Fantasy The Magical Land of Gyan [Open] [Started] [[Detailed]]

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WELCOME TO THE MAGICAL LAND OF...

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Surrounded by raging waters filled with vicious, powerful monsters. Enclosed by turbulent wind currents, protected by the behemoths of the sky. A land of many terrains, many climates, many seasons, and many diverse people. It's name? Gyan.

Along this land, several groups of people live peacefully, simultaneously one with themselves, and one with nature. A subtle balance has been in order in this land, one that has been sustained for centuries. A kingdom in the East rose long ago, its ultimate goal to unite all peoples under one banner, and to protect mankind from that of beast, such that all men and women may live peacefully, without fearing for their lives everyday.

And yet, they are not the only civilization that exists. In the southwest, a clergy has created a grand city for worshippers to reside in. Tribes in the north and northeast rule over forest and mountains, respectively.

This land is filled with a vibrant, magical essence. A rare few in the land of Gyan are able to access this magic. In tune with the elements, they are able to summon upon them to aide them in their daily lives. These people are known as the manipulators.

Truly, the manipulators are special among the men and women of Gyan, and thus, they are treated as such. Whether they are feared, envied, or loved, the manipulators are on everyone's mind, and everyone has an opinion on them.

Just recently, a festival took place that pitted young, aspiring manipulators together as an exciting show for the world. The world of manipulators reveres this fighting festival, and everyone who's anyone will watch and keep track of the event. It is here that the most elite manipulators make their mark, and it is here that the already established manipulators continue to show their dominance.

With the event now over, the next generation of manipulators must prepare themselves. Training has now begun for those who wish to participate in next year's event, and only the strongest among them shall hope to make their names known throughout the land, and begin to etch their legend into history....

The generation of heroes has awakened, and so they begin their journey. This is...

THE FIGHTING FESTIVAL SAGA​

Selorm Aub

House Aub

They have long been known as one of the more peaceful houses in Gyan among other main houses. House Aub is not, and has never been a house that turns out capable warrior after capable warrior like an automated machine. Rather, they are known for raising brilliant children, who go on to affect the world with their knack and fondness for the sciences. They have always been the passive voice of the Asman tribe, in contrast to the outspoken House Hava. However, their wisdom and calm demeanor has never failed Asman before, and as such, the heads of this house hold their name in great pride.

Gathered around an old, wooden table, the most important voices of House Aub sat together. The mood around the table was downtrodden, House Aub wasn't able to produce a single manipulator to take part in the fighting festival of a week ago. Also, their top aspiring manipulator had fallen in a battle against Mardom warriors not too long ago, and so there was not much to be excited about.

​

"If I may," a soft voice spoke out, interrupting what had been a long silence. The others at the table all gave their attention to the voice, that of a gorgeous young woman. Ordinarily, no young person had any business being at a gathering of the important elders of a house, but in Asman, the chosen future leader of the main houses were encouraged to sit in on meetings to gain experience and voice their own opinions as well.

The woman stood up from her seat. Her blue eyes demanded the attention of the others, and yet the look on her face was warm and inviting.

"I believe it's time we pick ourselves up and move forward. Osmin was one of my closest friends, and I miss him dearly. But, he would not want for the leaders of House Aub to sit around sulking, House Aub still has a future, and we still have flowers that have yet to bloom."

"What are you trying to say Tali," an elder insisted.

"As I'm sure you're all aware, Osmin's younger sister, Selorm, has recently reached her fifteenth year of age. By the time the fighting festival comes around next year, she will be sixteen, just as Osmin and I were when we entered the Now Tournament. I've seen her in action, and I truly believe now is the time for her to experience the land of Gyan and learn to hone her skill. The girl has massive potential, and she can be the hope that propels our house into the future. Along with her, Fiya's son and your granddaughter, elder Jun, are within their last year of eligibility. We have a squad of three ready to go, so why delay their promising futures with our emotional weakness?"

One by one the elders began to nod. Despite her age, Tali had shown so much poise and leadership in her position, which only confirmed their initial beliefs that she was the right girl for to lead the house into the future.

The one named elder Jun laughed heartily. Like all the men and women of House Aub, he had silvery hair and icy blue eyes. "As usual, Tali, you have managed to pick up the room. Alright, what do you propose?"

Tali managed a smile back to the older man. "My older sister Tula made it to the final four in the five-hundred ninety fourth festival. She has only gotten more experienced in these last five years. I believe she will be an excellent mentor for the three children."

"All agreed?" Jun asked, speaking to the room as a whole. A bunch of aye's filled the room.

"It seems we've come to a consensus," Jun smiled, "Let your sister know of her newfound duties. I'm expecting great things Tali."

"Neither of us will disappoint you, Elder Jun, nor any of my other esteemed elders in this room," Tali affirmed. She bowed respectfully before leaving the room.
​

Nigel Rashid

House Barq

House Barq. They are known in the world of manipulators as the disgraceful side of the Xwarrag Tribe. Most people view them as villainous scum, and they hardly go out of their way to prove those sentiments false. They rule over the Xwar Desert with an iron fist, and are not above traveling to different regions, wreaking havoc on innocent towns in an attempt to plunder and loot.

For this reason, they have drawn the ire of both the Mardom Kingdom and the rest of the Xwarrag Tribe. They have high tension relationships with both of those groups, but fortunately for them neither of the groups have made any moves on House Barq, likely due to their nomadic nature as well as their powerful manipulators. Even if a group manages to track them down, is it even worth it to take them on?

Though they enjoy asserting their will often, House Barq has been stuck in a bit of a rut recently. For a while, they have been engaged in what members of the house are calling "The Shadow Hunt." A race has been waged between House Barq, and the Mardom Kingdom to capture the man known as "The Panther," known by members of House Barq to be Nigel Rashid.

Mardom Kingdom has plans to punish this man, but House Barq has other ideas. His skills have been cultivated over the years, as far as rumors are to be believed, and thus, the leaders of House Barq are interested in bringing him back into the House as one of their own. To this end, they have managed to convince the Mardom knight in charge of his capture, one of their own, to hear them out. Fortunately for them, the man is Nigel's brother, and they knew they wouldn't need much convincing to get him to spare his brother.

"Then, do we have an agreement, Dermon?"

"Kayrosh, you know I'm unable to simply abandon my duties as a knight of Mardom. I will be disgraced."

"Fool, you were a bandit of Barq far before you were a knight. You know how those pompous boars view us, what do you owe them? This is your own brother, you would really turn him into his definite execution?" The one named Kayrosh argued.

"Yes but..."

"But nothing. You're only a child, so I don't expect you to understand these things, but your loyalty should always be to House Barq. Your family is here, not in Mardom. Should those metal brains ever decide to launch an attack on us, will you back them up then too? Will you stand on their side as your mother and father are slaughtered by their steel?"

"That will never happen!" Dermon exclaimed.

Kayrosh leaned over such that his eyes were level with Dermon's. "Don't be naive, kid. They are waiting for their time to strike, and when they do, we need every capable manipulator in House Barq to stop them. Now get back to your hunt. You are my kin, I trust you'll make the right decision," Kaynos stated, turning his back on Dermon as he walked back towards his room.

Dermon was incredibly strong-willed for such a young age, but he couldn't help but feel powerless when he was around Kayrosh. After all, the man was known as Demon of the Desert, and was a monster manipulator who struck fear into the hearts of his opponents. He was one of the strongest manipulators in al of Gyan, and definitely not someone you wanted to be on the bad side of.

"Well, I guess I'll make my choice once I capture him, anyway. Im coming for you brother," Dermon said to himself, exiting the hut. He walked over to his horse and began his trek into the desert. This time, he had a pretty good lead on where his brother was hiding.


​

Charlotte Lereux

House Leroux

The Mardom Kingdom has always been viewed as the very best Gyan has to offer. No matter how you looked at it, they were the pinnacle of civilization in Gyan, having started as a mere tribe to claiming sovereignty over a large area, as well as being the governing body of nearly 75% of all people of the land. Their dominance is unmatched.

The Mardom Kingdom consistently turns out skilled manipulators who have no trouble taking over in the fighting festival. In fact, the five knights that comprise the Grand Knights of Mardom, the most powerful squadron in Mardom, all have a place within Gyan's Elemental Elite, who are known as Gyan's ten most powerful manipulators. In this year's fighting festival, they comprised the entirety of the Elite Eight, a monumental feat, even for them.

All this being said, it should come as no surprise that the Mardom Kingdom have a competitive culture, as every house strives to bring fame and glory to their name. The first step in the process is the process of knighting. Young prospective warriors head to the Academy of Military Science and Swordsmanship, otherwise known as AMSS, to begin the years long training with the goal of eventually being recognized as a full-fledged knight of Mardom.

This year, there was no shortage of prospective knights. Like most years, the auditorium of AMSS was packed, filled with many aspiring, brave warriors. Some of them were manipulators, others were simply normal men and women who wished to increase their skills with a sword. All were there for one purpose.

For the manipulators among the crowd, it was quite clearly understood that knight training would also be a huge boon to their skills as a manipulator, as it was guaranteed they would be given a mentor with their particular affinity for the elements.

Every year, certain people would be invited to the Academy to undergo this training free of charge. This year, incredibly, three siblings had been given invited together. A duo of young men had gained some hype in Mardom Kingdom after having fared decently in the fighting festival without any proper, formal training. Representing House Leroux, these young men were highly touted among the recruiters. Along with them, their little sister Charlotte had been granted the waiver to come and train, though not much was known about her. Truly, she was mostly recruited along off the reputation of her brothers.

A large, sturdy man walked onto the stage, up to the podium. Prior to his arrival, the crowd was chattering amongst each other. However, when their eyes fell upon the armored knight, they fell quiet. His armor was immediately recognized by the crowd, as only a single man wore a golden suit with the imagery of lion carved into it.

This man was Nicolas de Auhan, one of the Grand Knights and rank eight of the Elemental Elites. As he stood in front of the podium, many eyes would be drawn to him with awe. After all, he was a hugely important figure, especially in Mardom. The Grand Knights were celebrities across Gyan, and to see one at a simple orientation was quite amazing.

The man, nicknamed "The Lion" both for his ferocity and courage, as well as his status as the greatest warrior of de Auhan, who's crest bore the symbol of the manticore, took his place in front of the podium. Slowly, he removed his helm, revealing a man in his late twenties. He had a thick, brown beard and long, messy hair. His entire visage screamed "seasoned warrior."

Soon, his deep voice would echo throughout the hall. "Welcome!" he bellowed.

"I see that many people have come here today. I commend your ambition that you would bring yourself to this Academy. I hope you are all aware of how dangerous the life of a knight is. In case you are not, let me tell you now that if you have any fear of dying young you should turn back and return to your homes."

A few people seemed to hesitate, but ultimately everyone stayed put. At this point most people were well aware of what it took to be a knight, so they were not shocked by Nicolas' words.

"Hmph. It appears you all have some semblance of bravery and dignity, at least. We'll see how long that lasts. That was your last chance to leave with your pride in tact. From this point on, you will all be treated as squires. Training will be brutal, and your living conditions will be harsh. You have all been divided into squadrons based on your applications, and have been appointed a mentor. This mentor will take you along to all of their tasks, and from today you will begin shadowing them to understand what exactly it means to be a knight. Outside this room, there is a long scroll posted to the wall with all of your names on it, and beside those names is the name of your mentor and their location. Your first task as a squire is to reach your knight. You shall begin immediately," the man declared.

Right away, the crowd of squires began to rush towards the doors. There were somewhere around 60-70 of them within that auditorium, so it was no surprise that a lot of crowding began to take place at the doors, however, the squires would soon reach their desired object.
​

Spoiler: Charlotte's Mentor

Charlotte Lereux..........Camila Sharpe. Angle Square, Bell Tower.

​

Riley Zamin

House Zamin

A tribe of hunters, the Urwars are a respected tribe within Gyan. As one of its main houses, House Zamin has little trouble demanding respect and admiration from others. Both main houses of Urwar produce capable manipulators at a high frequency, but overall their birth rate to death rate ratio isn't favorable, and thus they usually do not provide many young manipulators for the Fighting Festival. However, this year would be a good year for the Urwar tribe.

House Zamin had been through some tough times in recent years. Certain events led them down a road they had not predicted, but nonetheless, they persisted. Now, a week removed from the festival, they had prepared to begin the training of their next set of contestants.

In a certain area of the Lyle Forest, a woman sat alone on a patch of grass over looking a narrow river. She seemed relaxed, taking in the sights and sounds. Small birds flew over her while small land animals, like rabbits and squirrels, were prancing around the bottom of the trees. A single rabbit came over to her, and she showed no hesitation in petting it tenderly. She was always very good around animals.

"Auryon," a deep voice called out, disrupting her peace.

The woman turned her neck slightly to catch a glimpse of the man behind the voice. She knew the voice well, it was that of her house's head, Marth.

"Hmm," she responded.

"It's about that time. Go get the boy. I will be waiting at the Tribal Council building," he declared.

"You know how I feel about people ordering me around Marth," she replied.

"Oh, and don't show up drunk," he said, ignoring her previous statement as he walked away.

The woman named Auryon grunted as she turned away from the brawny man. "Stupid old geezer. He really came all the way here to tell me that?"

Nonetheless, she stood and began to make her trek back to her hut, where her nephew Riley Zamin would be waiting for her. Today was the day that he would begin his specialized training for his last year of eligibility for the fighting festival. Auryon wasn't too keen on him leaving Urwar Tribe territory, especially since it had already been decided that she wouldn't be assigned as his mentor, but she knew full well that such was the life of a manipulator.

Within a few minutes, she made it back to her hut. However, she didn't have sight of her nephew. Instead of wasting time trying to find him, she decided it would be more efficient to have him find her.

"RILEY! GET YOUR BUTT OVER HERE RIGHT NOW! YOU NEED TO GET READY AND GO INTO URWAR VILLAGE!"
​

Nephalem ReverseTex Roleplay Skittle NUSKI

 

[ReverseTex]

Nigel Rashid- "The Panther"
House Barq and Mardom were one of the same. Barq was a living, pulsing house. Vastly spread, but coherent, like veins inside the human anatomy. Mardom on the other hand is very close, interior houses of wealth and royalty. But they were like the heart, many parts, but all pumping the blood of Gyan. And in Rashid's situation, it wasn't a good thing to be an enemy of state to the both of them...
Luckily for Rashid, he was right under their noses. His safe house, which was above a thriving steel factory. A bed, and a window was all he needed. But of course it would be too easy to find him there, lucky for him he also had control over multiple areas he liked to called "Fail Zones" which were the bigger areas which Mardom and Barq had leads to. Looking in the mirror on the small dresser, he studied his reflection with keen eyes. His dirty blonde hair, like the desert he used to call home, was short and roughly styled. His eyes, which he thought were like "living ice" were a blue-grey color of beauty. He could walk the cities like this, since the wanted posters showed his turban-like mask. And the only man in Gyan who knew his face was busy on a goose chase on a fail zone. And with a smile to his reflection, he left the room.
The factory was in the industrial area of Mardom city a short ways away from the area of his next target. The man he was to hunt was named Farley, of some house he cared not to worry about. Apperantlty the man wishing his death sayed this man crossed him, and stole his wife. Now he didn't quite believe the man, but he was craving another kill and to leave this metallic city. Sliding a hand into his pocket, he pulled a small piece of paper, inscribed was the man's daily schedule. Most of the day was useless to him, except two times. Noon; Quick drink at The Twisted Blade. 5-5:30; Walk home from work to home. Glancing up at the sky, it appeared to be noon, and he had his sights narrowed down on the pub. Cracking his knuckles, a energy only a manipulator of lightning could feel, as if thunder radiated through him. But though he was going in without facial protection, the bartender would more like remember his face, since the afternoon drunks would be to busy drowning their sorrows away. He'd have to bolt fast, or kill the bartender as well. Pushing the door open to the tavern, the smell of achohal quickly surging through his nose, as he spotted the target as schedule.​

 

[Roleplay Skittle]

Lotte

It was already midday and the siblings were taking their lunch break. Lotte lay flat on her back atop a stone bench in the courtyard of their home where the trio commonly did their training, her long red hair cascading loosely over the gray stone and grazing the ground below. Her hands, clad in fingerless leather gloves that were deep brown in color and hardened as they stretched almost to her elbows, holding the grip of her rapier in one hand while the other absently rubbed at the blade. She tilted the weapon back and forth, the sun reflecting off the steel and casting a light of to the side.

"Quit it."

Lotte's full lips were curved in an amused smile. Her brother was sitting on the ground next to the bench munching contentedly on a sandwich as he rested and his little sister was periodically blinding him. Her emerald colored eyes were squinted slightly, partially because of her smile and partially because of the sun in her eyes. She tilted the blade again.

"Lotte! Come on!"

There was a sputtering sound that came from her as air forced its way between her lips before she just started laughing, the sound feminine in pitch but the way it was carried was not very lady-like, "sorry, sorry..." she said, but she really wasn't.

It wasn't long after that when Albert burst into the courtyard, holding a piece of parchment high in the air above his head and exclaiming that a letter from the Academy of Military Science and Swordsmanship had arrived. Dorian almost dropped his sandwich as he rose to his feet and hurried to meet his brother. Lotte's feet had been on the ground at the foot of the bench, her knees bent over the edge of the seat and as she sat up, she turned to face them, laying her rapier down beside her as she watched them intently.

They were both looking over the paper and Dorian did a double take, looking over to his sister, back to the paper, and the second time he looked to Lotte, Albert also looked to her. She leaned back slightly, her fingers curved around her seat on either side of her legs which were also covered in brown leather with thick padding on her thighs, her shins covered in guards that extended from the boots she wore to over her knees, "what?" she blinked a few times, wondering why they were staring at her.

Dorian took a bite of his sandwich, trying to hide the slight smile that was tugging the corners of his mouth as Albert stepped past him and handed the letter to Lotte. His sister looked at it, then back to him as she carefully took it before lowering her eyes to it again. It was an invitation. An invitation for all three of them to attend training at the AMSS. Lotte stared at the paper in shock. She had not been fully surprised that a letter would come for her brothers as their names had become somewhat well known due to their success in the Fighting Festivals, but for her to be invited too? She had to have read her name written on the paper a dozen times before she finally looked up to her brothers, "this.... what?!"

Dorian just burst out laughing and Albert smiled and nodded his head, "don't ever say your brothers never did anything for you."

Lotte squealed girlishly, a mannerism she rarely ever displayed but this was one of those times that it was called for, she then excitedly hugged Albert, the top of her head only reaching to to collarbone as she hugged against his chest. They may not have made it into the elite eight, but her brothers were well on their way to restoring House Leroux's name and she seemed to be the first to benefit from that fact.


Her hard soled boots pounded along the ground as her firm legs defined by lean muscle and covered in brown leather flexed and tense with each great stride she made as she sprinted down the street. It was the day they were to attend the assembly at the AMSS and she and her brothers had decided to make an event of it, racing to the academy as they would normally race to the stone with their House's symbol on it. Of course chores weren't something they were gambling on this day, this day the prize was simply being declared the winner of the race.

Albert was running on the other side of the road, easily keeping pace with his sister and actually drawing a little bit ahead of her as the both dodged and weaved through the crowds. Dorian on the other hand was nowhere to be seen and the thought crossed Lotte's mind that he had previously planned his route and therefore given himself the upper hand. The idea that he would cheat, annoyed her and she pushed herself harder, her waist length hair held at the back of her head in a ponytail whipping behind her like a red flag.

She guessed that Dorian would know better because if he was found out, he'd have both herself and Albert to answer to. A somewhat mean grin spreading over her delicate and lightly tanned features, her well groomed brows lowering slightly in determination and she cast a glance to Albert, wondering if he was thinking the same thing before her attention was redirected in front of her as she heard the clacking of hooves and the squeaking of the wheels of a wooden cart.

Lotte thought quickly and her small feet easily slid between the spokes, using them as a makeshift ladder as she swiftly projected herself upwards, springing off the top of the wheel and onto the cart, jumping off the otherside, her momentum causing her to somersault once she hit the ground on the other side, but that didn't stop her and she broke back into a run once the roll had been completed as though it had never happened.

Eventually they all reached the AMSS, older brother and younger sister both ganging up on their middle sibling who had somehow managed to beat them to the academy, though he wouldn't say how. The three made their way to the auditorium, most of the faces filling it unfamiliar to them, though they did see a few they recognized and as they playfully punched each other and pushed their way through the crowd, they'd end up with these friends of theirs.

They chatted with their friends for a while, but it wasn't long until the crowd was hushed, both from respect and awe as Nicolas de Auhan appeared. All were silent as he spoke, though when he mentioned returning to their homes if they were afraid of dying young, the Leroux siblings teasingly shoved each other, though there was no hesitation, this sort of recognition was what they had been raised for.

When 'The Lion' began talking again, they settled down once more and focused on what he had to say, casting each other excited grins during his speech. When he finished and gave their orders and the whole crowd set in motion, Lotte and her brothers exchanged a knowing glance. It was another race. Only Lotte would be the victor this time as considering she was not as bulky in frame as her brothers, she more easily slipped in between other squires, making her way to the front long before the Leroux boys.

When she saw her name on the scroll and collected the necessary information, she found a high point in the auditorium and climbed up, spotting her brothers and when they saw her, she playfully put her hand over her mouth and kissed it, throwing it to them before she leaped down and made her way back onto the streets.

She couldn't help but laugh once she was outside. The bell tower. Her old nemesis. She only took a moment to laugh about it before she broke into a sprint, heading in the direction of Angle Square in search of Camila Sharpe.

coded by Roleplay Skittle​

 

[NUSKI]

RILEY ZAMIN
Lyle Forest
There was a calm breeze that Riley felt as he breathed in and bent his right knee forward as his right arm pushed outwards. He closed his eyes slowly, feeling the presence of another animal near him. The wind stopped for a mere second which gave him enough time to hear the footsteps. They were light but fast meaning they could sense him as well. A dark brown baboon leaped from a tree above him and Riley's eyes snapped open and leaped to the left and missed the surprise attack by a few centimeters. The baboon screeched which summoned two more who seemed to be as aggressive as the first. Usually, Riley could tame animals but not if they already had plans on hurting him. This was one of the many reasons he hated living with Auryon; she lived where the more dangerous animals were and thought it would be a good idea to raise a child there. The baboons moved around him, creating an obtuse triangle. A bead of sweat dripped from Riley's face to the grass below as the baboons did not look like they were going to back down. He pressed his right foot into the ground and hissed back at the wild animals as they all viciously leaped towards him. When they were close enough, a pillar of dirt pushed Riley upwards until he was close to the full height of the nearby trees. While in mid-air he pulled out three boomerangs and threw them downwards towards the baboons. One missed, while the other two knocked the baboons head backwards which gave him a change to land on one of them for cushioning. The baboon he landed on stopped moving while the other two were running towards him quickly. Panicking, he raised the ground above him so it would create a wall of defense and pushed it backed until he heard the animal's bodies squish into the trees.

Realizing that he was still laying on a corpse, he got up quickly and wiped the dust off of his forehead. The pillar and wall ell back into the ground and Riley looked away so he didn't have to see the bodies.

"Great" was all he could manage. He hated to see animals- even excessively violent animals die. He forced himself to look at the other two baboons, telling himself to be 'strong.' He knew sooner or later Marth or the other tribe leaders would confront him about the festival. To be completely honest, he wasn't too interested in it. He couldn't find a reason to be. Lately, he had been feeling a pulling sensation for wanting to see, know more. Maybe even leaving Gyan. Whenever those thoughts entered his mind, he just tried to push them out... he couldn't let his dead father influence him. Riley shook his head, getting back into form, ready for the next wave of animals even if it would take hours for them to come. He wanted to be ready for when he would be called. As he extended his right arm, he jumped in fear as he heard Auryon scream his name. He was always training, so he bent down and sprinted toward Auryon's hut and stopped a few inches in front of Auryon. He immediately laughed at the sight of her red face.

"Do I have to go now? Did Marth stop by?"

BLUR

 

[Nephalem]

Selorm Aub
The Rainy Eyed Child
​

Water, the liquid of life. Used to symbolize serenity, purity, life and emotion. The human body is composed of around 60% of water, but Selorm's life seems to be composed of 100% of it. Everything used to feel refreshing and cool, the waters of life cradled Selorm as she traveled down a calm stream, but lately this stream has become rough. The waters of life have turned against Selorm, and instead of cradling her it pushed her underneath the current, drowning her. Who would have ever guessed that water could be a bad thing, right?

"Mushka?" came a soft voice following an light knock at Selorm's door. Her father's face peeked through the doorway as he slowly pushed the door open. Selorm lay on her bed, a mink fur blanket concealing all but the top of her cloudy white head. "Mushka," came her father's gentle rumble. He approached her slowly, his sad eyes surrounded by dark bags. The village hadn't been the same since the death of her brother, but Selorm took it the hardest out of anyone. She hasn't left her room since his death, not even to go to her favorite spring. She refused any water given or presented to her as it reminded her too much of Osmin. She had been surviving off of milk and the occasional biscuit when the hunger pains grew too much. The end of her bed dipped as her father sat himself down. "Selorm," he began, "Tali just came by. Her and the elders have decided that you will begin training with Tula."

Selorm sat up, the soft fur blanket falling down to reveal a sickly looking girl. Her white hair was tangled and tousled, hanging in front of her puffy, red rimmed pale blue eyes. Her nose was an irritated red from so much blowing. Her delicate cheeks were glistened from tear tracks. "No," Selorm said in a barely audible, raspy whisper. "Selorm you've been locked up in here for weeks," said her father, shifting around to look at her. It was the first time in weeks that he had seen her face. The sight was heart wrenching, but he had to stay firm. He believed that this was the opportunity she needed to climb out of the rut she was in. "It's time," he said. "No," she repeated, her white eyebrows furrowing. Selorm was never one for disobedience, but if there was ever a time it was now. "You need t-" her father tried, but Selorm threw off her blanket and jumped to her feet. Her gaze was sharp and icy. "No, I don't need to move on. I will never, ever move on! I can't believe that you just want to-to just keep going! He was your son! My brother! You can't just keep going, I can't just keep going! How can you just forget about him like that?" She demanded. Her voice had risen to a weak shout by now. A fresh batch of tears burned her tired eyes. "We aren't forgetting him Selorm, but you can't just stop your life because he's gone. Time doesn't pause for anyone. You will be training with Tula and that's that." "Bite me," Selorm said darkly, her voice cracking in emotion.

With that she tore out of the house, slamming every door as she went. Wearing nothing but a white bed gown that reached down to her knees she sprinted through the village and disappeared into the woods. She never wanted to see this place again, but after a while of running Selorm found herself back at her and her brother's secret paradise. The once comforting sound of the waterfall pouring down into the crystal clear water now disturbed her. Too many memories were in this place, and every one of them haunted her.

"What hurts the most," said Selorm as she stared at her own reflection in the water. "is the fact that every part of me wishes that he was here, and no matter what I feel or say or do, he will never come back. That pain is the worst kind." Her bare feet sank into the muddy dirt as she wadded into the cool water. Subconciously she was being pulled in, and right now she was too weak to fight it. "I want you to come back," she cried. "I need you to come back. Everyone in the village looks up to you. I look up to you. Why did you have to leave? You should have just let them come into the village, you shouldn't have just-" her voice broke off as she brought her hands up to wipe her eyes. "I need my big brother," cried the young child. "Why did you leave me, Osmin?! How can I keep going without you? You were my teacher, my brother, my best friend. Osmin,"

"I didn't mean what I said that day."

 

[BLUR]

Selorm Aub

House Aub

Selorm finally left the house, only to find a new spot to sulk. It was hard for everyone in Asman tribe to lose one of their own, especially when that one was one of their finest manipulators. However, none could possibly imagine the pain that Selorm went through. Her last words to her brother were not loving, but rather, they were the exact opposite.

And so she continued to lament the loss of her brother, unbothered by the fact that her house had prepared for her to begin her training for the fighting festival. She found no solace in the waterfall, or the sparkling, pure water it led to, nor was she soothed by the gorgeous plains at the bed of a lush, vegetated mountain.

For anyone else, this sight might have been the perfect spot to relax. In fact, at that moment, it was. While Selorm was sulking, a massive gryphon emerged from the woods. It spotted Selorm, but decided to ignore the girl completely as it headed towards the the flowing river to take a drink. In Asman Tribe territory, most gryphons were tamed, but the gryphon that was now drinking out of the river was an alpha gryphon, and was huge even by that standard.

However, it still showed no aggressive behavior. After dunking its head into the river it slowly stalked over to Selorm, as if anticipating the girl to make a sudden move. Then it let out a gryphon screech.

In a flash, the gryphon was mounted by man who seemingly appeared out of thin air. His gray hair rode the wind as the alpha thrashed around to move him off, but his face remained stoic, unafraid of what the creature had to offer. The gryphon proceeded to fly off into the air, and for just a moment, the man's black eyes met the girls, and at that moment, his eyes widened. However, it only lasted that moment, because soon the man disappeared out of view with the gryphon.

No doubt others would soon arrive if they were close by.
​

Nigel Rashid

House Barq

Nigel was in a nice position. He had arrived at the area his hit was to be taking place, and nothing seemed out of the ordinary. However, soon after he arrived, a dark-haired woman with a concealed sword hanging on her hip came in and took a seat. Though she didn't look like a knight of Mardom, she was obviously equipped and was likely to have had some experience with a sword. There was also a chance she was merely a scribe. As long as she wasn't a knight, it wouldn't be too much of an issue.

The rest of the bar was otherwise harmless. The bartender was filling up drinks for his customers jovially. The customers on the other hand seemed to be much less enthusiastic about their daily happenings, save a few here or there who were simply drunks and enjoyed drinking for the sake of drinking. The man of Nigel's interest appeared to be one of these, laughing it up with a woman at the bar itself.

The aforementioned dark-haired woman sat at a table near the door, so Nigel's escape route now likely had an obstacle, though again, the level of the woman didn't appear to be that of a knight. Whatever the case, Nigel's mission appeared to be more than what was initially expected due to the unforeseen appearances. He needed a plan.
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Charlotte Leroux

House Leroux

The Bell Tower on Angle Square. Here was where Camila Sharpe was waiting, standing by the bell at the top in anticipation of her new student. It was quite common to have a small squadron, but she was only going to have a single squire for the time being. For that reason, she had expended some effort in finding out a bare minimum about her new squire, and thus chose the bell tower as their meeting spot, knowing that the spot had some significance to Charlotte Leroux's life.

Camila was a young knight, but she was very well respected. Eight years ago, she managed to reach the final four portion of the Now Tournament, only to be defeated before the finals. Since then, she has only further proven her skills as a knight of Mardom. She is known throughout the order as a cunning and slick swordsman, as well as being a master of all light arms. Her speed is among the top of all the knights, and she is regularly invited to the annual fight league to battle for a ranking in the Elemental Elite, only she has never been able to pass that barrier.

Though she has been a knight for quite some time now, this year would be the first in which she would receive a squire. It seemed pretty serendipitous that she would be paired with young Charlotte, as she saw much of herself in the girl. A young woman overshadowed by her older brothers, trying to make something of herself. It was all too familiar.

Camila, who was wearing her normal street clothes, a navy blouse with black tights and flat-soled boots, sat on the ledge of the tower. From here, she had a nice view of the whole city. She could make out individuals here and there scurrying off to whatever places they needed to be at. She figured the assembly had concluded and that each squire was off looking for their knight. She didn't actually know what Charlotte looked like, but she knew once the girl got close enough that she would be recognized. Which wouldn't take too long after that.
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Riley Zamin

House Zamin

Auryon tilted her head slightly upwards to take a good look at her nephew's face. It was astonishing how quickly he had grown, it seemed as if just yesterday he was a little boy. He had grown pretty nicely. He was athletic and was likely going to be a solid warrior, especially since he was already a good hunter. He only worry for him was how he would be treated by the rest of the Urwar tribe. He had always been somewhat of an outcast, what with his parentage and the fact that he lived in the forest rather than the village.That being said, Auryon trusted that Riley would be able to get through anything.

"Yeah, you need to go now. I'm sure you remember how to get there, so get going."

A few minutes later at Urwar Village
It was at the bottom of the hill fort, the same general area where the monthly picnic takes place, that many Urwars had gathered around to watch the two squads of young warriors assemble to be sent off into the world. The tribal council, made up of the heads of the eight houses of Urwar, stood in front of the crowd. Before them stood two of the Urwar tribes warriors, facing the crowd. They were to be the mentors of the young warriors. One of the two already had five young manipulators standing in front of him.

"And for the squad led by Gareth of House Zamin, we have Fiona Zamin, Colt Zamin, Riley Zamin, and Brace Chüb."

As Marth called out the names, the people that owned them walked up to the man named Gareth, all save Riley Zamin.

"Riley? Are you here?"

Murmurs filled the crowd as the boy in question was being discussed. Marth's expression was unchanged from the first moment he arrived to the assembly till the present. He knew how most of the tribe felt about Riley, but he was excited about the potential the boy had.

"Riley Zamin, step up," Marth said once more.

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[NUSKI]

RILEY ZAMIN
Lyle Forest - Urwar Village
Riley didn't even reply to his aunt, he just dashed in the direction of the Urwar Village. He was certain that he was already late. He had another reason to add to the list of why he hated living so far from the main population of House Zamin. As Riley was running, he was realizing that he was nervous. Sure, he had been practicing for this day but had never seriously though about it. His pace began to slow and more negative thoughts flooded Riley's mind. He was a son of an outcast and he was treated like one as well. He was confident in his combat abilities but what if he wasn't treated as equally as the others. Reaching the edge of the Lyle Forest, Riley stopped running all together. He calmed his breathing and leaned over, his hands pushing back on his kneecaps.

This happened every time he faced a challenge. The beginning of his training over control of his abilities, his first hunt, and being accepted by his house. Every time, he questioned himself and it was all because of one man; his father. Someone he didn't even know affected him so much and it made Riley upset. Feeling nauseous, the young manipulator slowly stood up and calmed his breathing. This is my time. I have to be able to do this. For the house, for Auryon, and for myself. Riley nodded to himself in satisfaction and clenched his fists. He wouldn't be able to make it on time just running. After thinking for a couple of seconds, Riley created a sphere of dirt around him, fully covering his body. It was quite draining because he was inside but the boulder rolled forward until it was racing at an excelling speed. It was almost like he was pushing the boulder with his mind and his physical body. Despite how far he lived from the village, he had seen it many times from a distance. As the boulder continued to roll, he could hear faint murmurs and cheers. Riley used the energy he had left to roll faster into the crowd recklessly. When he heard his name the boulder broke into pieces and Riley fell forward a few inches before the man named Gareth. His face reddened as he looked behind him and saw that some people had been covered in dirt and the pieces of earth scattered the crowd. Riley jumped up and tensed feeling all eyes on him.

"I am here."

BLUR

 

[Roleplay Skittle]

Lotte

The streets of Mardom had been bustling with life for several hours. Merchants and craftsmen had been busy readying their wares, stalls, and shops since well before the gathering at the AMSS. Now, the pitched surface roads were even busier with the addition of window shoppers and people just passing through on their way to some other destination.

Of course, people were just obstacles on the course to any of the Leroux children and while they lived up to their name, it wasn’t too difficult for Lotte to weave between them as she raced through the clean streets lined by unique buildings painted in varying neutral shades or constructed from stones or brick, though all were somehow uniform.

Lotte, like her brothers, was not difficult to pick out. They believed in always being prepared and whenever they were out and about, they didn’t wear what most would consider casual clothes. Aside from the brown leather that covered her legs and the dark brown boots that stretched up to her knees, she wore a leather corset in the same shade as her boots that spanned her torso to just under her breasts and over that she wore a cropped leather jacket that matched her pants in color but had arabesques embossed along the lapels for decoration. The only thing that Lotte wore that wasn’t leather was the cream colored blouse beneath her jacket and corset. All the leather was the primary giveaway that she and her brothers were from House Leroux.

The secondary giveaway was the red hair, while Dorian did not have red hair as his was a golden blonde like their mother’s, all three did have fairly good looks, the boys with chiseled jaws, smooth brows, straight noses and muscular physiques. Lotte couldn’t be said to be particularly feminine but she wasn’t nearly as muscularly pronounced as her brothers, where their muscles were large and prominent, hers were lean and only faintly defined. Despite her scar, she had also been told many times how pretty she was, either by her elder relatives or by mutual friends of hers and her brothers, usually the latter compliments attached to desires of dating the Leroux sister.

Of course any advances made on Lotte were thwarted either by her brothers or herself, on her part; she had decided that she didn’t have time for boys, at least not until she had made a name for, at the very least, herself if not her whole house. Thanks to her brother’s efforts it seemed that House Leroux was quickly becoming a house to watch after all the time in the dark. It made Lotte proud to be a part of the success, even if she hadn’t had the chance to show off her own skills outside of the training that the trio did each day.

It was this recognition that brought on the calls from several of the people that she passed, “Lotte! Do ya know when ma orda o shearling’ll be readeh?”

Lotte didn’t even slow down as she darted past the portly man with a bald head, setting down a stack of decorative floor mats for sale just outside his shop door, “no Mister Greaves,” she past him before she even finished her sentence and looked back briefly yelling to him, “I’ll ask my mum this evening!”

Others only had congratulatory words to offer, her parents hadn’t stopped their bragging to their customers ever since the letter from the AMSS had come in and there was no shortage of well-wishers. In a way it made Lotte a little angry, knowing that she had little to do with actually getting invited, she was just riding on her brother’s coattails. She offered a slightly forced smile to those she passed that congratulated her before pushing herself harder, eager to pass them all and reach the bell tower.

As she came to Angle Square, her steps slowed until they stopped all together. Drawing in deep breaths to replenish her oxygen as she rested both of her fingerless glove covered hands on her slim hips and looked up at the tower, her green eyes squinting slightly as their gaze traveled to the top. There was someone there. A knowing smirk raised the corner of Lotte’s full lips; that had to be Camila Sharpe.

Lotte didn’t lollygag as she drew the conclusion of who was sitting on the ledge at the top of the tower, she drew in a few more deep breaths, rolling her shoulders and stretching her arms before she broke into a sprint up to the tower. Using the momentum from the dash to propel herself upwards after she used the edge of a barrel filled with water from a drainage pipe as a makeshift springboard, she swiftly and adeptly made her way to the top of the tower, it was evident from the way she moved and her selection of handholds that she was very practiced with climbing.

Once at the top, Lotte stood on the ledge, her fingers readjusting in the handhold she had used to hoist herself up on Camile’s level and she placed her free hand behind her back, offering a careful but respectful bow, “Dame Sharpe,” her tone suggested that she was quite sure that this woman was her knight, after all, what other woman could be found sitting at the top of a bell tower near midday? Of course if she were mistaken, it would have been quite embarrassing, but that thought hadn’t even crossed her mind.

Tags: BLUR​

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