[System]
<Agent Profile - CLASSIFIED>
Code Name: Lineman
Age: 21
Gender: Male

Appearance:

Jacob does not look like someone who should be holding a gun, with black hair draping down to his brown eyes. A fair face with only a minor tan, and no facial hair in sight. His baby face stands in stark contrast to his body. Thin and athletic, covered in lean muscles, Murphy is obviously well built.

Psychological Profile: Jacob was never meant to be a Butei, he always fancied himself a soldier. As such, he's got a strong sense of honor, and a sense of what is and isn't right in combat. On the flipside, however, he is absolutely ruthless once battle is joined, gunning for his foe until the issue is solved. Out of combat, he's a generally easy going guy who likes to play video games and hang out with comrades. Jacob tries to be chivalrous, to women especially, as his mother always taught him to be nice to the ladies

Specialty: Assault - Medium Range Combat

Skill Appraisal: (A list of your character's most proficient skills. All Butei are trained in basic techniques from other faculties.)
Follow this format - <Skill Name> <Rank S/A/B/C>
Handguns - S
Assault Weapons - A
Leadership Ability - A
Acrobatics - B
Tactics - A

Bloodline: Audie Murphy - Absolute Fire - In the hands of a Murphy, any firearm is a lethal weapon. While it won't make him a sniper by default, it certainly makes it easier. It is, essentially, a skill multiplier for whatever gun he is using. For example, say he was ranked at 3 on a 10 point scale with a particular automatic pistol by "default". Then, his actual proficiency would be a six. This would be incredibly powerful, if it weren't for the fact that it functions based on his true knowledge of the weapon. He isn't much of a sniper because he never learned it, and the same can be said of heavy AT and other weapons he has no experience with.

Personal History: Jacob Daniel Murphy did not grow up in a town that breeds heroes. He grew up in a small town in Kentucky, a "good ol' boy" as it were. He ran on his school's Cross Country team, played video games and just enjoyed his life. Unlike so many people, he had a good, if lonely, childhood. Sure, he never had any real friends until middle school, but he was fine with that. He had the Military Channel and video games, and what more could a boy need? In Middle School, however, he blossomed into a social boy, functioning almost as the magnetic protagonist, as if his life were some form of roleplay.

Then, however, came the dramatic reveal of what would eventually make him a Butei. He had spent some time training with firearms, nothing too serious as his mother hated the idea of him shooting a gun or becoming a soldier. However, whenever he visited one of his friends, he'd shoot his friend's 30-30, just to get a feel for it. Eventually, he thought that he was good enough to maybe try a shooting competition with his friend. It took weeks to convince his mother to okay it, but she did in the end, so he and his friend set out for the Kentucky State Shoot-off. He didn't know it, but he'd finally reached the point where his "skill" had activated, and that was about to show.

He out-shot practically everyone who thought themselves his better, performing much better than he should with so little practice. This drew the attention of the ones in charge of the competition, the Kentucky State Government. Upon researching his background, however, they found something very interesting in his past. Awhile back, during WWII, a man called Audie Murphy had proven his martial skill repeatedly on the battlefield, eventually garnering a Medal of Honor for gallant actions in battle, including manning a heavy machine gun for an hour in a burning M10 Tank destroyer. The discovery of this is what lead to him being recommended, and sent to, the Butei Academy.

In the school, at least among those with a Bloodline, he was something of a joke. He was, in all honesty, not all far down the generational line. It was likely he was the first Murphy to even manifest this ability, and most thought of the reason his family even HAD one a joke. After all, hadn't others done a whole lot more to get something? Plenty of war heroes had come and gone and not gotten one, so what was so special about this Murphy kid? Jacob didn't have an answer, he didn't pretend to have an answer, but he did prove time and time again he had every intention of being the Butei they didn't think he could. He became one of the top shots in the academy and, with his penchant for military tactics, quickly established himself as an incredibly effective, if somewhat boring, warrior. At least, he was quite boring when compared to the over-the-top stunts those with Bloodlines were famous for.

When he graduated, it was these skills that got him recruited to Division Six. He had charisma, tactics, and was a wizard with guns, a seemingly obvious pick to round out the combat arm. He, however, was still less than happy, and initially resisted an assignment to Division Six. After he'd been endless compared to the other students with longer, much more illustrious, Bloodlines, he had no interest in serving somewhere he could continue to be compared to them. It took the encouragement of several of the faculty, including his assault instructors, to get him to agree to the posting. Though he isn't bitter, he remains wary of being exposed to the teasing once more, and as such strives to do his best in the field at all times.

Weaponry: M4A1 Carbine, Beretta 92FS Sidearm, Recon One Knife

Other relevant information: N/A

[User]
Victor sipped the sweetened coffee from his corner of the shop, flipping through a book that he was clearly not reading. Something about zodiac signs and sexual compatibility. Luck had it that he was in the area already when the text came out, so it wasn't a long walk before arriving. He was currently skimming a chapter about the erotic energy of massage and buttocks. The young man was impeccably dressed as always, a sleek black suit with a bold red tie and undershirt. Highly polished shoes tapped the floor gently as his blue eyes flicked over the rims of his glasses, a smile hovering on his lips. He swept one hand through his hair before taking another sip of his incredibly sweet drink, a frappuccino or something like that. The barista had almost had a fit trying not to laugh at him trying to pronounce it with his thick accent. He could speak five languages, four of them fluently, but sometimes, words just hated his heritage. Another sip of the drink. He never was much of a coffee fan, but he never had a taste for tea. This ultra sweet drink was proving quite addictive however. His blue eyes flicked again to the patrons of the shop. Civilian. Criminal. Criminal. Civilian. A trained eye hit everyone and placed their affiliation. The German had specifically chosen his spot so he wouldn't be visible through the windows, and still have a fairly unobstructed view of those entering the cafe. His view was consistently disrupted by throngs of beanie wearing teenagers pushing past, however. He was hogging a rather large table by himself and this earned him some rude stares. The man refused to move though, merely ignoring the looks with a smile.

The two other Butei that were circling and casing the store for the third and fifth times hadn't noticed him yet. That was fine. They were cautious. They were trained to be. Plus it was sheer luck that Victor had been nearby, and thus had the advantage of setting himself up before anyone else. As far as he knew at least. He recognized one of them from his own section. Another Dagula agent. This one renowned for a silver tongue and being able to talk the devil out of his soul, and was currently eyeballing the scones. The German made a mental wager on whether or not the agent would actually pay for it or talk his way into a free one. The other one could've been mistaken for a man, if Victor wasn't Victor. Assault? She wasn't information or assassination, he would've recognized her. She looked like she could punch a hole through a truck though. Safe bet, Assault. He took another sip of the drink, and gave a small nod and smile to the woman, putting his book down. The other Dagula had probably already placed him. He'd have been shocked if he didn't to be honest. He checked his cell phone for nothing important, the smile still hovering on his lips as one hand gently adjusted his glasses.

"Ja, zis city should prove interesting..."

[Assistant]
Suzumi Kalashnikov, the lead wind blows.

Headlights, street lights, building lights and neon lights blended in a dizzying show of muted colours and energy. They came through the surprisingly clean windows of the otherwise derelict bus somewhat skewed.

Suzumi let the lights play across her vision as she stared out the window. Something about watching the world pass by was relaxing. This was important; the city usually left her high-strung. She'd made sure to visit cities before to get used to the urban world but it was still terrifying. Population overload. More people in some of these buildings than in the entire village near her childhood home.

The second thing that kept her calm was the small weight under her arm and the heavier weight in her duffel bag. If had a smoke she would be three for three. Suzumi didn't smoke before missions. The smell was too noticeable. Stealth wasn't Suzumi's forte but there was no reason to make oneself obvious.

The ancient vehicle wheezed as it slowed down. The hydraulics hissed and it shuddered to a stop. Suzumi waved thanks to the bus driver as she departed and wondered if the relic would even be able to move again. Each creak sounded like a death rattle. But with a groan the wheels turned and once again the bus continued its rounds. She admired that. Reliable machinery spoke to her soul.

Sixth Avenue. Division Six. Wasn't very subtle but it probably didn't matter much.

She didn't bother checking the coffee place. Watching and waiting and sneaking. These things were not Suzumi. It wasn't that she was thoughtless. She just knew her role was all. If the team leader was incompetent enough to set up a meeting that had already been infiltrated or monitored then success was a pipe dream anyway. Her prowling around like some alley cat wouldn't change that.

Suzumi shifted the weight of the duffel bag slung over her shoulder to a more comfortable position. The smell of roasted coffee assaulted her senses as she entered. She avoided the line and instead sat at a reasonably sized table by the wall. The others should be here shortly if they weren't already.

[User]
Standing in the little apartment he'd rented for the last few days, Jacob took stock again of what was coming with him. A treasure-trove of ammunition for his guns was chief amongst the list, along with those very weapons. Though he favored his M4 and Beretta combo, a few other weapons joined him on the journey. A G36A2 leaned on a wall over here, a half disassembled Benelli M4 Super 90 over there, a different firearm for every eventuality. He wouldn't be bringing all of them with him however, instead a Venezuelan by the name of Luis was transporting most of them. Coming with him was his trusty 92FS in a holster in his jacket, and his M4 in a duffle bag about his waist. Lining his jacket were a few more mags, with extra ammo for the carbine carefully stowed with it. It wasn't the safest arrangement, but it was necessary for the sake of concealment.

Running his fingers over his chin, Jacob grumbled to himself "One day I'll be able to grow some proper facial hair." His baby face had always been something he wanted to be rid of. Of course, he knew it came with its perks, especially when it came to some women, but he would prefer a good mustache-beard combo. With a muted sigh and a shrug, he had to start getting ready to saddle up. A thin bullet-proof vest formed his first piece of clothing. Expertly made with high-quality fibers, he'd be safe from pistol caliber rounds in most cases, and it was incredibly thin. Top notch, nothing but the best for the public's beloved mercenary police officers, the "Butei". With a shake of his head at this passing thought, he advanced to his shirt, a simple T-shirt emblazoned with two simple words "Army Strong". An American military shirt may draw some attention out here, but it also helped to keep people away from you. Over that went his aforementioned jacket, a Marine Pattern camouflage jacket he'd bought from a military surplus story. Buttoned up over his shirt, it hid the vest masterfully. Rounding it out was a pair of cargo pants, plenty of room for ammo and other such pieces of gear, and a pair of steel-toed combat boots for when things got rough.

Sliding the pistol into the previously noted jacket holster, and slinging the duffel around his shoulder, he took a last look over the apartment. With a grin and a joking salute, he departed the room, heading off to meet up with his team-mates. With a quick glance into another of his jacket pockets, an exterior one, he noted his little guilty pleasures were coming along too. A Sony PSP and a small collection of disks to occupy him on the trip over. He grinned and headed out, stepping into a bus and taking a seat, popping in "Warhammer 40k: Squad Command" and getting ready to kill some time in his favorite way.

When the bus finally came to stop, as the last Chaos Predator fell before his forces, Jacob shut off the PSP and stored it. It was a relic in today's age, but it was still one of his favorite time killers. He began the quick walk over to the Starbucks, just a 10 minute jaunt over, and checked the time upon arrival. 9:53 PM the watch on his wrist read, and he rolled his eyes as he began looking around. Some of the Butei were already visible, not that he'd have noticed if he didn't know specifically what faces to look for. Even then, it was a challenge to find them in the hustle and bustle of the city, a real achievement since he was no slouch when it came to picking out faces. With a nod of respect, he strode into the coffee shop and stepped into line. When he got to the front, he ordered a Venti sized white chocolate mocha, a nice fancy coffee that suited his taste buds just fine. Claiming it upon completion, he began to walk off when he noted yet another of his team-mates. This one was well known for being persuasive, that his damn voice was nigh-on-hypnotic, hence why Jacob never let his guard down for a second around the other man. They may be on the same team, but that didn't mean Jacob wanted him to have the ability to manipulate him so easily. Looking around, he finally found another member of the team, though this one Jacob had more personal experience with. She was a member of the Assault branch, like him, a fan of assault weapons, like him, and an advanced combatant with a bloodline, like him. All in all, he liked her as a person, though even in the discussions they'd had, he'd never been able to narrow down if she liked him as well, not that it mattered. He took a seat at the table with her, casually sipping his coffee, and saying to her

"Heya, how ya been?"


[System]
Handy video guide to understand Double's powers. Two characters counted as one.
* Age: Early 20's
* Gender: Male
* Appearance: Civilian form, Solo Joker form.
* World of Origin: Kamen Rider W
* Personality: A tough and cynical man… One who's cool under pressure and always gets his man… A hardboiled detective… That is not what Shotaro Hidari is. He's more accurately a halfboiled detective if anything. Shotaro typically tries to act like a serious and cool-looking guy, but it's very easy to poke fun at him and break that facade to reveal how emotional he really is. When it comes to his friends and clients, however, he's 100% serious for them if they're in any kind of trouble. If you make them cry, he's more than willing to return the favor.
* History: Shotaro was born and raised in the windy city of Futo. He has a great fondness for the city and has vowed to protect it from anyone who would make it (and its residents) cry. In his aspirations to become a hardboiled detective, he became an apprentice under Sokichi Narumi, an actual hardboiled detective. One night the two investigated a building researching Gaia Memories and rescued a mysterious young man Sokichi named Philip. On that same night, Shotaro's inexperienced recklessness caused Sokichi to be killed. To atone for it (and also to escape the building), he joined with Philip to become the two-in-one Kamen Rider Double. Together, the two fought against this organization and eventually put an end to it.
* Abilities:
	+ Ace Detective: His detective training had to pay off eventually. Shotaro is a very competent private detective with a keen eye for detail and deductive intuition.
	+ Kamen Rider Double: Using a belt called the Double Driver, Shotaro can link his and Philip's consciousness. Taking it further, using Gaia Memories with it will let Philip's consciousness enter Shotaro's and cause them to transform into a Kamen Rider.
	+ Kamen Rider Joker: Using a belt called the Lost Driver, Shotaro can use a single Gaia Memory to transform into a Kamen Rider by himself.
	+ Gaia Memories: Shotaro's Gaia Memories affect Double's left side and affect its physical capabilities They are also usable in his own Lost Driver.
		- Joker: Shotaro's default Memory. Greatly improves their hand-to-hand fighting ability.
		- Metal: Greatly improves their strength and resilience to physical harm. Gives them the Metal Shaft for a weapon.
		- Trigger: Greatly improves their marksmanship and equips them with the Trigger Magnum.
* Other: Shotaro's phone, watch, and camera actually have Gaia Memory utility too, but this is getting long so I'm just gonna have them not use it.

* Name: Philip
* Age: 17
* Gender: Male
* Appearance: Civilian form, Double form.
* World of Origin: Kamen Rider W
* Personality: Philip is the logic to Shotaro's heart, and the brains to his brawn. He approaches matters from a calmer standpoint than Shotaro, but should his friends ever find themselves in trouble he can easily get as riled up as him. When it comes to researching something interesting, Philip can have a bit of a one track mind. He can suddenly spend days at a time researching a topic without break if he can help it, and is known to go to extremes to better understand it. Once he's learned all there is, he can just as suddenly drop interest in it entirely.
* History: When he first met Shotaro, Philip had no memory of his past and simply worked in the research building Sokichi and Shotaro broke into. He's considered a highly valuable person to the organization he belonged to, and subsequently had to spend most of his time out of sight in the detective agency. As he and Shotaro defended Futo as Kamen Rider, he gradually came out of his shell and built a strong bond with Shotaro, his friends, and the city. They also learned the truth behind his past and his connection to the Gaia Library.
* Abilities:
	+ Gaia Library: Philip has a connection to the Earth itself, and can call upon its memories to learn anything he wants. Of course, this doesn't mean he learns things in a snap. The library manifests itself as a literal library and requires keywords to find what he's specifically looking for. Limited only to what his Earth knows.
	+ Kamen Rider Double: When Shotaro puts on the Double Driver, a second will manifest on Philip's body. While it's mostly Shotaro doing the transforming, Philip can take the reins as well if Shotaro puts a Memory in first instead of him.
	+ Gaia Memories: Philip's Gaia Memories affect Double's right side and give it different effects.
		- Cyclone: Philip's default Memory. Adds windy effects to Double's attacks.
		- Heat: Adds fiery effects to Double's attacks.
		- Luna: The "illusions" Memory. Allow's Double to stretch their limbs or bend their weapons.
		- Fang: A sentient Memory that serves to protect Philip. Using it has Philip take the reins to become the berserker-styled fighter FangJoker.
		- Xtreme: Double's strongest memory. It's also sentient and flies to Double on Shotaro or Philip's command. It can turn Philip into data so that he and Shotaro can become one. Turns Double into CycloneJokerXtreme and arms them with the Prism Bicker. The Prism Bicker can store four Gaia Memories (three of Philips, one of Shotaro's) to charge energy up for a finishing move. Transforming into Xtreme can potentially undo negative mental effects on either Shotaro or Philip. Limited to one use per world.
* Other: CycloneJokerXtreme can actually go EVEN FURTHER BEYOND if it gets hit by a lot of wind. It only gives them wings, though, and it never actually shows up in the series, so I'm fine with omitting it.

[User]
Guts watched through his one dark, visible eye as the different people, of all shapes, sizes, and colors, introduced themselves with different levels of cheerfulness. He still didn't speak, deciding to spend his time calculating the appearances of the others. There was a reason that they were all called here, young or not - they each must have possessed some sort of hidden power, not obvious on their appearance. The Narancia boy...he seemed to summon some sort of flying contraption, which he accurately guessed to be the boy's main source of offense, or maybe a defense? The male goofballs seemed to make a 'Kamen Rider', whatever sort of form that was, and he virtually had no other information on the numerous little girls dotting the room. He hated not having a plan, but he would have to deal with it until he saw them in action.

The being that had brought him to this place reappeared, and explained that three portals, set in front of the group, would take them to three different worlds...the worlds themselves being unknown. This was the start of the mission, then? He could choose his own path...already, he was feeling better about this whole thing, not being forced onto one singular world with all of these unknowns. Without hesitation, he stepped into the portal on the far right, no hesitation. His face was stoic, eyes narrowed and fierce. This was the start.

When he felt his feet feel broken concrete, the smell of ash and corpses filling his nostrils, Guts' instincts began screaming. The man only did what was natural. A group of six infected had already been a mere few feet away, and as soon as they lunged, the gigantic Dragonslayer sword was already being swung in a wide arc, held by one hand as if it was a mere stick.

Six heads went flying into the air, followed by disgusting spurts of thick brown blood.

Guts ignored the blood as it splashed onto his Berserker armor, lips pulling down into a snarl as he began to survey his surroundings. Already, more of these Ghoul-looking beings seemed to be attracted to the portal. Gripping his buster-like sword with a steel-like, right-handed grip, Guts narrowed his one visible eye...and disappeared. It was like, one second he was there, and the next, he was in the midst of the herd of infected, blade cleaving through torsos and heads with reckless, yet oddly pinpoint precision, before they could swamp the portal and attack whomever would be his teammates for this mission. He had only came through the portal for 30 seconds, and he was already laying waste to his first obstacle.

A grin began to build on his lips, in spite of himself. Guts backhanded a zombie as it got too close, sending it flying onto the ground as he turned around and abruptly slashed Dragonslayer up, towards the sky, cleaving another zombie completely in half, from it's groin to it's brain.

[Assistant]
Alex watched from afar as the strange group of individuals... 'talked' amongst each other. 'Talked' since they had a really funny way of communicating with each other. Still, these were the people Alex was going to work with if he was going to save the life of normalcy he had fought so hard for.

At first, Alex did not believe the situation he was in. He was ready to call the bluff and leave for home. However, he was a virus. He cannot hallucinate and everything he saw was as it is, even if all the scientific minds he had consumed could not comprehend it. It was all surreal but it was all real too. The only thing Alex could do was play along, and hope 'Lydia' was telling them the truth and send them all home after all of this was over.

Suddenly, the being Lydia reappeared. The portals were ready. Behind her emerged three doorways, each leading into a spiraling vortex. The leftmost one seemed to be leaking a grey fog, covering the ground nearby with it. From the center, a similar, but more sinister blackish-blue fog seemed to spread out. The rightmost one, however, seemed to be the most ominous: faint screaming and moaning could easily be heard past the gateway.

It was game time and the one with the huge sword had already gone and left. But between the portals and Alex were the crowd of his teammates. Pushing and shoving through them would be a pain, not to mention rude so the Blacklight virus simply made a huge leap to get himself over the crowd and in front of the portals. Before he went into the fray though, he turned to his teammates.

"I'm... Alex. I'm younger than I look." Glancing back to the portals, he added. "Anyone who wants to come with me is welcome. I uhh, look forward to working with all of you." Courtesy was one of the things Dana had taught him if he was going to live the normal life though Alex felt he was a little off.

The portal Alex went into was the middle one, the one with blackish-blue fog. The virus was not sure what he was going to see in the other side but if he has survived a nuke, he can survive this.

------
13th Hierarchical City of Kagutsuchi
------

Alex dropped into a thin alleyway, his weight forcing dust and wind to fly off a bit upon his landing. Alex checked his surroundings, the ominous fog that haunted the portal he entered was practically nowhere. The only traces of it that he could see is a very thin layer hovering right above the ground, just faint enough to slightly tint it a slightly darker shade of grey and brown. If anyone was going to go with him, he'd expect them to plop here too.

The virus heard sounds of fighting in the distance and decided to exit the alleyway. What greeted him was a world straight out of fiction. The weird mix of technology left and right yelled 'Steampunk' to Alex. He wanted to explore this world more, both to complete his mission and to sate the curiosity. However, he figured to wait for any allies that also chose this world to fix first before investigating the sounds of combat.

[User]
The Two In One Detective - Shotaro Hidari and Philip
"Now that you mention…" Philip answered back to Goldibanne, "I am rather curious to know what you are. Going by the distinct joints and clicking, you would appear to be a doll of some sort." He stroked his chin curiously as he eyed the girl over, "Animated through what means, I wonder?"

"It isn't obvious? Obviously it's ma-AH!" Shotaro's curt response was cut off by the cookie that was flung right into his mouth. He coughed from the unwelcome food and was quick to pull it out, shaking his fist to reprimand the… ninja? Cowboy?? Rocker??? "Oi! What's the big idea, man?! There's a time and a place to do that!" he briefly paused as he took in Kinji's appearance and mannerisms, "Wait- That's too many conflicting themes at once man! A ninja, an oden cart… and a cowboy rocker?!"

It was almost offensive to Shotaro how many themes Kinji was playing off of at once. He and Philip were a bit too caught up in responding to the two to really answer the others. Although they did make a special note not to think of anything weird while around the youkai girl. Youkai, though? She didn't look like any sort of monster to them. Before they could think more on the matter, Lydia appeared again and opened the way to their mission. Er, rather, ways The duo observed the doorways and the increasing dangers each felt that they posed.

"Aw, come on… None of these look all that welcome," Shotaro remarked, raising his hand up to hold his hat.

"If you are so off-put by them, shall we venture into the most welcoming then?" Philip responded, half-serious and half-joking.

"Very funny," he sneered back, "But do you think you could handle what's through the other two?"

Philip didn't seem so confident about testing his chances in those worlds, so he had to give it up to Shotaro on that one. "Alright, you win there. Let's go then?" he asked, adjusting his grip on his book.

Shotaro grinned and flicked his wrist in the direction of the leftmost portal. "Of course."

And on that note, the two walked through and found themselves in the foggy park, immediately looking around and taking in their surroundings. "A big fountain… And that arch?" Shotaro noted, "Is this… New York? Are we in America?"

Philip looked around at the few people walking around, making note of the less than human characters around them. "Certainly not the America we know, but an Earth nonetheless." The two walked forward a little more and looked back, waiting to see who would come with them.


[System]
Age: 24

Sex: Male

Race: Human

Appearance: A handsome youth with a wide, cheerful face. Always wearing clothing that's ahead of the current fashion trends, sometimes setting the tone for the Vanaran season. Pieter almost always carries a musical instrument, and carries his sketching supplies with him in a leather satchel. Pieter wears a meticulously kept flintlock, and will occasionally sport a showy side-sword, though he hardly knows how to use it. Very few people know that he hides a poisoned stiletto on him.

Personality: Loud, flamboyant, charming, witty, brilliant. Pieter is a natural in the courts of the nobles. His detractors would call him a sycophant, though few would dare say that in front of his friends, who are numerous and loyal. Pieter is a regular fixture among Vanaran artists, frequently collaborating and assisting his friends in their works. Pieter is Behind his excessive braggadocio, however, is a cunning spy and, if need be, a cruel assassin Pieter is deeply loyal to the House of Delorano, and grieved deeply for the loss of Leon, vowing to protect and serve the future of the House as best he could.

Biography: Born to the successful Venaran painter, Pieter the Elder who was patronized by Leon Delarno. Pieter's mother died in childbirth giving birth to him. Pieter the Elder took his young son with him everywhere, and when Leon Delarno learned of Pieter's plight, he offered for Pieter the Younger to share Lucien's wet nurse. Leon and Pieter the Elder had as much a friendship as two men of such different classes could. As Pieter grew older, his father taught him his craft, expecting his son to follow him in his stead as a painter for nobility. His father also taught Pieter his first musical instrument, the pan pipes. Pieter was a frequent play mate of Lucien, and Nalia, when she was younger. When Pieter was 10 his father was mortally wounded after getting attacked by a jealous artist seeking Leon's favor. Saddened by the loss of his friend and favorite artist, Leon chose to take Pieter the Younger into his household. As Pieter grew older, he developed an even deeper love of music, throwing himself bodily into the pursuit. He was the constant companion of Lucien, being his closest conspirator, and later, Lorenzo. Pieter had played lookout for Lucien when he snuck aboard the Maid. Pieter spent some time as a scene painter and troubadour with a thespian troupe on the mainland for a while, seeing more of the world. He returned to Vanara shortly before the plague befell the city. During the plague, Pieter became something of a spy for Anathagos Vain, using his grace and charm as an asset for his beloved house. Since the death of Leon, Pieter's efforts have doubled in his desire to save his adopted House.

Position In House Delorano: Courtesan, House Musician, Spy

Equipment: Mandolin, Pan Pipes, pianoforte (in his chamber), an incredibly stylish wardrobe, art supply satchel, flintlock, poisoned stiletto.

Skills:

(Human: Grace +1)

Gifted: Grace, Skullduggery

Above Average: Athleticism, Craft, Awareness

Deficient: Brawling, Soldiering

[User]
Otto listened to Nalia speak to Juniper, a snicker coming to his face as he heard her speak the way she did. He may have helped with delivering her, but she had always been independent which was not a quality that women should strive for. Nor should a woman be in charge of a house in his most personal opinion, but he would hold his tongue out of respect for Leon's interests despite Otto's warnings in the past. The old man felt his eyes narrow in the process, forcing himself to look away and brood for the time being.

Then a most terrifying sound shook him to the very core of his being, the sound of a musket filled the air and grabbed the attention of the doctor. Almost immediately, the man stood from his seat and looked around with wide eyes, grabbing his cane by its neck as he prepared for some form of fight. "What was that?" he asked, a worried voice coming over him, looking about in a paranoid manner. "Meldyr, investigate this," Otto commanded, knowing the Guard Captain should now be doing his job.

The man looked over a Nalia for a moment before his gaze shifted over to Lucien, wanting affirmation of what to do from him rather than the lad's sister. "Lucien, what do you believe we should do right now," he asked, concerned about the entirety of the family being in one room if there may be an assailant close by. Whether or not it was an intruder being shot or some form of assault on the house, Otto was not ready to take the chance of the latter option. The doctor kept his eyes moving between the entrances of the room, fearing that someone would murder them all where they stood. Of course, fear did not show itself on the face of the doctor as that would be unmanning, though it was still obvious with how he was looking around.

[Assistant]
The Soldier

---

Meldyr gave a nod to the Lady Nalia, stepping back and at the ready should she need anything further. His posture was alert, but somewhat relaxed as well. He smelled the aroma of the food and it tempted him to grab a bite, but he decided against it. If his men could not, then he wouldn't indulge. Her words seemed to cut through her family's protests like his own orders would silence his soldiers. He guessed her time as a Mercenary truly did help just as his did.

It was then that the gunshot was heard, and for a moment he feared a Delorano had been shot. Luckily, the merest second later he saw that was not so. Otto cried for Meldyr to investigate, but the Captain was already moving, not having time to tell Otto that just because the Lord Delorano was dead didn't mean anyone could order Meldyr around. Later, he would suppose it was only natural the good doctor panicked and rightly so called for the Guard, but still.

As the Balcony door opened and a darkly clad figure stepped into the room, Meldyr had vaulted atop the table fluidly. As he stepped down on the side of the Balcony, his pistol and sword were drawn so suddenly it was if they had appeared from thin air. The sword was at his side, poised. His Pistol was pointed straight between the stranger's eyes.

It was as Meldyr had his sights on the figure when two contingents of guards hustled in. Many had halberds and swords, and a few had muskets at the ready. They halted, a bit confused at to what was occurring. Meldyr's orders brought them to attention, however. "Javick, take your men and investigate the balcony." Meldyr commanded, his dark eyes never leaving the stranger. "Olaf, get your men to surround the perimeter of the Family. And get three men from each of you to make sure the guests are safe. Now."

As the men began to arrange themselves and move about their tasks, Meldyr still stared at the cloaked figure, a threat evident in his gaze. "Move on inch, and I will kill you," he promised the man. "Who are you? Speak!"

[User]
Juniper Delorano
"lets cooler heads prevail."

---

Juniper's fingers dug into the tablecloth as her knuckles turned white and ached; if not for the cloth surely her nails would've bitten and drawn blood from her small, sweating palms. She could feel her teeth grinding together as Meldyr suggested that he have his men escort her back to her room, her eyes burning a floor in the carpet as Lucien offered to do it himself. Did they think she was incapable of walking down a hall and taking a flight of stairs by herself, images of her tripping and snapping her neck on a step running through their minds? Or did they know that she had no intention of going to her room, let alone staying in the manor, at all? That couldn't have been possible. Unlike some of Lorenzo's girls, she didn't wake up the whole household in a fumbling attempt to sneak out discretely.

Her head snapped up as someone dared to utter the word "no" in response to her question, her anger apparent in her narrowed eyes as she fixed her best withering stare upon Dr. Engel. He had no right to speak to her like that, the thought that he even believed he could tell her "no" was nearly as laughable as the thought that her father was in a better place. Even a child could see that being alive was better than being dead; only an idiot would say otherwise. A quiet huff came from the girl as she turned her head, unable to even look at the doctor anymore. Suddenly it made more sense why her mother had passed and why she never had the opportunity to meet Vincent. Like Meldyr, who had failed to protect her father, Otto had also failed. Both of them were ineffective, incompetent, and in need of a reminder as to who could and could not speak to her with such patronizing tones. They weren't her father. They weren't her family.

Her tongue had no opportunity to lash out as her sister rapped the table in a successive one, two, just like how father would do to grab everyone's attention when he had an announcement to make. Juniper was unable to meet her sister's look as the older woman seemingly peered into her heart and tried to settle her woes. A wave of panic rushed over Juniper; obviously Juniper didn't want Lorenzo to be Nalia's stand-in, there was no way the young lady could hide that, but why did Nalia have to bring that up? Even though she didn't outright say it the implication was strong enough, and the suggestion that Nalia would've chosen Juniper if not for father's word? Juniper knew when she was being teased; the red on her cheeks intensified.

Fearing any further embarrassment, Juniper slowly walked around the table, her eyes focused on her feet. There was no stomping of the feet, no grumbling of quiet curses, just a dejected, sullen girl listening to her sister, her hand clutching the letter from father tightly to her chest. As she took her seat next to Lucien her eyes accidentally met Lorenzo's and another jolt of panic coursed through her. Thanks to Nalia stripping her bare, she had to apologize now, didn't she? Perhaps Lorenzo wouldn't even give a damn what the girl thought, but she knew her aunt would expect one and, as much as she hated to admit it, life would be easier if Aunt Fiona wasn't out for her blood.

"I'm sorry for behaving like a child; it's just...it's been hard for me," she said to her cousin, swallowing back a choke as tears welled up in her eyes. "Hard for all of us, I mean." She glanced away and wiped her eyes, taking a moment to think before speaking again, her words coming out as heartfelt and sincere as she looked back at Lorenzo. "If Father believed you to be the right choice then so do I. I know you'll take care of us, cousin. I trust you."

Having said her piece, Juniper returned to whatever it was that she saw on the floor that was so interesting. It was not until the shot of the musket rang out that the girl looked up again; it hadn't come from inside the manor, but it was close. Scarily close. Juniper's eyes, wide with worry, fell on the balcony door as it began to rattle before it burst open with a cold blast of air. A scream was caught in her throat and came out only as a choking gasp as she reached out and grabbed, not for her brother Lucien, but for Pieter next to her. She stared in horror at the feathered figure as it moved into the room, Meldyr already acting to intercept it, but as it spoke the fright began to fall from Juniper's face. Instead, the girl found herself intrigued by what the intruder had to say; perhaps not fully trusting, but curious nonetheless.

"Or what," she added, her eyes not moving from the mask's two dark holes.

Grace Roll - 11 (Success!)

To honor her father's will, Juniper attempts to make a genuine apology towards her cousin and aunt for her rudeness...and to save face.

[Assistant]
Lips curling at the sight of little Juniper causing trouble. Pieter had to admit, he would have thought that all the lessons he had offered her in subterfuge and skulduggery would have taught her the value of keeping your cards to your chest. But lo, here she is, not even to Pieter's chin and daring to try and incite a civil war inside the House. Perhaps once she learnt to let go of grudges, she could become a successful player in Venaran politics. Then again, maybe she needed to get better at holding grudges.

Chuckling slightly to himself, Pieter took another sip of his rosé. This was excellent. Gods above, he would love to spend an evening with a few bottles of th
is and maybe that sweet young actress he had seen performing at the Hierophant Theatre. Goddesses, what was her name? She had the excellent bosom, and that lovely dimple. She had actually known all of her lines while performing The Ruin of Fortinbras, which is rare indeed, since most of those pretty girls who took to the stage had more tits than smarts, and come to think of it it's very likely that Livia, ha! Livia! That's her name, anyway it's very likely that Livia would only be a year or two older than Juniper, and wasn't that a thought? Goddess around, that chill must be what a father feels. Disgusting. Let it be gone, there's no need of that. but given how much is going to be changing around here it might be prudent to start cutting back on dalliances- who knows how many will be on someone else's payroll? It's not that wild a thought, it was done in one of the operas a while back, now that was a fucking excellent piece of work. So were the legs on that soprano. And that baritone had that alluringly snug doublet. Perhaps it would be smart to commission a play venerating Leon. Perhaps a retelling of one of those great Elven Journey Plays. Tie it in to the coming greatness of the House Delor-

A crack.

That was a fucking gunshot.

And there's a blur just outside of the balcony.

FUCK.

Scraping his chair roughly against the floor, Pieter jackknifed up standing, fumbling with his pistol as he pointed it towards the balcony. Otto shouting something unintelligible per the norm, Meldyr, the brave man ordering his men into defensive positions.

Pieter listened to the masked figure talk. Interesting, if what they said was true. Pieter lowered his gun. All aiming it did was make the fellow more likely to strike. But....

"Why are you here?"


[System]
Age: Appears around 19, is actually at least 400 years old.

Race: Vampire

Appearance:
Black hair and amber eyes, around 5'8" with a relatively slim build.

Ability: Hypnosis, retractable fangs, immortal.

Personality: Alex is a friendly guy. He enjoys the company of humans and, since he has been able to, has always blended in. He isn't overly social, but doesn't mind spending time with his few friends.

Bio: After around a hundred years, Alex built up a resistance to sunlight, meaning he could easily spend time outside during the day, without being harmed. Since then he has done his best to blend in, taking life force rather than drinking blood, and learning to do so from a distance. Now he takes small, unnoticeable amounts of life force from various people in a small area, so that he can survive and they don't receive any negative effects. He currently attends college and one of his closest friends was starting soon. His only issue was that she seemed to know when someone wasn't human, but she hadn't seen through him... Yet.

[User]
Alex was nearing the hideout, he could smell the supernaturals all around the area. It was almost overpowering, but there were recognisable scents. Luc was here, too. Of that he had been almost certain before he had arrived.
He knew how they tended to travel, and, scouting around, he knew that Nyaira wasn't back yet. He decided to hide out, making sure his scent was masked. He didn't want to be discovered.

Illyad remained still in the rear of the car. He was watching carefully, and collecting information. He wanted to know what was going on before he got involved with anything. He needed to know as much as possible before making anything happen.

[Assistant]
Never choosing the same meeting location twice, Luc reached the abandoned, three-story farm house long before Nyaira. Traveling by way of magic courtesy of a friend of a friend, he seemed to pop out of the overgrown field like a poisonous flower. The noon sun turned a sea of unattended wheat into an undulating golden river surrounding the house. He clasped his hands behind his back and walked toward the house, his steps making him look as if he glided over the weed-tangled ground.
He circled the perimeter, searching for any signs of others. The faded scent of supernaturals who often haunted the house drifted around the various forms of rusting farm equipment discarded around the lawn. But now, it stood empty, the most recent scent from at least two nights past.
 With his inspection complete, he entered the farmhouse to await Nyaira's arrival.

* * *
 The hour-and-a-half car ride felt like an eternity. The only sound in the car came from the radio, which Nyaira had turned on soon after leaving the street, and Victoria had quickly given up trying to remember the directions after they passed the same building twice. She had the sinking feeling Nyaira was trying to get her lost.
 Victoria kept quiet, wringing her hands in her lap and chewing on her bottom lip, while the vampire showed no inclination toward conversation. Victoria kept her eyes averted from the windows, her seat belt offering little comfort as Nyaira now drove down a country road at a dangerous speed. They had been on the dirt road for quite a few miles, when Victoria felt the car slow.
 She finally dared to look up. A farm house loomed in front of them, its windows partially boarded up. Weeds and vines clung to the faded white siding, as if nature had decided it wanted to reclaim the property. Not exactly what Victoria had imagined as the evil lair of vampires.
 Nyaira sighed irritably and grumbled something under her breath that Victoria did not catch.
 Nyaira pulled the car over to the side, flattening a few wheat stalks. "We're here," she said darkly. Displeasure pulled at her face for a moment, before it turned into a mocking grin. "Welcome home, mon petit mortel."
 Nyaira quickly left the car, came around to the other side, and pulled Victoria out none too gently.
 Victoria drug her feet toward the farm house, her hand again clutching her pendant as she stared at the house in terror of whatever waited inside.
 "Hurry up!" Nyaira shoved Victoria forward, making her stumble. She gripped Victoria's forearm tightly and pulled her toward the rotting door. She scowled at it, then carefully pushed it open.

[User]
Alex grumbled to himself as he realised his mistake. Luc was very careful. They wouldn't still be here. There was no trail, however, so he was going to have to start from scratch... Unless. "Illyad." He whispered.

"The abandoned farmhouse just outside of town." Came the ominous whisper of Illyad, who wasn't presently there. Alex moved out of the shadows and made his way to the outskirts of town.

Illyad, meanwhile, continued watching. He could only see the two vampires. It was possible there may be more supernaturals around, but Illyad knew this was a crucial moment, and if he didn't get Victoria out of there now, it would be unlikely that he would be able to. He quickly appeared beside her, put his hand over her mouth and made them both completely invisible to the vampires.
"Don't make a sound." He whispered.

[Assistant]
"So zis is ze girl?" Luc stepped from the shadows lurking beneath the decrepit awning that spanned a good part of the house.
 The aura radiating from him made Nyaira seem like little more than a lost puppy. A pit formed in Victoria's stomach, and her heart beat impossibly faster.
 He cocked his head at her, his expression unnervingly even.
 "Indeed, mon cœur," Nyaira purred, her demeanor changing instantly. She looked more relaxed, her body impossibly sinuous.
 "Not quite what I 'ad expected." He brushed a strand of his platinum hair from his face and stepped toward Victoria.
 She exhaled shakily, incapable of looking away.
 Luc gently, but firmly gripped her chin.
 Victoria's legs turned to Jell-O at his cool touch as he turned her head to either side.
 "But power comes in ze most unsuspecting packages, no?" Luc's lips quirked in a smile. "Come!" He released her, and turned to the open door. "I 'ave arranged for our transport."
 Victoria swallowed as Nyaira stepped to follow him, pulling her after. Taking a deep, shaky breath, she used both her strength and weight, and yanked her arm free. She hissed as Nyaira's nails scraped her skin, leaving stinging scratches in their wake, and stumbled backward at her unexpected success.
 She shouted, her eyes wide when the man from the car appeared beside her. The sound cut off when he clamped a hand over her mouth, Victoria reaching up instinctively to try pulling it away.
 "Don't make a sound."
 Victoria tried to slow and quiet her frantic breathing as the vampires snarled.
 "She can vanish?" Nyaira growled as Luc pushed past her.
 Victoria held her breath as Luc looked through her and Illyad.
 "No." Luc's face darkened. "Zere's someone else 'ere. I can feel zeir magic."
 "You can what?"
 "I zought it was 'ers." Luc spun around to Nyaira, his accent thickening. "Zey're still 'ere. Find zem! Guard ze perimeter!"
 "With pleasure." Nyaira raced from the front of the house, her figure a blur in her speed.
 The anger and murder on Luc's face made Victoria's blood run cold. She held her breath as he stepped toward them, his eyes ever searching.

[User]
Illyad smirked. Guarding the perimeter is all well and good when someone has to pass through it. There were several ways he could avoid detection. Knowing that this other vampire could sense his magic did make him a little uneasy though. He had never been tracked before, but he had a feeling that this one vampire might just have the keen senses to be able to do it.
Unfortunately for Illyad, magic wasn't just like a scent you could cover up. It was disguisable, but not easily. He breathed silently. Slowly and evenly. Remaining calm to prevent panic.
He pulled Victoria tighter to him and whispered "Don't panic." As he moved them just slightly off the ground so they were floating. He wanted to move, but he didn't want to leave tracks or make any sound against the grass.

Alex neared the farmhouse, but as he got closer, he noticed as guards began to patrol the perimeter. They didn't appear to be looking for anyone coming in though, more for people getting out.
He smiled to himself slightly as he thought of the trouble Illyad and Victoria must be causing them.

[Assistant]
Nyaira ran a couple laps around the farmhouse before she came to a frustrated stop near the road. Watching for anyone leaving was all well and good... when you had more than one person to do it. In the short time it took to circle around, someone could have passed through. She needed a good vantage point to watch for anything out of place.
 Spotting a small grouping of trees within the property, she redirected her efforts toward climbing to the top, grumbling as she expertly avoided messing up her clothes or nails.
 He owes me for this.

* * *
 Victoria inhaled as he pulled her tighter. She snorted a humorless laugh at his order, panic already well ingrained in her, and glanced down as well as she could when she felt her feet lift from the ground.
 Luc, who had passed them, stopped and cocked his head in their general direction. He nonchalantly turned around, his hands clasped once more behind his straight back, giving him a royal appearance. Dark humor pulled his face into a smirk.
 "I know you're 'ere, jeune," he called in a sickly-sweet voice. "You and your sorcier. You're wanted alive, if zat iz what worries you." As quick as lightning, he lashed out with graceful swings that would make any martial arts master cry in joy, trying blindly to hit that which he could not see.

[User]
Illyad deftly avoided the attacks sent toward them by Luc. He knew he could still be traced, but a promise was a promise, and he was a man of his word, if nothing else. He moved them, quick as lightning, to a more secluded spot. He readied himself to open a small portal, one that could get him and Victoria to a safe place, and then he could reveal their location to Alex once they were safe.
He knew he would have to be quick, before anyone found him.

Alex watched from the shadows as Nyaira moved to the trees, climbing them. There was something he was missing. She wouldn't go to all of this effort for him. Could they know about Victoria? And if so, why did they want her?

He breathed a frustrated breath. He wasn't going to get any nearer without being scene, and the last thing he needed was to be captured as well.
He moved away quickly, running back to the edge of town. He needed to rethink his strategy.

[Assistant]
Victoria's eyes widened at the speed in which they moved, her hair fluttering over her face, as Luc's attacks came to a stop. She glanced back at him, a frustrated scowl on his face. Then, he bowed his head slightly, and closed his eyes. She glanced to Illyad, her gaze pleading with him to hurry with whatever his plans of escape were. She would rather take her chances with the sorcerer--or whatever he may be--than a couple of vampires.
 She looked back to Luc as a smile caressed his lips. He turned, his eyes still closed, and ran along the same path the two had taken.
 Victoria nudged Illyad with a panicked elbow to draw his attention to the quickly nearing threat. By the time she tapped him, Luc was already nearly upon them.

[User]
Illyad spun, moving the two of them out of the path of the oncoming Luc. He was still building his energy, but he would soon have them out of there. He just needed more time. He moved them further from Luc once again, then, within half a second, he had opened a portal, dropped himself and Victoria through it, and closed it up behind them.
He kept Victoria pulled tightly to him as they swept through the portal. A purple haze blocked everything from view and a smell of burning filled the air. Illyad changed their course several times, as to keep the vampires confused, should they be able to track him, until the finally landed.
They were in an apartment, the smell of incense was strong, and mismatched furniture coated the room.
"Mi casa es su casa." Illyad said, gesturing around the room they were in. "You're safe now." He added. "Make yourself comfy. I can't let you go just yet."

[Assistant]
Victoria inhaled as he pulled her through the portal, the putrid burning smell making her want to gag. She returned his tight hold until the purple turned into an apartment. She pulled away from him when he released her. Victoria took a couple steps back as he gestured to the tackily furnished room, and looked for the nearest exit. She had had more than her fill of supernaturals for the rest of eternity.
 "What?" she squeaked, spinning around to fully face him. From being abducted by vampires, to held hostage by a magician? Wonderful. "What do you mean, you can't let me go?" Not that she had anywhere she could go that she could not be found. She pushed the heart-sinking thought aside.
 For the first time, Victoria got a good look at her rescuer-turned-captor.
 "Who are you?" she finished in little more than a whisper. She took another small step back, the back of her legs tapping the cushions of a recliner, and sneezed at the overwhelming scent of the incense.

[User]
Illyad sighed. "I'm not abducting you, I'm trying to keep you safe. If you leave here now, they will find you, probably within minutes, meaning we'll have to go through all of this all over again."

He gestured to the recliner behind her. "Please, sit. I will explain everything. Would you like anything to eat or drink? I'm not exactly a master chef, but I'm sure I could arrange something." He moved his hand in a twisting motion and the air cleared, the incense being a mild background scent, rather than an assault to the senses. "I apologise. I left it burning when I came to find you. I didn't realise how long I'd be gone." He was obviously trying to be a good host, and wanted her to be comfortable.

Alex suddenly felt a shiver. He heard a familiar voice in his head. "She's safe, but she's terrified. I'll calm her down before I let you know where we are, you can take it from there." Illyad's voice rang clear through his head. He sighed and began making his way back to his apartment.


[System]
Gender: Male
Age: 17
Description:

Knight Element: Light
Animal Familiar: "Garo" Timber Wolf
Armor Style: Knight Armor. Pictured but lose all of the crosses and such.
Signature Weapon: A Hand and a half sword looking much like this one pictured below.

History: Leonidas had dreamed of nothing more than becoming a knight since he was a small boy. His father had been a knight and he was told that he had died in battle. The rest of his village all helped him throughout his dreams. Setting up training grounds and even obstacle courses and holding mock battle scenario's to help him train. Finally, he reached the age of 17 and This allowed him to earn a trip to the capital city and possibly be selected as a Knight of Elementia.

[User]
After all the knights were chosen Mira looked around at her companions, but her eyes seemed to fall on Telius. Mira shook her head and stood there blanked face. She just listened as the announcer concluded the choosing of knights. Mira felt her arcane fox near by. Don't worry girl I won't leave with out you. She thought knowing that her fox could hear her. She gave the slightest smile when she felt her joy through there bond.

After all was said and done they got ushered to a wagon. It wasn't Mira's first time in a wagon. She looked at the male named Leonidas who was the first to enter the wagon and jumped when a wolf came barreling by her to be with his master. She smiled as the next knight of air was looking like she was ready to fight the wolf, her name was Alya. Mira studied the bird that she flew down on as if this all a scene from a play. Mira let out a small chuckle. Mira's attention was suddenly snapped to the next knight that entered the wagon. Telius Arden, the sudden buzz she got when he introduced himself was odd to her. She noticed not only from his last named but from the way he held himself and the way he spoke, he was a noble. She could spot a noble from miles away. She watched him climb into the wagon. The next thought that came into her head was very strange to her Father would very much so approve of that one she shook her head as though she was trying to clear her thoughts. Fayla her arcane fox gave her a mental chuckle. It was her next to introduce herself.

"I am Mira Bellwood" She said as she curtsied. She might want people to know that she was the lost princess but she couldn't help her nature. "And this is Fayla my arcane fox" She said as Fayla appeared beside her. Fayla swished her tail gracefully. After Mira was done introducing herself she climbed on the wagon and sat next to Telius. Fayla wrapped herself around Mira's legs eyeing the wolf that was sitting across from them.

[Assistant]
As the palace attendants began to lead them away, Venator's eyes caught those of his adoptive father and offered him a final, solemn nod as he smiled under his scarf. He turned to follow, hanging back from the group like a shadow. He watched as the Knight of Light boarded the wagon, only to sharply whistle and a timber wolf to burst through the crowd. It's sudden appearance made the both the Knight of Air and Spirit weary, but Venator could see that the canine was tamed. The way it bounded through a crowded city plaza as opposed to stalked cautiously like a creature in enemy territory was a clear give away in that regard.

As the Knight of Air's bird reappeared, the ghostly raven tilted its head curiously, drawing Venator's attention for a moment before the Knights of Light and Air identified themselves respectively and his gaze returned to the gathered Knights as they boarded the wagon. As the Knight of Spirit introduced himself, the noble identity was cemented in Venator's mind and his eyes narrowed into a brief but sharp glare that he had to forcibly dispel, his past history with nobility reverberating in his mind. His glare returned alongside a raised eyebrow as the Knight of Arcane Spirit introduced herself also, his mind also pegging her as a Noble of some kind, although he didn't recognise her.

As she climbed into the Wagon, Venator followed without a word and took an open seat on the right hand side, across from the two nobles. Adjusting the scarf over his face, he offered no introduction and instead opted to close his eyes and remain quiet, suddenly feeling rather uncomfortable about the whole ordeal. The raven hopped from his shoulder to flap its wings a few times before perching on one of the wagon posts behind Venator, watching its surrounds vigilantly.

[User]
A great deal of annoyance became evident on Oriel's face as she was pretty much shoved to the wagon along with the others...some ceremony. The minute it was over, they were rushed out as if all the problems were in a tight timeslot to be repaired straight away. And then reality hit her...she hadn't anything to defend or protect herself with, barring the dagger and sword that Arno had given her. In a panic, she was trying her best to slip away, only to just be shoved along. She wished for an instant that her status would have been enough to take a fucking minute to get her equipment, but apparently these palace hands were under the assumption that everyone was fully armed at all times...Oh gods, all the other Knights were. What kind of situation was she getting involved with now?

Regardless, griping about it would do nothing. Keeping her chin up and dignity intact, Oriel was thinking of how guilty she felt just...up and leaving her caretaker for over a year now without so much as a goodbye. As much as she wanted to avenge her father and all that, debts must always be repaid, especially to those who are patient enough to wait. Just as she was about to take another step onto the wagon, a thunderous calamity could be heard a bit back down the road. "LET ME THROUGH! BLAST IT, CAN NO ONE SPARE AN OLD MAN AN INCH OF ROAD TO TREAD!?" a familiar, yet far more frustrated sounding voice resounded as an elderly man, clearly in his eldest of years was carrying a large trunk behind him, making impressive headway to the wagon.

"Hendrick!?" Oriel said aloud in surprise, the elderly librarian panting as he got closer. "Phew...made it just in time...Oriel...I know that you have to answer the summons...but you...whoo...l-let me catch my breath..." the elderly man said, dabbing his sweat covered face with his shirt collar. "You need to be able to defend yourself the way your father taught you!" he said, before just about thrusting the heavy trunk into Oriel's arms, the young woman maintaining her balance despite the weight. "This is...father's equipment?" she asked, receiving a nod and a reply of: "The same you polished and maintained for all this time."

Taken aback by the act of kindness that she deemed almost Saintly, Oriel gingerly set the trunk down before giving her friend a hug, the old man returning it in kind. "I...thank you. For everything. For letting me at least try to lead a normal life." she said before sticking a hand into her pockets and producing the pouch of coins he'd given her for grocery shopping that day. "Sure you'll manage without me? Claudia from down the street might be fit to help," Oriel suggested, only to be met with the elder's statement of: "Bah! Strong arms, but no thought. Girl hasn't rented a good book from me in years. Anyway...you take care now. Go with peace, Oriel. May you and your new friends be legends in the making. Good ones, I'd assume." he said before giving a smile and a nod to the Knights, giving Oriel one last hug before being on his way, clutching his lower back. "Oof...last time I run with a trunk of armor...Sword's on the bottom!" he grumbled, then shouted before making his way on out of the commotion and clamor of the crowds.

Oriel took a deep breath before resigning herself to this prophesied knighthood, lifting her trunk to step into the wagon, figuring it'd be best to take a seat beside Arno, and quickly finding a wolf to enter the wagon. Well...that was certainly something to be alarmed about. At least it would have been, had Oriel not had experience hunting such things from her younger days. Without a pack, a wolf wasn't much, and the softest spot of the neck could be reached easily enough to cut through without worry of its pack-mates. However, it seemed as tame as a hunting dog as it bounded towards its master, eliciting a small smile from Oriel. Loyalty was...something she admired, especially from what was usually viewed as an untamable wild beast.

Relaxing, Oriel moved her hands to pull her hood down, no longer feeling the need to hide anything from the others as it was. Her name was enough reason not to, she'd imagined. "It troubles me not, Leonidas. It is a pleasure to meet you all. I am Oriel Schulz...and I do hope that our journey will be fruitful. Though I've heard all your names from the announcement, I feel we've still much to learn of one another before we can come to trust in each other. And, Ayla, if you would like to, I can teach you some of the customs of the area. I'm interested in where you hail from, personally." she said, accustomed to being good at delivering pleasantries, greetings, and offers of mutual benefit as a previously housed noblewoman. And...she was trying really hard not to break down and ask where exactly all the others were getting their strange animal companions. "I hope to not bore you with tales of myself, however. We've time enough...at least I assume. Where are we going?"

[Assistant]
Temporarily, embarrassment and anxiety was beaten back, and in it's place streamed pride and a strange sense of accomplishment. Internally, Sidero knew that he did absolutely nothing - hell, knighthood was earned by complete luck, even if it was called 'fate'. But despite this, Sidero still felt special that he was chosen. The following knight was the Knight of Shadows, a young Venator Nylis. The pale, dark-haired boy slowly made his way to the stage, and just as he accepted his title, a dark mass appeared from his arm, eliciting a slight jump from Sidero and his hand reaching for the staff on his back. Seconds later, everything was fine - the shadows molded themselves into the shape of a bird (another one? What's with these knights and birds?), and he made his way to the banner bearing his element. Finally, the bald man had run out of scrolls, and all the knights were finally gathered under their respective banners.

"Ladies and Gentlemen your newest Knights of Elementia!"

As soon as this was said, a set of hands clasped themselves around Sidero's shoulders, a move that should never be done suddenly to a man who's killed more Trolls than you have teeth. Sidero immediately broke the hold by forcing the hands off, before turning and realizing who it was. Sighing, he allowed the now disgruntled guards to take him to the wagon, and just before he was about to complain about his lack of equipment, a blur of gray and silver rushed in his peripheral vision. Turning quickly, Sidero saw it - a wolf. Judging by it's size, it could probably kill one of the younger knights with ease, and it was already moving towards the knight of light, jumping onto the wagon. Reaching for his sword, Sidero was seconds away from slicing the beast in half and saving his ally, before the beast adopted a more friendly and dog-like stance, ignoring the concerned Sidero entirely. It then proceeded to nuzzle the young boy and, sighing slightly, Sidero sat down in the corner of the wagon, near the rider. Somehow, someway, the kid had managed to tame a freaking wolf... The looks that he received from some of the knights was pretty jarring, but that was to be expected - he nearly eviscerated that animal, and if it wasn't for it's calm demeanor, he would have killed it. Luckily, he wasn't the only one that was startled by the wolf, as the knight of wind, Alya, reacted in a similar manner, before apologizing. Despite his usual silence, Sidero issued out his own apology in short turn.

"I apologize as well, I'm just used to these creatures being more... Murderous. I am Sidero Denhol, glad to meet you all."

Directing his introduction to the whole group, Sidero remained seated where he was, and proceeded to listen to the rest of the young knights introduce themselves. The knight of arcane introduced her fox, making Sidero ponder just how many of them had pets. Was being an animal handler a required part to being a knight? And besides the sudden arrival of the man carrying Oriel's equipment, nothing especially interesting occurred... Wait, speaking of equipment... Sidero had the bare minimum. Sure, he had his weapons, but he expected to simply stand around and watch the unfolding ceremony, not actually be apart of it. And now, he was on a wagon headed to god knows where. Turning to the man directing the horses, Sidero called out.

"Hey, will I need any of my equipment where we're headed? I only have my weapons on me, and only a few gold pieces... If we do need our equipment, do you mind dropping me off at my inn room for my armor and gear?"

[User]
Leonidas smiled at all those who hopped onto the wagon finally the last Knight, the Knight of Lightning, climbed up into the wagon only for his eyes to grow wide in shock and the palace hands to start shouting. The wagon lurched forward sending the Knight of Lightning falling from the back as he fell he turned revealing the 7 arrows protruding from the Knights back.
"What the hell was that?!" Leonidas asked looking around trying to see just in time to see a volley of Arrows flying toward the wagon.
"Everybody take cover!" he shouted covering his head and his wolf trying to shield them from the arrows.


[System]
* Age: 16
* Gender: Female
* Race: Human
* Appearance: Armored, Unarmored. She is 5'1, with pale skin, blue eyes, and blonde hair. Her armor is silver with gold decorations. Her sword has a golden hilt.
* Personality: Fanilly is one to take her duty seriously. This is both due to a belief in the cause of the Iron Rose Knights, and a severe insecurity and self-consciousness about her position. She is well aware that she is young and comparatively inexperienced. She knows that she is only in the position she is because of her birth, as she was born under a full moon. This only makes her feel worse about it. For Fanilly Danbalion, captain of the Iron Rose Knights, she can't help but feel that they have a point. She's young. And even though the founder was the same age, she was viewed as something miraculous, almost a saint. Should Fanilly truly be leading them? This weighs heavily on her mind, and thus one of her biggest desires is to prove that she is. In spite of her young age, in spite of how this tradition has worn thin for some, Fanilly wants to prove that she is a worthy captain of the Iron Rose Knights above all else. Aside from this desire, the girl is somewhat socially awkard, sometimes unprepared for conversation. However, she is not really shy and can generally deal with attending various functions in the capital, as is expected of the Iron Rose Knights. She is dedicated to the purpose of the order, to defend the innocent and protect the land of Thaln. However, the doubts surrounding her have lead to a lack of confidence in herself. Fanilly has a younger sister and as a result has a somewhat stronger affinity for children and desire to keep the safe, but as someone dedicated to the Iron Rose Knights' cause she wishes to protect all those in need. While she has a lacking in confidence, she retains some pride in her training, as she has proven to be skilled at swordplay in spite of her youth.
* Brief Backstory: Fanilly was a daughter of the Danbalion family, a noble family already. While they had never been knights, her birth on a full moon immediately made her a potential future candidate for the Iron Rose Knights' captain. She was simply needed sooner then many expected. And so she experienced training for several years leading up to her instatement as the Captain of the Iron Rose Knights. Initially she was confident in herself, but it quickly became clear that even some within the Knights had grown tired of the tradition of selecting a maiden born on a full moon to be the captain. This wore on her quickly, and has lead to her desperation to prove herself.
* Equipment: Fanilly wears a well-made set of somewhat ornate armor. She wields a fine longsword in her right hand and a dagger with a curved hilt for trapping weapons in her left.
* Skills: Fanilly has experienced extensive training in swordplay, specifically in the use of a longsword in both hands, or paired with a unique parrying dagger.

[User]
Julianna managed to push her way through the crowd and find her way to the door the assassin was no doubt attempting to flee out of. Julianna could not help but think of other ways the assassin could escape, such as the windows but there was no way she could effectively block such things. It appeared that Sir Tiral already had that covered though as the beautiful glasswork was frosted over, which quickly thickened into ice sheets, so at least they wouldn't have to worry about that anymore.

It appeared that she had gotten there just in time, the knights that were charging after the assassin had forced her to deal with them, slowing her progress toward the exit. Julianna hadn't got a good look at the assassin before but, man that was one small assassin! Stopping such a tiny combatant would be a lot easier if she had a shield to bash her head in but a shield would have been too cumbersome and out of place in a dress. Now, she only had a small dagger with which to defend herself and stop the chibi killer, well she also had her body if it came down to that though that was risky against someone who was a hitman.

She could see her father and brothers headed her way as well but it looked like they wouldn't arrive until the assassin was on top of her. The knights were chasing the assassin but she was the only one between the assassin and escape right now. Gripping the dagger tightly, Julianna make sure to lower her body so she could easily react to the assassin.

"Goddess Mayon, guide my hand and my body in the defense of your people. Give me the courage and strength to defend those I have been charged to protect and deliver retribution to my enemies. Make me your vessel to accomplish your will." Julianna recited the prayer to herself as she prepared to stop the assassin. Her amber eyes locked onto her enemy with extreme focus as she chanted, her eyes appeared to glow in the light as she appealed to the goddess for strength.

Julianna prepared to block the assassin with everything she had, as long as she could prevent the killer from getting around her it would be the Iron Rose Knights victory. She made she she was ready to move into the assassin's path however she attempted to escape.

[Assistant]
Gillian held his glare until Sir Garret placed himself between him and the undead knight. As the barbarian talked to the undead, his glare turned on the barbarian, still hot with rage before cooling slightly. It made sense, after all. Gillian had no rank and over step his bounds, so of course HE'D be the one to be pushed out, if only to preserve what little social graces remained. He turned on the trio, fury still burning in him.

Were he speaking truthfully, he'd have loved for the exchange to come to blows. His reputation would have been destroyed, but he had far less standing to lose than that arrogant red eyed chibi. And atleast then he'd have had the pleasure of getting a few good licks in on the conceited knight. "Thinking out of their rank.." He grumbles, heading to a small bar, taking up a heavy drink. "Brat. Were the saint herself still with us, I'd pray she'd have to good sense to put you to the sword for such casual disregard for your comrade's lives." He grumbles, ignoring the stares (some of annoyance, some surprisingly in admiration.)

As he drank he'd realized he'd have to apologize to the captain, an act he'd not look forward to. Tyaethe's flippancy aside, he'd given his word to attempt to behave. "That is decidedly a failure…" he thinks, throwing another swig back, counting the moments before he'd excuse himself for the evening. Course, if her undead groupie was any indication, the captain would be equally livid that he'd not taken to lying for her the sake of her valor. He rolls his eyes, regretting the evaluation he'd given Klien and then the Princess before turning away from the bar and heading back towards the group. He should have never taken on Klien's off-
"ASSASSIN! Iron Roses, to arms! Stop her!" He hears shouted above the din of the crowd. The world around him seems to explode, nobles panicking and rushing past Gillian like a stampede. Furniture and nobles alike toppled in the chaos, and Gillian only barely managed to see a few knights charging after what seemed to be a child. He draws his sword, anger now forgotten and replaced with worry. Wolves rarely hunted alone, same went for the kind of low life who'd take assassination as a profession. He pushes his way through the crowd back towards Fanlily and company. He looks visibly relieved as he spots the young captain, unharmed, hovering dutifully by the princess.

He rushes to the side of the young hundi Ian, something strange nagging at the back of his mind. The timing of the attack was…uncomfortably perfect. Their expedition had not been out of the capital for long, and they'd only returned a day ago. But this was no rush job, the stealth of it all was too perfect to be done on short notice. He continues to scan the crowd, the reek of a set up hanging in the air. "Your highness…" He begins only just audible above the crowd, "You mentioned that you were the one brought the attacks by the bandit king to the attention of your father. From whom did you learn that from?" He asks, praying that it was simply paranoia on his part. But something stank in the state of Thaln,...well, more so than usual.

[User]
Her factions strained, Sult gave a pearly smile as she nodded to the comments of the people surrounding her. She did her best to hide it beneath her perfect demeanor, but deep inside she was seething.

She had missed everything. The princess, the dolled up knights, Fanilly in a dress, Garret in a ceremonial suit. Swarms of fly-like would-be pretenders had flocked around her, and were once again, courting the thorny Rose of the Sunfield. Some idiot had spread a rumour that she had finally settled her head and would not refuse advances any longer. It didn't help her dress caught the eye of a lot of them, white and blue with certain highlights, which emphasized her bust and gave her quite the hourglass figure. Long, elbow length gloves with a blue ribbon completed the suit, as her hair had been tied up in a bob decorated with a white, fragant rose. Her fine, porcelain-like white shoes clapped rythmically, as the diamond earrings and pendant sparkled so slightly.

But fragant roses always have bugs droning about, as she bit her lip and politely dejected the newest suitor. She was improving, at least this time she hadn't soaked someone's face in wine.

She had the deep suspicious that the one who had started such a farce of rumour to hamper her had been her brother, Nero. At the very least, he was enjoying her personal struggle to not be buried in droll suitors. The smug knight was even swirling a glass of wine, savouring the moment! The nerve.

And unlike her, not many people were trying to bother him. He had chosen a bold choice of clothes. His battle, black armor, polished until it could be used as mirror, was his formal wear. But it was clear, because of the sparse decorations and dents, that unlike some armors, this was far from a ceremonial armor. He completed his garbs with his sword at his hip, and a luxurious cloak of black raven feathers, which rested atop his shoulders and back. He wasn't wearing any helmet, and he had combed carefully his tresses.

It was you, you bastard.

Sult would give anything to distract the insistent males.

And then her wish had been granted, in an awful manner.

"WHAT?" Most of the nobles looked in the direction of the princess, giving Sult's cue to sneak away from their encirclement and approach her fellow knights.

It was a no brainer on who she stick to, standing tall amidst the chaos in the crowd. Delicate gloves took the muscular arm of Sir Garret.

"What's going on, Sir Garret?" Sult said, concerned and relieved that she had finally managed to shake off the male crowd his brother had summoned. "Is...that..Tyaethe??" She added, her eyes widening.

Meanwhile, Nero's wine cup had stopped swishing, as he looked with half boredom, half annoyance the attempt on the princess. Well, talk about bad luck. Fanilly and her knights seemed to be hogging the spot as royalty's favorites.

Torn between ignoring it, and making a last attempt to save face, Nero chose the later, as he raised his hand and voice. "Ravens! To arms! Support the Roses and protect the princess!" He beckoned to the few scattered men he had around the party, as he himself trounced forwards the center of the chaos, hand in the sword pommel.

Someone dying messily in this circumstances would be quite troublesome, even if by supporting the Roses he would probably lose funding opportunities to his knights.

[Assistant]
Christina shook her head, keeping half of her focus on maintaining the barrier. The magic didn't like being cast without an anchor, and if she let it the shield would shrink until it settled onto one. Beyond that, she spent the effort to respond to her captain.

"Unless the assassin brought a battlehammer or a magic user, I should be able to hold this barrier until the danger passes." She spoke through clenched teeth, her body rigid as she fought the will of the barrier. Still she didn't seem to be losing.

[User]
Another knight was swift to join them in defense of the Princess. Sir Gillian! Good, good, Fanilly had faith in his support. There was no-way any other assassins would possibly be reaching the Princess. Not with all of them here.

"I'm glad you're here, Sir Gillian," she said, nodding to the man as he went to join Sir Ian. But, as he began to speak... did he think someone had been planning something? But at the moment it seemed a bit unlikely... after all, it was counting on the fact that the Princess through the party because of their defeat of the bandits. But still... it was an unpleasant possibility. At the moment, however, Fanilly was more focused on keeping the Princess safe.

"Who did I... ah..." for a moment, Eliabelle was silent, attempting to recall who had told her about the bandits. After all, it was sometimes difficult to recall information in such a stressful situation. "I... I believe in was Endril, the Guard-Captain. But... what does he have to do with this? Did... did they catch the assassin yet?"

Eliabelle tried to look past her guardians.

From what Fanilly could see, it looked like the diminutive killer was still on the loose. But... maybe she'd been cornered?

"... Regardless of what happens, stay put. you'll be safe, Princess."

The windows were icing up... Tiral? Good! He was cutting off escape routes... the other partygoers, in their panic, had largely cleared the main floor at the very least...

---

The moment that the call of 'Assassin' rang out, a fire lit in Bethany's eyes. She stepped forward, and at Tiral's questioning, she shook her head.

"I can't designate targets for a wide-range sleep spell like that," she explained, simply, in a much more steady(though still soft and not exactly intimidating in the slightest) tone then before. She reached into a pouch on her hip, and drew out what looked like nothing more then a small, narrow block of wood.

But in her hand it extended, forming a thin staff. She pointed it towards the exit.

"Shards of diamond gather, fuse, form, heed the words of the long-dead master, the speaking mountain! Ignite Barrier!"

---

The assassin caught sight of the lunging attack by the crazy sword-wielding little girl. An attempted bearhug? It didn't matter. She sprang back, spreading her legs apart and putting a hand down to steady herself. The windows had frozen over. But nothing, yet, had barred her exit! There were knights all around her, but if she could just make it through the doorway...

Maybe, just maybe, her failure wouldn't be the end. Maybe there was still something she could do.

Straightening and spinning on her heal, she immediately made for the doorway(it was far too large for one knight to stop her!)... and watched an enormous purple barrier of light with twisting symbols around the edges form over it, completely barring her exit.

"..."

The assassin stopped. She did nothing for a moment, before glancing back at those who had surrounded her.

Silently, she fell to her knees, and buried her face in her hands.

There was no escape.