Fantasy Fading Flame (In Character)

[UnbelievableCow]

The Darkwoods weren't the first place on Desmond's list to go, infact it wasn't on the list at all, but sometimes sacrifices are made to achieve your goals. A rumor in Frontierville, told of a group of guardians heading into the Deepwwods. Now surely something will come of this.

As Desmond made his way into the forest, he could hear the sounds of battle far off into the woods. This is what he had been waiting for. He mustered up his will, and pushed forward at a brisk pace. He had a plan, and in his mind it was genius. Rush into the combat, protect the guardians, defeat the enemies, and become a legend! However, he quickly dismissed that idea and instead replaced it with simply help the guardians.

After a few moments, he could see the combat. It was over... Still far off, he could see the guardians standing around their defeated foe. This is not what he wanted. Clearing his mind, Desmond activated Cloud-Step, allowing him to move much quieter. He hid. Moving back further, Desmond slipped behind a tree and slumped to the ground. He had got excited and wasted much of his energy. As he laid there thinking, he slowly drifted off into sleep.

Desmond did not sleep for long, and awoke with a splitting headache. Leaning around the tree, he could see a light in the distance. ~Did they set up camp? How long was I out?" He wondered before perking up. He had another great idea.

Desmond ran his hands through his hair, both forwards and backwards, in an attempt to make it appear as messy as possible. Then looked down at his clothes, which were filthy. ~Good thing I didn't have time to wash~ He thought, even though he hardly ever washes his clothes. Using the tree as a crutch, he stood. ~One final touch~ Loosening his belt ever so slightly, to add to his ragged look. He then marched forward, staring at the camp with his half-opened eyes.

 

[QizPizza]

Audun the Fallen

Location: The Dark Forest - Cave Entrance
Status: Distressed/Tired
Disposition: Slightly Good
Interacting With: Vyseryx
Mentioned: Trappy Midrick

Audun did not bother donning his armor once again. It would be too much of a hassle to put on the full set of paladin plate for the third time this day. Instead, he opted to only wear the hauberk he wore underneath his plate and his helmet. It would not offer the same level of protection as his full set of armor, but he wasn't planning on fighting a full fledged battle anytime soon. He was merely wearing to conceal his black veins as he slept.

The Nephilim needed to get away from Taryn. As much as he was attracted to and loved her, she was, as Audun said earlier, a "distraction". In addition to that, she was a temptation and a stain on his reputation. An angelic paladin sleeping with an exiled succubus does not look good under any circumstances. Once might even call it heresy. Knowing Taryn personally, though, she isn't much of a threat. Her ambitions are childish at best, and she doesn't even have the means to take over the Empire as she plans. On top of that, she is the person Audun can consistently for intimacy. Human women were either scared away once they sobered up and found out who he was, or were just trying to take advantage of the money and benefits Audun earns as a mercenary and paladin.

He wandered the camp, looking for a reclusive spot to spend the night. He disregarded the trees, which would more than likely not be able to hold his weight. There might have been several trees strong enough to hold him, but it would take far too much effort trying every single tree branch for one that could hold him. He also avoided areas with greater concentrations of soldiers. Audun was prone to nightmares prompted by the Dark whenever he slept. Thus, he tended to avoid sleeping for days at a time. Getting extremely drunk and spending a night with Taryn also kept the dreams at bay. Necessary evils to prevent himself from slipping further down the path of Darkness. It would be better to avoid others in case any nightmares surface.

A small rock formation at the edge of the camp served to be a decent place to take a nap. That would be ideal, in case his nightmares spur him to do any violent actions. The slab of granite wasn't comfortable, but it could've been worse, like sleeping on the gravel. The paladin began to dose off immediately. The last two days were spent drunk and awake all night, so exhaustion was catching up.

A white landscape greeted the Young Seraph. Nothing to see as far as the eye could see. The horizon was indistinguishable, but it was clean, it was...perfect. Moments passed, and builds rose out of the plane, creating a brilliantly white city. The sky changed from a pure white to a pale blue, the sky of a summer day. The white receded into little pockets of white clouds, perfectly delicate and fluffy. The city continued to arise, forming vast mansions, sprawling parks and towers stretching to sky dotting every street corner. This was Oasis as the young Seraph had read about. A utopia for the Seraphs. It wasn't perfect, sure, but it was home, and it could be improved.

From the distance, another Seraph approached. A female. The Young Seraph began to make out her features as she got closer. Hair like woven gold, eyes like sapphire and skin like porcelain. Needless to say, she was beautiful in the eyes of the young Seraph. Something told him that she was his Love, the one he was meant to be with. If that was so, then he was lucky. The Seraph's Love embraced him and whispered sweet nothings into his ear. He felt warmth and comfort radiating from this other Seraph.

The two walked hand in hand down the street. The approached a magnificent library, one containing hundreds of thousands of books on every conceivable subject matter. The Young Seraph could spend his entire life reading and studying the texts, but his interest laid in a rather simple topic. The Mundane. The creatures beyond the limits of this city that struggled for their lives, nothing like the life that the Young Seraph lived. He wanted to make sure that he had the strength to defend those weaklings until they grew in strength and were able to defend themselves. He voiced his opinion to his Love, but she only met it with concern. She would not tell him why, but he trusted that she knew what was best.

Time passed. Days, weeks, months, years. His Love's answer no longer satisfied him. He still loved her, but hiding something from him that prevented him from helping the Mundane. He had to find out for himself a way to help those people. And so, the Young Seraph left Oasis and into the world of the Mundane.

At first, the world was grey, featureless like the plane he first saw. Then, it grew into a city like the one he was in before, only this time, it was darker. The place felt violent and hopeless. The strength that the Young Seraph had in his blood was not enough to change the world for the better. And so he continued to explore, searching for the strength that could change the world.

He soon reached another city, this one pitch black, and yet, what little he at was beautiful. The ambiguous shapes left so much to his imagination and allowed him to wonder what lies behind the veil shrouding the city. And yet, it felt even darker and more hostile than the Mundane city had ever felt. What is this place? the Young Seraph asked.

This city is called Styx. This is my home. Beautiful, is it not? A girl's Voice answered from behind the Seraph. A beautiful Voice to be sure, but it was not like the soft, sing-song voice of his Love. No, it was smooth like nectar and carried a meaning that he did not understand.

I suppose, but I can't see everything...and who are you?

Ah. Your eyes have to become accustomed to the dark first, then you can see. The Voice stepped out from behind him and presented herself to the Young Seraph. My name doesn't matter... but your purpose, does.

The Young Seraph was taken aback by the Voice's appearance. She was like the monster all the stories described. Long, menacing horns, claws to tear into one's flesh, fangs to drain the life from their prey, an unnatural tail, and dark, leathery wings. Despite all this, the Voice was beautiful. Hair as white as snow cascaded down her shoulders, her eyes were glowing amber, her skin was white, like the clouds. Who was the Voice, that she could be so horrific and alluring at the same time?

My...purpose?

Yes, silly boy! You want power. Power to change to world. I can give you that power...for a price.

Power? Yes...I need streng...

No, silly, boy! Strength is useless! Strength can only take you so far. But power? You need POWER. Only the powerful can change this world.

Very well...I need this "power". It is the only way I can help those Mundane... What is the price, Voice? Jewels, gold, treasures?

I desire none of that. What I want is is quite simple. I only want two things: knowledge...

Of course! I can give you any book you wish from the Great Library. All the knowledge there is to know is...

Not all the knowledge! The power I give you...it comes in the form of a book. A book your "Great Library" would never have... And wait until I finish!

I apologize... The Voice was...angry? The Seraph did not recognize this emotion, but it made him feel vulnerable and...attacked... And knowledge that the Great Library did not have? The Young Seraph was distressed. He was told that the Library had all one could possibly know, but this voice offers this "power" in the form of a book that doesn't exist in the Library. Was that even possible?

Now, as I was saying, I only want knowledge...and something only you can give me. Just sign this contract and you can pay the price. Don't worry, the price is low. It won't cost you anything... The Young Seraph eager signed away, but the Voice lied. The price was not low at all. It cost him EVERYTHING. As soon as he signed, the Voice pounced on the Young Seraph and the two performed an unholy ritual, one that stripped away all that was pure and holy in the Young Seraph. He desperately clung onto the thought of his Love, but he found her image fading. He had trouble remembering her face, her features...her name. Did the Young Seraph even know his Love's name? It didn't matter. He was soon engulfed by the darkness from the Voice, turning his whole world black.

The Nephilim woke up in a cold sweat with his heart racing. Audun didn't have that dream for years. It was disturbing to experience it once again. If this was the dream he was going to have tonight, he would either have to return to Taryn or spend another day without rest. Neither option was ideal, but the former was definitely more appealing. However, after the dream, the paladin had all the more reason to avoid Taryn. He reluctantly choose the latter instead.

Audun decided that a walk would be best to clear his mind of the nightmare. He walked the perimeter of the camp, looking at the fires that the soldiers huddled by for safety and warmth. Even with all this power, he could do nothing, he only give away all he had. The cool night air did little cool the paladin's skin. Why did he have to curse himself like this? With the Dark? He had to get back to Oasis. Back to his Love. But...who was she? With every day that passed, the memories grew dimmer, and the Dark spread a bit further. Was that why he couldn't remember his Love's name? And her face? And her voice?

The paladin only thought about it more as he walked, until the path eventually brought him to the cave from which the serpent that caused all the chaos in the camp while he was...busy with Taryn. That act was a mistake, given that it planted further mistrust in the group regarding him and Taryn. It only meant that Audun needed to make up for it all the more. Those at the cave's entrance included Jericho, Maria, Margot and Pyronn. Without even bothering to get a feel for Maria, he could tell that she held resentment towards him. It was in her nature, he supposed—that racist bigot.

Regardless, there appeared to be something noteworthy in the cave, and Audun would assist them in their venture. It was only right that he did. As he approached, he caught a glance at Pat, the mercenary that accompanied this group. Audun caught a particular aspect of the man that intrigued him—his tattoo. It was mark of the Reaper Company, if Audun recalled correctly. A terrifying group of mercenaries that he had heard about in taverns all across the Empire. The group was notorious, but Audun respected them to a certain degree. After all, he did spend his early days among the Mundane as a mercenary, and even now, he sold his sword, only he chose his employers much more carefully. Audun would like to have a talk with him once he woke.

Audun approached the sorceress Margot, "You are planning a venture into the cave? I will lend my assistance if needed, seeing I don't plan on sleeping tonight."

 

[RubyZoo]

Skyler walked around her chosen home land, looking for some food. She listened carefully for some sound of animals but couldn't hear any. She headed deeper into the forest. She stopped as she saw Jewl stop. She listened for sounds and soon heard voices, thinking they were sounds of prey. She saw the group of heroes sitting in a small clearing. She ran and made noise in one direction but quickly went to the opposite, making no noise. She knew this would distract the and it would giver her the chance to strike one down. She aimed her arrow at one bulky guy but just as she was about to release her arrow, Jewl nudged her leg, making her aim off and landing in the middle of the group.

Glaring down at Jewl, She tried the same tactic but instead, ran in multiple places at one, making it seem as though their was more than one person around. Every time she was about to shot, Jewl came and messed it up. Growing tired after a moment, she rested by sitting on a rock and waited.

 

[Midrick]

Pat was awoken by a poke to his arm, and a voice telling him "I recommend you hide your tattoo better. Alot of the folks don't like having a Reaper among them, so unless you don't fancy keeping your head, wrap those bandages up tighter." Pat looked down and saw his exposed bicep, he groaned internally, he had alawys planned to have it removed, but it stayed as a reminder of his past mistakes. "First of all, let's not get anything confused , I am NOT a reaper anymore, I put that life behind me. This serves as a reminder of the mistakes I've made." He said as he motioned to the tattoo. "I'm not proud of some of the things I've done, they were fueled by vengeance, but vengeance doesn't really make you feel better, so I decided that I needed to leave before the bloodlust overcame me." He wrapped his bicep again with the bandages and pulled on a shirt. "As for what caused that commotion, Bad dream amplified by whatever Sahsi gave me. Made me freak out a little." Pat's armor was lying in the corner by his temporary bed in the medical tent, he put it on quickly and grabbed his axe that was lying on the floor. The medics had removed the stiches from his leg, he was finally able to walk around normally his ribs still were sore and protested during sudden motions, but he was no worse for wear aside from it.

He was about to exit the tent and walk with Jericho when he heard an all to familiar sound. Arrows. He ducked back into the tent and pulled Jericho in with him, he knew the man might protest so Pat put a finger up to his own lips, after he said in a hushed whisper "Someone's out there, I just heard an arrow whiz by not to far from where we were standing outside the tent." after he had finished the hushed sentencel he heard multiple rustling sounds, someone or something moving around in the underbrush. If what he thought was happening, they were either being surrounded by bandits or elves.
Kabboom Pilgrim59

 

[Kabboom]

Jericho

As Pat pulled him inside with a finger on his lip, Jericho was stunned to say the least. His hand was taken too off guard to carry the halberd with him, letting it fall to the ground with a resounding clang outside the tent. Shaking free, his leader instincts kicked in. "I know that. Stay inside, I'm dealing with it." He immediately got up, shaking himself free from the man's grasp with some difficulty, and casting a Shield Aura upon himself, just in case the shooter has their sights trained on the tent. Looking back one last time as he prepares to unveil the tent opening and sprint out, he gave the warrior one final stern look. "And get that tattoo covered. Reaper or not, it's still gonna freak people out."

The first thing that came to mind when the small man emerged from the tent, was that he didn't get nailed in the head with an arrow yet. With relief, he grabbed his weapon, its blade sliding across the ground, tracking dirt on both the handle and the blade, much to his discontent. Keeping low to the ground, he slithered his way towards the guardsmen in their entrenchments, who have also taken cover. Sliding to the dug up ground with a slight thud, he immediately moved to a position where observation was possible, his helm sliding on quickly.

According to the guardsmen, the first arrow landed in the middle of the encampment, with no harm done. The next few others landed randomly, narrowly missing guardsmen and other people. One came sailing right into the cavalrymen's tarps, but none were hurt. The arrows have stopped for now, but they must be vigilant. Judging by the inscriptions and general appearance of the loosed arrows, they are surrounded by Elves. All around the encampment, the air has changed, and the dread has now set in again. Those who could make it into the trenches were relieved, but a few other guardsmen on various duties and errands were stranded outside, taking cover behind whatever could block an arrow: wagons, boxes, crates, or even their own shields. Those who had helms, like sallets and armets, dutifully peeked up from the trenches, trying to spot the assailant.

The horses were no better, with only the plates at their heads protecting them from a fatal headshot. The ones in the tent encampments have ran out, just as they were instructed to in their training, and now the Wolfhorses ducked behind the wagons like dogs, their wolf genetics affecting enough of their biology to allow their legs to do so, although some of the Wolfhorses were beginning to breathe heavily from the pressure on their bellies. The cavalrymen who were on patrol at the perimeter dutifully did the same, their rider dismounting and laying prone in the foliage, while their horses laid down behind trees, their panting audible from even here. One of the cavalrymen gestured back at the guardsmen, before slowly crawling forward. Using wide hand gestures, Jericho ordered the man not to.

Devising a quick plan, Jericho made his way to the nearest trench hole with shields. Entering the hole, he stumbled upon a familiar blond infantryman, who seemed rather happy that the man had shown up. Standing over a hastily put-out campfire, guardsman Erik gave him a salute, hid full view from any potential enemy onlookers. Kwelek's night seemed to have worsened with the arrival of the Guardian, however, fidgeting more with his spear, while Umak simply nodded. Ignoring most of their actions, Jericho immediately slung his halberd behind his back, and grabbed a shield.

"Glad to see you here, sir--" the eager blond spoke, before being interrupted by a shield shoved into his hands. The guardsmen looked at him curiously, with Umak being the first to realize what they were going to have to do, eyes widening along with a gaping jaw.

"Sir, you can't be serious..." Umak spoke. Jericho noticed the hostility of this absolute insane maneuver, and activated Clarity. The facial expressions of the men eased up, and with Jericho's next explanation, their worries were almost all soothed.

"We're gonna interlock shields and move up, cover the entire front. 4 men oughta do it, and my Shield Auras should protect you should an arrow get through. I know Elvish, so I'll try negotiating with the bastards. If all else fails, I've got a flintlock that doesn't miss and a line full of guardsmen in trenches, plus a few Guardians and a Mage. If we engage, I want you to fall back, I'll go ahead with the offensive if it comes to that."

The guardsmen trio quickly grabbed the longest shields in the hole, before nodding to him, helmets fixed securely, greaves and gauntlets double-checked, and blades drawn from scabbards. Jericho issued a quick order to the men via hand signal, a clumped up fist first, then a splayed hand with the back of the hand facing his rear. 'Hold your fire until the enemy attacks', the gesture meant, and the men sprung into action, with archers and musketeers taking position, while the guardsmen begun passing around shields and extra armor plates. Some idly chewed their food in cover, as the four men emerged from cover, shields at the front.

With hunched backs to make sure the shields cover their feet, Jericho stood front and center, peeking over the shield to see, seeing as he probably had the highest quality helmet out of the four. They either looked like courageous heroes, doing the unthinkable, or absolute fools, seeking to get themselves killed. Moving at least 20 meters out into the open, with both Shield Aura and Clarity active to prevent any.... unfortunate mishaps, Jericho decided this was far enough. "Set up, shields down."

The metallic blocks slamming onto the ground as the men adopted a crouching position, Jericho yelled out towards the direction of the rustling of leaves and birds chirping in disarray. "Eeu'te gruf va'raam tai! Maa aa'si! Tou've!" The phrase meant "We are not your enemies! We are friendly! Come out!", albeit spoken in a broken Elvish accent. His Elvish lessons didn't stick well, and Jericho's shitty personal teacher didn't help either. The lad was only well versed in the Hesi tribe's speech, with almost no knowledge or regard for other dialects. So all he can do is hope that this Elven threat had someone who spoke Hesi.

​

Ulric was one of the trained cavalry riders who had foolishly volunteered to be on this quest. Boy, what he would do to take that back. For he now found himself starving, exhausted, dehydrated, on horseback, at night, in the Darkwoods. Not a particularly good chain of situations to be in individually, let alone combined. But his day was about to get better or worse. And judging by how things are going, it's probably the latter.

The main camp itself was under fire from some Elves or something, but he had other things to worry about, notably a scrawny man walking from the forest. Raising his Corlate*, Ulric yelled out to the man. "That's far enough. State your business. Who the hell are you?"

*Corlate (plural: Corlates): A small throwing spear/shortened javelin, the length of a man’s arm, usually slung on the back of a regular guardsman in clumps of 4-5. Colloquially referred to as ‘sticks’ and ‘throwers'.

Midrick RubyZoo U UnbelievableCow

 

[UnbelievableCow]

Desmond’s excitement faded all at once. It was hard to keep a positive attitude in such a place, and now there seems to be someone blocking his path. He was also partly upset at himself for not noticing Ulric sooner, but he would not admit it.

Desmond’s bloodshot eyes slowly tracked upwards until he met the gaze of Ulric. He realized for a moment that given the current state of his equipment, filthy and ragged, Desmond looked similar to a bandit. The only thing that set him apart from the common rabble was the golden hilt sticking from his tarnished scabbard.

In a gruff tone, Desmond replied. “I’m a traveler, traveling.” He knew two possibilities, that this was a guard from the camp or a bandit. The ladder seeming far fetched due to the tone of the guard. “Stopping me in these woods, smells a bit like banditry.” He said lowly perking up his brow at Ulric.

“So how about... That’s far enough. State your business. Who the hell are you?” Quick and almost mockingly, if he had the energy to do so. With this last sentence he drew his blade. A almost white blade, resembling a rapier however it held an edge. He positioned the point outwards, and prepared to use Cloud Step Incase he crossed a line with this man.

Kabboom

 

[RubyZoo]

Skyler heard everything that went on. She didn't respond when the man told her they were friendly. She saw two men, facing each other. She grabbed two arrows, and separated them. She let go, right as Jewl hit her leg again. Missing both, she saw Jewl run out. She tried catching her but it was to late. Jewl walked out of the bushes and went in between the two men.

Jewl: She knocked against Skyler's leg, knowing she shouldn't kill the men. When she saw the arrows miss, she ran out. She felt Skyler's hand almost grab her tail but easily got away from it. Hopping out of the bushes, she stood in between the men. She knew, anyway they reacted, Skyler and these strange people would meet.

Skyler: Watching Jewl hop out, she really wanted to follow but she knew it was best other wise. 'She always had crazy ideas' she though. She finally gave in and walked out. She put her bow around her shoulder and chest, letting her hands free and picking up Jewl, setting her on her shoulder. "You know, as soon as you spoke, I knew you weren't elf. Your accent is horrible but I do praise that you at least know it" she said, looking at everyone else.

Jewl: As she saw Skyler walk out, she gave a little bounce of joy. Getting picked up, she sat down on her shoulders, waiting to see what would happen next

 

[Pilgrim59]

Sashi

Hearthfall Season - Night
Sashi
Wagons, Darkwood​

• Reality Sequence
• Interacted/Mentioned

• 
  "Would you be kind enough to watch over our brothers, as I see to the status of the rest of our comrades, Boar?"
  
  "Leave it to me, missus."
  
  Sashi nodded at the sergeant's assurance with a smile of relief, as she took off towards the staging grounds, where a multitude of other guardsmen were either sleeping or tending to their flocks and equipment. Soon after, she ran into a friendly face, accompanied by two other guardsmen. Waving at the tall giant of a warrior, Sashi approached Gaheris with her bag full of nails and wooden planks.
  
  "Gentlemen, I intrude your time with a favor. Sir Gaheris, may I borrow you for some field repairs? Apologies for my urgency, but I would very much appreciate your hale and hearty strengths of arms - for which I am finite."
  
  
  
  Translation notes:
  N/A
  
• 
  Interacted: CrowOuttaHell
  
  Mentioned: N/A
  
  
  

 

[Vyseryx]

Margot
Barely had Margot turned to investigate a weird rustle on her side - a sign of possible new attackers – as the first arrow whistled between the soldiers, causing panic among the men. The sorceress herself dropped on her knee and put hand on the ground quickly forming a protective bubble around her body and then expanding it as quickly as she could afford. It was paper thin, but enough to stop two or three missiles.

Another arrows missed though, seemingly randomly scattered.

‘Is the enemy not trying to actually hit us?’ Margot thought, as Jericho deftly organised a phalanx of shield-wielding soldiers and shielding them with his powers, lead them in the direction from which the last arrow came. The attackers, whoever they were, apparently stopped shooting, causing the mage even more confusion. ‘What the hell are they doing?’

She grabbed a little dirt from the ground and clenched it in palm, focusing mana on grains.

“Flash and thunder,” she whispered and blew into her fist. The sand started glowing with a white light, charged up with enough energy to explode on contact, blinding and deafening attackers. The sorceress stood up and looked at Jericho speaking in broken elvish. Her eyes carefully looked between the trees – were another arrow to come, Margot was ready to give aggressors a bamboozle of their lives.

But before she could do anything, a single elf had walked out of the forest and started speaking to Jericho. She didn’t seem very hostile and apparently was alone; she also… criticised Jericho’s accent. Margot took a deep breath and suppressed a desire to go full warlock on this and execute girl on the spot. It seemed Jericho would be able to deal with that case, so the sorceress took down her barrier and resumed an already highly adventurous quest for supper. However, it was not yet her time – with a corner of her eyes, she had spotted an unknown man with unsheathed sword standing before Ulric.

‘Oh for fuck’s sake…,’ purple static flashed on her staff, as its tip suddenly burst into violet flames. The sorceress quickly marched towards the newly arrived and as she took the place on Ulric’s right, she stuck the sceptre into the ground, sending a muted shockwave through it.

“Put your weapon down, please,” Margot’s tone was deceptively calm, bringing to mind a silence before the storm. The sorceress’s body itched with a desire to burn something, anything really, as she looked Dresden in the eyes. “This is Guardian encampment, and we do not take kindly to strangers wagging their swords at us.”

U UnbelievableCow Kabboom

 

[Kabboom]

Jericho

It seems that his broken Elvish either worked, or this was a ruse to drop their guards, conveniently enough for a loose arrow to nail Jericho in the chest, or something along those lines. Good thing though, it seemed like the former was the case. A dwarf dragon, the size of a dog, sprinted out from the bushes, directly at the four-man formation. Kwelek immediately prepared his spear, positioning it in the center, ready to thrust forwards and skewer the beast through the jaw, just like in training. But as the thing ran closer and closer, the Guardian noticed that it didn't seem to be attacking, or at least, showing that it was attacking. He didn't see dwarf dragons often, but judging from what little experience he had, they don't run in such a carefree style when on the attack. Usually they'd at least bear their fangs, or use their wings.

"Kwelek, hold it!" He yelled at the last possible moment, having waited to see if the thing was pretending. Grabbing the guardsman's spear, he pulled the tip upwards, raising it into the sky. Unfortunately, the act made him reveal his body to the Elf, as the other guardsmen stared at him in dismay. The dwarf dragon came to a stop right near his position, and sat down as if it were just a normal dog, even slightly cocking its head in curiosity. Jericho was fully prepared for an arrow to break his Shield Aura as he ducked down, but it never came. Instead, a lone Elven girl stepped out of the bushes. Audaton immediately signals the guardsmen behind him to hold their fire, as the girl approached.

"Hot damn, what's a fine girl like her doing here?" the spearman murmured, slowly standing up alongside Jericho with his spear propping the man up.

"Shut it, Kwelly, she might hear us." responded Umak, following suit and sheathing his sword. He kept one hand on the shield though, and continued to keep his eyes on the dwarf dragon, which was now apparently trying to lick its own tongue.

"She seems normal too. Wonder if she has any more Elves with her?" asked Erik, propping himself upright with the shield as he clumsily sheathed his sword. His eyes remained open, gawking at the woman as she approached.

"Can it, here she comes." the Guardian finally spoke, shushing the men as the Elf came within earshot. Before he could even get a word out, the woman spoke first, with a stern voice.

"You know, as soon as you spoke, I knew you weren't elf. Your accent is horrible but I do praise that you at least know it." the dwarf dragon hopping back up onto her shoulder, Jericho stood there for a while, stupefied by the sudden criticism of his Elvish. He thought that maybe she would've had something more important to say, but at least this was a good measure of her demeanor: still an Elf, but not too Elvish. Or in other terms, at least she wouldn't kill him in his sleep.

Clearing his throat, he spoke. "I don't get a lot of practice. Why are you here?"

​

The ragged man identified himself as a traveler, and even dared to accuse Ulric, an Imperial cavalryman, of banditry, and asked him the same question he'd asked the man. Ulric was a professional, but even professionals have their limit, and as this little traveling trash-mouth will soon find out, a professional's limit becomes real easy to reach after a day of marching, and a night fighting bandits and giant serpents. Quickly flipping the Corlate as to hold it in an overhand position, a relaxed rein gives his Wolfhorse the command to get ready, growling and lowering its profile, ready to pounce.

"Threatening an Imperial official is punishable by jail. But seeing as there aren't any around..." Ulric himself prepared for the inevitable clash, lowering his profile to ensure he doesn't fall off when his Wolfhorse springs forward. "...I guess death will work just as well-"

His words, and his attack, were interrupted by the sudden arrival of a Mage. Slamming a staff burning with a bright violet flame into the ground, both Ulric and his mount were stunned, from both the surprise and the muted shockwave coursing through the ground. Easing up, he pulled back on the reins, and the Wolfhorse followed suit, raising its body to normal height again. The Corlate in hand was still prepared to throw, in case the raggedy man had any tricks up his sleeves. The rider doubted it, but it was still a possibility.

U UnbelievableCow Vyseryx RubyZoo

 

[UnbelievableCow]

The words of the Ulric didn't reach Desmond, as he was to concentrated on thinking of the proper route to take. ~Down... no trampled. Right, yes, up grap weapon release cloud step. That'll work... well depending on his balance. I'd need to get out of the way of...~ His thought was interrupted by a quick shudder of the ground. Coming back into the real world, Desmond notices a new face. His will to fight plummeted, as he relized he didn't notice Margot's approach. His situational awareness was at an all time low, due to traveling and changes in his energy. Whoever this new person was, she made Desmond feel exhausted just by her presence.

It was fairly easy to see the chain of command, as the guard backed down. He took a second to move his gaze from Ulric to Margot. He made eye contact, but there wasn't much to it. His gaze was just to address the right person. "Guardians... why didn't you just say so." He said sluggishly, sheathing his weapon. It took two tries as he fumbled to fit the sword into it's slot. He took a deep breath and continued "Its odd to see Guardians out here, so it didn't cross my mind. Only bandits around here most of the time." It was a passable statement. Although Desmond knew about the guardians, he assumed most people didn't.

This situation wasn't what Desmond had planned, but it would work. However, he was starting to question his decision. If the camp consists of more people like this woman, then he would find it hard to use his abilities. Then again, maybe that is not a bad thing.

Kabboom Vyseryx

 

[QizPizza]

Audun the Fallen

Location: The Dark Forest
Status: Tired/Weary
Disposition: Slightly Good
Interacting With: Vyseryx U UnbelievableCow
Mentioned: RubyZoo

"What is all this commotion?" Audun followed Margot as she went to confront the elf. The woman was on edge. Not exactly a good thing, given that she was one of the most powerful mages Audun has ever met. Well, not good for the elf, of course. He had little doubt that Margot would go over the edge like he might. Magic might be unpredictable, but person behind it was. The same could not be said for the Dark. Audun did not want to get angry. The nightmare had not exactly left his state of mind in a safe place.

In his attempt to keep himself away from Taryn, he only drove his desires through the roof. This was a particular problem right now. The elf was was rather attractive, nothing in comparison to Taryn in his opinion, but his desires did not care. His mind began to flood with all sorts of fantasies, especially with the knowledge that none of the Imperial soldiers would particularly care what happened to an elf that just attempted to attack the caravan. When he saw Margot move along, he had to follow, before he did something he would immediately regret.

“Put your weapon down, please. This is Guardian encampment, and we do not take kindly to strangers wagging their swords at us.”

The mage's staff created burst into a purple flame and sent a shockwave through the ground as she addressed the man. Knowing that the situation should be more...diplomatic, Audun allowed the Darkness within him to reach out for negative emotions. It wasn't like the Darkness wasn't already surging through his veins from his nightmare, so there was little to lose. The moment he began to feel for that which the Darkness was attracted to, his own Dark was immediately drawn towards Margot. The calm demeanor the sorceress portrayed did not hide the aggression she felt. Her desire for violence was not as intense as it could've been, but Audun was much more sensitive to it right now.

"Guardians... why didn't you just say so.... Its odd to see Guardians out here, so it didn't cross my mind. Only bandits around here most of the time."

The man in question had a far weaker pull than Margot. Some traces of fear or anxiety perhaps, given the situation, but nothing that Audun could pinpoint. He was rather ordinary looking, with his face bearing all the signs of sleep deprivation. A face that Audun knew all too well. The man did not seem to be too cooperative or informative, so Audun approached the man and spread his wings out. Intimidation was his goal. "I suggest you don't attempt to fight. You are far outnumbered and you have nothing to gain. Make this simple for all of us and just tell us why you're traveling the Forrest by yourself."

This man might run, and from the looks of him, he could outrun Margot and the soldier on foot, but not the horse. Any man would know this, but in terms of maneuverability, a young man would have far greater agility than a horse, a man in armor, a hag with some body modifications, and a Nephilim. That could easily change. Audun allowed the Dark to surge through his veins to allow Equilibrium to take effect. Now, all of them should feel slightly more agile than a reasonably in shape 40-year-old farmer. Should being the key word. He wasn't sure how far Equilibrium would reach, and he wasn't about to start running around just to test how agile he made everyone. If the elf and all the guards were affected, the situation may prove far more troublesome than the situation already was.

 

[Midrick]

Pat watched as Jericho exited the tent, he would have followed, but he doubted his ability to run had been reastablished. After they had found where the sniper was he walked out. Being one of the largest humans in the group and the imposing look of his red-on-grey armor didn't usually help with defusing volatile situations, but what the hell, some practice could help with him not just killing first and asking questions later. As he approached Jericho and a small squad of shielded Spearman, he noticed the ears. His grip tightened on the staff of his axe, although he had said revenge never really helps in the long run, there was a fire raging inside of him, he was constantly walking the razors edge of morality. Should he use restraint or do what his instincts and truthfully what part of him wanted to do. He felt the invisible weight of the mark on his right arm in its entirety. He half walked, half limped towards Jericho and finally stood next to some of the Spearman, one of them even going as far as trying to hit on the woman who could have put a shafts of steel tipped wood between his ears. She didn't look much older than Pat himself, but he couldn't help but have negative thoughts, he had tried to let go of his vendetta against a whole people, but a primordial rage erupted like a volcano whenever he saw an Elf, and the feelings of the day he returned and found his life ripped away from him hit like a giants fist, making him even more resentful and hating. It were these feelings that turned him into nothing more than a primal being that thrived on savagery on the battlefield, the worse part was that he eventually learned that he could control himself while in that state of mind, but the voice in the back of his head told him that it was a choice that he was brutal on the fields of battle, not reflex or instincts.

He let his negative emotions out like a bottle of champagne being opened, the pressure forcing the cork off at high speed. But he didn't do anything, he was learning to control his power. He flexed his neck, hearing the pops that resounded from his neck he felt something, he couldn't find words to describe it, simply because he had never expierenced anything like it. He felt like he was attracting something, something that was close. His helmet was off, so his field of vision wasn't obstructed, he assumed whatever he was feeling was magical in origin and it wasn't Jericho. He looked around and deduced that whoever could be doing it was the paladin, his wife, or the mage. He waited for the newcomer to speak after a semi-insult to Jerichos attempt at elvish. Pat knew a language, all but dead except his homelands and the reapers. He chuckled at the small dragon, he had never seen anything like it before, apparently they did exist albeit not for long in the wild, probably picked off by a predator because of its small size. "So along with his question, any particular reason for being in a forrest known for its infestations of evil predators that want to kill you?" He said this with Sarcasm, Jericho probably didn't need the help, but it was probably a good idea to start branching out and trying to make friends with people who he would probably be fighting with. He would make a note to talk to the mage and Audun in private when he got the chance, the woods were a weird place and it would be better to know whatever freaky dark shit was out there and capable of doing than going in blind.

Kabboom RubyZoo

Mentioned: QizPizza Vyseryx

 

[RubyZoo]

"I live here." she said with confidence. She sat down on a nearby rock and waved her hands around. Her arrows came back dodged all the men standing around. She got up again and looked at all of them. "Sorry about the attack. Jewl kept moving my leg so I wouldn't hit any of you so you should thank her. I thought you were wolves or deer. I can be really dumb at times, even though I was the smartest of my family. Don't worry though, I am her alone with Jewl" saying the last part in a soft voice, petting Jewl.

Suddenly, a question popped up in her head. "What are you guys doing here?" she asked with interest. She stayed standing and watched the men with curious eyes. As she watched the men, she felt Jewl hop down. She didn't try to stop her though, knowing she had a reason for what she did.

Jewl: As she hopped off of Skyler, she ran towards the group of men and started sniffing everyone. She last went to Jericho and prompting him to pick her up, seeing as he was the leader of the group

Midrick Kabboom & everyone else involved

 

[Kabboom]

Jericho

Jericho's right eye twitched. A rather subtle movement of the eyelids, the man didn't even notice it at first, but after the next few times, it became clear he was, for some reason, unable to control his right eye. As the girl spoke and the dragon sniffed everyone, the Guardian glanced around to see what was going on with his remaining eye. Pat had limped up, axe in hand, and was now cracking the joints in his neck with every slow turn of the head. The rest of the guardsmen were faring worse than Jericho, with old Umak darting his eyes around frantically in some sort of terror that cannot be expressed, naive Erik with his jaw agape, in awe of something, and Kwelek steeling himself with a firm grip on his spear and a sharp eye, teeth gritting against each other as if he were a Wolfhorse starved for too long in the stables.

The telltale signs of Darkness nearby. Either someone here has been corrupted by the Darkborne, perhaps part of the many Darkborne cults plaguing the Empire, or their negative emotions were being released. The latter part held firm ground in his mind, as he recalled Pat's time as a Reaper, and their usual... activities concerning Elves. Activating Clarity for Lord-knows how many times within this day, Jericho eased the minds of everyone around, including Pat and the Elf girl, just to make sure nothing happens. He was going to need a drink after this if this is any indication of the work he'll be pulling in the days to come.

With the guardsmen returning to normal, the Guardian finally answered the Elf's question. "We're Guardians, on a quest sanctioned by the Empire. You mentioned your family. Where are they now? Why are you alone?" he asked, awkwardly picking up the dwarf dragon, whom he presumes to be named Jewl. He held it with both hands, keeping it a fair distance from him, as if he were a puppy or an infant who had soiled their diaper. Whilst waiting for an answer, and trying not to get some of Jewl's drool on his gauntlets, Umak whispered in his ear.

"Psst, Guardian, on your six. Lady inbound." Turning to look at the lady in question, Jericho saw no other than Maria herself. He knew that her reputation capitalized heavily on her xenophobia and racism, but seeing as she was now in range of his Clarity, Audaton had no worry of her starting a fight with the Elven newcomer. And besides, if she had any intention to start a fight, she would've ordered the guardsmen to nail the Elf with a well aimed arrow or musket shot.

"Maria. Why are you he-" Jericho started, before briefly interrupted by Maria, who chose to spoke in a hushed tone so that the Elf would not hear.

"Be wary of the Elf, Audaton. Their kind is good for banditry and jungle foraging, but not much else. I am aware of the Elfling in our group, and I do hope you do not use her as your mental image for all Elves. Their appearances deceive. Be wary of them."

Trappy Midrick RubyZoo

​

Ulric simply idled around on his horse, putting up a facade of 'menacing cavalryman' as the mage, and the Seraph, took over for him. The mage was clearly high-strung, and her appearance is off-putting to him somehow. Make no mistake, he will not hesitate to bend her over a table and do her like a pig if the stars aligned enough for that to happen, but her beauty seems... artificial, handcrafted somehow. Not that it was not beautiful, it just seemed to be untrue. The Seraph on the other hand, reeked of confidence, going so far as to spread his wings, most likely as an intimidation tactic. If he had lived in the frontier, then he would've known extending his prized wings were the last thing any sane Seraph should do. Makes it easier to cut them in one swing. Come to mind, Ulric can't recall the current price for an Angel's wings. At a rough guess, somewhere between 1000 and 3000 Silvers? Not cutthroat expensive, but not exactly a cheap household decoration, either.

Simply lowering his Corlate arm, Ulric made himself look as tough as possible, despite the fact he was standing next to a very angry sorceress with a staff that's burning purple, and a full blown Seraph paladin. So, not very tough at all.

U UnbelievableCow Vyseryx QizPizza

 

[Unwavering Knight]

Pryonn & Kaatl

"An hour it shall be then." spoke the knight, seeing the mage and commander off, Kaatl on his shoulder waving them goodbye.

Some tumult gripped the camp, arrows being fired from random directions into the caravan, the guards locking their shields into a fortified position, the officers barking orders and trying to make sense of the sudden situation. For but a few minutes, it seemed like glorious battle was on the rise again, allowing the knight to fling himself into danger once anew - only for the perpetrators to turn out to be but a single elf-maiden, the girl sheepishly surrendering, apparently not entirely aware of the sheer danger that haphazardly-fired arrows could pose to surprised fleshy beings.

As it was, the situation looked to be rapidly resolved, with the mage and officers and other curious figures addressing the newcomer with wary curiosity. Adequate, the knight supposed, even if he personally preferred more dramatic resolutions to violent situations - for what else could pump him up to sing but war and love?

Turning from the ensuing de-escalation, the knight instead set his sights upon the cave once more. With everyone busy trying themselves at the usual formalities, the source of disturbance of which the mage had spoken remained in the dark depth. The fairy on the knight's shoulder tilted her head, looking at her plated friend with confusion as an idea formed in his mind. Vigorousely shaking her head, trying to persuade him towards self-restraint, she quickly had to grasp onto his armor for a tenuous hold as Pryonn suddenly set himself in motion, barrelling towards the cave with his banner held high as he shouted "On for glory to reap! Into the fires we leap!"

 

[Sybil]

Spessartite Phos​

The living mineral deposit couldn’t help but smile as well with Clanus, seeing how now he saw Leafa’s simple nature. She never seemed to hold any ill will or mince words, the simple child always telling how it is. That and her simple lack of caring about her rock form made for an easy go at friendship.

“Pip is a good name isn’t it?” She lightly patted the girl’s hair, looking up to the man to address him. “Clanus ‘uh? Well my name Spezertite!”

Despite her slight pronunciation difference to the spelling of her own name, hopefully, the accent would provide a way to reverse engineer the name into proper spelling.

Around this time was when the arrows began to randomly strike the ground, at first not recognizing the thwip of an arrow, only to be reminded as one lands a little too close for comfort. A wall of thick dirt arose and had a small roof form from the direction the arrow seemed to come from judging by it’s landing in the dirt, her hands grabbing Leafa instinctively yet making sure not to move her hand where her mouse friend was. She wouldn’t lower their cover for Clanus and her companion until she was sure it was ok, finally seeing the supposed archer pop up to chat with guardians. Her jaw tightened, worked up now and ready to spit up some anger. She turned to Clanus, who was likely as informed as she was.
“What the fuck is goin on??!”

Kabboom -robert-

 

[UnbelievableCow]

Desmond had a good sense for the energies within a certain radius of him, however he could not pinpoint the origins of these energies. Which made the sudden change nearby confusing for him. This same confusion only fed into the rapid changes leaving Desmond stunned for a moment. Luckily for him, a new figure approached and started to speak.

Desmond stands at 6’1 and generally is taller than most, so instinctively he turned with his gaze tilted down. In his imbalance, the figure looked to be a massive shadow stretching out around him. Tilting his head backwards his vision adjusted and in front of him stood a massive winged man. ~Guardians and Angels... must be some serious darkborne about.~ He thought as he could see no other explanation for the current group that had assembled here. Desmond missed a bit of what the man said, but he got the general idea.

“I only plan on fighting darkborne... that is why I’m here. However, bandits swarm this area so I’m always ready to protect myself which lead to this misunderstanding.” he said patting his sheathed sword. He then placed his left hand on the hilt, not as any type of display but just to rest his hand. “I’d guess one of those two things brought you out here, yes?” He continued lazily raising one eyebrow at the Seraph.

Desmond felt relatively safe at that moment, sure he wasn’t out of the woods yet, but they didn’t seem keen on fighter so the worse thing that could happen is detained. However, what was lingering in his mind was the sudden change in energies in the surrounding area.

Kabboom Vyseryx QizPizza

 

[RubyZoo]

"My family and I are lone elves. Once we are old enough, we go out on our own to find a home for ourselves. This is my new home and ever since I left, always has been" she responded, telling the short story. She sat diwn on a rock and watched as a women whispered to the man she was talking to. She got up when the women was done talking.

"Well, I better be on my way. Jewl hasn't had her mind-day snack" she said, calling for Jewl to follow her.

Jewl: When she got picked up, she looked at Jericho right in the eyes. She hung out her tounge like a dog, showing she wanted to be played with. When she got called over to Skyler, she didn't hesitate to jump out of his hands a next to Skyler.

Kabboom

 

[QizPizza]

Audun the Fallen

Location: The Dark Forest
Status: Tired/Suspicious
Disposition: Slightly Good
Interacting With: Vyseryx U UnbelievableCow
Mentioned:

“I only plan on fighting darkborne... that is why I’m here. However, bandits swarm this area so I’m always ready to protect myself which lead to this misunderstanding. I’d guess one of those two things brought you out here, yes?”

"Something of the former." The paladin eased up a little bit, but couldn't help but wonder about this expedition as a whole. How many strays have them acquired since they met at Frontierville? No. The better question is how many of the people in this group are actually supposed to be here? Audun knew that he was specifically called here, while Maria and Jericho were the first to arrive. The paladin believed that Pyronn, Margot, Sashi, and that one disappearing giant were part of the original group, but all the others were picked up along the way. Pat, Taryn, and practically all the elves in the group were strays. What has this group come to, accepting random people into their ranks in this classified mission.

"Do you have a name? I find it hard to trust a man whose name I do not know. I, myself, am Audun the Paladin," With what immediate risk apparently gone, Audun opted for the more cordial approach. He closed his wings and suppressed the Dark inside of him to the best of his ability. If this man meant any harm, he would've felt it, but Audun erred on the side of caution and kept his grip on his sword. One does not simply walk through the Darkwoods unharmed by themselves without significant powers. This man is either extremely lucky, or as powerful as a Guardian. "Also, I would like to know how you managed to traverse the Darkwoods without getting yourself killed. No normal soldier makes it through these woods by themselves alive."

 

[Vyseryx]

Margot
The sorceress welcomed Audun’s arrival. Taking care of the conversation for a moment, the Seraph gave her time to collect herself and calm down. The newly arrived man seemed to bear no ill intent towards the group, though one could never take such things for granted.

“Also, I would like to know how you managed to traverse the Darkwoods without getting yourself killed. No normal soldier makes it through these woods by themselves alive,” said Audun, bringing up a logical point to the conversation.

“I’d also wouldn’t mind if you told us, why exactly are you even travelling here for. ‘Fighting Darkborne’ by going alone in the forest seems… rather foolish.”

QizPizza U UnbelievableCow

 

[UnbelievableCow]

The immediate concern of the group seemed to have faded, not to imply anyone was comfortable but it didn’t feel like anyone was on edge either. The two then proceeded with questions on how Desmond made his way out here, and why he came alone. He knew in his mind that traversing these woods by oneself is quite dangerous, but something like that wouldn’t stop him even in his current state. Desmond did not want to lie to these people, but there is also a few things he’d rather not divulge. Luckily he had the perfect median already in mind.

“My name is Desmond, I have no claim to any other name.” He said blankly. This was something Desmond decided a long time ago. He was simply Desmond, and any previous ties to family were broken. For his previous family, but mostly his own pride and honor. “There isn’t anyway to say this without you thinking me a madman. So I’ll be blunt.” He took a second to compose himself before speaking again. “I am a broken man... my own hubris caused my downfall. I seek to not only mend myself, but to find new meaning. Fighting is all I know, and I only have one enemy.” Not a single word out of his mouth was false, and this was indeed Desmond’s main reasoning for coming here. However, there was more to it that he was not ready to tell.

“I have opened myself to you because I have trust in this nations guardians, and I hope you no longer see me as a threat.” Desmond’s energy was starting to settle. He had collected his thoughts, and was no longer in conflict with himself. This allowed him to speak so freely and confident.

QizPizza Vyseryx

 

[CrowOuttaHell]

Gaheris Agramar

Scarcely had the group taken their first bites of serpent flesh that a familiar face drew near- at least to one member. Gaheris looked up, suddenly uninterested in sleep and meat- duty called, and, hell- what did he know? He was a slave giant.

Both guardsmen looked up, Lyle in particular looking as if he already had a protest on his tongue- the giant's greatsword had been the knife they used to carve the roasted meat. Karl quickly silenced him by shooting him a glare.
"Actually--" Lyle began to speak up, though Karl, disgruntled, cut in.
"Oi, leave him be. He's a free giant. Aren't you Gaheris?"

Gaheris just set down his greatsword, stifled a yawn, and noticed the materials held in the druid's hands.

"Repairs...? Count...on me..."

Pilgrim59

 

[Vyseryx]

Margot
There was somethings insincere in the way Desmond explained his motivation. After decades spent surrounded with elusive mages, who made their personal goals to show as little of their true emotions and motivations as humanly possible, seeing through this trickery was not hard for Margot. However, despite hiding something, the man apparently had no ill intent towards the group.

“I have opened myself to you because I have trust in this nations guardians, and I hope you no longer see me as a threat.”

“Not as immediate threat anyway,” Margot said, looking at Audun. “If you think it’s fine for him to stay, then could you show him around? I have other things to attend to.”

With that said, the sorceress walked away in the direction of the newly arrived elf. The situation there seemed to be under control, and after getting perfectly sure that it was the case, sorceress discretely moved to the fire and snatched a little bit of meat. She was starving and irritated, and eating in relative peace could get rid of both of this issues.

U UnbelievableCow QizPizza

 

[QizPizza]

Audun the Fallen

Location: The Dark Forest
Status: Tired/In Disbelief
Disposition: Slightly Good
Interacting With: Vyseryx U UnbelievableCow Kabboom
Mentioned:

“I have opened myself to you because I have trust in this nations guardians, and I hope you no longer see me as a threat.”

“Not as immediate threat anyway,” Margot said, looking at Audun. “If you think it’s fine for him to stay, then could you show him around? I have other things to attend to.”

"I'll make sure he doesn't get into trouble." The man was definitely being more suspicious than he could be. Desmond did not appear to be a particularly good liar, nor good at avoiding the question. He didn't even bother to address Audun's second question regarding how he was able to make it this far alone. A simple answer such as "I encountered no Darkborne" or "I'm a powerful sorcerer" would've sufficed in the immediate situation, but he only talked about himself. Audun did not like the man, but he would put up with him like all the others in the group. Of some people, Audun had a higher opinion after a while, and perhaps this would be the case with Desmond, but as it stands, this man is far too suspicious. The Nephilim turned towards Desmond, ignoring the fact that he did not answer every question the fallen angel gave, and simply stated, "Follow me."

Audun would lead the man back towards the encampment. As the two walked, Audun managed to bring the Dark in him back under control. He would have to watch how liberal he was with his use of those powers, otherwise, those dreams might start coming back again. Those nightmares disturbed him. They felt so familiar, and yet...he could never remember who the people in that dream were. The paladin pushed those thoughts away and turned his attention to Desmond. "So, Desmond. This is our group. The man with the halberd is Jericho, the leader of this group. The woman beside him is Maria. I'm sure you've heard of her if you've spent anytime in a major city. We're going to talk to them about your...situation."

The Nephilim approached the commander with caution, feeling the effects of his ability Clarity working. Audun did not know the limits of that ability, but it is almost certain that Jericho might hurt himself if he pushes Clarity to far. Audun could hardly keep his own emotions in check, much less imagine suppressing the emotions of others. "Jericho, we have...another stray. And..." Looking back at the female elf, Audun noticed that she wasn't riddled with musket balls or arrows yet, nor has she left. "It appears that woulds make two strays in one night. Brilliant... Don't push yourself too far, Audaton. I'm sure your ability has its limits. It would be a shame if you died from an aneurysm."