down on her, the Three Nations Cape pulling at her back. She didn't have the effort to hold herself up, and regretted putting it on in the first place. With difficulty, she walked over to the nearest table and sat down, beckoning for the bar tender. He knew what she wanted, and she sat back exhausted while she waited for her food.


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

[User]
It was amazing the difference proper equipment made. The previous visit to the aqueduct had been a panicked flight in awkward native garb. Now, clad in her armor and helmet and with her gear sealed in a waterproof carry bag, Junebug was keyed up and ready for action. Quetzalli crouched close beside her, the native woman's eyes wide and enthusiastic as always. Junebug was not convinced that it was wise to bring the girl but a translator might be essential in the hours ahead. Carefully she scanned, the green and blue pastel landscape of the forest on infrared. It was surprising how easy it was to get used to being able to see in the dark and how subtlety disconcerting it was to lose that ability.

"All set," Junebug declared, "Taya you sill reading me?"

"Yes… I mean copy you loud and clear Junebug," the girl responded. Zalli jumped a little, unused to the the radio earpiece they had given her. It was a risk but given the odds against them she wanted everyone on the net. Taya was sitting in the gun jeep on a ridge, the highest point between the Highlander and the Village, about three clicks to the east. The girl had understandable concerns about the wildlife but Junebug had assured her that the odds of the predators attacking a tonne of unfamiliar smelling metals and plastics was low. Even if they tried it the motion detectors would give the girl plenty of time to cut loose with the flechette gun Junebug had given her. Taya would act as a final piece of backup if things got completely desperate. If they had to call the jeep in it meant things had gone so badly wrong they were not likely to be survivable.

"Well," Junebug began, checking her mission clock on her helmets HUD, "Lets get too it."

They moved through the aqueduct without incident, the passage much easier on the downward journey and with proper gear for lighting. The trio carefully emerged from the well to find the building empty. There was a smell of death in the air from outside and Junebug carefully peered out onto the field at the base of the ziggurat. Torches blazed every few feet and perhaps twenty five bodies were laid out on beds of some sort of local timber. Their eyes had been covered with flowers and a symbol had been carved into each of their bare chests.

"Bury for war men," Zalli commented in her broken galactic, surprising Junebug. It wasn't the strangest funerary rite she had seen. There were places they ritually ate the dead afterall. Most of the activity seemed to be on the west end of the village where a crowd was assembled around a massive bonfire, chanting and swaying. It was hard to make out on thermal but Junebug thought she could see a figure in front of the fire haurranging the crowd.

"Zalli stay here and keep out of sight, Neil you take the east side," she told him unzipping her watertight bag and handing him a satchel of charges.

It took about fifteen minutes to place enough explosives to get the job done. In shape as she was Junebug was sweating when she rendevouz with Neil and Zalli at the well. Carefully she unfolded her plasma rifle and checked the sights.

"Alright Neil," ill circle to the north and cover you.

"Good luck you two."

[Assistant]
Neil had gone around to the east as instructed, somewhat giddy and excited that he got to handle explosives. He hadn't had the opportunity to blow something up in ages, and judging by how he believed the crowd would react it was a foregone conclusion that he would have to pull the trigger. A part of him felt somewhat sad that he was literally about to decimate what he guessed was a structure of cultural and religious significance, but he saw no other way and primed all the charges, making it back in time.

Neil saluted Junebug. "You too Captain." He said, and then pulled Quetzalli along with him once he had the trigger in hand. The native woman guided him to the opposite ziggurat. A smaller one, but still tall enough to be seen and heard with plenty of torches around. Thankfully Neil was used to moving without being seen, and Zalli could move nearly as stealthily. He'd need to ask later if she had been anything else but a servant girl. She didn't seem combat capable, but she knew how to move through the woods and knew the city well enough.

Down below, Neil saw Wetumpkah standing next to a larger Shaman, crying to the heavens and chanting. He held a stick in his hand that jittered with hollow noise as he shook it. Neil glanced to Zalli, who translated. "He say that you and the other star people are false gods." She said, waiting a moment as he continued to speak before she translated further. "Demons in starman form sent to trick us and turn the people against one another."

"Kind of ironic we're neither." He mouthed low enough to not be heard. He didn't exactly know what Quetzalli believed as of yet and now was not the time to have her question her world view. He cleared his throat, and leaped up onto one of the taller carved seats. "Hey!" he screamed, his voice cutting through the small river valley like a knife. He repeated it again, louder this time. At first only a few looked his way, as well as the lazy guards at post. But his second cry grabbed everyone's attention, and he could see Wetumpkah frantically pointing at him and calling for his head.

"He said-"

"Yeah I understood that much" He whispered, before standing tall and holding up his arms, trying to appear powerful. "Your behavior has angered us!" Neil cried out in what he hoped was coherent Zil. Zalli stood by him, though a step down and behind so as not to draw too much attention to herself. His words brought cries of protest and awe, so he continued. "In punishment, you are to follow our words, or see your village destroyed!"

A few of the villagers shrank back, though Wetumpkah laughed acidly. The aged shaman replied. "You have no power here. Your head will be my drink cup! Quetzalli shall be mine once more."

"Seize him!" Neil called. "Seize him or be damned!" The word for damned was judged, but he believed it worked in this situation. When the villagers looked uneasy, Neil called for obedience again. Seconds passed, and the pilot picked up a torch and tossed it down the stairs, chanting with what Zil he knew 'judged!' And he pressed the button behind his back.

A sudden earth shattering crack shook the valley in a rumble as fire and force beyond any the villagers had ever seen ripped into the lower base section of the ziggurat. The ancient structure swayed, and then its top plummeted inward as the structure fell into itself, toppling as stone cracked and roared across the plaza. Women screamed and men cried for mercy as it fell, and even a few guards were killed from the debris. Even Quetzalli gasped and gripped Neil's pant leg for comfort.

[User]
Even at three hundred meters the explosion was impressive. A great cloud of dust flew skyward as the charges, placed according to Loney celtic advice, crumbled the ancient monolith. Junebug wondered what her mother would think of destroying an ancient and possibly unique structure. A tight grin tugged at the corner of her mouth. Whatever Ria Cassani Cykali thought of the destruction of architecture, she would doubtlessly be more upset at the though of the wholesale slaughter of the villagers, which was Junebug's next option.

"Well you don't see that everyday," Taya said over the net. Junebug frowned for a moment, there was no way that Taya could see the destruction from... ah, a red telltale on her HUD indicated that the girl was importing the view from Junebug's scope to the monitor in the Jeep. Sayeeda hadn't told her how to do that but evidently the former aristocrat was putting her time to good use.

"Keep the net clear Taya," Junebug said in gentle reproach. Reaching up she touched a toggle on her helmet changing the display from thermal to millimeter radar. Both views could cut through the pall of dust but the radar return, properly interpreted but her helmet AI, gave better fine detail than the blurs of pastel heat did. Peering through the scope she waited for the right moment.

___________________________________

The crowd of natives screamed in fear, others tore at their hair and still others fled. Several took uneasy steps towards Wetumpkah their faces an agony of indecision. Those closet to the pair of Shaman's were clearly harder and more loyal than their cohorts, the raised their weapons in bar of their fellows and Wetumpkah began to recover his confidence.

"They desecrate our shrines, destroy our homes and defile our women!" he roared, raising his arms to harangue the crowd once more.

"They are false Starmen! Cursed by Rakeeri!" The Holy man screamed spittle flying from his mouth so great was his rage.

"Kill them and avenge the fallen they stole from us!" The Shaman raised his stone axe and pointed it at Neil. Quetzalli stepped before the pilot her own arms raised.

"He is the chosen of Rakeeri!" The girl shouted, her voice surprisingly clear and carrying in the commotion. She seized Neil's hand and lifted it high for all to see, showing the strange tattoo to the crowd. The distant mountain top light with sudden scarlet fire as Junebug, listening to the conversation through the commo net, detonated the bundled flares they had placed there. The top of the mountain flickered with pale red flame.

"Rakeeri!" the girl shouted, dark eyes pale and triumphant! A second flicker of fire rolled from the mountain top and then a third as she raised both arms to the heavens. One of the villagers sank to her knees in the dirt, eyes fearful. Then a second and a third.

"No! NO! NO!" screetched Wetumpkah in desperation but it did no good. Within a few seconds only the two Shaman remained standing. The volcano exploded in light as Junebug detonated the remaining store of explosives simultaneously. Crying out the larger shaman threw himself into the dirt.

"You will not take her from me!" Wetumpkah screamed and before anyone could react hurled his axe at Neil. Without thinking Quetzalli through herself in font of Neil, the heavy stone axe sinking into her body with a sickening crunch and a scream of pain. Wetumpkah's chest exploded in a cyan flash as Junebug's plasma bolt caught him at the base of the breastbone. The Shaman was pitched several feet backwards by the blast that filled the night with a mist of blood and cooking meat.

[Assistant]
Junebug would hear Taya gasp in terror from the other side of the mic even as she felt the recoil of the shot that killed Wetumpkah. A hush fell over the crowd as they bowed, and though a few of them gazed upwards, many were too horror stricken from the explosions and the 'godly' power to dare move their heads. Wetumpkah hit the ground with a hard, wet slap. Dead.

Time seemed to slow for Neil as he saw the jerk of Quetzalli's body and her scream as she fell, the axe stuck in her abdomen. He suddenly felt a pain he'd not felt for many years coursing through his body. His head burning, his chest following suit accompanied with a tightened feeling. His muscles felt too weak to move, and his triumphant face was stricken with a numb horror as he watched. It was only on instinct that he moved, leaping down to catch her before she hit any hard stone.

The pilot with the ever grinning face who'd laugh before leaping into danger had disappeared. His mind went far back to Fortus during that faithful evening when the love of his life had been killed. Flashes of her pretty face and her workman's cap appeared before his very eyes. Her boyish attitude coupled with her girlish charm. A wrench in her hand and a strength to her character, before she would stick her tongue out his way in a teasing manner. He remembered their first kiss, and when he had fallen in love. He wanted to relive those.

Not a death. Not again.

He'd been too busy to entertain and understand how fond he was of Quetzalli, but even if that were not the case she had stuck by him and believed in him. What's more, if it wasn't for the color of her skin and hair, she almost looked like...her.

"No," he breathed, letting her lie on his lip and brushing some of her hair out of her face. "No, no no, come on. Don't you fuckin..." His breathing was as shallow as his hopes, and a chill ran up his spine as he looked down at where the axe was. The haft and axe blade were heavy, and he wished he could have removed it but it wasn't safe to.

"Hi-lo." She said softly, shuddering from the pain and reaching up to touch Neil's cheek, her eyes half closed. He wanted to talk to her and comfort her, but he was too busy checking the axe wound. A small glimmer of hope began to appear after he looked. The blade was embedded in her stomach, but not in a vital way. Thank God she had been wearing some of Sayeeda's armored clothes. If she didn't lose too much blood he could save her. "Sssshhh don't talk alright?" he said, cupping her cheek. "You insane woman."

"You saved my life," she said slowly, finding the words. "I saved yours."

He opened his comm to Junebug. "She's bleeding out. If we don't get her back to the ship soon..." Neil began, but he couldn't quite finish the rest in front of her. Instead he turned to the only Shaman still alive. "You! New Shaman!" He yelled, before he realized he was speaking Imperial and then repeated it in Zil, causing the Shaman to look up in awe and reverence. "You have blessing if you save her life!"


[System]
Race: Human

Sex: Female

Age: 28

Class: Engineer, Vehicle Mechanic and Weapon Tech

Appearance:

Picture commissioned by Riley Stark, many thanks!

Tanya stands at 5'06" and sports a lean, strong frame of the Alliance Marine she once was. She sports a piercing gaze with her dark grey eyes and a non-regulation crop of nearly black hair that gives her a somewhat wild appearance. She carries herself in a confident but independent way.

Background:  Born 2148CE to a Systems Alliance Marine named Lieutenant-Commander Eric Carson, Tanya was born a month after the Prothean relics were discovered on Mars. Tanya's father was initially a member of the British Armed Forces, but when the Systems Alliance Charter was formed a year after Tanya's birth, he found himself transferring to the newly formed alliance of 18 independent nations with the hopes of being among the first humans to see another solar system. The discovery of the Prothean artefacts confirmed what he always suspected; there was other intelligent life in the galaxy. Lt. Commander Carson signed on with 4th Frontier Division, attached to the 6th Fleet, and the Carson clan found themselves among the first colonists on the newly discovered Terra Nova.

Tanya's family had a long history of military service, and she is able to trace her ancestry back to the Napoleonic Wars. The firstborn males had a tendency of enlisting in the military, a proud Carson family tradition, although that was by no means the only member of the family in the service; during the Boer War, seven Carson brothers fought in South Africa, and only four came home. The man who would eventually end up becoming Tanya's great-great-great-great grandfather brought home his Lee-Enfield rifle and passed it down to his firstborn son upon his deathbed. This was the beginning of a well-established family tradition.

Terra Nova was the first home Tanya remembered, and the dark, barely hospitable planet seemed perfectly normal to her, although she noticed her parents often argued over their new home. Terra Nova was a dark, mostly desert world with scorching temperatures and an atmosphere with high concentrations of methane and carbon dioxide, making it uncomfortable for the initial Earth-Born colonists to acclimatize to. Their argument was put on hold when an incident at Shanxi in 2157CE caused the 4th Frontier Division to assign regiments on loan to the 2nd Fleet as a reaction force, with the promise of being returned to the 6th Fleet after the incident was resolved. This incident would become the First Contact War, and Lt. Commander Carson's first encounter with extra-terrestrial life would prove to be fatal. He returned to Terra Nova to a grieving wife and an only child.

Tanya was only 9 when she lost her father, and instead of growing to hate the aliens who killed him, she wanted to know who they were. She had grown up on the knee of her father, telling her stories of great wars long past and the deeds of her ancestors. This was no different, only the enemy wasn't human. Her father died a hero, and while she missed him terribly, she was proud of him. He may have died, but he took out half a platoon before he succumbed to his wounds, the man who came to their prefabricated home told them.

To Tanya, these turians were probably like the Dutch, French, Russian and German enemies of her ancestors' past. If they could learn to forgive each other after decades, if not centuries, of fighting, maybe the turians wouldn't be so different. To her surprise, her prediction came true shortly after the counter-attack and Tanya was shocked to discover there were more aliens out there than just the turians, and they were the ones who stopped the war.

While Eric Carson didn't leave a son behind, his daughter was more than willing to pick up the mantle. Despite her mother, Belle's, protests, Tanya took to wanting to learn how to be a marine like her father, and get off of Terra Nova to see who these aliens were in person. She threw herself into learning how the family vehicles worked, as her father had shown her, and continued shooting with her father's hunting rifle. Her life was becoming increasingly surrounded by machines as well as her school studies, and she was on a fast track to joining the Alliance as a combat engineer.

Her dreams were almost derailed by a falling for a boy named Gary she had grown up with on the colony whose father was close to hers, and both never came home from Shanxi. The two threw themselves at becoming mechanics and he had all but convinced her that the colony needed people with their skills. It was true, in their suburb in Scott, barely anyone knew how to maintain their own vehicles, as most of the skilled members were in the Alliance and needless to say occupied elsewhere. They were even set to get married after a whirlwind romance when Gary was killed on his motocycle the week before the ceremony, leaving Tanya bitter and alone. Three months later, in 2166CE, Tanya enlisted in the Systems Alliance 63rd Division and specialized as a combat engineer shortly afterwards. Before she left Terra Nova, her mother presented Tanya with the old Lee-Enfield rifle and her father's medals, and her blessing to do what all Carsons were born to do.

In 2170CE, Tanya and the 63rd Division found themselves moving in respond to the bartarian slaver raid on Mindoir. Tanya did not know much about the bartarians other than they didn't see eye to eye with humanity over colonization rights, but the brazen attack on the colony left her shocked. Her unit deployed and she had her first taste of combat, and it was not a positive experience. Her unit was heavily outgunned and the casualties were staggering; the 63rd was unable to break the bartarian lines and attempt to rescue the colonists. Tanya found herself running off less than 4 hours of sleep in two days, and the new A-61 Mantis Gunships and M29 Grizzlys were in constant need of repairs due to the chaos of combat. While the men and women of her platoon fought off a bartarian counter attack, Tanya fought in the way she knew best; fixing the hell out of anything that needed it. Because of her efforts, there was enough armour and air support to keep their line from collapsing. She was awarded a Distinguished Service Medal for her actions.

After the battles in Mindoir, the 63rd was deployed in various regions of the galaxy, and Tanya had found herself becoming rather bitter at the whole affair. She had regular nightmares about what she'd seen on the colony, and couldn't shake the feeling of that happening to Terra Nova. For the next 3 years, Tanya served with the Alliance until she decided to retire with honours after seven years of service in 2173CE. She returned home for a time until she grew restless, realizing her place was with the galaxy. After taking off to Elysium to look for work in the wake of the Skyllian Blitz, she decided to take her chances with an upstart crew where she could make her mark on the galaxy - and escape from her demons.

Equipment:

-Elanus Risk Control Services M-15 Vindicator Assault Rifle
-Ariake Technologies M-23 Katana Shotgun
-Elanus Risk Control Services M-3 Predator Heavy Pistol
-Kassa Fabrication Polaris Omni-Tool
-Devlon Industries Explorer Light Armour

Powers:

-Energy Drain
-AI Hacking
-Cryo-Ammo
-Sabotage
-Combat Drone
-Incinerate
Font Colour: Cyan, 6ecff6

[User]
Duuka's search of the various rooms of the ship provided him with the answer that he had suspected all along; The ship didn't have anything in the way of internal security. It did make sense through; The ship was very small and thus actually setting up something like cameras or turrets was kind of pointless. Besides, it was doubtful that any pirates would want to board the ship in the first place, since it clearly didn't look like it had anything worth salvaging.

Most beings didn't have the foresight to see potential through....

Completely ignoring the explosion in order to make his way towards the kitchen area, ducking and sliding through the various different sized doorways with a lot more ease then a lot of the rest of the crew seemed to be having. He had noticed noticed that most of his peers had brought along a crate or two of their personal belongings; All Duuka had brought with him was the Terminator I rifle that he was keeping on his person and the 'armor' that he was wearing. It was all that he had to bring with him...

Stepping into the kitchen area and looking around to see that there were currently two humans, the drell, the krogan and one of the asari already there, he offered up a polite little wave before walking over to see what was one of the random storage areas that didn't already have someone searching through it. Deciding to at least try and get an idea of who he was working with, he tried to remember some of the social lessons that his mother had taught him. "You know if I had known that this ship would have been heading straight for Omega, I wouldn't have bothered sneaking onto that ship to Ilium. I could have just waited for you guys to have shown up at home."

[Assistant]
Studying the Turian with a neutral expression, Tia considered her options. The pilot certainly appeared to be sincere in her words, and it had been a while since anyone had spoken to her in such a manner. The differing facial structures made reading their expressions slightly more difficult.

After a moment's consideration, Tia closed her eyes. "The docks and shipyards of Omega are controlled almost exclusively, either directly or by proxy, by the three main gangs: Blue Suns, Eclipse, and Blood Pack. It is impossible to enter the station without passing through one of their territories. The Blood Pack control the fewest docks, but they are used primarily by their own members. Most people avoid them, for obvious reasons. Since they control the majority of the smuggling trade, the Eclipse control more points of entry on the station than anyone. Orahu District is firmly within Blue Suns territory, and they keep the most rigid control over their holdings." She opened her eyes, giving Dex a cold stare. "My desire to avoid our destination is one borne of necessity. I have an agreement to honour: I do not return to Omega, and in exchange, I get to live. Had I known this would be our destination before hand, I would not have boarded this ship in the first place."

Tia turned away, speaking over her shoulder. "As I told you, I have no desire to be shot. Now, unless there is anything else, I need to think."

[User]
"Her tech has done much worse, at least it was mild this time. And it didn't explode in anyone's face either. Though before we all start chewing each other out, let's at least know what to call each other. My name is Vellios Malkai, my companion with the exploding droids is Serena Mathews."

"It would be a dull life if we didn't blow shit up from time to time. Tanya Carson." She replied, offering a hand to Vellios and Serena in turn. She watched impassively as Serena tried to explain her fuck-up to the sour-looking asari, probably wishing she didn't have to do that song and dance too many times before the day was through. At least her sense of humour was intact; it counted for a lot when living in the cramped confines of a ship. A joke here and there could help defuse some otherwise tense situations, such as blowing up the cargo hold in the first hour of disembarking.

Resting bitchface asari continuing on, Vellios, Serena, and Tanya were left to their devices. Tanya returned to her work station, gesturing for Shithead to come to her. Her omni-tool sprang to life as she began the data transfer from Shithead's surveillance of the buggy. She'd send the drone to take a look at the small skid steer next. As she began to review the data, she called out to the others. "So, what's your story? You two seem to know each other, which is more than the rest of us can say. What made you decide to respond to sketchy classified postings you probably saw on some bathroom stall somewhere?"


[System]
Universe: Overlord

Appearance:

Personality: Evil, the Overlord is evil incarnate. However, the terms of evil have always been subjective, but you can say that his goals aren't the most noblest of things. He likes to control things, be it from his vast hordes of minions to personally dominating every single civilian in an entire town. Even though he may quite aggressively take over towns and cities, his rule is fairly decent, he doesn't kill anyone that obeys him and gives people rewards when it is due. Though, he is still quite evil, majority of the people are mind controlled that would be willing to die for him if given enough shocking to the brain, and most of the rest are sent to slavery. However, he does have one exploitable weakness, he does like himself some ladies around him, mainly the ones with large chests. He wouldn't risk everything to gain them, but he would be quite protective if one ever joins his side, and maybe something else in the bedroom if you know what I mean.

Powers/Skills: Supernaturally tough, he can take volleys of arrows and dozens of swipes from the finest metal and still fight to the last breath. He can also take several direct catapult and ballista shots while merely taking a step back from the lethal damage. The Overlord is, as well, inhumanly strong. He can strike with any weapon with devastating power, able to almost crush anything is this path with sheer strength. Also mastered in most medieval weaponry, he can easily create combos to lock opponents or knock them down for even more devastating attacks while the opponent is down. The Overlord is also versed inside the world of magic, able to control fire with his whim as spews of flame gushes through his hand while several pillars of flame surround him. He can also control the weak minded, confuse, slow, and even turn others on their own teammates! He may also shield himself with his magic, only himself and even keeping it up for a couple of minutes is quite draining on the might Overlord. However, the Overlord still has one power left, and possibly the strongest.

The Overlord is able to control creatures known as Minions. They are small, goblin-esque creature that are completely loyal to the Overlord and will only take order from the Overlord with no question. There are four types of minions, brown, red, green, and blue. Brown is the epitome of brawn over brain, they are the grunts of the horde and the most important type of minion. They have the brain size smaller than a walnut, and also have a strange obsession of putting things on their heads. Reds are the arsonist of the four, they love to burn things from far away and then dance on the fiery corpses of their enemies. Greens, they are the sneaky and stinky types of the minions, able to deal massive amounts of damage from behind, they are also able to turn transparent if they stand still for long enough. The blues, they are the weakest of the four, they are the mystical types of the minions. They are able to revive recently dead minions and are able to phase through objects at will, if they ever get into any type of fight, they usually die in one hit. However, with the Overlord being taken from his universe, will the minions come with him, or will he be without an army to command?

Brief Bio: The son of the last Overlord, he takes over the business of being the Overlord and conquers the lands that were actually more corrupted than himself. The Empire, a once good society turned evil, the Overlord must take over the land to install his own evilness within the world! He does this exact thing, he takes on the entire Empire, the last of the eleven empire, and the dangerous lands that the Overlord had to wade through, conquering man and nature. At the end, the Overlord controlled the entire map, everyone enslaved to his rule while keeping his three mistresses entertained. However, during his glourious reign of evil, he was suddenly plucked out of existence to become the play thing of something, and the Overlord isn't going to take that at all.

Equipment:
* The Infernal Armour - Resilient, forged from the life force of over one-hundred minions and pure crystallized good and evil. This armor allows the Overlord to take a beating, and barely even flinch.
* The Infernal Commander - A pressuring force, this allows the Overlord to intimadate the weak by merely looking at them while he is able to control more minions.
* The Apocalypoter - A giant two-handed mace, the third strike spewing fire out of the weapon while being pounded into oblivion.

[User]
Jake Lawton - Yellow Flag

Jake is a bit annoyed from Autoscorer's response. "Anyways, I don't know if I'm convincing or not but I change my mind that I do not need help from this untrusted strange world since I'm independent myself. Well, if you excuse me, I need to be alone a bit and try to think to how to escape from this hellhole." Jake said as he turn his position towards the bartender. He wasn't happy from Autoscorer's response but seriously; he is thinking about how to escape this damn world as he looks down, trying to concentrate from what he was thinking right now.

[Assistant]
Garie - Yellow Flag

Gari would have shrugged as she watched Jake go, if she could muster the lack of caring necessary for it. As it stood, she merely shifted to the side as he left. "What's his problem," she muttered to herself indifferently. She wanted to escape too, that was for sure, but for that she needed magical, alchemical assistance. Some space cowboy wasn't going to be able to help with that, especially if he couldn't muster a single motivation for them working together beyond 'because we're in the same situation.'

That said, she turned to listen to the explanation as it was given. Well then, someone who wanted to kill a nigh omnipotent being? That was a goal that Garie could get along with, and one that she knew Carol could approve of. It was secondary to getting out of here, of course, but she wouldn't be above lending a hand when the time came.

And shortly thereafter there was an appearance from the mysterious figure in person. Garie frowned, unimpressed by the sight that she was greeted to, the humanoid figure with a legitimate question mark on his face. Hmph, Carol was more impressive. Especially hen she was going all out.

Well, for now there was nothing to be done about it. She would play along, and wait for her opportunity to act, and take advantage of whatever situation arose. So, she rested in the bar a few moments longer before heading out into the city. She needed shelter, and the memories she had gotten would provide that. And if the relevant people complained, well, she could deal with that. All in all, this would be simple.

[User]
Donkey Kong

---

As the static and void burst into view outside of the train cars, Donkey Kong lumbered out and peered at the rift-screen. He listened intently to the omnipotent Viewer's explanation, growing angrier with each word, his shoulders heaving at a higher frequency for every second he listened to his adversary's babbling.

DK didn't like his diction. "Survive?" That implied that people were going to die. Donkey Kong nearly threw up his bananas at the thought.

He pounded his fist into his palm. Ooh, that ?-fellow was in for a walloping; DK would pound him like an item block as soon as he got the chance. He would ram his meaty gorilla fist right up the Viewer's--

Dizzy

---

"Wow! It's like we're on TV!" Dizzy cheered, spinning around on her hind wheels. "Brilliant! I have lots of talents!"

Dizzy leaned back and picked up three smooth stones, juggling them between her wheels like balls. Her eyes followed their path, swirling around and around and around, before she deftly tossed each one into her drum. THUNK! THUNK! THUNK! "I'm always up for games!" Dizzy rambled. "Oh, I do hope there is checkers!"

Dizzy continued to rattle off fun board games, seemingly oblivious to the apparent danger that the characters were in. "Maybe there'll be card games as well!" Dizzy quipped.

[Assistant]
The Overlord - Roanpur

The Overlord glanced at Marchesa, he had forgotten about the test that he had setten up to determine her worth. It seemed that she had survived the flaming inferno without a third-degree burn on her, it seemed that she at least had the skill of dodging lethal objects, but he needed more than that to allow another living being to follow in his presence. However, in the situation of being trapped without a minion in sight, he could make some adjustments to what could eagerly die for him. However, there seemed to be something bigger than determining what minions could follow him, and that would be the overwhelming presence of this stranger. The Overlord stretched his shoulders, allowing his mace to scrape against his armor, trying to deter the stranger from fighting as fighting this being without his minions would be mere suicide.

The glowing eyes followed the strange man, watching closely for any sudden movements which would allow the Overlord to use this insignificant lady as a meat shield. However, his pathing seemed to note that a fight wouldn't insue, but he was walking over to one of the corpses on the floor. What was he going to do with them? Eating them was an option, seeing Melvin eat all of that meat during battle was an abhorrent strategy for fighting, though it may have made him stronger, it just made it easier to pop him like the zit. The stranger sooned moved something rather than his legs, the Overlord shifted only slightly, the armor shifting across each other, the mace scraping against his shoulder, and his slitted eyes giving a more dangerous look. Ready to slam his mace into DIO's face and make his escape into the city, once again, the pathing of his hands and arms seemed to go another direction rather than the most obvious. DIO seemed to damage himself, lightly plucking at his skins causing blood to slip out of his body. Did this man fight with his blood? The Overlord soon noticed that the blood was actually going into the body of one of the corpses. The mighty steel man pondered, what was going to happen.

His question was answered as the corpse seemed to greedily drink the corpse, the pale body's wounds started to disappear, the flesh mending itself in a magical manner. Strange, the Overlord thought that only the blood pools in the old world could do that, did this man somehow infuse his blood with that of his own? Though, the blood pool couldn't revive the dead, only mend the most fatal of wounds. What was this creature?

Deep in thought, trying to discover what kind of creature the Overlord was dealing with, he didn't notice the twitch of life that was coming back to the body. Though, he did notice when DIO helped up the monster to its feet which made the Overlord glare at DIO, succubus? Is this some new type of demon? Only they could revive the dead in such a manner, and not even in the same purity of the corpse. They only revived as zombies, lifeless, rotten, and simple minded creatures. What kind of magic did this creature have left in him? The Overlord, not betraying his posture still looked at the stranger with genuine interest. This could possibly be the new Overlord if handled properly, the magic that he possess, the sheer intimidating presence, and that evil aura. The Overlord wondered, if he was his replacement in the future, how long shall he last? The Overlord shooed that thought away, he is the Overlord, he shall overcome any obstacle in his reign, and it seemed that this man was the biggest obstacle yet, the Overlord needed to be warey of his being.
The Overlord was tasked with two things, allow this being to join his rule, or dismiss him to be the biggest enemy he has ever faced. It was a challenging task, if was in full power, he could possibly take down this foe, but without his mob, he was severally weakened. So, with careful consideration, the Overlord looked at the fellow and nodded to this plan. The Overlord right after, could sense something sinister force, even on the verge of overwhelming the cladded iron man. However, he shall stay strong, as he is the Overlord, he shall never falter in his reign.

Krieg - Mahoru

Krieg had managed to stand on his own two feet, climbing a vertical wall with only a shoddy axe and strength was something that would tire almost any out. He greedily sucked in the clean air, trying to get his breath to stabilize as his eyes scanned his opponent. He looked strong, or at least produced the aura of being strong as he stood silently with his lamppost. Krieg smiled with an almost sinister aura, fighting was in his blood, there was most likely combined with other people's blood, but their blood also had the fighting spirit within them. His grip of his buzz-axe tightened as the strong man seemed to show off his ability with the bizarre weapon. "Do not engage, I repeat do not engage. I swear, if you start swinging that thing witho-"

The voice in Krieg's head was interrupted, it was interrupted with a speech that got Krieg even more eager to battle. "Yeeeeeeeeeeeeesss, AGAIN!" Krieg screamed out, his body rearing to get into another scrap to the death. The voice on the other hand could see where this was going, and he couldn't stop Krieg with all of this taunting. It paused for a few seconds, trying to think of an idea to not let Krieg kill this man, and a brilliant idea entered Krieg's mind.

"Don't kill them, this is duel. This is just for fun, for fun…"

Krieg didn't react to his statement, did he listen? The voice in his head started to worry, he just needed to be on his toes to stop this fight from getting too violent to cause either death or harm on the onlookers. The Psycho on the other hand drooled in anticipation, a tiny countdown inside of his head counting down.

Five… Four… Three… Two… One…

"Bring it ON"

Krieg's eyes shined with blood fury, and he laughed inside of a frightening manner as he activated his Buzz Axe Rampage.

"This is gonna get ugly…"

"YESYESYESYES!!!"

Krieg, with much anticipation, ran with amazing speed towards Jax. As his feet hit the ground, the rhythmic beat starting to get into the psycho, he laughed once again before chucking his buzz-axe straight at his opponent. The rusted weapon aiming true to the man, and though one may think he had just lost his most precious weapon. Another buzz-axe digistructed right into his hands. "BLOOOOODDDD!" With every step, he threw another buzz-axe towards Jax, and another, and another, and another until it looked like a hurricane of blades were after his opponent. Krieg didn't stop the momentum, it was just getting faster and faster as he started to get closer and closer. Krieg was just waiting for the right moment, his legs bending just in the perfect angle… And… JUMP!

The Psycho flew high into the air, his buzz-axe aiming for the shoulder, a non-lethal spot if you didn't get too deep, but that was all that the voice could do to help this man. Krieg continued to scream as he descended before Jax, his strategy in any fight was to fight like he was going to die at any moment, and most of the time everyone on Pandora fought in a similar way.


[System]
Age: 20

Gender: Male

Race: Human

Appearance:

Personality: Gideon, outside of combat, is a bubbly, friendly and chivalrous man with a good understanding of what respect actually is. He is humorous and highly protective of his friends and allies, getting in the way of a fight and defending an ally or someone in need a lot, which some may view as a kind of foolish chivalry. He is also incredibly tenacious... or stubborn. He enjoys challenging himself, pushing his body further and further, or defeating the next big opponent. That's what makes Gideon... Gideon.

Profession: Jedi

Skills:

Form V Specialist- Form V, or Shien is the fifth jedi combat form that focuses on using defence as an offence. A prime example is deflecting a blaster shot back at enemies.

Force expert- The strong spiritual matter, known as the force, have always piqued the interest of Gideon, and he uses it very well for a simple Jedi.

Abilities:

Force Powers- As a Jedi, Gideon can use the force, and has a natural aptitude for it. Gideon has found the technique of concentrating the force on his left forearm into a kind of shield, resembling that of a buckler shield, which gives him a small edge in combat.

Equipment: Blue lightsaber with the hilt being entirely silver. Although the hilt is basic and not as eccentric as others, Gideon made his personal by inscribing the alternate Jedi Code on the hilt, the code recited by younglings in their initiate trials-

Emotion, yet peace. Ignorance, yet knowledge. Passion, yet serenity. Chaos, yet harmony. Death, yet the Force.

Brief Backstory: As a child, Gideon always got in physical fights, without him being the initial aggravator. The way Gideon got involved was by stepping in front and fighting the bully or person who went to go fight Gideon's friend. However, this got him landed on his arse more times than he'd like to remember. However, on one Life Day, Gideon discovered his small yet still existent connection to the force, confirming he was force-sensitive. He was eventually discovered by a Rodian Jedi, who subsequently inspired Gideon to become a Jedi. Time flew by for him until he actually begun to wield his own lightsaber. He lived and breathed duelling. Gideon would spend night and day learning, analysing and practicing the first five forms, while also reading about form VI and VII, however he would soon discover that his talent was in the force. Gideon remembers sparring practice with Saku Ria who gained his upmost respect for her skill in the blade as well. This however only pushed him to become better and better, so he could one day beat the elder Jedi in duelling skill. Having not made much improvement, he decided to dabble in the force a bit more, and found his sensitivity to the force had since grown exponentially since he last paid attention, it was since then he swapped the majority of his time from duelling to the force. It has always been a motivation for him to become a knight and train an apprentice, someone he himself could train and mentor.

---

[User]
It was a sight to behold, an angry Orryxian bashing her fists against the Ardent Liberty's pilot console. "I hate Hutt Space...", Kara cursed. They were drifting in front of the Huttese Golan III defence platform for four hours now and they were not let down to the Spaceport. After letting out a stream of expletives, Kara turned the comm-panel back on.

"Commander, your urgency to land seemed suspicious to some Hutts, therefore we are going to scan your ship once more before you can proceed the the spaceport. We are very sorry for this inconvenience, but the Republic is not that welcome in Hutt Space."
Kara sighed.
"I understand. However, I will have to file a report to the Senate about this. They will not be happy about this delay." This was her final gamble, something she learned in one of her more... diplomatic missions. And it usually paid off.

"The Senate? Oh... I am very sorry, we thought this was a warship and not an ambassador of the Senate. And we're sorry for not contacting you earlier." It always pays off to play the diplomat, Kara thought smiling a little.
"You're assigned to landing bay 27, don't stray from your assigned course.", came another person from the orbital station.

"Finally...", Kara muttered under her breath as she put the course into the computer, then she activated the comm once more.
"Fighter pilots, we've received landing clearance, please proceed to dock with the Ardent Liberty."

One thing Kara never understood about pilots was their decision to stay in their fighter cockpit, even when travelling through hyperspace. It was baffling to her.

"well, then... Let's get to it." With these words Kara pushed any distracting thoughts into the back of her head, clearing her throat and activating the intercomm.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, we've just gotten landing clearance. I'm very sorry for the delay. It seems the Hutts are not very fond of Republic ships appearing on their doorstep. Probably because they have something to hide. We're now posing as a diplomatic corps from the Senate, I don't know how this will complicate the mission, but they would not have let us dock otherwise. For questions, come to the bridge or wait until we have landed."

Deciding it would be safer to do so, Kara deactivated the autopilot and the guidance system she had fed with the coordinates of the docking port displayed a row of green beacons on her HUD. Slowly and smoothly she eased the ship into the atmosphere of Nar Shaddaa.

[Assistant]
Bounty Hunter Krat Gyton

A black and red X-Wing flew towards Nar Shaddaa slowly. In it was a Mandalorian, wanting to get some credits. It was hard for him to get past the spaceborder control, as they thought he was with the Republic because he flew an X-Wing, but after he managed to convince them that he was a bounty hunter trying to find some 'smugglers who didn't pay their employers what they owed', they let him through. It was not a total lie though, he was trying to find some law breakers. However, he was more interested in the people at the secret meeting. He bet the Republic would pay a lot for some of them, and as he liked the way the Republic was handling it's government, he would help them. For now.

He landed on the appointed landing spot, opened his cockpit and got out. "Denying, you stay at the fighter. I will be back soon." The R2 astrodroid started to complain with its bleeping. Krat sighed. "Look, Denying, I know you want to come with me and kick some butt, but this is a stealth mission with much climbing involved. I don't think you are able to do that though." One long, annoyed bleep came from the droid. "You know what, I'll make a deal with you: You stay at the fighter and I give you permission to aim at anyone who comes too close to it. I even allow you to shoot anyone who touches it. Do we have a deal?" The droid now sounded as happy as it could be, and started turning the turret at the bottom of the X-Wing around towards the people walking past the docks. "That's a good droid!" Krat said, then walked away from the fighter. It was time for him to get ready for the job.

[User]
Delro the Hutt was remarkably thin for his species. That is to say, he was incredibly large, but was still able to fit into a luxury speeder with little modification. Which was a good thing, considering that Lucar didn't like the idea of being smashed up against Hutt girth and a wall. He took the cigar offered by the red servant droid standing beside the Hutt, lighting it up.

"Now, you must understand, Delro. This cabinet is made of genuine rainbow wood- native to Alderaan. The value of such a fine cabinet has skyrocketed over the past twenty years..."

The Hutt garbled on. {"I'm aware, Lucar. But I need this cabinet NOW."}

"Yes, Delro, and that's what concerns me. That's an awfully large transaction to be making out of the blue."

{"My wife's mother is coming from Nal Hutta to stay with us for a few days. You KNOW what she's like."}

"Oh, Dekra. That explains it. Well, as this IS a very unusual item- one of the last surviving pieces of rainbow wood furniture, you understand- I'm afraid I can't accept less than, say... Nine thousand credits? Plus shipping, of course."

The Hutt shook his head. {"Lucar, I know as well as you do that cabinet's overpriced. Six thousand."}

"Six thousand? Delro, I'm not selling you a prom dress here. This is made of rainbow wood, for goodness sake. But for you, I can do, say... eighty-two fifty?"

{"Yeah, the rainbow wood's why I want the damn thing. Seven Thousand."}

"Seventy-five hundred, but I want it up front."

The speeder came to a stop as the Hutt glared at Lucar. Seeing the warehouse out the window, Lucar began to assume this was a shakedown, reachign down into his pockets for his weapons... shortly before Delro laughed and nodded.

{"You always drove a hard bargain, Lucar. Seventy-five hundred it is."} The Hutt made his way to the ramp. {"You'll get your money as soon as this meeting's over. For now, just stay put."}

Leaving Lucar in the speeder, parked in an alley next to a warehouse, Delro slithered in.

[Assistant]
At the back of the Ardent Liberty's hanger sat a standard Republic A-Wing Starfighter, its systems powered but engines offline, a young Jedi Knight fast asleep in its open cockpit. She had one foot hanging out and her other pressing against the floor, her back hunched in poor posture and her head resting at an angle; she would have looked uncomfortable were it not for how deep in slumber she appeared to be, even drooling on the cold metal. A red safety light blinking above and a glowing HUD illuminated her furrowed expression as it began to intensify, her mind getting lost in dreams.

Whether it was something in the force or just the depressing cold of space, a darkness began to cloud her dream. Suddenly her head jerked as she woke wide eyed, at once sitting up straight as she quickly focused, adjusting to her surroundings as if prepared for an attack. Her mind calmed and she used her sleeve to wipe the drool from her face. Just then the intercom started to broadcast,

"Ladies and Gentlemen, we've just gotten landing clearance..." Good timing, Elyka thought, attempting to shrug off her unusual awakening.

She could feel the soreness in her neck sleeping like she did, rubbing with her right hand as she stretched her other arm. She reasoned she'd rest in a fighter's seat so that she would be at the helm for any kind of emergency, but that was no longer necessary since they were about to land. Pulling herself out of the cockpit and standing tall on the wing of the small fighter, Elyka stretched her arms and yawned before hopping off.

As she stared off into the view of Nar Shaddaa's approaching atmosphere from behind the wide forcefield for a few moments, she felt Akyra's presence at the hangar's entrance. Elyka had first met her when they were Padawans, and they had completed a couple missions together as Knights, so she was probably more familiar with her than anyone else on the ship. "Ever been to Nar Shaddaa?" she asked loudly from a distance as she headed towards her fellow Jedi, sounding excited about their mission.

"Let's regroup with the others before we land," motioning for Akyra to come along, walking down the hallway towards the briefing room, where Elyka assumed the others might be waiting.

[User]
Gideon Shurima finished his patrol of the Ardent Liberty, the ship that would take him and his fellow Jedi to Nar Shaddaa, the moon hub of criminals, bounty hunters, and perhaps Sith. It was about time, Gideon was getting a little board of policing duty, but now it was a mission by Great Master Skywalker himself! Now that was truly exciting to Gideon. With the routine patrol finished, the human Jedi sighed with relief as he could now enjoy himself for what time he had left before they arrived to their destination. Unlike some of the crew and personnel, Gideon wasn't bothered by being cooped up on the ship. It was kind of... peaceful, apart from the impeding threat of pirates or an imperial ambush. Speaking of the others, perhaps it was time to pay Saku a visit. They hadn't talk much after departing so it might be nice to catch up with one of the fellow Jedi's. Who was there? Saku, Elyka and Akyra, right?. Gideon set of straight away, passing a rather odd, hooded man, using a screwdriver against his arm... ah, he's seen stranger.

Gideon arrived to where Saku was sitting, also with the ER Droid they were accompanied with, F7. However, it was kind of comedic seeing the two together. Saku was small but sitting by F7, even crouched, it really showed. With a smile, Gideon bowed courteously before greeting the two. "Hello, Saku! Hello, F7!" He cheerily said. "How have your journeys been?" The Jedi followed.

---

Fusion

Severus, or Fusion as he was called, contemplated the mission ahead as he ran some compulsory self-maintenance on his arm. With each turn of the screw, Fusion ran through another scenario in his head. Fusion imagined he would provide over-watch outside or infiltrate the criminal meeting and get some eyes and ears in there. However, many things could go wrong and Fusion had to be prepared. There is no room for failure, never was, never will be. Fusion did briefly glance his cyber-eye up as the male Jedi walked past. He almost forgot there were Jedi's of The New Order accompanying the Ardent Liberty, which probably means there is a greater goal that the Grandmaster had in plan. But that wasn't his concern and only will be when he has to. He has a mission, and he's going to complete it to the letter. Fusion got up from his corner, still screwing his arm as he walked to wherever his gear was kept. With the announcement of landing clearance, it would be all to soon before his boots were on the ground.


[System]
Female
Age 24
Appearance
5'6"
Lean flexible athletic build
Light skin (Japanese)
Appears to have shoulder length jet black slightly spikey hair from the front. However her hair splits into parts, taking the longer half and tying it together at the neck into a downwards facing ponytail that reaches her middle back.
Medium sized ahoge, more of angular/rigid spike shape, changes based on their mood/emotions. And electrical charge in battle.
Dark drab blueish-gray/steel left eye.
Yellow right eye with a slit shaped pupil.
Eyebrow over her left eye has a slit break in it towards the outer middle.
Irezumi tattoos:
Right arm- Nagasode style sleeve tattoo extending down to her wrist. Nara black wind bars for a background, with a green snake with a red belly coiling down her arm with it's head ending at her outer wrist.
Left arm- Shichibu style sleeve tattoo extending down to her middle forearm. Nara black wind bars for a background, with a blue snake with a yellow belly coiling up her arm with it's head resting on the front of her upper shoulder. Kanji for Mamushi 蝮 (pit viper) tattooed in black on the inner blank space of her forearm.
Back- Her entire back is covered in large nara black ink clouds for a background. And a large tattoo of the giant 8 headed and tailed snake Yamata no Orochi, various flowers, and lightning bolts in the foreground.
Slightly elongated fang canine teeth on the top and bottom as compared to normal people. Teeth are overall sharper.
Ear piercings- Left: Two slim steel rings on their lobe. Helix cuff.
Right: Circular silver stud on their lobe. Smaller steel cuff at the middle of the outer ear/lower helix.
Black painted nails.

Customized slightly oversized black leather asymmetrical moto jacket. Worn unzipped with belt hanging loose.
Steel curb chain necklace that extends down to her chest. Medium sized silver upside down cross pendant.
Zip-up black hoodie. Worn under her jacket with the hood laid over the jackets collar. Worn unzipped often with the sleeves pulled up to her elbows.
Vintage oversized heavy metal band T-shirts, some with the sleeves cut off. Worn over fishnet shirt. (Metallica, Slayer, Iron Maiden, Led Zeppelin, Megadeth)
Long sleeve black fishnet shirt. Sleeve extends into a fishnet fingerless gloves on the left but is cut off at the wrist on the right.
Silver signet ring on right middle finger with an upside down cross engraved in it.
Mokume-gane Ouroboros shaped ring with pink jeweled eyes on left index finger.
Steel cuban link chain bracelet on right wrist.
Steel studded black leather belt.
Steel chain hanging down at her right side. One end attached to a belt loop, the other to a pocket watch manadial.
Worn/faded slim dark indigo Japanese selvage denim jeans. (Black or stonewash alt. colors)
Black with white accents Onitsuka Tiger Mexico 66 running shoes.
Black calf length open toe and heel socks.

Secondary hairstyle reference (Somewhere in between the two)

Close type of ponytail style reference

Raiya specializes in destructive magic. She is a master of electrical spells, and ruinous spells. She has a great foundation in most all Catholic magics as well as some Japanese Zen Buddhist/Shinto magic. As with her fascination of Japan, she also has a great fascination with snakes and has developed snake themed fighting style and magic. Every so often she sheds her skin, this makes her immune to aging. With her magic powers, she also has the ability to control certain light metals.

Raiya's parents, Japanese immigrants, owned a successful Japanese cuisine restaurant chain in New York City. Both parents died in a burglary gone wrong leaving Raiya orphaned in infancy. With a large mana constitution, Raiya was immediately adopted by the Catholic cathedral and put into mage training. Growing up in the New York Cathedral, she always shadowed Felix and thought of him as her older brother. Raiya was always proficient in magic, and her studies reflected that. Raiya achieved the rank Grand-Mage at the age of seventeen. At the age of twenty she was sent with two other grand-magi to investigate the sudden disappearance of a remote village in Italy. The village was razed, not so much as a 2x4 left standing upright. Investigating the trace of mana waves left by the spell she made her way to a nearby mountain where she found on a cliff-side the definite point of origin of the spell. Looking around the point of origin she found footprints. The foot prints looked exactly like the sole tread of a typical Catholic Magi officer. The level of destruction and the fact that the mana waves left by the spell accounted for only one spell, coupled with the footprint meant the evidence pointed toward an Arch-mage or higher to be the cause of the destruction. Once she returned to the Vatican, she provided the evidence in a council meeting. The council thanked her for the evidence provided but stated that they would be conducting the investigation from then on. Even though the council told her to no longer investigate this issue, Raiya continued the investigation on her own. Looking into the records of those who were gone the night of the destruction of the remote village, she narrowed it down to two, Arch-mage Thadeus and Arch-mage Felix. After obtaining this information, Raiya investigated both Thadues and Felix's living quarters. She discovered that Felix had never even worn his uniform boots, as he wore his own more comfortable combat boots. Thadeus, on the other hand, did not have any other pairs of footwear besides the ones on his feet, which were the uniform boots. Learning of this information but knowing the Vatican council would never listen to her, she approached Felix whom she knew was innocent. She told Felix all of the information she had obtained, but Felix brushed her aside saying that the Vatican was conducting their own investigation and to go against their demands to keep the investigation within their selected team would mean excommunication, even if the information was correct. Felix told her that he would not tell anyone about her own investigation, but pleaded with her to keep quiet about the issue until the Vatican completed their investigation. Raiya couldn't believe what she was hearing, that her cold hard evidence was being brushed aside because of protocol. But what's more, that the investigation team was comprised with Thadeus's brother as a member meant surely that Thadeus would never be convicted of this crime. All of this put into perspective Raiya's membership with the magi, and soon after she left the magi and Catholicism altogether. When she left two others left with her, the other two grand-magi that were on her initial investigation team with her. Soon after they left, they returned to NYC. Because the Vatican saw them as Apostates, they froze all their accounts and social security information, forcing them to make money through means less savory. Instead of falling into despair, Raiya and her two peers adopted the shady lifestyle altogether. Through their magic abilities, it wasn't long before they were running the biggest criminal organization in NYC. Raiya still resides to this day in NYC with the other two magi as her right hand women.

Raiya is seemingly devoid of any positive emotion. Her normal demeanor could be described as aloof. She is seen as a hard nosed, unwavering leader. This makes her well respected by her subordinates in the gang she runs. Though, to those who know her well enough she can be lighthearted. She has a short temper and a low tolerance for annoyances. In her annoyed state she has no problem threatening her friends with one of her sushi knives she keeps in her inner coat pocket, or electrocuting them with her magic. She loves Japan, even though she wasn't raised there herself. Her fanaticism for Japan runs so deep that she has Japanese tattoos, and has even taught herself the language perfectly. She is an excellent chef and specializes in Japanese cuisine. Even though she isn't very sociable, the few friends she does have are kept close to her and she protects them.

[User]
The golem utilized the Paragon of Espial the way it was meant to be utilized, in order to gather information through observation. Its immediate assessment of the group were that the only two threats were Raiya and Nemo. This was the flaw in the formula that programmed the golem that would eventually lead to its ultimate defeat.

As Travis approached, the golem kept its eye Nemo, predicting his moves. It did not, however, predict the scholar and his usage of a mana efficient deep cryo-storm spell. The rune burst forth with a blizzard tempest that quickly froze the giant construct in its place.

The quick freeze spell momentarily disabled the construct, but it quickly rebooted and assessed the damage. Noticing it was frozen, it began to prepare an ignis spell to thaw itself out, the spell would take only a half a minute to activate and fully thaw out the construct.

Raiya raised an eyebrow at Travis and the new rune that she had never seen before. If he ends up taking a liking to Nemo, he could be trouble. Raiya mentally noted.

[Assistant]
Nemo took action as soon as Travis' spell activated. That'll do splendidly. He released his own spell underhand, emitting a football sized ball of white energy traveling as fast as he hurled it. The spell didn't seem all that impressive until it reached about halfway to the golem, speeding up and transforming into a giant X mid-flight about one third the size of the golem itself.

As it approached, the remainder of the blizzard covering the golem seemed to be dispersed by the energy emitting from Nemo's own spell. Sensing the oncoming danger, the ignis spell was overcharged, breaking it's arms lose at the last second. It attempted to generate a magic shield backed by it's massive arms, but Nemo knew it would be pointless. The spell he used was the same type he defeated the late Garvian Stellos with, and one of his strongest. It combined both his raw power and his anti-magic capabilities.

The spell collided with the barrier, instantly shattering it and continuing onto the golem itself. It exploded once it connected with the golem, transferring all the energy forward, ripping through both its arms, and it's body itself. While the front of the golem sustained heavy damage, most of the energy expanded outwards, completely hollowing out the back of it.

Nemo himself was already on the move, he closed in on the golem while it was weak like a jackal. Once in good range he used his warp spell to transport him to the paragon as quickly as possible. Without it's arms, and still reeling from both Travis' and Nemo's attacks, it had nothing left to stop Nemo from plucking the gem from it's socket in time.

Nemo surgically removed the paragon from it's rocky setting, immediately causing the body of the golem to collapse. He dismounted from it before it crashed to the ground, crumbling back into rubble.

After getting back onto solid ground, Nemo strolled back up to the group. He eyed the gem in his hands much like a jeweler would, fascinated by its power but more so by it's beauty. He eventually looked to Travis. "That was a wonderful display, Travis. Very avant-garde. Here, how about you hold it." Nemo complimented him before suddenly tossing him the paragon.

"And you" Nemo continued as he looked over to Raiya, holding his hands up and giving a light but frantic clap for a few moments as he shifted over to her. "I'm glad to see someone can still take it easy around here. High strung people can really start to give me a headache." Nemo explained as he began to almost violently hit himself over the head a few times during his last words. "It's not often I get to have a real audience, so I hope that I can really surpass your expectations, hmm?."

[User]
A chill ran down Raiya's spine. The display of raw power from Nemo, was in a way awesome, but also completely terrifying. And the way he spoke afterwards, him hitting himself in the head. Raiya was dealing with a certified lunatic. Nemo didn't even appear to have broken a sweat after all he had done. And the worst part was, Raiya knew that Nemo had figured out her plan to have him die in an accident.

This could have easily broken Raiya. Leaving her to cower and run and never look back. But instead, she kept composure. Only allowing a hint of wavering in her voice.

"Y-yeah. That was really something. I've never seen any magic quite like it." Raiya replied as she stood up, clutching at the scabbard of her sword hard enough to turn her knuckles white.