RPG Exile

[The Harlequin]

[font=gothic][color=indigo]For reference, a current list of the people involved: The Harlequin, Jesus Chicken, Okhami, Raiha, Ravenstorture, DeathKnight, Shinkoru, Anti, Gold_Angewomon, Sage.


[I]The trees around him shivered their fresh load of rain off, soaking him to the skin. Qyrain Alethyne, former captain of the Empire's Dervishes, sighed. Gone were the days when he would have checked the surrounding foliage for worms, as Exile's troops were known to surface dwellers, for their pasty skin and sneaking temperament. Qyrain looked around his makeshift campsite nevertheless, finding nothing untoward. His small fire had long since gone out, but he had no need of its meager heat. His bedroll, stowed under an outcrop of rock, remained undisturbed. Birds still sang in the trees around him, insects repeated their mindless song. He was, truly and finally, alone.

After aeons of company, the situation wore strangely on him. The solitude, the quiescent air of peace that lent him no small measure of comfort, left him nevertheless a quivering mass of nerves, a violent past combining with a paranoid world to induce the belief that there was always a threat. His years in combat, normally behind enemy lines, reinforced that. His field-trained instincts were quiet, but his habit screamed warning. With a master's discipline, he locked his mind into silence, leaving him only vaguely disturbed. His experience with this woodland setting was minimal anyway. He was no ranger or druid, to be at ease among normally hostile animals. He returned to his bedroll, moodiness not fought off through complaisance.

The shattered pristine of a non-linear mind, a being that existed only through an anomaly contrary to all natural order, his disquiet was not surprising. Ever since his existance was drawn through the veil to this level of reality, his void-born psyche had been strung out and abused, overload mixing with what was, to him, a horrible auric dissonance to leave his senses, those not tied in with this mortal body, a wreck, to put it succinctly. This world exists as something contrary to his very nature.

Despite that, he was happy here. Here was learning, experience, feelings that could never have entered his life in the void.

The woods were slowly growing inhospitable though. Displaced creatures, both sentient and not, invaded his sanctuary on a daily basis. Some were hostile, and had to be dealt with. Some were merely desperate, and how to be avoided. There were a scant, select few who bore tidings, none of them pleasant. But those few meetings told Qyrain what he needed to know. He needed to return. To some measure of civilisation, to sentient contact. He needed to realign himself, to learn to live in this world, until he was bound to depart. He was sure that somewhere on this world, intelligence existed in enough measure to stave off boredom. He had heard rumours of a Vahnati assult, a nightmare storm of magic and energy that resonated through the planet's magnetic flux even to his remote vantage. Whether he stayed on the surface or returned to Exile was irrelevant. He could secrete himself the worms, the Sliths, the Nephils, a roving band of wemics, it didn't matter. With his point of view so far removed from normal mortality anyway, he could fit in anywhere. He had so much to learn, it would be beneficial to experience as much as possible. This realm's art of magic intrigued him, perhaps that was a place to start.

He had heard captured Exile soldier's talk about some Tower Of High Magery or whatnot, apparently where their new portal had been opened. From what he knew, it was yet to fall to a Vahnati assult. As a hole, mages tended to be openminded, not least because of the prejudice directed against them in the first place. Surely, he would be able to find haven for his burgeoning mind, even if it were at the cost of giving out a few secrets of his own. Perhaps he could even find explanation for the duality phenomenon that had taken him to the place. Perhaps he could insure that it would not happen again. Perhaps he could secure himself a way home, shoul d he ever require one.

Qyrain rose to his feet, keeping his human form solid. He prefered it to the dizzying, bizarre method of locomotion normally adopted by archons. The moil of energy changes inherent in it alone was enough to drive him to a rank headache. He quickly dismantled his makeshift campsite, a feat born of long experience in the field of war, where survival depended on secrecy. Perhaps this new war would call for his services. Qyrain realised, at that moment, his greatest flaw was not a lack of experience in this reality, but more a lack of discernment as to exactly what in this realm would best serve him. Maudlin thoughts replaced by conjecture, Qyrain gave a last, exacting survey of the forest around him, and set off for the nearest break in the trees, some several miles away.[/font][/color][/I]

[Sakura]

Mia sort of glided out of her home which was a hollow she had found when she had just ran away from her village.It was unoccupied and was large enough so Mia could fit and live in.

She breathed deeply enjoying the forest life more than her past life in the village where everyone treated her differently.She combed through her hair with her fingers and looked around.It was early morning and it was time to start her day.Mia spread her wings and flew deeper into the forests.

She broke through the brush and arrived clear,tranquil and crashing waterfall that landed in a large lake.It looked like something in a fantasy.Mia smiled and dove head first into the lake.She sighed happily underwater enjoying the cool water.She broke to the surface and scrubbed her hair.

After her "shower" she returned home and dried herself using large gusts of wind and sunlight.Mia decided she was hungry and left to get some fruits and berries.Her wings flapped and she flew into another section of the forest.The whole area was full of fruit trees.Berries and all the fruits you can imagine.Mia flew to a tree and pulled a basket off the branch.She always kept the basket there.Mia fluttered around picking the fruits she wanted.Finally the basket was full and she began to make her way home.

Mia sat quietly in her silent home and began to eat her food slowly.

[Sandy]

[size=1]Just to let you all know something about my character, I'm going to add here the sign-up I PM'ed Harle about this game:
[b]name:[/b] Mayu N'Mithra
[b]age-group & gender:[/b] young female
[b]race:[/b] Nephilim (see, no "half this, half that"-stuff! )
[b]trade:[/b] Songstress (singer at religious ceremonies, whose song is considered a holy prayer)
[b]biography:[/b] Mayu is the daughter of the Highcleric and the Highsongstress of the Nephilim, and from her childhood she has been trained to become the next Highsongstress after her mother.
She has been raised to be obedient towards her elders, and she has never seen the world outside the Underground Nephilim City of Sakret (a twist from human-word sacred, the true name is too holy for common words). However, when Mayu grows up to a beautiful maiden, her curiosity grows as well. Soon she cannot bare the walls of the temples she has lived her whole life, and one night she decides to defy his parents and makes an escape.
However, her father sends a searchparty to find her, and after a week of running Mayu is captured and brought back to Sakret. As a punishment she is forbidden to contact anybody from outside the temples. Within a year of isolation and loneliness, she falls silent. She never speaks, and one can only hear her voice when she sings in a ceremony.
But that all is about to change, when Sakret is attacked...
[b]description:[/b] Feline creatures as Nephilim are, Mayu is covered by white, silky fur inherited from her mother. Her eyes are light-blue, same shape as cats. She is small in size, and her build is fragile. In the temple she wears the white-and-golden robes and veil of the Songstresses.
other information: Mayu carries no weapons, but she knows many songs that can seal and paralyze the many monsters of Exile, and she is skilled in healing, as she was raised in temples.
[/size]
* * *
[COLOR=royalblue]
Mayu saw them. She saw them before anybody else did. She also heard the silence that fell upon the city of Sakret before the chaos bursted.

Then a heavy explosion! In her mind Mayu saw the main gate collapse, and an army of Vahnati rushing in, slaying every living soul that got in their way.

It was totally unexpected. The Nephilim of Sakret didn't see it coming. Mayu's father had told her that the Vahnati people were no longer a threat like it had been forty years ago. But how long he had been...

Mayu couldn't know the reason why the Vahnati wanted to destroy the marbled city of Sakret, an isolated city in the dephts of Exile (as humans were known to call this underground realm) that didn't pose a threat even to cavernworms!

But now the destruction had come. Mayu saw it behind her closed eyelids. Men, women, children screaming, being slaughtered by Vahanti spells, being crushed by collapsing towers that had been scraping the ceiling of the cave. Nothing could stop it.

Mayu saw her father's Clerical Army running from where-ever they had been, but they were slaughtered just like the newborn babies. Mayu knew that this was the end.

And she sang.

The song was heard all over the city, and the Nephilim still alive heard it, and gasped in amazement.
"Our Songstress..." they sighed, before a fireball burned them alive, or they were frozen to death. Many were the spells of the Vahnati, and each were as horrible as the next.

And Mayu sang.

She continued singing when the Vahnati reached the temples, slaughtered the priests and priestesses, and Mayu's fellow Songstresses. Finally the Vahnati reached the High Chambers, were the Highcleric and the Highsongstress - Mayu's parents - were hiding behind their elite soldiers. But the soldiers were no match, and soon Mayu's father and mother were facing the Vahnati.
"Why?!" Mayu heard her mother scream.
Mayu saw through her mind how the Vahnati turned to the Highcleric.
"Where is it?" one of them asked. The others chanted after him: "[i]Where is it?[/i]"
"W-what do you mean?" the Highcleric babbled. One of the Vahnati turned swiftly to the Highsongstress, and struck her to death with a lightning bolt.
"Where is what you stole from us?" the Vahnati intruder repeated, and the others chanted in chorus again. "Where is what you stole from us?"
"No... no... no..." the Highcleric moaned as he crouched to her dead wife. "I WILL NEVER TELL YOU!"
In the instant Mayu saw her father being slayed by a sway of a hand.

The Vahnati scathered from the High Chamber, and Mayu kept singing. She was now the only living Nephil in Sakret. And she knew the Vahnati would come to her, to regain what they had lost. To regain what Mayu held in a chain in her neck: the manashard named "Eclipse" - a shard from the huge crystal of mana that once gave the Vahnati their powers. They needed all the shards to restore the manacrystal, and to restore their powers. For the powers that the Vahnati had were nothing compared to the powers they used to had, Mayu knew. But that was the reason why the Vahnati couldn't have the Eclipse. That was the reason why Mayu had to leave the ruined city. And Mayu stopped singing

Serenely Mayu rose from the floor of the shrine where she had been during the chaos. She sang a different song, and the painted glass window behind the altar was broken as one of the Highcleric's blue dragonflies flew from it.

Mayu petted the dragonfly's scales tenderly. It was a beautiful creature, though it had little in common with the magnificent dragons who dwelled in the Lands Above. The dragonfly was a mixture of a lizard and an insect: long, opaque insectwings were attached to a slender, almost serpent-like body. It was just the size for one Nephil to ride it. Mayu mounted it, and just as the Vahnati entered the shrine (because now there was no song that made the door invisible), Mayu flew out of the window at the back of the dragonfly, the blue manashard Eclipse gleaming in her neck.

And once again, Mayu sang, and none of the Vahnati spells came even close. Soon the spells stopped - as though cruel and extreme, the Vahnati were far from stupid - and the dragonfly lef the huge cave where the magnificent city of Sakret had once stood so beautiful and proud.[/COLOR]

[The Harlequin]

[color=indigo][font=gothic][I]After weeks in the forest, the sunlight stung with cruel malice, as the forest thinned into a few small stands of trees that eventually gave way to bare rock. He was slightly off course, the twin mountains that bordered one side of the forest reared up in front of him, rather than to his left. The gap between the jagged lines of stone held the glaring orb of the sun, sending Qyrain spinning aside, cursing for lost vision. He attempted to scour out his intended location from this vantage point, but found his line of sight marred by trees. He sighed, and turned back to the mountain. His intended course was not that important, and he didn't particularly feel like backtracking through the wood. He'd simply scale one of the peaks, traverse the gap, called Vohin, he remembered vaguely from some long forgotten source, and work his way out from there. He didn't really have anywhere to be, after all, and he had more than enough time.

There was a thinly traced rocky path, perhaps remnants from a past game trail, when the mountain had too been forested. Now it was little more than a section of rock not quite so covered in debris. It was fairly easy to pick out, though following it may be another matter. Qyrain started the ascent nevertheless, the mountain rising smoothly for several hundred metres before the slope's gradient increased markedly.

Qyrain eyed the veritable escarpment in front of him, nonchalant, but certainly not happy. Not an experienced climber, but certainly no novice, Qyrain did not falter to find a handhold, leather gauntlets finding easy puchase on rock, the material finding friction his hands would not. His boots posed more of a problem, but were a solid foundation once set down. He scrabbled for yet another handhold, braced off one foot, and hoisted the other one up, pressing it against the rockface and sliding it downwards until it struck something solid, something that held. The other foot up, and reach. The process repeated interminibly. Always a fit being, Qyrain was nevertheless struggling for breath after several minutes. He scryed the remaining face above him out, and found it to be more than he had already done. However, not more than 10 metres above him, a thin, foot wide ledge, from what he could judge. He aimed for that, hands closing over stone with renewed vigor. At last, his fingertips brushed air before touching stone. He hauled himself bodily upwards, lying back against the rock face. The sun behind him lit the world with a bright aura,yellow tinged orange, that was now appearing washed out and faded. The last vestiges of light as the sun was covered by the mountains. Qyrain was still left in shadow. The cool rock felt good against his back, and the view of the forest and its environs was savourable for the moment. Small movements caught his trained eyes are were dismissed. For now, on this exposed face, he need not worry about stray creatures coming for him, or an arrow or quarrel arcing in to take his life. He relaxed against the rock, flexing stiff fingers, and closing his eyes a moment. His feet hung over the edge, calmly moving slightly in space. His pose was one of respite, calm, unconcern. For now, he was that.[/font][/color][/I]

[Raiha]

[color=royalblue][i]Not too far away from Qyrain's position, a high mountain lake slumbered. Everything around it seemed to be calm, waiting, but limpid. Finally, something happened. The birds of the air fled, and the snakes in the rocks slithered closer. She was coming.

Through the water, and a small whirlpool, a female Water Dragon rose into the air. Supported by her snake-like tail, torso like that of a delicate girl. She flew upwards, then landed on the surface of the water once more. The air around her frosted into snowflakes and the land around her grew green once more. The snakes passed over the water to curl up in her hair. She smiled and caressed them with her taloned hands. They hissed in pleasure and wiggled further in.

Saitsune smiled and melted down into her humanoid form. Weaker, but more suited to walking across land. As an Empress, she was required to make her rounds in the human world. So....she did. Walking quietly over the water, snakes hissing and sliding through her tresses. All she posessed was on her person. It was good. Her people demanded her find a husband, what better place to look? There were no eligible young males to suit her needs in the waters, so why not the over world? The water connected her from the home in the sea, through underground channels, to the center of the human overworld. Comforting really. She smiled in spite of herself. Toasting her brilliance. Well...mostly. She had a little help.[/i]

Qyrain: ....mm?

Saitsune: ....that was easy enough.

[i]She bent down and looked at his sleeping face. Then utterly dismissed him as a possibility. Too young. Too pale.[/i][/color]

[Sandy]

[color=royalblue]As many caves and tunnels were left behind, Mayu felt delightment growing in her heart. She had already gone past the point where she was captured when she tried to escape. Now she knew her father couldn't send anybody to chase her, as all the Nephilim in Sakret had been massacred.

But Mayu also knew she had to keep going, because the Vahnati wanted - no, they needed - the Eclipse. The shard of pertified mana beated tenderly at her neck. She could feel it was full of power.

Mayu's excitement grew even more when she thought about the surface. Before the Lands Above had only been a myth, a story told by the few Nephilim who had been there. Mayu had heard about Forest. It was a place where everything was green and full of life. Mayu decided to go there, to Forest, and live there with the lifeforms that dwelled there.

Once again, Mayu sang as she flew on the dragonfly. She sang from pure joy, and the song echoed in the caves that went past rapidly.

It was dark everywhere. Only some pits of lava lit the caves. Twice Mayu saw a city far away - small dots of fire gathered together to light the stonewalls. But she decided not to go near them. She wanted to reach Forest as soon as possible.

And she sang to make the dragonfly fly faster.[/color]

[Ravenstorture]

[color=darkgreen][font=gothic][i]Elairish breathed out loudly when she heard the sixth knell of the monastary bell. Sliding her hands under her body, she stood carefully, avoiding the chalk line her father drew around her prostrate from the night before. Yawning, stretching, looking around, she saw a young monk... a novice... a boy novice... near the door. He looked scared. He should... She'd not moved for at least twelve hours and was up to some more exercise. Stalking over to him, a sly look on her face, she was just about to open her mouth when her adopted father, known to her as Father, stepped out from behind the doorway. She stopped, sighed, flounced back to the statue of the virgin and kissed it's feet. Then, turning on a heel, she marched back across the room and kissed her father on the cheek, smiling, as she slipped a note in the novice's robes.
"Morning, daddy!" She sang, before skipping out into the corridor and away into the depths of the complex.

A few minutes later, the novice shut the door to his room after him and pulled out the note, carefully scrawled on a corner of parchment. It read, "I like your face. Meet me behind the kitchens after evening prayer."[/i][/font][/color]

[Jesus Chicken]

[color=blue]I watched the brown leaves fall to the dark forest floor. Steadily I made my way through the trees, shuffling leaves beneath my feet. I looked up into the canopy of the area, and stared into the spindly tree tops, all bare except for a few orange leaves here and there, and when a strong breeze comes, down they will come.

I watched a few birds chase one another through the the trees, one flew close to me, I reached for my sword slowly, and the cleft the creature in two. Blood spilt over the ground and the other birds flew off, screaching. That was the sound I wanted to stop...Typical, I thought to myself, as I wandered on from the forest leaving behind me the only place I had ever known, things always go the opposite to how I want them to. Oh well, now is my chance to try and change all that...[/color]

[Ravenstorture]

[color=darkgreen][font=gothic][i]Elairith sat back contentedly, still breathing heavily from the rigourous exercise she had succumbed to for the last five minutes. So this was it then... her first time. Turning and picking up a stone, she carved her name and the date into the soft, mossy stone she leant against. The strong smell of winter cooking drifted from the building behind her. Damien, she vaugely remembered his name, still lay on the icy stone, his eyes foggy, his breath clouds of steam drifting into the air. He groaned and turned to Elairith.[/i]

Damien: I know what we just did.

Elairith: You knew what we were going to do before you did it.

Damien: Well, I know. But... I can at least pretend I'm innocent. You won't even bother. You'll be in that west wing chapel, chalk stains on your arms, until your teeth fall out.

Elairith: I know, and you'll be right there, behind me, staring at my bottom.

[i]At this point she chose to part her legs a little, allowing him a glimpse of what he'd done to her. He gasped.[/i]

Damien: Blood?

Elairith: Yes. And it hurt, too. But I hear that's natural.

Damien: How do you know all of this? How did you even know what to do?

Elairith: Not like it's hard to figure out. As for the technical stuff, well, you can learn a lot from heathen texts.

Damien: Ah... "And from her unholy void the Devil coaxed an inner elixir."

Elairith: Yeah, it makes sense now, doesn't it. They're rather graphic.

Damien: I'm going to go to hell for this, you know.

Elairith: No, my dear, purgatory. And wasn't it worth it?

Damien: Oh god yes...

Elairith: Eleven years in purgatory? Anything up to twenty?

Damien: ...

Elairith: With no guarentee of heaven afterwards?

Damien: Can we do it again?[/font][/color]

[Sandy]

[color=royalblue]Through endless caverns Mayu flew, not knowing where she was headed, or would she ever reach the world of his dreams.

Finally she admitted to herself that she had to make contact to some of the dwellings that went by more and more frequently below her. The biggest problem, however, was her muteness.

Mayu knew she couldn't speak anymore. She could not make contacts to anybody - she had been alone for too long.

Another problem was that when she descended to take a closer look at the villages, she noticed they were mostly inhabited by Humans and Sliths. She saw only few Nephils, but they seemed as distant as the humans. Their clothing, speach and even the way they walked had nothing in common with the Nephilim of Sakret.

Three times she got near the fires of the villages, and in each time she returned to her dragonfly no wiser. But in Exile, it was the fourth time that told the truth...

Once again Mayu crouched silently behind a boulder just outside the range of the lights. There was a fiest at the village, and all the villagers were gathered around the grand bondfire set in the middle of the few dozen houses in the village. All villagers, but one...

"Tarteyo, melessi, guye waheru wa?" asked a cheery voice behind Mayu. Taken totally by surprised, Mayu turned around swiftly, glanced the young, smiling female human horrified, and tottered away hurriedly, hoping to make it to the dragonfly before the other villagers noticed her. But it was too late.

"Guyro wehe?" shouted the astonished woman, and her voice attracted other humans - tall, muscular men - to run towards the voice. Desperately Mayu tried to climb over a rock, but her long robe decided to crack just then, and she fell down, right in front of the humans. An especially muscular hand grabbed her and lifted her up. She stared the gathering crowd with her light-blue eyes wide open from fear.

"Awe Nefili..." gasped an older woman behind the large man holding her.[/color]

[size=1]In case you're wondering, the language the villagers use is non-sense, but it's not exactly random... All the sentences have a meaning.[/size]

[Shinkoru]

[color=gray][I] Every place at once but at the same time not there. Shifting through the clouds, her own personal path through the world.

Nary sighed to herself, wondering if she owuld ever find a friend, ally, compantion. A eagle's cry echoed through the skys as it flew past her, pipping out another loud shrill wistle. Nary smiled and waves to the bird as it flew past her and away into the bright blue sky. She sighed.

To herself " when wil I be like that? I used to be, happy to be able to fly, to be free."

She looked down at the world below her. Noticing creatures she made herself as air and floated down, invisible to all eyes.

Near a lake. sh settled herslef within the branches of a nearby tree and listend to the two's conversation.

After a few moments she pondered.

"So..Qyrain? Nice name. And she, one of the water? Saitsune? Pretty name, elegant. She liked the way it rolled off her toung. She nodded and decided to follow them where ever they went for a while. Learning what she could. She often did that with creatures, learning all their secretes, ther every wim. She loved it, closest thing to be companionship she ever had. These two would be her next two.

She slipped down and settled herself around them, listening to every word they said, and didn't. she was air, she slipped into their thoughts. she remained unable to be seen not even her faint watery image could be seen now, she was the air, nothing ould suspect the air...[/color][/i]

[Jesus Chicken]

[color=blue]Before nightfall I made it out of the dead forest, and before me I saw huge ice-capped mountains, a giant dark forest, and a massive lake. In the gloom, I began to realise it would be best if I set up camp near the edge of the lake, as there I could start a fire and I should be able to find food also.
I walked about a half-mile to the edge of the forest, and laid down my pack. I then went off to the edge of the forest to gather kindling and larger wood for a fire. Once the fire was giving light to the area, I placed a few large logs of wood on the fire, to keep it going whilst I was searching for food.
I drew my sword, grabbed a few components for some simple spells that I might have to use, and set off to find food.[/color]

[The Harlequin]

[font=gothic][color=indigo]OOC: Considering the way I described my surroundings, I somehow doubt a small mountain lake would be appearing anywhere near my position, and I'd prefer to remain "unattached" right now. So, basically, leave me alone.

IC: [I]Qyrain awoke, a long established reflex born of habit triggered by something intangible. The world around him seemed content, but shimmered with an afterglow of disturbance, as if a presence had crossed his path momentarily and faded away. No matter. Qyrain rose silently to his feet, casting strands of intent into the air around him. It rang back pure, untainted. Whatever presence had been here and since left. He turned back to the rock face. A bare hundred metres covered already, and twice that to go. Still, the physical exertion was a rather useful, is somewhat abject, form of oblivion.

The familiar bite of the rock dug into his fingers, as he continued the arduous climb. The leather was starting to wear, he'd need new gauntlets by the end of this. A small consolation would be that for once, he'd be in a position to actually aquire new equipment without having to deal with a cantankerous quartermaster. Qyrain swore as his lapsed attention caused stray rubble to catch under his fingers. He hung there a moment, one arm and one leg fixed to the rock, his other limbs free. He looked up, sighed, and stretched. His body, to all appearances, melted. Like an amoeba, he let his outer skin flow upwards, until he was merely a long, thin line. He firmed the top part of the de facto appendage, and drew the rest of his now liquid body upwards, gaining more than three times his usual distance for a stretch. He repeated the motion, and the top of the cliff took mere minutes to reach, and minimal effort.

When he arced his amorphous body over the edge, and onto horizontal ground, he immediately solidifed into his typical human shape. His head was spinning, the residual energy from the flux involved with not only moving his body but keeping his equipment and clothing intact causing an imbalance in his electromagnetic self. The backlash wouldn't take all that long to wear off, but it would remain more than mildly inconvenient. He sat down, hoping that lack of motion would allow a faster restablising of his shattered equilibrium.[/font][/color][/I]

[Jesus Chicken]

[color=blue]OC: No, I'm nowhere near anyone anyway...Sorry if it was dodgy, I was just stuck for ideas.

IC:

A large wooly beast slowly waddled up the water's edge, and lowered it's head to drink slowly. I looked up and muttered a spell under my breath. The beast suddenly dropped to the ground as it's heart imploded.
I walked over to the beast and cast another spell. The body of the animal then began to float a foot off the ground. I kicked it hard, and it glided over the water, to my camp on the other side of the lake.
I watched the body slowly carve a path through the air above the still lake. Then, with the only warning being a few bubbles on the surface of the water, a giant tendril flew from the surface of the lake and ripped the body of the animal beneath the water.
[I]"WHAT THE ****!?[/I]
I yelled into the night air. I turned again and began walking to the spot where I had hid whilst waiting for anotehr beast to arrive, hoping that the same creature in the lake wouldn't take this one.[/color]

[Raiha]

[COLOR=royalblue]You've never been to the Sierra nevadas. Have you. No matter. There are many lakes at extremely high elevation. I would know...I've been swimming in several. Illegally of course.
~~~~~~~~~~~
[i]She rolled her body back into the water, then took another slipstream down the hills. The snakes followed. Enchanted by her energy...thus, not dying. She smiled as their tongues caressed her body, sweet and gentle. Quite unlike what she had lived with. Then....she stopped and considered her next course of action. Down further into a well known river.....meet up with a few of her River dragon kynnsman.....why not?

She took the south groundwater stream and finally broke through to a main river. She dove deeper, and found the nearest fish. They stared at her bizare appearence, were menaced by the snakes, then pointed her in the right direction. She thanked them and followed the paths. Eventually, she entered the nearby caves and took many side turns and switchbacks before entering the court of the River Dragon King. She assumed her natural form, the snakes curled around her arms and claws.[/i]

King: ....welcome. Empress Saitsune. this is an unexpected surprise.

Saitsune: I was in the area...decided to visit.

King: I hear you're looking for a mate.

Saitsune: In the upperworld. I've had enough of Water Dragons for a time.

King: Understandable.....I'm sure you'll find what you're looking for.

Saitsune: I certainly hope so.[/COLOR]

[The Harlequin]

[color=indigo][font=gothic]OOC: I'm sure there are, but considering I was located on an [I]escarpment[/I], which is a [I]vertical[/I] wall of rock, I don't think you'll get many lakes...Unless you've worked out a way to make large bodies of water stick to walls? That would be interesting....

IC: [I]It was not, by any means, delerium, but certainly the overload of sensory information was erratic and misleading. He attempted to ground his senses into solidarity but an already enhanced level of perception spun the action into futility. He sighed, and simply waited, confident that if offered threat or other difficult stimulus, his mind would resolve into diamond edged clarity of thought and physical motion. Probably with painful results.

It took about half an hour for his roiled mind to resettle. At the point, he stood up, taking in his surroundings in a jaded attempt at curiousity. It wasn't much different. Grasslands of a sort stretched away in the distance. A few other scattered peaks. Sparse strands of trees. And about a league away, a thin but paved road wound like a river through the high growth. He set off, a practiced, easy lope eating up ground without being a drain on stamina. Not that stamina was much of a problem, but good habits tended not to hurt.

The road was, as far as Qyrain could tell, completely deserted, though in good order. Not surprising. The roads had all been made by the Empire, on more than one occasional he'd had to guard a particularly volitile stretch of it while it was being built. They had been well made, certainly, but hadn't been repaired or patrolled for years. They were most likely shunned as a matter of course, considering the constant atrocities that had outbroken at the time of the Exile invasion. For now, the roads were probably safe, but all things considered, old traditions died hard.

Qyrain judged he had about three hours left before nightfall, more than enough time to cover a decent amount of ground. Perhaps some lone, audacious trade caravan would cross his path. On the other hand, perhaps roving bandits would as well. No matter, Qyrain was quite certain he'd be able to take care of himself. Truly told, he'd be less sure how to interact with the caravan.[/font][/color][/I]

[Raiha]

[COLOR=royalblue]Tacky glue. Fixes everything you know.... And don't forget...it was a "small lake." Anyways, back to the story.
~~~~~~~~~
[i]He asked her to dine with him but she declined politely. Instead she took the proffered vial of wine, drank it down, then handed it back. The River Dragon King cut himself, took the blood, sealed it in the vial and handed it back to her. She smiled at him and shrank it down into a tiny crystal cube. This was placed under her tongue and magicked their by her thoughts alone. He bowed and pressed his hands together. She did the same, then left as gracefully as she came.

As she swam up the river, following its natural flow, she finally felt it slow down into a stream, then into groundwater, than into barely more than a trickle. She took the oppertunity to burst out of the ground onto the flat lands. Once in the open air, she melted down into her humanoid form and smiled. Grass. Feeding off the trickles of water she had felt. She found the main road.....which was amazing, considering the height of the grass. And she stuck to it, hoping to run into more of the mortals she had met....they were very intersting.

The River Dragon King had given her dire warnings about the power of men. She heeded, but didn't attempt to scare herself with the bloody details.[/i][/COLOR]

[Sandy]

[size=1][b]offgame:[/b] Umm, are we really going anywhere in this game? I mean, everybody's just doing their own stuff, and I'm getting a bit bored with just playing by myself... :( Couldn't you make up any general guideline we could all follow, Harle? This [i]is[/i] your game...[/size]

[Ravenstorture]

[color=darkgreen][font=gothic]OOC: He seems to like solitude in his RPGs as well as in real life. Stumble across someone, and hope he doesn't do to you as he did to Raiha. Not a good move, my love, bipassing a storyline to suit your own preferences.

[i]Elairith sat silently in the west chapel, this time of her own accord. Father Morecott sat beside her, still. She was crying.[/i]

Father: You seem in terrible remorse, my dear.

Elairith: Well, I liked the guy. I'm upset.

Father: He confessed, you know, before he died.

[i]At this Elairith stood and screamed, kicking the priest hard in the shin. He winced and bared it.[/i]

Elairith: Confessed? Like it's a crime? It's not a crime to have sex with someone! How the hell do you think you got here?

Father: So you know what happened, then.

[i]She fell silent.[/i]

Elairith: So, he didn't name me, then.

Father: No.

[i]The west chapel endured another five minutes of deathly silence as Elairith stood, staring at the statue of the Virgin Mary.[/i]

Elairith: Why did you kill him?

Father: Elairith, it is a sin for a monk to commit an act of impurity. He had no place in the monastary after the occurance, and where else was he to go? He ended his own life, and you know he had reason to.

Elairith: That's not true! I know you killed him. I know self flagellation when I see it, and that wasn't it. I'm not stupid. And besides... he worshipped me.

Father: A monk, Elairith. Why a monk?

Elairith: Why a nephil?

[i]At this Father Morecott recoiled in shock, his face reddening. [/i]

Father: What did you say?

Elairith: He wasn't just a toy, [i]dad,[/i] he was my friend. You killed him. And yet you're still alive...

Father: What exactly are you accusing me of?

Elairith: Come on, everyone knows you're my real father. Half human? From a full band of Nephils? I don't think so. Besides, I've seen the portraits of you when you were young, we're splitting images of eachother. I know what you did.

Father: You go any further and you'll join your friend in hell.

Elairith: Purgatory, actually, is where I'm heading.

[i]With this she stormed out. Collecting her things, always packed in case of an occurance like this, she left the monastary and walked out of the outer gate for the first time in her life. Tears streaming down her face, Damien's rosary around her hips, she walked off, not once looking back.[/i][/font][/color]

[Sandy]

[size=1][b]offgame:[/b] Okay, I'll stumble accross someone, but I'm still excepting some sort of main plot that would tie the characters together. Come on, literally the elite of OB-roleplayers has gathered into this game - if we can't keep a game alive, then who can? :therock:[/size]

[color=royalblue]The trembling Mayu was escorted determinedly to the bondfire. Mayu's horrified first thought was that she was to be burned alive, but then she noticed the crowd was taking her to see an old man, whose one hand was holding a chickenfeet and other was wrapped around an almost naked human girl. The old man looked at the crowd surprised from behind his greasy beard.

"Wa awa?" the man snapped, seemingly annoyed of the disturbance of his fiesting. Then the man holding Mayu pushed her in front of the man.

"Ewi melessi we huryo kae alaweni", the large man grumbled.

"Ah... melessi Nefili... Do-you-understand-me?" the man said slowly, staring at her. The old man could speak her language! Hurriedly Mayu nodded.

"Good. My name is Amat. I am the sage of this village. What is your name?"

Mayu opened her mouth to answer, but then she remembered she had lost her voice. She touched her throat to resemble it.

"You cannot speak? Very strange... Where do you come from? Eurus? Acha? Sakret?"

Again, Mayu nodded rapidly.

"And where are you going to?"

Suddenly the greasy old man looked wise and powerful, his eyes twinkled with knowledge, and Mayu knew he could help her. Help her to get to Forest. Mayu pointed a finger towards the ceiling of the cave.

"You are going out of Exile? To Lands Above?"

Mayu smiled. She knew she could make it now. To...

"F-Forest", Mayu whispered, very thinly, and only the sage could hear her.

"Yes, there are many forests in Lands Above. It is almost a one, huge forest."

Mayu didn't have a clue what the man was referring to, but she kept on smiling.

"You know how to get there?" the sage asked, again with twinkling eyes. Mayu stopped smiling, and shook his head.

"So I shall help you. There is an entrance not far from here. Few of the villagers will take you there. But first, would you like to join the fiest? We are celebrating our liberation from the Vahnati."

Mayu jerked back, with wild look on her face. The Vahnati? [i]Here?[/i] Quickly she shook her head. The sage looked more than a little disappointed, but he waved two men from the crowd to come to him, gave them their instructions, and turned back to Mayu.

"At least let us give you new clothes. Your robe isn't good when traveling."

Mayu accepted the offer, and in few moments she wore a dress like nothing she had ever wore before. Excluding her face and furry skin, she could have been one of the village women.

The two human males - other of them was the same giantic man that had captured her - escorted her as she walked to her dragonfly, and released it. Mayu knew it was meant to live in the dark caves, and the Forest was said to be full of light.

Then the men took her to a narrow tunnel. Slwoly but steadily the light in it increased, and soon Mayu saw the end of the tunnel. A round, pure white hole in the stone walls. She didn't even notice that the men stopped as she walked towards the light. It hurt her eyes, but she didn't mind - she just closed her eyes. This was what she wanted, after all. To be free...

After adjusting to the bright daylight, Mayu slowly opened her eyes. And the world struck her.

She was standing on a cliff quite high above the ground, and the landscape in front of her was divided into green and blue, with mountainpeaks spotting the green carpet below her, and white clouds sailing in the endless blue above her. She was so shocked she lost her consciousness, and fell over the edge of the cliff.
[/color]
[size=1][b]offgame:[/b] It's not what you think; I didn't kill my character. She's not very high up, and the mountainside isn't very steep. ;) [/size]

[Raiha]

[COLOR=royalblue]Well, I think the word is Bypassing. And while I don't mind solitude, after about three pages or so....in the future mind you....it'll get a bit tedious. Not that I can't do it of course. Anyways....I'm assuming here, that some day we'll all meet eachother. In theory.
~~~~~~
[i]At aproximately mid day, she was overtaken by several horsemen...traveling at a smooth easy lope, horses breathing easily. All five of them were wearing a relaxed style of armour, and carrying various weapons. One of them called out and she turned, the snakes freezing into living statues. She watched them, hair covering her body completely. The leader, or who she thought was the leader, pulled up next to her, looking down with a face of amusement. She looked up into his face, eyes calm and clear.[/i]

.....: And who might you be? Travelling on our road this fine day?

Saitsune: ....I'm Tanni.

.....: Ah... Miss Tannni. Did you know that there's dangerous men about on this road?

Saitsune: I've seen nobody but you...and your companions. I don't even know your name. Might you be dangerous men masquerading as gentlemen?

[i]The company of men roared with laughter and the leader dismounted. He strolled casually up to her, eyeing her lithe figure, and her bizarre jewelry.[/i]

.....: My name is Glenn. Glenn Antilles. I've been looking for a maid like you.

Saitsune: Maid.

Glenn: But of course. My house is empty without a woman. And a pretty one like you is difficult to come by.

Saitsune: That would be lovely, if I knew that my position in your house would not be forced hard labor.

[i]He chuckled and felt her hair with a rough hand. She brushed them away, and was then snatched up and tossed to the nearest man. She shrieked and struggled, but refrained from glorifying into her dragon shape. If she wanted to see more mortals, this was one way of doing it. Not very dignifying....but oh well. Glenn mounted his steed and moved up next to her, cupping her face in his palm.[/i]

Glenn: You and I are going to get to know eachother....much better.

Saitsune: ...Oh I quiver with fear.[/COLOR]

[Shinkoru]

[color=gray][I] Naryu had decided to follow Saitsune. She hadn't left her side for one moment, becoming intranced with the woman, as you might say. even as the men lifted her up struggling on one of their hourses she stayed by her side. If any harm came to pass her, and this woman did not transform to save herself, she would make herself known and try to protect her. Nary wondered ta this, how she could become so attached to someone who didn't even know she existed? It was thus a termoil of her existance and caused her a great deal of sorrow and pain, but somehow while she was instent with one person her pain falterd for a moment. She could seep into their minds, she loved feeling a part of something, someone. It didn't matter to her what race or what sex, what age or what class. Everyone was the same to her, because she could be everyone. Yes she could make herself male if need be, but she perfered being a woman, or girl, as he dad still called her, when ever they met. He was lucky, he had her mother for company, they would ever be togather, a love with no bounds til time died and the air soured, and the water dried up. even then the memory of their love would live on. Oh what Nary would do for a love shuch as that..even a friend would more than suffice.

She sighed and settled herself down behind the man holding Saitsune on her stomache on top the fast galloping horse. She kicked ocasionally but had basically given up for some...she nodded in understanding. She wished to meet humans. So, she wasn't so much diffrent than Naryu. She too found humans espically, exremely facinateing. So on they rode..[/I][/color]

[Raiha]

[COLOR=royalblue][i]She smiled to herself. To break free would be too cliche. She would wait.

Some time later....afternoon, they came up to a break in the grasslands and into a large low field, complete with hills and a very large house. The men rode in, stabled their horses, and dragged her to the house. Once there, Glenn himself cut the leather thongs that tied her wrists together and led her to his chambers. Once there, he pulled her hair away from her body, and she demured gracefully. His hands descended on her shoulders none too gently and she looked up at him.[/i]

Glenn: You're a witch, aren't you?

Saitsune: How could you tell I wasn't human?

Glenn: I think it's the skin.....

Saitsune: Then you know Tanni's not my real name either.

Glenn: It's obvious you were lying. Most dragons like you can't.

Saitsune: Then you also know that I'm an Imperial dragon. And that these snakes are real.

[i]He smiled at her and she let them flood off of her body....removing any remaining covering she might have had.[/i][/COLOR]

[Ravenstorture]

[color=darkgreen][font=gothic]OOC: I'd love to help you, of course, but I myself am about to begin a long and arduous journey around in circles until I, too, know what the hell is going on.

[i]Elairith had walked long into the night, and when she saw the first silver slivers of dawn prying open the horizon, she decided it was time to stop. By this point in time she had crossed several rivers, streams, circumnavigated lakes and pushed through dark forests. She happened to be in the latter now, but travelling was marginally easier this time as the canopy above let in so little sunlight, and dropped so much groundcover, that undergrowth was sparse. The dominant species of tree was some sort of redwood, with soft, splintery bark, huge trunks towering above into a fuzzy green. Not knowing the dangers of the world, and not caring particularly, it was a wonder she stopped in time when the ground fell away to a huge, gaping hole. Black stone lay underneath the clay, it seemed, or at least the stone had been used to line the hole. The rock was smooth, like it had been melted into distortion. She couldn't see very far down, and no sounds or smells emerged from the chasm. The hole measured about five large paces across, and the clay in the rim seemed packed down, scuffed, as if things climbed out occasionaly. Roots from various flora poked out of the sides as if to act as handholds.
Backing away from the edge, Elairith looked around to see if there was anyone in the area. The only apparent life form was a white bobtail rabbit, cleaning it's nose and keeping a wary red eye on her.
Sighing, Elairith clutched Damien's beads in her hand and took a running leap into the hole.[/i]

OOC: I guess I lied...[/font][/color]

[Jesus Chicken]

[color=blue]

OOC: I guess I could help then...

IC:

Kris sat there for a long time, and then, a familiar rustle came to his ears. At last, I thought to myself...But then I saw a woman walk past me, looking closer, I realised she had tears in her eyes.

Hmm. I stood up, and silently followed her into the forest. I saw her stop just before a gaping hole. She stood there silently for some time, clutching something in her hand. Then, she slowly took a few steps back, and began to run at the hole. It dawned on me that this lady was going to commit suicide. I jumped out from behind the bush I had been hiding behind and yelled some strange words into the night.

The woman froze in mid-air.

She screamed for a bit and wondered what the hell was going on, and then, using a hand gesture, I moved her away from the mouth of the hole, and the screaming continued.

[I]"God damn, be quiet! Haven't you ever seen magick before?"[/I]

Woman:[I] Who are you? What are you doing to me?

[I]"Fine, I'll put you down if you want...Fecking hell."[/I]

Waving my hands once more, the woman slowly fell to the ground. I watched her thinking to myself, perhaps I should have let her die.[/color]