[System]
Physical: Like many Varan hailing from the north, the young Torr stands high among men and his toned shoulders echo his ability as a warrior. His long, rugged, black hair hangs down to just below his shoulders, and his black beard hangs down to his chest. Cold, dark blue eyes are set upon his cold face, complete with a fierce demeanor and strong chin.

Equipment: Torr wears chainmail over his torso, covered by a padded tabard, while a black belt wraps around his waist. He wears black, iron-plated gauntlets complete with gloves, and iron greaves cover his black boots. A cloak of wolf fur hangs over his shoulders. In battle Torr wears an iron helmet modeled in the shape of a wolf's head. Most of his apparel is dyed black with dark blue accents, with the emblem of a white wolf's head.

Torr carries an iron-braced, wooden round shield, a longsword, a hand-axe, and his family's ancestral blade. He is a master swordsman and has been regarded as one of Asgeir's finest warriors. He prefers to use his longsword and shield together, resorting to his hand-axe when necessary. His family's ancestral blade is an ancient weapon, and never used; a dark-colored, rune-scribed blade comes forth from its wolf's head hilt. Some would say the runes hold magical power, although Torr does not believe so.

Background: Torr is the son of Tarro, the jarl of Valland. Like all Varan, Torr was brought up as a warrior and would one day take his father's place as jarl. Although he has battled bandits, raiders, and pirates, Torr longs for a real challenge. When news of the Sylver Empire's encroachments reached Asgeir, Torr took up his sword and marched south with ten of his best men.

Faction
Valland Hold, Asgeir
Far to the north lies the realm of Asgeir. It is a land of harsh winters, abundant forests, vast mountains, and chilled valleys. Rivers and tributaries run from the slopes of snow-covered peaks, winding through the dark forests and icy hills before emptying into the seas and lakes.

The High King of Asgeir rules from the capital of Stormhold, the oldest and largest city in the kingdom; Stormhold is also the extent of his power, as the realm is largely governed by independent lords called jarls. Each jarl rules a jarldom and is responsible for its maintenance and protection. Valland Hold is one such jarldom, long ruled by the Valgard clan. The Valgards are capable swordsmen, perhaps the finest in Asgeir. In times of war the Valgards can raise the Wolfguard, legendary horsemen who double as excellent infantry.

The Valgards rule from their walled town of Valland. Their land consists of rolling hills, perfect for grazing and farming, and thick forests which allow forestry and hunting. Winding rivers provide fresh water and fish. The Valgard clan symbol, and thus the symbol of their soldiers, is a dark blue field with a white wolfs head.

Asgeir Military
A jarl may levy the men and women of his province to form a warband, personally led by the jarl himself. All able-bodied men and women are expected to heed the call, although it is usually the head of household and his oldest sons who pick up arms to fight for the jarl. Shieldmaidens are common in Asgeir and can account for 45% of the nation's military. Because of this levy system it is law for all individuals living in Asgeir to own a weapon and shield. Fathers and mothers train their sons and daughters to fight from a young age, guaranteeing a capable military force in times of war.

Asgeir is a vast realm, and the towns and settlements can be spread across vast distances. Therefore horses are almost required to trek the long distances. Horses are also used to work the fields, herd the cattle, and transport necessary food and supplies to other locations. This has led to an equestrian-based society, and almost all families own horses. It is no surprise then that when levied many warriors ride into battle atop their beloved steeds.

Asgeir produces fine horsemen. They may not be as heavily armored as a knight, nor as fast as other riders, but they strike a middle ground and can fulfill a multitude of rolls. When dismounted they double as excellent infantry. The wealthiest warriors ride barded horses and wear chainmail or iron armor, wielding round shields and either axes or swords, along with a lance.

Those men who have lost their horses or otherwise do not own one act as infantry. They bring with them chainmail armor, iron helmets, a round shield, and a melee weapon of their choosing. Infantry are expected to form shieldwalls, which allow them to absorb enemy charges and deflect arrow volleys, so all warriors must bring a shield.

Varan tactics revolve around charging and breaking enemy formations with their cavalry, and then finishing them off with the support of their infantry. Otherwise they absorb the impact of the enemy charge with their infantry, and seek to flank with their cavalry. They lack in missile units, and only a few jarldoms supply dedicated archer units.

Varan Military
The Varan military can be divided into two portions: infantry and cavalry. The Varan are excellent riders, but double as excellent infantry, lacking in archery and artillery.

Command
10 Wolfguard - The Wolfguard are elite warriors from Valland Hold. These chosen champions are hand picked by the jarl himself, serving as his bodyguard in times of war. There are no finer warriors in Valland, and few others in Asgeir can match their prowess in battle. Generally, the Wolfguard are wealthy lords living in Valland who can afford warhorses and maintain a sufficient arsenal; they have thus sworn sacred oaths of loyalty to the jarl, and will fight and die in his name. Some Wolfguard begin as local strongmen who have proven their worth and are granted lands and titles.

The Wolfguard wear iron armor, wolf cloaks, and fearsome helmets meant to instill fear in their opponents. They carry iron-braced, wooden round shields, and an assortment of chosen weapons: greatswords, battleaxes, longswords, maces, etc. Each Wolfguard has a mighty warhorse, protected by barding. While they can act as sufficient cavalrymen, the Wolfguard prefer to fight on foot, utilizing age-old tactics like shieldwalls.

[User]
Erebus continued to remain silent for the Planning. Still standing as a statue with his two chosen. While they made no moves and spoke no words, their presence could hardly be ignored. Not only by their Magical aura that snuffs all Mortals unfamiliar with the Ancient arts, but also by their figure so different from the other men in the room. Erebus didn't know if the others even knew what forces he had been deployed with or the grand feat that can only be described as miracles that they could accomplish. Erebus made sure to enlighten them. Completely coming out of no where, the stationary Iron clad Giant spoke up again. Continuing the Duke's mention of siege units. Again his voice boomed like thunder inside the tent. The dust around him jumped and danced as if to appease the War Master.

"The troops I bring with me can be assigned to any unit that seems fit for their use. My Chosen that you see before you can be sent to assist the Front line with myself, aiding any Heavy Infantry. Such as the Hoplites and the Famed ScaleGuard. My Holy Knights can also be situated behind those lines to provide aid in the arts of Restoration Magic. While my War Mages..."

Erebus's eyes, the fire that only showed through his Helmet, finally moved to look at the Duke. "My War mages can offer long range artillery to the enemy. We will see how well those Auxiliaries fight after witnessing their strongest blades melt down to a liquid pool of metal and their flesh fall off their bones, leaving nothing but a small pile of Ash to continue their so honored legacy..."

The War Master's tone turned from serious to excited quite fast. He caught himself and settled down, remaining silent with his eyes now trained at the Orc leader.

[Assistant]
Alexander Myerscough

---

As Pizurk stepped up to explain his plan, Alexander again remained silent, his index and thumb placed on his chin, his mind hyperfocusing on analysing. His plan sounded...very typical. Most of the infantry in the center, cavalry on two flanks and the archers at the back. He had encountered such strategies pretty commonly in his conquest. Its greatest weakness is that the outcome of the battle is heavily relied on discipline, morale and skills of both sides. If the enemy is superior to his own, then it's over. But here it had higher chances of working because the enemy is the least experienced among Alaric's troops. Also, Alexander liked the sound of keeping the heavy cavalry out, although he would prefer if he placed a group of heavy horses into the line, for breaking and routing purposes. So if it's for the first day, it's fine, but if for later days, Alexander didn't know if he could continue to approve it.

The other commanders seemed to share his own viewpoint. He patiently waited for the rest to finish before speaking up

"It is a sound plan, although I find it a bit reliant on our own individual's skills and leadership in battle. Its casualty rate also depended on that. But since who we are facing is their auxillary troops, so it is viable. But I would prefer to use small heavy cavalry forces for any distress on the battlefield."

[User]
While it might have been more natural for a Uruk to be on the offensive, Pizurk understood well enough that if one intended to keep whatever you took in the first place you were going to have to defend it from someone sooner or later. However, he wasn't a fool in believing that his plan was ironclad or perfect; Seeing the wisdom of the move, he grabbed the marker that represented the Acity Empire's heavy cavalry and placed it on the battlefield... through further back to represent its status as more of a reserve force then anything else.

The Galatian marker would be left off the board through; If he couldn't trust their leader to shut the hell up and follow his orders, then he wasn't trusting them on the field of battle. He also made a show of removing the markers for the siege weapons and the offensive mages... through he left the markers representing the healers. "Our enemy is watching, no doubt trying to figure out what we'll do and what tricks we have. The more we use things like magic or the big stuff, the more opportunity those attacking us will wise up and try and figure out ways to counter them. However, I don't see any harm in having the healers be a bit more active..."

Thinking for a moment, he picked up the marker for the nine or so tark 'Chosen' and placed it on top of his own infantry in the center. "Don't really know where else to put 'em where they could be of some use." Shaking his head a little, he turned to the tark 'siege expert' with a look in his eyes. "I want you to take anyone not fighting to help your troops dig in. Defenses, traps, what have you. Just give us something solid we can fall back to and hold."

[Assistant]
"Two-thousand Zathii light infantry in the center, flanked on both sides by five-hundred horsemen. Place them under the command of the Elder Chiefs." Alaric's plan was quick, simple, and to-the-point. It garnered worried looks from around the tent. Nevertheless, the young commander eased back into his chair and simply looked at his officers.

It was no surprise that Rexus spoke up first. He opened his dialogue by slamming his fist onto the table. "The Allies will crush the Zathii. By sending them into battle you guarantee the Allies an early victory... you'll inspire them, make them fight all the harder." Rexus leaned further onto the table, knocking over some of the strategy markers in the process. His recklessness here on this mock table only foreshadowed his reckless command on the field. "Give me control of the Sixth, Alaric. I can crush the Allies in one swift battle, and we can be done with this endeavor."

Rexus' input garnered a host of nods from the other officers, who sought a quick end to the campaign. Even Lucius, Alaric's closest friend and most trusted adviser, seemed to agree.

Alaric stood back up and began speaking, moving to replace the markers that Rexus had knocked over. His movements were very precise and calculated. "We would certainly crush the Allies if we deployed the Sixth. But it would be hard-fought and we would lose many men. I cannot risk sending the Empire's best troops into battle."

Lucius inquired next, "then why not deploy the Sixth with the support of the Zathii?"

Alaric acknowledged the sound strategy, but protested. "We all understand the risk of mutiny. The Zathii are here against their will and tensions are rising. We cannot afford a rebellion, not here."

Alaric was not finished speaking, but Lucius finished for him. "So you would thin their ranks by sending their light infantry into battle... those are their youngest men. And you would eradicate their traditions by having their Elder Chieftains slain in battle." Lucius disagreed with the strategy, crossing his arms and frowning.

Alaric could feel guilt coursing through him, but quickly looked away. He regained his stoic composure after a few moments and finally said "it has to be done. Rexus, prepare the auxiliaries."

---

War horns blasted across the Maw. The sun had barely passed its zenith, slowly beginning its western descent. The gates of Alaric's wall swung ajar as hordes of men and horses poured out. They had no discipline, no order, and no composure. It was all a hobbled mess of men and women, though the northern and southern portions of their army were mounted.

The oldest soldier in this force, aside from the Elder Chieftains, had seen thirty-three winters. He had a young wife, two sons, and one daughter. How he wished to be back home, cuddled up close to his wife in the early morning frost. He closed his eyes and tried to remember the playful voices of his two young sons, and that unique laugh that his daughter had. But it was useless; war horns, drums, and angry shouting ruled his mind this day.

No time for love, Lentos, he thought to himself, there's no love in war. He raised his shield and hammered his sword's pommel on it.

The Zathii light infantry advanced ever onward, not yet in range of the Allied missile units. They wielded iron swords, spears, axes, maces, and chipped wooden shields. They were equipped in very little to no armor, composed of cloth and leather. Only the Elder Chiefs wore mail armor. The cavalry were quick, not hindered by armor, and their riders wore little to no armor, armed with javelins and short swords. They were a fair-skinned, long-haired people, and they were far away from home.

The Allies opposed them on the western stretch of the Maw. There, Pizurk's uruk foot soldiers held the center, while they were flanked by the Roffelans, Twilight Knights, Royal Knights, and Hoplites. Behind them were archers and crossbowmen. Light horsemen and Pizurk's own worg riders protected the flanks of the infantry.

The stage was set and the battle was ready to begin.


[System]
Alias (if any):Gungnir

Age:45

Faction: Normal - War Veteran and Hero

Personality: Al is a somber man, cynical to the extreme. He clearly cares little about mincemeating when speaking his opinion out loud and spares no one of his verbal lashing. His usual gruff demeanour is only a consequence of how war-scarred and emotionally numb he is, having grown a thick shell to protect his sanity over the years. Beneath all that, however, lies the once gentle nature of a man who wanted to do what was right for others, and that he would protect the weak with his own strength. Having said that, kids and generally youngsters are exempt from his cynical demeanour, and he has always time to lecture the young about the ways of the world.

Appearance: Albert is a grizzled middle aged man, with graying sideburns on his otherwise brown hair. Despite the surgence of wrinkles and the scars that pepper his entire face and body, he is still a bit of a rough handsome devil with blue eyes. Of average height and constitution, he usually wears a checkered sweater with a shirt, jeans and boots whenever he's off duty. On duty... well whatever his current chief says he has to wear. He carries a butterfly knife at all times, a gift from a fellow comrade-in-arms.

Background: Albert was born in some small town in North England. For the most part, his childhood was humble, but pretty uneventful.
 Just daily routines and chores, and perhaps the odd troublemaking or two. Born the eldest of three, Albert also learned from an early age the responsibility of protecting and teaching the younger. He mused in his infantile behaviour, that perhaps his calling in life was a teacher. However, when the Starbursts happened, his entire world vanished in a single night. His town was ravaged by monsters when he was on a field trip with many others as a teenager. His entire family perished.

The shock made him reconsider his calling in life, and after he hit the legal adult age after being put under estate care, the young man jumped in the armed forces as a sniper, who were bearing the strain of trying to hold the monsters off all while waiting for the Epics to take them out. Over and over again, he tossed himself in the battlefield with his many comrades, knowing that he could not win, only buy time and act as a human shield for the civilians to be spared of the brunt of the clash of monstrous beings versus the Epics. He never faltered. He never truly surrendered nor despaired. The hellish battlefield, and seeing comrades being replaced by new faces over and over again only made him more resolute. His rank ballooned up, mainly because field promotions were abundant in such a chaotic scenario.

And then, just as he was about to break, he managed to do the impossible. He managed to take out monsters with only his grit, his men,
 and decidedly inferior firepower. The events were rare and isolate enough to be noticed, much less alter the course of the war, but the deed had been done. Sooner than later, Albert was approached by his superiors, and decided to lend him to other places and battlefields in the world, usually where the worst situation was.

It was then when Albert broke. He broke two things. First of all, the preconception of Epics as untouchable, and second of them, the world record on sniping distance, as he put away a maddened Epic with a single headshot far from his reach. For his gruesome deed, the propaganda machine churned out a name for him. Gungnir, spear of Odin. He always found that nickname too pretentious, but he conceded, if only because it would lift up the spirit of his comrades in arms.

However, the victories he had won were phyrric, and in the end, the reality forced the governments to shut down the insane operations that had ordered Albert to do, specially after the show of power by the High Epics in Manhattan, which drove deep the point on how badly outclassed normal people were. Albert was relieved from duty, and with great honors. But the man couldn't stay idle. All those years in the battlefield, and knowing that somehow, the battle still raged on.

It was then when he heard about a certain ECPD department in Manhattan that could use people like him...

[User]
Techster - The Docks
@Regitnui]@TheHangedMan@Mercenary Lord

---

Techster stopped, practically froze solid, as the words were broadcasted loud enough for everyone in a half mile radius to hear.

"Fuck. Fuck fuck fuck fuck fuck!" He muttered, eyes wide. "I'm sorry, Charlotte. You're going to have to follow me. You get to meet my parents... Lady Lift and Mr. Mass."

He slid out of the vehicle with a heavy sigh. "If you don't, they'll bring you. Just... Let me do the talking."

He a heavy heart, Techster walked to the nearest building with a roof access, dropping a light onto it as he retracted his armor.

Mr Mass stepped lightly onto the roof. Each following step was heavier, until a small spiderweb of cracks spread from his feet. "Son. What did I tell you about leaving the house without telling me or your mother where you're going?"

Techster hung his head. "Not to. But you were both out and it was really important and I hadn't expected to be gone so long and get caught up in everything here, or almost anyways we only just got here, and I left a note on the fridge with my transponder frequency and -"

His father held up a hand. "I know you want to be a hero just like us, but your mother and I would both prefer you finished school first. We've had this talk." Mr Mass folded his arms. "You did know that you left your geography homework unfinished on your desk?"

"But that's so simple. I'll have it finished in under five minutes," Techster protested. "And I can juggle school and the occasional hero work. I could skip all my classes and graduate now if you guys would just let me. People need help, and I can help! I've got so many inventions I could make to make people safer and help with big events like that rat attack the other night."

"Howard," Mr Mass put a hand on the boy's shoulder, looking into his eyes. "We love you, you know that. But school is important. Even if it isn't what you like and things you find simple. You don't want to be too specialised with that fantastic mind of yours, do you?"

"But I won't be," Techster muttered. "I can learn anything. I've already got straight A's. I already know string theory and quantum physics. I know classifications of stars, what dark and light matter are theorised to be, and why things are called dark energy or matter simply because humanity doesn't understand them yet. It's all so simple. It's not about liking it, because I love learning. It's about being a better person and helping people who need it!"

"And what about the other stuff?" His father asked.

"I can do it all. You are just holding me back," Techster said quietly. "Sorry. That sounded better in my head..."

"One day you'll thank us." Mr Mass' mouth quirked up on one side. "Your brain can't help with the heart, son. And I bet your friend over there won't go get ice cream with you if you try and analyse everything."

Techster chuckled slightly. "That's Looking-Glass, dad. We were hoping to make our Hero debut here, but... Well, that's not happening now. They're actually why I left. I did some... Uh...I found out they needed some assistance with matters and helped."

"And you didn't think it was worth telling us before you left?" His face had gone impassive again. He pressed his hand to his ear, triggering the headset's talk mode. "I've got him dear, and that girl he's been looking up on his computer." Mr Mass' expression made it clear there was going to be a long discussion about this at home. "Yes, love." He kept a hand on Techster's shoulder, though he might have dug his fingers in a little. "Looking-glass, I'd think it best you accompany us home for the night. I'm sure Howard would be willing to give up his bed so you can sleep."

Techster paled noticeably. "I'm sure she'd rather go home, dad."

"Nonsense. It's far too late." He walked over to Looking-glass. "You can call your guardian from our house while Howard changes the bedclothes and cleans up."

Lady Lift stepped onto the roof, the helicopter having set off. "Howard..." Her voice warned of a lot of worry having turned to anger. "You're grounded. For a month. No workshop and no Internet access."

Techster groaned. "I won't argue, but isn't the whole point of keeping me in school to make me learn? I can't learn without access to information, and information is found best online. Can I convince you to just put a time limit on that? Please?"

"A month," she repeated, and a transparent force disk lifted the whole family, and Looking-glass, from the ground. "Consider yourself lucky I'm not taking away your gadgets as well."

"Yes Ma'am..." Techster replied quietly, defeated.

[Assistant]
It was too much. Phantom knew it was time to go. Too many people were showing up. What had originally been a crazy, stupid, deliriously entertaining hit and run had turned into a chaotic frenzy of new weapons and new Epics. These people were crazy! Fucking insane. "Kenny!" he hissed at the grinning woman. "We need to go now! Too much going on!"

"Agreed, you spooky, scary, skeletron!" Kenny whooped, pulling a walkie-talkie out of seemingly no where. "Attention, comrades! We are beating a hasty retreat as of now! Vince is with us. Ernie, shoot up a flare so Maria can see it."

A moment later, an enormous column of flame spiraled into the air. "Gotcha bud," Ernie said. "I'll grab Maria and meet you all back there."

Kenny and Hannah glanced at Phantom. "You heard him," Kenny said. "Let's go!"

---

"That was fucking insane!" David muttered, waving his arms wildly in the air above him. "Why the fuck did I ever let you talk me into that?"

They had all made it back to the apartment in one piece. Vince had taken a moment to wake up, but after a jolt of sparks from Ernie, he sat up with a screech. When everyone stopped laughing at him, they explained what had happened. "Thanks, David," said Vince. "Remind me to save your ass the next time you're unconscious, all right?"

"Are you fucking kidding me?" snarled David. "We all could have died. DIED! Those people had fucked up weapons, and fucked up ideals, and they were not fucking around. How can any of you be chill about this?" He kicked and empty can on the floor. "Fuck!" he said again, for good measure.

The others exchanged glances. "It's a messed up world out there, David," Maria said, in her own voice. "You have to laugh at it even when it's about to kill you, or you'll go insane." She laid a hand on his arm, and despite his anger, he found it very hard to stay mad at her.

"She's right," Kenny said, more serious than David had seen her yet. "We're Epics, y'know. People hate us, fear us. The Kryptocopters are just the most vocal ones." She ducked into the kitchen. "That's why it's so important that you stop oogling Marmie there and just pin her up against a wall somewhere."

David flushed immediately. "Kenny, come on..." He caught a glimpse of Maria's raised eyebrow, heard the rest of them laughing from the words, and wished very much to be asleep, so that he could fade from the world entirely.

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding!" Kenny said, popping back into the room. "You've just met her, of course you want to wait a bit before you end up in bed with her." She held up a hand before he could punch her. "You're way too easy to rile up, buddy. Take a breather." She grinned, holding a can up to his face.

"Care for a beer, sir Phantom? A drink for a job well done."

"I hate you all."

[User]
Albert eyed the scene with a slight groan, as she watched the brazen display of Epics. They could be all the carefree they wanted, with wonderful skills bestowed by birth. Not like officer McKenzie, rest in peace. Or himself. He clenched his teeth. The Kryptonites were retreating, their own forces advancing.

Was this how the story ended? Was this what he was going to show to his partner's family? Just saying that Epics covered his bum and nothing more. The lad deserved better. He had been patient enough to wait for his grumpy nature to settle. He had bought the doughnuts, even if they were horrible. And that cow and her cronies were escaping.

"Arse." He muttered under his breath. The wounds on his back stung. But he felt alive. This was not the City. This was the jungle. And in front of him there were retreating ratmen. Taunting at every step. Albert began to run. Little by little his cop persona became eroded. He was once again Gungnir. And he could wound the invincible. He moved at a pace that would make an athlete blush, discarding the bulbous weapon and reaching for one of the assault rifles they had been using earlier.

He still knew how to use them. They felt natural in his grip. He had half a magazine. He switched to semi automatic. He wanted to do all those shots manually. The reach of the weapon was adequate. The sights... he wouldn't need, as he squeezed his own eyes. A difficult shot. But not impossible. He aimed and took fire.

McKenzie. The boys at the station. The chief. The innocent lads and lasses these guys killed. Each shot counted. The first ones zipped past. The remaining ones caused havoc, digging deep into the boat's engine and steering, killing the horsepower of the machine. Without engine, the boat in which the woman and her comrades would not go far.

"How's that for a pound of flesh, love?" Gungnir hollered, his weapon aimed at the Kryptonites and the woman, with little way to escape. "I did say you were under arrest. Now be good lads and cooperate!"


[System]
Age: 18
Gender: Male
Animal: White tiger
Height: 5'10"
Hair Colour: White (with darker strands threaded through)
Eye Colour: Yellow

Personality:
Loner/stand-offish. Torao isn't so much anti-social as possessing a strong desire for his own space. He can only stand people around him for a short span of time before he will lose patience with them and let his inner snark out; this will take the form of sarcasm or downright rudeness (he may actually grow to like some of his fellow classmates, particularly the younger or weaker ones (and his sense of duty may lead him to feel he has to defend them), but he'll never admit it).

Curious. Torao possesses a seemingly insatiable curiosity about humans (although overlaid with a strong streak of hostility) and he will take risks that may seem foolish to gratify his curiosity.

Background
As warriors and leaders of their tribe of beastkin, Torao's ancestors were a constant thorn in the side of the human regime – every few years some fresh oppression would bring them snarling out of their village, only to eventually be supressed by the Templers, although always at considerable cost. Their family was only permitted to live due to the fact that they kept the tribe united and, when not rebelling, were a powerful work force, a mix of farmers and hunters and loggers, capable of bring down many of the great wilderness trees that the humans needed for their never ending industry – if the family were wiped out, the tribe would disintegrate into a mob that would have to be liquidated and a healthy chunk of the human tax revenue would be lost.

After the last uprising the few remaining family elders counselled patience: simply wait, until the time was more opportune for them to seize their freedom. When the king's decree reached the village, it seemed like the opportunity they had been waiting for – it was decided that one of the family would be sent to study at the Academy. When they graduate, they can use the knowledge gained to help the beastkin understand the humans and so negotiate better terms with them (or, whisper it soft now, reveal weaknesses they can exploit to end the human oppression and take a bloody revenge).

Enter Torao. As the second son of the leader's three children, he was the perfect choice – trained as a warrior, he should have an eye for human weaknesses while being able to defend himself where his beloved younger sister (a mere cub of twelve) might struggle, and being the second son was less valuable than his older brother and heir apparent (and hence expendable).

With an age old creed of honour and duty to the tribe behind him, there was no consideration that Torao might refuse – and in any case, he's curious about the humans he's only ever seen from a distance at tax collecting time ( he was caught trying to sneak out to explore the nearest human town three years ago – he still burns with embarrassment when he remembers the look on his older brother's face when he was dragged in front of a meeting of the elders by the guards); are they really the evil oppressors he's been brought up to believe?

Other: Every warrior in his family wears a red collar around their throat – it's a symbol of their enslavement by the humans and by tradition it will only be removed when the beastkin are free. If anyone tried to mess with it, or take the piss, he will do his best to beat the crap out of them.

[User]
Yennifer

When the human had shoved the poor rabbit and her current shield from his way and advanced upon her. Yennifer thought herself ready to learn to fly from the terror that shook her. Never had anyone come so close and so quickly! Her feathers quickly puffed up as her wings were left partly open in shock as he tossed her precious instrument case behind him with ne'er a care. Thankfully the cat had caught it. Giving the fellow beastkin a small smile of thanks. Perhaps it would have been best to leave the precious items at home, rather than the dilapidated inn! Her clothes had been hurled at the rabbit. Clutching the briefcase tightly she knew if the man ripped this from her hand, she was going with it. A stray thought crossed her mind if he perhaps had whale and bull in his blood...

Thankfully a gracious swan had attracted his attention. Looking rather like a disheveled feather duster, Yennifer blinked with wide eyes. Perhaps her brother was right. Humans were best stayed away from. Sensing more Beastkin approaching, she longed to see what and who they were. But she was loath to turn her back on the man that was waxing praises and pet names on herself and the swankin. Forcing her feathers to settle she bobbed her head as he bowed. "I, thank thee for thy hospitality." Best to be formal and polite. Then again, this was one human she would strive to avoid! He was so overly loud and obnoxious, though she would never say that. Oh, she couldn't wait until he left- hopefully he would leave!- and she could check her lovely instruments. That would soothe her nerves beautifully.

[Assistant]
Nixie

Nixie was already quite annoyed by the blatant lack of respect from the tiny white bundle of fur but upon the arrival of a taller, seemingly intelligent if speech was any indication, brutish sort of thing. She might have been shorter, but she wasn't about to back down over such an empty, idle threat. Nixie's arms were crossed once more and her head was turned sharply at an upward angle, all but turning down her nose to the speaking boy. Behind her, the jellyfish that had served as her personal escort to the surface were hastily retreating back into the water; they knew better than to hang around when Nixie had her arms crossed.

"Is this your idea of a welcome? Unacceptable. You are absolutely FILTHY. Do all of your kind roll around in the dirt or are you just especially barbaric?" Nixie shook her head as she voiced her criticisms, making no effort to indulge in what was commonly known as tact. "Though I suppose you will do as a servant. You are already used to being in the dirt, after all."

Nixie's hair tentacles swayed not from the breeze but because she was nodding and smiling, a reflection of her own little idea. She placed her right hand, more her fingers really, in front of her mouth and let out a rather quick, rather grating laugh. "Ohohohohohoho, yes, you will do well enough. You...ground dweller, I demand you take me to this...Academy or whatever it is. A noble daughter of the Bloom Dynasty does not walk."

Nixie's demands seemed reasonable enough for her. It was a great honor, after all, to ferry a royal around.

"Your breakfast can wait, I am in a hurry. Chop chop." Nixie clapped her hands, as if that would spur the beastly figure into action where her words clearly weren't.

[User]
Tenne

A tall figure exited a rather ramshackle home, the door hanging oddly on its hinges, the windows broken and closed with what looked like recently added boards. The figure was an obviously feminine form, though one with a readily apparent rough edge to her earned from a hard life. She wore a light brown hide coat, a tawny speckled tail emerging from underneath adjusting in response to each step, with a matching pair of constantly shifting ears atop her head. Under the jacket she wore a simple black tank top, and a pair of loose fitting pants and brown boots finished the ensemble.

Tenne sighed as she left her house, carrying a small tote of her few belongings, groaning as she saw the sun already inching through the sky. She should have been gone hours ago, but of course her father hadn't made anything for the twins to eat that morning. As such she'd been stuck making breakfast one last time, which included corralling them to the table. Though it was a bit easier due to the pair still sporting bruises from when their home had been attacked.

The memory evoked a growl from the back of Tenne's throat, her round speckled ears pressing against her head as she remembered that night. However, she'd more than dealt with the problem, having made sure the perpetrators wouldn't be doing much of anything for some time. Still, it had become obvious that she'd be unable to continue her current line of work and so now she was off to join some uppity human school, some sort of charity the old king hoped would make them forget about the past few hundred years.

She wove through the back alleys, using the paths she'd learned over the years to avoid the guards. A frown crossed her face as her ears perked to attention, the sound of a few bodies up ahead doing their best trying to remain hidden, and with a silent sigh she continued on her path, already knowing the script of the play.

Sure enough as she rounded the corner, ears perked and eyes wide, three humans surrounded her, the tell-tale click of knives coming out making their intentions clear. Tenne rolled her eyes at the display, seeing most of the boys hardly out puff their tween years, the way they held their knives showing they had little to no knowledge about attacking a person.

'But then again, you're not technically a person are you Spots,' came a wicked voice in her head.

Her ears once more pressed back as the thought disappeared as quickly as out had come. She was suddenly brought back to the present as the apparent leader of these children stepped forward, casually brandishing the knife. "Morning to ya miss, 'fraid there's a toll through this alley way, on account o' us keepin' it safe like," he said, circling her as he did.

"Normally da toll naught but 2 silver, but I think we can change things up, " he continued, a weasley smile creeping on to his face as he looked to her prominently displayed ears "For you, I'd say the fee is 6 silver, after all, there's a tax on animals," he finished with a wicked laugh, followed closely by the other two.

Tenne rolled her eyes as they finished they're little tirade, dropping her bag to the ground, rubbing her shoulder a moment before seeming to close the small gap between them in a moment, her forearm against his throat and pinning him to a building wall, a look of calm being slightly ruined by the wide eyes staring rather intently at the boy, "Well, this is rather cute and all, " she said, her words rather odd and measured, "But I'm already late and really don't have time to be fucking around on amateur hour, now tell your boys to drop the knives," Tenne giving a large grin, her large canines on prominent display, "and we can all have a lovely day. "

Silence reigned over the alley for what seemed like hours, before a hint of steel entered the young boys eyes, "Gut tha bitch," before wiggling out of her grip, readying his own knife.

Tenne took on a wide grin as the boys came at her, ' At least they have balls'

------------------------------------------

Tenne was breathing hard now as she wiped a shallow cut on her forehead, the boys having put up more of a fight than she had expected, but still nothing she couldn't handle. She grabbed her bag from where she had dropped it, heading out of the alley when her ears pricked , a groan behind her gaining her interest. She fought the urge to turn around but lost the battle, and turned to see one of the boys apparently bleeding out with his own knife sticking out of him, though she couldn't remember using it on him. Though to be fair that wasn't too surprising.

She momentarily considered just leaving him there, but that nagging voice in her head wouldn't leave her alone, groaning as she turned back to them, seeing the other two starting to recover, "Take the lil shit down to the east alley by the market, there's a discrete doctor there, tell him it's from Spots," grimacing at the name, before leaving the alley way behind, not bothering to see if they were taking her advice.

Upon leaving, she spotted the home the beastkin students were supposed to stay in. She groaned as she saw the crowd that was gathering, having hoped to get her stuff in before everyone else arrived and grow used to her setting.

Luckily there seemed to be some kind of commotion involving a...man? Yes definitely a human, he had that arrogant air one gets when they think they can own anything. She wiped the cut on her eyebrow again as the blood got in her eye, trying to sneak in hopefully on the chaos.

[Assistant]
The enormously large human in a painfully garish green tunic that sudden waddled out, throwing things about and speaking far too loudly, was a bit of a shock and Torao stared at him for a moment. I had no idea humans could get so big! He thought. He was slightly alarmed when the human advancd on the smaller of the two bird-girls - she looked so delicate he was alarmed that the human would accidentally crush her. The human's name caused his ears to tilt slightly. Waldo Maria'Shante du Blanche. This was the human who had agreed to lease out the inn to the beastkin who had been chosen to study for the year. I hope he's not staying with us, he thought. He looked at the inn. I'm not sure the floor would be able to withstand the weight.

He glanced at the other beastkin, to see their reaction to this gross human. He caught the rabbit's eye and was slightly taken aback when he flicked an offensive gesture the tigerkin's way. Affronted, he managed to supress his immediate response - screw you too, long ears! -  although his tail lashed furiously. Did the rabbit think because he was so damn tall he could insult predators with impunity? Torao remembered a favourite saying of his grandfather's about large prey animals: the bigger they are, the more there is to eat.

Not that he would try eating a fellow student - after all, that wouldn't impress people, and there was no way he would give humans more so-called proof about the barbarity of the beastkin. He made a graceful formal bow to the human, hand touching forehead, lips and heart as he bowed from the waist. "Master Blanche; I thank you for your hospitality." He spoke politely and formally, with a very slight accent.


[System]
Chiaki Nettu
Age: 15
Gender: Female

Personality: Chiaki is calm, poised and elegant. She enjoys dressing in the 'Gothic Lolita' fashion, as she believes it helps her to stand out from her fellow peers. She is caring, to those she trusts, which is only a few selected people. Due to her popularity she has developed a sense of pride, believing in herself more often. Despite all of this, Chiaki has mild anger issues, to the extent where she 'pops off' unleashing a wave of anger upon the person or people that angered her.

Skills & Equipment: Being a model, she is a beautiful girl with many charming qualities and some stunning charisma that just draws people to her. She's also quite fond of Biology and the Human anatomy, you wouldn't know just by looking at her.
She equips herself with a lovely black thorn whip, both for fashion and fending off ugly brutes.

Arcana: Death
Persona: Freyja
Abilities:
- Bufula
- Mudoon
- Poison Arrow

Chiaki was always a kind, happy girl when she was younger, picking flowers, making friends. She believed she had the perfect life. Her mother was of Italian decent, her father was Japanese. She was born in the Tochigi Prefecture. Growing up there she had been introduced to several traditional, non-traditional and foreign practices. Her family only consisted of Her, Mother and Father. Although they were a small family, they succeeded in earning several amounts of income to support themselves. Her Father became a well known 'Waste Management' manager. Her mother took her education as far as possible, leading her into the supreme court where she defends people of all kinds. Poor Chiaki was left on her own, learning to take care of herself as her parents were never around during the day. Once Chiaki had reached her teens, she demanded that her parents pay more attention to her or she would call the authorities alerting them of how she has been mistreated all these years. Her parents agreed and vowed to spend more time with her.

Within the next year her parents became more distant, they would delve into deep arguments, fight all night and day. Chiaki was always the peace maker, she felt responsible, she believed it was her fault that they were fighting.
Once Chiaki had turned fourteen her parents then went through a few more 'rough patches' as they called them, then swiftly divorced and separated the following month. She would bounce from Mother to Father, Father to Mother. She had become sick of it, the life she had once knew was gone, she once again told her parents her feelings, this only angered them, they both agreed that if Chiaki hated them so much, she should go live somewhere else.

Chiaki was horrified, she ran away from the life she had once had, she had contacted a social service, they had her moved from Tochigi to to live with her Grandmother at Tatsumi Port Island. She had become accustomed to life there, she was staying with her Grandmother who had applied her for a modeling job for a magazine, against her will. She became very popular with the 'Goth, Pop and Gothic Lolita' Crowd. Her agent began to insist that she take her popularity to the next step and become a full fledged Idol.. After some convincing from her Grandmother, she agreed to it and was ready to set out on her journey as an up coming Idol. Unfortunately, her life changed once again, as her Grandmother had passed away. She was devastated, the life she had finally become used to, the life that she had created, one of happiness, was shattered.

She had turned fifteen and was attending private schooling but the social services believed it would be better for her if she was moved to live with her Aunt and Uncle in Warakuma, and attend the nearby school, interact with other students on a daily basis, so they enrolled her into the High School.
Having to turn back on her life again, she gave up being an Idol before she could even start, although there is still evidence of her being a model around, you don't even need to look hard enough, after all she is rather popular, if you're into idols that is.

[User]
Noboru Yamamoto-Before school-April 20, 2015

Before school, Noboru decided to check up on Matthew. They talked for a little while, chatting up small talk. Noboru started to get up and leave and as he passed through the door he gave one parting farewell gift.

Hey friend. You seem a bit down, so I got you a special surprise. Enjoy!

As Noboru passed out the door, the ice queen walked in, ready to take care of Matthew.

Noboru Yamamoto-After School-Same Day

Noboru looked at his shirt, disappointed. His favorite workout shirt was ruined during the fight with matthew, all torn up, he sewed it back together, but he was unsure whether it would hold or not. You could tell where the tears obviously were, the jagged sewing lines. He decided to keep wearing the shirt, only because a childhood friend had sewed the shirt back together, and he didn't want to make his friend sad. He switched out shirts and went to the mall looking at new shirts to possibly replace his old one at a later date. He bought two new shirts, each black with different colored stripes running down the sides. He stretched and prepared in his old shirt, ready to run an extra mile or three.

[Assistant]
Ayano Wakahisa: Warakuma High, Front Gates
Golden Week. Ayano repeated it over and over in her head, from the moment she woke up until she was walking all the way to school. As much as the girl didn't want to admit it, she was genuinely happy for the upcoming holiday, who wouldn't? All the other kids can go to hot springs, inns, hotels or beaches, but her? What Ayano had in mind was something else, a major event was taking place in an MMO she plays, double EXP and Drop rates, limited edition stuff and all within the comfort of her pals! Oh, it made her all the more excited! As soon as this school day is over, first thing she's gonna do is run to her room and start playing. Her fantasies however were cut short, as the first bell rang abruptly. Grumbling to herself, Ayano headed off the class, hopefully nothing to stressful will happen. She's going to pull an all-nighter!!

---

 Ayano Wakahisa: Warakuma High, Classroom 3-1
As soon as homeroom started an announcement was made regarding the safety of the student named Matthew Harvester. Piqued once more, the girl pressed a finger below her lip, "Another one? Just like Yamamoto." she said to herself. There was definitely a connection in there somewhere...But it doesn't concern her, so for now Ayano just shook her head as classes resumed to normality.
To Ayano's dismay it seemed the day would have quite the number of activities lined up for her class. Hectic as it was, she steeled her nerves and decided to endure it until the end...Before giving in to the pressure and finally surrendering herself to the confusing questions. Soon enough though the bell had signaled the conclusion of the day and Ayano just darted out of the room like an arrow being shot only stopping midway in the school's lobby when she had remembered two important things. One, it's Monday so she has her club day today. Two, Chiaki, her dear cousin...It's honestly been a while since the two had even talked to each other. Maybe she can put off the gaming stuff for a day or two and maybe spend Golden Week with her family for once? By family, we mean Chiaki. Although hesitant and reluctant at first, Ayano eventually felt the guilt rising in her system and made a quick U-Turn and headed for room 1-1, hoping that Chiaki would be there.

---

 Ayano Wakahisa: Warakuma High, Classroom 1-1
Despite classes having already ended a few minutes ago, Ayano still made the effort to visit her cousin's classroom and knocked on the door multiple times before opening it and poking her head out. The other students looking at her with curiosity made Ayano felt uncomfortable before she began to speak up, "Is...Chiaki here?"

[User]
Chiaki Nettu
Warakuma High - Class 1 - 1

Chiaki's day was pretty average. Her friends, all had club meetings and she didn't want to bother her senpai, so she sat in her classroom for a little but to ponder on what she should do next. Ever since she arrived in Warakuma, odd events have been occurring. The ripping of Noboru's clothes, disappearances and each person that disappeared would return a few days later, hospitalized. She considered checking up on Matthew for the day, but she could already hear his horny comments in her head.

"Aha, I knew you couldn't resist me babe. I'm all broken, why don't you come over and fix me up... <3"
Chiaki shook her head at the thought, perhaps she will post him a get well card. It was very sudden, but the class door slid open and a soft but familiar voice could be heard.
'Is... Chiaki here?'
She immediately recognized it, it had to be her older cousin, Ayano, it was very unusual for her to come visit, normally she is reclusive and avoids people. This was a nice change and Chiaki openly welcomed it.

The only people to turn and look at her, were a few students who stayed back to have a study session and Chiaki. She walked over, greeting her cousin with a smile.
"Yep, I'm here. It's nice to see you Aya-chan. How may I help you?"

[Assistant]
Ayano Wakahisa: Warakuma High, Classroom 1-1
Thanking the gods above, Ayano suddenly tugged on her cousin's arm and pulled her out of the classroom before promptly closing the doors. Now that she thinks about it, so far this is the most time they've spent together...Hopefully that would change by the upcoming holiday. Looking at her straight in the eye, Ayano inhaled and exhaled repeatedly, "Relax" she said to herself over and over. "It's just your cousin. Nothing incredibly awkward about that, nosiree." As embarrassed she was to admit it, her reclusive nature affects even her siblings. Breathing deeply once more and letting it all out one final time, Ayano-finally-spoke up. "Listen, you know how Golden Week is coming up right?" The girl paused for a moment, looking down at the ground below her before looking up at Chiaki again, she felt like she was playing one of those dating sims..."I was thinking maybe we could spend a few days together? You know, catch up and stuff? Maybe buy a few things? I dunno, you're the one who's popular, maybe you can suggest an inn or something."

[User]
Warakuma High - Class 1 - 1 (Just Outside)

Chiaki was a little surprised, this was completely out of Ayano's normal behavior but at the same time she was greaty excited and happy to be able to soon spend some time with her cousin.
"I was thinking maybe we could spend a few days together? You know, catch up and stuff? Maybe buy a few things? I dunno, you're the one who's popular, maybe you can suggest an inn or something." Mumbled Ayano as she looked at her feet, before looking back at Chiaki. It was easy to tell she was slightly nervous about asking this type of question.
> + 10 Affection
> + 10 Trust

Nodding ever so happily, Chiaki loved the sound of this, planning some fun events with her cousin would be so much fun. She quickly thought about all the fun things they could do together, for a moment, she considered inviting her other friends but remembered how anxious her cousin gets around new people and decided to leave them out of the loop. It was time for some sisterly bonding!
"Oh of course! That would be excellent Aya-chan! In fact, I know some excellent places we could go! How about later this evening we browse some stuff up on the computer and maybe we can book ourselves an Inn! Sound good? Haha, You haven't even said yes but I'm already excited!"

So much sudden happiness was exerting from Chiaki, you could almost feel the emotions pulsating off her. She suggested, to Ayano that they should go to the mall and have some after school sweets, that way they could discuss the kind of place she would like to go. Or for them to return home and begin their search for an Inn from there, which ever suited Ayano.


[System]
Rank: Swords of Sanghelios Commando

Species: Sangheili

Appearance:
Tar (right) practices CQC tactics with an energy lance

Skills:
Experience of piloting Banshees (Type-27 & Type-54) and Type-57 Phantoms
Covert infiltration
Sabotage
Close quarters combat
Military administration & combat training
Application of non-standard weaponry

Preferred Weapons/Equipment:
Type-1 Energy Sword for hand to hand combat
Type-52 Mauler for closing with targets
Type-57 Carbine for medium/long range engagements
Commando Harness (halopedia.org/Commando_harness) with propulsion unit
Type-2 Spike Grenades and Type-3 Firebombs, if available

Background:
Tar 'Mdalak was born on Brissekh, a pristine frontier world, in the 2520s. Her father was Tarkr 'Mdalakai, old swordsman and kaidon of the planet's largest settlement.

Her homeworld was heavily tapped by the Covenant for fighters, with nearly all Tar's numerous siblings conscripted into the military.

Tar was desperate to earn glory along with her brothers, but the Sangheili ranks wouldn't have her. The place of females was to guard their home keep, and a lot of the Covenant traditionalists preferred it that way. So instead she served as the captain of the guard for her father's keep.

Frustrated with the relatively small scope of her responsibilities, Tar put all her effort into modernising her troops. She expanded their training far beyond basic guard duties, incorporating asymmetric warfare tactics and mechanised detachments.

She also supplemented the traditional energy lances favoured by traditional guard units with the latest Covenant weaponry, like Carbines and Beam Rifles.

There were lots of opponents to her reformist vision, especially seeing as she was a female wielding significant influence over the old kaidon. This often resulted in skirmishes between would-be dissidents and Tar's well equipped militia. It was in danger of boiling over into all out civil war until the Brutes attacked.

The Sangheili-Jiralhanae war hit Brissekh completely by surprise. None of the Keeps received warning of the raid until Brute RCS class cruiser was in low orbit. Before any of the Keeps could react, they'd destroyed the space port and bastion compounds before deploying two companies of heavy infantry to kill as many citizens as they could find.

With the distress signal sent, Tar deployed her troops to the large city outside the Keep. With everyone behind the fortifications, maybe they could hold out until friendly ships arrived.

However, her father wasn't content to cower behind walls while Sangheili across Brissekh were slaughtered. Despite Tar's protest, he struck out for the landing zone with his retinue, seeking a duel with the War Chieftain. They found each other, but survivors say Tarkr 'Mdalakai was separated from his bodyguards during the fight and captured by the enemy.

When Tar found out her father had been imprisoned, a much worse fate than death for Sangheili, she went mad with rage. Abandoning her position near the gates of the Keep, she plowed into the marauding Brute hordes. Her vigorous training and agility let her use the Brute numbers against them, with the weight of bodies allowing her to get in close and butcher them.

When her Energy Sword expired from overuse, she took Maulers and Spike Grenades from eviscerated Brutes and pushed forward. Whipped into a frenzy by their commander's raw fury, her troops set upon the Brutes with a cruel precision. The narrow streets of Brissekh's main city ran with Jiralhanae blood.

Such was the ferocity of the Sangheili counter attack that the landing party never even reached the gates. And when a nearby Swords of Sanghelios battle cruiser arrived to help, the Brutes fled the system, taking Kaidon 'Mdalakai with them.

Upon meeting the rescue ship's commanders, Tar immediately invoked the right of release, an intention to rescue her father from a shameful life of capture. In the spirit of Thel 'Vadam's liberalisation of the Swords military, the cruiser's captain granted her passage and enlistment aboard.

The cruiser gave chase to the Brute ship, but it got away. They searched for the aggressors, but the trail went cold. Tar vowed never to give up, but accepted that she needed to contribute.

She quickly fell in with a squad of Brute hunters that were formerly part of the Silent Shadow division of Covenant crack troops. They were operating from the battle cruiser and had learned of Tar's plight. When they realised her ability in combat, they offered her a place on missions slaughtering any Jiralhanae they could find. Tar gained a reputation for exceptional cruelty when it came to Brutes, often appearing to exact personal revenge on each combatant.

It took three long years of searching before Tar got a solid lead. Some of the Brutes they'd interrogated had heard a rumor Sangheili kaidons were being held on Brute ships near a Forerunner construct known as Sarcophagus. Her squad tried to convince her the intel was shaky at best, but Tar didn't care.

She parted ways with Silent Shadow and set out on her own. Finding passage aboard a military vessel, she gained access to the Sangheili-Human facilities on Sarcophagus by joining the colony's defensive contingent.

However, despite searching for months, Tar could find no trace of the Brute cruiser. To make matters worse, she couldn't stray far from her unit for fear of being tried as a deserter. Many of the assignments on Sarcophagus were for life, but Tar certainly wasn't planning on staying that long if she could help it.

[User]
Yalu 'Suumko

"They're giving ground already?" Yalu asked himself. "That chieftain was clear, but..." His eyes dilated in realisation. Shortly before Tar was fired upon by the human with the assault weapon, Yalu was already loping into a broad sprint down the right flank, sliding to a stop facing to one side. The human gunner flowed into his sights and five plasma rounds shot towards his centre.

"'Mdalak! Right side clear!" He hesitated, not yet seeing any sign of a jammer, let alone any extra movement on his motion sensor yet. "This feels like a lure!" He added over a growl.

Yalu kept his wits, trying to listen and feel more than see. Brutes liked activate camouflage in packs, and this valley between the walkways was perfect for their prey.

[Assistant]
The two folded into the Aviza brute-killing group (foreshadowing) as they began their descent into the corridor, it would only be a matter of time before they would go toe to toe with a huge group of bad guys. Elna kept her head on a swivel looking around, looking like a paranoid bat of some sort as she expected for Rebels to come flying off the walls. For Roy (Ray) though it would just be another series of motions and actions he would be forced to go through, the two treaded through before Aviza called for contaaaaact! Roy moved forward and jumped behind hard cover before getting up to fire at the rebels.

Elna also followed quickly planting herself up against hard cover as she got her Br-55 up and sent rounds down range towards the rebels and it was only a matter of time before they routed and ran away! Aviza quickly corpsed a flanking brute, taking him out without an ounce of remorse. The whole group began to rout but not in full, it could of been a trap - maybe it was? They were nowhere near the crates at this time so they could possibly be safe, though Ray kept his finger on the trigger.

"Keep an eye out Corporal, thinks aren't as they seem." Elna returned a curt nod towards the spook she babysits, both got up and returned fired onto some nearby rebels quickly killing them as they stepped out of cover.

[User]
Situational awareness is crucial upon the field of battle, Spartan Aviza had learned this through many years of not only combat training but also experience in live fire situations. Unfortunately, it appeared that some of the other members of her immediate squad had either forgotten this important tactic or were more brazen and impatient than the others. To Aviza, is was clear that the hostiles had set up some kind of trap for them, though she was unsure what that trap would be. Perhaps they were trying to lure some of the forces into an area then cut them off from the others with some sort of energy barrier? That would make them easy to overwhelm, and the hostile forces on the other side would have to somehow deactivate the shield before being able to assist. Whatever their plan was, Spartan Aviza was not about to let any harm come to those under her command.

Quickly, Aviza gave orders to the two had moved away from the rest of the squad, "Why are you advancing into what is most likely a trap? What happens if you two get cut off from the rest of the squad and we can not help? I want both of you back to my position immediately, the rest of us will provide cover and then try to find out what they have planned for us ahead." Spartan Aivza hoped that there was still time for the two Sangheili to correct their mistake, if not, the situation at hand was about to get much worse.

[Assistant]
There was some delay in the response from the enemy. They waited behind cover on the far side of the room, only giving token return fire as they waited for their attackers to take the space they had given up. However, Aviza did not give the order to advance, and the delay would give some time to try and retreat back to her position.

When it became clear that their attackers had, for the most part, not taken the bait, the Chieftain let out a roar. Right away, Brute stalkers, four at least, emerged from active camouflage on the walkway directly above the team's position. They did not have an angle to shoot down on Aviza or those who stayed back, but Tar and Yalu were within their sights. Two opened fire with spikers, while the other two tried to throw incendiary grenades to block their retreat. It was, indeed, an ambush, though it was far from ideal for the Brutes, as both of the Sangheili were still fairly close to Aviza's position. In any case, the Chieftain's roar had been the signal for an all-in attack. The Brutes started charging from far across the room through the crates, while the Human rebels positioned themselves to provide supporting fire. Although, they did have a fair amount of ground to cover to cross the entire length of the room.

[User]
Grikgar /Grik/ Seeker
// Unggoy Ultra // Demolitions and Artillery // Location: Enemy Stronghold

Grikgar shifted quickly from one point of cover to the next. "Copy Grik be careful now. Many explosions good for Grik but not good for everyone else." Getting to the pillar next to the Spartan Grik nodded and activated the shield he got from the jackal. The bright orange glow of the shield illuminated his position in time for the machine gun to open up on his position. "Grikgar create opening for Spartan."

Turing from cover his shield flared then broke along with his energy shield, Grik gar was only able to get two shots off with an unsteady hand before diving back into cover. "Shields recharging." What a rush, a bit risky but a rush all the same.

[Assistant]
Vael 'Virisusai and Tasuma

---

While Grikgar had not had much time to take his shots,the jackal shield had at least bought him enough time to be able to put one on target. The first sailed over the top and exploded on the far wall, but the second struck the barricades directly. It did not entirely destroy the barricades, and the rebels behind them were able to duck for cover, but the machine gun emplacement was caught in the blast. Ryker would still have to deal with armed resistance, with better cover, on the upper walkway, but there was no heavy gun to keep him pinned.

Some of the rebels had retained their bearings well enough and had managed to retreat out from the smoke cloud in the center of the room to form up behind the cover of the support struts on the far side. They had no heavy emplaced weapons, but they were well-armed on their own and had good sight lines. It would still not be trivial to displace them. If Ryker and Grikgar could claim the upper walkway, they would have a position on the high ground, at least.

Amid the smoke, Vael stalked the rebels who had not escaped like prey. Using motion trackers, or simply the sounds they made to track them, Vael weaved between the crates to deal with them up close and personal. From the outside, one would see nothing until he came close enough to a target to flick on his energy sword, which illuminated the thick smoke in a blue glow. It was generally followed by a short burst of gunfire, then the scream of a Human.

Tasuma did not make light of its own injuries, but in any case, it still moved into the smoke cloud as well. It was concerned less with killing stragglers as it was positioning itself to handle the rebels defending the far side of the room. The smoke would dissipate eventually, so it moved to find enough of a stack of crates that it could use for cover, instead of relying wholly on its armor for protection.

[User]
Tar growled at the order to retreat. It didn't seem like a strategy that was conducive to catching fleeing prey. However, while she wasn't under this team's direct command, she guessed the Spartan outranked her. And while being discharged for disobeying orders was one way to escape Sarcophagus, Tar needed to keep her military options open. It was by far the most efficient vehicle for continuing her search for Tarkr 'Mdalakai.

Before Tar could reply, there was a roar from somewhere on the opposite side of the room. Fire grenades and spikes began raining down on her position from above. "I've found the trap! Brutes, above us!" Tar roared, turning to shoot up at them, pushing her back to the stack of crates she had hidden behind. Her pistol clicked empty, and she quickly flicked the magazine out to replace it with her spare. She peeked around the side of the crate, spikes stuck in her shield, to see more Brutes rushing toward her.

Tar swore; it was now or never. "Moving!" She called. Ducking out of cover into the lane between crates, Tar fired at the oncoming Brutes while carefully walking backwards toward their position. They didn't take cover, instead electing to trade fire with her. Tar ducked back behind another crate closer to home and immediately peeked back out to continue firing. One of the Brute's shields burst and Tar shot him in the head, but the rest kept coming. A fire bomb crashed to the floor just in front of her as her pistol clicked empty again. Leaping backwards, Tar burst into another lane of crates, knocking some over as she stumbled for cover. "I need pistol mags!" She called, switching to her Mauler.


[System]
"Invisible threads are the strongest ties."

---

---
Nicknames/Aliases
Olive

Age
23

Gender
Female

Allegiance
The Saints

Appearance
Standing at 5'7" with a lithe build, Olivia is in quite good shape. She has brown hair that falls in subtle waves down to her shoulder blades, and fair skin. She weights about 136 pounds, and has a tattoo- a coiled serpent- on her lower back.

Personality
 Some people are warriors, and some people are thinkers. While her ferocity in combat is incredibly surprising, Olivia would consider herself a thinker. Olivia is reputed for reading her opponents- using emotions and weaknesses to her advantage. Cunning is just the tip of the iceberg. However, Olivia is not collected, and susceptible to human feelings just like the rest of us. In particular, rage, which is an emotion that causes her to go berserk..
Other than that, Olivia is quite kind and friendly. As a Saint, she's obligated to help out, which she does eagerly. She's also a bit of a flirt to people, Saint or not.

Backstory: Olivia was born and raised in Chinatown. She never knew her mother, for she died after childbirth. Her father, Ricky Yan, was one of the three Triad leaders, and thus gifted Olivia with a life of pleasure. During her early years, she didn't care about her father's business, as he cared for her deeply and brought her toys and other luxuries. At age 10, he began to teach her martial arts in order to protect her, and at 12 he bought her weapons, for further protection.

But as Olivia saw more and more of her father, she began to realize that he was no saint. She realized that he was the man in charge of offing anybody who didn't pay up to the Triads. And so, Olivia began to grow scared of the man that she had once loved and admired.

It was around this time that she realized she could also turn invisible, and so after harnessing this ability, she began to use it to hide from her father. And but a year later, she ran away from him.

With her new powers, she felt a moral obligation to fight against the evils of Independence City. And so she did, donning the name Spectre and joining the Saints.

Carried Weapons/Items

This is a butterfly knife, in case you lack the knowledge of fine weaponry. Olivia can use it incredibly efficiently.

Superpowers
Olivia's superhuman ability is invisibility. She can render herself to be invisible to the naked eye and invisible on the light spectrum. She can also choose to extend it to things that she touches, such as her clothes or weaponry. However, smoke or lasers could cancel out this ability. And invisibility drains her the longer she uses invisibility.

Skills
-great skill in snake and tiger-style kung fu
-multilingual- speaks English, Mandarin, Spanish, Italian, and Korean.
-smart

Extra:
Why did this take so damn long

[User]
| @HeroicSociopath

Faye was slumped back on her bed, a wall of countless pillows providing her make shift chair as she played a console game. It was just something to pass the time, a first-person shooter, but it barely interested her. Of course, not much did. She took another sip of the 40oz beer and placed it back on the night stand within easy reach. Next to her current can were several others, some with cigarettes stuffed inside when they found themselves being made into unwitting ash-trays. She let out a burp in time with killing one of her opponents, only to have some one come behind her and shank her with a plasma sword. She shrugged and took another long slurp of beer.  [[Whatever, bro. Have your laughs while you can.]]  She respawned in the game and immediately the VICTORY screen was splayed across her TV, signifying that her teammates had secured the win. She tossed the controller aside, bored of playing.

She fumbled around for her cigarettes in her blankets and pillows, desperate to walk outside on to the fire escape with a beer and a smoke. She spotted the pack of her beloved death sticks peeking out from underneath a pizza box. She went to snatch them, but they were pulled further under the box by something. She frowned, knowing that one of those little fuckers was messing with her. She lifted the box and raised her eye brows, a bored expression on her face. A small creature highly resembling a certain pokemon had its arms wrapped tightly around her pack of cigarettes. It gave her a goofy smile and leapt off of the bed with them, scuttling out of the slightly ajar door that led into the rest of the apartment she shared with two roommates.

With a groan she got up and followed the stupid little Unseelie fey. This one in particular loved stealing her cigarettes and taking off with them. When she stepped outside of her door, she noticed something was off. Though everything would have looked normal to anyone else but her, she could see a small swarm of Unseelie fey were clinging to her roommate Denise's bedroom door and cackling. Though she was certain that her roommate couldn't see or hear the fey yet, their presence could be felt. The Unseelie gave off sinister, dark, or mischievous vibes, and the Unseelie usually gathered around misfortune or conflict. She folded her arms and gave the troublemakers a no-nonsense look, and they immediately scattered. Their gleeful cackles echoed as they escaped into the bathroom further down the hall.

Faye ran a hand through her hair, debating whether or not to check up on Denise. She preferred to avoid drama or anything resembling unnecessary work as much as possible. Her decision was made for her when the stupid little Unseelie from before took her pack of cigarettes and somehow managed to squash the pack underneath Denise's door, disappearing along with it. This wouldn't have been the first time she witnessed the asshole managing spatial manipulation just to annoy her. Faye rolled her eyes and trudged forward. She stopped in front of Denise's door, taking a moment to consider if she even wanted to explain how her cigarettes got in to her roommates room again.

Suddenly, a swarm of Seelie fey gathered around her, pulling on her sleeves and trying to peek through the keyhole into Denise's room. Obviously something was terribly amiss here tonight, otherwise these little do-gooders wouldn't have bothered her like this. She took a breath, shrugged, and then knocked on the door. "Hey, Denise. I, uh, seem to have lost my cigarettes. Again. Yup." She called out in time with her knocking, then paused, a pained expression coming across her face. She seemed to struggle internally before she added, "Is everything, y'know, okay in there?" Her voice sounded awkward and a bit forced, even to her.

She wondered where Kessler was. He was way more charismatic than her and better at dealing with this sort of thing. She glanced at the master bedroom door at the far end of the hall, which was Kessler's domain. He was originally the only person in the apartment until Faye had met him and moved in. Denise was the most recent addition to their lives, and she was unsure of how to approach the younger woman.

[Assistant]
Death Row-Cartel controlled apartments. @Kaesus @LordofthePies

Adam sat and watched, still in the clothes he took off of a homeless dude. When he saw two women show up looked at his watch, he watched them talk for sometime. Both of them seemed out of place at a "Gang Shooting" He smiled as he walked forward, he kept the shotty sitting in his hiding spot, but he still had a piece tucked into his waistband just in case things got sour. As he walked forward he found himself getting more and more nervous. If they were saints he could do one of two options. He could try to kill them, turn them into his former boss maybe he could get his old life back, or he could help them. He had done enough killing for a lifetime, and maybe for once it was time to do something right, help clean up this city rather than throw it down the stairs as he was used to.

He pulled up the hood of the dirty hoody as he got closer. "Are you ladies lost?" He asked, taking the both of them in. One of them had a cat in her hands, the other was dressed in all black which looked out of place. He was tempted to give the other girl pointers. Like don't wear all black when you go out at least if you are trying to be stealthy black left a silhouette, dark blue was where it was at if you were trying to sneak around. But he shook his head thinking it was just for fashion. "Why are you here? Os Anjo's are inside that apartment, and they will kill you if they see you out here." He said. Seeing what they would do next, hopefully both of them were saints with the ability to call in backup because he wanted to send a message to his old boss.

[User]
..Os Anjo's? Aro rolled the name around in her mind. It sounded familiar. And dangerous. She couldn't remember for the life of her, but she knew that this man was bad news. Aro hugged the cat, whom she dubbed Charles, closer to her chest in case it sensed her discomfort and tried to bolt. That was something Aro should do. Get out of here. Her night was going fine until she met this woman. Either that or it was the cat, but she always thought bad luck coming from black colored cats was silly. Maybe it was silly of her to blame it on the woman. It sounded like she was eager to help Aro, this man, on the other hand, seemed to have something up his sleeve. Maybe it was a knife, maybe a trick, maybe it was just his arm. There was something there for it, and Aro wasn't ready for it.

Aro wasn't sure she should admit to the stranger that she was lost. They might take advantage of it. Then again, now that she thought about it, she shouldn't have even talked to the girl. Both of them could easily be killers, it didn't matter if one of them felt less dangerous than the other. She put herself in prime position to run. She suddenly felt like she was in danger. She had to go. Although, like a dog, you couldn't run from a man. They'd pursue, and most likely attack. Instead, she went for the next option. The option to make it seem like she wasn't a threat. If they made a move, she'd slash and dash.

"I was, uh, looking for a pair of scissors. Although, I can't quite seem to find my way around. Do you, uh, know where I could maybe find some?"

@Kaesus

[Assistant]
---

Kinestia looked at the man who had just arrived, was he part of the gang or part of the Saints? Her doubts ended when the man mentioned that the gang was inside so that meant that he was not part of it, so probably he was with the Saints. The woman seemed to be just a lost person.

"Yes, I know that they are inside, actually that's what I was hoping for. Not that I'm looking for troble, no. I'm actually looking to end it. Are you..." she finished the sentence in a whisper "with the Saints?"

@Enalais

[User]
The soft knock on her bedroom door prompted Denise to shake off whatever amount of dread had crept up on her. She pushed the phone aside as she attempted to get the intrusive images out of her head. Images of what would happen to her if Max followed through with his threats. Images of what she would look like being left for dead on a ditch somewhere in town. All very real possibilities, and all just as equally terrifying.

"Just a minute!" Denise finally called out, grabbing one of her snacks as she got up. Like Faye had mentioned, her cigarettes were indeed by the door. She picked up the small pack before opening the door, coming face to face with her roommate. "Looking for these?"

With a smile, Denise quickly tossed the pack of cigarettes over to Faye. She leaned against the doorway, opening the bag of corn nuts before she started snacking on them. "I'm fine, just had a bit of a rough night. You know how it is, right?"

Denise was actually surprised her roommate had shown some concern for her. She obviously wasn't okay, not with Max's words lingering somewhere in the back of her head, but she wasn't about to get into that mess. Denise was never one to share her misfortune with others, and tonight wasn't an exception.

"I know I went straight for my room, but the outside world has that effect on me sometimes..."

[Assistant]
---

Nee watched Acheri's smile waver for a split second but she had no idea what it meant, other than that her smile slightly wavered. The would-be Saint brushed a tress of her messy blonde hair out of her face and looked back at the other woman. If this answer phased her, she surely did not show it. Although she did mention the State Attorney's Office, so perhaps not much phases her. Neaera continued to watch the woman, full of hope that she would have some sort of clue as to where the Saints' are. It was, of course, a long shot. After all, what are the chances that a random citizen would have any idea where the secret base of the city's watchful protectors is? They couldn't be very good, and although Neaera was not a gambling-type-of-girl, if she was, these were not odds she would take.

"... Could you tell me a little about the Saint you met?"

Nee's brain kicked into overdrive. Was it too early to get her hopes up? Does this mean she does indeed know where to find them? Will getting her hopes up jinx the whole thing? There's no way it worked out... But maybe, it was the kind of cosmic coincidence that the world seemed to enjoy springing on people.

"I know where to find them. But I can't take you there unless I think you're on the level, okay?"

The second sentence kicked Nee out of her stream of thought and brought her back into the here-and-now. Right. Answer question. Freak out later. What did the Saint look like?

"Well... He was older. Middle aged, I think. He seemed angered by my questions and did not give very specific answers. I seemed to annoy him. He must have been very busy."

Neaera did her best to recall the encounter. It was a few days ago by this point but it was still fairly fresh in her memory. She could practically still hear the sirens and the screeching of tires. Nee herself had shown up to the scene in hopes of stopping the robbers but by the time she arrived the Older Saint had already caught most of the thieves. It truly was an impressive sight.

[User]
"I'm with Guardian here. You know how much the places need business," Olivia said, adding in a wink. She had her own preparations to complete. Flicking on what looked like a 1st grader's arts and crafts project with metal and tape, Olivia activated the security system. Despite looking dilapidated, the hideout was very well secured. Anybody who tried to enter without inputting the correct password (it changed every week, this week was 'dolphin157', for some reason) would find themselves in a very deep pit.

"Alright, I'm ready." Olivia turned back to the two before taking his hand. "Don't get yourselves killed out there. I'm not hauling your corpse out of a burning building."