[System]
Age: 22

Birthday: February 16th

Magic: Illusory Magic, with a focus upon Stealth. Fairly small-scale, a change in uniform here, a muffled sound there, a suggestion to the senses that nothing is out of the ordinary about things, and that they should just ignore them, or Lux. Uses learnt and codified by those who fly under the radar, and end up making an art of it.

Magic Level: C

History: We all know the story. It's a timeless classic. Out of a generation of young children within some small, backwater village, there is the one kid who simply doesn't mesh. For whatever reason, he doesn't fit in. Childish cruelty? Distasteful nature? Unfortunate victim of social workings? It's tough to say, but likely is a combination of all three. With a pair of constantly-working parents and a precociously canny little sister to his name, Jason otherwise grew up alone. The pariah. The weird kid who you'd rather just be friends with, and tell that coldly to. A veteran of mostly solitary existence, he gained a negative, but surprisingly self-aware worldview. Knowing all the ways he had been hurt by others and how he'd caused him gave him a strange, highly cynical sort of savvy, and he'd learned how to effectively keep himself at arm's length. The type of guy who would be picked last after the fat kid in team games, if he was picked at all. The type of guy who would suffer in silence as you talked about him behind his back, much less quietly than you thought you were. The guy who learned to tune it out and, eventually, tune others out. The guy who learned to affirm and even take a strange sort of pride in his solitary existence, in that he did things his own, unburdened way, solely at his own behest.

Things changed, however, when he decided to go on a journey at the same point as one Lux Harken, hero-in-the-making. They couldn't be less alike if they had tried. Lux was an optimist, Jason a pessimist. Lux was easily liked, heroic, and charismatic, Jason was off-putting and prone to social suicide, and easily played the "villain". Lux's hair was white, Jason's was black. Lux smiled, Jason scowled. You get the picture. It must have been through some miracle that, after Jason's reluctant agreement to Lux's proposal and open hand, they didn't tear eachother's throats out. Lux sooned learned why, no, he didn't have friends, but bless his heart, soldiered on through it time and again over the years to form a sense of... mutual comprehension. They didn't entirely understand one another, and doubtlessly never will, but they have learned that despite their multitude of differences, disagreements, and general oppositeness to eachother, that the other is a man who can be relied on in spite of them. Something which is invaluable as adventurers. Is it complicated? More than you could ever imagine.

But it works.

Personality: Dark, gloomy, and mistrustful, he is a natural loner. Prone to cutting remarks in inner monologue and outer dialogue, he has learned to try and be observant, but sees things through a rather cynical lens (which he would tell you is "realistic"). Decent guy beneath that, though, and is far from lacking in self-awareness.

Guild and guild mark location: None

Team Members: Lux Harken (Somehow.)

Three Strengths:
1. Passably skilled swordsman. All those years stuck in chuuni-land were good for something after all, it seems, and have left him able to use a katana better than the average idiot who picked one up.
2. Pragmatically-oriented. Or at least likes to think he is.
3. Considers actions carefully. Gloomy and negative attitude aside, it actually takes a lot to get him mad.

Three Weaknesses: (Make them Applicable)
1. Pragmatism is to a fault--willing to be absolutely selfless if it gets things done. (RIP Social Standing)
2. Not strong. Acceptably athletic, especially given his demeanor, but by no means exemplary in combat.
3. Pessimistic nature. Has a rather cynical and at times worryingly jaded view of the world around him, and always tries to search for a hidden meaning or motive behind the actions of others. In line with these tendencies, he is anything but a people person, only his own self-awareness saving him from being an outright indefensible edgemeister.

Greatest Love: Genuineness and Little Sister (P R O T E C T)

Motivation: To understand things a little better. People, the world, you get the picture.

Appearance:

Additional Details: Theme Song:

[User]
Lux Harken

The Grand Magic Games were amazing, people from all over Fiore were gathered in the city to watch. And the amount of Wizards in and out of the Games all but blew Lux's mind.

He wandered around the city, as ever with his traveling companion...somewhere nearby he was sure.

I'm sure he'll be fine the young-ish mage thought as he turned a corner. The sight in front of him was enough to make him pause for a second. Two woman were standing there chatting while a boy lay collapsed on the ground nearby. It was hard control what was going on at first glance but the pair's apparent complete lack of concern for the kid gave the entire scene a bit of a shady air.

"Excuse me." He called out. "May I enquire as to what is going on here?"

[Assistant]
@hatakekuro@Silvan Haven@HereComesTheSnow
Sayatachi Nijiko

"I guess it's best described as mimic magic. So possibly any magic."

Sayatachi observes carefully as Ariel demonstrates her powers. Indeed it is impressive, and it appears that she happens to have a form of mimic magic ability, yet she has seen this magic before. Not often of course, but still enough to recognize what it could be.

"I'm still pretty new to all this but I'm learning... slowly."

It seems as if she was lowering her gaze. It seems she doesn't to want to make eye contact.

"Impressive skills," Rainbow Majesty replies with a smile, "If I'm not mistaken it seems you have some sort of an advanced form of absorption magic. That's quite impressive for any user I've seen, new or experienced."

But before she can continue, two male mages came up to the two women. It seems that her flirting with Nolan must've given her some attention. Oh well...

"Excuse me." one of them called out. "May I enquire as to what is going on here?"

"A friendly conversation." she answers bluntly, "Why do you ask?"

[User]
Ariel - Magic Games Stadium
@hatakekuro@Silvan Haven@HereComesTheSnow
She smiled lightly, if not briefly, at Sayatachi when she mentioned that the magic was impressive. She hadn't run into too many people that could compare it to anything. Like the woman she was talking to, Ariel glanced over when addressed by two mages walked over. At first she looked a tad confused as to why they were asking until she realized Nolan was lying limp on the ground. "Oh, yes we're just talking. He just passed out because he's scared of women and she was close to him." She pointed to Nolan and Sayatachi respectively.

Speaking of Nolan, he hadn't moved much at all. Not unheard of really but she should at least check on him. Stepping around in front of him she knelt down and lightly slapped his face. "Nolan, wake up. I'd rather not have to drag you back to the rest of the guild." Despite having just stated that Nolan was afraid of women she didn't seem to have any qualms trying to rouse him. Then again she was from the same guild so she may just be used to this kind of thing.

[Assistant]
Things were too damn noisy.

I'll start the way I always do: Blunt and To the Point. I will hold nothing back nor twist anything's course. My style of magic is illusionism— I'm more than capable of fufilling any quota on dishonesty through that alone.

Therefore, I don't need corrective lenses put upon how I see things like everyone else. Compared to 97.5%, or thirty-nine of every forty people here, I am bereft of such shackling in my presentation. The ultimate example of freedom of speech and expression can be found here.

Whether you like it, or not.

Take it or leave it here, because that's what you'll get out of me.

Now, onto the immediate topic: I hate people.

To wit:

It's not that I hate every person. Such a claim would be absurd in a world populated by the billions I never have, never will, and never cared to meet.

There are a few persons I am fond of:

Such as my sister. A fifteen-year-old with a precocious savvy and insight into my own personal enlightenment. She gets me, and she loves me unconditionally. What kind of big brother wouldn't love her back with all the honesty in his heart?

Certainly not me. I don't have the guts to be so callous.

There are even persons whose presence and company I have learned to tolerate:

One Lux Harken. The Heads to my Tails, the Yin to my Yang, and the Light to my Dark. He is my opposite in essentially every manner you could think of—

And in a way, he is my equal. We travel together, out of necessity, of course, seeing as the road is long, hard, and unforgiving of even a moment of weakness. He and I disagree on a lot of things. We probably hate eachother, to be honest. But even so, whether we like it or not, we have eachother's backs.

Because we have to.

Anyways, no. "I hate people" does not mean I hold hate in my heart for every person, or even a general blanket hate for the population that you need to chip away at to gain my affection.

I'm not some shitty two-bit store-brand tsundere or kuudere. Give me credit when it's due.

I mean I hate "people": The nebulous, formless, ill-defined name for society. For normalness. For social hierarchies.

"People" isn't something that is worth loving. People tread upon you in their climb upward, people pull you down to their level or below when you achieve, people sacrifice your life and livelihood for the sake of their own. People lie, people cheat, people steal, and people who are loved by other people are probably in some fashion a liar, cheater, or thief.

If not, then they are loved because they are useful. What can you do for me? What have you done for me lately?

People love wrapping other people around their thumb, too.

"People" is a pack of wolves. Fitting, considering what social creatures we humans are.

There are parallels throughout the animal kingdom in any animal society. Carnivores have our social hierarchies. Any alpha gets the lion's share of the wealth an prosperity, only leaving what they cannot physically stomach for the betas to eat. The process continues down the line, and those who are left are reduced to gnawing upon bone, hoping for a scrap. From the betas on down, the lower strata of the pack also carry the burden of their failures to the end of the line.

Herbivores have our willingness to sacrifice eachother, to save ourselves. They feel neither guilt nor shame in leaving their old, their weak, or their sickly behind to pre-occupy the oncoming carnivores— better they than oneself. Even their young, they only give a token amount of protection towards. Additionally, they have our "herd mentality", although since we're a bit more enlightened than filthy beasts the common phrase is "mob mentality". They mindlessly follow whomever is in front of the crowd, while those individuals equally mindlessly respond to the surge of everything behind them, resulting in an aimless stampede driven by whims, emotions, and never logic.

Again, fitting: We humans are omnivorous. It stands to reason that since we both play predator and prey, eat both what we kill and what we take, that we adopt the traditions of both societies as well.

In this great metaphor, I suppose it makes me the lone wolf.

Not that it's all it's cracked up to be. A lone wolf isn't some badass who was too tough to rely upon his fellows, or was so capable they have no need for a pack.

No.

The Lone Wolf is a Stray Dog in fancy dressing. He has either lost or been kicked out of his pack, and is forcibly alone against the world because he does not fit, and is not accepted or accommodated anywhere. That's where society has greatly erred in it's romanticizing of the lone wolf.

If you must be solitary, be something that is naturally solitary. That is supposed to be solitary. That truly does have no need for others, aside from the token understood exception of passing on its genes.

That's why I don't wish to be a lone wolf.

Why would I? I would much rather be a bear.

A bear has no need for packs, and doesn't hold any delusions of them benefiting the individual when weighing pros and cons as a whole. It is strong on it's own.

I would much prefer that solitary path.

Unfortunately, though, I must play the wolf. An Omega, clinging to a small pack not out of desire, but out of need. True foolhardiness is traveling alone, when you're a normal person like me— that is to say, normal in capability. I am not a fool.

Having quietly tailed Lux at a small distance in this city, choked with tourists in the wake of the Grand Magic Games and just as dank and dirty and cacophonous as you like, I noticed him stopping to confront a strange scene head-on, as he always does.

Well, with his charisma, it's probably best I leave it to him and let him play his strengths.

He could negotiate and gather information, while I concerned myself with collating the data and considering my next move.

Ascetic Arts:(The 108 Skills of A Loner):Observational Technique: People-Watching.
Finding a nearby bench, I wearily plopped myself down and gazed their way, looking for all the world with my slumped posture and "dead-fish eyes" to simply be somebody trying to rest.

Which, of course, I was. I hated having to walk so much, and we had just finished lunch. He of all people, being in such stellar shape with that training regimen of his, should know that if you exercised too much on a full stomach, someone would end up seeing what their lunch looked like after mastication and the beginnings of digestion.

What insensitivity, Harken. How very like your type.


[System]
Age:
23
Gender:
Female
Race:
Nereid (Sea Nymph)
Class:
Assassin
 Magic Description:
Arcane
 Personality:
At first glance Echo appears to be friendly and warm, very welcoming to new comers and new situations. She believes in the term "keep your friends close, and your enemies closer". Her kind nature is often feigned and the moment she no longer considers it useful to be your "friend" she becomes as cold as stone. Some have been known to call her fake, but she prefers to keep people people on their toes and constantly asking themselves what she might do next. She has always been a very independent soul, never relying on friendships or family for that matter. Echo tends to be very sneaky, as she has always been a curious individual and ends up sticking her nose in places that it doesn't belong. Though her curious, independent nature got her into numerous amounts of trouble as a child, it has proved useful later in life.
Who you were:
Echo grew up on the coast of a small island by the name of Linde, or what some people liked to call "The Dragon's Lair." While the island was mostly inhabited by her own kind, it did indeed harbor a great dragon. Luckily for her people, the dragon tolerated their existence so long as nothing the dragon considered valuable was stolen from it. The nymphs provided outside protection on the waters, as a common pass time in her culture would be to lure sailors to their deaths, and the dragon allowed them to live there - also providing protection against hopeful colonists occasionally.
The young nymph grew up with a single mother - her father having never been in the picture, and her mother never wanting to talk about it. Echo's mother taught her the ways in deception initially, as she would often travel to a more inhabited isle and coax men out of their money. It was easy for a nymph, considering their natural allure could easily deprive any other race of their senses.
Several days after Echo's 15th birthday her mother sold her for a fairly hefty amount to a recruitment scout for assassin training. The scouts often came to Linde looking for nymph recruits, considering their natural ability to deceive others. Echo had no other choice, but she left without a fight to the southern island of Llanda - a cold and snow filled area completely opposite of Linde. In Llanda she learned the ways of an assassin, taking her first kill at age 16. By the time she was 18 Echo was released from the training and allowed to take contracts on her own.
To her own misfortune she recently took up a contract for the assassination of a knight close in the circle of the Grand Marquess Edun Lonefire. What he did to get his name written on that contract she didn't know, and didn't care, but she would get the job done. Or, at least, planned to get the job done. Until she ran into a person who was there for a different contract, who nearly got them caught, and who bested her in a hand to hand combat fight that ultimately knocked her out. The next thing she knew she was being swarmed by guards, unaware of anything. Not even who she was, or why she was there.

[User]
She wasn't special. If she was special she's know it right? Granted, she didn't seem to know much these days. Who killed the beloved son? What her own name was. Things. She attempted to be stoic about everything, keeping her face impassive. Lately it was just exhausted. The escape had been a whirlwind and it hadn't stopped being so. She hadn't had a chance to sort through everything that happened yet. And currently she was stuck on why. Why she, among these other strangers, was freed. Why none of them spoke. Not that she could complain, she hadn't said much thus far either.

Was this what freedom felt like? She didn't know if she'd ever been free, she assumed she must have been at some point. This wasn't quite it. Not yet.

She was among those that didn't smell anything untoward. Nothing special.

And then all of Zeal's hard work on her stoic expression simply melted away. A giant of a man in armour that, for some reason, stabbed at her gut (was it longing?) seemed to appear out of no where. How had they not noticed him? How had they not noticed -her-? The elven woman's face finally showed something other than weariness. Fear, irritation, the desire to hit something. She, too, hesitated when told to run. Her gaze swept the ground, seeking a possible weapon. Nothing, damn.

Another of the prisoner's was beckoning. Zeal loosed a series of curses, mostly revolving around the genitalia of gods, and then took off, long legs carrying her hurriedly, adrenaline giving life to said limbs.

[Assistant]
Memory of her crime had escaped her mind. Of course, memory of a lot of things had escaped her mind, including the details of her personal life and anything beyond the past week. The last thing she could remember was waking up a slave, being tortured and worked to near death every day. This experience had effectively suppressed her imagination or curiosity and Grinn had seemingly accepted her fate, awaiting execution with patience. It wasn't until the old stranger had freed them that her mind began to wander. Who was she? What did she do to deserve this? Why couldn't she remember when so much seemed to come as instinct?

 Even with her newly found freedom, Grinn had little time to think all of this through. They had escaped but were still in danger, hiding their position from prying eyes and careful to avoid any and all potential enemies. Who ever these people were that Grinn had escaped with were connected to her and they were all wanted for something that had apparently earned them extreme hatred. For all she knew, there could be people waiting at every corner for them.

 The group was suddenly stopped when a man in armor had appeared, seemingly out of nowhere. What ever thoughts that were crossing Grinn's mind had slipped away as a surge of energy burst through her body. If she weren't more reserved, she would have already charged forward, unarmed and screaming, attacking the sudden threat. Grinn felt that if they were attacked, she wouldn't be able to help herself.

 When another figure suddenly appeared, Grinn was aware of the developing situation. They had been hunted down by who had likely been bounty hunters. The man who had freed them from captivity beckoned for the escaped slaves to run. It felt as though every fiber of her being was fighting this command, nearly forcing her to join him. However, she pushed herself to run, following those who had already began making the sprint toward the crags.

 Whether she would stick with these people or not was debatable but she knew that her best chances would be with them at this moment in time.

[User]
A cage. A stupid cage for two FULL weeks. The fairy fluttered angrily with a bunch of strangers remembering her horrendous time in the slave camp. She would've rather wanted to do labor work than be somebody's pet. Her body glowed brightly as sparkles came from under her wings. Her slave clothes disgusted her for some reason... they were not appealing at all. The little one did contemplate whether or not she murdered someone... something told her she wasn't the most lucky person and that it was highly possible... BUT that was simply her intuition. All the guards doubted she was capable of such crime. Being big-mean-jerks while she was behind bars. She hated small spaces. She hated THAT cage.

WHAT IF SHE DID KILL THIS REALLY IMPORTANT PERSON?! A fairy could be just as much of a murderer as a big, scary orc!

She looked at the female orc beside her and tilted her head. Out of all the others running, the orc was the most intimidating one, along with the old man but that was besides the point. Perhaps simply misunderstood. What if they all were misunderstood?

Huffing to herself for thinking too much, not liking how blank her mind felt, she focused on following their savior. The old man leading them seemed to have his fair share of battles. He was a top notch professional and he achieved a great feat by helping them escape! For now, she'd stay quiet and hope they would find a safe haven. The people accused for the same murder were all very strange... her insides told her that they weren't stupid enough to kill Mr. Lonefire, the son of the Grand Marquess. But who knows! In this moment, they were all murderers until proven innocent. Stupid system.

Her face saddened. That can't be true, right? She began hitting her head to remember things, "Think Noli! Think!"  Until the party came to a full stop. Floating in the air by most of the heads of the group, she realized the old man was about to get in a brawl with an immensely large, giant of a man and a small, snowy-haired girl.

"They think they're tuff shots hmmm! Obviously , they're not good enough if they need to be together." She was ready to throw something at them, but only fairy dust seemed to come out... she was not very effective. The old man gave her glaring eyes and the fairy retreated behind the priest, "PROTECT ME HUMANNNNN." She decided to rest herself on his head.

Sitting on his head, she pointed in the direction the old man directed them to follow, "WE GO HUMAN!" She looked at the other party members, not really caring how they thought of her tiny self and said, "Lets get to steppin', you heard the Mister!".

She giggled in excitement, this was so much better than a cage, "We got exploring to do!"

[Assistant]
This entire situation felt like a dream... no, a nightmare. Two weeks ago she woke up without any memory of who she was, or why she was being harassed by men clad in armor accusing her of some murder she had no recollection of. Thereafter she was dragged to a slave camp, tortured for what seemed like days on end, and forced to labor in their dirty mines. The brutes even left welts, bruises and cuts all over her body - they seemed to like her face when they felt particularly frustrated. "Let's mess up that pretty face of yours, doll." they'd say, "Then we'll see if you talk." They never believed a word she said, accusing her of working with several others who she also didn't know. Who was actually evil here? Them or her? Perhaps it really was her. Sometimes she wondered, as she lay in her cell staring at the cold stone walls before day break and the nightmare started all over again.

Either way, execution day came and the slavers still had no confession from her or the others they thought she was working with. At least it would have come had a mysterious figure not come to their rescue the night before. At that point Echo had been looking forward to her own death, as she felt so worn down and tired that it no longer mattered to her. Being free of the slave camp would be enough, even if it was in the after life. That and the fact that she had no idea who she was or her own purpose in life helped her make that quiet decision with herself. However, this mysterious man who called himself Tychus of Shattergarde had other plans for her life. Yet again, she had become another pawn in someone else's hands.

The man was insanely talented, she would give him that much. Somehow he managed to take out all of the guardsmen in the camp and free her and the others accused of Tancred Lonefire's murder. Whether or not he was by himself she wasn't sure, but he currently led her and this small group of misfits by himself. Initially she had asked questions after escaping; who was he? Why did he release them? Where was he taking them? Who were these people? Did he know who killed the Grand Marquess' son? It wasn't her, was it? To be fair, she had a lot of questions that he could not answer at that time. Tychus only told her that she would know in time, and she best keep quiet or risk revealing them all. Understanding, she remained quiet for the rest of the long journey, occasionally eyeing the rest of the group with her pale green eyes.

"Do you smell that?"

Her thoughts broke and she glanced up at Tychus. He smelt something? Was he part canine? All she smelt was lilacs, which she had realized earlier that she hated. At least, if anything, she knew that she hated lilac. Perhaps she should have told someone to write that on her grave stone, considering what was about to appear before her. "Here lies Echo Notaras. A person with great distaste for lilac."

Her own banter in her head quieted as Tychus motioned for the group to start jogging. She felt so exhausted that jogging seemed impossible. They hadn't even stopped once since escaping save a few seconds pause, how did he expect them to run? The rest looked just as run down as she did, perhaps more so. Nonetheless, she gathered all the energy she had left in her tiny body and did as he asked.

"In the name of the Grand Marquess, drop your weapons and surrender!"

Echo's heart dropped at the sudden voice booming through the valley. It felt familiar, but as she looked at the massive knight before them she could not bring a name to mind. Why did she have the feeling in the back of her mind that she knew this behemoth? There was no time to ponder on it, as Tychus quickly drew his sword. Just as rapidly a snake of a woman revealed herself from the grass. "How did we miss them?" She thought, baffled. "How long have they been following us?"

As the women approached, yelling at Tychus, Echo's heart began to race. She almost felt frozen in place, unsure of what to do. Was she supposed to roll over and be captured or not go without a fight? Which would be the worse option? Apparently, Tychus opted for the latter.

"All of you, run towards the crags. These two are way above your skill right now. You'll find a passageway in there that will take you to where you'll find answers. I'll hold these guys off... Just don't die."

She stared at the older man as he sprang forward and attacked the two, then glanced toward the rest of the group. They all began running as Tychus said, and Echo had the brief thought of running in the other direction. Perhaps running with them until the very end, slinking off by herself when no one was paying attention. She could escape on her own, couldn't she? Why did she need the rest of this group?

"Of course I need them. What good is a girl on her own who remembers nothing about herself?" She thought, realizing she would have no clue what the next step would be had she been able to disappear on her own. That, or those two hunters would notice and she would have been easily picked off when alone. Convinced, she began running toward the crags with the others.

Echo briefly glanced back at Tychus, witnessing several copies of himself fighting against the two rivals. Quite amazing, if you asked her. Who was this "Shadow Reaver" anyway?


[System]
【Shion Kana - The Fleeting Gale】

【Overall Theme/|\Character Theme/|\Battle Theme】

~"Do you ever wonder how precious memories are?"~

---

【Shinigami Profile】
【General Informaion】
【Division:】 2
【Rank:】 Lieutenant
【Former Division:】 5
【Former Rank:】 Unseated
【Codename:】 Swallow (Tsubame)
【Alias:】 The Fleeting Gale
【Nicknames:】 N/A

【Age:】 315
【Age Appearance:】 24
【Date of Birth:】 May. 13
【Gender:】 Female

【Additional Appearance Information】
【Eye Color:】 Amethyst
【Hair Color:】 Amethyst
【Height:】 5'6
【Weight:】 110 pounds
【Style:】 Traditional
【Clothing:】 An altered kimono that's easier to move in over-top of her Soul Reaper uniform.

【Character Profile】
【Personality:】 Shion is a very quiet and reserved individual. She is slow to trust, but around those she is familiar with her mannerisms change to be much more vibrant and expressive. She finds joy in improving herself and helping others improve, making her a popular Lieutenant among many squads.

【Biography:】 An orphan who grew up in the Inuzuri district of South Rukongai, Shion learned from a young age the value of not fighting battles you can't win. With a powerful appetite due to her high Reiryoku level, she found herself often running away from much larger and stronger people whom she stole food from, resulting in a high mobility level. Her ability to make precise movements was also improved by her theft. One day after eating enough to have a full belly, she found herself trapped by several larger adults who wanted revenge on her. When one pounced, she accidentally used Flash Step in her desperation to escape, though she didn't realize this at the time. After that day, she spent much of her time practicing to figure out how she had managed to escape, eventually leading to her mastering some very basic Hohō. When she was older, she was caught using Flash Step by a patrolling Shinigami who recommended her to the Shinigami Academy to become a Soul Reaper herself.

Though her natural aptitude for Hohō and Zanjutsu were high, she spent much longer at the Academy than the average student due to a complete lack of Kido ability. This extra time there wound up sharpening her skills in every category except Kido, much to the chagrin of her teachers. She made no friends during her time at the Academy due to a combination of fear and resentment towards her due to her being from Inuzuri and her lack of communication skills. For much of her time there, she didn't speak a single word to other students, a pattern that grew from her past where speaking to the wrong person could result in death. She was only allowed to graduate by request of the Squad 5 Captain, who saw something in her potential.

Originally a member of Squad 5 after graduation from the Officer's Academy, Shion was renown for being the first on the scene when problems arose, even among Squad 5 which prided itself on its speedy activity. This led to both respect and resentment from the other members, especially when they learned of her complete lack of Kido ability. Due in large part to this split opinion of her, she remained unseated during her entire time in Squad 5, despite her skill in other areas. In spite of this, she enjoyed her time in the squad and had great respect for her Captain, especially since it was due to her that Shion was able to become a Shinigami in the first place. This made her betrayal of the Seireitei to join the Head Captain all the more painful. The squad split into those loyal to the Captain and those loyal to the Seireitei under the leadership of the squad's Lieutenant, where Shion found herself opposed to the Captain she admired. This schism led to her once again rarely speaking, something that has continued to this day.

After her distinguished service in the battles between the two sides, and due to her natural aptitude for speed and skill, she was selected to be the Squad 2 Lieutenant and part of the Stealth Force. It was during these battles that she mastered Shikai, and has since learned but had yet to master her Bankai.

【Notable Traits】
【Likes/Dislikes】
✔ Training
✔ Helping others
✔ Good food
✔ Cats and dogs

✘ Insects
✘ Rash people
✘ Overly prideful people
✘ Those that harm others

【Defining Traits】

▲ Precise
▲ Mindful
▲ Kind
▲ Quick/Agile

☯ Level-headed
☯ Quick to judge
☯ Confident
☯ Distant

▼ Forgetful
▼ Judgemental
▼ Overly forgiving
▼ Has trouble trusting

【Relationships】
【Former Squad Five Captain】 【Superior Officer】
The Squad Captain was the one who made it so that Shion could join the Gotei 13 instead of being stuck in the Shinigami Academy indefinitely. They knew each other for several years before the Captain betrayed the Seireitei and destroyed Shion's trust in her. Shion still feels mixed emotions about her to this day; anger and sadness at her betrayal but gratitude for all that she did for her.

【Skills and Capabilities】
【General Aptitude】
【Fighting Style:】
Shion fights by concealing her presence and striking decisively, running away when the odds are too far against her. She uses zanjutsu almost exclusively, only fighting with hakuda when absolutely necessary and she is incapable of fighting with kido. In fights where the opponent never lets down their guard, she has intense stamina that can outlast most enemies. She focuses strongly on counter attacks rather than forward attacks if sneak attacking is not an option. She is incredibly quick and agile with both her body and her zanpakuto.

【Masteries and Proficiencies】
【Kido Practitioner】
If it can even be called "practitioner" at her level, she has zero aptitude for kido and has a hard time even getting it to work well enough to fail, let alone use it correctly. As such, she's abandoned it entirely in both everyday life and battle.

【Hakuda Proficient】
She is capable of defeating most opponents in hand-to-hand combat, unless they are specialized in it. While she doesn't rely on it in battle, she will use it if the opportunity arises or there is no other option.

【Hohō Master】
She is one of the best at using Hohō in the entire Seireitei. She can cover vast distances in mere moments with very few steps. Her footwork in battle is also almost unmatched by those not Captain-level and even quite a few who are.

【Zanjutsu Expert】
Shion is incredibly skilled with her zanpakuto in both its sealed state and skikai. While she has a bankai, she is still learning to master it so she avoids using it in battle.

【Specialization】
【Custom Techniques】
【Hohō】
【Number:】 N/A
【Description:】 The practitioner creates at least 15 clones of themselves at once using Shunpo. While they are indistinguishable from the user's true self and mimic their movements, the clones do not last long.
【Name:】 Speed Clones

【Hohō】
【Number:】 N/A
【Description:】 The practitioner moves at great speed to avoid an attack, leaving an afterimage which can appear to have taken damage.
【Name:】 Utsusemi

【Hakuda】
【Number:】 N/A
【Description:】 Throwing their body up into the air, the practitioner makes a shearing movement with their legs, allowing them to move one leg in front of the other, before performing a devastating kick which sends the target flying away with tremendous force.
【Name:】 Kazaguruma

【Zanpakutō】

【General Information】

【Kireikage】

~"..."~

【Sealed State:】

【Additional Information:】 A standard looking katana with a guard that is circular and has lines from the center to the edges.

【Inner World:】

【Description:】 Shion's inner world is a grassy field under a starry sky in which her zanpakuto spirit resides.

【Personality:】 Kireikage is an anomaly that is difficult to understand. It seems to have Shion's best interests at heart, and wants to avoid needless things.

【Shikai】

【
~"Flash, Kireikage."~
】

【Ability:】 Kireikage's release is that of a small knife, approximately 10 inches in length. This form allows for more Spiritual Power to be released and for the Reiryoku normally used to form the blade to instead be used to increase Shion's speed to extreme levels. The tip of the blade is also extremely tough, capable of piercing most things even if the sealed state could not.

【Techniques:】
【Suiatsu Borotsuku:】 Blocks an attack by using only the tip of her blade against the tip of an opponent's blade, throwing the weight of the opponent's attack inverse to it's origin, often causing the blade to fly out of their hand.
【Appearance:】 The tip of her blade hits the tip of another blade at the same angle and causes it to spin out of the opponent's hand in the direction their palm is facing.

【Bankai】

【
~"Bankai... Megami Kirei-Kage."~
】

【Ability:】 Megami Kirei-Kage takes the form of Kireikage's hilt with no blade, instead a blade of pure black Reiatsu is formed and further Reiatsu swirls around her. This Reiatsu works as both offense and defense by moving to automatically protect her from attacks and by being moved by her will as quick-moving ethereal blades to cut through enemies.
We have fun here.

[User]
太 郎 山 田
T A R O Y A M A D A

---

// L E D B Y B U T T E R F L I E S

 "Hai." Taro gave an honorable bow to his head captain before he spun on the spot towards the door. As he left he grabbed Mitsue in an embrace that was as friendly as it was controlling, shuffling him along by his side the decision was made for the pair to travel to the living world.

They soon arrived at the Senkaimon, the last blasts of soul society sun beating their brows.
 "Vasto Lorde. This could be dangerous, Mitsue." the words lingered in the air a moment as if the sunlight weighed them down, preventing their escape. Taro was not actually worried about their patrol, he was confident in the two of them, especially together, but he had always enjoyed exaggerating the trials ahead. He peered forward as the portal opened.
 "Maybe once it's over we could visit that cake shop again" his verbose smile contrasted the previous omen in a way only Taro could. Tucking his arms into the sleeves of his uniform Taro proceeded forward, led by butterflies to the world of the living.

---
The pair found themselves walking alongside a winding canal. It wasn't as sunlit as the Soul society, in fact the grey skies gave the day a muted, ponderous and ill-fated atmosphere. Taro walked on as subtly as a man his size could, he seemed lost in thought, not paying attention to the cars nearby or the people whom couldn't see him. In actuality Taro was alert, he conversed with his friend but all the while he was sensing spiritual pressures, checking corners and rooftops in his peripheral vision.
 "Mitsue. If we find this hollow, we will need to protect the city first, then fight it."

[Assistant]
光永 黒糖
M I T S U E K U R O T O U

---

It was never a dull moment in the presence of Okirigae and today would be no less the same vibe. "You place too much trust in the stars young one" Mitsue replied with a hand hovering over her head ready to pat down. An eyebrow cocked up in response to her reply, "I did too, but I guess he didn't get the memo either. Being a captain is a drag, but you already have a lieutenant so it's not like I can step down, Mosumi." His hand gently fell to the top of her before retracting back to his side at the sound and presence of the Captain Commander appearing before them demanding their attention.

The words of the captain were heavy on Mitsue. The mission itself wasn't hard nor was it outside of the realm of what he was expecting or used to. Fighting hallows and the stronger classifications of them was only apart of the natural flow of the world; balance among all things. The part that weighed heavy on him was the existence of one in the human realm. While everyone there had forgotten their lives in the human realm, his memories were still as sharp as a bed of needles with his skin pressed to each point. A lesser man would have run from the prospect of having to face his past, but Mitsue was stronger than that and knew it was his burden to shoulder even if no one else knew his struggle. Before he could say or discuss anything in the forum, he was whisked away by a force much greater than gravity. The texture and scent were all too familiar to Mitsue as non-other than the mountain known as taro.

The face of the mountain turned to face him sending tremors down his chest from his commanding voice. Stifling around to get his head free he sucked in some air before responding, "Don't tell me you're getting soft on me in old age Taro. Whatever it is, I'm sure we can handle it. Besides it beats being here doing nothing." In truth the two of them together were strong enough at this point to have made the old guard seem like weaklings in comparison. Maybe if they had been that strong back then they could have saved more people. His mind refocused on the mission ahead as the portal opened before them almost if it were awaiting and old friend, "Yeah I could go for some custard right about now. Wonder how Mosumi will fair with her lieutenant. Maybe if we're fast enough, we can catch up with her."

Touching down on the world of living felt eerily familiar, the air, the ground, even the sounds were the same as if nothing changed and the world continued even without him. A poignant laugh escaped the space in his lips, admiring the twisted beauty in the world around him. "I was hoping to make it seem like a natural disaster was happening, you know ghosts and all that, joking aside you're right. The outskirts are ideal we just need to start looking for clues. If you were a Vasto Lorde where would you be?"


[System]
Nickname(Optional): June Bug

Age: 33

Gender: Female

Physical Appearance: Sayeeda is a medium sized woman of middle eastern extraction. She has the wiry build of a swimmer or long distance runner. Her eyes are dark and almond shaped and focus slightly beyond the horizon most of the time. Sayeeda keeps her hair just longer than a buzz cut in order to facilitate wearing her helmet. She has a large tattoo of several owls in flight on her right shoulder. Sayeeda does have feminine curves but her breasts are on the smaller size of average and she does very little to emphasize her gender.

Clothing:  Camo pants and a tank top are her civilian dress. She wears a ceramic breastplate if she is expecting trouble and also has a commo helmet which she uses in battle and for technical tasks.

Personality: Sayeeda is a former mercenary soldier and has a fairly relaxed view towards life. Anything and anyone not currently shooting at her is the second priority. She is very tightly wound when it comes to people doing what she expects them too in dangerous situations and she is extremely punctilious when it comes to fulfilling any sort of formal contract.

[User]
The desert streaked by below them, the rock and sand seeming to glow gold under the bright moonlight. No one spoke so Sayeeda, figuring her ruse would gain her no more information, opened her eyes.

"Where am I? Who are you?" she asked, making a show of tugging at her bonds. The turbaned man was gone, presumably off to do whatever task these men were compelling him to attempt. The city was already vanishing over the horizon. As far as she knew Neil was still back at their rented lodgings, unaware of what had transpired. The armored man, clearly an off worlder, sat beside her, while the local man was in the driver's seat head of them, separated by a sheet of transparent plastic on a metal frame. His skin was bronze from the sun though he had probably been born a paler shade, his head was bald with the recent application of a razor and he kept a goatee that was beginning to get out of control. It gave his already lean head an almost gaunt look. He wore a vest of woven carbon fibre which Junebug translated as 'light infantry' but which she knew probably just meant he was in a dangerous line of work. As kidnapping her certainly was.

"My name is Canek,'' he said pleasantly, "and you are in an air car with me miss…"

"I am Captain Cyckali, what the fuck am I doing here?" Canek relaxed slightly at the words as though she had passed some test she hadn't been aware off.

"Well Captain, you saw me conducting some sensitive business with the Pasha's customs inspector. Given that man was about to soil himself before you showed up, I had to reassure him that you weren't going to be a problem." The man was infuriatingly calm, Junebug tugged at her restraints but they had done a professional job, she wasn't going to get loose of them easily.

"Alright, so I'm not a problem, any chance of dropping me back at my ship? I really don't know or care about anything you have to talk with a customs inspector about."

Canek looked regretful but shook his head.

"Things are very sensitive right now," he said with a glance back towards the fading lights of the canyon city.

"I heard some talk of selling me as a slave," she said, narrowing her eyes.

"Ah not as unconscious as you made out, smart," Canek said with a sharks smile.

"Well I could probably move you I suppose, your pretty enough but your a little old for a harem or a brothel, plus you look like the sort that would be more trouble than they are worth. I don't care if you slit the throat of some fat merchant but who wants the trouble getting back to them?"

"Well you didn't kill me so you must have something in mind,"Sayeeda said arching an eyerow. The air car was circling now, there was a small canyon, barely a fissure in the rocky landscape, the vehicle began to drop towards it. They passed within 30 feet of the rock to where it opened out into a large cave. Inside of which men and women were moving around, some of them servicing vehicles, others operating modern communications equipment. There were several light attack vehicles and a heavier hovertank concealed by tarps and tie down. Canek pulled a knife from his belt and held it up before him. After a moment he sliced through her bonds.

"Well Captain, if you can keep your mouth shut for a few days, I thought I'd offer you a job."

[Assistant]
Neil had made his way out of the smaller alleyways of the city easily enough, traversing through the crowds with a few requisitioned items. He wished it was sunny so he could place on these archaic sunglasses, but alas he'd have to wait until later. That wasn't the important part at the moment anyway.

Neil vaulted over a small sandstone wall, one of the few that stood between him and the open desert. Briefly as he made his way through what he presumed to be people's backyards and private areas, he wondered if he should care that a few of the locals might possibly see a foreign young man trying to make it to the reputably dangerous desert as fast as he could, but he realized he didn't really care. On the last patch of wall he heard an indecipherable call that had to be someone complaining that he was on their property. He paid that no mind as well and simply made it to the sands.

"Ok, haven't done this in awhile." he said, placing the hoverboard on the ground and stepping onto it, aligning his feet just right to fit into the placement grooves. "Alright, now I just need to..." He turned the power on, revving the engine up to 350 pounds of anti-grav pressure upon the sand, and stood up as the board began to hover. He immediately realized he was about to fall backwards and slam into the sand, but the nimble pilot caught himself.

"Yeah that's right bitch." he said, stroking his ego by shit talking an inanimate object that he needed far more than it needed him.

A subtle adjustment of the position of his hips and knees, and the board began to move forward as if riding a wave of air, picking up speed exponentially as Neil leaned forward, hands out and flat to keep himself balanced. If this was an enclosed area, he would be more careful, but the only thing he needed to watch out for here was the rolling dunes that were on the horizon. The ground was relatively flat, and it only took him a short amount of time to pick up the trail of the aircar.

Minutes later, he found large collection of boulders that reached into the sky like a primitive sky scraper or mound, though judging by the way the earth curved inward, there must have been an entrance that led underground. He couldn't see the ripples of sand from the aircar's wake any longer either. "This must be the place." he said, leaning down to shut off the hoverboard. He felt weighted once more, though with a 180* maneuver he spun and landed deftly.

The last thing he expected to see when he peeked in from the dark of the night was Junebug speaking to the one who kidnapped her, unbound. That...made no sense. A part of him wanted to step out now and start firing, but he held himself in check. His curiosity always getting the better of him.


[System]
Yem in his transformed shape
Age 205
Appearance: Tall, wiry, a beautiful but serious face.
Height: 196cm
Weight: 80kg
Hair Color: Black
Eye Color: Green
History (Optional): Yem is said to hail from one of the western provinces of the Imperium. Not much is known about his young history, but he says he was born to a pair of farmers in a small village in the middle of nowhere. He spent much of his time in the nearby forest in his youth, playing with the spirits there. He and one of the spirits eventually fell in love and became a couple. As time passed, however, it became apparent that while the spirit the spirit would live forever, Yem would die of old age. The spirit lamented this and gave her soul to him, prolonging his life indefinitely and granting him the gifts of the forest. He has been travelling the world ever since, marveling at its mysteries. According to him, at least.
Personality: Yem is pleasant, thoughtful and secretive. He likes to be around people and has no problem with making friends of strangers. He is the planning kind and likes to take a moment to think before acting. He also likes to keep secrets; Yem never lies but doesn't always say what he knows. He is very fond of artistry in every kind, especially poetry.
Weapons: A spear made from copperwood, and a curved iron dagger.
Abilities (Magic): Yem has been given the soul of a forest spirit, granting him many of its gifts:
* Longevity – Yem is eternally young and will never die of old age.
* Friend of the Forest – Yem is allied with the forest and can move through it without threat. He can survive on grass and leaves as animals do, and predators won't attack him unless provoked.
* Totem – Yem can transform into his spirit shape. While transformed his physical prowess is significantly empowered, as well as his senses. It is very taxing for him, however, quickly exhausting him, as his body wasn't made to use it.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


[System]
"I seek strength to protect, not to kill."

Basics
Race:
Lah'na, a Lion specifically.

Gender:
Male.

Age:
33.

Additional Info
Personality:
At first glance, many would think that this feline is nothing but a cold brute without any goals, simply wandering for eternity. And while that may be partly true, Ymahr tends not to heed the whispers of strangers and let it get to him, for they are free to say what they want, so as long as they do not intrude in his mission. While definitely no has-been, he feels out of touch with many youths and adolescents that he feels he may as well be a senile old man, and while it does not bother him that much, it does bring back a painful memory of the past for him, something that he wishes not to ponder on.

The lion is calm, tactical and collected. Preferring to think of a more logical or safer approach rather than facing danger head-on, his wisdom and intellect however becomes a double-edged sword when it begins to mix with his emotions and feelings. They clash like water and oil and often proves difficult for him to express as such.

Rather than staying with groups, Ymahr finds peace in being alone, something that has stayed with him ever since he wandered. Due to his years of traversing the roads in his pursuit of strength, he comes off as an anti-social person as his time alone was most certainly not spent with many. Despite this, he is also shown to be well-meaning and selfless, he simply prefers not to show it often.

He tends to cling to the past often, it is something that both drives him forward and pulls him towards his own downfall.

Appearance:
Ymahr is a tall, and athletically-built lion, something that stems from his various battles during his travels. His fur is mostly tawny-colored, with his chest-area and lower muzzle being mainly white, whereas his mane consists mostly of a dirty-yellow color. The lion's face is almost-always filled a stern expression, almost as if he is expressing slight irritation from his surroundings.

His armor-if you could call it that-consists of a simple scarf adorned with a small trinket, a cloth belt and a simple pair of pants. On his right hand, he wields a gauntlet that is purely aesthetic.

Height:
6'2".

Weight:
190 lbs.

Fight related
Magic:
Miracles. He has a strong preference towards defense instead of recovery.

Class:
Vagabond.

Weapons/Items:
A gold spear, and what little he considers as "armor".

Strengths:
Brute Strength
- Even without his magic and spear, Ymahr is a formidable foe up close and is willing to use his bare hands to confront foes.

Agile
- Though not as dexterous as many of his kind, his speed is above average and he tends to incorporate it in his fights where his defense is one of his biggest enemies.

Instinct
- He may be an anti-social one, but those who manage to befriend this lion will find that he is willing to cross limits in order to protect those what little he calls "friends", even if it includes putting his life on the line just to ensure their survival and/or safety.

Weaknesses:
Solace in Solitude
- Prefers to be alone, he is hesitant to rely on the aid of others unless it was a matter of life and death.

Lion's Pride
- In addition to the above, if he ever finds himself allying with another, Ymahr will often prioritize himself rather than his allies. He may heal and tend to their wounds once in a while but that would be about it, unless that person happens to be someone important to him that is.

Sticks and Stones
- Prone to taunting the enemy and can easily underestimate them just from their appearances. This doesn't apply to just enemies though, he calls them as he sees them, for better or worse. He does not to bear any ill will, but rather to bear witness the potential of his adversaries.

Expose'
- Tends not to use armor and cover himself up as it gets in the way of his dexterity. As a result, he is vulnerable to many attacks, both physical and magical. To remedy this, he tends to rely on casting barriers for defense or using some of his agility to safely dodge incoming attacks instead.

Techniques:
Ymahr prefers to confront enemies from a mid-to-close distance, using his spear to attack from a safe range with quick pokes and thrusts. He tends not to close-in on an enemy until he sees a viable opening, at which point he switches to a more aggressive fighting style that relies more on cornering the opponent and tiring them out with repeated stabs, even using fisticuffs if his spear would-somehow-be unavailable. He tends to alternate between a defensive and offensive style, depending on the situation.

When it comes to using his magic in fighting however, he almost always tries to start every fight by casting a barrier on himself to lessen the damage he receives. As mentioned above, while he may be uncomfortable fighting with allies, that doesn't mean he won't be willing to spare a moment of his time to aid them however.

[User]
As the innkeeper had served others before her, Atlas was able to do a little listening around the room. Well not purposely, but standing around doing nothing makes you look for something to do. The two beside her were having a questionable conversation that she tried her best not to pay attention to. Something staves and removing clothing? Um, anyway...

Meanwhile, there was a curious little Shael the Tothum decided to attune her attention to. He was calling for someone to help, of course, with a slain wurm. I knew that whole mess would come back to bite me in the tail. Atlas thought, shuffling her hooves with mild apprehension. It would be the right thing to go back and help out, who knew what would happen if they left a dead monster carcass out there. The scales were sharp, someone could get hurt if they fell near it. Or most rather, it would attract more terrifying creatures that could harm the citizens of this city.

Her freshly refilled drinks came to her, and she quickly dismissed herself, weighing the pros and cons of whether or not she and most likely not, Rykiar, should help strangers. Making her way back upstairs and in their bedroom, she placed the mugs on the bedside drawer, occupied in this internal struggle. She did just do her Beast form, and was pretty dang tired. Her meal did help regain some energy, so maybe should could just help carry the rest of the creature by foot if others helped. Flying did always take a lot out of her. Although, that butcher certainly did rip them off. That was probably grade A, recently kill wurm. They could have at least gotten a couple more hundred coins at least. Well, then again, she knew next to nothing about bargaining as much as Rykiar thinks she does. She usually ends up just eventually agreeing with whatever price the opposite party wants and she never had the energy to keep going. Hell, this was probably the longest she'd ever think over something.

"Atlas? Hello in there? Please don't tell me you've fallen asleep with your eyes open. We're going to have to sleep in different rooms if you-"

Atlas rolled her eyes, throwing a pillow at the mouse to quiet him. "Shush no. I just saw one of those guys that we stole the wurm from downstairs. He was asking for help to carry it back here." She could already see that Rykiar wasn't interested in hard labor, and neither was she. It was a lot coming from her, being the biggest lazybones there is. I mean, I guess I am bigger than most others, well unless they're a Rakonai or an Orius. Well I suppose it just depends on the person, there's always variation.

"The whole thing is I'm a bit worried about the dead thing attracting more scary things, and said things attacking this cute town."

This still didn't really change the Neth's mind. She looked around for some sort of motive. Atlas' eyes fell upon the last of the baked bread. She looked back up Rykiar and he's brow furrowed, daring her to do her worst. Faster than she's ever been, and fortunately faster than her mouse, the cow snatched up the bread. She held it up out of the much shorter Rykiar's reach, which was quite easy.

"Oh no! Is this the last of that bread? The same bread we both agreed must have been made by angels?" She glanced down, waggling her own brow in playfulness. "I'm so full, but I guess a little bite will be no trouble."  Atlas then slowly lowered the bread toward her mouth threateningly.

"Alright! Alright! We'll go help them!" Atlas then of course handed him the mediocre at best bread with a grin.

Helping others felt almost as good as sleeping for twelve hours, which she'll make sure to do as soon as they got back. Making their way back stairs, which she grew to hate the more she climbed them, She spotted the poor Shael who kept repeating his need for help. Atlas gave him a sheepish smile as well a little wave to get his attention. Rykiar obviously spoke for the two of them and did so.

"We'd like to help!" He exclaimed a bit too enthusiastically, most likely swayed by the mention of pay. Now they'd have more spending money, which meant of course more food.

[Assistant]
Erion just stared a bit at the lion, and grumbles at what he said. He just looked angry a bit.
"Calling me pathetic... Want to know why I don't tell people about my type of magic?! Yes I use necromancy, the soul aspect to be exact! I know that the tpye of magic dosen't define the person, but what they do with it! I should be the first to even know that with what happen to me in the past!" he says, walking forwards.

"Ever had someone try to kill you at night, someone from your own party cause he though you were evil and were going to kill the group? Ever had people you believed to be friends just turn you in to a group of people that want to get rid of all type of necromancy, even the soul aspect?! I am sorry, but that is a good reason to not trust people with that information." he adds, then calming down a bit as he look at the lion, standing there. His spirit energy had been moving around him right now, visible, but it dissipated.

"And you tell me that I am pathetic for doubting others! Ever had your own family end up killing your best friend cause he discovered a large scheme crime organization in your own family that you didn't even know about at all! And the irony here is that they used miracle magic, healing victims of their own scheme to get money!" he then adds, then calming down again as he looks at the lion. Erion didn't know how the lion would react to all this... but maybe it was best to come clean with him. Maybe it was best to tell him the reasons so that he understands why he was unsure about telling about his type of magic... and the fact that he didn't trust others

"Sorry that I don't trust others, but with how many times I ended up with people not giving me any respect or even trying to kill me, as well as not even knowing who to trust or believe in anymore..." he then ends up saying, a small tear in his eye... but he cleans it off afterwards. Then... Jim showed up.... again...

"Awww... cry baby gonna have a br..." he was able to say before Erion turned to him and then yelled.

"SHUT UP JIM!" he says before using a large soul blast and pronouncing some necromancy words, banishing the spirit once again.

"S.... sorry.... that dang spirit.... That... is my personal problem. I hear the spirits and everything they say.... but there is one that keep coming back and back and annoying me and... ugh.... I just want to get rid of that one. Even the other spirits want him gone... giving you an idea of how annoying he is..." he says, trying to cheer up a bit. He hoped that the lion would understand a bit more now. He didn't say though his real family name... but knowing how that scheme had been revealed before.... Letendre familly... If he heard about them... well... he would know they are now rotting in a dungeon now... That was a good reason why he didn't want to carry that cursed name with him... A new family name... one that he would stay with from now on.


[System]
Reina/Retarion
Real Life Info

Appearance:
Age:
16
Gender:
Female
Sexuality:
Pansexual
Occupation:
Student
Personality:
Reina may not look like that she cares most of the time, but honestly she does. Reina is very hard to approach since she is awkward, as well as unintentionally intimidating. Reina doesn't want to be a coward anymore.
Biography:
Reina had no memories of her biological parents, all she could remember was growing up with her harsh grandfather, who made Reina take martial art classes 24/7. Reina was constantly yelled at as a child to keep training, one time Reina even passed out from all the energy she used training. Reina didn't have that many friends in school either, she couldn't even have any free time to hang out on the weekends. When Reina was 12 she decided to rise up against her grandfather, but got scolded harshly, which resulted in the lost of sight in her left eye. Eventually Reina came across the game Identity.exe, where she could have a new start and have a better life, make new friends. She keeps trying to escape the horrors of reality by playing the game.

In-Game Info

Appearance:

Username:
Retarion
Gender:
Female
Race/Species:
Human
Personality:
Retarion is much less of a coward than her real life self, she is much more serious and stronger too. Retarion can joke around at times with lots of sarcasm, but is most of the time serious. Retarion smiles a lot to show that she is having lots of fun, and that she can fight with her friends. Retarion will be your knight in shining armor.
Stats:
Teamwork [3/10]
Fitness [10/10]
Agility [7/10]
Stamina [7/10]
IQ [7/10]
Strategy [6/10]

Skills:
- Switch Gun: Able to switch the gun that Retarion is currently using in an instant, there is a cool down of 30 seconds though.
- Spark Shot (Dual Pistols): Retarion shoots at the enemy with an electric bullet.
- Homing Shot (Sniper Rifle): After locking onto an enemy she charges up her gun and fires.
Abilities:
- Tornado Shot (Dual Pistols): Retarion shoots in front of her and a tornado forms around the bullet.
- Wide Shot (Shotgun): Retarion fires a single bullet from her shotgun, then it splits into a dozen bullets impacting an area.
Weapon/s:
- Amnesia (Dual Pistols)
- Flash Annihilator (Shotgun)
- Legionnaire's Rifle (Snipe Rifle)
Class:
Gunner
Recognition:
Approachable
Fame:
Name slips off the tongue once in a while.

Extras:
- Ammo: Only has a set number of bullets, has to buy ammo to restock and fight.

[User]
"Wow, well endowed? Lewd.", SawCutter joked. "I probably went overboard on the big and intimidating sliders, but whatever. I hope I can get a 'Non-Damaged Megasaw' or whatever the shit this thing is.", He'd say while going to grab his Megasaw, the starter version being heavily damaged. "Or I could repair it. That'd be cool too.". He looked at the various new players still spawning in for the first time. Lovely amount of variety, and some orange eyed 'girl'. Pfft, probably not even really a lady.

"Shiet, must be one hell of a busy day. Their servers are probably crying right now.", He'd say. He'd notify this 'Ricki' (pfft) by pointing and sent a message. "you probably aren't even a real girl! fite me trolololol.", then another, "Nah not really, take this party invite, let's be noobs together."

[Assistant]
Viral - Scott
Starting City || Plaza
Scott almost sighed in relief as SC relieved him from the social obligation of being his partner in crime. Maybe SC wasn't all bad, Just a bit misguided. He also asked the all important question of if Queue was a dude. Queue responded with a resounding 'Yes. Also I am this attractive in real life too.' though, his response did accidentally cut into one of SC's patented rambles. Apparently SC was visiting. Scott wasn't exactly sure how good that was.

SC confirmed that the two of them wanted to go to Nohare and then Queue said one of the best things ever. If Scott was more brave, he might have just asked Queue to repeat himself, but he was neither creepy or fearless enough to ask. Besides, Queue could've been any age. He didn't wanna come onto a 60 year old and end up coming onto a 60 year old. Scott then wondered why his thought process ended in a zinger.

SC commented on the awfully worded fiasco that was, ruining any sense of eroticism that Scott had actually already ruined for himself when he brought a 60 year old into the mix. Midway through his rambles SC mentioned a broken chainsaw or something. Although he was beginning to tune him out a bit, the mention of something broken sparked his interest. "May I see that chainsaw? One of my skills is repairing things." Scott asked. Although it was probably stuck broken because it was a game object, there was a possibility he could help fix it.

[User]
"You're a genius, Viral! Here, take a shot at it.", He said while handing the giant piece of machinery over. It really was huge; the massiveness of SawCutter even had some minimal trouble lugging it around. Of course, even a person could drag it around with both hands; yet then it would've just been useless as an actual weapon. Viral did seem like a smart guy, or gal, whatever. Couldn't really tell from the voice...

'Realistically', all it really needed was a tune up; just replace the small heating coils wrapped around the base of each sub-saw and re-align all of the teeth of the same. Apparently it needed 'Adept Mechanic skills' to fully repair; but Viral could repair it to 50% effectiveness, boosting its' attack output somewhat. It's heating coils even began to work, beginning to make the saws glow a slight, dull red. "Hohohohho! Damn, that's rad! Gimme, please?".

"Fuck, now all I need are like... rocket boosters and I'll be the coolest thing ever!"

[Assistant]
John Marks - Queue

Starting City || Plaza

Queue just stood back amused and giddly smiling as the pair started playing mechanical doctor. They were quite the amusing pair. Two giant robots acting like they were back in elementary, about to go off in some adventure. Both of them acting on the other's strengths and covering each other's weaknesses. The romantic in him almost made him burst out in happiness for them, but he quickly resumed control over himself. More and more, John felt a bit like the third wheel, but that was where he was most comfortable. He couldn't wait to see how the two robos' stories would intertwine and roll out.

[User]
Ricki perks her head up like a dog as she gets a notification. She stops where she is to check it out, booping through some menus to find that a message is received from someone. Dang, how many minutes has it been? Already got a message, this is getting really nice. Ricki didn't think she'd get one this fast and early. Ricki opens up the message from the user 'SawCutter' and reads it, half-mumbling let alone half-speaking it to herself.

Ricki stares at the message with half-open eyes, almost unamused. Dang, how many minutes has it been? Internally, Ricki became a little defensive. She understood that with a name like 'Ricki' people could probably mistake her for a guy, but the fact that she practically always uses female avatars and people would still ask her gender once in a blue moon or even claim that she's not a girl made her a little wary. Especially with a troll approach like this. It's just that she doesn't want to be thought as one of those creepy dudes playing as girls because, well, she isn't. But really, that message, like seriousl-- oh hey another message that was fast.

Oh. Oh, okay. He was just kidding around. Ok ok. And lookie here, he sent a party invite. Well Ricki doesn't want to wait any longer for the fun to start, and she doesn't want to keep this party waiting either so-- wait was he kidding about the not being a girl part or the 'fite me' part? Or both? Does he actually think she's not a girl? Why. Whywhywhywhywhywhywh- ok you know what. Ricki thinks briefly to herself; from now on this is a reality of no worries. So if anything, all will be good. Most likely. Hopefully. No not hopefully, most likely. Without delay Ricki replies to SawCutter real quick saying, 'Lol aight' and then accepts the party invite. She quickly looks around for the newly joined party and eventually she would find them, near a forest. From the distance she spotted them she observed them. Two of them were big robots, aw yeah, and then some other chick. Ricki straightened up and and adjusted her hair before she put her thumbs in her pockets, or if there were no pockets she'd just be putting her hands there as if they were, and jogged on over. "What up what up. How we doing?" Ricki attempted to greet casually as she officially arrived.

[Assistant]
"Hey, I can tell you're a little spooked. Probably a bit too aggressive that was, especially for a fucking greeting. You look like a rogue or thief or someshit, two rogues, a healer/tank and a full-tank sounded like a decent party. Y'interested? We'll be hunting mobs until we're level three or four or something.". He wondered if there even were levels. "Shit, are there even levels? I'm not sure.", he'd voice that thought.

"Oh, that's a dude by the way, Queue. Quu? Qoo? Whatever. Also, Would you mind doing PVP with yours truly once we get gooder at this?', he'd note, and ask. "These other two aren't interested. I mean I picked a class that was suited for lone PVP-ers like me, but y'know, still nice to have someone helping.". It really was. He was only with these others because they were being useful, but it was nice to just... communicate once in a while.

"So, tactics? Or just go all out?"

[User]
Viral - Scott
Starting City || Plaza
Scott grinned slightly as CS praised him. His grin was much less visible when CS handed over the massive-ass chainsaw. The damn thing was huge! Even for Viral, it'd be pretty hard to one hand it. Still, with Viral's mechanical skills, it'd be just a minute before the thing began working better. Still, to fully repair it, Viral would need to be a better mechanic. Plus, it seemed it'd be better to just scrap the damn heating coils because they were malfunctioning so hard, and just replace them. Still, he could get them working, even if just barely. By CS's command, he handed the weapon back over.

A few moments later, someone walked up. She greeted the three men- well, two men and a boy, Scott acquiesced he wasn't exactly a man yet. This one was definitely female, or at the very least was using the voice modifier to pose as one. Though Scott didn't notice it, somehow CS noticed some apprehension in her? Either that or he was going on yet another tangent. Scott had pretty much fully realized his friend was actually a little insane. Back to the girl though, she appeared to be a DPS machine. Light armor, dual blades, all that jazz. As he asked her about PvP, Scott turned his attention towards Queue. "So, uh, anything that needs fixing?" He asked. He ignored CS's question about tactics. He couldn't care either way, he wasn't good at that stuff anyways.

[Assistant]
John Marks - Queue

Starting City || Plaza

Queue watched as the female joined the group and waved as Saw laid out from the get go that Queue was a guy. He was amazed at Saw's ability to just keep talking. Though the female, Ricki, seemed to have some sort of excess energy of her own. Queue wondered if that meant that he was now demoted to forth wheel. He didn't necessarily care, in fact glad in a way, but his mind started to reevaluate the group and wondered if this meant that there was going to be some possible love relations? He thought love, but he knew that as far as online play, it was near impossible for true feelings to actually occur beyond a certain point. He could still dream though...

Soon the other robot came on to him and asked if any repairs needed to be done. "Uhmm..." Queue quickly refreshed himself with his inventory, but again, all he saw was his basic knife and drugs. "No, sorry. It looks like I'm good to go." Queue gave out a nice friendly smile. "Thanks though. So what is it that you wanna do? Saw seems hellbent on going all out with his army off newblings, which is fine. Personally I'm just here for the people. Truth be told, I'm actually a bit of a pacifist." Queue sorta ended off with a bit of a nervous chuckle. He couldn't deny his own actions, but he didn't mean to pry where he wasn't wanted.


[System]
Age: 45
Race: Human
Description:

He stands at 6'2", a tower of years of built up muscle. He wears a dark earthen blue tunic over a white linen three button pullover shirt. He wears a pair of black shorts(under his pants) and a pair of dark gray hosen(medieval style pants). He'll wear a chain mail shirt and these pauldrons

additionally he'll wear leather knee and shin armor.
He wears a small gray hood and a bear fur cloak.

Weapons: He wields a large crude looking war hammer and a falchion. Additionally, he has one small crude throwing axe.

Biography: Hugh was once part of a great order of paladins. They had much land and ruled with wisdom. Their lands were prosperous and fertile. Many were jealous of their lands, but no one had the courage enough to take on the great and Noble order. Their paladins were fierce and formidable fighters. They all stood higher than 6' and were towers of muscle. They were truly terrifying men. But they were brought down under scandal. Fabricated accusations about them stealing their riches and enslaving other groups of people for labor. The scandals kept growing until they were set upon by every surrounding nation. They stood no chance. Many were killed, only a few escaped.

They have been long since forgotten, after being hunted for almost two decades, and killed off, until it was concluded that they were finally extinct. Hugh hid among tribes of barbarians to survive. The tribe was good to him, making him one of their own. He had built a life of simplicity. Some warring between other tribes would often end with them being brutalized and then integrated. Hugh had found the love of his life among one of the taken tribes. He had a few sons and lived very happily, until they were set upon by a purge of the "savages".

Hugh's tribe was wiped out and he was orphaned once again. He had brutally killed all the "civilized" army he could, but it was too late. His tribe was all gone, along with his family.

He became a wanderer, and left to find life as a mercenary.

Demeanor/Attitude: Neutral Good. He mixes the bearing of a barbarian and a paladin. He fights like a barbarian and a demon, but talks and has the manners of a paladin.

Other: I'll add stuff as we go on.

[User]
The wizard was a little surprised at how many people went to his little table and in so little time. He was hoping for one more person though ,but this will have to do. He cleared his throat to get everyones attention. "As some of you know, the ones who read the parchment on the bulletin, that I need you all to join together for a task. The reason why I require so many bodies for this task is ,because the job might just be that difficult. This isn't as simple as it sounds. This ancient city is now abandoned yes, but new occupants might have moved in and the traps within could be numerous." He paused handing out scrolls that gave the same info as the one handed to Vivian. "The Mages guild is paying you all 1000 gold,... Each. All you have to do us retrieve the chalice illustrated in the scroll. If you still don't know why it requires so many people, you will find out soon enough on your own."

 Vivian's eyes darted around her as she looked to her 'companions', they looked reliable and strong. She was relieved to see a dwarf had come to the table. He would most certainly be useful in combat. Then there was the giant tower of a man. He was pretty big, and looked like he could handle himself. Then there was this elf, who was a bard. Bards can be useful in some cases but she wasnt sure if this was one of them. Of course there was the marksman too. She sighed and shrugged. "Alright I'm in wizard. Do we get a map anyways?" The wizard nodded and slid a map forward. The abandoned city was about fifty miles away from the city. The entrance was stuck on the inside of some large plateau. She noticed a lot of geography was drawn about the map and then just handed it to the dwarf. "You dwarves are experts in geography so best to leave it in the hands who can understand it." She added. She looked back to the wizard. "When do we start?"

 The wizard then handed out another parchment. "I know it would be rude to send the lot of you out into the dangerous sands without certain supplies. Take this to the stable man, his name is Zane. He will give you a wagon full of the desired number of bed rolls, tents, food and water. I also threw in a couple bottles of my favorite mead from the Oasis. Once you get the wagon. You can all hurry off to get the chalice. We don't want to waste the time given to us." He then lifted up his satchel. He then made his way around the table. "Just remember, take the chalice to the mages guild and you will be paid." He then left them to their thoughts.

 Vivian looked to her new friends. Lowering her hood to reveal her silver hair and dark skin. "Well when do you all want to start? Now or rest a bit and then go?" She asked.

[Assistant]
'I don't honestly mind' The bard smiled at the drow elf as she scratched her hair lightly. She finally finished adjusting her harp and looked at its strings tightness, finally placing it on the table lightly as if she didn't want anyone at all to touch it. She then sighed and gotten herself deep in thought as she thought of the gold that she could receive in this quest if she doesn't screw up.

'but it will depend on the others'

[User]
Bjoric grumbled at the drow handing him the map, forcing him to place his drink on the table. Looking at the map he saw the he saw the plateau marked on the map, the distance looked to be about three days travel. But he suspected travelling through the desert could make it take longer.

At the elfs non-comital anwser to the drows question, he barked "Grow a spine ye pansy." Stuffing the map into his pack he took another drink from his tankard. "I need to sleep in a bed that's not pitching about like a drunken bull, and food that wasn't vomited up by a pig." With that he made his way back to the bar, calling to the bar keep for food.

[Assistant]
Ellyn just laughed at his remark in embarrassment, she liked flowers but she didn't expect to be called a pansy out of all things. 'looks like nobody will enjoy my company after all... oh well' She smiled, trying to cover up her embarrassment from what he called her.

Eventually she looked at the bar in worry, wanting to give back the tankard the barkeeper gave her so she could drink her beer. But was worried to because of the dwarf, she sure as hell did not want to be called a pansy again, in the end she sat down and decided to think up of some poetry to give her new-found but weird allies some hope and some fortune upon the upcoming quest.

[User]
"A drow," Varus began, speaking softly and quietly so as to not allow anyone to hear him. "... A dwarf... a marksman... and a useless elf..." Varus shifted his head over his shoulder once more as to catch a glimpse of the party, his eyes scanning over the party of four, with his eyes lingering on the drow before he turned around.

Drow could be some trouble... Varus thought as he grabbed the pitcher of water and gently tilt it to pour water into his cup, setting it down after a few seconds. No matter, I reckon I could kill the drow if she tries to do anything... probably, Varus grabbed the cup of water, tilting his head backwards and downed the cup of water quickly before setting it down. Without any other unnecessary actions, Varus turned around on the stool and hopped off, walking over to the group before stopping parallel next to the drow. Swiftly, Varus took out his dagger and stabbed it into the table without even so much as looking at the others who would soon to become his "allies."

"Varus Tyrparin at your service," He said in the same pompous voice he had used to talk to the bartender.

[Assistant]
Sana listened to what had to be said and leaned back in her chair slightly as she crossed her arms over her chest.Well I had wanted to get a good night's rest before we began but I guess I can sleep in the wagon. Sooner we're done the better, she thought to herself as she leaned forward and shrugged.

 "Anytime is good for me," she muttered aloud. "Tonight or tomorrow, either way." She would have added more but as she looked over her companions for this journey she wondered if it would just go in one ear and right out the other.

Perking a brow at the ensuing treatment towards the elf she shook her head. Rising from her seat she took a step to the side and pushed her seat in "I ain't leaving without eating first though," she started flatly before wandering over to the ba ignoring the dagger in the table.

Walking up next to the dwarf she resisted the urge to use his head as an arm rest. "You know you have to work with that pansy and trust she has your back. I thought even dwarves had that much common sense. I guess I gave you more credit than is due," she stated coldly as she leaned down to look him in the eye.

Tossing some coins on the bar she eyed the tender. "The pipsqueeks meal is on me," she said before turning on her heels and walking over to a clear table and waving the barmaid over.

[User]
Outside the city, an abandoned orchard waved in a light evening breeze, the cider-tart odor of spoiled citrus radiating into the muggy desert air surrounding the once treasured assembly of trees. Not far away was the high fencing of a compound that belonged to bandits, and from inside came the sound of raucous festivities. Why not? Barrats thought. Every day you've avoided death by the hangman's noose or on the end of a guardsman's sword is a cause for celebration when you've lived the life of a bandit.

At the gates there were various outlaws and hanger-ons milling around, some of them drinking, some attempting to stand guard, and all of them in a constant state of argument. To the left of the compound, the orchard rose to a small parched hill peak and on it sat a lookout tending to a small fire. Sitting tending a fire isn't the quite the desired position for a lookout, but, otherwise, he was one of the few on this side of the compound who seemed to be taking his job seriously. Certainly, they'd failed to post any scouting parties. Or if they had, then the scouting parties were lounging under a palm somewhere, blind drunk, because there was no one to see Barrats and the dozen or so men appointed to him as they crept closer, approaching a man, who was crouching behind a crumbling sandstone wall, keeping watch on the compound.

Barrats and his aide, Fel, rode a little ahead, side by side, as was their preference, happy to be with one another and pleased to be within sight of what might be another opportunity to restock their provisions and gain some insight into their destination, each undulating with the slow, steady rhythm of their horses. Both rode high and proud in the saddle despite the long, arduous journey. They might have been advancing in years – both were nearing what was considered middle age to the high-bloods – but it would not do to be seen slouching. Nevertheless they came slowly: their mounts were chosen for their strength and stamina, not speed, and tethered to each was an ass, laden with supplies.

Behind them came Roal, who had inherited the bright, dancing eyes of his mother, his father Fel's colouring and bone structure, and the impulsiveness of both. He would have liked to gallop ahead and climb the slopes of the nearby dunes to the compound to announce the impending attack,but instead trotted meekly behind, respecting his both father's and supervisor's wishes for a modest approach. Every now and then he swatted the flies from his face with his crop and thought that a gallop would have been the most effective way to rid himself of them.

As the group neared their target, Barrats got a better look at him. A round-faced elf, a little shabby, and probably too fond of the grog himself, if Fel's guess was correct. This was the man who, according to their contacts at Zaphere, was good at loosening tongues, though he'd looked like he'd have problems loosening his own drawers.

[Assistant]
She looked to everyone as she thought of this poetry and tried to make up some good rhymes, but she kept scrapping it in her head because she thought it was not good enough to be a piece of poetry, eventually she stood up and sat back down quickly. Thinking nobody would have pen and ink here or it is but just hoarded somewhere.

'everyone is soooo freaky...'

In the end Ellyn got up and walked to the bartender to ask for pen and ink so she could write her poetry. Hoping he would say yes, the moment he nodded he gave her pen and ink, thus she thanked him and returned to her seat to start writing the poetry.