[System]
Age: 24
Gender: Female
Race: Human

Appearance:

With an average figure, Dahlia has retained a surprising amount of muscle underneath a layer of fat. In fact, in a library filled with nerds, Dahlia would probably be the strongest one there (which isn't saying much). A long-term diet of lifting up massive bundles of books and an unhealthy cycle of fasting and binging had left Dahlia with an unexpectedly healthy body. Her skin is pale from not going outside for months at a time. Despite her horrible habits, she is surprisingly well groomed. After all, she has to be well groomed in order to protect those ancient books from mold and mildew.

When she leaves the library, she wears thick clothes that covers almost all of her skin. Even in the dead heat of summer, she'll refuse to let any dust touch her skin. Even though she's a fledgling adventurer, her clothes are considerably more expensive than her contemporaries. After all, being a librarian and protecting years worth of knowledge tended to pay more than killing goblins.

Height: 5'8"
Weight: 160 pounds.
Eye color: Dark grey
Hair color: Black

Personality:
Dahlia is a bit of an eccentric. On the outside, she appears to be a bit of a klutz that can barely trudge through social interactions. It'd be more accurate to say that she has a different rhythm compared to most people. Her sense of timing is, compared to the average person, highly precise yet entirely inaccurate. When she talks about her interests, she can rattle off dozens of interesting tidbits and facts, but she struggles to talk about topics that she holds zero interest in. Her primary obsession that drives her to dive into the dungeon is her encyclopedia; all she wants is to catalog every single monster inside the labyrinth. In essence, Dahlia is a theory first, practice second woman. With her immense theoretical knowledge on many things, she tends to absolutely moff up everything in practice.

Likes: Trying new things, writing, realistic drawings, verifiable conclusions that can be repeated, books, good organization, and cleanliness.
Dislikes: Mold, mildew, illiterate people, artistic licenses, ambiguity, the sun, things that are truly random, and poorly kept records.
Hobbies: Recordkeeping and collecting books.

Background:
Born in Orario, Dahlia wasn't an adventurer until she was solidly an adult. In fact, since she was a child, she helped take care of the vast amounts of literature held within Orario. A scholarly sort of girl, she spent her life around books rather than people. These books shaped Dahlia; she spent all of her youth learning what was contained in those books that she cared for. Manuals on combat? Read. Monsters? Burnt into her head. Romance novellas? Seared deep within the confines of her mind, but there for sure.

But a deep lack of knowledge filled her with disdain. The books that she loved so much weren't infallible. Terrible blights such as poor record keeping, incorrect information, and inaccurate photos plagued these books. Spurred by this lack of perfected knowledge, Dahlia had decided to enter the dungeon using what wages she had collected from her time as a scholar. She would create her encyclopedia, chronicling every monster and floor that one could encounter.

And really, that's all there was to Dahlia's motives. She was just a girl with a dream to make a book.

Wallet:
- 800 Valis

Parameters & Skills:

Level: 1
Achieved Floor: 0
Class: Mage
Affiliation: TBA

Equipment:
- Dense, unrevealing, and expensive clothes
- Well-maintained shortsword
- Okay-ish dagger
- Incredibly large, empty book & pen

Stats:
•Strength: I
•Endurance: H
•Dexterity: H
•Agility: I
•Magic: H

Basic Skills:
Expanded Mind

Development Skills:

Spells:

[User]
Outside of Warrior's Rest, Athena Familia's home.

"What're ya doing?" A sudden voice piped up from behind the girl in thick clothes who was pacing back and forth outside the villa.

It belonged to a very short, very inquisitive looking young girl... No, a pallum, who was busy holding two large bags, one in each hand. They were somewhat scraping against the road though, on account of her short statue and them being rather large. They seemed to be filled with a variety of thing, from vegetables and fruits to what looked like glass jars of who-knows-what and even some glass-wares. Still, the chestnut-haired pallum had seemingly forgotten all about her luggage and was busy focusing all her attention on the human lady infront her.

"Ya lost? Main street's over that-a way, ya know." The shorty said, pointing a luggae-hauling arm over back over in the dirction of another street a ways away. Lowering her arm, she smiled happily. "Don't go getting lost, yeah? Might run into ne'er-do-wells who'll gobble a pretty face like yours right up." She laughed, at this prospect which was not in the least bit funny.

She then hoisted the bags back an inch or so above ground and began to move again - towards the villa with the banner of Athena on it. It was only once the pallum had passed by the human however, that it became obvious. She had an Athena emblem too! Attached to her cloak... Which was an odd choice, since most people carried them somewhere on the front of their bodies, for ease of noticing...

Northern Orario.

"Uhm, wait, what? What's this about a Familia?" The boy tried to make sense of what the gargantuan man-beast had just said, but it was hard to focus when you were basically being kidnapped and headed for gods-know-where without any way to resist. His sister, far more frightened, could only clutch onto the giant's shoulder - and hair - in an attempt to keep herself from losing her balance.

"L-listen, Mister! Our mom took us here to meet someone, but we got seperated. She doesn't belong to a Familia!" The lad protested, trying his best to explain what had happened, and why the sudden decision to go look for one of the many Familia in Orario would not yield mother-related results.

A bunch of passerby's were now whispering, some pointing, and casting worried glances at the giant man with two, nearly crying, children on his shoulders... Children who looked nothing like him at all...

[Assistant]
Normally, people who walked away from a bet with not a single Vallis left to their name would do so with a downcast, or perhaps even furious, demeanor. The Amazoness, however, walked away in much the same mood as she had arrived with. She still walked with a confident pep in her step, marveling at the sheer size of the labyrinthine city and the sheer number of people within it. Since she was broke, though, she did think it important to focus on joining a familia sooner than later in the day - it would be annoying to have to venture out of the city to go hunting and camping again simply because she didn't have money on hand.

So, she followed the advice she was given and kept an eye out for manor like buildings with banners and other such signs. The first one she tried, as it turned out, did not explore the dungeon at all and were not warriors - an honest mistake that was brushed off with some mutual laughs and well wishing as she went on her way to the next one. Paradoxically in her eyes, said next one didn't accept applicants that approached their doors and instead only scouted out people they were interested in themselves. Foolish, since by the time she was a famous adventurer they might approach she would already have joined a wiser familia than theirs, but she simply shrugged and continued on.

Unfortunately, the attempts after that were even worse:
"You're not an adventurer yet? Come back when you've actually been in the Dungeon, assuming you don't die first!"
"You'll have to pay a five thousand vallis membership fee if you want to join!"
"You're not even leveled yet? We don't accept new members under level three!"
"Your kind isn't welcome here, Amazoness!"
"You're broke? So, what, you just want to mooch off us? Come back when you have a job and can actually contribute!"

Among others were similar reasons - some only accepted locals from Orario itself, or from other regions. One was dwarf-only, and so on and so forth. Being turned away time after time was getting tiresome, but there were so many future options she simply dismissed it as bad luck at first. Surely she would start coming across familia who didn't care about such things. And she did, but... In some ways, their complaints were even worse.

Some rejected her over being skimpily dressed, to put it in far more polite terms than they themselves had. Others threw her out the moment they saw that the... Blessings, so to speak, of their Captain or Goddess were paltry compared to her own! What was wrong with her manner of dress? Some Amazoness dressed in an even more revealing way than she did! Although under the initial irritation, she did find it oddly flattering to be a target of such blatant envy and jealousy from familia Captains and Goddesses - a single silver lining in her disheartening experiences so far.

None of those, however, were as bad as the single worst and most insulting reception she had received:
"Did you find that spear somewhere and decide to try adventuring on a whim? You've got way too much meat on your bones to be fit for it!"

It took every last ounce of self control she had to simply storm out instead of actually losing her temper. Stomping through the city streets, the Amazoness was in as foul a mood as she had ever been in. The crowd around her gave a wide berth - they didn't want to accidentally bump into or otherwise set off someone so clearly irate. Clutching her spear so tightly in one hand her fingers hurt, jaw clenched just as tight, she could only fume over the sheer gall of calling her weak, dismissing her training, and insulting her figure all in one breath.

Not helping matters was that she had been at her search for quite awhile now, stopping at each and every familia along the way until she had gone from the south side of the city all the way to the north. She was getting tired, and hungry, and all together just feeling disappointed and frustrated - she wasn't as skilled as she had thought, the familia had far more arbitrary conditions than she expected, and she had never been more brazenly insulted in her life! Perhaps she should simply venture into the Dungeon on her own for the time being, to renew her income and prove those that had scorned her wrong?

She had half a mind to try that course of action... But no, that seemed foolish at this point. There were still more familia to try! Where was it one of the girls with 'Fastest Hands in Orario' had suggested she try? The north-west? Perhaps they had known full well how the familia between here and there were, and she should have simply gone straight to the one they recommended and saved herself some time and grief?

With a long, deep breath, the Amazoness did her best to perk herself up as she headed to the north-west part of Orario in search of the suggested familia. Hopefully this one would be different.


[System]
---

SETTLEMENT: Fireflies

AGE: 25

OCCUPATION: Dam Engineer

APPEARANCE: When he's not wearing his work clothes and helmet, he always wears a shirt with an old band's logo on it, sweatpants and his favourite red sweater, usually with the hood covering his face. He hates trimming his beard, so it is usually not long but unkept and not very pleasant-looking, and has short-ish black curly hair. He wears broken rectangular glasses with a thin frame, that he needs to see. He has a slim figure, with strong arms and a bit of a belly caused by all the drinking. His face is thin, with big brown/yellow-ish eyes and a squared nose, and it's more tan than the rest of his pale body due to his work.

FAMILY: Piero has a mother in the settlement, Chiara, but she's old and weak of health.

RELATIONSHIP STATUS: Single

FRIENDS: His best friend is The Damn Pub, as he spends most of the time there when he's not working. Of course he's in good terms with the bartender and some of the pub's mutuals. He mostly knows everyone, and will exchange courteous words with anyone, but he hasn't got any real friend, as he keeps himself distanced for fear of being judged of having a workless and 'useless' mother in the settlement. Piero has a good relationship with the guards that escort him, and he's grateful to them for providing protection and proud because his father was one.

HOBBIES: He loves drinking at the pub, darts, and writing. He also loves walking at night on the roof of his house, drowning in the silence.

BIOGRAPHY: Piero was born and raised in the Fireflies settlement. He was a late child, and his father and mother were already in their late adulthood when they had him. His father, Luis, was a loyal guard, and died later due to an ambush by the Roaches when he was out escorting the engineers to the dam. Chiara, his mother, went sick right after, and she wasn't in any condition to continue working as a cook. So Piero found himself needing to continue his studies as a dam engineer, as his father wished, and also covering for his mother's missed work, to continue earning their place in the settlement.

Piero lived his life studying and working as a cook, tending for his mother, too stubborn to ask for help, and too scared of people's judgement. He eventually became an engineer, and started working full time and more, loving his new job each day more because of the importance he seemed to have by doing it, and because he could just work all day, avoiding interaction as long as he could. He loves to do the dirty work in the dam, always stupidly risking to get injured.

As time passed and he grew over his twenties, that fear of being judged because of his mother turned into a gentle anger for his mother's health condition, and Piero started drinking more and more at The Damn Pub because of it. Intrusive thoughts of a better life without his mother in the way started to form in his mind, so he began to stay as far away from his mother for as long as he could during the day, giving her just the most essential attentions. This caused his mother Chiara to become weaker and to feel guilty about her condition. Piero deeply loved his mother though, but he doesn't think he can connect with her again because of her doubts and contempt about life he himself caused, and began to feel a lot worse, working harder and giving more of his food and water to his mother, without her knowing.

He only had his work to think about. That was until the lovers' event came to be, and accidents started to happen at the dam, threatening his only passion. Piero once couldn't care less about the politics of the settlement, but he's now starting to hate Waterleaf and his people more and more, even irrationally hating his co-workers that weren't from Firefly.
He is now ready and willing to give everything to stop anyone from taking his only way of distracting himself, and of keeping his mother alive.

[User]
"I'm serious, it was your best work yet!" Dillan tried his best to convince his little sister as she looked up at him with a pouty glare while he helped her with her dark brown hair that had just been cleaned thanks to her attempts of making him breakfast. "Maybe don't cake the kitchen with flour next time, but still it was very good," he assured her with his best fake smile. Emma crossed her arms with a huff and looked away from him.

"Then why did you hack up a lung the second you took a bite?" she asked with a annoyed mutter. Dillan cringed and held back a nervous chuckle as he tried to get her curly hair out of a knot.

"Well, um, I just never had that much salt in my pancakes is all," he chuckled nervously, but flinched as he saw her scowl deepen in her mirror and the tension grow in the air. He let out a heavy sigh as he knew he wasn't getting out of the hole he dug for himself. "Look it was a nice gesture Emma, but I said I'd help you learn to cook if you wanted," he said as he finally unraveled her hair and started to put it into a ponytail, though he was forced to stop as she turned to him with the same pointed glare and pouty expression.

"I can learn myself, just like you did!" she declared with confidence. Dillan arched an eyebrow as he turned her back around and continued with her hair.

"There's a difference though. I had to learn by myself because no one else showed me, you have me here to help you," he said with a small smile as he finished her ponytail. "Come on, I'll show you a few tips later tonight when my shift ends," he offered as he rose from his knee and looked to his watch. "Come on now, get changed for school and I'll walk ya halfway to school," Dillan walked out to let her change and after a few minutes she emerged in her usual attire. A yellow T-shirt with a green flannel, a pair of tan boxer shorts and dirty sneakers. Dillan raised an eyebrow as he saw a few bandages on her knees and sighed. She must have been getting into trouble again. He kept it to himself though, knowing she was smart enough not to leave the settlement.

With the same pout on her face Emma avoided eye contact and snatched her stuff before marching out of the house with a huff. Dillan shook his head with a small smirk and followed her out as he pulled on his gloves. The two walked through the streets in silence, Emma making sure to avoid any contact with her brother and Dillan simply trying not to sour her mood even further. Though as a group of guards walked past the two, clearly from the night shift from the tired expressions on their faces Emma's sour look dulled slightly before she glanced over to Dillan. "Will... Will you have to leave because of this whole mess between our settlement and the Water Leafs?" she asked, her pouty look still on her face, but her eyes soften with what only could be called worry. Dillan glanced back to the group of guards before looking back at his sister. A small frown came to his face as he saw the look on her face and sighed. He didn't want to tell her, but he also didn't want to lie.

"I honestly don't know Em, I hope not, but right now things are kinda hot," he admitted but quickly placed a hand on her shoulder for comfort. "I promise though, that no matter what happens I'm gonna always come back. Okay?" Emma stared at her brother to see if he was just trying to say what she wanted to hear, but after a few seconds she scoffed and shrugged off his hand from her shoulder as her usual pouty look returned.

"Well even when you do come back, you'll just make fun of my cooking!" she huffed. Dillan chuckled and patted the top of her head, always amused when she tried to act tough and grown up.

"I'm heading off now Emma, head to school and have a good day. I'll see ya when I get off," he said before parting ways with Emma as they both reached the town square. Emma sighed as she watched her older brother march off towards his post. She knew he meant what he said, but she couldn't help but feel worried. Before she could linger in her thoughts though she heard her teacher call out to her. She smiled and nodded as she ran towards her.

"Sorry, I was just walking with my brother," she apologized as she joined the gathered children and awaited for her day to start.

Meanwhile Dillan marched towards his post with a frown. He hated to see his sister so worried for him, but he knew she was tough for her age. With a groan he cracked his neck and entered his post. A few of his fellow guards greeted him with tired mummers and grunts, Dillan doing the same. He climbed up to a higher point in his post and as he got to the top he saw Lee had already arrived. "Morning," he grunted as he took a seat across from him and rested his M14 on his lap before looking out towards the outside of the settlement. "Ready for another exciting day?" he asked, his sarcasm nearly oozing from his tone as his frown only deepened.

[Assistant]
Marcus Bellamy

---

The air was cool; thick with fog and general stickiness of morning humidity, enough to make it hard to breath and bring any strenuous physical activity down a notch. Beads of sweat rolled down the man's face, only to be patted away by an old white t-shirt pulled from the back pocket of his running shorts, making room for several more to well up from his pores and roll across his skin once again.

But, it wasn't every day that an early morning jog around the inside perimeter of the settlement went according to plan. If it wasn't weather conditions, it was economic. In fact most mornings were usually half that distance -or less- just due to blockades of certain areas being under construction, or flooded for a number of reasons. There was an unusual stench that permeated at times within sections of the compound that could possibly be from sewage backup, or dead animal carcasses disposed of in the wrong way, or simply the ever-growing vermin problems.

Rats. Especially rats.

Marcus did his best to push away the random thoughts which consistently invaded his mind whether he wanted them there in the first place or not. An economy that has its ups and downs and the stacking problems and tensions that citizens of Fireflies were having to experience for the last month since the accident at the Dam. And yet what about those living within Water Leaf? Those young and old who were considered friends and -to some degree- family for generations, all the while strengthening the infrastructure of a society already on the fringe of collapse and outside threats.

But it that hadn't been bad enough, that nagging guilt of the night his uncle came to his rescue, put himself in harm's way because an adolescent boy wanted to be an "adventurer". The end result was a very dead relative and nothing to show for it but pain and anguish within his side of the family. Maybe they didn't say it aloud, but Marcus knew they thought it: He was responsible.

The toll emanating from the central clock tower pulled Marcus from his otherwise over-extended reverie, which was a good thing considering he may have continued his run for an endless amount of time just to clear his head. Oddly enough, the man didn't let much bother him, especially in his line of work essentially overseeing the welfare of a society. But the tensions rising up in small pockets were hard to ignore, as reminders seemed to be everywhere…

---------------------

"How are you feeling, hon?"

"Like shit warmed over." A low, raspy voice from under the covers said. "But, thanks for asking."

"Doc Lasco says you should be fine in a couple of days as the virus works its way out." Marcus pulled the light tan covers from over his wife's pale face, and ran his fingers through her short, auburn hair, taking care to untangle any strands along the way.

"Oh great, so I get to vomit up what little I can eat?" She shot him a wry grin. "That's great news."

Sick or otherwise, Mila's sarcastic brand of humor never failed, but that was also her way of dealing with an illness that has otherwise kept her bedridden and feeling terrible for almost a week. Whatever the virus was, it has started shortly before that, hitting a handful of children first and then a few adults, as cases were being reported from one end of the settlement to the other. Most within Fireflies assumed it was Water Leaf causing it, but when their citizens started showing signs, those rumors began to die down. Either way, Marcus had to work closely with the medical staff as they continued investigating the source.

Smiling back at his beautiful bride of seven years, he planted a kiss on her clammy forehead before heading into the washroom for a long awaited shower.


[System]
Quote: Well... crap.
Alias: Ecto
Age: 22
Gender: Male
Family: Fathers: Isaac Engelson, Liam Engelson (Surrogate Mother: Jane Woods)
Occupation: Online Translator
Appearance:

Eric is in the middle of his twenties, with dark hair and green eyes. He is around 5'10", and although he was considered quite lazy, a few years ago he started working out to boost his endurance, so his physique is just above average. He usually wears comfortable street clothing, jeans and cargos, T-shirts and hoodies, complete with sneakers.

He doesn't have any special costume for his "night-time" activities, as his powers give him a distinct look on their own.

Method of Operation: The cautious approach was always more appealing to him, usually scaring the criminals away. His appearance and abilities make it easy to create the impression of a ghost, and criminals are less likely to strike up a neighborhood if they think it is haunted. He also enjoys slowly building up fear in his "victims", like haunting the TV in the house burglars are about to enter, or levitating an umbrella. But if every trick fails, he does not shy away from using force and subduing his opponents, typically with either beating them with a blunt instrument or making them headbutt something with his haunting ability.

Superpower:

Spectral Form : Eric is able to turn into a gaseous, incorporeal form, which allows him to fly and move through tight spaces, like a keyhole or a chimney, though he cannot enter areas that are sealed shut completely. He can shift between this form and his human body in about a second, and when he is in this form, he cannot be touched by anything physical - as it moves right through him -, but this true the other way around as well. This does not, however, make him invulnerable. His powers seem to be somewhat related to the element of air, and and is especially susceptible to it, but other non-physical attacks can also hurt like hell.

Partial Shifting : He can manifest certain parts of his body to grab hold of objects, but the corporeal parts of him are completely defenseless, unless grabbing something that would provide protection.

Spectral Healing : While in the Spectral Form, Eric slowly heals from the wounds he suffers, although this has it's limits, and can leave scars. In any case, it stops a wound from getting worse.

Haunt : Eric can take control of objects that are not bigger than him, forcing himself into them. This allows him to move or levitate around in a rather sluggish way, but can be effective when haunting, for example, a baseball bat. Physical damage to the object also hurts Eric, so it's not worth haunting something that can be easily broken.
Haunting can also be used to take limited control over others, as someone wrestling against the haunted person. This can be overpowered by sheer strength though, and can slow strong opponents at best.

Skills: Due to his upbringing, Eric knows multiple languages, including German, Spanish, and Russian. He also studied piloting to learn about currents and basic flight physics, since he can be affected by the wind. His fighting style is closest to the "whack it until it's down" technique, he started practicing aikido and krav maga to be more efficient.

Equipment: Since the Spectral Form does not extend to clothes or equipment, he goes to the field basically naked. It would be nice to find a way not to appear in his birthday suit when shifting back.

Personality: Eric is prone to cynic joking, and likes irony. He can be sincere and serious as well, but he finds it easier to brush things off with a stoic remark. He is disappointed in humanity, as what he often sees is that man is a wolf to man, and everything is run by corrupt bureaucrats, who are consumed by greed. He believes that although there could be so much potential in people, it is squandered by selfishness and apathy for others. He doesn't like to be in the spotlight, as he has witnessed power and popularity corrupting people. He also dislikes taking responsibility, but reluctantly does so by using his gifts to better the streets, to soothe his conscience.

He disapproves of people who are what he used to be like, and feels shameful about his past as a couch potato. He regularly does cardio exercises to build up his stamina, and trains fighting techniques on his own not only to better his performance on the field, but as a way to "atone" for his laziness. He is likely to push himself past his limits, saying something gritty or just using the words "crap" a lot. This sometimes leads to injury, but since he can heal in his spectral form, he really doesn't care.

Biography: A son of a russian economist and a german engineer who moved to the United States, Eric had ha very easy way of learning multiple languages at a young age. He was also a bit of a geek, and got bullied in school, until he befriended a schoolmate who turned out to be a super with enormous strength. His name was Damien Reed. They were both huge comic book fans, and although Damien was not allowed to use his powers in public, or reveal in in an obvious way, he told his secret to Eric, who practically worshipped him. They used to hang out a lot, playing video games and watching cartoons. Since Damien's power made him fit without breaking a sweat, he was also kinda lazy, but Eric was a normal kid and the lack of physical exercise and countless junk food made him overweight by his teenage years.

Though his parents were caring and supportive, they did not like their son getting fat on the sofa and sometimes made stinging remarks about Eric's appearance, but it was also painful when Damien was adored by all the girls, while Eric was ignored by the opposite gender. So he started working out, and Damien joined him for support (even though it was nothing to him). This would soon turn into short sessions that turned into more chilling.

Time went by, and when went to different colleges and saw each other less and less. After a year into his studies, he saw some news about a superhero on the streets, rounding up criminals and smiling for the camera in the meantime. He recognized him as his best friend. When he called him about it, he admitted with pride that he has officially started his superhero career. Eric found the news fantastic, and proposed to be Damien's sidekick, but he politely declined, reasoning that this was dangerous for "normies", especially for ones who are out of shape. This made Eric finally snap from his lazy ways and work out in earnest.

But while he was losing weight, he saw his friend gradually turn into (or maybe revealing himself to be) a conceited braggart, who loves to dominate the scene. And that was BEFORE he became a corporate tool who started working for the mayor's office as a glorified enforcer. Since he was always "busy" they slowly stopped talking.

One night Eric was going home from a jogging session, while he ran into an armed robbery: two men were robbing third who was drunk after partying. Eric decided to step in, and ended up getting stabbed. While the assailants ran away, he stumbled into a corridor and collapsed from the blood loss. When he came to himself, everything was different, and felt the pain slowly go away. When he looked down, a pool of blood stared back at him, soaking a lying figure on the ground. When he looked at himself, he was floating, all blue and transparent.

"- I'm... I'm dead? Well... Crap. God dammit."

At that moment, he fell to the cold pavement, completely naked, as his usual self. That's when he realized that the figure on the ground were only his clothes, empty of any wearers.

"- I...guess not."

Cold and confused, Eric hastily dressed up in his bloody clothes and ran home. When in his house he threw everything into the washing machine and examined his wound in the mirror. It was a nasty cut, but not as deep as a full stab should have been.

"Okay, let's try this again." He concentrated, and after a short while he turned into his ghostly form once more. He could see the wound slowly, gradually get smaller and smaller healing itself.

"Groovy." This is when his life really began.

Theme Song:youtube.com/watch?v=qyNrZwDOh14

Relationships: TBD

Extra: We're NOT normal.

[User]
TURN BACK

After a tense few moments of attempting to regain his composure, Jason Graves turned around and headed back towards the abandoned theater. Hopefully his mother had heard his plea and the boy could get some rest. He slipped inside the building and headed over to the stage where the child seemed to have fallen asleep on top of Tank. Grabbing his discarded hoodie from the floor, Jason handed it to the large man, whispering to him as he tried to listen in to the current conversation. "Take this for him. I'm figuring out something slightly more permanent until we can sort this Umbra shit out."

He stepped closer to the crowd around Ditch, letting out a slow breath as he started to allow himself to get angry at the mention of mind control. Something about that rubbed him very much the wrong way. What rubbed him even worse though, was Wraith's comment about the boy. "Some kid? You mean the child who is, thus far the only person we know of who's escaped Umbra? The boy who was found alone, sick, and injured in the shittiest part of this city? Yeah, let's ignore him. Toss him back out on the street, why don't we? Do you have any idea what the homeless epidemic in this city looks like? How many people, how many families, how many children are alone out there? How many of them have to sleep on benches and beg for pennies?" He had walked closer now, his prosthetic hand clenched at his side. "I am not tossing that poor, innocent child back out into that godforsaken shithole we call home. You're right about one thing though, we do need a plan. If we go up against a mind controler without one, we're going to literally die." Jason was addressing the group now, though his eyes were still focused on Wraith. "And you're right about one other thing, we can't plan very well while we have to worry about the boy. That's why we need to find a place for him to go before anything else. I have a place, I'm willing to offer my home to him. It's not the Hilton or other fancy fucking hotel, but it's safe and warm and he'll have food and someone to watch over him. If anyone else has any ideas, I'm glad to hear them. But I think we have to take care of him first, and then deal with Shithead McMindcontrol." He turned away and focused his attention on Ditch, interested in what she had to say, but adding under his breath quietly; "Somehow I'm the one out us two with some goddamn human empathy, how the fuck does that happen..."

[Assistant]
The boy had fallen asleep finally, against their resident behemoth to boot. Seems that Tank was nothing but a big teddy bear to a distressed child, all soothing words and gentle reassurance. It was quite a feat, and Reaper was rather glad as her own powers began to settle; distressed children made Zoey antsy. However there was little to celebrate, as her feet began moving, pacing once more as Ditch's explanation began to settle in her mind. The others seemed equally appalled with her little discovery.

How do you fight mind control?

Reaper doubted that Ditch had any more insight into how it worked considering she didn't offer anything else up. That was all they had – the knowledge that Umbra had the deadly power under his command, somehow, not even the details of how! Just glowing purple eyes. Omega was right, however, that they needed to study the bracelet. Ditch looked dead on her feet on top of being soaked to the bone, so she doubted that would be done anytime soon, which left the next biggest problem in their face – being found out. Of course, the returning Turn Back and Wraith both had their own opinions, which quickly began to clash.

The vigilante raised her gloved hand to rub at her temples with thumb and forefinger as Turn Back's voice rose in response to Wraith. She was crass, yes, but from what she could tell the other girl seemed fairly young – at least compared to the rest of them. Honestly, could they not go one night without fighting?

"Cut it," Reaper finally snapped sharply, her teeth almost snapping shut on the last syllable akin to a snarling dog. "You're both pretty." Sarcasm dripped from every word before her black eyes went back to Omega, at the same time reaching down into her shadow. Her fingers dipped into it, grabbing fabric from the pile of forgotten coats so that when she rose again the hoodie was now in her grasp once more. She shook it out, focusing on Omega – or more accurately the pocket with the bracelet in it currently.

"And you both have a point – we don't know who the bracelet belonged to, other than the kid's reaction that it – or another copy of it – was familiar. If it was the boy's I doubt it was a tracking device, at least a functioning one, since he looks like he's been by himself awhile. If it was someone else's we're in deep shit, and I wouldn't risk staying here to find out." The elemental paused in speaking to pull her hoodie back on once more, flipping the hood back over her mask to once more shadow her face in darkness.

"I can have us another building to meet in within minutes. We can't just leave the kid either," Reaper grimaced, her jaw tensing briefly before she added on, "… So my home could be one we could meet in as well, as alternative to Turn Back. There's space, and it wouldn't be a strain to provide for a child or have any of you dropping in or watching him. I doubt he'd want my… supervision, considering." She gestured down at her feet, where her shadows continued to curl about her legs almost lazily.

"But the decision has to be made soon."


[System]
Gender - Female
Rank - Warrior
Clan - Boulderclan
Appearance -
Personality - Often, is a quiet and observant type of cat, although she can appear withdrawn. Introverted, but will love being in the company of good friends. She doesn't view Oakclan with hostility, rather, neutrality. Kind of a worrier. You could say that she is a worrier warrior. (sorry)
Relationships (Family/Mate/Crush) - Burrpelt (Brother)
History - She and her brother were born as barncats. They grew up spoiled on the fat mice that bred in the warm of the barn until their parents were caught in a cat trap and taken away, never to be seen again, by animal control when the barn changed hands. Screefoot and her littermate fled to look for a new barn, and never found one. They wandered and killed whatever they could (difficult at first, for the wild mice turned out to be smarter than barn mice) until they stumbled upon the newly-forming clans. Her brother, not wanting to struggle for survival in a harsh mountainous environment, opted to join Oakclan. She is unaware of his deputy status.
Other -

Name - Burrpelt
Gender - Tom
Rank - Deputy?
Clan - Oakclan
Appearance -
Personality - More of a thinker than a fighter, he can hunt and give orders but fears the day he might have to fight Boulderclan- especially because that is the clan of his sister. As a result, he advocates for peace as much as he can without sounding like a suck-up or a coward. He will not hesitate to defend himself and his new clan, however. Likes a good chat.
Relationships (Family/Mate/Crush) - Screefoot (sister)
History - See Screefoot
Other -

Name - Cinnamon
Gender - Female
Rank - None
Clan - None (will join OakClan)
Appearance -
Personality - Always likes to point out the bright side of a bad situation. Although she is not very good at fighting, she's overprotective of those she feels close to- something that could easily get her killed. She also assumes the best of everyone, another potentially harmful trait.
Relationships - Leaf (friend)
History - Cinnamon was born the runt of the litter in the middle of a dirty city. Despite constant teasing by her littermates she loved her family, but was separated from them when a dog attacked the abandoned shed where they lived. Although she wanted to go back to them and check for survivors, by the time she'd managed to lose the dog chasing her, she was hopelessly lost. She wandered off into the country and met Leaf, quickly becoming friends and glad to have someone to survive with.
Other - is a cat.

[User]
Hawkclaw laughed quietly to himself and padded over to Sootpaw
 "Nice try, you were doing good until you stepped on that leaf. Don't fret about it though, with every mistake, you learn something new. What did you learn today?" The large cat smiled at his apprentice "While we're out here we should probably check for any food nearer to the boarders for a very special reason. We cannot cross the boarders without a very special reason. And Bolderclan can't come into ours for the same reason. We don't want them hunting our prey." He started to walk off into the brush "Does this make sense to you?"

[Assistant]
The Queen had been sitting on her patch of grass, grooming her tail when the kit had approached her, hesitant and shy though she was clearly nervous with all the larger cats around them. Taking her tail from her tongue she laid it on the grass beside her, indicating for the kit to sit next to her, where she could keep her warm and safe with her tail.

Riversong had always liked kits, even before she had become a loner cat after being abandoned by her house folk, and wanted some of her own though she was just in the final stages of that goal now. The young one beside her was an orphan, fed by Ravenfeather, though the silver and black she-cat would have readily taken in her and her brother if she had had the milk for them. For now she acted as a comforting and guiding force for them, soft and gentle when they needed it.

"Good morning Willowkit." The Queen said to the small she-cat, leaning over to lick the top of the kits head since there was a peice of fur sticking up wildly. "I slept fine. What about you?"

---

The she-cat purred as her mate leaned against her, licking her head as he spoke. He'd never liked when she was out alone, especially at night, but some flowers she needed only bloomed after moonrise. "Yes; I found a new patch of Goldenrod not too far away, I was making sure it wouldn't be eaten by mice." The Medicine Cat explained to her mate, flicking his side with her tail as if to scold him for worrying so much about her. She was a grow cat, aware of how to protect herself if she must. Healing was simply preferred, and something she was good at.

Glancing at the tom that walked away from them she watched him quietly, aware of his problems with females though she knew he would have to get over it in time. "Perhaps I should give him Goatweed to ease his nervousness." She thought, wondering aloud to her mate though she realized quickly that this wasn't the time or place to discuss possible treatments and aids for the tom. "If we bring along one of the younger apprentices I can shown them the basics of what I look for, since usually an apprentice goes with me." She suggested, looking for one of the few that either lacked a mentor thus far, or were too new to be scent marking the borders.

---

It really had been a while since the warrior had ever interacted with kits and Queens, since she wasn't an apprentice anymore and had no desire to have her own litter or two. So when Petalwhisker motioned for her to keep quiet she realized how loud she'd been and lowered her ears embarrassed to have been too disruptive. She had been getting ready to leave them be when the Queen had asked her about apprenticeship and everything that came with it. She'd never been an apprentice here, but had helped out quite often until they had competent ones so she knew their duties well. Sitting down between nests the silver tabby looked at the two in front of her and nearly laughed. The Queen was worried about her son. "Don't worry about it. Frostwhisker asked me to make sure you had everything you needed; I think knowledge is one of those things." Featherwhisker, apart from Firelight, had always been the most likely to jest with serious cats in their family, though her parents were known to crack the odd joke or two.

"Chores, mostly. Check the elders for ticks, help out around camp. Whatever their mentor tells them to do that's reasonable. If they feel unfairly treated they can go to Oakstar, Frostwhisker or Sharpthorn about it and they'll get everything sorted out." The silver warrior paused, thinking of what else she had done when the clan barely started, and the things she still sometimes helped out with. "Their mentors teach them how to hunt and fight properly, so they can provide for and defend those who can't help themselves. Like the kits and elders. Sometimes Frostwhisker will take one of the younger ones will her to collect herbs, since having a very basic knowledge of what not to eat is usually a good idea." Featherwhisker looked up at the top of the nursery, trying to think of anything she missed before looking at the two in front of her again.

---

The tom sat close to the camp entrance, perched on top of a large rock with a good view of most of the camp. He could see Riversong with Willowkit, others eating and some leaving in twos or threes to go hunting. They would need to organize a patrol before long if they were going to drive away the loners and rogues that still wandered into their territory unannounced. He had to admit though, the rogues that dared to cross the scent line weren't afraid of anything since his own scent was often added to the mix. Most likely those still out there thought him weak for joining the clan of mountain cats and to be true it had been a rather weak and pathetic move. But he had gotten many of his companions inside too. They were well fed, sheltered and didn't worry about having to sleep at night. Weakness, but smart.

He was a proud warrior, one of the best to have joined either of the clans, but Boulderstar had not been blind to how he was. He was ruthless, dauntless and, to his credit, the biggest asshole here. But he was capable, and worth the effort, since he pulled his own weight plus several others. The patrol gathered and left as he watched, taking both the leader and the deputy out with it and his tisked quietly in his head. Who was going to enforce the rules and protect the others now that most of their skilled warriors were gone? Brimpelt murred in amusement, jumping down from his rock and walking over to Snowthorn.

He had noticed the way she looked at Amberleaf, his longing gaze and the way she stumbled around him. It was obvious to him how shy she was, though he had no problem walking over to the she-cat and standing just in front of her. His piercing green eyes found her gaze, and he smirked lightly. "The fresh-kill pile is looking bare this morning. Let's go catch something for the kits and us." He suggested, his tabby coat dark in comparison to her light one. Like night and day they were, his shyness and his confidence; her innocence and his darkness.

---

The apprentice had been fast asleep when he heard the alarmingly loud voice of Featherwhisker, the demanding and yet somehow understanding warrior. She was young, but older than him by enough to have her own apprentice - though she didn't currently have one assigned to her. He started, bolting upright fast enough to hit is head off of the wood that sheltered the Apprentice Den. The tom knew that the others there would notice, Witheredpaw and Eelpaw were wide awake and talking already. He had always slept in the lowest part of the den, since he only ever stayed to sleep before going and finding a patrol to tag along with the learn. More often than not he would go out with Featherwhisker and Firelight, since the two cats didn't have apprentices to manage. Maybe soon he'd have one assigned to him.

The tom shied away from the others glances in embarrassment, hunched beneath the root he'd hit his head off of and avoiding looking at them. He didn't say anything either, merely waiting for one of them to move so he could leave, or for them to leave so he could go find someone to go out with. He was careful to hide his big paws in the moss that he slept in, a pile of it hiding his front paws fairly well behind it while his tail covered the others. Eelpaw was lucky to have a mentor, even one as rough as Sharpthorn. The Tom was just trying to push Eelpaw to be his best after all, since he saw potential in him.


[System]
R.I.S.C. Dossier

---
Age

16

Physical Evaluation

Quinnlash is a young woman, five foot three, average build, and slightly underweight. She has very long hair (dark gray streaked with bright yellow) cut into sharp, straight bangs in front, and typically tied into a braid. When tied, it ends at approximately hip height. Untied, it falls nearly to her knees. She has extremely pale skin, unmarked with the exception of scarring around her empty eye socket (right), over which she wears a black and yellow eyepatch. Her remaining eye (left) is brilliant yellow. She has a sharp chin and jawline. Her muscle mass is slightly beneath consistent with regular exercise, and she is somewhat clumsy. She has a tendency to stumble if she isn't watching where she steps.

Psychological Profile

Quinnlash has some very strange psychological markers that nonetheless make sense when her history is taken into account. She is very much

1) Outgoing
2) Friendly
3) Cheerful
and 4) Supportive,
as well as

1) Anxious
2) Emotionally volatile
3) Prone to attention-seeking behavior
and 4) Highly competitive.

In addition, she seems to bear a great deal of attachment issues (for more information, check her background information).

Background Information

Neither we nor Quinnlash herself know exactly where she was born, but all she can remember is the house she lived in for sixteen years in Hovvi. Specifically, she remembers her own room, as she only left it—without permission, I might add—twice in her life. She was kept completely isolated by her parents, researchers on Modir and modium, and was only aware of what they allowed her to be. The only notable incident throughout her life was, as far as can be told, two or three months after she snuck out into the living room and saw the outside world for the first time. Her right eye spontaneously burst (very likely a result of sudden modium growth) and was subsequently removed.

The second time she snuck out was fully, immediately before meeting Besca, which was the first time she actually left her house. She was intimidated and fascinated, and the world seemed to stare at her very strangely. The only known survivor of the Hovvi Incident, she was removed from the town's ruins and taken to the Aerie, where she was subsequently tested for compatibility and given a modioscory to interface with a Savior.

There are a number of strange medical anomalies present in Quinnlash's system, such as her bright yellow eye and the hair being naturally yellow. More pressing is the unfeasible level of modium present in her entire system when she was first retrieved post-Hovvi Incident, and the filed and maintained seed growth of modium in place of her missing eye. Interim-Commander Darroh has taken over care of the child's training as a pilot, and should be contacted for any inquiries.
Savior

---

Designation

Ablaze

Body

Tall and lean, Ablaze is on the thinner side for a Savior. Long scutes of modium not unlike those found on some aquatic organisms run along the arms and legs, forming a sort of natural armmor-weapon combination. The fingers are long and end in sharp claws. At the pilot's request, its right eye has been covered with a thick plate of metal.

Weapon

Ablaze's weapon, suited to the name, is a cannon as long as long as Ablaze is tall that fires explosive blasts of fire. The mechanism by which it produces this fire is unknown. When phased, the cannon gains a charge mechanism, allowing her to charge a shot for up to five seconds to increase the destructive yield considerably, up to approximately twice the size and intensity of the blast at full charge. In addition, the cannon shots can be detonated on command, or detonation can be delayed as a form of trap.

[User]
Quinn shivered as Besca went on, Dahlia's hand in her own a comfort, but still not enough to dispel this horror, not nearly. Quinnlash's retreat left her with a strange feeling of absence that she had trouble explaining; like even when she was alone she hadn't really been alone, but now she was and it hurt. She squeezed Dahlia's hand tighter.

She didn't like it, the idea of people being turned into Modir by completing the circuit. It filled her mind with images of Dahlia in Dragon and Roaki in Blotklau and even of Safie in Jubilee, pulled into the dark wherever through the singularities and then coming back and all she could do was fight them and kill them. It hurt. It hurt really bad, deep down in her chest, a throbbing, pounding pain that came from the furthest reaches of her heart. She didn't want to think about it anymore, but she just...couldn't stop herself. She closed her eye for a moment in an attempt to compose herself that was met with dubious success.

As soon as Besca mentioned him—it—Dammerung?—it talking to her, she knew exactly where things were headed. So she had time to tense, squeeze Dahlia's hand tighter, and brace herself before the voice poured from the speakers.

"It cannot stand..."

Despite the bracing, Quinn couldn't help it; she let out a terrified little squeak and shrank backwards into Dahlia, like she could find some way to run or hide from the voice as it filled the small room.

She didn't move or speak until the voice finally fell silent and the audio file closed, when—if her reaction hadn't been answer enough—she said quietly and oh-so-tremulously, still holding tight to Dahlia's side,

"Y—yeah. That's...that's him—it."

[Assistant]
Besca's head slumped down between her shoulders, and she nodded slowly. "That's what I was afraid of," she said. "'Cause I have absolutely no idea what this means."

With a tap she killed the screen, a few more saw the files resealed. The only eyes that needed to be on this now were hers and the research team—and even they'd need to be kept in the dark on most of this mess. There wasn't much to keep from them, but what secrets there were, were necessary.

She stood back upright, cleared her throat. "Focusing on what we do know—this is gonna break soon. Helburke probably already knows that's Dammerung, and it won't be long before some history buff gets a stable frame from whatever footage survived, and figures it out as well. That's all…fine. Like I said, Saviors have been reclaimed before, and there's no reason for anyone to assume that's not what's going on here. The only people in the world who know that thing spoke to you are us, and Follen, and for now I think we need to keep it that way."

"But…" Dahlia muttered, face pinched in thought. "We can't just do nothing. He's—its—hunting her."

"And it's not gonna get her—not unprepared. Quinn, hun, for the time being you're staying on the Aerie. If you go planetside it's gonna be in Ablaze, alright? Hey," she came over to Quinn, placed her hands on her shoulders. "I watched you take on a pilot and a Modir on your first fight. You're…" Push through it, she thought. She needs confidence, not regret. "You're good, alright? You are. The next time this thing shows its face, you're gonna make it wish it hadn't."

It twisted something inside of her to compliment Quinn's piloting abilities. The whole idea was still revolting, and she loathed the idea that Quinn might begin to believe this was what she wanted for her.

Besca hugged her, pulled Dahlia in as well, and then broke away. "Okay, she said, heading for the exit. "I'm gonna go lie to the Board. Starting now, I want you two to prioritize sims in your training. Dammerung might be a Modir now but it still fights like a Savior. Deelie, she's in your hands."

"Y-yeah," Dahlia said, managing only a small wave as Besca left them in the room. She sat down at the table, face still a mangle of confusion and worry, and squeezed Quinn's hand. "You…you okay?"

[User]
"No. I—I don't think I am."

The world felt very small, and very far away. She was being chased, hunted, by an Aridean prince. On some level, she knew it wasn't really Eain. Like Besca said, it was just...an echo of him, a Savior that had gone back to the other side where it came from and come back again. She knew it. On every level that mattered she knew it. It wasn't Eain anymore. It just couldn't be, as a simple fact.

But still...

Then why could it talk?

She didn't get it. And it made her want to think of it as a person. The Modir spoke with his voice. It fought like a Savior. It fought with his sword—

Quinn's heart nearly stopped.

What was it that Dahlia had said at lunch before the duel? Before she discovered that she was being hunted? That it was all her fault?

The weapons are supposed to be—

"Deelie," She spoke with a new urgency in her voice, and both she and her voice were shaking as she put her hand down gently on top of the table, wishing that she could bring up the image again, just to make absolute sure. But it wouldn't have changed anything, because she...she was sure. She would never, could never, forget that sword. The way the fuller had gleamed like fire as it hung above her head, and the crash as it slammed down—

She was hyperventilating now, and she closed her eye, steadying herself on the table and doing her best to stay in the present moment. "Deelie, our weapons are supposed to be us, right? Not—" She cut herself off again, wishing that she wasn't about to ask the question that was dancing on the tip of her tongue. It felt important. Very important. Important and scary, because it meant something was wrong, something was really wrong. A familiar dread was welling up from deep within her too. The other her was...was really afraid. And that just made it worse. "But if the weapons are supposed to belong to us and not the Modir, then..."

"Then how can it have Eain's sword?"

[Assistant]
Dahlia's face went pale, Quinn could feel her hand beginning to clam up. Her mouth opened but when no words came out, it shut again. She shook her head. "I…" her voice dribbled from her lips, muted and unformed.

Why did it have Eain's sword?

"Maybe…" her mind raced—no, more scrambled—for an answer. There ought to have been one, she figured. Centuries of history and research had gone into studying the Modir, so surely, surely this had happened before. There had to be precedence, and she just wasn't well-read enough to know it off-hand.

Get it together, she thought, harshly. You're going to scare her if you don't get. It. Together.

Dahlia took a breath. "Wherever…wherever the weapons come from, you know, when we pull them, or when we send them away—we don't really know where that is. And the Modir do have weapons. Could…could be that they just…waited 'til Eain was dead. It's a good sword, isn't it? Could be they waited. Or…" She let go of Quinn's hand, but got up to stand beside her instead. "Maybe it just…thinks it's Eain, still. There's probably studies on reclaimed Modir, but…well, you know what it feels like in there—with the Circuit. How could anyone really know what happens after? If we get absorbed, well…part of us has to still be there then, right? So, yeah, it…maybe it thinks it's him. Or it's fooling the weapon. Or…"

She sighed, suddenly and inexplicably frustrated with herself. "I don't know. But you know what, Quinn? I don't care." She looked down at her, eyes hard and reassuring. "Swordsman, Dammerung, Eain—I don't care who or what it is. It can't have you. You're my sister, and I made you a promise. So it can't have you, and that's just the way it is. Besca's right; it better think twice about showing its face again, cause if it does, we're gonna mulch it like the monster it is. Together."


[System]
Diarmi 'Dimi' Carlevaro
At 14 years old, 5'5", and maybe 130 pounds sopping wet, Dimi is the last person to intimidate anyone. Perhaps he's aware, as he's slow to anger and even then such anger quickly dissipates. He's quite chatty and quick to talk with strangers in hopes of striking up a friendship. It doesn't matter how often he's turned down, he'll bounce right back up in an instant. Perhaps that's fitting, as when his family performs for the streets, he does acrobatic tricks and parkour. [So of course he's fascinated when he's attached to this hulking, giant, quiet man who's apparently from centuries ago.] Considering how ragtag, ill-matching, and ill-fitting his attire is, it may come as no surprise that Dimi's 6-member family lives out of a small RV, which is an uprade from the van that pulls it around. If given a chance (his youngest sister is busy, there's no performance going on, and who really cares about school, right?), he could spend all day at a bookstore, library, or comic book store, reading graphic novels and comics.

Agmundr
What does one do after having been raised to fight, joining multiple battles as part of the berserker squad, and getting an arrow to the throat? Become attached to a teenager, apparently. It's a struggle to leave behind the mindset he lived with for so long. Contrary to what one might expect, Agmundr is not overwhelmed by the modern world, mostly because he's able to shut it out, only paying attention for possible threats and planning for battle. Oh, and when his kid calls, probably to show him something like 'ice cream'. Apparently.

When working together, Dimi is already granted the core powers of a mahou shoujo - increased strength and endurance, quicker healing - though Agmundr is able to supplement the first two to greater levels. In addition, Dimi is granted immunity from damage by fire or by any kind of metal weapon, as per the tradition of berserkers. Finally, Dimi is able to produce and release spores that can either put a person to sleep or leave them in a delirious state. Neither Agmundr nor Dimi know how to predict the spore's effects currently.

[User]
Diarmi, a bit too focused with the sword flying at his face, had managed to miss the moment of the lightning bolt - not its existence, fully, something else had distacted katana-guy after all, but he hadn't seen what it was. A blade being pulled with the intention of cutting off one's face had a way of focusing one's attention like that. He practically held his breath as the spores began to take effect, making the young man stumble and swap. When he finally collapsed, Diarmi was quick to catch him before he cracked his head on the rooftop, then finished setting him down.

Well. Best to disarm him. As he grabbed at the katana's sheath, he asked aloud, "So what was that?"

"The spores of a mushroom from my time. They have magical effects."

"They do?" The sheath came loose with another tug. Diarmi thought about it, and then fiddled with the necklaces around the young man's throat. Hey, something let him summon and control those bird-monsters. He didn't know what, but magic charm or magic sword seemed like the best bet, and he wasn't sure what was enchanted.

"Yes. For some, the mushrooms force them to sleep. For others, they bring them into the berserker's rage."

"They what?" Diarmi's voice cracked. "I coulda had that guy go into a fit of rage at me? He was kinda already in one!" Rage squared, he supposed. But that was beside the point.

"Hardly. But, I will tell you, a berserker is immune to the power of metal and fire. Unless he used his sword like a club, he would not have been able to harm you."

Oh, this was not a train of thought Diarmi had ever anticipated. But here he was, wondering at what point being bludgeoned would be worse than being sliced or pierced. Maybe it was best to let that train go on its own, and he'd re-board it later, figure out the answer. For now, a drizzle had started and he'd heard the sound of broken pottery. The katana and possible charms secured on his person, he jumped, caught a lamp post, and slid downwards. Thank god(s?) he wasn't climbing up in the rain.

"Hey, hey, that was awesome!" He ran towards the knight girl, holding his hand up for a high five. "We gotta check on bear-hand lady, I know, but-?" He gestured with his free hand. "High five?"

[Assistant]
Just as Sam was rushing the next monster, it burst into smoke on its own. She glared at the haze skeptically, trying to figure out what the trick was–until it reformed as an ordinary pigeon. The girl's skepticism turned to confusion, which only deepened when she looked around and saw the other monsters turning into perfectly ordinary birds.

And in the middle of the street, no longer behind any aberrations, stood a woman. She had a definitely magical staff raised overhead. And suddenly it began to rain. Not a hard rain; it was a light drizzle easily shielded by holding her paws over her head. It still wasn't a normal rain. Not with how that cloud overhead had come out of nowhere sometime during the…oh no, during the battle. She'd just fought a battle.

'Worry later; work now.' Tamping down a rising panic, Sam ran after the woman as she dropped her staff into a puddle and stepped off the road.

"Excuse me! Ma'am! Do you…" Sam stopped her words at the same time she stopped in front of the strange woman. What did she want to ask? Would this woman even have answers? Certainly she looked antiquated enough to know something; but then again, Sam didn't normally wear red hide and tribal tattoos. Appearances were far from a useful metric.

Still, something about the woman felt older, and far more confident, than Sam did. With a deep breath, she plunged ahead. "What happened here? What are those birds, are they still dangerous, and where did everyone else-?"

[User]
Mina looked up as the viking boy called out to her, letting the tip of her sword rest against the ground. She gave him a weird look as he raised his hand to request a high-five. Was- was that it? They beat the bad guy stealing souls and his army of evil bird monsters, yay, go team? Like they were some kind of sports club? Like true she was a totally amazing badass who had just saved the world or whatever, but still!

Mina felt someone nudge her shoulder, turning her head briefly to catch sight of the knight lady. "You shouldn't leave your comrade hanging," she said, and Mina would almost swear she was smiling at her.

Seriously? This girl too?! Did they even have high-fives in the dark ages? Geez! Well, whatever. Mina raised her hand in defeat, wincing slightly as the boy's palm slapped against her own. Yay, go team.

---

The Witch of the Waters raised one finger to halt the girl's flood of questions. "All things in their order," she said before lowering her hand. "The birds are harmless, I believe. You needn't worry over them. As for the rest, we should have the others join us, first. If I am to field questions, they should be present to hear the answers."

She clapped her hands together, a bright grin spreading across her face. "Now! I don't suppose there is a suitable place nearby for a private gathering of heroes?"

---

The man folded his arms over his broad chest, leaning against the wall out of sight of the street. He had watched much of the battle unfold from here, leaving the boy to his own work as he had requested. A foolish mistake, as he had expected from the start.

"What's to be done, then?" he asked, paying no mind to the pigeon cooing by his feet. The boy's capture was his own fault, not the man's, but it still needed correcting. His eyes narrowed at the words echoing in his mind - leave him? He was a fool, true, but-

Ah. "Very well," he relented, lowering his head at nothing.

An understandable if unfortunate decision. They hadn't been aware of any warriors prior to this, and it would be prudent to gauge their total strength moving forward. The stormcaller in particular was concerning - she had done little thus far to demonstrate the extent of her power, and their ignorance of that matter made her dangerous.

He would withdraw for now. If further action were to be taken, it would not be today.

[Assistant]
Kagura was starting to realise that she couldn't see anymore birds. Nor could she hear them anymore. She looked over at the pirate, who was standing on the building's ledge. The pirate was smiling, looking out over the city, with her loose ghile shirt billowing in the wind. Kagura had to admit, she looked cool

"Looks like whoever was in charge got taken out. And I think I just spotted somebody who might give us more answers. C'mon!" she commanded, before dropping from the roof and landing unhurt on the ground below. She grinned up at Kagura, who rolled her eyes and headed back to the stairwell. Once they were united, Kagura tutted and glared at her companion.

"Yes, you can jump off the roof. Very impressive. I couldn't do that!"

"You know, lass, I wouldn't be so sure..."

"What? What are you-"

"Anyway, you see those three? Two knights and a wet lady with a staff? I don't think they belong here, same as I don't. This world is so familiar, yet so strange at the same time. I think I recognise the language from scrolls the Dutch brought with them from the Far East. This is Japan, isn't it?"

"Hold on. If you can't read Japanese, how are we speaking?"

"Honestly, lass? I couldn't tell ye."

The pirate and the...magical girl who looking more like she was complaying a pirate-themed idol when stood side by side with a real one, approached Mina and the Witch of the Waters.

[User]
"You're just going to, what, wait over here…? Really, [fire-child]? You would avoid the… Ah… Group of them?" Asked a tall woman, draped in ancient looking armor. It reminded the more modern-dressed, punk-styled girl of a resistance fighter. From ancient Egypt!

"Yes. Yes I would! They're fuh— I mean— Look I don't know WHATS happening down there and I do NOT want in. Not yet. Not right now, okay?" Replied Tomoyo.

The spirit sighed, standing next to Tomoyo in silence for a long, long moment… Before smirking.
They were standing under the drizzle some non-insignificant distance away. Apparently, her charge enjoyed the feeling of water on her skin.
Rain was… Not necessarily new, but nice and interesting nonetheless.

 She stepped forward, then, looking directly in 'TomTom's eyes as she spoke again. "I am Usai. We have known eachother very, very briefly… But I believe we need more than eachother to survive."

And to that, Tomoyo panicked, as so named 'Usai' vanished from sight. She shuffled in place, gasping at the sight. "Hey! What the crap?!" She hissed, desperately looking about.
She was not prepared for Usai to reappear bedside the Viking boy and his companion. Unseen by them, not to Tomoyo's knowledge.

She was further unprepared when 'Usai' simply smiled. Usai clapped, before 'speaking' calmly and yet somehow with a fire that was eager to leap out. Tomoyo couldn't hear what Usai said, but her face was rapidly burning up.
This was embarrassing!

Usai turned, glancing directly at Tomoyo. " I apologize for, ah, interrupting. My charge is… Very shy." She whispered, to absolutely no one in particular.

[Assistant]
Diarmi seemed giddy, hissing out a small 'yes!' after they'd high-fived. Agmundr meanwhile seemed to share some of Mina's dispproval, but it was more concern than distaste written in his features. He floated a bit closer to her and her spirit, and offered both a careful nod.

"I trust you will help me keep him safe?"

"What? I'm - ow." Diarmi paused, looking at his foot and pulling the sliver of cracked road from where it had managed to lodge itself, horizontally. "Bad timing. I'll be fine. We'll all be fine, I bet." Not that he had much to bet, but he doubted she was like Loris.

"I trust you will help me keep him safe," Agmundr repeated. "And I shall act to help keep you safe as well. I will not witness another child falling in battle." His tone was level, betraying none of the concern still visible on his face.

"Um." Diarmi bit his lip. Yeah, he had mentioned something like that before, hadn't he? The very moment they met, even. He still hardly counted himself, or either of the two he'd witnessed, as a child, but Agmundr did seem older, had probably survived longer than either of them had been lived for. How much longer anyways? That was probably a sensitive question, but Diarmi's filter never was the best. "How old were you when you died?"

To his surprise, while Agmundr did not seem interested in answering, it didn't feel as awkward as he was sure it should've (Filter: broken. Hindsight: 20/20). Diarmi hummed. "Gotcha, moving on." He hefted up the katana and necklace. "So, lifted these off that guy - I'm like 90% at least one of them's magical, but I can't tell for sure." (And his timing made it seem like he was in conversation with Usai as well.) "I don't suppose you can tell? Maybe bear-paw girl's more magic-magic? Being able to transform and stuff-" He nearly dropped the items.

"We gotta still catch up with bear-paw girl!" Agmundr seemed to see where this was going, moving forward. "Let me get a headstart before you flash-step?" Diarmi pointed fingerguns towards the knightly girl. "See you over there!" With that, he ran around the corner and down the road towards the witch and the other fighters.


[System]
Age: 18

Grade: Remedial High Schooling (Mephisto's)

files.catbox.moe/gi2spk.png

I'm dumb so the image is probably too big to embed well so here's the link. She dyes her hair often, but never tries out the color red.

Biography: Alyona was born with a twin sister. In some cruel ploy of the gods, one twin was given the powers of a holy relic, while the other became a bearer of unholy curses. While one grew normally and healthily, the other was thin and barely grew at all.

Despite her royal birth and family, she was excluded from participating as soon as her powers were realized. Bringing misfortune everywhere she walked was enough for her family to isolate her, and she soon felt resentment towards them without exception. Despite the family's wealth, she knew that she would be the last person in line to inherit anything. So she eschewed her family, dying her hair different from her twin sister, taking with her anything she could steal and running away to try and find a different way of life. After all, if all she can do is bring misfortune, maybe she could find a way to use it to her advantage.

Alyona has embraced her life as a walking curse. She assumes by default that people will not like her - so she better get what she can out of them before they realize what she actually is.

She fled her home country with some stolen family treasures and is determined to chase her own dream in Rhea with a fresh start. She has it all, a nice apartment, a good roommate, and... mandatory schooling due to her lack of transcripts and poor testing scores.

Has a childlike fondness for sweets.

Powers:

Core Power: Unholy Vessel - Alyona was blessed by a goddess of curses and misfortune. Some would say that the essence of curses is weaved within her mortal form. Her presence brings poor luck to those around her. Perhaps because of this curse, her body is much different from her stockier twin.

Secondary Power: Aegis of Misfortune - Alyona's existence is a form of curse. Negative effects such as curses have very little effect to her. However, positive effects have a diminished effect on her as well. She's so used to negative energy that positive kinds make her feel sick.

Secondary Power: Cursed Touch - Alyona's curses can be extended to others with a touch. If someone is touched by Alyona for more than a few moments, the curses will prevent positive effects such as healing from affecting the victim for several minutes. Extended bouts of contact with her will prevent even natural healing and rest from aiding the victim.

Secondary Power: Contaminant Bolt - Alyona's ranged attack are spears of pure negative energy. Containing the raw energy of curses, these weapons pass through physical barriers and leave no wounds, but sap the life force from their target. Hits to muscles will make them sore and stiff as though they have been worked without breaks. These spears can return the life force to Alyona, which heals her (one of the only positive effects that isn't reduced by Aegis of Misfortune).

Relationships:

Sasha Yenina - "...Don't say that name to me ever again."

Name: Alexandria Sova
Also goes by Andras

files.catbox.moe/xv9ulb.png

(She doesn't actually have a grimoire... yet!)

Age: 16

Grade: 1st Year Laurels

Biography:

Alexandria Sova was always a bookish child, who often ended up driving people away through social awkwardness. It was a wonder, then, that she managed to become a part of a trio of tightly knit friends. Her Gift manifested strangely, allowing her to manifest thoughts, concepts, and images from her mind. This led to her forming a bond with another child who had a similar power. Protected by a brash third friend, they lived out their lives without a care in the world, conjuring forth images and scenes that were born from pure imagination.

Until Alex went too far. Or rather, she was intrigued by some quirk in her gift she discovered while playing - and upon experimenting, was swallowed up by her own dream. She became bedridden, comatose, unresponsive. She only awoke over a year later, and even more time to become rehabilitated. But she had emerged changed from the long sleep, and her power was erratic, unpredictable, and so much more powerful. She claimed she had found the source of magic itself, something innate to the world, even more fundamental than the gods.

Or so she says. Many keeping an eye on her noticed her power was manifesting things from her imagination, or from other things she had seen in the past, or even from games she enjoyed. They commented that she may have imagined or dreamed the entire thing up, and her power simply refined itself further to manifest her scatter-brained thoughts into, admittedly, real powers. The erratic and potentially dangerous nature of her power lead her to be privately schooled in managing her power alongside remedial classes to catch up with the classes she had missed.

Alexandria's extended leave from consciousness, loss of sight in one eye, and newfound ability had perhaps intermingled for her to cultivate a new persona - that of a demon mage named Andras. While she tries to keep the facade up, it becomes clear to many that interact with her that she is simply keeping up some kind of delusion, or a stage persona to have for when she enters tournaments, or perhaps she just went a little crazy when she was in a coma.

Powers:

Core: The Root of All Magic

Within Andras's eye there is a link to the source of all magic, beyond even the gods' domain (allegedly). She can use her inward eye to gaze at the Root, catching glimpses of spells at their primordial source (or so she says). These spells crystallize as softly glowing points of light, which Andras can manifest at will (actually has been observed, so probably true). She can cast these spells using the points of light, which she usually calls "cards" (most cards in real life don't glow and float in midair).

The behaviors officer that put together her file after working with her wrote:

"Alexandria's power seems to let her manifest illusions of cards, like from a game, and use them to create actual magical effects. They seem to be 'drawn' from a large and random pool that may be expanding as she considers new effects. While in card form they have no real power, so they seem to be just manifest that way because of Alexandria's preferences. However, she has the ability to 'activate' them to 'cast' the effect of the card, consuming the card in the process. These spells can be from minor tricks, to powerful attacks, to granting supernatural abilities. Nearly impossible to say what she might be able to do from day to day.

She seems to be documenting spells herself, but unfortunately a copy of the notebook she was using is not able to be secured. She was very adamant about not sharing it."

Sub Power: Mana Bond
Once per day, Andras can draw a card from the Root. She can increase the number of draws she gets from this power by forging a mana bond with a trusted friend. This is done through physical contact (like a hug or whatever) and lasts as long as both are okay with it. The bond does not impart any kind of drain on the friend.

Andras is very hesistant to form bonds with someone she doesn't trust as a friend. When prompted why, she never really gives a straight answer, usually haphazardly talking about "grave prophecy" or "reality anchoring" or something similar. ...Maybe she's too shy?

Sub Power (?): Forbidden Knowledge
Andras's connection to the Root is seemingly becoming stronger over time, causing her to obtain more and more spells as she practices. The list of spells she has grows as she witnesses usage of gifts, magic, and her own dreams.

Relationships:

Wolf and Vera: "I-It's kind of daunting to face them now... A lot has happened since we were last together. But we're still friends, right? R-Right?!"

[User]
---

Vera was astonished by the sudden wall of ice. The Alex she knew couldn't do that. Was this really her? But, eyepatch aside, everything fit.

She hadn't even gotten that much taller.

And, more importantly, no one else would have reacted this way. No one else would have cared. She held the smaller girl close, clutching her tight to her chest and kissing the top of her head.

Vera couldn't help but laugh even as her voice broke, "Y-you still smell that that bargain brand strawberry junk..." she hiccupped. It was really her. Nothing else mattered for the moment. The ice wall, the crowd, all her questions. None of it.

But, then the moment passed.

"AHEM!" The MC boosted the volume so his voice could pierce past the wall of ice. "I'm going to assume there's a touching reunion of some sort going on in there, but we ARE trying to hold a tournament here!"

Right. The tournament. This stupid tournament was where she'd found Alex.

These people, this crowd, had all seen Alex before she had.

Vera suddenly pulled away from her, "What are you doing here, huh?"

CRACK!

Outside, others were battering down the wall of ice.

"How long have you been awake? When were you gonna tell us? Why was this more important, huh!?" Vere's face was still stained with tears, but now she just looked angry.

CRACK! BAM! CRACK!

Vera just stood there, fists and jaw clenched tightly as the wall came crumbling down.

"OK! About time! Now, if we could just get things going ag-"

"You wanted a fight, right?!" Vera suddenly shouted, interrupting the MC. She walked to the other end of the arena from "Andras" and raised her fists. "Well why not?! That's why we're all here isn't it?" This time, she just glared into Alex's eyes.

"You know what? Screw it. Disqualifications are lame and this shit's better than a soap opera! Have at it, girls!"

[Assistant]
Location: Midnight Tournament
@KillamriX88@AtomicNut

Michael was curious to see how Andras' next match would go. It would be interesting to see what others cards Andras would use, hoping to gain some inspiration for other applications of his Symbolism. Unfortunately, it seemed there would be unforeseen developments as a pink-haired girl came onto the stage and knocked out Andras' opponent with little effort. What's more, the girl seemed to know Andras, and was shocked to see her for some reason. This puzzled Michael. Back when Andras was still recovering from her coma, she had briefly mentioned something about past friends, but could never get any more details than that. Now it feels Andras' history was catching up to her.

Michael raised a hand in opposition to Parker's protest. "I say let her stay," Michael argued. "Anyone with eyes can see that nothing about this was planned. And besides, anyone who could get knocked out that easily wasn't going to be much of an opponent anyway. We all saw how easily Andras took out her first opponent, why would she need to cheat now?"

Michael then tried to peer through the ice dome, still curious about Andras' history. She was never willing to share, and it had caused her great distress anytime Michael tried to probe into it, so he kept a respectable distance from the topic. Now it seems there was an opportunity to get some answers.

Michael was originally going to put in a little effort and make a hole in the dome. Others, however, were not so patient and broke down the ice first. Michael was also going to ask a few questions of his own, but Vera's fiery temper caused him to stay his tongue. He wisely decided that he would wait until tensions died down before he would ask anything, especially as it now seemed that Vera would be Andras' new opponent.


[System]
Nickname(optional): N/A
Age: 43
Gender: Male
Powers: Longevity, decreased aging speed, the collective strength, speed, and senses of a large bear
Species: Werebear (born rather than cursed)
Appearance(s): As a human (he stand's at 6'3") - As a werebear (he stands at 12'2")
Crush: None
Relationship: Adoptive father
Spouse(Because I wanted to XD): None
Children(same as above): An adopted wood elf daughter whom he misses dearly
Personality: A somewhat staunch man who although willing to work with others tends to keep to himself. Jacque is quite shrewd and has seen many strange things in his travels, and has become quite worldly as a result. He often prefers to let people make their mistakes on their own so that they might learn from them in the future, though he'll occasionally give assistance and advice when the mood strikes him. Jacque is known to be loyal to a fault to those that earn his trust, though he has little patience for ignorance or arrogance even from friends.
History(optional): A ranger during his earlier years, Jacque was prone to hopping between adventuring groups and was highly nomadic, usually staying in one place long enough to either to complete a goal with his current group or rest. For a while everything was good; he met interesting people, saw interesting things, and even made enough money to ensure he'd never have to work a day in his life, and yet something felt as though it was missing. After over a decade of adventuring, Jacque found that he'd lost the spark that he'd had in his youth, and eventually decided to settle down in a little village where the coast met the forest. Jacque enjoyed his new life style, though he found it to be a bit lonelier after having been accustomed to being accompanied by groups of people. He originally attempted to find a girl to settle down with, however he never really connected with anyone he courted. Jacque then turned to option two: adopting a kid to raise as his own, planning at first to adopt a boy, but settling instead on a scrappy little elf girl named Laura. Jacque raised Laura the ranger's way, teaching her to be strong and resourceful, and when she was of age and expressed interest, he eventually sent her to the Ranger's Guild where he had learned his trade. To his surprise, Jacque found that raising Laura to become a ranger had rekindled the spark he had lost, and decided once more to set out for more adventure.
Other: He's terrified of crows and ravens and carries three things on him constantly: A talisman that prevents transformations, a picture of his daughter, and a bag filled with herbs
"Let the games begin."
Also a question; Would you mind the starting island being where Jacque made his home?

[User] "I prefer the darkness myself, but then again I am half vampire."

[Assistant]
Arin and Ace continued to explore the forest while playing a game of 'I spy'. As he was doing that, Arin was also keeping a look out for anything suspicious as he knew someone would try to pick a fight with him eventually.

Ace looked around for something to use for his little 'game' and said, "I spy something brown with leaves on the top."

Arin smiled while shaking his head in amusement. "A tree." He replied in a simple manner.
____________________________________

Price moved a little bit closer to the triplets and Aniram, hoping one of these people would notice him. Then again, he could go the other route and attempt a greeting. He decided to go with the latter and waved at them.

Virgil decided to find out if there were others stuck here and if he was right, he would have two questions for whoever came up to him.

[User]
"Thank you for the complement, not everyone tends to see eye to eye with us rangers. Your tragic circumstances aside, you sound as if you're doing quite well for yourself madam Slayer. And impressive tale indeed." Jacque stated as he idly pulled a spearmint leaf from his pocket, popped it into his mouth, and proceeded to chew it, filling his nose with the crisp scent. He wasn't quite sure if Priscilla could smell it yet given how much sharper his senses work than the average humor, but the hole that was being dug was beginning to smell of damp, rotting foliage, typical of many swamp regions. "I think it's about time we surfaced, dragonspawn. We don't want to come up inside the swamp itself, remember?" Jacque loudly called up ahead to James, his deep rumbling voice echoing down the tunnel like the sound of rolling thunder in the distance. After giving James a heads up, he contemplated pointing out the fact that Priscilla had said "three and ten" rather than thirteen, however given the fact that he'd also witnessed her physically counting out the number with her fingers, he held his tongue, surmising that books smarts weren't really the Slayer's strong suit. For now Jacque would let it be, however he made a mental note to teach her how to properly count if it became a hassle in the future.

"The darkness does hold several advantages to it, however there are flaws in it as well. The same could be said of any environment really. Given your heritage it's no surprise that you'd prefer this sort of environment, but never forget that one should strive to be able to adapt to any location they find themselves in."

[Assistant] Apparently, James had gone ahead of them, far ahead of them, and finished the tunnel, so he came walking back in human form. "The tunnel is done. We're about 50 yards from the swamp."

[User]
(Still in his lair)

Hunter grinned once he thought up a plan and sent the first shadow creature he caught to find the one called Arin. He looked at the other ones and told them that they would all get a turn.
______________________________________________________________

Virgil decided to venture the forest a bit and went further down the woods once inside.
_______________________________________

Price walked away from the triplets and the girl(Aniram) since they didn't seem to acknowledge him. He ventured off into the forest and wondered if he would find someone there.

[Assistant] "That is true, While I may have certain advantages in the darkness it is important that am able to to fight and survive well in any situation and/or circumstances."

[User] Jacque stopped and nodded approvingly and sniffed the air again, detecting the scent of peat moss and stagnant water up ahead, "You're quite the adept digger, dragonspawn. If I didn't know it was you I would've assumed that a wurm had dug this hole, well done." he said before swallong the mint leaf in his mouth and producing another one to chew on. "Now, before we surface, I should warn you lot of what dwells within the swamp.", Jacque reached out to the side and grabbed a fistful of dirt, "The soil in the swamp is not like the soil you'll find at the beach or in the forest. It's extremely muddy and sticky, and will start to suck you down if you stand in one place for too long. In some spots the muck will be a bit deeper than others, if you get stuck do NOT struggle, you strength will only cause you to sink quicker. You'll find that the spots were the muck is deepest with have a series of bubbles from trapped air pockets coming to the surface.". Jacque dropped the soil and dusted off his hands, "The next issue will be the plant life. There will be any number of dangerous plants, like razor grass, noose vines, or thorn bushes, and even a few berry bushes that produce poison fruits and attract all manner of dangerous insects with their flowers. Speaking of insects, unlike the larger animals that were smart enough to flee, these creatures will still be around, and without their predators milling about, they'll be out in full force. These are creatures that are loaded with extremely toxic stings and bites formed by years of defending themselves from predation, so try to avoid them if you can. Lastly, if you hear a loud buzzing sound or see what appears to be a black cloud approaching, run as quickly as you can or duck under the water for as long as you can. That "cloud" will be a swarm made up of a particularly nasty species of fly native to this island. If they catch you they'll burrow into your flesh and drain you of your blood, and that's if you're lucky. If you're not, they'll end up drinking enough to incapacitate you, then lay eggs inside your body. The larvae that hatch are prone to digging into bone to feed on your marrow rather than just blood or tissue. If that happens it'll take weeks to die, and it'll be agonizing every step of the way. I've seen this first hand, and personally, i'd sooner slit my own throat than sit through that.". Jacque let his words hang in the damp air as he stared down each member of the rag tag group.

[Assistant]
Priscilla stepped from the tunnel and smiled, feeling the open air upon her face. Her revelry was cut short by the smell of moss, stagnant water and rotting plant matter, a dank scent thick in the air that hit her in the back of the throat and made her stomach budge slightly with disgust. She looked to the dragonspawn and nodded curtly, "Well done, Dragonspawn. You'd make a fine miner, I'd wager. Still would have like to walk the earth on its surface, as the Maker intended, but we are here now. I have no interest in complaining." After a bash of her fist on her breastplate out of small respect, she turned to Jacque and pushed the scent of the nearby swamp from her mind, trying to take in all of the sage advice that he doled out. "I see. So in short, we have man-eating mud, man-eating insects and more man-eating mud before us. And we are to wade through it all before we reach the dragon itself?" She grinned, the prospect of danger exciting her and spurring her heart on even more. "I am to believe that the beast itself resides in the centre of the swamp itself?"

In the back of her mind, she could still taste the scent of something malicious on the air, just as before. Rotting plant and brimstone, smog and smoke. Her fingers felt as if they were punctured on all sides by needles, and her eye felt fit to leap from her skull, prompting her to rub it slowly as she gazed at their surroundings. Something was here. Something unnatural. She tightened her grip on Verschlinger and gave it a small practice swing before pointing towards the swamp with it. "If so, then I guess its to the centre of the swamp we go."

[User] "Now is as good a time as any to have the natural armor that scales provide."

[Assistant]
Arin kept walking through the forest, but then stopped all of sudden.

Ace looked curiously up at him before slowing to a stop himself. "Why have we stopped walking?" He asked.

Arin looked around and then at the dog. "It just feels like we've been walking for hours." He answered before going into deep thought. We should have ran into something by now. He shrugged at this before moving again. Or I least 'I' should've. (XD)

Ace nodded, finding it true. However, he wanted to play around more. "Can I run around for a bit?" He asked.

[User] "That would be the long short of it, yes. There are very few things in fae swamps that aren't deadly." Jacque said as he drew his short blade and examined it before sliding it back into the sheath. The ranger eyed Zecurst and nodded, "Indeed. Your scales will provide a nice means of defense, but take care to ensure that nothing crawls into your nose or ears. It's a devil of a time trying to remove something living from your nasal passages, I know that from experience." he said whilst repressing a small shudder. Jacque looked at the group before him, they all seemed more than capable of handling themselves, so this didn't seem as though he'd have to watch over them, "Let's be off then, yes?" he said before making his way top side.

[Assistant] "I'll keep that in mind"

[User]
Priscilla nodded and drew her shield from her back, holding it at the ready as she trudged into the swamp. The sound of buzzing insects, croaking frogs and the sloshing of still bog water became all that she could hear as she set foot onto the slushy, drowned soils. Her eyes swept over the environment, taking in all that she could and remaining alert. She could feel a great presence, the sense of unknown weight that she felt on her mind whenever she was drawing close to the end of a hunt. She repeatedly adjusted her grip on her blade, the pins and needles almost unbearably present. Her footsteps were careful, testing the occasional patch of mud with the tip of her blade to check if it is safe to walk on.

"Let us move quick. I itch to exact my vengeance and rid with world of this creature."

[Assistant] James sniffed the air as he walked with them. "He's straight ahead," he said. "I can smell him. If we keep going straight we'll make it to him."