[System]
Race: Human
Gender: Male
Age: 29
Occupation: Bard
Personality/Interests: Viggo is an egotistical, nihilistic, and self-destructive person who lives only for self enjoyment. Reveling in the pleasures of life he has little care for trivialities like "responsibility" or "consequences". However, despite his faults, Viggo is utterly dedicated to his music career, and has no lack of discipline when it comes to practising his guitar or vocal talents.

Appearance: Viggo is a tall and lithe person, with hints of muscularity in his arms and chest.
Body build: As mentioned above, he is thin, but now scrawny, and tall for a human, standing at around 6'2.
Hair: Viggo's pale golden hair flows down past his chest, and is light enough to majestically billow in a soft breeze.
Skin color: This bard is unremarkably pale, little else to say here.
Eye/Iris color: Viggo often wears dark paint around the sockets of his eyes, but his irises are a deep blue.
Height/Weight: 6'2 / 155lbs
Notable Features: Viggo often wears a cologne concocted from sweet smelling herbs and flowers, giving him an aroma that masks the smell of booze that perpetually floats around him.

Clothing Description: Viggo wears a black sleeveless top when indoors, and adopts a larger longsleeved cloak of a similar colour when outside. His breeches are slightly greyer, but generally match stylistically with the rest of his outfit.
Equipment: Viggo's prized possession is his guitar, as it so no ordinary device. Unlike most string instruments, Viggo's guitar is modified with socketed black crystals and panels of metal that run along the body and up into the neck. When the strings are thrashed, the instrument rings out a much harsher but powerful noise (ie. the noise of an electric guitar). However, the guitar's strings can still be plucked softly to mimic the sound of a lute or traditional (acoustic) guitar. The inner workings of the instrument are known to Viggo alone.
Weapon(s): Viggo, by habit, carries a small dagger with him.

Powers While Viggo's skill at guitar does stem from years of practise, he rightfully sees himself as a natural, and has been proficient with musical instruments from a young age.
Abilities: Viggo is human, and therefore possesses few abnormal traits.
Talents: Viggo is a masterful guitarist, and according to himself, the best in the world. He is also an incredible drinker, and known to rival dwarves in the amount of alcohol he can pump into his body before needing the help of a healer.
Magic: While Viggo is not a mage or wizard by any standards, his knowledge of the arcane has allowed him to blend magic into his music, as such, Viggo's playing tends to have bizarre effects on people. Depending on the tempo, melody, and theme of the song, Viggo can slowly turn a group of people against one another, or make a situation calmer by lulling everyone into a state of peace and tranquility. Certain riffs can also summon dread or pain in individuals, though the effects of the spell are quickly broken if Viggo stops playing.
History: (Read Rule VI.)

[User]
"Yeah!" Drubbins shouted, more at someone making a proclamation than anything. It was good to show solidarity when you were the new boy. Despite being part of several huge victory feasts in the past, one of which had cleared an entire county of booze as raiding parties kept striking out farther and farther in an effort to acquire more, Drubbins had never discovered an amount of alcohol that would force a meeting with either of those gods.

It was like there was something in the air, something that inspired blokes to bold action. If he was going to be getting drink from Da Boss than he would damn well do something to earn it. With a throaty grunt he lifted himself off the the floor, giving Azzrix two big, hearty pats as he lumbered past toward that job board that Da Boss had nodded at. He solemnly swept his eyes over it, taking in all the little papers and things. He couldn't make heads or tails of this, but he had never let that stop him before. He raised up a hand and pinched one at random between the nails of his fingers before pulling it off, then turned back around to scan the room. There would be a smart boy somewhere out there.

Normally you could count on a magic boy to be very smart, but the only one who'd he'd seen do magic was that dog bloke. Drubbins had a pretty commanding view of the room with his height, but he couldn't see the dog bloke anymore. Then he looked for that blue bloke who'd pointed the boss out to him, but he wasn't in here either. He could ask Da Boss, but Da Boss seemed to expect you to be able to do this yourself and he didn't want to make a bad impression to a new Boss. He supposed he could go back and ask Azzrix, but he was a funny boy and might lie to him. That had happened to him before on a new Boss, just the expected new boy hazing. Then he spotted someone at a table in the far corner.

Two blokes sharing a table, one of them wearing robes which nearly always meant he was a smart type. That wasn't the only reason, of course. There were plenty of blokes wearing robes in this tavern. No, this bloke looked like Malia Burg. His first boss. He was scared it might be Malia at first, before remembering that she and her whole tower had been blown to nothing with powerful magic. Wait, this person looked a lot like Malia so maybe they were also one of those she-blokes that Malia had told him she was. Drubbins decided that, just to be safe, he wouldn't mention the word bloke around them because that used to get Malia really steamed.

He wandered up to the table with as much subtlety as his size allowed, which was none, and stood possibly too close behind Tahira to be entirely comfortable. "Scuse me." he asked tentatively, holding up the paper. "Whats dis say?"

[Assistant]
Claire nodded along to Historia's response. She certainly wasn't wrong. Or at least it sounded like it, Claire had never heard of the Anemoi islands. She actually didn't know all too much about the rest of the world... After Historia it seemed to be Mysaren's turn to speak, choosing the next turn the conversation would take. As just stated, Claire didn't know that much about the world. She had no idea where they could sell precious items. Having nothing to say on the matter, she let her attention fall back out to the crowd. She eyed the ogre, the rat, the musician, the lizard. Plenty of people to see, probably from plenty of places. Claire felt small.

"If you are going to go sell some things, may I...tag along?" She asked softly over to the other girl. She didn't look her way at first, but her gaze hovered over after a tiny bit. "I...am looking for something." She paused, choosing her words carefully. Her mouth opened as if to speak, but then it fell closed again. It seems the right words, were no words at all. As if to show that, she turned back to her her food and took another portion. She was easily the slowest eater of the three, her food was getting cold...

"I'm from Akontosh." She added in between dainty mouthfuls. It was a large city, quite a ways away...Known for it's rich history in the arts, and for it's high rate of income. "I'm here...to look for something." She seemed amendment on letting out what 'something' was. She cut another portion of nearly charred steak. "I would appreciate it..." she commented, making reference once more to her request of accompanying the other.

[User]
"Ah! Don't be sorry for giving me advice Miss Mysaren!" Historia told her, quickly looking up at her with a worried expression. She hopped Miss Mysaren hadn't mistaken her annoyance at the musical spell for annoyance at her. "Advice is a wonderful thing. It teaches lessons and it shows concern. I can only thank you for giving me some." Historia told her, smiling a little as she pulled down her goggles over her eyes again. Historia kind of wondered what kind of life Miss Mysaren had lead up till now for her to tell her that...

"Looking to sell some things huh..." Historia continued, not dwelling on those thoughts for long. "Hmmm...Well, I've gotten to know a few merchants a little in town by doing a few delivers for them. Perhaps I could introduce you to them if that might help?" Historia suggested. She paused when Miss Claire spoke up though, surprised that Miss Claire was willing to give the name of her place of origin. Historia would try to find some information about Akontosh later. She gave Miss Claire a smile, though Historia wasn't sure if Miss Claire saw that as she was keeping her eyes on her plate.

Historia also wanted to ask what Miss Claire was looking for, because perhaps she could help, but with the advice they just gave her, and the fact that Miss Claire didn't say what it was, even though she had the chance to, it was clear that she didn't feel like talking about it.

"Perhaps I could show the two of you around a little? At least the commerce areas, since they're the ones I'm most familiar with at the moment. I mean, I'm not an expert of this city yet, but it would certainly be nice to walk with others." Historia told them with a smile. She had started walking more since she left home. Mostly because the skies were lonely with so few races haveing the ability to fly around.

Historia let out a small laugh, "Oh dear, I just realized that you two are probably going to tell me I shouldn't go walking around with strangers now huh?"

[Assistant]
Naida Marcoon
Blue Moon Tavern

Sess grabs her by her arm and yanks her out the door, heading toward the man that she had seen out the window earlier. She hears him yell to Bernard before they rush out the door. He is grabbing her wrist, to which Naida flushes. Normally Sess has a tendency not to touch people. Honestly, this was the first time that she had ever seen him do it. He drags her outside and stops in front of the man and... Kat. Naida frowns when she remembers that the she-demon was actually talking to the knight. Sess bows and introduces himself to the knight man before introducing her. Putting aside her feelings of slight rage and loathing toward Kat, she smiles at the knight.

"Anything anyone needs at the bar, they come to me," Naida says with a big smile on her face. "So where you from, knight-boy? I haven't seen you around these parts before." Since Kat is here, Naida has lost a lot of her happy energy that she used to have in the bar. Now, her silvery wings flutter nervously, going faster than her mouth had been in the bar. She grips Sess's wrist, anchoring herself to the ground through him. She knew that if she let go, she would probably wind up hovering a few yards off the ground and she did not need that right now. She tries not to grip onto his arm too hard, but she can't help that her fingernails dig into his skin slightly.

[User]
Viggo would have ignored his chastisement from Naida, continuing on with the song until its due finish. As Viggo hits the last strum of his strings, he raises his head, sweating and thoroughly worked from his playing. With his guitar still resting at his hip he notes the additional coins in his pail, grinning happily as he grabs a small cloth and wipes beads of perspiration from his brow. Walking back to the bar he takes a bottle of beer out of his "other bucket", promptly uncapping it and drinking the contents. Now a little more than tipsy, he shoots a cursory glare at Naida, moving to give her a piece of his mind on the use of magic in his playing, though before he can take a first step she's led outside by Sess.

He blows a strand of hair from his face, and loops it behind his ear, sighing in exasperation. Viggo places his fingers on the neck of his guitar, absently tapping notes without making much noise. He soon begins to walk around while practising quietly, scanning the crowd for anyone he might be able to serenade a few coins out of.

[Assistant]
Margaret was about to say something when the charm lit up again as the hair-for-brains decided it was a good time to terrorize her hungover hearing. She felt the charm actually heat up - It might be a permanent enchantment, but the trade was that it could only absorb and neutralize limited amount of magic in the given time. Just like her liver and alcohol. "Would somebody drag this circus reject out of here? My ears are going to bleed! I swear every time this individuum makes an appearance I lose a bit of my will to live!" she shout-whispered her complaint.

Her anger vented somewhat, she turned back to the mage who inquired of her skill. "Oh, quite a few years. Under various masters and from various sources. I suppose that's the defining quality of witchcraft - learning on your own and largely by doing." she shrugged at Tahira's question. "It is more reliant on resources than the magic itself, which can make it rather costly at times though." She really hoped some well paying jobs would pop up soon.

Speaking of which, the ogre approached their table. Apparently it... he... didn't know the written word. "That's the menu." she answered for the other whens he got a glimpse of the paper he was holding.


[System]
but with a yellow tie
Super Name: Anarchy

Powers: He believes his powers are centered around his desire for freedom. As such, they are all tools with which he can either remove restrictions or defend against restrictions.

 Amplification: Suppresses the limits on a person's powers or physical body, amplifying them. The more he amplifies a person's powers the faster it tires them and the more it physically harms them. He is able to suppress the negative effects in himself quite a bit, allowing him to safely amplify his own abilities far more than he could safely amplify another person's. If use on someone with dormant powers, it will let them access their powers, allowing him to give potential meta-humans powers.

 Telepathy: Little more than Empathy unless amplified, he can feel another person's fears, concerns, and pain. If amplified he can speak telepathically, and if they allow it, can view another person's memories, though he can't alter memories or force his way into minds.

 Telekinesis: He can shield himself from attacks, either with a skin-tight or a bubble shield, and can lift objects, whether touching them or not. He can also fly. If not amplified it is limited to a few hundred kilos of strength and a flight speed of 100kph. If amplified he can lift up to 100 tonnes and fly at up to mach 10.

 Technopathy: He recently discovered that if he amplified his powers he could break electronic and computer based encryption and security. He is unable to access the files directly with this power, but he can break into them and download them or view them on the machine itself.

Technology: Railgun pistol, Nanotube Armor body suit, wrist computer

Acquaintances: Kevin Kirk (friend)

Personality: He wants to help people be free. What you do with your freedom is up to you, as long as you don't use it to hurt anyone.

Bio: As a child he was treated terribly but his drug addict parents, who rarely fed him but kept him at home to make him work constantly. When he was twelve he was locked in his home, desperate to get out, when the lock on the door broke and he ran away. He spent the next six years on the run, believing that the cops would lock him up if they caught him. While on the run, he learned to read and eventually learned enough to get his GED. He now realizes that he must have been boosting his intelligence with his powers, which would explain the headaches he kept getting. He also learned to use his powers and use them to his advantage.

He got a job working construction, using his powers to secretly help himself, while taking classes online. Eventually he learned enough about technology, chemistry, and biology to start inventing things and selling the patents. He used the money to start Phoenix Security Services and, as they were one of the few security companies that had the technology to take on super villains, they began guarding research facilities. This included research facilities belonging to Lexcorp, Wayne Enterprises, Star Labs, and others.

About two year ago he discovered that he could break computer security with his powers while investigating a stolen shipment of Lexcorp particle rifles. He found that the theft was ordered by a Us General Wade Eiling for use at a secret government facility in South America, and went there under the guise of a hero to get the shipment back. During the resulting battle, however, the base was destroyed and, when he told the press why he went there, they chose to say he was a terrorist. This got the Justice league involved and he had no choice but to side with the Legion of Doom for his own safety. He convinced them to follow him on the grounds that he would help them destroy the Justice League by amplifying them and their powers and, one year ago today they had their greatest battle ever.

During this battle one hero did die, Superman, when Lex Luthor ran a Kryptonite blade through his heart. Anarchy flew off with the body to see if the Ultrahumanite could save his life, but the man of steel died on the operating table. They cremated him, after taking scans and cell samples to verify that he was completely dead and not just in another healing trance, and Anarchy returned the ashes to Metropolis, where he commissioned a statue for the fallen hero.

After that he built up his Security force, hiring ex heroes and villains, as well as ordinary people, and set to work stabilizing the world by being a kind of police force that specialized in super villains. He hired Kevin Kirk about three weeks after the great battle, and the man became one of his best friends and his advisor.

[User]
As he made the leap, Arsenal could hear sounds behind him. Had to be Anarchy, he was the only one in that room with actual powers, and that meant that Patterson was pursuing him personally. Not the best scenario in the world, especially since Light was directly below which likely meant that John was still somewhere nearby. Even against Anarchy alone, Roy's chances were slim at best, but they at least were still there. Against the combined efforts of Anarchy, Green Lantern, and even Batman and Green Arrow should the two decide to get involved? Those chances instantly went from slim to more or less negative.

Roy silently cursed his rotten luck, but he wouldn't let that drag him down. He managed to twist his body around in midair so that he was looking up at the pursuing Anarchy and aimed another arrow at him, "Trick or treat you son-of-a-bitch!" he shouted, letting the projectile fly. This arrow was... special. Arsenal knew full well that Anarchy could stop or deflect a normal arrow, so he cooked up something a little special. This specific arrow was not only rigged with explosive C4, it also had a micro-sized timer for a detonator that would ensure the arrow would explode shortly after being shot out. If Roy calculated the timing correctly, the arrow should theoretically blow up in Anarchy's face too soon before he could catch it or deflect it with his telekinesis. His armor would probably still protect him, but Roy would take even the smallest advantage he could get if it meant getting himself and Light out of here alive.

Speaking of Light, Roy crash landed onto her roughly two or three split seconds after releasing the exploding arrow on Anarchy. Hell, the only reason he even took the shot midair like that was because he managed to notice Light preparing to catch him beforehand. The landing itself was... rough to say the least, but Roy was more or less unscathed and able to stand back up nonetheless, "Come on! He won't be slowed down for long!" even as he spoke, Roy threw down a pair of smoke bombs to hide them from enemy vision and wasted no time in yanking the cartoony girl to her feet and make a hasty retreat to a manhole nearby. If they could get underground before being spotted then they would still have a chance to lose them.

[Assistant]
Anarchy instinctively covered his face from the explosion, and when the smoke cleared looked down to see a cloud of smoke on the sidewalk in front of his office. The Lantern flew over. "I cleared civilians from the danger zone." Wind blew the smoke away and they saw that the two attackers were gone. "I take it they went down the sewers?"

"Unless they can teleport." Anarchy responded, then tapped a button on his wrist computer. "Boomerang, get your lazy ass out here, and bring one of those tracker-bots we bought from Dr. Ivo." Less than a minute later six men in armor, the lead one wearing a belt with boomerangs on it, came out followed by a rough robotic approximation of a German Shepherd. It's skin was made of a titanium mesh and any hair it had was part of a system designed to detect air currents. Anarchy motioned land and motioned to the manhole cover. "I was just attacked. I believe the attackers went through there."

Boomerang motioned to the dog and it sniffed around, and the Australian ex-villain got an update on his wrist-comp. "Someone went down there less than five minutes ago. He's only picking up one scent, though."

"Strange." said Anarchy. "We'll figure out why after you bring them back. And try to bring them back in one piece." he said, referring to the last time he was attacked and Boomerang accidentally cut the man's arm off.

"Yes, sir." he said military style, then, after saluting, ordered his men to open the cover so they could follow.

Anarchy and the Lantern flew back to the office and saw the last of the team drop into the sewers, taking the fake dog with them. "Sorry about that. No idea who that was." said Anarchy, looking more at the clock than his guests. "We'll have to make this quick, as I'm due home in just over two hours." The men nodded. Mark looked at the former archer. "So, Ollie, what have your architects come up with?"

[User]
Being a toon really had its ups and downs. Somedays you weren't sure if the person you tried to catch would land in your arms or flatten you. This time though Arsenal, while uninjured from his fall, did manage to squish Light to a pancake as she caught him. He was nice enough though to pick her up after laying down a smokescreen cover, dragging her currently paper thin body down into the nearby sewers.

"So, why'd ya abort there?" Light said to Arsenal, the two making their way through the sewer system, Light still being carried by him as she blew herself back up to normal, Arsenal dropping her onto her feet when she suddenly gained a few kilos. Keeping pace with the red archer as he guided them through the sewers, she thought to herself a bit. "Wonder how badly they're chasing us right now. We did both just use a few explosives on the big bad's HQ" she said, giving him a toothy grin.

[Assistant]
Two hours later Mark Patterson shook hands with his business colleges. "Well I guess that's about it for the planning phase. They started construction on the guard buildings yesterday, so we'll need to finish this up some time in the next week so they can start on the main building."

"We'll work out the details and get something to you by Thursday." said Bruce. "Now with that out of the way, are you two coming to the memorial tomorrow? I'm giving the speech for the Superman day service in Metropolis."

"I'll definitely be there." said Oliver. He looked at Mark. "You?"

"Well, Tara was wanting to go, but I don't think everyone would be too happy if I showed up. I'll watch it on tv, though, and contact Lois personally."

Wayne nodded. "In that case, I'll be going."

"Need to use the Ztube?" Mark asked. All Pheonix Security Services offices were equipped with private zeta tubes so that they could move personnel around easily.

"No, I drove the Lambroguini." he responded. "After all, it's only a few miles."

"Well, I'll need to use it." said Queen, "At least If I want to get home before this time tomorrow."

"I'll show you the way." Mark said. "I already added the two of you to it, though, so if you need to come back here you won't need to use public transport or some other tube in the city." They left the office and, when Queen and Patterson reached the Z tube they met Kevin who had just arrived.

"Sorry it took so long, sir. I had to stand in line. Apparently they really were one of the most popular places in Tokyo."

"Thank you." Mark said, taking the bags. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"I've got the day off tomorrow. I'm helping Lois set up for tomorrow night's service."

Mark nodded. "I guess it really has been a long day. I should ha e remembered that." He said goodbye, the motioned for the guard to open up the gate for Oliver back to Star City.

The gate scanned the former archer. "Recogized. Oliver Queen." it said in a feminine robotic voice. Oliver stepped through and it shut down. Mark motioned to the guard again and again the z tube spoke. "Recognized. Mark Patterson."

He stepped through and arrived at Wayne Enterprises lunar resort, formerly known as the Watchtower, but now redesigned with apartments for the rich and the station's crew. Wayne had also added a tourist area with it's own public Z tube for those that wanted to visit. This part of the resort, however, was sectioned off from the tourist area with security scanners. They used the same scanning algorithm as the z tube he just used, the original one from when the Justice League used this place. In fact, it was wondered that every former Justice League and Teen Titan member was still authorized to use it.

After the tube announced his arrival, he waved to the guard and made his way to the apartment he shared with his girlfriend, Tara Markov, a moderately sized apartment with a perminant earthrise out the window.


[System]
Gender: Female
Age: 18

Appearance:
Without looking closely or regarding her hair or face, Kyang's state of dress would suggest that she is a young man. Her build, though slighter than an average soldier, holds strength and skill to hold her own in a fight. Her clothing reflects this intent. She wears a coat of metal scales that covers her body and arms, over a long, vibrant blue robe. Grey foot wrappings and sandals cover her feet and a plumed, hide and steel skullcap with leather skirts that cover the neck sits under her arm wherever she is out of a fight. On her back is a knapsack with a few mementos and up her sleeve is a dagger, but her most precious personal item is the Chu family's polearm, the Dragon Ship Tiller - a glaive with a broad reclining blade, a circular hilt, and a tassel. The base of the blade depicts the head of a boar in bronze.

Kyang's grey eyes tend to glint with what could either be daring madness or simply knowing something that others do not.
Can Manipulate Qi/Ki?: Nope.

Abilities (if any):
Combat Training: Much to the chagrin of her family, Kyang practices her martial arts forms regularly. The original rationale was 'self-defence', but it has since grown to the point where mere muggers or kidnappers are the least of her worries. Her hand-to-hand and knife fighting techniques are rudimentary, while her real skill lies in polearm techniques.

Historical and Military Knowledge: Kyang idolises her great grandfather, the renowned general Chu Chihun. She has not only poured over the historical documents that made up his career, but has expanded her voracious reading to military doctrine and the international histories of Kanami in general.

Unflappable Cunning: It is difficult enough to surprise Kyang, but if she shows any fear at all, she is almost inhuman in her ability to obscure it. She is instead resourceful and tries to plan on her feet in clever ways.
Personality:
Kyang tends to be blunt and vocal about most things, but could not be described as prideful or impatient. Arrogant, maybe, but she likes to deliberately get a rise out of those who act serious in particular. That said, she is not this way out of ignorance for common decency, she just prefers open honesty rather than unnecessary subtext.

The two things that frustrate her the most are people who overcomplicate things and those that doubt her abilities. She is fiercely independent after travelling for so long and is insulted by people who presume to do things for her. This, in turn, makes it difficult to admit that she needs help when such occasions arise.

Despite her banter or her gripes, Kyang is a loyal friend and an encouraging presence. Her loud, confident, and direct nature lends a sort of courage in the face of adversity. As well, her quick plans, whether they are sound or not, give an aura of certainty about her.
History:
In the last war of significant scale taken part in by Daeyang-Gug, few versed in its history could pass over the exploits of the legendary general Chu Chihun. On record for winning countless battles, breaking daunting sieges, and commanding the defence of a city against a force twelve times his garrison's number and still achieving victory. His name became immortal and his family was well rewarded.

Three generations later, the Chu family's military legacy has changed forms. Their calling has instead been edged into the realms of politics to remain relevant the prevailing peacetime. The current head of the house is indeed still relevant, being a high ranking governmental official and only two degrees of separation from the king. The family's youngest adult daughter, however, was never a flatterer.

Kyang grew up in a stifling, cloistered childhood amongst her family. The only friends she could have were delicate flowers of young girls, brought to tears by the mildest of chilly winds. She grew up with her family's intention to marry her off and slot her into the role of a lady of the house. Unfortunately, Kyang was more interested in watching the guard drills in the courtyard than learning to pour tea. She liked their dances more than any others. With not much to do but study and practice etiquette, Kyang spend her free time reading, eventually becoming entranced by the stories of her great grandfather.

Age granted Kyang more freedoms, but she was still tied to the family. Whenever she could, she slinked away to find libraries of friends' houses or kingdom records for more material to worm through, she found herself a tutor to teach 'self-defence', and she would disguise herself and train with the household guard at times. Their cameraderie and blunt nature rubbed off on her. By the time she approached her adulthood, she could never resemble the noble lady that her family needed her to be.

It wasn't even Kyang's eighteenth birthday before she was informed that she would marry a man she had never met. While living with the conveniences of her family was manageable, Kyang knew that she would have fewer freedoms and more responsibilities in matrimony. She knew she had to leave without notice.

What was to be a birthday feast in Kyang's honour found her absent. She had taken the family glaive (disused for decades by this point), a guard uniform, a fistful of coin, and a few personal items, and then disappeared in broad daylight. No one spotted her leaving and no one searching found her since.

Kyang's plan was to head to Mingdu and assume a new identity. If she could, she wanted to become a librarian, or translator, or a scribe, or something similar. If all else failed, she supposed that she could become a nun. Her primary objective was to avoid the stifling and stilted lifestyle she left behind, instead gaining more independence.

There was no chance of Kyang getting a career in the military, which was what she really wanted. She considered trying to cross-dress her way into an army, but she didn't believe it would work like that one tragic story from Yunshou about the girl who took his sick father's place in the draft.

She reached Mingdu within the year, for better or for worse.
Other:
Legends suggest that Dragon Ship Tiller, the Chu family glaive that Kyang carries, holds the soul of a powerful patron creature or ancestor. While it is an exquisite weapon in and of itself, there does not appear to be any outward power imparted by it. However, more than one historical source has attributed General Chu Chihun's tactical prowess to the powers of the glaive, which may explain Kyang's quick thinking.

[User]
After an intense minute of deliberate easing of the arrow from his shoulder, Liu let out a huge sigh of relief as it finally came out. No poison, it seemed; usually, the blood around the arrow would be dyed black or something if that was the case. Throwing the arrow to the ground, the young hunter took up a meditative position against the tree trunk and, after tearing off a strip of cloth from his clothes, bound the wound to prevent it from bleeding out any further. With that out of the way, he took a deep breath and began to actually meditate. He was still aware of his surroundings, but this measure, as he had found in the past, would ease the pain for the moment.

---

The bandit facing off against Torako stood there silently, his face unmoving as he held his weapon at the ready. What good were the words of a child, after all? The two were in completely different positions of power, and he certainly would have no trouble--!
Kyang's battle cry shocked the man out of his thoughts as he turned around, only to see a giant axe coming straight for his face. Barely raising his sword in time, the bandit deflected the weapon to the side before rolling away from both parties.

"Backup, huh? Well, if that's two of you here and one back there..."
A sickening smiled curled up the man's face his eyes gleaming with bloodlust.
"I think I might actually have some fun today~!"

---

A sudden gust of wind blew around Dai Xin as the men closed in around him, and though it did not bring any stop to the bandits' weapons, it certainly heralded something a bit more... Malicious.

"Oh? What have we here?" came a voice from the shadows. Casually landing on a branch right in front of the red-headed martial artist, a pair of grizzled men--fighters looking to be in their late twenties, both draped in tattoos--stared straight at their new opponent.

"You know, the boss might not be happy we lost so many today," the one on Xin's left remarked, his fists covered by spiked knuckles and leather gloves. "Wasn't this meant to be a hit-and-run operation? One of our spies told us that--"

"You know how this usually goes," the other responded, a pair of katars strapped onto his arms. "We send the recruits to deal with the small fries, and we avoid the big fish. Seems they caught on, though."

"Oh, that's not very convenient. Well, the boss will kill us if we don't catch the ones responsible, so I guess we'd best get to work."
"Yeah. Chiu blew the whistle, after all."

The duo's lack of respect was, clearly enough, one based in overconfidence. After all, they had been the undisputed 'arms' of the group, so to speak; nobody had needed them yet...
And for good reason.

[Assistant]
The broad side of an axe met a firm palm that pushed ever so slightly, guiding it just off the angle of attack. The elbow of the opposite arm came around as Dai Xin slid into extreme close quarters, and the man's jaw was shattered, his teeth flying as the sheer force tore skin from his cheek.

"Twenty Five Basic Movements--Elbow Strike."

The sliding, spinning motion continued, placing the bandit between himself and a sword blade. Then he let go as steel sank into flesh, and turned his wrist. Explosive power over just a few inches was augmented by focused Qi--it left every other channel and instead traveled to the tendons of the forearm to control that rotation, then the tricep as his hand came down.

"--Knife Edge Palm--"

A collarbone didn't just break, it collapsed, shards of bone puncturing the neck as the man screamed. Dai Xin let his torso bend slightly with the downward force, enough that he could raise his leg and thrust straight backwards without losing balance. A raised sword dropped as the impact went through the gut, rupturing organs before the spine barely stopped it.

"--Reverse Hammer Kick--"

Dai Xin pulled his leg back and stood up straight, looking ahead then turning his gaze over one shoulder. His arms reached out to intercept the wrist and elbow, stopping the club's path, while the same leg he'd kicked with earlier shot out again.

"--Side Hammer Kick--"

Another attacker took the kick in the throat, and surprisingly he did not die immediately, as Dai Xin had to spend too much power blocking the attack while balanced on only one leg. But with his windpipe spasming and enough force to knock him to the ground, the bandit wouldn't be a threat for the moment. Dai Xin twisted his body as he brought his leg back, so that he could drag the man with the club forward and bury his knee in the foe's groin.

"--Battering Knee Strike--"

Something burst. Two somethings. A high pitched, keening scream could be heard for quite a distance. Then another punch silenced it.

Two turned and began trying to run. A red demon loomed behind them, claws reaching out and snagging them by the scruffs of their shirts. He didn't have to use a vice grip or a yank of the arms. He just let their own momentum reach its end, and as they found themselves jerked backwards like a dog jumping at its chain, their feet left the ground. Now Dai Xin did put force into it, slamming them against the earth hard enough to shatter bone and crack stone.

He straightened, shaking drops of blood from his hands. Then he turned to the two who stood watching. His exchange with their underlings had taken about as long as their own verbal one.

"Ah. Then these bandits were indeed part of something larger." he said simply. "Good. I was not satisfied with my match with Five Wheel Striking Style."

He took up his stance, and the cold gust of wind grew warmer as translucent power began to waft around his body.

"This one is Dai Xin, of the Fist of the Sky, pupil of Grandmaster Wu Ji. Be grateful I respect your strength enough to name myself honorably, though you are naught but dogs in the guise of men."


[System]
Age: Unknown; looks to be in her mid-late teens
Gender: Female
Appearance: ...Hello.
World of Origin: Touhou Project
Personality: Satori is a shy, introverted youkai who oft prefers to stay out of the ever-critical eye of the public. Though willing to open up more to others, the act is usually one of necessity than out of choice. She also often fails to show emotion, a byproduct of the way she grew up, and as such is quite hard to read. Furthermore, she is passive by nature; Satori will never willingly initiate a fight, instead only retaliating when necessary. Her preference towards more peaceful resolutions is difficult to achieve, however, due to how she... Creeps people out in general. She has a habit of parroting people's thoughts back at them when they annoy her, however, which... may or may not have further cemented her image of being feared and hated. Mannerisms while irritated aside, Satori is fully polite to any and all guests to her mansion...
Who aren't kleptomaniacs or trying to attack her. Or both.
History: Having lived in the Palace of the Earth Spirits all her life, Satori was feared and hated by the youkai who lived in Former Hell because of her abilities as a mind reader. She and her sister, Koishi, lived withing the confines of the mansion, surrounded by pets--the only creatures that would do so, simply because the two sisters were the only ones who could understand them all. Day after day, year after year passed, and eventually Koishi decided to try and escape the suffering by closing her own third eye--an action that would forever seal away her conscious mind and allow her to live life without a care in the world.
Satori, on the other hand, had chosen to persevere; living alone (with her pets) in the palace, became more withdrawn from the world. No other being would come near her anyhow, which only further enforced her actions.
That is, of course, until Reimu and Marisa entered the picture. These two, determined to resolve an 'incident' that originated in the underground, barged into Satori's mansion and, after causing a general ruckus (including Marisa trying to pilfer everything she saw and Reimu blowing half the place up), fought the owner of the mansion. Satori herself was defeated, and though she herself did not know the cause of the incident, directed the two to the Hell of Blazing Fires, where her pet Rin worked.
The incident was resolved soon there after, and Satori was (more or less) forced to come out of her shell courtesy of the two that barged into her home in the first place. Though she still prefers to abstain from interacting with others, the incident has slowly forced Satori to interact with others and become more open.
Abilities: Satori is, well, a satori; a youkai able to read the minds of others and, to a lesser extent, their memories. This ability is manifested within her 'third eye,' which is exactly as it sounds: a third eye, bound by red threads to her body. The nature of her ability, though, means that Satori is never able to not hear other people's thoughts, barring any sufficiently strong mental barrier being in her way. She has since been able to tune things out (for the most part), but with enough people, the voices become akin to a cacophony in her head, endlessly blaring away. Otherwise, it's essentially just a lot of noise; unless she is alone with another person, their thoughts cannot be probed easily, if at all; picking out a single target and focusing in on that target takes a large amount of concentration and does not always succeed.
Another aspect of this ability, though, is to probe into a person's memories in order to find things she may require. Such actions take a VERY long time under most circumstances, however, and in the midst of combat the most she can really do dart around and try to find whatever her opponent's had the most trouble with in the past and use it against them.
As is standard for Gensokyo residents, Satori is a user of the spellcard rules and, as a result, uses danmaku to fight; she can also fly for a period of time, though she would much prefer not to, if at all. Her physical capabilities are passable otherwise, being neither weak nor strong even with how she spent her life with the palace itself.
Other: Prefers black tea to green tea.

[User]
Tachibana Hibiki, Holding Determination in her Fist

That was true... and Hibiki realized that she kept forgetting that Miku could defend herself now, with a small pang of guilt at her absentmindedness. But there wasn't much time to contemplate this, as moments later they seemed to run right into the tail end of some kind of conflict. Hibiki moved ahead first, because, well... it was hard to let old habits die, even if Miku could defend herself now. When the two girls arrived, all she saw was a man in armor, wielding a huge sword that reminded the girl somewhat of Tsubasa. He seemed pretty intimidating, but he could talk, right? That meant that they could understand one another. When Miku pointed out that they needed to find a way out, Hibiki stepped forward.

"We don't really know how we got here," she began, "But if you knew how to get out, it'd be really helpful."

Hibiki paused for a moment. Maybe she should introduce herself, too! That could only help.

"And... my name is Tachibana Hibiki!"

[Assistant]
----------------------------------------------------------
The 13th Hierarchical City of Kagutsuchi - Hanging Gardens
----------------------------------------------------------

Alex watched, with slight amusement, his two allies attempt to bring the rampaging woman to heel. However, the woman fired magical blades she materialized out of thin air at the two fighters, some of them hitting Kagura in the limbs. The virus noticed there was little attention being paid to him and figured it was the time to strike. He was not exactly hiding so saying he had the element of surprise was a little inaccurate.

The Blacklight virus leapt into the air and over at the woman's position before lunging himself downward in breakneck speed. Alex aimed his landing just near to the woman as Kagura said they should not kill her. With his heavy mass and the high speeds, the virus' landing should create a shockwave to knock the woman away and disorient her. If she evaded though, at least she would be distracted for the others to get her.

[User]
Hellsalem's Lot - Shotaro and Philip

"The usual, Philip?" Shotaro asked his partner. The young man seemed to be pondering the menu for a bit, considering some kind of changeup to the norm before merely shaking his head.

"Just the usual." Philip stated and moved from Shotaro's side to let him order for him. Rather than stand aside with Satori, however, he went to Saber's side to eye the confections along with her. He wasn't actually interested in eating anything right now, but he felt the need to point out Saber's appearance before they went any further. "Not to interrupt your decision, but is your armor necessary for our mission right now?" he asked, "I don't know if if you can change out of it without issue, but it helps us stick out like a sore thumb."

On Shotaro's side he just gave his order as "Two large coffees. One black, one with cream. Half and half." He paused for a moment and then asked, "Do you need me to pay up front? I'm paying for a group.

[Assistant]
So it appeared that they understood. That was a good sign. Mithias seemed to relax slightly as Goldibanne put away her magic, yet he watched her with cautious suspicion. Her tone of voice, her continual reminders of how powerful she and her allies were, was a red flag to the often misjudged vampire. Prideful and arrogant, she appeared to be very comfortable with having the upper hand and expected to be untouchable. She was a being that had probably never known suffering or fear in all her life, and like so many of the oldblood vampires from Mithias' home world, power had made her haughty and coldhearted. It was she who would be the danger to the group. She would be the one most likely to abandon the others and turn tail when the going got rough. After an accusatory moment, Mithias dropped his judgemental glare and listened to Artorius.

Clipping his swords to holsters on his hips, Mithias returned to a casual stance. He bowed, introducing himself. "I am Mithias. I mean you no harm, and I will help you find these 'terrorists.'" He gave no answer to what he was, but left it as either obvious or oblivious, depending on who was wondering. He blinked at Claire out of the corner of his eye. She was still watching him. Yet he continued, not certain if they were going to talk out here or allow him to enter within. "Please tell me more."

[User]
Orient Town

"Waaaaaaaaaa, I feel like a certain action movie star that comes from China!" Tailred was not having the time of her life at the moment, if only because an angry catgirl with very sharp claws were trying to cut her up. Thankfully she had armor on her body, but what if the claws had hit her hair?! What then?! Attempting to catch the blows with her body and gauntlets while wildly shifting her head to and fro was only making her feel more hurt and tired, especially with how wild the girl was being at the moment. Huffing and puffing while guarding her sides that were aching something furiously, Tailred's eyes were bleary and the girl herself was wondering if she should just take the hits to get the catgirl to go away. All of a sudden though, a certain event had occurred that caused the diminutive warrior to suddenly ignite with a fierce fighting spirit. And fire. Lots of fire. In the air, few strands of red hair were fluttering in the updraft, severed by sharp claws... "No. One. Damages. My. TWINTAILS!" Grabbing two somewhat intact tables in each hands, the now thoroughly reinvigorated Tailred slammed them towards each other to try to sandwich Taokaka in between the wooden furniture.

[Assistant]
Akuma, Supreme Master of the Fist
- 13th Hierarchical City of Kagutsuchi

The swordsman's assistance proved to be a boon, as he divided the attention of their opponent. While this allowed the warrior's kick to find its mark, the potential for a follow-up was hindered by one minor complication: the opponent's shield had opened, releasing a flurry of knives. Now, a normal warrior would take evasive action, re-position, and seek out an alternate avenue of attack. Akuma, neither a normal warrior nor a normal man, took the shortest available path.

Akuma tightened his stance, entering a meditative state. After a moment of focus, the warrior's crimson aura flared into existence once more.

"Messatsu!"

The martial artist cupped his hands and thrust them forward, loosing a fiery orb of force. Much unlike the one used against the puppeteer, however, this one possessed superior speed, size, and strength. Against this embodiment of raw might, what could a swarm of mere knives hope to do? Or at least, that was how Akuma viewed it.


[System]
Ryan Jäger
Age: 27
Gender: Male
Nationality: Harmonian
Text Color: This is his text color.
Rank: Lieutenant
Height: 5'8"
Weight: 185 lb
Physical description:
Fair skin
Short blond hair
Green eyes
Scruffy beard

Titan: Legion-class, Lima India-2686 (Li (lie) for short)

Load-out
R-97: Extra Ammo, Speedloader, HCOG Ranger
Charge Rifle: Charge Hack
Hammond P2016: Extra Ammo, Gunrunner
Arc Grenade
Grapple Hook
Booster: Amped Weapons

Personality/Attitude: Charming, heroic, quick to anger
Skills/Talents: Pilot training,
Favourites/Likes: LI-2686, parkour, knifing various things, sandwiches
Most Hated/Dislikes: IMC, enemy Titans, getting rodeoed, stubbing his toe (hate that!)
Goals/Ambitions: To climb the ranks of the SRS, win the freedom of the Frontier
Strengths: Decent marksman, rodeos very reliably
Weaknesses: Anger can blind him and make him make mistakes, endangering himself and others
Fears: Losing to the IMC
Hobbies/Interests: Running the Glitch Gauntlet
(Note: has a sister named Rachel, who is also in the SRS)

[User]
Alms walked through the ship. The calls for Titanfall had come and he had been forced to wrap up his work. Running now, Alms made his way to the hangars. Quickly he passed Severence and her Titan. Of course, due to some freak accident of misfortune, his titan was right next to hers. Madrys stood, silent and solemn. Her cockpit was still closed as the onboard mechanics knew that Alms would kill them if they opened up his Titan.

"Time to fall, Madrys." A soft, mechanical voice escaped from the speakers in Alms' throat. Pulling up her computer, Alms began to open the behemoth up. A set of stairs were placed at the perfect distance from her pit. Climbing up them, Alms' steel footsteps echoed throughout the hangar. His BRD-01 form manuevered its way into Madrys' controls. Getting comfortable, ALms secured himself. Plugging his own cords into her control panel, Madrys became something of an extension of himself.

"Wake up and burn," Electric blue eyes sprung to life as Madrys stood to her full height, easily becoming one of the tallest Titans in the hangar. Her cockpit swung shut on Alms' body. Blue lights coming off of his LEDs, Alms turned on the comms.

"Severence, you hear me? Make sure that it is only you who is going down in that deathpit. I do not want a repeat of what happened a month ago." Letting his captain know of his grievances, Alms got in touch with the drop squad. "Hey, drop me off about a mile away from the conflict. You know me, I'll snipe and keep an eye on Severence." Alms quickly checked his armament. Madrys had her sniper rifle strapped to her back, a sword on her hip, and a dagger on her chest. Air was pushed out of Alms' throat as he leaned back. This was going to be fun.

[Assistant]
Locking and plugging in her mobile to a little slot she installed on the wall, she set a playlist to some nice instrumental music- the type used in movies when the heroes showed up for the final boss battle, for example. She flicked through the options, selected the favorite that she wanted to start off with, and set it to begin playing the moment she touched down.

 She low-keyed hated the pilots who were based in chassis similar to Reapers, though her feelings toward the person themselves were completely different. In Alms' case, she hated talking to him in person. "Roger that, Reaper-man. But you know what they say, Alms. A brawl a day keeps the IMC away- wise words to live by, in my book." The quote was actually straight from her book, so of course it'd be wise words for her.

 "Sniping's for the grandmothers, anyways, so you're well suited. I'll take them all on!" Her customary excitement/rage mix edged into her voice, jittery from pre-battle anxiety. Pounding the [READY] button to prep her Titanfall, she ran a mental scan over Lucy's systems. Nuclear reactor purring like a kitten, ammunition fully loaded and secured, sword locked onto its magnetic sheath on where his butt would be, if he were the Titan.

 The Titan dipped slightly as the clamps holding her readied her for Titanfall, and then gravity dropped away as the atmospheric drop heat-shields were locked onto the chassis, and fired explosively down at the planet.

[User]
James was already on the Titan deck as the call to arms sounded, working with the mechanics and MRVNs as they fine-tuned some last minute adjustments to Kilo November 7620, or just Kilo for short. As the ever-recognisable voice of Commander Briggs sounded over the tannoy, the pilot patted the shoulder of the lead engineer, and was answered with an affirmative nod as he and his team tightened up the last of the bolts and screws, securing all of the loose parts and plating into place. No words were spoken between the men and women around the war-machine, but a silent agreement was reached all the same.

As Captain James Praetor mounted his Titan, he looked to the other machines around the deck and those that piloted with them, the flesh and blood partners of the steel giants... and the Spectre with a Human mind. 'Exceptions of every rule, I guess'. He saw a wide range of Titan Chassises, most being Gen 2 like Jäger's and Severence's Legions and even a heavily modified Gen 1 Stryder that looked held together by duct tape and pure stubbornness. Kilo was among the few Gen 3, independently developed, Vanguard class Titans on board, one which was partnered with Commander Briggs herself. James shook his head, dispelling his musings as he sat back into Kilo's cockpit and sealed the hatch. He didn't bother partaking in any of the pre-drop chatter; he knew not everyone in that hangar was going to make it back alive, why waste the energy getting to know someone that could die on this rock and become another unremarkable statistic?

He tuned out Brigg's vague briefing as he checked over Kilo's systems for a final time, double-checking the Wingman Elite at his thigh and the Flatline stored at his side before verbally checking on his Titan.

"Kilo, System update."
"All Systems are operating at nominal effectiveness. I am ready for deployment at any time"
"Understood. That's what I like to hear... Standing by for Titanfall."

With Kilo's reassurance, James leaned back into his seat and tighten his grip on the controls as he waited for the sudden drop that was Titanfall. It came without warning, the sudden momentum and then weightlessness, followed by the jarring sensation of the contact with the ground. Shaking his head to clear the slight whiplash, he deftly manipulated the controls so that Kilo grasped his XO-16 Chaingun and readied it for combat. 'Once more unto the breach...'

[Assistant]
Alms' shoulders whirred as he leaned back. He had been promoted to Commander recently, which irked him. Alms had never intended to become a leader. He was merely a mechanic, always had been, always will be. However, the Frontier had decided differently. Madrys' console began to glow in a blue light as her voice spoke throughout Alms' circuits.

"Freddy! We gonna fall today? Where is it? Who is it?" Her questions went off rapid-fire. Madrys was like something of a child. Well, in actuality that was something of an understatement. To Alms, Madrys was his daughter. Not his true daughter, of course. She had died a long time ago.

"Calm down Madrys. We are falling today, on Hades. IMC, who else?" Alms quickly went through a manual systems scan. Checking the gauges that covered the inside of Madrys' cockpit, Alms gave her the go ahead. Turning his comms back on, Alms gave his men a quick briefing.

"Jager, you hear me?" Alms' mechanical voice flowed over the comms as he called out to one of the more promising Legion users. "Drop on the fringe, then push inwards. If a Ronin or Ion come up, you get out of the way. Understood?" Alms liked the young man, surprisingly, and didn't want to lose him to some crackpot IMC Titan.

"Severence, you're next." Turning his attention, Alms called out to his hotheaded second-in-command. "Don't be a fool. Fall on a titan, then get out of the way. Group up with Jager. Keep his back as he keeps yours. Do not," Alms took in a quick breath as he remembered what happened on their last drop. "Do not stay in the fray. We almost lost you then, and I don't want to go through that again."

Switching to his next soldier, Alms called out to Praetor. "Praetor. Drop behind Jager. I want you to cover him like a Legion until Severence regroups with you all. After she gets to Jager I want you to proceed with dash-and-hit tactics. Bounce back and forth between tearing through the enemies and being behind the two Legions. No heroics." Thankfully, Alms didn't have much to worry about with Praetor. The young man was cool-headed and calculatory. As such, Praetor usually followed orders, and when he didn't, better results usually came out from it.

"I will be dropping down about half a mile behind you. I will be close enough to provide melee assistance if needed, while far enough away to take advantage of my own skills." Alms shifted in his seat, a slight ringing sound broadcasted over the comms as he did so though. "Lastly, I don't know everything and I won't know about what is going on right in front of you three. If the situation changes and I don't give you direct orders, then react as you see fit. Severence, if this happens, then it's your job to get yourself, Jager, and Praetor out. Do not try and stay in the battle, retreat as soon as it becomes dangerous."

As soon as he finished talking, the call for Titanfall rang out. Immediately, the hangar bay underneath Madrys opened up. Then the fall began. Alms loved this feeling of weightlessness, and so did Madrys. The Titan was laughing as she fell down on Hades. Wake up and burn, Hades. Wake up and burn.

[User]
Severence clicked her tongue in annoyance. Get out of the way if it gets dangerous, she mimicked in her head, mockingly. Yeah, because combat wasn't normally all that dangerous. She respected the Spectre-Commander in several ways... but when it got dangerous, it'll only get worse if you start running. If Cooper can take out a couple dozen Titans out all on his own with that lighter chassis, then she can take out some of them on her own too.

 Re-entry rattled and shook the Titan, having been blasted from low orbit to the ground. Closing her eyes as they neared the drop, she whispered to herself.

 "Five... four... three... two..." As she was just about to mutter the last number, an ear-piercing screech and rolling boom thundered across the battlefield, the Legion having clipped a Tone-class Titan in the rear, setting off its reactor and self-destructing.

 Staggering to her feet, eyes open now, the red-painted Legion regained herself and unslung the belt-fed 15mm minigun. Normally it took high-capacity magazines, but she had gotten Alms to fix that. It was prone to malfunctioning if she took heavy damage, but she could always just steal another titan's weapon if that happened.

 Surveying the battlefield, she found that they were actually fighting on open ground next to a rather sudden cliff- and near her, a rock formation spiraling into the sky. Before hostile Titans could react to their presence and unleash hell, she turned and sprinted for it, a place to use as cover while her Gun Shield was offline.

[Assistant]
"Copy that, commander." He unslung his Predator Cannon and scanned the terrain, which proved to be free of enemy Titans or Pilots. He had some scuffles with some quickly dispatched infantry. "You ever wonder what happens to the family of IMC infantry? You think they give them free healthcare? Dental? A ten-thousand dollar compensation?" "That question has been asked to IMC P.O.W.s. They said that the IMC compensates the family with a check equal to all the pay the deceased has earned serving the IMC. Most of the time, the casualties are very new, and haven't made much pay, so the family doesn't receive more than two, maybe three thousand dollars. This is one of the reasons the Militia is better. We compensate with health insurance, dental, and free tuition to one of the several Militia-owned colleges on Harmony." "Okay, I get it. I wasn't going to switch sides, I was just curious, Jesus."

This conversation continued as Ryan kept moving toward the facility. "Pilot, enemy Titan detected to our left. Caution advised." Directly after that, Ryan started his Power Shot as he swung around, aimed in the general direction of "left", fired the shot, and emptied the magazine until he had reloaded three times. "Titan down. Excellent work, Jäger." "Was that sarcasm I heard?" He questioned as he exited the cockpit and cloaked. When he got to the Titan, he decloaked. "Liiiiii! We've been over this! When you find a Brute, just say "Brute detected"! You say caution advised for Ronins and Ions! You say it for Monarchs, not Brutes! We've been over this!" "Acknowledged. From now on, if the enemy is a Brute, I will say, "Brute detected."

They continued toward the factory, dispatching enemies as they came across them. As they did this, they would see flashes of red between constructs. As they came to a clearing, they saw it once more heading toward Alms and Madrys. "Commander Alms, confirm. Possible Titan headed toward your location. Be on guard, over." he radioed to his CO as the hatch opened. He took out his R-97 and held it up to his eye. The HCOG scope activated and zoomed in on his target. "Oh, shit! That's a Monarch! Alms, do you read me? There is a Monarch heading to your position with 115 kills! Repeat, a Monarch with 115 kills is heading to your position! I believe this is a very experienced Pilot! I am chasing but prepare to fight!"


[System]
Species: Human

Age: 28

Gender: Female

Appearance: Shorter than average, dark hair, somewhat sun-kissed skin from outdoor activity, and way less scars than one would've expect. Usually clad in mail hauberk adorned with pieces of banners from felled foes (or a pretty dress, at rarer occasion), and always with at least one weapon in her person.

Bio: When Yvonne was born she's the only child to the opulent but very much declining house Rosenving, it took less than two more decades of ridiculous parties and all-around bad financial management before it was driven to the verge of bankruptcy. Naturally there comes the talk of marriage upon which Yvonne, an oddball obsessed with distinctly unladylike things like driving the business end of a weapon into someone's soft flesh, all but absconded with her great-grandfather's blade. The rest of her life was spent in a wild ride of mercenary work and avoiding (more commonly, well, thoroughly violencing) the men hired by her family and/or her would-be fiance to bring her back. Her journey brought her all round the three kingdoms and more, even after her ancestral home collapsed and pursuers stopped coming.

Invited by promise of great reward and, among other thing, to try save the little henchman boy that used to follow her around (yes, that would be the prince), and the fact that she happen to be lurking around the border already, Yvonne stepped back toward the royal court of Kindeance once more.

Skillset: Well versed in outdoor survival, knack for murder and violence, oddly high spatial awareness, dancing, easily thrives in chaotic situation, very good at intimidation, weaves pretty dang well, and is proficient using common melee weapons. Personally prefers the mace despite her title.

Spells:
-Mansplitter (Self-buff. Gain inhuman strength for a very short period. The stronger the effect, the greater the backlash.)
-Warcry (AoE debuff. Inflict terror in a wide area. Greater effect on closer target, and greater effect on direction Yvonne is facing.)
-Bloodlust (Passive. Haste, pain tolerance, and resistance to mental effect. Starts off weak but ramps up as the fight goes on.)
-Resilience (Passive. Harder to injure, less affected by existing injuries, and heals a lot faster than normal at the cost of increased calorie usage.)

Equipment: Daily necessities (preserved rations, a tin pot, medical supply, knapping, change of clothes, etc), adorned mail hauberk, the sword her great-grandfather wielded that probably never saw use since then until it landed in her hands, a heavy flanged mace, a rondel dagger.

Other: Can be inserted to the plot any time it's convenient (or fun) to do so.

[User]
Henri exhaled. It should be noted that he really does not need to breathe, but this is exasperating. Sure took Matilda her sweet time to speak up. So these arrows are special after all? Additionally, where did that map come from?

 This guy... Had he not the initiative to show us that from the start?

 Henri at least felt a relief that Matilda looked steeled to pursue these footprints further and instead leaving Rorthgaard to these minions, but is everyone glossing over the fact that Cedrick mentioned about the escaped horses?

 Henri raised a hand. "Matilda. Let's split from here. Cedrick and I will track down the escaped horses." If it's as the man-bear says, he could talk to them and find out where they're stabled, and the horses might be saddled up with important items as well. This endeavor shouldn't be a problem with the both of them. Their speeds could easily outpace any horse.
 "Mind giving Cedrick something that carries your scent? Also," Henri taps Matilda's shoulder, casting Core Spreading on her shoulderplate. A streak of cyan lightning appears briefly on it. "I'll be able to hear you when you're nearby."

 A small pool of molten iron wells up from Henri's hand, preparing to drop them sparingly on the ground as breadcrumbs.

[Assistant]
Chōnan kept an eye on the demon fox until leaving on his range. He remain his position nearby Jazdia without being an obstacle on her. As the time running out, he decided to help Jazdia with the clues. He approached Yvonne and said. "Milady, I shall give you a hand." She paused for a while and nodded.

Her identity is familiar by him despite she doesn't know him back. Adventurer's Guild assassins spreaded rumors about her and also they had admiration with her work. Also, an exchange letter between him and the prince back then about being kept mention her name, possibly his childhood crush may say.

The hedge seems to be a good route for the victim to fled off from the assassin, maybe he can find something around under the range of the area that Miss Jazdia's mentioned. He removed his shoes and attached it on his sliding line of his bag. Finding some luck by using his sense of touch of his bare feet inside the grassy yard.

[User]
"I see, thank you for the information. It will surely help with documenting the events here. May your fallen comrades feast in the hall of the gods for all eternity." With those words Kaito finished up the interrogation of the young guard. The fox went on to talk to some of the other guards but they all gave similar answers for the ones that were around during the attack.

There were some points in the testimony from the guard that the kitsune found intriguing. First and foremost was the point that all guards seem to refer to the assailants as Mecheans and yet the official report never stated that fact. The kitsune assumed that the authors of the official report also questioned the guards on site and yet somehow omitted their testimony about the assailants being Mecheans from the report. Did the guards not share that information or was it kept out on purpose? A question that certainly needed to be answered.

There were some more details from the guard's testimony that did not match up with the report. The report never talked about any casualties among the guards, also the report explicitly stated that the king was around till the smoke went off and yet the guard mentioned that madame Mathilda immediately escorted the king back to the palace. Also the guard spoke about the assassins disappearing into thin air while the report mentioned them escaping in the crowds. There were too many discrepancies between the testimony of the guard and the official report that drew suspicion. Someone seemed to be lying.

After finishing up the questioning of the guards Kaito walked back to Jazdia. For a moment the kitsune played with the idea of calling her by a nickname again but decided that he had infuriated the elf enough already. Pushing her buttons a bit more would be asking for more trouble than he could handle. "Miss Yazdia, got a minute or are you busy?" Spoke the fox with the sweetest smile he could muster.

"Who wrote the official report? There are a lot of differences between what the guards told me and what was written down. It's pretty suspicious in my opinion. We might have to look into that a bit further." Spoke Kaito in a more serious tone. He paused a bit before he continued to speak. "The little pipsqueak guard over there had some interesting quotes about what the assassins shouted. Apparently one of them yelled death to the Marauder-king. Do you think that the Mecheans are blaming Fredericus for the shit his grandpa pulled? Or does the beloved king of Kindeance has some dark secrets?"

As Kaito was informing the elf on the further differences between the testimony of the guards and the guards he brought up one more subject. "The guard mentioned that someone shouted 'By the Blessing of the Ouroboros! We have reclaimed what is ours!' after the smoke went up and just before a blinding flash that made the last assassins disappear into thin air. It seems that the Black Serpant guild might be playing some role in this."

[Assistant]
"All right, move aside you two!"

Jazdia winced, trying to hide her frustration as she leaned forward and rustle the hedge. She didn't even use her power to find what they were supposed to be looking for.

Buried inside the hedgerows was a fletched shaft almost broken in two pieces. Its head telescoped inward, damaged to the point it was more like a piece of blunt metal, a sign of a heavy impact. Jazdia looked at the surrounding elevation and pictured where the archer was supposed to be. If the first archer was an amateur. The other one seemed to be more... professional?

"This arrow was fired from a full-sized long bow and gained full momentum before hitting Matilda's shield." mused the elf, muttering the conjecture to anyone who was willing to listen. "It could only be done with sufficient range. Was that from the rampart on the left side? Or the terrace near the mausoleum? One thing for sure though, It was not something you can shot in the crowd."

Before anyone could answer that, Kaito rejoined them.

"Miss Yazdia, got a minute or are you busy?"

Surprisingly Jazdia did not correct the mispronunciation of her name, something she usually took very seriously. "Not at all. What did they tell you?"

"Who wrote the official report? There are a lot of differences between what the guards told me and what was written down. It's pretty suspicious in my opinion. We might have to look into that a bit further." Spoke Kaito in a more serious tone. He paused a bit before he continued to speak. "The little pipsqueak guard over there had some interesting quotes about what the assassins shouted. Apparently one of them yelled death to the Marauder-king. Do you think that the Mecheans are blaming Fredericus for the shit his grandpa pulled? Or does the beloved king of Kindeance has some dark secrets?"

"Not as dark as those Tretagor monarchs during their heyday, but Kindeance was a militaristic country a century ago. The usual rape, pillage, and burn were one of their modus operandi. One hundred years was quite a long time for a country to change its ways, but not long enough to mend the scars, and sometimes it festers and I think that's how..."

After what seemed to be a full minute of troubling thoughts, she continued.

I don't know who wrote that. Could be Fredricus's spymaster. It was very common for a report to be written anonymously. Suspicious? Not really at the first glance since that kind of documentation usually redacts a number of crucial detail for political reasons." And that was why CSA was so good at their job, they didn't have to deal with such hogwashery on daily basis.

"Still though, if the missing details are in a very abnormal number, there might be a schemer." Jazdia chuckled. "Classic. But I don't think Fred was that stupid to let potential usurpers any closer to his neck. So, tell me the glaring differences you've found so far."

Kaito then explained about the casualties being redacted from the report, and Fredricus's involvement was somewhat embellished. The usual stuff. The part about Meche and the origin of those assailants was interesting, to say the least. So someone was trying to stir up the hearts of the people. For the better or for the worse.

"What else can you tell me?"

"The guard mentioned that someone shouted 'By the Blessing of the Ouroboros! We have reclaimed what is ours!' after the smoke went up and just before a blinding flash that made the last assassins disappear into thin air."

"Another omitted details huh..."

"Yes, It seems that the Black Serpant guild might be playing some role in this."

The theory that someone inside his circle was betraying him sounded even more plausible now. Jazdia approached the mausoleum, trying to see what secret it contained, but her eyes failed her.

"Warding runes?" he scoffed, finding it ironic how ancient runes, one of the subjects she despised so much during her college days was proven relevant to not only ward off evil spirits but also be able to repel her power. "I Guess Serensiel was evil after all."

So she diverted her attention around the space that was supposed to be the mausoleum's interior and found there was a passage down there, almost ruined and caved, but definitely still passable. Suddenly everything seemed to make more sense.

"After the failed attempt, they threw the smoke to cover their escape... or someone messed up and throw it prematurely, causing the other assassins to abandon their mission and retreat."

"So that was how they escaped. Pretty clever huh?"

She scanned again, this time around the twelve monuments. Whoever buried down there had been reduced to ashes, leaving empty stone caskets and other funerary goods. There was no hidden passage from any of those graves, so that left mausoleum as the prime access, and although she could not examine the interior, she concluded that the passage was linked to it somehow.

"Where did that tunnel lead to? Unfortunately, it was beyond the range of my empowered sight."
"How did they gain access to the catacombs? It was unimaginable to leave such an important building unlocked."
"Did they steal the key? No... Fredricus would have called a manhunt, secrecy be damned."


[System]
Code Name: Known as "Wraith" by Amestris.

Age: 21

Gender: Female

Appearance: Wraith is a rather shapely slim woman with a dancer's physique. Her face is oval-shaped and she has full lips and rather expressive eyelashes. She, like all Ishvalians, has red eyes and tan skin, and a mane of wavy black hair that goes past down her shoulder. She usually wears baggy trousers, a shirt and a sash, and she is also covered in a cloak and crude iron mask most of the time. She has a large scar in her belly and navel, which rendered her barren.

Rank: Rogue Ishvalan Alchemist

Personality: Wraith is ruthless and cynical, almost as if always in perpetual anger. She hates authorities, and State Alchemists above all else. Untrustworthy by default, she shuns social interaction most of the time, and makes diplomacy by intimidation. However, she has a hidden gentle side to her, which only shows to fellow Ishvalans and children. For them, she even allows herself to show her skill in dancing and singing to lighten up the mood. Perceptive people can tell that her ruthlessness stems from insecurities and helplessness in the past.

Bio/History: Mona was born as an Ishvalan, a pariah among the Amestrian people, and a descendant of survivors of the massacre long ago. Even though she was rather in the bottom of the proverbial barrel, Mona showed a rather sunny aptitude and unbridled optimism, and with her dances and songs lifted the spirits of the broken Ishvalan people.

Mona realized she had a special talent. Something she needed to share to the entire world, and thus she sought out to perfect her dancing and singing. She diligently trained under Ishvalan monks to improver her posture, overall fitness and breathing. She also learnt to read and write, in order to quickly memorize and catalog all the songs she could. She even learnt to play a little harp to accompany her voice. All for her big debut as street performer. Surely, Amestrian hearts would warm up a little and offer some pity for her fellow Ishvalans.

It didn't work as intended, but not for the lack of trying. There was far too much indiference and xenophobia among the society, and Mona couldn't get further than becoming an underpaid singer in one of the many shady bars of Central City. She took notice a particular patron, named Albert, came to her bar to hear sing every single night. Surely, that was the reason, because the drinks were less than desirable in that place. But what caught her attention was the sorrow expression he always wore, that her song barely managed to lift.

It was she who made the first move, a genuine act of kindness, a shoulder nudge on him after her show, what prompted the relationship. Albert was a State Alchemist wannabe, who couldn't get past the exam no matter how many times he tried. He told her he wanted to help the world, but it was difficult to do so. Mona felt kinship towards the Amestrian, and resolved to help him cheer up everytime. Eventually, the two became acquaintances, and even lovers, and it wasn't strange Mona performed in private for Albert to cheer up.

Being a curious, outgoing person, Mona soon also took interest in Alchemy, the forbidden art she had been vehemently talked against by her elders. But Mona was still naive, and she thought that hearing more sides to the story would increase her wisdom. Asking Ishvala for forgiveness, she even started helping Albert with his studies from a more hands on approach, telling herself the end would surely justify the trangression.

Turns out, she was a much better Alchemist than Albert. The fact was a point of grief for both, as Mona saw it as a curse. Ishvalans were never meant to be this good at something taboo, and Albert resented the fact a street singer was more talented than him. However, Mona just resolved to keep that a secret, and only support Albert from the shadows. Both stood strong in their resolve, and Albert even declared his intention to form a family with Mona. However, Mona felt there was something worrying Albert, clawing him from the inside out.

She found it all too late, when Albert managed to secure his State Alchemist position. In a fit of jealousy and zeal towards Amestris, she half beat Mona, and the child she was carrying in her belly to death, only to tell she had to be disposed of. State Alchemists must set a better example for the world, and for that, sacrifices and compromises had to be made.

Just like her life. Agonizing from internal hemorrhages, Mona panicked. She didn't want to lose her little baby, even though Albert wanted to kill her. She wanted her child to live first and foremost. She searched in her memories. And taboos were broken. Human transmutation was performed, with a circle made of her own blood.

And a price was paid.

"Welcome, you foolish woman." was what the voice of Ishvala said, as a gate of shadows ripped her unborn baby and womb from her.

The Toll of the Gate.

In exchange, Knowledge.

Albert stared horrified at his would be wife, his eyes flabbergasted. He cowered. He fell to his knees.

"What ...did you do?...WHAT DID YOU DO!?"

And she clapped her hands. And a swarm of daggers ripped the betrayer. Mona died.

Wraith was born.

Special Skills: Clapping Alchemy, Ishvalan Martial Arts, Fast-Learning.

Techniques: - Dancing Alchemy / Feet Clapping Alchemy. Since she's a dancer and a martial artist, she can use her feet as hand substitute in performing transmutations.
Research: The Truth about Ishval and Alchemy

Equipment: A sash with her own diary and notes, pen, and a little harp. Also her iron mask.

Other: Accomplished dancer, harp player and singer.

[User]
The first train of the morning, it was quite the awkward ride for Jason… he entered the train without a single look to any of the other passengers, blue plastic bag dragging behind him. There were murmurs, lots of murmurs, without looking… without needing to look; he could feel them, the eyes staring at him as though they were watching an inmate of death row being lead to his death. The look of a people scared, frightened… was it the military uniform he wore? He only wore it because he was informed it was the official dress of a state alchemist… Was it the body bag he was carrying with him? That wasn't really important… As a member of the Amestris military was he not allowed the freedom to carry this bag where he pleased? As he pleased?

Though that didn't matter to Jason right now, he kept his eyes locked on the floor, putting the body on the bench in front of him. Luckily so far no blood had leaked out, that would be troublesome and a bother really did not care for right now. He had to go to central… He hated going to central, it was a bunch of nonsense in the Squid Alchemists eyes. The people there treated him with contempt, like he was someone to be pitied. He wasn't to be pitied… His wife was taken from him unfairly, That was not pity he sought, he sought the return of his wife and child!

The anger was boiling inside of him, his eyes never changed never altered, the pupils never growing or shrinking… But his teeth, they clenched together like a vice. He hated having to put his research on hold to handle some pathetic issue of the state! But he had to put that aside for now, he had to let it go… He needed to focus, focus on what was important, his research, his wife… bringing back his daughter, with one deep and lengthy exhale… followed by a drawn out inhale through his nose, he calmed himself.

Removing another cigarette from the warn out holder and lighting it for good measure, he readied himself. He must be mentally prepared for the journey to central, as bad as that sounded… It could be quite the hassle and he didn't want to get too caught up in the chaos of those nearest the Fuhrer, that might risk his TRUE research being revealed.

--- One Train Ride Later ---

It had taken quite a few hours for the train to reach central, this was the problem with taking one from such a small town. It was nearing ten in the morning and while this wasn't a problem for Alex, he believed that Major North may not take such a kind approach to his tardiness. Jason marched up the steps to central HQ, the base of operations for all State Alchemists and military. Upon entering, he walked down the long halls and ignored the voices of concern and ire about his body bag. He was here to see Major North and nothing would stop his progress, luckily, the Major happened to be walking these same halls.

"Major, I've brought my target." Jason remarked, holding up the body bag.

"Oh Jesus Jason! You could have warned me you'd be bringing the bag in with you!" North looked away, struggling to get the handkerchief out of his pocket quick enough for his liking... though it quickly found itself locked against his nose and mouth.

"Hehe, Can't stand a little death Major? You joined the military didn't you. Besides, the coroners office is located down below isn't it? That's where the body needs to go." Jason smiled at the Major, one of the few things that seemed genuine about him was his smile. Bright and cheerful, reaching the corners of his eyes it felt like.

"Alright Alright! I get it! This is revenge isn't it!? For saying oh god!" Major North shouted from the safety of his crimson cloth.

"You saw right through me Major." Jason's smile quickly turned to a sly smirk.

"Just... get rid of it, then get to the briefing room. They should be calling the assembly soon!" North waved Jason away, keeping his hand clasped firmly on his face.

"You got it Major." The Alchemist walked off, dragging the body behind, his free hand waving a soft goodbye.

[Assistant]
10 AM- The Headquarters of The Military and State Alchemists.
@deanmachin
The crackling whirr of the loud speaker snapped the base to attention. With stern and commanding voice, the Fuhrer spoke, "Those who have been called for this meeting, report to meeting hall B. I will be there shortly." The speaker popped as the speech came to a close. Murmurs spread like wildfire, light whispers and hush voices, creating rumor like bakers make bread.

The only soldiers of importance that would be attending this meeting were as follows, Brigadier General Xeres; the half Ishvalan soldier. Major North; The sometimes too high-strung former special operatives member. Lieutenant Colonel Majors; Though his name is confusing, he was quite the skilled tactician during his more exciting military days. Finally, Colonel Carl Mayhew; A happily married family man with two children and a darling sister.

Then, There would be four alchemists in attendance today… These four men were formidable in their own respects, brought in for their unique researches and talents. The first was Jason Gold, the rogue alchemist hunter and oddly named Squid Alchemist. Next was Tydus Silverheart, the Platinum Alchemist and seeker of the Philosophers stone. Thirdly, Jayce Karuta, The Card Alchemist, researching those monstrous events from fifty years past. Lastly, It was Alrick Fraust, The Weeping Alchemist, Named for the tear shaped birthmark beneath his eye and ability to manipulate water; His research was Investigating the flow of alchemical energies.

The Fuhrer would await for all those to arrive, standing at a podium, a grimace plastered firmly upon his lips.


[System]
Theme Song: Let's Just See
Age: 21
Gender: Male
Race: Human

Personality: Varius often comes off as arrogant, and full of pride. While he prefers to fight alone, and was problematic working with his team most of the first year due to an anti-social demeanor, he is a lot more cooperative now due to newfound respect for his team members and is visibly more tolerant of others. Despite this, he is a man of honour, and is as honourable as he is ruthless. He is calm and collected, and each of his moves are calculated and thought out. Much of his anti-social behaviour came from his inability to use Semblance until 2nd year at Beacon, while a good number of Beacon students awoke to that even well before Beacon. The only way he managed to attain their level was through mastering what he can control and that was Aura, on the other hand despite his mastery over it, it wasn't until the beginning of his 2nd year that he accidentally used his Semblance during a mission, and since then has trained to use it at will. Naturally with such great control over his Aura, using his Semblance fairly quickly became second nature, all that was left was to invent techniques for it.

Weapon:
The Judgement: A finely crafted katana. Unique to modern weapons, its special traits lay in its forging and increased capabilities, rather than the versatility of modern weapons made today. The style of weapon predates The War, and is a family heirloom for the Gilver family. The blade is made of an ancient steel folded and purified countless times in a Dust forge, and in-between each layer is solidified Dust, allowing the blade to react incredibly well with Aura and allowing even a small appliance of Aura to drastically increase its cutting power, and with enough Aura can slice apart Aura and Semblance based defenses in an instant. The blade's durability is legendary, and in the hands of a skilled user is said to be able to cut through anything. The blade is polished with a special dust mixture that gives the blade the colour of the user's aura when aura is applied to it. This is purely aesthetic. The sheath is also sturdy enough to be used as a second weapon for both defense and offense. Due to the blade's unique properties, he can only break through Semblance defenses by physically striking them with the blade, extensions and Semblance powers do not count.

Specialty: Assassin/Fighter hybrid. Varius possesses extreme skill in close quarters combat, coupled with his advanced control of Aura makes him deadly up close. He is also capable of dispatching prime targets in an instant with his blade. He employs a combat style of Iaijutsu and Battoujutsu, accentuating a style of counter-attacks and follow-ups.

Semblance:
Advanced Aura Manipulation, Gathering Storm: The source of his pride and arrogance. For his whole first year he did not have access to his Semblance, and instead relied on mastering what he could control, and that was his Aura. He mastered his Aura to an extent where he could out-pace any other hunter with Aura alone, but doing it through raw Aura capacity like that was not something he had the capacity to do, so he made and mastered a new system, a flow. The Aura would flow through his body, steadily accelerating and distributing his Aura through his body at an almost lossless efficiency. His Aura this way would require incredible concentration, but as a fight goes on, he becomes more and more powerful. It's no surprise in a duel he prefers to evade and counter-attack at the start. Varius with well built-up Aura can move at blindingly and almost teleporting speeds for short bursts, though doing this multiple times in a row would easily expend his Aura and require him to re-accumulate his concentration. He can use his aura this way to increase his general speed too, allowing him to slash multiple times at blinding speeds. Most people believed this was his semblance.

Blade Vortex: Varius is capable of creating slashing storms, either all around or at a distance. He can make them slash straight or curved, and generally has a fair amount of control over their length and distance. He can throw them out in his slashes to extend range, or simply increase the cutting power of his sword drastically, he can call a random storm of them at long distance allowing him to counter-attack even from far away, and use them as a means of countering close range attacks. His control over it is limited due to awakening to it only recently, but he has managed to connect it efficiently enough with his Gathering Storm Aura control, allowing him to naturally increase the size, speed and damage of his appliances of this Semblance the more flow he has.
Trailblazer: Varius dashes forward while simultaneously slashing the area around his moving position. He uses a combination of his Semblance and physically striking the targets he passes with his katana during this.
Slash Dimension: Varius seemingly slashes through time and space by calling on multiple slashes onto a target position. A ranged attack, but does not come out like a projectile. Has a momentary delay before they actually strike, making it reliable only when counter-attacking from a range.
Sudden Storm: Varius bursts a portion of his Aura out of his body surrounding him and turns it into his Semblance, slashing the area around him. This is a great counter-attack and a good safety measure as well as possessing insane stagger capabilities but small damage, expends a lot of his Concentration.

Strengths and Weaknesses:
His strength lies in his close range capabilities, he has the capability to end a fight in a single well-timed strike due to the insane sharpness of his blade, and a battle against him becomes more and more dangerous the longer it goes due to his efficiency at using Aura, where many would be on their last legs, he can still be at full if not higher strength than when he started. Even attempting to block his blade can be dangerous if you aren't observant. The brighter the blade glows, the more dangerous, and the more aura he has packed into the slash. These augmented strikes are fairly projected however, as they require a moment to concentrate extra aura into, but when they land, it can be absolutely devastating. The best way to defend against his blade if you really have to, is to attempt to parry it by striking the flat side of the blade, because it is the edge that is deadly.

Because of the large amount of concentration required for his special way of using Aura, mental attacks can be rather effective at minimizing the threat he poses. The effectiveness of this mental-attack tactic is also not affected by how much Aura he already has flowing, meaning you can send him from 100% to 10-0% concentration with an effective mental attack. It won't decrease the amount of Aura he has, but it will greatly slow the amount of aura he has flowing over his body.

His general combat weaknesses are that his ranged attacks have more delay than say, a bullet, so his ability to strike at a range requires his target to already be occupied. Ideally he wants to be close to his opponent, but he cannot use his dash consecutively without sacrificing some of his concentration, meaning ranged capabilities plus mobility would be his natural enemy.

Color: Roman Silver

Emblem: Six sharp wings. For reference, both sides of his coat's collar each possess 3 of the wings.

[User]
Jericho Piper, never one to give a shit about Grat's happiness, had continued drifting around the room like a restless phantom while the rest of her team - all those assembled who had known her longer and better than he had - was standing transfixed at her show of affection. Something about Gratia's tone of voice had drawn him over to the object of her ire, and as Jericho stared down at it, he felt his disgust with the trinket in question beginning to roil, too.

It was stupid, on one level. An objectively pointless little thing to have a screw loose over - a little doll with straw-colored hair, wrapped in a beat-up looking caricature of a leather jacket and a faded patch of denim, with two black, soulless button eyes and a single fabric strand for a smile. It was practically featureless; yet, like all good voodoo dolls, he recognized who it was fashioned for immediately.

The damn family all looked alike.

You Fiordilattes disgust me, the message was written clearly on Jericho's grouchy snarl. Your puns suck dick and you breed like roaches.

The straw-haired doll seemed to smile back. Stupidly. Smugly.

Then I guess that makes our dad the cock-roach! the ornament replied with glee.

A low growl rumbled in Jericho's throat. He impatiently shoved the doll in one pocket of his leather jacket and resolved to mail it to Atlas for evidence later.

He wanted to toss the room over in a hunt for any more evidence of a vampire-harboring little brother, and normally this would have been the perfect time; Grat's damn giggles were sucking all the oxygen right out of the room. Unfortunately, there was an impending time bomb on his Scroll that he'd been putting off answering - and it looked like Beryl, at least, had noticed.

`Sender: Bianca N. [GREENLIT (?)]
Recipient: Group - [s]Hunter in the streets, Grimm in the sheets[/s] Vale Asset Group [CLEARANCE LEVEL: N/A] (Gratia M., Lucas S., Beryl H., Jericho P.)
Message: Hey all!! Just popping in to see if anyone is free for some coffee in about an hour. Hope everyone is having a good family day ~~`

`Sender: Beryl H.
Recipient: Group - [s]Hunter in the streets, Grimm in the sheets[/s] Vale Asset Group [CLEARANCE LEVEL: N/A] (Bianca N. [GREENLIT(?)], Gratia M., Lucas S., Jericho P.)
Message: Sounds great. I need an excuse to get Lasai out of the dorm an`

The thought of a coffee date - between Gratia, Bianca, and Luke "I'm Too Slow" Schwarz, of all people, made Jericho want to give the medicinal properties of hot tar a whirl. He pulled out his Scroll and read over the messages over again.

He supposed that, if Grat was going, her parents would be too. There was no way he was gonna be able to make a clean break that fast - especially not with Bianca keeping an eagle eye out for him.

The doll in his jacket pocket smirked. Jericho resisted the urge to crush it in his fist and began to type:

`Sender: Jericho P.
Recipient: Group - [s]Hunter in the streets, Grimm in the sheets[/s] Vale Asset Group [CLEARANCE LEVEL: N/A] (Beryl H., Bianca N. [GREENLIT(?)], Gratia M., Lucas S.)
Message: Coffee. Fine. Delete my number.`

At least now they wouldn't be able to call him standoffish.

Jericho, uncomfortably aware that everyone else in the room was gawking at the Mindaros, drifted back over to Grat's guitar and inspected it again, eyes inscrutable.

[Assistant]
Mindaro Mondays - Galla

"Before your brother isn't 'in one piece'?"

---

@Sho Minazuki

Shuai Taidan - Beacon Grounds

The young man tapped his chin thoughtfully, slender fingers slowing down to rest against his pale chin.

"Sample platter?" he mused, eyes darting towards the stand for a second. "Don't think we have that, but oh, we can definitely do tuna and diet soda! What kind do you like? We don't have a too biggie of a selection, is that okay?"

Taidan smiled brightly, the prettyboy's face radiating like the light from a fiery sun.

"Var, get some tuna done 'kay~?" he called back over to his teammate, before returning his attentions to Yue. "Just sit tight and w- eh? Where you going?"