Alden
Dedicated
Roleplay posts: 266
Age: 53(?)
Appearance: The reference image is a commissioned piece and is accurate.
Alden is 6 even, with shoulder-length messy black hair, and several days worth of beard stubble. He is handsome, with a powerful jaw, mid-set cheekbones, and a perpetual grin that makes him seem younger than he really is. His bright green eyes, constantly sparkle with barely contained mirth. He has the lithe well-muscled body of a swordsman, and he moves with considerable grace and dexterity.
If one were to do a more thorough examination of Alden's eyes they may notice a further detail. Around the outside edge of his iris, there's an intricate series of minuscule grey runes.
Underneath his shirt, Alden's skin is a mass of scar tissue. Starting from just below his neckline, there is very little space that does not sport some relic of a past injury. A particularly observant person may also note that among these scars, some are a bright scarlet. These scarlet scars form an intricate series of runes hiding amidst the rest of the scars.
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Equipment: Alden's general loadout when he goes fighting consists of the following:
A twin set of enchanted shortswords. The simple straight blades are unnatural dark, absorbing rather than reflecting light. Giving the enchanted steel an appearance closer to cold iron. The guard has the Isran sun emblem emblazoned in a medallion shape just above the guard, which is wrapped in simple leather. The enchantments increase their sharpness and durability, as well as being able to ignite the blood of anything that he has pierced with either blade.
Numerous braces and hidden throwing knives all over his body. At one point, these were also enchanted but when the calamity struck he didn't have time to grab his original set. So these are all well-made but ultimately mundane weapons. Still, with his strength and skill, they can be quite deadly.
Unfortunately, at present, he is also missing his armour. His preferred armour is leather dyed in mottled black and greys, with strike plates sewn between layers for added protection. His old set was also enchanted for increased protection from physical and magical attacks.
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Skills and Abilities: Alden is, for lack of a better term, a weapon master. He has been trained to use almost any weapon you can think to name. Relentless daily training with each, with extraordinarily demanding expectations on performance and harsh incentives for failure giving a level of skill with most of them that make him formidable.
However, his preferred style involves twin short swords. While he is skilled with all of his weapons thanks to training, he discovered a natural talent with the blade. His level of skill when wielding his short swords is on another level entirely, nearly transcendent in his skill.
On top of that, he is a living magical enchantment. Carved into his body are a variety of runes that grant him numerous innate abilities. He is inhumanly strong, around three to four times stronger than a man in a similar state of physical fitness would be. This also applies to his endurance, speed, reflexes, and other physical traits. He also has regenerative abilities exceeding human normal, able to heal from even broken bones in a matter of days rather than weeks.
In addition, he is immune to most poisons and resistant to the rest. The runes etched into his eyes ensure he can see the same no matter the level of light and reveal magical auras to him. Runes along his back make him impossible to scry on directly and provide him a measure of resistance to magical attack. This, combined with training, also makes him immune to magical mental influence. Finally, runes on his feet dampen any sound he might make taking his already considerable stealth abilities to another level entirely.
Speaking of his training also included all of the skills one would think an Assassin should have. He knows how to mix poisons, move without being seen or making noise, scale walls, lie or disguise himself, pick locks, pick pockets, just for starters. He is also quite skilled at clerical work and he has some diplomacy ability after thirty years leading the Sun Marshals.
Beyond all of this, Alden also possesses an incredible amount of willpower. If Alden decides that he will do something, there is very little that can stop him from doing it. In fact, at present, the only thing that could deter him from a course of action is Captain Naoki. The former Empress is the only person he has any loyalty to and he often values her judgement on matters above his own.
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Biography: Alden was born to a small farming family in an out-of-the-way village. His parents named him Toan and until he was five his destiny was most likely to live and die on the same farm he was born. However, that all changed when Pride arrived.
The leader of a criminal group known as The Set, Pride offered his parents a sum of money that would make any poor farmer's heart stop. Enough money to change their lives forever and all he wanted was Alden, one of nearly a dozen children. A child that wasn't even old enough to help with chores around the farm yet. And the man as so nice, he wanted a ward that he could train to be a retainer how bad of a life could that be?
The answer to that question was basically Hell. Pride was a potent alchemist, enchanter, and scholar and he had but one goal in mind. To create a superior warrior. Alden was subjected to hellish daily training along with six other children. Forced to learn to fight with every weapon, against any foe, in any condition. His limbs were broken deliberately and he was forced to continue to fight and train in constant agony. And this was among the mildest of the ways he was trained.
The culmination of the training came when he was twelve. When he and the six other children were locked in a room and told that the only one who got to leave... was the only one to survive. Of course, surviving was hardly a reward.
Once Pride had only the strongest of the children left he proceeded to the next step of his plan. Alden's memories and identity were seared away as Pride carved runes into his flesh and his very soul. Transforming the young man into a living magical artifact and keeping him on a drug that suppressed all of his emotions.
From there Alden became the new Wrath of the set, a weapon meant only to slay those he was told to. That may have been all he would be but Pride made a miscalculation, Alden's runes helped him to build an immunity to the dosage meant to keep his emotions in check, a weakness made worse by Pride having let him keep his anger thinking it would make him a better weapon. Eventually, events conspired and Alden snapped when the only member of The Set to be kind to him, Sloth, was killed for threatening to expose Pride.
Alden, driven into a deeper rage than ever before killed Envy, Lust, Gluttony, and even disembowelled Pride. Greed manage to escape and Alden slaughtered everything in his path trying to catch the man. Eventually succeeding in his goal. Bereft of a target for his rage and the chase having left him in the middle of nowhere Alden finally collapsed the trauma and coming off of the dosage causing him to bury most of his memories.
He wound up in Isra where his talents and skill soon earned him the eye of the then, criminal Madam Naoki. She recruited him as one of her enforcers a role he continued as her power expanded and grew until she finally became Empress. His reward for his loyalty? Appointment to the head of The Sun Marshals her special police force, effectively making him her right-hand man.
During this time he also uncovered his own past and learned that Pride had survived, the man had made preparations for such an eventuality and his death only saw his soul moving to a phylactery as he became a lich.
Pride created a new Set, this time making each member just as he made Alden. Eventually, this culminated in Pride attacking Isra and his eventual, final defeat.
Decades have passed since that time and Alden, whose power kept him at his prime for years continued to serve Isra until the new calamity took him to The Island of Mists, his empress reduced to a captain and he now serving as her first mate.
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Allegiances: Naoki and Port Argentum
Place of Residence: Port Argentum
Registered: Mar 21, 2021 13:21:25 GMT -5
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Post by Alden on Nov 20, 2021 11:44:41 GMT -5
Naoki's gaze goes sweeps from left to right looking for those that would be most likely to rise to the call. By the time she finished her first sweep, Alden was already on the move. The man hadn't actually been that far away since the beach was one of the places he gravitated to the most. He liked the solitude it provided from the rest of the camp and the sound of the surf helped him get some rest from time to time.
Alden came to Naoki's side at a run coming to a stop next to her as he took in the situation. It didn't phase him over much, wasn't the first dragon he'd ever dealt with and this one was injured so if it came down to it he was certain ending it wouldn't be much of an issue. Even without help he could probably manage it but he knew that he'd have assistance in the task since there would be no point in taking a risk by having one person fight the thing.
"Your orders?"
The question is delivered with flat, professionalism. This was a crisis and Naok was in charge he'd follow her lead unless she decided to tell him to take over.
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Coatl of the Imilla
Dedicated
Roleplay posts: 143
Appearance: Skin just a skosh darker than an old clay pot. The shade of his hat occludes black, sun-beaten eyes, wavy, matted hair, and just enough beard to protect his chin. His hands are coarse and leathery, with wiry tendons. His height isn't quite imposing, it's but enough to lend credence to a purposeful stride and posture.
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Equipment: An old duster, scarf, and cotton shirt and slacks. A thin brigandine with copper plates and a military-grade pitchfork.
A single candle, a reagent of now forbidden degrees of power.
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Skills and Abilities: On his home turf, Coatl could manifest formidable elemental magic. Here the magic is suppressed down to more subtle manipulations. However, the spirit of Cuaté, the "Witch", is still with him.
Coatl is, at his core, a simple farmhand. His experience working on ranches and plantations has earned him a strong physique and a way with animals. When he was a teenager, he also spent some time as a city guard and militiaman, giving him basic competence with a variety of weapons.
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Biography: The Imilla Clan were migrant farmers and laborers, selling themselves to wealthier kingdoms. They were a people bound by working shanties, and stories of an Eden from whence their ancestors came. As a youth, Coatl felt they were naive. They possessed the most basic of martial skills and required the aid of capricious spirits with weak magic to protect them.
His suspicions were half true, for when they encountered a malevolent kingdom, they were very nearly enslaved. However, his parent's commitment to peace earned him, and him in particular, the loyalty of an ancestral spirit that was far more dependable.
Using the power of this spirit, Coatl and a few other "chosen ones" helped bring prosperity and safety to their clan, ensuring that no one else would try to enslave them. The golden years of their people came to an abrupt end, however, when the flood waters came...
Registered: Mar 20, 2021 23:42:08 GMT -5
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Post by Coatl of the Imilla on Nov 20, 2021 13:37:09 GMT -5
It took a little extra nod from Coatl for the Imilla to hightail it into their nearby tents and sheds, but it wasn't long before the construction site was clear.
Coatl however walked a brisk pace out of the site, in the direction of the dragon.
Catch!
A wooden paddle board the length of a canoe oar flew out of a nearby shed. The handle landed deftly into his left palm with Coatl barely having to look. Swapping it to his right hand, he kept walking until he was about the same distance away from the injured beast as Lady Naoki was from the other side.
The paddle's face was serrated along the edges with carefully cut stones embedded with pitch. With each pace of Coatl's boots, the stones grew hot red, then gold, then finally an unnatural white. But strangely the paddle didn't smoke. The implement's aura warped the air around it and left a shallow trench in the sand next to Coatl's steps.
Coatl's shimmering eyes peered at the beached behemoth from under the shadow of his hat. Cuate's spirit had fused with his.
Looks hurt.
Yah...
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Grandma
Dedicated
Roleplay posts: 144
Age: Appears to be in her 80's
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Appearance: An elderly woman with a wiry frame who most notably possesses unnatural height, standing at well over seven feet tall even when hunched over her cane. Her hair is grayish-white and normally done up in a bun and her eyes are also gray in color. Her skin is very pale and has an almost grayish hue to it. Her nails are long, black, and sharpened at the tip.
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Equipment: She wears a deep purple robe that has sleeves that extend far beyond her hands. Her hands are covered with fine gloves of black silk and she wears one ring on each, one having a purple stone set in it and the other a piece of onyx. Carrying an ornate cane of orellium, Grandma can use it to increase her magical channeling as well as assist in deflecting others' spells with it. The cane itself is black and covered in numerous ornate, but tiny runes. The cap on the cane is a purplish-colored gem. On her wrist is a silver bracelet with a ruby in it that Grandma uses for communication with others who own similar bracelets.
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Skills and Abilities: Skilled at knitting!
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Biography: While the details of Grandma's past are shrouded in mystery, since first meeting Naoki she has served essentially one role, that of advisor. While her titles have varied as Naoki moved up the social ladder of Isra, her continued support, and assistance she offered to Naoki have never wavered.
Even following the destruction of Isra, Grandma continues to follow and offer guidance to Lady Naoki as they attempt to rebuild from the wreckage.
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Allegiances: Naoki
Place of Residence: Port Argentium
Registered: Mar 16, 2021 19:51:53 GMT -5
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Post by Grandma on Nov 20, 2021 13:38:52 GMT -5
Grandma had been having a lovely morning collecting seashells on the beach. The smell of the ocean was one of the few things she found tolerable about this island. As Grandma bent over to pick up a particularly fine specimen of a shell, the booming voice of Naoki reached the crone’s ears. It was faint, but Grandma would recognize that voice anywhere. Eyes narrowing, she took off at a brisk jog, moving along the beach towards the direction of Naoki’s call for help.
It took a few minutes, but she eventually saw the silhouettes of Naoki and Alden, standing at a respectable distance from… An injured dragon? Making several tsking sounds that were accompanied with an irritated shake of her head, Grandma slowed to a halt having reached her destination — the side of Naoki opposite of Alden. Stabbing her cane into the sand, Grandma tilted her head towards the other two, listening to what they had to say about the situation before interjecting herself into the conversation.
“It’s been a while since we’ve had to deal with one of these bloody things. I suppose at least we can be thankful it didn’t come crashing down into the middle of Port Argentium.”
While faint, the dark gemstone atop her cane held an unnatural shimmer to it. Grandma didn’t necessarily intend to make any moves against the beast, but if it decided to make moves against Naoki… Well, Grandma simply wouldn’t be having that.
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Rune Naimon IV
Established
Roleplay posts: 19
Age: 22
Appearance: Rune is an androgynous young man. He is 164cm (5'4") tall and weighs 56kg (123lbs). His hair and eyes are noteworthy features, a bright pink and violet respectively. His hair is very long, reaching to his thin waist. He commonly wears his hair in an elaborate braid with various ribbons.
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Equipment: Rune usually wears an elaborate set of ornate armor that seems to be rather lacking as far as pure protection goes, foregoing such elements for more aesthetic purposes; Over his armor he wears a white furry cloak. A faint glimmer can be seen emanating from the armor in the lowest of lights, betryaing its magical properties. In combat, this glimmer grows to a quite noticeable glow.
At his belt, he wears a one-handed arming sword with a sleek silver blade that tapers to a point. The blade's cross guard and pommel are gold with intricate engravings of crosses.
Images of equipment: https://imgur.com/bJvBzot, https://imgur.com/U4FABuH
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Allegiances: New Isra
Registered: Mar 23, 2021 23:36:43 GMT -5
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Post by Rune Naimon IV on Nov 20, 2021 18:18:30 GMT -5
Rune was having quite a nice day so far, and was on a walk at the beach when suddenly a giant lizard-like creature descended upon the sands with a loud crash, splash, and widespread yet momentary tinkling of sand as it exploded into the air in a puff.
Rune had spotted the creature a bit before its landing, his first indication of the dragon's approach the sound of its gigantic body piercing the air it flew through, a distinct sound only slightly beyond human ears could pick out from so far away among the constant din of ocean colliding with land. He could have spotted the dragon's approach much earlier even had he bothered to look, but Rune had been slightly zoned out just enjoying the peaceful walk before then.
Now, however, he was fully aware, as if a switch had been flipped. Seeing the trajectory of the dragon, he broke into a run, down the beach and towards Port Argentium proper, near where the dragon landed.
Rune was more than a bit eager for a potential fight if this creature was in fact attacking the Port, as he initially hoped. Yet as he saw the creature land with a loud crash, splash, and widespread yet momentary tinkling of sand as many grains exploded into the air… he wasn't so sure that would happen anymore. He would actually arrive shortly after Naoki and the others had, and had not yet heard her previous orders.
Rune arrived on scene shortly after Naoki and the others had, and had not yet heard her previous orders. Concerned about the others he now yelled out, from the other side of the dragon about as far away from the creature as they were, "Stay back! This creature could be dangerous!"
Rune himself on the other hand didn't take his own advice and approached the creature, aiming to see just how injured it was, or at least, that's what he would say later. He was really hoping to test his strength in these new lands. As Rune approached he drew his golden sword. The blade itself seemed altogether too small for the job, but as with the rest of Rune's appearance, there was more to this sword than what meets the eye.
Rune was now about ten feet from the creature's nose, yet while so directly facing down this beast he seemed calm. Any calls from the others would seem fall on deaf ears, but Rune’s hearing was all too keen for that. Rune didn’t believe the others could safely approach the dragon, at least not until he verified it was incapacitated, thus they wouldn’t actually come to stop him.
“Hey! Get up! Show me what you’re made of you stinking beast! Or did you hurt yourself too much to do that?!” Rune called out again, speaking directly to the creature now. He wasn’t sure if it could understand what he was saying, but even if it didn’t all the yelling ought to get it’s attention in some way.
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Valignat
New
Roleplay posts: 8
Appearance: Valignat is a 85 foot red dragon.
His wings are patchy with decaying holes. Wounds ooze with blood amidst a scattered hide of broken scales. The left leg is broken in multiple spots, barely attached.
Gold and red mana seep out of the wounds, slowly healing them. It seems like most of the magic is dissipating into mist.
Equipment: A wooden coffin bound with large gold and iron bands, held in one claw.
Skills and Abilities: Fire breath
Decay - Old wounds once healed by magic are now open. The remaining magic is enough to stop Valignat from bleeding to death if nothing else.
Registered: Nov 19, 2021 22:04:25 GMT -5
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Post by Valignat on Nov 21, 2021 5:14:34 GMT -5
The dragon was tired, so tired. He needed to rest, but this place was not safe. In the distance there was a forest that would provide better shelter. Mind obscured by pain and exhaustion Valignat entered a feral trance as he began limping towards the woodline, one leg dragging, leaving a trail of blood. Magic continued to puss around the wound, hazing to mist before it could do much healing.
A section of Port Argentium stood between the protection of the forest and Valignat. Humans already seemed to be buzzing around. Focused on each step the dragon labored forward paying little outward attention to the humans who edged forward. Black smoke began to puff from the dragons nostrils with each rattling exhale of air
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Norman Cleats
Established
Roleplay posts: 16
Appearance: Norman is a tall and strapping young lad. His hands are calloused and muscles toned from several years of hauling lines. He appears to be in his late 20s.
Equipment: 2 sets of sailing cloths
1 set of land clothes
1 rigging knife
1 razor
1 set of sewing and splicing gear
1 medium leather drybag
Skills and Abilities: During his time as a cleat makers apprentice Norman learned to carve, cast metals, and work a forge, though he only ever made one thing. Since taking to the seas he as worked on the decks and as a yardsman. He someday wishes to learn to chart maps and become an accomplished navigator.
Biography: Norman's father was a cleat maker. As was his father's father, as was his grandfather's father. So it was with some contention from his family that Norman because a sailor instead. While the making of cleats was a safe and dependable job, Norman had never understood how someone could be content with such a monotonous existence. Sure, there had been the occasional order for an ornate bit of carving or gilding, and there was some skill involved in casting or forging larger gear, but mostly they just made plain old wooden cleats.
Registered: Mar 21, 2021 15:13:41 GMT -5
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Post by Norman Cleats on Nov 21, 2021 12:28:30 GMT -5
As another person approached the dragon Norman felt emboldened. With enough people they could end this nightmare before it began for it looked like the dragon was already headed towards the city.
Axe in and he walked up next to Rune and said, "Any ideas how we take this thing?"
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Elizabeth Finch
Established
Roleplay posts: 13
Appearance: Elizabeth, or Liz, stands at about 5'9", weighing in at about 160lbs, most of it muscle from years of riding and fighting. She has platinum blonde hair, usually tied in a ponytail to fit inside her helmet. Her eyes are a vibrant shade of green that contrasts well with her tanned skin. She would be considered attractive if she ever removed her armor, otherwise, her face is the only indication that underneath the iron discipline and plate armor is an attractive woman.
Equipment: Liz wears a normal looking set of plate armor that is custom fitted for her specifically, and does not hide her gender. She wields a lance when mounted. Javelins are carried in her mounts saddle. Her mount is a young Griffin by the name of St. George, he is full grown in height, but does not yet have the full mass of a adult griffin. She wears plain clothes when not in armor and her shield bears the symbol of the Dawn Riders on it, and her breastplate bears the symbol of Isra on it. She wears a small necklace with a purple gemstone on it underneath her breastplate, only visible when she is unarmored. Her sword has the insignia of the midnight sun engraved in the hilt, as it is relatively out of sight and does not violate the military dress code. Her sword, a previously powerful and ancient Elven Blade, is now merely ancient, its abilities constrained to the occasional spark of electricity and its ability to shapeshift into a wrist band.
Skills and Abilities: She is a consummate swordswoman and rider, having trained from a very young age to not only fight mounted, but to lead mounted forces in battle. She can ride almost any creature and fight while mounted on it with minimal issues. On the ground she is a good soldier, but mounted she is exceptional.
Biography: She is incredibly strong-willed and stubborn, unlikely to change her course without very good reason. She has a good heart and does what she believes is best, but is not afraid of sacrifice. She is very aggressivee, even reckless, and has little concern for her own safety. She can be cold, distant, and arrogant when around people she doesn't know.
Registered: Mar 17, 2021 10:35:29 GMT -5
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Post by Elizabeth Finch on Nov 21, 2021 17:55:39 GMT -5
Liz had seen the dragon someways off during her morning scouting mission, rapidly wheeling St. George around to head towards it on an intercept course. A futile effort, as the beast smashes into the surf with some minimal level of grace. Her griffin maintains a position roughly twenty feet off the ground, her sword sheathed as she drew her long-lance from where it lay on his saddle.
The lance itself was longer than most, with a steel core and adamantine tip that was too heavy for her to wield against a normal-sized creature. A small brace on her griffin's saddle let her rest it and aim it at larger targets, not that she had an opportunity to use it since before the journey.
The lance was levelled at the dragon as she glared at it, ready to swoop in should the dragon prove to be immediately hostile.
"Stay yourself! This is not a fight you want dragon."
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Lady Naoki
Dedicated
Roleplay posts: 345
Appearance: Naoki is a curvaceous woman of average height, indeterminate age, and catlike features. Her hair is a dark auburn, often pulled back into a long braid. Her ears are both soft and fluffy, and her tail is never less than perfectly groomed.
Allegiances: New Isra
Place of Residence: Port Argentium
Registered: Mar 16, 2021 22:31:18 GMT -5
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Post by Lady Naoki on Nov 22, 2021 3:21:03 GMT -5
Naoki looks on, evaluating the situation. The dragon is on the move, shambling as best it can in the direction of an outlying part of the settlement. There’s someone — some muppet, out there in front of it, who looks and sounds like Rune, the one who volunteered to lead the expedition. It seems as though being a reckless rapscallion is very much their thing.
“Get back, I say,” Naoki repeats. It’s loud enough for Rune to hear, but it doesn’t look like they’re going to listen.
“Ah, now here’s the rub,” she says, speaking in a low tone out of the corner of her mouth to Alden. “You see as well as I: the dragon is weakened, but still dangerous. It could easily down a few of the headstrong and overconfident. If I give the word to attack, there may be losses. If I don’t, and Rune there doesn’t back off, there will be, unless they punch far above their weight class and have the twinkletoes to match. The best move is to coordinate an attack, but if they don’t listen, we’re not afforded the luxury of that choice.”
“Do this,” Naoki tells Alden. “Let Rune fight. Once they get hit, pull them out and finish the job.”
Naoki relays this to Liz through a hand signal used by the Dawn Riders to convey ‘Stand ready’ and then ‘Follow’ and gesturing to Alden.
Hopefully, Rune survives the first hit, but if not, Naoki won’t have been the one not to warn them. Again, she calls out, “We’ll coordinate an attack, fighters, rally to me!” Lacking a flag, Naoki raises a hand in the air and waves it about. They hear where she is, but for the show of it, you know.
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Skarlet
Committed
Roleplay posts: 53
Age: Her exact age is ambiguous but she has lived atleast a couple human lifetimes by now.
Appearance: Skarlet has Pale skin, red eyes and sharp teeth when she needs them. Her hair is dark brown but she has a streak of red in the front. Her wardrobe is always designed to cover up as much of her body as she can to shield herself from the sun.
Skills and Abilities: Night Vision
Enhanced Senses
Dream Walker
Vampirism
Flash Freezing technique
Biological Manipulation
Biography: Lady Skarlet is a Vampire and adopted daughter of Lady Naoki, though she's not exactly the same Skarlet that she knew from back then. This Skarlet came from an alternate future where something terrible had happened to Lady Naoki, and Skarlet became leader of her own nation for a while, years passed since and Skarlet has had a couple more families, she waged war against Men and Demons, She's loved and lost.
Naoki should be able to tell that even though Skarlet looks as young as ever, her eyes have changed and hint that she has probably lived through a couple lifetimes since last they saw each other.
Allegiances: Lady Naoki
Place of Residence: Naoki's Estate
Registered: Mar 21, 2021 14:38:24 GMT -5
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Post by Skarlet on Nov 22, 2021 8:42:02 GMT -5
Skarlet arrives at the beach to protect Lady Naoki and watch what happens with this dragon encounter. She is joined by a beautiful knight with long red hair that curled on the ends. The knight turns to his superior, "My lady, what is our plan?"
"Stay back for now, Rosé. We will wait and see if we need to make a move, protecting Naoki is our highest priority." Under her hood, Skarlet's red eyes dilate like a predatory bird to zoom-in her vision of Rune and the Dragon. Looking up and down, she starts to admire Rune for his appearance as well as his bravery facing off against a such a menacing creature.
Oooh~ Another pretty boy, perhaps he could be another candidate for my Vyre Project...
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Coatl of the Imilla
Dedicated
Roleplay posts: 143
Appearance: Skin just a skosh darker than an old clay pot. The shade of his hat occludes black, sun-beaten eyes, wavy, matted hair, and just enough beard to protect his chin. His hands are coarse and leathery, with wiry tendons. His height isn't quite imposing, it's but enough to lend credence to a purposeful stride and posture.
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Equipment: An old duster, scarf, and cotton shirt and slacks. A thin brigandine with copper plates and a military-grade pitchfork.
A single candle, a reagent of now forbidden degrees of power.
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Skills and Abilities: On his home turf, Coatl could manifest formidable elemental magic. Here the magic is suppressed down to more subtle manipulations. However, the spirit of Cuaté, the "Witch", is still with him.
Coatl is, at his core, a simple farmhand. His experience working on ranches and plantations has earned him a strong physique and a way with animals. When he was a teenager, he also spent some time as a city guard and militiaman, giving him basic competence with a variety of weapons.
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Biography: The Imilla Clan were migrant farmers and laborers, selling themselves to wealthier kingdoms. They were a people bound by working shanties, and stories of an Eden from whence their ancestors came. As a youth, Coatl felt they were naive. They possessed the most basic of martial skills and required the aid of capricious spirits with weak magic to protect them.
His suspicions were half true, for when they encountered a malevolent kingdom, they were very nearly enslaved. However, his parent's commitment to peace earned him, and him in particular, the loyalty of an ancestral spirit that was far more dependable.
Using the power of this spirit, Coatl and a few other "chosen ones" helped bring prosperity and safety to their clan, ensuring that no one else would try to enslave them. The golden years of their people came to an abrupt end, however, when the flood waters came...
Registered: Mar 20, 2021 23:42:08 GMT -5
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Post by Coatl of the Imilla on Nov 22, 2021 16:15:07 GMT -5
Cuate's memories were split on dragons. On the hand she felt an instinctive enmity with the beast. But on the other had there was a sense of nostalgia and pity. Had she been friends with dragons in her past life?
Coatl didn't have much of an opinion on them, as his clan had little contact with them in the past. But the mere touch of Cuate's ambiguous feelings was all he needed to understand that humanity's relationship with dragons was storied and complex. Beasts of high intelligence, territorial, with a vast capacity for cruelty and compassion... were currently surrounding the dragon.
*Snort.*
Coatl edged a bit closer and ceremoniously stuck his macuahuitl into the sand. The glowing white aura willingly receded upwards to allow the wood and stone to actually embed themselves into the ground. Otherwise the weapon would have comically toppled over. He stepped to its side, but it was still an arms length away should he decide to lunge forward and save Rune from a killing chomp if his bravado proved to be mostly talk.
He folded his arms and watched Rune engage the creature, eyes still glowing ominously underneath his hat. He was especially interested in the creature's eyes, scanning for signs of sapience and fear. He recalled his mother once telling him never to eat something capable of greeting itself to you. He wasn't quite sure why that thought popped into his head, but it seemed relevant.
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Alden
Dedicated
Roleplay posts: 266
Age: 53(?)
Appearance: The reference image is a commissioned piece and is accurate.
Alden is 6 even, with shoulder-length messy black hair, and several days worth of beard stubble. He is handsome, with a powerful jaw, mid-set cheekbones, and a perpetual grin that makes him seem younger than he really is. His bright green eyes, constantly sparkle with barely contained mirth. He has the lithe well-muscled body of a swordsman, and he moves with considerable grace and dexterity.
If one were to do a more thorough examination of Alden's eyes they may notice a further detail. Around the outside edge of his iris, there's an intricate series of minuscule grey runes.
Underneath his shirt, Alden's skin is a mass of scar tissue. Starting from just below his neckline, there is very little space that does not sport some relic of a past injury. A particularly observant person may also note that among these scars, some are a bright scarlet. These scarlet scars form an intricate series of runes hiding amidst the rest of the scars.
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Equipment: Alden's general loadout when he goes fighting consists of the following:
A twin set of enchanted shortswords. The simple straight blades are unnatural dark, absorbing rather than reflecting light. Giving the enchanted steel an appearance closer to cold iron. The guard has the Isran sun emblem emblazoned in a medallion shape just above the guard, which is wrapped in simple leather. The enchantments increase their sharpness and durability, as well as being able to ignite the blood of anything that he has pierced with either blade.
Numerous braces and hidden throwing knives all over his body. At one point, these were also enchanted but when the calamity struck he didn't have time to grab his original set. So these are all well-made but ultimately mundane weapons. Still, with his strength and skill, they can be quite deadly.
Unfortunately, at present, he is also missing his armour. His preferred armour is leather dyed in mottled black and greys, with strike plates sewn between layers for added protection. His old set was also enchanted for increased protection from physical and magical attacks.
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Skills and Abilities: Alden is, for lack of a better term, a weapon master. He has been trained to use almost any weapon you can think to name. Relentless daily training with each, with extraordinarily demanding expectations on performance and harsh incentives for failure giving a level of skill with most of them that make him formidable.
However, his preferred style involves twin short swords. While he is skilled with all of his weapons thanks to training, he discovered a natural talent with the blade. His level of skill when wielding his short swords is on another level entirely, nearly transcendent in his skill.
On top of that, he is a living magical enchantment. Carved into his body are a variety of runes that grant him numerous innate abilities. He is inhumanly strong, around three to four times stronger than a man in a similar state of physical fitness would be. This also applies to his endurance, speed, reflexes, and other physical traits. He also has regenerative abilities exceeding human normal, able to heal from even broken bones in a matter of days rather than weeks.
In addition, he is immune to most poisons and resistant to the rest. The runes etched into his eyes ensure he can see the same no matter the level of light and reveal magical auras to him. Runes along his back make him impossible to scry on directly and provide him a measure of resistance to magical attack. This, combined with training, also makes him immune to magical mental influence. Finally, runes on his feet dampen any sound he might make taking his already considerable stealth abilities to another level entirely.
Speaking of his training also included all of the skills one would think an Assassin should have. He knows how to mix poisons, move without being seen or making noise, scale walls, lie or disguise himself, pick locks, pick pockets, just for starters. He is also quite skilled at clerical work and he has some diplomacy ability after thirty years leading the Sun Marshals.
Beyond all of this, Alden also possesses an incredible amount of willpower. If Alden decides that he will do something, there is very little that can stop him from doing it. In fact, at present, the only thing that could deter him from a course of action is Captain Naoki. The former Empress is the only person he has any loyalty to and he often values her judgement on matters above his own.
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Biography: Alden was born to a small farming family in an out-of-the-way village. His parents named him Toan and until he was five his destiny was most likely to live and die on the same farm he was born. However, that all changed when Pride arrived.
The leader of a criminal group known as The Set, Pride offered his parents a sum of money that would make any poor farmer's heart stop. Enough money to change their lives forever and all he wanted was Alden, one of nearly a dozen children. A child that wasn't even old enough to help with chores around the farm yet. And the man as so nice, he wanted a ward that he could train to be a retainer how bad of a life could that be?
The answer to that question was basically Hell. Pride was a potent alchemist, enchanter, and scholar and he had but one goal in mind. To create a superior warrior. Alden was subjected to hellish daily training along with six other children. Forced to learn to fight with every weapon, against any foe, in any condition. His limbs were broken deliberately and he was forced to continue to fight and train in constant agony. And this was among the mildest of the ways he was trained.
The culmination of the training came when he was twelve. When he and the six other children were locked in a room and told that the only one who got to leave... was the only one to survive. Of course, surviving was hardly a reward.
Once Pride had only the strongest of the children left he proceeded to the next step of his plan. Alden's memories and identity were seared away as Pride carved runes into his flesh and his very soul. Transforming the young man into a living magical artifact and keeping him on a drug that suppressed all of his emotions.
From there Alden became the new Wrath of the set, a weapon meant only to slay those he was told to. That may have been all he would be but Pride made a miscalculation, Alden's runes helped him to build an immunity to the dosage meant to keep his emotions in check, a weakness made worse by Pride having let him keep his anger thinking it would make him a better weapon. Eventually, events conspired and Alden snapped when the only member of The Set to be kind to him, Sloth, was killed for threatening to expose Pride.
Alden, driven into a deeper rage than ever before killed Envy, Lust, Gluttony, and even disembowelled Pride. Greed manage to escape and Alden slaughtered everything in his path trying to catch the man. Eventually succeeding in his goal. Bereft of a target for his rage and the chase having left him in the middle of nowhere Alden finally collapsed the trauma and coming off of the dosage causing him to bury most of his memories.
He wound up in Isra where his talents and skill soon earned him the eye of the then, criminal Madam Naoki. She recruited him as one of her enforcers a role he continued as her power expanded and grew until she finally became Empress. His reward for his loyalty? Appointment to the head of The Sun Marshals her special police force, effectively making him her right-hand man.
During this time he also uncovered his own past and learned that Pride had survived, the man had made preparations for such an eventuality and his death only saw his soul moving to a phylactery as he became a lich.
Pride created a new Set, this time making each member just as he made Alden. Eventually, this culminated in Pride attacking Isra and his eventual, final defeat.
Decades have passed since that time and Alden, whose power kept him at his prime for years continued to serve Isra until the new calamity took him to The Island of Mists, his empress reduced to a captain and he now serving as her first mate.
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Allegiances: Naoki and Port Argentum
Place of Residence: Port Argentum
Registered: Mar 21, 2021 13:21:25 GMT -5
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Post by Alden on Nov 22, 2021 17:51:38 GMT -5
Alden had dealt with a few dragons in his time serving The Empire though his first, and perhaps his most memorable, encounter remained being chucked from The Dragon's Perch in Isra into the countryside. Beyond that he'd had a few meetings with the creatures some peaceful, others less so. He knew enough to understand that the beasts current state made it far more dangerous than it might be normally.
It was cornered and clearly too injured to continue flying. Which meant that its only way out of this situation was going to be going through the small meat sacks currently swarming it. People that might have skirted its attention like a rabbit darting out in front of a hunter now needed to be slain for survival. Which meant that Naoki's plan to surround it and take it down quickly and efficiently was entirely sound. As if left unchecked the dragon might just barrel through Argentum.
"As you say."
Was his response to her whispered words as he watched the young man with the ax and the mercenary, whom he vaguely recalled, prepare to fight it. Honestly, he was interested to see how well they did. It would be a nice change of pace not to have to handle this himself he didn't really want to kill the dragon all that much. He recognized putting it down was what was best for Argentium but the creature was clearly in need of help and while he knew dragon's to be intelligent it wasn't asking for it. He wished it would, but as long as it didn't they simply had to treat it as hostile.
With a world weary sigh he opts to just strip his shirt off now and toss it aside. It would provide no armor in the fight and he'd rather avoid getting blood, smoke, or dirt on it or tearing it. He didn't exactly have many to spare things being what they were.
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Rune Naimon IV
Established
Roleplay posts: 19
Age: 22
Appearance: Rune is an androgynous young man. He is 164cm (5'4") tall and weighs 56kg (123lbs). His hair and eyes are noteworthy features, a bright pink and violet respectively. His hair is very long, reaching to his thin waist. He commonly wears his hair in an elaborate braid with various ribbons.
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Equipment: Rune usually wears an elaborate set of ornate armor that seems to be rather lacking as far as pure protection goes, foregoing such elements for more aesthetic purposes; Over his armor he wears a white furry cloak. A faint glimmer can be seen emanating from the armor in the lowest of lights, betryaing its magical properties. In combat, this glimmer grows to a quite noticeable glow.
At his belt, he wears a one-handed arming sword with a sleek silver blade that tapers to a point. The blade's cross guard and pommel are gold with intricate engravings of crosses.
Images of equipment: https://imgur.com/bJvBzot, https://imgur.com/U4FABuH
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Allegiances: New Isra
Registered: Mar 23, 2021 23:36:43 GMT -5
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Post by Rune Naimon IV on Nov 22, 2021 17:56:28 GMT -5
Rune held out a hand behind him, indicating that Norman should stand back.
It seemed the dragon didn't notice Rune, as it got up and began walking directly towards him. Rune shook his head, laughing, "It seems you are far too gone to even notice me! Well... I'll get your attention soon enough," Rune said, his tone gaining a slight edge in its usual bubbly and gleeful tone.
Rune held out his golden arming sword, arm extended straight out to his right side and blade level with the ground. Upon the golden mirror-like surface, almost imperceptible at first, several engravings began to emanate faint violet light, in total three characters on each face of the blade.
The glow intensified then, expanding beyond the runes to form a glowing aura around the blade. In unison several aspects of the blade began shifting gradually in form - As the length of the blade increased so did its roundness, morphing from a thin and flat form of a sword with edges to a more rounded shaft seemingly of the same metal golden metal. In parallel, the blade’s crossguard receded and disappeared even as the newly forming handle of whatever the sword was transforming into lengthened beyond the original short sword’s length, and at the tip of the weapon, the massive head of a hammer formed.
Just as quickly as it started, the process was complete and the hammer was now fully formed; The great-hammer was beyond the size any human could wield, let alone someone of Rune’s… stature. It’s shaft was easily as long as its wielder tall, the head of the maul closer in size to a tombstone than any sort of regularly sized hammerhead. It had two flat faces for hitting things with, with four more between giving it a rectangular geometry and upon each of the front and back faces of the hammer, was a rather vicious looking spike. The six runes previously seen glowing upon the blade of the sword now adorned each side of the hammer, three of them inscribed upon each side.
Rune let out a deep breath, now gripping the hammer in two hands and raising it above his head over his right shoulder as he bent his knees slightly. Soon, the dragon would be right on top of him…
His thoughts went back to his previous claim then as his violet eyes carefully watched the beast, his eyes being drawn to its wounded leg, This will certainly get its attention.
Once the dragon took it’s sixth of ten steps it would have taken to reach Rune, he began his attack. He took three long strides, each step leaving very deep ruts in the sand and on the third step he began swinging his hammer around his body, building up an arm-ripping amount of torque with seemingly no consequence with the hammer as he closed in.
With one final step he finally came within range of his target - Valignat’s broken leg. Planting his feet as his hammer rose to the highest point in its rotation around his body, over his head, he brought it down with bone-pulverizing force. Imperceptible to all but the keenest eyes, Rune’s hammer actually increased the length of its shaft slightly on its final downwards arc, increasing the force even more within a split second as he morphed it to gain leverage.
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Grandma
Dedicated
Roleplay posts: 144
Age: Appears to be in her 80's
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Appearance: An elderly woman with a wiry frame who most notably possesses unnatural height, standing at well over seven feet tall even when hunched over her cane. Her hair is grayish-white and normally done up in a bun and her eyes are also gray in color. Her skin is very pale and has an almost grayish hue to it. Her nails are long, black, and sharpened at the tip.
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Equipment: She wears a deep purple robe that has sleeves that extend far beyond her hands. Her hands are covered with fine gloves of black silk and she wears one ring on each, one having a purple stone set in it and the other a piece of onyx. Carrying an ornate cane of orellium, Grandma can use it to increase her magical channeling as well as assist in deflecting others' spells with it. The cane itself is black and covered in numerous ornate, but tiny runes. The cap on the cane is a purplish-colored gem. On her wrist is a silver bracelet with a ruby in it that Grandma uses for communication with others who own similar bracelets.
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Skills and Abilities: Skilled at knitting!
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Biography: While the details of Grandma's past are shrouded in mystery, since first meeting Naoki she has served essentially one role, that of advisor. While her titles have varied as Naoki moved up the social ladder of Isra, her continued support, and assistance she offered to Naoki have never wavered.
Even following the destruction of Isra, Grandma continues to follow and offer guidance to Lady Naoki as they attempt to rebuild from the wreckage.
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Allegiances: Naoki
Place of Residence: Port Argentium
Registered: Mar 16, 2021 19:51:53 GMT -5
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Post by Grandma on Nov 22, 2021 18:52:30 GMT -5
Massaging her temples, Grandma groaned slightly as she felt the faint throbbing that told her a headache was coming on. There was a lot to take in, people were swarming the beach like ants. This was acceptable — Naoki had called for help after all! However, what wasn’t acceptable was the fact some of these folks were just running in willy nilly. Did they think showing a lack of fear against a dragon would earn them points with Naoki later on? Idiots.
Even if they managed to kill it, it just showed they couldn’t be trusted to follow orders. Shaking her head in irritation, Grandma reached into her robe. She was about to pull out her trusty ivory pipe but then thought better of it. That headache was coming on fast, she needed something a bit stronger. Something that held more medicinal properties to it.
Instead, she produced something vaguely similar to one of the glass beakers in the infirmary, yet not quite the same… It was shaped a bit oddly and had a second smaller tube extending from one side. Pulling out a small packet of wrapped paper from one side, she unfolded it and packed the contents within a small glass cup that rested snuggly on top of the smaller tube.
The moment she finished this, a purple-tinged smoke began to waft from the top of the “beaker”. Satisfied with the result, the crone lifted the object to her mouth and inhaled deeply. Now she was feeling much better. Her headache was already receding and she could even feel a bit of humor about the current situation. Turning to Naoki, she tapped on the Empress’s shoulder with her index finger.
“I know you’re not much of a smoker, but if ever there was a time to make an exception…” Grandma motioned vaguely to the mess unfolding around them. “Oh, and of course you’re free to try some as well Alden. Probably won’t do much for you given your nature, but might loosen you up a bit.” Letting out an unusually boisterous chuckle, Grandma glanced between Naoki and Alden, beaker extended should either of them take it.
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Valignat
New
Roleplay posts: 8
Appearance: Valignat is a 85 foot red dragon.
His wings are patchy with decaying holes. Wounds ooze with blood amidst a scattered hide of broken scales. The left leg is broken in multiple spots, barely attached.
Gold and red mana seep out of the wounds, slowly healing them. It seems like most of the magic is dissipating into mist.
Equipment: A wooden coffin bound with large gold and iron bands, held in one claw.
Skills and Abilities: Fire breath
Decay - Old wounds once healed by magic are now open. The remaining magic is enough to stop Valignat from bleeding to death if nothing else.
Registered: Nov 19, 2021 22:04:25 GMT -5
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Post by Valignat on Nov 22, 2021 21:38:29 GMT -5
Consciousness reaching through the thick veal of pain, Valignat's eyes snapped to the human as it yelled and brandished its weapon in his path. Another human stood just a little further back. He lowered his head and bared his teeth, bloody saliva trickling down, black smoke up. A crisp roar followed, louder and fiercer than before. Acrid black smoke plumed out to engulf the little humans should they not flee. The smoke wasn’t as hot as the molten blaze within the dragon’s chest, but it could scald the scin nonetheless.
The dragon brought it's injured arm close to it's belly for protection while coiling it's rear legs for an attack. With a one legged hop, and a lung, and a turn Valignat brought his tail around to smash the two humans out of his path.
Hot smoke streamed from between the dragon’s teeth and out his nostrils as his head spun counter to the sweep of his tail. During this maneuver however, the limp and broken arm momentarily was extended and exposed.
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Norman Cleats
Established
Roleplay posts: 16
Appearance: Norman is a tall and strapping young lad. His hands are calloused and muscles toned from several years of hauling lines. He appears to be in his late 20s.
Equipment: 2 sets of sailing cloths
1 set of land clothes
1 rigging knife
1 razor
1 set of sewing and splicing gear
1 medium leather drybag
Skills and Abilities: During his time as a cleat makers apprentice Norman learned to carve, cast metals, and work a forge, though he only ever made one thing. Since taking to the seas he as worked on the decks and as a yardsman. He someday wishes to learn to chart maps and become an accomplished navigator.
Biography: Norman's father was a cleat maker. As was his father's father, as was his grandfather's father. So it was with some contention from his family that Norman because a sailor instead. While the making of cleats was a safe and dependable job, Norman had never understood how someone could be content with such a monotonous existence. Sure, there had been the occasional order for an ornate bit of carving or gilding, and there was some skill involved in casting or forging larger gear, but mostly they just made plain old wooden cleats.
Registered: Mar 21, 2021 15:13:41 GMT -5
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Post by Norman Cleats on Nov 23, 2021 15:13:44 GMT -5
Norman was rethinking his life choices. What had made him approach this monster. Protecting the city? It had seemed the sensible thing to do, but now that he was closer it was clear his puny axe could do little to add to the myriad of wounds already on the dragon.
Rune on the other hand looked more up to the task, eager even. A moment of awe struck Norman seeing Rune stand defiant before the terrible beast, like a hero of folklore.
But it was then the dragon lowered it's head and roared. Frozen in terror the axe fell from Norman's hands. Black smoke surrounded him, burning eyes, lungs, and skin. He tried to scream but only coughed as he stumbled out of the smoke. He did not see the incoming tail.
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