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DeathAngelSeth Vice Captain
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 Posted: Mon Jan 28, 2008 11:49 pm
Setting: Horror Fantasy
Regulations, restrictions: 2 paragraphs minimum! I would rather you take the time or ask us to skip you than do 'filler shots'. Put meaning into every post, please.
The OOC Forum - Apply Here______________________________ The World
The Races
The Rules
The Story
The Setting
Lives and Lore<><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
The young kingdom of Rainaus is filled with mystery. The royal city stretches high into the clouds, erected after the last royal family was overthrown. The new line of kings, although not anything that the people worship, have yet to inspire any true rebellion. The villages and hamlets are spread out far and wide.
The philosophical battle of the day is racism; The humans, a growing populace and quick breeders, are on a binge to remove the kami races from the world. Some argue that their power alone is enough to condemn them, some are more reasonable--gathering their hate from experiences and blanketing the entirety of the Kami races in their dislike.
But more than the radicals, there are segregationists. Half-breeds between Kami and Human races are severely looked down upon. It's not unheard of for families to find themselves slaughtered in the midst of these radical cleansings.
Religion is also a big hotspot for the culture, since Kami worship on a completely different level than the human races. The threat to their beliefs only spreads the hatred. The royal guard and all its peoples are Human, as far as anyone can tell. Kami oft do not reside inside the royal city's walls.
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Posted: Tue Jan 29, 2008 12:07 am
The World
The Races
The Rules
The Story
The Setting
Lives and Lore<><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
Human Races
Races considered "human" are anything that has a reasonable lifespan (60 - 150 years) and does not show any distinctive outward signs of powers. Though humans can learn things such as magery, it is not inborn, and therefore they are defined as Human. To be blunt, Wizardry is human, Sorcery is not.
Gnome (Halfling?)
Often tricksters and handlers of money, they are well-known for being mischievous but highly intellectual. A smaller imitation of humans.
Human
Coming in all shapes and sizes, it's a general term put to the mass populace. They are often stereotyped as being greedy and rash.. even a bit childish by some of the other races.
Dwarf
Stockier, shorter humans, often well known for craftsmanship and their obsession with art. Known to be greedy, also.
Kami Races
Kami races are often referred to in bulk as demons or spiritfolk, but are recognized as Kami by the politically correct or those who would rather not piss one of them off. They are known for having unnaturally long life spans and inborn powers Human races can't really comprehend.
Youkai
A brand of Kami race that is known for its animal traits. There are many different types, but they all are universally beautiful in their own, frightening way. A Youkai and Elf are often mistaken for each other.
Oni
The less attractively featured of their Youkai brethren, they are just as frightening to behold in combat. Though often Kami races will recognize Oni and Youkai from the same clan, humans distinguish them by frightful looks. There are both animal types and the common ogres or trolls.
Elf
Of all the Kami races, the Elf is the most accepted by humanity, though still estranged. They tend to show less outward distinguishing features aside from strange coloring and sharp ears, and Elven powers are distinctly more subtle than other Kami races. While other Kami races may cut you from ten feet back, an elf will use nature to slowly manipulate more often than not. They have a gift for the wizardry of humans, as well.
Kami
A generalization for all races that don't fit, as there are many. Just like humans come in all sizes and shapes, so do Kami, some subtle and some not.
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DeathAngelSeth Vice Captain
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DeathAngelSeth Vice Captain
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Posted: Tue Jan 29, 2008 12:26 am
The World
The Races
The Rules
The Story
The Setting
Lives and Lore<><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
The Golden Rules!
1. Don't call action. (duh!) Be patient, if you are in an excitable situation, never choose how your friends will react.
2. Please be Inspiring! I said it before, I'll say it again. Please don't make filler posts, they kill inspiration. If you need help, then talk to us! ^^
3. Enjoy yourself. Because the game isn't fun if everyone isn't having fun. If you have a problem, talk to us! We'll help or pause for you if you need.
4. Please don't join if you are going to quit. This RP is particularly important to some of us. I'll pay you with character art for the banner and everything. Joining up, you sign a waiver saying you will continue AT LEAST until we are in the castle, and after that? I reserve the right to kill your character if you lose interest.
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Posted: Tue Jan 29, 2008 12:39 am
The World
The Races
The Rules
The Story
The Setting
Lives and Lore<><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
Another night slipped through her fingers and ran away with her as her castle floated on. Sometimes when she looked out her window she thought she saw people amongst the animals and the trees and grass. Those were the times she hoped someone would take her away-- someone would look up and decide they wanted to find a way to save her. Wasn't that the way it went in tose stories her mother used to tell?
But it had long since passed--that time once long ago when people rode their airships and beast through the sky as a common form of transportation. She could only assume that they had either stopped creating them and forgotten or that they were flying much higher than her low-drifting castle in the clouds. Sometimes the castle would shake as it settled itself on the earth, but always far away from a town or cozy little city...so she rarely dared to hope for anyone to notice, so far away from the world was her settles. Sometimes on a pretty hill, other times on the very top of a mountain...and, sometimes, the times where she could look nowhere to find comfort, it landed upon an old graveyard with the grass dead and merely the corpses of the city that once surrounded the landing spot for miles to see. Yes, she remembered that once, the castle would stop in three cities over the year it spent moving slowly around its course, but all of these cities were gone now. The only places that were fond were the ones where she used to jump out and play among the grass and trees--where daddy used to hunt, and mommy used to sing her a lullaby as she drifted away in the flower patches.
She opened her eyes as the morning flooded through her window, drawing her from her sleep beneath the blanket as if it would save her from the eyeless sockets that stared at her from halfway across the room. When she pulled the blanket down slowly, she stared frightened at the dimly lit room as it came into focus, sure that the thing had closed the distance in the night and was waiting only for her to pull down the covers so that it could put an end to her...but she was wrong again this morning. It had not moved upon the bed--nor had it moved at all, except in her perception. The sound of her little world grinding to a halt unglued her stare from it and drew it to the window--the clouds were above her again, which meant that the castle had landed. Now, for the part that took courage: looking down.
Down past thirty stories of brick and iron, she beheld the wonderful sight of green with spatters of red and blue and yellow all across it. For a moment, she mourned the flowers and grass that had been lost beneath the heavy weight of her prison, but she did not mourn them more than she mourned herself. The sound of the rotted corpse sliding across the floor a few inches as the place settled drew her head away from the window and a small screech that nobody could hear from her lips. It was inches closer now. Tears rushed from her eyes and she presssed herself up agains the bars in the window, wishing she could throw herself from it, but not even her head could fit through the slots between them. She cried for a while, but knew that nothing would find and save her. Soon she would have no part of the room that the beast hadn't touched. A rat scrambled across her foot but she ignored it, so used to its company that she almost found it a comfort.
Still she could only wonder, would it slide backwards and allow just inches more of peace, or would it reach her bed at last when they took off in the next week?
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DeathAngelSeth Vice Captain
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DeathAngelSeth Vice Captain
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Posted: Sat Feb 02, 2008 8:43 pm
The World
The Races
The Rules
The Story
The Setting
Lives and Lore<><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
The Place At Which it Begins
Masule, a small village of wooden houses and cobblestone roads... a place where everyone knows every deep, dark secret about their neighbor. Well, someone knows. That much is sure. In this little town, there isn't a person who doesn't know the name of another person, and if there is--it's remedied quickly. While it does not yet display the open animosity of the larger cities, the strained relations between Kami and Human are here as well. Fear still lurks in the hearts of humans, and arrogance in the hearts of Kami, and where these two clash, the fires often burn high.
The Makean clan are top of the food chain here, and Poco's item shop sells everything you might want. Nearby the town is a bigger one, not even a mile away, average sized Killuar, distinctly disconnected from Masule in social etiquette and standing.
The Kyotai gang is a small enforcement squad that used to patrol the hillside beside the Masule village, occasionally venturing into Killuar to help with their overflowing crime problem. Since the death of their leader and loss of their funding with him, though, they have become nothing more than a band of ruffians who occasionally bully money out of shops in both the Masule and Killuar districts, but they won't dare go near Avris' Tavern or Poco's shop for fear of the wrath of not only the townspeople or the Makeans, but even their dead Sensei.
Why are you Here
You may live here... maybe all your life. Make yourself at home and build into the cannon settings of the city around you. Or perhaps you are visiting, but you must be here. The castle is the story, but you cannot see or know of it except by rumor.. not yet. The first chapter is about the meeting.
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Posted: Sat Feb 02, 2008 9:16 pm
The World
The Races
The Rules
The Story
The Setting
Lives and Lore<><><><><><><><><><><><><><>
History and Well-known Legends
Anything you would know if you were a citizen and might know just through heresay. Red means very known. Something you might know even from another unrelated city. Blue implies known. Something you would definitely know if you've lived here all your life and could pick up from talking to people at taverns here, but it wouldn't find you anywhere else most likely. Green means obscure--something the townspeople keep only to themselves. If you've lived here, you might know it. If not, you may overhear it if you are eavesdropping, but it's unlikely.
A Fatal Mistake
About a decade ago, the townspeople killed the halfbreed Yosuke family head after accusing him of murder. Through defending himself, he proved his guilt in the eyes of an angry mob. The mob then set upon his house, in which his wife was killed and the house burnt to the ground. The two children were spared, but to the town's shame, the accusation proved false.
The Shrine of Tides
Up on the hill behind the town, close to the looming plateaus rests a rather large, run down home. None ever approach the building itself, but during high tide the townsfolk come to the stretching garden before the home and lay down offerings to the spirits. Not much is thoroughly explained about the shrine, but it is known that it was once a home to something of a hero- a home that once belonged to one of the only kami the town had ever trusted. They whisper of evil spirits lurking within the home, claiming that the hero captured them within in order to save the town. In the process, he and his wife were sacrificed. As it was rumored that his wife was the spirit of the river below the town, the residents take it as a sign when the water runs high that the spirits must be appeased. Several ornate structures bridge the river with markers to indicate the rising tide. Though the folk may not appear willing to speak of the story, it is well known that they fear the spirits within will break out if left untended.
NPCs
People you may interact with and even control in your own posts, as long as you are careful to follow the personalities and thoughts set up for them here.
The Makaen Clan
((It is perfectly acceptable to make up a Makean uncle or cousin for RP purposes if needed, they are a large clan. For more important Makeans, talk to Chamael-Eonidae.))
Jorn Makean
The large father of the Makean clan. Jorn is in his later years, but fit like a beast. His hair has gone white and skin riddled with wrinkles and scars, but he is still the town's iron man. Jorn is rather like an unofficial town mayor. He's got the loudest voice and an air of command. Though his pride in his boys may be overzealous, the man himself is worth some respect. Though not a scholar, he is wise in the ways of the world and many townsfolk owe their lives or shops to Jorn and his deep pockets. It is sometimes said that the Yosuke parents would still be alive if Jorn had been within the town during the persecution as the weight of his words could have been enough to tip the scales. What lends to that respect in the eyes of the town is Jorn's shrewdness. Like the rest of them, he holds distrust of kami kind. Once Jorn casts his judgement, it is not to be thought of or overturned lightly. The father Yosuke earned Jorn's approval upon assisting construction of the town, rumored to have constructed more than half of the village by the time Jorn had completed half of his giant home.
The father of the Makean clan is often seen with bear or wolf pelts worn over his shoulders, and thick leather bracers tied to his wrists. He wears a medallion on his neck, his prized possession that marked his honored service as a captain in the Greater Militia.
It was also Jorn that banished his own brother for leading the persecution of the Yosuke parents.
Thesda Makean
The mother of the Makean clan. The brown hair and green eyes are inherited from this large, sweet woman. Thesda isn't known to brag much or be quite so boisterous as the rest of her family. She spends most of her time spinning wool or selling her mother-in-laws baked goods in the marketplace. Thesda seems to be fair and balanced, if not oblivious to her sons' obvious flaws.
Liddi Makean
Grandmother of the Makean clan. Liddi bakes the most enchantingly delicious sweets known to the whole town. Noone tops her treats, so much so that people from far off towns often come to order from her. Occasionally she will receive an order for a Lord or Lady in one of the big towns. Liddi is, however, not a typical old woman by any means. All of the Makean boys fear Liddi, including her son Jorn. Liddi is a firecracker of an old woman and has been known to scare off wolves herself. She is one of the few in the town who know the full stories of just about everything. Getting her to talk, however, is not easy. Liddi easily avoids any conversation she chooses. The old woman favors Iri and rather despises the callous behavior of her other grandchildren, though she won't always be a hardass to them. She also enjoys flirting with Poco, if for nothing else but to make the man uncomfortable.
Fin Makean (not currently in the story)
The eldest of the Makean boys at 30 years of age, and the only one that ever stands up for Irideon. Fin is an extremely built man who wears his hair blonde hair sharp and short, along with trimmed framing facial hair.
Fin currently serves in the Kingdom's army, quite frequently news of his deeds will come through the grapevine. Fin is a no nonsense man who doesn't seem to have a sense of humor unless he is around children or the elderly. The rest of the boys seem envious of Fin and exhibit a bit of sibling rivalry in private, save for Irideon who simply admires Fin. When living in the town, Fin rather set the standard for great achievements for every boy in their line. At times he seems unreal as the stories regaled about him are so constantly admirable.
Desda Makean
Second eldest of all Makean children, and the only girl. She is tall, lightly freckled, and 26 years old. Desda has long, thick curled brown locks. She works in Avris' tavern with Mara and will eventually inherit Liddi's recipes. Desda's biggest problem is that she is a day dreamer, often getting in the way of her baking. To her father's displeasure, her dreams are primarily of becoming a traveling bard. She keeps a tie to Kie because of this, often sneaking off to sing alongside Kie's instruments.
Nully Makean
The second eldest of the Makean boys at 24 years of age, Nully is tall, lean, and rather shrill. He balances the family's books for the most part and is the one known to be giving orders constantly. He is always in charge of every family event, though in rare times his father will take over. Nully has somewhat short, sandy blonde hair, green eyes, and freckled skin.
Arden Makean
The third eldest of the Makean boys at 22 years of age. Arden is constantly goofing off and angering Nully. Arden is of average build and wears his brown hair in a small ponytail. He has matching scars over his biceps, tears from his famed wrestle with a bear near his 18th birthday. He also wears one of the bear's teeth on a leather strap around his neck. Arden is of mildly above average intelligence, his mischief is tolerated as he is admired for his grace and craftiness.
Kad Makean
Second youngest of the Makean boys, he turns 18 in our storyline. Kad is the speediest of the family and is known as their wolf hunter, though he slacks off quite a bit. Kad desperately wants to be the star of the family, though it's rather obvious that he tries too hard and never will be. He takes out this frustration by starting most of the picking on Irideon.
Kad has a rather normal build for an 18 year old hunter. He excels with bows and short swords, though he tries to work with bigger weapons for an attention factor. He is of average height, as well, and wears messy blonde hair. Kad also has green eyes and freckled skin, no scars about him yet. Most of Kad's ego comes from being able to get Arden to follow him on his rounds of mischief, though more often than not it is Arden who will lead.
Irideon Makean- (Speaking roles reserved for Chamael only)
Irideon is a tubby boy with hazel eyes and sandy blonde hair. He is the youngest of the Makean boys at 15 years of age and, by the family's standards, doesn't seem remarkable whatsoever in comparison. He is Kie's best friend and tends the sheep, constantly picked on by the elder Makean boys but respected more by the tavern waitresses, merchants, and those like Avris and Mara.
The Kyotai Gang
Akina Yosuke
The new head of the Kyotai gang, she does not actually endorse their new behavior. She is more often seen apologizing and paying people back the money the gang has robbed than leading them. Though the older daughter of the family that was murdered, she is not often associated with them visually. Conceived on the knight of the new moon, she bears little of her kami heritage and her hair is black as the night sky, unlike the rest of the Yosuke whose hair is white. She is serious to a fault and a hard worker to support her little brother and herself. She is well-liked, but for her loose grip on her gang. She works a part time job at the marketplace to keep up
with bills and not spend the family fortune.
Other Characters
Avris Sendri
Owner of the town's tavern, The Beggar's Roost, Avris stands about 6' 9''. The brown haired man keeps his hair short and a bit of gristle on his face. Always jovial yet dry humored, Avris is known for helping any in need- though any thinking the man could be easily taken advantage of is sorely mistaken. Avris never insults a customer, and rarely brews bad blood with anyone for that matter. The man's tempermant is admirable and he often waves the fee of a night's stay in the tavern's boarding for those truly in need.
What is well known about the man is that he is intolerable of blood on his floors, but he will not hesitate to spill it on the street. Avris is rarely seen outside of the tavern, and is almost constantly wearing an old off-white shirt with cleaning towels tucked into his belt.
Mara Sendri
Mara is Avris' wife, a lithe and gorgeous woman whose voice is motherly, maple sweet, but by no means weak. Her skin is a perfect porcelain that glows beneath her brown hair. It is said that she owes her life to the spirit of the river.
Mara works as a waitress in the Beggar's Roost, and as delicate as she is she takes no nonsense. Fewer folk have attempted to start a thing or two with Mara than there have with Jorn Makean. Mara acts as a second mother to most kids in the town. Children often come into the tavern during the day to listen to Mara's stories, or bring her flowers for her to craft into delicate necklaces and circlets.
Both Mara and Avris Sendri are indebted to Kie's mother, all that is known is that their part of the bargain was to keep Kie safe.
Poco
Poco is a large, loud, money loving procurer of baubles and enchanted goods. He only has a crown of hair around his balding head, in a peppered color. He is horrid at organizing and relies on Kie and his assistant to keep his shop from falling apart when he tears around on a search for something of worth. He is a tinkerer and a repairman, specializing in oddities and jewelry. He generally keeps his strange inspection lenses with him and is most often seen in a dirty apron. He is also known to be one of the town's most long winded men. Nobody has a dislike for Poco. In fact, most everyone enjoys the man's presence. Still, many do find themselves unintentionally drifting out during his babbles.
Albrid
Albrid is Poco's assistant. He is skinny, frail, rather jittery and wears large glasses. The man has been working in Poco's shop for at least five years, yet somehow he easily slips a person's mind. Nobody is even sure how long he has lived in the town. Albrid is responsible for balancing Poco's books, and creating the knotted mugs which Avris continually orders each month. Albrid is something of a dreamer himself, often appearing not to pay any attention to a person at all he will still recall every word of even the most dull speech. It has been occasionally noted that Albrid gets increasingly jittery around Desda Makean.
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DeathAngelSeth Vice Captain
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Chamael-Eonidae Vice Captain
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Posted: Sat Feb 02, 2008 9:33 pm
Kie stepped into Poco's cluttered shop. The establishment had everything that you would never expect to see in such a hole in the wall place. Strange figurines and brickabrack were lined up on the shelves and hanging from the ceiling. Pieces of fishing net held back several of those hard-to-procure items that Kie never had much interest in. Little enchanted glass lamps held bubbles of light that flickered in the dark shop and seemed to hum an almost inaudible tune. The color inside was mostly a golden brown, with speckles of sun peering in through the roof and shop window. In the late afternoon, the rays of light would reveal specks of dust floating in the air, giving the shop some sort of surreal quality- as if it were a painting come to life.
Poco emerged from the beaded glass curtains which separated the back room from the store front, a large box in his arms. He was ranting away to his wiry assistant again, babbling on about orders and lazy folk. His assistant nodded jerkily and looked pale as usual. It was anyone's guess if the thin man was listening to Poco's mutterings or not.
"She's a good kid but if I-" Poco set the box down with a thump, unsettling a cloud of dust. He turned and caught sight of Kie through his strange inspection goggles- a band which wrapped around his mostly bald head and carried several glass lenses which he used to examine merchandise, "Kie! Where have you been, you lazy girl! I told you I needed those packages delivered hours ago. I've had customers and pages running in and out of here giving me all sorts of gruff about missing orders! If your mother hadn't-"
"I know, I know, Poco. I've got most of them delivered, I just finished a couple up on the way here. Iri was having trouble with the wolves again, I had to help keep them away from his sheep. You know how his father gets...What's next on the chore list?" She spoke hurridly, trying to avoid another one of of the tubby man's long winded speeches.
Poco rubbed the shining bald top of his head and sighed, knowing chastising the girl would be just about as effective as ordering water not to be wet, "Avris has ordered another set of our knotted ale mugs. Bring this over- and do try not to break them this time. I can't afford another free gift this month, you know the taxes are-!"
"Got it! Won't break a thing!" Kie snatched up the box and hurried out the door, leaving the assistant to suffer through another rant alone. These mugs were easier to carry now than they were a year ago. Poco's knotted ale mugs were made out of some unknown material, something light but sturdy. The only drawback was that when the Makean family got drunk, they got rough. They would break about two dozen mugs every month or so, but they were such good customers that nobody would dare charge them for it. Even so, the mugs weren't too hard to repair, just irritating.
Kie stepped quickly down the dirt street, the mid afternoon sun shone down on her hair and illuminated it like strands of sapphire. The rest of the day her hair appeared more black than blue, yet the afternoon always brought it to the unmistakable hue. Her leather boots kicked up little dust as she made her way towards Avris' tall standing tavern, just a few particles landing on her already dirty brown pants. The box tugged away at the cloth over her stomach, the tan tunic's collar pulled at the back of her neck and tapped at her collar bone as she hurried along.
At last she reached the well known tavern, which lacked its normal bustle of customers due to the time of day. Most of them would be out in the marketplace peddling goods, or out tending to small crops or cattle. A few crusty old men sat about their tables, muttering something about a castle in the planes. Some of them were talking about bad omens, the others saying perhaps it was a blessing. The waitresses, on the other hand, hinted that the men might be at their limit of ale already.
Avris waved to Kie from behind the bar, smirking and nodding at an intoxicated old codger who was intently telling him about something strange. From the look on Avris' square face he didn't believe a word, but was humoring the old man as best as he could. Kie kicked her boots on the mat outside of the door and headed to the bar to set her box down.
The old man leaned over in Kie's direction, she could smell the alcohol on his breath, "You know, they say, the ghosts of the royal family still live within the castle. If you can banish the evils from their souls, you'll be granted their great treasure! But beware...There's a beast inside, and he'll gobble up your pretty little soul in the blink of an eye! At night, you can hear the tormented screams of those who failed..."
Kie stared blankly at the drunkard. Only mid-afternoon and the man's eyes were already glazed over. Avris spoke up before the young woman could offer a snarky remark, "Is that so? Well we best keep our brave little errand girl away from the beast, eh?" His strong voice chuckled heartily as he set down his worn cleaning rag, "How are you today, m'little bluebird? Come to bring us a song of cheer?" He set one of his large, square hands on top of her head and ruffled her short, messy hair.
She couldn't help but laugh a little and crack a smile, despite how much she was attempting to look irritated. "I'm fine...no songs today, though. I think I've left my ocarina out in the field again," she smoothed her hair a little and straightened her tunic, "Not as if I could play it even if I remembered it. Poco's running me ragged today with so many orders. Speaking of which, all of your mugs should be there in one piece- none dropped this time!"
Avris smiled and opened the crate to inspect the mugs, "Ahh, wonderful! You give Poco my thanks. You know, I reckon what's his name..." Avris paused a moment, trying to recall the name of Poco's assistant. The poor guy had been there for years, but his name was always so easily forgotten.
"Albrid." Kie provided the name with a small smirk.
"Yes, right. Albrid'll have these things perfected soon enough. The Makeans only broke eighteen of these last month."
"Speaking of which," A warm woman passed behind the counter and laid a quick kiss on Avris' cheek, one of her hands briefly scratching around in his short brown hair. It was Mara, Avris' wife, "The Makeans are coming in again tonight to celebrate one of the boys' birthdays. Eighteen, if I'm not mistaken?"
Avris smiled at her gesture, yet somehow still managed to look rugged as always. He unpacked the gray mugs and began to set them behind the counter with the remaining mugs from the month before, "That's right. Kad, I think. And if all the pomp is true, they'll be bringing in a full pack of slain wolves. His pop's out with him on the hunt right now."
Kie rolled her eyes, "If Kad was such a great slayer I wouldn't be out every day fending the buggers off Iri's sheep, now would I?"
The couple chuckled and Mara answered with sweet mother's voice, "Now Kie, be nice...You know the Makeans bring in good money."
"And how's that?"
"Well, tonight alone will earn you some pocket money. We could really use an extra waitress." Mara smiled promisingly at Kie. It was always so damned hard to refuse that smile, too. Mara was only human, but it certainly did seem that she had the power to banish any excuse in an instant.
Kie sighed. She hated the thought of being present during the event, especially with those green and brown dresses. She was never amused with leaving her legs bare. Damn that Mara. Defeated, she offered what her pride would muster, "I don't know. I'll have to see what Poco says. If he doesn't need me tonight...I...I'll try and stop by."
"Atta girl! Get on those chores, girlie. They're bringin' in the bards again tonight, I know you won't want to miss that!" Avris grinned his big, goofy grin at her at snapped the little rag at Kie, "Git, git!"
"Oh, pff!" Kie snatched up the coin purse due for Poco's mugs and stuck her tongue out through a short laugh. "Crazy old man!"
The sun was turning the village a golden hue by now and the streets were beginning to bustle just a bit more. As she stepped out of the tavern, she could hear the distant harmonies of the musicians at the marketplace. At least that was a good thought. Even if the Makean party alone proved to be irritating, there was a chance she'd be picking up a new song tonight.
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Posted: Sun Feb 03, 2008 12:08 am
Marcus broke the tree line of the forest that surrounded his secluded village. For the first time since he had left, glorious rays of sunlight shone down upon his bare skin unhindered by a canopy of leaves. The tall man tilted his head towards the heavens and lifted his sinewy arms as if to embrace the sky. The sun's rays warmed his body considerably as he took his first step into the change of scenery. Marcus let his arms fall limply to his sides as he continued his walk. His long stride carried him comfortably over the meadow the human had stumbled upon. Before, Marcus had left the village with fervor and a purpose, but now he was content to idle in the sunlight.
He looked lazily at the horizon, two villages, right where he was told they would be. Now that he thought about it, his clan was obsessed with information about the outside world. Marcus could remember walking into rooms with walls covered with books and maps. The tall man regained his purpose having caught sight of the closest village. Masule, if he wasn't mistaken. Marcus returned to his long, swinging gait as he closed the distance to the village.
While members of the Painter clan rarely, if ever, left their well hidden village, outsiders did stumble upon it every now and then. Sometimes, outsiders even made annual stops in the Painter village though those who knew of the village kept it secret. Because of this, Marcus could count on his hands the number of people outside the clan who knew of their location. Now, he had no idea how many people actually knew of the Painter's existance. Word travels, but Marcus couldn't imagine that Painters made the everyday conversation at the dinner table.
Marcus' bare feet struck the cool cobblestone road of Masule. He appraised the village before actually entering it any further. What was his purpose for being outside of his own village? That was one detail that was never really revealed to him. His elders had told Marcus to gather information. Yet they failed to tell him what kind and what it was for. Besides, it didn't make sense to send someone trained so heavily in war just to gather unkown amounts of information.
Marcus' long legs carried him into the interior of Masule. The locals would stop and indirectly point at him as if it weren't allowed to let him know they were doing it. Some would form tight-nit circles and regard him with critical eyes. Their hushed whispers and curt glances alerted Marcus to his 'popularity'. A woman, out buying tonight's dinner, sheilded her daughter's eyes upon seeing Marcus. In reality, the mother had only caught a passing glance, and only saw the strange man from the waist up. With this short glance it seemed that there was a man going about his day in his birthday suit. Of course, the woman slowly let her hand drop from her daughter's face, albeit, reluctantly.
Marcus absent-mindedly adjusted the mask covering his face. He could understand their reaction to him. A man, half naked, wearing a mask, and barefooted with only form-fitting shorts would tend to stand out and seem all together bizarre in their little village. He even chuckled as he remembered his own reaction to seeing his very first outsider. So much clothing on a person was just as bizarre to him back then.
He payed no attention to the people who gawked at him every now and then, or atleast, it seemed like he didn't. It was very easy to let his eyes wander from behind a mask. Unfortunately, Marcus was a little confused as to what he should be doing here. So, he took to one side of the road and looked into the different shops. Ahead of him was the market. Business seemed to be far from suffering for the many stall vendors. Marcus hadn't ever seen so many people in one place and so active as well. To say he was disoriented, would be an understatement. However, Marcus kept his cool and noted several buildings that seemed to be the most popular due to the traffic that passed through their front doors.
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Posted: Sun Feb 03, 2008 12:54 am
"s**t!" Touku hissed as his coat caught on a nail and yanked him backwards. It was mid-afternoon, almost evening, and he did not want to make today the day that he messed up and got caught by the wannabe-yakuza gang. His coat tore as he yanked away from the loose wood holder and dashed down around the corner to the next street at full tilt. His berret only showed a glint of distinguishing dog ears. Hell, if it weren't for the fact that he kept his collar flipped up, the fact that he did not have ears in the proper area for the average human would have given him away. Except, heh, he wasn't the only person in town with the odd features befit for a Hanyou. Funny how that worked when you were different from anyone; If you were born of two people from a different race and looked anything short of elf, you were a demon. Oh, no, a half-demon. Such a less insulting insinuation. Buttons had popped open, bursting from when the leather was yanked away from his skin, revealing the ivory chest beneath. Aside from that breech in security, his body was completely covered: the fox-mask, the buttoned coat, the well kept blue jeans were patched where he had ripped them before...
Salvation. He saw it in the form of a pretty young girl with dark, almost blue hair, right in front of a nice, dark alley as she was passing by. All he had to do was stall long enough to get away, right? The smooth black leather of his gloves reached out as he passed, fingers ensnaring the arm of the girl he passed and yanking her unceremoniously into the alleyway. It was graceful, he was sure, when he spun her so she wasn't facing hum but facing forward and released her, including the hand that had clasped over her soft lips to muffle any noise that might come out in the surpirse of being manhandled so roughly. "Please," the word came out a desperate hiss from behind the fox mask he donned, "all I ask is that you don't make a noise of start, and if those men ask if you've seen someone like me, you tell them to go another way." He didn't know what to offer her that might make it worth her while to help him, and that made him suddenly very nervous. If he got in a fight, Akina would certainly rip his liver out. Especially if his elder sister knew that he was the little thief that was starting s**t among her own ranks.
"If you do this for me, I swear," He put heavy emphasis on it as he backed away from her into the dead-ended alley so that he was less obvious, "You can do anything you want with me. Promise. Hit me, slap me, make me bring you a certain amount of money. I don't go back on my word!" He sounded a little desperate, no doubt. It made him feel only slightly more pathetic than he should have--but at least he had a mask to hide behind.
Sure enough, he dashed behind the dumpster just in time to hear the two men approach, engulfing him in height but they were much smaller in bulk. He could take them if the need arose, but he would certainly leave with a few choice cuts from those crummy excuses they for katana in their hands, and that's all it would take to make Akina aware. He wasn't so scared of losing to the thugs--he was scared of Akina. He crossed his fingers as he sat there, beads of sweat inching down his face beneath that mask, hoping that he hadn't angered the blue haired girl too much with his rough yanking of her arm to want to help him.
"Have you seen a kid run by here--got a black coat on and a fox mask? Real hard to miss?" One of the men's scratchy voices echoed through the alley as he attempted, with beaten katana in his left hand, to employ as much intimidation in the question as possible. He stood about 6' 2'', with his buddy only losing to him by a short inch. They were well known to belong to the gang in town that tended heavily toward the old fashioned 'life insurance' kick. They made their living by messing up people's shops and telling them that the only way to keep them from doing so was a weekly fee. Of course, some shopkeeps were just too smart or powerful for them--hell, a right few could beat the little punks right out of their shops when they wanted to, but that didn't save the baker or the carpenter, or many other elderly shopkeeps that were much less sturdy or had young children subject to threat.
The Kyotai Gang had gone to serious s**t after the loss of the Yosuke leader and the funds he had poured into keeping the young thugs occupied doing helpful things.Now, it was impossible for Akina to keep the idiots under wraps.
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Posted: Sun Feb 03, 2008 11:01 am
Kie's eyes widened, her breath getting caught in her throat as she was yanked backwards into the alley. She stared backwards as the young man dodged behind the trash pile, indignation written all over her face. Who did this kid think he was, making such demands? He must be one of the good-for-nothing fools that were slowly forcing the Masule townsfolk to lock their doors at night. His attire certainly did not seem to dictate otherwise.
"Have you seen a kid run by here--got a black coat on and a fox mask? Real hard to miss?" The man's scratchy voice reached her ears and pulled her attention towards him. Ye gods, not these idiots again. Though Kie assuredly felt the temptation to turn her masked assailant over, her utter hatred for these Kyotai punks was stronger than her wayward vindictive mindset. Kie's blue eyes glanced at the katana irritatedly, the man's voice came up again. "Hey! We're talking to you! Don't you got ears?"
"Don't you have manners? I know you pathetic Neanderthals were so irreparably lame-brained that your parents had to throw you to the streets lest your stupidity infected those actually worth while, but that's no reason for you to to take it out on Masule!" Though she should have been shaking like mad as she spoke bold words, her mother's collected personality was kicking in. She stood coldly and stared with unamused, half-lidded eyes, almost chilling the area around her, "Why don't you fools go back to terrorizing rabbits and stomping on daisies? I've much more important duties to care for than listen to you 'special children' prattle and loom like you're actually worth a damn."
"Why you little--!" One of the men began to withdraw his katana, stepping forward angrily only to be jerked backwards by a heavy hand. His partner let forth a rather intimidated squeak as he set eyes upon the familiar face.
Avris was grinning down cheerfully at the Kyotai thug as he gripped the man's thin shoulder, fingers digging in under the collarbone and into the shoulder joint, "I don't think we really want to do that, do we, gentlemen?" The thug was trying not to show pain, and failing miserably at it. Avris wasn't even attempting to intimidate, it seemed, as he continued smiling, "I'm sure you'd rather die for the honor of your country than the dishonor of threatening a sixteen year old girl with a katana, eh?"
The silent partner merely nodded at Avris. He'd already had his hide tanned by the tavern owner. Quite a few of the Kyotai gang had, in fact. A few years back they had attempted to take over the Beggar's Roost, but the thick man would have no such business. Avris gave the thugs heavy pats on the back, almost feeling as if his palm would shoot through their shoulder blades, "Why don't you boys get on out of here? Unless, of course, you would like to assist with tonight's Makean celebration," he grinned meaningly at the still quiet thug, "Mara is short on hands tonight..."
The thug tugged at his partner's sleeve, "N-no thanks! Sorry to have bothered! W-won't happen again!" The two tore down the street, one fleeing from having his arm pinched off, the other from a rather vivid memory of being made to wear a barmaid's uniform as punishment for tormenting the waitresses the night of the failed takeover.
Kie finally released her collected appearance and smiled up sheepishly at Avris. She knew damn well she'd done something stupid just now, but being so close to the tavern had made her so cocky. At least it worked out and Avris came to the rescue as planned.
Avris cocked an eyebrow up and put his hands on his hips, staring down at the quick-whip teenager with eyes that spoke of an impending chastising.
Kie laughed a little nervously, "Not a word to Poco...please?"
He smiled and shook his head, "Alright. You take better care, Kientalaria. We don't need our little bluebird winding up caged due to such a quick mouth, eh?" Mara called from inside the tavern, letting Avris know he was needed. Something about one of the old men at the bar. He patted Kie's shoulder lightly, though it shook her body a bit, "No more causing trouble, at least tonight. We need you here with all limbs working."
Kie nodded quietly and watched Avris disappear back into the tavern, shutting her eyes and releasing something of a silent sigh of relief. She was incredibly lucky to have such guardians. Most others would've found themselves whipped after the first word, whether by the Kyotai thugs or their parental figures. The thrill of chewing out those idiots had shot her adrenaline up so much she had all but forgotten about that boy behind the dumpster...
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Chamael-Eonidae Vice Captain
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Posted: Mon Feb 04, 2008 8:32 pm
Marcus finally reasoned, after wandering a bit more, to get to know the people of Masule. He spun around in place looking at the establishements lining the street. A place where the people of Masule gathered socially seemed the best place to start. Directly across from him he found the building he wanted. Marcus crossed the cobble stone street in a few steps and looked up at the sign hanging above the doorway. Several carts passing by on the road slowed down as the occupants of the cart leaned over to look at the strange human.
Beggar's Roost, an interesting name. Judging by the traffic of people going in and out of the place, it would be the best place to start. Marcus pushed open the door and took several long-strided steps inside. He was correct, Beggar's Roost seemed to be a tavern of sorts and it had its share of patrons. Marcus' eyes drifted from table to table, group to group. Surprisingly, he didn't draw much attention. At most, he got puzzled glances and a few pointing fingers but no one bothered to stop everything they were doing. One man, obviously having drank too much, pointed at Marcus and bursted out laughing. The man leaned over, put his head down on the table and pounded his fist on the table top as his whole body shook with laughter. The laughing man's friends, who were in the same state of impairment didn't even turn around to look where he had pointed. They all just bursted out laughing as if the man had just told the funniest joke they had ever heard.
Marcus didn't know how to take their reaction. He felt like he should be offended but, their manner, the way they acted was so outrageous that it seemed to make it all ok. Marcus didn't have any more time to think about the table and its occupants who were clutching at their sides and gasping for air. Suddenly, he felt a jolt and heard a clatter as several items hit the floor. A cool liquid began to pool around his feet and Marcus lifted up one foot out of the dark mess and set it down out of the way.
"Oh no!" Met Marcus' ears as he looked at the woman who had un-knowingly ran straight into him. A flood of words flowed from her mouth as she squatted down to pick up the several mugs full of beer and the like that had fallen to the ground. It was Mara. She had been carrying two mugs in one hand, and several more on a tray in the other. Obviously, the Beggar's Roost was short on help or maybe she wouldn't have had to carry so much. However, to her credit, Mara had managed to save all of the mugs from certain doom except two, with only minor spillage to top it off. Mara had actually been commenting loudly on, and to, the buffoonary of the table mentioned before. Her head had been turned away and because of it, she ran straight into Marcus.
Avris stopped wiping down a table and cringed as the familiar sound of mugs falling to their cruel fate seemed to slap him in his face. He fussed beneath his breath, "The party hasn't even started yet..." but Avris quickly shoved his cleaning towel into his belt as he heard the familiar voice of his wife in distress.
The tower of a man closed the distance quickly and looked dejectedly at the mugs on the floor. One had bounced off a table and the handle had broken off while the other mug had a small crack in its side, but it seemed that it could still hold liquid. Avris had noticed this with a quick glance, Mara was his first concern of course. Mara put the surviving mugs safely on a table as she retrieved the detatched handle from where it had flown off to.
"Oh I'm fine, I'm fine.", she said with an annoyed voice as she held up the handle for Avris to see. "Some idio..." She stopped. Mara noticed Marcus for the first time.
Marcus didn't know if it was his appearance or the fact that he was new in town that had made Mara stop her words short, but he was glad she did. Mara seemed pretty stressed from being short handed. "S-sorry." was all he could awekwardly get out.
Avris just shook his head and chuckled. "Aren't you a sight." He patted a thick hand on Marcus' muscled shoulder, "It's alright, it's alright. Accidents happen. Just be glad my wife didn't accidently bull you over or else you could be the one with a broken handle." Avris winked at Marcus and then turned to Mara. "Mara, my dear, I'll clean it up. Take our friend..." He paused, swinging an open hand to signal at Marcus.
"Marcus", Marcus said quickly, noticing his cue.
"Marcus!" Avris repeated and continued, "Would you be so kind as to take Marcus to the bar where we can have a chat after I'm done cleaning up after him." Avris flashed a smile and wiped the table the the mug had bounced off of before it fell to the floor.
Mara picked up some mugs in her hands and nodded to the tray, "Be a dear and put those strapping muscles to use." She smiled at Marcus before walking off. That smile, there was just something so inviting and forgiving about both of their smiles. Marcus easily lifted the tray and followed Mara. He deposited the mugs on the table that Mara directed him towards then followed her to the bar where he sat. Avris wasn't so far behind them and soon appeared opposite of Marcus.
"Did you gamble it all away?" Avris gestured at Marcus' chest, referring to the lack of garments he wore. The mountain of a man chuckled good-naturedly, "and are you so ashamed that you wear a mask?" Avris put the mug and its broken handle in the sink and leaned on the counter with both arms.
"Gamble?" Marcus had to pause to think about the word for a moment. "No, this is what I always wear." He pulled at his own mask to include it in his normal garb. Avris smiled and breathed out of his nose in one quick burst, as if it was one quick yet silent laugh.
"Well, in that case; where're you from? 'Cause I know you're not from around here."
"Jihnt. Uh, it's a small village a ways off." replied Marcus.
"I'll take your word for it." There was that same smile as before. "Well, I'm Avris, owner of this 'fine' establishment and you've already met my wife" he motioned to Mara, "Mara. So what brings you to Masule, Marcus?"
Since Marcus was unsure himself as to his motives for coming he shrugged as he could only think of one explanation, "I've never been here before." Avris chuckled.
"You really are something." A pause. "You know what Marcus? I like you and don't feel that it would be right to charge you for those drinks you spilled." Avris smiled again. "So I'll tell you what. How about you give me and my wife some help around here for a while. We're about to get alot more customers later today and sure could use an extra set of arms." Avris looked over the bar, "I could also use the extra muscle if anything gets too out of hand and there's no better place to learn about Masule than in the Beggar's Roost!" Avris reached a big hand over the bar, "So what do you say? We'll call it even after you help out."
Marcus saw no harm in it and, being so out of place, felt bad about the mug. He felt like somehow he had rudely interrupted their way of life. "I'd like that... Avris." he added awekwardly. Marcus firmly grasped Avris' hand and just like that, he had something to pass the time. He had been worried up until now if he was destined to wander the streets lost and out of place.
"Now." Avris took on a more serious air. "There are some things you're gonna need to know and do before you're ready for service..." He winked at Marcus.
((I don't know if that's alright, but I tried to stick to Avris' personality as best as possible. >.>))
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Posted: Sat Feb 09, 2008 2:18 am
Roderick walked with a heavy gait into the Masule, Well... isn't this a quaint little town? ... If you can even call it that. He had seen tribal bands with a larger community. Honestly. Why would a wondrous thing like a flying castle decide the most dejected rural pit in the country to land nearby? He began his trek down the cobbled streets, the dust flying from beneath his boots with the slow gusts of wind that blew about the short strands of his hair. "If I knew about a haunted castle, where would I be?" The musings aloud were a mere mutter to himself as he scanned the townsfolk while they bustled about that busy streets.
The place was alight with activity--something big was brewing.--Big... again, he couldn't help but smile and joke inside his head at the thought of expanse in the view of an inhabitant of a place so small in comparison to his own.--and whatever it was, it was revolving around the Beggar's Roost, a local pub and hub of the centralized "government". Of course, Roderick's slicked fingers pushed the rectangular frames of his glasses up on his nose as he bustled by a woman who was preening her son and daughter for whatever the big event of the morning was, Where else in this quiet little town would one go to be attending the party but the tavern? No matter, though. From the looks of things, everyone was still out... plowing their fields or sowing their oats or whatever people do in these kind of backwash places to feed themselves. No, the time would come around nightfall.
Besides, no use rushing off. He had to find his traveling companion since he had split off from him in his rush to get around here. Breathing the same air as that ... boy... was suffocating. All that cat ever did was piss him off, and right about now what he really wanted was a pretty little innocent town daughter to seduce into his bedsheets. After all, he'd been on the road a whole bloody month now with nobody but a man for company, and that wouldn't do... not at all. He adjusted the collar of his white, pressed shirt. The dust had gathered on it from long days of travel and he was looking less sharp and more rugged than he preferred, but he knew how to use that to his advantage with a woman.
The prettiest girl in town--where would she be? And luck of all, there was one now. Just a few clicks to the right, in an alley nearby the tavern was a girl with beautiful sapphire hair and beautiful blue lips. His green eyes narrowed and a lewd smile captivated his face, "Come to Papa, you little bluebird..." He leaned himself against the side of the wall and watched his prey, intent on following her to a more private area where he could have a shot at a talk with a those long, pretty legs.
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Posted: Sun Feb 10, 2008 8:42 pm
Golden eyes were hooded as Jakisu wandered around. A boring beige cloak up over his head to save him from any lynching the little town might offer him. That stupid human had run away, looking for a quick lay the second they got here. How typical. Yuck. Leaving him to wander around, looking. While his eyesight and ears worked better than most, his nose wasn't as amazing as everyone thought, leaving him to watch dumbly at the retreating form of his travelling companion. Sure, Jakisu could have run after him, snarled and said something smart and witty. But no, he simply watched, his mouth half open and just... Glared.
Not that he was worried. Long legs took wide steps through the town, looking this way and that, for his wonderfully entertaining travelling companion. No luck. Bah. This place made his skin crawl, Jakisu decided it would have been good if he had been paying attention to where he was going, reading signs and such. What could he say? He was bad at acting like a human, which he would honestly consider a good thing, humans were too much like rats to him. Breeding and dying. Though, the odd one was useful. Like that Roderick. Who he was currently looking for.
Stupid humans. Jakisu, normally dressed in conservative travelling clothes, nothing at all like his attire at home, which would consist of expensive silks and bright colours. No expensive silk or bright colours now. Brightest colour to Jakisu now was his orange eyes and yellow-blonde hair streaked with black in a high pony tail on the top of his head. Of course, all of that was covered now by a large hood. If he was with Roderick, maybe he wouldn't have had to hide, or he'd have had to hide more. Roderick was strange enough looking for the both of them, he thought.
Which was when he heard a charming voice coming from somewhere to his right. Eyes darted towards it and he tilted his head, blinking a few times before going towards it. Sleek and silent, like a cat, the only sound audible coming from Jakisu was the swishing of the bad disguise.
"Incest and beastiality? I thought you were at least above all of that, Roderick." Finally, he'd found his sneaky friend. Off to stalk-and-pounce a rather lovely blue looking lady. Like Roderick, Jakisu eyed her up and down, not feeling any special tugs from anywhere, he could appreciate her fleeting beauty, but he wasn't about to start falling over himself to get a quick taste of it.
"We have more important things to do than get you laid, got it?" The corner of Jakisu's lip twitched slightly and he grabbed Rodericks shoulder as if to keep him there, his clawed hand gloved. "You're better at getting information, ask about the castle and keep your pants on." His voice was a soft purr, possibly his version of whispering, and he let go of his friends shoulder and leaned against a wall, his head down to hide his face, attempting to blend in with the shadows... And doing a bad job.
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