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 Posted: Thu Oct 11, 2012 3:36 pm
}The Alchemist and The Inkhorn{
.I. Intro / .II. The Grimm / .III. The Plague / .IV. Supporting Cast / .V. Prompt / .VI. Extra
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Posted: Thu Oct 11, 2012 3:38 pm
}The Grimm: Merlion{
Character name: Galamer Lionen (Known as Merlion only)
Age: 36, born January 2, 1376
Region: Originally from Edgecrest, recently relocated to Anica.
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Appearance: From a distance, Merlion looks tall, elegant, and cold. Acquaintances will sometimes say that he is an "ice queen", but this is far from the truth. Yes, he puts off a serious, chilling air, but it is just how he is on the outside. Dark skin from a foreign heritage, amber eyes, and a straight fall of dark red hair complement his stern features; his long nose with a small bridge bump, his high cheek bones, his smooth jaw and fine lips, all of these combine to give him a distant expression.
His build is broad in the shoulders and steady through the hips, though he isn't muscular, but still skinny. His neck is on the long side, the main contribution to his elegant looks. His hands are long-fingered and clever, but are rough from work and steady as steel. His stance is straight and posture rigid, and he walks with purpose. He does not fidget. When he stands still, he is like a statue or a heron. His gaze is direct and his manner of speech does not waste words or become pretentious, low voice carrying well, rumbling a bit at the lowest register. His brows are middling thickness, arched finely, and he uses them to great effect expressing disbelief or sarcasm.
In his style of fashion, he mostly keeps to practical things when at home, shirts and tunics, and leggings in dark colors, leather aprons and long gloves for work. In public, he takes more care with his appearance, choosing dark colors with very little black or grey. He keeps his silhouette long and slim, with robe-like overcoats and long, dagged sleeves. He prefers solid colors over patterns, with spare embroidery in creeping curls, and though he sometimes wears jewelry, he isn't fond of overt or flashy ornamentation. Though his career and hobbies are messy, he is a fastidious man by nature, and keeps clean and brushed.
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Personality: Yes, on the outside, first impression of him, most people would consider Merlion to off-putting, a bit cold, and too serious with a lack of humor, but these are just the tip of him. Dig deep enough and you will find a man dedicated to the well-being of his family, warm, if reserved, with friends, and capable of a dry, morbid, and sarcastic humor. He does not mince words, and instead prefers to be honest and even sometimes cutting in his observations of people and situations, if he believes that present company are open to it. He enjoys a party or get-together as well as the next person, but is not the type to give over to frivolity or excess in food or drink. Quiet dinners with discussion and calm music, lazy drinks around the fire, or book clubs are more to his liking. He is studious in his interactions and may take a little too much care of his tone or meaning if he does not know the person or believes them to be important for his future dealings.
If anything good can be said of him, it is that he is a loyal friend and staunch defender of those in his circle. He is passionate in his studies and happy to share knowledge when it is asked after. Sensitive to moods, he is skilled in handing out solid, sensible advice, defusing tense situations, or provoking reactions whether for good or ill. He is exacting in his work and responsibilities, paying tithe and taxes, and donating to charity when he has the means. He sends a stipend to his family when he can, and writes to them often. Though he believes in the betterment of humanity as a whole, he is more inclined to hold the interests of his family and friends first, and community second, and anyone else has tough luck. He is just one man and holds no delusions that he can help everyone. Merlion enjoys being appreciated for his own acts and accomplishments, but will not preen excessively, however, he has a problem with modesty. He has ambition, and goals, but these can sometimes be put on hold in favor of helping his family, or alternate goals may be pursued for the same reason.
His sharp wit, intellect, and perfectionism, while assets to his career, can get him into trouble. He is very proud of his abilities, and thinks himself sometimes worthy of higher regard than his station merits him. Most people from his hometown tolerated this, but it gained him enemies as well. In his childhood, he formed his own moral code, and in adulthood he lives by it. Though it is mostly fitting with the laws of the land and common sense, he is not afraid to bend laws he feels unnecessary, but only if he believes it will benefit or save his family and community, which lay at the core of his beliefs. This can lead to some irrational behavior, his emotions overriding his good sense. If provoked he can be condescending and smug, seeing himself above people who break the laws of his personal code, and will be petty in his dealings with such people, taking out verbal digs or setting them up with childish pranks. As long as he comes out on top or has the final word, he feels satisfied that he has won. If someone bests him completely, he will grow irritated and storm off, and will potentially ignore the 'enemy' until he has cooled down and figured out a way to get back at them.
Despite his tempers, he prides himself a very logical and rational man, and his moral code can be shifted if he feels there is a logical reason to do so. Even though his stance on behavior is rigid, he is in the end human, and even he breaks his own rules on occasion, or can forgive the apparent follies of others. He is especially blind to the behavior of his family, were they to break such rules, but they are for the most part what shaped his beliefs and are therefore unlikely to go against them. His putting them on such a high pedestal is a potential problem, but one they have not failed him in yet.
Few people have ever brought out the utter worst in him, but Daze does so in a nearly elegant fashion. It seems the little one is destined to test him, and though he tries his best to be patient, almost every action of Daze's irritates Merlion to no end. He treats Daze curtly or punishes him fairly, but even he becomes weary with the constant antagonizing and chooses instead to ignore him. Mostly he blames Daze for removing him from his life in Edgecrest and the closeness he had with his family, but he also appreciates him for the status of being a Grimm. It is possible that they may come to an understanding someday, but Merlion would be greatly surprised by such an occurrence.
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History: Born in 1376 to Waywik and Rioja Lionen, Merlion is the eldest of three children. They existed quite comfortably for many years in a house near the edge of town, so that Waywik could provide her services as a weather divinator to farmers and sailors, and Rioja would be available as a backup town guard. Strange and intelligent, blessed with keen observation from a young age, he had a few loyal friends from school, but preferred the adventures that he could have alone in the forest of Waterstretch. Sometimes his friends would join him, accompanying Merlion and some of the wolfhounds that would always be near him as nannies.
His early education from the school was bolstered by his mother's teachings in magic, and his father's life lessons in common sense. When he was around nine years old, a local noble hired on a tutor for their children. Charles Forrel, a soft-spoken man of humble origins, was a traveling tutor interested in a census of education and the number of students actually attending religious schools versus home education and early apprenticeship. His overall concern was how many potential scientists they were losing to poor education. In his own way, he was like a Chaos Plague, interested in propagating the disease of curiosity. He sat in on a couple of the standard classes, and spoke with the few bright students that caught his eye. In young Merlion he found a kindred soul, and while he was a tutor in Edgecrest he would take whatever little bit of free time he had to tempt the bright students into a career of scientific pursuit.
From Forrel, Merlion gained his first lessons in the progressive attitude of a scientist, which forever shaped his way of learning. And although Forrel was there no more than four months, Merlion learned very significant lessons from him. But he wasn't the only one taking lessons from Forrel. Gravis Raine, a boy a year older than him, was also bright and full of ambition. It was at this time that a rivalry was formed, at first if only for Forrel's attention. After the man left, for years they carried on a little war against each other, the kind teenage boys are prone to. Usually such affairs are fought over girls, or the possession of the type of odd jobs available in port towns like Edgecrest, but for Merlion and Gravis it was about who could learn the most, or posture for the best apprenticeships. It was mostly a silly time, with much rolling of the eyes by adults.
By the time Merlion reached seventeen years old, he was already assisting a local dye-maker in the preparation of his wares, and learning the process of ink-making, while Gravis was apprenticing with a talented tailor. At age twenty, Merlion found he had enough time to pursue other avenues, and dedicated more of his time to magery as an Augur. He easily completed all the initial requirements, but was unable to locate a master to take him that meshed with his talents, and within a year he was back to his pursuit of becoming a master craftsman in the Textiles Guild.
Both ambitious men were admitted to journeymen status within five years, and another three saw them reaching Master status, and still, no Mage Master came along for Merlion. Seeing little hope in finding one without leaving Edgecrest, Merlion dove into the politics of the guild.
The main point of contention between Merlion and Gravis always was that they were too much alike. Both were equally clever and intelligent, and both were ambitious and dedicated to their families. The problem lay in that Merlion followed a strict moral code, believing that honor in a journey to the top was what was most important, while Gravis believed that the ends justified the means. Merlion felt that Gravis' attitude and actions were disgustingly dishonorable, and Gravis believed that Merlion lacked the courage to do anything for the goal.
Each believing that their way was the best, they climbed the ladder of rank in the guild nearly neck and neck. Gravis used his charm to gain a large following in the ranks and among his peers, but Merlion's rationality and cutting humor gained him friends in the upper ranks, older men in powerful positions who appreciated Merlion's pluck at challenging Gravis at every turn. Merlion was not the only one to see Gravis as dishonorable and too sly.
Things went all wrong, though, when Merlion was confirmed to be in possession of a Plague item. There had been a few Plagues that had appeared in Edgecrest, but all had left soon after in pursuit of a better life elsewhere, where their Plagues were understood. Gravis, with the help of his circle, managed to convince the town that Merlion's Plague was going to turn out to be one that spread illness -- a prediction that turned out right, though he never knew it -- and the fear of such a thing spread like wildfire. Merlion lost business and friends, and even his rank as Master of Pigments was lost in favor of another.
With such animosity, Merlion had no choice but to leave like all the other Grimms. With letters from his parents, including a letter of recommendation to the Fellowship in Anica that Waywik slipped in with the hope that Merlion would find better fortune as a mage, Merlion bought a wagon and beasts to transport his possessions, including as much raw materials for dyes and inks as he could possibly fit, and headed north. Upon reaching Anica, Rioja's family there helped him to set up shop. Feeling ill towards going through the machinations of a whole new guild, he presented himself to the Fellowship for reinstatement into it, and to pursue finding a master, hopefully with better luck. Though he is part of the local Textiles Guild, he has no drive to go up in the ranks, and is instead looking to find his fortune in the Fellowship, where his magical potential and Plague can get him more a better status.
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.I. Intro / .II. The Grimm / .III. The Plague / .IV. Supporting Cast / .V. Prompt / .VI. Extra
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Posted: Thu Oct 11, 2012 3:43 pm
}The Plague: Daze{
Name: Daze
Item: Inkhorn with ink in it
Item history:
~A Recipe For Ink~
-White Oak Galls, farmed with patience by an order of monks in the Silents, handling the poisonous Black Gall Wasps with care. These galls, or oak apples, are picked after the wasp larvae leaves, then they are dried and fermented in wine.
-Red Wine, from the Corusca Vineyard in Helios. An ancient vineyard with stony soil, producing grenache varietal grapes that produce a deep, dark wine, thick and rich, with hints of figs and tar, aged in a heavily toasted Hawthorne barrel, which produces a sedative effect in the wine. Unorthodox, but it has excellent tannins for ink making.
-Iron Sulphate, which Merlion makes himself in his lab. It is added to the fermented galls, then the mixture is filtered.
-Gum Arabic, a resin made from acacia trees, added to the filtered mixture. Done properly, the pale ink dries into a deep, dark black-purple.
The horn once belonged to a boy who was very quiet and smart, studying to be a scribe, and facing as decent a future as he could, considering his upbringing. He was, unfortunately, a b*****d child and his mother was rather... loose-moralled. She would bring men into the house, and was not very discreet in front of her son. If the boy had lived, he would have either been a very great scribe, or a very deranged mind, but his life was cut mercifully short by the plague. His mother, who didn't want to be associated with the black death for fear of her life, told anyone who asked that she'd sent the boy to a distant convent for study and to take the cloth when he was old enough, then quietly sold all his things to second-hand dealers.
The horn was put for sale in a shop called The Golden Feather, where Merlion picked it up, intrigued by its design and carvings. He was about to put it back, when his mother insisted he buy it, claiming that she had a feeling it would prove useful. Not one to ignore his mother's potentially magical feelings, he purchased it. He always felt that it was special, and so he stored a batch of his finest ink in it and kept it stored on a shelf in his workroom, feeling that perhaps it would one day make an excellent present for someone important. For a while he believed that the dark spots forming on it were old stains, or perhaps ink somehow getting on it from his work, but it didn't take long for him to suspect that instead it might be a Plague.
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Personality: At his core, Daze is a sensitive, impressionable soul, but is unforgiving and stubborn, with the lack of common sense that helps learn morals. Because of his impressionable nature and lack of common sense, he is open to being corrupted.
The relationship he has with Merlion is a complicated one. Daze behaves poorly, in Merlion's opinion, tending to let loose and burst out with honest observations that may not be tactful to say. He is very exuberant and cheerful, highly sociable, and honestly has a difficult time understanding why Merlion gets irritated with him.
In private, Daze is often chastised or yelled at for getting in the way of Merlion's work or for making messes. Merlion is pleased to have a Plague for the way it makes people respect him, but he often gets annoyed with Daze's attitude, which clashes with his personal codes of behavior, which Merlion tries to enforce on Daze more thoroughly because Daze belongs to him. Sometimes, he just ignores Daze, either locking his own door or, more frequently, locking Daze in his own room.
In public, Daze is treated cordially by Merlion, protected even, though most with any sense can see that the two don't get along well. Still, Merlion puts on a good public face, and he doesn't completely neglect his Plague. He makes sure to provide for his basic needs.
The stress of being ignored or yelled at so much at home pushes Daze to seek ways to relax in any way he can. Being a chaos Plague, he has a particularly keen sense of death, and goes after it to gain the calm he rarely has. He likes to roll in corpses or rot when he is at his most stressed out, in part because it brings him calm and in part because it attracts Merlion's attention, even if it is negative, when he has been ignored for long stretches. Showing up a mess tends to anger Merlion, who will hand-wash Daze if he must to suit his fastidious standards.
The vast difference between Merlion's public and private behavior causes a rift in Daze. Eventually, he starts being morose and avoiding Merlion at home when his poor behavior meets no reaction. He much prefers being out of the house with other Plagues, and when he is, he has a flamboyant attitude to make up for the repressed nature of his home life.
He is unforgiving of the slights of strangers against him, redirecting his anger with Merlion into a temper that does not easily suffer fools. He will not confront Merlion, too afraid that Merlion will punish him more severely than he has before. It must be made clear that this is a misconception on Daze's part. Although Merlion is distant, firm, and sometimes harsh with Daze, he does not wish to harm him, and never, ever hits him.
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Concept ideas: Daze is a Caedos. In his Anhelo form, two physical features must be included above all else, and that is his eyes and his hair. Please see the reference below, and note that the artist who gets him is free to adapt this to his/her style, but the messy, black hair (feel free to ignore my picky directions for hair directions but it would be nice to take inspiration from it) and the wideness/cat-likeness/color of the eyes are necessary, though I understand that Infitialis have swirly eyes and that's perfectly fine. His Anhelo form must also be childlike, skinny, and pale. Those are my four requirements. The rest is suggestion. The general look of Daze when at rest is a feeling of innocence and purity, but there can be signs of stress. His eyes are sometimes wild or wide. He prefers fancy clothes in child-themes, but they can't always keep up with his active lifestyle, and may be tattered, dirty with questionable substances, or crumbling with age.
As for his Excito stage, the artist should feel free to take inspiration from here, but to do whatever they wish. I'm very excited to see what they would come up with.
.I. Intro / .II. The Grimm / .III. The Plague / .IV. Supporting Cast / .V. Prompt / .VI. Extra
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Posted: Thu Oct 11, 2012 3:49 pm
}Supporting Cast{
Name: Alaweighe Wikkenan (Waywik)
Age: 53
Magic: Weather Divinator (Wind)
Appearance: Taller than her husband by a few inches, Waywik is lithe, elegant, and delicately built. Her skin is pale, from so much time indoors, and her hair was black in her youth, though it went prematurely grey around thirty. It falls straight and silky nearly to the ground, but is usually bound up in a braid. Her wide eyes set in a thin but lovely face are lavender-blue and steady. She wears the esoteric robes of her ancestors, and is rarely found in an actual dress.
Brief Summary: Waywik started out in much the same way as Merlion, in the same home in Edgecrest, the child of a the town weather divinator before her. Her family line's tradition is that anyone who knows your full name may have power over you, so they take the last part of their first names and the first part of their last names to make a use name. She and her son are much alike in attitude and ethics. A mature beauty early on, it was no wonder that she had suitors early on, but Rioja, who courted her incessantly, was the one to win her heart. Her parents had passed when she was fourteen, so there was no one to really ask for her hand. Still, she teased him for months before she gave in.
She married him, and had Merlion when she was seventeen, and though she cared for him well, it was his education that she saw to the most. She was never much of a housekeeper or cook, leaving that up to her husband. She much preferred her studies and taking care of the big wolfhounds that she bred as a side job. Her official job in town is the same as her mother before her as a weather divinator, predicting weather by the season or by the week in broad terms, mostly for the benefit of farmers and sailors. She is also known to occasionally do readings for romance, though she personally believes that such frippery is a ridiculous use of magic. She is also known to go out to find the best places to dig a well, or uses a variety of pendulums to locate on maps where lost animals might be.
Years later, when Merlion was nearly grown, she finally felt ready to have more children, as it seemed that Merlion had no talent or interest in divination. Ethan and Ithlio are her babies, and she doted on them more when they were young than she did Merlion. She felt a little guilty that she had been so chill and distant in the past, and she tried to make amends by spoiling her two younger children, and overlooking some of Merlion's jealousy and perfectionism. At least... for a while.
She brought up her other children and eventually saw Ethan off to forge his own path. For the years Merlion lived in Edgecrest, Waywik was proud of the work her boy did, and saddened by the town turning on him. She wrote his letter to the Anica Fellowship as a way of making up for her lack of support in the conflict.
Currently, Ithlio still lives at home, taking after her mother as a weather divinator.
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Name: Rioja Lionen
Age: 61
Occupation: Homemaker, Retired Mercenary, Reserve Guard for Edgecrest
Appearance: Sturdy and strong in build, and measuring five-nine in height, Rio is solid man. He has dark skin from foreign ancestry, and blond hair that tends towards a wild, wavy nature. His skin is no stranger to scars, and he wears an eyepatch over where his right eye once was. His remaining eye is almond-shaped and a bright, bottle green. He tends toward practical clothes, and has callused hands and feet.
Brief Summary: Born in Winterview, Rioja grew up to even-tempered, firm parents from a military background. Raised the eldest of many siblings, he went into the local militia, but after the standard training and graduating near the top of his year, he went into a mercenary group that offered better pay. This had him travelling far and wide, getting into all sorts of interesting trouble.
It was a brief but lucrative career that ended when he lost an eye. On his way home, he decided to stop in Edgecrest and met her while she was shopping in the market. He fell in love immediately, but still had to go home. A few months later, he was back, and courting her with great interest. Eventually, he gained her as his wife.
Rio loves being what is essentially a house-husband. He cooks, cleans, and raises the children with a glad heart. He harbors no ill-will toward his wife, and dotes on her. Sometimes, when emergencies come up, he acts as a reserve guard for the town, or helps hunt bandits.
He never really connected well with his first son, but there is affection between them. When Merlion had to move north, Rio made sure he had letters of introduction to his relatives in Anica and other parts of Shyregoed. He always kept in contact with his friends and relatives there.
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Name: Ethan Wikkenan (took his mother's name for the reputation)
Age: 22
Occupation: Harbormaster's Apprentice
Appearance: Not quite as tall as his siblings, nor as thin, he takes very much after his father in build. He has his father's blond hair, and an even skin tone, neither pale nor dark, with his father's cat-eyes bred true in shape and color. He takes care of his appearance, keeping neat nails and hair, staying clean, and wearing gloves in cold weather.
Brief Summary: Ethan is as proud and capable as Merlion, but with a sunny disposition that Merlion lacks. Though he was as devoted to his studies as all his siblings, Ethan never took to magic the way they did. More interested in maths and business, Ethan left the house at sixteen to take an apprenticeship as the harbormaster's assistant, a position he looks to inherit within five years.
He is a very hard worker, and a good leader, his ambition well in sight. He's married to a girl from town named Sophie, and they already have a son, Leif, who is two years old.
Merlion is not the best of friends with his brother. So far apart in years, they didn't get to bond much, and seem to only regard each other as unusual friends that they respect and are required to love. He's quite upset with Ethan for turning on him, though he understands why he had to do it.
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Name: Meredith Lionen (widely known as Ithlio)
Age: 18
Magic: Weather Divinator (Wind)
Appearance: Tall and lithe like Waywik, she has dark hair in a straight fall like Merlion and their mother, and their father's dusky skin tone. Her eyes are also like Waywik's in color, a lavender-blue, but their shape is more Rio's almond. She is slowly growing out of her unkept habits and taking care to keep her long hair brushed and braided, and her clothes clean. She is starting to find she rather likes dresses.
Brief Summary: From a young age she proved to be her mother's successor, and she showed just as much aptitude for learning as her siblings. Though learning is fun for her, Ithlio was definitely the wild child, content to run crazy with the wolfhounds. Her boundless energy made it difficult to sit her down sometimes, though she grew out of it eventually as she longed more and more to emulate their graceful mother, and she is beginning to take on a bit of Merlion's chill.
She is close to Ethan and visits him often, bringing him gifts from their parents, or to babysit her nephew Leif. She is still a bit of a wildcard, and had to be restrained from giving Gravis a scathing yell when Merlion was forced to leave. She might not be close with Merlion, but she admires and adores him, and hates when her family is disrespected. She has yet to learn restraint on this point and frequently mumbles about how when she's the town weather witch, Gravis better be gone.
Merlion thinks that she is quite amusing and very talented, and rather adores her.
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Name: Gravis Raine
Age: 37
Occupation: Master Craftsman of the Textiles Guild Treasury
Appearance: Tall and sturdy-framed, Gravis can change his look from rich merchant's son to honest worker easily, and can use this to gain positive opinions. His brown hair and eyes, and his ruddy skin, all mark him as coming from a heritage of laborers and salt-of-the-earth folk, but his good looks make him easy on the eyes.
Brief Summary: If you look in the right places, Gravis' family tree can be traced backwards as a steady decline into origins of poverty, each successive generation marrying ambitiously just a little bit above their station. On the surface, though, it is an impressive lineage indeed in other respects. His mother, daughter of a head stablehand, married a merchant that quickly gained fortune in the textile market with his wife's smarts and fine designs in fabrics. She filled Gravis' head from an early age with ambitious thoughts and goals, but always made sure to remind him that she was born in a stable.
Sensitive to the moods of his mother, he worked hard from a young age and formed a great ambition. He worked just as hard as Merlion did, and though his specialty is the actual dying of fabrics, these days most of his time is taken up with the monetary management of the guild.
A charmer by nature, Gravis had always found it easy to get his way, and enemies were dealt with swiftly. He became gaming and drinking partners with the sheriff, local nobles, and various masters, often letting them win in gambles and gifting them with tastefully lavish presents. Vocal in the community, many folk, especially any involved in the Textile Guild, from weavers and dyers to tailors and fashionistas, rally around his ideas and actions. There is a select group, mostly higher members and guild leaders, find his tactics a bit disgraceful, but since he never incriminates himself and he does good work, the most they can do is delay his climbing of the guild ladder.
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Name: Charles Forrel
Age: (At time of appearance) 30
Occupation: Tutor, Scientist
Appearance: Merlion remembers Forrel as being a man of middling height and portly figure, with sandy brown hair in a shaggy tail and blue eyes. He was a neat man, with a gentle voice and expressive hands, who walked quietly and watched everything.
Brief Summary: A scientist and tutor by trade, Forrel was in town for only four months, collecting data and tutoring a noble's children. Generous and humorous, he hoped that one day he would see Merlion or Gravis applying at Trisica. He did, however, see many young minds that he encouraged in his travels end up in Trisica and worked hard to make sure they stayed there and completed their training.
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.I. Intro / .II. The Grimm / .III. The Plague / .IV. Supporting Cast / .V. Prompt / .VI. Extra
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Posted: Thu Oct 11, 2012 3:50 pm
}Prompt{
Coming soon!
.I. Intro / .II. The Grimm / .III. The Plague / .IV. Supporting Cast / .V. Prompt / .VI. Extra
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Posted: Thu Oct 11, 2012 3:51 pm
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Reply
