[System]
Alias
The Suit

Age
19

Gender
 Male

Species Human

Stan weighs in at 120 pounds, a little below average for someone of his age. He's 5'9, but seems much taller when you're having a conversation with someone of his social standing. Stan has lean muscles that are deceptively hidden beneath his suit jackets, dress shirts and slacks. He prefers to wear suits at all times, except for sleep. Most of them have a lack of color, ranging from white to black.

Personality
Stan is extremely depressed. After he murdered his father, he's spent all this time repenting for his sin. He payed off the police force to ignore the murder and so he hunts for anyone corrupt in both the Skyline and below. He can be very thoughtful and sympathetic but he's also able to flip the switch to intimidating and threatening in a second. He fears that no matter how much corruption his removes, the growing void he feels will never fill. The darkness he surrounds himself in threatens to consume him every day, and he has to keep himself helping others to persuade himself that he can be redeemed.

Power
Seer - Stan can see the future. Well, sorta. He can see all the possible timelines, without knowing which action could change and put them into a different timeline. Stan doesn't even know what timeline he's in, so he just goes by which are the most likely.

Downsides - Whenever Stan tries to see the future, he goes into a sort of trance for hours, exploring possibilities and it's very difficult for him to remove himself. Sustaining damage from others is usually the best way to do it.

Likes
Architecture
Coca Cola
Heavy Metal
Sketching
Books

Dislikes
His father
Candy
Caviar
Corrupt business men.

Skills
IQ - Stan has a genius-level intellect, allowing him to engineer new technology and finding the best way to keep his dead father's business afloat.

Boxing - Stan is a renowned lightweight boxer, despite barely anyone knowing about his skills in fighting. He keeps this to himself. With the crime surrounding the lower levels, he believes it will come in handy.

Stamina - Stan is a master of endurance. He knows how to keep his stamina up in fights or while exercising.

Handguns - Stan always brings his handgun with him to meetings with crime bosses and the corrupt. Normally, he gets his private security force to eliminate them but sometimes he finishes the deed.

Other
Stan snapped one night after a harsh beating, murdering his father and covering up the crime, bribing the police force until he could get away with it. He never meant to, but he couldn't control his anger. He now seeks justice.

He donates money to charities and people in need whenever he can afford it.

[User]
~~~~~

Artemis's sleep finally comes to an end from the yelling outside the large garbage can he was currently residing in. With a sigh, which quickly turned into a coughing fit, Artemis carefully opens the lid to look outside. He was able to witness the exchange, which quickly turned into fighting, between Ji-eun and Scarlet/Ver'tiel.

"What?" He manages before coughing up a mouthful of yellowish phlegm which oozes out from his masks filtration grill, and leaks down his beak to dribble on his chest. He doesn't even bother wiping it up, just plans to get the hell away from the angry chicks.

Like a sickly rat Artemis crawls out from the garbage lid, and flops to the ground. Then manages to crawl away, unaware that he is heading towards the group of others watching the fight. With a clumsiness of a drunkard, he gathers himself up to his feet, and wipes away the bits of garbage sticking to his attire.

"What is going on?" He grumbles, which results in another coughing fit. Gradually he recovers his voice, and manages "I happened to like my sleeping arrangements, and wish not to be" A wretched rasp escapes his lips, before finishing with a groggled "disturbed." Artemis decides not to draw his guns, though he keeps one of his hand in imitation of holding his chest when in reality he is holding his the grip of his syringe pistol.

[Assistant]
---

It hadn't reacted any further after no response was given, which didn't trouble the Assassin one bit. It watched as the fight left the area the rest of the group was at. By now, the Assassin would have probably completed the job with less collateral damage. Regardless, it'd do the Assassin well to record the interaction between the entity that possessed the body and the other two women. As it went to follow up the building, a random person had pulled himself out of a garbage bin, and wandered over.
"Interaction between an entity and two females. Outcome: Unkno-" The Assassin stopped as several numbers and letters flashed on its HUD, detailing a new hit, that was really close to its current position. An important target too, over twenty million credits for completion of the hit, one of the more rewarding ones, especially for a one-person hit.

Official from the Taidali Empire, name: Lenah Ki'Lenti, meeting in the 1st Quadrant of the Skyline District. Officialising a trade agreement between the Taidali Empire and the trade corporations of Ring City. You are to remove the Official before they complete signing, and you will be payed the twenty million credits after the job is complete.

Security personnel include:
* A dozen trained Taidali soldiers, supposedly apart of the Royal Guard of the Empire. Threat Level: Low.
* Two Taidali Defense Drones, both outfitted with state of the art tracking cannons. Threat Level: Low.
* A single unknown entity. Classification unknown. Threat Level: Unknown. Treat with caution.

Upon completing the read, the Assassin stopped his conversation, and immediately started climbing the building. It needed a fast way of getting to the Skylight District, and it needed it soon.

---

---

HOURS LATER.
With a loud hum, the near silent hover-copter made its descent to the pad on the top of the Trade Corporations building, and touched down a couple seconds later. The large vehicle opened up, and its occupants exited. Over a dozen humanoid creatures, all of them standing between 5' and 6'5", with long tails protruding from the back of their attire, and long, digitigrade legs(like a cat or dog). Most of their faces were covered, however those that didn't sported gruff features, looking significantly sharper than a human, and seemed to have fur-like hair on the back of the head, whereas the faces themselves seemed smooth, almost as though they were moulded out of stone. Most of them were armed, of course, save three. Two pulled along a large container, and the last was a slightly shorter individual, wearing attire that looked almost like royalty. Two drones hovered behind the group, both sporting a single large silver cannon on their undersides, looking as threatening as the rest of the armed group. They moved their way towards the door to enter the building, and were met by the Trade Corporations own security detail, where they started verifying identification and other classified information. After a few slow minutes, the two groups shook hands, and made their way further inside the building, and began arrangements to complete the agreement.

The Official pulled aside a single soldier, and spoke to him in a hushed voice, in their own language.
"I've been notified that a target has been placed on my head, step up security. The price is... significant. We need to finish this and leave, as soon as possible."
"Will do ma'am, we'll cooperate with the TC's to figure out security, you won't be harmed, you have my word."
"Make sure of it lieutenant... make sure of it..."

And with that, pair returned to the rest of the officials, and once again began talking formalities and toasting to 'new friends'.

Oh how that was going to change.

[User]
Chris seemed to be a decent individual. At least for someone of the undercity, most of the people down here would either rob you, or be too starving to do all that much. This man was one of the few outliers. Their hands connected and she felt a large pain in her hand, she didn't react aside form a slight eye twitch. But unfortunately her fear was realized, when Chris's hand got some of her blood from the gash on her hand.

Maggy didn't like where this was going, the jig was probably up. But she didn't want to just attack this man, if he had any kind of weapon or ability, her wounds put her at a huge disadvantage. Even if he couldn't see them, he could hit one on accident and cause her to bleed, and she was running low on blood as it was.

Maggy tried playing it cool, avoiding showing signs of aggression. She was indeed considering doing something violent, but for now she was going to listen to him, see what his intent was. She slowly removed her mask, showing off her violet eye, she then tossed the mask off to the side and it dissipated mid air, crumbling into bright specs of dust. She didn't need to cover her face at this point, this man knew things.

Maggy didn't drop her disguise, just because he knew there was a disguise didn't mean he knew what was underneath. He knew she was an unknown, and she planned to stay that way. She wasn't sure how to deal with the situation. "You're almost spot on. Everything except the doctor, I do indeed have one. But I don't think you'll meet them." With that, Maggy grabbed Chris by the neck and pushed him against a wall. "I don't know who you are, but you will leave me alone now. My life is hard enough as it is without people like you snooping around. So if you know what's good for you, you won't follow me. You will also forget we ever met."

Maggy would then release Chris and back off. Limp making itself more clear as she slipped, having to catch herself. She growled and stood back up. She didn't feel her threat would be taken very seriously given her obvious state of weakness, but she still knew she'd be able to strangle the life out of an average person.

[Assistant]
Stan looked out of his penthouse window as the news played on his large 52 inch flat screen TV. The news reporter was going over the various crimes stopped by heroes. He turned in surprise when they began to talk about The Suit's actions. "Recently, a vigilante calling themselves 'The Suit' has taken matters into their own hands, eliminating corruption in the Skyline's elite. The police are launching an official investigation, but right now have no leads. They suspect someone in the lower levels who has gained access to the Skyline. Many CEOs and businessmen are fearing for their safety, but the police assure them that they are no threat. The only question is if anyone believes that." Stan let out a little chuckle. He chuckled, pulling out his walkie talkie. "Rodriguez. O'Brien. I need you both to accompany me to my meeting with Jonathan Granson. Bring pistols that you can keep hidden."

 Stan waited a bit until a reply crackled out from the walkie. "Yes sir." He clipped his handgun into its holster and smoothed back his hair. Stan straightened his tie and looked in the mirror. Heavy bags hung under his eyes. He ignored them and walked out of his room. When he met his guards outside, he gestured to the hovercar that waited for them all. He entered, putting on his gloves to prevent incrimination. The flight would be 30 minutes, and so he took that time to look into the future. In most of the timelines, Jonathan had four guards. Stan could easily dispatch all with his two guards, so long as they acted with the element of surprise.

 When they arrived, his guards had to slap him to get him out of his stupor. Stan had given him these instructions and was fine with it. They stepped onto the loading dock as the doors opened. Stan and his escorts stepped in. Stan waved at the four guards in the room with Jonathan. "I see you prepare well." Jonathan nodded. Stan was disgusted at the amount of women in skimpy clothing surrounding the short man and his greased back hair. However, he kept it under control. Jonathan nodded at Stan. "You always were like your father. A businessman at heart." Stan almost gagged, but calmed down. "You know Jonathan, I've received a disturbing amount of reports that you've been dealing with some...unsavory types. At first, I assured myself they were all rumors. But then I saw some security footage. You had, believe it or not, a large amount of drugs. And, color me surprised, but," Jonathan's eyes darted around now. He knew something was up. "You were selling it to people who were poor, who had no fun, and they had no choice but to buy your drugs. I just can't allow that, now can I?" Stan gestured to his guards, who quickly whipped out their pistols.

 They proceeded to execute every one of Jonathan's guards. Stan smirked at Jonathan. "W-Why are you doing this?" His grin disappeared. "I'm doing it for the people that can't." He threw a punch at Jonathan. Jonathan wasn't expecting it, and took the full force of the blow. He fell down, sobbing. "Please don't hurt me!" Stan looked around at the women who were cowering behind tables and couches. "Remember the name, but not the face. I am the Suit, and I will not stand for corruption in our city. If I hear a peep out of any of you about what I look like, I will hunt you down too. I am here to help. Remember this." A shot rang out that night. One hour later, all traces of conflict were gone, and Stan was a happy man. Until he had to hunt again the next night, that was.


[System]
Age: 20
Gender: Male
Race: Human
Height and Weight: 6'5'', 200 lbs

Bounty: 0 Beli

Personality: TJ is a boisterous man that just as boisterously claims himself to be a gentleman. As such, he strives at all hours of the day to perfect his gentlemanly manners and abides by the gentleman's code of conduct. There are times, however, that he must painfully lay down his morals for the sake of achieving his dream. Such as when it comes to money. TJ is a shrewd businessman that sells his services for a high price. He may dislike having to negotiate in an ungentlemanly manner, but he tries not to let it bother him.

History: TJ was born and raised in Loguetown. He greatly admired the fry cook industry and worked himself up from a humble dishwasher to an ace cook over the course of several years. As a child, he was told stories of a fabled island filled with legendary and exquisite creatures no man had ever laid their tongue on. As he grew into an adult, he aspired to one day find this island- not just for discovery's sake, but to contribute to his larger goal of opening the greatest food service chain on the Grand Line. Originally he planned on working to save up more travel money, but the restaurant he worked in for most of his life recently bombed. Literally it blew up and left him jobless. Seeing it as a sign to get started, he has decided to become a pirate as a means for adventure.

Abilities:
-Boxing: As a gentleman, TJ is well versed in the basics of fisticuffs.
-Exquisite Grilled Cuisine: Being a former fry cook in a busy restaurant, TJ knows and is more than capable of making a variety of grill-related dishes on the fly.

Techniques: ---

Traits:* Big Meaty Claws - TJ's fists are, for a lack of a better word, meaty. They are thick and tough, allowing him to block and punch without damaging his precious hands. At least most of the time.

Inventory: A stainless steel spatula and a copy of "The Gentleman's Book of Etiquette."

[User]
The fisherman gave another tug, and hauled the net up out of the ocean as the sea salt stung his eyes. Wiping the tears away with one sun-browned hand, he gave a glance back towards the shoreline, now only a hop-skip-and-a-jump away. The trawler had been out all night, and had come back with a nice haul. Now he could finally head home, get a nice shower, a hot meal, and some much needed rest.

"HEEEEEEY MIIIIIISTEEEEEER!!"

He turned; was someone calling to him? Who could it be, out here on the water at such an early hour? Another night-fisher coming in?

No. It was a boy, in a dinghy. A...very fast dinghy. A very fast dinghy that was approaching more and more quickly, even though the boy had no oars, and in fact was clinging to the boat and leaning back, his legs rigid in front of him like a toboggan rider who was trying desperately to put his heels into the snow. A nervous smile plastered his face.

"DO YOU KNOW HOW TO MAKE REVERSE THRUST?"

"Reverse what?!" the man shouted, just before he ducked under the awning near his ship's cabin. The dinghy shot by like a bullet, the young man's screams doppler-ing into the distance. The fisherman could have sword he saw a...large hole of some kind, spewing rocket fire, coming right out of the youth's back!

"ME NEEEEEEEEEIIIIIIITHEEEEEEEEERRR!!"

And so Zehst Messerschmitt came to Loguetown, though not at all in the fashion one might have imagined. The rocket propelled dinghy hit the sand and kept going, its hull shedding timbers as it ramped up off a dune and sailed into the air. Zehst looked around in awe at all the houses--the villages back on the Gecko Islands hadn't been near this big--then remembered he was falling out of the sky at something like a hundred and twenty miles an hour.

He'd finally figured out how to make the rockets come out wherever and whenever he wanted. Now he had to figure out how to put on the brakes. He supposed he could always just...turn them off?

Of course, by the time he came to this conclusion--having crossed his legs and put one hand on his chin, nodding sagely--he had already plowed through a line of laundry, an extremely alarmed cat, and some poor old man's cabbage cart. With bits of vegetable and an angry cat clinging to his face, he looked up with a grin and snapped his fingers. The rocket was sucked back into his flesh with a "shwoop" sound, and the boat began to gradually slow down. Of course, by this time there wasn't much left of it save the seat that Zehst was sitting on. As the momentum began to die off the boy found himself spinning in circles, then ricocheting off an uneven cobblestone to crash through the wall of someone's shop.

"Aha-cough! It did--huck, hagh, ew cat hair--it did work! Zehst my man, you're two for two today!"

As the dust and wood chips cleared, Zehst stood up with the cat from before now held in his outstretched arms and several new, apparently unnoticed, scratchmarks turning his face into bloody hatchwork. He looked around the crash site and spotted several people and an old man. One of the big guys had a nose ring.

"Hey, uh...I don't suppose you guys know where I could get a new boat, do ya?" he asked, nervously throwing the cat over his shoulder. It let out a loud yeowl, then in the distance there was the sound of someone's garbage being scattered and glass breaking.

[Assistant]
Lucretia squinted her eyes, watching the sun slowly rise over the blue edge of the ocean. This was, most certainly, the earliest she had ever woken up in her life. She had chosen to wake up so early specifically to see the sunrise, as a sort of good-luck charm for her upcoming… endeavor? Her adventure? She still hadn't decided what to call it -- whatever it was, it was going to be something grand.

...That sun really was bright, wasn't it? Maybe she could have afforded to sleep in an hour or two, after all. Well, no time for regrets! Now was more the time for action! Now was also, perhaps more pressingly, the time to sneak away before her parents (or her sister…) woke up. She pulled her legs up, standing on the edge of Savaronitelle Manor's roof. For one last time, she surveyed the grounds, enjoying the feeling of superiority that standing on a tall object gave her.

"Ms. Lucretia? What are you doing up there?"

...Oh dear. Their butler had seen her. Lucretia scowled. Just her luck… "What business is it of yours?" she asked. "This is my parents' property, I can go wherever I please!"

The old manservant scratched his beard. "Of course it is, madam," he said, "But it's not like you to be up so early. Is something the matter?"

Lucretia's scowl faded, replaced with a certain hesitance. She paused a moment. "How did you even know I was up here? I was doing my best to be hidden…"

The butler pointed a gloved hand to the extended ladder that Lucretia had set up against the wall of the manor.

"Oh," Lucretia said.

Sighing a bit, she climbed down the ladder, turning to look at the butler. "Well? It's not a crime to be out this early, is it?"

"Er-- no, but-"

Lucretia smirked, sensing that she had the advantage. "Go back inside. I hate interruptions like this - you're spoiling my sunrise!"

The butler, nodded, sensing that his job could be on the line here, and hurried back inside without a word further. Lucretia watched him go inside, before looking back up at the manor. She had thought before that she might feel homesick - but she didn't. The only thing she felt right now was a steely resolve.

"...Hmph… when I come back here, you'll see."

Without another word, she turned away, walking out of the front gate of their mansion. She didn't look back… if only because she was distracted by the strange sight of a rocket-propelled dinghy flying through the air down in Loguetown proper.

And crashing. Into some building.

"...!"

Not wasting any time, Lucretia took off, running at full bore down the hill and into Loguetown - beelining straight for the crash site.

[User]
The patrons of the shop all stared flabbergasted at their new arrival, some looking back in disbelief at the hole where once stood solid wall.

Nose Ring, however, had quickly gone from stunned to beside himself. Stomping up to Zehst and forcibly prodding him with a long, bony finger.

"Where the HELL do you get off, interrupting our business!?" He said loudly, prodding Zehst with his finger at every enunciation. "This is the SECOND line of bullshit I've had to deal with in the past five minutes! Can't a guy shake down an old man in PEACE!?"

Meanwhile, along his walk through the city streets, Scabbard had come across the site of the grisly murder of a poor cabbage cart.

"....Woah, what?...."

 He slowly approached a nearby cabbage on the ground and picked it up, staring at it with tired, sad eyes.

"....Dude...." He quietly mused to himself mournfully as he took a bite out of it. "Who's got, like,...a veggie vendetta?...."

[Assistant]
A large, balding man with a curly mustache and a gut as round as a pig's let out a heavy sigh as he watched the sun rise over the town. He had his arms crossed and was seated on a crate of cabbages going by the label on the back side of it. There was a long, thoughtful pause after that, and he let the sun rise on his face before finally speaking. As he turned to his right, his expression softened just a bit as he stated, "I think it's a sign too, Teej."

Teodore Jay Dugrass was seated atop an empty barrel, his top-heavy physique and younger appearance contrasting with that of the older man. His expression lit up as the old man expressed his approval. "Right?!" He hopped off the barrel and looked back to his former boss with a grin, "It's gotta be a sign if this happens right when I'm considering leaving!"

The "this" in question refers to the charred remains of a restaurant laying behind the two. Hours prior, the once proud restaurant "Homme Gros" suffered an explosion by the hands of a newbie employee. How exactly they did it boggled everyone's mind, but containing the resulting fire and saving as much of the building as possible was more important then. Unfortunately, the fire was so severe, the only things that could be saved was the money made that day, a crate, and a barrel.

Flashing back to the present, the portly man let out a groan as he shifted in his seat. "Well, either way it's just as good for me too. I'm pretty sure running that restaurant was what made all my hair fall out." He chuckled as he rubbed at the noticeable bald patch on his scalp.

"Heh. A shame that it had to end like this, though," TJ sullenly replied as he looked back at the rubble.

"Bah. No use wallowing on your "dream resignation." We both know you wouldn't've left unless I closed up shop myself."

"True, true. In my defense, it would be unbecoming of a gentleman if I simply left at the peak of your business."

"Hah! You keep telling yourself that, Teej." The portly man got off his crate and hefted it up with a groan. "I'll figure out what to do from here. Maybe I can finally cash in on some insurance. Get me some easy retirement money." He chuckled again and looked back at TJ, giving him a confident smile, "You should get back home now. I bet you got some stuff to take care of before you set out. Good luck out on the sea, Teodore. You're gonna need it!" On that note, he finally turned back to the road and started walking away.

TJ wasn't going to just let his boss of seven years simply walk away without a word back from him, so gratefully he bowed his head and firmly shouted, "Thank you very much, Monsieur Pierre!"

And thus came an end to one chapter of TJ's life…

Wasting no time, TJ just started making his way back home. He decided to leave the barrel where it was, figuring if he needed it for whatever reason he could always just come back to it. For now, though, he had to pack! He had to get ready! He… probably should've asked for a business-starting loan from Monsieur Pierre, now that he thought about it, but what's done is done.

As he walked out from an alley he heard the sound of something sailing through the sky. Looking to the side, he saw something quickly approaching in the distance. Was that… a dinghy?? And… someone on it?? He noticed it to be an awfully dinged up dinghy the closer it came. That thought couldn't be entertained for long, however, and TJ let out quite the un(gentle)manly yelp as he recoiled back into the alley, just narrowly avoiding getting rammed full force by what was left of the hull.

"That nearly gave me a heart attack!" he thought. It took a few seconds for him to catch his breath, but when he did he peeked out from the alley. The dinghy was gone, but he noticed that it apparently rammed through a cabbage cart in its wake. Stepping out from the alley, he walked up to the remains of it and sighed. "What a waste…" he remarked.

Noticing someone else also inspecting the wreck, TJ turned his attention to them. He spied with his little eye something black-haired! Something with a huge sword! Something hORRIFICALLY BURNT AND SCARRED. Seeing Scabbard up close all of a sudden elicited his second un(gentle)manly yelp of the day.


[System]
Age: 38
Gender: Male
Race: Human
Physical Description: Erwun is a thin, spindly man who stands taller than most others, pale face stretched over a hawklike nose, sharp cheekbones, and a pinched chin. His ever-changing hazel eyes are almost never visible under his sandy blonde hair. He wears tight-fitting clothing under large, billowy capes and coats. Despite this, he has been described as having a sort of exotic beauty, almost like that of an elf.

Skillset:
Undertaking: Due to his being born to an undertaker father, Erwun knows every method of corpse preperation, enbalming, and burial, even those of other races.

Surgery: Due to his close work with dead people, Erwun knows the anatomy of live ones, and can perform surgery, although he might need the assistance of a good herbalist to keep the patient from taking ill.

Arsenal Combat: Erwun, rather than becoming a superior fighter with one weapon, trained with several odd, exotic weapons and gadgets. (Think Van Helsing repeater crossbow, smoke bombs, and extendable spear.) He is also a fair brawler, able to fight his way out of most situations.

Far Ancestry: Once, there was an elf. He lived alone, a disgrace to his people, for some trespass long forgotten. He lived on the borders of their then-empire, just outside a human village, a small crafting town of barely 200. This was still when the elves lived to be ancient, so over the years, there came to be a legend of a phantom in the woods. Some stories said that he was the vengeful ghost of the forest, others, a man, looking for his love long lost. Those stories were always taken as such, though, and never given much thought.

Once, there was a girl who grew up on the stories of the mysterious phantom of the woods. This girl grew up to be a woman, quite beautiful, in fact. She was the most desired woman of the village, yet, always the most unattaible, her heart yearning to know what the phantom was. One day, when she was in the woods, collecting berries and roots, she got her wish.

When he was on watch, guarding the town he had grown so close to, even if he could never be accepted by them, the elf saw the most beautiful thing in the world. In a brash act that would set off a monumental sqeuence of events, he revealed himself to the woman. They fell in love, and even though they tried to keep it secret, the village found out when the woman became pregnant.

Most in the village were surprisingly acceptant of the elf, but this peace wouldn't last. As soon as word got out, a band of elves came to punish the man who dared father a child with a lesser race. This resulted in everyone in the village, except the woman and unborn child, getting killed. The child grew up in a town, far away from that tragic history, and fathered a line of men with diluted elf blood. When magic was still around, his line benefited from good health, magnificent looks, and long life(at least, long by human standrds.) However, the only benifit left, with magic gone, are their dashing good looks.

Character History:
Erwun was raised in the Yamiss district, son to an undertaker and a spice merchant, although his mother died when he was quite young. However, this didn't detract from his childhood, the fact that his father worked in graveyards, and that his mother was dead, because his father loved him enough for two people.

 Despite his happy childhood, his teenage years strained his relationship with his father somewhat, as others looked down upon his family for their profession. This meant that he wandered the streets, getting into trouble, and causing it. However painful his relationship with his father was, he still kept up the cheerful demeanor, surprising some. Then, everything changed. His father was murdered by several of Pykas' men, as they were walking home from the Zalot District. Luckily, some of the heroes were there already, and killed the soldiers before they could harm Erwun.

Initially, they were sort of reluctant to have him with them, because he was sixteen at the time, until he had proven his prowess by taking a crossbow, and making it shoot quickly, by adding a lever and bolt chamber, and creating other such weapons. Although he wasn't a weaponsmith, Erwun showed a surprising aptitude for creating such weapons, so they took him along.

Erwun is one of the heroes that didn't formally 'retire', seeing the corruption in Dara, even though Pykas was gone. However, even without going back into the limelight, he was one of the more popular 'heroes', as the dashing young man charmed many young (and older) women. He was also popular among the young boys, as they all wanted to be him. Despite this, he has not yet returned, despite popular demand, although the call to be a Guardian might be too much to ignore. He has since devoted himself to uprooting the criminal element in Dara, and has earned himself the title of 'The Undertaker'. Apt, considering his day job. He still does burials and funeral ceremonies, and even the odd surgery, in a pinch.

Psychological Profile:
Erwun used to be a bright and happy man, even though he was caught up in something way beyond him, in the fight against Pykas. However, when they fought Cyrabassis, something changed. Not even the other heroes know what happened, as he was separated from everyone else, falling into a pit, which led to tunnels below the citadel. When he emerged, he was trembling, holding onto the head of a fallen... thing, and covered in blood, from head to toe. Luckily, he was there to help fight Cyrabassis, but everyone could tell that there was something off about him now. He became more sardonic and mocking, and even slightly nihilistic. However, he still is a good person, under all the gruff, and shows affection in his own... special way.

Equipment:
Undertaker's Tools- Erwun has all of the tools necessary to perform burials, embalm corpses, and take care of graves.
Autopsy/Surgery Kit- He has the tools for performing an autopsy on corpses, which can double as surgeon's tools.
Arsenal- Erwun has a large arsenal of oddball weapons, ranging from a repeating lever-action crossbow, to a telescoping spear, to a bizarre bola-launcher.

Titles/Holdings/Power Base:
Erwun has a large funeral business, called Calfrace Funeral Services, which provides services for whatever kind of funeral for any race. It is the largest organization of undertakers, elven garden caretakers, dwarven tomb carvers, and embalmers in the Yamiss district, and that's saying something. About the time of the beginning of the roleplay, they have gotten so large as to consider applying for Guild status.

He also has a small network of vigilantes and bounty hunters that he keeps in touch with, to help with his crime-fighting activities. They are all either very skilled or above average at the very least, and were attracted to him by his cause, his money, or his former glory. However, they only get together once a month to trade information, and plan larger-scale operations.

Relationships
Kanros the Raven- Erwun used to admire him as a hero, but nowadays dislikes his self-centeredness. However, he still respects him, and views him as a trusted comrade.
Nasharia the Verdant- He used to think she was hot. Still does, but is put off by her ambition. Again, views her as a comrade, and friend.
Haljon- Used to be his close friend. Now, he blames him for abandoning him in the tunnels below Cyrabassis' citadel. Doesn't want to have anything to do with him, but if he does, will constantly be at odds with most everything he says or does.
Cxin Djwal Leytan- Disliked the nervous, timid young man who was in the group before Cyrabassis. Likes his self-assuredness, but doesn't like his personal detachment, nowadays.
Linric Tealeaf- His one best friend, before and after Cyrabassis. They used to write each other, but now they have drifted apart. He still views him as a close friend, however.

[User]
Leytan:

I'm pleased to see Nashaira, I hadn't had the opportunity to speak with her before this, and I'm heartened further when she defends me against the poor soul Ephraim. Indeed, I'll have to be careful with what I say around him.. He is most likely one of the best fighters still among us. Unlike that gin rag Halijon. And the fool proposes using thugs to act as guards for the city streets? It's like asking the fox to guard the hen house.
"At least, that all makes sense to me. However, Commander Haljon, I do not think we need mercenaries on the streets. The men I use are ill suited to garrison duty, will want more for it and that will cause dissension with the Khavi. I would rather recruit new Khavi than risk having two sets of guards brawling each other in the streets."
I wait until the Raven finishes, and stand again, pausing only to take a small sip of my water. That's a brew I doubt Haljon has had in a very long while.
"Now, if I may offer my services, perhaps some of my older students will be of great use? They are all trained in non-lethal combat, they know when to use words instead of fists, and most of them have been raised in this city, so they know how to respect the culture. Many of these traits would be lacking in recruiting more sell-swords. Additionally, they won't need to be paid like a sell-sword, since they wouldn't be doing this for the money. And we could put the money saved towards better use." I nod my head curtly at Kanros, and sit once more.
One of my students leans towards me and asks me a question, and I answer softly, writing on a small slip of paper, handing it back to him, which he takes and runs out of the hall to deliver.

[Assistant]
While Nasharia spoke, Ephraim sat back down, his face still contorted into a scowl, but his temper diminished by her words. He let the others speak for a while on the matters that he had no experience with or influence in.

Kanros proposed that Ephraim be the one to root out more information about the sorcery that had occurred in the Hall of the Guardians, and Ephraim had replied with a curt nod. Of course, he had already begun his investigation immediately after the attack, but it would do well to have the consent of the rest of the Guardians to continue the investigation without fear of reprisal. Quietly, of course, but Ephraim drove a hard bargain until he got the truth out of people.

Ignoring the current conversation about who the Guardians should hire to increase the capacity of the city guard, Ephraim cleared his throat and turned his attention to Landar. "I agree with Kanros; I would very much like to investigate the events that transpired here. My own network is respectable, but not nearly as extensive as yours. Will you grant me access to your informants so I may have the greatest amount of resources available to me?"

He hated asking (for anything, really) but it was necessary. And, Ephraim thought to himself, it would actually be good not to be total enemies with everyone else. He still didn't know what to do about Leytan and Alaric, but he would let that matter rest until a later time.

With even greater reluctance, he turned to Haljon. "With your permission, of course," Ephraim said, smiling wryly.


[System]
BASIC
Goes By: Maleficent (alter-ego)
Age: 5,739
Gender: Female
Race: Half-Sindarin, Half-Silvan Elf

APPEARANCE

Portrayed By: Angelina Jolie with a slight Russian accent
Hair Color: Dark, Auburn-Brown
Eye Color: Luminous Yellow-Green
Skin Tone: Porcelain Pale
Height: 5' 11"
Weight: 119 lbs
Body Build: Tall and Slender

Wing-Cloak

Natural Elven Attire (with and without wings)

Battle Outfit

PERSONALITY

Likes: Humans, Elves, Dwarves, Happiness, Animals, Flying, Her Godsons
Dislikes: Chaos, Greed, Spiders, Darkness, Orcs, Sorrow
Strengths: Fighting, Beauty, Wisdom, Inspiration
Weaknesses: Mentions of Her Past, Loneliness, Anger
Fears: Losing Her Family, Her Past

Overall Personality:
Mysterious | Regal | Soft-Spoken | Larger Than Life | Elegant | Compassionate | Unpredictably Vicious

Everyone believed Saeril to be born a creature of chaos and pure evil, but they just do not know the true story. Rather than a woman who is evil, Saeril was instead a benevolent young woman of purity; she valued the peaceful nature on Middle-Earth, and she had a fierce passion of guarding various realms and its inhabitants. As a fierce protector, Saeril is a desired perfectionist, and a woman of her word; due to the despair and sorrow of even the most vulnerable of races, she focuses on finding the best intentions for them, even if it means to risk her life. As she suffers from a devastating past that involved the Deceiver's corruption upon her mind, Saeril is truly hurt and very lonely inside, interpreted by her amnesiac guilt for her crimes. Her ultimate goal was to redeem herself and dissipate her inner darkness.

However, she never anticipated this goal to be changed when she rekindled herself with her Dwarven godsons, Fili and Kili; she grew to care for them as a motherly figure, forming an adopted-parental bond with them. Despite herself being closest to the youngest, Kili, Saeril was devastated after witnessing Azog kill the eldest brother, causing her to scream in agony and grief. Determined to keep the youngest from falling into the same fate, she became strictly protective of Kili. As his blessed godparent, Saeril would do anything to keep him alive, and as a result, she went with him in many ventures, though she did not always agree with them. Regarding him, her bond with Kili was very strong, therefore her main goal was to keep him safe.

Saeril will not hesitate in giving others her blunt opinion, and she would often guide them when they are upset or need advice. Proud and proper she was, she will never bow to anyone she disagreed with. Evident by her relationship with Thorin Oakenshield, it's complicated when it comes to terms of trust; she betrayed him (as he claimed) by revealing the truth of the quest, and by "stealing" the starlight jewels from his treasure hoard for King Thranduil. Although she was claimed as not "trusting", Saeril openly showed that she cared a great deal for him, saving his life multiple times on different occasions.

BACKGROUND

Date of Birth: YT 1578
Place of Birth: Fangorn Forest, located north of Rohan
Social Ranking: Royalty (formerly)
Family:
- Kili Durin (Godson; alive) (Dwarf)
- Fili Durin (Godson; alive) (Dwarf)
- Dis Durin (Compadre; unknown) (Dwarf)
- Hermia (Mother; deceased) (Sindarin Elf)
- Lysander (Father; deceased) (Silvan Elf)
- Ulla (Aunt; deceased) (Sindarin Elf)
- Kinloch (Uncle; deceased) (Sindarin Elf)

Other Relations:
- Gandalf the Grey (Mentor; alive) (Maiar)
- Thorin II Oakenshield (Friend; alive) (Dwarf)
- Aragorn II Elessar (Friend; alive) (Man)
- Azog The Defiler (Enemy; alive) (Orc)
- Meliya Ardorion (Friend; alive) (Silvan Elf)

[User] Quick as she was in the air, and for it to be her friend, Maleficent didn't waste time to save him. Dangling over the edge she was, the fae gripped the wrist of his hand while in midair. For the extra weight, she didn't struggle, as she set him back with the group on the cliff, landing with him, so she herself was with them. "We must find shelter!", Thorin called over them. "Look out!", Dwalin howled as a giant rock came flying towards them. It hits the edge of the mountain, shattering above them. To give them better protection, she hovered herself over the group, and her huge wings covered most of them like an umbrella from the failing debris. A few rocks hit her back, but she didn't let her strength wane.

[Assistant]
"Bless my beard, the legends are true!" Bofur yelled as his gaze travelled to where the first rock had come from. "Giants, Stone Giants!"
"Take cover, you fools!" Thorin bellowed at them as more debris rained down, Maleficent's wings may be protecting them for now but he was sure that even the fae couldn't withstand that much falling onto her for very much longer. They had to take cover somewhere else.

[User] "Hold on!", Maleficent shouted over the thunder as the mountain around the company breaks. "Kili, grab my hand!", she heard her eldest godson shout to his sibling, as she just saw the rock between them starts separating them. Seeing a crack between her godsons, she knew that they couldn't protect each other now. The mountain they were on starts coming to life, and starts fighting with another. With the company split in half, she didn't know which one to protect more. Seeing that the moving rock Kili was on, made his situation even more risky. Making up her mind, she flew over to the swaying dwarves, and gripped the youngest's coat, so he was at least in her line of sight and not fall off the moving rock.

[Assistant]
The others watched in horror as the other half of their group were sent plummeting towards the rest of the mountainside when the Stone Giant they were stuck on was knocked down by the other.

"Kili!!" Thorin bellowed as they ran down the path, expecting to see only remenants of weapons or clothing while the dwarves would all be gone for good. He sighed in relief as they got there and found the remaining group members all collapsed in a pile in the middle of the path, groaning loudly.
"It's alright, they're alive!" Dwalin shouted to the others at the back who couldn't see very well.

[User] The fae looked in fear as they were about to collide into the mountain. Thinking fast, she tucked Kili against her in order to shield him from their upcoming fate. However, when they finally hit the mountain, there was no pressure against them, only making them fall off and land on the more safe-like part of the cliff. She still had Kili tucked against her chest as they landed. Unraveling her wings, Maleficent could see the others safe as well, which was a relief. Panting from exhaustion, she allowed herself to catch her breath, and manage to stand, although she didn't get far, and landed back down to one knee, feeling an ache in her leg.

[Assistant] "Are you...alright...?" Kili panted as he looked worriedly at Maleficent, since she clearly seemed to be putting less weight on one leg.

[User] "I'm..fine. I just...", the fae trailed off as she tried to stand up once again with her wings trying to give her an advantage for balance. She gasped at the small pain that hit her leg, making her fall down once again. "Must have...hurt it..during the landing while I was covering you. Against a rock", Maleficent winced. It was probably bruised, and that she won't be able to walk at full speed and strength like she used to. "I just need to rest. Stay with me?", she could use a helping hand in this kind of state.

[Assistant] Kili looked on at her worriedly but nodded when she asked if he would stay. "Of course." he promised, knowing that the fae must be afraid.

[User]
She wasn't afraid of herself being in danger; she was afraid of herself not being to help those in danger. Especially for the company. Giving a sad smile, Maleficent hugged her youngest godson against her chest while she remained on the ground.

Thorin, however, didn't look pleased as he watched his nephew interact with such a creature. He didn't trust her yet, and he probably won't. Not yet, anyway. "I thought we'd lost our burglar", Dwalin suddenly sounded as he found Bilbo safe with the others. "He's been lost ever since he left home. He should never have come. He has no place amongst us", the dwarven leader spat as the hobbit looked visibly hurt by this comment. Spotting a cave in the distance, Dwalin checks inside the mountain. "It looks safe enough" "Search to the back, the caves in the mountains are seldom unoccupied" "There's nothing here" "We will rest here", Thorin told everyone else as they entered the big cave.

Maleficent tried to stand, but her bruised leg wouldn't give in for her actually do so.

[Assistant]
"Here, lean on me." Kili murmured to Maleficent as the dwarf tried to put his shoulder underneath her and wrap an arm around her the best he could, to try and support the fae. Fili rushed over to help as the two young dwarves had gotten rather attached to Maleficent and the last thing they were going to do was leave her outside while they were all safe in the cave.

"Right, let's get a fire started!" announced Gloin as he rubbed his hands together though Thorin quickly cut him off.
"No, no fires. Not in this place."

[User]
Maleficent appreciated the help that she needed from the twins, and she herself, has been seeing them as her own children. She promised Fili during the early part of the journey, that she would protect his younger brother whenever she could, and keep their family together. Now, she was already seeing them as her children, and they were already becoming attached to her, like children staying close to their parent. She grew fond of them, and that was when she realized that she had family. Managing to get into the cave, she winced as she was carefully placed back down onto the ground. She didn't have anything that would treat her injury, and she doubted that the company had anything to help her. All she could do now, was rest.

"Get some sleep, we start at first light", she heard Thorin say, glad that he decided to let them have a break, and allow herself to heal. "We were to wait in the mountains until Gandalf joined us. That was the plan", Balin pointed out. "Plans change. Bofur, take the first watch", he told his comrade.

A bedroll was all that Maleficent could lay on at the moment, and she let Fili and Kili stay with her, so she slept between them, only for the youngest to snuggle against her chest, like a young child needing warmth.

[Assistant]
Kili had been rather upset that there was no healing that the company could offer Maleficent and at first he had argued with Oin for a time, the only dwarf in the company who had knowledge of healing, but it was quickly established that they did not have the needed supplies here for him to do anything and that all she could do was rest it and hope it would heal on it's own.

Bofur nodded as Thorin ordered him to keep watch and took up a spot against the cave wall where he could see both the entrance and into the back of the cave in case anything came from either end to harm the company.

Bilbo had laid down himself and pretended to sleep until he was sure the rest of the dwarves had settled down, quietly and carefully getting up, he tried to creep to the entrance without Bofur seeing him.
"Where are you going?!" it hadn't worked, as the dwarf soon saw him and whispered sharply as he noticed it was Bilbo trying to leave.
"Back to Rivendell." the hobbit sighed. "Thorin's right, I don't belong here."


[System]
Age:21

Gender: Female

Race: Faunus (Fox)

Weapon: Sarasagi: a highly unique blade in the fact that it doesn't transform into anything. Instead, there are two small ports in the guard, that shoot out the blood the blade collects and compresses in the hilt. The blood can be fired out one of two ways, in a thin needle, or in a thick sphere. The needle, at maximum compression (roughly 15 seconds) is shot at mach 1, and is useful for head-shotting small grim over large areas. The sphere flies much slower, but at maximum compression has enough force to knock a Ursa on it's ass.

Specialty: Mokuren has a great deal of skill and technique with her sword, and is also highly agile in it's use. Her semblance gives her the ability to go all-out on the offensive front, and not give any thought to her defenses, allowing her to bounce seemlessly from target to target and cut them down. She can use the secondary feature to shoot at the enemy, but only uses it when she feels she needs to.

Semblance: Mirror of Yata: This semblance gives Mokuren the ability to absorb and then reflect any attack that hits her, at the cost of physical exertion to use. A King Tut's strike would be more exhausting to reflect than a Beowulf's claw, for example.

Personality: Mokuren is a very, guarded person. She hides her true self behind a barrier of mirth and eccentric action, but allows the truth to stream through when he feels she is alone, or truly trusts someone. This truth is a sad, broken creature trying to survive in the world it was thrown into after the death of her family, and is haunted by a dark past that she tries to hide from everyone.

Color: Magnolia.

Emblem: Uniquely, none.

Appearance:

[User]
Sapphire Rode - The Shelter
Sapphire wanted to do something to help the animals she really did but at this point she didn't see the wisdom in letting them out. At least half of them were so heavily sedated that even if their cages were opened they'd more than likely continue to lie there. This reasoning was not shared by Abel however who after wiping a large amount of dog slobber from his face used the pointed end of his spear to shear the tops off most of the cages. With the ferocity of the swings Sapphire was shocked that he'd managed to avoid hitting any of the animals imprisoned here.

It was needlessly excessive but Sapphire understood why Abel wanted these creatures free. Each one of them was wild and used to open spaces and freedom. Otherwise sedation wouldn't have been necessary, domestic pets while perhaps not happy about being kept in a cage wouldn't cause enough of a fuss to warrant sedatives. Besides should they run into something more than they could handle the animals could serve as a distraction what with the chaos the wakeful ones were making.

Sapphire smiled slightly and unlocked a few of the cages allowing the animals that wanted to to run free. When Abel was finished his liberation mission he followed Sapphire's suggestion that they take a look at the lower levels. As they pushed through the doors to the stairwell a cold chill ran up Sapphire's spine. It wasn't anything specific just a very bad feeling that they were descending into something that did not welcome them. It was of course ridiculous, this was a Shelter for animals, whatever was in this place couldn't be more than they could handle and yet despite the fact that it was illogical Sapphire switched her semblance on just before they started down the stairs.

It was a good thing too as the area was littered with security cameras. As long as she didn't alter the environment in any significant way even electronic surveillance would be unable to detect her. Sapphire's footfall was near silent, in fact unless someone was listening for her specifically they'd more than likely miss it altogether and that was without her semblance active.

They encountered no resistance on the stairs or in the room below. This unsettled Sapphire far more than if the med lab had been full of Atlas Paladin Suits. The emptiness of the facility was far more threatening than any physical form could ever be.

Sapphire was about to do a thorough search of the room when they heard sounds. Sapphire didn't shrink away from the room. With her semblance active there was no reason to avoid detection as long as she remained inconspicuous. Abel on the other hand was another story. He slipped past her into the shadows whispering that she should turn invisible and follow the two people that had entered the room.

Sapphire smiled slightly, she'd never fully explained her semblance to her team. It seemed all of them were under the impression that her semblance was invisibility. Abel had advised her to use it without realizing that it was already on. He could only see her because he'd been there when she'd activated it and he was expecting her presence.

Sapphire walked out into the room staying a good distance behind the man and woman that had marched into the room but within earshot so that nothing of there conversation would be missed. From the little that Sapphire had gleaned so far they were planning something. Making History was very rarely a good thing. The Faunus wars had made history, the great criminals had made history, and the Grimm had made history. Whatever this woman was referring to Sapphire couldn't help but feel that it was not as good a thing as those two seemed to think.

[Assistant]
Kuhaku Shiro - The Shelter

Smiling, Shiro was pleased with himself. It seems his on-the-fly-lies had worked and the boy agreed to help them. Watching as the boy approached a hidden entrance that he hadn't noticed, he blinked and tilted his head in curiosity. "Pokey?.." He thought to himself, wondering what exactly the boy meant by that. Shrugging, he dismissed the seemingly meaningless words and crawled up to the door. Slipping out his Scroll, he took a snapshot of the hidden door and pocketed it shortly after. Unlocking the door, Shiro carefully slipped inside and propped the door open for Gren's hulking frame to pass through. When Gren had approached, Shiro had already noticed him and was surprised the bear faunus cub hadn't noticed him the same. Before entering the room entirely, he took a moment to take in the new surroundings. As his eyes scanned the cabinets, his gaze lingered on the refrigerator.

"This must be a kitchen or breakroom of some sort..."

Thinking about it, he hadn't really eaten before the start of the mission, had he? It would be terribly embarrassing if his grumbling stomach gave him away during a critical moment. But, he didn't have the time for a snack as he had to follow after the eager bear cub. Eyes snapping to a corner of the room, Shiro swiftly ducked behind the nearest object. "Gren! Camera!" he sharply whispered. Noticing the camera, Shiro took out his Scroll once more and took a picture of it. Fingers rapidly tapping away, he sent his second report to the others on team.

"From: Kuhaku Shiro
To: Abel Fulgurate, Gren Orchid, Sapphire Rode
Subject: Scout Report #2

Body: "The bear faunus cub agreed to assist us, Gren and I are following after him now. Keep an eye out for hidden entrances and security cameras. I'll be disabling cameras as I find them. I've attached two images."

Attachments: Illusory Wall.img, Security Camera.img"

Finishing, Shiro pocketed his Scroll and crawled under what he presumed to be the scope of the camera's sight. Standing and stretching himself, he grabbed the camera and ripped it from the wall. With his other hand, he tore every cable attached to it. Clumsily forcing the camera back into its place in the wall, he hoped that whoever may be monitoring it didn't notice his entry or the camera's sudden disconnection. Should someone decide to get a bite to eat, he also hoped that they wouldn't notice the slight damage to the inoperable camera. Looking to his left and right, he was alone in the room save for Gren following in after him. If the bear faunus cub had been in the room still, Shiro would've surely raised some alarms. Speaking of alarms, he wondered if the camera system was connected to some security system. He really hoped he hadn't tripped some silent/not-so-silent alarm.

An uneasy look on his face, another bead of sweat rolled down the side of his face.
"O-oh well, what's done is done.."
Looking to Gren, he turned and trotted down the stairs he had seen the cub and his lizard companion descend. The sounds his ears were detecting helped to instill a deep sense of dread within him. Something just didn't sit right with him about this place.
"What was the mission objective again?" He asked himself, second guessing his team's purpose here.

[User]
Ciel Kuze - lost rabbit
"I dont think that will really work for an alibi." Ciel whispered as she continued to search for the back room. Though he was right as soon as the chaos ended they would spot them quickly like white on rice or some other bad comparison. Still it was proving hard to locate the back room none of these rooms seemed to be it and she was not going to be busting through every door looking for it. That would only invite more trouble to them. With a soft sigh she turned to look at her fellow teammate "you have any idea where they might hide a back room Luke? she asked softly as she quickly ducked to avoid being spotted by a guard rushing through on the opposite side of them.

[Assistant]
Outside the Dragon's Den

The overconfident Antaeus crossed his arms and stood at a relaxed stance, reveling in Mokuren's 'compliments' as his massive ego was unable to see through her sarcasm. That's why he was completely off-guard when she lunged at him in an attack. The large bouncer knew he was too heavy to dodge out of the way in time, so he quickly reached behind his back and grabbed his weapon: a trident. The weapon, still in mid-transformation, clashed with Mokuren's sword. Antaeus deflected the strike enough to prevent it from cleaving him in half, but he was unable to prevent the sword from embedding itself into his side. "I shall drink from your skull!" he shouted in pain. The bouncer may have been 'immortal,' but he still felt pain. Lifting his now complete trident, he raised it above his head and stabbed downward at the huntress-in-training.

Inside the Dragon's Den

The students who were able to make it to the backroom now found themselves in a long hallway. There were several doors in the hallway, but all lead to mostly empty rooms. There was one exception though, a large metal door at the far end. Next to the door was a keypad to unlock it, but the code was currently unknown to the team. The sound of footsteps began to sound from the other side of the door that the students had entered from. The three teens had two options: hide in at least one of empty rooms and wait for the man coming toward them to pass or attack the man and interrogate him for the way inside of the safe-like door.

[User]
Jack Orpheus | Back Area

"Well, this has to be it... Right?", Jack muttered to himself, looking at the large metal door. Fortunately he didn't seem to run into any guards, so no one knew he was back here except his team. As he took a few steps towards the metal door, he heard it lurch as it appeared to be opening. He wanted to maintain the whole stealth thing, not to mention he wouldn't be able to open it anyway, there appeared to be a keypad, and a code was required to open the door, so he instead decided to hide in one of the empty side rooms and wait and listen. He kept one hand ready on one of his daggers, and stood behind the wall next to the door, so even if they walked in, they wouldn't see him immediately and he would have a chance of an advantageous action.

[Assistant]
This guy, was dumb. So dumb, in fact, that he didn't seem to understand Sarcasm. But, Mokuren had to admit, she was slightly impressed at the way he had drawn his Trident - and the uniqueness of the weapon amused her as well - in time to deflect her sword. It wasn't a total deflection, and Sarasagi managed to take a bit more of his blood from a rather nasty cut in his side. She wondered if he had to obey the rules of blood loss, and was inclined to agree, considering he still felt pain. But then he finished his trident and moved to stab her with it. The strangest thing happened then. Mokuren seemed to slightly maneuver herself so that her head was in the Trident's path, and then use her Semblance to reflect the blow. Then, she would pull out her blade and hope that a trident in the face was enough distraction to slip her sword into his crotch, and vertically bisect him, the sharp edge of Sarasagi ensuring she cut through flesh and bone until it cleanly popped out of the top of his skull.

"Drinking from a person's skull is horribly inefficient. It pours out of their eye sockets whenever you try to fill it up for more than a mouthful" she told the bouncer.


[System]
Basics
Alias: Trick
Age: 18
Gender: Female
Alliance: Good
Power: Teleportation – Lexa can teleport herself and whatever she's holding to any location that she can see
Enhanced Healing – Lexa has enhanced durability and heals moderately fast (an injury that would normally take several days to heal instead takes several hours), though this has the side effect of injuries scarring more often than not

Physical Description

Image:

Height: 5'5"
Weight: 111 lbs
Hair: Long, deep red
Eyes: Amber
Typical Clothing/Equipment: Casual – baggy, loose fitting t-shirt and pants, with a pair of old sneakers.
Uniform – A black, lightly armored ensemble with gloves, a jacket, and a mask that covers the bottom half of her face. She also carries a katana, and dyes her hair black to help conceal her identity.

Personality/Attributes

Personality/Attitude: Quiet, aloof, thoughtful, self-blaming, sarcastic, couragious, just, secretly empathetic
Skills/Talents: Karate and aikido black belt, weapons training, parkour, fluent in French and Vietnamese, superior reflexes
Favorites/Likes: Her dog Frank, japanese candies, quiet nights
Most Hated/Dislikes: People who enjoy hurting others
Goals/Ambitions: To help as many people as she can
Strengths: Resourceful, driven, takes no shit
Weaknesses: Brooding, quick to blame herself, stand-offish
Fears: Watching someone die when she could've helped

Additional Notes: Her parents and little brother died in a house robbery gone wrong eight months ago. Now she lives in an apartment by herself with an old one-eyed dog she picked up from the pound named Frank. Never been kissed. Has a day job working at a bookstore.

[User]
Lexa was crash landing in her tiny apartment in moments, agitated energy and frustration making her careless and clumsy. She tumbled to the ground with a grunt, legs tangling in the rumpled bedsheets she didn't account for. Frank the doberman just looked up, accustomed to her sudden appearances and disappearances. Lexa tore at the sheet wrapping around her feet, ripping it away at hurling it against the wall. It landed with an unsatisfying thump. Gritting her teeth, Lexa fisted her hands on the ground and got ready to push herself up –

Only for Frank to lumber over and plop himself down across her lap.

Lexa fell back at the weight across her body, barely catching herself on her elbows. Frank laid his head down on the floor, closing his eyes. The fire burning in Lexa's throat was doused suddenly, her old dog's influence bringing her back. With a tired sigh, she let herself fall back, laying flat on the floor of her apartment.

Stupid stupid she was so stupid. How could she not see it was him? He even used the same damn name. And she'd gotten drinks with him, she'd confided in her, like an idiot and then she'd let him get away. Well. She'd actually been the one to run from him. With a disgusted snort she threw her arms over her face, squeezing her eyes shut.

What a shit day. She'd murdered a guy. She'd failed to murder a different guy.

With a sigh she moved her arms and opened her eyes again. Lexa pushed herself back up onto her elbows and looked down at her dog. Good lord she was tired. She began the process of trying to scoot out from under Frank, scratching his head when he made sounds of displeasure. Eventually she was free. Lexa forced herself to her feet.

One shower later, she was no less tired, but at least she was clean. The cuts on her knuckles were already starting to heal. Lexa spent a long moment standing outside the shower, lost in thought. Then, coming to a decision, she pulled her black outfit from where she'd left it in the dryer. Soon enough Trick stood in her apartment, dyed black hair and all.

This was likely the opposite of what she needed. The city was halfway between hating her and being terrified of her. She was an unstable wreck. She was dangerous.

Trick grabbed her katana from where it leaned against the wall and tied the sheath to her belt. Then she disappeared.

It didn't take long for the sound of sirens to draw her attention as she moved through the city. She came upon a wide semi-circle of officers hiding behind the open doors of their cruisers, guns ready and aimed at some old warehouse. Apprehension built in Trick's chest. He was in there. She knew it. Fighting to keep her pulse low, she silently teleported inside through a foggy window and perched on one of the old rafters. She made her way through the building, following a trail of bodies until she found him. Her hand rested at her sword, her thumb pushing the hilt up at the rest of her fingers curled around the sheath.

Down below, Black Jack killed the man he'd been fighting last night. Another man, suited and poised, watched impassively. The officers outside shouted through a loudspeaker for Black Jack to give himself up. Trick's heart was in her throat, her muscles itching for some sort of release.

In the next moment Trick was behind the man, the edge of her sword pressed tightly against his throat.

Her eyes were sharp as she glared at Black Jack, amber flashing gold with anger. Her threat hung like a solid thing in the air between them: she'd steal his vengeance from him.

Trick honestly didn't know if she was bluffing or not.

While she watched Black Jack, her attention didn't waver from the man she held at sword-point. Her muscles were coiled and still, taught like a bowstring and ready to react. She wouldn't be caught unawares again.

[Assistant]
He stared with eyes wide beneath his mask. How had Trick found him so fast? It had to be the cops outside, they led her here. And now, she was going to take Shirley's life. She was going to take Jack's revenge from him, knowing full well that it was his purpose to kill this man. Trick said not a word, simply looked at Black Jack with a threatening expression. "Don't do this Trick. Don't make me hurt you." Black Jack's tone was dark. "I'll end you before you can scratch him."

"Trick, hm? You mean the vigilante? I heard she killed one of your own. Am I correct, Jack?" Shirley seemed unaffected by the fact that there was as word at his throat. "I don't appreciate you killing one of my experiments young woman." The man's eyes narrowed and his hands balled into fists. "Go ahead and try to kill me, child."

"I'd get out of there if I were you, Trick." Jack grinned but she couldn't see it beneath his mask.

A calm Shirley pushed the sword away from his throat and looked down. Now things would get good. Shirley's muscles began to bulge through his clothes, his hands and feet began to grow, his feet tearing through the leather of his shoes. He began to grow taller and a lot larger in size. A lot like the Incredible Hulk, only without the green. By the time the transformation was over a bulky beast stood in Shirley's place, his clothes mostly torn off but covering his vitals at least. The beast turned on his heels and struck Trick with great force, if she did not dodge she would be thrown back and slam into a wall.

Black Jack stood his ground, spinning his bloodied scimitars in hand, readying himself for the fight. "Ugh, you're ugly either way Shirley, I don't know why you insist on using that form, old man." He snickered, "Well I guess I know why." The young man raised his hand in front of him and gestured with his sword. "Bring it on you ugly ass piece of shit!!"

Shirley bolted toward Jack and swung a mighty, bulging arm at his head. Black Jack ducked with ease. Although more damage was done in Shirley's monstrous form, he wasn't the brightest in this state. Jack thrust his arm forward stabbing Shirley in the stomach. It was but a toothpick to him, doing little damage but still making him bleed. Jack rolled out of the way as the beast attempted to crush his head between his hands. "Ooo so close!" Black Jack joked as he popped up behind Shirley and stabbed him in the back. Shirley roared and turned quickly his hand shot out and grabbed Black Jack by his neck, lifting him off the ground.

"O-Oh you've been practicing I see." Black Jack stuttered, wheezing a little as Shirley joked him. "I DARE you to try and snap my neck. See what happens ass hat."


[System]
Age: 19
Archon of... Lightning (Electricity)
Archon weapon: replenishable metallic coins; thin, heavy metal scales
Appearance: roughly 5'8" in stature, lean muscular build with scars from skirmishes with the other delinquents.

Personality: Chaotic-Good; INFJ; Quiet by nature since word alone gets one killed.

Bio: Born to impoverished blue-collar workers, Vanth lives from a smog ridden, industrial land with an laboring population. As a young child, he understood the purpose of behind the factories and the products they created having been forced to work in some. The products, the factories, the very lives of the working class would all end in the same result: death. Factory accident related death. product related death, death from overworking, death from starvation… it was all he ever saw. Be it in the dark alleys behind the sweatshops, in the assembly lines at his "job", or under the roof he was born beneath, death never truly remained out of sight or mind for long.
Vanth's outlook on the world was pretty dark indeed.
Overtime, he learned the way to survive in this cruel world of his was to pick choose wisely and to always protect those that he cared for and helped him. Take from the rich; give to the poor; no one is guaranteed a tomorrow.

Special gear or equipment: His infiltration kit: lock picking kit, WIP handheld computer, a crowbar.

[User]
This, my boy, is the temple, a place of great importance in your future

Fascinating Jacky mused as he inspected the room. A bead of sweat fell from his forehead on to his shoe, perhaps the rift walk had taken more out of him than he had expected. It was a strange feeling standing in the presence of others from different universes, an unprecedented encounter and scientific phenomena that his universe had not yet reached. He observed the people all around him, all humanoids apparently, even with the man of no eyes and mouth, they seemed to be of similar species. One of the other Archons appeared a bit annoyed she seemed to not find the boy who had greeted them, Ian's explanation as sufficient. Her distress was understandable, it did not make a lot of sense and was a bit hard to believe, but Jacky also had a good feeling that there wasn't much to be done about it. In fact, he was feeling a feeling he had not truly felt in a long time, a sense of direction.

Introduce yourself! Time to make some friends!

They all seemed visibly younger than him and even among inter-universal peers he still stood very tall above them. Perhaps his height was a feature of his planet. His knuckles melted back into a crystal as he stepped forward. With a polite bow he spoke, "I am Jackson, call me Jacky it is nice to meet you all." He slung his violin case over his shoulder and faced the door.

Oh! How well-mannered! Also be sure to tell Lupus I say hello.

"As Mr.Marcus said, perhaps this place holds the answers."

He wasn't one to talk and he had already felt as if he had spoken too much. He did not have a taste for idle conversation and was already ready to learn more about this 'destiny', as it was called by Draco. He began to walk into the temple, before he remembered, he spoke, "Draco sends his regards as well.", and without another word he turned and walked out of the room.

If this truly was what fate had decided for him than he would cling tight and ride along until it brought him to ruin.

[Assistant]
Watching from the point of which she arrived at the temple, Aella listened to this...Maddie, was it? Anyways... She listened to Maddie give her little speech. From the looks of it, most of the people in the room were humanoid at least, though she wasn't sure who or what the grey man was, but hey, who was she to judge. However, Maddie really was getting on her nerves, especially by calling her...Legolas? Who the hell was that anyways?

"Don't make enemies now, Aella," she heard Sagittarius say in her mind, "These are your new comrades. You'll have to be able to work with them."

'I won't', she thought before, sighing. Looking up at the group, she first said to Maddie, "Look I'm not entirely happy with this circumstance either, but lashing out will not help things. Let's just see where this goes. And it would really help your attitude if you called people by their names." She smiled sarcastically, before moving a bit closer. Her silvery-blue eyes glinted with a slight hidden threat behind them, as she didn't like to insulted like she was, "My name's Aella, got it? Not whatever the hell you called me. I suppose some weird Elven stereotype from your universe. We're supposed to be working together for now at least and if you give it the benefit of the doubt, you'll probably find the answers you're looking for. I'm pretty sure everyone in this room is on edge from having to leave their families behind, well, at least I am, and you're just not helping the situation."

Backing away slightly, Aella popped her neck a bit, not really having anything else to say. So far, other than Maddie, she had no real qualms with anyone in the room. However, maybe that would change as they started their training or whatever. Everyone in the room seemed to have some sort of interesting quirk and seemingly came from different backgrounds. Jacky seemed to have the right idea by leaving as she had already watched him do so.

"Way to go, Aella. That was a sure fire way to win them over...And please pass along my regards as well," Sagittarius hissed in her mind, the first time she had heard some sort of emotion in the disembodied voice. 'Sorry but that really pissed me off,' Aella thought to herself, and she finally said out loud, "Sagittarius sends her regards. I'll be taking my leave as well." And with a slight turn on her heel, the silver-haired elf walked towards a different door than the one Jacky disappeared out of.

[User]
Haven

Haven shifted on the ground and rubbed her arm. It was a little sore from the landing. To be honest, it was her first time rifting. Corvus thought she'd done pretty well, so she took the minor injury as nothing special. Her eyes moved about the room, looking up at the ceiling and down at the people around her. The joke she had made seemed to fall short, and she guessed that it was just because people were still getting their bearings.

Other people began to arrive, looking either bewildered, unsure of themselves, or terrified. The different species of people in the room didn't bother Haven at all. She was used to being in mixed-race hotels, clubs, parties, and anything else you could think of. It was just natural. Her interest was spiked when someone walked into the room, looking completely comfortable and at ease. He seemed to know much more than they did.

"Welcome everyone," he said to them. Haven looked him over, wondering which Archon he was and how he had come to be their supposed leader. Corvus was interested in who he was, too. In fact, he wondered about the rest of the people in the room. Can we trust them, Corvus? She asked, listening as Ian introduced himself and spoke about the temple. "Of course, Haven. The Archons are my friends. Well, except for Thanatos. He is someone you do not want to mess with." He told her, ending it in a nonchalant tone. Haven didn't respond to him, ignoring his Captain Obvious attitude.

"I know this is all very strange and new. I don't entirely understand it myself. I'm just hoping Lupus and maybe the spirits of your Archons will be able to clarify what's going on," Ian continued, giving them all an attempt of a smile. She could tell that he was still adjusting to life here at the temple, so she could only guess that he hadn't been here much longer than they had. Ian took his head in his hands and winced, as if he had a headache.  "I forgot to mention... Lupus says hello to all the new Archons and to all the Archons she has known for years."

"Ah, Lupus. Archon of Gravity," Corvus said with a reminiscing tone of voice. Haven watched Ian curiously, knowing that from Corvus's tone, Lupus was a good friend. Gravity, huh? She could practically sense Corvus smiling, no matter how intangible he was. "Lupus was a good friend of mine. Let her know that I say hello." Haven nodded slightly, even though she had no one to nod to but another soul trapped within her.

Haven went to stand, but when the brunette girl started freaking out on him, she decided to just sit still and wait until things were calm and he could actually have a conversation. When the girl turned to look each of them in the eye, Haven found herself locking eyes with her for a second. Haven looked away. She knew that getting angry and yelling about this situation wasn't going to help anything. To be honest, the first night that she'd been conscious with Corvus inside of her mind had been a whirlwind. Corvus had warned her against drinking again, but she'd ignored him and gotten drunk off of her ass. Then she proceeded to yell at Corvus while staring into a mirror so he could see how upset she was about it. It'd been a horrible night, with a rough, hungover morning.

All Haven knew was what Corvus knew. She was the Archon of Time, there was an Archon of Death named Thanatos that became evil and ate the Archon of Light, and they were all gathered here to train and defeat this Archon with a god complex. Aaand, that was basically it.

"I wonder which Archon she is…" Corvus thought. Haven scoffed softly and shrugged. She sighed, wishing she was back in the hotel room, listening to her music on the Bluetooth that she couldn't bring along with her. This was all just a little too stressful right now, and she wasn't even sure if the temple had a bar, or even a wine cooler.

As the too-stressed girl was being confronted by the elvish girl, Haven looked through her bag, taking an inventory of what she had. Did this temple have bedrooms? Bathrooms? She assumed it was, since it was supposed to accommodate for all of the people gathering here. Especially food and water. She let out an anxious huff, setting her bag aside and hugging her knees to her chest. A few people left the room, seemingly as done with this little rendezvous as she was beginning to be. Corvus was paying close attention to who was which Archon. "I encourage you to talk to everyone, eventually. You'll need to get along and know each other well to work as a team." Haven bit her lip, nodding again. I will… For now, she just wanted to relax.

[Assistant]
Eredos lacked the compassion for Gideon to explain to him the rift situation prior. With teeth grit and a tired Gideon pushing himself back to his feet within the temple, Eredos began to explain the situation in a hiss. "You're surrounded by different Archeons. Your goal will become apparent." And in response to spine tingling Eredos, Gideon regained his bearings and walked to the edge of the group. He remembered everyone's face at that moment and the names of the ones who spoke with discrepancy.

Light breathing could be heard through the sound-altering filter within the heavy walls of the corridor, and after Aelia had spoke and left Gideon took his Que to agree with her about first names. "Gideon. Archeon of Darkness."  He removed the mask, the sound of steam hissing released, and his mouth was exposed with dirt lines around its parentheses like a coffee ring on a newly polished table. Piercing blue eyes glanced at each one of the people at the circle in quick succession, testing his own paranoia.

 - Gideon is a brute. He's quick on his feet, and slow to hesitate. He felt it was nessessary to add an element of intimidation towards the others, in order to make himself appear stronger. And through the force of will he forced his shadow to dance underneath him like flames to a curtain. He felt first impressions were important.

He took a step back, and sat, taking slow and calm breaths of the freshest air he'd ever experienced. His cleaver sat in his lap across his chest.
"Hmm. I find pleasure in your distaste for gentle introductions." Eredos seemed to almost chuckle that dozed into a grave sigh.
 Gideon felt strong, confident, and excited to no longer be bound by his unforgiving planet.

EDIT:
He looked to Ian, frowned, and leaned back. He lazily grazed over the rest of the group with his eyes, and spoke. His grave voice trailing within the temple's stone chamber.  "Who's who.?"  he spoke. A pause, and then he pointed sequentially at the remaining faces and the doorways which the others left.

"Ian of Gravity.
Breaker.
Maddie.
Jackson.
Aelia."

He spun his finger lazily to his face, "Gideon". He dropped his finger back into his lap, "I see some strangers still. But whatever." He then clicked his respirator that had lied in his palm back in. And thus, the feint sound of filtered breathing remained. He wore it from force of habit. His eyes trailed down to his cleaver, which rattled softly.


[System]
Age: 23

Magic: Tatsumi has a natural proficiency for Darkness magic, the dangerous nature of the skill perfectly fitting his reckless nature. Despite the risks he relies heavily upon his magic in combat.

Weapon: It is perhaps a stroke of irony, or typecasting, that the first weapon Tatsumi received upon arriving in the World of Wasted Dreams was a katana. He wields the sword as his primary weapon, favoring it greatly over other weapons. When forced to attack from a range Tatsumi does not rely upon conventional weaponry, instead turning to the somewhat dubious magic he wields. Besides his skill with the katana Tatsumi is a skilled martial artist, noted as a practitioner of Muay Thai and Kendo.

Bio: I remember something... it feels so long ago. It's like another life... The Shinai made a harsh thunk as they repeatedly crashed against each other. I can hear that sound so clearly, but everything else feels distant. He knew that the match that happened there was what mattered most to him. Everything else was pointless. Yes... that's what matters. The opponent. The dojo. Nothing else. I remember... wanting a life like that. A life of adventure, where I fought seemingly insurmountable foes... but I won. The thunks sped up, blows of increasing fury meeting each other. But one simple slip up, and it was over. There was no protective gear, was there? Why? After that, everything was fuzzy.

He remembered the blinding white lights of the hospital. Being propelled down the hallway on the gurney. The thumping, throbbing, all-consuming pain in his head. And the blood. The blood was everywhere.

And then Tatsumi woke up. That must've been a dream, nothing about that made sense... Tatsumi wasn't sure where he was, but it felt right. He knew he belonged here.

Personality: Tatsumi is perhaps first noted by those he meets for his sheer amicability. He's very friendly and outgoing, and meets strangers with an unusual eagerness to make friends. He's a natural when it comes to getting along with people, and is bound to make new friends in every locale he visits. He has what could be defined as a 'hero complex', wishing to be seen by those around him as someone strong, someone to admire. He's a paragon of morality, a shameless goody-two-shoes. He's incredibly helpful, willing to lend a hand to those in need, notably a sucker for the 'damsel in distress' stereotype, oft going out of his way to save the girl.

Tatsumi's negative features come in the form of his cocksureness. He's dangerously confident, reckless, and ridiculously cocky. Naturally, this combined with his wont to be a hero leads him to crave adventure and danger. Despite his somewhat 'goofy' attitude Tatsumi is surprisingly bright, perceptive, and calculating. When approaching an enemy clearly out of his league he always endeavors to have a plan to beat the insurmountable odds.

Underneath Tatsumi's shell of cheerfulness even he seems to harbor some sadness: Perhaps some lingering resentment from his time in the world before that of Wasted Dreams...

[User]
"Sure I am"

Jenniver just gave a rather blunt but emotionless answer to Sinthe, though it sounded like there was a hint of pity which came about from her suspicion that he was mostly lying about what happened. Either way it was not the time for such things as a half naked man ran past them all, which was soon followed by Akemi walking up to their group... This town was so strange, and she felt that was a big deal coming from her.

"Yes, we are heading to Paraanon Ravine.I don't have a leash but I will follow you anyway" After answering Akemi's offer she looked towards what seemed to be new people she had not seen before and a rather cute little monkey of some kind "Heh" She couldn't help but let out a small chuckle as she saw it, though what was more important right now was the fact that it seemed all but a few were willing to go on this mission. BE it out of boredom, greed or even answers; Paraanon Ravine seemed lioke the best place to start.

Peering over to Tatsumi who promted them to get going which sounded like the best idea. "We are all in agreement then. Let us go and obtain my food money" With that she gestured for Akami to lead the way, after all she had the best route there as she said so she would let the loyal puppy lead for now~

[Assistant]
When Jenniver answered Sinthe, the man got tired of waiting for her answer and went inside to get his boots, when he returned he re took his spot in the group and heard that they were going to move out to the Ravine, he saw that a couple others have arrived to join them, Sinthe looked at the others and some of the people he's seen before including the guy from earlier that threw the gas bomb that was suppose to blind them, he noticed a small monkey with one of the new people and Sinthe just glared at the monkey." I'm Sinthe." He told the others." Akemi you take the lead and show us the way to this ravine."

Sinthe fixed his boot really quickly then stood back up,"I'll guard the back with you." Sinthe pointed to Jenniver."Everyone with a ranged weapon should keep an eye above us when we hit the ravine, the others with only melee weapons should keep their guard up and weapons in hand when we get there, in fact keep them handy at all times." Sinthe spoke like a tactician to everyone almost like he was giving orders to each and everyone one of them."Also that money is going to all of us not just you." Sinthe told Jenniver.

[User]
Akemi's ears were slightly drooped and her tail hanged lifelessly under her mantle when she joined the group of newbie hunters, now with a few extra additions. This reaction wasn't so much an effect of the alcohol in her system as it was from her bad disposition in general. "At the very least, finding something to kill will be better than spending the rest of the day here. Come, let us go." The vixen said with a very annoyed voice.

Once Akemi stepped out of the walls, she let her hood down, revealing the fox ears underneath it for those who haven't gazed at her true form yet "There's a couple things that I should say before we go any further. First, don't get separate from one another, no matter what, in this gloom your eyes won't be able to see very far away, so you'll never find your way once you lose it here. Second, try to not interfere with things around here. Some of you already knows what are the results of trying to be knights in shining armor on the world, so I hope you'll not try to save every person that you hear screaming and dying in the dark, unless you want to join them, of course."

With Akemi guiding them, they would reach the ravine in a few hours, and be able to come back tomorrow at most, that is, if no one does anything stupid on the way to and from. Which Akemi surely was hoping no to happen.

[Assistant] (IGNORE THIS! I MESSED UP!)

[User]
As the Hunters approached the borders of Iredele, the mist that seemed to guard the town from the outside world parted just enough to make visibility clear for the travelers. The surrounding area was just as bleak as the village itself and it didn't seem much was to be commented on given the circumstance.

The World of Wasted Dreams certainly lived up to its name. The twin blue moons hung high above the blackened sky like two ever present eyes watching the progress of all. The sounds of things crawling around in the dark filled the air on all sides though the group had yet to see anything to cause them trouble. Maribel had mentioned monsters and it seemed like the God Hand was just but a glimpse of the horrors contained in this world.

The road was raggedy and barely recognizable as a pathway at all. Broken down shards of what looked like possibly train tracks littered wherever the Hunters stepped and the ground creaked with each step they took. Soon though, the sound of pattering footsteps was heard through the mist, getting louder and louder with each shuffle until a bent over form appeared before the group of Hunters.

A man with tattered clothing reached out blindly in the dark, the wisps of his shirt pulled back by either wind of something else, as if dragging him away from the group. Small mumblings escaped his dry throat before they were easily distinguished as cries of help.

Upon closer inspection, one could see that his eyes had been scratched out with what looked like a knife. A poor beggar, left out to wander and rot within this world, no better off than dead. He was a sad example of this world's apathy and cruelty. He reached towards the group with curious arms, hoping these people could help in a time of need.

For Tatsumi, he would feel something much more sinister in his step. The first effects of his first exposure to the magic of darkness were beginning to creep into his mind. Every corner was filled with light paranoia and it seemed as if the shadows themselves were watching him, specifically an overwhelming force that peered from behind the group.

It was the price for using the magic of the shadows in this world.

[Assistant]
"Don't separate, or you'll never find your way once you lose it."  And so Macey watched Leo gingerly, as he made his way out of the city and into the thick mist beyond.

"And where is he going?" Macey hissed quietly. "He still has a debt!" Leo, probably being the strongest and most experienced of the hunters, would have made an invaluable addition to the hunt. And yet, here he was, travelling into the world of nothing but pain and sorrow by himself.

It's because I'm not strong enough to follow him... she sighed, with her eyes downcast. With any luck, Leo might be heading towards the direction of the Ravine anyway; although, this scenario was unlikely, Macey felt. Well then. I'll show him. I'll bring down a big fat dragon and wear it's skull as a helmet. Then he'll see I'm worth having around!

The scenery outside the city didn't really shock Macey. It looked every bit as miserable as the city itself - if not for the wooden walls, she wouldn't have noticed the difference. Still, the hunting group kept at their long and steady march, and within time she found herself pacing along Mu's side.

"Don't get me wrong. Your Monkey's cute, but don't start thinking we're friends. As far as I'm concerned, we're still strangers."  Shortly after, whilst tripping for the umpteenth time in those past 15 minutes on what seemed to be a heavy metal clamp and the remains of a wooden track of sorts, she carried on,  "Who on earth constructs these things all the way out here anyway? Either there was a time when this place didn't have monsters, or this legendary builder had a massive can of monster repellent. Either way, he need to learn his secrets."

Mid rant, the troupe happened across a ghost like shadow of a man. It even took Macey a few moments to realise he was calling for help.
"try to not interfere with things around here... I hope you'll not try to save every person that you hear screaming and dying in the dark..." Those words of warning rang back in her mind, just as she was about to reach out for the guy. She felt her heart break - before, back in the normal world, she would have helped a man like this in need in a heartbeat. Now, even people who were on the brink of death and desperately in need of help seemed to be a threat. It seemed like everything here happened for a cold and just reason - what if this man was just another child eater?

"What happened to you?" Macey asked coldly, making sure she was further than an arm's length away to distance herself from him.

[User]
Upon exiting the town, things looked ever so gloomy. Everything was just as dark and the only light seemed to be coming from the moon. Mu had opened his umbrella and put it to his back. He felt like something was off about this land, maybe it was because it didn't match his brightness, or maybe it was because there was real evil here, he didn't, but what was clear was that they had left all safety behind and now it was all left on their own skills to stay alive.

Jin was shivering and crawled on top of Mu's head. Even the monkey could feel it. While they walked, he found his self next to Macey. "I get you but being friendly is not a crime." He said to her with a chuckle. "I agree, about the monster repellent, and I'm trying to figure out which monkey you find cute." He looked at her when he said this. The last part kinda slipped out, but it felt right.

Out of no were, a dead looking guy appeared on their path. He was calling for help. The hairs on the back of Mu's neck stood up straight. Jin crawled into his shirt and peeked out. Mu loosened the blade on the umbrella, not enough so that he would be noticed but just enough for a quick draw, he stepped up right behind Macey, ready to fight. "He looks suspicious." Mu said out loud.

[Assistant]
The path the ravine was dark, gloomy, and positively dreadful; Which is to say it was exactly like the rest of the World of Wasted Dreams. Tatsumi began the trip feeling confident. He was ready for adventure, ready to prove himself to the group. But soon that changed, a sense of dread slowly consuming him as they drew closer to Paraanon Ravine. He wasn't sure if it was just an effect of this world or if he was just getting jumpy... or maybe there really was some sort of danger. He began throwing glances over his shoulder, convinced that something very scary was following them. Something overwhelmingly powerful. His hand drifted to the hilt of his sword, ready to draw at any moment. Am I just being paranoid? No one else seems scared...

At least none of the humans in their party were. He cast a glance to Mu and his monkey companion Jin. The monkey was nervous too, to the point of shaking. Animals do have a certain sense for these things. Maybe there is something following us. He heard Macey dismiss the monkey-like man as a stranger. Tatsumi cast her a friendly smile, "No need to be so cold, Macey. I have a feeling we're going to be stuck together for a while, so I think we should all be friends!" He announced enthusiastically. He really was seeking the friendship of the group, even the more aggressive members like Akemi and Sinthe, that was simply Tatsumi's nature.

And then footsteps could be heard advancing towards them from the mist. Tatsumi tensed, preparing to draw his weapon. He had a feeling that vigilance was an incredibly valuable trait out here. However the mist parted to reveal an old man that appeared to be in a very sorry state. His eyes were clearly gone, and although his cries were barely audible it was obvious he needed help. Mu and Macey instantly announced their suspicion of the man, but Tatsumi was foolishly not so cautious. "C'mon, he's just and old man, and he clearly need some help. Are you alright sir?" He said, approaching the man.