[System]
Age: 23

Magic: Tatsumi has a natural proficiency for Darkness magic, the dangerous nature of the skill perfectly fitting his reckless nature. Despite the risks he relies heavily upon his magic in combat.

Weapon: It is perhaps a stroke of irony, or typecasting, that the first weapon Tatsumi received upon arriving in the World of Wasted Dreams was a katana. He wields the sword as his primary weapon, favoring it greatly over other weapons. When forced to attack from a range Tatsumi does not rely upon conventional weaponry, instead turning to the somewhat dubious magic he wields. Besides his skill with the katana Tatsumi is a skilled martial artist, noted as a practitioner of Muay Thai and Kendo.

Bio: I remember something... it feels so long ago. It's like another life... The Shinai made a harsh thunk as they repeatedly crashed against each other. I can hear that sound so clearly, but everything else feels distant. He knew that the match that happened there was what mattered most to him. Everything else was pointless. Yes... that's what matters. The opponent. The dojo. Nothing else. I remember... wanting a life like that. A life of adventure, where I fought seemingly insurmountable foes... but I won. The thunks sped up, blows of increasing fury meeting each other. But one simple slip up, and it was over. There was no protective gear, was there? Why? After that, everything was fuzzy.

He remembered the blinding white lights of the hospital. Being propelled down the hallway on the gurney. The thumping, throbbing, all-consuming pain in his head. And the blood. The blood was everywhere.

And then Tatsumi woke up. That must've been a dream, nothing about that made sense... Tatsumi wasn't sure where he was, but it felt right. He knew he belonged here.

Personality: Tatsumi is perhaps first noted by those he meets for his sheer amicability. He's very friendly and outgoing, and meets strangers with an unusual eagerness to make friends. He's a natural when it comes to getting along with people, and is bound to make new friends in every locale he visits. He has what could be defined as a 'hero complex', wishing to be seen by those around him as someone strong, someone to admire. He's a paragon of morality, a shameless goody-two-shoes. He's incredibly helpful, willing to lend a hand to those in need, notably a sucker for the 'damsel in distress' stereotype, oft going out of his way to save the girl.

Tatsumi's negative features come in the form of his cocksureness. He's dangerously confident, reckless, and ridiculously cocky. Naturally, this combined with his wont to be a hero leads him to crave adventure and danger. Despite his somewhat 'goofy' attitude Tatsumi is surprisingly bright, perceptive, and calculating. When approaching an enemy clearly out of his league he always endeavors to have a plan to beat the insurmountable odds.

Underneath Tatsumi's shell of cheerfulness even he seems to harbor some sadness: Perhaps some lingering resentment from his time in the world before that of Wasted Dreams...

[User]
"Good evening fair Hunter. I trust you've had a pleasant rest? I'm glad you made the journey in one piece because I'm afraid you'll have to sleep a little longer. Please don't fret...I promise the monsters under your bed won't bite."

---

The Temple seemed to breathe on its own. Dusty, dank, and molted breath, almost like a noxious vapor used to kill pestering insects and other infestations. As decrepit as it may be, it was the closest thing Iredele had to a church. Thinking about it a little more broadly, it was perhaps the last standing place of worship in this nightmarish realm. The World of Wasted Dreams. A plane wrapped in eternal night.

The Temple had one priest of sorts and he was speaking to those newcomers even now who awoke a second time to find their reality twisted and torn apart. The man Iredele called Rotting Bone. A clunky mess wrapped in a tattered cloak and other meshes of clothing, yet they always seemed to blend in perfect ripples with each motion of his ancient body. A cane was held in his wrinkling hand while a hood covered most of his visage from the world.

"Welcome youngling," he had greeted the ones that were waking up. "So she's brought in some new blood….ah, forgive an old man and his ramblings. Kneel and give praise to the Church of Absolute for He gives us prayers in the night. You've wandered into the World of Wasted Dreams and into Iredele. No, no, no, there's no use in thinking that you'll escape. Thinking like that gets men killed. No…no….."

The man shuffled off, only to return with an assortment of garbs and weapons. He motioned for the group of unfortunate souls to take them freely and he chuckled at how lost they really were. The world had certainly moved on, now had it?

"No use, no use I say! All that's left is to hunt the monsters that pollute this town. You don't get a choice I'm afraid. You either become a Hunter for me and search for your own answers, or you blend in and forget whatever you knew about from before. That's not my problem. All that is my concern is your donations to the Temple. Now go on then. Run along and become good little Hunters for me…the sooner you kill the beasts, the more people will be running back to my business. Go on then. Out with you. Oh, and if you run into my granddaughter, tell her she's wasting her time as always."

That had been roughly one night ago, Rotting Bone residing in his Temple with solitude. Now it was the time to explore the confines of Iredele and search for answers. For a new generation of Hunters was upon the World of Wasted Dreams.

And the monsters were waiting in the shadows.

[Assistant] After having his time wasted by the old guy that spoke to him Sinthe, held his head trying to recall what happened, he didn't feel like asking the strange man any questions, somehow he knew that the guy would give him code like answers that wouldn't get give him many answers he wouldn't understand." It's probably for the best that I go outside, and see how this place is, staying inside won't get anything done really." Sinthe told himself before heading straight for the exit and not going for any of the weapons he still had his gi and that's all that matters with his bandages wrapping around his forearms, hands and fingers, when he walked outside he saw this world, the look of it didn't bother him." Why do I feel like I've seen worse ?" He asked himself." A question for later." He told himself.

[User]
Takumi's awakening was slow. His eyes slowly fluttered open, and he found himself in a place unfamiliar to him. It was a familiar phenomena for Humans: Waking up and momentarily not knowing who you are. But that's not what this was. Takumi realized he was in a place entirely foreign to him. He rose from the stony ground slowly, the wheels of his mind slowly turning. Where am I? Better yet... who am I? Nothing made sense. His panic rose as he realized he had no memories whatsoever. He bolted up from the ground to a standing position, examining his surroundings. The voice of an old man caught his ears, addressing him, and the people around him whom he had just noticed. It appeared they were in a similar boat.

The man rambled on, seeming to talk aimlessly and making little sense, but he did manage to gather something: He had been brought here to kill monsters. He pondered on this. He didn't know who he was, but killing monsters didn't sound so bad. In fact, the idea appealed to him greatly. Adventure! I don't know where I am, but this sounds like a good deal! He eagerly accepted the old mans equipment. He quickly noticed that the entirety of his group had all been given different weapons, and he received a katana. This geezer thinks that just because I'm Japanese I should get a katana!? He shook his head. He realized he didn't know what 'being Japanese' meant. It clearly had some meaning to him, but he couldn't recall the meaning of the word 'Japanese'. He shook his head, trying to put together his scrambled memories.

Everything came suddenly. A flurry of information. First came his name: I am Takumi Nakano. Then everything else was fuzzy. I was in a fight... but it was for sport. Kendo. There were wooden swords, and the fight got heated, and I was injured... we weren't wearing the armor we were supposed to... why? And then there was a hospital... Takumi shook his head again. There was nothing else, but at least he knew his name now. He looked to his new companions. One girl with short ashen blonde hair. Not too bad looking, in fact. He mused to himself. The other was a man, wearing a strange uniform, he was beefy, obviously pretty strong. He was already out the door, not grabbing a weapon. It was clear he was annoyed, but he couldn't be blamed, they were in a very strange situation and the old man seemed somewhat confused and not particularly helpful.

He looked away from the man and back towards the two girls. He gave them time to get acclimated and then asked, "Either of you know where we are? It seems like the guy who left" Takumi nodded at the door, "doesn't really have any more knowledge then I do." Takumi wore a bright smile as he spoke to the pair. His voice had a upbeat and friendly tone to it. He certainly was polite. "By the way, what are your names? If you know, that is... it seems like I've forgotten quite a bit, but I'm Takumi." He said brightly.

[Assistant]
The city of Iredele, ha... calling it a city was nothing but vanity from those who inhabited this glorified village stuck in the middle of a literal nowhere. The Word of Wasted Dreams, was how some called this darkness soaked bog that was full to the brim with unpleasant things of all shapes and sizes.

Well, it's not like that was of any concern to the slender cloaked figure that just now walked through the threshold of the gates that led inside the walls that flanked the main settlement. Beyond it lay a sparse farmland and the houses of those who were brave, or better, fool enough to ditch the safety blanket that the battered wooden walls represented.

The cloaked silhouette was barely discernible against the ever present gloom as she walked down the main street. in the tavern's direction. When she was about to enter the old wooden building, she saw some disoriented persons leaving the Temple of Absolute. "It seems like more of them arrived" she said to herself before going in.

Once in the tavern the girl went to the counter and placed three rusty coins over it. "My usual, master." She said in a feminine, albeit dry and low, voice before proceeding to a table located in a corner across the fireplace and thus, hidden in the shadows, unless you had some good eyes. It didn't took long for the tavern master to order their only maid, a fairly beautiful redheaded lass who's the joy of Iredele's weary males, to bring the cloaked girl's bowl of steaming-hot, hellishly spiced noodles that no one else had the gall to try.

"Here it's, Miss Akemi." The tavern lass said as she put Akemi's food over her table, along with a copper mug full with a very strong vodka that was Iredele's specialty "And this one is on the house, to thank you for dealing with those chupacabras the other day." The girl put a wooden plate with a juicy looking steak over Akemi's table before leaving.

Akemi put a large amount of soy sauce on her food before digging in, barely being able to hold back the pleasure moan that threatened to escape her lips as finally bit down her beloved mapo tofu udon.

[User]
Where was she?

The questions of who she was or even why she was here never even entered her mind as she awoke to the scene of the old man speaking, of course others spoke out against this craziness but she started to look around the strange room. She could not help but start to think about if this was what death was like? She expected a whole different world if that was really the case, something involving more lovely things but maybe this was punishment of some sort? Or it could be a dream as the man stated, though from what she remembered this was not one of her normal dreams...

Taking the equipment that she was given Jen started to changed into her garb over the rags she had started with, she did not seem to have any notion of modesty or embarrassment even as she was talked to by Takumi. "Jennifer, its my name" She said as she finished up putting on everything, apart from the weapons. "I don't know what we are doing here, but we are here now right?"

She looked towards the guy with a rather dazed look as if what she said was common sense, which it wasn't but really there was nothing they could do by her understanding. "I have no idea why we are here though or how we are meant to do it... He didn't mention how we would be doing this whole hunting thing." Other than handing this stuff off he did nothing.

[Assistant]
Tastumi blushed as the girl changed brazenly in front of him, turning away from her quickly. Jennifer may not have been embarrassed, but Tatsumi was embarrassed for her. She really was completely shameless. His embarrassment caused him to trip over the words in his sentence. "W-w-w-well, it's, uh, nice to, uh, meet you Jennifer." He chanced a peek around to see if she was done, and when he confirmed she was clothed he enthusiastically grabbed her hand and shook it. "Well, no use hanging out here, I'm sure we'll find some answers outside. I'm going to take a look around." He briskly made for the door, heading out into the street.

Tastumi found himself in a positively gloomy town square. He took note of the fact it was night, and the fact that they appeared to be in a small village. He thought he caught sight of a hooded figure moving across the square, but it was hard to tell. Whoever ever they were they might have some answers. Tatsumi made haste to the building the figure had entered. He approached the door. Winter Wolf Tavern? It was a good place to start, there would be someone here who could give him information. He cautiously opened the door, peeking in.

What he found was a completely ordinary tavern. He was a little surprised. He expected his new surroundings to be more... hostile. He peeked around the room. It took him a moment to find the hooded figure he first took note of, sitting in a gloomy corner. How cliche! Tatsumi thought to himself. He approached the table, eyeing the figure, who he could now vaguely discern as female. "Excuse me, miss, do you mind if I sit here?" He didn't wait for an answer, taking a seat across from the girl. "I'm a little... lost. Can you tell me where we are?"


[System]
Appearance:

(Ah, once again Pixiv fantasia and the out of cliche japanese artists save me from utter nothingness. A minute of silence for Japan's industrialisation)

Age: 42

Gender: Male

Race: Wolfman

Magic: Yin

Personality:
Rothfell is a dedicated hitman. His job requires discretion and attention and as such he has developed a slight lack of emotions. He wears a so called masks so others cannot see his emotions. More often than not he doesn't talk to anybode less he knows them, and is reluctant on making new acquaintances. Most people cannot last long with someone like him. There is an inherent danger. Thought he uses Yin magic, perfectly suitable for his job, he doesn't deal with the witches cult and often takes breaks from his job to hunt mabeasts. Not a friendly person, rather rude to be honest.

Background:
As one of the more Demi of the demi-human races, Rothfell has always enjoyed a unique sensation whenever he met ordinary humans. He felt happy to not be jsut ordinary and so much like them, and considered himself to be better than them. He kept a condescending tone with them, and when the oppurtunity arise to make a living from killing them, he didn't turn down. He was never trained swordsmanship, but his hands quickly adjusted to the weapons and after a few months he became quite decent with them. He would often boast with them, even to knights, often leading to lost fights. In truth he would have stayed the same for the rest of his life, had the Master Swordsman not interrupted. After a friendly duel, he lost so badly that his pride was gone from that day. Since he has been training regularly, becoming more and more favored by those who wanted people dead. He never used magic before either, until one dangerous mission forced him into the corner, where his inner instincts and emotions helped him release an uncontroleld burst of Jin magic, surrounding him with thinck black fog. His magic is still quite weak, but he has been training ever since the day, strenghtening his powers.

Likes:
-Swords
-Dragons
-Weird Artefacts
-Magical Things
-Bunnies
-Demi-humans like him
-Children

Dislikes:
-Knights
-Spicy Food
-Cats
-Smartass People
-People who ask too many questions

Theme: TBA

Hendrick Joseph

Age:
?

Gender:
Male

Race:
Human

Magic:
Rune Magic - Hendrick utilises exotic magic, unlike that you would normally find. His magic revolves around runes, simple graphs or carvings to help cast magic, and enchant them. They work on the very fundamentals magic and mana, and are learned through many years in far away monasterys of the east. They are heavy on movement, requiring the user to do ritual steps in order to cast the spell, and the simplest runes can even be cast into the air, as if the user was drawing on a solid surface, or if the user wishes to utilize anything more than a gust of air, carved into runestones to be used individually or as part of a bigger spell. This magic doesn't replace normal magic, rather finds the way spells are forged, and uses a more elemental way to cast them. The user still uses up mana, but isntead of making their own magic, the mana is funneled into the rune, which can more effectively cast the magic. Stronger spells require significant times to cast, and often more than one runes. These runes cost not only significant amounts of time and precision to craft, but also require mana to be charged up and very specific materials to craft them. Fire type magics will require Fire Blossoms or Magma Crystals to make, Earth would need Dustroots and Mudgems, and so do the other speels need certain elements to craft. The runes are made of runestone, a special type of rock that can be made from the powders of other stones, which makes them very heavy, and larger quantities of runes cannot easely be carried without limiting the users movement. Furthermore after casting, the runes will turn into powder, which can be crafted into runestones once again, given that the user collects the fine dust that remains.

Divine Protection:
Monk of the East - Blessed with the understanding of deeper magical connections, Monks of the East can cast runes and gylphs. Their understanding of mana, and how it affects all living beings helps them stay healthy, live a longer life, and aim for vital points in combat that can block the mana flow of the adversary.

Personality:
Hendrick is a subtle person. Calm and collected, his years of training made his mind a shrine for the soul to dwell in. Always out to help others, and teach them the way of the monks. He despises both light and dark, good and bad and instead focuses on the state of neutrality. His only goal is to find enlightment, and the road he takes to achieve it can be anything. He evades law, bud abides justice.

Background:
Hendrick was born, raised and trained at an off the grid monastery of the Monks of the East. They are a secret that is passed from father to son, and most of their inhabitants never leave the compunds that they were born in. Their society is one of isolation and inner harmony. However, a selected few that are chosen at birth are trained as warriors and priests through their life. These few are the ones who venture out into the world, and seek their fortune in the great beyond. Hendrick was trained since he was able to wield a stick as a weapon, and trained for nearly 20 years. When he wasn't sparring, he learned the arts of magic from the sages of the monastery. For 20 years, his life was eventless.

Description(cause why don't we have these, really?):
Hendrick is a blind monk, trained in the arts of magic and martial arts. He likes to use his staff more than his spells, but if things go downhill he will not avoid spending all of his mana and runes. He is an expert fighter, but will never result to lethal moves. He is blind, but his senses give him a much better understanbding of the surroundings than if he had vision. he can "see" things he can hear, and he senses the mana around him, creating an image composed of multiple layers in his head. He can "see" in a different way, a way that can be much better for some things, and incredibly crippling for others.

When he reached 30, he left the monastery to try his fortune.He would return every 5 years to bring news about what is going on in the world. He would travle to many kingdoms and khaganates, learning secrets and improving his abilities. After his last return home, he set his sights on Lugnicia, a kingdom that would surely offer much enlightement to someone like him.

Likes:
-Peace
-Silence
-Nature
-Strawberry Muffins
-Martial arts
-Cats

Dislikes:
-Noise
-Duality
-Alcohol

Theme:

[User]
Sean Williams
Sean was honestly confused on what happened. To him, some dude seemed to have just gone on a rampage and then ran away with his friend because of a cell phone. Even in this world, that'd just be considered magic, which to Sean's knowledge was pretty common place, so he couldn't really grasp the reason for the meltdown. However he could recognize that the jerk had left a huge mess, and if he'd had to clean up a mess, he'd want help.

"I was already planning on it." He said in response to Alexander, before walking over to where the waitress was cleaning up. "You don't have to clean, I'll do it. His phone caused it, so we should be the ones who clean up."  Sean stated before he began to clean, gathering up any remaining glass, as well as trying to clean up the food.

He just wanted to make friends, and it didn't seem to be turning out all that well. Maybe he would  have been better off just getting hammered. Then again, he did seem to be doing well with Alexander.
@Letter Bee

[Assistant]
AND

It was far too late for Ease's words to even reach her ear at this point. Already accompanying Atisha to another table where Yoshinobu, the employee of the bar was serving. Although she did hear him, sneaking a quick glance as she walked before sighing.

"Hey, could I get another order for my friend over there?"

The sound of a man resounded in her ear as she passed, she tried to look for the source but to no avail, it was only until a few minutes that Ease dropped by when he finally spoke and gestured:

"Ugh...I swear I need a seltzer. Or coffee." Ease spoke. "And throw his on my bill, too." Duncan added, not missing a beat as Ease sat down. Smiling at the gesture of the man that helped both her acquaintance, Ease, she would look forward, hoping not to fall behind Atisha as their gossips run around.

"...we're already here." said the armored Elven woman. The snow elf didn't mind Alexander who was playing random music all of a sudden as he entered the bar. She thought it was rather odd that some stranger would just defend Elven rites, it's just outright embarrassing if he doesn't intimidate the men and women around. For now though, she was relieved. As soon as her fellow elven companion had asked. Though Yoshinobu only picked up two out of the commotion. Blanc didn't blame her, the bar was kind of noisy so she ought to split the food with her spirit contract, Tundo.

"It's getting rather crowded in here. Perhaps we could eat our meal in peace elsewhere? If you can find somewhere quiet, I'll bring the food to you." Blanc would look to Tundo then back at Atisha, with a relieved smile she would nod at her and gesture her outside. I doubt she'd hear her rather "squeaky, shy" voice around a tavern that's loud and obnoxious.

She lead the way of course, with Tundo following her. Exiting the entrance casually before looking back at the elven woman, telling her to meet just across the alleyway barely in sight. She had her food with her of course, and they weren't supposed to leave with the plates. "Hopefully there are seats and tables just outside the tavern..." She would say telepathically towards Tundo. The wolf would growl, telepathically responding with: "It was wise to get out of there, inviting your tough acquaintance outside could also guarantee your protection from discriminators walking by.

Fortunately there was a four-seater table just left of the entrance as the two took the seats beside each other, waiting to Atisha to arrive right after placing her own plate on the table just in between the both of them.

@Lucius Cypher @Sir Lurksalot @Letter Bee @liferusher

[User]
By the time Grian reached teh top of the hill, he could already see the sun's crest as it was slowly rising up againts the horizon. The light hit his eyes, and he turned away for a second, holding onto Emile not to let her fall by the sudden motion. It took a few seconds for his eyes to adjust, and when they did, he spotted his house. The are was littered with mansions of many sizes, but none smaller than the biggest buildings in the slums. Decorated with carvings on the stone walls and pillars, anda dored with fancy crafted iron fences, everything around these parts showed luxury. Neatly cut hedges laid further within the spaceous compounds of the buildings, with many of them already buzzing with gardeners ready to cut off the few milimetres that disturbed the even grass. A few guardsmen in huts next to the giant gates glanced at Grian and then at Emile, but they didn't give much attention to them. Grian was already feeling tired, his legs starting to go sore as he carried Emile. It was an extra weight that he knew would affect him over time, but now it felt like the worst decision, purely because of his tiredness. But the white walls of his place filled his heart with comfort, and his muscles with the necessary energy.

The iron gates slowly opened as grian pushed them inwards. They turned with a silent sqeaking noise, as if welcoming the owner of the home. Grian never felt so comfortable opening these twin doors before in his life. As soon as he took two steps in, his two other friends already welcomed him. From the right side of the mansion came running two white and furry wolves, howling with excitement and joy. The first one jumped up on Grian's chest, almost making him lose his balance. The other one sniffed around Emile, and started growling viciously as he sniffed the girl. The other one currently leaning against Grian also joined in on the growling, and inspected the sleeping girl. Grian whistled twice in a low tone, bringing the wolves attention to him. "She's a guest, so you guys better be nice to her!"  The wolves slowly moved away, and with after some patting from Grian they left with curious looks.

The twin oak doors opened on their well oiled hinges, revealing a long corridor with many coats hanging from the walls, and shoes lining the other side. Carefully painted artwork hung from the walls, and potted plants lined teh edges of the hallway. Grian walked past everything, and opened the second double door ont eh far end of the room.

It opened into a grand hall with a huge table that was surrounded by tables. It was clear of any dishes, only a few dim candles were burning in the silence of the shadowy room. The sun failed to illuminate the large windows just yet, as the beams of light were trapped by the velvet curtains that hung above the grandiose glass. Two staircases lined the right side, leading up to the second floor. Grian slowly moved up, his legs giving away with every step that he was closer to his bed. He took another step. Halfway up the stairs. He took another one. Now it seemed like he was where he was a step before. He took yet another step, making very slow propgress.

By the time he reached the top of teh stairs, he felt like an eternity has passed since he started. He almost crashed into the first door in front of him, opening into a small, but carefully decorated and caressed room. Not much furniture, but the few that were inside showed signs of expert craftsmanship. A single french bed, and two smaller nightstands on either side. Lastly there was a desk and a wardrobe in the room on. Grian walked to the bed, and slowly lifted Emile from his back. She seemed asleep, so Grian gently put her down on the bed, and walked to the desk. On a piece of paper he scribbled the words "Meet me in the hall just down the stairs when you wake up."

Then without the weight of Emile, Grian himself hastly made his way into his own roon, closed the door, and crashed down onto teh bed and quickly fell asleep.


[System]
Gender: Male

Age: 30

Born: 4. January 2522, New Alexandria, Reach

Service Branch: 105th Marine Expeditionary Unit [SOC]/ODST, formerly Army Pathfinder

---

* ODST armor
* Headlamp (left side)
* Helmet Camera (right side)
* Shemagh (olive)

Armament & Equipment:
* BR55HB SR - 8 magazines
* M45 Shotgun - 12 breaching shells, 6 frag shells
* Range Finder
* UNSC Combat Knife
* M9 HEDP grenades - 3
* stun grenades - 3
* Admin pouch
* Chemlights (various colors)
* Breaching kit (halligan bar, bolt cutters, Fireaxe)
* rope (50m)

* SSgt. Christopher "Pops" Snipes - Squad Leader - KIA

	+ The squad's commanding officer, Snipes was the one that always managed to drag the squad out of the mud, regardless of how deep they were. His almost fatherly care for his men earned him the nickname "pops" and his men would march through fire for him. Sadly, he became isolated from his squad by an ambush and when they finally reached him, he was long dead, gutted by an energy sword.
* Sgt. Michael "Drone" O'Hare - Team Leader - KIA

	+ The men under his command used to joke that to kill him, the Covenant would have to aim for his head as the man did not have a heart. Indeed, Sergeant O'hare was a blunt man, disliked by his men and liked by superiors for his 'macho' approach, often pushing his men over their limit and blaming everyone else for his mistakes. It was one such mistake that led to his death at the hands of several Unggoy, bludgeoned to death by the small aliens.
* Cpl. John "Tube" Sheridan - AT Rifleman

	+ Sheridan is a friendly, easy going, yet serious soldier who carries a really big stick. He is noted by his peers for his seemingly unending patience and memory, as he's memorised most known information about the Covenant vehicles he's encountered, something that's kept him and his squad alive on numerous occasions.
* LCpl. Adrian "Wrench" Shepard -Engineer

	+ A big, man with a gruff exterior, Adrian is the squad's go-to man when it comes to anything to do with vehicles or electronics. Although he's usually quiet and polite, he will fly off the handle whenever he sees someone abusing their equipment, claiming that they will come to him to fix it once they break it. Adrian also has limited experience with Covenant weapons and small vehicles.
* PFC. Ian "Notso" Toogood - Marksman

	+ The squad's newest member, Ian is the type to shoot first and then decide whether or not he will bother asking questions. But despite his impulsive and bordering on childish personality, he stays remarkably calm under pressure, no matter what is flying around his head.
* Sgt. David "Hippie" Rosenfield- Team Leader - KIA

	+ Sergeant Rosenfield was a caring family man. Seeing his men as extended family, he acted as counterbalance to Sgt. O'Hare' no nonsense approach. His death at the hands of a Brute's gravity hammer left a huge dent in the squad's morale and a burning desire to avenge their old man.
* Cpl. Miranda "Chef" Nero - Medic - WIA, missed extraction

	+ Though serious and seemingly detached from the camaraderie among the troops, Nero is nonetheless incredibly dedicated to serving her fellow soldiers. She is often seen going above and beyond her duties, forgoing sleep and putting herself into harm's way to provide the best aid possible. During an ambush, a piece of rubble fell on her and crushed her right shin. Although she can walk, the squad must carry her when they have to move fast, but refuse to leave her behind.
* LCpl. Edward "Twitch" Harper - Pointman
* PFC. Patrick "Lineman" Defort - RTO

	+ Defort has no brain-to-mouth filter. No matter the situation, he always seems to have a sarcastic remark to lift the spirits of his comrades or show his frustration. Although he doesn't show it, Patrick is quite intelligent and follows orders to the letter.

Rank: Lance Corporal

Specialisation: Pointman/Pathfinder

---

Personality: In the field, Edward is as stoic as it gets, earning him his ironic nickname. Edward likes to plan ahead, get sufficient resources first and hates when things don't go according to plan as he is terrible at adapting to unexpected consequences, making him a poor leader. As such, he prefers to be the grunt because he doesn't feel confident making decisions, especially those that can cost lives. While he has no problems following an experienced leader into the fray, he didn't get to where he is by seeking trouble and diving in head first. Although somewhat cold, he recognises the value of teammates and will go out of his way to keep them safe if possible.

During downtime, he's usually a friendly fellow with low tolerance for optimists. But when things take the turn for the worst, his bitter side comes to light.

Biography: Edward was born on Reach to a family he's never met. For reasons unknown to him, he's been put up for abortion mere hours after he was born. This has led to his bitter attitude and largely molded his pessimistic nature. At the age of three, he was adopted by Geoff Harper, a cook in the World Cuisine. But despite his upbringing by a loving, though adoptive father, the thought of being abandoned still burned within him. Looking for something meaningful to do, he joined the Army at the age of 18.

Perhaps it was his upbringing that gave rise to not only his bitterness, but also his tendency to keep others safe. The definition of a pathfinder's job: go first and mark a path so others could pass safely. It seemed perfect.

* (Army) Evacuation of Emerald Cove (2542)

	+ Edward assisted in evacuation of Emerald Cove.
* (Army) Battle of Miridem (2544)

	+ Tasked with protecting an unit of AA tanks. His platoon, aided by the AA vehicles, stood their ground against a Covenant attack, but suffered moderate casualties and lost two out of three AA tanks. Later, they were forced to abandon most of their equipment and evacuate as the planet was glassed.
* (ODST) Battle of Sargasso (2546)

	+ Edward's first ODST deployment. The squad's task was reconnaissance and acting as artillery spotters behind Covenant lines. Near the end of the operation, the squad was discovered and retreated under fire, sustaining light casualties.
* (ODST) Battle of Skopje (2547)

	+ Charged with protecting the shipyards. After several hours, Edward has suffered a gunshot wound from a Brute plasma rifle and blunt trauma to his head and was evacuated.

---

Affiliations: Geoff Harper (Stepfather, New Alexandria, Reach)

Notable Traits:

* Nicknamed "Twitch" for his stoic nature.
* Edward's beard conceals light burns on the left side of his face sustained during the Battle of Skopje.

Theme Song

[User]
Negan Jerico

---

 "I really need a new job..."

 Negan Jerico. A name that used to mean something in the UNSC. Now, I guess that it's not worth more than a kilobyte of data in the Terra-bites of UNSC files. I'm alone, on this god forsaken planet, surrounded by monsters and men alike. My squad is dead, including Sonia for all I know, the last person I saw alive.

---

 7 hours earlier...

 "Hay boss?" "What is it, Danvers?" "Why are we doing this job?
 Why not just blow the place to high hell?" "Because the enemy has a shield generator, you idiot." "Calm down, Sonia. We don't need to be fighting each other yet." Yeah, I don't particularly wan-". Moris was cut off by the sound of the drop pod entering atmosphere. "Okay everybody,
 get on your toes, we're about to be in a fire fight." I prepared for the impact but then I heard an explosion. I looked up and a Covenant Corvette came out of hyper-jump. I was in awe when, in one shot, the corvette was brought down by two broadswords. "Look out!"

---

 Presently...

 I was running through a abandoned research facility, hoping to find another human. All I found up to now however was covenant scum.
I'm screwed if those Skirmishers find me I thought. I had saw a large group of skirmishers searching the loading dock of the facility. I was certain that a human was in here, because I haven't heard any gun fire yet. But Whether I find someone or not is completely up to chance.

[Assistant]
"Get the hell down!" a marine shouted as he pulled another younger Marine into cover as an explosion nearly ended his life. Vick flinched from the explosion and gritted his teeth as he looked around their bunker. Marines from other positions were forced to fall back to them and now six Marines filled the bunker. Things were getting hotter when another wave of covenant forces arrived. Ammo was low and the group was forced to fire only when they knew they would hit.

"The hell are we supposed to do damn it!?" another Marine asked as he loaded another magazine into his rifle. Vick wondered the same thing, what were they supposed to do? They were low on ammo, no help was coming and finally they were about to be surrounded. He looked around the bunker to find his answers, but he only found even more confused and scared Marines. Was there anything they could do? Vick lowered his head with dread as more rounds from the covenant flew over his cover. Were they going to die here?

Just as Vick was close to give up the radio came to life. He snapped his head to it with wide eyes as he heard a voice. He crawled to the radio as the other Marines simply stayed in their cover. He scrambled for the radio and took a deep breath as he listened to the mans instructions. "Outpost Sierra..." he muttered to himself and looked around the room. "Do any of you guys know where that is!?" he shouted dover the battle. A thin Marine nodded as he flinched from a close plasma shot.

"I-I do! I helped escort supplies there!" Vick and the other Marines felt a bit of relief. Though one of the Marines faltered with a worried expression.

"How are we getting out of here though!? This place is nearly surrounded!" the thin Marine shook his head and pointed pass the bunkers doors.

"We should be able to slip into the forest before the covenant have the chance to overrun us, but we gotta be fast!" Vick nodded and turned towards the radio.

"This is Private Vick Carson from Fire team Jackal of the USNC Marines, we hear ya loud and clear from outpost Charlie and are heading to outpost Sierra! Over!" looked around the bunker.

"Alright Marines, its either wait here to get killed by those ugly bastards, or make a break for it! Which is it gonna be!?" Vicks fellow Marines were quick to choose as they all readied themselves by the bunkers doors. The thin Marines took a deep breath as readied himself for the run and looked back to the group.

"Keep moving no matter what!" was all he said before bolting out of the bunker and towards the outposts back entrance. Vick and the other Marines were quick to follow. His heart raced, his breathing was heavy and his fear was nearly maddening as he raced towards the forest with his fellow Marines next to him. Rounds flew over their heads and a few explosions nearly got them, but soon enough the Marines were able to reach the forest. Vick burst through the foliage and a sudden laugh escaped him. It was a laughter of relief. The group never halted their sprint and soon enough the others began to join Vick in his laughing fit. They made it, though they were all aware the worse was far from over, they were all overjoyed to have escaped that hell hole. Now the group began to make their way to their new outpost, but unaware of the large covenant force that was currently forming behind them.

[User]
John quickly linked the latest addition to their team with their VISRs. A few seconds later, a yellow triangle with Srin's rank and surname appeared over her head and a list of basic medical information was added to the team roster. A blue diamond with a four-digit number popped up on their HUD's heading tape, indicating the direction and distance to outpost Sierra. "Some good fortune, at long last. I feared it would be much farther than this."

Edward walked through the woods silently, straining his ears to catch any sound that would indicate hostile presence. Fortunately for them, it was easy to distinguish human from Covenant firearms. Once they got back deeper in the woods, he actually felt safer. At least there was some concealment, even solid cover, unlike the open field they just set out from. He just hoped they wouldn't have to spend the night there, as it would likely get pitch-black and relying solely on visual aids could lead to problems. After a few minutes of silence, curiosity got the better of him and he spoke up quietly. "What exactly happened on Fumirole? Been fortunate enough to avoid that one, but I overheard some pilots talking about it. They said it was quite a shitshow. And what was that about some Colonel's Warthog? That sounds like an interesting story." He didn't ask about the airlock incident she mentioned. The thought of being airlocked always sent a cold spear through his guts, even with his armor's EVA capability, albeit a limited one. Seeing what exposure to vacuum did to people made his stomach twist. "Not to dig through your life like some shrink, but as I understand it, you've survived your squad getting wiped twice. And if one or more of us is ears deep in shit with you covering us, I'd like to know whether you're just lucky and that nickname is ironic, or if you're the type to run and hide while your squad gets ripped apart. No offense intended."

Outpost Sierra outer perimeter

Coming up on the outpost, the squad stayed in the woods in case the outpost was occupied by a hostile force. Edward scanned the outpost with his range finder before handing it to Srin. "I wouldn't exactly call that a well fortified position, would you? I'm not sure if it's half finished, or half destroyed, but it's definitely seen better days. I can't tell if anyone's home though, friend or foe. What do you see?" he paused and let Jinxie take her time. "Perhaps we should leave the squad here and go see from up close? You never know what you're gonna find until you take a look, right?"


[System]
Sex: Female
Age: 29
Appearance:

Basic Appearance: As the picture suggests, she is one of the few in the Lunar Coven to fully devote herself to the more animalistic side of their magic, having developed a purplish fur and skin across her body, a tail, and oversized wolf ears. However, unlike most within her specialized group, she has studied the other magics in conjunction, producing an artifact that may cast the illusion of her former appearance.

This appearance is that of an averaged-sized, if beautiful, woman in her late 20's. Though her clothes may change to suit the occasion, she is most commonly in street clothes; tee-shirts and jeans. However, she does consistently wear a small gold necklace with a wolf charm, in both forms, into which the illusion magic is imbedded. Her eyes are silver, and her hair does come out purple now, though it used to be brown. The most common excuse she uses is that she dyes it.
Zoey uses a her clawed feet and and pouch of throwing stars as her primary weapons.

Abilities
Passive:
 Wulvmorph: She is able to smell and hear better than normal humans, and has the ability to see clearly at night. She is also more agile and resistant to injury
 Lunar communication: She is able to understand and communicate simple messages with and through creatures of the night. These include things such as bats, wolves, and similarly disposed creatures.
 Alchemical experience: She has a proficient knowledge in night time flora and their uses, typically applied to wounds and antitoxins.
 Illusory-form: She can pass off easily as a normal human with good senses because of her pendant, which is easily charged.
Active:
 Shapeshift: She is able to shapeshift at will into a wolf, which dramatically increases her ground speed and agility. She is still able to cast magic out of this wolf form, meaning that if she were ever trapped as a wolf she would still be able to communicate and uphold her duties.
 Illusion magic: She is able to cast a quick spell for minimal affect: Speech out of wolf form, a brief vision, a flash of light, etc. with no preparation. Otherwise, depending on the complexity of the spell, and the distance of the illusory site from her casting zone, there can be a substantial set-up time for the spell.
 Teleport: She is able to teleport up to a distance of about 20 yards without preparation. Other distance may require anywhere from a 40 minutes to an entire week to prepare for.
Noctalance: A lance of silver life that causes a freezing puncture wound, called from above. It is most effective at night with a full moon, but can be used to affect even in the day. (Though at such times they are little more than needles the size of a toothpick.)
Shadow dance: A highly complex maneuver of shadow magic, it uses two steps. Manipulation of shadows and darkness, and a unique, highly specialized teleport that requires those shadows. The effect is a blindingly fast teleport that can be used to apply rapid strikes to a target, typically one per teleport. It looks like passing through liquid shadows to pop out of another liquid shadow.
Moon's Bounty: A small-scale healing and stabilization magic, it involves drawing a crescent rune on the target and charging it with magic, which will ensure the target won't die of something physical and slowly heal them over time, for as long as the rune persists. The mark is low-energy, but also generally doesn't heal much more than a scraped knee in it's duration unless it is charged beyond. The direct-spell version of this would feel like getting dunked in ice water, and coming out with fresh, but the feeling is described as, "Undesirable, to be used only if the person would otherwise die. Because they would otherwise wish that they had."

Backstory
Zoey is from a town called Billings, a relatively large town in Montana. Her story of joining the Lunar Coven is actually one of the less eventful ones: she was approached one night while she was in college and accepted. A talent, she quickly acquired her skills within the Coven and acquired the title of Acolyte. As an acolyte, she established herself as one of the best, able to easily practice in the large, open ground of her home state, and train in the rougher, mountainous regions also found in the unremarkable stretch. Eventually, she reached a status of elitism. Having chosen to pursue transformation magic, this culminated in a visit from "the Aspect of the Wolf," a spirit entity of the highest rank within their order, though also not human. She received it's blessing, becoming infused with it's power to become the creature she is today. She still faithfully serves the Coven, believing in their work to make the night a little less bumpy for the more ignorant humans of her region.

Personality
Cheerful, though both independent and private, she is used to going long times with only brief social contact. While she isn't overly rude, she does speak her mind and may occasionally misspeak, missing a social clue or such. That said, she is concerned with helping people, and will act in the way she believes will help humans. She believes herself to be a good person, and still human. While she is used to such comments now, it still will sting her pride if she is referred to anything else.

She does not get angry often, but if she is made to become angry, she tends to act quickly and explosively. Such outbursts do not usually involve violence, but it is still not recommended.

The Lunar Coven:
docs.google.com/document/d/1KxiyMJLvF1..

[User]
Nemo looked over to Travis. "If all of her shots are magic, then it's likely I could defend us against them with my absorption spell, even if they're designed to penetrate barriers." Nemo replied. Afterwards he spawned a rifle of his own from his inventory, a highly customized vintage bolt action sniper rifle. The most notable change that wasn't solely dedicated to gaudy looks that Nemo had made to the weapon was that the entire barrel had been integrated with a suppressor, increasing the size but not the length.

"It's possible I could try to take a shot at her then as well." Nemo said as he loaded a round in the chamber. "Going lights out wont be much of a problem for someone who can see in the dark." Nemo added as he slung the weapon around his shoulder by the sling. "Usually I'd just try to take out her nest with a spell, but I'd be out in the open for too long to get it off."

Before Nemo could say any more another shot whizzed out from across the ship, growing louder and louder until it collided with Travis' cover, taking a decent sized chunk out of it.

[Assistant] Zoey called down, "I can get the lights, if you can find where she's at. It'd be a simple trick to make her see nothing, much easier than cutting them all at once." She had relocated once again from where she was when Nemo showed up. "But I gotta know where she is. No guess work. And right now, all we got is guess work." She fires a slug off where she thinks the sniper's at and finds new cover.

[User]
Travis never had time to follow up on his suggestion after Nemo had offered his view of the situation. In that brief moment, the midsection of the shipping container that he had adopted as covered violently shuttered as a projectile of concentrated mana bore through it almost effortlessly. Luckily for Travis, the last shot had missed him but not by much. The mere force of the round not only ravaged the container but also managed to launch the Untalent a few feet ahead of him.

Almost shocked from the event, he scrambled to pick himself up though only to dive behind a nearby collection of storage containers and boxes. He was unharmed for the most part though Travis couldn't help but notice and feel the burning sensation across the right flank of his face and body where Lori's shot had nearly grazed. He then took note of the new hole in the deck, sized just about the volume of his waist. The outlining rim of the hole glow a bright red whereas the remains of his former piece of cover emitted fumes of melting metallic substance.

"This is really starting to get old." Travis commented, sounding almost unamused if not annoyed.

[Assistant]
Raiya listened to the suggestions of everyone else in the team. and while it seemed the group had figured out a plan to blackout the deck to keep themselves hidden from the sniper's eye, it seemed it was easier said than done. They had a rough idea of how their plan was going to go about, however before Travis could complete his runic spell, a shot from the sniper blew apart his cover and almost winged him. Needless to say, things were not going well. Raiya had been fleshing out a long ranged lightning attribute spell, a small thin beam of plasma that could take foes out from a medium to long range, but she had not put enough effort into finishing it and the finished product of the spell was still a long way out. And unlike Nemo, Raiya did not carry with her a rifle of any kind. So the only thing she could do was try and get closer.

 Raiya activated her speed enhancement spell and zipped in the direction toward the sniper, making it only about 30 feet before zipping to cover behind a series of small metal crates stacked up upon each other about 5 feet high 8 feet long and 4 feet wide. She crouched behind the crates waiting for the next shot to ring out.

[User]
The blast in Travis' cover and near death experience made Nemo think it would be better to to get this done as soon as possible. "I don't care which one of you takes out the lights, just get it done before there's nothing left to hide behind." He said, hearing the faint whistle of another blast approaching the group. Nemo used his warp to shift himself up to more cover just in time to escape his previous hiding spot before it was torn to shreds by the blast.

The short time he had to look in between cover he could make out by the glint that the sniper was still at her high up outpost.

[Assistant]
Nemo brought up a valid notion. Now that taking cover was a less feasible option as Lori could apparently destroy it with ease, the needed to act quick and buy themselves more time advantages. Travis got back on his feet though carefully so lest he unintentionally raises awareness to himself. Raiya had apparently took advantage of the moment after Lori's shot hade barely missed him and quickly advanced across the ship and then back into cover. Given the accuracy of her last shot, Lori was keeping a close eye on them and making good guesswork on where exactly her victims were hiding.

For the moment, there were no follow up shots directed at him however whether she was actually planning her next shot or if she was scanning the deck was anyone's guess. At this point, Travis and perhaps everyone without a strong means of defense else were almost helpless if Lori had a good bead on them. Travis nevertheless decided to continue his efforts despite the feeling of another possible shot imminently whizzing towards him ever present.

Travis kept his back against a new storage container and crept across its vertical surface until he stopped at the edge of it where a open gap separated his chosen cover with another storage unit. If Lori was still gunning for him, he suspected she would keeping an eye on that gap. That said, Travis held his position for time being but not without at least being productive. Channeling mana into his left hand and generated an eerie green magical circle, similar in structure and arte form as his earlier possession spell. However instead of pointing the circle towards something else, he instead directed it towards his right eye. The circle glowed in intensity as small ghostly tendrils spawned forth and conjoined with this hazel centered orb. The coloration of his pupil and iris soon faded to white, systematically blinding his rightmost vision.

In a twist, he then carefully directed the circle towards the open space but ensured it was out of anyone's notice. Upon triggering the spell, a small transparent sphere of green began to grow from the tendrils of the circle itself. The process didn't take long to complete and soon his vision was complete again but not in the way it was before.

Closing his left eye, his rightmost vision saw the world in a much different way. As he perceived it, his surroundings were of a chromic inverse whose eternal material essence wisping away in some unknown wind. The inversion and negating of natural colors created a pure white landscape in where anything that casted actual light was instead shrouded glistening black. In Travis' perspective, the dark looming storm clouds now lit up the sky and the areas of the deck where the deck lights shined had dimmed. However unusual this perception was, it did server a purpose. Travis could now perceive the flow of mana and where it had been carried. The spell he had conjured was very similar akin to a manalysis spell but functioned in a more extended manner.

Through this new sight, Travis could literally see the vectors of each shot that were illuminated by the mana traces they had emitted. Turning his left hand just slightly his vision narrowed but now he could see the upper decks of the ship in closer detail as if he was already standing on the other side of the vessel. Making several more slight hand movement, he directed his literal ghost eye in track where each shot had come from. He eventually traced each shot vector back to what looked like a sort or observation nest or outpost and found the darkened profile of an individual residing within the outpost with a clear aura radiating off of them. It was likely Lori as all the shots traced back to his perceived signature.

Noting an occurrence through their fight with Roy, Travis pulled out his manadial and prepared a whispered message meant for the entire team though had meant it mainly for Zoey given her earlier offer, "I have as visual on our sniper. She's located opposite side of the ship, right from the bridge, second level of the command deck, positioned on a observation post...doesn't look like she's focusing on anyone of us yet, just searching at the moment."

Travis then paused for a moment and thought of this given situation. No one currently held an opportune moment to really do anything against Lori now that she was forcing everyone to keep their heads down just by making her threatening presence known. It seemed that the only way they were going to push their way forward would be to draw her attention just enough to apply enough momentum to tune the tables on her.

Travis then continued, "She hasn't noticed me yet...from where I am, I could quickly grab her attention and draw her fire but I wouldn't be able to keep tabs on her like I am right now, not for awhile. I'm already pushing my luck as is."

[User] Zoey nods, Alright, here goes nothing. She reaches out with her magic until she finds the sniper, and casts an illusion around her eyes, effectively making her blind for as long as the illusion holds. It could be manipulated to make her see something like a bright flash and such, but for the moment it was just the worlds best blindfold. Zoey remains in cover and tells the other the sniper should be blind.


[System]
"I am the shield that which the enemies of the Emperor break themselves upon."
"Heretics crave the cleansing fire of absolution. They need not fear for we shall deliver."
Age:

Thirty

Gender:

Female

Personality:

As a member of the Adepta Sororitas, Andromedai has a will of iron that is matched by her steadfast determination to thoroughly eliminate all hostiles that threaten the Imperium of Man and The God Emperor. Some call her reckless, but in truth she carefully plans out each of her actions before swiftly putting them into motion, there is no room for mistakes upon the battlefield. When serving along her own kind, she is selfless and honorable. She will assist those who are in need the most, if appropriate. At times, she can be unpredictable, using her creativity to overcome whatever challenges that are tossed her way. Very rarely, some of her past life will show through her personality, showing the humanity that still remains buried behind her intense training and brain-washing she endured over many years.

Former Occupation:

Ophelian Celestian for the Order of the Argent Shroud.

Equipment:

Armor: Full suit of Celestian Power Armour with Order of the Argent Shrouds shading and emblem.

Primary Weapon: Astartes Mark Vb Godwyn Pattern Bolter - [Modified for increased range, stability and accuracy. Attached to the bottom of the weapon is an automatic shotgun device used for close combat scenarios.]

Secondary Weapon: [None so far.]

Melee Weapon: Chainsowrd

Accessory 1: Krak Grenades

Accessory 2: Melta-Bomb

Accessory 3: Rosarius

Acessory 4: Librium/Tome.

Medical Equipment.

[Has been seen operating with a Mk IV Arkhan Rifle in the past.]

Notable Events:

The Obsidian incursion:

A few months after being assigned to the Order of the Argent Shroud, Andromedai was stationed upon the Shrine world of Erathell to help protect a number of Important Temples and Shrines dedicated to the God-Emperor of Mankind. While she preferred a combat role, guarding such holy sites was also a critical role she was honored to hold. Many months passed in calm before the Slaanesh devoted forces of Chaos invaded, bringing a wave of death and destruction to all that they touched. Due to where they had started their invasion, Andromedai was one of the first to throw herself into Erathells defense. Alongside her fellow Sisters of Battle, they pushed back against the chaos forces over two days of non-stop fighting. The records for the battle indicate that not a single Adepta Sororitas had been lost, through the forces that had invaded the world had been completely irradiated. This was the first world invasion that Andromedai had been part of, from it she had learned many useful skills and had gathered much information about the enemy that would help her through many other battles in the future.

The Assault of Dalenarth:

Andromedai and her fellow Sisters of Battle fought alongside the fabled Space Marines in a war called the Assault of Dalenarth. A large number of Tau forces had been spotted in the Hawkings cluster but vanished from all sight, seemingly to vanish in the depths of the galaxy. When further investigation into the Hawkings cluster was issued, a large base was found to have been established upon an abandoned War world, hiding amongst the rubble. Swiftly and to the letter, the threat was analyzed and considered to be grave, if not completely annihilated. Their numbers were massive and thus both the Sisters of Battle and the Space Marines were sent to deal with the threat. As soon as they arrived, war had broken out and casualties on all sides were counted but never admitted to. Working alongside a Space Marines for the first time, she witnessed the combined strength of their forces. Eventually when Andromedai found herself alongside a single Space marine in the depths of the Tau base, the two of them burned through the hostile forces together, finely eliminating the Tau commander who had organized the whole mission. Both of them were recognized for their acts during the war that lasted two weeks.

The Slaughter at Mobius:

The Slaughter upon the desert world of Mobius is a failed assignment that not many members of the Imperium of man know about. Andromedai had been asked to lead fifteen Sisters of Battle to a small civilized world that had been also called a desert world due to its arid and barren landscapes. Why the Imperium of man had decided to place a colony here was beyond Andromedai she had her orders to investigate a destress signal. When they landed upon the planet, what they found was much more horrific than what was expected. The colony had been completely destroyed, leaving little to no sign of. Further investigation resulted in stirring up something that laid below the sands.

The colony had foolishly built their city on top of a forbidden world, unknown of the dangers that laid below it. They had awoken a small group of hideous xenos known as Tyranids. There had been no way to tell if the distress signal was a trap or not, but what they did know is that all the occupants of the city had died seemingly overnight. The corpses that still remained were fresh, it was very likely the hostiles were still close by. Quickly, Andromdai sent out a message for immediate evacuation and recommended exterminates to quell the threat of the hive. The order would be given to destroy the planetary biosphere and all life upon the world once she had her troops were evacuated.

The pilot informed them that she would be at their location in sixty seconds. Those sixty seconds proved to be the worst she had experienced upon any planet or any battle since she had seen combat. The ground broke apart in the distance and from it came the Xeno horrors that had wiped the colony clean. Almost every round and explosive that the group had was expelled before the drop ship arrived, strafing the area then quickly landing almost on top of the Sisters of Battle. To her surprise, every member of her squad made it onto the drop ship, allowing herself to be the last to board. When she did though, she felt numerous rounds from the Tyranid weapons travel through random parts of her body.

The wounds she sustained were incredibly severe and life threatening but with great will and determination she pushed herself part way into the drop ship. The two medics from her squad helped pull her into the ship just as the doors were closing. Within moments, they were a safe distance away from the planet and were now heading back to the fleet where the wounded would be tended to. As they did though, they witnessed the order for the exterminates being carried out in full, a magnificent but also horrifying spectacle to witness.

[User]
Herold gripped the railing within the interior of the Rhino as they bucked and rumbled through the tunnel, crushing under vehicles and corpses alike. Dozens of tons of metal on a rotor track, it would take something incredibly powerful to shear through the Rhino's outer skin. As small patches of light filtering in from tunnel cracks ran through his squadmates, he saw they were simply awaiting the inevitable problem. Something you did not need to be a psyker to foresee.

At first, it sounded like rain upon the hull. Only to suddenly clamor and pop against the protective metal as the light began to grow. The Rhino began to jutter from what must have been extremely large caliber rounds slamming into it. Bolter rounds, he had to guess. He hoped to the Emperor they were not facing what he feared, but his hopes were dashed when an explosion ripped through the side hull of the Rhino and send the others through the other side of the vehicle, barely escaping with their lives as they tumbled into the light and before their enemies. Herold felt his shoulder ache heavily, but he paid it no mind.

Most men would have quaked at the sight of three traitor Astartes gazing at them behind heavy weaponry, but Herold simply regained his stance and placed his shield upon his back. Such protection wouldn't help him against bolter rounds. Fortunately, the rest of his squad was too zealous or insane to fear the traitors, and Nergui charged the enemy line with a preturnatural speed that Herold couldn't match pace with. In a brutal display, Herold saw him dispatch the three marines, and the Arbites felt a newfound respect for Nergui's skills.

"Word Bearers..." The Arbites spat when he learned of their chapter. He stepped over the rise that they had used for cover, and dropped heavily upon one of the Chaos marine's corpses. "Chaos rituals and the like..." Herold went over to check the other side of the trench with the Krieger trooper. He knew little of the ways of the Psyker, and had seen far too many 'rituals' and 'invocations' recently. He'd rather face more traitor marines. Unfortunately, it looked like he would get both.

[Assistant]
" We just need to figure out where they are performing the one here, kill a few guys, break their fucking chanting or whatever and maybe break some chaos runes or whatever... It should do if not just apply liberal doze of explosives that should do it."

"Unless you have an Exterminatus, or at least a couple Earthshaker rounds and a Basilisk hidden in your pants, I highly doubt that would work." Adrianne stated flatly as her skull mask moved to face the tech-heretic, before returning to face the group; her white ponytail swishing in the air behind her helmet.

"Don't be such a scared kitten! Come join the fuuuun!!!"

"If the Word Bearers are truly committed, there might be more than at least a dozen chaos Space Marines waiting for us. And those traitors haven't survived the centuries only to fall prey to any simple explosive tricks we can come up with on a short notice." The Psyker nodded, her helmet leaning slightly towards Vala's direction.

"Not to discredit the considerable abilities of our apothecary or anything, but we only have a single Astartes on our side. If we engage the Word Bearers, only for them show up in the dozens, or to teleport in with a squad of Terminators, then that would likely be the end of our attempt right there and then. We must stop the Word Bearers, but we also need something to even the playing field; lest we waste our lives needlessly and they succeed with their plots regardless."

Adrianne could only guess how many Word Bearers were involved in the current situation. Her gut feeling told her it was no more than a few couple of dozens, but even such a small number when it came to Astartes was no petty matter, as their worth on the battlefield could easily be more than a hundredtimes that of even well trained guardsmen!

And if the Word Bearers bearers were in the hundreds, Adrianne could not even begin to imagine how they could ever interfere with the ritual short of nothing but a miracle from the Emperor!

[User]
Watching Nergüi fight the last standing Chaos Warrior in hand to hand combat was an incredibly impressive display to witness firsthand. She had heard of the White Wolfs combat abilities but had never seen one fight a Chaos Warrior in close combat. The two Space Marines were moving so quickly against each other that Aviza's HUD had quite a bit of trouble trying to lock onto the heretic. Thankfully, the Apothecary swiftly took down the Chaos Space Marine with little trouble and there was no reason left to intervene. Glancing around, Aviza noticed that most of of the squad had now advanced to the Apothecary's position, looking over the dead bodies of the Chaos Space Marines. There was an inquiry of the heretics Warband, apparently they had been attacked by those belonging to the World Bearers. Aviza knew their name well, there were normal heretics, but then there were these heretics. Her eyes furrowed into a glare at the mention of them, her grip tightening around her Adrastus Bolt Caliver as she started forward towards the rest of her squad at a quickened pace.

The destroyed Rhino that had now turned into a pile of flaming and smoking debris sat behind Aviza, leaving nothing to be recovered from the mess of twisted metal. Aviza turned around the face the wreak when her HUD informed her that there was movement behind her, besides that of the tech-priest and her Skitarii. She motioned lightly at the group for them to follow, Malig nodded her head but motioned at Vala. The mercenary was laying upon the ground, trying to get back onto her feet, looking quite disoriented. "Mercenary Vala, are you injured?" inquired Aviza, as she quickly made her way over to her. Upon arriving, Aviza took a knee next to Vala and quickly looked the mercenary over for any serious injuries. From what Aviza could tell, the woman had hit her head against something, causing a concussion, which would explain why she was having so much trouble trying to get onto her feet. Wrapping an arm around the mercenary's mid-section, Aviza would help Vala onto her feet. Once she was on her feet, Aviza would try and help the momentarily disoriented Vala walk towards the rest of the squad at a comfortable pace.

"Nergüi, impressive job with the Chaos Space Marines, I'm looking forward to seeing you kill more of them." said Aviza as she glanced over at Vala, wondering if she was feeling any better. Now, she could see that the Chaos Space Marines really were part of the World Bearers. "If you need help walking or staying on your feet, use me as support." said Aviza before the turned to the rest of the squad. "We would stand very little chance against the World Bearers if their numbers are close to what Adrianne said, let us hope that this is just a small incursion and not a full blown invasion." If it was a fully blown invasion of Chaos forces, they were going to need a lot of help to push back their forces without being quickly killed. "Our best option is to scout further ahead and then radio in reinforcements if needed. I am sure the Imperial Guardsmen would not mind us taking their remaining vehicles and men to wipe out the heretics before the situation grows out of hand."

Leaping over the barricade that the heretics had made, Aviza landed upon the asphalt below with a soft thud. It was time to find out why the heretics where here, what they had planned and what part the Orks played in all of this. As the group walked, that uneasy feeling only grew with every step they took. Aviza took this momentary silence and respite from all the combat to ask Adrianne an important question that had been at the back of her mind. "Adrianne, I heard you yell the name Zirael while inside of the Rhino, moments before we were attacked. Who is this Zirael and how do they or it tie into all of what is happening around us?" While Aviza waited for a reply, she noticed that the mini-map on her HUD showed that they were coming up to an area that was below a massive chapel, upon the surface. "Makes complete sense that the source of this corruption would be below a chapel dedicated to our emperor." thought Aviza.


[System]
Gender: ♂
Age: 46
Rank: nobleman
on the left
Personality: The Lord of Cirencester is boisterous and mirthful. He is a prized hunter, with many war dogs and horses in his keep. Banweald yearns for a male heir, and as he realizes his wife cannot give him this, he has been looking among the thegns for a new one.
History: As a young man, Banweald was a knight under Offa the Great who fought in several campaigns against the Welsh. For his glory in battle he was made a thegn and given dominion over the recently assimilated Hwicce, and resides at a lavish estate just south of Cirencester called Celnaer Manor, which is connected to the barracks and dungeon of the region. He took a teenage pagan as his wife, and proceeded to live a debauched and drunken life of fresh meat and wine. After ten years, Hwithryth has yet to bear him a living child, and his patience with such things is wearing thin and his eyes are drifting to nearby towns, searching for a concubine.
Loyalties: Coenwulf the King of Mercia, and The Church when it suits his purposes.

Name: Hwithryth the Barren
Gender: ♀
Age: 24
Rank: noblewoman
on the right
Personality: Icy and distant, cold and calculating. It's no secret that she despises her husband, who killed her pagan kinsmen and married her for her beauty when she was just a child.
History: Before Hwicce was fully assimilated into Mercia, pagans were given reasonable freedom within the Wych to do as they pleased. Hwithryth and her family lived there, and she was meant to become a prophetess. After 780AD all pagans who didn't flee or convert were put to the sword, and she was taken by Banweald as a wife at just 14. She has been seething and stewing ever since, waiting for an opportunity to escape him.
Loyalties: the Wych

Name: Winoc the Dog, or more formally "Winoc Beordhorthinen Draefends-Ealdgeneat"
Gender: ♂
Age: 33
Rank: freeman
Personality: Winoc is a gentle, quiet Welshman. When he does venture into town he is known to be kind in his dealings, never overcharging for whelps, and a good listener in conversation. Despite his typically distant nature, he's often very curious about foreigners and newcomers. Some pious among the community find it odd how much time he spends "hunting game" in the Wychwood, but his good nature deters most serious suspicions.
History: Winoc grew up on a modest piece of land along the River Churn where he and his parents raised sheep and sold their wool. His parents died of sickness when he was just thirteen, leaving him to tend the farm alone. He took in a wild dog shortly thereafter and named her Queen Brig; she lived for half a decade and had many litters in that time, each more profitable than the last. Since then he's become quite wealthy breeding, training, and selling hunting dogs, each a descendant of Brig herself. He now resides on a sizable estate of two hides on the northwestern side of the Churn past Cirencester. He lives a simple life, seeming to spend all of his time tending his estate, raising his hounds, and more recently reading old manuscripts at the local abbey. It's rumored that he helps hide pagans who are trying to escape to Jutland, but no hard evidence of this has been found.
Loyalties: the Wych

Name: Mildemaer of Crowland
Gender: ♀
Age: 15
Rank: freewoman
Personality: Mildemaer is fiery and talkative, disrespectful towards her elders and unafraid of holy men. She's full of energy and has a nosy thirst for knowledge, not shy about asking improper questions or striking up conversations with strangers. She loves animals of all kinds, from sparrows to stallions. It's rare to catch her without a chicken or pup in her grasp. Her resourcefulness and quick thinking make her a force in the market, but with such a short temper, she's been known to get into screaming matches when merchants won't deal fairly with her. In the short time since she came to live in Cirencester, Mildemaer has made herself quite a spectacle; she no interest in marriage or in becoming a nun, and often prefers belted tunics and trousers more typical of a small boy than a young woman.
History: Mildemaer was born in Crowland, near East Anglia. She was the only child of a Celtic scholar and a Welsh dairy maid; both Christians who frequented a large cathedral. She lived in a tiny village near the coast just outside the marshes of Crowland her whole childhood until just two years ago, when the church and the town were victim to a viking raid. She claims that she fled into the marsh, pursued by two vikings, and was saved from a gruesome death by the lost Icling Queen of Mercia. Naturally no one believed these claims, and her only proof is an odd war axe. She was sent thereafter to live with Winoc, her only living relative. She now helps him around the estate and frequents the markets in town.
Loyalties: The House of Icel

Name: Justiciar Alexius
Gender: ♂
Age: 47
Rank: nobility
Appearance: {image WIP} Alexius is a very tall and quite lean man, with severe features and dark, sunken eyes. His hair is dark brown and already graying, particularly on his face. He almost always wears dark robes typical of a judge or church official of his status, akin to a very long tunic, and a red belt or wrap on his waist or shoulders.
Personality: Justiciar Alexius did not get where he is today by being kind and generous in his dealing; he has a reputation not just for being harsh and severe, but for being lethally effective in his work. He has no qualms about playing dirty to root out pagans and criminals, fully willing to break the law to make it right. This has not made him a popular man, but certainly he's a feared one.
History: The good judge was born Brennus Maccaba, an orphan thrall in East Anglia. From a young age he served many holy men and members of the clergy in various monasteries, where he learned to read and write. He was granted his freedom on the condition that he join the church, which he happily agreed to do, becoming a translator for officials and missionaries coming from distant and powerful empires. Such a position allowed him to make acquaintances among the English nobility, eventually coming to Mercia to aid in the culling of heretics.
Loyalties: the Church

Name: Wilmot
Gender: ♀
Age: 22
Rank: thrall
Appearance: {image WIP} She is slender and quite tall, seeing eye-to-eye with most men. Wilmot's hair is raven black and curly, but cropped close to her head and often covered with a cowl. Her eyes are dark brown and somewhat narrow; her skin is translucently pale and free of freckles or marks. Typically she wears a modest dress of light grey or beige, and a darker cowl and shawl.
Personality: Like most thralls, Wilmot is very quiet and humble. She is quite easily amused and distracted, often lost in her own thoughts and wondering or getting lost while doing errands for her master. She's good natured and sweet, but quite naive; easily impressed but shy.
History: Wilmot was sold as a thrall just before her tenth birthday. Her mother died shortly after giving birth to a dead son, and her drunken father was incapable and uninterested in raising her alone. She was purchased by a lowly lord near Tamworth, and spent her teenage years doing menial housework around his family's estate. Her master found himself indebted to Justiciar Alexius, and thusly sold her to him two years ago. He told her that she may have her freedom if she finds a husband or joins the nunnery, but she's not eager to do either of these things.
Loyalties: the Church

[User] "It was my Urdr, my fate, to be trapped behind these bars. I go only where fate takes me and fate shall provide my escape soon enough." Kjalr's eyes flitted between his sword and her circlet. "I am Kjalr Svensson of Skaggerak. Who are you Noblewoman?"

[Assistant]
A gaunt man in dark robes strode through the militia training field on his horse as the rain went from a gentle shower to a steady downpour. He seemed unbothered by the rain, while the slave behind him tightened her cowl. He stopped his horse in front of the commander and his second.
"Alfred, I presume?" he said, more a statement than a query. He glanced briefly back at the militia men before returning his gaze down to the commander. "Your men seem battle ready."

---

Winoc brought his guest a small bowl of soup; a watery concoction of cabbage, potatoes, and hunks of pork. Perhaps not the most appetizing, but certainly warm and filling. "In time, Sigrid, in time. You're not the first of your people to find yourself here." he said, taking a seat nearby. Mildemaer seemed to have disappeared elsewhere into the home. "For now I'd just like to know what brought you to this land."

---

Khan
The woman shook her head at his answer. "Did passively following fate lead you to the abbey in Gloucestershire? Did you learn to swing your sword through iron and flesh as if calmly floating down a stream? Wyrd nurtures no man, Kjalr of Skaggerak; you must conquer it and rip your destiny from it's jaws." She withdrew a simplistic bronze charm from the sleeve of her cloak and tossed it at his feet. "My name is Hwithryth. I'm the lady of this land, and the only person you can trust within these walls."

[User]
Kjalr bent to pick up the charm, his eyes widening in surprise as he held it in his palm.

 "This is the rune Tyr. This was made in my homeland. How came you by this, Briton?" He fingered the etched bronze and locked eyes with the stranger. This was the closest he had come to home in many months. Maybe even a year? He could not remember. It made him long for his family. Suddenly everything was clear to him. "You said I could trust you, right? Can you get me out of here? Please, I'd be indebted."

[Assistant]
The rain had formed big droplets that were coming down hard and fast. Puddles were quickly starting to form all around. The day's downpour was going to get everything wet and muddy. Alfred was in the middle of talking to Beornraed when the man on the horse strolled over and addressed him.

This clearly must be the man behind the parchment he had just received. This is the town's new Justiciar. Alexius did not seem anything that Alfred thought he would look like. The Justiciar had a harshness evident from the lines on his face. In his eyes one could see that he had a mission and was not going to stop until it was completed. Alfred appreciated men that lived for one purpose.

Alfred responded to Alexius, "I am indeed Lord Alfred, Commander over the Cirencester militia and her armory." "The town's militia is indeed ready for battle, should the need ever arise." "It is a pleasure to meet you Justiciar Alexius. Shall we head into my barracks so that we might get to know each other better."

[User]
Khan
"You're mistaken, Norseman; that was made by my father, not a mile from where I stand. My kin called him Tiw, the god of justice and war. My father put that charm around my neck the day I was born, and I've never been apart from it." Hwithryth paused to check again up and down the corridor, but found it clear. "I have a plan that will free you, Kjalr of Skaggerak, but it will take some careful working, so pay close attention. The church has sent a new Justiciar to Cirencester, and today he's to meet with the commander of the guard. I've reason to believe that he'll convince him to treat unrepentant heretics more harshly, so tonight the guards will come to your cell to torture you.
"What you must do is claim to have seen God and repented; you'll tell them that you had a vision of Jesus on a cross of lilies, and that He brought you to this land so that you might serve 'a good woman, pale and strong.'" She smirked just slightly for but a moment, before again becoming solemn. "It's very important that you don't budge from these convictions; not once, not for anything, no matter what they do to you. Refuse food and drink, cry out for God, rebuke your gods and ancestors until they're convinced. When they bring you to me, you're as good as free. Do you understand?"

---

The good judge nodded. "Lead the way, commander."
When they reached the barracks, Alexius dismounted his steed and carelessly dropped the reins, entering without so much as a look to his thrall, but Wilmot picked up the reins and led the horse to wait out the rain under a nearby tree as if she'd been expressly ordered to do so.
"Forgive me for not introducing myself in turn, commander; my name is Alexius, Justiciar of the cross and the crown." the judge said, removing his outermost cloak that had become saturated in the rain. "When I set out from London, a courier told me the strangest tale. A cathedral in Gloucestershire was attacked by Vikings, but before it could be plundered utterly, your men came to fight them off. I heard in quite vivid detail, commander, how the barbaric Norsemen were flayed apart into a raven's feast and their ship set alight so that they could not retreat."
Alexius folded his cloak over his forearm, tone oddly light. "Quite a victory, if it's not just a rumor."

[Assistant] Sigrid quickly grabbed the bowl of soup, letting trace amounts of it slosh over and splash across the wooden flooring. " . . . Sorry about that," she said. Then, she sneezed again, sending even more over the edge. "I can clean it up, I promise." She then proceeded to tip the bowl's contents into her mouth, not stopping until she was licking the dregs out of the bottom. "Thank you, landlord," she said, wiping grey goop off of her face. "I came seeking adventure and experience," she lied. Lying, she found, did not come so hard to her. It was never distressing to tell her grandfather that she was 'heading down to the beach', when she was actually selling shells and stones to the village jeweler. More than that, she felt 'to make money' was not exactly the answer the landlord was looking for.

[User]
Winoc waved his hand dismissively at the minor spills and splashes. "I'm sure Mildemaer will bring one of the hounds in here before you get a chance to." he joked lightly. He seemed unimpressed, however, with Sigrid's reason for coming to England.
"For adventure, truly? I've never seen a far-flung voyager with such an expensive-looking dress." he said, standing from his chair. "You sound like the weather got the best of you. Come, I'll show you where the rooms are."