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[Jod]

Penance March

Day 1

 

 

 

~The Story Begins~

 

 

[The Moon Shines Softly]

 

It was a cold night, still in the Deadland, every night was cold. The thick white fog that blanketed the land saw that as little of the sun made its way down to the  black soot stained earth down below. Ma’Bwen sat upon a single branch, stretched languorously over its length. The tree on which she lay used to be one of the many massive oaks contained in the Forest, now it was merely the dead petrified remnant that marked the death of a once fertile land.  She seemed to be staring up at the night sky, at least inasmuch anyone could see the sky with the fog . However one could still make out the sliver light of the moon, its light trickling down, in little streams and rivulets of the light, as it became distorted and obscured by the fog.

 

However  Ma’Bwen was in a deep state of sleep, in recent times she had been maintaining this state for several months at a stretch, taking rest for only a day in between. After all it was her duty to hide the last settlement of the Vuha. She maintained the Silencing as it was called by others, a giant dome of air that prevented any traces of the Vuha to escape the settlement, be it sound, scent or magic. Without it the Enemy would have found them long ago…

 

In her dreams she met them again, as she drifted through the Id. They spoke to Ma’Bwen, whispering to her about the present, future and past…

 

“The bargain has been struck”

“a hope prepared”

“and a price payed”

“still a journey remains”

“a darkness prevails”

“yet the children sustain”

“the balance swings”

 

Ma’Bwen ignored their voices, she knew very well how maddening their whispers can be. The spirits always had an agenda of their own…..

 

 

 

 

[May The Stars Watch Us]

 

Down below in the settlement lit by several large fires, spread out in regular intervals. Around the fires lay the tents arranged in small clusters around the them. From far above it even looked like a miniature city. At the same time it looked deserted, barely anyone but the emerald  aegis patrolling the streets. The flames cast eerie shadows across the streets, shadows played across the tents almost as if they were alive.

 

The Aegis patrolled through the small alleyways formed between the numerous tents, trudging through the sooty muck that made up the soil of the Deadlands. However they were not patrolling the populace, they were patrolling for the enemy. Years of war with the enemy had taught them that the enemy always struck when most unexpected. They were a cunning foe.

 

On the eastern wing of the settlement lay an area that was closed off to the rest of the tents. These tents were much larger, housing at least three hundred men and women each. This was the Barracks, the home of the penance march. Among theses tents, there was only one who was still bustling with activity, its wardlights still glowing a bright with their characteristic green tinge. Still this particular tent was always active, it was after all the command and control of the Penance March. Even at night there were many squads active, patrolling  and scouting the territory for any sign of the enemy. They would also be hunting for and erasing any signs the Vuha might have left in the region.

 

 

 

 

 

[The General]

 

Za’Meljah sat in the center of the war room, his chin resting on his left hand. His eyes gazing over the entirety of the Deadlands, a representation of it at least. However it was a very accurate representation p information as it changed in tandem with realities. Just like the actual land, a fog covered its expanse. Stylized symbols glowing in various colors , hovering slightly over the fog, denoting many factors in real time such as wind, temperature , etc.

 

Out of these the General was focused on the green triangles, each following a dotted line that glowed similarly. The scouts, were combing the area looking for any signs of the enemy, removing traces of the Scraping earlier in the day. The scouts also had to avoid being detected by the enemy if they did come across them. Otherwise the region would be crawling with the Hounds.

 

Without looking he addressed the figure that had come to stand behind him. It was a tall man with slightly feminine lines on to his face, framed by dark shoulder length hair. However his eyes spoke of a deep intelligence, dark pools that took everything in.

 

“Ha’Vwe, tell me the status of our food supplies, how long till we have enough stock to begin moving”

 

“We need to at least another week” Ha’Vwe said with his usual lazy drawl ” It is difficult to Scrape these lands even with our magic. However it might be prudent to begin the second phase, our scouts say there are signs of  new movement. They are getting closer to our location”

 

“Hmmm, according to your analysis, we were supposed to have another three weeks”

 

“That is true, however they have switched their search techniques, according to our spies they have some kind new method for detecting our magic,  despite the Silencing.”

 

“If the situation decays, we will have to mobilize the Wolves, have them draw the scouts into sector 23. It would gives us a week, however it will alert them, it might cause them to mobilize the Regular Legion.”

 

 

 

 

[Yin and Yang]

 

Two women sat across a wooden table, their faces scrunched in concentration. Both had hair as white as snow, however the similarities stopped at that. In all other aspects they were polar opposites. One had an almost wild aura around her, primal and bursting with energy, her skin tan and glowing with life, her body though thin was dense with muscle, a wide mischievous grin plastered across her face. The other had an aura of perfect calm, like the still before a storm, her porcelain skin containing a kind of gentle vibrancy. She had a lean yet flexible musculature, that clearly favored mobility over strength. As if completing her opponent she held a small quiet smile.

 

Most of the tables in the hall had been, pushed off to the edges, the space they had occupied were filled with soldiers. Most of the men wore bands of white or red, however there were some other colors mixed in as well. Still all of their gazes were locked on the two women. There was a lot generally air of excitement and a lot of cheering among them, some of were even placing bets….

 

On closer inspection of the two women, one would notice that their hands were locked together upon the table. Each trying to wrestle the other to the ground. The table was groaning with strain as the it bent under their strength. Simultaneously their eyes were locked on each other with fierce gazes, as they wrestled their wills against each other, causing the air to simmer with energy between them.

 

“Hey Mel” said the wild woman “Why dontcha just stop, its obvious im stronger”

 

“Hooo” the calm one replied  “Now now Wa, its quite clear that you're struggling”

 

“Hah. I could run a few mile and do this. thats how much I’m struggling”

 

“You mean you’d rather run than lose to me don’t you”

 

“Pft, loose to you, what a joke”

 

“The Joke is that you think you can win”

 

With this short trade of banter they redoubled their efforts against one another. Cracks began to appear across the table, similarly the soldiers near the two women began to feel dizzy as their wills blasted against one another. The observers began to cheer even louder at the sudden increase in tension. There was also increased circulation of ale amongst the men, which in turn also increased the rowdiness already prevalent in the hall.

 

 

 

[Sey'Taal]

 

In the far corner of the hall distanced from the general ruckus caused by the two captains, w laying leisurely on a table his back resting against the wall, sat Sey’Taal, beside him on a chair, sat his handler Flos’Fleur. Sey’Taal was not quite sure how he got here.From as far as he could make out there had been a sudden rush of people in the hallway, eventually the current would lead him to the hall. He could tell with one look that Flos was quite irritated by her current circumstances, she sat with a rigid posture, her arms crossed and her expression disapproving.

 

He shrugged, no one told her to follow him, actually that was exactly what had happened , still it was the spirit of the matter. He tilted back his earthen cup placing it before his lips, however nothing poured out. He had run out of ale. Sey turned his head to Flo….

 

“Hey Flo” he said. However his words fell on deaf ears. So he tried again..

 

“Heey Flo!” again no reply. Still he continued, “Hey Flo, Heeey, Oi, Over here, Flooooo”

 

Eventually her will wavered and she replied “What!”.

 

Sey’Taal held out his cup, “Be a dear and get me some ale” finishing with a wink.

 

Suddenly he saw a fire light in her eyes, as she turned towards him, veins bulging on her temple “Why Youuuuu!”......

 

 

 

[Da'rthromir]

 

At this distance from the settlement, he could only see it as a small orange glow to the north west. He stood atop a one in a small field of logs, forced into the ground such that they were all at a regular height,  about three meters each. This was near the edge of the Silencing, he could see the fogs of the mist trying to enter, as they pushed against the dome, curving with its shape.

 

This was his own space, his temple of sorts. Da’arth came here every night he was in the settlement in this place, constantly training. Every night he would train, devastating the logs in the field. Every morning he would train his strength by forcing new logs into the earth, to replace the tattered remains of the earlier night. This was his temple, and his training his prayer.

 

He looked to the moon and remembered Ma’Bwen’s words, she had told him on that fateful day. He remembered because she promised him a higher power….

 

Remember this Da’arth, you fight as the beast, the beast controls you. However your are not the beast, it is not you. Master the beast and you will find peace. Master the beast and you will know truth. Master the beast and you will remember hope. When you find these three fragments of yourself, will you gain true power.

 

He drew his weapon, drawing deep regular breaths as he centered himself. Slowly bringing himself to center, he felt himself become one with the environment. he sensed a soft wind caress his body, its cool drawing heat from his body. He tried this every night, and every night he faced it, that thing that lived inside him.

 

It laughed for it knowing that, even this time Da’arth would fail to control it. Knowing that it could revel in pure chaos once again. A sudden shift came across Da’arth’s outer demeanor as it took over, a low growl emanating from his lips….

 

 

 

[Shairnagr]

 

The dark one stood atop the hill, his eyes looking yet not looking at the same time. Around him the mist swirled, flowing and ebbing distorting the moons light in strange ways. It was quite beautiful yet eerie at the same time. He had heard rumors of many seeing ghosts in the wisp, crazy talk, which was ironic that he called it such. He smiled to himself, if the ghosts did exist, he wondered how their minds tasted.

 

He and his partner had been assigned to scout this sector, though it wasnt because of a lack of personnel, more because Nyos knew that he would be driven further into madness if had to stay put for any longer. Shairnagr laughed a little to himself, he had been perfectly content in the settlement, after all there was so much tasty fear swimming around in the settlement. Though he only took small sips from the people there, anymore and that  women would interfere. His face immediately soured, she and Nyos were the only two beings he truely feared. But she, she was an existence he couldn’t gasp …

 

Beside him sat his dearest partner the human Cairys. She was an interesting subject. He could sense so many delectable fragments, she was nearly as broken as he was. Yet she was also more together than he was, all thanks to it. He never did trust it…

 

……

 

[Cairys]

 

Cairys sat on a log her hands upon her chin, mesmerized by the fog. Next to her stood her partner, from the distant yet unfocused look on his eyes, she could tell that he was scrying the area. It was clear from her expression that she found this entire situation distasteful. It was quite unfortunate that she had to baby sit her partner. Otherwise she would not have to roam the Deadlands in the middle of the night.

 

She could sense him trying to probe her mind, it seemed to be almost a reflex for him. However he withdrew like a snake drawing back its face when he touched the sleeping Berne.

 

The spirit had taken to sleeping most of the time once she had entered the Vuha lands. She found that rather strange since she had been quite talkative before that. It was almost as if she was trying to hide from something. It didn't really matter to Cairys, she had learned long ago never to take the actions of ace value, it a fools task to try to figure out the reasons behind the actions of spirits. All she wanted was that man, she didn't know his name. She didn't even remember what he looked like. However she did know, one thing, the symbol of his handiwork. How could she forget, it was burned across her skin as if mocking her just by being present…..

 

Edited by Anathema Flow, 27 October 2013 - 11:18 PM.

[OchaMeido❣]

---------------------------Please ignore this post ------

Edited by Mazenia, 30 October 2013 - 07:15 PM.

[Orcraniil]

[Sey'Taal: The Bloody Thorn]

 

"Why Youuuuu!" Exclaimed the green-clad female sitting stiffly to his side. She made a movement that was likely going to end up with Sey'Taal (he preferred just being called Taal, though it's not like a criminal's preferences are much abided by. Those he didn't regularly speak to often just called him "Bloody Thorn" or some manner of insults) on the floor fast if he didn't make reparations of some kind.

 

Taal brought his hands up in front of his face, and responded with feigned panic, "Wait wait wait wait! I was joking, can't a criminal have a few laughs after a ten year imprisonment?"

 

Taal mentioned his ten year imprisonment in the hopes of instilling a little bit of guilt in his "watcher", but it was obvious that it had failed when he lowered his hands to see a completely deadpan look on her face.

 

"Look, I'm sorry for joking like that, please calm down." Taal pleaded, and attempted to change the direction the conversation was inevitably heading -- his crimes. "Hey, who do you think will win? Captain Mel'Fiur, or Captain Wa'Ein. I might be a bit biased as one of her suboordinates, but I think this match is all Captain Mel'Fiur's." 

 

Taal stared into the crowd, trying to get a glimpse of who was winning. He would've moved forward to see, but he tried not to associate with other members of the Penance March if he could avoid it. Past crimes and such making him a sort of unpopular person and all. Taal stole a glance at his watcher's face, and secretly felt bad for her, not being able to interact with others due to her required attachment to him. He was fairly sure it didn't bother him, but he didn't want Flo to feel isolated like he was, she had done no crimes. 

Edited by Orcraniil, 11 November 2013 - 02:06 PM.

[Diabolical Rhapsody]

Da'rthromir

 Temple of Splinters and Sweat

 

As soft sunlight wriggled it's way through the heavy fog to the ground, the gigantic frame of Da'rthromir could be seen, heaving heavily to catch breath. The field of logs on the edge of the Silencing was gone, all that remained were big splinters and debris of wood. It seemed as if a swarm of large pachyderms had stampeded the area. Although on closer observation, It could be seen that each log carried tell-tale signs of either cleaving or bashing. In it's center stood Da'rthromir the devourer, a man who was an enigma to anyone of the newer generation. He was the last remaining Vuhan of the first generation brand of the body. His feats had been thought to be incomparable until the newer generation broke them on regular basis, he was still considered a monster by any standard.

 

Unlike others of the forces, Da'rthromir just wore a wrap-around with no dress for his torso. His musculature was most impressive, it looked like as it had been fashioned from the metal the enemy was known to use. Plus, the reddish tinge made him appear really malevolent. He wore a deep brown band, the string in eteranl struggle to maitain it's wholeness against his rock like arms. This symbolised that he was under direct control of Za'meldjah, the general, although majorly he served under Wa'ein for the crimson foxes. Many of the suicide missions that required auxilary support from other squads was also undertaken by him, since he was the one whose brand had entirely eroded his sense of self-protection. He was known to volunteer for psychotic plans which further fueled his legend.

 

"I have failed you all again" he said in a low deep voice, it was like a roar from the feral creatures of the once thriving forest. Referring to his inability to control the beast inside and thus failing Ma'bwen in life, Mi'ra and Na'zhreen, for whose deaths he blamed himself each living moment. Ma'bwen was his sole reason for survival now. He had vowed to see her survive this March and that was his only purpose now. Although Ma'bwen was the Great-arch and among the most powerful Vuha, he still saw his sister and his wife in her. She was an archen of his time and thus one of the elders.

 

The night had been really chaotic again, the brand overtook him and rained widespread mayhem again. The logs marked as allies shared similar fate to the others, blasted to splinters. Disgusted at his failure, he turned towards the settlement and thought of talking to Ma'bwen. The settlement was a fair distance away and he made sure that no one disturbed his training, he had requested the General to direct that. With his cleaver in his hands, he walked slowly towards the settlement, the people were already up and the work was underway for clearing and erasing their traces from this place. His people had been reduced to rodents, scurrying away from bigger beasts, they had been cornered due to their confidence and misjudging their enemy. Who was prepared, ruthless and remarkably cunning. During the years almost all the world-trees were reduced to burnt out splinters. The Vuha reorganized, became more war-like but still their enemy always had the upper-hand.

 

Now all hopes were pinned on a place where there was semblance of good life possible. The journey was treacherous and it was estimated that almost 80% won't survive but still the people were so desperate that 20% was more than enough. Da'rthromir personally had no love for living but he wanted to protect Ma'bwen. He wanted her to oversee the re-settling of their people and returning to once cherished memory. Walking past the lanes, he came upon quite a few soldiers who jumped out his way, few even managed salutes. But he ignored their awkwardness and greeted back. Coming upon the area patrolled by Aegis's finest, he stopped short of two guards. They performed a quick salute and parted. This was the area where Ma'bwen was, sprawled upon single branch, still looking upto the sky, still sleeping as he had come to know from their last interaction. Like a picture, serene, at peace with her surroundings, slowly melting into each other.

 

Not wanting to wake her much needed rest, he buried his cleaver upgirght into the earth and sat down cross legged in front of her. At a distance that she is not surprised, closing his eyes and thinking of what he need to say.    

Edited by Diabolical Rhapsodii, 30 October 2013 - 02:33 PM.

[Faye]

Cairys

The Vessel of Anima

 

Night time holds a special place in Cairys's heart. After all, it was the night that greeted her return to the free world. She could still remember the gentle moonlight that showered her face when she finally managed to escape from that wretched facility. It was a gentle light, beautiful and serene. It was nothing like the piercing light of the day.

 

Tonight, the moon is also shining gently like that night. It's calm light falls upon the mist that covers the land, creating a marvelous display of silvery ocean that blankets everything in its gentle embrace. It is amazing how such a beauty of nature could appear on a land scarred by the flames of war, a landscape so desolate and devoid of life.

 

The combination of beautiful scenery in front of her, and the lack of noise and human present is a perfect harmony in Cairys's mind. The night would have been perfect, if not for two things: the fact that the Vuhas, her new family, are currently preparing for a war; and her annoying partner that keeps on trying to probe into her mind. If not for Bern, there is no telling what would this demented individual do to her soul space.

 

"... Stop it," she finally whispered to the man. Her voice was soft, but there is no hiding the ire in her glare towards the oddly dressed man.

[Führer Itulhu]

Shairnagr

welcome to the mind of madness 

 

The cool night winds, the feel of the breeze on his face, it felt so..... dull. There was nothing interesting about this at all, maybe if some screams of terror could be heard whispering through the winds it would be better, but sadly there wasn't.... well yet at least. Ah but Lourcura knew he wasn't alone here, he had a precious 'friend' with him. Oh if only he could enter her mind, our little monster was sure to find a delicious treat install for him.

There was only one problem, yet again he came across 'it' and as much as he wanted to have a delicious meal he knew it was a bad idea to wake it up.

 

As Lourcura retreated back into his own mind 'they' all started becoming 'lively' again.

"KeeP GoIng" "Just A LitTLE moRe" "it'S stiLL sleeping, go now" 

all of you shut up this is my body and i don't feel like sacrificing my own life for such a low chance of success  remember we consider her dear to us due to this very reason. oh how much i wish to taste her mind. as Lourcura continued arguing with the other voices his partner spoke for the first time since they had been here,

"... Stop it,"

"oh i'm so sorry i didn't mean to annoy you.... well i knew it would but lets not fret over the details"

as the madman apologized with no real meaning in the apology he thought about the area, he was glad Nyos had sent him of to this area, the area was perfect for him, the rumors about this place amused him greatly, the taste of these ghosts could be amazing, the taste of the already insane seemed to always have a nice 'tang' to it.

 

As Lourcura stopped thinking to himself he noticed someone had come close when he decided to venture to the girls mind instead. They where closing in, 6 people. Lourcura started laughing in his usual insane manner,

​"KYEHEHEHEHEEEE COME YOU MISERABLE LITTLE MEN, I SHALL DEVOUR ALL OF YOU IN DIFFERENT WAYS"

He couldn't hold it anymore, it had been too long since he last tortured his prey, it had almost driven him to start killing his 'comrades'. It was truly lucky Nyos sent him out on this soon to be beautiful night of terrors.

[Jod]

Day 1

Riders of the Night

 

 

[Sey'Taal]

 

Flos punched the wall nearby, her fist going right through the earthen wall. Her fist was rather uncomfortably near Taal's head. She managed to quickly recollect her calm as she returned to her chair. Her demeanor ,more rigid than usual. Taal had just been spared from a rather painful evening, for now that is. 

 

"Do not keep testing me, Taal, you have been warned" She said. Though Flos had already returned to her stone faced mask. Internally she was infuriated. It had been very unprofessional of her to lose her temper like that. The fact that she had lost her temper to a simple jibe like that was worrying in and of it self. It was as if the man had some sort of instinct at getting under her skin.

 

When he asked her about the outcome of the match she replied with a scathing glare. She did not care for the outcome of the match. In fact she found it disappointing that the captains would stoop to such behavior. This event would clearly be annotated on her report. After all if the captains them selves did not maintain decorum how could they expect their men to do the same.

 

When she saw that Taal was about to say something again, she put out her hand stopping him, "Don't... I am here to keep an eye on you and thats what I'll do... The slightest of transgressions and I will flay you alive"

 

Near the center of the hall a large crash was heard, knocking down many of the men. At the epicenter of the ruckus stood the two captains, both their hands locked against each other. The table on which they had been wrestling had given way and was reduced to splinters. The men who had fallen down, all had wide silly grins over their faces. The jumped back to their feet and returned to cheering. Another several rounds of ale was being passed around, the event was getting a little too boisterous. If Za'Meljah got wind of it, there would be hell to pay for the lot of them...

 

[Da'Arth]

 

Ma'Bwen, slowly opened her eyes, amber and piercing as if they had and could see so much more. She had been able to sense Da'Arth sitting there, his mental turmoil creating ripples in the Id. She stretched with an elegance reserved for wild animals, and then dropped from the branch. Then with a simple movement she arced into the air, gliding high into the sky, moving like a fish in water. A dull blue aura surrounded, her as she then slowly glided down in front of Da'arth.

 

... Your heart smolders dark, your mind storms wild...

 

... I know why you worry, a heart torn you suffer ...

 

 Her voice had a way of reverberating in your mind, as she was speaking to you both by voice and by mind, many found it unsettling. However it was the only way she could communicate. It was said that she learned to speak as such from the spirits, which was worrying in it self, a spirit always did things for its own benefit.

 

... yet a heart healed, is beyond all magic...

 

... for it is the heart from whence magic sprouts...

 

However she seemed thoughtful, as she lay on her back, floating as if on water. Perhaps magic could still aid the process of healing. A smile appeared on her face, it was that smile, that made the hairs on the back of ones neck stand. She slid to her feet all of a sudden glowing a brighter blue. Then with a single movement she made a single slit on her finger with her nails. Thought the wound healed immediately, a single drop of blood fell from her finger. The drop splashed on the underlying muck, for a while nothing happened. But the old magics were often like that, slow to start yet powerful once it had gained momentum.

 

Slowly the ground started writhing and bubbling, stirring. The muck slowly formed into an orb, an egg of sorts, the blackness started to drain from its surface, becoming a brilliant white. The orb grew larger, taking the form of a plant, with a large single bud drooping low...

 

...Come back seven days hence, from within a medicine you will find, balm of the heart....

 

She softly chuckled, as she floated back to her branch, going back to sleep.

 

[Shairnagr & Cairys]

 

Atlassi signaled his men, blowing a tune into a whistle. The garon riders around him quickly split of in small chunks until there were only six riders remaining in the formation. He bent down low, his chin resting on the canine's ink black fur. He could tell that he was moving at breakneck speed by the amount of wind blowing past his face, the fog refused to give him any visual tells whatsoever. The garon however did not falter even a little as it hurtled through the Deadlands, relying on its other senses all extremely keen for navigation.

 

Atlassi checked his compass to make sure he was going in the right direction, gently pushing his foot into the garons side as well as shifting his weight, instructing the garon to correct its path to the right. Both rider and garon was cloaked in a sort of inky shadow, that seemed to defy common sense, it tended to ignore the wind screaming past it. The shadow seemed consume all traces of them, erasing their presence, making them simply unnoticeable.

 

He felt a moment of weightlessness as the garon jumped over a small mound. Jerking all of a sudden, it turned and skid to a stop, using its claws to dig into the muck. The garon hunched low, growling. Atlassi knew what this meant, the garon had caught the scent of some prey. He shifted his weight forward, responding to his cue the garon slowly crept forward.

 

Atlassi grabbed the shadow that cloaked him, and pulled it over his eyes. All of a sudden the world was suddenly dyed red, the fog suddenly became transparent, however at the same time a sense of coldness crawled over him as the cloak leached heat from his body. His men had already taken up their positions instinctively, formations drilled into them through years of rigorous training.

 

They could see the two paragons, one female, one male. All of sudden the vuhari turned towards Atlassi and started to laugh. The riders reacted quickly, and charged towards them their mounts snarling in anticipation. At the same time they threw javelins, three each for the paragons....

 

[Muuenisig]

 

Muuensig was walking through a patch of land to the south of the Settlement, a little ways off from the settlement. She was searching for seeds that may have yet survived the destruction of the Forest and its Groves, waiting for the warmth of the sun so that one day they could sprout. She collected the seeds, it was her duty to protect as much of the forest as she could. In this case it meant preserving as much of the forest as possible, so that one day the trees could grow again.

 

Throughout the war many kinds of trees had been lost, they had completely died out. She remembered the, greenwoods, with their tall yet thin and springy trunks. The greenwoods had always been a lively bunch, not slow and ponderous as many of the other trees. Many of the greenwoods had been her friends. It was a sad thought that there never would be another greenwood to reach for the sun, sway with the wind.

 

She stooped as she sensed a seed buried in th muck a little to her right. However she noticed something else as she fished the seed out of the muck. A rather large garon print stamped into the soil. From what she could tell it was very recent, just a few minutes ago in fact. It was strange, as she new for a fact there were to be no patrol's in this region for another hour.  Leave alone the fact that she hadn't noticed the garon at all. As she looked around she would find that their was a trail of tracks, headed towards the settlement....

 

OOC:

Spoiler

So yeah some actiony bits coming up.. so its about time I begin tracking AP's...

Attach your Satus, traits and AP(everyone gets one) in a spoiler at the bottom of your post.

[Diabolical Rhapsody]

Da'arthromir 

Silent commune.

 

Da'arth sat in front of Ma'bwen and closed his eyes. Soon a soft and delicate voice reverberated within his mind.

 

Ma'bwen had sensed him it seemed, constant use of the brand had impeded his senses a fair bit. It manifested in defects of his speech and hearing which became closer to animals.

 

So, Ma'bwen's unusual style fit excellently for him. 'I have failed you again sister!' Da'arth thought as he sensed Ma'bwens presence in his head, a lone tear snaked through his harsh features as if to confirm his thought

 

Your heart smolders dark, your mind storms wild... ... I know why you worry, a heart torn you suffer ...' came Ma'bwens enigmatic reply, she had been communing with the spirits for so long that her usual way became like them.

 

'...I have forgotten that feeling, my sole purpose now is to ensure that I be of help to you.' replied Da'arth.

 

From a distance one would only see the two sitting with each other, each in a trance of his own.

 

'yet a heart healed, is beyond all magic... ... for it is the heart from whence magic sprouts.' Ma'bwen carried on without giving a thought to his words.

 

adding more sometime later 'Come back seven days hence, from within a medicine you will find, balm of the heart....'

 

Da'arthromir slowly opened his eyes to find a sort of plant in front of him. It exuded magic so he knew that it was indeed the object Ma'bwen had directed. Ma'bwen had retired to her resting branch, being the picture once again. He stood up and walked closer to her, his graceful movement belying the gargantuan presence of his features, it was as if even the most bulky Vuhari were gifted with unnatural grace.

 

He knelt before her and mentally conveyed his parting words. 'Even though I am useless to you sister,  you still care for me. Even though I fail you every day, you remain hopeful. I may not have lived to be of use but I hope I'll die to be of some.' He knew Ma'bwen will scold him for this yet he felt that he should tell what he sincerely felt. His sole purpose now was to ensure that the great-arch survived and he was even happy to die for it. With this he got up, yanked out the cleaver from the earth and walked back towards the edge.

 

His next destination was the Thicket of Ghosts. It was the only patch near the campsite on the Deadlands that still had a few trees, he wanted to forage for more timber blocks for his practice. It was said that spirits  and ghosts haunted the woods, but Da'arth had seen such horrors in his life that he felt that spirits will still be no challenge. Just then a cackle reverberated in his mind. It was the beast of the Brand. 'Your struggle nourishes me' it laughed, 'for almost three centuries I have seen you try to gain control, yet you fail every time. ' It guffawed.

 

"I'll fight to my last breath demon, know this. My soul will not be an easy snack." he willed his ego to talk.

 

"You will not have the pleasure of making me turn on my kin. If you have trapped me, our arrangement goes both ways. I have trapped you as well." with this threat he subdued the inner beast. It scurried into the deeper recesses of his mind.

 

'One slip Da'arth. One. It is all I need. I am always waiting.' it parted with those words, giving a deep eerie laugh. Da'arth walked silently towards the woods.

 

-------

 

Status: Healthy

Trait: Unmatched rage (Neutral), Bat-shit Crazy (Negative), Deceptively Shrewd Opponent (Positive)

AP:1

Edited by Diabolical Rhapsodii, 06 November 2013 - 08:57 AM.

[Faye]

Into the Silver Mist

Cairys

 

He was an enigma, this lunatic that goes by the name of Shairnagr. First, he probed into one's soul without permission as if it was the most natural thing in the world. Then he proceed with a long winded, insincere apology that barely makes any sense. And in the middle of such an apology, he suddenly laughed and barked at what seemed to be nothing but mist.

 

Mad as he was, his ability to sense souls is something not to be taken lightly. If he said there were enemies, chances are, they really were here. Scouts, probably, seeing how close they were to the Vuhari's encampment. But such thing were of little importance. Bottom line was, they were to eliminate all the opposing force as soon as possible.

 

Judging from her partner's manner of speaking, there were more than one enemies. A small group between half to a dozen of men, probably. Enough to surround and force them into a disadvantage, if left alone. To avoid such a scenario, Cairys would need to keep a distance with her partner. Doing so would make it harder for the attackers to surround them. Even better, she could set up an ambush if the enemy did not realize that there were two of them and went solely to get the barking lunatic.

 

Thus, Cairys silently retreated into the depths of silvery mist that blanketed the entire area, and waited for the enemy to make their move. Like a spider waiting for its prey, she stood perfectly still amidst the silver ocean. She waited and waited, ever so patiently, ever so silently. Without anybody noticing, the fog grew thicker and thicker, as if forming a cocoon around the silent hunter.

 

And then it happened.

 

One, two, three javelins pierced the sea of mist, and flew straight at her from three different directions. Cairys did not have the speed to evade such attacks on a short notice. And as a result, they landed on their target. One on her back, another on the right side of her midriff, and the last just slightly under her left shoulder. She could feel the hard, cold steel against her flesh.

 

"The enemy could see through the mist? How..?"

 

Three blood-colored roses bloomed on Cairys's clothes from where the javelins pierced her. And like a broken doll cut loose from its strings, she fell to the ground as silently as she had stood. If she were faking her death, she is quite the masterful actress.

 

Spoiler

Active Traits:

• Vessel of Anima
• Shrouded Existence

Latent / Inactive Traits:

• Serene Grace
• A Broken Doll

Status - Dead(?): Why don't you take a closer look?

AP: 1

Edited by fayrbrant, 04 November 2013 - 08:37 PM.

[Rainbow Dash]

Muuenisig

A primitive was staring up at a tree. He had an arrow nocked and was frowning at a large yellow fruit hanging from a branch. Carefully he raised his bow and let loose the shaft, missing the twig holding up the fruit and breaking a small branch off of the tree. Muu winced in sympathy. These people never seemed to be able to think past the things in front of them. She considered that perhaps she should not simply judge, but instead teach. The idea seemed right to her.

Muu enveloped the man in her consciousness. The man gasped and fell to his knees as the weight of being connected to life itself settled inside of him. No longer just a single person. He was part of nature itself. Muu would have smiled if she had had a mouth. Gently she withdrew from the man and hoped that the enlightenment she had gifted him stuck. After a few minutes of heavy breathing he stood up, leaving his bow on the floor. He stared at the yellow fruit that hung above him. He raised one hand high and said, "Please"

The ripe fruit fell off the twig and into his waiting hand.

Muu smiled. They can be taught

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

Muu considered the garon prints for a moment. To follow them would be risky; heroism and blind idiocy were sometimes so friendly. Caution was the important point here. Muu ran after the prints, making sure to step lightly. Her uncovered feet left shallow spots in the mud. If she managed to find them before they discovered the camp perhaps she could alert the camp and set up an ambush. If not, she would have to ambush them herself.

Muu was no coward but she preferred the first option. Caution was the important thing here.

Spoiler

Traits:
Cruel Reality of Nature - Muu does not enjoy great speed or incredible accuracy. What she does have is immense strength. Rather than fight like a normal person she grasps someone, her fingers like the roots of a tree. Having caught them in her inescapable grip them she pulls them into pieces until they die.
Unrestrained Growth - So long as she receives a good portion of water and sunlight each day, Muu can regenerate most wounds.

Status: Healthy
 
AP: 1

[Orcraniil]

[Sey'Taal: The Bloody Thorn]

 

With an intimidating hole in the wall directly to the left of Taal's head, he figured that it wasn't the time to tease Flos. Maybe when she got more comfortable around him... Hah, like that'll happen. Though a social outcast, Taal can read a crowd well enough, and this group was getting a little too rowdy for his tastes. It was good for morale, but could be bad for discipline, and the Emerald Aegis certainly preferred disciplined warriors to motivated ones. To avoid making such a sudden movement that would, in Flos' words, cause him to be "flayed alive", Taal slowly and without sudden movements pulled himself to a stand. He turned to Flos, who had stood nearly immediately, and looked as if she were about to take him down in a matter of seconds if he didn't explain immediately where he was going.

 

Taal turned his bright amber eyes to Flos, and then simply stating "I'm going for a walk. This crowd is suffocating."

 

Taal weaved his way through the crowd and out of the tent, Flos trailing closely behind, his ever-vigilant leash. Taal began aimlessly wandering among the tents and campfires of the settlement; observing his fellow "Brothers-in-arms", though he was pretty sure they would much rather stab him in the back than fight alongside him. Taal shrugged internally, and gazed up at the deep moon-lit sky. "I guess that's just how things are..." He whispered to himself, but not without a slight twinge of melancholy.

 

"I wonder why Tera feels so... uneasy... tonight..."

 

Spoiler

 

Traits:

 

Brand of Spirit {Earth/Tera} [Basilisk] -- Positive

 

The Bloody Thorn -- Neutral

 

AP: 1

Status: Healthy

 

Edited by Orcraniil, 11 November 2013 - 02:40 PM.

[Jod]

Penance March

A Night of Tears

 

[Da'arth]

Da'arth immediately sensed that something was wrong when he neared the forest. It wasnt that he saw or smelled something different, it was something else, he could sense a certain killing instinct. Whoever or whatever it was, it would meet his blad soon enough for now he pretended not to notice and entered the small cluster of petrified trees. He could sense them watching him, he could sense their uncertainty.
 
The beast within licked its lip with anticipation, it strained against its chains. It had been awakened by their bloodlust. "Release me" it whispered, "Feed me" it said. The beast began to laugh and howl, it knew that the time to dance under the moon came once again. A chance to die the world red once again. "Blood!, Guts! Screams! Give me all, Feed me all!". Da'Arth tried to restrain it, as it thrashed for control within it's cage, however its hold on him was to strong and it slowly broke its way free.
 
Almost sensing the change in their target, the four Garon Riders decided to attack, rushing towards the lone warrior, glaives extended the riders moved in a reversed arc, the two tips facing the target. They planned to run him through at once. By then the beast had taken over and rushed towards them. Inevitably he took several deep wounds as the glaives caught through his flesh. The beast then took an enormous swing a the men, however the garons were to fast and leapt back. 
 
 

Spoiler

Took damage,

status: Minor wounds

+1AP

 
 

[Muuseniag]

As Mu continued to track the the tracks she began to notice that they grew more numerous. Form what she could gather the number grew to about six. Soon she reached the apex of one of the many mounds that littered the landscape. From there Muu had a good view of the surrounding area. Luckily the silencing kept most of the fog outside, ensuring that she got an unobstructed view. Below her was one of the many small groups of petrified trees. In this small forest of sorts she noticed a clearing that felt wrong somehow, a gut feeling so as to say.
 
As she peered into the clearing, she could feel a sort of presence however she couldn't quite make out what it was, almost as whatever it was sliding around the edges of her perception. As tried to understand what was happening, all of sudden as if out of thin air, the garon riders popped back into existence. She could immediately tell that they were of the enemy....
 
There seemed to be some sort of smokey black substance covering the rders as well as their mounts, probably another artefact produced by the magisrtry. They seemed to be waiting for some kind of signal. Muu knew that where there was a few many would definitely be around....
 
 
 

[Arc'tus]

Arc'tus took a deep breath, the cold of the night filling her lungs. It was definitely cold enough remove any remaining vestiges of sleep she may have been feeling. It was the third week in a row that she had been assigned guard duty. Though guard duty had been the fate of most of the soldier during the last few months. The general had ordered a drastic decrease on march activities, as they finished their final leg of preparations. Although ti would probably slow the rate at which the enemy found them, it would also make them suspicious. The last thing the March needed was the entire Regular Legion to be mobilized...
 
Still it was appalling that she hadn't had even one scouting mission till now, in the end there was only so much sitting around one could live with. Beside her stood one of the Emerald Aegis, Ein'Zeltrech, he still somehow managed to actually take his duty seriously. Though in her opinion most of the greenies were a little too uptight. Either way it was better he pay attention than Arc'tus, after all there couldn't be a better watchman than a user of the mind brand.
 
This would have been like any other night, however something made her feel uneasy. There was something about this night that just didn't feel right. It was at that moment that when she heard a low growl, from behind her, its intent was clear. Arc had mere moments to react,her training and reflex taking over as she leapt to the side. However what alarmed her was that she couldn't see, or hear anything. There was no evidence of the existence of her attacker. She looked to her right, but there was no sign of where Ein was either, he seemed to have disappeared as well.

 

ooc:

Ein: link

Edited by Anathema Flow, 11 November 2013 - 02:38 PM.

[Führer Itulhu]

the awakening of nightmares

Shar'naigr

 

Suddenly they appeared, the enemies that he had been wishing for had leaped straight for him. Few sane things rushed through the madman's mind but one logical thought pattern existed within the madness that realized something, something unnatural about their appearance out of nowhere. Sadly that thought was pushed back till after their cold corpses where laying on the floor, as the javelins came flying at him he smiled. The smile was cold and heartless, yet it was meaningful in its own way.

 

The  Javelins came closer, closer, they almost hit... well they where never going to hit, as if they hit an invisible wall they stopped in mid air and suddenly turned around and shot back at the enemies. Due to the damn mutts instincts they reacted quite well and the meatbags riding them where strutted in properly.

"Damn meatbags seem to become smarter with time.... if i did that a few hundred years ago they would have fallen off" Lourcura said trying to sound pissed while clicking his tongue.

 

Suddenly Shar'naigr felt a chill down his spine, the chill was like a warning for a snake to retreat, as much as a crazy bastard he was he still valued his life and preferred to keep living if he could.

"well you damn useless lumps of flesh today is your lucky day, your deaths shall be more painless than usual, as much as i wish i could torture you i must make haste and leave soon" His cold voice that sounded eerily formal would normally send chills down an ordinary mans spine.

 

"animals, humans they are all the same to me, i shall devour you all, now i believe it is time for the gates to hell open KYEHAHAHEHEHEAHAEEEE" Lourcura's voice suddenly started cracking up and changing as if multiple people where talking.

As soon as he mentioned the gates to hell giant doors appeared behind him and opened up, suddenly the assailants could hear wails of terror and inhumane voices, they could see things, things that could not be described by any sane man, but the main targets where the mutts, they posed the biggest problem so Lourcura kicked off with a wide ranged illusion that affected all his attackers, the hell was only just the beginning for what they would soon see and hear.

 

Spoiler

Traits:

Brand of Mind: Pure Madness - Active

the meaning of Sharnaigr - Inactive/Passive

 

Status: Healthy....physically at least

AP:0

[Diabolical Rhapsody]

Morsels for Mephistopheles - I 

unleashing the beast

 

Da'arth immediately sensed that something was wrong when he neared the forest. His weakened senses gaining nothing yet the atmosphere was heavy with killing instinct.  Whoever or whatever it was, it would meet his blade soon enough for now he pretended not to notice and entered the small cluster of petrified trees. He could sense them watching him, he could sense their uncertainty.

 
The beast within licked its lip with anticipation, it strained against its chains. It had been awakened by their bloodlust. "Release me" it whispered, "Feed me!" it said. The beast began to laugh and howl, it knew that the time to dance under the moon came once again. A chance to die the world red once again. "Blood!, Guts! Screams! Give me all, Feed me all!". Da'Arth tried to restrain it, as it thrashed for control within it's cage, however its hold on him was to strong and it slowly broke its way free.
 
Almost sensing the change in their target, the four Garon Riders decided to attack, rushing towards the lone warrior, glaives extended the riders moved in a reversed arc, the two tips facing the target like a crab angling his pincers to catch its pray. They planned to run him through at once but it was quiet the opposite, Da'arth was consumed by the beast, the chains of restraint coming off one by one, his adrenaline rising and breathing becoming long and spaced. he charged at the four. Inevitably he took several deep wounds as the glaives cut through his flesh. Small wisps began flowing out from the wound, signalling recovery was already underway. The Riders recognised that they were fighting a Body Brand user and a typically hard one seeing their attack was a sure hit and yet he not only survived but got away with minor injuries, their glaives felt like trying to slice through stone. The beast then took an enormous swing a the men, however the garons were too fast and leapt back but the riders were caught unaware by the sudden jerk and one was certainly not perched as securely as he would  have thought leaning forward into the swing path of Da'arth's blade. Xue'syd'r drew blood and a large chunk of flesh with it as the limp body of the rider flew back towards the back line. 

 

The fight wasn't going to be easy for the riders, there advantage in numbers wasn't enough to ensure sure-shot victory. Their retreat wasn't possible and going further into the fray will alert other Vuhari.

"No Surrender...No mercy" they heard a deep growl from their target, the last vestiges of control were loosened as well. The beast had overtaken fully, keeping his cleaver overhead Da'arth charged at the Riders. His intentions were clear to them, fight or die, surprisingly adhering to their personal code. 
 

Spoiler

Status: Lightly wounded

Traits: (Active) - Bat-shit Crazy {Negative}, Unmatched Rage {Neutral}

(Inactive) - Deceptively Shrewd Opponent

AP = 2 (Unless Jod says otherwise.)

[Rainbow Dash]

Muuenisig

Even in a dead forest, Muu was a Keeper. She knew each branch, each twig. She stepped through the petrified trees like a wraith, fast and most importantly without sound. Caution was the important thing here. She got closer to the riders and frowned. If this was part of some attack force it would be best to stop them before they could join their allies. Even if she failed to defeat them a delay could prove useful. Quietly she picked up a solid, heavy branch that had fallen long ago and climbed a tree at the edge of the clearing. Muu kept a careful watch on them the entire time. Although the riders themselves did not seem so alert, they were riding garon. Caution was the important thing here. Although she smelled of the earth and not of the greasy mammals she imitated one might still notice her.

At the top of the tree she looked down on them and picked her target. The closest one. Muuenisig got a feel for her branch and waited for the breeze to pass before jumping. Silently she came down on them, a bird of prey descending. Her petrified branch swung down at the riders head as her hand readied to grab the garon's neck. Caution, it seemed, had been thrown into the wind. Instead it was the wrath of nature that ruled
 

Spoiler

Traits:
Cruel Reality of Nature - Muu does not enjoy great speed or incredible accuracy. What she does have is immense strength. Rather than fight like a normal person she grasps someone, her fingers like the roots of a tree. Having caught them in her inescapable grip them she pulls them into pieces until they die.
Unrestrained Growth - So long as she receives a good portion of water and sunlight each day, Muu can regenerate most wounds.

Status: Healthy
 
AP: 1

[Crouching Bacon]

[Arc'tus]

The Hidden Surprise

 

Arc’tus landed on her feet, crouching ever so slightly, like a coiled spring ready to leap again.

 

“Ein-”

 

Her eyes searched the darkness for her comrade… finding nothing but silence. Whatever had taken him was swift and careful enough to escape her senses. No- perhaps it was not escape.

 

“Could they be hiding?”

 

There were only two possible points of attack: the sky and the earth. Taking a gamble, she decided that it was the latter. She knew of no bird or beast that could fly fast enough to take a grown man away in less than seconds without making any noise. That and the growl sounded vaguely familiar- it reminded her of the kennel mounts back on Vuha territory.

 

A silky voice that only she could hear whispered in her ear.

 

“It looks like you could use a little help.”

 

She grit her teeth. “Not yet, Pazzo.”

 

“Hesitation means death, you know.” In her mind’s eye, Pazzo stared at her, his deathly-white mask hiding a devious grin. It was a small mercy that the smile was hidden from her. Beneath the mask lay only nightmares, that much was sure.

 

“Don’t play with me, fox. I know what I’m doing.”

 

“You bore me.” Pazzo stretched, his tail waving about. “Life is just a game. Don’t be a sore loser when it ends.” He hid himself again, returning to the spirit void.

 

Arc’tus dismissed him. She would not fail; not now, not ever.

 

The Howling Zephyr lunged towards the source of the growl that came before the attack and clawed at it with a pair of clawed katars. Whatever it was that tried to attack them certainly wasn’t fast enough to get a bite off her even when she was unprepared. Now that she was ready, the bastards were in for a world of pain.

 

“I should take them down here, or else the camp could be vulnerable to attack! But first... Ein.”

 

Spoiler

Traits:

• Eye of the Storm

No matter what the situation, Arc'tus is never one to panic–- at least not outwardly. As a result, she appears very reliable and is capable of boosting morale on the battlefield because her presence of mind makes the situation seem less dire. Negative emotion holds little sway over Arc'tus and positive ones only serve to bolster her capabilities. People tend to feel calmer around her.

 

Status: Healthy

 

Edited by Captain Sciutto, 17 November 2013 - 03:57 AM.

[Jod]

 

[Shar'naigr & Rys]

 

Rys was struck in the chest by the three javelins, luckily her liquid webbing prevented them from doing much harm. However to her surprise she quickly felt, her limbs becoming numb as poison spread through her body. Seeing that their target had taken the bait two from the five riders rushed towards her, one slightly behind the other, with their glaives lowered aiming to decapitate Rys, in a single stroke.

 

However Shairnagr's illusion was not without merit it gave the riders pause preventing them from rushing in at once. However the outlandish display of the gates of hell made the captain suspicious, as to what was happening. He rightly surmised that their target was a mind user specializing in the usage illusions. In turn he blew a tune into his whistle, broadcasting his orders. One of the flanking riders immediately reacted throwing a small metal ball towards Shair'nagr. Even before he could react, the ball with a flash,  flecks of rust bursting out from within it. The flecks embedded themselves into most everything in the area, including Shairs skin. The Vuha allergy to cold steel, caused blinding fire to blossom all over his body, breaking his concentration and the illusion. He would as find that one of the Riders behind him was now rushing towards him, glaive at ready....

 

ooc:

Rys:

Status: Poisoned[paralysis in 2-3 posts]

AP +1:2

 

Shair: Excessive Pain

AP +1:2

 

 

 

[Muuenisig]

 

Muu's precautions had just given her a momentary advantage, the Garons and their riders had no clu that they were being stalked. Muu would hit the rider soundly, knocking the rider out, as she fell on top of him. The Rider limped over as he drifted into oblivion, however he did not fall of as he was secured to the garon with a rope attached from his belt to the harness. The garon however was not unconscious and went wild, shaking wildly as it tried to dislodge the attackers, growling, smashing against the tree trunks near by.

 

The riders apart from a brief moment of surprise acted quickly, pulling down their hoods and disappearing into thin air, rider and garon whole. They seemed to have slipped right out of Muu's perception, however she could still sense that they were in proximity but not pinpoint their individual positions. As the wolf thrashed about with its extra passenger, the riders decided to capture her, throwing a weighted net over her and the garon. If she didn't act fast there was a risk of being trapped under the garon as it tumbled on the ground.

 

 

 

[Sey'Taal]

 

As Taal was walking among the campfires, he couldnt help but feel uneasy, there was something in the air that gave the night an ominous feeling. Flos shadowed him from behind, he could tell that even she was more tense than usual, she seemed more gaurded than usual. A cold wind blow past, not unusual in the least, still it felt more like an ill whisper today.

 

He could see two members of from the Aegis a little ways off, in  front of him. From what he could gather they were part of the regular night guards, usually a task left for the rookies or the cripples, the more dangerous positions were always held by the more experienced. He could tell from the way the two stood that they were the former of the two, clearly rookies, standing huddled together chatting away about something or the other. It was then that it he noticed it for a mere second, on the roof of the earthen tent behind them was some kind of large figure, juxtaposed against the moon, it seemed to be a monster of some kind, a cloud of pure shadow, with four massive feet.

 

Within a the breadth of a blink it was gone, their were no traces of it what so ever. It had disappeared as quickly as its appearance. However as his eye drifted down from the rooftop, he found that the two guards were gone, only two splashes of dark red blood. From the shape of the blood splatter it seemed to be caused by some kind of stab wound. Beside him Flos had taken up a fighting stance, she had already created a mental link between the two.

 

 ... Scrying does not reveal anything, I..I do not know what it was...

 

 

 

[Da'arth]

 

Seeing his charge, the riders responded in kind, instead of charging right at Da'arth the Riders took advantage of the Garons inherent agility to spread out. This was so that their opponents devastating attacks could never bring more than one of them down with a single strike. They slid on their hoods and dissipated from his senses...

 

As they spread out, one among the riders had moved to Da'arth's right. He slipped out a pair of bola, it was quite clear that they could not win in terms of brute force. As their training dictated, this was maneuver forty two, however their was something about their opponent that made them feel uneasy...

 

He as he moved slightly behind the hulking figure he threw the bola hoping to trip Da'arth. The other members of his squadron would attack the warrior with their Javelins once he fell down, tripping on due to the Bola

 

AP - 1:1

 

 

[Arc'Tus]

 

Arcuts transformation paid off her keen ears were able to pick of the sounds of the enemy just before, taking the small audio cues from just before the opponents attacked. However this was the extent of what she could do, she had tried countering with her katar it was ineffective, the opponent was far to mobile for her to attack. In return however she received several cuts as she barely missed some of their strikes

 

It was clear that she would have to figure out some way of tracking their movements, if she was to stand a fighting chance. It was now merely a matter moments, that her opponents identified her as a spirit user and adapted their tactics. There was another problem, she was beginning to feel a slight tingling sensation at her fingertips, she had been poisoned!

 

Still to her relief it was not yet very strong, however to many cuts and the poison may overcome her natural defenses....

 

Status:Minor Injuries

AP+1:2

[Rainbow Dash]

Muuenisig the Uncorrupted

Muu hated few things. Even the destroying fire to her was a part of the cycle of life. One thing she truly, truly hated was a cage. A limit to growth. Nets were just flexible cages and it made Muu angry. She considered killing the unconscious rider but it was not a useful way to spend the limited time she had before the riders approached and poked her with their pointy sticks. The human body was fragile, she had heard.

Caution was the important thing here. The thrashing garon had to be dealt with. With calm precision Muu grabbed the garon by the jaws, holding them shut. With the other hand she gripped the back of it's neck at the shoulders. She used her leverage to twist it's neck around, the garon struggling futilely until its spine could no longer handle the stress and snapped. Something poked her in the back and she turned carefully to avoid the net tangling. A glaive sat across the riders back. Muu frowned and dragged it towards her. Going as fast as she good while being careful she rubbed the blade against the rope of the net, cutting through the links one by one. As soon as she made just enough of a hole that she could squeeze through she abandoned the glaive and stood to face the riders.

Spoiler

Traits:
Cruel Reality of Nature - Muu does not enjoy great speed or incredible accuracy. What she does have is immense strength. Rather than fight like a normal person she grasps someone, her fingers like the roots of a tree. Having caught them in her inescapable grip them she pulls them into pieces until they die.
Unrestrained Growth - So long as she receives a good portion of water and sunlight each day, Muu can regenerate most wounds.

Status: Healthy
 
AP: 1

[Faye]

Terror of the Unseen

Cairys

 

Mist had fallen even thicker than usual on the scarred forest. Within it, two Garon riders raced towards their fallen prey, one guarding the other's back. With their glaive held low, they had hoped to decapitate the defenseless girl with one swift stroke. Splish. A drip of blood fell onto the ground. Splish splish. Another soon followed. Soon, the droplets turned into a deep crimson pool.

 

"U.. Uwaaah..!" A scream broke the silence of the night. Surprisingly, it was the scream of the riders. Their garons's forelimb were no longer there. As a result, they were thrown off their rides. Their weapons had missed their target, and they had lost their trusted rides. Those, however, were not the only reasons for their scream.

 

His target, the supposedly dead Vuhari, slowly rose onto her feet. She was small, standing at merely 5'2" or less. And her movements, they were clunky. In normal circumstances, that would mean that she poses no threat at all against the well-trained Garon riders. But no. Not this time. The girl standing in front of him was far from harmless. The presence emanating from her, the menacing dead look of her eyes, the terrifyingly slow and jerky movements she made; they all screamed danger to him.

 

---

 

Rys had been staying for almost two years with the Vuhari. On her stay, she had learned many things. About their culture, their history, and most importantly, about how to control a spirit that was bound to her. The more experienced Spirit Brands had taught her all the basics on how to utilize a spirit. They trained her to the point where her power could actually be used in a stable enough manner as not to burn her soul completely.

 

As a guideline, one should not try to control something that weighs more than their body. For Rys, this limitation was further reduced to half of her body weight: roughly 20 kilograms. In other words, she had the capability to control 20 litres of water at one time. The second guideline, is to weave the magic in a way that is comfortable for the spirits that reside within. Since Bern is a spider spirit, this would mean that Rys should fashion her magics into the form of strings.

 

A spider's string is typically made of four individual threads woven into one, single powerful strand. A very complex structure worthy of being regarded as a wonder of nature. Bern's natural aptitude, coupled with Rys's naturally high level of concentration, has allowed her to spin these strings instinctively with relative ease.

 

At 0.1mm² surface area, Rys is able to spin 200,000,000 mm of strings with her 20 litres limitations. 200 kilometers of water strings. 1,000 individual strands 200 meters in length, each strong enough to cut through flesh and bones. That is the extent of Rys's, or rather, Bern's power under her vessel's physical limitations. That, of course, would take a lot of time to accomplish. In an actual combat, Rys would probably only be able to spin 10-20 meters of thread effectively.

 

The encounter with the garon riders, however, was not really an actual combat in its truest sense. Shar's taunting, her peculiar behavior, and lastly her acting dead, had forced the riders to be much more cautious than they needed to be. That, in turn, had given Rys the time to weave her treasured threads. It was nowhere near her upper limit. Twenty individual strands of high power strings, twenty meters in length each, to be exact. Five hundredth of her upper limit. But even that was enough to turn the tide against the riders.

 

Rys had them strewn all around her in preparation against her enemies's attacks. They had slowed their javelins enough so that they barely pierced her body. They had helped keep the javelins in place, giving the illusion of them piercing their target deeply. And ultimately, they had cut the charging garons's forelimbs, causing their rider to fall off, saving her neck from the intended decapitation.

 

With the danger passed, and the prey trapped, Rys rose to her feet. The poison had inhibited her from moving properly, causing her movements to something akin to those of a broken doll's. As she inched closer and closer to her prey, the riders tried to crawl away in terror. It was all useless, however, as they were already caught in the spider's web.

 

---

 

"Hi.. Hiiii..!" wailed one of the rider. Quite the shameful display from a highly trained soldier, but the terror was simply too much for one to handle. Not only was he unable to move, there was something that seemed like a demon from hell slowly inching towards him in an eerie manner. The low, pained growling of the Garons did not make the atmosphere more cheery either. It was truly a picture of hell. And this time, it was no illusion.

 

Then, the dreaded moment arrived. The demon had reached him. Her arm, drenched in Garon's blood, stretched towards his face. He could feel her soft yet bloody fingers trailing his down cheek, slowly inching towards his neck. But no, it didn't stop there. Her bloody fingers continued trailing deeper, now moving towards where his heart is. And as she did that, the demon drew her face closer to his neck, as if trying to devour him alive.

 

"Tell me everything about your unit," the demon whispered softly under his ears. Her voice was barely audible, as if it was the whispering of a ghost indeed. "And I might just spare your life."

 

Unknown to him, Rys had reached into his pocket and stolen a vial of antidote he was carrying with him.

 

Spoiler

Active Traits:

• Vessel of Anima
• Shrouded Existence

Latent / Inactive Traits:

• Serene Grace
• A Broken Doll

Status - Poisoned: The paralysis had started to take effect

AP: 0 (1 is used to prepare the threads, and another is used to autohit the riders)

[Orcraniil]

[Sey'Taal: The Bloody Thorn]

 

The chilling wind whispered through the silent emptiness that surrounded Flos and Taal, an eerie tension hung in the air, it's icy touch freezing time itself. Flos couldn't tell what the creature was, and it's shadowy appearance and the dark night made it very clear that vision was going to be the least important sense in this fight. Tera! Taal called to the spirit he was bound with. In his mind, the image of a massive snake-like monster wrapped around his soul. It was Tera, a Basilisk spirit that was bound to Taal. Tera has quite the stoic personality, and generally prefers to be left alone. Tera, we have a creature here that we can't visually identify or keep track of, but it's definitely not winged, so that mean we definitely have a way of tracking it. I think you get what i'm trying to say, right?

 

"Yes, Yes, Sey'Taal, I hear you. Very well."

 

Taal felt his consciousness be forcibly stretched out into the land surrounding him, The connection between his soul and his spirit a solid bond that allowed him to feel vibrations through the earth as if it were his own body. Sure enough, the creature was difficult to focus ones eyes on, but an important thing to remember is that sight isn't one's only sense that can be used to acquire a target. Touch is often the most overlooked of senses, but if used correctly by someone with a spirit brand, it could help significantly. Spreading one's feeling of touch into the earth in a sphere around them is an often overlooked tactic. It's commonly called "Tectonic Satellite".

 

The opponent was no amateur, his steps were light and fast, but unfortunately for him, Taal was no rookie like the Aegis members it had just slain. Utilizing the mental link that connected his mind to Flos, Taal sent her the details of his plan. He would detect the movements of their opponent and send her it's location every five seconds mentally. As he tracked it, and fed Flos the information, she would re-position herself in order to catch the creature from behind. When she was in position, Taal would use the earth underneath the creature to clamp down and hold it in place as strong hands rose from the ground and grabbed the target's legs. With it's mobility limited, Flos will launch an attack on the target's wide open flank. If that failed to finish it off, Taal was certain that the injuries it would sustain would inhibit it's combat performance enough for he and Flos to finish it off without much trouble. 

 

Flos reached her position and her words entered Taal's head, tense but ready.

 

"I'm ready" the voiceless words floated into his head...

 

"Now!" Taal responded, as he focused on the ground underneath the creature, and four hands of solid rock rose up and focused their iron-like grip upon the shadow-y monster's legs.

 

 

 

Spoiler

 

Traits:

 

Brand of Spirit {Earth/Tera} [Basilisk] -- Positive

 

The Bloody Thorn -- Neutral

 

AP: 1

Status: Healthy