[System]
Age: 18
Gender: Female
Pic:

Abilities: Magical Music (Bard), Excellent Sword Fighter, above average accuracy with guns

Personality: Easy-going, rough, occasionally serious. Loves a good laugh.

Bio: Melody's parents abandoned her when she was young. Forced to live on the street and fight for her food, she eventually learned how to defend herself. One day, as she was on her own (about 8) she was found by a traveling bard who took her in as his own. The bard quickly discovered that Melody had an incredible knack for music so began to teach her right away. Even though Melody became well-versed in the use of most instruments, her forte by far was her singing which seemed to have a strange effect on people who listened to her singing. Working together, the two traveled the land performing wherever they went, that was; until a group of pirates enjoyed Melody's singing so much that they took her away, and possibly killed the bard who was trying to protect her. Living on the pirate's ship for almost a decade, Melody became very accustomed with sky sailing/flying and eventually took over the captain's position after he and most of his crew were captured by the military. She alone escaped and was barely able to get the ship safely docked at a neutral port in the sky.

[User]
~Song~

With a flick of her hair, she smoothly brushed past Jonathan, not even acknowledging his pleas for help.

Heading off into the city, she made a checklist of things she needed to get done. She needed her sword sharpened, wanted to pick up some apothecary supplies, and if she could find any, could definitely use some more paper for folding…

~Jonathan~

He huffed. He sighed. He harrumphed. He cleared his throat, folded his arms over his chest, and watched the rest of the crew depart off into Falis Island. How dreadful. Especially if Waldemar would return with a triumphant smile, victorious in his romancing.

Adjusting the lapels of his coat in resignation, he turned to Milly, who seemed flustered at first, but suddenly brightened up on her own. "Well, I suppose you and I will just have to find some way to entertain ourselves for six hours," he said, with a defeated smirk. "It wouldn't do to just sit around and stare at the port all day."

He then remembered what he had said to Milly earlier that morning. "Oh. Actually, follow me. I'll show you what I was talking about earlier."

Jonathan made to descend below deck with Milly in tow, heading to his room. As he walked, his cocky demeanor began to fall away a bit, replaced with a calm, clear minded expression. He had no intention of wooing the young white haired girl, so he dropped the show. If one were to meet Jonathan in this state, they would mistakenly assume that he was a respectable, humble gentleman.

"Ah here we are," Jonathan said as they reached his room. "I apologize in advance for the mess, but I was up late last night working, and nodded off without realizing."

He opened the door, revealing that his cabin was far from a mess. In fact, it nearly sparkled from cleanliness. His years of growing up in a pristine mansion had caused him to become unnerved when things were out of place, so he impulsively took it upon himself to ensure that his bed was tightly made, and nothing littered the floor. Though it was small, Jonathan's adept eye for spacing made his room appear a bit larger than it actually was. An elegant lamp gently lit the room, highlighting the subtly ornate rug that Jonathan had spread across the floor. In the corner was a neatly arranged desk with resistors, power supplies, gears, and all sorts of mechanical-electrical components laid out for easy reach. A strange disk like contraption sat in the center of the workspace.

"Now this, Ms. Nobel, is what I call the roto-bomber, for lack of an official name," Jonathan said proudly, as he picked the gadget up and spun it around in his hands. "An effective combination of an impact spring mechanism with timed charge pump ignition, if I do say so myself. I spent quite a bit of time perfecting the timing delay across the resistor network to match the ignition to the release time, and I also put a tremendous amount of thought into making sure the centripetal force detection didn't accidentally--"

"Ah," Jonathan stopped himself, realizing that he was about to fall into tinkering mode and bore Milly to death. He got a bit too excited about his own inventions.

"Well, really, the point of all this is to say that when you throw the roto bomber like a discus, the mechanism inside will cause it to greatly accelerate rotation and go farther than you could normally throw it," said Jonathan, demonstrating how to toss it. "Inside, the roto-bomber carries 12 small spheres for each orientation on the clock face, which you can time the release of. Upon release, the 12 spheres will self-ignite and be launched a calibrated distance between 10 to 30 feet away from the disk. I'm sure you can understand the value proposition in this invention- essentially, it's a small timed bomb with a potential 100 foot effective blast radius."

Jonathan pulled out one of the spheres. "Now this is where I'd gladly appreciate your assistance," he said, handing the sphere to her. "I must admit that I'm not quite the expert in incendiaries that you are, and I was hoping that you'd be able to choose the right sort of explosive substances to fill these with, so that optimum blast radius can be achieved without destroying the roto-bomber itself. Assuming that the roto-bomber doesn't self implode, it should be indefinitely reusable."

Through all of this though, Jonathan had left the top of the ship unguarded...

[Assistant]
Simone smirked at Jon's anguish in his situation. He might have felt bad for him if Jon wasn't so easy to laugh at. He wasn't a bad guy by any means, in fact Simone found him rather interesting, but he was just too easy a target sometimes. Oh well, nothing he could do. He adjusted his coat to make sure it wouldn't be uncomfortable as he thought of what they needed. Once he finished with his adjustments he nodded at Jon and Milly as he began to get off deck.

"I'll bring back something tasty for you two, something spicy maybe? Au revoir." He called out to the now guards as he got off of the ship and onto the port, also making his way to the city. He inhaled deeply and sighed contently. New city, new possibilities. He planned on tracking down some type of food market and getting some supplies, but he might need help getting all if it back to the ship. After that, the world was his oyster. Maybe he'd grab something to drink to cool himself down, if this weird crew could manage to keep itself out of trouble long enough for him to do that. Maybe a fight wouldn't break out today, but maybe that was just wishful thinking. As he thought more, he suddenly remembered something.

"Any special requests for food before I buy it and you guys get pissed because I didn't get anything you like? Nothing over the top, but I can splurge a bit here." He called out to the crew before they separated too much from each other so they could hear him. "If not I'll work something out." He shrugged nonchalantly.

[User]
Waldemar Von Richtig
Waldemar was a honorable man and went off first to secure medicinal herbs. The nobleman had not lied when he said that they were low; a serious wound without them could lead to a crew member's death via infection. Death by infection was only suitable for devils and Johnathan, and not a single other person.

He didn't reply to the question about food; in all honesty Waldemar trusted both Char's and the normal cook's prowess in the kitchen. If one thing was good about the ship, it was the luxury cuisine with every meal.

[Assistant]
Milly was rather eager to follow Johnathan down to his work desk, the thoughts of rigging Charlotte's room with flashbang traps pushed to the back of her mind. She was even more eager when Johnathan revealed his device. Something of an inventor herself(albeit with a much more narrow field and none of her inventions being intended to survive their usage), she was fascinated, and naturally the applications got her excited. So much brilliant fiery destruction in a massive circle all around the disk! Aaah, it was enough to make desire swell in her heart, desire to cause things to erupt into brilliant fireballs and leave destruction in their wake... But naturally, she had to give her advice.

Of course, Milly had plenty of experience with creating explosives that were purpose-built. Most could blow out in any direction, but in other cases there needed to be some more finesse. Taking down a door, for example, required the explosive force to be directed to the door and no-where else. Well, unless Milly didn't care about damaging whatever was around the door. There'd been a few times where she stuck a sticky bomb to the handle and lit it without a second thought.

Eyes shining with excitement, the tiny girl began.

"That's amazing!" she cried, "A circular explosive delivery system... a complete three-hundred-sixty degree range... Haaah~ I can feel my heart beating faster and faster just thinking about using this thing!"

Her cheeks flushed and her hands at her sides, Milly was practically shaking with just how eager she was to be able to test the device out. "... Of course, you couldn't use it at close range unless there was some way to only trigger the explosives facing away from you, which is defeating the main purpose of the disc shape in the first place... if you used shaped charges you could direct the blast outwards and the disc wouldn't be harmed, but that could be tricky... the payload you'd need is hard to judge without seeing how far it can shoot the explosives out... but this is still amazing!"

[User]
"Hmm... I think you've made a little mistake here, isn't it, sir?" Char had a devious grin on her lips as she pressured an old, slightly fat and half bald man, who happened to be a jewel trader, "The exchange rate of these gems is a little off, don't you think? The three small ones should be worthy 200 gold each, while this one should be 500. Together they should make up to eleven hundred gold pieces, minus the 10% exchange fee... the final amount should be of eleven ninety gold. So, why is it that there's only 965 pieces on this bag?" She said while jiggling the bag of coins in front of the man.

"You're crazy, little girl! I counted them in front of you, there's precisely eleven ninety gold there. If you keep on trying to scam me I'll have to call the port security." The plump man snorted and cold sweat dripped from his brow. He couldn't believe someone had seen through his trick so easily, much less a girl barely out of her diapers.

"Oh yes, please do that," Char said with a provocative voice, taunting the man, "while we're on it, why don't I show them those 25 gold plated steel coins that you've thrown together with the others? I'm sure they would love to know about it." She twirled her right index over the man's street stall counter and looked at him with upturned coy eyes, for all that would be looking, she would be just a gentle, innocent girl. However, only the man could see the devilish smirk that was below the her hood.

It was common sense that it was the loser's woe to be caught cheating in business, Char knew it all too well and she was sure that the man knew it too, the look on his eyes said that he was prepared to have his own blood sucked in order to preserve his business' reputation.

"Now then, how about we discuss the way you'll compensate me..." Chaser said while flashing her best merchant's smile, however the man saw nothing but the fangs of a money vampire.

[Assistant]
Melody didn't bother to look behind herself as she left the ship. They were all adults, except for known few members of her crew. Melody didn't exactly like the fact that Char was running around in this lawless cesspool by herself. She really didn't care too much, she knew that Char had her ways, but then again, pirates did too. Melody smirked as she made her way across the island, she knew there were people staring at her, and why wouldn't they? She had a bounty on her head, and although it wasn't very high (5000 gold) but it was enough to make pirates and low level bounty hunters consider making a quick pay day. She hoped they would try, none of these idiots could come close to capturing her.
 Melody stopped in front of a small store hidden behind a bunch of crates located in a corner in the middle of the island. She walked in and a familiar voice greeted her. "Ahhh... Is that Melody? An old guy walked up from behind the counter his small stature making him seem even smaller in the dimly lit space. Melody knew that it would be a bad idea to try stealing from here. THe old man was small, but he had many ways and traps in order to get even. She politely said hello to the man and continued, "Mark, do you have any more music disks?" The old already knew who his customer was, and although she frequented the store, he always managed to have at least 1 disc for sale to his friendly customer. She bought the only one Mark had, for 2000 gold. These discs were rare, and Melody was out to create a massive collection. Once she had bought the disc, she continued on going around town, hitting up a few bars, singing at some others for a quick pay, and then came back tot the ship with 10 minutes left before the 6 hour deadline. She didn't even try to enter the ship, instead she called out Milly. Melody didn't want to have to mess with the various traps on the ship She was after all carrying precious cargo.


[System]
BASIC
Goes By (Nicknames): Maleficent (alter-ego); The Winged She-Elf; She-Devil, Devil's Incarnate (by Thorin); Delva, God-Mother (by Fili & Kili).
Royal Titles: Lady of Ambaróna/"Fangorn".
Other Titles: First Commander of Isengard, Sauron's Most-Trusted Servant (as Maleficent); The Watcher; Guardian of Durin's Folk.
Age: 5,739 (Looks 37-38)
Gender: Female
Race: Elven Hybrid (Sindarin and Noldor Bloodlines)
Other Bloodlines: Silvan and Teleri (Through her grandfather's relatives)
20/20 Elvish (10/20 Sindarin, 6/20 Noldor, 2/20 Silvan, 2/20 Teleri)

APPEARANCE
Face Claim: Angelina Jolie
Hair Color: Medium Brown
Eye Color: Yellow-Green (Boldly-luminous when furious/angry)
Skin Tone: Creamy
Height: 5' 8"
Weight: 119 lbs
Body Build: Slim

Finger Claws:

Curved Daggers:

Combat Outfit:

Dresses for Two Towers/Return of the King

Wing-Cloak

PERSONALITY
OVERALL PERSONALITY
Likes: Humans, Elves, Dwarves, Hobbits, Ents, Happiness, Animals, Peace, Music, Plant-Life, Training, Flying/Sightseeing, Yearly Seasons.
Dislikes: Death, War, Chaos, Greed, Spiders, Maleficent, Orcs, Sorrow.
Strengths: Fighting/Combat, Flight, Knowledge, Wisdom, Harsh Temperature Resistance, Protective/Affectionate Nature, Keen Senses, Agility.
Other Powers: Wallcrawling, Banshee Scream, Enhanced Strength, Telepathy, Telekinesis.
Weaknesses: Stubbornness, Loneliness, Anger, Vindictiveness, Split Personality.
Fears: Sauron, Losing Family.

Elegant | Unpredictable | Capable | Headstrong | Mysterious | Maternal | Observant | Intelligent

Everyone believed Saeril to be born as a creature of chaos and pure evil, but they just do not know the true story. In actuality, Saeril is a good-hearted, nurturing individual, who highly valued the peaceful natures of Middle-Earth, whilst having the passion to support and protect its various realms and inhabitants. Born during the First Age, Saeril is a strong-willed she-elf, and the last of an ancient Elven clan from Fangorn Forest. A very intelligent, loyal-to-the-bone perfectionist, who stays true to her word, she focuses on finding the best intentions for others, to the point of making great judgment calls, as much as willingly risking her life, in the process.

From the despair of her devastating past, following the Deceiver's corruption upon her mind, Saeril is truly hurt and very lonely inside, having to be caused by the guilt and horror of her cruel and malicious deeds, as well as the amount of pain and trauma she had to endure. After being rescued by Gandalf the Grey, she was left "more Orc than Elf", while her other alter-ego "Maleficent", a psychopathic representation of her corruption, still lingers within her mind. However, after Sauron's defeat, this other personality dissipated, giving back her natural Elven beauty.

The ultimate goal was to redeem and dissipate this inner darkness from within, but she never anticipated it to be a challenge when she rekindled herself with her Dwarven godsons Fili and Kili, whilst having to closely bond with a young she-elf named Yavanna, whom she had grown to love and deeply care for, as if she were her own daughter. Determined to protect both the Sons of Durin and the Bright Star of Middle-Earth, Saeril will become extremely aggressive and violent, whenever someone threatens, or has inflicted any sort of harm to them; as this contrasts her more-gentle nature, she will be blunt and gladly let the offenders know the price. In addition, since witnessing the death of Fili, she will go to great lengths, if it means to prevent Kili and Yavanna from falling under the same fate.

Both as "Maleficent" and herself, Saeril is a ruthless, immensely-formidable warrior in her own right; despite withholding a certain elegance, she's truly a very deadly foe for anyone who'd dare challenge her personally. A vast majority of her strength came from the enchantment Sauron had placed upon her, as well as the supernatural connection he was able to forge between them; even while she was formerly his chief of the Isengard legion, she possessed a number of abilities that have allowed her to stand her own, and even overpower the most skilled of individuals. Due to this connection, she's able to enhance these abilities. She also shows herself to have great telepathic power; either taught or naturally inherited from her parents and/or ancestors, she can read the minds of others, conjure up visions through physical touch, and receive thoughts from a certain distance.

Saeril will not hesitate to comfort, guide, or advise others when they seem to need it. Proud, proper, and almost-completely fearless, she will never bow to anyone she disagrees with. Evident by her relationship with Thorin Oakenshield, it's complicated when it comes to terms of the trust; she betrayed him (as he claimed) by "stealing" the starlight jewels from his treasure hoard for King Thranduil. Although she was claimed as not "trusting", Saeril openly showed that she cared a great deal for him, saving his life multiple times on different occasions.

BACKGROUND
Place of Birth: Fangorn Forest (Also known as Ambaróna).
Family:
- Kili Durin (Godson; Alive) (Dwarf)
- Fili Durin (Godson; Deceased) (Dwarf)
- Dis Durin (Co-parent; Alive) (Dwarf)
- Vili Durin (Co-parent; Deceased) (Dwarf)
- Hermia (Mother; Deceased) (Noldor Elf)
- Lysander (Father; Deceased) (Sindarin Elf)
- Ulla (Aunt; Deceased) (Sindarin Elf)
- Kinloch (Uncle; Deceased) (Sindarin Elf)
- Kriva (Grandmother; Deceased) (Noldor Elf)
- Disgla (Grandfather; Deceased) (Silvan/Teleri Elf)
- Fidnai (Great-Grandmother; Deceased) (Teleri Elf)
- Sahov (Great-Grandfather; Deceased) (Silvan Elf)

Other Relations:
- Gandalf the Grey/White (Mentor/Friend; Alive) (Maiar)
- Thorin Oakenshield (Friend; Deceased) (Dwarf)
- Aragorn II Elessar (Friend; Alive) (Man)
- Lord Elrond (Acquaintance; Alive) (Half-Elf)
- Tauriel (Acquaintance; Alive) (Silvan Elf)
- Haldir (Acquaintance; Alive) (Silvan Elf)
- Gimli (Acquaintance; Alive) (Dwarf)
- Thranduil Greenleaf (Acquaintance/Friend; Alive) (Sindarin Elf)
- Legolas Greenleaf (Acquaintance/Friend; Alive) (Sindarin Elf)
- Yavanna Undomiel (Friend/Daughter-Figure; Alive) (Elven Hybrid; Mortal/Sindarin/Noldor)
- Bilbo Baggins, Frodo Baggins, Samwise Gamgee, Peregrine Took, and Meriadoc Brandybuck (Acquaintances/Friends; Alive) (Hobbits)
- Azog the Defiler & Bolg (Enemies; Deceased) (Gundabad Orcs)

[User]
Fili was hesitant to leave his uncle and Dwalin, but with the incoming Goblins, he was forced to, along with Saeril and Kili following him. The whole time they have been silently advancing upon the towers, made Saeril feel something that was a bit off, making the whole scenario suspicious. Azog wouldn't cower away nor would he give away. They've made it to one of the towers, but then Fili stops them midway. "Stay here, search the lower levels", he said, before looking back ahead. "I've got this".

Saeril was hesitant to leave the blonde like this, while the area gave off a very fishy presence, but for Kili to reluctantly run off, she did the same, only to fly upwards to take the upper level. She didn't want to be separated like this, but at the same time, she kept an eye on both of them from above.

Back in Dale, Legolas was just finishing his conversation with Gandalf, until he found both of the she-Elves missing. Where could they have gone? He let his ears lead him to a conversation, having to hear the voices of his companions around the corner. Taking his sword, he striked down upon his fathers. "Father, if you harm either of them, you will have to kill me as well", he warned, before turning to the two females. "I'll go with you".

[Assistant]
Alfrid whom was disguised as a woman, had found some money in the great-hall and was trying to escape with it. When he saw a large creature crawling over the wall...he screamed like a girl...falling down...the gold falling from his clothing.

Bilbo, whom had somewhat talked to Gandalf about going to Ravenhill. Was invisible and almost there. He suddenly appeared behind Thorin; breathless. "Thorin..You have to leave...all of you. Azog has another army attacking from the North...you'll be completely surrounded...there'll be no way out." he gasped out.
Listening to Bilbo, Thorin looked shocked before he realized something "No...he wants to draw us in. This is a trap!" he looked at Dwalin "Find Fili and Kili, call them back." he said. Thorin could see Saeril flying above.

As they went their separate ways, Kili run off in another direction. As Fili searched on his own, footsteps were heard from different directions, cutting the elder Dwarf off. Kili found himself, standing near the edge of an entrance...on the lower level...carefully peaking his head out and around corners.

Yavanna closed her eyes in relief, when Legolas seemed to intercept his father's sword...which was still pointed towards them...mainly Tauriel it seemed. Thranduil looked at his son, his sword being sheated back into it's place.
"Let's go." Tauriel said softly; glad that Legolas came in time. The trio began to make their way towards Ravenhill.


[System]
Age: 21
Appearance: Gideon stands at about 5'10", with naturally, lightly tanned skin, and brown hair and eyes. His shoulders are quite broad. In addition to this he needs reading glasses, and keeps a pair on his person at all times.

[User]
Dull and gray. A fitting description for everything that seemed to involve Sky. The experiment sat silently in her room with her back against the cold concrete wall. She listened carefully to each conversation, always tensing up when she heard her number mentioned. She could always tell when it was time to have needles pierce her or some other painful and unhumane experiment.

The worst she had been through was for what they explained to each other to be an upgrade on vision. These blue eyes she bore so easily were not even her own.

Sky let out a small sigh as she heard the voice of a scientist,whom she knew all too well, walking by. He wasn't alone though. A set of other footsteps walked besides him. A guard perhaps? Or just another scientist?

[Assistant]
"And this is where we keep the experiments," the scientist said. The young man with him was a college dropout who was the new security guard. "You are not allowed back here, unless it is a life-threatening emergency."

"Yessir," Gideon said. He couldn't see into the cages where the subjects were kept. But something felt off. He kept that to himself though.

"Good," the man said. He checked his watch. "The staff will be going home soon. It'll just be you tonight. Do what you're instructed, and you'll be just fine."

[User]
A new recruit. Sky glanced outside the confines of her cage, trying to get a view of who this new person was. She wasn't even sure why she was curious. Everyone around here was the same it seemed. Same beliefs, same ideals, same cruelty.

From where she sat she could just barely make out the outlines of the two. She listened in as usual. This was always the best time of the day for her. It was certainly the most relaxing since there were very few times that the scientists would stay behind for late night testing. As far as the guards went, well.... she rarely ever saw them up close but she still thought very little of them, as she did with most people.

[Assistant]
Gideon went back to the security room. There was a wall of black-and-white monitors, a desk, and a mini fridge. Upon inspection he found most of the food in the latter was spoiled or growing mold. He tossed it in the garbage. The young man made himself comfortable.

Several hours passed, and one of the screens went snowy. "What the...?" he murmured. He got up to investigate. The particular area was covering the entrance to Sky's cage.

[User]
Sky had been trying to get some sleep at the time. She seemed rather uncomfortable as she used her arm as a pillow to avoid the hard floor. Still she somehow managed without verbal complaints.

The sound of approaching footsteps is what work her up as they came closer to her cage. She shot up and looked out towards the guard. "Huh?" she mumbled in confusion. Realizing it wasn't a scientist made her relax a little.

[Assistant] Gideon found the malfunctioning camera. However, observing it put him right in Sky's line of vision. He fiddled with the camera, checking the battery and cords connected to it. Looked as if a mouse or rat had chewed through the cables. They'd have to repair it in the morning. It wasn't his job. Gideon made a mental note to come through again every fifteen minutes.

[User] She watched him fiddle with the camera for a moment, thinking carefully before deciding to speak up. If the camera was out, then that meant she could get away with a few small things. "Hello." Sky called out timidly. Normally she wouldn't bother speaking to anyone. It usually resulted in rather unwanted events but this guy was new to the job. Which meant she could likely get something from him, be it water or some extra food. Anything was better than nothing.

[Assistant] Gideon froze. He turned towards the cage. There was someone here? He was supposed to be the only one here. He knew that there were animals-- rats, cats, dogs, chimps... but nobody else was supposed to be here. He approached the cage door hesitantly. "Hello?"

[User] Sky sat there and stared up at him as he reached her cage door. Her gaze was innocent, as innocent as she could pull off at least. "You're the new guard? I heard you talking to one of the scientist earlier." she said calmly. She didn't know of his lack of information on her exsistence.

[Assistant] "I am," Gideon said. "You shouldn't be in there. How did you get into the lab? And why are you wearing that?" She sounded naïve. It gad to be an act. "What are you? PETA, ASPCA? Look, if you're trying to make a statement, try taking it to the press."

[User] Her borrows furrowed in confusion as he listed off organizations she had never heard of and questioned her. "My name is Sky.... I'm not sure about that other stuff you're talking about." she admitted. Glancing down at her clothing, which was rather old and worn down. "This is all I have. This is all I was given."

[Assistant] Gideon froze. All she was given? What...? His eyebrows shot up. "Y-Y-You mean..." he asked, "you've been... here all this time? In this cage? You're... an experiment?" The last part came out ad if he was spitting something disgusting out. "That's wrong. So wrong! And they know it."

[User] Sky gave a small nod. She fell silent for a moment, watching his reaction. "You're strange." she said. "I thought you would have known about this stuff anyways. I've never seen anyone with that sort of reaction after all." She shifted slightly in her cage, watching him with interest.

[Assistant] "They said they just had animals," Gideon said. "Not people." He moved closer to the door. "Testing people like this... it's against the law. It's wrong on so many different levels." He peered in. "Sky? Could you come closer? I want to see you."

[User] "There definition of an animal must vary from yours then." Sky remakred. When he told her to come closer she became tense. She looked at him skepticially, not quite willing to just trust him. She, however, decided to give him the benefit of the doubt and slowly moved closer to the door but she seemed ready to flee despite the lack of space to do so.

[Assistant] Gideon thought she was beautiful. However he kept that to himself. "You're not an animal," he assured. "You are very much a human being." He held his hand up, palm facing Sky. "See? Look at our hands?"

[User] Sky stared at him. Her gaze was no longer as innocent as before. It became a bit more stern and narrowed. "Same on the outside does not mean we are the same on the inside. If I've learned anything here, it's that." she replied sharply.

[Assistant] Gideon withdrew his hand. "Those people aren't normal," he said. "They call you an animal, and see you like one, because they want to deny that you're human. It gives them power over you. But those people never had power before. I know what they're like... I used to be one of them. They had no power when they were younger, so they put you down to give themselves power."

[User] Sky gave a small shrug and relaxed slightly seeing as how he wasn't making any move to harm her for now. "I guess..." she mumbled. Who was she to determine what was normal for people and what wasn't? She had been stuck here all her life so saying that the scientists weren't normal was a new idea. "....Who are you anyways?" she asked him.

[Assistant] "My name is Gideon," he introduced himself. "I just started work. But you must know that already." He reached in once again, offering his hand to shake. He was being polite. However he knew she might hurt him. But she was giving him the benefit of the doubt, so he would too.

[User] Sky gave him a very reluctant look again. This time, though, she reached out and lightly shook his hand, barely even gripping it. "Yeah..." she mumbled and then moved her hand back to her side. "Gideon.... You should go." she said a bit firmly now.

[Assistant] "This isn't right, what they're doing to you," Gideon said. He drew his arm back. "I want to keep talking to you. I won't come tomorrow night. But after that I'll come every night." He gave a sad smile. "No one should be in a cage. Except the eggheads who do this. But I'm sure that they'll be in one soon enough, Sky."


[System]
Age: 26
Gender: Male
Race: Imperial
Birthsign: The Steed

Appearance: Roland is a young man, and tall for a Imperial, about 185 centimeters. He is a sinewy man, who is quick and agile, but is not a brawny or muscular man at all, and there are stronger men than him. For his services during the Civil War and in the Imperial Legion, he has gained more than just a few scars. Roland has long, dark brown hair, bordering almost black at times, and clear green eyes, that have a spark of determination and will. His face is kept clean shaven meticulously. He could be considered a handsome man, if he smiled more with his thin mouth.

Biography: Roland was born into the Corvo family in 181 Fourth Era, whose members have served in the Imperial Legion as officers and soldiers for generations. His father Marcus, for example, fought against the Aldmeri Dominion in the Great War. As such, Roland has always wanted to distinguish himself in the Legion. Roland lived most of his childhood and teenage years in Cyrodiil, often moving from town to town, as his father was assigned to different towns to act as an inspector and instructor for Legion's troops in Cyrodiilic garrisons.

Roland learned how to use a sword and other weapons while still being a child. Often, he would just use a stick or a wooden sword and fight with his friends, siblings and cousins. As the eldest son of the flock of six children, he was often given the best education, but Roland has always looked after his younger siblings.

Roland grew up into an ambitious young man, who took service to the Empire seriously and saw life in the military as a prestigious one. As he turned eighteen, Roland joined the Imperial Legion as a footman, starting as a swordsman. Proving himself as a competent and aggressive duelist and a handsome young man, Roland became a poster boy, so to speak, for the Legion for a while during his training, as he excelled as a soldier and came from from a military family. Two of his younger brothers also joined the Legion as scribes.

He gained some fame before the Skyrim's Civil War, and as he had risen to the officer ranks just before the war's beginning, he was given the command of a unit of heavy footmen. His commanding officer would turn out to be Hector Sibassius.

Roland had heard a few rumours and whispers of Hector from some older men of the Legion, but not many concrete facts. Roland soon was acquainted with the man himself, and served as one of his junior staff members throughout the war, helping him pacifying Skyrim's countryside. Roland's cohort of swordsmen often broke the back of Stormcloak resistance in any battle and often took the heaviest losses. Often clad in steel and taller than most Imperials, he gained the nickname "Steelpike" from his fellow soldiers.

Roland often volunteered to take his men into the fray if needed and led them from the front. The unit shared a tight bond and certain feel of entitlement forged in the many battles. They saw themselves as the best unit in the whole Legion, which, of course, could be always argued by other units.

One day, though, Roland's Raiders, as his cohort was known, was attacked by a brown-scaled dragon while on the march. The attack lasted only a couple minutes, but it left the cohort devastated and decimated. Out of the dozens men under Roland's command, only a handful survived, and the dragon was hardly hurt at all, vanishing as fast as it had attacked. The Raiders lost most of veteran soldiers, who had been serving ever since the beginning of the war.

The attack left Roland mentally shaken and embittered, and tried to serve the same way as he had before the dragon attack, but something had changed. He had become more short tempered and angry, often snapping at people. Some of his comrades would say that he had lost his edge in the dragon attack, and they would be right. After seeing his men and friends dying a fiery death, Roland had been devastated emotionally.

After the Civil War, Roland became an instructor at an imperial garrison in Skyrim, teaching what he knew to new recruits and soldiers. He hasn't told much to anyone what had happened to his cohort during the Civil War, but there are rumours and whispers around him, of course. Almost two years passed, before Hector Sibassius contacted Roland and asked him to join his expedition to find and kill a rogue mage named Akhar.

Personality: Once an ambitious and sociable young man, Roland has become a more reserved man, often seeming more cold and emotionally distant than before, perhaps even somewhat cynical. He has still his wit and sense of pride in his line of work. He is a quick and clever man, but he is not an academic. He has a practical view on the world, and can crack a joke or two, if he's on a good mood. An honest and direct man, Roland often says what he thinks.

During his early career in the Legion, Roland was a good humoured man, who saw soldier's life as a duty of a good citizen, but also as a game. He on purpose wanted to be the best, seeming a bit cocky and overconfident, but he often made sure that he didn't leave any comrades behind. The Civil War changed his personality draamatically.

Skills: Roland is an expert swordsman and duelist, a solid tactician and a competent instructor. Roland is magically non-gifted, relying on his physical attributes. He also knows how to read and write. He is used to march and camp in different enviroments, mainly Skyrim and Cyrodiil's forests.

Equipment:
 - Armour: red gambeson, black mail hauberk, black breastplate, pauldrons and gauntlets, fullhelmet ornamented with bird feathers.
 - Weapons: A steel bastard sword, a foot long steel dagger and an oaken shield with a steel rim.
 - Green wool shirt, a brown travelling cloak with a hood, a green cotton tunic, a scarf.
 - Backpack and a flagon.
 - An amulet of Talos.

Other: Roland likes card and board games, especially if Septims are involved. He also enjoys drinking Nord mead and Cyrodiilic brandy. He hates the smell of burning flesh and fat, and is afraid of burning alive.

[User]
Hector was torn between amusement and fierce irritation when Do'ava galloped into the scene without a care in the world and dismounted by the river. He was afraid for the Khajiit's life but fortunately Erissil managed to keep her wits about her. It occurred to Hector that she might never have seen one of Do'ava's race, making note how she circled around the group while she kept everyone else (and especially Balen) between herself and the cat-folk. Sensing that the danger had passed when Erissil shouldered her bow, Hector took a few seconds to cool himself down with the same ice-burst trick as before while he sauntered over to Do'ava. "Good day, old friend," Hector said amicably, if still a little tense, and shook the Khajiit's hand without taking his eyes off the wood elf. "We'll wait on the others until dusk, then we move out. Now excuse me for a moment."

The Captain slowly approached Erissil until he stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Balen. The two exchanged a brief glance just before Erissil spoke up. The cadence and accent of her Tamrielic was already peculiar, but the hunched posture and the almost primeval gestures made Hector feel like he was talking to a creature of ages past. "Yes," he agreed, and tapped his breastplate with one finger. "Hector Sibassius." He conjured up the most affable smile he could manage. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Erissil. Welcome." His hand then pointed at each member of the assembled group in turn and introduced them by name. "Eno. Roland. Do'ava."

A short silence fell while Hector thought of what to say next, only to be interrupted by...

To all: feel free to post, but I especially recommend @Dismas to use this moment to introduce Alaron.

[Assistant]
Alaron's feet ached and his throat was parched. The journey from the Imperial City had been taxing on his body. He had deliberately left early for Valenwood, only possessing enough money to afford a carriage as far as Skingrad. He was no adventurer, and this showed through in his preparedness for on foot travel. By the time he had reached the border to Valenwood he was already dehydrated, carrying with him only a meager amount of water. His affliction was only amplified by the foolish decision to continuously smoke his pipe throughout the journey.

The thought of passing a border checkpoint frightened him. He was given assurances that the documents he received would fool the guards but it did little to comfort him.

Miraculously he managed the crossing only receiving minimal questions despite a heavy aroma of tobacco and moon sugar. The guard had seemed almost hurried in his processing of Alaron, perhaps an indication that his shift was nearly over and had important plans for the evening.

Alaron progressed towards Arenthia, keeping a slight westwards heading as the notes instructed. He felt the heat was almost unbearable in his fur-lined coat, but sadly it was the only coat he owned. Steadying himself on tree trucks and wheezing through a throat with sandpaper texture by this point he felt he must be nearing on the meeting site. He propped himself up against a tree to catch his breath and listened to his surroundings. A few birds called in the distance and the vegetation sounded as though it was scraping and brushing against itself in a constant war for sunlight. He pulled at a few leaves, continuing to gasp for air till he heard voice in the distance. A loud call rang out from between the trees.

Alaron's body plummeted beneath the vegetation. The voice sounded comforting, like a greeting. Still, Alaron wasn't about to take any chances, certainly not in a place as foreign as Valenwood. His breathing slowed as he focused, edging his way towards the source of the voice. Foliage was not a terrain he was used to creeping through and every leaf that scraped along his coat rang out to him like a siren. As he grew closer he could hear murmurs. Short conversations grew louder and louder till his body reached a breaking point. The dehydration had wrapped its arms around his legs and pulled the man to his knees, partially toppling and snapping a small bush. Alaron could almost feel the campsite's gaze loom over his sweat glossed face.

By this point he couldn't take any more punishment and needed a break from his journey. Panting like he had run a marathon he emerged from the undergrowth and passed by a few trees, finally finding the campsite. His vision was blurred, and he made for the first upright tree once he was in view of the party. He attempted to make his descent to the clear ground graceful and scanned the group members who had arrived ahead of him.

His eyes were first drawn to the shimmer of steel armor worn by an Imperial. Alaron looked in disbelief and wondered how he wasn't as in poor condition as he was. Next was a Dark elf, who had the look of a college type about him. He noticed the containers strapped across his chest and it reminded him of the Imperial City's researchers he viewed taking samples from the surrounding water.

Alaron could make out another man, tall with long dark hair and he could make out a battle-worn face. He thought of the hired muscle and large doormen he encountered working for various crime syndicates. Next was a Khajiit, and Alaron's eyes lingered on the creature's black fur. It was like staring at a walking shadow, and Alaron felt envious seeing the advantage of such camouflage.

Lastly was what Alaron assumed to be a Wood Elf. Once he managed in a great show of willpower to pull his gaze from her attire he took note of the extensive tattoos covering the wood elf, particularly adorned upon her face. He would have gawked a moment longer but had to wipe the sweat from his eyes. It felt as though someone was pouring a jug of sticky mead atop his head, except at a boiling temperature.

He drew a few more gasps for air before uttering his first words to the group.

"Greetings." he winced, unable to sustain eye contact with any of them.


[System]
Nickname: CAS
Race: Half Human, Half Ronso
Age:19
Notable Parents:None.

Appearance:

Skin Color: Pale White.
Hair Color: Dark Brown.
Eye Color: Hazel Green.

Proportionality:
shoulders 6in
Chest 12 in
Waist 8-10in
thigh 10-12in
Buttcheek 8x10in
wrist to tip of middlefinger 7 1/2 inches.
pinkie starting digit (base of hand before extending to finger) to thumb digit 4inch
feet (as in my feet) 12 inches

upper arm (weight )3 inches
lower (forearms) 2 1/2 − 3 inches
wrist 2 1/2 − 3 1/3 inches
elbow to wrist 11 3/4 inches
Shoulder to elbow 12 1/4 inches

heel to knee 15 inches.
Knee to thigh 16 inches.

height 5'11 to 6ft.
6 1/2 inches from collar bone to chin.
7 inches from one end to the other (Left to right)

crotch to waist (curves) 9 inches.
waist to belly button 4 1/2 inches
waist to chest (where ribs start) 12 inches
chest to neck 9 inches

Height: 5'11 to 6ft
Weight: 175lbs.

Personality: He is a Snide, Cynical, Sarcastic, Inquisitive, but a logical person who does rarely care for many. He does however try to be considerate, but has a grey sense of morality. Sometimes very leader like mostly because despite his weakness he is strong willed.

Job: Alchemist,Monk/Pugilist
Weapon: Atelier- A Handcannon developed by the Al-Bhed to extract minerals and combine items. Does not fire bullets.
And a Dagger to small Hammers.

Primary Weapon Function: It extracts items from the ground or water to air. Compresses said substances into balls, gems, and gels. These can be used as items that are defensive, offensive, or a restorative to some sort of debuff, buff, to being used by crafters to make new items or weapons.

Secondary Function: Can be used to charge up energy to attack with laser bolts or beams if charged up. Or can use some gems or items as a spray.

Armor: Light, typically blue and black, pretty much a wetsuit with a Harness of some sort to hold his items and weapon.

Weaknesses: Born Anemic, thus at times he is dizzy and or tired. Flat footed, thus his feet hurt and cramp up easily. Has Asthma; thus shortness of breathe at times. His weapon can be slow at times even if he himself is fast. Not very strong, and the Ronso frown on him.

Strengths: Very fast moving, silent walking and running do to him constantly walking using the tips of his toes. Surprisingly accurate. Pretty fluient in Al-Bhed because of his friend Vivvine. Wears a wetsuit for diving.

Backstory: Was born as the result of his mother being indebted to a Ronso. During the Pregnancy she established a connivance store with some of her connections; as a result business flourished enough for her in Luca with her secure shop and constant produce with her trade with the Al-Bhed and Guado.

When her son was born, the father had returned to his homeland, however she was not stricken with grief, she had the luxury of trade, friends, security, and welfare. Her child grew to not knowing his father, and he was okay with that.

She took her son to see Blitz ball games only to discover he rather be active than sitting in a bench watching people hold their breathe for extrenious amounts of time. So rather than make him sit stationary, he helped attend to the shop and run errands, of course he always had a Machina following him to make sure nothing bad happened.

As the years went on, and he reached the age of four-teen. He wanted to go with his friend Vivvine to the Highroads and use an Atelier with her to help mine and learn how things work. His mother was okay with this for she rather him have some experience.
To their surprise he was quite good at finding things to bring back, it did help increase profit with two people rather than just one.

By the age of 16, his heath had deteriorated due to his hereditary ailments he was born with. His mother decided to have him go to Beside to get fresh air with theory that he may find help and healers there to help with his ailments. To his surprise his heath improved as he lived in Beside for the next three years. Currently he is still procuring items with his Atelier.

---

Machina Name: Helios

Height: 1'7
Weight: 20lbs

Abilities:
Healing Ray - Potent heal. 20% of Energy
Party Heal- A weak version of healing ray. 35% of Energy
Restore- Revive ally at low heath. 70% of Energy
Doctor's Prescription - cures ailments. 40% of Energy

Illusion - Projects a holographic image that can distract fiends. 20% of Energy.
Taunt- Recons an enemy to try to attack him. 0% of energy.
Scan- Can read enemy vitals and possible weaknesses. 0% of energy.

Weaknesses: Most of the ray based moves are dependent on Cassius' energy charge.
Weak in terms of defense. Easy to knock down and stagger. Lightning staggers him.

Strengths: Fast, hovers, evasive. Energy efficient. Lightning can be used to power him. Easy to power up.

[User]
As Maximus prepared to fell the Fiend, it surprised him with expertly blocking his blow with it's staff. Twisting a simple movement to send him flying off to the side. He grunted as he hit the ground and rolled to his feet sliding a few feet backwards from the momentum still. He looked back to the fiend to see her unleash three Firaga's on some soldiers who ran in at the wrong time. Standing up straight he pointed at the three men, "Triple Shell!" It would protect them enough to stay alive, they would still get majorly burned though...nothing he could do.

He turned suddenly as he heard multiple footsteps behind him. Four dingo's came at him, slowly surrounding him as he looked. He stroke first, with the tip of his sword and a flick of the wrist he killed the Dingo on his right. The one two over from that first one leaped at him. He side stepped and arched his blade over his head to slice the fiend in two, with a quick strike to the right again at eye level to fell the third before pulling it back to block from the last one as it attacked. But as it had no weapon and his Katana was razer sharp, his block actually cut through the dango's leg. He quickly spun his blade to give it a quick death before looking back towards the larger fiend. Only to hear that it wasn't a Fiend, it was an Aeon, and it had taken over a woman's body? How horrific. He watched as a tall redheaded woman gripped on with all her strength, apparently trying to get through to her friend inside. It was about to cast a Flare, and He reached out to cast a shell, but it stopped as the man who was apparently called Thane, ordered it to grab a woman with strawberry blonde hair. He stood up a little straighter. A very beautiful woman.

Shaking his head, now wasn't the time. He looked back just in time to see the tall redhead try to punch the Aeon in the face, which only angered it, as it cast slow, he reached forth and yelled, "Shell" He would have rather have cast Haste but it would seem the woman wasn't going to let go, almost taking a Flare in the face in doing so.

He then sprinted towards the battle once again, He didn't know what to do to defeat the Aeon with out hurting the woman inside, So he decided to go for the source. He used one of the fallen arches as a ramp to be line for the Announcers box. As he ran he noticed the woman who controlled the Ice was now talking with the man, her weapon sheathed. His eyes narrowed, why would she do that?

He looked to the edge of the arch, and at his last step he leaped, it was a stretch but he was sure he could make it. As she approached the Box he was falling slightly faster than he thought, 'shitmaybenot' he did managed though just barely, he used his momentum to duck forward and roll back to his feet, tucking his sword so it wouldn't cut him or rip out of his hands.

Back to his feet now 'Close one...' he thought without looking back to the edge. He walked over, sword's tip pointed down and away from him. Stopping as he got close enough he noticed it was just a hologram. "Bastard..." he said softly before continuing. "You say you speak for Yevon? I highly doubt that. But I can make an arrangement for you to speak face to face with him in the Farplane's if you so desire."

He looked to the woman, but her only saw her black hair and very revealing outfit. "Are you alright miss?" He asked, perhaps he managed to gain control of her as well, It's possible but he doubted since he knew he was a hologram she probably just sheathed her weapon for the same reason.

[Assistant]
"...Eva..." Thane saying her name and seeing his body relax sent chills down her spine. She was comforted when Urick placed his hand on her shoulder. But she jumped when he yelled "Deamn! Please retrieve the Lady Eva for me. Do not harm her." She looked at Deamn, the Aeon that seemed so dark and horrible. Nothing compared to the Aeons of before.

She crossed her right arm and gripped her left bicep, still scared but trying to make a pitiful attempt at standing strong. Sudddenly Daemn was focused on Alex again. "Oh no..." She pointed and said, "Valefor Distract her!" The Aeon didn't hesitate, it flew up shooting a beam towards Daemn close enough to get her attention but not hit her. She couldn't bring herself to harm her. She tried racking her mind on all that she knew of Aeons, after a moment of thinking she came to that they were pyreflies... Aeon's were the spirits of those who willingly gave themselves up to become one. Instead of the Farplane they would be trapped in stone unless called upon. But Lady Yuna sent them all after defeating Sin...

She perked up. Sending. Course it didn't work unless they were willing to be sent, she remembered hearing it still could be done... it was just a hundred times more difficult, someone with her strength as a summoner couldn't do it. But Lady Yuna! She looked over but shocked to see her hunched over, Bahamut gone. It would seem after twenty five years of not practicing she lost her stamina to keep up the summon. She would have to do it then.

She took a breath and began to dance. It was awkward, she was in the middle of the Battlefield, Urick knocking Fiends away that got too close. As she danced she Started to sing the hymn of the Fayth, her face reddened... as she hated singing in front of anyone. But she had to, it kept her in time with the Dance and helped her focus. Hopefully everyone would catch on to what she was doing and keep Daemn busy enough.

[User]
Bohdan had been following Cassius this whole time. He drew his spear in preparation to help protect him from anything that might come their way. "I suggest letting me be in front, Cassius. I've probably seen more battles comparable to this one than you have." He wasn't exactly lying, but the truth was he'd never really seen anything like this. He gripped his spear tightly and held it in a defensive stance, ready to take one anything that came their way as he tried to position himself between Cassius and any potential danger.

Was that man talking about Yevon just now? Obviously he was, but it seemed strange to Bohdan. From the history he'd learned, Yevon sounded like a mostly positive thing until fairly recently. Had things really gotten this bad? Maybe there had always been underlying problems that just didn't become more pronounced until more recent generations. "With any luck, I'll get to put some of what I've already learned to use before the day's end, better me than innocent people with no combat training. I'm glad you want to support them too."

[Assistant]
Cassius staggered back as he was struck by lighting from Naisha. The attack landed flawless; but fortunately his suit was mostly rubber, it hurt him considerably none the less.

Shit. That would have been worse if it was anything like Ice... I guess count your blessings.
He pushed himself up to see Helios making his way over as a ray of light seemed to hit Cassius directly from the eye of Helios.
He could feel some ease enveloping his body. This was more helpful than I thought... unfortunately my shot bounced off.

"Bohdan, behind be, keep any fiends from me." Cassius said as he plug his Atelier into Helios, powering it up.
"Master, might I suggest optical illusions to divert the enemies?"
"Then do it. It can help these people considerably." Cassius finished as he pulled the Atelier out, placing a soil gem into the item slot.

Helios projected a barking canine near Naisha, if this worked correctly, it would possibly distract her from harming those Cassius and Bohdan are fighting with to give them an edge. However, it was also very possible that it would just irritate Naisha; but tiring out such a creature would be considered critical to his plan if he could not hurt it. Helios, regardless moved in on Naisha from a distance to where Helios emulated barking sounds.

He aimed his weapon high as he deployed the soil; as it was airborne from the shot, it moved twords the general direction, this could help block it's field of vision considerably as well as other fiends. If this worked, it could hopefully turn the tide momentary to strike the real threat; the root of the calamity that had unfolded.

He however looked up and saw the aeons around, he immediately questioned if his choice of action was wise, or just prolonging a bad situation to a more hellish one.

His ears seemed to vibrate; not in a literal sense, but in the sense he heard the hymn, he looked about to see a female dancing, one that was being defended by a muscular male. "Bohdan, I want you to go help those two, I'll stay low and try to divert the big threats, as well as provide support for whoever is in danger." He was giving a direct order to someone who was just as much as a civilian as he was. His will was truly an adamant one for doing what was necessary.


[System]
Xavier Price
Spring Casual | Summer | Fall | Winter
Winter Professional | Formal

The Basics
A G E
26
B I R T H D A Y
Fall 09
G E N D E R
Male
O C C U P A T I O N
Town Physician
A Lil' More In-Depth
P E R S O N A L I T Y T R A I T S
Generous, Gentle, Caring, Curious, Eager to try new things
Strong moral compass, a little dismissive at times
Bit of a chatterbox, Distant, Naive, Scatterbrained
F A V O R I T E S E A S O N
Spring
F A V O R I T E C O L O R
Yellow
F A V O R I T E F O O D
Peach Cobbler
L I K E S
Trying (and failing) to raise a garden, cooking, sewing,
learning new things, animals, spices and spicy food, sweets
D I S L I K E S
Rainy days, cold days, smoke, being crowded,
being stuck in a small space, snow, feeling uncertain
D O Y O U B E L I E V E I N M A G I C ?
Xavier doesn't really believe in the Harvest Goddess or magic of the like, but he entertains the idea because the thought of it is nice. He plays along when others sincerely believe in it, and he has seen the very real effects of "The Rot," but he doesn't contribute any good or bad fortune to supernatural forces like magic.
Past and Present
F A M I L Y M E M B E R S
Xavier is an only child, and his parents live kind of far away in the city, their names are Clara and Ethan Price. His mother Clara is a real-estate agent and his father Ethan is a nurse at the city's hospital. His father's work combined with some other factors in his life guided him on his path to medicine.
A N I M A L F R I E N D S
Xavier cares for a few small rabbits:
Nami (black), Muffy (white), and Celia (brown)
H O M E L I F E
Xavier's home is Space 4 on the map, and also doubles as the Root River Clinic
The building is a moderate size, and the entire first floor is dedicated to the clinic. It features a curtained off resting area in addition to exam rooms. The second floor is a bit smaller and features a kitchenette, bedroom, bath, etc.
Behind the clinic is a small hutch for the rabbits and small yard. Xavier is by no means a vet but he does let animals rest in the yard if they need to be quarantined from their home farms.
S T O R Y
Despite his more recent reputation as a former city slicker, Xavier's family used to live in Root River. Xavier, his parents, and his grandfather Francis, had a modest home in the town as Xavier was growing up. They enjoyed a very happy family life, but Ethan worked long hours and had a long commute. His wife also wanted to move into the city, but Xavier was resistant. He loved his grandfather (who had no desire to move) and the town, but ultimately he had no say in the matter. When they could afford it, Xavier and his parents moved away and his grandfather remained in town. Living the city life, Xavier studied hard to get into med school, and spent nearly all of his free time working towards his goal. That and questioning his sexuality, that is. Despite that, the smog and dense populous, it wasn't an unpleasant life.
Xavier's grandfather Francis was a hearty man, but eventually time caught up with him and he needed someone to look after him. Xavier and his parents would travel back and forth from the city to Root River to keep an eye on Francis, as the old man didn't want to leave his home. The town's local clinic had been failing for the last few years, as more and more residents left for greener pastures and rumors that the entire town would be leveled spread throughout. The diminished services of the clinic meant that sooner or later Francis would have to leave Root River as well if he wanted to get the care he needed. However, Root River had always meant a lot to him as the place he grew up and met his late wife, and so after a couple years he passed peacefully in his home. His old house in Root River was sold to BigCo. by none other than Xavier's mother, since the family had inherited it. This incident caused quite a big fight in the family and although Xavier and his mother have since made up, the situation made up Xavier's mind and, now an adult, he moved back to Root River. He borrowed some money from his parents and a city bank to buy out the old clinic and fix it up. He still owes a lot.
He thought, 'No one should have to leave their home so far behind just to get care!' Using the medicinal knowledge he'd acquired from schooling in the city, Xavier hopes to revitalize both the small clinic and the town. Just to note: Xavier doesn't have a doctorate, so whenever the residents call him "Dr. Price," he gets a little embarrassed and has to correct them! He's working on it though, and continues his schooling online and some infrequent trips back into the city when needed.

[User]
---

❀ Spring 1 • Year 1 ❀

Location: General Store

---

"But..."

Well, Luna's declaration wasn't exactly unexpected but... it still wasn't what Xavier wanted to hear either. This was his nice freshly cleaned Spring outfit! He supposed it wasn't the worst case scenario though, after all she could have been yelling or blaming him, and he did technically have a hand in spreading the mysterious soot around even if it was an accident. Plus she said "help," not "clean this up yourself." All in all, he got off pretty easily once he thought about.

"Okay," he sighed, depositing his small basket of goods on the counter for her with a weak smile. He'd get started while she was ringing him out to make the clean up go as quickly as possible. He still had to get home and actually make something for the potluck after all. Speaking of the event, Xavier wondered if the store would be open all day or if the young shop keep would be joining the rest of the town for the festivities. Xavier was pretty sure the mayor must have called everyone in town given how excited his message made him sound. He glanced back at Luna. She didn't really seem the "festive" type but everyone needed some downtime now and then right?

"...um, if you have any advice for the New Year's picnic," he started, figuring some kind of small talk to fill the space would be nice. At the very least it would be nice for him. "- I'd appreciate it. It's been a while, I'm kind of stuck on what to bring. I was thinking, well, ah, apples if it wasn't already apparent."

---

[Assistant]
Location: Abernova General Store

---

"The picnic?"

Luna tightened the apron around her dress as her dead, cold eyes looked to Xavier as he agreed to help her clean the soot from her shelves and product.

Xavier's wonderment of Luna's advice felt strange, admittedly, though Luna hadn't ever been asked for her opinion on many things. The fact the Mayor, in his infinite wisdom, wanted her to participate in such a useless waste of time wasn't a surprise to Luna, but the idea that she was expected to bring something was still lingering on her mind. Outside of just taking something from her stock and writing it off, there wasn't a lot she could consider. Unless the Mayor expected her to unveil her talents before the entire village like she wanted attention, and that wasn't something she would ever humor, there were not a lot of options for the pink-haired general store owner. Xavier had thought apples was enough, a rushed, on-the-fly gift. She doubt the Mayor would've contested much, even if he wanted more from his cherished guests.

As Luna tossed something to help Xavier clean the soot with the pink-haired girl sighed.

"He wants a present, too. I'm not sure apples will be enough. I suppose you could bake it into a cobbler or pie."

---

[User]
---

❀ Spring 1 • Year 1 ❀

Location: General Store

---

Oh, a kind response! It was more than Xavier could have hoped for given the scenario. Pleased, he couldn't help the small grin that settled onto his face. He turned to more enthusiastically talk to her when a rag came flying from the young woman's direction and landed squarely on his face. When Xavier swiped the cloth away and remembered oh yeah, clean soot the smile was still in place.

"Cobbler or pie, hm? Good idea." The young physician started with the largest areas of the mess, wiping down the shelving with care. He may have been eager to get home and make something, but he wasn't about to do a half-assed job either, that would just be rude. As he worked and mulled over the benefits of a cobbler versus a pie, he figured he may as well continue getting advice from Luna while she was in the mood to give it. After all, though he had a sweet tooth and could cook a simple meal, he wasn't very well-versed in baking. He knew to stick to a recipe though.

"Do you bake, Ms. Abernova? A cobbler is simpler, right? I do like a good pie though... I'd like to try that." Xavier hummed, taking a step back to make sure he hadn't missed any spots before moving on to the next area to be wiped down. "Any recipe suggestions?"

---

[Assistant]
Location: Abernova General Store

---

"Mm."

Xavier was the town doctor, and as far as Luna could tell he was a jittery weakling. She figured she could easily outmuscle him, even if the thought of actually committing to her threats seemed like a waste of time. As she began moving to the produce, particularly the apples, she thought how best to get through to him. An idle, vague threat seemed like the best option rather than anything forceful or direct. The pink-haired girl considered her response. She didn't care to put into the energy of lying about things. There was too much work in creating false dichotomies and perceptions. She enjoyed that many of the villagers only really interacted with her to buy things and ask stupid, mundane questions about the weather; and she wanted to keep it that way.

She tossed a look at her acquaintance, showing that she was all business. A look that not many witnessed--a slight turn of the head and a wide smile. Somehow it was worse than a death stare.

"Sometimes. I like to do anything that doesn't involve this stupid village. Plus, people buy it. Don't go telling everyone I like cooking, though. You seem smart. I'd hate for the town doctor to go missing."

Removing eye contact, she returned back to his previous question, as if she had not just threatened to put the town doctor on ice.

"Suppose I could show you a simple recipe. If you'd like to."

---

[User]
NatalieSpring, Day 1 - New Year's Day
The Forest
Offense Roll: 6

 "Werewolves? Haven't really ran into any, unless Mahina counts." Natalie joked. While she was focused on getting what they needed for the picnic, she was also focused on keeping Ferris safe. The huntress didn't want to risk putting him in danger. But they should be fine as long as they didn't stray far into the woods. The monsters only appear in the dark, after all!

 ...Right?

 Feeling something wasn't right, Natalie flinched when she heard the sound of someone, something approaching them. She spun around to see half a dozen dark blobs of sludge, large ones, after them. She couldn't believe it.

 "I-I was wrong...!?"

 Ferris hiding behind her snapped the huntress out of her thoughts. She quickly pulled out a pair of twin crossbows, and started firing at the blobs. "We need to get out of here, NOW!" Natalie was more than willing to escape back to town, she had to let Michael know the situation was getting worse, not to mention she still needed to protect the lumberjack.

[Assistant]
❀ Spring 1 • Year 1 ❀

Location: General Store

---

Xavier's small joy at seeming to catch the store owner in a good mood was quickly taken over by some other feelings. Confusion, fear. Definitely fear. "Oh."

He stared at Luna, taken aback at pretty much everything she said. The half-admission, the threat, the offer to show him a recipe - a very nice offer, but also, a threat? That was a threat, right? She looked away and Xavier laughed nervously, voice a bit higher pitched than he would have liked. Everyone in town could gather that Luna wasn't particularly happy with their little down, but for some reason she wanted to keep something she liked a secret?

"I don't want to go missing," he said. Yep, real smart. Still, his voice had gone back to normal and the tone of his statement said he took her words seriously. He wouldn't divulge her secret. At least not on purpose. He'd try his best. He didn't want to give her one more reason to hate Root River - besides, it'd make doctor's visits really awkward. Almost as awkward as this store clean-up was threatening to become. Xavier didn't think he could ignore the threat on his life quite as easily as the one who made it, but if she'd moved on already then best to follow suite... and think about some self-defense classes, maybe. "That would be good. I'm a more hands-on learner, anyway."

Xavier tried to keep his mind focused on the task at hand but after a little while his eyes wandered around the store. People buy it, the pink-haired girl had said. Were there any Abernova originals in the shop now? "...so you sell your own handmade things?"


[System]
Age: 22
Gender: Female, but dresses and travels as a male
Race: Mura
Adrianna has dark straight hair with green eyes. Her complexion is a bit pale, largely unmarred with freckles or scars. Adrianna is very lean, but toned, and stands at 5 feet 7 inches tall. She binds her chest beneath a loose undershirt, though her chest is rather flat anyway. As she has cut her hair and dresses like a man, she looks much younger than she actually is. She does not have facial hair, and her voice sounds like she might not have hit puberty yet. She has no tattoos. If one looked closely, they might see that her ears are pierced, though it has been years since she wore anything in them.
Clothing:
Face:

Magic:
Healing- Adrianna can manipulate her own energy and the energy of others to heal. While her healing does not remove all scarring, it has saved lives before. Healing a lot wears her out, and she has traditional non-magic healing capabilities as well, which she uses more frequently than her magic.

Light Orb-Adrianna can create and control an orb of light to illuminate a dark area. It does not put off heat, however. She has good control over its size, and has recently learned how to "throw" it at people to startle or confuse them. It disappears if she loses concentration or it gets too far away from her.

Gear: She carries herbs, salves, and some basic medical supplies that she has gathered together in a pouch that hangs on her waist. Adrianna carries a small dagger in her left boot, and a two section bo staff, split, one on each hip. She also carries a sling-shot, and is able to use a bow, though she doesn't currently have one.

She carries flint and firesteel, some dried meat for rations, and a container of water in a satchel over her shoulder. In there is also a small book and writing utensil, in which she has drawings and information about plants and their many uses for healing, eating, and poisoning.

History: Adrianna currently travels as a man, as she is "on the run" from the Church. She doesn't usually think anyone is looking for her, though occasional bouts of paranoia keep her in hiding. When she first left, she was nervous about being a young woman traveling alone, and so she put on a guise and became a "healer for hire." She mostly uses non-magic healing, though occasionally infuses a bit of magic to prevent infection or prevent mortal wounds. The group she has traveled with for the last two years does not know for certain she is a mage, or even that she is a she…though there have been suspicions when men were able to walk within a few days of grievous injuries. No one asked, and "Adrian" didn't tell. After all, every man in their company of bandits had a story, and few of them wanted to share their own. Still, she could not stay in their company any longer…"Adrian" should have started growing facial hair, his voice should have deepened, and overall it was too much of a risk. So off she went.

[User]
Amuné pressed back against Wyth when the man with the pale hair approached, looking from him to the healer. They offered to let her travel with them into town, which was maybe kind and maybe very dangerous. Wild animals she could understand. Monsters weren't so common. But people -- people were dangerous.

Adrian distracted her by asking another question, and she blanched, fear squeezing the breath right out of her. But she had to answer, that was the rules. She could barely get her answer out, and when she did she knew at once what she'd ask. "Away. ...How did you know?!" Amuné tried to keep her voice quiet, barely a whisper and a shaky one at that. She stiffened when Adrian leaned towards her, but he was just trying not to let anyone else overhear.

You aren't the only one who has had to run away.

The child stared at him, slack-jawed and wide-eyed. Who had he run away from? Why? ...Was he maybe a proper healer instead of just a mundane one, then, a Magi like her mommy? Or had he run away for some other reason? She couldn't ask that, of course -- if nothing else, it'd be rude -- but that didn't stop her from wondering.

She was so caught up in the slew of questions that Adrian's hand on her shoulder made her jump. Was she coming with them?

"I-I...." Amuné looked from one face to another, and she couldn't hide the shudder that ran through her. "I'm not supposed to go places with strangers," she managed, though it wasn't a no. The girl was visibly conflicted, pulling her arms and legs in tighter to her body.

Behind her Wyth made a noise like a cough and lurched to his feet, depriving her of her warm pillow and nearly sending her sprawling. For him things were simple. His girl was no longer near the bad people. This one, the one that smelled like his man's mate, had helped her. Both this one and one of the others had offered food, which the girl needed.

He put his face in the small of her back and pushed, and now Amuné did overbalance, catching herself on her elbow. "Hey!" she protested, and would have said more if he didn't add a rough-tongued lick that left a whole clump of her hair sticking up at odd angles. People could be scary, but Wyth would keep her safe -- and if they needed to run away he was very fast. "...I guess we will. For a little while."

[Assistant]
Yarri stayed aside when the situation suddenly became complicated by the appearance of the two children. She half of her mind was focused on a magical mark which she had on the tiger, which was still apparently circling around them. From a large distance, for now, but she didn't doubt in time it would get much more daring and come closer. That was the reason Yarri neglected all the signals that Shaela was giving her about someone coming. She thought the cougar was just nervous from the dangerous animal lurking around.

The first child looked like she had been in the forest for weeks alone and Yarri wondered how she survived that. Probably her cat keeping her alive, but it must have been very uncomfortable, eating raw meat and sleeping out in the forests. She let the others deal with the girl, Yarri wasn't good in dealing with normal children, let alone such traumatized ones.

The other child she remembered from the ship. There was something strange about the boy, not just the look of someone who had been in a horrible accident and barely survived, but something else. Yarri couldn't really put a finger on it. But even Shaela, which seemed to be happy to play with every other child on the ship, always kept her distance from this one, growling quietly whenever she passed by him.

While the girl was talking to Adrian, Shaela walked over to the moorcat, sniffing the air around it carefully. Then she lowered her head, so their muzzles nearly touched. The cats stayed like this for a few seconds, looking into each other's eyes. Shaela must have been satisfied with what she had seen, because she just turned around and went back to Yarri. "Did you guys have a nice chat?" Yarri whispered to Shaela's ear, absent-mindedly stroking her soft fur. The cat licked her hand and lied down on the ground, which was a clear sign that there was no immediate danger.

Yarri walked over to the young hunter and tried her best not to sound hostile when talking to him. "We should keep moving if you want to reach the town before dark, especially now with these children to slow us down."

[User]
"Oh, Ethan! Ethan Campbell. Nice to meet you, Cecil!" Under better pretenses, he wished, but at least they had run into nice people; bandits could just as well have found them. Bandits... Another reason for them to keep moving. There was so much risk for those back on the beach and here they were, stood around and chatting casually. Ethan looked around at their group, with two more - three if you counted the moorcat. It was far from a small rescue party now and with how many people they had it made settling down for camp even less practical.

Which made him roll his eyes when Yarri suggested they keep moving. You were the one who suggested stopping in the first place. Ethan let that thought remain as just that: a thought. It wouldn't do any good to start arguing among themselves. "Yeah, we should get moving. And we can help carry the kids if you're so worried they'll 'slow us down'." He suggested, frowning as he glanced sideways towards Yarri. "Or we can take our time. Who knows, we might end up finding more people!" He was kidding but now Ethan worried he'd just jinxed them; no town was going to accept twenty or thirty people out of nowhere; if that were the case then they should have just brought everyone from the ship with them.

"We should keep the kids in the middle of the group. That way they're safe if we get anymore... Uh... Surprises." Somewhere in his oft-hapless mind was the training he'd received from the Church, training which he was now clambering to retrieve. There were protocols for everything and this was no different - at least he didn't think it was. Ethan smiled at Amuné, then Cecil, and clapped his hands together. "Why don't you and... Adrian?" He asked, glancing at their resident healer for confirmation. "Why don't you two walk together? Cecil, you can... Uh... Well walk in the middle of the group! And Yarri, maybe you can take the rear? You and your... Cat, can help make sure nothing's following us!"

One of the privy sailors spoke up about the proposal. "And what will you be doing exactly?"

"Leading, of course! Someone has to!" Ethan's confidence and smile waned under the doubtful look of the sailors. He had asked which direction to travel in right out of the gates, naturally people were going to doubt his navigation skills. And they were right to. With a reserved sigh, he shrugged his shoulders and looked back at Adrian. "How about you lead, then? I can uh... Watch Amuné?" Maybe he was trying to put things in their place that didn't need to be. But any successful escort mission - and that was what this had become, thanks to these two kids, involved forming a perimeter and keeping people safe. A little tricky to do given their group, but this should solve that issue.

Another sailor let out a groan and rubbed at his face. "I should have stayed back at the beach..." Another seconded his complaint, leaving Ethan standing at the front of the group with an awkward smile. Thank goodness for his training, otherwise he'd seem like a total idiot... Instead of just a partial idiot. Maybe he should have stayed at the beach too.

[Assistant]
Adrianna had no intention of forcing the kid to join them. Frankly, it would have been a relief if she had decided not to join them. They had a whole ship-ful of hurt people they had to get help for, and a stray kid wasn't going to make her job any easier. But the girl's pet seemed to think that joining them was a good idea, as did the boy, so their numbers went up. The white-haired man introduced himself as Ethan, and after a brief back and forth with Yarri, Adrianna perceived a bit of a struggle as to who would proclaim themselves leader of this ragtag group. Fortunately, they would only be together for this walk, so she didn't imagine things would come to a mutinous end.

Ethan decided, after a bit of back and forth, that Adrian would lead the group, and the children would be in the center. Yarri, with supposedly the keenest senses, would take up the rear and keep an eye out for tigers or stray children, as these forests seemed to be riddled with both. It wasn't a bad suggestion, but the nature of it reminded her a bit too much of the most basic training done by the Church. Just a coincidence. She told herself. You're being paranoid and seeing something where there is nothing. But paranoid was what kept her alive, and she couldn't help but feel a bit more on-edge about being so close to the man.

"Sure." Adrianna, unlike the sailors, made no fuss about the assigned post, and moved up to the front of the group. She set a somewhat brisk pace, though she slowed when she put too much space between her and the others. With everyone on alert, Adrianna didn't begin to start up another conversation with the girl or Ethan, and the others were too far away. It was probably better to just stay quiet to not attract unwanted attention.

As they settled in more comfortably, Adrianna's senses began to wander. She glanced back at Ethan, feeling something…off about the man. They had already been walking together for some time, and she hadn't picked up anything before. But now… No, she was sure of it, he had gotten hurt. But how? When? All they did was make camp, and…well, he got run over by a child, but surely the boy couldn't have caused that much damage. Adrianna turned back to see Cecil's gauntlets. Well, perhaps he had. He clearly had some sort of modifications, and if the blunt ends of those things had smashed against the wrong part…Ethan could have gotten seriously injured. He likely wasn't, in this case. All she could sense was some blood clotting in his chest. It would probably form a nasty bruise, but it was nothing worth fussing about. What's more, the injury was not the type she should even be aware of.


[System]
Age: 33

Race: Human (Sub-Saharan African in appearance)

Appearance: Rintor is a smallish, very dark-skinned man in his early thirties, wiry but muscular. He has dark grey-brown eyes and is vaguely handsome. However, he suffers from Alopecia Universalis, which renders him completely hairless across his entire body. He usually dresses in a simple black robe, with black leather boots, loose black pants, a handful of fur pelts, and a thick brown leather belt with a trio of leather satchels around his waist. In his youth, he would often wear a mask that covered most of his face. However, he doesn't wear it anymore.

Role: Linguist, assassin, scout

Bio: Rintor comes from Boshir, a powerful fiefdom in the south, where he was the third son in a family from his country's equivalent of the landed gentry. His father and grandfather had both served with distinction in the king's army as armed scouts in previous conflicts, rising to become commanders. Rintor seemed destined for the same path, and indeed demonstrated considerable aptitude as a child. However, he manifested somewhat unexpected magical abilities upon puberty and was sent for schooling in the arcane arts. He showed little promise with higher magicks, but excelled at what was called 'lightbending', which, in short, allows him to bend the visible light spectrum so as to appear all-but invisible. Before long it appeared that he had reached a dead-end. While lightbending was a useful skill, people who trained at the academy of thaumaturgy were strictly forbidden from using the abilities learned there for violent ends.

When war erupted with a neighboring Elven kingdom, Rintor, then only seventeen, remained at the academy. He had flourished during his years there and grown into a thoughtful young man. However, after a year, the military situation turned for the worse, and he was personally pulled out of the academy upon orders of the king and placed into the army as a commissioned officer. Whatever his moral qualms, Rintor served as his father and grandfather had before him. If his swordsmanship was subpar for his station, he had little use for it during scouting missions. However, one can only last for so long in a war without resorting to violence. Forced to kill an enemy scout who would have revealed his army's position, Rintor had shed his first blood. Surrounded by martial culture, his guilt was quickly assuaged.

From that point onward, he became the leader of an advance party that quickly became infamous for its lightning strikes, guerilla warfare, and sabotage. His lightbending skills made him almost absurdly effective, and before long Rintor was doing more than scouting. Assassinations came next, followed by long missions deep into enemy territory. His initial moral objections having become a thing of the past, and fed a steady diet of awards, honours, propaganda, and berserker mushrooms, Rintor became a gleeful killing machine. Gifted a pair of finely honed daggers by the king himself, the lightbender's trail of bodies grew until he was feared, revered, and loathed across much of the continent. It became something of a legend that he would always appear out of nowhere a bare moment before striking the fatal blow, smiling like the devil himself.

His high (or low) point, came when he infiltrated the bedchambers of the Elven king and murdered him and his entire family in cold blood. This plunged the country into civil war and forced their interim leadership to sue for peace terms. Back home, Rintor was hailed as a hero, but with the war over and the accolades, drugs, and honours drying up, he felt increasingly hollow. He longed for purpose, which he attempted to find in hunting, bloodsport, and horse racing. All were dead ends. The academy had long since severed all ties with him and he was not allowed to return there. At some point, he disappeared from society altogether.

Nobody is entirely certain where he went for seven years, but when he reappeared, he was able to speak six new languages and he seemed to have found his peace. He sat outside of the academy in meditation, drinking only one bottle of water each day, for twenty-six days and nights until he was finally granted an audience with the provost. The price that he paid for readmission to the academy was considerable: all of his lands, honours, titles, and possessions save what he had carried with him, as well as a solemn vow of non-violence to be broken upon pain of a degenerative curse that will slowly and painfully cause him to waste away.

For the next three years, he ensconced himself within its hallowed halls, re-emerging at around the same time that the opening of the portal was announced. He appeared before the king, dressed in his simple black robes, and requested that he be the first of his nation to step through the portal. Given his status as a war hero, it was a request that could hardly be refused. Nobody knows what his motivation is except for Rintor himself, though one would assume that it has to do with the fascination of exploring a new land and finding redemption in the process.

Skills: Rintor can move with the utmost stealth and silence. Even elven ears struggle to detect him. He is almost ridiculously proficient with knives and daggers, though he has sworn never to use them for violence against another sentient being so long as he lives. He is able to draw maps and describe topography in considerable detail, though perhaps not as well as he might've in his youth. He is adept at sabotage, guerilla warfare, and has some tactical abilities, though these are qualities that he tries not to advertise. Rintor is a skilled horseman and reasonably proficient with a bow, though not what one would call 'naturally talented'. He can fast for an extended period of time and possesses basic survival skills. He has an innate ear for languages and has studied linguistics over the prvious handful of years, though he tends to speak with a thick accent.

Magic: Rintor is able to bend light so that he blends in flawlessly with his surroundings for extended periods of time when still and short bursts while moving. This effectively makes him able to turn invisible. However, the ability only extends to the visible light spectrum, and requires considerable concentration. He also struggles to blend into backdrops with especially intricate patterns or with many colours and a great deal of motion.

Equipment: Rintor has the clothes on his back, a flask of water in one satchel, some parchment and a quill in another, and some dried fruits, jerky, and nuts in another. He also has a pair of wickedly sharp daggers gifted to him by the king, but he wants nothing to do with them.

Other: Rintor is quiet and reserved – some would say aloof and subtly arrogant. He never shows his teeth anymore when smiling. He seems to be highly intelligent, though he will rarely correct people's mistakes. He also appears to have little to no interest in women. Though he has tried hard to train it out of himself, he harbours a degree of suspicion towards elves and many near-human beings. Before Rintor went through the portal, the king gifted him his old daggers back and bade him take them through the portal. Rintor could not disobey with so many eyes on him, but he plans to drop them the moment that he steps through, and not just for his own sake. Given his past and his distinctive appearance, I'd assume that he would be known to many of the other characters, at least by name and reputation.

[User]
Ayana

Ayana huffed at the Dwarf's dismissal of her indignation. She didn't like that he thought certain work was beneath him either. But, she didn't want to start a fight the first day on the trip so she left it at that. Maybe he didn't like shoveling dung because he was so short and his nose was so close to it... The thought of it made her giggle and her good spirits were restored. And so, she joined the group as they began walking toward the mountain that loomed on the horizon.

Then, their group leader, or at least the person who was acting as the leader, came up with an idea. "A watchtower? I think that's a great idea! Ayana said brightly. "We can even put a weather vane on top of it! I'm no carpenter, but I'd be happy to help you build it. I helped my family fix up their bar all the time when it needed repairs. It can't be that much different." Ayana walked in stride beside Esailia. She liked the Mithra's "let's get to work" attitude. Plus, she didn't have to feel weird about being the only person with animal ears. It was odd how few kitsune their were in the more urban areas.

@Esailia

* * *

As the party neared the mountains, the grass became thinner, more sparse, and more prickly. The soil gradually faded from a dark brown to a light tan. The temperature was still pleasantly warm, though it was beginning to cool as the sun drooped lower in the sky. By its position, it was now late afternoon, approaching the evening. The mountains were still a half-day's hike away and it would likely be dark before they reached them. Still, the party drew close enough to them now to discern some of their features. They were a series of peaks that seemed to have valleys running through them, and swirling patterns in the stone that were made more intense by the orange backdrop of the sky. By the looks of it, the sun would be setting about 45 degrees away from them, making their mountains North-West-ish by virtue of sunset.

[Assistant]
As they neared the mountains, Zeke paid attention to the sun. There was nothing out of the ordinary about it, though he'd need a few nights to be sure. He didn't know whether this was a heliocentric or geocentric earth - that was, if it was even a planet at all. An idea struck him. What if it was a moon? Were they orbiting a greater planet now, and was that one orbiting still yet another planet? The thought was absolutely ludicrous, though fascinating and thus worth contemplating. But another time.

Kneeling momentarily, Zeke gathered a few solid rocks. They were abundant in this area, so he decided it would be best for him to take some now. He quickly stored them in his pack and pulled out a few of his wood rods. In order to help him make sense of this new world, he would need to run a few tests. That was precisely why he brought these rods, and so he began to work at them, boring holes and cutting notches with a utility knife. Hopefully he'd be ready for his first test by the time they set up camp. If he wasn't, though, it was hardly an issue. Being an astronomer, he'd have to stay up through the night anyway.

Zeke nodded slightly as Esailia talked, but refrained from asking her any more questions. Other group members wanted her attention, and he didn't feel like fighting for it - especially when he had nothing worthwhile to say. When she mentioned that he might work with others to determine cardinal directions or otherwise develop a map, he wasn't very enthusiastic, especially considering the people he was to work with. The halfling - Shel, was it? - didn't seem so bad, but Rhen was a different story.

As soon as Zeke was aware that a changeling would be entering the portal with him, he knew there would be problems. How could anyone trust a creature with the ability to change its appearance at will? It put him a little at ease that the changeling seemed so unsophisticated, and thus less of a threat, but still he couldn't know for certain whether that was accurate. Rhen could be hiding anything.

But as much as the changeling was dangerous, Rhen could be an even more formidable ally - provided Zeke would be able to withstand their apparent lack of maturity. It was for this reason that he approached Rhen and tried to strike up a conversation, thinking long and hard about the first thing he would say. Do you often use your face as a projection of your personal qualities? He coughed. "I've not met a changeling before. If you don't mind, er, what kinds of forms can you take?" he asked politely though curiously, absently whittling.

[User]
The party is still half way to the mountains, the mountains from the distance looked like a wave of rocks, possibly by a lava stream years ago, he's no geologist, but he can guess.

Numzom has not made any friends what so ever in this exploration, bummer, he has an idea, making friends with the Kitsune farmer, since she practically has the same attitude as him, he thought "Maybe ill talk to her, maybe".

The party still is walking, looking for a peak near a stream, and since no one is talking to him, he'll just talk to the spirit and munch an apple.

[Assistant]
Rhen had lapsed into silence after her initial round of flirting. Well, admittedly, she'd not stopped talking, just began dictating the expedition log again. "Was decided to set up camp at mountains visible from portal location due to defense considerations. With entry direction of portal taken as north, as no lodestone offered, mountains are NNE, estimated day's travel on foot. Travel time will be revised after journey completed."

She caught the quill between two of her fingers as the messy human in the blue cloak spoke to her. She had mentally dismissed him as soon as she saw him. Honestly, there were far better looking people to get entangled with, physically, emotionally or politically. He really did look like the bottom of the barrel, but her cousin had made a living down there. Not that Rhen would like it there.

She pulled a party trick she hadn't in a while: her hair turned to a spectrum from right to left, from white-blond through red and brown to deep midnight black. Similarly, her skin went in bands from pale elvish white through dwarven ruddiness and halfling chestnut to the darkest Bashirian black, hitting most human shades along the way. She also sharpened one ear to a fine elven point and the other to a drooping Bashirian lobe.

"I'm the girl of your dreams, honey," she deflected the question while answering it. "Or the man, if that gets you standing." She offered a grin her family had refined to be as charming and sexy as possible on a woman's face. Many a pocket had been fleeced when Rhen and her mother had worked together with that smile. She wiped her face with a hand, resuming the dark, freckled look she had previously. "Or you're not the sort to stand up for anything, are you?"