[System]
Her scale color is a dark blue, and she has brown eyes.

Age: 35
Sex: Female (Also sure.)

Personality: Kimi can appear shy if she wants to be, devious at most times. She is a sneaky type, who always seems to be plotting a bit. She is a bit of a prankster, but can be a loyal friend once you earn her friendship and trust. However, her prankster nature and the tendency to always be plotting doesn't earn her much in the way of friendship or even trust. However, deep inside of her, she is insecure, but it is not a side that many ever get to see.

History: From the moment Kimi was born, everyone knew that she would be trouble. She started pulling pranks on the other younglings in her tribe, laughing as she pushed herself away from making friend her own age. Her mentor, another druid, tried to stress that she would need to make friends, but the only friends she seemed to make were her animal companions. She met her friend, Mariki, when she was around thirty, and he has been her current companion for some time.

However, she realized that she didn't quite fit in with her tribe and their ways, and left for a bit to train with some human druids for a while. After she learned a bit more about druid magic, she returned to the tribe, and currently spends much of her time in the forest near her home, wishing she was out more in the world, but for now, is content where she is.

[User]
Hooves clattered on the dirt. Old wheels creaked and groaned. Alexius leaned out of the window and vomited. He clutched his throbbing head, attempting futilely to will away the nausea.

"Nevermind, this is close enough. Stop the carriage," he ordered, passing the driver a bag of coins. He hurtled himself out of the rickety wooden torture chamber, and barely restrained himself from heaving up another meal. With the carriage slowly receding into the distance, he began to walk.

The hill, dotted with caves, loomed over him. This all felt familiar, both joyous and saddening. He picked a space that looked as good as any, opened up the dusty book in his bag, and began to preach.

[Assistant]
Just outside one of the entrances at the bottom of the hillside, Gruul was whiling away another shift of guard duty, carving a long piece of briarwood that he planned to turn into a new pipe. He heard a voice coming from not too far away and looked up to see another kobold, talking to the air with an open book in hand.

"Now what the hells is he going on about? And why do I get the feeling I'd rather not know?"

He sighed, picked up the spear that lay on the ground beside him, and approached the stranger.

"Oi! Who goes there, and what's your business?"

[User]
Not far from the hillside stood a series of caves. Most led into the hill itself, including one particularly long and smooth-floored tunnel which led down to a tribe of kobolds. Most of the other tunnels were dead ends. In fact, there was only one entrance to the tribe's home cavern, a fact which meant that they could be easily besieged and cut off from the surface if an attacking force were to station itself there. This was unacceptable for the tribe's chief, and he ordered that connecting tunnels be cut to connect the dead end caverns to the main one.

Unfortunately, there was only one kobold fit for such a task. It was him or assign a dozen others to work for weeks. Arjun stood at the end of one of the side tunnels and extended his clawed hands at the wall. Willing his magic to activate, a gout of flame burst from his hands, burning the wall and gradually extending the side tunnel to the main one. Before long, he'd reach the surface, but it would take a few minutes.

[Assistant]
"Of course! That's something that separates a Kobold from a non-kobold. If we ever need to rest, we will either sit on the ground or on a large stone. So, if I make a trap that appears to be a low, bench-like log, an invader would be the only kind of person to sit on it. Then again...I hear some former members of the tribe are returning in the coming days. I should build a non-lethal version if this trap idea, and if they all ignore it, I'll know that even those of us who have adopted other lifestyles will still not even think to use the log as a chair. It's just not in our nature, after all."

---

The test trap was built, and carefully placed besides the path to the caves, at a point where Grek himself personally started to feel in need of rest as he walked from the bottom of the hill to the cave mouth.

Grek had come to the edge of the cover of the forest. The rest of the hill was open, all the way up to the caves. He watched one of his kin exit from a carriage and start to make their way up the hill, but then stopped, and began reading a book to himself.

"I will never understand how the outside world thinks," he thought to himself as he watched impatiently for the Kobold to carry on making progress, but then a guard approached him. Grek cursed to himself. He would continue to wait for now, but he did not want his work to be wasted, and if he had to, he would lure the outsider up the hill himself.

[User]
Something was coming. They were not sure what was going on, but the two creatures in the forest were looking through the bushes with curious eyes. The ground was moving slightly as hooves clattered on the ground. A carriage was bringing someone, or something towards the kobold tribe home. Both creatures sets of eyes narrowed a bit.

As Kimi saw another kobold exit the carriage, she let out a sigh and gently petted Mariki. "Stand down girl... it is not dinner, or anyone that would threaten us." The cat let out a curious purr, and nuzzled up to her mistress. She watched as the other Kobold got out of the carriage and then started to...

"What is he doing? What on Earth is that little one doing?" She stepped out of the forest and gestured to her companion to follow her. They sat down on the edge of the hill and listened for a moment, wondering what was happening.

[Assistant]
Alexius had been preaching for awhile now, but no audience came before him. Honestly, he was beginning to be a little peeved. He was standing here, throwing salvation at their ears, yet they don't even take a second to hear it! Hold on, there's someone coming. An fellow armed with a spear. "Oi! Who goes there, and what's your business?" he shouts. Finally, at least someone is listening.

"Do you have a moment to speak of our Gods?" Alexius asks, trying not to think about the spear's point. "What's your name? What faith do you believe in?" In his head though, he was really just hoping that the spear is kept pointing away from him.

[User]
Arjun finished burning through the tunnel and could see daylight on the surface. His eyes were stung by the brightness of the sun at first, but he adjusted after a few minutes.

"Do you have a moment to speak of our Gods?" He heard a voice that he hadn't heard in a long time. Padding his way up and out of the cave, Arjun stepped onto the soft dirt and looked straight ahead, recognizing the sight and scent of the newcomer.

"Kutur? Is it really you?"

[Assistant]
Gruul rested the spear at his side. This stranger was certainly an odd one, but he seemed rather harmless. And he was a kobold, so not that much of an outsider, at least by his reckoning.

"My name is Gruul, and my faith is my own to hold. But if you're going to preach here, you'd best talk it over with the Chief."

In truth, Gruul was quite devoted to the Holy Mother, Tiamat, but getting into a theological debate was not something he wanted to do.

"Come on then, best bring you to-"

"Kutur? Is it really you?"

He was interrupted by Arjun popping out of a fresh hole in the hillside, and decided to just take a step back and see what played out.

[User] ". . . Arjun?" Alexius called, closing the book with a dull thump. He left the spearman to his devices, and approached the hole to get a closer look. "Arjun!" he shouted, recognizing the face. He rushed over to the hole. Arjun was covered in muck, some liquified and dripping down his face. Alexius offers his hand to pull him up. "You would not believe the things I've seen away from home. Absence is only a couple dozen Dragontails that way, further is Constantsea, and the buildings there are huge! There was this one you see . . ." he said, beginning to ramble. He had already forgotten about the spearman.

[Assistant]
Another kobold arrived, and this one seemed to be his friend. Grek signed in resignation. He'd better go and retrieve the trap and try again later. Besides, this design was relying too much on chance. There had to be a more obvious way to sort the walking habits of the kobold from those of other races.

He began to make his way out of the cover of the forest, still deep in thought and not really looking where he was going. As he covered the crest of the hill, he immediately saw another kobold with their back to him, with a cat-like creature by their side. He cursed as he tried to stop himself but slipped on the dewey grass and slid down straight into her back.

His first thought was "Well, looks like I'm going to get beaten up again..." and he closed his eyes and braced himself.

[User]
Arjun wiped some of the rock from his face. It had been liquefied by the heat he had generated, and he was indeed stained by it.

"Wha-? Oh, Alexius" he extended a clawed hand as his friend helped him up. "Thanks for the hand. Glad to see you again. Tribe's still the same as before. You haven't missed much. Workers still working hard. Mines still full of metal. Most of us still live in caves. I got myself a hut though. So, I assume you've seen that they have privacy up here, in the surface. Never been to Absence or Constantsea myself."

[Assistant]
Kimi had been content on being ignored for the first few moments as it seemed that Arjun knew the other kobold that was ranting at them. She shrugged a bit as she watched them and then was distracted by another kobold slam into her back. She nearly fell over and turned to look at him. "Oye, don't you watch where you're going?" She said.

Her companion hissed at the other kobold but Kimi held out her hand. "Calm yourself Mariki... it was an accident. I'm sure if he was trying to kill me he would have done a better job than just ram into me." She stood up and dusted herself off and then stood up and looked at Arjun and Alexius. "So what is even going on here today?" She said, noticing that this one Kobold had apparently drawn so many people out that day.


[System]
Nickname: Shark
Age: 16
Occupation: High-Schooler at Nobara Academy
Appearance:

Personality:
 Jun is full of himself, in that he has quiet an inflated view of himself and his capabilities. This stems from his ability to adapt to just about anything and being proven to himself over and over. His confidence often exudes right off of his smug smirk and even the way he speaks about himself as a 'genius'. While he can be brash and reckless, his approach is never the less methodical in how he processes things. This is especially true in how he takes on his 'challenges'. To Jun, life is a set of challenges for him to 'conquer' and prove himself to be the genius he believes himself to. The bigger the challenge, the better. His ego can definitely grow to the point of arrogance, but pride isn't all there is to this boy....

Quiet the opposite in fact is his shocking sense of humility when it comes to those he sees trying their best. As he empathizes with those who continue on despite the struggle, this is especially true for kids. This brings forth a side of him that tries to support those he sees trying their best. This empathetic nature developing from his dedication to support his own family.

Because of the odd lifestyle he lives of always taking on different challenges, this brings forth some oddities to his personality. The most notable being his nervousness around girls his own age. This stems from the 'challenges' he was given at a point in time to 'conquer' the hearts of several girls. This of course led to him being rejected many times, thus scarring Jun's heart and making him a nervous wreck when it comes to the opposite gender. Another trait of his, is that despite successfully learning so many things, Jun never hones those skills any further once he's satisfied himself after conquering it. This leads to those talents growing rusty and never being as good as they used to when he was focused on them.

Background:
Jun wasnt always the driven boy he is now. At the beginning, Jun's family had very little money. They were essentially poor and barely had a house to live in. His father was known as someone who had neither the skill nor capacity to do anything worthwhile. Eventually this lead to his father running away and adandoning them. This left them even worse off. The only thing of note Jun had was a Gunpla model his father had given him for his birthday.

It was such a bland model that he couldnt even remember what it was or looked like to this very day. His home life wasnt his only issue though. At school, word had gone around of his lower class lifestyle. Combined that with his own insecurity over his own capabilities like his father, and Jun was a hot target for bullying and manipulation.

The only thing that helped him endure that was the gunpla his father had given him. As it reminded him of his lost father. Yet, he would soon come to a breaking point. Jun realized that by holding onto his memories of his father, he was becoming like him. He had to detach from it all and that meant he had to get rid of the Gunpla. And so he did, by throwing it into the ocean, with a face full of tears.

That was the moment Jun's life began anew. He started trying to apply himself into all sorts of fields of games and sports whether he liked them or not. He would always start out terribly, but gradually his skills would soar. In every hobby he threw himself in, he would strive his hardest to conquer it and any other competitors in his way. This sort if pattern throughout the years led him to winning championships and as such allowed him to bring home money to his family and support them.

Seeing this all being accomplished brought about an inflated view of himself that always shows through. To him, they were all challenges to prove to himself be was a genius. It would often be the case that his class mates would give him challenges for him to conquer for the fun of it. This is what lead into his current conquest into Gunpla, after being asked if he could become the best Build Fighter around.

Being who he was, Jun wouldn't shirk from just about any challenge, so he accepted. However, because of his past with his father and Gunpla, there is some uncertainty in his heart. Even so, Jun has been going around to hot spots filled with other Build Fighters and taking them on. The way he attacks from one place to another, like a predator, has earned him the nickname, 'Shark'.

Piloting Ability: (Maximum 10)
- Battle sense: 5
- Perception: 2
- Mechanical knowledge: 3
Other Skills, Abilities, and Resources:
Reckless Ingenuity - Having a strong sense of trust when it comes to gauging his own ability, Jun may at often times do things that aren't very wise and extremely risky but have the chance of greatly giving him a chance of gaining the upper-hand. It is at times like this where his mind is the most focused.

Mobile Suits
Name: Captain Miracle
Model: Crossbone Gundam X3 Full Cloth
Stats: (25 max)
-Power: 6
-Defense: 4
-Mobility: 7
-Energy Output: 8
Description:
A redesigned model of the Crossbone Gundam X3 that comes with 'cloth' that's actually more like metal than any fiber. The metal shroud is able to fend off several shots from beam rifles before becoming useless. This Gunpla, like the one it's based off of, is focused on having any trick for any situation.
Armaments:

Muramasa Blaster - The Muramasa Blaster is an odd weapon that holds 14 short beams sabers on it's sides that gives it a look like a sawed-tooth weapon. At the same time the tip of the weapon is a beam gun. Because of the high energy output for this, it can only be used for a short amount of time.

Beam Zamber - Similar to a beam saber however this weapon looks more like a pirate's cutlass.

Buster Gun - A beam laser gun that is shaped like a flintlock pistol and usually used in one hand.

Zanbuster - The Zamber and Buster Gun are combined together to form a beam rifle. A Rifle Grenade can also be fitted into the back of the Zanbuster to make it a Grenade Launcher.

Peacock Smasher - This crossbow-like weapon mounts nine separate beam guns which can be fired in any arrangement, but simultaneous use drains its energy and requires the replacement of the barrel parts.

Scissor Anchor - Crossbone Gundam is equipped with a pair of scissor anchors stored on the front skirt armor. These anchors are attached to the Gundam by long chains and use scissor claws to grip objects.

[User]
Riku POV
Lion

"The festival? Ah, yeah, she kind of already pestered me into inviting her. S-sorry about that." he said with a quick apologetic bow. He could be set in his ways most of the time, but apparently Yuna was the one person in the world who could bug him into doing things for her, "Anyway, I'm just gonna print a single set of legs for her Gunpla. Shouldn't need more than that. Thanks, Takemori-san." and he was off to the printing room.

Once in there, he used his phone to grab a quick of the Nobel's leg parts. That would give him the baseline for the legs he was about to make. It was a matter of redrawing the legs with the particular addition he made to them into the printer's settings and then letting the printer itself do the rest. When it was finally finished, he grabbed the newly printed leg parts and hurried back to the build tables where Yuna had been all this time.

"You were gone a while." Yuna said, when Riku made it back, "What exactly were you doing?"

"Printing these for you." he handed the newly minted parts to her, "They might look the same, but don't be fooled by appearances. They've got a special trick to them that I added myself."

"What 'trick'?" she asked, curiosity now piqued.

"Well, why don't you finish building it and I'll show you in a practice battle later? You know, like a surprise."

With this the two resumed work on the Gunpla. While she was painting it, Yuna spoke again, "Thanks for me taking me with you to festival, by the way. Maybe I'll use this Gunpla and win an event or two!"

"Sure, I don't see why you couldn't. I got into competing by just sort of jumping in, myself." it was true. Riku originally started joining competitions merely by jumping into them on a whim. He didn't put a lot of time into prepping for them back then like he did now. But still, it was a start, and it helped get him to where he was currently.

Riku POV

The next day, Riku attended a team meeting. Here, Takemori went into a bit more detail about the Festival and its various events. Riku's natural inclination was to join the Quick Build Event, since build competitions had always been right in his wheelhouse. And yet, that also sounded like it would be too simple, too easy. Perhaps he should instead pick an event he wasn't at all familiar with just for the extra challenge? Well, surely he'd figure it out come Festival time next week.

Tomiyoka was also taking this opportunity to announce his departure from the Team. He instead would be joining team within his own age group. He would be missed, but it sounded like he made up his mind and was determined to see this decision through.

"And when we fight I hope I- *sniff* I hope I can show you guys how awesome I can be!!"

Riku offered him a smile in return, "You already have, Tomi."

And then there was the third item on the agenda. Naoki was absent in order to recruit what he hoped would be the final two team members. Kai was the first to speak up.

"So we're getting newbies. Since Boss seems to have high standards of recruitment, I'm guessing it's the mercs from last time."

Riku nodded in agreement, "It's gotta be them. Not sure how he plans to recruit them though, unless he plans to hire them or something." Still, having two others around to bounce ideas off of and practice with couldn't be a bad thing, though. He just hoped they didn't butt heads as much as Kai and Jun did.

"Hey, Yankee if ya also got time left over, do ya mind helping me with my Gunpla as well? I'll be in yer debt if ya do." Kai scratched his head before saying. "Though I've haven't got a clue for how to settle that debt, besides beating someone up or something along those lines."

"Don't see why not." Riku answered with a shrug, "Assuming of course you don't mind me seeing its specs and design secrets. Can't exactly help you much if I don't know what I'm working with, after all." he said this before holding up an index, "And if you really want to pay me back, then there's one or two things I could use a hand with. I'm still having some trouble with Gundam Maxter's fighting style and I could use a sparring partner on that front."

[Assistant]
Diner, A Planned Meeting.
Lion - reFORGING

Ryoichi leaned back into the cold leather of the booth, the exhaustion on his face receding as a weary smile propped itself up crookedly. The clarity in his eyes seemed to return as well, an almost relief sweeping up and down his body. In his head, he had ticked off all the boxes his Mentor had predicted would spell out a worthy proposition. Honesty, sincerity, and most importantly a genuine joy for Gunpla battle.

He glanced at Naoki's hand carelessly, his head tilting before he sat back up and pulled out his left hand from its pocket. His palm and fingers were heavily calloused from the last decade or so. "Y'know at first I wasn't too sure about you, Kid. You or your group of misfits but quite frankly, I don't think that matters anymore. I'm not okay with losing and I don't think I will ever again with your team," he said oddly intense before firmly grasping his hand. "That being said, I want to reach the pinnacle. If I feel like you guys are slipping on me, I'll turn my Baelstrom against you guys."

With that bit of warning out of the way, the young man released his hand. "I can't believe I'll be on the same team as that guppy..." he commented with a snarky expression. "I owe him a beating y'know? I keep my promises."

[User]
For a moment Kai stayed silent seemingly thinking about what Takemori said. "A two vs two with a stranger... That's fine." Kai answered firmly, above everything else in this festival, he needed to stand out and if he needed to carry a total newbie, the that was fine. Besides whoever it was that he was going to be paired up with, was probably not as bad as his best friend. If the world had somehow created someone even worse in Gunpla fighting then it would be the end of sport as they knew it. "Sign me up for the 2 person team with a random person, I'm not going to lose."

Kai turned to Riku, to make sure he doesn't, he at least needed his partner to be presentable. After all taking it out into it's current state would be a bit of an embarrassment to his old team. Kai took out the lacquer box wrapped around in rope, before opening it and taking out cracked Gunpla. "It doesn't matter to me if ya see it and the Turn-XCEED isn't something you can just defeat just by knowing about it. I'll take ya up on that offer, but the Turn-XCEED's builder's currently a three times Mejin Cup winner, think ya can handle it?"

[Assistant]
Jun felt a bit awkward at suddenly having Tomiyoka disband from the team. From his point of view, you should charge at whatever your desire is full throttle without backing down. "You're leaving the team huh, that's too bad. Especially after we just kicked butt together..." he tried no to shown his sadness about it, so he wouldn't look uncool. There was also the frustration, "I've been there too, doubting myself, I mean. Even someone as great as me has had those moments before.....but hey, as long as you promise to stand on the same stage with me again someday, I can't be too mad. That's just your way of facing your challenge!", he finally finished off with a grin and fist-bumped the younger competitor.

"Wait that old guy is joining along with us- HEY KAI WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE TALKING TO ME LIKE I'M SOME WILD ANIMAL!?" he had been curious about the sudden induction of that white-haired fellow becoming apart of their group, but the rude comment from Kai had allowed his emotions to become too wild for him to focus on that subject any further.

"ANYWAY, about this festival...hmm, well a genius like me has alot of skills, so I can't be sure which exact one to focus on," he spoke arrogantly with a grin to his face as if anyone would be amused. With his confidence, there wasn't exatcly any particular event he would shy away from. However, hot-blooded challenges were obviously where his direction would go. Then, that was when Tomiyoka brought up the prospect of the Performance event. "Ahh that's not a bad idea Tomi! It would be a great way to spread my genius to even more people around if they can hear me and see me up close! Not to mention, I bet there would be a bunch of glory-hogging showoffs there who can give me a challenge! I'll teach them a lesson about their over confidence!" Jun pounded his fists together, unaware of the irony.


[System]
Rank (If applicable): Commander

Species: Sangheili

Appearance (for his armor, at least):
Height: 7'10"

Skills:Vael bears the title of a blademaster, and with good reason. He also has general combat experience befitting his many years of experience, and has a long history of leadership.

Preferred Weapons/Equipment:
* Type-1 energy sword
* Type-25 plasma rifle
* Type-57 carbine
* Active Camouflage

Background: Vael 'Virisusai is an old and experienced warrior, having already held the rank of major at the start of the Human-Covenant war. For him, the war had been an opportunity both to strive for the honor and glory of victory, and to serve the will of the gods. Early in his career, there was nothing that had set him apart from other ambitious Sangheili warriors. He did not have any particularly exceptional skills, nor an enlightened strategic mind. What he did have was the ability to survive, and to learn every lesson he could take in from every battle and skirmish.

Over the course of the war, every facet of Vael's skill as a warrior was honed to a fine edge. From simple aim, to his ability to keep a calm mind in the chaos of battle, Vael became a more and more deadly presence on any battlefield. Victories, and especially defeats, shaped his judgment and leadership ability just as much as his personal combat skills. Like many of his kind, he preferred to kill in close quarters, especially with a blade. In both fighting against the Humans and countless hours of training and sparring among other Sangheili, he learned the intricacies of using a blade in a variety of contexts, and against different opponents. Given his people's respect for swordsmanship, it was this accomplishment, perhaps more than the others, that most helped him to ascend the ranks of the Covenant. In the end, it was not accident, nor fate, nor genetics bestowing natural talent that created the warrior Vael became. It was pure, earned experience.

In the closing years of the Human-Covenant war Vael had ascended all the way up to the rank of Zealot, and in the final months, he had remained on High Charity after accepting an even more honored position. He was present when High Charity arrived at Installation 05…and present when the San'Shyuum wholly betrayed the Sangheili. Being stationed on the Covenant Holy City, he was a part of some of the thickest of fighting against Jiralhanae-led Covenant forces, then later the Flood as it infected the city. Ultimately, he did escape the parasite and went on to join the Fleet of Retribution to cleanse Earth of the Flood. From there, he took part in the Battle of the Ark, which finally put an end to Truth's Covenant.

Following the end of the war, many Sangheili returned to their homes, to their clans. Many of those allied with one faction or another, but Vael did not do so immediately. His life had been one of honor and war, but most of all service to a faith he now knew to be a lie. Shortly after the Battle of the Ark, he secured a small ship and simply…left. He was not seen in Swords of Sanghelios space, nor that of the UNSC. With the exception of a single re-fueling run on Squala, it was as if he had vanished from civilized space.

Then, after a year's absence, Vael suddenly returned to Sanghelios itself. He pledged his service and loyalty to the Swords of Sanghelios. Given his history, he rose quickly through the ranks. However, those who knew him before the war would have saw some changes in him. He was more reserved, both in terms of speech, and in a more cautious, calculated style of leadership. Perhaps the most notieable change is that, while he still kills his enemies without hesitation, he no longer shows the same eagerness to take glory in battle. He no longer demonstrates his pride in his kills, nor intentionally seeks the most challenging of foes. Despite all of this, his effectiveness has not diminished. He continues to be an honored warrior among the Sangheili, but for those who knew him before, one cannot help but to wonder what else has changed within him. Despite this, he has been chosen for the Aegis Team as a Sangheili warrior with enough skill and experience to be comparable to a Spartan.

[User]
UNSC AI SHI 1203-8 and Vael 'Virisusai

---

Aviza would hear Shih's response in her head right away. "I'm not getting any major alerts on anyone's vitals. Nothing worth mentioning. As for the storm, though, the mountain we're under is blocking most of the useful data from our sensors. Best I can tell you is probably the same thing you can hear from that opening up there: it is still going strong."

Even after the bulb made its apparent retreat, Vael stood on guard for a few moments. He continued pointing his plasma rifle down the pit, watching for any signs of movement. It was only once Tar called their attention to the way out that Vael moved his gaze elsewhere. "And it will be a dangerous climb. It is steep to start, and the rain from the storm will only make it more difficult."

Vael walked up towards the wall, looking up at the exit above. "But this approach shall allow us to reach our objective undetected. Tar, Ryker, and I will climb first. Grik and the Humans will go next." He said, referring to the unaugmented Humans among them. "The rest of you will watch for any more attacks from this beast, then climb up behind us."

[Assistant]
Yalu 'Suumko

After the death flurry of the Tengmaa plant jostled Yalu free, he secured his weapons and shot up to his feet. He breathed a sigh. He was glad to kick off the initial anticipation of danger on a piece of flora. And it looked from a quick glance that everyone had come out of the situation in one piece.

Yalu reloaded, narrowing his eye at his dwindling scattershot charges. "Yes, commander," Yalu said. "I wonder if any of those bodies in the pit were once our enemies."

[User]
Vael 'Virisusai

---

Vael gave a glance down to the pit, but did not take much time at all to dwell on it. "The dead matter no longer. Keep our focus on the mission ahead. The cannons still lie above us."

Even for beings as agile as Sangheili or Spartans, the climb was not an easy one. While there were vines and some jagged rocks on the cliff to provide handholds, the stream flowing down from above made the climb precarious. Especially with the storm outside, there were few paths outside the path of the waterfall. Nevertheless, Vael did not intend to hesitate in pressing forward. Since Tar had been here before, he allowed her to take the lead and followed her path up, while the others kept an eye out for any signs of activity from the Tengmaa.

While it was not a quick climb, the first three up made steady progress to the top. Along the way, Vael used an energy dagger to make small cuts in the rock to mark his path for those behind him. Hopefully, it would make the task at least somewhat easier for his allies. After he, Ryker, and Tar made it to the top, Vael ordered the rest of the Humans to follow suit. It would be a more difficult task for the unaugmented Humans like Roy or Flint, but Vael had Aviza climb near them to give assistance if need be. Grik would have a harder time than the Spartans, but the oversized forearms of Unggoy did make them rather strong climbers.

At the end of the climb, making it to the top was ultimately not much of a relief, given that the storm was still raging at near the same strength as it had been when they found the cave. The terrain around them was rocky and uneven, the rain made it hard to see in much detail beyond a few meters, and the winds made it a challenge just to move around properly. Even just to communicate, they were dependent on their radios. "Even in this storm, it should not take long to reach the cannon, and it will serve to mask our approach. It is vital that the Keep not learn of our presence, so we must either not be seen, or leave no survivors."

[Assistant]
Spartan Lucas Ryker

All Lucas could think of as they made their way up the slope to the outside world again was that this was incredibly reminiscent of more than one mission he took for ONI back in the war. Not that he was surprised, they were presently on what was more or less a black ops mission. Though from his conversations with ODST and marine vets, the overall feel of this was more common for standard UNSC missions than they want to admit, especially for the Hell Jumpers.

Once they reached the top though, his DMR was on his shoulder, watching the cliff edges above them the best he could in the still raging storm. When there was mention of making sure the Keep didn't know about them, Ryker grinned. "You have at least two members of Aegis trained in assassination and covert obstacle removal here. Once we can see the cannons, give myself and Infiltrator 'Masam a few minutes and we can do both."

Infiltrator Comi'Masam

Following behind the commander, Ryker and the Commando as ordered, Comi came out just in time to hear what Lucas said and nodded. "Aye, we could do it, though if there are more of us that are trained in the skillset Infiltrators use, then the more the merrier. Honestly, this storm is good enough cover, our sniper equipped allies could remover any guards higher up and leave us to clear out the lower area without concern."

[User]
Yalu 'Suumko

Yalu was the last to make it to the summit. The rain-covered surfaces did no one any favours, let alone himself. It felt like training. Just without the elder elites climbing after you to pull you off the climbing surface. He pulled himself up onto solid ground and shook his arms out. "Last man," Yalu mentioned to prompt the team that no one was left clinging onto the cliff.

A pattern could be sensed in the radio chatter, Yalu noticed. They were thinking too far ahead for practical measures. He took out his needle rifle to peer down the optic at their surroundings. Good cover indeed.

"Ryker, has a Promethean Vision module." Yalu gestured to him with his elbow. "Seems we have that as an edge. For now, it is time to move in silence."

Yalu secured his needle rifle -- turning off the optic and bringing the needles back into the body of the weapon to shut off any bright lights on his person.

[Assistant]
&

PO3. Ray Younan

The fight with the plant beast had been short and unremorseful, Elna was the first fire towards the bulb as the split-jaws were kidnapped one by one but thankfully, due to the fuel rod that had been fired the fight in the beast had been weakened. Ray let out a sigh of relief, the two seemed to have gone through their ammo in defending their team against the tentacles of new and old. It was exhausting to say the least. "God I already hate this planet." Elna murmured, the voice barely carrying as the combat had just finished. They had not even reached the objective yet and the team was just getting bogged down, first a storm now the plants. It's almost as if the planet worked against them. Ray reloaded his rifle, opting to keep quiet as the big wigs decided their course of fate. It appeared that everyone had came out of that encounter, unscathed. A change in pace.

The climb, however, was a sure change of pace for the two. The challenge looked daunting for Ray as he looked up in disbelief before Elna woke him up with a tap on the helmet. The pair made practically said their last rites as the Sanghelli ordered them up, Ray was to take the lead for the two as he climbed in the front, so to say. "Desk job they said - hah!" He said aloud almost tempting fate for himself. Elna grunted, following closely behind her goose egg. The prevention of his death, merely another job for the ONI SecFo. Upon reaching the top, Ray seemed exhausted from the climb with Elna closely behind.

The end game had begun.

[User]
Tar had always loved climbing, so pursued the dim light at the top of the Tengmaa's chamber with vigour. Brissekh was packed full of cliff faces to scale, and in a way she could remember the routes up and down them better than her way around the frigid woodland. It was the excitement of knowing a shortcut which stuck in her head, Tar supposed.

The rock face here was shrouded in vines, but the Commando quickly figured out a way up, spotting hand and foot holds which jogged distant memories of this place before it became a death trap. The fresh water streaming in from above was cold and refreshing after the warm, smelly interior. The sound gradually built to a crescendo of howling winds and rain at the top, perfectly masking the sound of Tar hauling herself up.

As soon as she was away from the hole, she crouched down and drew her Carbine. The spikes on her feet scraped against the craggy ridge. Visibility was shockingly bad, but Tar knew that could all change in a moment if the wind changed direction. "If they have any sense, they will be inside until the storm passes - we should move quickly. We do not want to be up here if the wind speed increases."

[Assistant]
Vael heeded the advice of the others. A sudden shift in the storm could easily worsen their situation, so they needed to act quickly. "Come, follow quickly. There are some rocks closer, at the base of the ridge, we may use for cover." He ordered.

Visibility was particularly terrible, but a combination of sensors and multiple perspectives from the team did reveal some about the area ahead as they moved down the ridge. Obviously, the most prominent feature was the anti-air cannon itself. The weapon was massive, as it had to be powerful enough to be able to damage capital ships. Given the rough, uneven terrain of the mountains, it was placed on a large, artificial platform. They could also make out multiple structures on the platform as well, in which most of the guards were likely taking shelter from the storm. If, for any reason, they ended up alerting the enemy, it was from there that they would need to expect reinforcements.

Currently, there were only a few hostiles out patrolling on the platform. All seemed to be Unggoy that were unlucky enough to be burdened with the duty in the storm, and even they were trying to take cover as best as they could against the winds. The storm certainly would impact their perception, but unfortunately, it also meant that they would be more alert than they might have otherwise been, if only for the fact that they could not sleep if they wanted to. The winds and rain would severely limit the effectiveness of active camouflage, so it would not be effortless to walk past them unseen. There were only a sparse few objects surrounding the cannon at the moment. Anything not secured to the platform had likely been moved inside before the storm. For the most part, it was an open, flat area.

"We must decide how to sabotage the weapon. Anything we do cannot be detected before it is time for the attack on the Keep. Your…engineer can do this, yes?" Vael said, glancing down to Flint. "Or we can simply plant a powerful enough remote explosive, if we can place it somewhere it will not be seen."


[System]
Age: 17
Gender: Female

Star Ranking/Goku Uniform: Zero Stars
Fighting Style – Medium/Long range

Strengths
Steady Aim – Jäger has a keen eye and well trained aim that makes her attacks at long range very accurate and precise, with no trouble hitting both stationary and moving individual targets.
Stamina – Jäger has high stamina, allowing her to sustain her speed and mobility for long periods of time before she begins to flag and tire.
Mobility – While not as flexible as a parkour practitioner Jäger is nimble and able to stay mobile, even in rough and treacherous terrain. Her mobility is greatest in outdoor, natural settings, or any reasonable artificial approximations of such environments.
Armour Piercing – While not overly high in offensive power Jäger's attacks are primarily piercing in nature, allowing her to inflict respectable damage against opponents who specialise in defence and/or wear light to medium armour.

Weaknesses
Endurance – Jäger lacks the physical build and training needed to endure melee hits of any substantial or sustained nature.
Unsteady Aim – As Jäger's fighting style is ill suited for melee combat her accuracy drops significantly when opponents enter into close range, potentially causing her to panic and fumble her shots.
Focus – The greater the number of opponents the harder it becomes to focus on any particular target. This is especially true when using long range weapons that require time to draw and aim. It is compounded further if those targets are all moving in a random/chaotic manner.

Favourite Activity: Archery

Personality: Charlotte is generally speaking a cheerful and open minded if not slightly aloof young lady who is prone to the occasional bots of dark moods. Her opened minded nature is a direct result of witnessing her father's countless romantic entanglements and conquests, giving her a live and let live attitude toward life in general. If people are happy and no one is getting hurt then she is usually content to let them be. It also comes as no surprise to find that she is somewhat lacking in personal motivation and drive, especially when it comes to her leadership of the Archery club, a position to which she was elected to in secret by the other members of the club. Despite regularly competing in Archery competitions she shows very little actual competitiveness when it comes to her personality and is far more likely to praise the achievements of others then to laud her own accomplishments. Though she is quick to neglect her own safety she is quick to leap to defence of those she considers to be 'in her care'.

Biography: Charlotte, or Jäger to her friends, is originally from the outskirts of Munich, Germany and is the daughter of the world renowned playboy explorer Anton Jäger Neumann, a millionaire of no small influence on the international stage. An only child, Charlotte had an unstrained and fairly relaxed relationship with her father, aware and accepting of his playboy lifestyle provided that she didn't have to play house with his numerous 'bunnies' and 'kitties'. For his part her father often brought her along on his less dangerous expeditions, teaching her from a young age how to use the bow, just as his father had taught him at the same age. The two of them were close and shared everything, or at least she thought they did. That was until his death.

Charlotte had been with distant relatives when news of her fathers death reached her, apparently killed in one of the many small conflicts that flared up following the spread of the Kiryuin family's influence across Asia. As an only child Charlotte now found herself orphaned. Fortunately her father had been a man of some considerable foresight and had made arrangements several years previously that in the event of his untimely death his daughter would be transferred to the prestigious Berlin High Academy. Charlotte now lives a few miles from the academy in a specially built cottage located in the woods, courtesy of the Academy. As to how this arrangement came to pass the specific details are unknown save to a few individuals, though it is widely thought that the Neumann family's financial resources had been brought to bear. The generous contributions made to the Academy by the Neumann Foundation over the years would seem to bear this out.

During her first few months at Berlin High Charlotte had trouble integrating into school life and making friends, partly due to her own aloof nature and at the time heavily depressed mood. It soon started to affect her grades as well as her health. She even started to skip lessons on a regular basis. In an attempt to improve the situation it was suggested that she join one of the many clubs promoted by the Academy. In the end it was decided that she would join the Archery club. Unsurprisingly she excelled in the club and was thus quickly able to begin making friends with the other club members. This not only brought around her mood but improved her grades as well, returning her to normal, more or less, though she still has the occasional sombre moment. In terms of academics she is somewhat mediocre across the board. She still skips the occasional lesson as well.

With the still growing influence of the Kiryuin family spreading even more deeply into the fabric of European society the headmaster of Berlin Academy, Kenta Sanshiro, approached Charlotte along with certain other individuals at the Academy with a plan to stem the tide. Charlotte had originally been hesitant to take part in such a plan. To win her over Kenta Sanshiro revealed to her the reason that her father had died and how it was related to the Kiryuin family. She has yet to reveal what she was told, even to those she considers friends.

Weapons: Large Composite Bow – A simple but effective weapon constructed from a new carbon-fibre/alloy composite material that makes it more far more durable than any store bought item of similar size and design.
Items: Medical Kit – Her father was a famous hunter and explorer, meaning that Jäger is no stranger to injury and is relatively well versed in a wide variety of medical procedures, many self taught. These range from treating wounds and abrasions to relocating dislocations and broken bones.

Other
She is a universal blood donor and can perform field transfusions should the need arise.
As the current leader of the Archery team she has won several tournaments for the Academy.
She takes regular medication to help her maintain her mood.

[User] "It's only going to be a couple more minutes, but hey I'm fine with doing a quick game even if it is a bizarre idea from the local crazy girl. I'll give it a go and play your game. If only to make sure you don't get out that giant freaking hammer of yours and hit Kageta again with it." commented Disney as he looked over at Eika. She was a pretty girl but that just enforced the stereotype that all pretty women were out of their god forsaken minds. No one just walked around with a giant hammer all day. Then again he spent his time learning how to punch people so who was he too talk really? "And don't worry about taking it easy on me I'm one smooth brother. I like a good challenge so bring it!" Aaron said grinning slightly.

[Assistant] The smile from Kageta's face didn't fade at all, he knew that was just Aaron's personality, and hey, Eika was finally talking. "Hell, I'm down! If anything to avoid the boredom." He didn't care if she was peculiar at the least, this was usually the source of endless, endless merrymaking. He turned to Charlotte who had yet to interact with them. "'Yay-gurl', come over here and have fun with us." He called her invitingly. He also noticed Aaron's grin and thought of the implications of such. Kageta's eyebrow raised and his smile grew sly. "Ohohooo, Disney, bro, if you get that smile any wider you'll tear your ears off." He said as he used his glances to point to Eika.

[User]
Jäger sat staring out of the window, watching the scenery as it passed her by through the bus window. The sound of muted conversation filled the air, though she paid little attention to it, a pair of earphones worn over her ears blocking out the majority of the noise. The playlist had finished a long time ago, Jäger so caught up in her own thoughts that she had barely noticed. She was nervous. They all were, though some more so than others. In Jäger's case it was plain to see as she absentmindedly twirled some hair between her fingers. Anyone familiar with the leader of the Archery Club was familiar with her little mannerisms. For Jäger fear was something that showed not on her face or in her voice but in the way she acted

Even now there was a part of her that regretted agreeing to this plan, however it was far too late to back out now. She was in the country. She was wearing the uniform. 'That' uniform. And on her lap sat the instrument that she would soon be forced to put to use, sealed within a cylindrical tube that sat upright on the seat next to her. She turned and looked down at the tube, staring at it for a moment before suddenly becoming aware of the sound of lively conversation. She turned toward Aaron and Kageta and frowned in annoyance.

"Yay-gurl?" she said in a flat tone with an equally flat expression. She sighed softly before removing the headphones from her ears. "My name is Charlotte. Char-lotte, say it with me, Char-lotte. Or Jäger. But not 'gurl'. I will never answer to that again," she said with no real enthusiasm before turning back toward the window. They would be arriving soon. Then there really would be no turning back. She smiled softly to herself. "Sorry, I'm just nervous."

[Assistant] "Don't worry about it Charlotte things could always be worse. There's always a calm before the storm just imagine the eye and make yourself stay there as long as possible. When I get into a fight I always try to find my inner center. Sounds stupid yeah but it works for me. Finding a place where you can keep calm is important to the process of adjusting to something new. I hope that little bit of advice helps but if not well...do what you want. We can't just force you not to be nervous since all of us are nervous too. At least I am." Disney said as he reached across the isle to pat her on the shoulder if she doesn't let him he just sits and shrugs and looks back at Aika.

[User]
"Oi. Robin Hood! That's not nice."

A small pout came to the acrobat before she huffed and let a small smile hit her lips from the way they all spoke of being nervous. Honestly...She didn't know why there were so twisted up in a knot. To her, it was just a field trip to make a new show out of everything. Just one that was supposed to be a secret until the grand finale came along and she could take part in making a huge commotion with her own skills! Regardless, she took Disney's challenge on and sat up in order to show them her hands. The chord was wrapped around her right arm, four secure crosses around the arm to show how tight they were before she looped it around her middle finger once. Holding it up to them all, Eika held up one finger and grinned as she watched to see if any of them could catch on.

"Now. This is secure on my arm. No tricks, you can tug at if it you want to be sure. Now..."

A flick of her right middle finger, and a flick of her left middle finger, and somehow popped right off of her arm and onto her left arm without a logical reason as to how. Holding her left arm up, the same pattern of crosses and the same loop around her middle finger remained intact as she held it up and showed it to the three nervous kiddos. With a confident smile, Eika leaned in for them to see and pointed down at it before showing through her sleeves and jacket that there was nothing there for her to possible trick it with.

"Tadaaa!~ How do you think that I got it to my other arm? I didn't use any chord other than the one I just showed you. Think you can figure it out?"

[Assistant] "I don't know voodoo magic? Look I can dissect a punch or an uppercut or even how someone moves but not how they can do a magic trick. Maybe our other two are more enlightened than I. Sorry Eika I'm going to have to pass on trying to guess what you did." Aaron said giving up and going back to rolling the tape around his hands. "You know though that was a fun trick nice job with that." He said off handed in an attempt to no seem like a complete jerk. "Bus Driver sir! How much longer? I don't think we can take much more of these rocks bumping on this bus." Disney asked politely. The driver grunted out that they should arrive soon after all they had been driving for god knows how long now so it was only a matter of time before they reached their drop off point.

[User] "Eh, its just a sleight-of-hand trick, no big deal... I don't know which trick though, ehehe.." He laughed sheepishly. He was being falsely cocky again, he didn't really know why he pretended, nor for whom. Kageta sat back in his chair only for his eyes to drift outside. "Well guys, its time to suck up our nerves," he said without removing his eyes from the hill. "Kyushu's right on the horizon." And it was, though not really on the horizon more that it was foreboding just behind the hill. It was huge, Kageta did not expect a school to be this large, or perhaps it was just tall. It was definitely time. "Guys, last minute checks! Things and what have you." His classmates' looks indicated that they had no idea what he was talking about, he himself really had no idea what he was talking about.

[Assistant]
"Oh, it's not that. I'm just not used to shooting at things that shoot back," Jäger said jokingly as Aaron patted her comfortingly on the shoulder. She turned toward him and smiled at him appreciatively before returning her gaze back out of the window. She was not particularly interested in seeing Eika's little trick. The younger members of her club, especially the girls, would often try to impress her with such sleight of hand tricks. And each time Jäger would smile and laugh and praise them. She was too lost in her thoughts to offer Eika the same consideration.

So many things could go wrong with this operation from the get go. And that was assuming that they weren't simply walking straight into a trap. Jäger envied Eika her obvious courage, or oblivious mentality. What she wouldn't give to stop her own hands from trembling in anticipation. Kageta's excited clamouring did not help either. She tried to find the eye of the storm, as Aaron put it. Which was a good idea in principle, except that in her mind she was at sea and she couldn't swim. The mental image of herself splashing about helplessly made Jäger smile and laugh to herself.

But Kageta was right, they needed to get ready. She grabbed the tube and carefully unscrewed the lid. She reached inside and withdrew a complicated looking piece of equipment, a combination of smooth lines, mechanical joints and wire. In the centre there was a grip made especially for her hand. She gripped the centre and with a strong flicking motion caused the bow to open up, like a crabs pincers recoiling. As the bow unfolded fully the joints automatically locked into place. She tested the tautness of the bowstring, nodding to herself in satisfaction.

Jäger turned towards the others and nodded. "Ready as I'll ever be," she said as she began to fold up the mechanical bow. "Let's all try to die on our first day of school," she said, only half-jokingly.


[System]
I R L
Age - 17
Place of Origin - Japan
Occupation - High School Student

A V A T A R

Character's Name - Benkei
Pathos Affiliation - Tyhrien
Role - Tank
Profession - Fisherman
Weapon of Choice - Great Sword
Domains - Earth/Conjuration

-

P E R S O N A L I T Y

Self-Conscious
Being the younger brother to a prodigy never helped after the divorce. Kazuki went with their mother, but Kazuma had to stay with their father. The pressure his father exerted on Kazuma was enough to develop into a full blown complex, with Kazuma breaking down with panic attacks in private. Around others, Kazuma is extremely self-conscious of how he is perceived, how he performs and where he falls in the group dynamic. Everything has to be perfect. With Kazuki here because of him, he has to prove that he has some sort of worth; even if it's just in a video game.

Short-Tempered
If someone shows him up, if someone pushes him, or if anyone picks on his brother, Kazuma is prone to outbursts, threats and yelling. His youth mixed with his own inferiority complex makes a volatile concoction for Kazuma, and he takes it out on the people around him. He has to prove himself every second of every day, because he lives in constant fear that people will simply say that he is a complete fraud of a "badass player".

Obsessive
Kazuma has a one-track mind at being the best. He wants to complete all the content and complete it perfectly, collect all the rare items, and to be regarded by everyone who sees him as a "great player". The fact that the only regular person he interacts with and plays with in the game is his big brother is a testament to how his personality bristles with others and pushes would-be friends away, and his compulsion to be the best at any cost puts himself constantly at risk.

B E N C H M A R K S

Gaia's Protection
Kazuma has focused his magical toolkit on synergizing with his chosen role; he uses the power of the earth to construct barriers around himself and others to protect them from enemy attacks, and is capable of shifting the ground around him to trap enemies in soft dirt or sand.

Protective Knight
Kazuma forgoes movement speed in combat to instead stand his ground against heavier enemies. If he puts himself between an ally and a monster, he will act as an immovable wall to protect those around him.

Natural Aggro
Kazuma just has that personality to piss anyone off, and it seems to work well enough on enemies as well. As long as Kazuma can focus on a target, the target will probably focus on him as well, giving his allies breathing room.

Earthen Stubbornness
Being badly wounded does not stop Kazuma in combat. Instead, his stalwart nature and connection to the earth increases his defense when he's in a critical situation, giving him precious extra seconds to survive long enough for his allies to help him
 | Physical Description
Kazuma is an average Japanese High Schooler. Standing at 5'8, he's unimpressive in many respects. His physicality is also the same; he's skinny and weak; constantly placing in the lower half of school physical exams. The only redeeming quality about himself is that his face is fair and slightly handsome; a trait he shares with his older brother.

In Pariah Online, his character is surprisingly similar to himself in real life. Soft facial features, brown hair; but there is an exception: his in-game model has blue eyes, unlike his real-life brown. His character's body is also far more toned and muscular, though it does seem quite comical for a character who is set at slightly below the average male character height to wield such a large greatsword. His character is usually decked out in suits of armor; giving him a slightly more "buff" look than if he wore normal clothes.
Character Conceptualization
Kazuma lives in shadows. The shadow of his parent's divorce, the shadow of the constant expectations thrust upon him, and the biggest shadow of all: his older brother Kazuki. Since being separated from his older brother during his parent's divorce, Kazuma is constantly pressured to perform well in school, do well and follow his older brother's example; something that Kazuma is struggling every day to do. The only time his life wasn't filled with panic-inducing stress were the hours he cemented into Pariah Online.

And then Kazuki crashed that too.

While his brother supported him as a healer, Kazuki didn't have the same fervent desire to cement his legacy as the greatest as Kazuma had. Kazuki focused on other, unimportant aspects of the game, while Kazuma grinded to push himself to the top; pushing others away and causing rifts in multiple playgroups he'd been invited to. His skill as a tank; putting himself in the middle of battle and controlling the flow of the enemy-that was Kazuma's way of exerting control on the life he had zero control over. But even so, that control is extremely tenuous...
Other Information
N/A |

[User]
Location: The Dungeon -- The City-State of Thorinn, Aetheria

---

Blood flew, screams from man and beast echoed in the cavern, the ringing of metal and the sounds of rending flesh were savage to the senses. More than once Seele nearly slipped on the slick, red carpet spreading across the stony floor. The gnolls had almost reached her many times, but each attack was thwarted before it could land, be it by Benkei's earthen assault, Alex's keen eyes and keener reflexes, or Graves'…

That boy worried her.

She fired off a few shields to those closest to the gnolls, but her reserves were thinning out. With a flick of her wrist, Graves' wicked blade grew wickeder, its curved edge wavering like a ghostly, serrated tide. If more damage meant more life, then hack away, she supposed. A snap brought one more shield to Benkei before the direbat let out an absolutely horrifying shriek, and her attention whirled around. She half expected to see it there, rearing on them, but instead it was up above, and it looked very, very hurt.

As it slammed into the far wall, Seele saw her. Rael. The wild girl had practically pinned herself to the thing with her spear, but not tightly enough. Lightning sparked from her, it was clear she was trying to bring the thing to heel, but its pain and panic had rendered it utterly uncontrollable. The direbat thrashed and plummeted towards them, and like a magic trick, Rael was gone. A cold fist gripped Seele's heart, stole a beat. No, not gone. That smudge in the dark, trailing traces of bright static, that was her. She was falling like a ragdoll towards the chasm. She was—
I can hear—
"Stop!"

What a silly thing to say.

Seele dashed like a madman for the chasm's lip, nearly tumbling over. She shoved herself off the stone, pushed off the balls of her feet. If she'd still had her hat, it would have flown from her head, impractical thing. The direbat careened past overhead, tattered wings and broken claws scraping by her; she didn't even hear the impact. She made it within feet of the edge and skidded to a halt on her heels, hand thrusting out.
PLEASE
The chain coalesced from her sleeve, flew with the speed of an arrow and sunk into Rael's body, as if it meant to anchor in her very soul. Seele felt the will there—thank god—and ripped her arm back so fast and so hard she might have thrown her shoulder out of socket. The chain retracted, Rael's vertical journey took a sudden, horizontal detour.

Directly into Seele.

Normally the spell would have deposited her target safely and gently before her, but, as she was now discovering, that was going to require a little more explicit focus than she'd applied. Thankfully, Rael wasn't particularly big or heavy, but that didn't stop her from taking Seele off her feet, and the two of them tumbled back onto the ground.

To her credit, Seele did technically catch her.

Things were sore. She'd cushioned their fall with her, well, herself, and as she found the air to groan, she realized she was clutching Rael with a grip like a corpse.

"Sohry…" she wheezed. Nope, not ready for words yet. She let go of the other girl and let her head fall back against the stone. The direbat was still there, somewhere. To heck with it. If she had to choose right now between moving and dying, then at least she wasn't going to have to worry about resetting her shoulder.

[Assistant]
Location: The Dungeon -- The City-State of Thorinn, Aetheria

---

Steel clanged against rusted iron as the last of the gnolls met Graves in combat, unafraid of the death that awaited it. They were each exhausted, unable to howl at the other-- all they could do was stare hateful daggers and push. It was a tug-of-war match and whoever won got to plant their weapon into the other's throat. Graves was moments from overcoming the dogman just as an arrow soared right by his ear, burying itself into the creature's eye. It died with a whimper in its throat.

"I had that one-" He started to snarl, turning to face Alex just as the incident on the bridge reached its crescendo. Seele was screaming, Rael was following into the abyss's dark embrace and a heap of broken Dire Bat was moments from turning Graves and Alex into a pair of DPS-shaped skid marks. It was a lot to take in. A swirl of emotion, of fear and panic and rage, replaced the ecstasy of combat.

A quick look around and Graves took a dive toward the nearest bit of cover: those spikes Benkei had stuck him with earlier. What had been his bane would soon save his life. The bat tumbled, wing over heel, bouncing off the ground like a stone across water. It reached its apex when it impaled itself upon that spiky field. The beast's massive body lurched with pain. Blood spurted from its innumerable wounds. And yet, despite that, it raged on. All screams and howls of violent defiance.

Its unwillingness to die would've been something to admire under other circumstances. For now, Graves was busy pulling himself out from under its heaping mass, crawling along his belly until he was safely able to rise. It snapped its teeth toward him. If he'd been even an inch closer it may've gotten hold of him.

The killing stroke was quick, precise, but far from clean. Gore sprayed like a fountain all over Graves and anyone else in the splash zone, catching him in its innards. The thing went into its death throes, tossing and turning until it snapped the spikes inside of it and began to wiggle loose. He stumbled backward onto his ass to avoid catching one of those claws in his chest.

The Bat went still a few moments later.

And Graves was back on his feet, sword left in the dirt as he ran toward where Seele was laying near the chasm's edge. He saw Rael laying over her chest. He didn't see her moving. "Nonono you tiny moron, don't tell me you played hero and..." His voice trailed off, something else playing in the back of his mind.

'Don't fuck it up.'

The panic died in his throat once he was close enough to see Rael was still breathing. Just as he came to stand above her and Seele, Rael stirred awake from the daze.

"Did we—Did we get it?"

His shoulders sank a foot as he sighed out his response: "No thanks to you."


[System]
Game Origin: Darksiders 2
Appearance:

Personality: Death is an arrogant, sarcastic, cold and calculating anti-hero who is resourceful and opportunistic. He can also be cunning, such as when he devised a plan during the Abomination crisis, deceiving both his enemies and allies in order to achieve his goal. He is usually very ruthless, much preferring to achieve victory by any means than lose. Despite his seemingly harsh nature, Death can be kind. He can (and has in the past) help people in their endeavors, even if the end goal does not benefit him personally.

Background: After War was accused by The Charred Council of starting the Apocalypse prematurely and imprisoned, Death would not believe this and set out on his own to find some way to save the younger Horseman. Unknown to the Council, Death traveled to The Veil in search of the Crowfather. He intended to speak to the Crowfather in hopes he would know of a way to resurrect the human race and prove War's innocence. The Crowfather told Death that the key to proving War's innocence would be found in The Tree of Life and opened a portal there.

 Before Death could enter, the old one closed the portal and refused to open it again. A ferocious battle ensued, in which Death would have defeated the Crowfather. An amulet that the Crowfather had around his neck fell and shattered on the ground, it's glowing green fragments shooting out and imbedding themselves within Death. The Horseman was rendered unconscious and the Crowfather died, a dark vortex forming around the two and consumed them. When Death awoke, he found himself in the Forge Lands, home of the Makers. Soon, he found out that this land was filled with Corruption and this corruption would soon destroy the Tree of Life and the rest of the land along with it.

After a long and perilous journey, Death was close to reaching the end of his quest. He came face to face with the Avatar of Chaos, the thing that was spreading all of the corruption. A brutal fight commenced with Death prevailing over the Corruption. The Horsemann made it to the Well of Souls where he knew he had to plunge himself into it to resurrect the Human Race and save War. But before he could do so suddenly a bright light came forth and overtook him and everything around him.

Specialty: Melee Combat
Level: 1
Experience: 0/10

Powers: Death Grip - A power that allows Death to use a ghostly hand to pull items towards him or pull himself up to certain points he cannot reach regularly.

Strengths:
Agile - Death can use his tremendous agility to climb, run on walls and leap large distances.

Weapon Combat - Death can wield a variety of weapons such as armblades, gauntlets, and claws to maces, axes, and spears.

Crafting - Although not nearly as good as a Maker, Death has learned to craft and can create weapons and potentially other items as well.

Weaknesses:
Ranged Attacks - Death much prefers using his signature scythes or other close-range melee weapons to fight his enemies. Because of this, he is extremely inept at using any type of ranged weapon. He can also have a difficult time dealing with enemies that mainly deal damage from afar.

Glass Cannon - Death isn't too tough and has trouble when it comes to receiving damage. Although not super weak, he can't take much damage before he cannot continue to fight any longer.

Spirits: None

Kindred Spirits:
War (Darksiders) - The youngest of the Four, but certainly not the weakest. Death holds War in high regard as he was willing to venture on a perilous journey to save his wrongly accused brother. War would indeed be a helpful ally.

Fury (Darksider 3) - The terrible engine of rage herself. Fury is the only woman amongst the Four Horsemen but that doesn't make her any less deadly. She can hold her own in a fight, more so than some of the other horsemen.

Strife (Darksiders Genesis) - The wise-cracking gunslinger of the Four Horsemen. Death never much cared for Strife's jokes and witticisms, but he is a valued member of the Four and Death needs someone he can truly trust in this strange world.

Inventory: Death carries his scythe The Harvester with him. The Harvester has the appearance of two short dual-wieldable scythe blades that can be joined together to form a double bladed scythe staff.

[User]
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Level: 1
EXP 3/10
Word Count: 313
Current Location: Dead Zone, RCPD (Main Hall >> Library)

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 Even when he tried to appear fine, it was obvious Joker was shaken up, not to mention worn out. Maybe it was from his struggle against the Doctor, or that he actually had to kill an actual person for once, not change their heart like he was used to. The thief shook the thought out of his head. The thing he fought wasn't a person, far from it. Not wanting to make the captain worry, he explained to Howard what happened, and introduced the two survivors he rescued as well.

 The thief decided to rest in the main hall for a while, to recollect his thoughts. He kept an eye on the civilians as they were brough to the hall as well.

 Up until death decided to knock on their door. Literally.

 Joker was proabably more surprised than the rest. Had one brush with death not been enough? Either way, he held onto his knife just in case. Luckily it was a false alarm, since one of the survivors (that apparently died??) was with the guy. The thief listened in to Howard debriefing Louis and Death on what was happening at the moment. Seemed most of the others were dealing with the ghost, but needed some backup, just in case.

 Then they looked over to him.

 "Hm?" The captain told Joker if he wanted to track the killer down instead, he could catch up with Ratchet and Blazermate. It was a hard choice. Maybe if he hurried, he could help with both?

 The thief hurried off to the library, deciding to assist in the ritual first. And already things looked bad. Once he arrived, he had to quickly hide to avoid being seen by the Preta. THAT was the ghost?? Joker snuck over to the others, waiting for a way to assist them.

 Besides being a distraction, that was already said and done.

[Assistant]
Geralt of Rivia
Ancestral Farmstead
Lvl 3 (12/30) -> Lvl 3 (28/30) -> Lvl 4 (0/40)
Word Count: 778 words
Stress Level: 10

Something changed just as the Courier's stimpak took effect on Geralt. It was...hard to describe. Something not unlike coming out of a magical trance, but without as much of the hangover half-blackout feeling. More like coming down from a light alcohol buzz. His mind felt sharper, and his body felt like it was his again. Hell of a drug. Almost like he mixed Swallow and Thunderbolt...speaking of which, I need that damned potion if I'm gonna be dealing with beasts like this! Geralt thought, completely unaware of the true reason he felt this way now. He'd probably learn soon enough, though.

Taking a deep breath as his body was mended and his mind unclouded, Geralt took a look around at the battlefield. So many spirits laying around, and so many fighters still standing. All of them, in fact. It was practically a miracle. Regular folk just didn't last around him in big fights like this, whether they were on his side or not. But then again, he hadn't left alongside many regular folk, had he? These people were fighters, killers, warriors, almost to the last one of 'em. Even the kids could fight like hell. It would have been unnerving had he not seen dozens of pimple-faced teens take to bandrity back on the Continent. Kids could fight. Usually not well, but they could fight.

Stepping away from their main quarry to gather a few of the farmhands' spirits, Geralt called out after the Courier spoke. "Hmm, wonder how that'd work with Igni...Cadet, was it? You need that thing for anything?" He asked the Ace Cadet, silently hoping he could walk out of this with something, at least. He wasn't totally sure how these spirits worked, not down to the letter, but he did notice that Linkle had left a trail of ice, and he was pretty damn sure she couldn't do that before. That kind of power....those things were like mutagens. And while he wasn't exactly eager to experiment with these things, he knew how much of a difference the right mutagen could make in a fight. The difference between life and death.

The big guy and his friends were gathering up, too, Geralt noticed, after Bowser broke off from the fight to protect his son. It was sweet, in a way. He'd dealt with enough monsters to know that plenty of them were just like humans, even if their bodies weren't. Hell, when he first met Emhyr at that damned betrothal, the man looked like some kind of hedgehog! If only he'd stayed that ugly....

Still, it was good to see everybody alive and well, if a bit shaken and wounded. They'd be able to head back to the town, lick their wounds, and maybe Mina would have something good for them in the morning. If only the Brachydios had left something to cook....though the Witcher wondered how good giant lizard-monster meat would taste. How would you even prepare it?
____________________________________________________________________________

As everybody gathered back into their transportation to return to Lumbridge, Geralt quietly meditated. It was a good way to keep his body somewhat rested, as well as his mind. His breathing was slow, as was his heartbeat. To the casual observer who didn't know better, he might very well have died sitting in this position and just...stuck that way.

Linkle's question to Euden caught his ear, and Geralt's eyes opened ever so slightly, the red replaced with an amber. Perhaps ironically, removing Galeem's influence had made his eyes look even less human, rather than more.

He was interested in how Euden controlled that kind of magic, however. It was impressive, to say the least. That level of raw power, even if he was only able to unleash it for short periods of time, spoke volumes about the boy. He could go far like that. Protect people. Or kill them in droves. It was all up to him, really.

Another thing that had interested him was the Courier's weapons. They made explosions like a bomb, but....they didn't explode? He saw the bright flashes from the end of the weapon as it ripped apart the Brachydios's neck, so it did something, but he wasn't sure what. Was it like a crossbow that launched something with an explosion? That sounded insane, like letting a grapeshot bomb going off in his hand! How it didn't blow the lunatic to pieces was another mystery.

Still, he couldn't argue with the results. He'd have to ask the man about how they worked at some point. But later. Right now he was tired, and he wanted to at least get some rest while they made their way back.


[System]
Appearance:
Height: 5'3"
Weight: 120 lbs
Hair Color: Pale Blonde
Eye Color: Yellow
Age: 23

History:
The assassin known only as the Crimson Streak is a mystery and an enigma. No one knows where she came from or how she got her reputation. Actually, no, that's false. People know full well how the girl got her blood-soaked title. However, the answers end there.

All anyone knows is that she served under the Imperium for some time as one of their leading assassins before apparently defecting to take the life of a Mercenary. Wandering around for some time, fate would eventually pair her with a certain Taskmage, and the two have been partners ever since. And thus, the mystique surrounding her continues. No one knows her true name, except maybe her partner in crime.

Personality:
Sable generally has two expressions written on her face: neutral and frowning. Perhaps at one time she was less stoic. Maybe. Now though, she'd much rather just not talk much to anyone at any time or anywhere. And if she does talk, it will be in a monotone voice and expression.

As an assassin greatly feared, Sable is a killer with a stone face. Often, the last thing her victims see before their passages into death are her cold visage and blank eyes. Thus, she appears at times distant and robotic, and to some extent she really is, only allowing her mind to focus on tasks at hand. She has a polite dislike for nobility and royals in general, though she will rarely say so. Much like anything else actually.

Maybe she's just shy? Who knows. The only person she says more than three words to is her partner. And even then, it's hard to get any emotion out of her.

Weapons:
Vim and Vigor: A pair of black and white daggers that are noted to be oversized in appearance. They are often used both in a sword-like fashion as well as traditional dagger play. The weapons themselves lack any sort of special abilities, save for one sole function.

Each of the daggers was created for the purpose of nullifying magic. As such, Sable can use them to cut away most forms of magic used against her, and the sight of her slicing away at flames of streaks of cast lightning are not uncommon. The blade's true potential, however, can be utilized further in dire situations.

When sensing a situation in which their master is in danger, Vim and Vigor will increase their anti-magic qualities to the point where Sable can severe the particles of magic in the air from at least a two-foot radius. When this state is achieved, next to all magic is canceled two feet from Sable's form. Because of her only magic of summoning as well, Sable can also use Vim and Vigor as projectile boomerangs along side close-combat.

Abilities:
RE-Arch: Sable's only form of magic; it is a type of summoning magic that can call forth as well as store her weapons Vim and Vigor from thin air. In practical hindsight, it's simply a convenient method to arm herself quickly. Because of this utilization, she often uses it to call her blades back to her near-instantly, making the tactic of using them as boomerang projectiles quite effective.

Other:
Although she is known to rest of the world as either Sable, or the Crimson Streak, only one individual dares to give her the affectionate nickname, Crimson Steak. This certain person also has a bad habit of calling her other meat-themed names as well. Furthermore, the full title of her magic is "Repeatable Equip Armament", or, "RE-Arch".

[User]
"This is Rivenwood?" Ugnis inquired quietly, confused by this statement. Though he didn't think Sable was lying, as there was no reason he could think of for her to do so, he still had no idea of how to get to town; the woods were still simply whispering, without any town noise to guide him. "Perhaps the fog is stifling the sound..." Ugnis thought to himself as he walked in the general direction that the pair and the peculiar boy went. They were heading to the town and, as he had no idea where the town was, figured it would be best to follow them. Fortunately, the taunts thrown between them were loud enough that he could trace them though the hushing blanket of fog.

As he began to hear town noise, he also heard a large creature... A bear? "Its steps sound heavier than normal," Ugnis noted as he approached. Perhaps it would be best to stand to the side on this one and let the more professional people handle it. He stood silently at a good distance away, drawing no attention and listening to the action.

[Assistant]
"C'mon, give me a little credit," Mal chuckled at the man's disdain.

 Truth be told, Mal expected that this direct strike against the beast had little chance of doing anything, but it definitely made things a little easier on him as the beast started charging forwards. Already he could feel heat emanating from the mark on his neck as the beast drew closer. Always fearful for its own life, the spirit always seemed more willing to comply when close to immediate danger. With the relic in play, Mal would have to work against the group and for the group at the same time.

 So, when the bear finally diverted its path at last as someone swung overhead, and he could hear the incantations from the girl's partner, Mal prepared to leap into action.

 "Snakes, return!" He shouted as the chains rushed back to his side. He was already letting go as they wrapped around his shoulders and his belt as he started running towards the creature. While its path had already diverted towards the mighty tree on which its assailant perched, Mal took advantage of the situation to run to its backside.

 The triangle mark spread outward in a spiral as his eyes started to glow. His feet started increasing in speed as he curved around the monster's back and leaped towards it.

 "Snakes, find the bones and lift me up!"

 The chains exploded from his belt again and charged at the exposed bone on the undead bear. Both spikes found ribcage and gave him enough tension to haul him up its back side. With the chains in place he launched himself forward, grabbing hold of the fur on the back of its neck as he pulled his left fist back and slammed it into the beast's collar bone with a spirit charged punch.

[User]
Oh! There was an opportunity! The woman wrapped in red had taken refuge atop a tree branch, and down below, the massive beast howled in fury as it slashed chunks away from the base. Mimi didn't doubt the woman, who had moments prior been leaping and slashing with agility akin to the wind itself, had a back up plan of her own if the tree fell, but then why resort to back ups?

Mimi gave a sharp whistle to the girl on the branch, and with a wave sent a slew of lanterns over to her. They formed a tiny platform, clattering together, and though it didn't look stable, Mimi herself was testament that they would hold her.

"C'mon!" she waved, a wide grin at her lips.

[Assistant]
The dainty little girl slithered the forest, an apex predator among the trees was hidden in one tiny package that was humming the same little lullaby. She ventured on, following specifically the two most famous persons in the world to see what they were doing matter-of-factly from a safe distance whilst keeping watch for danger that may fall onto her. Her small stride came to a halt when the party had stopped their movements. The bright shine of white light beamed from the woods and all of them were looking directly at it. The Crimson Streak prepared her blade and so did the Taskmage... Things were getting a little rowdy soon it seems!

Underneath the innocent veil of the forest the beast emerged, roaring and thunder with claws swinging. She wondered how such rotten creature could remain alive. She could see the open wounds, it's ribcage and the seemingly dead fur with rotting eyes charging forward towards them intently. The bear had not caught her presence yet and she made her move to position herself carefully in the forest. The battle continued on fiercely as the bear; without fear nor remorse continued to kill its opponents in front of her.

Once its sights could not reach Muzai, she leapt out of her hiding spot, seemingly from nowhere and made a 'glomping' gesture at the beast as earth beneath shook and reached out with stony fists attempting to grab the great beast down, immobilising it for an attack.

[User]
Sitting in a bush, Yem inspected the fire from a distance. It was clear that whoever had been there just a few moments ago had left in a hurry. They could have heard him approach, but it wasn't likely. Most did not detect Yem unless he wanted them to. This left Yem with more questions than answers, and a few possible scenarios. In the best of worlds, the people sitting by the fire had become afraid of Rexicorgs grim reputation and, fueled by the darkness, they had simply left the place. They could also have spotted him, however unlikely, and either run off or prepared a trap. It was also possible, and Yem hoped that it wasn't so, that something else had driven them off. Something that might or might not still be somewhere close by. It was not a safe situation, and Yem was concerned.

He had seen the black shape in the fire, of course. Just lying there, unscathed by the flames, shimmering with light from the dancing flames and the watching stars. Yem suspected it was one of the relics. It felt appropriate, somehow. Meant to be, like in a great story. He also suspected that this was some sort of trap. It was too easy and obvious to not be one. Someone was watching the fire, waiting for the ideal moment to strike, or perhaps there was more to the fire than it seemed. Yem was no sorcerer, but he knew plenty of sorcery. And if sorcery could be one thing, it was subtle. The only way to be sure about anything was to deduct the possibilities, one by one. The easiest one to deduct was the presense of others. Yem might have been a mere human, with poor senses of sight, sound and smell, but he had his ways.

The transformation was almost instant. Yem breathed in and closed his eyes. When he opened them again and exhaled, the world was a different place. The night was as bright as day. He could hear and place the individual whispers of the leaves in the bush. The scents of the night flowed through his snout leaving trails almost like colors through the air. Every fibre of his body stood in rapt attention, his muscles vibrant with energy. He needed one sniff to confirm his suspicions; there was someone or something nearby. It reeked of corpse, but it was moving, which told its own disturbing tale. Yem was up against an undead of some sort. This always unsettled him. Corpses should remain still, such was the way of nature. He would have to be careful. Gripping his spear in one powerful, fanged hand and his curved blade in the other, he leapt from the bush and charged the being with terrible speed. As the creature came into view, his instinct was to retreat but he forced himself to disciplin. He thrust at the Drider, the dreaded man-spider, with the full force of his charged but was easily turned aside by a flick of a chitin-clad leg. Stumbling past, it was all he could do to throw himself away to evade a stab from one of the creatures other legs. Yem rolled on the ground, quickly regaining balance, and brought his spear up to keep the fiend at bay. He would have to finish this quickly, lest he'd tire from the strain of his totem.

Vile creature!, he cursed, Putrid thing! Die again in the name of all that is good and living! Return to the ground as you should have long ago!

If the Drider had understood him, it gave no sign. They circled eachother, kept apart only by the length of the spear between them. Then, suddenly, the monster moved with lightning speed and forced the tip of the spear out of the way. As it jumped for Yems flesh, screeching madly, he ducked beneath it and sliced it with the blade while passing. It was not without cost, however, as the creature pricked him in the back just below the shoulderblade. It left a long scratch down Yems back, and he yelped at the pain. The two combatants quickly found their places again, and continued the dance like before. This fight would prove interesting.

[Assistant]
Sable stared up at the girl with the lanterns blankly. Exactly…what was she trying to do? The red-clad assassin figured she was trying to help, but one bear didn't warrant a danger to her life. Even still, she nodded at the command and leapt up, landing firmly on the tiny platform provided for her.

"Hello," she greeted, voice as robotic as always. "Thank you for the leverage. Now then, do you mind if I jump off-"

She was cut off by the sound of terrible screeching. Looking down, Sable saw the boy with the chains land a direct hit into the bear's collarbone. A sickening crunch rang out, and the bear howled in rage.

Moments later, it was pinned down by the formation of massive stone hands, causing another shockwave to ripple the bear's core. The Crimson Streak looked to the side, seeing her fangirl in the aftermath of casting a spell. So that's what it was then.

When she turned back, something was notably different about the bear. It did not continue its attack nor did was it aggressive; instead, it raised a claw and struck at the layed stone, freeing itself loosely. At once, it was turning around and fleeing the forest clearing in pain. Sable blinked in confusion before her eyes focused on something else, something that was falling back to the earth.

The green Legend Relic. It must have been dislodged from the punch, meaning it wasn't attached to the bear for very long. Without a word to the girl, Sable rocketed downwards in the attempt to catch the treasure.

With the bear gone, so too was the danger factor. Now it was a free-for-all for the Relic.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Farther away in Rexicorg, the Drider hissed in pain as Yem's blade struck it underneath. Likewise, it gained some sort of primal satisfaction in knowing that it had clipped him as well.

With a heart-pierced screech, it reared back and sprayed a stream of webbing from its rotting maw. It aimed to pin Yem in place, for it knew that once that was accomplished, it could freely go in for the kill.

Meanwhile, the black Relic seemed to glow brighter, emitting an afterglow within the flames it resided in. It seemed to be pulsing with power, as if calling out…