Monkatraz

Yasir limped around the camp, looking for Ai. His wounds attracted more than a little attention from the rest of the camp but he ignored their stares. As the pain started getting to him he realized how long it had been since he had been wounded this badly. Not since years ago in the desert had he been hurt like this. He found Ai with Akira and Sky after a bit of searching and shouted at him, "Hey, Ai, I need some help here." Ai scampered over and said, "What is it?" Yasir sighed and said, "Do I really have to say it?" "Hmm... I guess not."

Yasir entered the camp in the dawn hours. He ignored most of the going-ons around him and proceeded straight for where Neko was. Those who watched him closely noticed that the smooth way he normally walked was now broken and he half-limped across the field, more noticeable would have been either the lacerations up his left leg and right side (which was causing him to leave a track of blood across the ground) or the large number of knives missing from the bandoliers he wore across his torso. He found Neko, still sleeping, and woke her up. "I'm sure you realized that we can't stay here much longer. That's why I went scouting around, to look for a new spot to settle. And I have to say, I found a nice one. It's in striking distance of a major GUK base." "Any cons, though?" "A few. It's underground, so it's a bit damp for my taste and when I said within striking distance of a major GUK base I meant that it is damn close." While Neko was thinking he decided he should drop his other news. "But for now, we should be worrying about the GUK moving in here for another attack. They're not stupid and they're not going to make the same mistake twice: they had surprise with them last time but it didn't do them much good so it seems they would like to forgo that formality and just crash in here with three full batallions of infantry. Not that anyone does, but if you were to ask me for advice, I'd say our best shot would be ambushing them... we're guerilla fighters, fighting them on their own terms would be very foolish." He stopped for a moment and stretched his right arm, instantly the wound on his right side tore open and put him in immense pain. He slowly said, "I might need to sit this one out."

Yasir paced back to the camp. The GUK should not have been this close, and he wanted to know how they found out about this place. They now had to move on to another spot... and that would likely take a while. Still, he was used to this sort of thing and already knew what he was going to do, and approached Neko to let her know before he left. "I'm going to scout around for another area that we can use. When I'll get back I'll start some actual training for the rookies but now I'm just going to find an area and possibly hunt down a GUK officer or two to try and find out how they located us... I hate to say it but it looks like it might be the work of a spy." Yasir began to walk out of the camp but stopped and shouted back, "I'll come find you when I'm done... Also anyone else who wants to come can, as long as they don't slow me down."

Name: Joseph Hunter Age: 28 Species: Human Timeline/Date: Earth, 2092 Origin: Born in Britain, raised in New York Special Talents: Manipulates and produces electricity from his hands... though has never told anyone how. The truth would be that he has a small device hidden in his suit that produces the electricity while his entire body (skin and skeleton) have been implanted with an advance metal (dubbed Bio-Conductor) that can be switched between being a conductor and not. The metal is implanted all throughout his body and the device that controls it is directly linked with his cerebral cortex allowing him to control the electricity with ease (the device is also nearly invisible from the outside). It was a prototype developed by a late twenty-first century weapons manufacturer but not deemed for use by soldiers due to the amount of metal capacity needed to control both the electricity and normal muscular movements (even Hunter finds much difficulty moving more than just an arm while controlling the electricity). Weapons/Items: Carries titanium-alloy throwing knives (that he is incredibly skilled with) which he will fight with when not using his electricity (sometimes he'll use both). Also is known to never go anywhere without a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. Appearance: Somwhat shaggy dark brown hair, and light blue eyes. Wears an all black with a white shirt (usually not bothering to tuck it in) and generally with a cigarette in his mouth. Has an aura of skill and power around him as well as confidence. Personality: Calm and collected, he rarely loses his head. He is known to be quite charasmatic as well as a surprisingly philosophical thinker (though he often keeps that side hidden). Also shows a fascination with all other civilized beings in the universe. Usually refrains from fighting and attempt to solve conflicts with discussion and manipulation (which he is very skilled at) but is known to be deadly if upset enough. Has many titles around the world including the Wandering Dynamo, Rai-Ronin in Japan (even though he has no ties to the samurai), and oftentimes simply the Traveler. Biography: Was born in Manchester but raised primarily in the eastern United States. Travelled the world for the majority of his life (left home at 16) learning about different cultures and religions and oftentimes participating in the local events of the area. Since a young age he showed fascination with theology and studied often. As he travelled the world he also became fluent in over a dozen languages and became a skilled martial artist (his second great love). Accomplishing many great deeds in his travels he became known as a man-of-the-world and was even somewhat of a mythic figure as stories of his adventures spread. It is said that he had slain the leader of a violent group of revolutionaries in Africa, put an end to a feud between competing Yakuza, and even stopped a possible skirmish which would have started a deadly war in Europe by destroying bridges and communications... of course many of those stories are likely highly exaggerated or just false. A darker story would be that he once destroyed a sixty story tall building belonging to a weapons manufacturer (why will be revealed later on). Many fortunate and even some unfortunate events in his times were (at least in rumor) attributed to the actions of the Wandering Dynamo. ________________________________ OK, when I first posted I was half asleep so I totally revamped him and added some flavor as well as explained the lightning powers. Just someone let me know if I made him too super hero-ish, though I did try to limit the power some (he can barely move while using it).

Yasir saw Ai come running into the camp; he instantly saw the burns on him and jumped into alert mode. Not waiting for instructions or cues from the rest of them he sprang in the direction that Ai had come from. He paused briefly and looked back at the ones he was supposed to train and shouted, "Don't just stand around on your asses! You want some real training, follow me!" Once he entered the tree line he jumped into the branches and hopped from one to another. He was moving as fast as he could, not slowing down for the rookies. He drew nearer to the point of the crisis and saw what had happened. An entire village was in flames and GUK troops were the ones feeding the fires and attacking the villagers. Yasir stayed in the treeline and circled around the village, letting loose with his throwing knives. Within an instant four enemies had fallen from knife wounds. In a disciplined manner only used by the GUK Peace Keepers, they instantly formed a perimeter, facing the woods. They didn't know where he was, but they knew there was an attacker somewhere in the woods. Not wanting to waste any more time or knives, he jumped from the tree he was in and landed directly behind of the GUK troops and fought them in close quarters. He had the advantage now, they were far too slow and lacked his agility which was causing them to all but trip on eachother. Within mere moments two more squads had fallen to Yasir.

I at first thought of this idea a while ago but decided not to make it (though I did post the initial idea on the boards), but after watching Advent Children I now want to make it more than ever... so I am. Right now I'm still thinking up possibilities for the general plot and time setting but heres what is definite: the players will play as members of Shin-Ra's elite intelligence and assasination unit, The Turks. I haven't decided if the story will take place before the events of Final Fantasy 7 (during the glory days of Shin-Ra) or after the events of Advent Children (helping to rebuild the once great company). Some of the players will be veteran members and others new recruits who technically aren't full members. If anyone has any advice, ideas, or general feedback (such as wether they'd want to play during the evil, but glorious days of Shin-Ra before FF7 or during the days in which they are going to help rebuild the world) just post it here, or PM me if you'd like.

Yasir yawned and walked through the camp in the morning. Last night had not gone as well as he had hoped but at least it hadn't left him tired. He had heard Neko's talk and now began to wonder what he had gotten himself into. He normally couldn't bear the recruits and now it looked like so much of his time would be devoted towards them. He looked at the army and swore under his breath. 'How am I supposed to train these greenhorns?' he thought to himself before he remembered he would only have to train a small group. He just had to pick the best ten... but how? He could have a million ideas on which way to find out who were the best and the one he normally would favor most could possibly result in a full-scale riot (which would be bad). So he decided to use the way that was easiest on himself. He stepped forward and shouted, "Whoever thinks they are the best, come up here and we'll find out. However, I can't promise you won't get hurt at all." He smiled; if he was going to make them better fighters, he'd just have to put them through hell.

Yasir saw Sonoske run off. He could tell from the look in his eyes he was heading towards a battle. 'This should be a little interesting' he thought to himself, seeing as he had never seen him in combat. Ai and Sky could stay busy fooling around in the ecampment, in fact, Yasir liked it better this way. The less interference the more efficient he would be. He jumped through the trees, leaving not a trace as he bounded from branch to branch. When he found the enemies he at first remained hidden, surveying them. He decided it may be wise to do this as bloodlessly as possible and spotted who appeared to be the commander of this particular group. Jumping from a tree both silently and without being spotted by any of the GUK troops, he landed directly behind the enemy lieutenant (he guessed, judging from the number of soldiers) who was surveying his own troops as they rested. He was still undetected at the moment though he knew that standing in the open it wouldn't last long. He raised his right hand, which held one of his throwing knives, and slid it over the lieutenant's shoulder and pressed against his neck. As soon as he did this, before the GUK lieutenant realized what was going on, he spoke quietly into his ear. "Now, surrender immediately."

It was nighttime now. Yasir sighed, he wasn't looking forward to training a bunch or rookies. But he wasn't training them now and he didn't feel like he could sleep so he decided to do something somewhat useful. He looked around the camp to see only a few others awake. Yasir still didn't feel like there was a safe enough perimeter around their base and had made a habit of doing patrols around the forest. He had found some GUK patrols and had taken them out when he felt it necessary, but he also like the patrols because of the relative silence. He took one last look around the camp and decided to have some company on this one. "Hey, Sanoske! Seeing as you're just standing there, come with me on a patrol around the forest. This is what you're getting paid for, right?" Before he responded Yasir also said loud enough for anyone who was listening to hear, "Anyone else can come too."

How are the GUK troops equipped? Are they all in a certain uniform or armor as well as using the same weapons? Or do they use their own weapons?

My first idea for a manga was a really long time ago, but I still do somewhat like it. It takes place in two separate story lines (with about 500 years separating the two). In the past one there is a temple to the 6 gods of that world and each of the gods had a chosen oracle. And in the future something has ruined the temple and the newly chosen ones (it starts out with just 2) are trying to find the four other chosen ones. I like all of the characters in it, some so much I used them in other things (if you read my story idea thread, I mentioned the pirate Kisho who is the later generation water oracle)

What Neko said made Yasir stop. Train the rookies? He had always disliked the greenhorns but that was probably because they had such a bad habit of getting themselves killed. It was true that if he would train them they would have a much better chance of survival but the process of training them would be frustrating to Yasir... unless he tried to have a little fun with them. "I'll train the rookies under one condition: I get to use my own methods to train them, no one interferes unless I want them to. I won't train all of them, though. You select a group of the best ten and I train them to be the best guerilla fighters in the world and if I think any of them aren't worth my time I won't hesitate to get rid of them. So, do you agree to my terms?"

Yasir sat with his back hunched up against a tree, twirling a knife between his fingers. He looked around at the camp and questioned wether or not he should have even come here. He threw the knife in the air and when it came down he stopped it and balanced the blade on the tip of his fingers. Yasir did somewhat lament his coming here and now was beginning to regret it even more: the place was full of rookies and people who weren't even warriors. He had fought for years and taken on more than his share of GUK soldiers but most of these people didn't look like they knew one end of a sword from the other. These were the people that he would have to look out for if he fought with them, but he didn't stay around the rookies; if he stayed around anyone it would be the ones he had seen fight and the ones who had earned some of his respect. The other thing that was bothering him was the forest itself. It was usually warm in the forest, not as hot as he'd like but still it could be tolerable. The two things that really got him about the place was both that outside of the clearing the sun was difficult to see (which hampered his time telling), the ground was damp so that it did not take a specialist to follow uncautious trails, the plants filled the place with scents whiched lessened his smelling abilites, and most of all that the place was damp. He could not stand being on moist ground, it contrasted to much to the sands that he liked. He looked around and saw their leader. He had at first doubted her abilities but now, seeing how many had come here, thought they might be a little more organized than he thought. They might have a chance against the GUK after all and here Yasir's fighting might have more meaning. He caught the knife he had been twirling and returned it to his bandolier. He was hungry and wanted to eat. He decided to go somewhere were he could remain with other veterans like him.

All right thanks for the feedback and I'm going to try and answer as much as I can without large spoilers. I'll start with Ashwolf's questions 1. Don't worry I'm doing a lot of research to the settings. The story lines will usually have at least a little to do with the historical events of the time though I have, admittedly, taken a few liberties in changing things. Don't worry, I only change it when it is small things hindering big plot elements. 2. As was Desmon, Keitaro was simply a recruit that they had been planning on for a long time. THe truth is that neither Desmon or Keitaro were valuable to them in their grand plan, but the Prophets are a proud organization and Desmon's unintentional meddling came across as an insult and a hindrance to them; taking their lives would be nothing for the Prophets to do. 3. The certain authorities pursuing Desmon were legal authorities. Japan was often a closed country throughout history and he entered the island with the help of a pirate ship led by a man named Kisho (who appears again later in the story mostly because he's one of my favorite characters). 4. Though it may have been due to a twisting of words by Desmon, Zigil speaks the Language of the Birds and then believes that his past MUST be with the Prophets. I explained poorly but he is not driven by the possibility of regaining his memories as much as he is by the anger he feels at the Prophets, who he does remember hurting him (I don't want to say how just yet). 5. I'll admit that I am exploiting the Language of the Birds as a way to allow a story across all of the 14th century world. Basically all spoken languages are heard as the person's native language and what a speaker of the Language of the Birds says is understood by all humans and animals (though of course, animals can't respond). OK, Chikara Kokoro, you really gave me a lot of feedback, and I'll try to address all of the issues you mentioned. The story is set in the later of the 14th century. It's between the Renaissance and the black death (though elements of both do surface in the story). And as far as the Catholic Church goes, it will be somewhat crucial to the story through corruption, Desmon's faith, and even a modestly funny incident involving Keitaro tagging along with Desmon into a chapel and having a slight misunderstanding about holy water. Yes, I did draw some of the Prophet's elements from the Alluminatti but they are much more ancient and ceremonious in their official meetings (though outside the Prophet's they look somewhat normal). All of the character names are real names, though I tend to make a typo and then look back at it and think it was right. I am going to double check their names before I start. I did not do much to limit the Language of the Birds, mainly because I use it as a way to overcome language barriers (though a comic moment has Keitaro over confident in its usefullness). Desmon is not actually calm in every situation, though he is calm in most. An example would be when he first realizes that the Prophets have a reason to be after him: he locks himself in a room, cusses out Keitaro, and completely freaks out. Keitaro also has his lapses from kindess. Most of his kindness is from his code of honor and not from his instincts meaning that he doesn't always maintain his kindheartedness (in fact, through much of the earlier story he is rather cruel to Desmon). Zigil does not just fight because he believes the Prophets somehow hold the key to his memories (and he may believe that simply to Desmon's manipulation), he also fights to get revenge on them (I don't want to say for what though). Zigil is usually guided by his emotions (chiefly rage) in and out of combat. As far as female roles, I admit there are not a ton but many of the minor characters are women and several of the Prophets are (one of them could be considered nearly as important as the three main characters). The large cast of characters appears over a large space of time. It seems much larger when you state it in a series like this (try going through every episode of Inuyasha and naming all characters who have important roles to at least one episode to get an idea of what I mean). BTW, as far as the yaoi comment you made... I'll just say it made me shudder. Thanks again for your feedback and I am going to try and get some preview pages on the forum soon. They will likely be a fight from much later in the series that shows Keitaro, Zigil, and one of the Prophets fighting and give a feel for their personalities.

my idea for a rpg was one were the players are people sent on an expedition to a new planet to document the life forms. however it quickly ends up as a struggle to survive against all of the strange animals of the planet. I posted the recruitment thread in the adventure inn but decided to open this up too in case anyone had comments, advice, or just general feedback.

Warning: This RP may contain extreme language and violence. [COLOR=Navy]"Would you look at that..." [/COLOR] William Freeman, puffing a cigar, gazed in wonder at the planet that hovered before him, alone in the vastness of space. He had seen something that beautiful only once before, and that was only in a picture. He owned his own ship, he'd traveled the galaxy, seen dozens of planets, but never had he seen one like this. He'd seen purple gas giants, red and grey rock planets, he had even seen the amber glow of the city, Earth; however, none of them compared to the whirl of blue oceans, grey mountains, green plains, and silver clouds of the planet before him. [COLOR=Navy]"Yes, a new world... much like the young Earth, isn't it, Captain?"[/COLOR] Next to Captain Freeman, stood a man in an incredibly expensive looking suit. He was out of place to say the least. Even though the ship, the [I]Tandem[/I] was one of the most top-of-the-line ships in all of the known galaxy, the capitalist, Mr. Kenneth Shepard, still stood out. [COLOR=Navy]"Go through it one more time, Shepard."[/COLOR] The Captain said, still staring at the untouched planet that his ship was in orbit of. [COLOR=Navy]"I would be happy to, Captain."[/COLOR] Shepard said, sounding glad. [COLOR=Navy]"The planet is, quite obviously, completely uncivilized. Normally, a planet would be used as natural resources but, though noone has set foot on the planet yet, there are massive life form readings down there... no technology though, otherwise the activists might actually get off of my back. All you and your crew are to do, is escort a group of people to the planet surface."[/COLOR] [COLOR=Navy]"Who the hell are they and what will they do when they get there?"[/COLOR] [COLOR=Navy]"A reasonable question. The group will be going to document, catalogue, and film as many species as possible on the planet. We have been given strict guidelines not to interfere at all with the inhabitants. They will also be constructing a documentary of the planet's wildlife to present to our stockholders... they will lose faith in the company otherwise."[/COLOR] [COLOR=Navy]"And all we have to do is escort them to the planet, stay there until they've finished, and then get them out of there?"[/COLOR] [COLOR=Navy]"Yes, my dear William, that is all."[/COLOR] Shepard looked eagerly at the aging captain for a response. [COLOR=Navy]"All right, I'll do it."[/COLOR] [COLOR=Navy]"Excellent! I assure you, you will be paid well for your services."[/COLOR] [COLOR=Navy]"One last thing. Is it dangerous down there?"[/COLOR] [COLOR=Navy]"Oh, please. I assure you there is nothing dangerous on the planet surface, just an entire world full of undiscovered species."[/COLOR] This is an adventure RPG that puts you in the role of the first expedition to a new planet, thriving with life (it is loosely based off of a short story I'm writing). Before you start thinking itll be all mellow I'll have you know that this is a survival/action/adventure much in the spirit of Jurassic Park (and not the crappy third one). The expedition will begin peacefully, documenting and studying the unique creatures of the planet but quickly takes a turn for the worst and you will be struggling to stay alive against the creatures of the planet. You will play as a member of the expedition. There will be a lot of different animals to encounter, some of which are friendly, some annoying, and others vicious killers. The main action of the story will be surviving the elements of the planet and escaping. I will try to get this going soon but it may not be up for a couple of weeks. Heres a sample character sheet: (keep in mind people are more or less the same as they are now) Name: (nothing too out there, please) Age: (18-50) Nationality: (Most people still live on Earth) Appearance: Proffession: Reason for coming on expedition: Personality: Example Character Sheet----- Name: Alexander Jenkins Age: 25 Nationality: American Appearance: Always wears heavy clothing with lots of pockets, brown hair, blue eyes, 6' 1" Proffession: Photographer Reaso for coming on expedition: Is in many ways a hippy philosopher. Sees beauty in nature and wanted to see the new world. Personality: Very laid back and poetic. Calm and costantly admiring the beauty of nature, and seems to think them superior to humans in many ways.

I'm new to this forum so this idea may have already been done but if not I'd really like for someone to do it (or do it again if it has already been done). My idea was for an RPG centered around a previous generation of the Final Fantasy 7 Turks (maybe like 20 years before FF7 began). I would absolutely love to play through this and hope that someone will pick up on the idea and PM me if you do.

Name: Yasir Age: 19 Personality: Cocky, Cool, Usually Friendly. Amongst GUK soldiers he has a strong reputation as a guerilla warfare specialist though he dislikes leading troops. Outside of combat, he is easy going and relatively friendly and easy to get along with (though some say he is too cocky). He is familiar with fighting in most climates, especially the desert. He also has a strong dislike of cold environments and refuses to as much as pass through such areas. Appearance: Half-Fox, usually dressed in loose fitting clothes that don't constrict his movements. When in public remains it dark hooded robe that masks his appearance. Has light brown hair and brown eyes as well as his fox ears perched atop his head. Bio: His first records show him in the desert with no parents. He remained hidden from most of the world, only showing himself where necessary. He was a minor rebel at the age of 15 and has only recently joined Neko's rebels. Weapon: He is a master with both his small throwing knives (which he primarily relies on) and his natural claws.

Name: Joseph Age:18 When and How you died: A police raid in 3209 Appearance: Dark Brown Hair, Blue Eyes, Wears black suit. Does not appear to be the demon that he is (he merely looks human) Height: 5'10 Race: Demon Short Bio: Was an higher up in organized crime, but died in a police raid. He appears to be charismatic, cool, and even somewhat friendly but this is merely a chirade to hide his true maipulative and cruel demonic nature. Weapon: Large throwing knives (lots of them) Magic: Thunder

Hey, I'm new to this forum and I'm hoping to get some unbiased reviews of my manga story (my friends all say they like it though). I'll post the basic beginning and backstory of it as well as profile some of the characters. The story is set throughout the known world during the 14th century (though many parts are very anachronastic). It follows three men who are pushed together through the story to travelling together under the shadow of a mysterious organization (that supposedly controls all of the forces in the world). First of the three is a European (English to be exact) named Desmon. He learned in his teens that he was to be recruited into the organization, known as the Prophets, but treasured his personal freedom and refused to join. Hating the thought of being controlled by the Prophets, Desmon left home and began to travel the world making use of his rare ability, that all possible recruits of the Prophets are blessed with: the Language of the Birds, understanding all spoken languages and being universally understood by all men and beasts alike. Desmon is not a skilled fighter, though he is very clever; rather than fight his own he will use his skill of wordplay to manipulate others into doing his work for him (something he is very good at). He is calm in every situation, is usually likeable, and has tremendous self confidence. Desmon's devotion to Roman Catholicism is also worth noting. Second of the three is a homesick, lovesick, and young (though extremely talented) samurai who goes by the name Keitaro. When Desmon's travels reached Japan, certain authorities began pursuing him. Keitaro was, inadvertidly, swept along in a rather turbulent series of events and forced to leave Japan. Being a lover of his homeland he instantly has a strong dislike of Desmon. He is an honest and kind person, which often puts him at odds with Desmon's manipulative nature. Feeling he has no choice, Keitaro begins to travel with Desmon across the world. (Did I mention he is a highly skilled swordsman?) The third is a german warrior who calls himself Zigil. Zigil does not come into play until later in the story but he is important to the story. When he is found, Zigil has no recollection of his past, though he learns he speaks the Language of the Birds and is an extremely skilled fighter. He has little control of his emotions and is prone to impulsive and rash actions. He fights with both his twin axes and his rage in battle which mystifies Keitaro with his practiced methods. He travels with Desmon and Keitaro in an attempt to regain his memories, the loss of which he is sure that the Prophets caused in some way. He is often at odds with both the subtlety of Desmon and the good-naturedness of Keitaro as he acts only for himself and without planning ahead. When the story begins, Desmon and Keitaro are journeying in the Middle East (in the Ottoman Empire). They are very hungry, very hot, and very broke. They begin arguing instantly and, as they bicker, a young and talented thief named Yasir manages to steal one of Keitaro's swords. At the start of the story they attempt to recover the lost sword though the situation almost instantly complicates severely. Though it is completely unknown to the, Desmon interfered with Keitaro's recruitment into the Prophets when he came to Japan and that was when the leader of the Prophets decided that Desmon could no longer be merely allowed to do as he pleases and certain members of the Prophets begin to pursue them using their own methods. The Prophets have a large array of powerful members including a former rival of Keitaro's, a woman who fights both with a katana and a discus-sized shuriken, a mysterious man who can conjure lightning from his fingertips, a girl who controls a vicious pack of wolves, and a shockingly talented swordsman who seems to know Desmon rather well. As the story progresses it turns into an epic ordeal with over forty heroes and villains (though most are in small parts, there are around 17 main characters) across Europe, Asia, and parts of Africa. Most of the main characters and villains have deep back stories and relationships. It will rely on all of emotional story, fight scenes that I am very proud of so far, and some modestly funny comic relief. I know it is kind of a lot, but thanks for reading and please tell me what you think of my story (and be as brutally honest as you can). *I posted this on the "Manga Workshop" forum earlier but realized that it was better put here and I apologize for posting it twice.

Thanks a lot for the feedback Maneki. I see what you mean about the characers, but I should probably note that the story is rather long and covers a large area and most of the forty characters are minor characters who don't leave their native area (an example that I mentioned would the the thief, Yasir). The three main characters, the Prophets (there are around thirteen of them) and a few others are the only ones who basically continue in the story until its over or they're dead.

Hey, I'm new to this forum and I'm hoping to get some unbiased reviews of my manga story (my friends all say they like it though). I'll post the basic beginning and backstory of it as well as profile some of the characters. The story is set throughout the known world during the 14th century (though many parts are very anachronastic). It follows three men who are pushed together through the story to travelling together under the shadow of a mysterious organization (that supposedly controls all of the forces in the world). First of the three is a European (English to be exact) named Desmon. He learned in his teens that he was to be recruited into the organization, known as the Prophets, but treasured his personal freedom and refused to join. Hating the thought of being controlled by the Prophets, Desmon left home and began to travel the world making use of his rare ability, that all possible recruits of the Prophets are blessed with: the Language of the Birds, understanding all spoken languages and being universally understood by all men and beasts alike. Desmon is not a skilled fighter, though he is very clever; rather than fight his own he will use his skill of wordplay to manipulate others into doing his work for him (something he is very good at). He is calm in every situation, is usually likeable, and has tremendous self confidence. Desmon's devotion to Roman Catholicism is also worth noting. Second of the three is a homesick, lovesick, and young (though extremely talented) samurai who goes by the name Keitaro. When Desmon's travels reached Japan, certain authorities began pursuing him. Keitaro was, inadvertidly, swept along in a rather turbulent series of events and forced to leave Japan. Being a lover of his homeland he instantly has a strong dislike of Keitaro. He is an honest and kind person, which often puts him at odds with Desmon's manipulative nature. Feeling he has no choice, Keitaro begins to travel with Desmon across the world. (Did I mention he is a highly skilled swordsman?) The third is a german warrior who calls himself Zigil. Zigil does not come into play until later in the story but he is important to the story. When he is found, Zigil has no recollection of his past, though he learns he speaks the Language of the Birds and is an extremely skilled fighter. He has little control of his emotions and is prone to impulsive and rash actions. He fights with both his twin axes and his rage in battle which mystifies Keitaro with his practiced methods. He travels with Desmon and Keitaro in an attempt to regain his memories, the loss of which he is sure that the Prophets caused in some way. He is often at odds with both the subtlety of Desmon and the good-naturedness of Keitaro as he acts only for himself and without planning ahead. When the story begins, Desmon and Keitaro are journeying in the Middle East (in the Ottoman Empire). They are very hungry, very hot, and very broke. They begin arguing instantly and, as they bicker, a young and talented thief named Yasir manages to steal one of Keitaro's swords. At the start of the story they attempt to recover the lost sword though the situation almost instantly complicates severely. Though it is completely unknown to the, Desmon interfered with Keitaro's recruitment into the Prophets when he came to Japan and that was when the leader of the Prophets decided that Desmon could no longer be merely allowed to do as he pleases and certain members of the Prophets begin to pursue them using their own methods. The Prophets have a large array of powerful members including a former rival of Keitaro's, a woman who fights both with a katana and a discus-sized shuriken, a mysterious man who can conjure lightning from his fingertips, a girl who controls a vicious pack of wolves, and a shockingly talented swordsman who seems to know Desmon rather well. As the story progresses it turns into an epic ordeal with over forty heroes and villains (that I have done profiles for) across Europe, Asia, and parts of Africa. Most of the main characters and villains have deep back stories and relationships. It will rely on all of emotional story, fight scenes that I am very proud of so far, and some modestly funny comic relief. I know it is kind of a lot, but thanks for reading and please tell me what you think of my story (and be as brutally honest as you can).