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Elendaron’s genius loci has perished in spiritual warfare against the rest of Tellus Mater in its bid for dominance. This catastrophic event manifests in the following ways: Aesthetic Elendaron bleeds color and slides towards grayscale Elendaron has physically fractured into the spirit world. Part of it remains visible, but more of it is being consumed by black and gray vortexes pockmarking the landscape These vortexes do not draw matter in but any matter which passes through their event horizon fails to return Environment The floating islands of Athentha are pushed into Renovatio airspace Spontaneous, intense, and long-lived natural disasters: tornadoes, hurricanes, and earthquakes rampage the countryside Crops wither and buildings erode with no apparent cause Effects Magically induced mutations - Infants and the elderly are the most affected. Effects range from the odd and relatively benign, horns and transparent skin, to the dangerous, spontaneous combustion, uncontrollable teleportation, and an outpouring of prophets so seized with the power of their visions they go comatose Spontaneous animism - everyday objects come g to life. People are killed by hordes of scarecrows, eaten by their houses, and giant amalgamations of metal equipment roam the countryside Major Arcs What do you know? OOC What do they know? OOC

Thickly gauzed between wake and sleep, Tia tossed in tense slumber. In the way one does the night before their death sentence, in the way an insect does on the spider's axis, it turned. Leather gloves groaned over thick hands and in bands around bridles and the horse’s quiet blow. Some smatterings of dusty shops and barns on the outskirts of Tia formed a desolate ghost town in the advent of its war. All that traveled here were scavengers and those in a hurry to get out. From afar, the village could be assumed haunted with the specters of future and present. Venture closer in the silent dusk, within a grey barn, and a specter from the past could be found. Clouds of dirt strayed from one of many paths to Tia and lurked among the bobbing cattails; among the buildings; among the Dead. Within the barn there were four carriages, black shawls concealing the eight heads of their steeds. One carriage would be a little cramped. The others, not so much. Cain was wearing a black jumper with several loops and pockets and had two backpacks strung over each shoulder, but no mask. Tossing back half of a potion and slipping its vial into a pocket, he turned to address the Dead. Had he become something less human yet, in the span of a million stolen experiences? More? Times like this, when pins and needles danced down his desensitized spine, made him wonder. He unshouldered the bags and placed them before him, appraising all the masked figures before him with a subtly pleased expression. All of the masked figures had a black circular sticker planted somewhere on their bodies which allowed telepathic communication between the circles. The doors to a carriage behind Cain swung open to reveal the barrels from nights before. “The fact that they don't know we're coming does not make you impervious. The masks are important. Concealing your identity is important. Victory, is important. Each bag has a Maleficence antidote in a syringe for each of you, one faux-ton pair and one MAL bomb. Hope you’re not scared of needles. Inject like so,” he stabbed a needle into his forearm and squeezed in the plunger with his thumb, throwing the needle aside. "We're the only ones with this antidote, so the waterborne illness won't get you. The plant's pheromone is stronger though; it will start to affect you after a few hours. Make you crazy. “Remember, plant one half of your faux-ton receiver at the shaft control center when you first arrive. Descend to the negative fifth level and find the incision vent to secure your charge to. When you receive the signal that Schrei and I have unloaded our barrels into the WAK irrigator, you get back to the elevator shaft, faux-ton yourself back up to the control center and get the hell out of there. If for some reason we fail, I will tell you, in which case we’ll make a scene at the WAK so you can still get into the shafts where security is minimal. I’ll remotely blow your charges when everyone is clear or they’ll blow themselves after a three minute timer. Make sure you beat that. Any problems are to be reported immediately, as I will you, though if we get off two of the charges we’ll still meet quota.” Members of the respective teams had been shown diagrams of the shafts they would infiltrate, so with rigorous studying their knowledge of entry and exit would be about two-thirds as thorough as a shaft employee. The features of the red-haired First Officer began to warp as he spoke via telepathic connection, gesturing in odd quiet at this and that. They never stopped warping, causing his face to become a constantly shifting anomaly. Eye color, jaw shape, nose, always different than the prior moment, turned from the line of individuals. “Schrei, you’re with me. We’ll go on ahead, the rest of you should leave in five minutes.” He paused while getting into his carriage, looking back on all of them. Though his features were in a constant state of melding into something else, one thing was uniform across all of the features. Concern. “Today is a terrible day. Be cautious.” In a black tower outside of Tia, where fateful happenings had once unseated Cain, sat a jagged throne of animal horns and hides. Upon it sat the Patriarch of Tia, Serafino Dolos. Some twenty-four feet to his left sat a giant cage embedded into the wall. Inside that, on a scraggly tweed chair, sat a perfect likeness of Cain; Nica Sero, the self-aware clone he’d once used to lord over Tia. Serafino didn’t sweat; his stomach didn’t churn; but he felt off. Aside from the dress, which could be reasonably mistaken for part of a funeral procession or just some emo, horsedrawn carriages without drivers were quite common in Tia. As a matter of fact, some high-faluters used mechanical horses powered by steam to drive their vehicles. As their two-horse carriage pulled into Tia amid the waking yawn of the kingdom, the Cain of many faces looked at a masked Schrei. “Are you ready?” he asked as the carriage rolled along with eerie smoothness down the WAK avenue. There were two other masked figures in the carriage who sat silently.

A short tutorial on how to make simple HTML tables in the Valucre editor. I came from an html-enabled jcink forum before I came to val and I am here to spread a tiny bit of coding knowledge. Disclaimer: Am not professional coder. In any way. Note: I normally use Chrome for this, but I believe this also works in Firefox 1. Start a new post/thread OR edit an existing post. Leave one line of text in the editor. 2. Right click, then click "Inspect" OR hit Ctrl+shift+I 3. This window will pop up on the right side of the screen. Click the icon that looks like a box with a cursor on it (highlighted) 4. Click the line of text in the Valucre editor. You'll see the devtools jump to the <p>text</p> element. 5. Right-click the <p>text</p> element and click "Edit as HTML" 6. Edit the HTML. Or, paste one of the simple premade codes I've posted below! After you're done, press Ctrl+Enter and the Val editor will display the code you've inputted! After this simply click Save or Post and the post will retain the formatting you've given it via devtools. Yay! I'll add more tables later but here are a few super-simple ones. <div style="width:75%; margin:auto; border-top: 1px solid; border-bottom:1px solid;"> <p>This is a table with 75% width for skinny posts. It also has borders at the top and bottom.</p> </div> <div style="letter-spacing:2px; font-family:Georgia;"> <p>This table has a e s t h e t i c letter spacing</p> </div> <div style="background: pink; color:white; margin:auto; width:75%;"> <p>This table has a pink background and white text because reasons, I guess.</p> </div> Feel free to ask questions below and/or test tables!

'May the Dred Wolf take you.' Sigil An elaborate lining of a wolf with ten red eyes surrounded by a hallo of white lines and dots with a gray-blue background. The House Mythal is represented by a dark wolf created by a variety of elaborate lining which looks like branches reaching out. The symbolism represents the Mythal's outreach, their need to expand and express themselves to others. By doing so, they are spreading knowledge to those that would otherwise be deprived of it. Red eyes tell the story about the Mythal's ever persuasiveness. They've eyes everywhere, they see much and ignore very little. The House has no reason to carry elaborate colors; the black, white, blue, and red paint the picture they represent through their actions. Actions come in a variety of colors; words will always confuse description; simple representation ensures all will know who they are upon sight. Words 'May the Dred Wolf take you.' The saying was made during Alistair's earlier years of silent conquest. His ability to sway even the most stubborn mind was something to admire, and his ways only got more calculated with age. The words have a few meanings depending on the person: May you be welcome in the house of Mythal or May you be taken by the house of Mythal. Brief The House of Mythal is known for its ability to withstand turbulent change and constant political debauchery. They are outliers, preferring to use their logic and understanding on their home than half-truths and toxic political play. Often too honest for their own good, it has earned them few friends and many enemies. Such issues do not affect the family much, for they are far more concerned about the state of their home than anything else. A strong sense of self, the Mythals think of themselves before considering the thoughts of others. Hard to budge but eager to learn and teach, there has been many who've flocked to the domain of Mythal for leadership. Their self-centeredness has preserved not only their family but also those who wish to understand the elves logic. They simply wish to treat themselves with high regard that is earned and deserved, and in turn, they will share this graciousness with others - if they are not thwarted. There is no room for backstabbing in this family. They do not appreciate being treated like puppets or stopped from spreading their teachings to others. Whatever the way, they will follow the path that fixes their home for the better; even if that means bloodshed, death, and any other variation of loss. A few must die for the better to succeed; House Mythal has already lost much in the tyrannical rule of the previous King and will not waste the memory of their fallen by being stagnant. King Damien saw the House as a threat to his power and had initially stripped the entire family of their name, marking them as traitors to be killed. Soleil and Emery were his victims to the King's decree, their deaths were made a point for any who dared to go against the tyrant's rule. Alistair was not moved to bend knee, instead, he continued to fight for the people of Ursa Madeum, with his wife and children at his side. Quotes 'The world is bigger than I, even bigger than you. It laughs at all we think we know.' - Alistair to the Tyrant King before the King stripped the house of its titles. 'We stand upon the precipice of change.' - Final words of Soleil. 'I might take their lives, but I cannot take back from them what has been taken from you.' - Milorian to Marina after Soleil's death. 'Justice is a funny concept. It'll drive a man to perform noblest deeds. As well as the worst atrocities. Justice is a blade that draws blood from the innocent and wicked alike. And raised high, it can lead to a change that changes the world forever.' - Ronan to the people of Ursa Madeum in an attempt to start a revolution against their Tyrant King. 'For those who value survival, sentimentality is not an option.' - Austere to Cassia during the burial of his wife and child. 'Stand your ground; the dawn will come. The Dred Wolf sees!' - Final words of Emery. 'Anger is stronger than any pain.' - Cassia to Alistair after the loss of Soleil and Emery. Family & Titles Alistair Mythal ∾ Cassia Yarrow ┌──────┴──────┐ Ronan Mythal ∾ Terra Ames — Gawyne Mythal — Soleil Mythal ∾ Marina Haron — Austere Mythal ∾ Emery Cohen — Milorian Mythal ┌──┴──┐ ┌──┴── ┌──┴──┐ Sebastian Mythal — Whitaker Mythal Anson Mythal -- Easton Mythal Lord of House Mythal: Milorian Mythal. The head of House Mythal Milo was the primary motivator behind every action during the Tyrant King's rule; he was the loudest voice, the biggest pusher for change and stood the firmest against the face of adversity. His brother Soleil had been flogged and quartered for doing precisely what Milorian was doing; his sister-in-law Emery died protecting her young children (twin boys), unfortunately, only one child survived the attack. The Tyrant King felt threatened, seeing that the family was not going to budge and discontinue their attempts to overthrow him, he soon stripped the Mythal's of their titles. Once their name was denounced, Milorian persuaded the remainder of his family to go underground long enough to make plans to spread their word - an attempt of a revolution. Their silence bought them just enough time to gather their forces (small groups of wanna-be-revolutionists) and attack the heart of the problems within their home. Still wanted by the King, the Mythal's were seen on the streets passing out pamphlets, making significant attempts to persuade others to see the side of reason, but too often they were faced by the fearful unsure how to follow without getting killed. It's was an understandable position to have, and they did not think too harshly on the cowardly. At this point, their heads were already on the chopping block, and they weren't going to back down from a challenge. Their hard work paid off when Taen's forces came through. Milorian and his brothers were quick to assist in the siege by offering what little resources they had at the time. House Mythal is for the Taen's rule and believes the people shouldn't thwart such an opportunity. Lady of House Mythal: -- Wife of the head of House Mythal. Steward of the Free Marches: Austere Mythal. Governor of the household and estate of the Lord of House Mythal. Typically, the steward is also regent of House Mythal's lands and its seat during the absence, incapacitation or otherwise delegation of its lord. Castellan of the Free Marches: Ronan Mythal. The overseer of the Free Marches and reports directly to the Steward. Sentinel of the Crossroads: -- Captain of the guard of Crossroads, the Mythal's towers. Grand Master of the Order of the Seekers: Delaney Vulpine. Leader to the Order of the Seekers, created to protect the Free Marches and its people. Knight Commander of the Seekers: Gawyne Mythal. Second-in-command to the Order of the Seekers. Typically charged with leading militant action, such as commanding the Knights from the front, on behalf of the Grand Master, who governs the order from its headquarters at Crossroads. Location The Free Marches is the entirety of the Mythal's estate, which is located on the coast of Island Corinth, just southwest of the capital Andelusia. It is a lush area that is slowly growing back to its active roots now that the Mythal House has returned to a normal state. Boundless amounts of trade happen in the Free Marches; ships can often be seen docked on the coast, an open market's banners populate the sky, and a variety of conversations pollute the air. The House of Mythal has their hands in trades of all kind and are open to creating productive relationships with anyone wanting to sell their goods in the Free Marches. Any member of the house can be seen wandering about Eluvian and its shores, speaking with familiar and new faces to better know the people occupying their estate and to build proper relationships to continue their expansive reach. Crossroads (the Mythal home) is a large bridge that connects the small island (Eluvian) to inland. The quarters are built into the two massive towers that occupy the middle of the bridge; elaborate rooms fit for royalty and a library that can be accessed to the public make up a majority of Crossroads. There are passages that lead beneath the bridge, where there are pillows and blankets for the weary who seek shelter during their travels; often, women from the villages freckled around the Free Marches will provide food and drink here. Celebrations are often held on the bridge as it is an open resource for anyone to use. The Mythal's enjoy seeing their people enjoy the simple pleasures of life and try to promote the freedom as much as they possibly can. Milorian ensures the safety of his people and wanderers alike by keeping guards shifting around the bridge without disrupting the lives of those passing through. There are angry mountains on both ends of Crossroads, but there are countless paths and roads that will lead you to the bridge safely and without interruption. Affiliations Activity YEAR 595 AO SEPTEMBER 3rd || Tyrant King Dead. MARCH 3rd || Reclaiming rice fields and woolybug herds. APRIL 1st || Wyne Returns 25th || Reclaiming the Emerald Graves MAY 5th || Raising the walls of Eluvian 20th || Reclaiming the Mourning Roads YEAR 596 AO AUGUST 1st || House Dali Pre-Nuptial Celebration (Anson Mythal x Seldi Dali) 1st || Confrontation & minor reconciliation (House Uldwar vs. House Mythal) 2nd || A.N.T. SEPTEMBER 3rd || Engagement Agreement (Birdy Tankred x Milorian Mythal) 18th || Free Marches Celebration 20th || Engagement Agreement (Odelia Carthrage x Austere Mythal) OCTOBER 8th || Establishing Port Moon

Indeed, the Kadian reputation had been smudged, two foreign rulers had been nearly killed in his own home. Someone, or several people, were playing a political game and using him and his nation as a doormat in the process. These were undeniable facts, and a point of anger to Corvinus, yet Roen had besmirched his pride and reputation as well. He entered his home uninvited, insulted him in front of his wife and the soldiers quietly standing guard, hidden from view. Now the devil expected to win his favor with an appeal to his emotions, all the while the emperor remained calm, detached as he considered it. The more he did so, the more he came to solidify his own response. Thrice now had he been insulted, first at his own wedding by a psion, then by whatever fool played assassin, and now a devil of whom he held no love for. “Yet you believe insulting me and then asking nicely will have me eager to help you correct this mistake?” It was a rhetorical question, he did not need or wait for an answer. “I tire of these games Roen. The blatant disrespect of you and others.” His tone dropped low, large hand wrapping around Leoa’s arm. There was strength in his grip, firm though gentle. He would not have her comfort another man. “I tire of this foolish and petty love triangle of yours and Gabriela’s. It has only proven to be a constant headache, and I will not play a part in it.” Not again. He thought, Gabriela had proven to be nothing but trouble now, dredging up old problems that should have long since been laid to rest. “Aye, she is pregnant.” He stated blandly. “Given the timeframe it is more than likely your halfbreed bastard. Disgusting.” She was heavy with child when she had been here, already close to birthing whatever monstrosity now occupied her womb. He could only guess as to what the pitiful creature would look like, being the product of a vampyre and a devil. In truth, while he held no ill will towards the naive Black Queen, he would not waste any tears at her demise, or that of her child. He leveled that black gaze on Roen, there was an anger in them. Like the angry light of black suns. “Yet you claim to love her.” He scoffed coldly, pulling his lovely wife back to his side. She would know his ire had reached a point that it was better she stay by him. “What would you non-humans know of love? How could you even comprehend such a concept?” Though he questioned the devil, he did not expect the non-human to have a remotely satisfying answer. “If you loved her, you would have come, knowing better than to rely on other men to protect who you claim is your woman.” His voice did not rise, but his anger was evident in the biting tone. Gabriela claimed to love, love her people, yet abandoned them time and again to satisfy her loins with the devil. Roen claimed to love, no he could only covet, and destroy what he could not keep. Rafael could only lust, like the rest of his kind, mere beasts pretending to be human. Corvinus was growing weary of these claims of love by these beings, when everything they did was the opposite. It further proved to him that love is a wholly mortal and human concept. “I offered only one promise to your filth. That my people would bring no harm, not that they would risk themselves for your pitiful unnatural lives.” He stared Roen down, lips a hard cruel scowl on his face. The more he had considered everything, the angrier he got. “I will not be held in the same vein as Rafael, Gabriela, you, or even Raveena and her guards.” He stood straight, his right free hand clenching with the creaking of leather. Yet again the devil insulted him. “If anyone was incompetent, if was whoever executed this farce, and I will find them. They will pay, dearly.” Not just the hired gun, but the orchestrator of it. No matter how carefully planned, or how well executed, he would find the answers and he would see to it the debt was returned tenfold. No. One Hundredfold. “No, Roen.” He stated, only now did he release his wife’s arm. “I will not damage my own reputation further by taking unnecessary aid from a non-human. Especially the devil of Patia of all creatures.” He rested a warning hand on his wife’s shoulder, his right now gripping the hilt of his sword firmly. “I will not tolerate the use of warp sorcery in my capital. I will not risk you opening the veil in your arrogance and ignorance.” His patience was beginning to reach its limit. “The answers will be found by my inquisitors. Those involved will meet with swift Kadian justice.” He spoke with surety, there was no hesitation, his conviction was absolute. “Leave Roen, do not return to my Empire, and do not dare think you can do as you please here. Step foot where you don't belong, and I will have your corpse crucified above the main gate of my city.” He drew the sword, black metal that looked as though the very universe had been hammered into it. A statement of mankind's manifest destiny. “If you are truly worried about the mother of your bastard, you can find her in Veelos. If you truly could love that's where you would have gone.” He was done accommodating these creatures, playing their petty games. Time and again they believed themselves to be above his species, to be above the laws and authority of his empire. No more. His charity had been exhausted when their filth had made a mockery of his wife's long awaited wedding.

Necessity and a healthy dose of ambition are driving Akako, the current Regent of Port Caelum, to expand her territory. With the immediate threat that the Datsuzoku Empire presents, Akako is amassing power and allies to take down the potential threat. Beyond that, she seeks to spread her influence far beyond the Port City she currently governs. Since arriving in Valucre, the daiyokai had been satisfied to take a supporting role; however, everything has changed with long-standing allies failing her by either neglecting their duties to lead appropriately or by betraying her trust on a more personal level. It is finally time for the rumored Yokai Queen to solidify her status and rise to power befitting someone of her station. Upon joining Akako’s ranks, you will be exposed to a roleplay experience that is unlike any other offered in Valucre. What we offer is a unique prestige rank and influence tier system that will reflect upon in-character accomplishments, which will allow you to earn character and player privileges respectively. I am currently looking for a group of dedicated long-term players that are ready and eager to be involved in both PVP and PVE conflicts in the forms of espionage, diplomacy, war, and much more. Q&A Section: 1. What do you mean be "earn character and player privileges?" There are roles that I have already set, however, they are NPCs which can be controlled by people within the organization depending on what influential tier and prestige ranking you've acquired. Basically, it isn't the position that is of interest to you or any other RPer, but the authority to use a certain level of power within the empire as it expands. For instance, say a higher ranked RPer was writing with a lower ranked RPer, the higher ranked RPer would be able to exercise the most influence over the NPC's regardless of who owns the thread. So, when you first start you would be tier 0, so you have no control over any of the NPC's, but as you rise in ranks you basically have access to more. That being said, there is a cap on how many "cooks" there will be in the kitchen. And to get to the highest tier, there needs to be a substantial amount of work put in.The reason for that is the influence tier system is basically a symbol of trust in you (or another player). Basically, if I am going to let you drive my car, I need to trust that you're dedicated to my cause. 2. Can you explain a little more about the influential tier, and prestige ranking? Like how do you earn them, which one does what, and what exactly I would need to do to increase either? The influential tiers are the overall control you will have in a setting over NPC's, so this is for the player. The prestige ranking basically is how much sway you will have with Akako ICly with your OC. An OC with higher prestige will have an easier time asking her for something or making suggestions than someone that doesn't have that prestige. Prestige rankings can pretty much give an OC minor celebrity status which can be used in other ways aside from how they interact with Akako. So, someone with a high enough prestige ranking could theoretically get a guard to overlook them committing a minor crime or they might be able to eat at places for free. I know a lot of tabletop games and even video games include a Charisma stat. I would think of prestige as something akin to that. So influence tiers are for the player, while each OC has its own prestige rank. (Ex. A tier 5 player may have one OC with 30 prestige points and another OC with only 10.) So here is how the Tier system looks and the requirements per tier. Influential Tiers: Tier 0 - No special privileges Requirement: N/A Tier 1 - Minor control over basic NPCs and some guards. (Ex. If you're following Hanami, I am doing just that when we see some of those staffed by Akako coming and going from the estate and when they watch the interaction between Koji and Akako. You will notice that they do not directly interact with anyone at this point.) Requirement: 350 points, 10 prestige points Tier 2 - Control over basic NPCs and some guards. At this point, you can control them to interact with others aside from your character. That means, you can have them interact with other OC's at this point. Requirement: 700 points, 15 prestige points Tier 3 - Can control mid-level diplomats. Requirement: 1050 points, 30 prestige points Tier 4 - Basically control anyone within the town/city that is under Akako's influence. Requirement: 1400 points, 50 prestige points Tier 5 - Able to declare war and broker peace treaties. Requirement: 1750 points, 100 prestige points The point system comes in two parts, points earned by completing quests and earning “extra credit based on the amount of work and thought put into the quest. The second part is prestige points awarded by the class of quests completed. Obviously, the harder the quest, the more prestige points you can earn. Again, the point requirement to move up in tier includes the prestige points earned. (ex. 345 accumulated quest completion points + 15 prestige points = 360 points)

NORKOTIA INDEX Directivism Security Technology Regent: Joseph Tynes Contact: Tyler AMA Artifacts Geography Topography Norkotia is located on the northeastern border of the Plateau of Zühl, a large, flat highland region in Terrenus's heartland. Most of the land is exceptionally flat, with the main exception coming in the form of artificial lakes and depressions that are the result of strip mining operations. Most of Norkotia's major cities are situated on the shores of Garrison Bay, a large, natural harbor connected to the larger Sidereal Lake. Natural resources are abundant in the region, particularly fossil fuels. Oil drilling has gradually become more and more common, as its uses and benefits have expanded with time. While most of the land is used for farming, strip mines for coal and minerals are fairly common in the outlying areas, while oil derricks and pumps can be found nearly anywhere. Magic is weak in the region, previously only about a quarter as strong as the Terran average, but even weaker now thanks to the changes in the Shawnee loci. The reason for this magical scarcity is unknown. Regardless, the local impotence of magic has caused the natives to invest deeply in fossil fuel and mechanical technology, instead of magictech as is found elsewhere. Likewise, the magic sensitivity of most of the citizenry is far below the Terrenus average, possibly thanks to years of being raised in an area so devoid of it. Below is a list of nearby locations and their approximate distances East: ~1050 miles to Hell’s Gate South-East: ~650 miles to Langley Keep West: ~950 miles to Blaurg Mountain Cityscape While officially considered a single city, Norkotia can be more accurately described as a sprawling, but sparsely populated conglomerate of several smaller towns, connected by a sturdy system of roads and railways. There are a few relatively tall buildings, but not as many as one would find in most major cities, as expansion of the city has traditionally gone outward rather than upward. Most of the citizens live in houses rather than apartments, with brick structures being the most common, though wood, concrete, and metal buildings also exist. The "Metro" is the most densely populated region within Norkotia, consisting of Norkotia City itself and four smaller, but adjacent towns. The largest of these is Stahlburg, where much of Norkotia's industrial power is concentrated. On the opposite end of Norkotia City from Stahlberg is Millersburg, the primary center of agricultural commerce. Outside of the metro area, the population density declines rapidly, with most cities possessing populations of less than five thousand people, many only totaling in the hundreds. The largest of Norkotia's outer cities is Arkholm, a port located several miles north of the metro along the Garrison Bay coastline. If any town in Norkotia has a reputation for hosting magic or the supernatural, it would be haunted Arkholm, which carries a long, strange history of witchcraft, occultism and unexplained occurrences. Climate At the height the summer months, the Norkotian region traditionally reached semi-arid conditions, while the dead of winter could feature brief periods of severe cold. Most of the year, the region is temperate, though dry, with drinking and irrigation water being primarily provided by the nearby Garrison Bay. However, following the expansion of the Shawnee Glacier, the heat of the mid-summer has lessened, resulting in a reduction of water shortages. This has come at the cost of the growing season's length, as well as even colder spells during the winter months. Flora and Fauna While there are few forests on the Norkotian plain, scattered tree groves can be found amidst the fields and farmland. These groves include a mix of deciduous and coniferous trees, along with numerous common types of underbrush. A particularly woody shrub grows wild in the unshaded fields and is commonly used to make paper products, reducing the need to cut down the scarce trees in the area. Most animals in Norkotia are relatively docile, with several types of deer, antelope and undomesticated cattle being common. Predators usually come in the form of roving bands of coyotes or wild dogs, though a large species of predatory cat, known as the Plains Prowler, occasionally appears in the regions outside the larger towns. On very rare occasion, the feared Green Bear has been spotted in the countryside, though these usually stick to the less inhabited coasts and oases elsewhere on the plateau. Despite the presence of these creatures, the most dangerous animal in Norkotia is the venomous rattlesnake, whose deadly bite is known to kill predator and prey alike. Some rumors exist of more monstrous species existing throughout the plateau. The most prominent one in Norkotia itself is an old legend of a sea monster in the depths of Sidereal Lake, which people have claimed to have seen in Garrison Bay from time to time. Demographics Culture The majority of Norkotian natives follow a quasi-Gaianist faith called Directivism. According to this religion, Gaia had given the Earth to mankind as a vast wilderness to tame and conquer, rather than to tend and nurture as mainstream Gaianists believe. This line of thought originates from several local scriptures not included in the Gaian Bible, though whether Odin Haze had rejected these stories from his compilation, or simply had never heard of them, remains unknown. Regardless, the local religion encourages the exploitation of natural resources, such as fossil fuels, as part of humanity’s Divine Directive to tame the world. Another element of Directivist religion is a strong stance on sexuality and marriage. Directivists believe in a strict adherence to marriage vows, with all intercourse outside of this context being considered animalistic and sinful; a violation of the Directive for humanity to transcend the tendencies of the wild. Despite this, a significant secular movement, encouraged by certain corporations and intellectuals, began to weaken the Directivist influence on Norkotian society. This resulted in a spike of infidelity and promiscuity, along with the unpopular legalization of prostitution and other unscrupulous businesses. This movement is now in rapid remission, thanks to the efforts of Joseph Tynes and the Norkotian Nationalists, though at least 35% of the population could still be considered atheist or non-practicing. Norkotian accents are generally Germanic in nature, deviating from the traditionally Romance-based dialects throughout the rest of the continent. However, these accents can also vary drastically depending on whether the speaker lives in one of the towns or in the countryside. The most common accent is the "Metro" accent, which sounds like a Midwestern American accent. Second most common is the "Frontier" accent, though some call it the "Redneck" or "Cowboy" accent, which sounds like an American Southern accent. A smaller minority possess the "Norkic" accent, which sounds like a German accent. Most who speak this way are migrants from outlying towns who still speak the old Norkic language, which may or may not be descended from a prehistoric Genesarian tongue. Economy For many years, the Norkotian economy was primarily agricultural, but innovations in the use of the region’s vast petroleum reserves has caused a gradual shift toward industry. Still, thanks to the development of the local road and rail infrastructure, and the further development of mechanized farming methods, farming has remained competitive and increasingly efficient. Despite the improvements in farming, the industrial elements of the Norkotian economy are seeing the greatest advancements. Petrogel, a semi-solid form of refined petroleum, has become a popular bullet propellant, replacing dangerous gunpowder and its expensive alternatives. Another petroleum product, plastic, has become an incredibly popular material for use in manufactured products. A hardened plastic alloy armor, petrosteel, was recently invented and is starting to see use as body armor for soldiers, as well as for aircraft construction. Companies and institutions BlackBlood Energy Incorporated: Works with petroleum and coal exploitation and refining. Officially the largest private company in Norkotia, though it is ultimately not much larger than the most of its rivals. Schmidt Arms Company: Provides popular weapons and gear to hunters, survivalists, corporate security and law enforcement throughout the area. It also holds the most government contracts of any company for military development and production. Norkotian News Corporation: Largest media conglomerate in Norkotia. Operates a TV channel, radio station and newspaper, in addition to other mediums. Most of its leadership was arrested or fired after a major corruption scandal. Government Local government In the past, most Norkic towns followed a long-standing system of having an elected mayor and appointed sheriff, with the former acting as the political leader and the latter providing for law enforcement and security needs. Towns also had their own militias, which usually included, and were led by, the sheriff and his deputies. However, this system often resulted in many of the larger landowners, energy corporation leaders and mining guild bosses taking control of the towns through threats or bribery. After the formation of the Norkotian Union, local sovereignty was reduced in order to better combat corruption and encourage cultural unity. While mayors remained an elected official, the old sheriff departments were merged into the Internal Security Bureau, or InterSec, Norkotia's new national police force. This allowed for better coordination of security and defense against the growing threats emerging across Terrenus. Federal government Just as with the preceding Norkotian Confederation, the current Norkotian Union is ruled by a council of elected members, with a chairman acting as the de jure leader of the government. The council includs multiple members from Norkotia City proper, along with at least one member from all the surrounding towns under its influence. The chairman is elected separately from the remainder of the council and is expected to mediate disagreements on the council and further balance the needs of the both the central city and the outlying towns. Following former chairman Joseph Tynes's assumption of the office of Grand Executor, the balance of power within Norkotia began to shift. The position of chairman, filled by Roland Stracht, one of Tynes's supporters, became more of a liaison between the Executor and the lawmakers on the council, while the council itself maintained legislative and budgetary powers. However, all military and police authority came under the executive branch's jurisdiction, and with exception of project funding, the Executor was no longer subject to the processes of democracy. This, in effect, made the Grand Executor the de facto ruler of Norkotia. Education Education up through high school is paid for and managed primarily by officials within the school’s immediate locality. Only the Norkotian University, the lone higher education institute in the region, receives direct funding from the central government. Higher education is not emphasized as much as life skills, and such, many children and young are allowed to pursue trade apprenticeships or on-the-job education, rather than continue through high school or college. Transportation Roads and Highways: Norkotia has a sprawling system of paved roads connecting all the towns within the greater city’s influence. The well-developed infrastructure is designed to allow the general citizenry easy travel with motorized vehicles, which are the primary means of personal transport. However, horses are still often used by those in the outer regions. Rails: A system of railways, built largely before motor vehicles became popular, weaves through the numerous towns and mining facilities, allowing for larger bulk transport of materials. Thanks to the rise of motor vehicles, its usage has declined in recent years. Shipping: Iron ore is largely shipped into Norkotia from neighboring villages on the far side of Sidereal Lake, in exchange for food and fuel. Airports: Initially, most aircraft were used either for crop spraying or specialty transport for wealthy citizens. However, advancements made thanks to military research, along with the expansion of Norkotian influence across larger swaths of territory, have made both the capability and necessity of public airlines more vital. Even so, civilian flight remains expensive, and is rarely utilized by the lower and middle-classes. Notable Residents Joseph Tynes: Youngest man elected to Chairman of the Norkotian Council. Now holds the title of Grand Executor, giving him supreme power over all Norkotian security and defense forces. Diric Redbridge: Chief advisor to Chairman Tynes. First Vulk to hold a position in the Norkotian government. Stephan Schmidt: Heir to Schmidt Arms Company and noted philanthropist. His late father was noted for inventing many popular firearm designs, a legacy he has proudly continued. Kersh Engel: Eccentric surgeon and cybernetic enthusiast. Was exiled for his unethical experiments and later arrested in Port Caelum for kidnapping and murder. He was eventually rescued and assigned to military research by the Norkotian government. (Formerly) Shane Haydes: Wanted arsonist and murderer. Fell-in with a band of pirates in Casper, but now lives as a criminal and terrorist in Last Chance. Mara Mercer: Cyborg and bounty hunter. Was among Kersh Engel's illegal experiments following a traffic accident. History Canon Past

► NAME The Andelusian High Tea Society ► LOCATION Andelusia, Ursa Madeum, Terrenus ► DESIGNATION A teahouse in Andelusia that caters to all walks of life, including the noble elite to which they provide seclusion and luxury within the city. Despite being a friend and partner of House Hildebrand (in particular, as the house provides uncommon herbs and plants for the teahouse’s special brews), the Andelusian High Tea Society is ultimately considered neutral ground, where commoners and adventurers can enjoy a little of that magic liquid goodness, and where the nobles can meet with each other somewhere they are considered equals. ► AFFILIATIONS Small local businesses in Andelusia House Hildebrand // business partner ► HISTORY The Andelusian High Tea Society originated from humble beginnings: the dream of a once-young mechanic who fell in love with the green things of the earth, the way that water and leaves come together to blend in luscious harmony, the magic that sparks through living things. Thus, the teahouse has passed down the Chamelis family for generations, from the prosperity of the Queendom to the rise of Damien Gillick. After the teahouse was forced to shut down during the rule of the Tyrant King, the Andelusian High Tea Society is now reopening with bigger, better, and more elaborate facilities—thus, they'll be needing new baristas to replace those who have relocated to foreign countries when the teahouse shut down. Under the direction of Dahlia Chamelis, the teahouse opens its doors once more to the general public, ready to usher in a new rebirth through the power of tea and pastries, no matter the occasion. ► HUB THREAD | HERE | i. current staff ii. the establishment iii. teahouse menu iv. special items + requests v. quests

Entries and Guidelines Welcome to this year's Spinal Chills contest! The Spinal Chills contest has two BIG requirements for entry: submit on time and make sure it's spine chilling! Here's the rest: The word limit is about 2,000 words at maximum. You can exceed it by a small amount (my judgment), but not in excess. Entries must be original, unused work. Do not plagiarize others nor yourself! You cannot tell others what you entered. Only two people should know who an entry belongs to--the author and me, the coordinator. Entries have no specific restriction other than it must be written. Submit anything that fits that requirement. Participants may enter only one piece per person. Revisions are accepted up to the due date. Proper formatting is on you, I will not fix submissions. Entries are due October 19th, 11:59 pacific time. There will be NO extensions. You are getting 30 days to have your stuff turned in- don't procrastinate. ? Entries are submitted via PM. Please put "Spinal Chills Entry" in the subject line. I confirm entries within a few days (usually less than 24hrs)-- please give me 72 hours to respond. I will not accept entries any earlier than October 3rd; please spend the next two weeks crafting your future masterpiece. Prizes are based on number of participants. Posting and Voting All stories will be posted in a random order on October 22nd. I will not accept votes until starting 72 hours after they are posted. I ask that all would be voters PLEASE take the time to read ALL entries at least once before voting. You will have until 11:59pm pst Tuesday, the 30th to get your votes in. The results will go up on Halloween. Here are the voting guidelines and requirements: One vote per person. A vote consists of up to three choices that you MUST rank from first choice through last choice. You must rank them, or else I assume the order you post them in is the order you intended (1st through 3rd). You can vote for less than 3. Votes are weighted, with your first choice worth three points, and each choice after worth one point less. In order to vote, you must have been registered on the site prior to October 15th. If you submitted to the contest, you do NOT get to vote . You either participate as a reader/voter, or a contributor. Pick one or the other. All votes coming from new accounts (or any other account suspected of being a duplicate) will be IP address cross checked- so don't even think about trying to cheat. Votes are submitted via PM to me. You need to put "Spinal Chills Vote" in the subject line. I will respond to you before Halloween to confirm I got the vote. Prizes! Prizes this year is dependent on the number of people who submit entries. The more entries, the better the prize. Five or fewer participants 1st place: A free, thorough critique of your Spinal Chills Entry or an equivalent work of 2kish word length or less. [My credentials: I have a BA in Writing] Five to nine participants 2nd place: A free, light critique of your Spinal Chills entry or an equivalent work of 2kish word length or less. 1st place: A free, thorough critique of your Spinal Chills Entry or an equivalent work of 2kish word length or less. Ten to fourteen participants 3rd place: A free, light critique of your Spinal Chills entry or an equivalent work of 2kish word length or less OR a $10 Amazon Gift Card* 2nd place: A free, moderate critique of your Spinal Chills entry or an equivalent work of 2kish word length or less OR a $15 Amazon Gift Card* 1st place: A free, thorough critique of your Spinal Chills Entry or an equivalent work of 2kish word length or less OR a $25 Amazon Gift Card* Fifteen or more participants 3rd place: A free, light critique of your Spinal Chills entry or an equivalent work of 2kish word length or less OR a $20 Amazon Gift Card* 2nd place: A free, moderate critique of your Spinal Chills entry or an equivalent work of 2kish word length or less OR a $30 Amazon Gift Card* 1st place: A free, thorough critique of your Spinal Chills Entry or an equivalent work of 2kish word length or less OR a $50 Amazon Gift Card* *e-gift cards require a valid email address, so please be prepared to give us one. Let's see who has the most chilling story this year! Good luck!

Have I got the roleplay for you! So, as an over-arching plot, I've had these body snatching aliens cooking in Terrenus for a while. I'm happy to go into the details of what they've gotten up to in the last few years, and how much of a threat a recent symposium has classified them as, but that's peripheral to what's going on here And what's going on here is that they're branching out. I'm too busy to individually follow these things through but that's the whole point of collaboration right?! It doesn't have to be just me!? So there's two things: 1. Grow an already established presence in Norkotia. This is a slow burn. The thread that comes out of this should be another step, another brick, and not a sudden eruption of ALIENS. Since snatched citizens are already seeded its about establishing and growing a political presence. You can think of this as playing a character with a dark secret, as opposed to a scifi alien plot. This shouldn't be a solo thread although only one of the players needs to be a snatched citizen 2. Establish a presence in another location - specifically Veluriyam empire (wherever their seat is which I believe is Taen), Hyperion, or Predator's Keep. This should be as close to a citizen or vassal or lord as the structure allows; we want to belong to their charter or institution whatever the case may be. There's oodles more locations to pick from but those are the three I want to focus on now. This can be a solo thread (such as the one I did for Norkotia) or a collective effort. Anyone interested? Note for emphasis - I won't be able to join personally but will organize and guide efforts

"I will show you how the mighty fall." ☾ The Grand Kommadant of Nehalen has begun the process of removing the mighty Gods of her land. The balance between these Gods of the people of Nehalen is being disrupted by the Kommadant's blasphemous actions. By erecting a nullifier in the form of an invisible veil, Primera begins the process of pushing these powerful beings back into their own world, sundering them from the land they have called home for eons. This has sent the Gods into a frenzy, their powers are being siphoned from them the more they fight against the push, weakening them immensely, and their minds have begun to dwindle into psychosis. Once revered and fondly feared, the Gods are now looked upon as a disease in the eyes of the Grand Kommadant's followers who believe the time of Man has finally come. ☽ Welcome! I'm glad you all could drop on by to my little event I've got here. Things are pretty straight forward around these parts: Nehalen (formerly Renovatio) is going through some changes and this event will be the spark to said changes. I'm asking you all to affect my lore by joining the threads offered to kill a God and properly canonize them. The Gods are scattered across Nehalen and I will provide you those locations. Kill a God, become a hero (or villian)! Q&A: How many pages do the threads need to be? I am looking for at least two pages. Can always be more but can't be less! How many Gods can I kill? As many as you want but you can only go after one at a time. Can I do this alone? Absolutely! If you want to solo kill a God, I see no issue with that. Do I need to use a specific character? No. You can use whatever character you want but I do expect some sort of fairness from you all. Please keep to mild powers associated with the forum. Do I need to use a specific combat system? No. I am allowing everyone to go kill crazy with this but, again, I do expect some sort of fairness from you all. Please realize this isn't supposed to be easy; I expect damage not only to the area(s) you are fighting the Gods in but also damage to your character. Can I contain a God? Go right ahead! Contain it however you want, doing whatever you want, just keep in mind that it is a lesser, weaker version and it will be that way forever due to my character cutting said God's will off. Can I absorb the spirit/essence of the God? Of course! Do I need to use a storyteller? If you feel it is necessary, go right ahead! I don't know how to start? No worries! I will be creating prompts for all the Gods that need to be killed and you can follow that prompt however you wish. Just post in the thread and have fun. How long do I have once I start? I would appreciate 1 post per 3 days. This will keep the thread going with hopes it'll be finished at an appropriate time. If I see a thread has stalled for more than two weeks, I will assume that God is up for grabs again. If you need more time, reach out to me! I understand how life can be a bit hectic. I'm done, now what? Tag me in your summary for the thread with opportunities (example: killed the God, ended up destroying a city/village/town, how will this affect the area? Was something unleashed during this? etc.) for future role-players. I need some extra help! Never hesitate to reach out to me. I am constantly available on Discord, making it the quickest way to get answers. No Discord? That's okay, just send me a pm or tag me in the OOC for this event. How long is this event? Until all the Gods are killed off or just enough of them are killed. Gods & Their Threads: Titans Cialo ∾ Montis Maximus — Seraphim/Archon/Enigmas Enoch ∾ Liarae ∾ Sarandriel ∾ Ezekiel ┌────┬────┴┬───┴┐ Ynliss Nahum ∾ Vita ∾ Aestus ∾ Ventus ∾ Ophiuchus ┊iiiiiiiiiiiiiii┊iiiiiiiiiiiiiii┊iiiiiiiiiiiiiii┊ Baal ∾ E`na the Glorifier Libra, Sagittarius ↲ ┊ ┊iiiiiiiiiiiiiii┊ Aries, Gemini, Taurus ↲iiiiiiii iiiii ┊iiiiiiiiiiiiiii┊ Cancer, Leo, Virgo ↲ ┊ Aquarius, Pisces ↲ Rifornire - Cialo: THREAD » Claimed @Thotification » Completed - Montis Maximus: THREAD » Claimed @danzilla3 » Completed - Vita: THREAD » Claimed @vielle » Completed - Saggitarus: THREAD » Claimed @Thotification » Completed - Aries: THREAD » Claimed (@) » Completed - Gemini: THREAD » Claimed (@) » Completed - Aquarius: THREAD » Claimed @SteamWarden » Completed - Ynliss: THREAD » Claimed @Infernal » Completed - Nahum: THREAD » Claimed @Etched In Stone » Completed - Aestus: THREAD » Claimed @Alexei » Completed - Taurus: THREAD » Claimed @ticklefarte » Completed - Cancer: THREAD » Claimed (@) » Completed - Leo: THREAD » Claimed @Rabbit » Completed - Virgo: THREAD » Claimed @-Lilium- » Completed - Ventus: THREAD » Claimed @Twitterpated » Completed - Ophiuchus: THREAD » Claimed @Csl » Completed - Baal: THREAD » Claimed @Fierach » Completed - E'na: THREAD » Claimed @Ataraxy » Completed - Libra: THREAD » Claimed @vielle » Completed - Pisces: THREAD » Claimed (@) » Completed - Rifornire: THREAD » Claimed @Metty » Completed Please let me know which God you would like to go after so I can put your name next to it to keep everything orderly. 

Hi! I'm Asphodel, I just signed up and I'm still kinda getting used to how things are set up here. I've been roleplaying on forums for the better part of 8-9 years now, and while I love the other sites I inhabit I was really itching for a new community and a new setting. To say a few things about myself; I'm a self taught artist, I'm a hardcore introvert, I go by they/them and generally I'm a very private person when first meeting people, if that explains a bit of my hesitance here. Still! I don't bite, at worst I'll get anxious and not reply for a day lol. Anyways, I'm excited to dive into this world! If anybody wants to help show me the ropes, I'd be really appreciative.

Hello, Valucre! I had this wacky idea just now that came to me after gallivanting on what I've since brought forth as a fellow writing resource for fellow Valucreans. The idea is about getting an idea of what to write about. As some of you may know, I tend to write with music and/or ambience in my ears. More often than not, I find myself quite unable to write without something coming out of my speakers. Well, my idea surely does involve music and ambience when it comes to writing and roleplaying, so here we go: https://tabletopaudio.com/ That link will take you to a site which offers quite an extensive list of music and ambience tracks focusing on atmospheric settings, like dungeons, forests and cities, to immerse oneself in a given activity. In our case, that's roleplay. I propose this as a general writing resource for those among us who like to and are able to write with noise, because not everyone is that person and what works for me may not work for you. That being said, the Water Cooler idea here is that you pick a track from the site and make a roleplay out of it. You can either have a setting in mind and select the appropriate track or the other way around. Once selected, pop a notice in this thread of what the track is and a link to the IC thread, if for no other reason than reference purposes. Then, get to roleplaying! Tell us how you got on and share your experience! If you are like me and you listen to stuff when you write, then you're all set. If you've never tried it before, give it a go! We're all different so we write in different real life atmospheres so it may not be your thing. However, even if you can't write with noise in your ears, you can still find a track's setting, read its synopsis and, if it appeals to you, well there's an idea for a new roleplay! Or go crazy and pick a track/setting at random. An example of all this nonsense is the first track on the top row from the left called "Waterkeep". The track's image shows a beautiful castle described as "the fabled jeweled city of the north, a hub for trade, commerce and culture". So, there's your setting, all you have to do is make a roleplay out of it—listen to the track as you write or don't! If this idea gets enough attention, then later I could even make a game/challenge out of it, assigning a track/setting randomly to individuals/pairs/groups for them to only then make a roleplay out of it. So what do you all think? (Rest assured that I will edit this OP as my awfully verbose self just can't seem to properly translate my ideas half of the time. By all means, you won't insult or embarrass me by replying to the thread with advice on how to better articulate this idea and clean up the OP. In fact, I might just buy you a drink for it, pardner.) (Also, did I post on the right board..?) THANKS MISTER

There were good days, when things went right and everyone responded “good” to the question “how was your day?” Then there were bad days. Everything would go wrong; the flat tire, the garbage bag ripping, the randomly inescapable stuffy feeling in your sinuses or the bad weather. You could even get robbed blind or murdered. Being one such terrible day, the underbelly of Terrenus must have felt rubbed in the wrong way. Under the blanket of confidentiality that often accompanied disastrous intel, some gathered at chimichanga stinking water coolers in the stuffy back offices of government buildings. Some marched through the corridors of black towers or shifted on their thrones, eyeballing their officials like, ‘do something!’ Some, leering with giants and fire over the blushing horizon, took a more direct approach. Among all the things Schrei heard en route, something distinct she would not discern was the thud of a heartbeat coming from the First Officer. Instead of ears that could hear all it would take eyes that could see magic. Eyes that could see that his heart had become an elaborate encasement of seals. More than just a body run by the mind of Cain, this was a body that had once died, entirely held upright by the magic of Cain. He made use of, among other types of enchanted ink, a moving tattoo on his body (the Troll) to paint a library of runic language on himself and, when necessary, in the very air around him, that allowed him to tug this body and a vast variety of others without thought. Such required and sustainable equity of power could only come from compounding that of everyone he had gained control of and consolidating it in the most secretive of places. It was toward that Amalian consolidation that Cain, who owed to this the accumulation of his present personal magic, often gazed when he was caught staring into the distance; but this time he didn’t miss Schrei’s subtle nod or the quaking impact of the Kriegsreise landing on the outskirts of Tia. As the carriage slowed and they neared the Water Ablution Kormoir (WAK), she conveyed raw data in a way Cain had never seen the telepathic circles made use of before. She would receive a return stream of thought flowing from him that was impressed with her information retrieval and articulation capabilities by these means. Simultaneously, the First’s pupils dilated toward her at the actual contents of this data. “A distraction for our distraction! Beautiful,” he grinned with sharp canines. Schrei would begin to feel the rumble of something else than the fire king’s giants. Shortly after that, everyone would feel the rumblings. As if a portion of the city were possessed, or not a portion of city at all; as if it had been configured or disguised in the preceding of giant figures approaching the city. The spooling up of a massive faux-toin receiver also whined through the sky in the discomforting likeness of a tornado siren. As all of this occurred, the carriage pulled up beside a check-in station before the WAK. The door cracked as a distracted guard leaned forward. “ID please,” he said, head turned away from the carriage toward the source of the giant that had just apparently plowed through a section of city. He grabbed the black card protruding from the door almost without even looking before realizing it was black, instead of the uniform navy blue. That was when a spine of black lanced out and pierced his eyeball diagonally upward. It elicited a tiny pinprick of blood from the back of his head as he slumped back from the carriage. Cain leaned out of the door briefly, reaching through the window and pressing a red button to lower three pilons between them and the WAK. The horses marched forward, arching into the parking circle before the single story facility and stopping before the main doors. One guard armed with a phaser and radio exited the main door as everyone disembarked from the back of the stuffed carriage. It was immediately clear when at least three of the figures from the carriage— masked in the deathly guise of skeletons— marched swiftly straight for him what was happening. There was only time for one motion, the grabbing of his gun, or the pressing of a button that fizzled his comms mic to life. “ATTACK ON THE WAK! I REPEAT, THE WAK IS UNDER—” his radio transmission was cut short as his head rolled, a scythe-like arm extending from one of the two Dead Skeletons accompanying Cain. It didn’t matter though. If the arrival of the Kriegsreise hadn’t alerted all of Tia that shit had gone upside down, this transmission was the first official acknowledgement that the kingdom was under attack on multiple fronts. The facility’s door hadn’t been locked, as typical protocol dictated a warning from the gate if anything was awry. Cain and the Skeletons entered, two more guards with their weapons drawn in wait standing ten feet away when they rounded the corner. "Freeze!" @Mag @bfc @SweetCyanide @Stumbler @Wade

I got the job! I'm a retail banker now!

I've seen a few different members mention in a few different channels that they've run out of likes. Since I think this means there's a lot of cool content and everyone wants to big-ups everyone else I want to facilitate that and so have raised the limit up from 30 to 50 I think the reason there's a limit at all is because of flood control and / or making reactions worthless so hopefully this manages to strike a happy medium I've also enabled ability for members to lock and unlock their own content. We don't allow members to hide their content because the system doesn't separate posts and threads, and we've seen members hide threads that contain other people's post content. So members have to rely on reporting content they want to see removed and we don't remove multi-party threads for that reason But the ability to lock may be the happy medium there, as it is a non-destructive way to control your content Enjoy your reactions and your locks

The Parade of Worlds Floats built from across the globe to celebrate the various regions and cultures of Valucre. As a gift to her people following the liberation from their underground prison, Raveena designed the Parade of Worlds to bring parts of the world to Hyperion, so that her people may know and eventually explore beyond Hyperion’s borders. One float will represent a city, kingdom, region, or Empire. You do not have to own the board or territory to represent the float You can work on the float post as a group, or solo Each person is limited to three floats they can represent All floats will be one post each, and can feature linked in lore to flora, fauna, cultural practices, hot spot locations, quest or notable canonized events re-enacted. At minimum, float posts should be four paragraphs. At maximum floats should be eight paragraphs. Once ready, please DM all float posts to me. If you have more than one, submit all of them in the same DM. This is a chance to showcase lore, and explore why people should visit these cities, kingdoms, regions, or empires. Want to show off cool technology? Have a new hot spot location you want people to explore? A really great quest idea you want to draw attention to? Rare flora and fauna to show off? This is the place to make it happen ICly. Please DM me if you wish to be added to the Roster for the parade, including the Cities/Subboard(s)/Board(s) you wish to represent.

Well, it’s that time of the year again. It’s been almost two-and-a-half years since I found myself on this site, and every Christmas Eve I’ve made an effort to say some words about thankfulness, appreciation, and other similar sentiments all while trying to include all the wonderful people I’ve befriended up to that point(and not just because it means more likes on the status update). I’m going to make that same effort, but I’m not sure if there’s much I could say that would tread any ground I haven’t already covered in the past. When I first came to Val, I was just a guy. A guy who before then had a moderate interest in writing, and whose only role playing experience was through Skype with a couple friends. Dissatisfied with the experience after awhile, I decided to search up a site where I could roleplay in a vast and established world. And so, in 2015 when I myself was only fifteen, and within five months would be sixteen, I signed up for Valucre, introducing myself with a quote from A Clockwork Orange. The rest, as they say, was history. I began as some guy with no prior roleplay experience, nor much writing experience in general, managed to impress people who learned how young I was, all while not quite understanding what was so impressive in the first place. Today, sitting in a Walmart break room, four days away from being an adult in the eyes of the law, I’ve become...what have I become? Better? Arguable at best. I’m sure the quality of my writing has improved to some degree, but I still remain the same, amateur, inexperienced writer I arrived as. So what has changed, aside from my age and maturity? Well, I certainly have more friends than I did before I came to Val. I’ve got more friends than I did last Christmas as well. I think that’s probably all that matters, having more friends. That’s what’ll stick with me, not the threads I’ve participated in, nor the lore I’ve written, neglected, and abandoned. But the relationships forged as a result of working on them. Merry Christmas. @supernal @Mickey Flash @Jotnotes @Fae @Deus Ex Aizen @Lacernella Rubra @Avvercus @The Hound @Howlykin @Trexasle @MrDoubleSunday @PandaHat @Mag @Maveranne @Lilium(It never lets me find you) If I’ve forgotten anyone near and dear to my heart, then may my figgin be placed on a spike.

It’s not easy to have it all. “Nngh – yes! There!” People say they want things like wealth, but the have-nots do not, cannot understand what goes on in the minds of the haves. Their imagination is that there is an endless parade of possessions, a celebration with revels and carols. They don’t have a clue. It’s a good image, and a good beginning, but the parade is not a celebration. It is an accounting, a list. The haves do not think about what they have. They are thinking about what they do not, and the more they have the harder it is to identify the ever-shrinking yet ever-present holes in their treasuries. These are the thoughts that might plague such a person’s mind: I desire something to desire. Can a thing be nice if there exist things which are nicer? That is a gorgeous shade of blonde. “W-wait up! Oh, sorry, I just looked up and thought you were someone I knew – eheh. May I have your name? I’m Valentine. Nice to meet you! Where are you headed? Oh! I didn’t know that anyone else went to the same…” (Having spied something he desires, the coveter pursues it with all the resources at his disposal.) Some of the wealthy might say that it’s a far more miserable existence than the life of a have-not, who rejoices in what they have and disparages what they do not rather than vice versa. Some of the wealthy might sound like they truly believe it. Of course, lying is an effective way of attaining what one desires, so treat them with their due caution. And remember, always, that these people want everything that you can give them. For them, if they do not have a complete set, they may as well have none of it. For them, it’s all or nothing. “F-fuck, oh god.” The nighttime cityscape bleeds through the open window in a continuous, unbroken rush. This finds Valentine Day in a lull. He rests on his knees, feeling the cold air swirl where once was sweltering, passionate heat. All is fair in love and war, except peace – peace is nowhere to be found except in handfuls of seconds like these. It is best to observe. He sighs as a half-moon of gorgeous blond fans out beneath him, panting into the sheets. The strands collect in the starched folds of blanket that spread out from the woman like a sunburst, upon which canvas the lights fall in a dozen mixed hues: purple-blond, gold-blond, white-blond, electric-blond. They are like flavors, all beautiful but incomparably different. Captivating. He runs his hand through the clean mess, feeling it slide over his damp fingers like silk. He memorizes the texture; not in the way that awkward first lovers do, fumbling unforgettably in the lost history of memory, but rather as an apprentice does as he watches the master work a trade – an art – that’s been remembered for a thousand years. This is an art too, isn’t it? The human body is beautiful, and every part of it shares in this quality. He bends over the woman’s body to nuzzle the side of her face where it has plastered to her skin with sweat. His lips mumble against her neck, through the sheer, blonde fabric, and her back shudders, tickled, as he breathes into her. “It’s perfect.” “Mm…huh?” “Hush.” Valentine shifts his weight and pulls her into his lap. “I don’t know you well enough yet.” Her breath catches in anticipation, but of course she, moaning in his arms, cannot see that he croons this into a gorgeous shade of blond. That he is learning the way it undulates as she bounces, the way it floats in the smooth current of cool air that blows from the room’s air conditioner. That he is imagining what a beacon it must resemble at midnight, for those voyeurs gazing in through the distant, naked window of Room 2302 from the high-rises in the heart of the city. Is it as beautiful from afar as it is in the palm of his hands, he wonders, does it flow as smoothly or does it seem skittish, like a pale faerie? Do the passerby see the figures for whom the beacon shines, whose tangled, heated activity it announces with each jerk and twist and the movement of shimmers and shadows? Or are they captivated by it to understand what they see? The silhouettes are merely ordinary, but one wears a gem that, in this moment, Valentine considers to be an object worthy of abject desire. Her head jerks backwards with a gasp, her mouth opens wide – teeth sparkling white in the false starlight, as if she were intending on eating him – And a finger beckons her chin upwards and with a deep, breathless kiss that speaks to her of things like eternity and human love, he captures the exhalation of her soul as her body spasms, ceaselessly, into his. The first indication that Valentine is not the first to arrive was mere precedent. Rize was first in all things, or so their hierarchy was structured – the first authority, the first administrator, the first extant CIDE of the current handful – and there was a nagging insistence in him (or so Valentine fancied) to be the first to all assemblies of the VII. Hell, maybe he’d be the first to die. Unlikely, but what did probability know of poetic justice and the workings of irony? Rize’s first-ness was thus the first indication; a useful mnemonic. The second sign that the CIDE was not alone was the familiar fluttering in Val’s stomach as the elevator rose towards the 77th floor. The ULTIMA cells beckoned to each other, more strongly with every inch of distance that disappeared between them. It was a rising feeling. Ditches that normal men never knew existed were being filled by the presence of each other. It was a wonderful feeling that would only intensify once the other four arrived, a sensation of unbroken bonds and completion. It was a beautiful feeling. But don’t call it love. Valentine stretched out his arms with a yawn and wiggled his body as if to loosen his muscles as the forty-second floor ding’ed by. He slouched forward and his hands rose to hover before him; having procured a pen from his pocket, they began to move jerkily, up, down, left, right, and again, as if they were those of a conductor, measuring out a tempo. One, two, three, four, 73, 74, 75, 76… The elevator doors opened. Without fail, there was Rize, arms folded in the center of the Throne Room, admiring the same exact painting as he always did with the same legendary stoicism that he always had, utterly at peace as Flight of the Valkyries exploded into the main chorus from sixteen equidistant points along the walls of the chamber. “Hiya, Rize!” Valentine replaced the pen in his pocket and walked in with a grin and a wave. “Tough crowd as usual, no big.” “Gotta say, though. Wish I could use it that well when you aren’t around. Imagine blaring the,” he frowns as he kicks up his feet onto the table. “What was that movie? Tip of my tongue. Hold on.” “JAWS!” The chair creaks as his weight returns after a brief, excited reprieve. “Imagine that orchestration just blaring while, you know, you’re off killing…everything…” His voice trails off bemusedly. “Maybe something different would suit you.” “Oh! Speaking of!” The CIDE winks and sits onto the table, crossing his legs. His hair suddenly long and spilling across the polished wood; luxuriant locks that have the shine of varnish and a color that tastes to the eyes like sweetest vanilla. “Does it look good on me? I was getting tired of Sue’s green. It was pretty but – nah, not for me.” He brushes a hand through his hair and twirls it about a finger shyly. “Well, felt it was time for a change, you know?”

Since the old one got locked... Here is where Valucre members can show off pictures of themselves, or their wee ones, as so many of us now have made those. To kick it off, here's an old goofy pic of me.

There was nothing about the next few moments that one can consider to be objectively good. All anyone can say was that within the events of the night, tragedy compounded tragedy, as the spectacle of the looming calamity. None knew more about this terrible sadness than the one at the very center of this raging vortex, the man who had caused as much of his own heartache as well as others. He has felt the fiery cut of many names, but will always be first known as Oscar Uldwar. Standing there, with his feet on the ground and the stars above him, he could feel the weight of his actions crashing down around him. There was no escape from this, no getting away from it, all he had now was himself, and the cold steel he had brought to this damnable party. It alone could provide him comfort in this time of confusion and chaos, the only ally in a sea full of enemies. "Father?" "Luis" Turning, he saw his son, wand at the ready, but confusion clouding his face. "What are you doing out here?" He took a step forward, but found his own son held fear for him and tentatively stepped back. "Why do you have that dagger?" He asked, and Oscar finally realized he was now holding it in his hands. The weight was perfectly balanced, a simple design, with a well sharpened blade and a comfortable leather handle. At times he loved his weapons more than his wife, more than his children, even more than himself even. Oscar could relate to a weapon, he could feel comfortable around it, for it did not require anything from him, except for the requirement for blood. Perhaps tonight this one would be lucky enough to give the cold kiss of death to his own throat, before he was to face the consequences of his actions. All thoughts were swept away when he looked once more to his son. "The same reason you have your wand, my son. Neither of us can be without our weapons, it's just who we are." With a sigh, he looked to him, and said. "Do you know why I'm here?" "I thought someone hurt mother, and you were chasing them, but there is no one else out here, is there?" Oscar looked to one side, then the other, the answer as plain as the moon above them. "What did you do to mother?" "She said she wanted to leave me, so I threatened to gut your little sister like a fish if she did." The sheer shock upon his son's face, contrasted with the cold exterior of his father, was disturbing to say the least. "I thought you wanted to be a man, Luis. Men speak freely with one another, they aren't afraid of the truth, and the truth is, without my family, I fear being lonely, so very lonely." Taking another step, he found the wand his son held pointed straight at him. "One of the first things you learn as a man, Luis, is that you never hold a weapon you aren't ready to kill with." Before Luis could even speak, his father was right in front of him, with a flash of gray following. His arm erupted in terrible pain, and he screamed out, trying to pull back his arm, but not before Oscar took hold of it. "Let go of me!" "Look at it. LOOK AT IT!" The sleeve fell, and to his horror, Luis noticed the magic seal keeping the black mana in check was broken by a red cut. "They want to lock you away from your darkness, but you are an Uldwar, and an Uldwar always faces his darkness." Whimpering in pain, Luis tried with all his might to wrench his arm free, the whispers invading his mind as his father spoke of things he didn't understand. "Our family is cursed, Luis. So long as the blood of our founder runs through your veins, you will always be cursed." "Let go of me!" Shutting his eyes tight, Luis tried to block out the rising orchestra of aberrant thoughts and feelings. "I don't want this!" "None of us wanted this, my child. I had dreams of becoming one of the greatest archers in history, but the curse took that from me. It's all in the curse." It was almost as if he were preparing him for something, trying to teach him some eldritch piece of knowledge that didn't make any sense. "An Uldwar will always hold power, an Uldwar will always hold the sword they stole, and an Uldwar will always hold suffering in their heart. You've heard it, haven't you, son? That one word which guides you to the worst possible outcome, causing you nothing but pain and hardship. We can't run from it, we can't lock it away, and we can't hide from it. Sooner or later, it comes for all of us, and it will take all of us to our graves. Luis I'm so-" "I said let go!" With so much blood coming from the wound on his arm, Luis was able to slip free of his father's grasp, with just enough space to hurl a spell straight at his own father. There was a blinding light, then the whole world went into darkness. Luis was unconscious, laying down with a deep cut in his arm, next to a tree that was not there just a moment ago. It was a gnarled, black husk of what might have been a great and powerful oak once, but now it stood just outside the palace, forlorn and silent. If one were to stare within the knotted hole in the middle of the leafless tree, one could almost swear they heard the tortured screams of a man in that oppressive darkness. Vesper would arrive just as a group of Imperial Guards did, the scene looking odd, yet telling of what happened. "The boy's been cut." One of the guards said. "Lord Uldwar must have done it before running off. We need to find him, and quickly." "Wouldn't the wards have caught him before he made it off the palace grounds?" "In theory, yes, but he likely has something that negates the effects of the magic, which means he has to be armed with more than just a blade." It was the only logical thing they could think of, even in a world full of magic and oddities. "You two, report to the Emperor what happened, another two will head into the woods to search for Lord Uldwar while I keep watch of his son." As the guards went about their work, the lead guard looked to Vesper. "There's nothing else for you to see here. Head on back to the party." He said casually, unaware of her true reason for being there, he turned his back on the sea witch, keeping watch for anything suspicious coming his way. @KittyvonCupcake

Legion of Doom S2 Legion of Doom Season 2 is here! I first want to apologize for the delay. Our promo artist was swamped with work, and I went from working 30 or so hours a week to 50 plus. But we’re out here now! So without any further adieu, here is Legion of Doom Season 2. Months have passed since the sacking of Last Chance. While the bodies of those lost have been buried and now lay cold in the earth and ocean, the war is not over. Dredge and the remaining army and civilians of Legion have taken to the sea and have vowed to return and raise Armageddon once more. A thick blanket of fog consumes and shrouds the seas surrounding Terrenus. Slicing through the fog there sails a massive ship. Adorning its sides with gruesome and vile decorations were the corpses of the fallen and captured. Humans, elves, dwarves, all those who dared to hold themselves hire than what Legion comprised itself of. At the forward bow of the ship stood Dredge. Armor beaten and scarred from the previous battle with a mix matched piece of enchanted iron where the original left side of his helmet’s faceplate once was. Rage burned inside the man and even the frigid and cold air around him could not quell the heat that boiled off his form. ”My Lord. We’re a day out from our target. Shall we ready the men?” Approaching the overlord was a spindly drow dressed in a thick winter jacket with ritual scars in honor of various demons of the nine hells covering his face. ”Prepare the men and have them fed with the remaining rations and be ready for battle.” Dredge’s voice was absolute and his resolve was unshakable. ”Yes My Lord.” The drow said with a deep bow afterwards. ”It’s going to be a red Life Day- wait. What do you people celebrate?” Stern deliverance was now replaced by uncertainty as to what this region celebrated as their winter holiday. ”Well my people celebrate the rising of-“ The drow would prattle on some long and unpronounceable name of some patron saint of demons as Dredge would rather of listened to nails on a chalkboard. ”Oh thank god it’s over” He said under his breath only for the Drow to list a following holiday that proceeded after the original one. ”You know what? It doesn’t matter, the point is we’re going to kill a lot of people.” Dredge said in a hurried manner to shut the drow up. ”Of course my lord. I’ll prepare the men.” and that was it. War is coming once again. War that would not only consume the land in darkness, but test the resolve of Terrenus. Seas will bubble. Cities shall burn. The civilized races of Terrenus shall be slain, and a new age of monstrous races will reign supreme. Probably. As the fog begins to clear, and light upon a frozen shore start to shine. They have returned. We have returned. We are Legion. Details! Legion of Doom Season 2 has been a challenge for us and especially me! Deciding what to do and how we can make a fantastic sweeping story as we did the last go around. We’ve debated and we’ve discussed at length how we can make the most interactive fan and community based event that we can. I feel as if we have landed on something that gives us a lot more free reign to tell a large and sweeping plot without sticking our fingers in the pies of too many people and their stuff. I do need to promptly apologize for the delay once again, I was hit with a crazy amount of hours and it’s killed my motivation to do much of anything. However the show must go on! So Legion of Doom Season 2 will be held at Shawnee! Yes, that’s right! The frozen north of Terrenus. There will be all the normal actions taken by legion that you have grown to enjoy, senseless slaughter, emotional moments of loss and heartbreak, and growth of characters through the lens of interactive storytelling. We encourage everyone to get involved be it for or against Legion and just have fun with the whole affair. We don’t take ourselves very seriously over here and if you want to kick back and watch for the luls or get invested in the story. Hard Release Date 11/25/18

Without checking a wristwatch or any other time telling device, Chastity knew that he had arrived right on time. It was not in the nature for the paladins of the Order of the White Hand to engage in idle chatter. They were efficient on the battlefield, and straightforward in their communications. Their chosen fight against the evils of Yh’mi necessitated such a culture. It was rare for one of the White Hand to leave their post in Inns’th, but in the recent state of affairs in Terrenus - first the civil war, then the rise of the Legion of Doom, Chastity found it necessary to remind the leaders in Terrenus of the threat that the hostile land of Yh’mi put forth. It didn’t matter if they negotiated more land, or more gold, or mutual protection. If Yh’mi wasn’t put under control, all their efforts would be reduced to rubble, and swallowed by darkness. Chastity came alone. The Order of the White Hand were already short-handed in Inns’th as it was, especially after Diligence - the strongest warrior among their ranks - had been felled in battle against a corrupted paladin. Chastity was here to appeal for assistance in repairing the breach in the defensive wall resulting from that war, and to fortify Inns’th. The fact that this meeting was taking place in the Taen Empire was significant as well; a portal had been ripped between Taen and deep within Yh’mi of unknown origins, and even now, the grey scar was still swirling in the skies of Yh’mi. The guards at the entrance bowed when they recognized the armour the old paladin wore, representing both the Order of the White Hand, and the Gaian church. His inclined his head towards one guard in respect, then the other, his milky white eyes staring sightlessly into their own. Chastity’s vision had long since dulled, a lingering damage from a battle, but his realized senses could see beyond what a mortal’s eyes could. The old man stepped into the entrance hall, his aura of calm and battle-hardened confidence making him seem taller than he was.

Character Name: Jinsoku Hayabusa Affiliation: The Order of Force Majeure Location/Objective: Beach/First line of defense Allies: @Fierach @amenities @Tenkai Matsumoto (Defenders) Enemies: @Dredge @Grubbistch @Frostbinder (Raiders) "What....is he?" Jinsoku muttered to himself as he landed, watching the green flames erupt from the shallow gape created by Ochigo. He watched as the armored villain bound from his own crater and into the sand. Those flames were what he had learned of during his time in Sigil, courtesy of the Lich King. Negative flames he called them. He was no stranger to the likes of such types of energy, the proof being found in the scars on his legs. As his opponent appeared unaffected by his prior assaults, he exposed himself as a larger threat, flexing brazenly in defiance of Jin's might. "!?" He felt her sudden presence before she shouted his name, though his name being called was great confirmation to his thoughts. A vaguely familiar sound caused his ears to twitch, the Raiju within feeling a certain calm with the weapons song. A low growl caused it to hum in minute delight considering they were in the middle of a war field. Striking the sand between his opponent and himself, he lifted his unarmored right hand and gripped the mahogany handle of Naginata about a midway from the handle. Without immediately taking a stance against Ochigo, he stood their ominously with wide eyes and stared hard. In the same moment he discovered a trigger to his anxiety, he was also given a reprieve from such heavy feelings. Steeling his will, his borderline PTSD moment was shifting into nothing more than a violent rage consuming. This was becoming personal. Not only had he sworn never to fall victim to the likes of this terrible, wretched energy, but he also swore that he wouldn't allow it to harm a living thing in his presence! This was no longer a battle in likeliness of men. No, his opponent was a true monster. This was a slaying. "..." His eyes and body language spoke loud enough to replace his loss for words. Yanking Naga from the sand Jinsoku brought it into both hands and twirled it around him defensively as he ultimately grabbed the weapon now with his armored hand about mid handle, and his unarmed hand grasping the lower portion of it. Hosting the blade point first at Ochigo, he lead with his armored half of his body as he had done prior. Rushing Ochigo with the unfamiliar weapon but so well crafted it translated easily from the use of spears, Jinsoku brought the blade up past head level on Ochigo, only to tilt the blade at and angle before abruptly executing a diagonal cut from Ochigo's right shoulder to left hip. It was fast, though half hearted in earnest as he prepared to cancel his attack in order to evade some unwanted threat, or in case he earned another desirable opening in which to punish the corrupt being with. As he continued to pool his Yoki, he prepared yet another attack he hoped would catch the enemy off guard. Perhaps with Naga's help he could afford the corrupted one some actual damage.

Hello, hello. Book|Ends, your friendly local tomestore, will be hosting a quest in search of Herrington's Black Book of Summonings. Information will supplied below. Contract workers, mercenaries, and ragtag vagabonds are more than welcome to contact the head of the Book|Ends Retrieval Specialists Ioreth Rhavon via messenger imp, crystal communicator, smoke signal, or politely worded letter. Misspellings and improper grammar will be corrected in red ink. This includes the smoke signals1. The mission will take place in the southwest district of Blairville. A rendezvous point will be arranged shortly. As a D level quest, only 7 responses per person are necessary before closing out the mission, unless an Act of Gaia or sheer exhaustion dictates otherwise. 1Please do not ask B|E associates how, as we only know that she can and will do so.

he Sun of Kadia transmitted his frustrations with his very demeanor, ambling cautiously throughout the festive streets of Avylon with little desire outside of coming to some rationale as to the festivals atmosphere. So much joviality that Evaristus was subtly annoyed. Pacing with black cashmere boots his starry celeste eyes surveyed the upbeat tempo of Renovatio's celebration with silent scrutiny. Minutes since he had dismissed his battalion there was no doubt that Justis had already found Remmington so that he could watch her from afar - still, something felt dreadfully wrong. There was no evidence, but rather the lack thereof, that disturbed Evaristus'. The steps of which the golden-haired Sword Saint took were that of careful footwork, with each step he appeared to glide with an air of preordained caution unlike that of his esquites. Once a vanguard always a vanguard Evaristus refused to dissolve his constant watchwork. Wheresoever he went, so too did the stares of natives that watched the tall hume of glowing creamy skin, gorgeous hair that resembled the sky of the morning, and celeste eyes that looked upon others with critical indifference. “Sir! Please take one!” a young adolescent barked, no older than a teenager, stretching his frail arms out together simultaneously cupping a fruit covered by iridescent stripes along its exocarp. “And welcome to Avylon! Are you in need of any guidance?” Having stopped at the child's behest Evaristus gave the young one no eye contact, rather instead observing any nuance of the world around him. If the Sword Saint could ask anything, he would inquire about Remmington's whereabouts. “I require an audience with Primera and Desmond on behalf of Corvinus and Kadia. Nothing more...” his stern, rumbling voice vibrating the air and rivaling that of the collective of serene chaos that surrounded them. Then his left hand lifted from his side and grabbed the large fruit in his full, singular grip. It was true that he hadn't eaten in hours, but it was also true that he didn't need to. Still, he would have to be sure not to stain his ivory attire. Justis was a vassal analogous to that of the Sicamedes royal blood and carried out all orders on behalf of their undying loyalty. For years his mother had served Dioscleti and the other unnamed vessels of royalty until their dying days, and there was never a day of doubt that what he was doing was in the best interests of his family and a higher calling altogether. The Black Knight of the Dawnbreak esquite moved with imperceptible ease through the shadows of Avylon wheresoever they manifested while observing the security protocols and the other arrivals as well. While Evaristus was naturally cautious, it was Justis veritas to ensure safety to those who were of The Corvinite Imperium and otherwise allied. As such the left-hand of Duke Evaristus dissolved and reappeared every few moments in a different location where his incandescent eyes of fire observed all, that was until he discovered Remmington. The weakness in her blood and her bones bothered Justis as it had from the moment the Sun of Kadia declared his love for her. While her skill was revered across even The Corvinite Imperium, Justis saw her as the achilles heel of the Dawnbreakers. Were the golden-haired swordsman's sanity henged on her livelihood, their future expenditures and service to Corvinus Melinsede would be limited, this much the grim knight felt. Still the gelid heart remained detached from the black knight's objectives as black greaves beat against the cobblestone beneath, and eyes of fire glowed from beneath onyx plate. “Maiden of War,” Justis spoke with respect, calling out to Remmington from a few feet beyond. She appeared weak, pale, troubled. Something was diffusing the balance that Ucissore's were revered for, which meant that it was a matter pertaining to Evaristus or Avylon itself. “...what is it that troubles you? The Sword Saint expects to meet you in the palace beyond, is there something afoot?” Still and unmoved the black knight lifted his left hand to rest on the hilt of his mysterious sword, eyes of indifference much like that of Evaristus own looking down upon her.

Hello Friends!! You've read the subject line correctly!! Queen Aurora of Crystallo Stella will be opening up the mines for the pubilc! What does that mean you ask? Well once I get the official template out there will be special gems that can be mined that have certain abilities that are desirable, many of which can be used in an apothecary scenario. Which stems to the school that sits in Obsidian Isle a mining location, a great place to check out for secondary plots with the mining. As I was saying, I will be putting out an official listing of available gemstones and minerals that can be mined in the several locations in Crystallo Stella. Each of the the minerals and gemstones will be listed with a rarity, and the miners will pay a fee based on what they're able to get mined out. Granted I will be requiring participants who venture the mines to use a dice system to determine what are gemstones they have dug up. In this list that I will put out will have all attributes of the minerals listed among other things, so I hope that you keep an eye out for the opening of these amazing landmarks of interest in Crystallo Stella. As I finish the codex for this, I will post an update here! -Eternity

The Concubine was swathed in the memories of yesterday when she had worn the armor of a SoulSeeker with pride and held the teachings of the God-Emporer close. Those times feel so long ago, the memories frayed on the ends and distorted from the regular visits she pays during times of brief loneliness. It was a life she was sure she'd be satisfied with, but fate can be a little cruel with the hand it deals those that are poisoned by complacency. Even now the black sludge trailed through her veins, weighing her down as she walks the halls of pasts gone by. Being so close to abominations made the skin on her arms rise, the doctrine to be so distrustful towards such creations singing to her like a siren to a weary ship. When her God-Emporer finally wed his Goddess, a variety of individuals attended the nuptials and sifting through the more critical faces had been Raphael. Vividly, the scene projects itself before the once SoulSeeker, showing her how the man had presented a golden unicorn horn as a present to her Goddess. Never had the Goddess Leoa hidden her disdain towards horses and Raphael, ever the twisted snake, showed a peaceful weakness when he represented the gift. She thinks of this time now as they saunter upon land donning the name of the man who had killed a whole herd of horses and one unicorn with only the thought of the foreign Goddess in mind. Dangerously unnerving. Or, at least, that is what the Celine had thought of at the time. The poison from her blood is slowly wicked away; what she thinks now is they are not safe, but entirely for different reasons. Displaced due to some unfortunate circumstances, it has taken her time to become acclimated to her life as a Concubine and as a mother within the harem. This would be the first significant event outside their own homeland that she has walked silently at the Emporer's side, and she is toeing the line of SoulSeeker and Concubine minted in confusion. Being away (amongst other turmoils) has undoubtedly made her awkward. "In Renovatio, we have a celebration that is relatively similar," she said to Ozu. The walk down memory was diverted to the reality of the day. "Every spring the Grand Kommadant holds a huge event that's dragged out for an entire week." When speaking, the Concubine would punctuate her soft speech with flourishes of the hands. "Flowers from far and wide cover the streets of our capital city; song fills the air, and the sounds of people make the earth hum beneath your feet." Being excitable is not an air the woman usually wears, but to better ease Ozu into the fold she felt it was a purposeful move - for them both, truthfully. She wore this persona well, the warmth of her words and actions making her glow; the swiftness of her flamboyant gestures causing the light to be captured in the redness of her hair. Golden hues twinkled, her youth exasperated by their eagerness to see, to watch. The easy conversation made the lilt of her accent high and sweet, her Renovatian roots finally showing. "It's a celebration for our goddess Apocrapha and her loved one - Roscephon. Theirs is a love story that gives reason to the Tree of Life and the remaking of our home," a laugh tickled her final sentence. "A week-long excuse to drink, dance, and be merry if I'm to be honest." "Now they celebrate something similar, for a different goddess and her creations. The manabai'wok are ginormous creatures that look like wild wolves; you would appreciate these creatures Ozu." Celine spoke not only to Ozu, but also the gentleman close by. "As would you, I think. You seem the sort to enjoy the exotic." @dvsn @Twitterpated @Etched in Stone

↳ TOMMY HUDSON AGE: 17 SPECIES: Half-elf DATE OF BIRTH: 9/24 OCCUPATION: Former Corn Farmer, Vigilante BIRTHPLACE: Dougton ――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――― TEMPERAMENT: Sanguine TRAITS: Foul-mouthed | Laidback | Witty | Inquisitive | Wise Beyond Her Years ALIGNMENT: Chaotic Good SEXUALITY: Bisexual MUSIC TASTE: Garage punk LIKES: Pudding, Gum, Soda, the color Orange ――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――― HEIGHT: 5,2 WEIGHT: 43.9 kg GENDER: Female HAIR: Dark Brown under the right light EYES: Deep Burgundy SKIN: Slightly Tan, Freckled SCARS/TATTOOS/PIERCINGS: Too much scars. No tattoo or piercings, surprisingly. VOICE: Boyish; bright and deep ――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――― HISTORY: Geez, man. If you're so curious, just ask me. Not like I'm hung up over it or something. THREADs: The Conspirator. Inactive. (I made cool friends. They're more like shithead uncles, though.) Whisper of the Wyrm. Active? (I'm never taking up a job like that like, ever again.) ―――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――― ﹀

Nice to meet everyone! My name is Emily, and I'm 22. I love to watch movies/shows/anime, and I'm also big into reading. I perform Improv comedy, and have been for a few years now. I'm ridiculously socially-awkward, but I'm really easy-going once you get to know me. I've been playing Dungeons and Dragons and GURPS since I was 13 or 14, but this is the first time I've ever tried any sort of online roleplay. I was invited here by a super cool new friend of mine, and I'm really looking forward to getting started! Feel free to ask me any questions!

Alright, after that lengthy disappearance and all.... I will be dropping a few severely owed posts later on this morning, and from then on will be Sunday nights and Thursdays for my posting days until after finals (May 1st). (My class schedule changes every 5 weeks). If I owe you some writing, please send me a PM if you would like me to continue there. I do have a list, but it's going to take me some time to go down it and read every thread it contains to see how things are going in them. Thank you guys.

It’s not exactly encryption, it’s hexadecimal encoding (hence 6). Encryption is used to hide, but encoding is just used to represent, as well as to compress data at times. It’s a more human-readable way of representing data presented to the computer, including letters (which otherwise, 'a' looks like 01100001). Each character is represented by 2 digits (0 to F). The message is ominous: How did I know this: I've just seen enough undecoded text in my work to suspect hexadecimal when I see it. Still have no idea what the keys are though.

There was not an ounce of remorse in Lord Uldwar's eyes. Another Lord might've blushed, humbled by the disproving stares aimed at him from so many. But Oscar was no such noble, and instead of humiliation- he returned to her, the same contempt she offered to him, but with substance behind that could only come from a man who has killed. And isn't afraid to do it again. There they stood, refusing to back down from the other. Trading such hideous looks her dangersense made the hairs on the back of her neck rise, and sweat to pool in her palms. In the end, Oscar moved first, growling out his reply- and knocking into her with such force, Evienne was sent sprawling. And then he was gone, treating nobles in his path as a toddle would do in a childish tirade. The marble was cold enough to make her spine hurt, and her pride stung from the blow. But, enough stupid choices had been made enough for her to recover quickly, lest it be bruised more, rising to her feet with as much poise and she could muster. Surely, if her Father had known of her actions, Evienne would've gotten a tight slap for her efforts. And, surely, her ears burnt so fiercely from it- everyone in the damned room could see the tell tale red. Still, she grit her teeth, and marched into the washroom; making sure to shut the door behind her. There needn't be any more witnesses to such a humiliation. "My husband has lost his mind, he...he...he means to kill our own children, and me too, if I ever told anyone." Tragedy flavored the Lady's words, who looked as though she would break from the force of the sobs being wrenched from her chest. The Young Lady from Hildebrand was trying to wipe off some of the other's tears; succeeding only in smudging the black and white make up further. The child clung close to her mother's skirts- confused, Evienne smiled easily at her, only to grimace at the state of Lady Cassandra Uldwar. It was disconcerting, to watch such a composed woman break. She reached out, slowly, tenderly grasping the matriarch's shoulders- urging her to get back on her feet. Context, only fueled her hatred, and her lip curled into a sneer. But, anger was dangerous- it made people stupid. Evienne wouldn't be angry anymore. "Come now," she murmured, softly. "Come now, surely, you won't let them see you like this." "Please, summon the guards, summon anyone who can apprehend him. My son and daughter are at this very ball, tonight, I fear for their lives, please help me keep them safe." There was fear, certainly, and sorrow in her face and words, but danger glinted in her eyes. Vengeance screamed out of her body as much as she grieved for what was being lost. "The Guards shall be notified, as soon as we can." Evienne couldn't betray the traitorous suspicions that plaqued her. Instead, she peered at the Hildebrand Lady, racking her brains for a name that she wasn't quite sure was correct. "Lady Kalika Hildebrand? Would you mind?" And, before anymore could be said, Evienne was out the washroom. Daze from how the opulence of the room in dire contrast of the tragedy behind her. Evienne wasn't qualified enough to deal with the machinations of security, but Vesper was; she approached her, fingers digging into the grain of her fan in such a frenzy her nails hurt. Divulging the state of the matriarch, offered her such relief; it terrified Evienne. She tried to fan herself, trying to calm her frantic thoughts, logic. She need only be logical, one of the Dali trio, the most vulnerable of the Dali trio were missing. It made most sense to try and seek her out from the crowd of merrymakers. But, Evienne felt dazed and disoriented, she could only try to make out the shock of vibrant red from the gaggle of nobles and commoners alike. Truly, her actions towards the Uldwars had been utterly stupid. @Grubbistch @vielle @KittyvonCupcake @Witches Brew

Prelude A man screamed and a fiend laughed. Bound to a wooden post, a POW of the Terrenus military was stripped down to his undergarments and left bare chested. Surrounding him were the uniform and blank emotionless helmets of Legion soldiers, yet underneath lay the faces of monsters eager for revenge. Revenge for their fallen brothers and sisters, and revenge for the loss they had faced down at the hands of men such as the officer now being tormented and tortured. Sitting only a few feet away on a large supply crate, the rolling chuckle of Dredge could be heard after the screams of soldier died down. ”You’re fairing so much better than your friends. The woman, what was her name again?” He asked out of a near rapturous glee, knowing full well who those people were. ”Go fuck yoursel-“ The buttstock of a magictech rifle promptly interrupted the man when it found home in his gut, a large and burly orc has buried it there with full force. The choking gasps and coughs of a man on the verge of breaking were then cut short by a thunderous crack across the face as an iron gauntlet met spongy bruised and bleeding flesh. ”First Lieutenant Ileana Winterblade. That was it. You know, I’ve never understood the tropes of elf, dwarf, and gnome names. Admittedly I’m still new to this world, yet you people have the oddest way of doing things. You add verbs, adjectives, and nouns then just smash them all together and that’s your name.” Something would them rattle and clink in Dredge’s hands. ”Captain Elendor Skyhelm, Warrant Officer Faldan Amberthorn. Oh here’s a good one Garnul Ravenstrike.” One by one the dog tags of captured officers hit the cold metallic floor of the deck until they were no more. ”Personally I’ve always enjoyed the simplicity of my name. Just, Dredge.” Rising from his seat as if he were cobra poised to strike at its prey, he slow began to slink his way over to the dazed man. ”But do you know what they all have in common? Your friends.” The dark iron of his gauntlet grabbed the poor soul’s face by his cheeks and forced him to look to his own deep red eyes. ”They’re all making wonderful decorations for my boat.” That Cheshire grin of illuminated white fangs spread onto the dark abyss that was beneath his helmet’s faceplate. ”You’ll pay for this.” The officer said weakly. ”Maybe. But you won’t be around for it.” There was a quick jab followed by the wet sounds of liquid spilling and dripping onto the ground below. With his free hand, the sharp claws of his armor hand made their way into the man’s gut before retracting. ”Feed him to the dire wolves with what life he still has.” Turning around, Dredge faced the crowd of Legion troops and thrusted his bloody hand into the air. Roars and cheers rose up and Dredge had spurred his men into a frenzy for the coming attack. War would soon return to Terrenus. Revival Revival will be the opening thread to Legion of Doom Season 2. I pondered a lot on how Legion could make a fresh and engaging thread, and I came to the conclusion that plot lines involving political intrigue, betrayal, and schemes could wait until chapter two of this series. While there is a grand yet somewhat fluid narrative planned, I decided that opening up we should stick to our strengths. And what might those strengths be as villains? Slaughter. Legion and our forces will be occupying, slaughtering, consuming, and raiding a coastal town on Shawnee. While the thread will have a fair amount of violence, it will also feature very dialogue heavy scenes that will lay the foundation for the season. Friction between Legion members, establishing a foothold into the frozen north, and other more secretive things. Joining Revival If you front Legion, then there’s nothing to worry about. Just show up on the day in question and we got you. However, as this will be an open thread and you wish to join as opposition to Legion, there are some conditions that need to be met or at least understood. Legion is in Shawnee, the last place anyone in Terrenus would expect them to be. The military has zero idea that they are coming and this town has no military presence or radio communications with Hells Gate or any other major city to the south. While I’d love to talk radio communications with all of you, getting a long range signal around or over a super massive magic glacier isn’t a thing that’s going to happen much less any form of magical communication because of the glacier ‘s magic and the distance. So if your character happens to be there, you’re on your own. No one is coming for you, and the next thread or two for Legion we’ll gladly devote subplots to your characters escaping, fighting, and trying to get word to the military about Dredge and Legion. Essentially it boils down to us wanting to build a large and interconnected multi arc story and not just have some guy be like “Lol I join and now the armies is here to crush you with our weapons.” You get what I mean. Shawnee is such a great location in terms of not only having to battle legion but the environment and elements themselves. So if you decide to join, just know you’re gonna have to get creative. Start Date: 11/25/18

First evacuees coming from the Problem Solver stations were now leaving Tia. Some were sent to safer locations to maintain the ruse, but all of Tia must have forgotten that the Problem Solvers were not held to account by Tia— they were held to account by Cain. One in every three evacuation vessels, especially those carrying women and children, were taken instead of to safety to the cover of the Haunted Glen, where they were beginning to be loaded into pop-up detention facilities. On this fateful anniversary of the night when all of vampiric Tia burst into an uproar, now the entirety of the very kingdom itself heaved in hunger for chaos. The living moved like dead through the streets, hordes exiting sporting arenas and schools and prisons and government facilities— exiting the supposed safety of their very homes— targeting the innocent and mauling them into a pulp. One small girl heading a mob of infected tackled a large man, gnawing on his arm as he flailed her this way and that. As her saliva entered his bloodstream and Maleficence set in with extreme prejudice on his neural system, his flailing became less about relinquishing his arm of the girl and more about slamming her into the road with each lunge. Before her incensed body could go limp, the pair was overrun with the mob. Doors were broken down and homes invaded; teargas began issuing from fearful Watchmen. The Problem Solvers, however, remained resolute. Within moments, the entire neighborhood found itself in upheaval, and the drug had only been administered by water supply. Meanwhile the Dead flew like crows to the dying. The head of the crow aimed to pierce the heart, aimed for Black Tower. A guard outside the back of the WAK had seen them take off and reported wildly across Tia that bogies were headed for Shaft A and the Watch Fort. Their steed was a naked platform framed in wooden splinters; their driver a hooded figure with the chin of a skeleton protruding from the dark. Schrei was masked in the skeletal guise, as was another, and the face of the First was still under the dying influence of his transmutation potion. As the wheels tore them across the underbelly of Tia, Cain looked at Schrei. Her audiomancy impressed him— inspired the quashing of suspicious skepticism in lieu of trustful respect— and it showed on his face. Features morphing to less and less and less, Cain’s true face came to gaze on Schrei as their ride clattered through the city. His brow and mouth hardened into respective lines of greater seriousness and attentiveness than was usual for the lackadaisical crimelord. They plowed down the closing pathway in the midle of the street, undead-seeming people pinged off the sides of the carriage with arms reaching only to be gnawed off by a snarl of wood extending from the speeding carriage. The messages were clear and the time had run out. Without taking his eyes off of Schrei, as if in this moment he wished for support in the duty he was about to fulfill, he procured the detonator. This expression, this drug, these people, these bombs; all of it for this single moment and all the horrible things that would come after. The Dead, he could not have done this without. Cain looked up at Ozymandias, the surreally mountainous golem towering over all of Tia with a tiny old man on its shoulder on his way to Black Tower. House sized globs of dirt and entire trees with their root systems sloughed off of Ozy, pluming over the city or trashing down on building tops. Cain held the receiver before his face and pressed the button with his thumb. --- Everything I recall is through vectors of broken glass and skull, reflected on the sheen of my brain as it floods now over the pavement. I was in the bathroom at the control center of the Aidni Oil Shaft. When I came out to resume post, there was just.. Something from a nightmare. Blood, black ooze everywhere. My partner for 10 years, who’d survived the first Tia incident with me, was laying in a pool of the stuff, bleeding black from all the openings on his face. Horror, just terror in his eyes. I wept for him, and while I was weeping the elevator dinged. When I looked over, I saw a woman with an umbrella walk out as calm as could be. She had a pointed mask on her face and that was when I was positive. This wasn’t an accident. We were under attack. Something was horribly wrong. As she left, as the door closed behind her and her shadow moved further and further away in the foggy glass, I felt it. The ground swelled up beneath me as if the linoleum had become a balloon. I felt the heat, heard the rumbling. I thought, this must be the apocalypse, and utter and complete static confusion roared devastation into my ears. The entire world was upended, and I as one despairing microcosm of millions spiraled through the twinkling glass of the control center. I flew with such grace and ease as I have never felt before, freed of my very human bounds, over the head of the girl with the umbrella. Fire, debris and furniture, glass, one of my severed fingers, danced in the air around my pirouetting form as I arced over her. And then, with all the tearful impact of falling from heaven into the very basement of hell, I skidded across gravelly cement that rendered flesh and ligament from bone. I bounced and lay crumpled, surely dead already. That was when a carriage pulled up in my peripheral-most sight. A redhaired man jumped out and looked at the masked woman with the umbrella, pulling the wrinkles out of his lapel. Two more I had not seen emerged beside the umbrella woman. “Well done,” he said flatly as my vision began to dim. And then he looked at me. He knelt, green eyes probing for life in mine. Then they probed deeper, deeper, into my very soul. I remember.. Iciness. --- All of Tia shook as shafts A, R, an O all quaked with a momentous explosion beneath the city’s surface. Maleficence spores mutated into all species of invasive plant had been pumped into the undercity by detonating those three charges at the three ventilation shafts. Now, germinating and populating with mad productivity and efficacy, was a biomass of Maleficence underground. The security guard missing half his face stood up beside Cain as Cain addressed the Apprentice, watching as Ai and Shikai undoubtably took to looting in the name of the Dead. “Come with us,” Cain said, embarking the carriage as its undead horses took off for the Watch Fort. “I’m going to jump off at the Watch Fort, but I leave it to you two to take down Black Tower,” he said, unshouldering his backpack and putting it down between them. Inside were antidotes to Maleficence, several Maleficence grenades, and another bomb like the one they had planted in the shafts. “Do what you have to to blow that tower with this charge and take out every noble in sight. You’re going to see someone when you get in there who looks like… well, he looks just like me. Nica. Evacuate him if you can and if you can’t, well tell him I said hi.” While this message was imparted unto the two skeletons, Schrei, and the Apprentice, another went out to all those who had just concluded their shaft objectives. “Focus on acquisition of the city’s industry and government assets and focus on evacuating the children to our Haunted Glen site,” he said to the rest, his masterful Architect excluded. Her motives and his were as inhale and exhale. They were the two sides to the coin of success, and the artful skeletons beneath them were the ones who flipped it. “I have someone to take care of at the Watch Fort.” Fuererkonig, at the Watch Fort, would sense in his infiltration of the Tian Titans, that the source of their power was drawing closer and closer to him. He would even be able to feel the spider centered on the web of control as it drew nearer. @bfc @Mag @SweetCyanide @Grubbistch @-Lilium- @Aleksei @Stumbler

“We’re here.” The carriage came to a halt, the rickety sway all the way into the city made for an infuriating ride. She was an irritated at the stench of the beast that pulled them. Unimpressed by the stupid man who drove them, entirely too jovial in his demeanor. Irritated at having to dress for the event which Kassandra opted to explore. Corvus was undeniably attractive in a lethal way, preternatural in all that she did. Slender fingers with perfectly manicured nails tapped restlessly on the ledge of the window she peered out of, “I don’t understand my need to blend in. I have nothing to hide. If they bother you, I am still going to kill them whether I’m dressed well or not.” She clicked her tongue, her golden eyes narrowed dangerously, “Stupid, foolish customs…” The door swung open and Corvus emerged first, and when the cabbie offered her assistance, she brushed him aside and descended on her own. She did not bother to assist her mistress from emerging, either, surveying the grounds first. The cabbie was nattering on about the event, the splendor of the city. Corvus was distant, her lurid eyes mentally taking in paths, roads, alleys. Side-entrances, doors. Of the tally of guard, the manner of guests that were present. “It’s safe to come out.” Her lackadaisical—albeit sarcastic—calling to Kassandra betrayed the impatient gleam in her eye. Still the cabbie was ranting about the glory of Avylon and all its riches and the spectacular view at night. Corvus could feel it in the tension of her shoulders, in the clenching and unclenching of her fists. It was perhaps the one thing the Witch Woman could have warned the driver about. He reminded her of Adelaide, the Artificer whom she previously worked under. The permanent smile plastered across his features that violated her peace of mind. Everything about this man grated upon her nerves. Corvus felt her fingers twitching, trying desperately to ignore him. Her restless golden eyes swept the perimeter again. If Kassandra wanted riches, they were certainly in the right place. “...never was a thoroughfare so aptly named as Avylon…” He went on and on, and Corvus felt the boiling point being reached, “…wait until you see what’s hiding in the narrow backstreets: neighborhood churches and priceless marbles…!” Corvus’ hand curled into a tightly drawn fist, “--with tantalizing traces of ancient spice routes. The city knows how to put on a royal spread! And what’s mo—." “Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP!” Corvus shrieked a terrible sound, moving with such deft grace and lethality that the cabbie had no time to scream before he was thrust violently against his own vehicle, rocking the carriage from side to side. “SHUT UP!” She screamed again when the cabbie cowered and whimpered. She held him by his throat, a foot off the ground with relative easy. She panted, the spike of anger coming and going without warning, “I need…” She tried to articulate her words, to exercise some manner of patience. He disgusted her, disgusted her beyond words—the audacity of it, of him! “…I need you,” She tried to reign in her temper, the words coming out hurried and hushed, “To be quiet. You…” She grinned at him, a wicked preternatural smile that—under the pale moon, only added to the eeriness of such an unhinged woman. “…you stupid cow, you—you foolish sack of meat with no brains.” Corvus laughed softly, her shoulders rising as she dug her nails into the flesh of his neck. She felt the warmth of blood as she pierced skin, and he choked and flailed. He was a burly man, yet he would soon realize she was neither human, nor weak. “I don’t care about your city. I don't care, I don't care, I DON'T CARE! I don’t care, so be quiet. Would that I could raze this city as I did Predator’s Keep now that—aah, now that was a fun little past time. But you,” She the appeasement of the memory faded—and her smile with it, “You’re a slave to the mortal coil. You will spend your days scraping just to feed your spawn. You have exactly three minutes before I tear you apart from the inside out and end your miserable, wretched life." With her narrowed gaze, Corvus released her grip on the cab driver who screamed and stumbled, abandoning horse and carriage and he blundered through the throngs of people, of vehicles and carriages and vanished. “Lady Kassandra!” She barked, “Can we please carry on?” @The Hummingbird

There was a time when she loved to sit in the sun, surrounded by precious flowers and unruly weeds. She can almost remember the smell of fresh grass, and the scent of salt carried by the wind. These brief memories painted a world forbidden to be blessed by the daylight and darklight moon, leaving her feeling ... needy, almost too reminiscent. It's not often she indulges these memories with attention, but when she does, she was always bereft of color. Tonight, after a long days worth of attending to her fellow Nymerians and ensuring the proper teachings to her followers, she allowed herself to roam the halls of memory. Exhausted she slept the instant her precious head hit her pillow, forgetting the various trinkets and baubles attached to her person. The strand of imperfect pearls hung on her fine waist reflected the sway of the water; the shells hanging from the same strand floated and danced each time Juni moved in her sleep. You'd think such an uncomortable piece of jewelry would be bothersome, but her exhaustion made her numb to any nuisances. Behind closed eyes she was dreaming about the garden and he man who had entertained her during that time. Something happened, something so gut wrenching painful that after she handed the man a plucked flower ... darkness. The darkness clawed at her with eager hands, and it suffocated her - an odditty now. Behind the haze of memories she understood that this is nothing any more, just a healed wound scarred over after many years. It still made her feel the searing pain in her gut; the tangible ache on her thighs, and the creeping pressure crawling from her knees to her shoulders. Instantly, her eyes opened and ajusted quickly to take in the sight of her home. What she saw and what she felt destroyed the calm nightmare, causing her to suddenly wonder if this sight was another trick of the mind. Curious hands reached out to touch the pale strands, rubbing the silky stuffs between nimble fingers. Then, fascinated, she touched the ridge of his nose then the curve of his lips (lips too mean and stern looking), before poking the dip in his covered chin. Dazed by this tangible dream, Juni twirled a strand of his hair and stared at it in wonderment. Rxychra, carved from marble and shaped by time, visiting her dreams? As pleased as she is to have such a magnificent creature floating in her mind, she couldn't help but wonder why. But there's something different about this dream - Maro. The leafy-sea dragon was floating before her, his beady little eyes looking at her with some concern. As if it were made from fire, she dropped Ryx's hair and looked down at the man, not the dream, sleeping on her floor. She was exuberant, enthused, elated! All these things! Instantly she was up, alive and awake; Maro quickly became entangled in her mass of hair shown to be decorated with a crown of pearls and jewels. Bare from the waist of, the only decorations she wore on her arm were intricate markings dedicated to the man on her floor; beneath her breasts a beautiful, feminine drawing of lace, which drew any onlookers attention. Unabashed she threw herself atop Rxy, who by this time may of woken up, but if not he'd feel himself be assaulted - but only briefly. Her onslaught of attention, which would be a peppering of kisses, hugs, and words of love, are interrupted by the arrival of another. Shcxay, his brow and jaw proud, his eyes full of depth, floated there at her door. Stunned, she wondered what time it was, and why there was so much pain spilling from the young man - she could guess though. Shcxay has visited her more than a handful of times for his legs, but she hated to just assume that's why he's here now, fearing that being so eager would insult him. "Shcxay!" Juni called out, reaching for him.

No, it's flat. Don't listen to this Rounder propaganda.

HELLO. Hover over highlighted text for more details. Ask questions in this thread when instructions are unclear. What do they know? @Wade @SweetCyanide @vielle @jaistlyn

Finals? Done. Semester? Over. Graduation? Pushed to next semester due to a fatal flaw on my counselor's end. No biggie! Jordancon? A blast. Back to RP? Ooooh yeh. I didn't think I'd get a chance to return because I was fairly certain that after I graduated, I'd head to Houston and do the work thing and simply wouldn't have time. But alas, things happen the way they do, and here I am. The past is behind me, and it's time to move on to better writing things. If we fell out, I'd enjoy reconnecting! If we lost touch, here I am! I've had a massive list of To-Do things I've been working on slowly but surely to lead up to the next few weeks so gird your loins. I just accepted an offer for a very life-changing job that I am super excited about, so my posting will likely be in the evenings hence forth as I get started on the career. Biggest and bestest thanks to @danzilla3 @Grubbistch @Twitterpated @vielle @Csl @The Houndand @King for their activity, creative advice and support in helping me through the rough patches. School nearly killed me but I'm almost done! If I missed anyone, I'm sorry, you rock and you know that! Lets do the thing.

There was one person that Cassandra truly wanted to see, who she wanted to bare witness to what she had to bring to this event. Ever since the news had gone out about that little Dali upstart coming into her territory, Cassandra wanted to size her up for herself. Many sources pointed to her being true competition, but the Matriarch refused to believe as such. No one was going to get in the way of her legacy, of her rightful place in this kingdom. "Let's go, there is someone that I wish to meet here. I know she has already arrived." said Cassandra, leading her husband and children to the soon to be verbal battleground of her new feud. Illyana however did not wish to join in on her mother's petty rivalry with the other fashion monger. In her heart she knew it would bring nothing but pain to both of them, but there was nothing that she could do to stop it. All she could truly do was be there, ready to offer the love of Gaia, their Goddess, to whoever wishes to seek it out. Even if it pained her to do so, she could not interfere, especially when there was so much she could do here at this lavish party. "My word, I had no idea you would be here, Priestess Uldwar." A knight said, bowing to her and offering his gratitude to her in the form of his hand. Gently she touched it, allowing her fingers to brush the gloved knuckle of her admirer. "I am no priestess, fair knight. That honor must be bestowed upon me, after I have performed the rites, and earned them myself." Pride bloomed in her chest at the thought of having converted so many through the miracle witnessed on Misral Isle. Every time she thought of that little girl and how she was healed, she felt true in her belief in the Goddess. Retracting his hand, it curled slightly, the warrior cherishing the feeling of such a holy figure gracing him with physical contact. "But that is what the people have been calling you. Your works are talked about by the common folk all over the islands. There are even some who say you should be Queen-" She silenced him by a simple cupping of her hand on his cheek, feeling the warm fire of lifeblood flowing so freely in his sun kissed skin. "Sometimes the truth is a quiet thing, oft not spoken of, but it is the truth nonetheless." As she spoke, a smile curved on her face, and the knight beamed back to her, filled with light and faith. "What can I do?" "Devote yourself to Gaia, to Her love, and to bringing goodness into the world. That is all that I ask." "Then you shall have it, Lady Uldwar." The knight rejoining the party, and Illyana continued mingling with the other guests. Many held great respect for her faith, others for her station as a daughter of a powerful lord. Any glory she was given, the young Lady made sure that it was redirected to Gaia, for none of this would have been possible without Her. In the time that Illyana was speaking with the knight, Cassandra had finally caught up with her rival. "Hello, Lady Evienne, it is so good to see you. Your dress looks wonderful." She said with a smile, looking over what she could of it. "This is my husband, Lord Uldwar, and our son, Luis." Oscar gave a slight nod, his eyes looking around them, scanning for something, though he was not sure what it was. Luis on the other hand gave a more respectful bow. "Good to see you." He said cordially, though he felt more than a little uncomfortable in such a formal setting. It was yet another reminder that this world just wasn't what he wanted, yet he would be stuck with it eventually.

Upon the stage Arnau stood, about ready to give performance for the eager crowd. The tavern was packed and the patrons rowdy with drinks in their hands, singing and cheering. Some were dancing already, knocking over chairs and tables. It was an evening of celebration and he had been hired to provide these restless souls entertainment. He swept the reminder of his mug in one swoop and then wiped his mouth with his sleeve as he cleared his throat. The wine was cheap but it served as fuel for the artist. “This one is called; The age of the Tyrant. Enjoy.” Arnau presented as he took hold his instrument, looking back over his shoulder he threw a graceful nod to the band. In his hand a beautiful guitar rested while he gestured the crowd to be silent. --- Rejoice, the Tyrant-King is dead May the crows feast upon his corpse Rejoice, the Tyrant-King is dead The valiant knight cut off his head Our bodies and minds may be broken Our judgement shall not be left unheard Tattered, though we remain soft spoken Whispered in the night, was a single word Rejoice, the Tyrant-King is dead May the crows feast upon his corpse Rejoice, the Tyrant-King is dead The valiant knight cut off his head Let our voices echo through the darkness of the night This is our call to arms, for a better tomorrow Let us take a stand, united to bring an end to our blight Never again, shall we wallow in our sorrow Rejoice, the Tyrant-King is dead May the crows feast upon his corpse Rejoice, the Tyrant-King is dead The valiant knight cut off his head Beloved children of High Corinth Fear not, lay your heads down and rest For the night is always darkest just before the sunrise Prepare well, this shall be our final test Rejoice, the Tyrant-King is dead May the crows feast upon his corpse Rejoice, the Tyrant-King is dead The valiant knight cut off his head --- He finished his performance with a graceful bow and gestured towards the band behind him. He noticed that he had caught the fancy of a few of the younger maidens, to the obvious discontent of their aspiring suitors. He smiled playfully as he stepped down from the stage to mingle with the crowds until he would again be called upon the stage. Some of the women were quick to approach and almost surround him. “Ladies, ladies there is no need to fight over me. I’ll be here all week, there is plenty of time!” He commented with a passing laugh when he became confronted by furious individual, pushing his though the crowd that had formed around him. He assumed the man was one of the women's husbands trying to defend his honor, or perhaps father trying to ensure the honor of his daughter. The man was so old and ugly it was impossible for Aranu to tell. “I’m sorry but I don’t swing that way, old man.” He spoke with a sarcastic tone but quickly regretted his words. For you see, this establishment was one of the few remaining where he was still welcomed. As you can image this wasn’t the first time he found himself at odds with other men over his natural charms when it comes to women. The problem with old people was that they have had their whole lives to build their influence and all it took was a few complains to have him blacklisted from most of the popular taverns. Something that had caused problems for Arnau in the past. Long story short, it was incidents just like this one that had left him broke.

5:00 pm "There's no way that's going to happen Teresa." Setting down his pen, Titus rubbed the bridge of his nose and let out an exasperated sigh. He glanced up from the stack of paper scattered on the desk and couldn't help but to frown, albeit slightly. "What made you think you would be participating in A.N.T.?" "Uh, I've done most of the negotiations with Empress Yusuke? I've been helping out the Lunaris border patrol as well! Dad, I'm ready for this!" Teresa argued, slamming her hands down on his desk. A little black cloud that could took shape above her head, small strands of lightning making her hair stand on end. He was pretty sure if he let Teresa attend, Roz would kill him. "Maybe. Maybe not. However, there will be international rulers as well as domestic. It'll be nothing like your talks with the Scarlet Region's empress. And it's certainly not the test ground for a sixteen year old girl's social skills." He regretted saying that last part almost instantaneously after it slipped. Her lips began to twitch and her eyes narrowed. Gusts of wing flung down from the cloud and whipped the work papers on his desk in all different directions as her face turned increasingly red. Ah. Shit. "Screw you dad! I hate you!" She slammed her foot and screamed in what Titus could only guess was teenage frustration. Turning on her heels and taking the cloud with her, Teresa stormed out of the study and slammed the door behind her. A couple papers that had just managed to stay on the desk fell to the wayside. Man, she really needs to control that cloud. Titus shook his head and stood up. He shot a final look at the now chaotic state of the study and shook his head before leaving. He'd wanted to finish up the remaining paperwork for Hyperion's port in Thraece before the guests arrived, but apparently that would have to be done at a later date. 6:00 pm When the gates opened, Titus made his way down to the Grand Room from the castle's second story. Having just finished up securing multiple engineers from Aurelium Incorporated to aid in rebuilding the more desolate parts of Andelusia, the emperor was in quite the good mood. Rather than wearing the normal king armor he wore in military meeting or the royal wear he was supposed to don in front of the citizens, Titus took the opportunity to dress down a little. A simple black suit with no tie. While it was a formal occasion with serious implications, it was also one of peace. Forcefully demonstrating a "King-like" presence with his armor would be redundant and useless. In any case, due to his upbringing and military experience, that presence would exude from him regardless of what he wore. Before he could go out to meet the arrivals, a servant dashed through the Grand Room's entrance and almost tripped himself when he went to bow before Titus. Raising an eyebrow, Titus commanded the servant. "Speak." "Sir, reports have arrived from Casper of a strange virus being spread infecting thousands. It's suspected to have something to do with Wanheda." "The woman who massacred all those Morpher villages?" The servant nodded. Like he didn't have enough problems to deal with already. When he'd entered Taen Sleep all those months ago, he hadn't expected to wake up to a Terran civil war. Not even in the slightest. Coming to a decision after a split moment, Titus motioned toward the spiral staircase. "Bring this news to Princess Teresa. Tell her she needs to go to Lunaris and alert Sebastian. No one enters from the Blue Hills." It was a drastic measure, requiring increased military presence in the Blue Hills but the very last thing he needed was an epidemic in Lunaris. As the servant scurried off to follow orders, Titus made his way out of the Grand Room and toward the Foyer where a few guests had already made their way to. He could also sense the presence of another in the library, but as he couldn't be two places at once, he figured once Raveena came out he would greet her. Striding up to the pair, Titus gave a large smile and extended a hand toward House Mythal's patriarch. "Lord Milorian, welcome!" Although he'd never met the woman next to Milorian, there weren't many who wore the helm of Renovatio in Terrenus. Especially not from the list of nations participating in the A.N.T. conference. "You must be Renovatio's new Grand Kommadant. It's a pleasure to finally meet your acquaintance, Lady Primera."

Character Name: Shanti Affiliation: Good Guys. Location/Objective: Create a protective barrier in a specific area of the city to protect innocents. ↳ ✘✘✘✘ ✔ Expand protective barrier 3ft. each post ↪ ∎ Allies: @amenities Enemies: @Dredge Shanti had finally reached the opening to the beach; the debris from the battles happening around her made it terribly difficult to maneuver about. In one particular moment, something had crashed into the market next to her, making buildings lean against each other and causing a ruckus that would more than likely alert the rest of the military. She had taken some debris to the face, slicing her cheek and the side of her head, coloring her hair a deep red. She looked a mess and felt a mess, but the atmosphere had pushed her forward. By now the shield around the buildings has been completed; a bright blue beacon only those with the gems could enter and leave. She hadn't heard if anyone made it out of the tents in the middle of the city, so she allowed herself to hope that they had and they're safely locked behind her barrier. Hoping for anything less, thinking of anything less than that - she couldn't. The world slowed down, giving her a vicious sight to behold. She had entered battle just in time to see the main enemy be confronted by a gentleman of unknown origin, but by the looks of it, he was on her side of this struggle. Time can't be wasted on admiration; Shanti moved towards the tents to begin the evacuation there. Though it finally happened, the time had given her what it could and was now going to start taking back what it was owed. Explosions were going on, rocking her some, making her ears ring, and her teeth clatter against one another. A few times she fell, forcing her to crawl, but she was going to get there no matter what - crawl, fly, walk, or run. Using her staff to stand up, the elf was in time to see something fly towards the medical tents. That something turned into someone. Quickly, Shanti ran and opened up her arms to catch the thrown individual, the heels of her boots digging into the sand as the impact pushed them both back into a stumble. When they collided, she held him tightly against her as they rolled about before stopping in the sand, explosions still going off around the two. Her staff survived the collision, and she thanked the All-Creator for such luck. "Don't move." Her voice shook from the impact and the total surprise of catching him. It worked, she thought proudly but made sure he didn't see her awe. "Let me ... help you." It hurt to take deep breaths, the pain wrinkled her brows and caused her right-hand shake as it waved above his face. There was something on his face - disgusting, dark. The elf's magic caused her fingers to glow as it began to purify the ichor that had gotten on the gentleman's face. It was slowly working, but it didn't matter how fast or slow she was going, Dredge had other plans as he sliced through the battlefield at a pace Shanti could not prepare for. Just a glance over her shoulder and she knew it was too late to do any sort of healing to the man in her arms. So she did the next best thing. It just felt like the right thing to do, if she had to sacrifice herself to save another life, she will do so willingly. There was no time for regrets, even though they attempted to trickle through her reasoning. None of it mattered, she was already making amends for her mistakes and quickly moved to protect the man; her right arm went underneath his neck, pressing his head against her right shoulder, her other arm snaked around his torso as she leaned forward over him. In a terrible act of desperation, she attempted to create a small burst of deflection. With her main objective being the barrier around the buildings inside the city, Shanti had weakened herself minute by minute to keep it up, then keep it expanding outwards to reach more buildings, more people. Pitiful in comparison to battle readied men and women in the field, the elf attempted to conjure a shield across her back to slow the blow that would more than likely kill them both but the thought of at least trying prompted her to do so. Flecks of blue light danced around her armored back hurriedly, colliding and melting together in a thin line of protection. Shanti squeezed the man in her arms, almost apologetically because she knew by the sheer force that this was not going to end well.

Character Name: James Eredas Affiliation: Order of Force Majeure (Enemy of Dredge and Co) Location/Objective: Riding back to Last Chance with Peacekeeper Michael. The first reports would filter in to both the Peacekeeper and the Master Knight, and the Master Knight, tales of incoming forces by sea and air. Radar was a simple, but essential thing. Holding up his communications pad, James would take command of his Knights and Custodes, and assign them orders immediately. "Tenkai. Gather the Seekers. Deal with the unfriendly sky and any enemy presence within the city. Destroy every last one of them." was the task he assigned to Tenkai Matsumoto and the recon and ranged specialists of the Order. For his apprentice, James assigned the most dangerous task of all. "Jinsoku. Gather the Greatswords, and the Enforcers. Hold the port. Give the Terrenus military as much time as they need to mount a counterattack. Throw them into the sea." The Daemonslayer glanced at the agent of the Terranus military, Michael. "Find me Dredge, or his lieutenants, and take me there" @Twitterpated @Tenkai Matsumoto

Character Name: Feurerkönig Affiliation: Legion of Doom Location/Objective: Beach Allies: @Dredge Enemies: Terran Defenders On this day, they will know the end is at hand. When the final battle is waged, all that will be left is dust... This was it, this was the beginning, the start of the end for Valucre. War was coming, one they could not understand, nor could they stop with honeyed words and treaties. Nature was taking its course, to cleanse this planet of impurities, so a better one can rise from the ashes. One of the vessels approaching the beach head was different from the others, its markings and construction indicative of different workmanship. When the door went down, one saw only fiery death within. A booming voice signaled a charge, speaking in a strange language long since dead. Rushing outwards from the craft was the fiery giant of death known only as Feurerkönig, the bringer of the end times, the harbinger of war, and the doom of Valucre. Charging into battle with him were two dozen creatures of fire and black metal, the Kriegssoldats, who showed no fear even in the face of heavy artillery fire. With the help of his magic, the blood thirsty group of soldiers were able to move through the battlefield unimpeded and unafraid. Shells were nudged aside, exploding a few feet away from the soldiers, who were surprisingly unconcerned of the various pieces of shrapnel embedded in their armor. Feurerkönig himself did not fear the damage that could be wrought by such pathetic weapons, his own shield able to bat away an incoming artillery shell to the side, where sand showered him and his warriors. The forces of Rage clashed with the defenders, and it was like watching a blade slice through butter. Who could ever truly be prepares for the very essence of war itself? "Show no mercy! Take off their heads! Tonight we feast in hell!" The Kriegssoldats cheered, responding in the Germanic tongue of their kind, cutting through the defenders with a near unstoppable fury. None of their intelligence suggested the burning monarch had his own forces, especially since he kept them hidden away in Genesaris. His soldiers were made specifically for war, honed in battle through countless skirmishes against the monsters of Whispernight. Mere mortals would be hard pressed to outdo his creations, as paltry a number as they were. In seeing Dredge, Feurerkönig slammed his fist against his chest plate in recognition, cutting down a charging Terran defender a moment later. Dredge had certainly impressed the tyrant in the time that he knew him, an understanding forming between them as they knew what fate had in store for them later. For now they fought together, but it was an uneasy alliance held together by a common enemy. When that enemy was gone, then the true fight for supremacy would be at hand...

I have this little area in Blairville called THE TOWER. It's a 100 story tower whose floors have been segmented into zones made up of multiple floors. The zones represent a space far greater inside than outside, some of them covering many, many miles of space, and the zones pivot around a central theme I haven't come up with stuff for every zone but the members who had claimed two of the previous zones are no longer active on the site so I wanted to make them available for the general public. These are the FOREST and LIBRARY zones. You can read more about the zones, and their descriptions, in the zone information and claim history thread here: https://www.valucre.com/topic/26044-the-tower-zone-info-and-claim-history/ Historically speaking this requires zero or light GMing, with some criteria spelled out before hand which the players must meet in order to first interact with the local Guardian, and then defeat it. Unless otherwise agreed upon it'll work as follows: 5 posts, per player, exploring the zone until you can come across the <necessary component> to summon or interact with the guardian TDS Basic to defeat the guardian. The player that does the most damage to the guardian when it is defeated claims stewardship of the zone. Players are mid tier and the guardian is Nova tier; presumably more than one player will be vying for the zone I think that about covers it but this is mostly going off of memory so if there are any questions let me know. Otherwise if you're interested in a zone, post here with the zone that you want to go after, and when enough people are selected, we'll coordinate the creation of the thread that you all can post in to claim it Registered players LIBRARY Frostbinder - victor! Kittyvoncupcake FOREST

Then Rafael sat half-slumped, half-sunken in the Jurtuna’s less than comfortable co-pilot chair. That he’d been able even to doze off, let alone fall into so deep a slumber, in the stiff-backed seat was a testament to the exhaustion of shouldering such a worrisome burden. The servants of the palace could see it in his listlessness and disheveled attire; those of the Faith could feel it heavy on their minds, on their souls; and those few sired by the Elder’s fangs felt it quaking and rattling in their bones. There was no escaping it, and neither the promise of vengeance nor the sure slaughter of those that had conspired against them offered him a reprieve. Even in the cold darkness of his closed eyes, the severity of Gabriela’s predicament haunted him, giving the Elder no peace. Against the stone walls of his dream beat the winds and rains of memory, the nights he and Gabriela had spent in Veelos. He could still see the panic in her golden eyes, feel how she trembled in his arms, against his chest. It hadn’t been the attempt on her life that made her shake so terribly or Rafael’s fury that she might ignore the damning evidence against the culprit, for she feared neither. Instead, it was a secret-- always another secret, another hidden agenda --that had instilled the truest sense fear in the Black Queen. A fear, Rafael realized as he dreamed, that had taken root in his heart as well. The rains intensified, the thunder finding a rhythm-- thump, thump, thump. Rafael felt Gabriela’s swollen belly against the crescent of his aching palm, and in the waking world, his fingers twitched with longing. How could he have allowed himself to love something so dearly, the life she had sworn he had not even helped create? From what dark depths of his souls had this instinct arisen, fearless and uncompromisingly determined? Thump, thump, thump-- the thundered continued its drumming, and the Elder longed for nothing more than to feel the kick of that darling babe against his touch, the only other presence it had come to know. Thump, thump, thump! Stirred from his sleep by the cadence, Rafael’s gaze lazily found its way to Dante, the Jurtuna’s pilot. “What is it?” he asked, lethargy thick in his accented voice. “Why does your heart beat so?” Dante breathed slow, steadying his heart. “We’ve entered Terran airspace, my Lord.” Rafael couldn’t bring himself to glance beyond the window and take in this beautiful, foreign land. This was not the time for sightseeing. “There’s nothing to fear. I’ve made arrangements.” “But they—” “Despise us,” the Elder finished with an irritated groan, feeling pressure on both temples. “However, even the Terrans are not immune to diplomacy or respect. We aren’t here to invade their lands or vandalize their way of life, least of all to overstay our welcome. I’m here for my wife--" he bit back the word, soured and regretful. No, none of this would have happened if she had just given in; if she would have just let him protect her. “--Gabriela and her child. Nothing more.” Now Several miles from the where the Patian King had stood, from the grand Anima Imperium, itself, Rafael stood alone in the rising tempests of the coming storm. He wore a simple black ensemble, befitting both his mood and the times, which only darkened further and clung to his imposing figure as the rains strengthened around him. The emptiness of each droplet-- for he could no more sense Gaia, or her pantheon, in this land’s elements than any other non-believer --wetting his hair, coursing down his face, and pelting his broad shoulders made him long for the shores Orisia and the wholesome, soothing presence of La’Ruta. Soon, he told himself. Soon. The Elder scanned his surroundings, then the shrouded horizon, finding both sorely lacking. But when he closed his eyes and reached out with his other senses, he came across the phantoms of Gabriela’s presence-- the faintest trace of sweet orange blossoms, of sea salt, of La’Ruta, on the damp winds being swept down from the north. But it wasn’t enough. Needing more, Rafael reached out desperately toward these ghosts and echoes of his beloved, searching for something of permanence. Sapphire eyes opened as he felt the thrumming of that invisible cord, tied tight around his heart, long-since still. It was in the pursuit of this familiar warmth, and the unnatural shrieking cracking off in the distance, that Rafael happened by a tall, intimidating figure leaned, just so, against a tree. Waiting, expecting. More displeasure, and the Elder’s frown sank further along his face. There was no need to greet or acknowledge the orc-- he clearly wasn’t the brains of the operation, for theirs was a simple, brutish people better suited for labor, war, raping, and pillaging. The intricacies of diplomacy, bargaining, and extortion were lost on them. And so the Elder passed him by, clearly in view, without speaking. If all their territory was as well-monitored as the areas closest to the establishment, then those viewing would see him-- for again, Rafael made no attempt to hide himself or the briskness of his pace. They wished for him to deliver a message, and he would do so in the plainest of ways.

"He should be here." "Sources have made numerous confirmations that young Mensa is, in fact, en route to this location." "But he's not here yet." "...No." "Then I'll guess we'll just have to wait for him to arrive." This event in Renovatio, the new Grande Kommandant, a party of all things...these were things that she was sure would attract the attention of her younger relative. If Moira knew anything about Mensa, it was that he loved to have fun, and right now this would be the one place where he would have his run of the mill with the emotion. But unfortunately, this was something of a somber occasion from her perspective, as she had come to tell him some rather important information. It was time for him to come home. There wasn't much she could confidently say around so many strangers, but there was...a 'family emergency' that she needed all the help she could muster, thus her reason for even leaving the confines of Vechynauct. This was supposed to be a simple in-and-out situation; find Mensa, inform him of the issue back home, and then exit...but he wasn't here. So in the meantime she would mingle with the partygoers already in attendance, biding her time for now. The hours it took to finally reach this place were worth the wait, as he would finally touch down in Renovatio. Ah, such a beautiful place! He hadn't even left the confines of the ship that he had taken up passage on and he already couldn't wait to explore this new environment. He wondered what types of flora he would find, and should it be necessary, if it would attempt to eat him or not. Oh, how he wondered if this new place would be anything like home...because for all of the fun he had been having since he went on 'vacation', he had started to feel a little homesick. Though, it was probably extending his lifespan, but he promptly ignored that health fact. "Wow...this place looks like something special. Well, every new place looks special I guess, but this time I mean it!" He outwardly projected his inner thoughts, the young man eventually leaving the ship behind as he stepped out and took in all of the sights in front of him. A map in his left hand to guide his way towards the party, because he'd surely get lost if not for that fact. And once he had felt satisfied in his observations, he would then proceed onwards. Unfortunately...he still ended up getting just a tad bit lost, with the map not helping him once he did so. "I cannot believe I got lost with a fucking map on hand! This...this is why I don't like traveling alone. I should probably ask someone for help before I get stuck here."