Realistic or Modern BEING HUMAN

[Avari]

CAST

LUCREZIA - THE SHADOW QUEEN - Avari

ROLAND FAIRCHILD - HERO OF LIGHT - MagicPenguin

ARRYN BLACKSMITH - MagicPenguin

DANIEL PAYNE - ReverseTex

SILVER FERAE WillfulWren

DAVID ZHENG - BLK

JACK CASSARO - BLK

RAIJIN - QizPizza

HANNAH MILLER Avari

TANNUR "THE MONGREL" - IG42


RULES
1) Please start every post with your current location and character name, along with the name of any player you're interacting with.
2) No godmodding or harming other players without permission. This isn't a competition.
3) If you won't be able to respond to a post within 72 hours, please let us know on the OOC
4) The RP does have an overarching plot, but player agency is encouraged. Just check with me if you think it's gonna have a significant impact on things.
5) No Earth posts until the prologue is completed please




The final battle for the future of Aether is at hand. For the last century, the freefolk of the world have lived in fear of the dark Elven Sorceress from the West: The Shadow Queen, Lucrezia.
From the dread fortress of Blackrock, Lucrezia's armies - comprised of the darker tribes and races of Aether who finally found a leader capable of uniting them - spread across the world, with the goal of subjecting the whole of Aether and bringing it under Lucrezia's rule.

But then a Hero rose from a battle that turned the tides against the tyrannical sorceress - wielding a blade of legend and uniting the free peoples of Aether to fight back against the darkness. Prince Roland Fairchild, backed by the religious sect of the Aether Royal Family: The Church of Light began to claim victory after victory against the Shadow Queen's forces for the next six years.

And now, with the Mad Queen's final stronghold of Blackrock under siege, it seems to only be a matter of time before Lucrezia's days are numbered.

For six weeks, the battle has waged. The Armies of Light have paid for every small advance with the blood of their brothers and sisters, but the forces of Shadow have finally retreated within the walls of Blackrock and the final siege is about to begin, with the hero himself leading the charge.

But while Lucrezia's most powerful and infamous generals have all been seen on the field and have each been pushed back, A dark cloud of foreboding hangs over the battlefield, as the Queen herself remains illusive.

Something is happening within the deepest depths of Blackrock, and it's only a matter of time before Lucrezia unleashes her final weapon.




PROLOGUE NOTES
The prologue is only intended to be a brief fun little thing. It'll be pretty much over when Lucrezia and Roland meet, please don't get caught up in anything that's going to take ages to RP through. As a rule of thumb - Light characters will beat back Dark characters.

​

 

[Avari]

SHADOW QUEEN LUCREZIA

BLACKROCK

THE THRONE ROOM



The throne room of Blackrock was as opulent as one could imagine. While the walls and vertigo-inducing high ceiling were onyx black, thick crimson fabric hung from every window, emblazoned with the symbol of the Shadow Queen - a all-seeing eye, giving the room an intentionally ominous appearance. Guards lined the walls and while there was great variety in their various shapes and sizes, they all wore identical dark metal armor and held spears in there hands. They had remained motionless, even when the fortress occasionally gave a rather menacing rumble.
Before the throne of the Shadow Queen, a robed figure was bowing so low his long green nose skimmed the carpet but his features remained hidden beneath the heavy fabric of his purple robe.

He always made a point of not looking directly at her until commanded, as It was sometimes difficult to gauge the Queen's mood. The last fool who had come to report bad news and make the mistake of looking her in her yellow cat-like eyes had been rendered into ash - which the servants had frantically brushed away. Even in these trying times, it was important to maintain certain standards after all.

"Rise, Gravsul. We do not have time to stand on ceremony right now." The woman commanded him, sounding amused.

Ah. Good mood then. That was a relief.

The Goblin named Gravsul clambered to his feet and looked at his Queen.



Despite the absolute chaos that was raging outside, Lucrezia was sitting knees crossed, with her head resting upon her hand looking as unflappable and elegant as always. Her black and gold robes were spotless, her porcelain white skin without blemish. Her raven black flowed down her shoulders and her eyes --

Her yellow cat-like eyes were watching the Goblin with interest and expectation.

"The evacuation is complete my Lady. The only remaining forces manning the walls are the volunteers and the undead. and his From what Lady Felis has reported, they should be sufficient in slowing the advance of the...hero."

Lucrezia nodded as she lent back in her throne, her arms resting on the stone arms. While everything was going more or less to plan, the idea of sacrificing what remained of her most loyal and tenacious troops had not been an entirely...pleasurable thought, even during the overly long and tedious strategy meetings - More frustration and annoyance about the inconvenience of it all than anything. It would be a heavy loss. Underlings of that quality didn't grow on trees after all. She found herself wondering for a brief moment if she was even capable of real grief anymore.
Perhaps when the battle was over she might attempt to spare some tender emotion; a sense of wistfulness or melancholy maybe.

And then there was...him. That young brat who dared wield such a priceless heirloom against her. It was downright insulting. Though she had to admit, she was rather looking forward to finally meeting him - their destines were forever intertwined after all, and Lucrezia was not one who was fool enough to try to defy destiny.

The Queen clicked her fingers, and another shadowy figure appeared next to Gravsul with a loud crack - which made Gravsul jump - and instantly bowed to Lucrezia. His skin was a deep blue and his eyes blood red. His ears pointed like Lucrezia's own, but not quite as long. A Dark Elf.

"You summoned me, my Lady?"

"Is the ritual prepared Thannis?"

The Dark Elf bowed again. "Everything has been built to your exact specification, your grace."

A small smirk flickered over Lucrezia's perfect features as she slowly rose to her feet - her heels clacking on the hard stone floor. The guards in the room - who had been standing motionless for hours, instantly saluted.

"You have all completed your tasks. Go now - flee to the west with the rest of the Shadowkin. Await my return."

Gravsul and Thannis bowed low to the ground, muttering words of praise and thanks to her, but she simply waved them off as they - and what remained of Lucrezia's royal guard left the Throne Room, leaving the Queen finally, mercifully alone to collect her thoughts - ignoring the constant screaming and explosions coming from outside it was rather relaxing. Not that she could relax of course -
She had been waiting almost a century for this. Finally, she would step into a world that none had ever dared tread.

The forbidden land spoken of only in legend.

Sol.

She was in a good mood, and had a bit of time to spare. Maybe she would go and kill a few of those Church of Light soldiers who kept trying to destroy the roof.


------

MENTIONS: WillfulWren

Lucrezia is not available for interaction



​

 

[WillfulWren]

Church Of Light Camp: Silver. Interacts with Roland

The fluffy silver cat perched casually on a boulder, ruby eyes surveying the hustle and bustle around her as the forces of light preparing for another attack on the dark queen's fortress. If she still had a mouth capable of the action, the feline would have smirked, or laughed at them, running around and preparing to try to kill the dark queen. Silver wouldn't allow that to happen - she'd give up the breath in her body before letting the hero and his magic sword near her Ladyship. The shapeshifter had been alone her entire life, before stumbling into the dark army, and she was not willing to go back to that life.

She stretched, muscles rippling under a fluffy coat that seemed immaculate, despite the mud everywhere, then jumped down from her rock, picking her way through the mud and people to get to the hero, the people paying her no attention. What was one ordinary little cat in a war, after all? The mood in the church of light camp was somber, despite their rapidly approaching victory. The sacrifices they had made to get this far...It weighed heavily on almost every man's mind, and so, the camp was quiet.

Reaching her destination, the shapeshifter purred, winding around the hero's legs like any normal cat would. It was a risky venture - her silver fur and red eyes might be enough to give her away as Lucrezia's ShapeShifter general, but Silver never was one for thinking thing's through. Besides, if he didn't notice her to much, she could listen into their converstaion. And there was the possibility of having her ears scratched!
She had calculated the risk, and decided it was worth it.
MagicPenguin

 

[MagicPenguin]

Roland Fairchild
An isolated hilltop outside Blackrock's walls.

Prince Roland Fairchild, armored in glorious crimson steel plate emblazoned with the proud dragon of the Fairchild lineage, stared at the scene before him, his sheathed sword resting in his clenched hands before him, excitement and impatience warring with cautiousness and anxiety within at the prospect of the foolish thing he was about to attempt. After weeks of battle, the united armies of Aether had finally managed to fight their way up the peninsula to the gates of the Mad Queen's fortress. Many good men and women had died by the thousands to get them this far. Outnumbered and overpowered though they were, the shadowspawn fought brutally for every inch of land they had to traverse to get here and now they defended their walls with great skill and enthusiasm even as groups with siege ladders on all sides of the fortress tried to climb their way to the top. The wise thing now, Roland knew, was simply to wait. It might take weeks, months, or even years depending on how well-stocked the castle was before the siege started, but eventually they would have to surrender or starve. Yes, that was the wise thing to do, so his generals and the Church officials and all the tacticians advised him; no need to risk himself pointlessly. Wise or not, though, Roland bristled at having fought his way this far only to be forced to wait while others did his fighting for him. He'd been waiting six long years for this moment, the moment when he could free Aether from the Shadow Queen's grasp, the moment when he could finally take revenge for his father, murdered in cold blood in his own home, and now all he could do was watch and wait. He had been tempted many times over the past few days just to muster all his power and blow a hole in those walls large enough for a dragon to fly through, but it would cost him precious mana that he would need when he finally faced the witch waiting for him inside. Additionally, he had no idea if it would even work. Many of the Mad Queen's tricks were unknown, but he would not put it past her or her forces to have a way to reinforce their walls against such a magical onslaught. The fireballs and lightning bolts from the other mages certainly seemed to have little enough effect on them. So, for days he watched. And waited. And waited and waited and waited while men died in droves trying to breach those defenses. It was maddening. Even sheathed, Shadowsbane in his hand hummed in resonance with him, making its displeasure at being made to wait known.

Well, Roland was tired of waiting too. He'd put his plan into motion the night before. When most others had gone to sleep for the night, he'd hand delivered a message to all of his closest companions, the men and women who had fought directly at his side more often in all his many battles than any others, urging them to arm themselves to the teeth, gather, and meet him here, today, at this spot, an isolated hilltop overlooking the battlefield away from the command tents. He could not entrust the message to a runner; its contents were too sensitive for that. No one could know what he had planned, especially not the Church officials; they'd just nag him with dire warnings until he agreed not to try what he was about to try. When all had gathered, he turned from the battle raging at the walls below and fixed his unwavering gaze on each of the group of five or six, one at a time, from massive, bulky Arryn with his blessed hammer down to the calm, composed Daniel Payne, measuring their resolve before he explained his intent.

"My friends. I thank you for meeting me here in discretion. I've gathered you, my most trusted companions, to take the initiative and put an end to all this fighting with one swift strike."

The gathered men and women looked at each other and then back at their prince with unease. What mad thing was he about to command?

"My lord," Arryn began. To others, Arryn's face was unreadable as a stone statue, but Roland had known him long enough to recognize the glimmer of disapproval in his eyes. "You've been warned by Queen Ophelia, Lady Lyra, and High Sentinel Staxos not to do anything rash. Multiple times. Very loudly. Is this truly wise, my lord?" Others, those with less bravery than the giant blacksmith, murmured agreement with him, but were not bold enough to directly challenge Roland as he had.

"It is not, Arryn, but I am sick of being wise. While we wait out here, the Mad Queen sits in that castle, not more than a mile away, doing who knows what? I say it is time we bring the fight to her before she can devise some slippery counterattack while we are busy chasing our tails like excited hounds out here beneath her walls." Daniel Payne's aged face was a perpetual mask of calm, as if nothing could take him by surprise, but his eyes narrowed briefly at the mention of dogs chasing their tails. The odd look was gone as quickly as it came. Arryn looked like he wanted to say something else, but Roland cut him off before he could disagree any further. "We are going in, ladies and gentlemen, and we are going now. You can refuse if you like; I'll force no one to follow me into a possibly grisly death. But I am going, with you or alone. Now, who's with me?"

Uneasy though they were at the prospect of disobeying the Church's orders, no one was prepared to let the headstrong prince face the dangers within the castle alone. "How do we get in," Arryn asked with an exaxperated sigh of resignation.

Roland opened a portal large enough for the small group to pass through unhindered. It was a tear in the fabric of reality that seemed to materialize out of no where in midair and, on its inside, the surroundings were those of the interior of Blackrock's wall, completely different from the grassy hilltop on which they now stood. "Why, I'm surprised you even need to ask, old friend! The same way we get anywhere when it's just us." Without waiting for a response, he stepped gingerly through the portal. On the other side, Blackrock Castle, large and forbidding, loomed even taller than it had from the hilltop. On the walls above, defenders could be seen firing arrows and shouting profanities at the Church forces on the other side. When all the others were through, Roland dismissed the portal. He was surprised when a small silver cat jumped through at the very last moment before the hole in the air completely mended itself. When had she joined him? He hadn't even noticed her. The poor girl was lucky, Roland thought; if she'd been any slower, the closing portal would have either sliced her cleanly in two or left her short a tail. He paid the cat no more attention and put his thoughts to the task ahead of him. First things first. They had to find a minimally guarded entrance. Once they got inside, he had no idea what Blackrock's interior layout was, so they'd likely be doing quite a lot of aimless wandering before they found the throne room, but getting inside was the first order of business.

"Follow me, lads!" he said to the others in a low voice. He led them along a stone paved pathway in as much stealth as he could muster, carefully avoiding passing guard patrols as they went. Roland was surprised at how few of them there were. He would have expected them to be more vigilant, but they only encountered patrols every few minutes or so. Perhaps the others were focusing their efforts on the castle's interior? In any case, they eventually came on a back door for servants that seemed to lead to the castle kitchens. Roland motioned the others to follow him closely and slipped inside. He was surprised when he found no cooks or servants. This time of day, they should've been busy baking bread for the evening meal, but there was no one. Something was odd, but Roland had no time to ponder it. He stepped from the kitchens into the hallway.

There, he wandered straight into a gigantic orc at the head of a group of about 20 of them walking up the halls in an orderly line, the smallest of them at least a head taller than Arryn was.

The orc in charge startled at Roland's sudden appearance. "Oh, hello there," he said with a bit of chagrin. "I don't suppose you'd believe we were looking for the bathrooms and got lost, would you?" Arryn groaned and shook his head before bringing Mah'alleinir before him in a two handed grip. The others simply drew their weapons with wary looks.

"Hero of Light! Prepare to meet your end in single combat! Know the name of the one who will be your killer: I am Tuskor, son of Dongrow of the Stonebow Tribe of the Deluge Wetlands! My lineage dates back to the founding of--"

The massive orc's diatribe was cut off as a portal, like the one his party had arrived outside through, materialized underneath his feet and he fell through it. It was linked to the exact spot he was standing in, but about 20 miles straight up into the air. The receding sound of his terrified scream was cut off as the portal closed. He'd fall to his death. Or, if not that, he'd at least be so badly injured he'd wish he were dead. The other orcs looked in astonishment at where their noble leader had been standing just a second earlier. "Coward!" one yelled, "You have no honor!" In a fit of rage, the 20 orcs charged Roland and his five or six companions all at once.

"Right," said Roland, rolling his eyes. He turned his head to his companions casually, as if the oncoming orcs were of no concern. "So, who wants to take care of this," he asked, chucking his thumb at the rushing onslaught.

WillfulWren ReverseTex

 

[ReverseTex]

Daniel Payne

Six weeks.... Six weeks shrouded in the bloodshed of man and creature alike. Six weeks of minimal sleep. Six weeks of headaches. The list could endlessly continue... But throughout the tenure, Daniel endured every second of it with a collected, and methodical approach. He knew the men needed a face to turn to who would provide realism and rationality to counteract the positive aura Roland emitted...

But now was to converse. Daniel Payne had been summoned to assist Roland and others in a strategic meeting. Arriving in full armor just like his counterparts, he rested his hands on the hilt of both of his twin swords. Listening to each word, it was visible to all the thoughtful composition that Daniel was infamous for. This desire to end the war today was prospective enough, though it needed to be done carefully... Opposing nothing more than the quip of dogs, he stayed silent as he merely nodded, signing himself away to Roland.

Throughout the venture through the portal and castle, Daniel remained silent, hands clutching his blades tightly. He knew Roland paid little mind to the cat, however he did. It wasn’t right... Maybe it was his wolf-like mentality kicking in, but regardless it hadn’t been there before... Suddenly the onslaught of orcs snapped him from thought, and his icy eyes shot to Roland, who looked quite similar to his current demanour. “Guess I’m up?

Slowly Daniel emerged from the group, his suave collection a breath of fresh air in the stressed situation. The horde began to now approach at a uncomfortable distance, meaning the time for pleasantries were up... Suddenly Daniel snapped, charging at the horde with one sword in hand, the other holstered. With his lycanthropy, his senses and speeds were only heightened, making the fight last little time, as he made his way throughout the horde, eliminating each orce one by one...





Interactions / Mentions MagicPenguin
WillfulWren

 

[WillfulWren]

Silver
The Shifter did nothing as the orcs were killed, just sitting on the stone cobblestones, seeming slightly bored as she watched her comrades die. One of the monsters seemed to notice her right before it's demise, and his lips soundlessly formed her name. She ignored this, turning away as his blood splattered across the cobblestones. Almost casually, she stepped away so his blood wouldn't stain her fur.

She watched the man who has killed the orcs warily, her keen senses revealing what he was - a werewolf. Odd, considering the werewolves mainly fought under Lucrezia's banner. She'd enjoy killing this one then. After all, Silver hadn't has the opportunity to fight one of his kind yet.

Finally, she Shifted shape, the woman trailing at the back of the group opening her mouth to cry out a warning, but she was struck down with a dagger to the throat before that could happen. Sure, Silver fought better as an animal, but she didn't want to make her dramatic entrance as a mountain lion. She wanted to be able to laugh at the look on the so called hero's face as he saw the dead bodies of his friends, the people he had trusted enough to bring with him on this suicide mission.

The second person got a knife to the back, but he screamed as he died, attracting the attention of the other Light fighters. The albino sighed, pushing her hair out of her face with a blood covered hand.

"Oh." Silver said, sounding disappointed. "It looks like the game is over. Oh well, It's a pleasure to finally meet you...." Her ruby red eyes narrowed, and that sweet smile widened, revealing razor sharp fangs. "Mister Hero~"

ReverseTex and MagicPenguin

 

[QizPizza]

Raijin took in the sounds of battle around him from the rock on which he pearched. Steel scraping against steel, steel being met by flesh, the thud of bodies, the screams of pain. It was chaos, and yet strangely beautiful. The setting sun cast an orange glow over battlefield and the shining steel armor of both sides reflected the light into kaleidoscope. Between each set or armor was either a blooded stained body, or trampled wreckage that once resembled armor. It was his three hundred-odd soldiers against a human army ten thousand strong. The humans were armed to the teeth with plate armor, swords, spears, bows, and siege weapons. The odds were stacked against Raijin and his forces, but the god of Thunder only bore a wide grin under his mask. The these foolish humans had crossed the Oni and they had no idea what his three hundred soldiers could. Every single one of them was fighting for the sake of their families, whose home stood only a few miles behind them. As such, every Oni would fight like a literal demon to defend the one thing they value above honor: their family.

The god of Thunder had enough waiting. He was just about to join the fray when a messenger arrived. The lesser demon that stood before him gasped for air after flying miles to reach his position. "*Gasp* My Lord Raijin, *Gasp* I bring *Gasp* news *Gasp* from *Gasp* our Queen *Gasp*!"

Turning away from the battlefield, Raijin led the imp back down to the Oni encampment. He allowed the demon to catch his breath and receive a drink of water. "Now that you are rested, what news do you have for me. The queen better have good reason to interrupt the defense of my home."

The rested imp began to recite the message given to him. "The Church has finally pushed our forces back to Blackrock after six weeks. All our forces, save the volunteers, have been evacuated and the queen is preparing for the final stage of her plan. She requires that you return as soon as possible."

"Tsk! The Church has advanced far faster than I anticipated. Only six weeks? My force of three hundred would've held them for six months. The soldiers that Lucrezia employ are decent fighters, but they aren't Oni. If she had an army like mine, she would've had all the time she needed and more." The Oni cracked his neck and sighed. "Very well, if the queen requires my abilities, I will not hesitate to come to her aid. Imp, you remain here untl the battle has concluded and bring me news, should I not return in time for my victory."

The imp bowed and scurried off to find a refuge from which he could observe the battle safely. After the imp left, one of Raijin's lieutenants walked in. It was Fujin, a fellow Oni that had earned the title of god of the Winds. He was an Oni who had defeated the former god of Winds with assistance from Raijin, and now, his power is only second to Raijin himself. It was quite an effective morale booster for the Oni: to have two gods walking alongside them in battle. Gods that would lay down their lives, should they be able to die, for the sake of their people. "Raijin. The queen requires you?"

"Indeed, brother. I will go alone. You must remain here and lead the Oni. They can't have two gods leave their presence in the midst of battle. I only ask to borrow your bag of winds to expedite my journey."

"Lead your armies? Is that not what I do regardless if you are present or not?" The two shared a chuckle before Fujin handed Raijin a long, heavily decorated silk bag. "Just return with my bag in one piece, or else your drums are going to share the same fate."

Raijin only laughed as he took the bag and walked to an opening. When he jumped into the air, he remained there, hovering on a small. Nothing like what the god of Clouds had, but it was standard among all the gods of the Storm. The cloud continued to raise into the air until he could barely make out the details of the camp below him. Carefully, he pointed the opening of the wind bag in the opposite direction of Blackrock and slowly untied the string keeping the winds inside. Immediately, a gust of wind emitted from opening pushing Raijin's cloud forward through air. Not satisfied with his speed, Raijin opened the bag half-way open, the most Fujin ever allowed anyone other than himself to do so. Raijin needed all the speed he could get. If he was not present at Blackrock, he would be failing the Lucrezia, and endanger her promise of allowing the Oni to hold an equal position in society as any other race.

With the bag half-way open, Raijin piloted his cloud across the plains and back to Blackrock. Along the way, he caught glimpses of the carnage the Church inflicted on the Dark forces. Fortresses destroyed, villages razed, bodies left out to rot. The Church had no regard for the lives of the Dark forces. Seeing them as monsters, it was more that justified to kill them, it was a noble act for the land. The Church of Light disgusted Raijin. He was confident that there were good people there, just as there are bad people in the Dark forces, but the very purpose of the Church at this time was deplorable. He continue to look down at the damage, only to grow angrier. His anger would prepare him for the battle ahead. The Church needed to experience the wrath of a god to learn that they had no right to interfere with the Shadow Queen and her noble purpose.

When he finally approached Blackrock, he closed the wind bag and slung it over his shoulder. In its place, he took out his set of drums and their beaters. He began to play a song of war, that would normally be impossible for a single person, but the magical drums and their beaters transcend human limits.

As soon as the first strike hit, the Storm began to gather. Powerful winds blew dark clouds over the entirety of the battlefield and with every consecutive strike, thunder and lightning rained down on the Church forces outside of the castle and the Dark forces confronting them. Rain and hail will soon pelt both sides relentlessly as well. These are things that Raijin cannot control. He called the Storm, and it answered. He only had dominion over Thunder, and unless he had explicit consent from the other gods of the Storm, he could control no other part of the storm. This was also the extent of power he exert over the mortals without drawing the attention of the other gods. "That pesky taboo just makes my life that much harder doesn't it."

He continued the song until he was right over the Blackrock castle. He felt powerful presence tearing through reality. Something no god ever appreciates. It must be the Hero of Light. Raijin could not allow the hero to interfere before Lucrezia is properly prepared, and have a little bit of fun in the process. He finally spotted the hero and his party of six through a hallway window, facing off against twenty-odd orcs. The general mentally groaned as the leader of the orcs demonstrated his incompetence and got himself turned into little more than a bag of flesh and bones groaning on the floor. Raijin would intervene... after he gauged how strong the group was with assistance from the orcs.

A white haired man...no...lycanthrope, had stepped up against the orcs. He slayed them all with ease, even without resorting to his beast form. This was no doubt the Hero's elite infiltration group, but as good as they were, Silver was able to sneak on them. The young shapeshifter changed from her fully feline form to one that resembled a human much more. With the party focused on the orcs, she was able to kill two of the seven.

Now that she appeared, Raijin would make his own entrance. He began a drumroll, gradually crescendoing from a soft rapping to a rumbling succession of strikes that rivaled the thunder coming from the Storm. With a final strike, a shockwave emitted from Raijin, smashing through every window in the vicinity and shaking the castle to its foundations. With this, the god of Thunder leapt into the hallway, blocking off the side Silver was not covering. "It appears I came just in time for the battle. Silver, I see that you are just as beautiful and violent as ever. Take the lycanthrope. I'll deal with the others."

The Oni put away his his drums and his beaters and took out his iron club, Thunderclap. It was a fearsome weapon. The weighted end was forged of pure iron, with a core of meteorite iron and spikes covering its surface. The handle was just as long as the iron rod, being made of iron wood, stronger and denser than any other wood while being wrapped with silk ribbons etched with runes. The counterweight was just like the main weight, only shorter. In all, the weapon was seven feet tall and weighed over two hundred pounds. Thunderclap can only be wielded by a monster, and what a monster Raijin was.

Raijin,
God of the Roaring Thunder​

Health: 100%​

Status: Itching for a fight
Location: Blackrock Castle
Interacting With: WillfulWren MagicPenguin ReverseTex
Mentioned:
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Template by ElectricPizza​

 

[MagicPenguin]

Roland Fairchild
Blackrock Castle Halls

Roland gaped in open astonishment as a woman appeared as if from no where and stabbed his comrades in the back. She seemed quite pleased with herself, but Roland would not give her the satisfaction of a response, especially when there was the chance that even a tiny spark of life remained in Georg and Natalie's bodies that he might be able to stoke with his healing. He'd learned to deal in some small measure with the loss and sacrifice of those who chose to follow him, but it never truly got any easier. He led these loyal people here, a swordmaster from Cloudtop who taught him the way of the sword as a boy and an Elven light mage of the Church who'd been with him since before he went to Magruhdul to reclaim it from Lucien. After they returned to Alcamoth following that adventure, the two admitted their feelings for one another and before much longer they were wed. They had been so happy together. They'd come so far with him only to die here at the end. Because of him. They trusted him with their lives and they paid for it, another sacrifice laid at the "hero's" doorstep for the sake of his cursed, infernal duty to the world. He pushed his grief down to where he could not feel it; no time for that now. Save them if you can, he told himself, but, whether they live or die, there is no time to wallow in grief until the fight is done. They would not want that. Roland ignored the feline woman completely and addressed his comrades.

"There is still a chance to save them. A small one, but I have to try. Arryn and Daniel, deal with the treacherous wench while I'm busy. The two of you should be more than a match for her." He then pointed his other two remaining comrades. "You two, defend me while I tend to Georg and Natalie. I will be distracted by no one, do you understand? No one."

At that moment, a violent storm began to rage outside where it had been clear as a bell just a second before and the castle began to rumble beneath their feet as a steady drumbeat began to rhythmically pound from seemingly everywhere and no where at once. Roland momentarily paused in confusion as he tried to figure out where all this sudden ominous weather and foreboding rumbling was coming from. In the next instant, the windows on the walls all exploded inward in a tempest of glass and stone and wood. Everyone stood openmouthed, bewildered at the sudden, indiscriminate destruction. All except for level-headed Arryn, who had the presence of mind to use his body to shield Georg and Natalie from any further harm.

Roland growled low in his throat at the new intrusion as an oni larger than any he'd ever encountered floated his way in through one of the broken windows as pleasantly as if he were a feather on a fresh spring breeze. He sized the creature up as best he could. He could sense enormous magical energy pulsing inside him, galloping through his veins like a horse across an open plain. From the size of him, he looked more than a match for any one of his companions even with no magic, but given how potent his mana was, there was only one person capable of engaging him safely. He felt Shadowsbane stir in its scabbard, an unmistakable pang of anticipation at the prospect of testing itself against such a powerful opponent. It was followed swiftly by a vibe of disapproval when it realized Roland had no intention of fighting him.

"New plan!" he roared. "Payne, skin the cat! Blacksmith, crush the oni! The rest of you, defend me!"

Paying no more attention to what went on with the others, he knelt by his fallen comrades to assess the damage. It was horrendous. Both were still technically alive, but suffering horribly in their last moments, staring into one another's eyes with terror and despair. They did not appear to notice Roland's approach, absorbed as they were with their partner. He examined them and as he did, he felt as though a lump of ice were settling in the pit of his stomach. Both would be dead within three minutes, possibly less. Even with Shadowsbane amplifying his power, it would take at least that long to heal one of them. There was no way he could save both. He had to choose. The despair of it was almost more than he could bear. How could he make such a choice? It was a wretched thing his duty demanded of him, but choose he must, no matter how impossible it seemed.

Without any real reason for his decision, he reached out to Georg to heal him at the cost of his wife. Only then did the man seem to acknowledge his presence. Georg turned pitiful, pleading eyes to his Prince but it was not help for himself for which they pled. He stopped Roland's hand in an iron grip with more strength than he should have possessed in his state and motioned with his own eyes at his wife, who had passed out, though was still gasping for breath that would not come through her ruined windpipe. Roland hesitated. He understood what the man was asking him to do. He nodded reluctantly and turned from him to Natalie, abandoning him to die.

He grimly began his healing and numbly resigned himself to the reality that Natalie would hate him for the rest of her life if he managed to save her. He almost anticipated it, for somewhere deep within himself, a voice long ignored told him that that was exactly what he deserved.

-------------------------------------------------------------------
Arryn Blacksmith
Blackrock Castle Halls

Arryn turned from his Prince to the monstrous oni watching Roland contemplatively. He put Georg and Natalie out of his mind. If they could be saved, Roland would save them. If not, they would die. Either way, Hogan had taught him long ago not to dwell on those things that he could not change. Better to spend his energy worrying about a problem he might actually be able to solve. Wasting no time, he hoisted Mah'alleinir in both hands and charged full steam at the beastly demon. The oni merely looked at him. Its features were too alien for Arryn to read his expression with any clarity and Arryn couldn't see anything but its eyes because of the mask, but he thought the man (or woman?) might be looking at him with something akin to anticipation at the carnage he thought he was about to wreak on Arryn's poor soul. It might be that, or it could also be pity that someone could be so simpleminded as to charge him head on after the level of power that he'd just displayed with the simplest of ease. Arryn couldn't really tell, but either way he was about to get a rude awakening.

Before Arryn could close within ten feet of the thing, the oni grunted and lightly tapped his massive club against the ground. In response, the weapon started vibrating furiously before Arryn saw it pointed straight at him. He brought Mah'alleinir up, ready to put all his power behind a massive two handed strike. Then he saw nothing, but felt an enormous amount of pressure and seemed to hear a terrible crashing sound, like thunder if one were standing right next to it when it occurred, as...something...came from his opponent and seemed to crash into him with an otherworldly fury. His ears popped. He felt the impact of it, saw the smoke and debris the attack had kicked up that now obscured the monster from view and he saw the cobblestones at his feet break from the invisible power the oni had unleashed. It made more sense now why Roland had ordered him to fight this beast and not another. If anyone but Arryn had taken the brunt of whatever that attack had just been, they would've been vaporized where they stood, or perhaps simply been blown to bloody bits by the pressure of it. Arryn kept right on running, his ears ringing from the loud sound, but otherwise unharmed. He charged harder. Five feet now. The head of his hammer lit ablaze. When he emerged from the cloud of dust and smoke, Arryn was briefly satisfied to see the oni's narrowed eyes widen in what might be surprise as Arryn got close enough to bring his hammer down as hard as he could toward the thing's terrifying horned head.

WillfulWren ReverseTex QizPizza

 

[Avari]

CHURCH OF LIGHT CAMP



The rain finally seemed to be stopping. The reek of blood and evil mixed with the scents of sweat and leather and metal. There was a haze of wood smoke and incense in the air, as the Church Sages prepared pyres and religious rites to protect the dead on their journey to the next world. Around the camp, there were still piles of bodies - Orc, goblin, man, elf and dwarf - they would need to be burned too, lest the mad Queen's foul magic might resurrect them to fight once more.

Only Blackrock itself remained, the armies of Shadow had fled to the walls - but when they had realized themselves routed, they had lashed out, and in one final, savage attack they had slaughtered everything they could find.

A tall man in white and gold robes that were splattered in mud and blood brooded over the valley of Blackrock, his face hidden behind a ornate golden plate. His resplendent robes clashing with the grim surroundings. The losses so far had been terrible, yes - but it was blood well spent.

"Ugh...by the Gods this hurts!" The young elf nearby protested. "Staxos, these Human healers will be the death of me, I swear it."

The Church mage tending to her was not impressed by the complaints of an elf old enough to be his grandmother. "Leave the bandage on until tomorrow morning, Lady Lyra. The wound may otherwise become infected."

"Fine...fine..."

Staxos raised a gloved hand, waving the mage off. She quickly bowed to them as she left to treat more wounded.

There was finally some relative quiet, save the crackling of fires and the distant din coming from Blackrock. The fell queen and her hordes would be wiped off the face of the Earth soon enough, and the splendor of the Church of Light would reach every corner of Aether - casting out the Queen's foul darkness. It was no longer a question of if they could achieve victory, but when. Truly, the only real pity was that the brat would probably be the one to get all the credit. Speaking of which...

"Where is the Prince?" He asked.

Lyra's ears instantly twitched, but she pretended to continue nursing her bandaged arm - frankly she still wasn't quite sure how Staxos saw out of his mask - there were no eye holes from what she could see. The Church of Light sages all creeped her out honestly, they always seemed so...aloof and emotionless; so different compared to Roland - who always wore his heart on his sleeves. She had done her best to persuade him to wait, but she knew even when she had been trying to give him her council it had been a total waste of time.

"I...think he might have gone on ahead." She managed eventually.

A burst of bright white light caused Lyra to visibly flinch. A pair of great feathered angelic wings had flashed into existence on the High Sentinel's back - and without a word or glance to her, he launched into the sky and toward Blackrock. His figure obscured in light.

"Oh, that can't be good." Lyra sighed, and she clambered to her feet - ignoring the pain in her arm and went to join with the rest of the army. Suddenly rather concerned that if Lucrezia didn't kill Roland, Staxos just might.

-----

NEW NPC
HIGH SENTINEL STAXOS

NEW NPC
LADY LYRA

​

 

[IG42]

Tannur

Perched on a rooftop Tannur surveyed the army outside the walls. "Titanic battle between "good and evil" and here I am chasing cats." He said to himself just to hear how silly that sounded. Still it was a bother that Silver had wandered off when Lucrezia was about to put her crazy plan into action, however it was going to work out he wasn't sure if he trusted the Shadow Queen not to ditch anyone who was tardy, he liked Silver well enough but he certainly wasn't up for getting stuck in the middle of the entire Church of Light army for her.

Hearing a commotion in the courtyard he saw the Big Damn Hero portal in followed by Silver in her cat form and dropped the first orc to approach him out of the sky mid-speech. Well at least he's practical. Those orcs couldn't half get wordy for the "inhuman beasts" he had been told they were while he was growing up, then again he'd spent enough time being called "half-breed trash" to not hate them on principle.

Making himself invisible with a quick spell he moved along the wall surrounding the courtyard while Silver and Raijin made themselves known. Looking down he saw the Hero crouched down healing one of his comrades apparently oblivious to his surroundings, with a smirk Tannur soundlessly drew a small crossbow and carefully cocked it before loading a bolt. Taking careful aim at the Hero's head he exhaled slowly and let fly.

MagicPenguin

 

[ReverseTex]

Daniel Payne

Daniel had completed his massacre in little time
and emotion, learning to tune out his feelings through his many years of service. Coming out victorious over the twenty or so orcs, covered in their blood from head to toe...

Sheathing his swords, he believed he finished the job until he glanced back towards the group. Two unfamiliar beings had arrived, one reecking of the scent from the silver cat, the other some sort of supernatural being. Roland’s command drew his attention momentarily, as he was asked to eliminate this new threat. Without hesitation he removed his swords once more, and slowly sauntered towards the cat.

“Shame we can’t make this a shifting fight dear...” Daniel said, his eyes and voice filled with icy precision as his blades danced in his hands awaiting his opponent.




Interactions / Mentions MagicPenguin
WillfulWren

 

[Tanya Degurechaff]

Levia Hadal
Portal Room
​

As per usual, Levia was still quietly awaiting the entrance of her faction's strongest and most trusted individuals. While that may not happen for quite some time, there was nothing else on her to-do list for the moment. She had already sent some of her personal escorts to see that the last few ships were sent out a while back without an issue, and so her only duty now was to standby and wait.

This room was her pride and joy. She had overseen the construction of the structure, her natural talent with technology and the hybridization of such things with magic being the main reason. This would be the device to tear a hole through time and space itself, if all went right. No, it had to go right. The fate of an entire side rested on this odd room, and Levia's shoulders. If it failed, it'd not only mean the end of her, but it'd ruin her chances of getting to experiment further as well. The possibilities of this new dimension were endless, if everything said about it was correct. "...."

'This will work...'

 

[WillfulWren]

Marcus Felis - IG42 MagicPenguin
Marcus blinked slowly, struggling to pull his focus away from the other shapeshifter - his sister, he was almost sure of it - to look at the prince. "Y-yes sir." He said quietly, feeling vaguely sick at the blood all over the floor. The blood his little sister had shed, showing no remorse or even any sign that she was anything other than a monster. The last time he had seen her, she had been nothing more than an innocent child, and now... She was a monster, one who had killed his friends and was now threatening his prince's life. It wouldn't take much for someone to notice the connection between them - two shapeshifters with only a few years difference in age, with similar facial structure, and Marcus's rare smile was almost a twin to hers. But he'd reflect on what to do about her later, if there was a later. For now, he had a job to focus on, and he drew closer to the prince, drawing one of his throwing knives as Arryn attacked the Oni.

Mismatched eyes widened as a crossbow bolt appeared from nowhere,and not having time to think, Marcus leapt in front of the prince, raising his arm and crying out as the arrow sunk into the flesh of his forearm. . Blood spurted, adding to the gory mess already over the cobblestones. Gritting his teeth, Marcus Shifted into a wolf, ignoring the wound weeping blood all over the floor. The canine pressed against the prince's leg, all senses alert for any more danger, as well as silently providing some kind of moral support.


Silver Ferae - QizPizza and ReverseTex
"Raijin! Glad you could make it!" She waved at the oni, her cheerful tone more like they were at a party than in the middle of a life-or-death situation. . Speaking of life or death, there was the annoying matter of the werewolf to be dealt with. Silver grinned, anticipating the fight. The other two had fallen so easily, even if they hadn't died instantly, and she was looking forward to getting to properly play with someone.

"Oh? You want to Shift? Well, be my guest! Maybe you'll kill the annoying hero for me~"

Giving no warning, she lunged forward, aiming for Daniel's throat with her black bladed dagger. Her entire strategy was to be quick and unpredictable, as she knew that his stamina was most likely higher than hers. Judging from size alone, he was also probably stronger, as - despite her fearsome reputation - she was still technically a teenage girl. No match for a battle hardened warrior, unless she found a good opportunity to change shape, but that would take at least two seconds. And for those precious seconds she would be vulnerable, unable to fight. So, for now, she stayed semi-human, red eyes alight with bloodlust as she tried to kill the lycanthrope.

 

[ReverseTex]

Daniel Payne

Daniel noted her quip, and instinctively brought his swords up to himself in a “X” shape, and guessing correctly as she lunged for this throat. Big cats such as tigers often went for the throat, seeing it as a easy means to kill their prey, while salvaging the body of their prey for harvesting. And from what he could tell, her style of fighting would be no different.

With the girl atop him, he quickly rolled over, pinning the girl in between his blades. If she shifted, it would have to be small, but then again not small enough to be squashed. His bright icy eyes, his lycanthrope trademark, twinkled with the desire to shift. That’s why Roland had given him a sacred amulet, able to hold back this desire. But, he knew this feeling well... The desire to unleash the demon that longed so dearly to be free, the desire to be able to destroy anything with the slash of a paw....

Daniel Payne was no more as he threw himself from his prey, clutching the stoned floor for dear life as his body began to grotestly change... A minute or so later, a larger, more powerful beast emerged. Dragging a claw across on of the tower pillars, his icy orbs locked onto the location of the stench of cat. Kill. Kill. Kill.

Diving at the prey, both claws extended outward, the sweet desire for blood solely driving the beast would cause forna deadly fight.




Interactions / Mentions MagicPenguin
WillfulWren

 

[WillfulWren]

Silver Ferae - ReverseTex
Ruby eyes widened, the shapeshifter girl looking startled as the old man reacted to her attack with speed equal to - no, greater - than her own. Her dagger dropped from her hand, going skittering to the floor and she struggled as the blades came down on either side of her. She tried to kick him off, fangs bared in a vicious snarl - only to have the weight vanish unexpectedly. She scrambled away as the lycanthrope changed, not stopping until her back met cold stone. Her form seemed to shimmer and twist, then a large silver coloured mountain lion met the wolf's gaze defiantly, tail lashing from side to side and claws unsheathed.

A transformed werewolf - capable of passing on it's condition with naught but a scratch, but the effect it would have on a shapeshifter...It'd be instantly fatal. Her heart pounded fit to burst out of her chest as the werewolf lunged, but at the last possible second, Silver darted to the side, keeping low to the ground.

She knew she was outmatched, no matter how badly she didn't want to admit it as she sank into a crouch, ready to leap at the werewolf when he went to attack again. It was obvious to everyone, including her, that she didn't stand a chance against her larger, stronger opponent. But like hell Silver was going to give in without a proper fight. It wasn't as if surrendering would save her at this point anyway, even if her pride allowed her to do it.

And so, the feline's tail twitched, and she tilted her head to the side with a sort of cocky air - even though she couldn't speak in this form, her meaning was clear enough as she huffed quietly. Basically translating to "Come at me" as she taunted the werewolf, skittering backwards and sideways as she tried to avoid his grasp. But it was obvious she couldn't keep running forever, as her sides heaved and she almost stumbled a couple of times. She was tiring - fast.

 

[ReverseTex]

Daniel Payne
The scent of feline filled the lycanthrope’s nose as his lung was met with cold stone. You missed. Kill. Kill. Kill. Shaking his head, Daniel internally trying to fight his way from the beastal mindset, however a snarl solidified the winner of the brief pause...

The werewolf locked his icy eyes upon the cat, who now leaned low to the ground, her tail fluttering. Go around. You are a lone wolf without a pack. You cannot take the feline head on. Try a new approach. Kill.

Snarling as he circled the silver feline, seeing the cat visibly tire as she ran circles around him. It would be little ti- Suddenly the beast acted, using his large claws to snatch the slender build of the mountain lion in his paws. The werewolf howled, the eerie cry echoing throughout the castle, as he clutched his vitcim tightly. Kill. Kill. Kill.


Interactions / Mentions MagicPenguin
WillfulWren

 

[QizPizza]

The shockwave was only meant to gauge the Hero's party's strength, though Raijin may have unintentionally went overboard and delivered a serious strike. As the dust cleared, the Oni wondered if any of the heroes survived. The two Silver struck had a right to die in true combat, not some sneak attack. That was one of the things that Raijin disliked about the shapeshifter. She was an assassin, and she seemed to take too much enthusiasm in the kill. The enjoyment was in the battle itself. If your opponent survived, it was all the better, as the next time the two of you encountered each other, there would certainly be something different about how your foe fights, making it all the more exciting.

In the brief moment, the god of Thunder entertained these thoughts, a large bearded man emerged from the smoke with a flaming hammer poised to strike. The world seemed to slow down. Was his life going to end so soon? No. In a split second, instinct overcame shock. The Oni brought his club up with his right arm and blocked the strike. With only his right arm, Raijin was barely able to force the man in front of him back a few feet. Taking the most minute measure of caution he allowed himself, the Oni leapt back several yards, only to find his right arm on fire. With a roaring laugh, he brushed the flames off his arm. The Blacksmith was strong, and he was exceedingly tough for a human.He was not only able to block the initial shockwave, but he was even able to harm the god. The god's amusement was clear in his booming voice, "You are a mighty opponent, Blacksmith. I believe I have finally a worthy match for me. I can barely contain my excitement right now. But before we continue, formalities are in order. I am Raijin, God of the Roaring Thunder, and you?"

"Arryn the Blacksmith."

The blacksmith offered no other words before charging in with his hammer to deliver another fierce blow. This time, the task would not be as easy. Pointing his free hand towards his opponent, Raijin let loose a pulsating wave of pressure waves, enough to cause any regular mortal to pass out from the massive pressure inconsistencies in the air. Imagine the Oni's surprise when he saw that the hero only continued his charge. Not one to be deterred so easily, the Oni made a charge himself, swinging his massive club to meet the hammer. Once again, the Blacksmith surprised the Oni, being able to hold his ground against the monstrous strength of an Oni. "You have not failed to surprise me for a second, Arryn. Should we survive, I cannot wait to see what you have in store the next time we clash."

Perhaps Raijin was enjoying this a bit too much, but his entire life is war. And the logical conclusion for a demon who lived his life fighting is to find the next greatest battle. There is no point in fighting an easy opponent. It would only be a slaughter, and there is no honor in slaughter. Walking into this fight, the only one that seemed to be a challenge was the Hero of Light, but the Blacksmith was just as worthy of an opponent. Raijin could feel his magic being suppressed by his opponent, so the conflict would be one of strictly brains and brawn. The risk each of them faced only drove them to fight with all the more enthusiasm, so to speak. The fate of both the forces of Darkness and the Church of Light hung on this siege.

The two clashed with strike after strike, with neither seeming to give way anytime soon. The clanging of metal against metal reverberated through the hall way, whilst Silver fought off the lycanthrope named Payne. Raijin indulged himself with a glance at the two beasts fighting. He was not surprised that Silver was losing to the wolf. Even a scratch would inflict the terrible curse on a human, but to Silver, it would mean a fatal wound. All the extra effort to avoid being hit was draining her stamina far too fast, and it all culminated in the creature grabbing hold of the young girl. "Silver!"

Half-tempted to rush to her aid, Raijin was caught off guard by Arryn a second time. The magical hammer finally directly struck Raijin's left arm, shattering his forearm. After the first success, the man attempted to press the advantage and strike Raijin's head. Before the hammer could be brought around for another strike, Raijin let out a thunderous roar and returned the favor. The sound temporarily disorientated the Blacksmith, and a magically enhanced jab with Thunderclap sent him flying back several yards. The god of Thunder was not one to leave his allies to die, but he had own battle. Ignoring Silver's predicament, Raijin would not give Arryn an opportunity to recover properly and struck him again, sending the large man further down the hallway.

Raijin,
God of the Roaring Thunder​

Health: 75%​

Status: Ecstatic
Location: Blackrock Castle
Interacting With: MagicPenguin
Mentioned: WillfulWren ReverseTex
​

Template by ElectricPizza​

 

[MagicPenguin]

Roland Fairchild
Blackrock Castle Halls

Roland did not let up his healing of Natalie for anything. He was certain she would live if only he had just a few minutes more with her. So focused was he on his task that, though aware of it, he was able to drown out the chaos erupting all around him. Some distance down the hall, Payne had slipped and let his inner-wolf emerge. A rare occurrence for the old soldier, whose iron-clad discipline usually prevented such lapses. It was just as well, though. He was confident Daniel could have taken the cat woman even without shifting, but killing a shifter in his true form should be downright trivial given that even a scratch from him would be fatal to her. He had learned that much by asking Marcus why he was always so uncomfortable around Daniel when the boy had first joined Roland's ranks.

Further down the hall, Arryn was in a vicious battle with the oni. He could not trust that opponent to any but Blacksmith. The first shockwave the creature had unleashed was enough to cause what felt like a miniature earthquake. If Arryn had not shielded the rest of them by taking the brunt of the attack, it might have destroyed them all, the oni's own shifting ally included. Evidently, the oni either did not care about collateral damage to the castle or his own friends or he was confident enough in the cat's fortitude that he did not worry his attack might harm her. Either way, it was none of Roland's concern now. Arryn would handle him. He noted these battles only distantly, focused as he was on his own task.

Beside him, the others he had tasked with guarding him while he worked stood at the ready, ever-vigilant in case someone tried to get the drop on him while he was distracted. That vigilance was the only thing that saved Roland's life when a crossbow bolt came out of literally no where, seeming to materialize out of thin air from some nearby location he could not discern. Ordinarily, he might have been able to erect a barrier to defend himself, but he was using too much energy healing to spare any for that purpose. Instead, it was Marcus Felis who saved him by taking in the arm the bolt that should have forced its way into Roland's brain. The boy shifted into a wolf and, apparently unsure where the threat came from, had fallen back to Roland's side to defend him with his body in case their unseen attacker decided to try again, touching Roland's leg as he did so.

"My thanks, lad. That would have ended me. Let me repay you."

When the wolf made physical contact with his leg, Roland inadvertently felt the damage the bolt had caused to Marcus's arm. It was a bad injury, and horribly painful, he had to guess, but no where near as life-threatening as the one Natalie had taken. The relative lack of severity of the wound, the boy's physical contact, and the already massive amount of energy Roland was putting into healing someone else all made it fairly easy for Roland extend his magic to Marcus and quickly mend the wound without even moving. Muscle and bone knitted itself back together in the blink of an eye within his arm and, when he was done, the only sign that he'd taken an arrow there was a moderately sized scar. While he was at it, he gave Marcus a small portion of his own power, channeling his energy to give the boy a boost to his strength, speed, stamina, and reaction time. To him, it would feel like a sudden burst of vitality with an increased awareness of everything going on around him.

"Now, be wary. The knave who shot that bolt is still here and he's using invisibility magic. You won't be able to see him. Make good use of that form's powerful ears and nose. Pay close attention to where the next attack comes from and strike only when you're sure you can kill. I know I don't have to tell you this, but make sure to keep your distance from Daniel. He's occupied for now with your kinswoman, but it doesn't look like that will be the case for much longer."

With that, Roland refocused attention on Natalie's neck, trusting Marcus with his life completely. The boy was young, lacked experience, and came from a race whose members were usually much more likely to join the Shadow than the Light, as the girl had done, but Marcus had more than demonstrated his valor and dedication over the years. There were few Roland relied on more heavily.

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Arryn Blacksmith
Blackrock Castle Halls

Arryn was flying.

Raijin had just scored a direct hit with his club and, despite his size and weight, Arryn was still sent hurtling through the air with the force of the impact. When he landed the first time, the oni quickly followed up with another powerful blow from his foot, this one less powerful than had come from the club, but still enough to send him flying another few feet, straight toward Daniel Payne in his wolf form manhandling the cat woman evidently named Silver. He collided with Payne and knocked him off of her. Raijin relented in his kicks, likely smart enough to avoid getting anywhere near a werewolf that could pass on its curse with naught but a scratch; Arryn briefly wondered if the oni was clever enough to have launched him at Daniel on purpose to both save his comrade and deal with two of his enemies all at the same time. In desperation, he ignored the screaming pain in his left side where Raijin's blows had connected and scrambled back from the werewolf as quickly as he could, as aware as Raijin that the same risk of being cursed applied to him. Luckily, Arryn's collision had not seemed to earn Payne's wrath. Daniel still seemed intent on his original target for now and rushed away from Arryn to try and grab the mountain lion again before she could escape him.

With an internal sigh of relief, Arryn returned his attention to his own opponent. He tried to rise and found himself coughing up blood when he did, so he let himself fall back down. Even through his breastplate, chain mail, and thick leather undershirt, a direct blow from Raijin's club had caused some internal damage. A few broken ribs on his left side, he was guessing. That wasn't good. Even in perfect health, Arryn had barely been able to keep up with the oni. The creature's reach was longer than his and, even with Mah'alleinir increasing his speed, it moved more quickly than he could. It had been all he could do just to land that single glancing blow to its arm. Now with this injury, there was little hope he could score another hit. He needed a plan, some way to keep Raijin in one spot long enough to land a solid blow with Mah'alleinir and either kill him or cripple his ability to fight. He looked around at his surroundings, hoping for some inspiration. His hand brushed against a broken cobblestone, smashed to dust by either one of Raijin's shockwaves or perhaps by Daniel's raw strength in his werewolf rage. An idea came to him. He made a grand show of slowly coming to his feet, grasping his right hand that brushed the cobblestone into a fist to collect a handful of dust. He hoped he had been discreet enough that no one had seen him do that. The oni didn't give any indication one way or the other whether he'd noticed or not. In any case, now he just needed to get the monster to stand still in front of him for just a single second. If he could do that, an opportunity would present itself. Unfortunately, there was only one surefire way Arryn could think of to make that happen and he did not like the idea of it one bit. He carefully arranged his hands on his hammer so that he could hold it without dropping the dust from the cobblestone and he rushed again at Raijin.

As expected, it was much harder to run and nearly impossible to swing his hammer quickly and with all his might when his side was in as much pain as it was. Raijin swatted his pathetic swings aside with little difficulty and dodged easily those blows he did not block. Arryn was able to block or dodge the oni's retaliatory club swings, but only just barely, and each impact of the club on his hammer sent a new spasm of pain rushing up and down the side of his body. The knowledge of his imminent victory glowed in Raijin's eyes as he realized the full extent of the injury in the blacksmith's side. Arryn had no choice, though. He had to keep charging. He could not lose this fight. Prince Roland was depending on him and he could not die before he avenged Hogan's death and spared any others from sharing his foster father's fate at the hands of the Shadow. So, he braced himself and charged again. This time, Raijin meant to end it. He raised his massive club in his good right arm and prepared to swing it with all his might. Arryn gritted his teeth and charged straight at him. Raijin brought the club down and Arryn made no move to block it, but he maneuvered his body so that the blow would land on his armored left shoulder. He prepared himself to feel a great deal of pain, armor or no, and just hoped he could stay conscious long enough to make his plan work.

QizPizza WillfulWren ReverseTex IG42

 

[WillfulWren]

Silver Ferae - ReverseTex
Silver blinked slowly as the werewolf released her, trying to dispel the black spots swimming across her vision. Her form shimmered and twisted, the albino teen struggling to rise from the floor, only to crumple as a wave of nausea struck. Her eyes darted to Raijin, but he was caught up in his own fight...No chance of help there. Using her hands, Silver pushed herself up to her knees, then had to stop to catch her breath.

The perfect position for an execution.

In a show of defiance, her scarlet eyes met the werewolf's own icy orbs, and she snarled at him, displaying her razor sharp fangs. A poor attempt to disguise the fear that she felt, and she had to close her eyes to stop the tears that threatened, making the world blur. The sound of the blood roaring in her ears drowned everything else out as her heart beat fit to burst out of her chest, and she gritted her teeth, bracing herself for the pain that was sure to come. After all, this sort of death, crouched in other people's blood in a nondescript hallway...It was all she deserved.

Marcus Felis - MagicPenguin
The black furred wolf tensed as the mountain lion was grabbed, the hackles on the back of his neck standing up as a low growl rumbled in his throat, but then he relaxed slightly again as she got free, though he kept his eyes fixed on her.

He dipped his head in silent thanks for the healing and power boost, and mismatched eyes darted to the prince as the man spoke and then back to the fight between werewolf and shapeshifter. His ears twitched in acknowledgement of Roland's words, and Marcus tilted his head, trying to pick out the scent of the prince's would be assassin. He would rip whoever it was apart, make them regret attempting to harm the prince. But...

But he couldn't keep his eyes away from the silver haired girl kneeling on the cobblestones, other people's blood soaking into her clothes. At the start of this fight, she had been cocky and laughing - childlike, even - and now...It was like looking at a broken doll. He snarled, fur bristling, then left the prince's side - and stepped in front of the shapeshifter girl. He was clinging to the slim hope that the werewolf would recognise him as a packmate. If not...Well, then he would have to fight.

For an instant, he glanced at the prince, silently apologising for what he knew would look like an act of betrayal.He just couldn't let her die, and he hoped Roland would be able to understand. Or at least not hate him too much.

 

[ReverseTex]

Daniel Payne
The lycanthrope was just about to dig his nails into his prey, but suddenly was interrupted with a mighty force to his side. Flying back with the object, only stopping the two as they hit a distant pillar, Daniel growled in protest. In a anger fury, he frantically shook himself up and away from the man that bouldered into him, and let him be. His mind and nose was only fixating on one scent. The feline...

Charging back at the cat, the defeat visible in scent and in person, the werewolf knew he had won. Licking his chomps, he slowed his dash to a saunter, wanting to take in every moment of the kill... But before the sweet crimson liquid could touch his lips, a fellow wolf intruded his kill. Locking his icy orbs with the wolf, snarling at his challenger. Let it go. Let it go.

Daniel Payne had begun his fight once more with his beastal state, thankful for Marcus’s action despite its treason. He didn’t want another person’s blood on his hands because of this disease...

The werewolf clutched his head lightly, unable to focus on his target with the echoes of another in his head. You’ve had you’re time, now let me back. You got your time, despite it not being a full moon. Now let me back out. You lost. The werewolf broke into a frantic frenzy, swiping and slashing at thin air as his entire body tingled. The man was trying to emerge, but the wolf wasn’t going without a fight...


Interactions / Mentions MagicPenguin
WillfulWren
QizPizza

 

[WillfulWren]

Marcus Felis (And some Silver stuff too, but mostly the cute boy) - ReverseTex MagicPenguin
The shapeshifter cautiously took a few steps forward as the werewolf began it's frenzy, then stopped and went back to his human form, being careful to move so that his body was between the werewolf and the albino, who had regained enough strength to scramble backwards, almost crashing into Roland. As soon as she was aware of that, she stopped moving, hugging her knees as she sat on the floor, watching her brother try to calm down the werewolf with a slightly confused expression on her pale face. Now they were both in human form, the similarities between the two were even more striking, even down to the way they both tilted their head when confused.

"Daniel?" Marcus asked softly, mismatched eyes fixing on the werewolf. He could tell that there was some sort of fight going on inside the werewolf, and was hoping that his friend would be able to overcome the wolf part of himself. The boy was a non threatening presence, his knives still tucked into his belt, and an open, friendly expression on his face, hands held up, clearly displaying that he was unarmed.

"It's okay, you beat her, you can turn back now. You don't have to kill her."

 

[ReverseTex]

Daniel Payne
The ears of the werewolf shot up, recognizing his human name, a rare occurrence in his beastal form. See. Just allow me control. You’ve had your fun, just let me out... The werewolf began to slowly calm down, though walking back towards the scent of the former wolf. Now stood a human in his place, who internally Daniel could recognize as Marcus, but his bestail form could not. Bending down on one knee, the werewolf locked eyes as a closer level to the man, his nose twitching as he took in the scents of the man.

Daniel knew he was close to persuading his second half to give in. He just needed him to calm down enough to allow the takeover...

The werewolf briefly glanced over the man’s shoulder, eyeing his prey with lustful eyes. You’ve won the battle. Just let this be easy...

Suddenly the werewolf slummed over, weakly collapsing against the cold and barren stone floors. A mix of a pained howl and a scream escaped the beast, the ghastly and haunting sound echoing across the battlefield. But for now, Daniel had won...

Daniel Payne laid upon the stone floors, curled up meekly as he attempted to gather what strength he had. “Good man Marcus... Grab my armor if it isn’t a inconveince for you...”



Interactions / Mentions WillfulWren

 

[WillfulWren]

Marcus Felis - ReverseTex MagicPenguin
The black haired boy heaved a sigh of relief as Daniel changed back to human form.

"Of course sir, it's no trouble at all!" With that, he ran to get the armour, avoiding looking at Roland, shame burning in the pit of his stomach. He carefully gathered up the discarded armour and placed it on the ground next to the lycanthrope.

Keeping a wary eye on the fight still going on between the oni and the Blacksmith, he sat next to the red eyed Shifter, who snarled, edging away from him, though when he pulled her to her feet she didn't complain, looking sullen. If anything, she looked like a child who had lost a game as Marcus slowly approached his prince and - he felt a sharp stab of guilt - Natalie. He had just saved the person who had murdered Georg and severely injured Natalie.

She would hate him, if she lived. Marcus took a deep breath, running his hand through his messy black hair. He smiled sheepishly, still toying with his hair, as he always did when nervous. "Well...It looks like we have a prisoner now." He said quietly, still avoiding looking directly at the prince.

( IG42 If Tannur's gonna snatch her, now's probably gonna be the best time)

 

[IG42]

Tannur

Grunting in irritation as his shot was blocked Tannur then raised his brow in surprise as the meatshield turned out to be another shapeshifter who then went and forced the berserk werewolf to calm down and leave Silver alone revealing the striking similarity between the two in their human forms. Putting his crossbow away for the moment he drew a long dagger and conjured up a new illusion. Dropping his invisibility at the same time as the new spell took effect he appeared along with a half dozen indistinguishable phantoms that dropped into the courtyard with him and rushed the enemies while he scooped up Silver and dumped her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

Quickly backing off a little he addressed his burden. "Man you really are a literal and figurative handful." Smirking he shifted her into a more comfortable position more roughly than was necessary then gestured to the other shapeshifter. "Friend of yours?"

WillfulWren ReverseTex MagicPenguin

 

[WillfulWren]

Silver Ferae - IG42
There was a slightly panicked squeak as he picked her up, and Silver went to bite him, before realizing who he actually was. He still got bitten, but much softer than it could have been, not even breaking skin - in fact, it seemed almost affectionate. She's an odd girl and at this point, no one should question anything she does.

"I don't know him." The silver haired girl frowned as she thought about the strange black haired shifter who had stopped the werewolf from eviscerating her. She gnawed at her bottom lip, tilting her head to the side, before murmuring. "At least...I don't think I know him. He seems familiar, but when I think about it, my head hurts, so I'm just not gonna think about it." Typical Silver. It's difficult, so she's just going to ignore it and pretend it doesn't exist. In truth, the longer she looked at the other shifter, the more certain she was that she knew him from somewhere...She just couldn't remember where. It was frustrating, and made her want to stab him.