[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]
Spartan Lucas Ryker

As the mounted machinegun opened fire towards Ryker, he was already diving with a startled curse. If he was honest, as he rolled part way down the ramp, the SPARTAN IV had hoped that the rebels wouldn't have bothered setting up any kind of defense on the walk way since they had seemed confident they'd control the doorway. Turning off the active camouflage system, he tucks into the wall of the ramp and swaps the SMG for his DMR before, risking a quick peak at the far end before ducking after a couple of the larger caliber rounds rebounded off his shielding. Hearing that Grikgar was on his way, however, gave the Spartan an idea and he waited for the Grunt to arrive.

The little guy has a fuel rod launcher and lots of explosives. I'm a decent shot and brought a few frag grenades. The problem is obscuring smoke wouldn't do us any good up here...but a series of progressive explosions could force the men behind that barricade in to cover long enough for me to rush them.

[Assistant]
Tar 'Mdalak

---

From her position behind the crates, Tar had a slightly better view of the elevated platforms above them. She couldn't see any hostiles peeking out just yet. "I can't see anyone on the platforms; will keep an eye out." Tar reported, just as the box she was hiding behind began shuddering from a hail of bullets. Cover was particularly poor this close to the near pillars; Tar needed to get into the grid of crates to stand a chance.

She noticed her left leg was starting to hurt; blood trickled slowly from a gap in her armour plating. Could that bullet she'd felt while holding up her Brute cover outside have gone through, rather than grazed her? She wasn't sure. Tar probed the gap with one of her fingers, mandibles clamped together. She couldn't find an entry wound. She'd need to leave it be for now and look once the fighting had stopped.

Tar peeked out from behind the crate she hid behind. A couple of Brutes and Humans had been dealt with, and part of the room was on fire. She could see shapes flitting between the stacks of crates toward the back of the room. It looks like they'd abandoned their previous position. "Our foe runs! We should press the attack." Tar called, shooting between crates at two Humans as they scrambled for cover. One of them fell over.

Tar had never actually killed Humans before now. There'd been no need to; her time with the Silent Shadow remnants had been exclusively focused on killing Brutes. She found these Human warriors to be quite disappointing so far. She'd simmed against ODSTs and other Human elements in Paxopolis, but that'd been in a carefully controlled environment. This was real.

"Moving!" Tar announced, mostly out of necessity. The crate she'd hidden behind had practically fallen apart. She got up and stepped into a 'corridor' between two rows of crates leading to the other side of the room. She spotted a Human with a SAW at the opposite end of the corridor just as they opened fire. Tar only made it forward one row before ducking back behind another stack of boxes. "I'm pinned, how is my right side looking?" Tar asked, partly to herself as she peeked around the other side of the box and partly to Aegis team, who would have a more holistic view.

[User]
Yalu 'Suumko

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[Assistant]
Vael 'Virisusai and Tasuma

---

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

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

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

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


[System]
Nicknames:Fer
Age:21
Gender:Male
Level: 1

Class: Shield Hero

Hero Class: Shield

Specializations: Survival Training, Languages, Tactical Training,

Magic Affinity: Wind

Appearance: Tan skinned with Knife cut hair down to his shoulders. He has brown eyes and a curved hawk like nose. He stands 5'7" and weighs about 180 lbs. He has many scars on his body and his clothes are ragged and worn. He has a quiet attitude and talks very little. But when he talks he has a sort of tenor voice that is a bit raspy from lack of use. He unknowingly has a protective spirit and has on many occasions helped a person but he tries very hard to seem indifferent. He has no qualms about getting his hands dirty but only resorts to violence when necessary.

Biography: Fer is from a war torn country in the South American Continent in the early 1980s. Living in the harsh rural mountains, made him a hardy young lad. When the guerrillas started abducting children he was unfortunate to have been trapping when his younger brother was taken, his father and mother butchered and his younger sister abducted probably to be sold as a slave. Fer tracked down and joined one of the guerillas. His aim was to find his siblings and exact revenge, on whoever he could, from within. He endured harsh and violent conditions. He learned to use conventional and fabricated weapons. His trapping skills eventually earned him a place as a tracker and forager. All the while his goal was to find his siblings.

By luck or providence, he was able to discover that his poor brother had not survived the harsh living conditions of jungle and a boy soldier. It had been many years and he felt that he had failed his siblings, his parents and justice. He was contemplating ending it all when on his way back to camp he heard a cry of despair and pain.

He followed the sound and happened upon a very common scene of four or five guys surrounding the poor body of girl from where the sound had emerged. He was about to turn away when one of the young men parted and he saw the dirty and tear streaked face of his sister. Rage and pain clouded his emotions as he deftly loaded his old pump action riffle. Despite the emotional storm going on in his soul, Fer managed to quickly and accurately send two bullets bursting into his intended targets. He did not even stop to assess the damage when a quick reaction from one of the remaining three young men reached for the riffle. Far let the riffle be torn from his grasp but his hand immediately pulled the hunting knife he wore on his waist and plunged it deep under the ribs of the attacker who slumped to the ground after a gasp of surprise. The one that had been assaulting the young girl had succeeded in punting on his pants and stood up just as the other lad managed to close in combat with Fer and knock him to the ground trying to pry the knife from his grasp. Fer reached up with his other hand pulled the lad's hair towards his face and bit hard into his neck until he felt the metal taste of blood. A yell of pain from the wounded neck which was spurting in a rhythmic fashion.

Before he could get to his feet he felt a sharp pain on the left side of his head. He fell to the side trying to fight off confusion and a nausea. Before he could recover he felt the weight of a sweaty body on his and rancid breath near his nose as the last attacker fell onto him striking with his hands. Adrenalin and desperation made both defender and attacker inaccurate in their scuffle. Somehow, the attacker's hand happened upon the hunter knife that had been dropped. He raised the knife and brought it down upon the raised arm of Fer who had appempted to protect himself. The blade plunged deep into the left forearm and scrapped bone protruding from the other side. The lad used his weight and pushed down forcing the blade slowly down. It was a life and death struggle. The blade was dangerously close to Fer's neck when a shot rang out. While the weight remained on him, it was dead limp weight. Blood started to drip from a hole on the side of the face of the attacker and Fer pushed the dead body off him, the effort causing him to almost pass out from the pain in his left forearm.

A crying girl rushed to his side. "FER!" the girl said between sobs. Fer propped himself on his knees, the Adrenalin slowly leaving his body and giving way to pain and nausea. He still managed to hug the young girl and say her name through bloodied and busted lips. "Rosa, please forgive me!" He added his sobs to hers as they held each other surrounded by a grim collection of bodies darkening the earth and pooling blood.

Five days later found Fer and Rosa in a rural train station headed towards town. They wanted to leave so much grief and pain behind. Perhaps even one day make it to America. They had somehow made it down the mountain to a village where they had found good people who patched up Fer and helped them find a ride to the rural town. They bought passage with the selling of the equipment and cash found on the dead bodies of the assailants. It seemed like their bloody past was behind them. There had been no signs of pursuit and nobody would even know who was missing or who had attacked with so many rival guerrillas in the area. While they waited, Fer's gaze fell on the odd and eclectic offerings of a merchant. It was a worn book. Fer smiled, his younger brother had loved books. He had been the smart one in the family. Fer knew how to read of course but had not envisioned a life outside farming the land like his father. He knelled and for 5 pesos bought the book. He was on his way back to Rosa and the approaching train.

In an instant, there was a bright flash of light which all but blinded the young man. When his vision returned and the spots dissipated, he was standing in a stone walled room.

---
Preferred Weapon(s): Shield, (proficient in fire arms , bows and knives)

Appearance of Weapon: Dependent on the ability being used but at rest it looks more like a solid metal bracer with a jewel on the center of it.

Abilities of Weapon: (if applicable)

Appearance of Weapon:

Abilities of Weapon: morphs shield into any of the shields shown above. The shields have no particular ability they are just metal shields in that shape.

Appearance of Weapon: :

Abilities of Weapon: equip bonus: defense 2

 Appearance of Weapon: :

Abilities of Weapon:

Air Burst- Able to create a strong burst of air that impacts the target in a 12 inch ball. Diameter of ball increases with the user level.

Burst Shield- forms a air generated shield (similar to the one in the manga) and helps minimize damage from attacks. The number of layers or shields are depended on user level.

[User]
"Ah yes Records of Past Heroes? The former shields, swords, bows, and spears? Well I must say we don't have a VAST amount on them as King's great great great Grandmother did have the records classified for the sake of making sure they were safe but we have some stuff. The names of those who travelled with the heroes, the people who they defeated, and the records of their specific calamities though I must warn you even I, the summoner, of our new friends am currently not so sure how much is accurate." commented Hans as he looks around and then leans into whisper. "I feel that some here of specific...political, and factional disputes may have embellished some of it personally. I only say this to you for the simple fact you're with the heroes. Are you sure you wish to proceed knowing that?" comments Hans quickly as he pulls back looking around to hope no one saw him. He adjusts his glasses, and robes looking nervous as he looks at Auriel sweating slightly. "Aside from the obvious we all know the legends we were raised, and born on. The Spear Hero Shani who slew a kraken to save a port town, The Sword Hero who put down a war using only the power of her voice to calm the generals during a meeting, and the Bow Hero who split an entire mountain using one almighty shot down from the top of it. But who knows if those are true, and if they are I have high hopes for them."

===

"You're not my lackey Fer, you're my teammate. I'm not looking for followers more so people who will help me. And I think you know that too but its worth saying regardless." Cole returns to Fer as he looks directly at him his eyes firm, and unyielding as he nods then turns to Marcino who rubs his chin while he thinks about his reply. The grizzled veteran considers all of the things that could go wrong, and may very well go wrong, and eventually he takes a short breath as he looks at Fer intently.

"Escort job huh? And I guess I suppose I should thank one of those sneaky bitches that's been keeping an eye on us when I took you out to the field for target practice. King's little entourage does a lot for him you know. Not like back in Zeltoble. The Phoenix Born Hero doesn't let his crew go around doing whatever without his knowing. Then again...maybe that's for the best since the kid's got a lot on his plate. Don't envy the man that's for sure." comments Marcino as he takes a long swig of his beer. "Phoenix Born Hero?" Cole asks as the man shook his head and looks at him. "No, he's not one of you. He may as well be though...he's well...I suppose I shouldn't tell ya. Would be rude to not let that old shit not surprise ya." Marcino says crudely as he gives them a wide smile. "Anyway as long as the king foots the bill for me helping you stay alive I'll take the job. I'll even do it at a discount this once because I know its probably about Winters right? Heard a guard complaining about her a week ago before you both arrived. Consider it on the house for having one of my 'own' causing troubles. So you know when you're heading out?" Marcino asks as Cole stopped to wonder if there was more to this then Marcino let on. "I'm ready to head out at any time really but Auriel went off to somewhere...I don't remember I was hardly paying attention to her given the circumstances...and how did you know abo-" Cole started before Marcino shook his head. "No this ain't the place to be talking more than necessary about those people you get me?"

[Assistant]
Fer's eyes narrowed. Apparently the emissaries were keeping eyes on more than just the heroes. He wondered what sort of play was going behind closed doors. He already felt uncomfortable knowing that he may be indirectly be used as a tool to further someone's cause. Often, if the tools is kept in the dark then the person using the tool was not of honorable persuasion.

The mention of the Zeltoblian hero spiked his interest. If there was a personage important or powerful enough to be placed in the same category as them, he felt he should know more about them. He filed the reference to ask Auriel. He figured he could ask Marcino but the man had quickly changed the subject. This spiked the young hero's interest even more. Was there a man that the gruff veteran actually looked up to?

Fer nodded as Marcino surprised them by taking the job free of charge. The hero had resigned himself to pay what was necessary. After all, amasing fortune would be useless if his ultimate goal was to return to his own world at the end of the waves or his time here.

When Cole mentioned he did not know where their angel winged companion had gone Fer offered as a way of explanation.  "She went to the Cathedral and library to check on the Dragon Glass and try to find some information about the old powers or skills of the old heroes."  The young man shrugged. "I had asked her to see if she could dig up some information. I want to be of better use. However, so far, I have only been able to morph my shield and gained a small orange one from feeding my gem those balloon monsters we fought the other day."

He seconded Cole's mention of being ready. "If we can pick up Auriel on the way, I am ready to go too."

[User] "Well before we do...I have a question for you Fer. Do you think the other two heroes will be a problem for us? Not on this misison I mean in the future. The Spear Hero is a big unknown, and The Bow Hero is a loud mouth vulgar biker chick. I don't think we'll have much luck when it comes to teamwork BUT we need them. That's the big problem we need to form a cohesive team because otherwise we'll be split, and easily picked off once the waves come. We had some trouble with the bandits but given two weeks of prep we can easily manage to overwhelm the basic bad enemies that we'll fight. But the big ones? I don't think I can stop those alone." Cole states as he looks across to Fer his eyes fixed firmly on him as he grips the table a bit tightly. Cole wasn't sure what his comrade thought on the matter. Given the chance Cole would prefer the heroes joined together to save the world but...would that even be a possibility or were they called her to be doomed?

[Assistant]
Fer considered the question posed to him. He had very little interaction with the spear who had left almost as quickly as he himself had appeared in this world. There seemed to be no animosity or bad blood in the departure. Indeed, the Spear had seemed level headed and even was able to pull an entourage with him which meant that at least some people of this world found him trustworthy.

He knew even less of the bow hero beside the comments of both Cole and Marcino. What he heard however, did not leave a good impression. As far as warriors went, apparently, she was very good. It was in the interaction between people that she seemed to be lacking. Fer was never one for sensibilities despite his usually calm and helpful attitude.

His friend was right, teamwork for the sake of survival, not just their own but of the world, would be critical. In truth, Fer had forgotten at times that two other heroes existed except for the time that Auriel or Cole mentioned them. He had enjoyed their small group's dynamic. But his childish desires were trumped by cold hard real-world needs.

He sighed as he prepared to respond to Cole. His voice had a resigned tone that told of the unwillingness to do what his words said but his conviction to do it for the greater good.  "IF there is a way to speak to them and IF we manage to get them to work with us in a sort of loose alliance. Our survival chances will increase. We do need more fire power Cole and just you and Auriel in the vanguard may not be enough."

He paused for a second collecting his thoughts. If the bow was indeed such a jerk then her addition to the party might do more harm than good. But from what he had heard, the waves were named thus because they came in predictable and timed patterns. Perhaps there was a way to work with them during the waves and allow for the freedom of everyone following their own paths while in the lull between the waves.

"It would be great to have us work together in perfect synchrony but I don think that is possible. So, if we can at least fight in a loosely based plan with certain teams doing certain tasks then we should be able to fight effectively. It would take too much cooperation to fight efficiently but we can at least cover each other's backs. I hope we can at least trust them enough for that."

He looked at his fellow hero. "Do you think that you are charming enough to win them over to our side?" His tone was playful.  "Or do you know them enough to perhaps offer some sort of deal or incentive?" Fer shrugged. "The least we can do is try and talk to them. If nothing comes of it, then we go back to being separate cells and hope that we survive."


[System]
The Chimera of Lynore

To the south, the province of Lynore was home to schemes most foul. Ideas cooked up to create life rather than simply control it led to a partnership between a druid and alchemist. Their intention was to harness the strengths of the wild and tame them through combination as to make profit off of anyone who would pay for their creations. Bear-shark-humanoids, snake-dogs, and what would later become Luciel was a shift in direction from simply making monstrosities to appealing the everchanging tastes of humanity.
Luciel is one of about 60 such creations intended as servants, the exotic features of otherwise docile creatures serving to doll up what was essentially a small human. Ears and the tail of a rabbit, antlers of a deer and the eyes and fangs of a cat, this variant became popular in the region and were kept by nobles as pets, servants...and such.
Luciel appears around 14ish for his relatively short stature of nearly 4'9. He was personally tailored for the duke's son and carries wavy pink, shoulder-length hair from which matching bunny ears poke out from. Their left ear holds three small silver studs, linked together by a fine chain. Sports two antlers, each with three points. Ruby red eyes cut with cat-like pupils.
Luciel could be described as beautiful in an androgynous way; a lithe slim frame and a porcelain pale doll-like complexion from being confined indoors for most of his life. This is marred by a darkness under his eyes from nights spent laying awake and lingering bruises of various forms, hidden under his clothes from treatment which only ended roughly two or three days prior.

Observably (at least at the start of the thread), Luciel is shrouded in a large section of tapestry likely stolen from the manor of his previous master and wrapped around his figure to obscure all but the shadow of a nose poking out from how he bundled it all like a cloak. The material is tattered and torn in places from a very inconvenient walk through bushes and brush.

Underneath this is his 'servant' attire consisting of a short sleeved white buttoned down shirt under a black vest. Snug black shorts adorned with a long chain wrapping around his waist with slack hints to a pocketwatch, likely stolen. Knee-high boots (3 inch flat-soled heels) with black mid-thigh stockings fixed with garters running up his shorts.

Not his first choice of attire, it lends the question of what his purpose was.
Inventory: A simple pocketwatch, a simple shortsword pillaged from a dead sailor as well as a light crossbow. Two ornate rings too big for him to wear...likely stolen. A keyring holding various pieces of slim metal beaten into the shape of a makeshift lockpick set. Two flasks found at the scene of the wreck which Luciel assumed was water until getting his first taste, their contents seem to serve well for aiding in starting fires, though (sailors' rum).

Enhanced senses - The splice of cat-like eyes gives Luciel superb vision in most lighting scenarios. However, pitch black is still pitch black. His ears allow even a very weak form of echolocation due to their discerning sensitivity (However, this makes him susceptible to sonic damage)

Lockpicking - Leading up to his escape, Luciel had plenty of practice in picking locks to undo his binds. However, magical locks are beyond his expertise.

Natural Weapons - Animalistic by a latent primal nature; though his fangs may be small, determination and their sharpness make a bite from Luciel a suitable deterrent in a pinch. Alternatively, the points of his antlers are whittled sharp.

Through his pact with the abyssal entity which he refers to as "O'Distant Fish", Luciel has an affinity for illusion and ice magic.

Examples of illusions usually work in the way of camouflage which is especially effective in the shadows which he can almost seamlessly blend into if not moving.
As for ice, his strength lies in distractions. Chilling moisture in the air, Luciel can summon small clouds of chilled moisture to distract or temporarily blind those it consumes with the exception of himself. This is mostly to buy time for a precision strike from conventional weapons or to obscure his movement.

Most variations of these spells require verbal and somatic commands to conjure. Being bound hinders their effectiveness while being silenced in any way prevents spellcasting.
Personality: Luciel is soft spoken and often comes off as timid, though he has developed a nasty habit of 'fear biting'. He is inexperienced with the world and is often seen as naive or even foolish, though has enough street smarts and common sense to avoid dangerous situations if possible. Repeated abuse has worn down any love he would have towards humans as well as inherent disposition, leaving him almost seeming 'hollow' at times. Outside of this, Luciel is excitable and eccentric when expressing emotions. Curious of this new world outside of servitude, he has a distinct fascination with the accumulation of knowledge and an abstract method of defining experiences and that which he witnesses in an almost poetic way.

Speaking ill of the dead is not my intention, as they are gone and cannot hear my words no matter how loud I scream.
Existence came as suddenly as one would wake from sleep, and all I knew since then has been one nightmare after the other. It begins with a monster of a man and his monster of a son and ends with both of them dead for their vileness. There would have likely been more, but I was smart enough to know when it was time to leave.
I had spent maybe a day on the run before coming across the perfect place to rest. Unbeknownst to me, the crate of linins was bound to be transferred by boat to destinations unknown to me. Wherever it was, the ship would not reach it as the force of a storm toppled the craft.
To this day, I'm not entirely certain how I survived. I dreamt of a creature within the darkness of the waves who came to my aid, massive as the shore as black as night. Though it did not speak, we came to an understanding that my mortality was left to its mercy and that it had no interest in my soul at that moment. Though I did not hear it speak, I knew words which it etched into my mind; formless syllables and cryptic verses whose very recollection brought power through even the vaguest attempts to pronounce them.
...Existence returned to me as suddenly as one would wake from sleep, dashed upon the shore with the corpses of sailors and passengers as well as their cargo. Quickly collecting what I could, I fled from the shore with no direction or plan.

I was free, whatever that meant. It didn't take long to find a suitably large cave which I intended to take shelter in while endeavoring to collect myself for what was now where my new life began.

Other
- Given the region which he learned to speak in, Luciel carries a bit of an accent vhich I vill be inflictink upon readers. On top of this, his linguistics are shoddy at times and the prose with which he speaks is often either over formalized or abstract like internal musings, a testament to the depth of his mistreatment.
- Opposed to the nature of the entity he made a pact with, Luciel is a less than impressive swimmer. If anything, he has a bit of hydrophobia for any amount of water more than waist deep.

[User]
Victor was going to listen to their new found 'friend' before he realized how little he cared. Honestly, he intended to suck him dry if given the chance. No reason to keep two blood-bags around when one of them appeared quite tougher and less afraid than the other one. But, unless he wished to reveal himself he couldn't very well do it right now. As the boy William talked Victor was attempting to manufacture a situation in his mind where dining on the boy would become possible, and even easy. Unfourtanetly the Witch Rose intervened again, quietly Victor wished the strange creature had eaten her... but it appeared she had learned its name. This 'Unyat' she said was friendly if strange, and seeing as she was a Witch Victor was inclined to believe her. She had other ways of killing them all without letting some cave creature devour them so he took her at face value. The way she commented about William brought a smile to Victors hidden face, hopefully it meant she would not try to protect him, giving Victor the edge he needed to slake his thirst in duplicate.

He was rather surprised at her view of the scarecrows and their origin, more that she went innto the nature of witches than anything else. He disliked all witches be they light ir dark as all could become a nuisance to a vampire. More powerful ones were outright dangerous to them, and he would already need to watch his step with Miss Rose let alone another witch. Regardless, Victor was intent on drinking soon seeing as he still had no idea when the last time he had sated himself had been. When Rose gave the command for Gish to decide where the little company would be going Victor was abiut to make a case for their heading to the cabin before Rose started prattling on again, supporting both sides of the arguement like a damn fool. Victor growled quietly beneath his helmet as the Witch was already beggining to grate on him. Then, once she had finished he prepared to give his case when Gish herself headed him off, deciding they woulld indeed be going to the cottage. He smiled widely, and sloshed across the shallow pond to Luciel, who he gently but firmly brought to his feet, "Come Luciel! Gish leads the way now!", he chuckled, gripping the boys shoulder firmly to pick him up and point him in the direction of the cottage, not wanting his primary food source to leave his side. Before he left with Luciel he also picked up William, smiling, "Welcome to our little merry band William!", and similarly giving him a light push to the cottage... if he was lucky and careful he may very well eat tonight.

[Assistant] So it seemed that she and Mathias were not the only ones that had just appeared here. That was not uplifting. Truth be told her memory was mostly intact, but the journey down she was unconscious so all of that was missing. Stroking her hair a bit she leaned her head to one side. "I remember things before coming here. I know I was swept here by water but I do not know how far I have come or the direction to go back. This place is quite confusing as I have seen light coming through. The air is strange here though."


[System]
Race: Bean Nighe
Gender: Female
Age: 22
Occupation: Unemployed, robs graves for a living.

Personality/Interests
On the surface, she seems like a very easy person to talk to, someone who you can trust, someone who knows a lot about the world. On the inside, though, Mysaren just desperately wants to be accepted by people. One of her biggest fears is people not liking her. Mysaren can be seen as somewhat manipulative, lying and cheating to people often to get her way, although this is something that she is trying to fix. She's definitely not above dirty tricks in order to get what she wants, or sometimes needs. She's very good at feigning confidence, which is how she does her "job", by either brute force or pretending that she's supposed to be in area's that she's not supposed to go. Despite this, she's definitely loyal to those she cares about, and definitely tries to help her friends in family in any way she can. Mysaren is somewhat hot-headed, and has a very quick temper. On the inside, she's a very sensitive person, though. She takes a lot of things literally, and doesn't really appreciate jokes or teasing at all.

She cares immensely about her family at home, and her greatest fear is something bad happening to them. Her entire life has been spent trying to support them the best she can, even stealing and cheating in order to get money. She's often very cheap, not liking to spend money frivolously, even if she has money. She has a bit of a mistrust for anyone with large amounts of money as well.
Appearance
Mysaren is a rather tall women, having the look of a warrior. She's muscular, with a chiseled, prominent jaw and square face. She has short, curly black hair, which barely goes past her ears, although her bangs cover her eyes if not pulled back. She has dark brown skin, which is marred with various scars. Her eyes are deep-set, and blue eyes that look like the deep end of the pool. Freckles cover a large amount of her face, and are lightly sprinkled on her shoulders.

Details
Body build: Muscular, well built.
Hair: Short, curly.
Hair color: Black.
Skin color: Dark brown.
Eye/Iris color: Dark blue.
Height/Weight: 6'3, 185.
Notable Features: Freckles, her arms and legs are somewhat covered in scars.

Clothing Description
She tends to wear long, dark purple robes with a gold trim around the edges, and a hood. Underneath, she wears a black tunic, a normal pair of pants which are brown, and a belt, which is covered in various small pockets and bags. She carries a larger, messenger bag that's made of black leather and has several runes carved into it. She also wears thick, black leather gloves, and rather strong, worn boots, made for travelling.

Equipment
A spell book and several other books, a few healing and mana potions, various materials for her spell work, a shovel, a lantern, and a bottle of oil.

Weapon(s)
Her wand, a knife, and a small sword.

Powers
Due to her years spent living in the darkness, she has a heightened sense of sight.

Abilities
She is able to tell when someone is about to die, although she can't get specifics on who/why/how. It's usually just a loud, wordless muttering in the back of her mind.

Talents
Hand to hand combat.
Petty thievery
Her persuasive power.

Magic
Deals primarily in Necromancy. Talking with the deceased, being able to call upon them in times of battle.
Sessamaru - "He seems level-headed, but I am envious of his rather joyous personality."

Historia - "A naive little bird. I do hope she at least knows enough to stay out of trouble."

Saha - "Never much liked snakes."

Katelia - "An annoyance."

Julio - "He knows how to keep his mouth shut. I can respect that."

Azzrix - "Pompous ass. I can't help but respect his ability to kill rich people though. Keeps me in business."

Margaret - "I don't much respect greediness, but she's at least a good companion otherwise."

Naida - "Rather nice. Pretty cute as well."

Drubbins - "An idiot. Lovable, but an idiot."

Tahira - "One of them brainy types, and not so good with people. Kinda painful to talk with her."

Rimau - "He has a very similar sense of humor as me, and he's pretty friendly. I like him a lot."

Claire - "Rather shy, but not bad to talk to. Could be a good friend."

Viggo - "I can't stand him or his music."

Rouen - "Some pretty rich boy who thinks he knows how the world works because he's lived in a nice castle all his life."

Falen - "I respect him a lot. He kinda scares me sometimes though..."

[User]
"Dogs like me." Said Drubbins happily at the snake bloke. He had no idea what Da Boss would want a dog returned to someone, but that was normal. Da Boss asks you to punch down a building you don't ask what's inside. Da Boss wants every slime in the area gathered up and shoved behind the same door, you don't ask why. Da Boss asks you to chop off your hand and let your blood spill into the stone circle, you ask "how much blood would ya like, Boss?"

He was also happy to have someone to come with him. Most Bosses didn't trust Drubbins to handle anything more complex than krumping a bloke on his own, and most of them at least sent someone to make sure he'd Krumped the right bloke.

He thumped his chest, threw the rest of the pancakes directly into his mouth, and garbled "You point me at dat Peanut and dat 'ouse and I'll do da rest."

[Assistant]
"Oh, I understand. Uhm, you can borrow my cloak if you want, you know. I don't mind." Even if Rimau was tough, Mysaren didn't want to have to deal with a pissy Zizz all the way up some mountains. She could live without the cloak, being pretty used to the cold. Her cloak was mostly just to disguise herself, make her blend in a bit, but it also helped with self esteem issues. She scratched her arm idly.

"I'm not a huge fan of mountains either, of course, but, well, hopefully the reward makes up for it," Maybe she could actually buy some form of transportation, a horse or a cart or something with the prize money. "Besides, a bunch of idiots who decided to hide up in the mountains shouldn't take us that long to dispatch, of course. We'll be out of there in no time." She didn't exactly know that, of course, but bandits and robbers weren't generally the smartest of people, especially if they left enough evidence for them to know where they were hiding, even if it was just a vague area.

Mysaren followed Rimau to the door, and frowned when she poked her head out, and turned back in. Inside the tavern looked bright and well lit, sun streaming through the windows, but outside was overcast and dreary. She coughed as she poked her head out, and looked at the mountains Rimau was pointing at. "Yes, that should be it. Hm, doesn't seem too too far away. Even then, there has to be some form of trail up there if the robbers were able to get up there so fast. Hopefully it won't be that hard to find where they're hiding."

[User]
Naida
Outside the Blue Moon

Naida does not care of Azzrix comes along, but she does care about her share of the reward. Consider that he is a thief, he might wind up cheating them out of their share. But as Sessamaru says that he can come along, she has no argument against it. She begins walking again, looking down at the job. "So it says that the daughter is being held on the island out in the river by the Blue Moon. I know what river they speak of in this job, but I do not know which island. There are three islands on the river." She furrows her brown and looks at Sessamaru. "It doesn't matter anyways if neither of you can swim fast enough to keep up with me. Would either of you like for me to scout ahead see if I can find out which of the islands this poor girl is on?" As she is speaking, she hears the rush of the river and she can't help herself. She rushes toward the sound and stands at the very edge of a cliff that overhangs the water.

She stares down at the water, a little bit of fear crossing over her mind. The last time that she had set foot in the water was three years ago, which was the last time that she had seen her father. As soon as she would set foot in the water, he would know that she had come back. But when she doesn't know is if he will come searching for her. She takes a deep breath and smiles back at Sess and the new fellow. That is a risk that she will have to take. She sucks in a little more air and steps off the cliff.

There is no point in flapping her wings; the best way to have fun at getting turned into her mermaid form is just to drop into it. The icy cold water splashes up around her and she shivers slightly, but the change is imminent. She feels her legs meld together into one form and her wings shoot down her spine to her legs, enveloping her legs in a bluish silvery glow. Before long, she has a long, bluish silver tail flipping around underneath her. She smiles, unable to contain her joy, and she swims as fast as she can toward the surface, which is well a top of her now. She leaps out of the water like a dolphin, giving an excited whoop as she does. She then lands back in the water and floats on top of the surface, smiling up at Sess and Azzrix. "Come on, you guys! The water is amazing!"

[Assistant]
"Well, if we're goin' by the assumption that these dumbasses came from town..." Rimau said, choosing to politely ignore the topic of mountains any further before it became distracting.

"...They prob'ly used this road right 'ere." Rimau stepped outside, into the purely natural, gritty air of the outdoors, and 'sweeped' his pointed hand along the road towards the mountains.

"...I mean, sure, they mighta been the show-off type an' scaled some walls, but roads tend to be the only viable way up mountains. F'good reason."

Rimau proceeded to take a few strides down the cobbled road, in the direction of the mountain gate, and turned back to Mysaren, who he assumed was still inside. "...Unless y'got any other plans, I suggest we get goin'. Uh, no pressure, though. Those dumbasses are prob'ly makin' a mess o' their britches just thinkin' about retribution right now, heheh."

With that, Rimau grabbed the sides of his goggles and slid them over his eyes; the sign that he was now in 'work' mode. Which reminded him; 'must remember to take that medicine when we get there. Last thing I need is a repeat o' the last Plat'num troll hunt... geez, maybe I'm gettin' too old f'this. ...Naaaah.' He finalised that line of thought with another devilish grin.

[User]
Azzrix was glad that the dog-like man was fine with him going with them on their mission and for once it seemed like he didn't have to use a lot of excellent persuasion skills to come along. He now thought of what was to come, if it was a kidnapping that they were dealing with then there was a good chance for combat, which made Azzrix smile a bit as he thought of getting a chance to show off his great swordsmanship.

Azzrix listened to Naida explain the layout of the land and upon hearing that they would have to swim to the island he groaned. Azzrix knew how to swim, but he didn't like having to get his thief clothing wet and who knew how deep the river. He didn't voice any objection and after Naida asked she could scout ahead he watched her jump into the water and looked to be having the time of her life. Under different certumstances Azzrix would have laughed, but right now he was being very serious.

"Is the water very deep and how far are the islands? I don't fancy drowning today" he replied to her, hesitant to jump into the water.

[Assistant]
"You're a good right bloke, aren't 'cha?" Saha said in a saccharine tone, like she had found small animals responded better to a higher pitched, pleasant sound. "You'll make the Boss very happy when you've completed the mission. You'll split the rewards with me, yes?" She had to make sure the ogre knew what the deal was, for Bernard, the Priest or the couple might not care who got the reward as long as it was given out. Saha was in no mood to fight with the dumb Big Guy over some monies.

She took the wrapped up steak and headed out of the Tavern. The sky had darkened considerably. The town wasn't faraway, its rows of short buildings and chimney smoke could be seen from a distance, and without a need to hurry too much, Saha strolled down the path with an appreciation for the humidity.

When her partner had caught up to her, she said, "I'm sorry I didn't introduce myself. I am Saha of the Era tribe. What's your story, Big Guy?"


[System]
Theme:
Just One Yesterday by Fall Out Boy

Gender:
Female

Species:
Lessereurm

Appearance:
Green with blue mixed in.
She looked like a fantasy version of a skink lizard, her head being more bony with scaly outcrops along her snout and over the ridges on her eyes. Though she had no back legs, her front limbs had become somewhat longer and stronger. While she didn't have true thumbs, her claws had been reduced to three digits, two of which were longer and the third of which was shorter, thicker, and set at an angle to the others. It was a bit like a human's hand making a constant "Spock-hand" by holding the index-middle and pinky-ring fingers in pairs and curling the thumb. The joints of these "fingers" and the natural curl of her claws gave her a stronger grip that she could feel even as she began to pull herself along the ground--she would be able to pull, or to scoop and dig, quite fast if she felt so inclined. She was roughly twice as long as her previous form, though not so heavy-set throughout her body. As her tail instinctively lashed behind her, she would likely feel confident that she could easily contort herself in a variety of shapes.

Goals:
Rain has only a few major goals:
-Follow any instructions from the mysterious Demon King
-Make the most of this second chance, no matter the cost
-Become the King's favorite, at any cost (selfish reasons, really)

Past Life:
There were few things more important to Rain in her short life than secrecy, alertness, and speed. She was not stronger than most, she was not at healthy as most, but with those three key factors helped to keep her alive and ahead in the dirty streets of an unnamed slum deep in the heart of Detroit.

Born to teen parents who didn't want her, it was a life of hardship from the start. She looked to her parents and was left wanting, before being abandoned at the age of six. She was a street urchin with a lack of trust and a thirst for better.

She scraped by, year after year, by honing these skills and not being afraid to be ruthless with the other filth left in the gutter, the gangs and the deranged.

Her life, however, was cut short by someone just a bit smarter and faster than she was, who happened to slip a knife between her ribs at the age of 16.

Given a second chance, she's going to do it right this time.

Transformations:
Fanged Lizard -- Lesserwurm

Inventory:

[User]
Ardur The Mighty Hipixie  Time for a swim > A short Rest /// Adventuring day 5 // Evening / Location - The Shimmering Pool

The water was cold, the sounds of the fight over head slowly drifted away. Ardur opened his eyes as he swam down. The water was a blur of blue with flashing lights floating overhead. He was getting tired, he had already received several hits, his mana was low, and he had an inkling in his mind that Steve was in trouble. This fight was definitely not going to be easy.

Continuing to swim towards the shore the sword twisted itself around him and spoke once more. All he could do in return was nod. Now his chest was starting to feel like it was about to explode, he hadn't gotten that much air when he dove into the water. Bursting through the surface for air he was greeted by a bright flash, sizzle, and then pain. The system did not hesitate to notify him that his health was low now. At least he got a new skill, a new skill that didn't mean a dam thing if he died.

Quickly the High pixie cast Minor Healing I on himself and with several deep breaths dove back under the water. This time however he did not swim to shore. Instead he closed his eyes and let the cold stillness of the water envelop him and his mind. Attempting to slow his heart rate to conserve his oxygen while also attempting to use the same techniques he had used in acquiring Meditation I to pull the ambient mana in the water into himself.

This he would try for a little while. Going up for air only two or three times and sinking back down each time. He was confident in the swords ability to protect him from any of the wisps that would be lured down. Ardur was well aware that he could not attempt this forever and after getting air the fourth time he would attempt to swim under the water towards the shore and back to the group.

Level: 7
Steve Level: 4

Health: 20%
Mana: 20%
Stamina: 50%

Buffs:

Debuffs:

Inventory: bow horn venison x15 lbs.
+Cooked bow horn venison 5 Lbs.
+Rubber Frog skin Backpack - This item is more elastic than it looks. Can hold 15 Small Items. The number of items held may be affected by larger items that take up more space. It is more durable than most raw materials due to its rubbery composition, but without proper care it may degrade over time.

Clothes:
+Beetle Bracer - This item for your Arm makes you feel slightly tougher.
+Bone Breastplate - This item for your Torso makes you feel slightly tougher.
+Grass Skirt - This item is fragile and flammable, but serves as decent clothing.

Weapons:
+Sharp Stone
+Beetle Mandible - Rather hard and sharp on its own, it might be sturdy enough to refine.
+Old Leg Bone -

Current Party: Asura, Mother Slime, Steve, and himself... I guess Trent is here too

Magic/Skills: Shield II, Lesser Flight III, Minor Heal III, Physical Conditioning I, Fire Resistance I, Taming II, Fireball I, Stronger II, Crafting II, Muffle I, Inspire I, Guidance I, Spell chant I, Use light equipment, Meditation I, Point Strike I, Keen Sight I, Material Analysis I, Monster Analysis I, Alert I, Lesser Cleanse I, Mana Strike I, Faster I,

Kills for current level:  1x skeleblin,

Quests:
- purify an Item for Galatine

Long term Quests:
- bring a hero to Undine the sword in the pool.

Other:

[Assistant]
@Stabby

Femus studied the information he received. This was not likely to be a hobgoblin from the tribe that surrounded them. It was likely to be either a criminal or a member of a very different tribe. However, the first seemed far more likely. The further information about hobgoblins in general didn't seem terribly important for the moment. The herb, on the other hand, was quite significant. It had potential to be quite valuable. Pure healing energy condensed in a plant that doesn't need light had a great deal of potential.

He sighed before answering Nira's comment while she worked. "Doing alright. Visual signals need planning. But, these plants are good for healing." He said while picking one to take with him. "There's a lot of look-alikes but this is the real one. None good for water though."

He was going to keep talking and relay more of his guesses... but he found himself suddenly suppressing the urge to curse. It was a patch of herbs. Plant reproduction... most plants can't reproduce alone. Bringing one Blue Yill to that point was a waste of time unless there was another nearby to pollinate it. He still had one left but it would probably take more mana to restore and develop since he'd been carrying it that much longer.

"Forgot pollination, feeling stupid." He said quickly as he headed back to where the first Blue Yill was planted. "Let's go with green for safe, red for danger, and yellow for caution. We can develop more complex signals later. The faster I get this done, the faster we can leave... hopefully before we get attacked again... or have to eat him." He finished, clearly indicating the hobgoblin with some mild distaste. They really were filthy creatures.

Arriving at the Blue Yill, he took the other one that he had still been carrying and shifted the soil to make a shallow hole about six inches from where the yill stood. Into this he planted the broken end of the other Blue Yill's stem before raising his voice loud enough for Nira to hear. "Nira, if you can, could you please get some water to these two plants it might help speed this along. I didn't have any real luck finding any."

After he finished speaking, Femus concentrated on duplicating his previous performance. Using Growth and pouring mana into the weakened Blue Yill to help it take root and return to health. Again, he would meditate as deeply as he could to rapidly restore his mana when it ran low before resuming his work. After gaining the same level of ground, he would fill his mana and try something more complex.

His next experiment would be trying to use Growth in brief bursts on each plant to encourage them to reproduce with each other while also trying to use lesser force to carefully move pollen from each flower to the other and checking both with Plant Analysis every time he had to stop to meditate. If he succeeded in transferring pollen, he would resume his efforts to speed the internal processes of the flowers to produce viable seeds as soon as possible. Time was of the essence, as was efficiency. He had to get this done quickly so that he could simply bag up the resulting seeds along with a healing herb or two and be ready to go. Femus felt an impossible to define sense of urgency. They had to go. He would have time to do further herb cultivation once they had a better campsite.

[User]
---

@Duthguy@Jollan

From what Jason could guess, the difference between Geir and Mira's souls provided far more insight than just the size of their mana pools; like he'd initially thought. The thickness of a creature's soul was likely tied to physical attributes, like endurance, and strength. Akin to pressurizing a canister, the more robust the containing vessel, the denser it's contents could be without risk of rupturing. Could spirit class undead have no mana cap simply due to their distinct lack of 'container'? It was an interesting thought, but not something he could really explore at the moment. Brightness was most definitely a representation of a creature's magic stats. Likely related to how conductive an individual's meridians were to ambient mana. Mira's soul was large and bright, but was noticeably translucent. This showed that while she had high MP and magic stats, her SP and physical stats were lacking in comparison. Geir however, had a soul that was thick, yet somewhat dim and noticeably smaller than that of Mira. Meaning he high SP and physical stats, but lackluster MP and magical stats.

While pondering such revelations might lead to some rather interesting discoveries-- the situation was quickly escalating once again, the fact that there were now TWO potential enemies standing before the group of reincarnators did not bode well. Especially when one of these enemies more than likely had the proper tools to combat ghosts.... Once Jason glimpsed that green source crystal Mira had produced, he knew she'd be able to see him. With how poorly undead were likely viewed in a world such as this, getting spotted would more than likely be kill-on-sight. Not only would she be able to see him-- but also receive insight on his skills and abilities. If just being undead wasn't already bad enough, the two ranks of [Taboo] he possessed would be the final nail in the coffin.

But then, an idea reverberated through his mind like the ring a bell.

But what if I wasn't necessarily undead?

He stared at the soil beneath him as he gauged his probability of success; his mana was around 90% 'full' (if he had to guess), he had the skills [Earth Vein], [Spiritual Awareness II], [Meditiation], [Transparency], [Guidance], and most importantly-- [Possession]. He aimed to replicate the events that had occurred when he'd had his strange dream, and learned of Onogoro. But this time, he would commit to the new body that had begun to take shape.

Jason thrust himself into the earth; just as he had in the forest, stirring up soil and dust in his wake. Enveloped in darkness, he entered a focused [Meditiation]; silencing his senses, sinking as deep into the depths of the earth as he could in the few precious moments he could afford. Jason's mana surged within him as he activated [Guidance], "Onogoro, I ask for your wisdom-- that it may guide me. That I may take on the unyielding form of stone!"

Jason activated [Earth Vein]; like a final gasp for air, that he could align himself with the mana of the earth as final preparation for the oncoming change.

"POSSESSION!"

[Assistant]
"I can evolve as well, but I want to finish this spell first. It's really important." Torrent announced her intentions as Oberon joined Digbie in evolution, keeping her attention up to their surroundings while she thought about the skill. It seemed to work, but something just hadn't quite clicked yet. Was there a way to cause the implosion that happened, and that's what was holding it back? She had managed to contain the Void, to harness it with the information from her experimentation and from the beings in her dreams. Which by itself was progress.

Progress which had led to her leveling up. Thinking about it for a few moments, she put 10 points into Plasma Ray, 1 point into Suppress Presence, 4 points into Rock Spire, and her final point she put into Focus. With her points used and what she was about to do, perhaps it would change her evolution possibilities? She didn't know what these "variant" things were, but she felt like she had one for every element that she had? So maybe they were connected to those, but she couldn't be certain. And what would count as an element, anyways? Was Fog an element or a combination of them?

She wouldn't have considered Void to be one, but here she was harnessing it even if it was through abstract means. And the beings had said that it was the absence of things. So maybe it wasn't an element exactly.

She needed to go deeper tho.

Centering herself, she focused on the process of creating the void sphere again. But this time she took what she learned to make the Breath Beam, and how she had learned to control the air and earth and water around her. What was mana except another thing she could control? That had to be the missing piece of the spell, the reason why it was incomplete despite working seemingly perfectly.

It wasn't meant to collapse by itself. That had to be the answer.

So when she released it, she maintained the barrier around the Void until the orb passed by the tree she had taken aim at. And like flicking a switch she stopped, dispelling that energy that contained the Void. And she analyzed the result, as always.


[System]
I R L
Age - 18
Place of Origin - Japan
Occupation - High School Student

A V A T A R

Character's Name - Kazuki
Pathos Affiliation - Queon
Role - Healer
Profession - Wandering Minstrel
Weapon of Choice - Book
Domains - Wind, Restoration + Protection

-

P E R S O N A L I T Y

Stoic
Good news, bad news, confusing news--Kazuki seems to have the emotional range of a teaspoon. He doesn't seem all that bothered with anything and doesn't react much. If it weren't for the lack of monotone, most people would probably assume he's a robot. One would think even his passion would get him to emote, but aside from a vague focused expression, he otherwise is the same as always.

Driven
He doesn't let anything get in the way of accomplishing his goals: everything in life is part of a problem that leads to a solution one way or another. He is relentless when it comes to accomplishing a goal, often pushing himself past what's healthy. For a majority of his life it's been seen as a virtue of sorts and he hasn't had any reason to slow down.

Observant
Despite having little care for the people he engages with, he finds it useful to pick up on a few cues to keep in mind for later if need be.

B E N C H M A R K S

Piano Man
By far and away Kazuki's most cultivated skill, to the point he has gotten several server first records on unlocking the next tier with thousands of hours put into piano playing. Of course, aside from entertainment value and unlocking a few other skills, it doesn't have much use otherwise.

Healing Touch
His second best and probably most relevant skill. Originally toting around without a weapon, Kazuki's healing can be strengthened if he makes contact with whoever needs healing; best used for greater injuries at the risk of putting himself in action.

Song of the Wind
The ability to have his music gain effects depending on the song he's playing. Different songs have different effects, ranging from a variety of buffs and healing over time. Some come at the conclusion of a song, others are persisting so long as the melody is continuously played.

With Hammer in Hand
Smithery has become a great side hobby to Kazuki, who genuinely enjoys making armor and weapons whenever he gets his hands on materials. While he has made a few commissions, it became clear that making and selling instruments quickly became his specialty and source of income--that said, he can make a majority of weapons and armor if need be.
 | Physical Description
Standing at five feet ten inches, Kazuki is a lanky young man that usually towers over his classmates. At a first glance there isn't much home to write about, his face still plenty boyish and more youthful looking than he'd like. The most notable feature he has is probably his green eyes, usually hidden under the mess of brown hair he sports. His expressions are often heavily muted or outright nonexistent, making it difficult to know if he's paying attention or not. Whenever he does look at people, it's noted that it seems more like he's looking through them, not at them.
Character Conceptualization
Kazuki Hoshizawa is a serious kid who takes his passions to their fullest at the expense of most of his social skills. After taking the emotional brunt of his parents' divorce, for all intents and purposes he has shut down. While it's hardly noticeable due to stellar grades and his talent at music, his social life is nonexistent for the most part. As a result, he has a tendency to be overly blunt and cold with little care about the effects of what he says. His personality seems to be the inverse of most healers in media and makes it clear he helps people out of expectation, not out of obligation.

As a noob who doesn't really play games, he was hesitant to even join Pariah Online. He doesn't know much of RPGs in general but has enjoyed the nonsensical side of the game; aside from the appeal of getting to play and learn several instruments, he doesn't really find adventuring appealing. He ended up choosing healing as it seemed easier to stay in the back and support his younger brother. While he doesn't discern himself from who he is outside of the game, he outright refuses to speak of personal matters, with Kazuma barely being an exception and only because Kazuki keeps slipping up and calling him by his real name.

Other Information
* Has regularly placed in several national competitions
* Big fan of strawberries
* Toolkit
* Theme
 |

[User]
---

Alja made to put her hand on Benkei's shoulder, then thought better of it, dropping it back down against her thigh. Her voice, when she spoke, was uncharacteristic of her; none of the rising hysteria of the past day, and none of the joviality that suffused it most other times. It was simple. Plain and honest. Because, in Benkei's words, she heard a little bit of herself. He's stuck between a rock and a hard place now. Just like you.

"Look, Benkei." She paused, considering her next words carefully. If she misplaced one, the potential damage could be catastrophic. And, after another moment of consideration, she dropped her Pariah pseudo-accent, reverting to her natural Scottish; but one a little less...thick and aggressive that she'd thrown at Rael. Her vocabulary shifted as well: gone were the relatively simple expressions of Alja, replaced with the kind a college student might use. "I won't preten' to understan' what you're goin' t'rough, because no matter our circumstances, they're goin' ta diverge in a number of ways. Obviously. But I think I kinda know where you're comin' from, 'least in a general sense." She slung herself down, sitting on the edge of the river and dangling her feet down over the clear water. "Feelin' like you're livin' under a shadow all your life, paralyzed with indecision, but terrified to try steppin' out from under the shadow 'cause the world's goin' ta kick ya right back underneath."

She turned up, no longer staring at the river, but directing her serious eyes straight into Benkei's. "But at th' same time, no matter if we're similar or no, I don't think empty platitudes and reassurances will help ya any. Prob'ly just make it worse. So let's try ta game this out, shall we?"

She returned her gaze to the river and picked up a stray pebble from the cobbled streets, launching it into the water as she spoke. "Ya say you're not a leader. But let me as ya somethin'. Who, precisely, do ya think would do any better out of us? It should prob'ly be a tank; they're the ones that have the strength ta shotcall while they're also doin' their job in the party. So that leaves...two others, yeah? So, which one? Rael?" She barked out a brief, scornful laugh. "Not bloody likely! She's brilliant at what she does, but what she does is not teamwork. And then there's me." She laughed. It wasn't as scornful, but there was still an edge of that on the sound. "Tankin'? Yeah, I can do that pretty decent, I like ta think. Last I checked, I was pretty high up on the boards. Not half bad at damage either if I build out for it. Not as good, but...adequate, yeah. But leadership?"

Her laugh was louder this time. "I mean, come on! Ya saw what happened in the boss room! I heard Luci scream and lost it, couldn't hold formation! I'm not bad at the game, I know my limits, and I'm pretty good at thinkin' on the fly. But plannin'? Strategizin'? Yeah, can't say that's in my wheelhouse. But let's say we expand it, past the tanks. Give it to all the party, yeah? Graves' only deal is runnin' right in and hittin' till he falls over. Not someone ya can really rally around! Seele's a great support and all. Kept it together real well. But...'member the spikes room? How she impulsively kept holdin' the ceilin' when she didn't need ta? I think she's in the same camp as I am. Kazuki?" She paused. "He's also a bit like me. Runs in all willy-nilly like, can't really control what he's doin'."

Her voice lowered for just a moment. "I noticed, in the dungeon, ya givin' him orders...or, well not orders, really, but...instructions, occasionally. Don't mistake me, I think he's a great person. Good support. Trustin' my life to him, after all. But...if I'm honest, I don't think he's very good with people. Alex? Well...I like him and all, but I think he's pretty new to the game, yeah? Don't know how much I trust his shotcalling just off that. And that leaves...Kalie." She chuckled. "Don't get me wrong, I don't think she deserves ta be kicked out the party or anythin'. But a leader? I think we all know that's...frankly, totally absurd."

She swung herself back to her feet, dusting her tunic off. "Luci's catatonic, Leaves can't lead for shite--trust me on that one--and Priscilica has her hands more than full with whatever fragments of Prophecy are left over. You're quite literally the best leader we've got on board." her voice softened. "And, Benkei? You're sellin' yourself way short. Your marchin' order and plans were fine. Nobody coulda predicted any of that. We'll make our own decisions in combat--just ya try ta stop me--but that's not on your shoulders. And as for the tavern, if Kalie and Rael weren't at each others' throats and Graves didn't overreact...that's when I'd be concerned."

She cracked her neck, sighing a bit and falling back into her Pariah accent. "But one thing you do have a problem with--as we can see here," she smiled to ensure there was no offense as she stretched her stiff arms over her head again, "is givin' up. Some come on, boss. Buck up, let's get back up to that tavern. You've got some people to keep alive."

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

---

Seele watched the tension in Kazuki…not 'unwind' per se, but more rewind, slackening in some places, tightening in others. He was a tangle of things, the poor boy, and most of them he kept shockingly well-hidden. Some, though, came out in his body-language—she swore at one point he was going to crush that innocent teacup in his hands—and others still were there in his voice, in the little tremors and sighs, the pauses and, of course, the things he said.

She was used to meeting people who held others to impossible standards. Kazuki was evidently guilty of that as well, but he also expected that same impossibility from himself. For how well-composed he'd been through the glitch, she guessed he was no stranger to the strain that must have beset him with. They might have been trapped in a strange world, but that didn't mean they'd left all their problems behind. It was their minds inhabiting Pariah, after all. You couldn't escape your own mind.
...
You just couldn't.
...
"Then don't convince them," she said, and brightened again. "Show them. Maybe you can't take back what you said, but there's an important difference between unsaying something, and undoing it. Or just doing, maybe. For example—"

Seele plucked up another piece of the pastry and popped it into her mouth, chewed—"Mmh!"—and then gestured to the plate.

"I've just eaten another bit, and now there's hardly any left for you. I can't undo that, I'll just have to live with the guilt. I could say ' I'm sorry, Kazuki, for eating your very tasty pastry,' —even though I'm not really, it was very tasty—or I could do something about it instead. Like, say, buy you another to replace it, or maybe bake you one myself, if you aren't averse to eating poison.

"Am I making sense? I think I'm just rambling, sorry—again. My point is, the forgiveness isn't nearly as important as just making things right."


[System]
Alias: Kaze, Juggernaut
Age: Ancient
Gender: Male
Species: Dragon
Occupation: Mercenary
Residence: Wherever he pleases, has numerous little hideouts and caches.

Physical Description:
One of the first things noticed about Kaze is his immense size. He stood at an intimidating eleven feet tall and looking like a professional weight lifter without steroids. Or as some people liked to say "He's built like a Capital ship." Normally after they hit him once and they hurt themselves. Covering his body is a natural armor, surprisingly malleable plates and scales that seemed to harden on impacts. Attached to his shoulders are a pair of giant wings with terrifying claws at the joint that act like a second pair of hands. Lastly he has a long tail that's strangely agile and prehensile.

His coloration is interesting. His "underbelly" is a royal purple, along with the membrane of his wings, while the rest of his body is jet black like space. His eyes glow slightly and are a deep crimson. His horns, spikes, claws, and teeth are all completely white despite his age. Lastly if you see the inside of his mouth it glows a dangerous looking green right down into his core.

Kaze doesn't really wear normal clothing. Instead he has a long kilt that's dark red with a golden boarder. Holding it up is a steel band that's a foot wide and three inches thick with a glowing core where the clasp is.

Personality:
Kaze is basically the gruff old man of any group he's a part of. He's incredibly blunt, preferring to keep things simple and short. Has a low tolerance for fucking around on jobs if he's in a group of mercs, he's actually known for offing partners who screwed around way to much and nearly ruined the jobs. Another way of saying he's a professional and hates amateurs who think they're billy badass and play with targets.

On the flip side if he gets angry his more animalistic side will emerge. This normally rises up when he's injured or something has severely pissed him off. The results are...messy to say the least. He abandons weapons and lunges with his natural weapons. Some call it a berserker mode and it's best to steer clear of him when he's in this state.

Equipment/Capabilities:* Herculean Strength: His body doesn't show the actual level of strength the behemoth has.
* Acidic Contents: Within his body is a dangerous balance of chemicals that make incredibly potent acid. He can spit this acid in a stream, a mist, or a glob. Each 'mode' has a different level of force. The mist having none but the best coating. The glob is like getting hit by a truck. The stream is strong enough to knock you off your feet but not enough to cause major harm...aside from being acid.
* Inhuman Regeneration: As the name suggest his body heals at a higher level than is normal. The lesser the injury the faster he heals, although death still can come for him. It's just a lot harder than normal.
* Micro-grenades: Marble sized orbs of metal packed with high explosives. They look unassuming but can turn an unarmored human into bloody chunks and bone shrapnel.
* Tesla-Gun: A dragon sized pistol that shoots out beams of pure electricity. It has three modes of fire. Spread, a ten foot cone of electricity arcing around. Focused, a thirty foot stream of lightning. Concentrated, a solid beam of pure electricity, acts more like a laser.
* Sonic Bombs: Like his grenades these are marble sized orbs but they send a shockwave of sound instead of an explosion of heat and metal. The shrill sound even penetrates dirt up to twenty feet down.
* Ancient Firearm: By today's standards this gun is primitive. A long metal tube with a wooden stock and a rather large drum magazine. It's a dragon sized shotgun and can hold fifty rounds in the drum and tube combined. It has a maximum effective range of one hundred feet. Maximum damage is within twenty feet with numerous shell options. His favorite are Doomsday rounds which would destroy his gun if he hadn't reinforced it heavily.
* Overdrive: Despite his distaste for technology he has an implant that sends his adrenaline gland into overdrive. This boosts his strength further, increases his movement and reaction speed, and almost nullifies his ability to feel pain. It doesn't last long and needs almost a full day to 'recover'.
* Aegis: A powerful full bodied energy shield. It can handle quite a bit of varying damage before it gives way. After not taking damage for a brief period it starts to recharge again. The cor of the shield is the 'buckle' of his belt and can be destroyed.
* Multi-Destroyer: He can't carry his whole arsenal despite his strength so he has a general weapon that can change to do multiple things. Pieces shift and move to make an axe or a hammer, both of which have a jet to increase the power of the swing. From the hafts bottom he can fire out energy blasts for medium to close range.

History:
Kaze has a long history, most of which he doesn't really care to remember. History is history, no one will learn anything from it except that he's a monster in combat. His youth is so far back he honestly can't even remember it since he has filled his life up with so much of everything else. When he's asked his history he just has people look at previous wars and skirmishes fought and lets them work it out from there.

Currently he's figuring he'll do one last job before retiring and it's a doozy of one. Locate Samus Aran, galactic famous bounty hunter who has repeatedly screwed over the space pirates plans for a long time. People were also saying she was somehow the last metroid, but that was probably just rumors. He had met the woman and she didn't look like a jellyfish to him. Either way, he had decided this would be the last job unless Samus herself actually requested him sometime down the line. Assuming she's even alive that is. Girl had spunk, but that wasn't a guarantee lifesaver.

[User]
An hour later.

Vekt had no much time used for getting any new cargo on his ship. He had stacked up on supplies to get himself a handful of explosives. His ship had gone through maintenance before he paid a visit to the Federation, which was right now. And now he was sitting at the pilot seat, playing with a small bolt in his hand.
Luckily the team didn't get into a fight which was something he was worried that it would happen, from the first few minutes he walked in. Instead they were going quite smoothly. All he had left to do was to finish the job, save the universe from a wave of killer parasites, find and capture a legendary figure of a bounty hunter, and come back in one piece. Every time he reminded himself of it he doubted this'll end as well as he wanted it to.

[Assistant]
Things were beginning to move along, though it was hopeful that Amber would not dash off everywhere in a moment's notice like she did just now. This mission, as Zen would put it, required a solid effort on all parts. Moving forwards alone seemed like a bad idea. It would certainly compromise the mission protocol to support the team by destroying X Parasite creatures when the team was running off like that. At least, in this instance, they knew where she was going, what she was doing. Others were splitting off, as well, to inevitably reach the hangar area that housed not only their vehicles, but any that would be signed out for additional need. It seemed that anyone NOT with an adequate ship was welcome aboard whatever substantial one that the dragon had. Alright then. That just left Cassius addressing the android, with a tall, but reasonable, request.

"Your request is feasible to the factor of whatever data has been transferred over to me. Immediate thought: Asteroid landing unlikely. The planet identified as SR-388 has not exploded. It has been scorched. The chances of any X Parasite colony leaving the planet on debris ejected from it, either before or after the atmosphere has been destroyed, is miniscule according to data. However, the chances of the world of their origin being penetrated deeper than the scorching could have effectively destroyed is high. It is the X's home world, and the dead planet could theoretically house them still, as they wait for the temperature to cool. Fortunately, the Federation has thought of this and will likely deploy ships to finish the job."

Meaning that SR-388 and would probably be completely eradicated to make certain that it did not hold anymore surprises. Cassius would find, even as the android was talking to him, that his data device was being given his requested files. In fact, everyone on this mission was getting - if they lacked it - the files mentioned, which would pretty much cover Samus' entire contribution to the universe, good OR bad, insofar as Zen could gain access to. For instance, Zen had been given all the documents on the X Parasites, but nothing on the fact that certain high-ranking members of the Federation wanted the X to experiment on themselves. He had given over the known history of the Metroids, and that this DID include the fact that Metroids were being bred on the BSL Station as Admiral Garrett had said. However, it maintained that this was in response to X infection issues like with Samus, and nothing to do with weaponization OR that they had achieved accelerated growth. They also had Mother Brain's History, the history of the Space Pirates, dossiers on Ridley, Kraid, Phantoon, and the creation of Mocktroid, the lesser clone species of Metroids made on Zebes.

Most importantly, there were nearly-complete details on the events of the BSL Station, starting with Samus' infection and the transfer of materials to said station. The crew would find out what Admiral Garrett had neglected to tell them: How the X got out in the first place. Much like the distress calls and the recordings of all station personnal panicking and being devoured by the X, this was footage that was NOT on official documents or files. It was important to allow them to know just how serious this was. They had a camera view of some quarantined crates in storage. Suddenly, one of the large ones in the recording exploded! There, as the smoke cleared...

...Samus?! No, that isn't possible. During this time index, Samus was recovering from infection, not inundated by it. This was was...some type of X-related creation. It had to be. Now, everyone would have to go through all of the information to find this, but yes, that is the truth. The AI installed within Samus' gunship confirmed that the cause of the station's overrun was an X Parasite immitating the bounty hunter, made from the remains of her powersuit! Chozo technology, integrating strong biotechnology to synch up with its genetically-augmented user... It must've read enough of Samus to be able to create this abomination after the initial infection. Important dossiers on important X forms and infections followed the transcript, including that of the SA-X. If Kaze were also browing this, he'd notice especially that BSL Station had Ridley's body, and that the X ate that up, as well, creating a savage replication of the space dragon, as well. All information regarding how Samus managed to gain control of the station and destroy it in an atmospheric blast that scorched the entire planet of SR-388 was not present. Everything cuts out after fight with Ridley-X. The AI stopped transmitting, having gone rogue. The Federation also did not include the fact that the AI was a copy of the mind of Adam Malkovich, Samus' former CO.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Well, with that exposition out of the way, we move ahead to the hangar. After giving out the information to every member of the team, Zen had made his way to find the blue gunship, which anyone who was already there would have seen parked there. As soon as he arrived within its vicinity, all members of the team had access to Zen's audio communication channel, which was presumably the frequency that other people would be speaking on. They could speak with him at any time, though obviously if there was anything to interfere with signals, that would be a problem. Several vessels were now ready, and between them they all had the capability to reach SR-387. Oh, speaking of which... Nearly forgot that Cassius had ALSO asked about the life on board this multi-environment planet. Sadly, it hasn't been explored quite as much as SR-388, but it IS the natural habitat of the creature referred to in the files as Serris.

So, you can expect that there will be some fast-moving serpents, although the outpost is located in a desert. They had plenty of time to go over this, of course, on the way. Hyperdrive or not - and they DID all have them - it was still a trip. Discussions on how to proceed would also be handled in transit, to only be altered by the factors which changed the situation around them. The ships would all arrive in the SR System of space, able to see the still-molten 'corpse' of SR-388 on their way to the nearby planet, SR-387. Naturally, there was no response to anny hails of the outpost. Nothing but static. They needed to go down there and retrieve the data, as Zen informed them that he himself could establish no computer connection with anything on the ground either. They had coordinates, reasonable expectation of enough space to land, and - unfortunately - a sand storm. Not a severe one, but unless you liked the idea of filling your suit up with it, better seal up before exiting the ships.