[System]
Rank (If applicable): Unggoy Ultra

Species: Unggoy

Appearance: Grikgar
Grik stands 5'8" a little taller than the average Unggoy and weighs 275 lbs. he has a bit more muscle mass packed onto him than others. Wearing the typical white combat harness with the unusual forked tank signifying his rise through the ranks of special operations. Normally he will always be wearing his helmet as it does have a built in speaker so others can hear him better.

Skills: Given his advanced training, Grik is an Explosives and Artillery Expert both with human and covenant ordnance but prefers covenant. He even has an exceptional understanding with disarming explosives and is a great linguist. Being able to understand all of the covenant languages as well as speak most. Even going as far to learn a few human languages and Huragok sign language. Aside from that Grik is a natural born climber and is adept at repairing most equipment.

Preferred Weapons/Equipment:
Main Weapon - T-58 LAAW, Fuel Rod Cannon
Secondary Weapons - Dual T-54D DEP, Plasma Pistol's
Back Up weapon - ODST Combat Knife
Primary Explosives - 4x Type-1 Antipersonnel grenade, Plasma Grenade
Secondary Explosives - 4x Covenant Plasma Charge.
Equipment - Unggoy Ultra Combat Harness with helmet, Active Camouflage, Light Personal Shield (Experimental).

Background: Grikgar was picked up at a young age and put straight into military service. Born on high charity in 2545 he almost immediately was put in a leadership position due to him not fleeing from combat during training like many others of his kind. This trait was picked up on by the Sangheili that were training his batch of hatching's. Because of his unwillingness to flee and being rather fascinated with all things that went Boom, he was given additional training. Unggoy don't have last names or at least didn't in the covenant, instead he took the last name from the ship he was tasked out to, Seeker.

The Seeker of Truth or just "the Seeker" is a CAS-class assault carrier and flagship for the Fleet of Particular Justice. To him it was an honorable position one he took great pride in. he soon found himself in multiple conflicts through multiple worlds in their purge of the humans. Showing again and again how well he could use his skills as an effective Unggoy leader verses small groups of armed humans military or otherwise.

With a rather high success rate and low mortality rate for his squads he was yet again promoted and given more training. Grik would use what free time he had to talk and learn from the other races that would listen to him, even going as far as learning human languages to better understand their music he enjoyed so much. Soon he found himself receiving training to join up with the special operations Unggoy only a few months before the Fleet would hit their next target, Reach.

The battle for Reach was long and bloody the casualty rate for his squad was rather high giving him the chance for promotions. In return he was able to show his superiors his ability with the fuel rod cannon and the explosives training he received to great effect. Being able to take out emplacements and fortified structures with well-placed shots and explosives with little oversight or orders to do so. Showing once again his fearlessness and proficiency with artillery weapons.

After the battle of reach and his continued service aboard "The Seeker" led him to the most glorious moment of his short life. The ability to gaze upon instillation 04. He didn't see much combat wise during that fight, his team always seemed to be sent to retrieve something but never really engaged in combat other than against the sentinels of the ring. His team was still on "The Seeker of Truth" when the ship master ordered the retreat from the ring and subsequently survived the destruction of the ring, only hearing rumors of monsters and demons from the badly shaken crew members that returned.

Grikgar returned with the ship to High Charity and his team was ultimately transferred to "The Reverence" a CPV-class heavy destroyer. The Unggoy participated in many smaller strike missions aboard the destroyer. Then everything began to change, political upheaval and a civil war that spanned the entire covenant. After that some of the Sangheili that he had fought alongside in many battles had been killed, he joined alongside them to fight with them.

After the end of the war Grikgar was tired, he was almost ten years old now. Most Unggoy would barely make it past their 5th birthday. Still, it would seem that his dedication and loyalty would pay off in the end. The new hierarchy of the swords of Sanghelios hand picked him among only a handful of other Unggoy to receive the rank of Ultra with one Unggoy by the name of Stolt given the rank of Ranger and put in command of Sangheili Rangers. Grikgar is unsure why he was given this rank and why he was eventually sent to a human / covenant team. Politics was never his strong suit, he's just doing what he is told.

[User]
Spartan Lucas Ryker

Admittedly, Lucas hadn't anticipated any issues arising as the team boarded the Pelican and each found seats. As he settled into his own pre-mission flight routine, he pulled his sidearm free of its holster and started to disassemble it in his lap and reassemble it. He proceeded to do this several times over the course of the flight before finally reassembling it one last time and holstering it again before pulling one of his modified energy daggers free and activating it, letting the crimson colored energy hum quietly as he flipped the blade around in his hand.

It was a joint Sangheili and human design that had only been issued to a handful of specialist SPARTAN-IVs with orders to give regular updates on things such as strange fluctuations within the blade, if it cuts out mid-combat, performance against other shielded enemies, such as Sangheili loyal to the Remnant, and other such odds and ends. Sending the regular reports back to the eggheads was somewhat obnoxious, but making the design more stable, and therefore more readily available to the rest of the Swords and Human military, was an important thing to do.

Finishing the usual non-combat observations, he deactivates the blade and stores the hilt and starts filing away the usual report to be sent at mission completion after he'd had a chance to confirm the usual combat effectiveness when the pilots shout "Contacts!" Report filing forgotten, Lucas is already moving between members of the team to make sure their harnesses are secure before swiftly moving and securing himself.

"Fireteam secure, Team Leader!" And not a moment too soon as he felt the Pelican shake from impact. The sound of the Mgalekgolo securing itself in place was startling, but not unexpected given it was too large to actually use the seats in the transport, but it was certainly unorthodox and an issue that they should address before the next mission. Bracing in his seat, the SPARTAN-IV rattled a bit with the rough landing, but other than that was fine and as soon as the ship quit sliding, was unhooked and had the twin SMGs in his hand. Vael'Virisusai made a good point about the issue with the precision weaponry against the Sentinel plating, but then, there was always another option, which admittedly required an answer to his question. "Are we looking at a group of Sentinels or a swarm? If it's a swarm, we may want to just get to the Mammoth and hope it's got enough turrets on it."

[Assistant]
Yalu 'Suumko

Yalu's hands tightened on his seat. If there was any downside to human flight technology, it made Yalu feel the sudden lack of weight as they descended. He recited a mantra courage in his mind that kept his emotions level and cut off for every moment out of his control.

They landed, roughly. They were jostled. The screaming metal ran out of momentum. One second passed before Yalu unbuckled himself in a precise flurry. He pulled his carbine out from his back when he joined the others scanning the exits, but had an idea when Vael gave his orders.

"Noted, commander!" Yalu said, slinking over to the tripod-mounted machine gun secured to the loading ramp. While his comrades-in-arms before Aegis were content to tear such weapons from their swivels, Yalu took the extra second to squat and pull the quick release loose to slide it free. He hefted the three barrelled weapon around to stride heavily towards the door. "Ready."

All Yalu needed was a moment to spin up while the hovering sentinels were distracted.

[User]
Ben-E218

Ben followed the rest of the team as he considered the mammoth. It was a huge vehicle, and the sniper hadn't imagined he'd get to ride in one anytime soon, although he had completed certification for operating one some time ago just in case he had to. Such was typical fare for Spartans; even the IVs had to know how to operate most pieces of equipment in the UNSC.

"Intriguing. Phong, when did they start putting these into service? We could have used this sort of firepower in Beta Aquilae."

"Since 2553. Production of the M510 Mammoth and its variants has been slow due to extensive damage to the UNSC industrial base following the war-"

"Thank you, Phong, that will be all." Large though it was, there was no way it was designed specifically to deal with Forerunner constructs. Humanity had barely come into any meaningful contact with that ancient civilization. Technically, no human had come into contact with them at all, at last to Ben's knowledge. The wealth of information from Forerunner equipment alone was enough to push human technology forward by many decades in a matter of years. Ben was no expert on how long technological advances 'should' take, but something seemed a little bit off about it to him, as if this sort of high-tech grave robbing constituted a form of cheating somehow.

He joined the rest of them on the pelican, a vehicle he had ridden in many times before. He had been attacked in-flight before, and he had even hijacked vehicles in mid-air before. What he hadn't counted on doing was facing a swarm of Forerunner tech, although he had handled a rather more fragile swarm of covenant drones.

[Assistant]
Grikgar /Grik/ Seeker
// Unggoy Ultra // Demolitions and Artillery // Location: Planets Surface

Grikgar loaded onto the pelican with the others and watched as the rest of his gear was taken to the mammoth. The rest of the team seemed tense and quiet, at least the same could be said about the former covenant when they were about to drop into combat. The Unggoy was sure he would find many more similarities before his time was finished with the humans. The seats of the pelican were still just as uncomfortable and his straps didn't work to well with his tank. So he opted to stand within arm's reach of a seat and behind the Lekgolo as the pelican left the human warship.

The rocky decent down towards the surface was actually calming to him. It had been a little while since he was on a combat drop and it was a welcome change no matter who he was flying with. He was going over the mission plan again in his head when an alert pulled him back to reality. Apparently the ancient's constructs did not like the human ships just flying around their space. Hearing what was happening, the Unggoy dug his claws into the floor the best he could while holding onto the leg of the Lekgolo and the chair straps then braced. He felt the pelican take the hit, the steep incline and speed of the drop, then the shaking and rumbling of a crash landing.

He didn't fall or lose his footing, the others around Grikgar seemed ok as well. Performing a quick equipment check and finding everything to be in order. The rest of the team where stacking up and giving out the last bits of advice on their adversary's. The Lekgolo spoke up about going out and drawing fire, a job normally meant for him in any other circumstance. Grikgar would not let it go out alone. Drawing his dual plasma pistols he stacked up behind the hunter and waited for it to push out, "Grik is right behind you."


[System]
Age: 18

Gender: Male

Nationality/Birthplace: Fire Nation, Khimori Village

Current Residence: Republic City, Panther Lily Residential District

Appearance:

Occupation: Thief, Avatar

Elemental Affinity: Fire

Theme: Thief - Imagine Dragons

History:
 Katsu's birth presented a bit of a conundrum for the Order of the White Lotus; an Avatar born in an era of peace wasn't needed quite as much as before. What should they do then? Take him from his home? Or leave him be and let him grow up in a normal life. It was a hard decision, but a choice needed to be made and ultimately a compromise was reached. Katsu would indeed be trained, but in the comfort of his own home village rather than being whisked away. His parents liked the idea, and initially Katsu had no problems with the arrangement. As he got older however he began to have quite a different opinion on the matter.

 How was he supposed to keep his identity as the Avatar a secret when these strange men followed him everywhere? His family wasn't well off and yet he had escorts, was waited on like nobility and provided for whatever he needed. Any other child may have been enamored with the treatment and yet Katsu came to resent it immensely. He had no autonomy like this, and it was near impossible to get away to have some time on his own. Pretty quickly being in the comfort of his own village meant little, it was every bit a prison as moving away would have been. The only solution in his mind then was to leave, abandon the Lotus' training and his parents in favor of a freer lifestyle, a lifestyle he would find in Republic City.

 It was an ideal plan on paper, but upon arriving in Republic City it became quickly apparent he hadn't thought things through entirely. Here he was, hundreds of miles from home, with hardly a coin to his name and nowhere to stay. What little money he'd saved up over the years had near all been spent on the boat ticket, so now Katsu found himself in a dilemma. He unsuccessfully tried getting jobs here and there but was turned down constantly, and returning home was not an option. At the age of 13 he settled on doing the only thing he could in order to survive: theft. Republic City certainly had its fair share of criminals, so he would only be one amongst the crowd. Or he might have been if he didn't have something of a superiority complex. He was going to be a thief, but he wanted to be the thief. He would join whatever group he could find and work his way up, and from there he'd be somebody. He'd live life how he wanted, do what he wanted, and get what he wanted without the meddling of the Order of the White Lotus.

 Much as he might have resented the White Lotus he had to be grateful for all the training they had given him. With both bending and martial training of the highest caliber he was an exceptional fighter, a fact that helped him climb the ranks of the gang he eventually joined. Nimble, strong and a capable bender he ascended to the second hand of the gang within two years, and not long thereafter he succeeded the previous leader. Granted… The gang had all of twenty members, many around his own age, but he still managed to succeed them all. Renaming the gang the Khimori Bandits after his hometown, Katsu began a life of "luxury". The Khimori Bandits amassed a fair fortune in a matter of a year, and yet Katsu kept very little of the coin for himself. It was never the money he was after, he'd argue, but the thrill and delight that came along with the act of theft. Even now he remains one of the poorer members of his gang in spite of being the leader, and he tends to carry out as many jobs as his best associates.

[User]
While Asha actually helped Katsu, Siku was occupied by the pup that the boy handed over with a little reluctance. She beamed with excitement, softly stroking the animal's pure white fur. 'Koinu' began to lick her cheek and she scratched under his chin, laughing, "He's so adorable! And that's a side I've never seen of you, Katsu; the one that brings his little fox over from his home because he wuuuvs him." Somewhere in the sentence, Siku had stopped speaking to Katsu and was now addressing the pet in her arms. "Huh, Koinu? Does mister Katsu treat you well?" She cooed, already aware that he wouldn't reply.

"He's so well-behaved for being so young," She observed, still laughing as he continued to lick her cheek. She knew it would be rude to not help, so she made sure to cradle the fox with one arm as she used the other to help put things in bags or boxes or whatever was asked of her. Meanwhile, she just kept talking adoring nonsense to the puppy in her arm, "We'll protect you, buddy. Nothing bad'll happen while we're around, that's for sure. You're in the hands of one of Republic City's best benders and swordswomen," She teased, exaggerating the truth quite significantly. She was directed to his toys and she set the small fox on the ground, joining him on her knees as they looked over all of the options. "Which ones are your favorites, Koinu?" She asked playfully, waiting for him to drag one out. At fist, it was fun as he showed her a few of the little ones from the stash. However, she grew a little bit crestfallen as she realized taht the entire pile was moved from a few feet away to directly in front of her, an expectant Koinu staring excitedly up at her. She looked down again and thought for a moment, "I'll grab as many as I can, promise, even if daddy can't get them all."

"There's no way we can play with all of these at once, Koinu..." She pointed out sadly, "I wish we could, but you can only pick a few..." Oh, god, she couldn't take that face... It wanted all of the toys. "K-Katsu, are you sure we can't take a few more of the toys? He doesn't want to leave them behind!"

Hiresh was actually getting some of the work done. He checked for the items Katsu mentioned, but couldn't find the backpack. He started digging around a bit more, making sure to put anything back the way he found it. One might think he was combing a crime scene, but in reality he was really just trying to find the bag by checking thoroughly. Finally, he opened a closet and pulled a few items out of the way, victoriously lifting a worn bag into the air. "This one, Katsu?" He asked, holding it out. It was a little beaten and he wondered how much weight it could carry before the bottom would completely give out. The metal bender didn't open to search the inside as he passed it over, figuring Katsu would have to take care of picking out his clothes and packing the bag himself.

He leaned against the wall by the window, watching Asha for a moment before shaking his head, "So, little Air Bender, you're a little different from the typical acolyte... Or nomad, whatever you guys go by nowadays. Usually, even at your age, they're pretty uptight and obsessively clean. They're usually pacifists too, you don't seem too allergic to fighting or things like walking in the sewers. Did you grow up around here?"

[Assistant]
Asha smiled at how Siku was absolutely gushing over the little fox; it was fun to see her have fun and just let go once in a while...she was one tough girl, but the brunette knew that everyone had a vulnerable side and the other girl was showing some of it right now. Since Siku was occupied with the sabre fox, Asha decided to try and look for some of the items Katsu said he would like to take. She looked around and was a bit frustrated when she couldn't find what they were looking for...ah well, Katsu should be able to find them eventually.

The brunette gave up after a while for looking for the items and let Katsu and Hiresh search for them as she watched Siku talk to the fox and find the toys he was going to take with them. The smile never left her face as she observed until she was addressed by their cop friend.

"Oh! Well, I just think that life isn't always going to be settled in a peaceful way, so I do understand the need for violence every so often. I just try to avoid really hurting someone, y'know?" Asha replied, looking up at Hiresh with a small smile. A small giggle escaped her lips when he mentioned air benders typically being a bit prude and cleanly. "Yeah, I dunno, I just never really bothered with anything that was too excessive if that makes sense....Balance in all things." The brunette nodded when Hiresh questioned whether or not she was from around the area. "I grew up on Air Temple Island, yeah," she said, cocking her head to the side. Did she really seem all that different from the other air benders?

She glanced up at the ceiling when she thought about how much impact growing up in certain environments could have. Asha looked back over at Hiresh and thought about him for a moment. She wondered if he was always so stoic and ruly, or was it because of his job? Perhaps both? Maybe she would ask later...because right now it seemed that Katsu had found everything that needed to be grabbed and they needed to be on their way.

[User]
Katsu was trying his damnedest to ignore Siku's teasing, but his ears still burned a brilliant red when he heard her taunting him. He knew doing that was a bad idea in front of her, but there was no way he could not show Koinu his affection, he adored the little guy more than anything in this world. They had traveled all the way from home together, he was the one constant in the Avatar's life, how could he not love the Sabre Fox to pieces? Biting his tongue he went about gathering up a change of clothes for himself, which funnily enough comprised of all of the same outfit nearly; he'd actually bought his clothes, but because he was too impatient to try more things on he'd just bought a lot of what he knew worked. There was a little variation, like one black jacket instead of brown and some blue pants, but really it was all the same. Piling his clothing on the bed he placed his picture alongside them, wondering where his bag might be now.

"Hm? Oh yeah, thanks," the thief mumbled, accepting his backpack from Hiresh. Ugh, was he really having to thank an officer for helping him? It felt humiliating in a way, having to accept aid from someone who just as well might have locked him away before this afternoon. Stuffing his clothing and the framed picture into the bag he added in a few miscellaneous items as well, stuffing the worn piece to the brim before pulling the drawstring shut. With that out of the way he slung the bag over his shoulders, turning around and blinking confused seeing Koinu sitting before a mound of all of his toys. Heh... Suddenly indulging the young fox's need to play was catching up to him, he never had been able to tell his companion 'no'. Looking over at Siku when she pleaded on Koinu's behalf the thief couldn't help but smile, amused by how fallen for the Sabre Fox she had become. "Yeah yeah, we just need another bag is all," he replied, looking around the room and finding none. Instead of using a bag he grabbed the pillow off his bed, pulling the case off and tossing it to Siku to use, "Just put them in there, it's the only other thing I've got. And before you freak, it's clean."

That should be everything they needed, or rather everything he needed. Would Siku and Hiresh need to go grab anything as well? It was only fair, yet he was skeptical if they had the luxury of time to do so. It wasn't like these two couldn't come back to Republic City if they needed, he was the only one of the group whose head was on the proverbial pike. Putting a hand on his hip, Katsu gave his room one last look over before letting out a sigh of resignation, figuring this was the last time he'd be in here, at least for a while. "No use in putting it off, we should get going..." Off to Air Temple Island, home of the neat-freaks and the strictest benders in existence. Sheesh, it was hard to believe that Asha was one of them, she was almost out of place with her behaviors. Seeing that Koinu was more than aptly handled by Siku, the thief left the room first and headed down the stairs to the entrance, figuring his pet was more than okay with the Water Bender.

Koinu's eyes shined excitably at seeing all of his toys being tucked away, tail wagging like a dog's as he bounced on the spot. How wonderful, he was going to get all of his things, not just his favorites! He could play all day long with his master now, and even with the nice smelly lady too! Watching as the items were placed away he turned his head when Katsu left the room, tilting it slightly as he wondered what was bothering him; the Fire Bender had mannerisms that Koinu had picked up on over the years, and whenever his master got sad his eyes would kind of close up and the corners of his mouth would just barely pull down. Yeah, he noticed it, nothing got past him! Before Koinu could go racing off to try and comfort Katsu however he found himself scooped up by the girl again, squirming slightly before glancing up at her. Did she know he was upset? Letting out a soft yip he reached up with his little paws, pushing on her shoulder as best he could to try prompting her along. Poor master, he needed some play to feel better!


[System]
Species: Human/Witchling
Age: 52
Description: Having let her hair grow out, her dark auburn locks are typically tied up in a braided bun, several pieces, refusing to be bound, frame her face, complementing an olive skin tone. A grey strand here and there, depicting age. Her eyes are something to behold; light green surrounded by a thin ring of gold. Freckles sprinkle lightly over a smooth face, nearly void of any wrinkles representative of a woman coming into her fifties. She stands at about 5'7" tall, a petite upper body sitting upon wider hips and thick thighs. Not overly muscular though her body is tone. When exposed, displayed on her back are a number of scars, some seeming a bit more prominent. A rather fresh one sits just above her right brow. She may have aged some from the last time any had seen her, but she certainly doesn't look as old as she is.

Personality: She is typically cold and brash, on the outside anyway. Her overconfident ways have often gotten her in a pinch, but not one that she couldn't ever find her way out of. She never takes the easy way out and has a soft spot for those who have been bullied. Having grown used to the luxuries coin can buy, she would prefer a more lavish lifestyle. Shiny things may distract her from time to time, but it is never to say she had an easy life.

Clothing: She typically wears light fabrics, leathers and cloths of darker shades. A large cowl normally covers most of her features. Dark brown leather boots extend up just past her knees, straps and buckles secure padding where would be needed. Plain cloth pants are held up by a thick black belt, lined with a few pouches and oddities.

Weapons: Through her training, she has become a jack of all trades. Though her favorite weapon is the battle axe strapped to her back. She has a dagger hidden within her boots and one saddled to her belt at her right hip. The dagger hanging from her belt is a curved blade, with a ruby embedded within the hilt.

Skills and Abilities: Part of the reason why the witches wanted to do away with her because she did not have the affinity for magic as they did. However her time in the Assassin's Keep allowed her to develop other skills and techniques:
Shadow Prison: Isabeau is able to shadow step to her foe for an attack. During this attack, her foe's movement speed is drastically reduced temporarily
Wild Blow: Isabeau is able to manipulate the shadows around her weapons, increasing the damage done by her attacks. The attack is usually used when attempting to sunder a shield.
Wildfire: Despite not having the understanding of the weave, as the witches did, Isabeau was bestowed with a gift from her mother. The gift of Wildfire. This gift takes an enormous amount of energy to control and wield. When called upon, the shadows immediately surrounding her will ignite and deadly flames will coat her axe, adding fire damage to her attacks. This generally leaves Isabeau quite drained afterwards

In her time away from civilization, she has learned to tap into the shadow realm. The more time she spent in the dark reflection of home, the less stable her footing became in each world. She would shift back and forth, sometimes without even meaning to.

Magic:N/A -see skills above

Backstory:
Rumors of long ago, tell a tale of a witch who fell in love with a prince from a far away land.

The prince had journeyed far in search of a magical herb that was said to cure a sickness plaguing his kingdom. He came upon a young woman living deep within the woods. Beautiful in every way imaginable, the Prince became enthralled with the young woman and insisted that she leave the woods and return with him to his castle. As tempting as the offer was, she could not leave her home. For she was a witch, just as her mother before her, and so on down the line. Their family and gifts had been banished from the kingdom long ago, and since, they had taken refuge in the forest, tending to the wilds and those who dwell within its sanctuary.

Disturbed by the story, the prince vowed that he would speak with his father to lift their exile if she would return with him as his bride. Gleefully, the young woman accepted. And with the prince as her guest, she spent her last few days in the woods saying her goodbyes and making arrangements for after she left.

Those last few nights blanketed by the stars, we're magical for her and the prince. Though as the story goes, it was the last shred of happiness for the young couple. Grandmother Amari, the high witch of their clan, had high expectations for the young witch. Plans, that did not include the Prince, that would've been especially ruined if the prince took her away to become a princess in the castle. Though a silver lining appeared that would help Amari's plans along. And so the high witch gathered her kin, and her plot for war went into action.

On the eve before the two lovers were to leave for the castle, Amari had one of the youngest within their clan travel to the cottage where the two were staying. She silently crept in, cloaked within the shadows and darkness of the night. With one clean swipe of her blade, she sliced his throat open, and without anyone noticing, made her way back out. He bled out onto the bed next to his beloved, who never stirred, and never realized his death until the next morning.

It wasn't until many months later did they all realize the young witch was with child and when the news had traveled to the High Witch, it was ordered to discard the baby once it was born. The young witch with fire red hair and green eyes encircled with a gold ring would never know her daughter.

Isabeau continued to meet only betrayal and despair as she grew older unfortunately. Bred into a world of death and darkness, she was raised within the Keep of the Assassin's Guild and was honed into the land's deadliest weapon. She was taught to cast all emotions aside, especially that of love. They told her that love made people weak, love would hold her back, get her killed. And just as they had warned her, love had been her undoing and led her to flee.

~~*~~
Since her departure of Waeldeshore, much has happened . Her reasons for returning are her own, but she has vowed to make things right.

[User]
While walking to the tavern Ionathan realised how much he missed his wife. It had been years since his last such adventure, not since his family. He was beginning to miss them greatly, he could still recall his wife's smile, the sound of her laughter. He had only to close his eyes to see her, with her long dark hair and those misty brown eyes. He stared into dirt just ahead of his feet, lost in thoughts.

Until Ajax ripped the door open, apparently unaware of how doors work. Inside, the tension was as thick as expected. Ionathan now started to regret wearing the tabard, its bright colours and rampant lion were turning heads, men whispering to each other while gazing at him like they would look at some pompous noble.

"As for the door...It resisted."

'That's not how to decrease tensions after breaking into the man's establishment' Ionathan thought to himself, making his way towards the front of the group.

Emil made a much better attempt to calm the man much to Ionathan's relief and after seeing the owner hesitate by slightly lowering his weapon, Ionathan now decided to go in and seal the deal.

Going into his belt pouch he brought out a freshly minted coin putting it on the bar in front of his so he could inspect it. He had no doubt that the promise of coin would help de-escalate any tensions.

"I will compensate you for the door. We are only here for a night's sleep, nothing more"

[Assistant] Ajax took a step forward, carefully setting the door down within the establishment. He was still stripped down to his loincloth and both partially covered in mud and still dripping rainwater. The eyes of the locals darted primarily between the beastwoman and the tall man, heavy with muscle that looked as though it had been carved from stone and the skin tough and coarse as battle-worn armor. In a way, the second was more unsettling to look at. Sakaala was at least further removed from what they were, the other was proof that their own kind could become terrifying beings. Ajax took one look at the man with the axe and smirked. "Would you have opened if we'd just asked? I just saved us both some time. I put your door down nicely, you do the same with the axe".

[User]
The man stammered and staggered with his words. It was very unlike an owner of such an establishment. It was very unlike him. Though considering their new patrons, he was lucky he didn't soil his pants. For they were not brown, and that would've made the embarrassment much more public.

Her very quietly and cautiously placed the weapon on the bar counter, glancing with an o so weary eye between Ajax, the beast woman and the Knights who had seemed to at least try and be nice. The humans were a common enough sight. Even the hin, who was noticed to be asleep through this whole ordeal. But 'twas the beast woman who frightened him most. You didn't see many of them round these parts. Perhaps it would have been best to not lock the door that evening. But it couldn't be helped now.

"10 coin fer the night, then. Each room. I ain't got enough, so I'm guessing you be sharing with each otha. there be only 4 tha havn' been reserved yet, up the stairs and to the left. I can warm ya up sum suppa and send it up."

He had mustered up whatever courage he had left just to speak. But his words came out plainly, covered in fear and dripping in angst. He found himself just wishing for the day to be over, and had hoped the Knights were kind enough to keep their beasts in check for their stay.

[Assistant]
The scent of fear struck a primal chord within the heart of the bestial woman that was Sakaala, but not in the manner one might have expected based upon outward appearance alone. Rather than taking pride in the man's fright as he carefully set down the axe, looking between her, the knights and the other mercenary, she recalled there was good reason to fear creatures like her. She said nothing more for the moment, not pausing either to recall why she and others were rightfully feared. Instead, she drew up her leather sack by the straps, the same that bore the dozing halfling not too many steps outside the door, taking them both to near the fire's side.

"I have no need for a room," Her strong arm gently set the satchel and other woman down beside the warm glow of the flames, "But I will pay you all the same as you have asked."

She looked to Diagorides and then the door, or what remained of it, then turned her attention back to the inn's keeper. It was not a hollow gesture, her words to come, but moreover a practical one; a door was better than none. If it took a burly man to rip it clean from its hinges, then it was sturdy enough to slow most potential threats some. This night had ample conflict as it was and the soaking fur of the lioness' worn hide spoke quiet volumes about how much she was displeased with having to face another enemy so quickly on short notice.

"... and I will mend your door."

The tone she spoke in just as commanding as anything else she said, keeping her attention back again to the rest of her group and wherever this would-be assassin had gone. She trusted none of them too deeply, the knightly men more by virtue of their sworn codes and Diagorides by his love of challenge and coin, but more so than her former enemy - her former quarry. It would be difficult to divide what she had set her mind to doing, but if she could meditate on these things this night and perhaps even sleep, there might be more clarity yet.

@Belwicket@IcePezz@Jon Y@vietmyke@Zero Hex

[User]
Isabeau had not moved from her spot within the group. As each made attempt to address or calm the scared man behind the bar counter, she had only drifted towards the back, slowly and cautiously moving into the tavern, assessing each guest and their threat level. The conversation turned back to Sakaala. How overly gracious of the best woman to make such an offer. Not only would she not use a room and still part way with her coin, but she had also offered to fix the man's door. The barkeep stared at the large beast, whether it was out of awe or fear, curiosity or suspicion, it wasn't clear. But he slowly nodded to her and stuttered a single word. "Thanks".

Her nose wrinkled in thought, which had been split among too many variables to count. Dizzying to say the very least. Taking a moment to breathe, she shut them out long enough to gather enough coin for the barkeep. Enough for the room, dinner and enough gin to drown her pesky conscience and its thoughts.

"I will take the first room then, and gin along with my dinner please. Thank you." Her mouth seemed a bit dry, and her voice slightly hoarse with exhaustion. She glanced towards Ajax, though not at him persay, but more to spot the artifact on his person. She trusted him enough that he wouldn't kill her, either he had no reason to or she amused him somehow. But she couldn't yet make up her mind on whether or not she trusted him with the artifact. Everyone was at risk, but perhaps the question was Is he stupid enough to linger on it long enough to be corrupted? Is he stupid enough to keep it from me?. Creases formed around her lips as she pursed them. She hated not trusting people just as much as she hated having to trust people. Neither made her job any easier, and moreso it just gave headaches and heartache. But there seemed to be little choice in this matter, she have to trust him, as she imagined it wouldn't end well if she tried to take it from him. She loosed a soft sigh and turned her attention back to the barkeep.

"On second thought, I would like the strongest stuff you got, and I'll take that now, thank you.


[System]
Age: 24

Race: Human

Appearance:

Common skills: Tinkering, Reading, Writing, Engineering, Basic Smithing, and Chemistry

Fighting skills: Trap Setting, Crossbow usage

Magical skills: Zane understands the basic theories and practice of elementalism though he cannot use any elemental magic himself. However, working in a magic workshop and further training when he joined the Imperial Military, he has learned the art of Enchanting and some Arcane abilities in order to imbue objects. At the moment, he can only consistently enchant objects with Light.
Arcane Spells:
-Light: causes an object to glow
-Push: pushes a targeted object or person with a small burst of force. Not strong enough to cause permanent damage but may cause an enemy to fall or become unbalanced.

Languages: Imperial, Dwarvish

Personality: Zane is overwhelmingly curious about the world, but usually displays it in a friendly enthusiastic manner. During downtime, he is usually upbeat and enjoys explaining what concepts he is currently working on or another subject he has knowledge of. He could be referred to as naive, and while that is somewhat true, he sees it as being more optimistic for the future. However, once he has had an idea he focuses all of his attention upon his project until it is complete usually forgetting to eat or sleep for long periods of time and hates to be interrupted.

Bio: Zane is the son of newly wealthy merchant, previously a working class man who teamed up with a group of dwarven smiths to create high quality goods. His father thought his son should be educated as any nobleman in order to make his own way in the world so Zane was tutored from a young age in most subjects, though Zane preferred the sciences. He grew a penchant for tinkering, spending most of his free time with the dwarven smiths who taught him the basics of their work. As he grew older he sought out and gained apprenticeship in magic workshop where he spent his time learning his basic magic skills before finally joining the military to satisfy his curiously about this new world. He arrived about two weeks ago instantly being taken to assist the smiths and enchanters and has had no time to truly settle in or explore yet.

Equipment: Medium Crossbow, Quiver with 10 Bolts, Knife, Leather aprons and gloves, basic enchanting military gear, key to Fort Narselis smithy, small bag of stones used for enchantment practice (several have light enchantments), various bits and pieces of materials such as twine, slightly melted boots, uniforms and basic clothing, a well worn cloak with plenty of pockets on the inside, and a book titled On the Arcane and Enchanting (going away present from Father).

Why did you join?: The Imperial Military are currently the only ones to travel to the New Continent. The lands are filled with new discoveries just waiting to be found and Zane wants to be one of the first ones to work with any new materials found. In addition, the Imperial Military has fantastic access to materials that he will need cost-free.

[User]
doctor ? That meeting most likely had just incremented the number of persons knowing or at least having suspicions about his true nature... That would've been less of an issue for him if there had not been that other man behind them. Agmundr sucked in a lot of air and opened his mouth - but then shut it again. Telling somebody that one was undead himself wasn't such a good idea if that somebody was worried about cannons not being able to fire on one's own kind. He would have to investigate this later on. For now, he looked friendly at Jile. "Good idea." and he got moving. The prospect of having something to drink that most likely wasn't water or tea was quite interesting. He still was able to eat and drink and the magic inherent in him apparently did somehow absorb the energy and other nutritional values in order to keep that physical appearance going. He knew that conventional medicine didn't affect him - that's why he didn't ask for a cup Jile's invention - but he had never tried out if a massive intake of alcohol would affect him in a negative way.

Agmundr looked ahead and had to grin. The way that one guy held his hammer was pretty funny.
"Hi. Is there something special about that black dust or why are you eager to cover your face with it ?" he asked in a very deep, but friendly voice and grinned even more. "Agmundr. Here to help you." and he offered his hand to Zane. @EurmalEye

[Assistant]
Zane looked around curiously at all the new faces and especially at the soldiers unloading the boat discussing the undead horde on its way. He have a brief nod at that, he hadn't heard that particular but of information before but it did explain the then inexplicably large amount of weapons the forge had been ordered to create. When Zane had first arrived to the New Continent and told his superior officer his skill sets of both smith and enchanted, he had thought the officer may begin frothing at the mouth he was so excited. He was sent to work at once splitting his time the mostly silent smith and enchanted who spoke only in terse commands so as to not break his concentration. Zane assumed that he had been assigned a bunk at some point, but he had yet to find it- that was fine though since the forge was always warm to sleep beside. He glanced up at the flying girl the Lord had motioned too, he hadn't seen her before. 'I really should get out more,' he thought.

At that moment Zane realized that someone was speaking to him, he turned and blinked at the large figure that seemed to be blocking most of the sunlight in a rather surprising area around him. He had missed the majority of what the possible giant had said except for the very end. Quickly lowering both his hand and hammer, Zane shook several of Agmundr's fingers and replied in a rather excited voice, "To help me? That's rather surprising - not two weeks here and already the Capitol has seen fit to send me an assistant!" Zane suddenly looked rather concerned. "...Err hmm. I am not exactly certain what to do with an assistant - you see I am already assistant to two of people at this camp and do most of the work there, so I have no idea what an assistant's assistant should be doing." Zane paused in his monologue to breath and think. "No, no I am afraid that it simply won't work at all. I am much too busy to have an assistant at the moment, I'm sorry to say. Perhaps you can join the construction teams instead! They could use a man of your size to help them lift their supplies." Zane looked over Agmundr once again. "Or possibly a wall if it came to that."

[User]
"Iolaire. My name is Iolaire" she almost said, but decided to hold her tounge. He had given her medicine after all. She swallowed it quickly and almost retched on the spot, it tasted so bad. Then she followed the rest of the crew to the keep. It struck her then that she didn't know who to report to other than the commander. Frankly, she was at a complete loss at what she was supposed to do here apart from the general mission. The big man with the funny accent, Agmundr, seemed to know what he was about, though. She decided to stick with him until she got a clearer picture of what was going on. She approached him while he was speaking with a smith.

"Hey" she said, "I was thinking about getting something to eat. Care to join me?"

[Assistant] The revenant laughed again. "I'm not that good at lifting entire walls. However quite a few people claim that I am a wall myself. And sorry for expressing my self so vaguely: I meant that I'm here to help whoever needs me." Then he was interrupted and turned his head. "Oh, hello... Iolaire ?" He really hoped that his memory was correct. "Ah well... I'd like to. Zane ? You know this place better than me. Is there a place where we can get something edible between our teeth ? And ideally a lot of it." In fact, Agmundr was gambling on him simply joining them, but perhaps he was too busy...

[User]
Despite his initial desire to take in the splendor that was the new continent, the hunter known as Jacque had found himself in bit of a predicament: While he'd managed to take the voyage to handle the ride to the new continent with little problem save for the slight headache that came only when one unaccustomed to constant exposure to sea air breathed to much of it for too long, his body had started to adapt to the subtle swaying motions of the ship as it had sailed. The result of this was that he was almost forced to take a knee nearly three steps into solid earth to properly, no pun intended, ground himself, lest he fall flat on his ass. After rooting himself in place in a spot that he hoped wouldn't put him in the path of someone that happened to be bust, Jacque took the time he was spending getting used to stationary footing again to also survey the area and people around him.

Those that had arrived before the latest batch of colonizers looked to be a combination of fatigued, irritable, and hungry, completely understandable considering what the Lord had said regarding food. Jacque couldn't help but smile just a tad, after all, a lack of food meant that not only would he potentially be able to hunt to his heart's content, but in doing so he'd be earning his place among the others that would call Fort Narselis home. There were many things to be done before that however: First and foremost he had to properly introduce himself to some of the others if he was to live in close proximity to them, following that he would have to find a place to unload his supplies, then after that he would have to ask around to see if there was work to be done within the fort, as well as ask Lord Justed permission to join a scouting party to see if he could find a game trail or two that hadn't been cleared of fauna by all of the recent activity.

The huntsman started to feel a touch overwhelmed as he realized the work that would lie ahead of him before he could actually begin to enjoy himself. His concerns were pushed to the wayside however as he felt a familiar tugging sensation along the back of his cloak. Shortly after the sensation began, a narrow, scaly head peeked over his shoulder, and from it's mouth came a forked tongue. "We'll have to put in a bit of work for me to convince people that you're here for pest control instead of being a potential stew ingredient too, won't we Alu?" Jacque said with a hint of mirth. The monitor lizard gave Jacque a quick glance- more so out of recognition of the sound the huntsman had made than out of understanding, before it continued to look around with mounting curiosity.

Once he was finally certain that his legs wouldn't betray him, Jacque started moving towards a small cluster of people that he'd seen get off the boat before him. He put on a welcoming, if not somewhat reserved smile as he caught the tail end of the conversation, specifically the bit where the large man mentioned food, "If what Lord Justed said really is as bad as he made it seem, then you might have your work cut out for you looking for a meal.". Jacque came to a stop from the group about a yard and a half away and gave a soft nod, "Sorry to intrude in your conversation like that, didn't really know how else to go about introducing myself just now. I'm Jacque.".

[Assistant]
Esther was no exception from the norm, one of the many (if not all) dazed and curious soldiers to land on the New World. Thanks to the three months' trip, Esther found his estoc to be a surprisingly effective rest for his chin, standing or not.

Still, he had a pang of pity for less fortunate travelers. The particularly heavier passengers (in terms of the circumferences of their bellies) had already mixed the scents of their rapidly-scarfed rations with the salty waters; fortunate the latter was much stronger than butyric acid. Whatever still registered into his nostrils was enough cause for pangs of self-pity, too.

"Esther," he chimed in, seemingly as though he had came out of nowhere. "Esther Dietrich. Now, I believe there is food to be had...that a-ways, no?"

Something was making Esther a bit uncomfortable. His steps were lighter than usual, even with all his equipment on, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. It's like his back had no burden to bear, but he was sure he was supposed to be lugging something around...

And there was movement in the treeline. Enemy?

No, just a guard patrolling. That checked one possible job off the list; unwieldy as he felt, Esther had a fort to orient himself with, and so he panned his eyes over the rest of his group.

At least, it would seem. He was trying to pan a view of the entire fort from where he stood, but with an especially massive revenant in the way...

[User]
Zane stood looking at all the new faces surrounding him, fairly confused at his new-found popularity. One man had seemed to simply appeared next to Agmundr, introducing himself as though it was nothing out of the ordinary. A short and lean elvish woman had begun speaking to Agmundr and a rugged looking man named Jacque had also come before him. 'Do not panic. Do not panic.' Zane cleared his throat with a brief excuse, climbing atop a nearby crate, taking out two of his heavier blacksmithing tools, banging them together with several powerful, precise hits in order to gain the attention of everyone around. "Ahem okay um soldiers here is what we are going to do! Zane attempted to straighten his apron. "I know you are all tired and hungry so I am going to go briefly over what jobs are available around camp and then you can all get some food and set up your bunks before reporting to your individual supervisors! First and foremost, what we need are hunters and fisherman who can help provide the camp with food. Those who are skilled in this area please go to the warehouse for a briefing from your superior." Zane looking up at the sky thinking for a brief moment, before glancing back down at the gathered recruits. "This is obviously an unsustainable action and we will probably starve to death soon, unless someone amongst you knows anything of farming or a useful shamanic magic? If you do please report to the command post outside of Lord Justed's home." Zane coughed slightly, entirely unused to giving orders or being the center of attention.

"That being said there are a number of other positions that we always need help fulfilling. The construction team is tasked with both gathering building materials and strengthening the fort walls. As there seems to be a siege of undead at our door soon, it is extremely important that the construction staff have as much help as possible. You can find the construction supervisor next to the ore storage building by the large loads of timber." Zane gestured at each building as best he could. 'Perhaps next time I should bring along some sort of display or stand?' Zane continued, "Those of you with a knowledge of healing or herbs should report to the apothecary for assignment and anyone with suitable abilities in magic should report to the Enchanting and Magical Research building right above the ore storage for supplementary duties. That should be most of the available positions, if any of you have further questions you can ask me during mealtime which is right now. The mess hall is this way." With that duty done, Zane jumped off the crate and began to lead the hungry crowd.


[System]
Merchant

---

Level 3

-------STATISTICS-------

-------MASTERIES-------

| VIT -- 22 | 75% | BLADES -- E
| MGT -- 6 | 50% | POLEARMS -- D
| SKI -- 8 | 55% | AXES/BLUNT -- E
| SPD -- 9 | 55% | BOWS/RANGED -- C
| SRT -- 2 | 20% | THEURGY -- N/A
| MND -- 0 | 5% | MYSTICISM -- N/A
| LUK -- 5 | 40% |
Secondary Statistics

WGT -- ?
ACC -- ??
AVO -- ??
RES -- ??
CRT -- ??

---

Traits:

- MOUNTED: This unit rides their favored mount, gaining +2 MVT, while being subject to mounted weapon restrictions as well as being disadvantaged by certain weapons and skills. Similarly, a mounted unit may spend whatever MVT remains to reposition directly after attacking. A mounted unit may dismount at anytime. While mounted, a character may use the 'rescue' command to carry another unit to safety.
- CELERITY: Movement +2.

---

* Bronze Short Spear

	+ MIGHT | 3
	+ ACCURACY | 80
	+ WEIGHT | 3
	+ CONDITION | 24/30
	+ RANGE | 1
	+ SPECIAL | NA
	+ COST | 190

* Bronze Short Bow

	+ MIGHT | 2
	+ ACCURACY | 80
	+ WEIGHT | 2
	+ CONDITION | 18/30
	+ RANGE | 2
	+ SPECIAL | +5% Critical Rate, Cannot be used with shields
	+ COST | 275

* Bronze Sling

	+ MIGHT | 1
	+ ACCURACY | 85
	+ WEIGHT | 0
	+ CONDITION | 10/10
	+ RANGE | 2
	+ SPECIAL | NA
	+ COST | 60

* Bronze Crossbow

	+ MIGHT | 5
	+ ACCURACY | 90
	+ WEIGHT | 7
	+ CONDITION | 30/30
	+ RANGE | 2
	+ SPECIAL | NA
	+ COST | 470

Possessions: Vulnerary (1/3), 190 AU

Personality/Appearance
Zarif is a man of 22 years and 7 moons, standing just under 6 feet tall, and never seen far from his Camel, Salador. With skin paler than most and strange clothing, Zarif is one who attracts a passing interest in some, and a scornful look from others. Not accustomed to the lands of Akkad or their strange gods, Zarif tends to appear bit naive about its ways and customs, though this is often a ploy used to lower people's guards to his cunning. Still a salesman at heart, Zarif always does his best to strike a good deal.

Backstory
Born in the distant lands beyond the endless desert to the west, Zarif was raised to be a Merchant like his father, and took to it quickly. When he was old enough, his father bought him his own Camel, and Zarif quickly bonded with the animal, whom he named Salador, and has been inseparable ever since.

Having heard stories of a mythical "Golden Land" beyond the desert, with cities paved with gold, armies so large that drank rivers dry, and a king who was both a god and a giant, Zarif joined a merchant caravan to cross the seemingly endless desert. After many moons, with the lands they had been traveling to, with the destination almost within grasp, the caravan was set upon by raiders. Nearly dead and robbed blind, a mercenary company crossed paths with the bloody scene, and managed to save Zarif and Salador. Trapped in this strange land, and with no way to return home, Zarif joined the company, and has been with them for 3 years.

[User]
Etor rushes into the house. Desperate to find something that helps him fight or helps the others. He bursts through the door and surveils his surroundings.

Etor moves 6 tiles to 3-13

[Assistant]
Although the axe blow he had received severely injured him, Balathu gripped his spear tightly and slew the enemy before him

Balathu hits Kassite Hunter #10 for 16 damage, killing him.

[User]
Clashing with the spearman before him, Siris received a deep gash on the right side of his abdomen; on the same side he had received a cut on his upper leg earlier in the battle. While finishing off his current opponent was tempting, Siris had a better idea. Throwing his knife deep into the spearman's shoulder, he used the opportunity to run past him and Balathu to face off with what he thought to be the leader. Taking a couple seconds in the middle of the vicious battle to belittle his opponent.

Siris: "You! You dare call my ally Lyun a dog in front of me? He's a man who's strength as a warrior has been acknowledged even by me, I will not let someone so pathetic as to attempt to lead his men while attacking from behind a defenseless archer make fun of him. You're no warrior, thus using an actual sword is wasted on the likes of you" Siris said as he smugly moves his dagger side to side.

Although he meant what he said, Kashtilashu's massive axe seemed not only incredibly dangerous but also incredibly heavy. A slight difference in swing speed in a battle between warriors could mean the difference between a lethal blow and a miss.

 Kashtilashu: "And I won't waste anymore breath on depraved sellswords."

With a smile, Siris strikes a pose holding his dagger pointed towards his enemy.

Siris: "Trust me weakling, against me, you soon won't have any breath to waste."

Angered and not willing to waste the opportunity in front of him, Kashtilashu charged and swung at the opponent in front of him. As he did so, Siris changed his grip slightly and threw the knife at Kashtilashu's right leg. Losing his balance, the swing came slower and clumsier; using his still healthy left leg Siris lept towards his opponent. Using his shield next, Siris deviated the already clumsy swing as far as possible from himself. Quickly unsheathing another throwing knife from his side, it was stabbed deep into Kashtilashu's side before he even had time to completely stop his swing.

The Kassite warrior seemed to lose his breath, however such a wound would not be enough to stop him. Swinging with all his might, the warrior attempted once again to strike Siris who's current shoddy footing would make it difficult to avoid his current blow. Kashtilashu's attack would only hit his enemy's shield, though the combined strength of his burly body and heavy axe being strong enough to knock Siris back several feet.

Siris: "Damn, my left arm's numb after that. He's as strong as he looks."

Putting his shield between himself and his opponent once again, Siris raises the dagger once more and points it at the wounded Kassite.

Siris: "Don't worry, I'll be sure to finish it with the next blow."

Siris moves 6 tile to 23-9, hits Kashtilashu for 11 damage, evades the counterattack, and hits double for another 11 damage

[Assistant]
Lyun: "..."

There isn't much to say. Nothing that will sway those left standing into accepting their mistake with dignity, certainly not after all their companions falling.

Lyun moves one tile east, to 20-8.
Attacks Kassite Rebel #9 with his Battle Axe, but misses.
Kassite Rebel #9 counterattacks, dealing 9 damage.
Lyun gains 5xp.

---

[User]
Ninil: "I'll finish this one off!"

Instantly, an arrow flies through the air penetrating the Kassite rebel's throat. He falls to the ground, a puddle of blood quickly forming around him.

Ninil moves 3 tiles to 19-8, hits Kassite Rebel 9 for 6 damage killing him.

[Assistant]
The exhausted, demoralized Kassite defenders fell upon the spears, swords, and arrows of the Hellion sellswords, one after another. Expressions of stark fearlessness in defense of their home quickly turned to frenzied panic, as the walls surrounding the Citadel became a deadly inescapable trap.

All battles come to this... Full of honor and glory, until they aren't.
The once-merchant's eyes looked on somberly as they died, so full of fear, little more than boys.

His men now dropping like so many flies, only the commander stood firm, his heavy Bronze Plate shimmering resplendently under the crimson setting sun, masking the torrent of his life's blood poring from the wound Siris had planted deep in his side. The sea of his men, fighting, struggling, dying had surrounded him, getting smaller and smaller, until it now was just him alone, locked in battle against the fearsome spearman Siris.

Sensing an opening, Salador acted before his sentimental master had noticed, and charged through the gap in the archway to the Citadel. Zarif blinked, and knocked an arrow, as the camel leaped over a pile of dead men and broken spears. They ran out behind the General, arrow at the ready, flanking the poor fool.

 Kashtilashu: "BAH! You sellswords lack the honor even for a dual between men? You'd fight for a diseased rat if it payed you!"

 Zarif: Shin ithalkul balat-niel, Doth-shin shagóth-neï malag
The commander blinked back in confusion, trying to divide his attention between both Siris and the nomad. It was a proverb from the land of the Pharaohs. 1 part tin, for ten and one parts bronze. It refered to a fair trade, good business.

Zarif: Is their any honor, in a merchants scales?
The foreigner didn't give the dying man a chance to answer, and loosed his arrow. His attention still on fending off Siris' strikes, it took him in the pack of the neck. With a sudden great shutter, he staggered, and fell to one knee. His voice was pained, and sounded wet with blood and bile,

 Kashtilashu: "Imperial dogs. . ! Your time will come. . .!"

With a crash of heavy bronze on the wet cobbles below, he fell dead, his heavy Axe splitting a small stone as it thudded beside him. Zarif watched, mournful, the deep red sun nearly blinding, as it reflected off his backplate.

Zarif moves to 24-9 and attacks Kashtilashu with his shortbow, hitting and dealing 4 damage, finishing him off, and earning 65xp, and Levels up!.


[System]
He is about 5'11" and his eyes are yellow-golden in hue.

Age: 25

Gender: Male

Sexual Orientation: Straight

Personality: When around people that he doesn't trust or know, Cael channels a confident facade. It's a mask designed after years on the road, designed to keep him from appearing weak. It's also part of preventing people from knowing of his humble origin. When around people that he trusts though, he shows a more relaxed side of himself, not as tensely held together as he is around strangers. He's also quite mischievous with his closest friends.

In battle, he's all about teasing opponents into mistakes, when they allow him. He fancies himself a strategist and has barked off orders to people even when he had no right or position to do so. The one time that he was furious whilst fighting, one of his fellow mercenaries told him that he exuded killing intent. He always tries to keep his own emotions under control so that he can take advantage of his enemies that don't do the same.

Starting Class: Myrmidon

Starting Equipment: Iron Sword, Vulenary

Bio: Cael didn't know his mother, but his father was around long enough to teach him how to survive the world. He was taught that letting people get to him was a sure way to fail, and that he shouldn't let anyone in. It didn't take him long after his father left for one war or another to understand what he meant by that. His father never returned, but by the point that Cael knew that he wouldn't be seeing the man again, he'd already figured out how to make peace with it. He'd been left in the care of a former mercenary, someone that had survived fight after fight. That man, Durzo, taught Cael how to fight properly with a blade. Cael considers Durzo more of a father than his ever was. He tends to send the man money from the jobs he's taken, at least prior to this Abyss incident taking place. Now that he's convinced the man to get away from New Capita, he's looking for a way to help stop the Abyss from taking over his home. He'd grown fond of his own personal house on the island, a dozen miles outside of the capital.

[User]
Ansgar Staudinger

 The woman who introduced herself, before the one that looked suspiciously like a rogue, thief type, had that familiar knot of foreboding forming in Ansgar's gut. A Solvnir pegasus warrior, eh? That would make evading her should she get her panties in a bunch rather tricky, those flying cavaliers, as most Solvnir Soldiers mockingly referred to them as, had a major mobility advantage over, well, just about anyone else that wasn't on some flying mount or could fly themselves. Get in the woods, though, and he could manage. Same with a dense enough city, moving from building to building worked against, well, anyone mounted but against the flying pegasus riders doubly so. Gods knows he had to apply that when being hounded by the Solvnir Army during his own escape of the island. No one ever got a solid bead on him, thankfully, but it was still cutting it rather close a few times. He hardly had any interest in spilling more blood of his former countrymen after all, and that applied to now as well as then. Thankfully, at least right now, either they had the sense to not bring it up, or hadn't recognized only his first name. Now it was a waiting game, though, until they realized it or proved they had no idea who he was. And that wouldn't be until their first fight, he suspected, unless she somehow identified him based on manner of speech. Which, well, was a possibility, but not like he could just back out and run now because of one person arriving.

 "Flying cavalier, eh Miss Flos? Wonder if this shadow army has archers or not, might be a fairly glaring weakness if they don't..." Nothing in Ansgar's statement was malicious or hostile, rather, he was poking fun at a common problem that plagued any aerial cavalry, and at those that didn't usually track the differences between different cavalry groups, flight being barred as obvious of course. Archers, for varying reasons, perhaps due to the whole getting shot out of the sky being fatal thing, tended to cause them more than their fair share of grief. Then again, archers caused most people grief, right up until you got a lance into their throat. Not so good then, he mentally smirked at the thought, glancing at the iron lance resting on his shoulder. It lacked ornamentation, and was solely a working tool that had survived with him for this long. Of course, part of his mind questioned engaging her at all in any sort of interaction, but if he actively avoided her at all costs, it might seem a tad bit more suspicious than simply talking to her every now and again. He might be able to keep this from blowing up in his face yet, if the Gods were willing to be a bit more merciful than usual, at any rate. Since, as he said though, he had all of his belongings already on him, well, he had no reason to wander off yet, not until it was time to depart for the southern territories, to see what had specifically gone wrong back home. Home, strange, that he'd be going back at all, let alone under these circumstances...

[Assistant]
Rosalia Flos

Rosalia had not expected to be directly addressed, especially not by the man who had prompted some sort of hazy recollection in the depths of her memories. With little else to go by than the fact his name rang a bell, which she acknowledged could easily be because one of the many soldiers she had met in the passing may have shared a name, she saw little reason to be anything besides pleasant.

The corners of her lips pulled upwards in a smile as a short, polite laugh escaped her. "I suppose it would be naive to believe that the opposing army would have such a hole in their defenses, but as an aerial combatant, I can at least dream that they would be so careless." She couldn't deny that even after all of these years, the very sight of a bow and arrow, even when off the battlefield, was enough to cause the muscles in her arms and shoulders to tense instinctively. Enemy fire wasn't particularly pleasant to deal with in the first place, nevermind when there was the threat of plummeting to the ground at heights where broken bones were among the best case scenarios.

Her voice took on a slightly more light-hearted as she continued, her arms coming u to fold across her chest. "I fear that I will simply have to impose on you to deal with the archers then, Mr...Ansgar," she said, momentarily faltering on his name. There was a beat of pause, and then she cocked her head to the side as her gaze drifted up to focus on the weapon he carried. Perhaps it was the apparent ease and comfort in which he carried the lance, but it led Rosalia to think that he likely had some familiarity with wielding the thing. "Though I have yet to see you in action, I somehow feel that you must be quite capable with your weapon. Have you had any formal training?"

[User]
Markus Grey

Markus smiled at the group that had formed. This was perfect, but were they rushing into this a bit fast? His hair got caught on his nose, and he moved it out of the way. Like Kieran had mentioned, they had people from all backgrounds and skills, and they seemed to already have a leader, which Markus had no quarrels about. Being a leader put you in a rather precarious position. Not only would you be the face of the group, but if there were any would be assassins, you would more than likely be the target. Markus reflected on his time at Airi. He would try with all his might to keep this group safe, and if possible, keep it together long past when their adventure was over. After all, why let an evil primal army get in the way of some friendships and fun?

Ansgar had brought up a good point, the army they would be facing would probably have archers, which would definitely be something to watch out for. Markus certainly didn't pride himself on his agility in the air, not compared with a pegasus knight, but he might be able to dodge a few. The only problem in Markus' mind is the though of how powerful the monsters would be.  "Well, while you two bicker about archers, be sure to tell me what you would like to have for food, or you won't get any. I'll be assuming role as chef from now on."  He motioned across the whole group as he said this.  "I'll be back in around twenty minutes, with supplies, and a wyvern. Til' then!"

Markus departed from the group, with a mental laundry list in his head. First, he'd gather the few remnants of his stuff from Airi, then he'd take some of the meats and vegetables from the kitchen.   They wouldn't mind, right?   Finally, last but not least would be the humongous task of getting his wyvern next to the group without causing too much of a panic. As he walked back into the shop, he found himself pocketing the old tarot cards he kept with him for practicing fortunes. It had been a while since he had started. He was taught by the leader of his last clan, about the meanings of the various arcana, and how to interpret them. He rolled out the deck and quickly shuffled it, placing six cards in the form of a cross. The Fool, Magician, Fortune, Death, Strength, and The World.

Markus took a deep breath and bit his lip, and put the major arcana back into his deck. He had to get ready to move his best friend out of the den she had been nesting in, for what seemed like ages.

[Assistant]
Artyom Barkov

Artyom's eyes seemed to glaze over a little bit as one of the magic users of the party started to go into... technical details of the craft. Some spiel about different types of magic, good and evil, yadda yadda yadda. He didn't really take in a word of it until the discussion was thankfully over, at which point he blinked as he refocused on the present where he didn't need to he swallowed up with magical know how or debates. Seeing as he seemed to be the center point upon which this group was forming, he decided to make his feelings on the matter known. "Let me put it this way. You could carry around a sack of cute, adorable puppies everywhere you go. Every time you cast a spell, you could reach into that sack and pull out one of the puppies before breaking its neck... and as long as you did your job right, I wouldn't care."

Turning to look at the man who claimed to have contacts, he grinned as he pointed to Cael. "Cael, you just became one of my favorite people here. Do what you can."

As the question of gaining a ship was raised, he grinned a little knowingly to himself. "Oh don't worry about it. Commandeering a vessel will be easy enough. After all, the ports are currently filled with more ships then they should strictly have and there are plenty of people who came on those ships who left everything back home to get to safety. I can sort out those arrangements easily enough while everyone else is getting things together."

@PaulHaynek@Chieri@Suku@Heckno12@Eisenhorn@Lugia@Levias@Leos Klien@dabombjk

[User]
Cael grinned back at Artyom. "Alright then. I'll meet you in the port within a few hours, I'm trusting that you'll deliver on that promise of a ship." Cael's words came out as soon as Artyom had finished speaking. He knew they'd have to move fast in order to make sure that another group hadn't beaten them. This wasn't a race until they tied money into it. The young man chuckled, heading off towards a more prominent part of the capital, the mercantile district. A small portion of the arrogant merchants here owed Grey a pretty penny - he'd saved their lives. "And I think that it is high time I collect on that debt." He spoke to himself, smirking as he stepped up to the first building, knocking twice as he entered.

It took him only an hour to secure two large wagons and more than enough supplies, including a handful of extra weapons, all of which were to be delivered to the docks in another hour or so. Until then, Cael wanted to take care of some other business in the area. Patting up and down his person, he found his bag of coins, preparing to deliver them to the blacksmith that had fixed his blade. "Great work as usual, sir. Keep it up." He'd said politely to the burly man, before heading off towards the docks - there wasn't anything else he needed to take care of.

The group that had gathered had him curious, especially seeing how some of them seemed to have connections from the past. The archer had openly claimed to be on illegitimate business, not that Cael was on the good side of the law, but also seemed to reference that their 'scout' was involved as well.

Hopefully we don't run into any of my old 'friends'. Cael chuckled at the thought. He'd been a part of a mercenary band that had devolved into simple brigands. While he wasn't worried about most of them, the leader had been quite strong, at least a couple years prior.

Shaking his head, he finished getting to the port, taking back alleys and staying out of the bustling streets. Once at the port, he sat on one of the empty crates, waiting on the supplies and the party to get there.


[System]
Age: 30
Height: 72"
Weight: 178lbs

---

Skills

Exceptionally skilled at repelling and shock style combat the stalwart Russian Robuv is the terror of the battlefield. His opponents must expect the unexpected when facing him as he moves steadily from place to place finding every odd corner and crevice from which to deliver a surprise burst of 5.45mm rounds. Capable of utilizing a wide arrange of weaponry Robuv's main armament is a modified AK-12 rifle which he uses with potent skill. While Robuv isn't a large man, but he's highly adapt in SAMBO and can defeat even much larger opponents in hand to hand combat. He shines in marksmanship and field combat, but truly shines in close quarters and indoor engagements.

Special Skill

The grenadier of the team Robuv utilizes a modified GP-34 attachment to his AK-12 rifle to lob 40mm rounds of various capabilities at his opposition. Armed with a wide assortment of tactical and deadly ordinance Robuv is capable of driving his foes out from their hiding spots, or if they're especially stubborn blow them to smithereens with a well placed fragmentation grenade.

Bio

 Originally rained to be a KGB special operations agent Robuv was instead sent to become a part of the new elite Rainbow team. This was due to his previous higher education in the U.K and Germany where he learned to speak both languages fluently. His excellent background in the Russian military, as well as his affinity to adapt to new concepts and languages made him an easy choice for a position within the new team.

Personality

Robuv is a team player and likes to organize and coordinate with his unit, making well planned precision strikes. He's a shockingly laid back individual most of the time, but carries himself with a no nonsense manner that demands respect. He is highly motivated, and likes to take the initiative in situations, preferring to make a plan then just trusting his teammates to work it out on their own. His mindset is focused on defeating the enemy as quickly as possible, and if that means blowing things sky high then he could care less about property damages or fire hazards. He's not one to sit back and draw a fight out, preferring to get the mission done as quickly and efficiently as possible. No price is to high for Robuv Yarkovof when its an option between success or defeat.

Nationality

Russian Federation

[User]
Jacque "Brouilleur" Bernard

 Jacque yawned as he sat up from his bed. Despite the ample time he was given to sleep, he had spent all but two hours working on his mine. After all, he didn't want anything to go wrong on his first day. He glanced at the clock in his hotel room. Team Rainbow's base, which was now centered in America, was quite the drive away. He would be staying there from now on, so he supposed it made sense for it to be withdrawn from society-It's not like he was complaining-but it would be hard to stay awake. He hoped one of the other operators supposedly located in the hotel could drive one of the nondescript cars that Six had provided to the base. It could offer a good chance to make important relations with a couple of the members of his team, but he would probably end up studying tactics to avoid conversation.
 It's not that he didn't like the members of his team, he just assumed he would get nervous and...how did the Americans say it? Chicken out, that was it. He would probably chicken out. He sighed as he laid his head on a plush pillow. Hopefully someone else would be from France. He got out of the bed, stretching afterwards. He took a brief, but effective, shower and got dressed into a grey shirt, black pants, and a jacket with a GIGN patch positioned above the heart. He positioned his glasses on the bridge of his nose, packing up his clothing into the duffel bag. However, he was quickly shocked by a loud knock at the door. Jacque glanced at the pistol positioned haphazardly on the chair beside him. He picked it up and stepped toward the door. He looked through the peephole. The curious faces of the cleaning crew greeted him back. He glanced at his watch. Merde.
 He shoved his weapons and mines into his duffel bags, bursting out of the room. "The room is yours. I've moved my belongings." The cleaner began muttering something in English. He was technically fluent, but he didn't make an effort to translate now. Jacque shrugged. As he entered the lobby, he realized he was the first to be downstairs. He looked around, before awkwardly settling into a seat. He was in no condition to drive, in this sleepless state. He watched the stairs and the elevator for a while. He made sure no one was watching, before pulling out one of his mines. It was a nondescript item, really. It was about the size of a dinner plate, and fitted into a slot on the back of his body armor. It had a small pressure plate. The entire thing was designed to be inconspicuous and hidden. Perhaps if one of the other operators shared his common hobby, he could show them the intricacies. He began tweaking yet again, waiting for anyone else to arrive. His jacket's GIGN patch kept most people from bothering him. Hopefully now it could help his teammates recognize him.

[Assistant] Ellie Woke up... Tired. She dint know where she was, or why she was there... Just that she was. Plopping out of her bed she rubbed her eyes walking over to her rack. Grabbing her gun, crowbar, pistol and a few grandes. Hopping through the door and into the lobby, wearing a very thrown on inform she went to the corner opposite the GIGN man and flicked through her phone

[User] Misty woke up mumbling nonsense words before realizing she was the hotel where the other operators were. The fact she was up half the night tinkering with cameras would also explain her sleepiness. She put on a normal everyday outfit and packed up her weaponry and her cameras and walked downstairs to the lobby. She sat next to Jacque and began tweaking with her cameras.

[Assistant]
Suffering from a combination of jumpy nerves, jet lag, and a ruined inner clock Robuv Karkovof found sleep difficult to come by. The Russian tossed and turned well into the early hours of the morning unable to drift off despite a large dosage of sleeping pills and three glasses of cheap alcohol he bought at the local drug store. His inability to sleep plagued him for what seemed like eternity, until at last his bedside alarm clock beeped into life, filling the small room with its agonizing wailing. Raising a meaty hand Robuv slammed his palm down onto it shutting the beeping off and slipping out of his bed. Releasing a pent up sigh of relief Robuv slipped on his socks and a pair of sneakers, not bothering to change as he was already been dressed in his PT clothes. The next few hours were spent preforming a morning run, complete with pushups and stretches. Robuv didn't go as hard as he normally would have, realizing his lack of sleep and a potentially long day would lead to some negative consequences if he burned himself out. Instead he focused on reenergizing his body pushing himself just far enough to brighten his eyes and allow deep lungful's of fresh air to penetrate his chest. Today was a big one, for both Robuv and the rest of the world. The day of truth, if you will. Would this new team Rainbow prove to be a monstrous disaster demonstrating clearly the unreachable divide between the world powers? Or would it herald in a new beginning of cohesion and understanding between the modern nations? Only time would tell, but the efforts of cooperation between those chosen to participate would set the tone from this point on.

 Robuv had been selected specifically for this mission, to act both as a Rainbow agent, and as an inside asset into their operations and organization. Funneling information directly to the Kremlin. The magnitude of this responsibility weighed heavy on Robuv's shoulders, but he carried it with the pride and diligence of a true Russian born man. Of course not all was well in regards to his team. Robuv had been briefed thoroughly by his command on what exactly he'd be doing, and how he would have to trust his life to Americans, Brits, and Frenchmen. A truly terrifying prospect to any man who'd seen action and knew how reliant one was on their team in a tight spot. For all Robuv knew these foreigners would leave him to die at the first sign of trouble. Nevertheless his nation was counting on him, and the lives of innocents depended upon his ability to act dependably with his team. He was the best of the Russian Federation, and he was going to prove it by standing firm in the face of any hardship.

 Returning from his morning workout roughly thirty minutes before they were scheduled to meet in the lobby, Robuv climbed the stairs up to his second floor room. Showering hurriedly Robuv threw on a pair of kakis and a black button up shirt and boots. Making sure his pistol was hidden properly under his waist line the stalwart Russian exited and locked his room, giving his back pocket one last tap to ensure himself of the presence of his wallet and passport. The last thing he needed was American cops hounding him about missing papers on his first day. Stepping into the lobby Robuv cast about spotting a likely looking pair loitering about in the lobby. Approaching the Frenchmen with a GIGN patch and two women he was with Robuv stopped a few paces away ignoring the ladies for the time being he nodded towards Bernard's patch, formulating his question in heavily accented English.

 "That is GIGN badge da? I am Karkovof of Russian army, you are Bernard, correct?" Reaching out his big hand to shake Robuv gave a slight bow of his head, wanting to show respect to a fellow team member but not submission. Their command structure hadn't yet been fully explained and the Frenchman before him could either be a superior, peer, or subordinate. "It is good to meet you, I have flown all way from Russia and this is my first visit to the America. This entire situation has been, stressful, for you as well no doubt. But I trust of course, I have good men... And Women to watch my back, da?"