[System]
Ahelair the Kind
Race and Age: Elf, 233 years

HP: ❇❇❇
SP: ❇❇❇❇

Job: Healer lvl 4
Magic: Wind lvl 2
Curse: Curse of Annuiyntar lvl 2

Background:140 years ago, Ahelair Ander of Flandasyria and his wife, Flyssia Flinder of Flandasyria, left their home town, seeking adventure and new opportunities in one of the greatest metropolises in the world, the wondrous City of Light. After a decade of hopping from one adventure party to another, the two finally gathered enough funds to settle down comfortably. Their residence, located on Main street between the Merchant and Noble districts of the City, became known as the Flandasyrian Clinic and Apothecary.
Over the next 120 years, the City-folk would come to call the loving couple "Ahelair the Kind", "Flyssia the Gentle", and collectively "the Flanders", for their dedicated health and counseling services. They were well loved by the populace, both high and low: Ahelair for the donation of his time and effort to helping the poor and homeless, and Flyssia for her sage advice, mainly for but not limited to young lovers and first-time mothers. During this time, the Flanders had a son Hessyl, and daughter Lylier, who both later married and had their own children: Tineth and Timyl, and Lyssia respectively.

20 years ago, a week before Behemoth fell into the ocean, Flyssia, suffering 2 days of intense headaches that had no cure nor remedy, woke up in the middle of the night and screamed "THEY ARE COMING!" before dying on the spot, copious amounts of blood leaking from her head. As heartbroken as he was, in later years, Ahelair would count this event as a blessing. If Flyssia had survived that night she may have easily succumbed to the madness of the Dark Gods' Curse and turned into some unthinkable monstrosity.

15 years ago, in one of the many, but more successful, invasion by creatures of the Dark Gods, Ahelair's children and grandchildren were either killed, or turned into Pathfinders and then subsequently killed by the City Garrison. Since then, having lost all of his remaining loved ones, Ahelair maniacally poured all his time, money and energy into taking care of the failing City to keep himself so busy that he wouldn't have time to think of everything he's lost. The Flanders' house, and the houses of their 2 children were converted into refugee housing, with the main house still functioning as a clinic to all those in pain. Whatever money he had, Ahelair used it to purchase ever more expensive food and supplies for the downtrodden and war-torn.

Even with all this work and activity, he still couldn't fully ignore the hallucinations. Of course they were hallucinations. Phantoms of his lost family, walking up to him, talking to him as if they were whole and well.
But however much Ahelair would have wanted them to be real, he remembered all too well his own screaming as he cradled the butchered bodies of his grandchildren.
He remembered when he threw himself at the Garrison soldiers to stop them from executing the Pathfinders pretending to be his children.
He remembered cleaning his beloved Flyssia in preparation for her burial.
He knew they were gone, and that he must be mad. Ahelair had seen it happen many times and knew too well the curse of madness that would take random individuals within the City.

But there were so many in need of help. So many who weren't mad yet. So many parents with children who could still be saved. So he kept his visions to himself and promised to keep working as long as his body, and his mind were still able.
When the City Garrison came for him, Ahelair lowered his head and willingly let himself be taken.

Personality:Ahelair at his best is kind, patient, and generous. Even with the events of the last 20 years, with all the physical and emotional stress, he has managed to somehow retain these qualities. Maybe it is Ahelair's advanced age solidifying his personality, or maybe he is desperately holding onto himself so as not to disappoint his deceased family.
At his worst, he is tired, depressed and desperate. No matter how tired he is, he won't stop helping people. He feels that if he can help enough people, it might make up for him failing to protect his family.

He takes pride in his family, his people and culture, and knowing that his skill has helped a great many people throughout the years.
He is fond of taking afternoon walks by river or country side, and of gentle flute music.
Appearance:In the past, Ahelair stood tall and proud, but never pompous. His large eyes were determined, almost piercing, but always had a soft gentleness. He was neat and tidy, keeping his dark hair and long beard trimmed and clean. He wore long, simply fashioned white and light green robes with a white cloak. He carried around with him a worn leather satchel that holds various herbs and medicinal concoctions, and a sturdy whitewood staff capped with silver, and a spherical, gleaming, olive-colored gem entwined in silver vines on top.

Nowadays it is not so. His old age and constant work catching up to him, Ahelair stumbles around with a hunched posture, his unkempt hair and beard a withered grey. His once gentle eyes now looking tired and sagging. His robes no longer white, but greyish and frayed around the edges. The only thing still clean and undiminished are his staff and satchel, the tools of his trade and the only pride he has left in this world.
Coping Mechanism:Ahelair constantly has auditory and/or visual hallucinations. To him they are as real as the ground he stands on, almost to the point of him thinking he can touch the visions. The hallucinations primarily manifest as his lost family, which is both a boon and bane for Ahelair. Usually, the phantoms look how they did in life, unharmed, whole and happy. But when Ahelair's mood is dark or when the curse is strong they transform into dark nightmarish versions of the time they passed.

Mechanic:Whenever Ahelair loses SP, he gets to make a hallucination roll. If the visions are good, or if he is able resist them, then he will regain the lost SP. If the visions are bad, or if he succumbs to the hallucinations, then he will lose extra SP.

[User]
Mort's beak moves as if to speak, but finds that the effort to form words is too much. He knows the Harpy leader by name, from some Who's Who thing he'd read back before all this misfortune. He wants to blurt out his family's proud name. He wants to also shrink into a corner and sleep and never wake.

Still, the talking statues make him wonder if maybe there's some purpose left in the planet for him. The idea of a purpose is a small twinkling light at the end of a dark, tortuous tunnel. He decides to take on whatever the fates have planned for him, and speaks in assent:

"Statues babblin' under some dumb light trick ain't no basis for a system of government, ya loony hoots. Y'all are off yer rockers. But I'm tired of that dungeon, and a breath of fresh air to stretch my wings in is more than this humble bird can ask fer."

[Assistant]
With every ebb, the statues' glow seems to urge Lans' fury to rise, tugging at his chest, drawing out occasional grunts. He keeps his head down and closes his eyes to avoid any provocation. His temper has gotten worse of late and he wonders if being free of the dungeon will help in this regard?

He glances around. He's seen his peers before as they were brought into the dungeon. "Strange," he muses, "We were all accosted at the same time and appear to manifest the same rare condition." But his imagination suddenly goes wild and his chest heaves for an instant before closing his eyes.

No good. His temper is rising. His eyes force open, as if to release the pressure building. He starts breathing harder, as if the increased breaths will help his efforts to subdue the rising tide. His hands ball up into fists. His vision starts going into a distance.

And then it all stopped.

Lans, relieved and surprised, focuses his vision to see what changed him so quickly. He just sees his comrades and his mind races... were they truly chosen? Did curses relieve each other somehow? He begins to have hope again... something he did not think he would feel in a long time. Perhaps there is a way out of this spiral into purgatory? And although he never really truly believed like the devout shamans did, Lans finds that his faith is suddenly brimming and overflowing.

However, he had no words for the Council. His upbringing taught him not to speak during such times. It was unbecoming.

[User]
Rehsif glanced around the room and couldn't help roll her eyes, yet another example of the decadence of rich folk. How many people could they feed with the cost this building incurred on a yearly basis? A lot she wagered.

The booming voices of the statues blasted through her mind, triggering a headache. Dehydration and sleeping on a stone floor was almost as bad as being hungover, at least she thought it was.

Facing the Council of Light, she barely listened to anything they had to say, her head was throbbing and she was starving.

All she knew was that she'd somehow managed to survive this long, and that was something to be grateful for.

The Mer Admiral commanded the others to speak, the Chicken Man seemed annoyed at the statues as well, and the Orc looked like he wanted to break something... or take a large dump. She couldn't really tell.

When it came time for her to speak, she opened her mouth but nothing came out, clearing her throat, she tried again, "Uhrm... If I can get a shower and... and some water, I'm up for anything." She looked around at the large statues, "Also those statues are a bit loud, if they could lower their voices a bit... I have a headache." She swallowed, her dry throat sticking together.

[Assistant]
Slumped and limping on his way to the council chamber, Ahelair Ander of Flandasyria thought to himself,
Ah, it seems my time has come... I wish I had time to do more but at least I'll finally be with my lovely Flyssia, my children and theirs... wait for me, just a moment longer...

Ahelair is roused from this thoughts when he noticed the eyes of the council we're on him, waiting for him to speak. Though visibly tired, he stands up straighter, and with an old but clear voice, Ahelair addresses the council.

"My esteemed Lords and ladies..." he bows slightly before continuing, "I can hardly fathom the weight of responsibility you all must bear in these troubled times, and I apologize profusely for being an added burden... I of course accept whatever punishment you deem necessary. I only ask that you grant this old healer a last request?"
He pauses, turning to watch his 3 grandchildren scamper across the room screaming in laughter. Clearing his throat, he continues,
"Ahrm hm. Dear leaders, I would humbly ask that all my assets and property, whether in current form or as funds from being sold, be used to aid the weak, the destitute, and the helpless, for they are indeed helpless...
And while I know that most or all persons with medical training are currently in service to the military, I would beg your Graces to allow for 2 or 3 to dedicate themselves to care for the citizenry. Please dear council, you would find this tired old elf most grateful..."

Ahelair let's out a long breath before lowering his head, ready to let go of the weight of his guilt and loneliness.


[System]
Alias: None

Age: 25

Gender: Female

Species: Dragon human hybrid.

Appearance:

Maggy has developed a human disguise using her slight magical ability. She has long pink hair that goes down to her waist, her face has a half mask on it that covers what would be a violet eye. The other eye is a faint red, this eye remains uncovered because it doesn't normally glow, and when it does she'll most likely drop her disguise anyway. If you were to strip away all her clothes, her cape would still remain, this is because the cape itself is actually just her wings in disguise.

She stands a rather tall 6'3 and weighs about 260lbs, this is the same as her hybrid form. She is clearly pear shaped having very large hips, but this is normally hidden under her big frilly skirt. This isn't to say she doesn't have a nice chest... But that butt tho.

This form is Maggy's true from. It shares the same body type as her disguised form, having the THICC large hips and respectable chest. Along with her red and violet eyes, those are the only features that her disguise didn't alter. Her hair isn't pink or long, but is actually short and purple, hair isn't the only thing on her head as she sports a pair of horns. The left horn being a beautiful gold and the right horn being a deep purple. Her skin is a pale purple having plated sections along her legs, bust, arms and wing arms. Oh yeah, she has massive clawed wing arms. These wing-arms boast an impressive set of claws that can be used to grasp objects or inflict deep wounds, they are often clamped to her shoulders making them look like a cape.

She is the same height and weight as her disguised form.

She can turn into a dragon. She's big, she's mean, she's a fucking dragon. Length: 21 meters Height: 5.5 meters feet Weight: 22.7 tonnes.

Personality: Maggy is an odd one. Most people would call her crazy or insane, this isn't far from the truth in all honesty. She maintains a level head for the majority of the time, but cannot always keep up this persona. She is very quick to change emotion, one moment being sad and then she's skipping on rainbows the next. Fortunately people get visual indicators on her emotional status.

When angered she changes vastly, often not bothering to keep a level head and just attacking whatever the problem is. This is when her sadism starts to show, things like comments on how your screams will be the highlight of her week, or going into detail on how she's going to defile you eye cavity. She is fairly quick to anger, it's made fairly clear by her red eye glowing. If she's like this for long enough her entire personality will change, and it's not a pretty sight. She'll become an absolute asshole, getting angry at pretty much everything. She'll stay in this enraged state for a good while before returning to normal.

Another emotion that shows on her visibly is happiness, she is highly excitable at most times. When she gets excited her violet eye will glow, she tends to hide her violet eye because of how frequently it glows. Her violet eye also glows when she's aroused, an additional reason she prefers to keep this particular eye hidden. When she gets super excited or turned on the undersides of her wings will start to glow a bright violet, mimicking her eyes. When she gets to this point she's acts more like a jovial child, or someone who's just been hit with some of the strongest aphrodisiacs know to science.

Her personality basically vanishes when she goes into her dragon form. She is a creature of pure aggression and hate at that point. Most of the time the only way to revert her back to her hybrid form is to knock her out, that or remove everything that could be perceived as a threat and let the beast calm down.

Power: Maggy has a wide verity of powers, many of which she doesn't know how to properly use.

Hybrid form powers

Dragons strength: Maggy is much stronger than your average human, her regular arms being able to lift roughly 7 tonnes, but her extra set of wing arms are far more powerful being able to lift three times as much. She struggles to limit herself when doing physical activities often damaging things on accident.

Dragons hide: Maggy is a tough nut to crack, able to ignore most conventional melee attacks, things like knifes and hammers would break before managing to inflict any damage to Maggy's skin. Firearms will still penetrate her skin, but will probably not inflict very damaging wounds unless targeted at weak points like the eyes.

Magical disguise: Maggy is able to disguise herself or others with very believable disguises. But when she looses focus theses disguises fade away.

Magical blasts: Maggy can conjure up crude blasts of purple energy, they are relatively weak not dealing that much damage. They mainly just push over opponents or apply light burns. They travel fairly slowly for a projectile attack, and those who have good reflexes could avoid them fairly easily.

Wings and claws: Maggy's wing arms are armed with ferocious claws that can tear through metal, this coupled with her strength makes them very dangerous. And they may be wing arms, but she can't actually fly properly with them, instead she can glide short distances or slow herself down if she's falling allowing her to jump from great heights with little fear of injury.

Transformation: Maggy can transform into a powerful dragon form, but this is almost never worth it. The transformation itself hurts an incredible amount, she has to feel her bones breaking and reforming, her muscles tearing and healing. This process isn't fast either, it's not like ripping off a band-aid. It takes a good 20 seconds of agonising pain to fully change form, this torture often leaves her less than sane, going into a frenzied rage attacking anything that moves.

Weakness/limitations: When it comes to mobility and evasion, Maggy has plenty of room to improve. She's ill experienced in combat let alone using her powers. Also her great strength comes with a downside, she's permanently ill from her mutations, she can be found frequently coughing up black gunk. This gunk is highly toxic and should be avoided.

Dragon form powers

True dragons strength/hide: In dragon form Maggy is immensely strong being able to move train cars or bulldozers, all this strength being focused in her humongous wing arms. She is also vastly more durable in dragon form then previously. Able to tank multiple explosives with little problem, the explosions will hurt for sure but she's able to push through them and continue fighting. Bullets now have even less effect on her barely getting through her hardened scales.

Volatile magical blasts: The dragon form has for more deadly energy attacks, taking the form of purple fire or crackling purple explosions. These attacks are best avoided dude to their great impact force and scolding heat. Fortunately the explosive blasts are very short range only extending out maybe 5-6 meters in front of Maggy.

Wings: In dragon form Maggy is able to properly use her wings and is capable of flight.

Weakness/limitations: In dragon form Maggy is huge. This makes her an easy target for attacks, this size also prevents her from being stealthy in any capacity. She retains her chronic illness from her hybrid state but also looses sight on her right side, only having a left eye.

Likes: Meat, Candy, Blood, Milk, Quiet, Food, people.

Dislikes: People, Quiet, Racism, weaklings.

Skills: Maggy really has no outstanding skills outside of her powers, this is mostly due to her complete lack of memories. She only has basic knowledge, like how to cook and speak.

Other: Maggy has basically no memories of who she was before being a dragon hybrid. Whatever changed her made sure she didn't know what it was.

[User]
SmokeLocation: Middle Shopping Center

---

---

 "There'll be no need for that."

 Smoke had been watching the situation unfold, and seeing the masked woman's response encouraged him to approach and attempt to defuse the situation. Although the happenstance before him seemed tense, Smoke retained his casual, carefree demeanor as he walked towards the cashier girl. However, he seemed to be quite a bit taller than he had been moments before, and was now at least half a foot taller than the masked woman.

 "Go ahead and get back to the store. And here,"  He said to the small cashier, producing a stack of fifteen hundred dollar bills and giving them to the girl. "For your troubles." He continued with a smile, waving to the girl as she nervously took the money and left.

 He then turned his attention to the masked woman, a glow emanating from his eyes as he stepped closer to her, the two now standing only a few feet apart. He didn't say anything for a few minutes, instead simply gazing into her eyes; the one uncovered at least. Then, with a smile, he spoke.

 "So I guess material goods isn't the best way for me to thank you, is it? He asked, casually scratching the back of his neck.

 "Sorry about sending the girl, rather than doing it myself. Call me a romantic, but I've always enjoyed the Secret admirer approach." He continued with a soft chuckle.

 He then picked up the bag filled with a dozen various dresses, and extended them to her.

 "But it'd be a crime to let these good dresses go to waste, that girl did have a nice taste. She's got a knack for fashion. Maybe you'd let me thank you, and apologize, over a nice meal? I've heard there's high expectations from the Chinese place in the food court."

---

 It seems that Chinese wasn't in the cards for either Smoke or the masked woman as a green outline appeared around them. Smoke knew what was happening, and as they teleported into the train he instinctively stepped forward, keeping himself between the skeleton and the others. Turning to look at the strangers, he noticed that there were quite a few others in the train, and after sizing them up, he spoke.

 "Stay behind me. I'll handle this."

[Assistant]
Above the new shopping center a medium sized hover craft loomed about 100 meters above the roof. Painted jet black and with high tech engines that could outrun any police vehicle in the city the ship is quite an intimidating sight for any police who would try to give chase to say the least. It's crew, however, was a complete different story. The crew was formed of the most hardened and merciless criminals you could find in the region. Together the made up the infamous crime group called the black ring. Now a mere 100 meters above the mall 17 men of different species from the black ring stood preparing their weapons and equipment for a raid on a jewelry store that was housed in the shopping center called "Cut". The store belonged to one of the richest gem cutters in the Skyline area named Colroy Geat.

 The only thing that marked the men of the black ring was every one of them was wearing a black skull mask which was upgraded with a high tech HUD that could pick up threats, non-threats, security cameras, ect. In the middle of the group Jet sat with his back leaned against the wall of the ship, he had already checked his gear over multiple times and was now waiting for the leader of the raid, Splice, to give the order to attack. Splice was a giant reptilian who stood over 7 feet tall and his heart was as cold as his blood.

 15 minutes went by before the sliding door on the side of the craft slowly and silently slid open with a small hiss. Splice walked over to the edge and looked down, they were directly on top of the jewelry store. "Alright worms you all know the mission so i wont waste my breath explaining it again, take everything and leave nothing." The reptilian said through clenched teeth, "Oh and one last thing, waste any cop or security who stands in out way." With those final words he jumped out of the ship and descended on the roof. Jet stood up readied his weapon and prepared to descend.


[System]
Race: Beorc
Age: 26
Appearance:
Class: Mercenary
Weapon Proficiency: Sword A
Features:
Stats
 Constitution - 4
 Strength - 5
 Magic - 0
 Skill - 5
 Speed - 4
 Defense - 3
 Resistance - 1
 Luck - 2
Inventory: Diamante (Long Sword Effective against Cavalry and Knights), Iron Sword, Vulnerary
Personality: Erik is impulsive and short-tempered. He is quick to action when he believes it is necessary, and does not believe in waiting when something could be done. Although he does not always think about the consequences of his actions, Erik's heart is always in the right place. He is generally friendly, and steadfastly loyal to those he calls friend. He is also straigthforward and blunt, not always succumbing to noble etiquette and formalities.
Biography: As the younger son of Queen Jannis of Albia, Prince Erik enjoyed a rather privileged life. However, he despised the nobility life and wanted to go on adventures. Being second in line to the throne, Erik never had the pressures of learning to rule like his older brother Rolph. Queen Jannis wanted to encourage Erik to experience the outside world, so she sent him to other cities in Albia as well as other countries to learn and train. While he did that, Erik often got into mischief. In Monos, he studied with the crown prince Brandon of House Rolklin, where the two often got into trouble. Queen Jannis also allowed Erik to train in Maul as well. He became fast friends with Princess Anya, who enjoyed having fun as teenagers with Erik. While in Miricia, Erik would often train with the future King Jacob II.

Erik often neglected his duties and tried to have fun with his life. That was until he learned of his childhood friend's assassination. Normally, Queen Jannis would have sent her older son as a representative to find out about Jacob's death. However, Erik volunteered right away, to seek justice for his friend.

[User]
Prince Erik Reighn - Dawn, Miricia

Erik had difficulty believing that the younger mage, as he had learned he was, was with them the entire time. Erik was known before during his training not to completely be aware of his surroundings, but he thought he would have known if there was another one of them around without him knowing. Then again, Gregory's armor could hide an entire feast behind him, if he wanted. Perhaps it was possible.

"If you were sent by one of the nations, then you can definitely help," Erik answered and then gestured to Noritz. "But I'll echo what he said, what kind of magic can you do? And for everyone's information, if you didn't know, I am Prince Erik Reighn of Albia, along with my trusted knights Gregory and Zachary."

[Assistant]
Nova || Dawn, Miricia

Before he could get any response from the prince, Nova's attention was pulled to the winged Laguz, dark gold eyes meeting up with deep blue. Normally when he brought up being able to do 'magic and stuff', people would just take his word for it. Having to show proof was bit new for him, and honestly, made him feel as if they were going to judge him just based on that. Lowering his gaze down to his satchel once the prince echoed the same thing, Nova reached in and pulled out the three tomes as well as a few of his school books. Turning them so that the spines were visible, the green haired boy pointed to the green Elwind tome.

"I-I can use, fire, lightning, and wind magic. B-But I like the wind o-one the most." He said with a nod. "I learned a l-lot of stuff from school too..." More of less unaware that he used the word 'stuff' again, the young boy looked back to the winged Laguz as he spoke, nodding along once he noticed the information would benefit in terms of him joining. He found himself continuing to nod once he received proper introductions, giving each a proper, and slightly apologetic, bow.

As the boy was straightening from said bow, Nova ended up face to face with the Laguz, unable to hide the flinch that came along with the other crouching to his level. Despite the nervousness boiling up inside of him, Nova's face remained relatively calm.
"My name is...Nova. I'd r-rather not give my family name for the sake of keeping my parents m-mostly anonymous, but th-they are instructors at the college I a-attend due south of h-here..." He said as he started to shove the books back into his little bag. "...Might I ask your name?" He questioned back, his attention on the Laguz once again.

[User]
Nortiz - Dawn, Mirica

Prince Erik Reighn. Big man is Gregory. Archer is Zachery. Got it.

The raven laguez mentally tallied that info away to not be forgotten. Wouldn't do to have that sort of disadvantage, especially when the mage showed the Elwind book. A chill spread through his bones as he thought of how that wind tore at the wings and turned a natural ally into a betrayer. If this was the official Mirica delegate for this quest, Nortiz was going to have to be on his guard, even if the boy, Nova, seemed more worried about their view of him than anything.

"...Might I ask your name?"

Nort blinked. Asking his name? When was the last time a beroc had been interested in his name? "Nortiz," He replied. Then he turned to the wolf faunus. "And your's fair lady?"

[Assistant]
Prince Erik Reighn - Dawn, Miricia

Prince Erik watched the young boy, who introduced himself as Nova, show his skill with magic. Truly, he seemed adept, even despite his young age. Erik was hesitant to take a younger boy with him, but since he knew about the mission and had former training, he figured whoever had sent him had done so with the belief that he was capable. Erik wasn't in any position to doubt it, and if they were truly going to Derak and potentially had to engage in fights with winged laguz, then a wind magic wielder would be useful.

Erik glanced around his group at the various gathered he would be taking along with him. Between the three laguz and the three beorc accompanying him, they had a good mix of everything they might need on the journey.

"Great!" Gregory began as everyone concluded their greetings. "So Albia it is. We can make a stop at Albia City for supplies and to commission a ship. The trip to the coast should be fairly uneventful in our own borders. From there, sailing along our shores would be no problem. After that, well... we'd have to see after that."

"We all know Gannon pirates are likely waiting there," Erik commented by crossing his arms. "They're brazen enough to try. We'll worry about that when we get there. For now, I hope you're all ready for the road. It's a week's ride. We head to Albia City."

[User]
Chapter 1: The Merunda Bandits

Prince Erik Reighn - Merunda, the borders of Miricia and Albia

"Ah, Albia!" Gregory applauded loudly as he caught sight of the familiar village of Merunda. The group had journeyed along the road together for nearly a week. After they exited the capital city of Dawn, the rest of Miricia was a bunch of fields and small villages that Gregory recommended Erik to avoid, so as not to draw unnecessary attention. Therefore, most of their trip was camping instead of sleeping in normal inns. Merunda was the first sizeable village that was close enough to Albia (being right on the border) that was supposedly safe enough to spend the night. "It'll be just past this village." He beamed happily.

Erik nodded in agreement. He was happy to finally be close to his home nation, where things made just a bit more sense. Before that, however, they agreed to spend one last night in a Mirician village. "We're not through yet," Erik began as his hand slipped to the hilt of his sword, as if absentmindedly ensuring it was still there. "Let's head to the local inn," He proceeded down the hill, glancing around at the surrounding forestry. While his mind was occupied to his current surroundings, the others would notice quite an extensive amount of damage in the city below. Barrels were broken on the street. A few houses appeared broken in to and vandalized. Steady smoke came from one of the houses further into the city.

Something had happened in Merunda. And it happened recently.

[Assistant] Gerwazy, the captain obvious he is, stated "I've got a bad feeling about this." His staff at the ready, he looks at the prince, worriment in the young Laguz's eyes. "My prince, do you have any idea who could have done this?"

[User]
Nortiz - Merunda, Mirica

"Like the smoke and causal destruction wouldn't be enough of a clue something was off." Nortiz rolled his eye at the dragon ambassador, hiding his own unease at the sight before them. He looked around to see if he spotted anyone as he got out his beaststone and unfolded his wings from beneath his cloak.

"I can scout out ahead and report back." He declared, waiting for feedback. Now was not the time to push the prince's limits. Travelling had been surprisingly uneventful so far, but the raven knew too well how it was the rare beorc or leader indeed that allowed potential challenges to their command.

[Assistant]
Merunda, Mirica

 "It looks like they have been a target of a raid…" Zachary bites his lip as he takes in the destruction before him. Seeing such a place left in such a condition makes him shake in disgust at whosoever caused this incident. But it was looking at it that got him more distressed as the moments ticked by.

Zachary noticed that it was rather quiet. How long has it been since the attack? And where are the citizens?

Turning to Prince Erik, a serious look is upon his face:  "My Prince! I believe that we may need to make haste and see if there are any survivors. Either they need our help or they can tell else whom has done this to them if they have already left."

[User]
Nova || Merunda

The week that came and went from traveling was mostly uneventful. Camping was neat, except for the bugs...and the dirt...and not being able to sleep because it was a little too dark, but that's beside the point. What mattered now was that the group had made it to safe civilization, which meant Nova didn't have to sleep outside. Just the thought of being in a bed was almost enough to distract the teen from the destroyed city before them; fortunately he wasn't that narrow minded.

Anxiety was quick to settle in the green haired boy's stomach, a hand resting there as if it would alleviate the feeling somehow. Nortiz offered to scout ahead while Zachary claimed they should go and look for surviors, both of which were valid options.
"I-I think we should d-do both. Mr. Nortiz should can scout ahead s-since he'll get around q-quick while the rest of us search for a-any survivors...or even wh-who caused this." He tried to explain, both arms already clutching his Fire tome to his chest, awaiting what the prince would eventually decide on.

[Assistant]
Prince Erik Reighn - Merunda, the borders of Miricia and Albia

Erik shook his head in response to Gerwazy. "No clue. This area isn't known for a lot of... this activity," He gripped the hilt of his blade harder and the group ventured further into the town. He then nodded in response to Zachary's suggestion. That was probably the best thing to do. But he also figured that scouting may be beneficial as well. "That sounds good. Noritz, go scout ahead in the surrounding area and see what's going on, and if there's still any threats. The rest of us, let's see if anyone needs any help. Stay sharp."

Erik headed into the town. The few villagers still on the streets rushed into their homes as the armed group passed by. It didn't matter whether they were the beorc or laguz among the group. The villagers were scared. One villager still wandered outside, not yet seeing Erik and his group. When he heard the sounds of their armor shuffling behind him, however, he quickly turned around. "Hey there, do you need any he-" Before the prince would finish, the villager ran off and into a nearby home.

Erik shook his head, wondering what was going on. Before he could say anything else, however, an older villager spoke up from behind the group. "It was bandits." The old man said.

"Hmm?" Erik turned to observed the old man. He was worn out, barely able to stand, and scared. "Bandit raids, my lord."

"Bandits? All the way here?" Gregory asked incredulously. "But bandits never wander this close to villages."

"That may have been the case before, sir knight," The old man said. "But ever since the situation with King Jacob and his assassination, the bandits of Merunda have become more bold. It's been constant raid here. They take what they want, and kill any who oppose us. They've been raiding constantly," The old man began to tear up as he talked, looking down on the ground. Erik frowned at him.

[User]
Nortiz - Merunda, Mirica

"With pleasure." Nortiz bowed, then activated the beaststone, taking on his raven form again. He paused a moment, stretching out his wings as the shift finished, before launching into the air, barrel-rolling as he went. In an non-emergency situation like this, it was always so much fun to be in bird form. Let the air through his wings, be high in the sky where troubles temporarily disappear. But real world concerns had to take precedence and he had a job to do.

Shaking his head, Nortiz started circling around the town, on the lookout for who did this and/or any potential threats. As one circle revealed nothing but countryside, he spread out to a new circle. After a few passes, he spotted a group heading towards the town. Swooping lower, Nort spotted the various weapons and bandit apparel (not too dissimilar from pirates). The visages didn't look particularly friendly either, making him think that these were likely hostile. Nort briefly made a headcount (disappointed that their movement made 15-20 as accurate as he could get) before hurriedly flying back towards the town. If bandits were anything like pirates...Quickly finding the prince, he landed. "Sire, bandits coming this way."

[Assistant]
Prince Erik Reighn - Merunda, the borders of Miricia and Albia

"Blast!" Erik cursed as Noritz brought news he didn't wish to here. The prince of Albia unsheated his longsword, which also caused Gregory to grip tightly on his lance in preparation. The old man, who paled in his face after hearing the news, quickly got off his seat to head into the inn. "He's got the right idea. Any other citizens make their way for cover!" Erik glanced at the group. "We have to hold them off, and protect the citizens here," Erik looked around the town for potential cover and other tactical advantages he could find.

"We could try to take them by surprise," Gregory suggested. "They won't be expecting an armed escort of knights around."

"Or laguz allies for that matter," Erik concurred and nodded his head. "We should use that. What's the count, Noritz?" He questioned the bird laguz. "Anyone else have any suggestions?"


[System]
Height: 6'4"

Weight: 211lbs

Hair Color: Dull Brown

Eye Color:
Left Eye: Green
Right Eye: Hidden beneath Eyepatch, assumed missing
Age: 37

Personality: Taskmage Atreides might be described as sarcastic, disrespectful to anyone who attempts to assert superiority over him, bitter and jaded to the world as a whole. They would not be wrong, but they would not know the whole picture of the Taskmage either. Wandering the lands of the Imperium, doing work for whomever needed his services hardens a man to the suffering and pain the world has. The first to reply to an insult or taunt with a sardonic and often times venomous reply, one would be surprised to note that when the Taskmage takes someone under his protection and tutelage, nothing short of complete obliteration stays his hand when it comes to bettering said person. Such unshakeable loyalty made him a popular hired hand, since once he took the money, he didn't betray his employer until the job, as listed per contract, was complete and someone paid him more to form a new contract. So despite his sardonic comments, his often times unlikeable statements and displeasing aura he seems to have, Atreides is not one to abandon the few that earn his loyalty rather then buy it, regardless the cost to himself.

Weapons:
+Luna (Detailed in main image): A blade forged with equal parts magic and forge work, this weapon is his primary means of fighting in hand to hand, and his only means of armed combat outside his magic. Due to its unique forging process, it acts as a natural focus and can channel both his ritual magics and actual combat spells when in a bind.

+Khopesh Blade: An enigma of a weapon, Atreides refuses to explain the weapon or why he carries it when it serves no purpose that Luna, his main sword, could not possibly do better. It is completely immune to any spells he has ever attempted to cast on it, some far more powerful effect deflecting any overriding enchantments from his rituals, but it never seems to leave his person. Even when lost, its back in his pack within a few hours when no one is looking.

Abilities (Magic):
Taskmage: Rather then specialize in any one specific arcane art, Taskmages are expected to be able to act as the jack of all trades, when referenced against the arcane practitioners of the realm. This comes as a twin edged blade, some seeing an advantage, others, a grave disadvantage. Taskmages will rarely best enemy wizards in the field the hostile mage has dedicated him or herself to, however, Taskmages can command a far greater, and wider, variety of spells without any more training than most normal mages, and generally have a knack for quickly copying spells for their own use, albeit taking time to bring them up to a well trained enough level to be dangerous. Generally, only one to three spells from any one school of magic might be known at any one time, although legends of the predecessors to modern Taskmages make stories of men and women capable of utilizing advanced magic from many different schools, after many years of application and training.

Current Schools Utilized: Electromancy, Geomancy, Pyromancy

Ritualistic Magic: As many times as a Taskmage might be hired to join a Mercenary band to provide a versatile hidden weapon, they are as often hired to prepare and enact various rituals that more dedicated archmages are too busy, or ask too high a price, to do. Protective wards, weapon enchanting, tracking spells, Ritual Magic is generally not seen as a in combat viability for the most part, instead used to prepare for combat before hand, runes and phrases prepared to trigger the effects stored by the rituals. Usually, even with prior preparation, a lengthy phrase must be recited to trigger a rituals effect.

Current Known Rituals:
Weapon Empowerment: (Atreides can currently only activate these on his own specially prepared blade)
+Ignis (Engulfs the Weapon in flames, Atreides most preferred and his go to enchantment)
+Umbra (Cloaks the weapon in shadow, creating an afterimage which reduces enemies ability to defend against following attacks)
+Sol (Encases the weapon in holy Light, highly effective against unholy and daemonic beings. Can also act as an impromptu torch)

Raise Barrier: Arcane (Made of pure energy, vice terraforming or utilizing surrounding natural elements)

Track Object: Living (Supplied with a piece of the target's body, such as hair or fingers, he can glean a general direction in which the target fled. The fresher the sample, the more effective and accurate the tracking is. Only works on targets alive at the time of casting.)

Other: Taskmage Atreides appears to be blind in his right eye, even without the eyepatch covering it, and refuses to discuss the circumstances leading to this happening to anyone besides one specific person.

[User]
It was always so weird jumping into the middle of a story. Both figuratively and literally, in Exo's case, as she juggled two of her orbs at the side until the time came that she reached the town with the "protagonists" of her interests. It was an unfortunate event, indeed! When one jumped in the middle, they had almost no idea as to what went on or how things worked or anything in between and that in itself could be a poor existence. She was inclined to ask about what the lot of them were up to but-

Well. Wouldn't you be cranky if you fought off a big green lizard with a penchant to act like a bull? So she remained quiet for the time being and had actually taken the time to politely ask the owner of the inn if she could stay on top of the roof before she came down to pay for a room. Perhaps it was a question that wasn't asked commonly, because the dumbfounded look on his face followed with a slow nod before she clapped her hands in delight and made a little staircase out of her orbs from the back of the building to get up there and settle down. Nighttime was always a time to look up at the stars and see how the shining lights connected -- especially for an adolescent so enamored with lasers and shining spells of varying degrees.

She even played a small game of connecting the lines with tiny lights that patterned through her orbs, laying on her back to make it "fit" visually before the night finally got to her and she settled her way downstairs to pay for a room and get her ass to sleep. Well. As much sleep as someone like her could manage with this incessant question bothering her.

And that is why she almost pounced on Sable the moment she saw the woman awake.

"Miss Protagonist! I never got permission to use your name or the chance to ask why you guys were out fighting a dragon in the first place. Is it something confidential or could I be clued in?~ And good morning! I hope you slept well."

[Assistant]
N'kara yawns as she wakes up, the bed creaking as she turns from one side to another. Well, she reached Rivenwood... Now what? Last night was not really that special. As soon as she entered into town she saw alot of Imperial soldiers patrolling around. Not sure to what their intentions were she hid herself under her cloak, covered her mouth with a scarf and went to the nearest inn as she could find. Once in there she asked the innkeeper for a room for one person. She also asked him if he could bring some food up to her room later. The innkeeper was suprised and said that she was his second guest to ask that today. Not caring about that statement, N'kara went straight up to the room.

Now it was already morning and she was looking up the ceiling, lost in thought. Good morning, you didnt sleep that well, did you? Is something troubling you? A smile formed on her lips. Indeed... You always see right through me dont you? Now then, since you know everything, why do I feel like this? It chuckled in response. Well, your thoughts are not a secret for me so I guess you could say so. And I know what you're missing. You feel like you dont have a purpose anymore. N'kara let out a loud sigh. That was indeed what she was lacking, nothing drove her anymore. But somehow she had a feeling that in Rivenwood she would find her true purpose. Be it that the gods had something in store for her or just by pure chance, she knew that there was a reason which drove her to Rivenwood. Well, I guess you should get dressed if you want to find out what you're doing here. N'kara smiled as she sat up straight and put her chainmail on.

Once she got down stairs and paid the innkeeper for his services N'kara spotted a boy who seemed very eager to get out of town. Although she did not know why, she had the feeling that this boy might be important, or atleast usefull, in finding out what she was supposed to do here. She proceeded to follow the boy and as she did he bumped into someone at the town square. A girl full clad in red. He seemed to act as if he knew the girl but his pose seemed aggressive. It didnt really seem like the girl was interested in him, she didnt even seem annoyed by him. That boy... He reaks of bloodlust. If you want to find out what you're here for you better stop him from doing something stupid before the guards get involved. A grin formed under the scarf which covered her mouth. Although the prospect of killing excited her she was more concerned that this might be her last chance at knowning what her true purpose was.

Slowly she walked over to the pair, noticing that there were others interested in the two of them as she closed in. The boy was overconfident, if he were to start a fight he would have to face atleast three people; the girl in red and two others. He would surely lose, but then again, he was hiding some dark power. The best way to make sure that it wouldnt result in a slaughter would be to... No... What are you doing... Ooh damn it all.

As N'kara got closer she could hear them speak. And then to make sure that they wouldnt attack eachother she decided to give the boy something else to think about. Oi, whelp! Get you're arse out of my way! As she finished her sentence she tried to push the boy with her shoulder. And here I thought you would do something sensible for once. Instead you try to avoid a fight by starting one.

Perhaps this wasnt the person who would help her with her serious matters... That didnt mean she couldnt get abit of fun out of him though. Unfortunatly N'kara didnt look where she was walking and stumbled. Now she accidentily tackled the boy... This just keeps getting worse, doesnt it?

[User]
Sable blinked.

She had not been expecting this sort of activity to take place so early in the morning. She had slipped by Atreides back at the inn, figuring he still had his own thoughts to contend with. Now she stood in the center of the village…only to be approached by the rather rude fellow from yesterday. Sable scanned Mal up and down with a blank gaze.

"We are in search for the other Relics," she answered honestly and methodically. "Therefore, there is no need to rush towards our next location. At most, I can guess the Imperium soldiers from last night were looking for them too. That means-oh."

The Crimson Streak was interrupted by the girl with the floating balls; the rather eccentric one who spewed around literary titles everywhere. Sable gave her a small nod of greeting.

"Good morning Exo. To answer your questions in sequential order: My name is Sable, though people tend to call me the Crimson Streak. The dragon attacked us out of pure instinct I imagine. I hope that sates your curiosity."

And then, lo and behold, someone new showed up, promptly tackling Mal to the ground without reason or care. Watching the boy fall, Sable moved in to the new woman and did the polite thing.

"Hello."

Something was wrong. Sable could sense an unnerving aura surrounding the newcomer, though she couldn't place what it was nor did she comment on it aloud. She would have to ask Atreides to study her if possible. He was, after all, much more adept at seeing these kinds of things she was.

"Please do not start fights," she told to both Mal and the newcomer. "The townsfolk are watching."

Indeed, the citizens were  watching, having gathered around outside their homes to witness the gathering of strange people. Some of them whispered among themselves, casting suspicious glances their way.

"Mercenaries," one of them, an elderly man, spat. "No good comes from their kind. Especially with those accursed Relics popping up everywhere. First them, now the whole damn Imperium breathing down our backs…"

[Assistant]
Atreides eventually strolled out of the tavern, having kept an eye on the comings, goings, and gossip for awhile, leaving payment for his drinks and time spent there, and unlike so many of the usual mercenaries and sort coming through the town, the Taskmage was one who was usually tolerated more than others, due to his beneficial nature alongside hte profit of having them paying to stay and resupply in such places. But as he walked out of the establishment and skirted down the sides of the road, he noticed something that made the man sigh. That punk ass with the shadow chains was getting in Sable's face, and to make matters worse, some barbarian that reeked of the Old Gods had went and tackled him, which would no doubt start some fight that would destroy far too much property to ever be welcome again. And would bring Sable into the line of fire, which simply would not do. But he couldn't just blast both into oblivion, god knows what the woman would do if she died with that stinking aura of the Old Gods, and punk ass probably had something nasty up his sleeves too.

"What in the blazing fucks are you two damn clowns doing? Making some big stinking scene in the road, let me address both of you. One, lady, really need to ditch that Old God thing you got going, you reek of it, from a mile away. Secondly, if you need male attention that badly, tackling strangers in the road ain't the easiest way to go about it. As for you, punk, getting up in a ladies face, rude and uncalled for. No one sees you big and tough getting in her face like that. Especially considering she cold filet you and string you up to dry before any of us blinked. Secondly, none of your damn business what other folks are doing or why, savvy? Try being polite and not barging into another persons business, aye?"

Atreides was giving his speech all as a front, walking in a circle around the group, his movements seperating Sable from the tackled pair of fools, and outside the circle in the dirt that eventually was formed as he finished speaking, standing beside Meat with his arms crossed and a very, very dissaproving look on his face. The two idiots try something, that circle was one of his dirty tricks, it formed a barrier that nothing gets in or out of, so any damage would be contained and prevent harm to the surroundings. Second, if either of them came after himself or Sable, same deal, and he would leave them to either figure out how to get out, or starve in the street. He didn't take kindly to these sort, especially the kid who was so damn determined to not come across as some weak ass punk. No one cared, Atreides certainly didn't, about what the kid thought he had to prove. The Taskmage had been there, done that, and all he got was a lousy shirt from the whole mess. Let the kid try something stupid, either of them, Atreides had some energy to burn for once.


[System]
Sex: Male

Age: 28

Race: Perili

Affinity: Sensus

Personality: Riad seems like he thinks he floats through life with no trouble, almost always aloof, amused, energetic, and definitely not entirely sane. While he doesn't trust anyone, he doesn't have the inclination or thought to distrust them either, and so simply settles for never letting his life be placed in someone else's hands intentionally. He can often be seen frolicking about in an odd manner, and trying to think of new ways to use his magic when he needs to sit still. He also has a habit of coming up with a definite opinion of someone almost immediately, sometimes before even meeting them, as to whether he likes or dislikes them. Those he likes almost never hear him cease talking when his attention turns to them, and those he dislikes he ignores, or replies in his own made-up language until they leave him alone. If alone in a room with a lot of people, he can be caught staring lengthily at an individual, chosen at random, in an odd manner.

Fighting Style: Riad relies heavily on his self-created "physical" illusion spells. Combining the four affinities he has tought himself,, Riad is capable of creating illusions that are practically real, including the ability to cause physical pain. Almost all of his illusions are of two affinities at least, most often Lux and Sensus, as those are what he finds to make the best two-affinity illusions, though they do not cast a shadow. He only has one conduit, which he made himself, and is simply a short whittled stick that emits a bright flash of light that can easily cause temporary blindness. If Riad is forced to resort to physical brutality, he will bite, claw, and kick without knowing pain or fear, and has surprising strength for his frame.

Bio: Riad was born, unfortunately, on Spinel, and was subjected to raw magic at a young age, warping him permanently. Ever since, he's had stunted growth, especially pale skin, a sickly look, and an equally sick mind. It wasn't until much later in his life that he theorized that this incident actually increased the amount of power he had. After he made a partial recovery from the magic warp, he began thoroughly enjoying skinning, stabbing, throwing, and breaking the bones of any small creatures unlucky enough to come within reach of him long enough to be caught. He fortunately didn't take this idea to small people, but not everyone figured that out after meeting him, resulting in him once or twice nearly getting lynched.

Around the age of twelve, Riad became almost obsessed with magic, teaching himself with every bit of knowledge available in the town he was in. His first spell is the one he's almost come to master, his "Flash Pain" spell. He enjoyed torturing both person and animal with this spell, eventually getting himself into positions where he was avoided as much as possible. Riad had no problem with this, as it gave him more time to collect ingredients and make more spells for himself. At one point he had tried to create his own language to create spells in, but he found it just simply did not work, though he could not determine why. He held on to the language however, though it hasn't saved him much trouble.

Once he turned eighteen, Riad left his home with no warning and began wandering Spinel in hopes of learning more about magic, especially the kinds he already used. After just short of a decade of this, Riad stowed away on a boat to Chalcedony, and has never once considered returning to Spinel since. He has since acted as a wandering vagabond, sleeping where he can and doing some random odd-jobs when he needs more coin. His wanderings eventually led him to the city of Ebb, where he finally decided to settle down. He has yet to find a single place to live, and so wanders the town during the day and sleeps in high alleys and other places at night, when something else doesn't come up.

Appearance: Standing at 5'3", almost marshmallow colored, and physically looks to be just skin and bones, the only thing intimidating about this little man is the insane look in his eye.To anyone who has any familiarity with magic warp, it is clear both his body and mind have been affected by it to the point of it being incurable, but seemingly survivable, and the patches of green-blue scales on seemingly random places on his bodies don't help him look any less sickly. His gait is very precise and quick, though his slouch is noticeable, and gives him a sense of animality and savagery.

His wardrobe comes entirely out of his backpack, and is only a couple of changes of long shirts and long pants. He always wears a belt, and typically hooked onto it as well as around his shoulder is a awkward looking bag that contains his travelling food and money. The only item that is clearly a personal affect is a bronze band that he wears on his left ring finger.

Additional

Character Quote: "Don't worry, Illusions can't hurt you, right?"

Motivation: To be able to create illusions that are equivalent to their real counterparts.

Greatest Love: Causing Pain

Greatest Fear: Losing the ability to do spells.

Miscellaneous Objects On Person: A Butter knife, a spoon, two forks ("One for stabbing and one for eating"), a small block of wood, a picture of a woman, a ticket to a play, a copious amount of pencils, his home-mad magic wand, and two sealed vials of raw Tenebris.

List of Spells
(Key: ▲ are Cast spells, △ are Touch spells, ■ are Self spells, ● are Area spells, ○ are Curse spells, and ◨ are Rune spells. The number of ★'s represents how skilled Riad is at that spell, with a maximum of five.)
Single Affinity Spells:
★★★★★, △ Sensus; Flash Pain: "Scream for me." Causes instant agonizing pain in target.
★★★★, △ Sensus; Feeless; Causes the target to not be able to feel the caster temporarily.
★★★★, ■ Tenebris; Vanish: Causes the caster to vanish from sight, works best in shadows.
★★★, ● Sonus; Deafen: Emits a very loud piercing sound.
★★★, ● Sonus; Deaden: Reduces sound in the area.
★★, ▲Lux; Focus: Redirects light.

Dual Affinity Spells:
★★★★, ▲Lux, Sensus; Bladed Pain: Creates a blade of light in the caster's hand that causes severe pain when the blade is touched, and is capable of passing through solid objects.
★★★★, ▲ Tenebris, Sensus; Speaking Shadow: Creates fake shadows that give living creatures the sense of being watched, and the caster is capable of making a particular individual think they are hearing whispers.
★★★★, ◨△ Sensus, Sonus; Warning: This spell can be of any size, and when triggered lets out a high-pitched squeal as well as sends a short sense of feeling to the caster, informing him or her of its being triggered and cannot be activated by the caster.
★★★, ▲● Lux, Sonus; Blind and Deaf: This spell is the equivalent of a flashbang.
★★★, ▲ Lux, Sonus; Speaking Illusion: Creates an illusion of any shape or size that can be seen and heard.
★★★, ▲ Tenebris, Sonus; Walking Shadow: Creates shadows at the edges of the targets vision that seem to be walking around, and sometimes whisper.
★★, ▲ Lux, Tenebris; Solid Illusion: Creates a visual representation of something that can interact with the world, but not be heard.
★★, ◨▲■ Lux. Sonus; Farsee: Caster puts a rune on a surface that can be activated by the caster at any time to see and hear what is going on in front of/around the rune. Very Limited "Signal" range.
★★, ● Lux, Tenebris; Confuse: Creates nonsensical shadows and lights around the caster that are often conflicting and distracting, not to mention confusing.

Strengths:
Spells naturally have a higher potency.
Wide variety of spells.
Can use four different magic affinities.
Doesn't feel pain.
Wonderful at lying.

Weaknesses:
If he likes someone, it's impossible to reverse that, and he will always be friendly to them.
Physical deformities due to Magic Warp
Due to using four affinities, they are not as powerful as using one or two.
Does not always act or speak coherently.
Distractible.
Terrible at gambling.
Completely untrustworthy and everyone knows it.

[User]
Edwin pocketed the communicator, and began studying the rebreather, mumbling his thoughts along the way. "I wonder..." His main consideration was methods of extending the conduit's time limit. "Hmm. Without knowing it's design I couldn't do much to improve the spell itself, but..." Maybe he could extend it's ability by compounding spells of a similar nature. He sighed. "The spell's design is still an issue. The effects of a compound enchantment would be unpredictable." He placed the rebreather within another one of his coat pockets. "It would probably be easier just to make one from scratch." Tinkering with the rebreather would have to wait. Right now he wouldn't have the time or the resources for it anyways.

A few minutes later another thought came to mind. If I were to work on it later, somebody with expertise in related affinities could be helpful. As the group came to a halt, about to split into two, Edwin spoke out towards them. "Is anyone here skilled in the use of the Aura or Aqua affinities?" And took the rebreather back out of his pocket, tossing it up and down in his hand. "There's something I could use your help with. After we're done with the expedition of course."

[Assistant]
Eresa felt it, a rush of elation, as Mancer looked back to her to confirm their readiness. It was deference. Pure sweet deference and she loved it. That the skeletal man had immediately fallen into that mentality was even better. Once this was over she would simply have to find a way to keep him in her services. What a jewel of a... man she supposed.

"No, no, as you were," she spoke with a ready smile as she simply hopped across the canal and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder, "I'm certain that we're all more than ready to leave this fetid pit."

The climb was thankfully short. Were she not constrained by her dress or her heels, it would have taken her no time at all, but that would be unseemly. The view that greeted her was, as advertised, a slum.

Dwarves of all ages, though definitely weighted towards the elderly, milled about. Their eyes were on the strangers resting somewhere between notice and vacancy. One thing was uniform, however, here was no hope to be found here. None at all. And down this oppressive alleyway, at its terminus, rested the plain form of the Depth Plumbers' offices.


[System]
(キャサリンベローズ)
Kyasarin Berōzu

---

---

Alias:
Kate, That Bellows Girl, Tinker, Meddler, Sneaker, Wild Eyes, Titan-Shredder.

Species: Human.
Gender: Female
Birthdate: October 27th.
Age: 16-17.
Height: 5' 5"

Relatives/Relationships:
Jonathan Bellows - Biological Father (deceased)
Myra Bellows - Biological Mother (deceased)
Hange Zoë - Biological Aunt (alive)
Grisha Jaeger - Former Doctor (deceased)
Carla Jaeger - Friend; Older (deceased)
Eren Jaeger - Friend; Younger (alive)
Armin Arlert - Friend; Younger (alive)
Mikasa Ackerman - Friend; Younger (alive)

Current Residence: Utopia District in Wall Rose.
Former Residence: Shiganshina District in Wall Maria.
Occupation: Survey Corps Member, Research & Development.
Affiliation: Survey Corps; Scout Regiment.

Hair Color: Auburn-Brown.
Eye Color: Violet.

---

Personality:
Following a history of abuse, Kate's social development was a slow burn, as her former doctor had noted that she was "in a state of repression; hiding within herself, until it's safe to come out." It was hard for the world to reach the quiet and solitary Kate, who spent much of her time studying and exploring by herself. Eventually, after crossing paths with Eren, Armin, and Mikasa, the true side of Katherine came out, revealing a truly inquisitive, street-smart, and energetic girl behind all her pain and loneliness. Unfortunately, for all her youthful beauty, she is not very feminine. Due to suffering from the degree of early childhood trauma, despite her compassion and selflessness, remnants of Kate have been filled with mental and emotional instability, making her incredibly unpredictable, and prone to feral yet inappropriate outbursts; her own anger can manifest into that of savage aggression. This led for her to be known as 'That Bellows Girl', because of this odd, sometimes concerning, behavior.

Since the Shiganshina invasion, Katherine does not, but really tries to understand the mindset of the monsters that robbed her of her home. Adding to her curious nature, she developed a habit of voicing this wonder aloud, often asking "Why do you do it? Do you even understand? Are you even in there?", as well as began to associate their dazed and uncontrollable behavior with her own mental state. Even after she threw herself into military training, Kate continues to write these personal thoughts into a booklet, of which she treats as an outlet for herself, whilst having to fill it with notes, involving designs, ideas, and theories for mechanical improvements and innovative inventions. The very concept of coming up with new things and improving old ones, serves as her comfort zone and, if anyone needed assistance with such a field, Kate is the first to go to, and the first to step up, as she might have an idea or two. Essentially, Katherine's intellect outpaces her own emotions.

Speaking of which, now that it is been thrown into the sun, it has become rather difficult for Katherine to figure out certain feelings, whether it is her own, or that of someone else. That does not mean she is not without knowledge of people caring for each other but, due to being born in an unstable household, she has little-to-no experience of developing genuine attachments. Beyond her small group of friends, and extraordinarily little family, Kate, to this day, tries to fit in; all-the-while, not even sure what kind of person she would like, although it is possible she may be seeking someone of whom she could confide in, and depend on; someone that can give her a sense of hope and purpose. Nonetheless, she knows that humanity needs a savior, so, to the best of her ability, Katherine gives it her all to support the military, and ensure her kind's survival.

Abilities:
Omni-Directional Mobility Gear & Blade-Wielding : Even before she started her training, despite her somewhat non-physical stature, Kate's slender but fit body has allowed her in becoming more notably agile, balanced, and fast; whether or not she's on the battlefield, Kate has no trouble getting around with her ODM gear. Due to not possessing great physical strength, she is still working to perfect her blade-wielding skills

Olympic-Level Agility/Martial Arts : Even without her ODM gear, regarding her athletic grace, Kate is naturally flexible, therefore she can perform movements that others can't seem to replicate. This is especially evident in her use of hand-to-hand combat, as she utilizes her agility and reflexes to greatly benefit her lithe stature. She seems to also possess a mastery in parkour, both on and off the battlefield - being able to run, jump, and climb, with great speed.

Genius Intellect : It is possible that Kate's real strength is her clever and innovative mind, as she has quite the knack of coming up with solutions and ideas, when dealing with situations, whether or not, it involves the battlefield. Her personal 'diary' is an outlet for these thoughts, having to be filled with notes on improving machinery, developing new devices, and so forth; her greatest invention being the infamous 'Titan-Shredder', a combat device she herself conceived.

Voiced By:Live-Portrayer:Theme Song(s):

[User]
She never even heard her coming. Sara was fast and quiet and professional...and that caught Kate by surprise now. She could've flinched when the Lieutenant walked in, telling her to ease off. She actually might've done, and there would've also been some kind of response that started with 'But...', but that sort of died on her lips as she understood that she hadn't sleeped, hadn't rested, and hadn't done anything but work on this ever since she was presented with the evidence of Eren's current being. It was too much, too quickly. She couldn't put it down, at least...not until Sara reminded her that she was pushing too hard. She thought that the seriousness of things would sharpen Eren's wits. When things got serious, so did he, but...no. Sara was right. Kate gave her a quiet nod of understanding and backed away from the cell. For a moment, she looked down, irritated with herself by the mistake she made, but then she heard Sara again and she sort of stared a moment.

Is she angry with me or...just trying to help?

No, there was just a hint of a smile. She hadn't expected that. Katherine started to return the smile, and then they both got back to the matter at hand. Eren had not started any sort of shouting match or gotten belligerant when he was talking with Kate. He probably wasn't going to start now, but one thing that he knew was that it wasn't likely that the Brunette was going to lie to him. She might not have ever told a lie in her life, simply because she'd be bad at it. Or rather, she wouldn't stand for it, because people not believing her when she spoke the truth of things was simply unacceptable to her. So, Sara explained what was going on and...well, she must have known about their connection back where it all started in Shigenshina, since she introduced Kate to him.

When asked Sara moved on and asked his name, he hesitated only because he didn't know how to place this new woman, and then answered with his stance stiff and upright, "Eren Jaeger, ma'am.". Kate remained silent, as her part in this was now essentially finished until she was asked some piece of information or she needed to interject something. There was no rumor or information at all on how Sara Reinhardt interrogated people. Usually, there wasn't anyone for a Titan-killer to question like this. Kathering waited for the time in which she would be needed now.

[Assistant]
Sara was patient with every one of the people who served in the military, with the exception that there will be consequences if one is not committed with their duties. Throughout her time of militaristic action, it was quite rare rare for the Angel to externally smile - especially if something or someone had managed to amuse her, or to pass off some sort of strength to them. For that, there was a smile on the inside, as she watched Miss Bellows' slight attempt to return the gesture. In some ways, the Angel was really quite proud of the young woman's talented efforts to gather as much knowledge as she could within their squad, as well as her drive to help the Scouts move forward. That's what made Kate rather valuable, and useful to them.

These thoughts lingered inside the lieutenant's head, shortly before she heard the boy respond to her question. Having to remain sitting in her chair, her leg crossed over the other, she then crossed her arms upon her chest. Her narrow, blue eyes looked into his own. "I believe it", she said simply, and she did, as if she had faith, as well as the feeling in her gut that told her that the boy was more valuable than he initallt seemed. In truth, the discovery of his identity made her stiffen on the spot. 'That name. He's the one; the individual I was meant to seek out. He's the answer to everything'. After some time, Sara calmed herself, momentarily tearing her gaze away from him, and closed her eyes. She then remembered Kate saying the same name under her breath, earlier, during the battle. "I see now", she finally said, after a moment. She hoped to get some answers from the recruit next to her, considering that she may know more about Eren, than everyone else.

Opening her eyes, Sara looked back at the prisoner, having to stand up from where she sat, and kicked the chair with her foot, letting it slide across the floor, and back to the wall behind her. "What happened out there?", she was back to her cold yet soft voice.

[User]
Eren reported the facts as he knew them, starting from the sudden appearance of the Colossal Titan, as it had five years ago. (No mention of the theft of meat, of course.) The way he spoke, it would be clear to Sara that he was a former resident of Shigenshina, and had seen Wall Maria destroyed and the initial invasion of the Titans, firsthand. He knew that skinless horror, he'd seen that armored juggernaut, and he'd watched the town of his birth get consumed. So, he ordered the attack on the Colossal one as soon as it appeared, though it seemed like it was smart enough to defend itself from having its weakpoint struck. Once it had done its part - smashing in the gate - it was gone, like the last time.

The description of events continued as pretty much as Kate had heard from him earlier, except that Eren was a bit less informal, phrasing it more like a report. He was less disoriented, even if he was still confused. Kate herself remained perhaps just as confused. There was no explanation, as of yet. If it wasn't for his apparent shifting ability, you'd just classify him as an Abnormal, an Irregular, and be done with it. But no, he was uniquely dangerous, wasn't he? Like the two who started the invasion to begin with. Eren stopped once he finished the part where he pulled Armin out of a bearded Titan's mouth. It was practically a superhuman feat, doing that. The fact that Armin had still been coherent later was nothing short of miraculous, given what happened. Still, Eren stopped and he looked between Sara and Kate right now.

"I don't remember anything properly after that. I thought I must've cut my way out, continued fighting. I don't know what happened. What she said..."

He was becoming agitated again. If either one of them had to guess, it would be that Eren must have seen or thought or dreamed something in all of this, some kind of disturbing imagery or even memory relating to this. He was trying to make sense of things, but the sense wouldn't come. It was at this point that Kate spoke up.

"May I tell him what happened now?"

After all, it's not like he wasn't seen...

[Assistant]
Sara watched and listened, as the teenager across from her began to recollect on what he remembered. All of it sounded like an experience that was way too similar to that of her own, except for the fact that she lost all memory of what happened, before Erwin and Levi found her in the nape of a Titan. In a way, she found herself having to relate to Eren, in regards to having the same problem in trying to remember what had already occurred. It was clear that he was forgetting one little detail in his story; something Kate seemed to already know. Perhaps the lieutenant could allow her to help him, by simply summing it up.

Her arms crossed upon her chest, the white-haired woman kept her blue eyes upon his form, as if to scan his features, and detect any sort of abnormality to him. By hearing the names of the two cadets, "Armin" and "Mikasa", Sara looked back at the memory of the other teens who were seemed to be attached to Eren by the hip, and by what she heard from a witness, the girl called "Mikasa", who held his unconscious body, was also attacked by him, shortly after he transformed.

Looking to the young woman next to her, Sara simply nodded, giving her permission to speak.


[System]
Age: 20
Major: History
Personality: Felix can be described as an somewhat introvert. Always there for his friends and family but also enjoys his alone time. Often reading what books and comics that interested him. Especially history and mythology, as he loves the two subjects along with video games.

Generally speaking, Felix tends to keep to himself and go with the flow most of the time. However, there are times when he can be stubborn and will not budge. This tends to happen with dealing with something that Felix cares about, and it can be hard to convince him otherwise.

When asked about the myths he has learned and whether or not he believes that there is something more out there. Felix always says he does not know. For Felix always based what he has learned with what he has experienced personally. Though with myths and legends, he always thinks that while they are probably just stories. They might have a truth in them that is waiting to be found.

Background: The eldest son of Colombian immigrants and born in Austin, Texas. Felix was always the odd one out, and despite the times, he tried to fit in. He just couldn't though that did not stop him from making friends. What few they were, and mostly just did his own thing while growing up, which was not easy as his parents struggled to find jobs to support themselves. While they were poor, Felix did not mind, just treating it as something he had to live with and managed his way. What helped was the stories that his mother told him. Often based in myths that she grew up with and made him curious about other cultures and their myths.

It was not until when he was fifteen that his father caught a big break and was offered a well-paying job in Olympia, and though Felix would miss his friends. He did welcome the change as now the family had money that they could spend on luxuries and others on. One thing that Felix asked for was books about history, mythologies, and more. Feeding his personal library and interest in history and mythology. Deciding on becoming an archeologist and seeing the world.

When it became time to go to college, Felix managed to get a scholarship to Evergreen State College and was glad to be able to pursue his dreams though fate would have plans for him.

Favorite Ghost: Blank for now
Do You Believe in UFO's, Astral Projections, Mental Telepathy, ESP, Clairvoyance, Spirit Photography, Telekinetic Movement, Full Trance Mediums, The Loch Ness Monster and The Theory of Atlantis?: Maybe? I am unsure of it all and maybe if I have seen it. I just stick to what is known to be true most of the time.

[User]
Joe Bronson

Joe's wisecrack received no answer, but it served its purpose of making the situation a little bit less awkward, he thought at least. His legs grew tired as he stood in line for his turn, but at least he would still make it out of class before schedule. He put his podcast back on and waited patiently for his turn.

After a few minutes that felt like hours, he saw the brown-haired dude exit the gymnasium. He slowly made his way in behind him and sat down at the cubicle. "Sorry about earlier" he immediately said in a quiet voice. "I was uhhhh, studying! Yeah! I was studying mythology on my phone!" This wasn't entirely incorrect, as he was reading a graphic novel adaptation of Homer's Iliad, so he went with that.

The police officer interviewing him, seemingly not wanting to deal with Joe any further, ignored this. He simply showed him a picture of his classmate and asked if he had a positive or negative relationship.

"Kylie Griffin? I'd say neutral. I didn't really know her that well. She borrowed a bit of kneaded eraser from me once and never gave it back, but I would never assault somebody over that. Besides that, we never really interacted much"

The officer's face remained blank at this quip and simply dismissed him. He made his way over to where the brown-haired dude and the professor were standing, both to hear what they make of this situation, and also to ask what the next class assignment would be.

[Assistant]
Felix Secada

When it was his turn to be asked questions by the police. Which felt like forever, he was calm and ready to get this over with. So after sitting down and the detective started asking his questions with a deadpan face. "So, how well would you say you know your classmate, Kylie Griffin?

"Not well, I did not really talk to her, so I do not know much about her."

"Would you say you have a positive or negative relationship with her?"

"I would say neither, more of a neutral relationship since I did not talk to her, really."

"Do you know if Ms. Griffin had any enemies?"

"I have no idea if she has any, or at least I think no one in the class had problems with her."

The detective would ask more questions, and the more Felix felt that he is not really helping with this investigation. But, what should he guess, he does not know anything about Kylie. Other than she seemed to take the course seriously like he did. A rarity, it seems, in this class but something he should not complain about.

When the detective was done asking his questions, he waved Felix off and dismissed him. Felix got up, and one did he did note about the interview was that the detective did not tell him what happened to Kylie. Like is she okay, or what happened at the Red Square? It had to be serious enough to warrant the cops showing up and them interviewing her classmates. Hopefully, she is okay and not worse like... being dead. That would be an eye-opener for him if something like that happened at this college.

Either way, instead of collecting his things and leaving the classroom. Felix noticed the two of his classmates were around the professor. Maybe asking what he thinks about this or something, he should ask if there would be an assignment despite the cops showing up. So he walked over to the group and waited for the right time to ask his question.

[User]
Professor Abraham seemed a bit shaken. "Well, uh, this is a very troubling development, isn't it?" He was even wringing his hands! "As soon as we can find out where they've taken her, I hope to visit and make sure she's alright! I would encourage you all to... I don't know, collect signatures on a 'well wishes' card or something, it doesn't feel right to go on as if nothing happened!"

He slapped his forehead, "Oy, and I've forgotten; I've got to clear some space in the adjoining storage space to my lecture room! Gentleman, since you've some extra time, today, perhaps I could enlist your aid in this endeavor? There's some extra credit in it for you!"

[Assistant]
Chase Robinson

Professor Abraham was clearly shaken as Chase walked over to him. He made mention of visiting Kylie once he learned where she was. But Chase knew that assumed that she was still alive. However Chase respected the Professor's positive thinking, as the police still hadn't revealed what exactly happened to his classmate. The Professor then floated the idea of making a well wishes card.

"Sure Professor Abraham. She would probably appreciate it," replied Chase.

Truthfully Chase was still unsure if she was even still alive. But part of sending well wishes would be to believe that she was well. So Chase decided to go with believing that she was alive, and that he would get the chance to ask her out. As Chase thought this over, two more of his classmates walked over to him and the Professor.

The Professor then mentioned a job of clearing out some storage space. While Chase was already going to agree, as it was something to get his mind off the whole situation with Kylie, the deal was sweetened even more by the mention of extra credit. While Chase was pretty sure that he was doing well in the class, it never hurt to bump up his grade a little bit.

"I have time today available," responded Chase, "Would we be going now or later?"

Chase hoped it was now. He really wanted to get out of the gymnasium and away from the police officers. Chase glanced at the two other students, really wishing that they were alright with leaving immediately.

[User]
Felix Secada

So the professor seemed shaken about the whole thing. Which is understandable and if he was in the professor's shoes. He would be concerned if one of his students was assaulted out of the blue. And the idea of getting a get well soon card for Kylie was not a bad one. At least one way to show that her classmates showed some support for her wherever she is. Hopefully, she is okay and recovering from whatever happened to her. Even though the police have yet to say what happened to her but, Felix remains hopeful that she is okay.

When the professor brought up needing to clear out a storage room and asking if the three of them would not mind helping him. Felix did not mind, he's got time before his next class, and the mention of extra credit is a good motivation point. Plus, a good way to get this police business out of his head. At least for some time.

"Sure, professor, I got the time, though, like what the guy said." Motioning to Chase, "is it now or later?"

[Assistant]
Joe Bronson

Joe could tell that the professor was troubled by this whole ordeal. He was a little shaken himself as well. He was anticipating going to the nerf war himself but wasn't able to go because he procrastinated on this month's newspaper strips. He really liked the idea of making a card, this was right up his alley. "I could put together something and print it out for us all to sign" he suggested.

The professor then asked if he could help clearing out some space in his classroom's storage space. With class ending early Joe had some free time on his hands, and considering that he's late almost every day, some extra credit wouldn't go amiss. "I'm free as well. Let's get this done, I could use the credit" He stated.

[User]
He sighed, "Oh, thank you... Let's go, uh, get our minds off of all this, for now..."

The storage space was more or less what one might expect: Poorly lit, dusty, cluttered and in this case, surprisingly crowded. If one took the time to look more thoroughly, they'd find a wide variety of individual objects, as well as everything from mailing envelopes all the way up to various large wooden crates.

As Mr. Abraham finished shoving a crate into a corner, he wiped his brow and said, "Hagh, this get's harder every year, I swear! Just remember, my boys, we don't have to sweat organizing this mess (not this time, anyway...), just open up some floor space. And try not to break anything, please!"

[Assistant]
Chase Robinson

At the mention of being called guy, Chase realized that he had never really introduced himself to any other student in Professor Abraham's mythology class. He kind of regretted that, thinking about Kylie and how he had never even learned her name before this incident.

"My name's Chase," he said to the other two students, "I'm a creative writing major."

One of the other students mentioned something about making a card for Kylie. Chase then remembered that he had often seen this student drawing in a notebook which meant he was probably an art student. However Chase still could only really draw stick figures, instead focusing his creativity on the written word.

After all three students had agreed to helping move stuff, Professor Abraham led them to a storage space. The single light bulb at the top of the room was dim and tended to flicker every so often. What was also prevalent was the smell of dust, almost similar to opening a long lost tomb. Chase was really glad that he didn't have asthma as he entered the storage room.

"When was the last time anyone was in here?" asked Chase as he wiped a thick layer of dust off a box.

Chase then picked up a stack of envelopes, seeing that some dated back all the way to 1967. He was pretty sure that meant it was as old as the college. Chase shoved the letters into a desk in the corner of the room, as he decided that he should focus on the boxes.

The Professor then said that they didn't really need to sort, but rather just clear up some floor space. Chase was glad to hear that as it meant he wouldn't be stuck in this room for too long. Professor Abraham also made sure to say not to break anything, which prompted Chase to slow down just a little bit.

As Chase was pushing a particularly heavy box, he accidentally knocked it into an even bigger box, knocking off its lid. This unleashed a cloud of dust, causing Chase to immediately start coughing. After a few seconds Chase regained his breath.

Picking up the lid to put back onto the box, Chase wondered what was so heavy so he peered inside. Expecting to find old outdated textbooks or faulty lab equipment, Chase instead found a giant backpack of some kind.

"What do we have here?" wondered Chase as he brushed some dust off of it, "It says proton pack. Anyone know what that is?"

Chase attempted to pick it up, only to find that it was very heavy. Whatever this was, if it was meant to be worn on someone's back it would cause instant back issues.