Fantasy &nbsp; The Four Courts RP [closed]

HeartOfFerria

Whenever Richter would return to his room, he would find a worn leather-bound novel resting on his bed. The pages were worn and weathered, water damage having withered the pages, water having set in perhaps more than once. When he would go to flip the pages (if he flipped the pages), he would find that some fell out, though there was one in particular that was bookmarked.

Who set it there was anyone's guess, though, given its contents, Richter would probably have a clue.

(The content of this page will be disclosed to Scrapmaster via PM, which he can then share at Richter's discretion)

Meanwhile, within the halls, behind Valery and Quinn rang another voice, one both tinged with annoyance and assertion. "Wait! Quinn, Valery!" A bag slumped down beside the two female mages, and if they turned they would find Tiru, dressed in a tunic of cerulean blue and a bow strung over his shoulder. He seemed a bit more refreshed since their voyage to the Outskirts, the dark circles vanishing from under his eyes and the stubble on his chin now gone from a clean shave.

"I would like to accompany you ladies to Sanctus Heights," Tiru explained. "If you will have me. I too am seeking answers. I believe with this information we can better help the court–and Lady Aislinn."

–Sanctus Heights: Mastiff's office–

Elrandir

With an ankle crossed over his knee, the lieutenant sat back in his chair as he listened to the debate within the room.

"So this was a blood seal," Mastiff mused. "Most interesting. What I am wondering indeed is whether this had anything to do with the mage courts, specifically Vivifica. There have been a lot of events recently that have tied back to Vivifica's name: Itika smuggling, a train wreck, and now this."

"Regardless, we must keep an open mind, but I think we have some good deduction going on here. Someone with magical potential awakened the seal, and this seal, I assume, was a spirit of some kind? But, as my friend Vlad pointed out"–he gestured with a nod toward the Somnum mage as he spoke–"what happened to the soul once the automaton stopped moving? Could it have been killed, or did it return to the Spirit Realm? Why would it have chosen to attack rather than flee the scene? It seems that it put up a great deal of resistance for merely wanting to survive."

Drawing a slip of parchment, Mastiff scribbled a number of notes, finally rubbing his chin before looking up over the rim of his glasses. "Some of you were there, so tell me: do you feel that the damage upon the city was deliberate? Did it seem to focus on any one of you in particular? What exactly what happening when it shifted from its position?"

He cleared his throat. "To me, it seems that it must have been awakened remotely, as there was no one else but the Ignis mages there at the scene, yes? And surely this was not the handiwork of any of you." It was a statement, though there was a hint of concern in Mastiff's voice as he said it.

Alarm flickered to life in Lieutenant Mastiff's face as Diane bit her thumb and started drawing on the blood–on his wall! He leapt from his seat, gripping the edge of his desk nervously, though did not halt her progress, and instead watched with both horror and fascination as she created the blood seal. "So that is how it works," he said, once her show was over. "Thank you for demonstrating that to us, Miss Diane. So it would seem that this could have been any kind of blood seal, or can we tell by the sigil what sort it was? I'm sorry, I am no mage, and some of this I will admit is going over my head. I'm grateful to have you all here, as you folks are the experts in this department."

The lieutenant was silent for a moment as he contemplated Diane's question, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Nothing in particular has been going on in town as of late. Just the absent of Vivifica, as you well know. We did have a group of tourists pass through Sanctus Heights last week, but they were not even mages, or at least were not labeled as such. Beyond that, the arrival of the courts, by far, is the most activity we've seen as of late. However, the automaton is open to the public, day and night, so there is no telling who or what might've had access to it to attempt this drawing."

–Sanctus Heights Carriages, en route to the Vivifica Temple–

Endless Thundaza ,

Elrandir ,

RikuXIII

Carriage #1 (Mabel, Mia, Jynn) (1-3 seats remaining)

Endless Thundaza

When Jynn approached Mabel's eyes widened, locking on his and seeming at a loss for words. Her fists clenched tightly as they rested on the leather seat, and it was finally the elder that spoke. "There is room aplenty, boy. And besides, if you're here with us we can keep a better eye on you." The elder offered Jynn a wink, making it clear that her words were in jest.

Mabel seemed rather grateful that Mia chose for her, as she seemed a bit strained whenever it came to Jynn. There were many eyes trained on her, and she had to keep her behavior in check. No favoritism could be poured out to any one mage, especially not a Vivifica one, and if the elders found out that she was best friends with the heir of the court . . . .

A saddened expression crossed over her face as she bowed her head low, averting her gaze from the Vivifica mage's. "I hope that these carriages suit you," she said, tone strained. "While they are not the finest that Sanctus Heights has to offer, they should suit our needs. Will Melstrome be alright?"

"Who's Melstrome?" Mia inquired, turning to glance at the priestess and then at Jynn. Mabel bit her lip and looked away. "The mage's horse, Lady Mia."

Mia merely made a disinterested grunt, glancing out the window once more. Whether she wondered how Mabel knew of the horse's name, it was unclear, as she chose not to press the matter further.

Carriage #2 (Nero, Mellark, Arkane, Daruk (Driver)) (1-3 seats remaining)

Stardustblade358

Once Mellark saw to it that Professor Nero and the other female mages were seated in their respective carriages, Mellark retreated to the carriage with Nero, sitting alongside her while neatly tucking his javelin away underneath their feet. The mage brushed his long ice-blue locks over his shoulder as Arkane asked entrance, merely nodding and seeming disinterested in the newest arrival. He propped his chin on his hand, gaze searching out the window.

"I do wonder how long of a ride this shall be," Mellark commented dully. "I haven't slept well in some time, and a nap suits me."

The boisterous words of Daruk echoed throughout the carriage, and Mellark jerked upright as the weight of Daruk shifting into the driver's seat shook their carriage. He blinked, twice, before letting out a sigh and shaking his head. "At this rate with him steering our car there is no hope for any rest," he complained. Thank goodness Daruk was not his maester.

Carriage #3 (vacant)

–Sanctus Heights: The Viridian Villa–

HeartOfFerria ,

Nero Kunivas

The alarm from Gabriel caught Tibarn by surprise, though there was some merit to what he was saying. The job was insanely risky, but that payout was a bit too good to pass up.

"You don't have to do this if you don't want to, Gabriel," Tibarn said gently. "It's a lot, I know. Even I am a bit wary, but that reward, man. It's almost too good to be true, and Vaike seems like a fair enough guy to be working for."

When Arno suggested that they ask him about his intentions, the rogue gave a swift nod. "Not a bad thought, though I don't know how much he's going to be wanting to share since we're just the hired help. Still wouldn't hurt to ask." A frown furrowed Tibarn's brow, his gaze shifting out the window. "But, you know, maybe he has a good reason for kidnapping her. I mean, I've never met the priestess and know next to nothing about her, but what good are those holy ones doing in their Grand Cathedral, while the rest of us are left to suffer? What did they do for the city when the automaton attacked, and what are they doing for The Outskirts? I hear that their mages are being killed left, right, and sideways by wraiths or some kind of evil spirits supposedly, and Sanctus Heights does didly squat to help. And how come Regalia doesn't have any of these problems? Maybe I just get creeped out by organizations, but I think some people are just far too willing to follow what they've always known rather than ask questions."

Tibarn turned to face his comrades. "All I'm saying is that we can't say he's wrong for what he's wanting to do without knowing all the facts. Let's go talk to him." The rogue opened the door to the room, allowing his comrades out before heading out of the room himself.

If they ventured downstairs they would find Vaike downstairs, pacing the length of the sitting room. It was vacant, as per usual, and even the front desk was devoid of its service attendant. The sign on her desk indicated that she was at lunch.

–Sanctus Heights: Warehouse District–

HeartOfFerria

A squeak escaped Remy as Ronin threw in the comment about his infatuation with Zion, shooting a glance between the two women. Would either of them try to stab him, too? "I never said anything of the sort!" he blurted, color flooding in his freckled cheeks as he flailed his arms. "I owe Zion my life, that is all! Despite all that I'd done, she still saved my life and sees good in me, and I want to pay her back however I can. That's it!"

He turned his back on the couple, though shot Ronin a death glare. "What about you? I saw the way that you were staring at her in the sunlight this morning. Too bad she's not into guys like you, huh?"

The arguing between Remy and Ronin may have drowned out the footsteps and voices that were approaching, though with a keen ear from an observant individual, they may notice that they would have company soon if they did not retreat.

–Sanctus Heights: Everyth Castanova–

Nero Kunivas

In a lone lobby sat Everyth Castanova, dark leggings blending well with the charred ground upon which she sat. She held her head in her hands as her violet gaze stretched across the city. She had volunteered to stay behind and aid the mages in restoring Sanctus Heights, but what could she do, really? She was no Vivifican mage with their healing magic, not even an Ignis mage with their earth manipulation. All that Everyth could do was cast darkness and shadows, nothing that anyone here would want, especially now.

She should've gone with Gerik, aiding the mages as they traversed the continent toward Vivifica Temple. And yet, she didn't want to confront Aislinn. Not particularly. Worst, she felt underwhelmingly unappreciated by her court. Pali and Gerik both openly humiliated her, Eclaire did not want to be friends and instead embraced Eleanor, the fickle and unpredictable young woman. Things were not going well in the court of Umbra for her, to the point where she felt that she did not belong. A silent tear trickled down her cheek and darkened the already dark cloth of her leggings; when did she start crying? An Umbra mage does not cry.

(Sorry, no post for Shiroo tonight, but he is still in the central square with the others)

Xion136 · Aug 8, 2019

Eclaire de Wynter - Umbra - with Feynne

Eclaire was slightly taken back by Feynne wanting to go. The road to Vivifica would be dangerous, and arrival would be even worse. With that in mind, she took a step forward and held the young girl...then sighed softly. "If you truly wish to come with me, Feynne, then you may. The ride will be long and dangerous. It will be dangerous once we arrive. I do not wish to put you in danger, but I can't really tell you to not go." She patted her head. "If you are willing, then come. The carriages wait."

If Fyenne chose to go, she would head out to collect Eleanor.
"Might as well go and take the rest of the seats in Carriage One." She said. "There's room, and we might as well get to know the Priestess. After all...if we're going to side with her, we might as well decide if she's worth siding with." And with that, she headed for the First Carriage, to steal the last seats. If unable to, they'd head to the third carriage.

Nero Kunivas

Kagura Sumeragi - Somnum - Saying goodbye

Kagura blushed a bit, hugging Nero back. Face lighting up, Kaga would curtsie. "I...I won't let you down, Professor!" With a rapt nod, Kagura would wait until the carriages would depart after bowing and wishing well anyone else who talked to him, sending a few waves sent their way, before finally heading to help.

Mystics Apprentice

Makoto Suzaku - Ignis - With Henry

Makoto, whose weapon purchase was currently coiled around her waist, immediately began tugging Henry to the last, vacant carriage, henceforth known as Carriage Three. "This way! Let everyone be cramped and crowded!" She said. "Plus if we're near the front and we're attacked, we'd have less time to react....though if we're ambushed we get the fun faster! So win win." She would not, still dragging poor Henry over.

Scrapmaster

Zion and Eden - Vivifica/Umbra - Warehouse District

As the others talked, Eden looked to Isabelle. "Hello. Yes, of Umbra. my marriage to Zion is why my standing is currently terrible." She sighed softly, rubbing the back of her head. "Anywa-"
"Hey."
Zion stepped out from behind a crate, shoving clothes into Eden's arms. "Take these with you." Zion was now clad in a sports bra and what amounted to spats, her hair tied into a single low ponytail near the nape of her neck. For those who knew flying, what Zion had done was reduce all instance of drag she could from her person. Eden sighed and took it. "Be careful."
Zion kissed her wife. "See you th-" Eden silenced her and shoved her behind a crate. "Footsteps!" The espionage-trained mage seethed. "Quiet and hide! Back door!" She ordered, cutting them all off. She hadn't answered everyone yet, but time to continue proper introductions was later. "Go out the back. Zion has to fly, to warn Vivifica." She grabbed Isabelle by the arm, dragging her. Zion already was halfway to the back door, jogging to conserve strength.

She was the only one fast enough to warn Vivifica.

Nero Kunivas

Endless Thundaza · Aug 8, 2019

Jynn Venas, Vivifica - Carriage #1 with Mabel, Lady Mia, Eclaire, and Feynne

Lady Mia spoke, stating that it would be best that he did join them, so they can keep a better eye on him. But the elder winked at him, clearly indicating that she was not being serious. Odd, why would she be joking around with him, knowing that he is a Vivifican mage? Does she know something?

Jynn notices Mabel gazing at him, and it was clear she was unsure how to take his presence. Her gaze makes him look away, knowing that he cannot let her or himself give away any hints about their relationship. Mabel adverted her eyes from him as well, before hoping Jynn tolerates these carriages. That’s a strange concern. “They’re good. A carriage is a carriage. As long as it can move, that’s all that counts.” But Mabel asks if Mel would be alright, which almost made Jynn want to facepalm himself. Mia picked up on this, asking who the name belongs to, before Mabel tells her. “He’ll be fine.” Jynn said nothing else, as not to keep the uncomfortable conversation going.

Shortly after, Eclaire and Fyenne joined them. Jynn wanted to say hello to Eclaire again, but he knew it might make her uncomfortable if the elder knew she is an ex-Vivifican mage.

Stardustblade358

Nero Kunivas · Aug 8, 2019

- Soren Monroe, Fractured Bulwark, Ignis - Sanctus Heights -

Mystics Apprentice

While Soren was busy clearing the rubble, Everyth had arrived on scene, yet she wasn't participating in the clean up, rather sitting in the remains of a charred lobby all by herself. As he was lifting a large stone slab, Soren would catch sight of this and, curious and both eager to continue their chatter from prior to the meeting, would set down the slab somewhere out of the way and make his way over to Everyth. A few thoughts went through his head, chief among them was "Why was she sitting away from everyone?" The other thoughts would concern her state of mind, how much work she had maybe done while he wasn't looking or if she was simply bored out of her skull. Before Soren could utter a word once close enough however, he saw something completely unexpected: Everyth was crying. Silently, but still, the tear was there and she looked about as surprised as Soren was, but his furrowed brow would primarily convey concern.

Soren would tilt his head slightly to the right as he spoke up. "Everyth? Are you all right?"

- Ronin of the Shade, One of Many Names, Freelancer - Warehouse District -

Mystics Apprentice

Shaking his head at Remy's rebuttal, Ronin hardly had the chance to counter his observations when the sound of footsteps perked his ears and like Eden Xion, he became defensive, but unlike her, unwilling to retreat. While the others, including a stripped down Zion, departed, Ronin cracked his neck and drew Vengeance from its sheath.

"Go. I'll handle the intruders and buy time." Ronin gestured with his free hand toward the departing with insistence, then readied into his battle stance to combat whomever would be approaching.

- Gabriel Woods, The Soaring Raven, Bounty Hunter - The Viridian Villa -

Scrapmaster

Mystics Apprentice

Gabriel listened intently to the words of Arno bringing up reasonable points and the ever optimistic Tibarn chastising The Elders and the High Priestess for their inaction, claiming that there might be a good reason to kidnap the latter beyond the ungodly amount of coin they would earn from such a job. Arno's points he could agree with, for hearing out the details on why Vaike wants this done was a smart plan, which initially served to calm his anger born out of fear, but Tibarn just pissed him off, yet he knew that more yelling at his friends wouldn't help one bit.

"So you would justify kidnapping someone because they, on the surface, appear to do nothing? Is that what I'm hearing, Tibarn? For all we know, they could've been the ones who dispatched the Ignis Court, in force, to quell the threat. I find it hard to believe that so many Court members were there by sheer coincidence." Gabriel spoke sternly, actively keeping his anger to a minimum, adjusting his collar and walking over to get a new glass and fill it with water rather than more whiskey.

"In any case, our potential employer had better have a damn good reason for this...but I'll make something clear: If you all decide it's worth it regardless of the reasons given, I'm still doin' the job with ya, because even I'll admit the coin is good enough...just know that should his reasons be utter codswallop, I won't be happy about it." Gabriel spoke clearly, taking a long drink of his water afterwards, as his yelling had parched his throat just a little bit, though he would still clear it. "Sorry for yellin', wasn't thinkin' too clearly I gotta admit." He added apologetically, mostly in Arno's direction, but decided to smile slyly at Tibarn and add: "You're a pain in my ass, but, I guess I'm sorry to ya too, buddy." Gabriel would then chuckle, as to ease any concerns that Tibarn might have about how serious, or angered Gabe might be.

- Eleanor Le Doux, Fierce Shadow, Umbra - Leaving the Infirmary -

Mystics Apprentice

Though Eleanor would initially greet Eclaire when she left, likely with Fyenne, with a smile, her comments regarding the High Priestess warranted some degree of concern, especially when she made mention on if she was worth siding with at all. Was Eclaire planning something? Or worse, questioning her loyalties to Umbra...? This conflicted and confused Eleanor, partly because she was wondering if she should question Eclaire at all after hearing this...or rather, if she could question her. "If I 'can' question her!? Why is that the part that's so hard?" Eleanor asked herself internally, then wondering why she had such contention...that didn't take too long to figure out, for it was her feelings for Eclaire impeding her judgement, yet they were not easy to shake and thus, Eleanor knew she could not be objective about any of this.

But in the end, she knew something had to be said at least, for it was entirely possible, if very unlikely, that Eclaire was considering not siding with the Priestess...potentially meaning defection from Umbra to Vivifica, or to go it alone...

"Eclaire? Forgive me, but, what do you mean by "Side with her" exactly?" Eleanor inquired as calmly as possible, looking over to Eclaire and mentally, she was ready to refute any claims from either party of ignorance to what she was asking.

Stardustblade358 · Aug 8, 2019

- Vincent - Ignis Court - Sanctus Heights: Lieutenant Mastiff's Office-
Vincent listened, crossing his arms. "That is just it. We do not know the date of the creation of this thing. This could have been there from the second day it was installed all the way up until a few days ago, just as it could have been placed the day before it attacked. It is attempting to find a needle in a haystack, except there are even more needles hiding and they are not the ones that you are looking for. Unless there is a way to track down the actual magic to its source, like one can track down the hair to a species or a seed to its fruit, we will be unable to determine who did it. It will be impossible. We do not have the time nor the resources-" Vincent froze. He slowly raised his hands together, his gaze now staring at the wall ahead. "Wait...that could be it..." He whispered. "What if we can track down the magic to its user?" He asked. "Every magic user creates their own energy, but because it is affiliated to each individual, they are unique signatures...it is complicated but there have been studies that prove that every magical wavelength is specific to that individual. It is a new science, but it has been proven to have some truth to it. Maybe...Maybe we can track it down! If I can create something to measure the magic wavelength to the one remaining in the sigil, we can attempt to track it down!" He was already scrambling to his notebook, sketching down on a new page. "Something small and simple. It would rely more on magic, I know that there are some crystals that can absorb magical energy. But if I can calculate the wavelength that it gives off from the crystal, I can recreate the wavelength on a device. That device can rely on a stone that is meant to search for that kind of wavelength. The closer it gets the more alarms it gives off-" His was going on and on and on by this point before he was sketching like a maniac.

- Arun - Ignis Court - Sanctus Heights: Central Square - Reconstruction Team
Arun worked using his magic. He knew that his magic had limits, but he could not help himself but to attempt to push them in order to provide help to the people of Sanctus Heights He followed the suggestions of the architects and the authorities that began to help with the reconstruction. He could create solid walls of earth. A frame to create the rest. He worked on the roads first. He created walls, picking up the broken ones and connecting them. Rows of vertical walls went up down a street, creating new walls to show where the buildings would be rebuilt. He leveled the floors and helped merge the materials. So much of it had been burned that some buildings just had to be torn down and rebuilt. Arun also helped with creation the materials. They brought him terracotta and other earth materials, and he merged them together to create large amounts of bricks, one after another as he stacked them up. People watched as Arun just mixed large materials at a time, then separated them evenly and heated them up before they were done into bricks, and then repeat the process. It was taking a lot on him, but he figured that he would go until he exhausted himself.

- Arkane - Umbra Court - Sanctus Heights: Infront of the Grand Cathedral - Carriage #2
Mellark did not seemed to be interested in conversation. He knew that the Somnum stereotype was usually of laid back mages that napped under the sun. But Mellark was certainly not helping in proving such things to be untruthful. Then again, all of the mages did tended to show why they were assigned to their respective courts. He and his creations certainly did not help with the stereotype of the Umbra Mages. Regardless; he hoped that the carriage ride with Daruk driving did not throw them all over the place. He listened to what Nero had to say. There was a mage of Umbra that gave lessons to the mages of Somnum. Interesting concept, but not new. It was a way to keep the courts cordial for mages from each court help and give interesting lectures to other courts and their students. A way to keep everyone interested, in a way, he guessed. "I think I have heard of that name." He admitted, watching her. He had not been in the court since birth like the others, but he had been around long enough to earn his respect and knowledge. The old man who rescued him from the crypts kicked the bucket a month after he was brought to the court, ironically. His body and soul went...somewhere, and he just learned from those around him and the proper classes that they would provide. "Humans have always been interested in death and what comes after it. It is only normal for one to be curious. It merely takes those with enough morbid curiosity to be able to look past the moralities involving the dead to explore further. The first thing that makes sense is use the dead in order to help the living. Have a war? Send the dead to fight for the living, and no lives would be lost, as one cannot kill what is already dead. Need help building something? Make the dead build it. Once it cannot be used any further it will just serve as food for carrion and worms. In all honesty, I believe that one of the biggest misconceptions in regards of Necromancy is that we can revive the dead when in reality it is nowhere near as fanatical as that. I cannot bring back a loved one and hope that they live on as if it never happened. The body has died. Even with magic, even with a soul, it is still dead. It will still attempt to decompose, it will never grow. The soul will just suffer to have it be forced in such a body, only to witness it rot before them. That is when the soul realizes that they can never truly go back."

- Yael - Unaffiliated - Sanctus Heights: Infront of the Grand Cathedral - Carriage #1
Yael would remain hidden within Jynn's clothes, specifically behind his neck and among the hoodie part of his outfit. He was small enough to hide with ease as he watched the interaction. The old woman was rather sour, but he knew how to perfectly fix the situation. He jumped down from Jynn's shoulder and onto his lap as a cute looking ferret. He would blink and sniff around, leaning into Jynn and rubbing his head against him before noming on his fingers. I got you, Jynn! I will just have to look cute and form a conversation! The rest is up to you, though.

HeartOfFerria · Aug 9, 2019

Isabelle Cinque- Umbra- Warehouse
Isabelle’s hands were ice cold. She had been readying her magic at the sound of the footsteps and as she was pulled away she released it, creating a slick on the floor behind her. This would make pursuit somewhat difficult for whoever was afterthem. She also made sure that the magic on it was light so the ice would simply turn to water in a few minutes. “Fly to Vivifica? So if she is heading there then where are we going?” Isabelle asked. Her mind stopped... she hadnt really thought of that herself. Where would she go after all of this? Back to umbra? She certainly didnt want to be caught after helping the Vivifican Archmagus basically escape but she wasnt sure on the repercussions of her actions for doing so, seeing as the order was just recently given. The fear of the unknown began to creep up on her.

Saffron- Unaffiliated
“So what are we thinking? Bail out or are we going big? I think the money is worth it and personally I don’t care for the cause. The issue with this mission is definitly the people who surround the Priestess. How will we deal with them?” Saff crosses her arms thinking. “We also need to locate her and figure out HOW we will do it.”

Elrandir · Aug 9, 2019

- Thea Nero - Court of Somnum - Sanctus Heights: Infront of the Grand Cathedral - Carriage #2

Thanny

Stardustblade358

Mystics Apprentice

"I am sure you can still have a nap, Mister Crowe. Just ignore the noise, relax your mind, let it drift away and sleep will come in time."

Nero rolled her eyes and smiled as her student complained about the noise made by Daruk. At one point she would have said the same. She had done if before, in fact. Back when she was younger and she loved to take naps almost all the time. There was this one loud girl who would sing songs and she was sure that she did it only to annoy her. Travelling around the sea with this girl was, well, it was tiresome, but fun. She missed the carefree life she had when she was younger and she was able to leave the court.

Nero listened to Arkane, giving him her full attention. He looked like a wise young man, and his way of thinking was quite interesting, but, then again, most of the Umbra mages, or mages in general, were interesting in their own ways.

"What comes after death is such an interesting concept for many mages, Mister Gravemore, even Professor Eiluned can spend hours upon hours talking about the subject," Nero said, trying to not laugh, "Life, Death, the meaning of Life, the meaning of Death, what will happen once we leave our mortal vessels behind. She is very passionate, I can tell you that much. But I am glad that you understand that there are drawbacks while attempting to keep a soul inside a dead body. Professor Eiluned says that keeping a soul inside such vessel would be akin to torture. I wouldn't ever wish such fate to anyone."

- Diane Corbeau - Court of Umbra - Sanctus Heights: Lieutenant Mastiff's Office-

Mystics Apprentice

So tourists and the arrival of the courts were the most important events happening in recent days. That was unfortunate. The Lich listened to both the Lieutenant and Vincent as they spoke. She was more interested in Vincent and his idea of making a device that could identify and track the arcane signature of a mage. What an interesting individual.

"That is an interesting idea. Certain mages possess the ability to sense the arcane signature of other people. I've known a few here and there, some better than others. Some mistaking the ability as some "weird feeling", children are a good example," Diane said as she looked at Vincent, "Some called them Trackers, or Sensor type mages. And there is still a small amount of leftovers of arcane energy in the rune the last time we were there. Perhaps that amount could be used to track the culprit or culprits."

But there was one tiny little problem, this device did not exist.

"As I am sure you are aware, we do not have much time to waste. The culprit, or culprits, could be long gone by now," Diane said flatly, ""How long would it take for you to make such a device, Vincent?"

Scrapmaster · Aug 10, 2019

- Richter Vanis - The Thaumaturge - A Haunting discovery - His room in Vivifica -

After having his relaxing and therapeutic view of the forests in the balconies, Richter had returned to his room to sit down and read a book, or something. Or to just lay down, he didn't quite know why he went back to his room, but there he was. The first thing he noticed was a book sitting on his bed. An old, tattered and worn book from the looks of it, who could have left it on Richter's bed of all places? Richter wasted no time walking over and grabbing said book, curiosity having bested his common sense and he promptly opened the book, only to see that most pages were unreadable and torn from several years of use, but one in particular stood out, bookmarted, having stood the test of time.

As Richter took the page and began to read it, as he slowly read to analyze every detail of the contents, a feeling of dread and horror began to crawl up his spine, and then the realization came, a horror filled realization, the type that turns your legs to jelly, and it did exactly that to Richter, as he slumped into his bed and sat on it to not fall on the floor from the information he had just acquired. This changed...everything. Not only had he failed in his duties...but was it all a lie too? A myriad of thoughts and questions spiraled within his head as he clutched one hand on his head by reflex. Normaly he would use a calming spell to focus, but at that state he couldn't do much of anything other than to keep reading, and desperately check the rest of the book's contents. To no avail as that page was the only one that was readable.

After having finished reading, and memorizing all that the page had to offer, Richter promptly hid it in a pocket inside of his coat, and staying there...for quite a bit in quiet contemplation about what he could do. Could he even do anything? Either way, he shakily got himself from his bed and out of the door of his room and onto the hallways. He had to find someone, anyone.

- Henry Heid - Grand Cathedral - Carriages -

"Eh..." Henry reacted as Makoto asked, while tugging him along to go to the vacant Carriage, the third one in specific. Which had no one inside. "As much as i'd love to do that Makoto." Henry began talking with a rather embarrassed tone and a sheepish smile to his explosive friend. "We don't get to meet other mages from other courts very often, so wasting the opportunity of socializing and getting to know the other courts doesn't sound appealing to me." He stood in his tracks as Makoto tugged him.

"How about..." Henry spoke, looking at one of the occupied carriages that stil had free space, and pointing at Carriage two. "There are still some free seats for us, side by side I bet. Why don't we go there?" Henry spoke, and heading there already, he already knew Makoto would agree with him, he knew her too well.

He got there just in time to overhead the topic about death and what humans think of it, a perspective from Arkane, an Umbra mage and Nero, a Somnus maestra was very interesting to hear. He couldn't help but chimmed in as well.

Knocking on the side of the carriage to signal his and Makoto's arrival. "Death is inevitable, much as some like to run from it, it doesn't play favorites. So instead of fearing it, I think living your life to the fullest is the best thing one can do." He commented about his ideology regarding the topic. "I hope im not intruding on the conversations" He spoke with a small shy laugh. "Say, can me and my friend join you lot in the carriage? I can't possibly miss the experience of having Daruk drive a carriage." He finished, asking if he and Makoto could join them .

Arkane would not be getting away from Makoto any time soon.

Thanny

Stardustblade358

- Vlad - Not the Impaler - Mastiff's office -

"Hm." Vlad pondered, hand on chin as Vincent and Diane conversed at the creation of a tracker to possibly track down. It was an interesting concept and idea to have a device to track such a person.

It was then that he had an idea in his head, clapping his hands as he pulled out a crystal from his pockets, a Gloscan crystal to be exact. Every mage in Somnus who wanted one could get one, from Whacko, their resident crazed scientist. Either way Vlad's gloscan crystal was pale and without any magic, he hadn't charged it with his magic in a while, so it was pretty much left in reserve.

"Why don't we use a gloscan crystal? Its supposed to gather magic, it doesn't need to be from the user." Vlad suggested. "We get the leftover arcane energy from the rune into my crystal here, and Vincent can more easily make the device, and we can then use it as a tool to lead us to the culprit." He told them his plan, not sounding cocky or arrogant, but more humble and suggestive.

"Even if they're long gone, with a tracker vincent could make, it could be given to the authorities for mass production...And profit!" Vlad piped up at the end at the mention of profit. But other than that his mannerisms were pretty tame.

Stardustblade358

RikuXIII · Aug 10, 2019

{Gerik Lockford - Umbra Court: Sanctus Heights; Before the Grand Cathedral}
Gerik let the buzz of the others wash over him as he considered the carriages. He would have liked to stick close with Mabel and Jynn, but the First Carriage was filling up. The 2nd was also a little tight, so that left the 3rd carriage, currently empty. While some stimulating conversation would be nice, it would be foolish to concentrate everyone in just two targets. He had some of his mages in each of the other two carriages and trusted them to know what to do. Plus, he could get some reading in.
Humming softly to himself, the Umbral Maester climbed into the Third Carriage and settled in comfortably.

{Mako Koyl - Somnum Court: Sanctus Heights; Lt Mastiff's office}
"Seemed like the rebuilding is covered." Mako answerable Vlad with a shrug. "And I always liked mystery novels. Time to see if I learned anything."
Taking a seat, the young Somnum Mage listened to the others talk, realizing that she probably should have actually looked into what was being investigated before volunteering for the investigation.
"Out of the frying pan." She thought sourly.
She started when Diane demonstrated a blood rune.
"More warning next time." Mako said as the rune disappeared.
"Man, Umbra mages are weird." She thought.
That little thought bumped into the other tidbits she was taking in from the others talking. Blood and soul was Umbras thing, but other courts or independents could have it. Vlad had some weird magic and he was in Somnum. So if the practice of this type of mage wasn't limited enough, you moved on to other factors. Motive. That seemed to be Vivifca in spades. But was that too obvious? In most of the mystery books Mako had read, the obvious suspect wasn't it. Maybe that didn't work in real life, but pinning something like this on Vivfica seemed like a smart move to Mako.
Vincent's talk about a scanner cut through Mako's thoughts. That seemed like an idea.
"What kind of range would this gizmo have?" she asked, coming over to look at his sketches. "I might be able to cut down on the leg work with my portals."

{Anya Alighieri - Ignis Court: Sanctus Heights; Central Square}
Anya was beaming at Arun. The kid had a knack.
"We shall!" She answered him after downing her tea.
Putting the mug to the side, she went with Arun towards the walls. She gave the younger mage a wink after his embarrassed look.
"One resorted road way coming up." she proclaimed.
Cracking her knuckles, Anya left Arun to his bridge work as she studied the roads themselves. Lowering her goggles, her hands sparked with flames. With flames that looked like talons, the Phoenix Bearer repaired some minor damage to the roads, heating and reforming the pavement to provide carts and people a smooth path.
With that done, she joined Arun in his work on the buildings. With him providing boundaries and material for the reconstruction process, Anya first busied herself with repairing some of the less damaged buildings, sealing cracks in walls in the style of a welder. With most of those repairs done, she started moving some of Arun's bricks around to where directed by the civilian planners. Her facial tattoos glowed softly as giant fiery talons carried the building materials unscathed to their destination.
After a bit, she grabbed two canteens and returned to Arun.
"Heads up." She warned before tossing the Earth Mage a canteen.
She took a swing from her own as she looked over Arun's work.
"Gotta say I'm impressed." Anya said. "Your family builders?"

{Valery - Vivifca Court: Temple}
With Quinn located, Valery gave her a quick smile before launching into a quick stream of sign language.
"I would like to join your mission to Sanctus Heights." her familiar translated. "This new threat needs to be understood."
Valery wasn't sure she should mention or other reason for going, but Tiru's arrival distracted her from that question. She regarded the mage critically. While she didn't truly dislike him, he wasn't her favorite person either. She kept her light blue eyes fixed on Tiru as she signed.
"Going to be dangerous." the parrot spoke. "Can you keep your head this time?"

Stardustblade358 · Aug 10, 2019

- Arkane - Umbra Court - Sanctus Heights: Infront of the Grand Cathedral - Carriage #2
Arkane would listen and nod. "There are different types of ways we bring our creations to life. Some are artificial. Merely an amount of magic that brings the creations to life under the pretense of our orders. However; it is not uncommon for us to use actual souls. It is merely a pain to bring them over from the afterlife plane. Certain souls can be found, but they require much more prepared rituals and time in order to search for the specific individual." He leaned back and sighed. "I did not realize this when I revived my parents all of those years ago. I merely thought that they were shy and still getting used to being dead. No. It was just magic reacting and taking over his bodies. Well, I learned that lesson." He shrugged. He glanced down at his hands. "Even us, who work with death and souls, understand that we do, would not wish for us to be brought back to the mortal world after death. They can take our bodies; we have long lost sensitivity to them. But souls...that is a different story. It is ironic, considering that sometimes we do seal souls of those who deserve more punishment than death...but what mage is not filled with irony?" He asked. Then he heard Henry's voice chime in. He looked up, hiding his slight flush behind his sleeve until he realized that Makoto was with him. He groaned as he saw Makoto, before glancing away. "We still have space. Sure. Why not. It is not my choice to make." He scoffed, deciding to entertain himself with everything else. It was not that he did not like Makoto. Her energy and her vibrant being was a beautiful thing. But it was exhausting to his personality type, is all.

- Vincent - Ignis Court - Sanctus Heights: Lieutenant Mastiff's Office-
Vincent glanced at Diane, smiling. "W-Well...with the right materials at hand?...um..." He stammered, thinking about it. "With the right materials if I create a basic thing...first to test the energy to create the actual wavelength and then the other to try and match it..." He snapped his fingers. "Maybe two hours? It will depend on the wavelength I get from it; but I suspect one to two hours of constant work should do the trick!" He turned to Mako. "It would actually depend on the crystal. The bigger the more range it has. But we will not be able to determine it until we have it. I know that the market sells them and maybe they have some in the cathedral we can borrow?" He asked, rubbing the back of his head in thought. "The biggest we can find that we can actually carry around. I can make a list of materials..." He said, writing it down on his notepad. He glanced at Vlad and took the crystal from his hand, staring down at it. "The point of the device was to look for a similar signature. So I would have to create the device first, then absorb the magic from the rune so that we have a signature to follow. We note it down and then we place an empty one, and follow it in search of the correct one." He said, turning to Vlad. "Do you have more?" He asked.

- Arun - Ignis Court - Sanctus Heights: Central Square - Reconstruction Team
Arun raised a hand as the canteen was thrown at him. He thanked Anya and took a sip as he took a small break. He shrugged. "Nothing of the sort. The orphanage was always in disarray of repairs. We would always be asked to help around if we could. Sometimes the wind knocked down some bricks or windows...but that was it. Nothing big." He shook his head. "I am merely guessing and following the instructions of the guards and the architects. As for the creation of the bricks, I just followed the formula to create them. I am going by sight over technique..." He admitted, rubbing the back of his head. He took a sip, watching as the bricks were carried and distributed for construction. "The materials are all made from the earth. That is an advantage for I who has learned to wield it, as all." He then glanced back at Anya. "Your use of the heat to weld the buildings together is brilliant. It will surely save many buildings that do not need to be rebuilt from the ground."

Mystics Apprentice · Aug 11, 2019

–The Vivifica Temple–

HeartOfFerria

A frown furrowed Tiru's brow at Valery's aggravating question. "This time? I did not loose my head last time! I merely questioned the maestra on her motives, like any sane person would, mind you." He folded his arms across his chest defiantly, the sun glinting against his rich blond locks. "I want answers, and if this trip helps with that I would gladly support it. But, if my presence and bow are not welcome, I will seek to fill other duties elsewhere."

Glancing up, Tiru noticed Richter turn the corner several yards away, to whom he waved at. "Ah, look who's here, and just in time, too! Are you heading to Sanctus, my friend?"

–Sanctus Heights: Mastiff's office–

Elrandir

A gentle smile played on the lieutenant's lips as Vlad spoke, the mage suggesting that the authorities use it for mass production. "Thank you for proffering this device to us, Vlad, but I believe the gloscan crystal–and its divisions–would be best suited to remain in the hands of the courts rather than here. We have no mages in our offices, nor magic, and I believe it may be for the best. Besides, we don't have the laboratory or the means for production. We could never get an allowance for Itika on such production even if we tried." He seemed dismissive of the idea of these trackers being in the hands of the authorities, as though displeased by the idea? It was difficult to discern, as Mastiff moved on quickly.

"That . . . yes, I think we can more than accommodate two hours for you to procure such an object, Vincent," he said, a bit taken aback by the short duration that Vincent requested. He'd assumed that it would take the Ignis Court mechanic months–if not years–to develop such a device, much less a mere matter of hours. "With this device I believe it would be much easier to find the culprit, from the sound of it, but no rush. I do not want you to hurt yourself over this."

A worried expression washed over Mastiff's face as he drew his coffee mug to his lips, without taking a sip. "I do wonder, however, if this person is even among the living. We have no idea how long that seal has been present on the automaton. And, if they are alive, we must be prepared for what we might face." Finally he took a sip of his beverage, seeming to savor its flavor before he turned back to his group of mages. "This session has been most productive. Thank you all so much for your time. I believe we should reconvene here in three hours. Hopefully, in that length of time, Vincent will be able to rework Vlad's gloscan crystal, and with luck I may be able to find my notes."

–Infirmary, moments before following Eclaire and Eleanor–

Nero Kunivas

Fyenne released Eclaire to glance up into the cat girl's eyes. She was suggesting that she stay? "With all due respect, Lady De Wynter, I do not know anyone in Sanctus Heights, and it is not my home," she said softly. "I am also a mage, and not affiliated with a court at present. If you and your maester would accept me, I would very much love to make myself worthy of Umbra, and be useful to you."

She listened as Eclaire expressed the dangers, to which she shook her head. "I have faced many dangers in my travels with the Ebon Flame, and my mere existence among them presented a danger everyday. I can hold my own, and perhaps even help. While my magic is unruly, I have been told that it is potent." She offered Eclaire a curtsy, before taking her hand and following her to the carriages, smiling at Eleanor as they passed.

Carriage #1 (Mabel, Mia, Jynn, Yael, Eclaire, Fyenne, and Eleanor) (FULL)

Endless Thundaza ,

Nero Kunivas

With the arrival of the three young women, the carriage was beginning to feel rather full, or at least to the elder. She grunted, rising to her feet and waving a hand in the air.

"Ah, too much energetic youth in one room," she said. "I think I will ride up with the Ignis maester and catch some fresh air–"

"Lady Mia?" Mabel inquired, tilting her head slightly. "Should I take up residence with you, or . . . ?"

The priestess glanced toward the others, turning toward Jynn briefly before glancing back at Mia again. The elder merely shook her head. "Nah, you just sit tight and have some fun with your peers. Would do you good to spend some time with some young whippersnappers your age. It's not everyday that you're around court brethren, after all." She flashed Mabel the smallest of smiles, one that might have been missed had one not been observing her the entire time. The smile was gone within a blink of an eye, before she meandered out of her carriage.

Carriage #2 (Nero, Mellark, Arkane, Daruk (Driver), Henry, Makoto(?)) (FULL)

Elrandir ,

Xion136

With surprising speed and strength, Mia hoisted herself up alongside Daruk, causing carriage #2 to shake yet again from the movement. "Well, Daruk, it has been ten years and you have not changed a bit. How's Delthea?"

Mellark swallowed hard, merely nodding to Nero's insistence that he could still sleep. He disagreed, but was not about to argue with his maestra. It was around then that Lady Mia clambered aboard to join Daruk, and knowing Daruk, the two would be jibing and jabbing the whole way there. This was going to be the most pleasant ride ever. Of all time.

He propped his chin in his hand, eyeing Arkane as he discussed the undead and how they could be used in combat. "I may be no expert on necromancy and the undead," Mellark said finally, showing the most interest that he had in conversation for quite some time. "But do they not wreak of death horrifically? Who would want such an insult to their nostrils on a regular basis? Besides, they are grotesque and hideous. There is something to be said about human strength and the beauty of physical combat among living beings."

He glanced over toward Henry and Makoto, the former asking if they could have a seat. "Perhaps," he said at last. "But is there not a third carriage?" He glanced Makoto up and down. He recalled her from the cafeteria the day prior. Would their carriage manage to house such raw potential and energy? Mellark was not certain, nor was he sure that he wanted to be there to find out.

Carriage #3 (Gerik, Micah)

RikuXIII

The carriage was deserted save for the Umbra maester and his loyal servant, Micah. The boy humbly climbed in after his master, his raven perched lovingly atop his shoulder as he was seated.

"Maester Lockford?" he inquired timidly, folding his hands neatly at his sides. "Do you suppose that they are afraid of sitting with us, and thus they have sequestered themselves to the other two carriages like a pack of sardines?" He glanced out of the carriage as it began to roll away from the Grand Cathedral's stables, the many buildings of Sanctus Heights moving along and fading from view.

After a moment Micah inquired further, perhaps overstepping but curious all the same. "What do you intend to do, Maester, once we arrive at the Vivifica Temple? Do you mean to truly annihilate the maestra, if it comes to it?" Subconsciously he began to pet his raven, eyes wide as they remained fixated on Gerik.

–The Viridian Villa–

HeartOfFerria

Tibarn's eyes widened as Gabriel coolly tossed his words at him. "No," Tibarn responded crossly, shoving his hands in his pockets. "What I'm saying is, we don't know why Vaike wants the High Priestess kidnapped, and that maybe it's not as bad as it looks. Maybe he's got a reason for doing what he's doing. Won't know until we ask, but do us both a favor and don't rip me and your fellows apart just for making suggestions, okay?"

Gabriel then apologized, to which Tibarn clapped a hand on his comrade's shoulder. "It's alright. It's not like I don't deserve a reprimanding every now and again, yeah? C'mon, mate, let's go down and get a bite to eat, and ask some questions if we need to."

Below, the bounty hunters would find themselves in the lobby, where Vaike sat waiting. He got up immediately upon recognizing Arno, Saff, and Tibarn, moving over to shake their hands, before turning toward Gabriel and offering him a hand as well. "Good morning. I trust that you all have been able to talk among yourselves. Have you reached a verdict, and I assume that it would be you four that would be tagging along with me?"

–Sanctus Heights: Warehouse District–

HeartOfFerria ,

Elrandir

As Jari and Incarose meandered through Sanctus Heights, they would find themselves cutting through the warehouse district. This district didn't see a great deal of traffic, except by hard laborers and those preparing shipments. Carts pulled by horses were being loaded with many sorts of crates and goods, paying the two mages no mind or even being aware of their presence. If Jari and Incarose wandered deeper into the district, they would find a rather desolate section, and hear several voices from a nearby building. This isn't particularly curious, since it is among business hours and it IS a warehouse district. What might be strange, however, is the condition of the building, which seemed to be in a great state of disrepair from the fire. Were people trapped?

Not likely. Inside the warehouse, Remy would blush furiously as Zion appeared in naught but her small clothes, causing him to lower his head and practically hide behind Ronin out of embarrassment. "I understand," he said finally. "We shall follow you and meet you in Vivifica! I will make sure that your wife gets there safely!"

That was making many big assumptions, one that Eden would even be headed to the Vivifica Temple, and another was whether he could succeed in protecting anyone. When Eden made them aware of footsteps outside, Remy seized the large vase, it being the only weapon that he could find on his person, or anywhere near it.

"I would be much more useful with a knife or a blade," he said, to both Ronin and Eden, whomever was willing to spare him a weapon. "Even if I don't look it, I've been in a number of scrapes before. I can help in a fight, but only if I have something to fight with."

(This encounter is optional.

Elrandir and

Thanny , you do not have to have Jari and Incarose find them, if you wish, though it might be fun to have the parties meet).

–Sanctus Heights, Everyth Castanova with Soren–

Nero Kunivas

That voice. Everyth glanced up, startled to find Soren towering over her. How did she not hear him approach, what with his respirator and everything? Was she so involved in herself that she'd blocked everything else out? Possibly; this wasn't particularly unusual for her.

"Oh, Soren." She rose from her spot, brushing herself off slightly and fidgeting with her dark waves of hair spiraling down her shoulders. "It's surprising to find you here. Did you not choose to attend the Vivifica party?" She wiped at her eyes with her forearm. Had he noticed that she had been crying as well? Oh dear . . . she certainly hoped not. She would be humiliated beyond belief if he knew!

She walked over to him. While she wasn't particularly short at 5'4", she felt that she were when standing next to Soren Monroe. Perhaps she should've been more intimated by his figure, but strangely she felt rather warm when greeted with his presence. As though he were an old friend in another life, though she couldn't discern why she would feel this way. After all, Everyth had only just met him yesterday. Didn't that practically make him a stranger? Did it?

"As for myself, I am quite fine, thank you," she said, though the wavering in her voice betrayed her. "I am here to aid in the restoration of the city. Killing maestras just isn't really my thing. However"–she bit her lip, violet gaze shifting toward the ground while still facing the Fractured Bulwark–"I don't know I can help, exactly. It is not like my negative energy could be a positive thing here in a city already faced with such destruction and death."

Endless Thundaza · Aug 11, 2019

Jynn Venas, Vivifica - Carriage #1 with Mabel, Mia, Eclaire, Yael, Eleanor, and Feynne

Yael starts to squeak and appear cute, but shortly after, the elder stands up, claiming that their was too much youthful energy in this carriage. She smiles at Mabel, encouraging her to take this opportunity socialize with the mages. But wasn’t Mabel not supposed to show favoritism? This elder is definitely acting carefree in comparison to the others.

As soon as Mia steps out the door, Jynn quietly whispers to Mabel. “I have a feeling she knows something.” The door to the carriage closes, and it is quiet. Jynn was unsure what to say, but now that the elder is gone, it was probably safe to say hello to Eclaire. “Hey Eclaire. It’s been some time since we last met. How is Umbra treating you?” He looks to everyone else, perhaps it was a good time for everyone to get to know each other. “It’s probably going to be a long trip, so we should each get aquatinted to one another. I’m Jynn, though you all probably already know me from yesterday.” He looks down to Yael, still in his ferret form. “This is a new friend of mine, Yael.”

Elrandir · Aug 11, 2019

- Thea Nero - Court of Somnum - Sanctus Heights: Infront of the Grand Cathedral - Carriage #2

Mystics Apprentice ,

Xion136

Nero was enjoying this little conversation with Arkane, it was something different, well, not that much than having a conversation with Professor Eiluned, but interesting nonetheless. She also noticed the voice of Lady Mia outside, it looked as if she knew Maester Daruk, that would keep him busy for a time. The sound of knocking made Nero shift her focus to see who was the source. Ah! the mages of Ignis, that was unexpected. She thought that they would be riding with either the High Priestess or Maester Lockford, it looked as if she was mistaken.

"You are not intruding, Mister Heid, and while the carriage is almost full, I am sure there is still enough space for both you and Miss Suzaku," Nero said calmly as she glanced at Arkane and Mellark, "just, please, try to keep excessive noise to a minimum. As you might know, we Somnum mages enjoy peace and quiet."

While Nero's face looked quite neutral, those who knew her would know that she was just kidding. While she did loved to have a peaceful ride to the Temple of Vivifica, she knew that with both Maester Daruk and Makoto that would be, well, she didn't expected a calm ride, yet she was still excited about it.

- Diane Courbeau - Court of Umbra - Sanctus Heights: Lieutenant Mastiff's Office -

Mystics Apprentice

Things were moving forwards thanks to Vincent's proposed device and Vlad's Gloscan Crystal. Something about that name made Diane stare at the crystal on the Somnum mage's hand. Maybe she had heard the name at some point, but she couldn't remember at the moment.

"You only need two hours to create this device?" Diane asked absentmindedly, "that is quite quick. Very impressive for a member of the Court of Ignis."

Diena turned to look at the Lieutenant as he spoke of the mass production of such device, he seemed to be against the idea of having such item be made for their organization. To be fair, magical items created by the Four Courts were quite expensive outside of their respective courts. Most of the time, normal citizens had prototypes lent by the courts for field testing, and having them mass produce would be quite the investment. The Lich observed the Lieutenant's worried expression with some interest. Why did he had such an expression? They were making some amount of progress with Vincent's idea. Was he hiding something?

"I think three hours should be more than enough," Diane said to the group, "Perhaps we could take this project back to the cathedral and then return in a few hours?"

- Incarose Vassar - Court of Ignis - Sanctus Heights: Central Square -

Thanny

Both Incarose and Jari had wandered into the Warehouse district of the city, all the while handing down supplies to those affected by the fires or those preparing shipments. It looked as if the fire didn't reach much of this district, which was a good thing, more destruction only meant more affected people, which also meant more suffering. After a little while Incarose noticed a building in a great state of disrepair, she wondered if the voices that were coming from the inside were of other mages that were helping with the reconstructions of the district.

"Do you hear that, Jari? It sounds like people are inside that building," Incarose said to the Fox boy, "Do you think other mages are in there? Maybe they would like to have some bottles of water or some food. What do you say if we go and give them some of the supplies so they can take a break?"

Stardustblade358 · Aug 11, 2019

- Arkane - Umbra Court - Sanctus Heights: Infront of the Grand Cathedral - Carriage #2
Arkane would glance at Mellark as he spoke his own opinions on the matter. "That is what certain techniques to avoid the scent of death are for. We dry the liquid from the skin and attempt to use embalming fluid. You are correct; the scent is horrific. But would that not also be an advantage in the battlefield? Can the enemy really concentrate when the decaying dead are trying to kill them? Of course they are grotesque and hideous...but that is what everyone will be eventually. A decaying mess with no use other than to take up space in the earth beneath. Why not use it while it is still available? The use of necromancy has allowed a lot of uses. Especially right after death. We can witness how the body works. explore and experiment without anyone being hurt. One cannot harm what is already dead. To see how the human body works from the inside out. How it moves, how the muscles contract...as morbid as it is, how can one ignore something so beautiful?" He insisted. However when he saw Makoto, he quickly scuttled closer to Mellark, in complete agreement. "Yes there is another carriage. Maybe you can go into that one, Makoto. My maester surely would live the Ignis energy that you are capable of providing." He said, quickly hiding his frown behind his sleeves. Again, he did not think that it was a good idea to have such a big bundle of energy in an already full carriage. He hoped to take a nap too, seeing it would be a long ride, as patient as he was.

- Vincent - Ignis Court - Sanctus Heights: Lieutenant Mastiff's Office-
Vincent smirked and gave them thumbs up. "No need to worry. I will come out of this one unscathed." He insisted. They would have to reconvene in three hours. That sounded great. He turned to Diane, nodding. "I already have an idea in my head. I am used to creating smaller devices for convenience. The most time consuming part would be to make sure that the pieces correspond with the energy that the crystal would be sensing." He turned to the lieutenant and his concern for the mass production of the device. It made sense. People were not used to using magical influenced devices. If something went wrong or was handled incorrectly, it could have terrible consequences and outcomes in the end. "I understand your concern, lieutenant. We will work with my creation! Maybe if you see that it is to your liking, we can talk about reproducing some more. But right now, we should focus on the current situation at hand." He added, turning to Diane once more. "I think heading back to the cathedral would be the best idea. I already have a list of items I might need, and I can work in my room's desk comfortably." He said, looking down at the crystal. This one should work. He would have to make the device portable, and while that was one of the most difficult parts regarding it, he was sure that he could come up with a solution. "Shall we head back? I am already itching to get started!"

- Yael - Unaffiliated - Sanctus Heights: Infront of the Grand Cathedral - Carriage #1
Yael continued to make ferret noises, perking up and chirping at the rest of the group as he remained happily seated on Jynn's lap. However as he saw Fyenne and Eclaire, he was a bit hesitant. What if they picked him up and squeezed him like a teddy bear? He would have no choice but to transform and save himself that much was for sure. He leaned into Jynn, rubbing his head against him as he laid down, seemingly ready to nap when the journey begun.

Thanny · Aug 12, 2019

- Daruk Mordem, Ignis Court, with Mia the Elder -

Daruk was smiling quite contently when he witnessed Henry and Makoto head towards his carriage, a sense of satisfaction -- nay, overwhelming jubilation -- that the majority of his own mages opted for his char-à-bancs and not some of the other drab ones out there. Perhaps it was because of him, or because of the magnificent beasts that were pulling the carriage, but pride overran any thought of the possibility that it was just because of obtaining a social outlet, and he chuckled lowly in his joy, even as he reached for his purchase of fried fish and chips lying at his side, freshly pulled from the confines of his satchel .

Mia, however, surprised him when she opted for a seat next to him on the driver's coach instead of inside. Scarier than that, she clambered on the cab with the grace of any one of those younger folks he was going to drive, and she was pushing eighty, if he recalled right, if not even surpassing that milestone.

"You're one to talk. Thirty years older than I and you still look like you're more my age! Hah! Good to see you, Mia. It has been some time, and my niece Delthea is doing marvelously. She'll be turning fourteen this year -- two months, in fact -- and is taking after her classes like any aspirant to be a civil servant. It's just like her to be like her mom, or the other famous girl in my family." A bittersweet smile took him as he looked away from his elder in both name and passage of existence. "There'll be a woman I miss dearly -- Irina Isadora. To think she managed to be a high priestess surprised me then as it does now, and is the reason why I first met you, Lady Mia. Much time has passed since then. Too much."

Scrapmaster

- Jari Coriander, Somnum Court, with Incarose perusing the warehouse district -

Jari was glad to hear that the advice given to her, probably from his Maestra, was working its magic on Incarose. To consider yourself a danger, a monster, or a loose cannon was something he had never truly known thanks to a kindly pair of parents who took quite an interest in their lone little boy, but he could feel like he could relate. Perhaps it was her remarking upon her own mother and father that made him smile the most, even if he wondered if he should not have done so.

"Your parents sounded like good folks, rest their souls, and if they are watching I'm sure they're proud. This will be a good turnaround once you learn your gift, and by knowing yourself you'll be able to know other things more clearly."

He did not know where this wisdom originated, but it sounded like something passed down by his mother, Felicity. She was always an introspective individual, though she always quipped a proverb when the moment arose. It was a charming feature for her as a parent, at least in Jari's eyes. He downed the rest of his water and corked the stopper back into the bottle's mouth.

"At your leisure, let's hit some more places before stopping for lunch. We made quite the progress with our work load, but I want to make sure everyone we can find can get at least something from our carts.

-- -- --

Walking through the warehouse district was a great idea, one he wished he thought of at the time. It led to the other side of the damaged spots of town, and some of the damage was done to this part as well. One such ruined building stood out and caught Incarose's attention, apparently, and as he strained his ears he heard it too before it died off. Someone was inside.

"Well, it's certainly not in factory use. Could be evacuees from the fire or mages, and there's only one way to find out." Jari loosed one of his signature grins upon Incarose and nodded his head in the building's direction. "Let's do it. C'mon, let's help them out if we can!"

Upon going through the entry of the building, with Jari taking the lead just in case, the two stepped inside the warehouse. The slick of ice was unprecedented, and he slipped hard on his butt, yelping in pain upon landing. What was even more unprecedented was the fact that weapons were pointed in his and Incarose's direction. His hands heated up the icy sheen beneath him, melting the ice entirely in a rapidly expanding puddle and making it easier for escape if the need arose. The warehouse was warm and had burn scores. Ice should not have formed in this situation, no matter how cold, unless it was freezing temperatures outside or in, and neither was the case. So what was the cause? Magic? Liquid nitrogen? He wondered what in the world was going on.

"This is a fine how'd-ya-do. Who are you?" he spat out, one hand rising to his blade and another to the ground as he lifted himself before Ronin. "What do you want with us?"

HeartOfFerria · Aug 14, 2019

Quinn
The servant sighs. “I personally am heading out in the morning. I was about to go out for some hunting and to restore my mana.” She said plainly. “Did you need anything of me? If not, Id like to get back to my plans.” She said rather generally. She looked like she found this task very important. However the answer as to why was always hidden beneath her surface.

Saffron

Saff simply sat at the table. She waited for the others to speak instead as she did not see it as her place. After sitting she started to whirl some wind in her hands again. Continuing her practice on concentration.

Aquilla
The armor mage took to her room for the next day or two. She had chosen it would be best to work on her magical focus. The gloscan crystal. She spent many an hour meditation on it. It filled very slowly and she wouldnt admit it but she passed out a few times. However eventually the crystal changed into a star shape. Each point encompassed by a small donut shape making the star perfect to hang on a necklace. Which she decided would be best.

Scrapmaster · Aug 14, 2019

- Ricther Vanis - The Etheric Warrior - VIvifica court halls -

Richter was still in a daze after reading the contents of that damned book, but he was slowly recoverin himself, stopping in a hallway and leaning against a wall, his hand to support him as he caught his breath and calmed down somewhat. Still not sure if he should talk to Aislinn or continue in silence and think about what he found out some more. He still needed to decide, he quickly turned a corner and was quickly waved at by Tiru, whom Richter answer was a small smile as he approached the trio of would-be infiltrators, who planned to go to Sanctus to find out more about the first court.

Approaching them, "As much as I'd like to go there myself and find out more about the first court, a group of four would draw too much attention, so it is best that I stay and watch over the court and the maestra." Richter gave Tiru his answer, Richter would indeed draw too much attention to them if he accompanied them to Sanctus, his aura alone could be discerned for its above average intensity, it would just bring problems for them. A party of three would be the most ideal, especially with Quinn around, she was always rather reliable in times of need.

"Leaving in the morning seems like a good option, you would most likely arrive there at the end of the afternoon if you went by foot. A time where most of the town activities would be ending." He commented on Quinn's plan of heading there, calmly and with a casual and friendly tone.

RikuXIII

- Arno Cross - Bounty Hunter extraordinaire - Viridian Villa -

"Yes, we talked." Arno replied to Vaike's comment, shaking the man's hand with a firm and steady grip, before pulling a chair and taking a seat, as he leaned his back onto it, waiting for Vaike to do the same, and so for his teammates to do as well. Saffron wasted no time practicing her magic with a ball of wind.

"We each have our own views on this job you offered us Vaike." Arno told him, voice calm and serious, "Which is why I am forced to ask you." Arno spoke, pushing his hat a bit upwards as to make his eyes easier to see. "Why exactly are you doing this? what do you want with her?, because if it is to harm her..." Arno spoke, his tone of voice increasing in intensity somewhat, and becoming even more serious. "We're gonna have a problem." Arno spoke, clear as day. He did not mean it as a threat to Vaike, but as a warning.

Nero Kunivas

HeartOfFerria

- Vlad - The Shadow man - Lt. Mastiff's office -

"No, there ain't more of these. Its a Somnus exclusive" Vlad answered Vincent's question if he could get more. "But this little beauty can store up magic like a charm, more so than other magical crystals, so don't worry about its capacity." Vlad explained a bit more. As VIncent theorized a time to make the device and Diane offered the idea of going back to the Cathedral in order to create the device with Vincent.

"I think returning to the cathedral's a lovely idea, but would there be equipment there to make it?" Vlad questioned, putting his gloscan crystal back into his pocket. "But i'l follow your guy's leads, im the weakest link here, even portal girl here is more helpful than me and my shadowmancy." Vlad teased Mako, giving the girl a tap on the shoulder as he looked at Vincent and Diane.

"So let's get to it! There's a culprit on the loose"

Mystics Apprentice · Aug 14, 2019

Carriage #1 (Mabel, Jynn, Yael, Eclaire, Fyenne, and Eleanor) (FULL)

Endless Thundaza ,

Nero Kunivas

The high priestess relaxed in her seat shortly after Mia left, though she still remained apprehensive about speaking. Her hands fidgeted a lot, in her lap, at her sides, toward Jynn's hand, and then back in her lap once more. A sweet girlish smile lit her face upon noticing Yael the ferret for the first time. "I didn't know that you had a pet besides Mel," Mabel murmured softly, cupping her hands and extending them toward Yael, hoping that he would hop in them. "May I hold him? What's his name?"

She offered Eclaire, Fyenne, and Eleanor a light smile when they were seated, though did not wish to interrupt as Jynn directed his question toward Eclaire. She didn't know Eclaire personally, but it seemed that she had once been a Vivifica mage, which was a curious thing to her. She didn't expect a mage to leave her brethren and court over Aislinn's choice, yet it seemed that it was creating quite the stir within the Vivifica court. There was much that she didn't understand about the workings of a court, though she did hope that her presence wouldn't make matters worse than they already were for Vivifica.

Carriage #2 (Nero, Mellark, Arkane, Daruk (Driver), Mia, Henry, Makoto(?)) (FULL)

Elrandir ,

Xion136

The blue-haired mage stifled a yawn and stretched back, considering Arkane's plight for the undead. "Interesting," he commented, though his tone suggested that he felt otherwise. "Well, to each their own, I suppose. It is reasonable that one may be rather attracted to the grotesque sight of the dead while others may favor the sweat and blood of living things. It's interesting to hear multiple views. I respect that." And he really did, even if he vastly disagreed.

Now that their carriage was full and Daruk had someone to speak with, Mellark started to rise. If everyone cramped in their carriage, perhaps that would mean more room was available in one of the other carriages. It seemed that Arkane agreed with him on Makoto's energetic presence and would possibly leave with him, but he didn't particularly mind it; the necromancer was rather quiet, even if vocal about his ideals. Mellark could tolerate such a presence, and perhaps would even enjoy an intellectual conversation with him.

Before he could move onward, however, the carriage already began to roll into motion, causing Mellark to jerk back and fall rather disgracefully into his seat. Harrumphing slightly, he crossed his arms over his chest and sat back, a blank expression on his face to hide the lack of his amusement.

Neighboring the driver's seat, Mia straightened herself, folding her hands neatly in her lap as she eyed the dish that Daruk had between them. Without asking she nabbed a piece of fried fish, chewing it while listening to Daruk's commentary.

"Ah, yes, the High Priestess Irina," Mia said thoughtfully, closing her eyes as she savored either her memory or the fish–perhaps both. "Her fate was an unfortunate one, meeting the grave far sooner than any woman should've. And I will never forget the time that her family came to visit in the Grand Cathedral. You were but a spritely lad the first time that I met you, clambering up on balcony rails and . . . vandalizing portraits, if I remember correctly?"

Mia chortled, resting a hand in her lap while clapping Daruk's shoulder with the other. "I'll never forget my rage when I saw that, though I think I scared you witless when I chased you down with a hatchet . . . !" A frown furrowed her brow as she rubbed her chin. "Looking back, perhaps that was a bit too harsh."

Stealing a chip this time, Mia considered it before adding, "It is good to see you as always, old friend. And I do not mean that in the senior department."

–The Viridian Villa–

HeartOfFerria

Within his seat, Vaike's gaze shifted toward the young woman as she practiced her magic, but said nothing as his indigo eyes nestled onto Arno. He cocked a brow at the bounty hunter's question, clearly surprised by it.

"Don't take this the wrong way," Vaike said slowly, carefully measuring his words so that they didn't come across as rude, "but I thought bounty hunters were interested in their job and how much they got paid, not what their employer was going to do thereafter? All I'm asking you is to help me in abducting the high priestess, get paid, and be on your way. What happens next shouldn't be your problem."

Tibarn visibly winced at his explanation, letting out a sigh and leaning against the mantle above the fireplace. The fire was out, thankfully, else he might get rather toasty in his position. This answer was not going to sit well with some of his comrades. Arno, maybe, Saffron, sure, but not Gabriel. He only hoped that Gabriel didn't shoot him then and there on the spot, though thought that Gabe probably had better self-restraint than that. Vaike sat up straighter in his seat, crossing an ankle over his knee and sighing. The light from the window behind him shone in as a shade of green from the curtain, casting a greenish hue to fall upon his long, thick locks.

"But I get it. You don't want innocent people getting hurt, and I am of the same mindset. So I'll sate your curiosity and tell you this: the high priestess is not what she seems. The elders put a little girl on the stage to look cute and sweet, someone to follow unquestionably and with the utmost loyalty. But this girl is a demon, and I don't say that to be mean, but in a literal sense. If she continues on her current path she is going to bring destruction upon Regalia, and millions of lives will be lost. This may be a lot to swallow, and you may not even believe me, but it's true." His gaze then hardened. "If you're not with me I understand, but regardless I will pursue her to save as many people as I can. I hope that the voice of reason can reach her ears, but I don't know how brainwashed she is or what her motives are. She may still be reached, but maybe not. I don't want any bloodshed, either. Dirtying my hands isn't my cup of tea."

–The Vivifica Temple–

HeartOfFerria

"Tomorrow morning it is," Tiru said in agreement, assuming that the lack of Quinn's protest meant that he would be welcome to come along. A look of disappointment washed over his face upon the older mage turning down the opportunity to join them, but he understood. Richter's appearance, even for a mage, would stand out in a crowd, and many knew him due to his close ties with the maestra. Even still, Tiru looked up to Richter as a mentor, and knew that their journey would be a safe one with his magical prowess at their disposal.

A look of concern washed over Tiru's face as he scrutinized the ethereal mage. Richter seemed . . . distracted? Concerned? It seemed that his focus was shifted elsewhere, though perhaps it was merely tiredness. After all, it was well-known throughout the court that Richter refuted sleep at every possibility. "Do rest up, will you?" Tiru suggested kindly. "We'll report back our findings."

Meanwhile, within a separate section of the court, Aislinn departed from her chambers, dressed in a cloak made from a crinkled velvet in a rich navy blue. Silver accented the cloak with a gown of silver silk underneath. A lantern was held in her hand as she pocketed an ornate brass key. She slipped around the corner and made to depart from the court, moving toward the eastern exit. No one seemed to question her movements, and she merely greeted those with a smile whom she passed. (Anyone can approach her, whom wishes it)

–Sanctus Heights: Mastiff's office–

Elrandir

Lieutenant Mastiff offered Vincent a wide smile, adjusting his glasses as he next spoke. "That sounds like a fantastic idea," he commented in regards to the device. "Except, erm, are you certain that your desk is what you desire to work on such a project? We have laboratories that I would gladly grant you access to. The facility is certified to work with limited quantities of Itika, so I apologize if their security is top-notch and intrusive to those who enter, especially if they are not researchers or typical employees of the lab. However, the offer still stands, if you are interested, Vincent."

He strode over to the door, opening it to allow all of the mages out of his rather small office, before he would in turn leave himself to attend other business. The man seemed a bit distracted.

Stardustblade358 · Aug 15, 2019

- Arkane - Umbra Court - Sanctus Heights: Infront of the Grand Cathedral - Carriage #2
Arkane glared at Mellark lightly, but it did not last long as he watched Makoto, only getting even closer to the mage to get away from Makoto. Mellark seemed getting up to leave, and Arkane considered following before he saw him fall right back as they began to move. Arkane backed away a bit, watching him before hiding his soft laughter behind his sleeves. He quickly looked away, staring out the window as his attention was taken by the moving sights outside. It would be a long trip, but he was sure he would survive it if Makoto behaved...even if it meant feeling a tad bit of jealousy that she got to hug up to Henry. Whatever. He was a professional and he would remain professional throughout the trip. He leaned back against his seat and glanced at Mellark, feeling a bit sorry for him. "It seems you are stuck here with us until the next stop." He mused, leaning against the window and his chin on his hand. He swore that the sights of the people picking up from the disaster would not affect him, but he would be lying if he said that that specific woman did not linger in his mind.

- Vincent - Ignis Court - Sanctus Heights: Lieutenant Mastiff's Office-
Vincent would smile at the rest as they accepted the idea. He turned to look at the lieutenant and nodded. "I would be grateful. I would not need to use Itika until the very last stages of the project. My court could not stop the automaton to its full capacity, and the city burned. I feel a personal responsibility to attempt to find out what happened, and who did this, for the sake of those lives lost." He said, hands on his hips. "If you are willing to allow me to work in the laboratory with the proper tools and materials, I am sure that I will be capable of creating the device before the end of the day. If everything goes smoothly, I will be capable of keeping my promise on the two hour mark!" He said, rather proudly at that. He was sure that this could wok. The difficult part would be the actual building of the instrument, but if he managed to find the right materials, it would not be that much of a problem. His mind raced with all of the possibilities and how he would be working with the materials given, if they had them at hand. "Please, would you allow me to work in it?" He asked.

- Yael - Unaffiliated - Sanctus Heights: Infront of the Grand Cathedral - Carriage #1
Yael played his part. He would see her hands extending, and Yael was more than happy to hop into her arms. He was careful to not scratch her, body long and fur as black as the night. His eyes were black but contained the faintest hue of purple that gave it away that he was not the usual ferret. He would be casually resting in Mabel's arms, seemingly to look at Jynn and giving him a ferret wink. Albeit the movement was so slight he doubted anyone would notice. Instead he chirped up some ferret noises, nuzzling his head against Mabel's hands.

Endless Thundaza · Aug 15, 2019

Jynn Venas, Vivifica - Carriage #1 with Mabel, Eclaire, Yael, Eleanor, and Feynne

Mabel clearly was unsure about the situation she was in right now, fidgeting her fingers, even touching Jynn’s hand, though it’s uncertain if it was intentional or not. But her fidgeting stops as soon as she notices Yael. As soon as she offers to hold him, the shapeshifter jumps into her hands. Jynn scratches Yael’s head. “Yael.” He takes a few glances at Mabel. Even though Eclaire is a friend of his, it would still be risky to let any hints of his friendship with Mabel surface.

As soon as Jynn returns from his trip to Sanctus Heights, he bolts to the Maestra’s office. Several court members greet him, including a younger Aislinn. He quickly greets everyone before continuing his rush. Vivifica was almost like a labyrinth of stairs and doors, but Jynn knew his home like the back of his hand.

He finally reaches his destination and eagerly opens the door. In the center of the office sat who is now Vivifica’s former Maestra, Lillian Valspra. Arguably the strongest thunder mage in all of Regalia, and full of wisdom. Though behind her impressive feats, she held a soft spot for all of her pupils, especially Jynn, who she played the role of mother and mentor. She took him under her wing after finding him in an abandoned shed near Vivifica, still an infant.

She glances towards Jynn and closes her book. She rushes to the soon-to-be mage and gives him a welcoming hug. “Jynn, I’m so glad to see you! How was your trip to Sanctus Heights?” Jynn was quick to reply, expressing his joy. “It was great! I made a new friend there!”

A surprised smile crept to the Maestra’s face. “That’s great my dear! If I may ask, what was your new friend’s name?” The young boy stops jumping around and looks to Lillian. “Her name is Mabel. She gave me this.” He reaches out his wrist, showing Lillian the bracelet Mabel gave him.

A look of concern escaped the Maestra’s face. Mabel? Like, the next High Priestess? It is forbidden for the High Priestess to show favoritism towards any mage, which Jynn will soon be. But she quickly lets out a smile. Mabel is still young, so this friendship should not be too much of an issue right now. Perhaps now would be a good time to tell him subtle things. “Wow, aren’t you going to high places!” Jynn tilts his head, obviously confused.

Lillian shuts the door, preventing anyone from spying on them. “Mabel is the future High Priestess.” Jynn remains confused. “High....... Priestess?” Was this some kind of position within the courts? Lillian starts to fill him in. “Yes. The position of High Priestess requires one to be the moderator of the Four Courts, making sure everything and everyone follows tradition. Our current Priestess is Irina.”

Lillian offers a loving smile, and rubs Jynn’s head. “That’s all you need to know for right now. I’ll teach you more once you become a mage. For now, spend as much time with Mabel as you possibly can.” Lillian’s statement saddens her a little. Poor Mabel. When the time comes, she can no longer show any emotion to any mage, not even Jynn. But hopefully, if he spends more time with her early on, perhaps Mabel will always see him as a friend, even through the tough trials of being the High Priestess.

Lillian places her hand on Jynn’s cheek. “I’ll tell you what. How about we visit Sanctus Heights once every two weeks? That way, you can keep up with your future training, but also maintain your friendship with Mabel. How does that sound?” Jynn’s eyes brighten up. He can visit Mabel every two weeks? How exciting! He gives Lillian a joyful hug. “That sounds great! Thank you mother!”

Lillian pats her happy stepson’s back before letting him go. “Alright Jynn. I have to get back to work. We shall head to Sanctus Heights in two weeks time. Now run along and get some rest. I bet you haven’t slept at all during the train ride.” Jynn lowers his head and offers a nervous smile. “Heh. Perhaps.....?” The Maestra nudges him towards the door. “Go get some rest.” As the young boy walks out the door, Lillian lets out a gentle smile before shutting the door to her office.

Xion136 · Aug 16, 2019

Makoto Suzaku - Ignis - Carriage 2

Once inside, she sat beside Henry, stretching a bit. Settled down, she tapped her feet on the floor. She was hugging Henry's arm, beaming. "Mmm. Nope, I'm sticking with my bestie!" She said, nodding firmly. "I had to leave his side once, not gonna leave him alone again!" And most likely she'd behave. Probably. Maybe. She did listen to Henry, at least. After all. Ok maybe only occasionally.

Scrapmaster

Stardustblade358

Eclaire de Wynter - Umbra - Carriage 1

Eclaire shifted a bit, bowing her head to Jynn. She wasn't able to stop her ears from laying flat, bowing her head to the man. "It treats me well...I...Have met a few people. Made a friend." Her tail lightly coiled around Eleanor's hand, before pulling back. "Otherwise, there is...not much else." She glanced at the Priestess, then back at her lap. Oh, what tangled webs that were weaved for them all...and now, all she could really do was sigh softly and wrap an arm around Fyenne, rubbing her shoulder.

Endless Thundaza

Mystics Apprentice

Eden and Zion - Umbra/Vivifica - Warehouse District

Eden dragged Isabelle along. "We'll catch a ride on a train. Pretty sure Ron - Remy can get us on." Of course Ronin ran off. Lovely. "We'll meet Zion there. She has to warn everyone." She said, kicking the door open. "Go honey, and don't you dare stop for coffee!"
Zion shot past her her, heading for the water. "I know!" She shouted back. Leaping off, her wings manifested, and she took to the skies, flapping and gaining altitude. She was going to need to be fast, especially if the carriages were possibly on the way. And so, she shot up at full speed, grimacing as the cold air sent shivers throughout her body. The cold would be necessary for awhile. She did not attempt to hide, letting the land dwindle below...before she twisted and fell back, tucking her arms and legs in. Straight as an arrow, she rocketed downwards, and as she reached terminal velocity, she once more spun, Wings out, she levelled off and now was speeding across the sky like a bullet in the direction of Vivifica.
She had to warn Aislinn.

...and oh she would be yelled at. But she knew the hearts of her people. The Elders proved only one of two things - either they do not understand the hearts of the people of the Courts, or they do. One is ignorance cloaked in righteousness...and the other is evil cloaked in justice. Either way, many would die following what they felt was the right path, even if that path ignored, nay, defied tradition. And that was why she shot across the sky, over the carriages, and towards her Court.

She had to warn them.

Warn them what could become conflict.

Eden, meanwhile, waiting until Remy was out to slam the door closed. "Alright you two, ideas. Train? Steal horses? I'd prefer the train, but I am unsure if your faces are known." She said.

Nero Kunivas

RikuXIII · Aug 16, 2019

{Mako Koyl – Somnum Court: Sanctus Heights; Lt. Mastiff’s office}
All the technical talk was over Mako’s head, but she tried to keep up. It seemed a little odd to her that Vincent with his big brain hadn’t ended up in Somnum, but there were oddities like that all over. What mattered was he had a plan, which was better than what Mako had. With a prototype expected in 2 hours, that gave Mako some time to figure out the city, maybe use her teleporting to speed up the tracking process. Vlad’s little tease got a look from the young teleporter. Vlad seemed to be alright under it all, but Mako wasn’t entirely blind to his ways.
“I can move whatever equipment and materials you need.” She offered to Vincent. “I might be able to move most of the lab to the cathedral, if necessary. Just give me a little time and good co-ordinance.”
As she spoke, Mako noticed Mastiff’s distracted look.
“Of course he’s distracted.” She thought. “He’s got a big mystery on his hands, is dealing with the courts, and juggling whatever goes on in his home life. Leave him be.”
But it continued to nag her, until…
“Something on your mind, L.T.?” Mako asked, a little to her own surprise. “You seem spacey.”

{Anya Alighieri – Ignis Court: Sanctus Heights; Reconstruction}
Anya nodded as Arun spoke of his past. She had forgotten he had been in an orphanage. Had she remembered, she might have put the question another way, but it didn’t seem to bother the Earth Mage, so no harm done.
“Still, that’s using your noggin on how to use your magic.” She said, taking another drink of water. “It’s always good to adapt to the situation.”
She shrugged at Arun’s compliment.
“I learned a long time ago that if you didn’t push the boundaries of what you think is possible with your magic, you’ll never grow. This is a little new to me, but I’m use to patching people up. For inanimate objects, I just don’t have to be as gentle.”
Taking another swing, she corked the canteen and got up.
“Plus, sure does beat using a broom.” Anya joked.

{Valery – Vivifica Court: Temple}
Valery seemed unfazed by Tiru’s comments, simply continue to regard him with a steely gaze. After a moment, she shrugged.
“You are welcome.” The Parrot spoke as the Warden signed. “Just remember that we have to get the answers back here.”
As Richter came over, Valery regarded him with a polite nod. She too wished she would join the group, but she doubted he would. Plus, there had to be some left behind to watch over the Maestra. Still, while she had her issues with Tiru, Quinn was a solid member. She didn’t know the self-proclaimed Servant of the Court that well, but this would be a good opportunity to do so.
“Tomorrow it is, than.” The familiar translated. “I will be ready.”
Giving a quick bow to her fellow mages, Valery headed back to her room to pack.

(Gerik will be along in a bit.)

Scrapmaster · Aug 16, 2019

- Arno Cross - The Stone hearted bounty hunter - Viridian Villa -

"Only the ones who don't live long." Arno replied instinctively to Vaike's comments about their...unorthodox bounty hunting ways, Arno had experience with what he said, many bounty hunters usualy died or disappeared after doing jobs they did not know the details of, nor what the employer did afterward, after all a Bounty Hunter's simply a loose end to deal with after the job is done.

Arno simply raised a hand in gesture to Gabriel in case his friend got rowdy and pulled out his gun or something, keeping this as non-hostile as possible would be idea. As Vaike soon began to explain why he wanted to do this, witholding some information of course, but the information he did give was rather...unique. The type that gave you the feeling that it couldn't just be a lie, couldn't be made up on the spot to convince a naive individual to accept something. And Arno agreed, doing this without bloodshed would be idea, he didn't want to get any mage bloods on his or his allies's hands.

Arno thought long and hard about the decision to either accept or not. The money was good, but the risk was high. But Vaike did give his motives and reasons to doing all this. "hm..." He pondered.

"I accept, so long as no innocents are harmed." Arno gave Vaike his answer. "Your speech piqued my interest, and it's a crazy enough theory to know it's not a lie."

Nero Kunivas

- Richter Vanis - Vivifica - Vivifica Temple -

Richter raised an eyebrow as he noticed Tiru's face shifting to one of concern, most likely for him. Did he notice that Richter was shook? Or did he think he was merely tired?
Tiru's suggestion came as a relief and a nice gesture to Richter, who then nodded with a friendly smile. "I will try to, I can't promise, though." Richter answered with a slight attempt at a joke or to poke fun at Tiru's worryness of him.

Giving Valey and quinn a respectful nod as Valery greeted him with one, Richter watched as Valery left to pack up her things. Richter looked towards Tiru again. "Valery has a good heart and a good head on her shoulders, watch over her alright?." Richter began commenting about his fellow mage, with a slight smile. "Though knowing her, she's more likely to watch you." Richter chuckled, before glancing at Quinn. "Quinn's fiercely loyal and reliable. You couldn't have chosen a better team for this, Tiru." Richter also commented. Before bringing a hand to his chin. "Though I do wonder if you'l be able to act properly when in the company of two ladies, all by yourself." Richter now began to tease Tiru, with a sly smile on his face. This just proved that Richter considered those around him as close friends, he wanted what was best for them, all he ever wanted was the well being of others, and to protect them.

But he couldn't tell them of what he had found...not yet.

RikuXIII

- Henry Heid - The Sun of Ignis - Carriage#2 -

Henry managed to find a good spot in the carriage, alongside Makoto of course, not taking up much space as he wasn't as heavily built as some of his other acquaintances, like Daruk to give an example, man was built like a boulder, overral he hoped his presence wouldn't bother the others. Arkane didn't seem to mind him, even though his earlier comment to Makoto did bring a small frown to his face. As the carriages began to move and Mellark was not stuck to his seat as a result, that did not go unnoticed by Henry.

A small, very brief blush formed on his cheeks as Makoto hugged his arm, she had her ways of showing affection, and he did not mind them at all, he just hoped she wouldn't embarrass him in front of the others like this.

One of the passengers in the carriage took his attention, most importantly Nero, the maestra of somnum, a well known and respected figure among the mages of all courts. "Excuse me, Thea Nero?" He spoke towards her, respectfuly and a bit shy, considering he had never spoken to her before, a bit of shyness was only natural. "It's an Honor to meet you." Henry spoke as he gave her a politely bowing his head to her. After all it wasn't everyday you traveled alongside another court's maestra, with your maester driving the carriage which you were a passenger of.