Roxanne Fletcher
Committed
Roleplay posts: 76
Registered: Mar 16, 2021 22:33:09 GMT -5
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Post by Roxanne Fletcher on Sept 11, 2023 21:39:50 GMT -5
The hike back from Roxanne's hunting grounds wasn't especially strenuous, but it was long enough that she was able to devise a plan on the way. It was simple enough, really. Once she bundled up the sword, all she had to do was to sneak into town, grab some supplies, drop her cat off at a neighbor's house, and get one of the boats used by the further-traveling hunting crews. It was an easy plan, without much that could go wrong. She knew generally where the Winterlight Estate was, she'd spoken to some of the sailors who had arrived with their envoys. The difficult part would be getting there, but she could handle herself in the woods. So long as she managed to make it out of town, she was sure, everything would go smoothly.
The first problem arose when she tried to get her neighbors to watch her cat. As much as she pleaded and promised, not one of her good-for-nothing neighbors seemed willing to watch over Iliana until she got back. The useless sods had all manner of excuses, from not wanting another mouth to feed to simply suffering from "a touch of malaise". She considered letting the cat outside, but that seemed rather cruel, even to such a spiteful creature as Iliana. Afraid that a seagull or a hungry urchin would snatch the little creature up if she left it unattended, she found no choice but to bring the cat with her. It wasn't the best of ideas, certainly, but what choice did she have? Iliana protested briefly when Roxanne bundled her into a basket, but soon settled down for a nap. Perhaps, thought Roxanne, the trip would bring them closer together. Maybe the cat only attacked her because she spent so much time away, and would grow fonder of her if she spent more time with it. It was wishful thinking, she knew, but what else did she have these days but wishes?
The second problem, of course, was Naoki. It seemed that the former Empress seemed to have a talent for lurking around in the most inconvenient of places, always ready to catch Roxanne when she least wanted to be seen. Today was no exception, and Roxanne cursed silently to herself as she watched Naoki wave goodbye to a ship and lean back on a post. After several minutes, it became clear that the woman was going nowhere. It was almost as though she were guarding the boats, keeping an eye out for anybody planning on sneaking off for potentially treasonous activities. Glancing around the docks, Roxanne weighed her options. She could wait until the Empress left, but that simply increased her chances of being caught by someone else. Being seen leaving was one thing, but getting caught skulking around the docks and watching Naoki was another thing altogether. Trying to sneak to the boats was even worse, and would serve only to make her look even more suspicious. The only option, she decided, was to simply walk out and take a boat as though it were the most natural thing in the world. She was a hunter, after all, and the smaller boats were frequently used for hunting expeditions. Besides, with her heavy rucksack and oilcloth-wrapped bow (with Diego hidden in the bundle as well), she was clearly equipped to spend some time in the woods. Taking a deep breath, she steeled her nerves and walked out towards the boats. If she simply got into one and left, nobody would think anything of it. She wouldn't even have to look at Naoki, much less speak to her. She'd hop in the boat, unhitch the mooring line, and sail north. Everything would be fine.
Halfway across the docks, Roxanne felt the weight in her wicker basket shift. She glanced down as the basket, hanging from the crook of her arm, began to shift and move. The lid lifted, and the black-and-white cat within poked its head out and meowed. Roxanne cringed, reaching down to pet Iliana on the head and receiving a scratch on the hand for her trouble. If she'd had any hope of escaping unnoticed, they were since shattered. Glancing up at Naoki, she gave her a thin smile, wiping her bloodied hand self-consciously on her cloak.
"Afternoon, Lady Naoki," she said, trying to keep her voice casual as she headed towards the boats. All she had to do now was to act calm. People took cats aboard ships all the time. There was nothing strange about it...or so she kept reminding herself.
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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 Sept 11, 2023 22:23:19 GMT -5
At the sound of a meow, Naoki’s whole head swivels to hone in on the source of the sound. She’s surprised to see not one of the usual dock cats, but rather Roxanne. She’s loaded up, ostensibly for a hunt, with the notable addition of a wicker basket that meows and scratches hands.
“Afternoon, Roxanne.” Naoki nods to her as Roxanne approaches. “You’re bleeding,” she helpfully points out.
Matching step with Roxanne, Naoki not-so-subtly attempts to peer into the basket, but alas, the lid is shut. “Introduce me to your friend? I think I might have something for them.” Lady Naoki seems rather interested. She didn’t know Roxanne had a cat.
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Roxanne Fletcher
Committed
Roleplay posts: 76
Registered: Mar 16, 2021 22:33:09 GMT -5
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Post by Roxanne Fletcher on Sept 12, 2023 10:02:13 GMT -5
Of course Naoki would immediately come to see the cat, Roxanne thought. Why wouldn't she? Everyone knew she was obsessed with the troublesome animals. Why else would there be so many strays running around the settlement and eating out of little bowls set out by her hordes of pageboys every morning and afternoon? Naoki was absolutely crazy about them, and why wouldn't she be? She was half cat herself. One of her parents was probably a cat. The logistics of such an arrangement gave Roxanne pause, and she put the uncomfortable mental image out of her mind. She had enough to worry about as it was, there was no need to fill her head with such nonsense.
"It's nothing," she said, glancing down at the cut across her hand. "Just a scratch. I'll be okay, ma'am."
Unfortunately, it seemed that escaping would not be as easy as simply reassuring Naoki of her health. The former Empress stepped up beside her, glancing down pointedly at the basket. Figuring that she had little choice in the matter, Roxanne stopped walking and cautiously lifted the lid, revealing a small black-and-white cat beneath. The cat stared up at Naoki with large yellow eyes, scanning her like a carnival barker sizing up a potential mark. A moment later, it meowed as though it had never been fed, as cats were wont to do.
"This is Iliana," said Roxanne, giving the cat a cautious pat on the head and drawing her hand back quickly before it could bite her. "I figured I'd take her out on this trip, since she spends so much time cooped up in the house. Maybe she'll be helpful, or perhaps she'll just enjoy the smell of the fish and the seals. I heard there were seals sighted up north, so I figured I'd try to bring some back. I do like seal meat."
Realizing that she was rambling, Roxanne quickly stopped herself. The cat, meanwhile, continued to fix Naoki with an unblinking stare. If Naoki was familiar with fine literature, she would likely find that Iliana bore little resemblance in either appearance or demeanor to her literary namesake.
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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 Sept 12, 2023 11:31:14 GMT -5
“Oooh, hello!” As the basket is opened, Naoki lights up, pleased to see the kitty. She offers one hand, palm up, for the cat to acquaint itself with as her other hand goes to the pouch on her hip.
Naoki pauses mid-motion upon hearing the cat’s name, though. She looks at the cat, at Roxanne, back at the cat, and then gives Roxanne a peculiar sort of look. Naoki supposes that Roxanne has always struck her as that sort, but fair enough. That’s her business.
Naoki’s business right now is pampering this cat. From the pouch on her hip, Naoki has produced a second, smaller pouch, and from this pouch, she pulls a palm-full of dried meaty-bits. They smell a bit pungent, but not nearly as bad as they probably did before they were dried. They’re a big hit with most cats, so Naoki offers some now to her new friend Iliana.
Listening to Roxanne’s plan, Naoki quirks an eyebrow, suspicious.
“Most cats don’t like water,” Naoki informs Roxanne. “If you’re going to — what, take a rowboat out the one-hundred-and-fifty, two-hundred-some miles across the central sea, and then however far it is to go through the strait around to the rocky side where there might be seals — nevermind that that’s an awful idea (and you don’t even have a coat?) but why bring the poor cat?” Naoki fixes Roxanne with a searching look.
“What’s a little furball like her going to do on a hunting trip anyway, hm? Scare away the seals with her fearsome teeth? Pluck fish from the water with the sheer strength of these teeny little-itty-bitty paws?” While Iliana is hopefully distracted eating meat bits with one hand, Naoki uses her other hand to scratch her up between the ears, where she knows cats enjoy being scratched.
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Roxanne Fletcher
Committed
Roleplay posts: 76
Registered: Mar 16, 2021 22:33:09 GMT -5
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Post by Roxanne Fletcher on Sept 12, 2023 21:45:42 GMT -5
Iliana stared suspiciously for a moment longer before submitting to Naoki's efforts, snapping up the bits of dried flesh and leaning into her scratches with a purr. Roxanne watched warily, a hint of envy growing in her chest as Naoki effortlessly gained the affection that the cat had never once showed her. Clearly, Naoki new how to handle cats. It was almost suspicious how easily she'd managed to earn the cat's trust, and Roxanne found herself wondering if she was casting some sort of spell. Was Naoki turning her cat into a sort of familiar, gaining the ability to look through the cat's yellow eyes and spy on her as she went on her journey? It seemed unlikely, but she wouldn't put it past the former Empress. She'd heard tales of how the authorities always seemed to know when laws were being broken, and the rumors always seemed to claim that the cats were the ones watching. The petting, however, seemed innocent enough...at least, she hoped so. She knew little of magic, and had no way to tell if a spell was being cast unless there were sparkles and lights.
"I'm not going nearly so far out as that," she said, shaking her head. "I'd planned to hug the coast and cross the straits, which should be easy enough if I take one of the small sailing boats. As for the water...well, I'm sure she won't get too damp if she stays in the basket. I hadn't planned to bring her along, but I couldn't find anyone else willing to feed her while I was gone. I couldn't bear the thought of leaving her alone, so here she is."
She paused to let Naoki continue to coo over her cat, wondering what exactly it was about her that made Iliana not want to try and murder her. The little pieces of dried meat were certainly part of it, and she decided that she'd have to find some of her own. Perhaps she'd dry some meat on the way...or maybe she'd be able to get some once she reached the Winterlight Estate. The latter seemed more likely, as long as she could make it there. It seemed, however, that Naoki had no intention of letting her go without giving her cat a thorough petting.
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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 Sept 14, 2023 2:23:05 GMT -5
Listening to Roxanne’s plan, Naoki shrugs. That’s a touch more reasonable, but still, perhaps the most ill-advised hunting trip Naoki has heard of.
“You couldn’t find anyone to watch her?” Naoki looks from Iliana to Roxanne, then back to Iliana. “This cutie right here?”
Pausing mid-pet, Naoki looks back at Roxanne for a moment. “Wow. … You really don’t have any friends, do you?”
“You should really try talking to some people,” Naoki offers, “Find some people you like, try to find someone who shares your interests. The tavern is opening in a few days, and the barkeeper is pretty friendly — you might start there.” This advice appears to come from a place of pity. It’s been long enough that Roxanne has had time to make friends, but she’s still walking around by herself, doing weird stuff. It’s not really Naoki’s business, but part of her worries for Roxanne.
“But, in the meantime,” Naoki supposes, “If you’re set on this hunting escapade, I could certainly look after Little Miss Iliana, here. I have a warm little cat bed and a whole box of these little meats to spoil her with.” Naoki punctuates this by scratching Little Miss Iliana under her tiny little cat-chin, followed by another morsel.
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Roxanne Fletcher
Committed
Roleplay posts: 76
Registered: Mar 16, 2021 22:33:09 GMT -5
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Post by Roxanne Fletcher on Sept 17, 2023 18:06:03 GMT -5
You really don't have any friends, do you?
Roxanne flushed as Naoki's words stung her like a whip. Did the Empress go around deriding everybody, or was she the only one to be so lucky? The statement hurt all the more because it was laced with truth, which immediately put Roxanne on the defensive. She wanted to lash out, to snap at Naoki and tell her that she was wrong and that all of her other friends were simply hunters who were also too busy to watch after a cat. Where would that land her, though? She'd heard rumors of what happened if one so much as made a disparaging remark against the Empress, much less talked back to her face. The retribution would perhaps not be immediate, she knew, but it would come. Perhaps it would be that evening, or maybe it would be a week or more before the inquisition came for her. They would come, though. That much she knew. If she spoke out here, the last thing she saw before she disappeared forever would be the black-and-purple Isran flag crest of an inquisitor's cloak. The thought made her shudder, all the more so because of the magical item she had concealed in her pack. What if they found it and learned that she'd planned to keep it from the Isran government? She'd never see the light of day again. Thus, she kept her lips sealed shut in a thin, tight line as Naoki dispensed her friend-finding advice like an awkward parent.
"I'll be sure to do that, ma'am," said Roxanne, nodding along. "It has been a while since I've seen the inside of a proper tavern. The Brandywine just isn't the same, although it tries its best. As for the barkeeper...well, we've met."
Naoki's offer to watch after Iliana gave her pause, and she glanced down at the cat in the basket. Iliana, sensing her gaze, looked up and caught her eye. They stared at each other for a moment, and Roxanne wondered if it was a good idea to leave the cat behind. It would certainly be safer, at least. Sea voyages were hazardous enough, and she'd still have to brave the wilds on the other side. Naoki, for all of her faults, could almost certainly be trusted not to harm a little cat. On the other hand, however, what if she ended up staying with the Winterlights? She'd never see Iliana again...but perhaps that would be for the better. The cat seemed to have some unspoken grudge against her, as attested to by the scratches and cuts that covered Roxanne's hands and forearms. Besides, she wasn't planning on leaving Port Argentium for good. After a long moment, she nodded, offering the basket up to Naoki.
"Perhaps that'd be for the best," she said, giving Iliana another tentative pat and narrowly avoiding a bite. "She seems to like you, anyways. Thank you for watching after her, that's very kind of you. I know you're a busy person, after all."
She glanced back over her shoulder at the boat, hoping to be dismissed. The sooner she got out of here, the better. Any longer, and she worried that the Inquisition would somehow sniff out the magic sword and take her into custody.
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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 Sept 30, 2023 22:18:19 GMT -5
The mention that Roxanne has met Lugruk prompts Naoki to bump her brows. If that’s the case, why is Roxanne so grumpy, even now? Shrugging to herself, Naoki dismisses it. Some Fletchers are just strange like that, beyond help.
“I’ll take good care of her,” Naoki assures Roxanne as she gingerly takes the basket. “I always have time for cute little kitties like her.” Punctuating this with some head scritches for the kitty in question, Naoki is distracted for a moment before her attention returns to Roxanne, who seems to be grumpily waiting to leave.
“Oh, go ahead.” Naoki supposes. She didn’t mean to hold Roxanne up on her strange Seal Errand.
“Though, you probably don’t want that boat,” Naoki suggests, referring to the boat Roxanne was eyeing. “This dock is where boats that need repair get parked because it’s near to the shipwright’s.” Gesturing, Naoki indicates one of the nondescript waterfront buildings.
“We’ll have better signage later,” she supposes, pushing her spectacles up. “Take one of the ones down there, and probably let the Huntmaster know you’re going.” It's really more of a suggestion. Roxanne could take the leaky boat if she really cared to.
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Roxanne Fletcher
Committed
Roleplay posts: 76
Registered: Mar 16, 2021 22:33:09 GMT -5
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Post by Roxanne Fletcher on Oct 1, 2023 12:08:26 GMT -5
"Thank you, ma'am," said Roxanne, relief washing over her at the dismissal. "I'll go ahead and take one of those, then. Have a good day, and I hope little Iliana isn't too much trouble."
She'd managed, it seemed, to survive yet another encounter with Naoki. Giving one last cautious pat Iliana (and receiving a parting scratch for her trouble), she waved goodbye to the Empress and made her way towards the more functional boats. Every fiber in her body itched to run, to flee to the boats and set off to the north as quickly as she could. She wanted so desperately to be rid of this place, out from under the eyes of the inquisition and the vizier and that damned cat. It wouldn't do to run though, and so she steadied her nerves as best she could as she walked over to the good boats. Picking one that looked more seaworthy than the rest, she checked its rigging and placed her pack securely in the stern. The bundle containing her bow and the hidden sword was nestled in beneath one of the seats, safe from any stray seawater. Before pushing off, she beckoned to one of the lads that seemed to have no other pastime but to roam around the docks and throw rocks at seagulls. Scribbling out a quick message on a scrap of paper, she handed it the lad and asked him to deliver it to the Huntmaster. When the boy hesitated, she informed him that the note was being delivered at Naoki's suggestion. His tone changed immediately, as he'd seen her speaking to the Empress mere moments before.
Once her impromptu messenger had scurried off, Roxanne made one final check of her supplies. She'd packed enough food for the journey, as well as some of her more important possessions: her bow, her book, and a tiny jar of hard candies that had washed up on the beach a few weeks prior. Also in the pack were her usual hunting supplies, survival gear, and extra clothes. Satisfied that everything was in order, she unfurled a small hand-drawn map and checked her course. It wouldn't be too long of a trip, she was sure. With that, she untied her boat from the slip and pushed off from the docks. Now that she'd escaped the settlement, all she had to do was to deliver the sword to a responsible person and all would be well. She was sure of it.
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Avarille Goldenthorn
Established
How does this always happen to me?
Roleplay posts: 23
Age: 74
Appearance: Diminutive even for her particular species of Elf, Avarille is exactly five feet tall. She has a delicate bone structure that is rather in opposition to her toned musculature, developed from years of roaming around doing questionably intelligent things. She has hair that falls just past her shoulders and is a brilliant red-gold color, formed into wild curls and generally worn free. She has big brown eyes, so dark that they almost look black, that only make her look more innocent, especially when taken into consideration with her pixie-like features -- full lips that are almost always smiling, a button nose, and the high-arched cheekbones that most species of Elves seem to possess. Typically, she wears a pair of knee-high laced boots in tan, with breeches of the same color, a white shirt beneath a dark brown vest, and an odd short-cut green coat with long sleeves and a hood.
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Equipment: Ava carries a short bow and a quiver of arrows on her back, two long knives (the blades themselves are about two feet long) with brown leather-wrapped grips, worn in sheaths at either hip, and a belt with an assortment of pouches carrying spare bowstrings, a whetstone, and various shiny things she picks up during her travels. She carries a satchel where she keeps a length of rope and food supplies.
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Skills and Abilities: Ava is an expert archer and an adept combatant. Like most Elves, she is skilled at blending into her surroundings and veritably disappearing when she wants to, especially in the trees. And that's about where her good traits end -- she's hilariously clumsy, especially for an Elf, and can't dance or carry a tune to save her life. A unique ability of the Neluri Elves, of which she is one, is the ability to transform into a feline shape -- in Avarille's case, it's an ocelot.
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Biography: Avarille was born in the Plains of Neluri as all her kind were, and she had a relatively happy life. Her mother was kind and gentle, her father stern and duty-driven, but they loved her dearly. She had a fairly carefree childhood, until the day when she was out in the Plains with her best friend, Erevin. A raiding party of Dark Elves appeared and took him captive, nearly getting Ava in the process. She managed to escape, but has lived with the guilt of seeing her best friend taken every day of her life. She had just reached adulthood when her parents announced that she was to marry the son of their peoples' leader, a prospect that horrified Ava, not only because she had no desire to marry, but *especially* not Maldreth Tanir. In the middle of the night, she packed her weapons and some supplies, and left. Venturing beyond the edges of the Plains of Neluri was forbidden to her people, but a need to escape her fate and a desire for adventure led her to do just that. She had many adventures and met many people, but bad luck seemed to plague her wherever she went.. which is what led to her ending up trapped in a box in her feline form, put on a ship, and sent to Goddess only knew where.
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Allegiances: Freedom!
Place of Residence: ..In a box.
Registered: Dec 8, 2023 13:12:48 GMT -5
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Post by Avarille Goldenthorn on Dec 8, 2023 14:01:58 GMT -5
The tri-masted ship that coasted up to an empty berth was probably nothing exceptional to the residents of the city. No doubt supply ships came in all the time, and this was nothing new. But as the ship tied off, the gangplank was lowered, and the crew began unloading their cargo, that might change. Because one of the first things they carried out was a small metal cage containing an equally small animal. The cat was bigger than the average housecat, but smaller than what one might think of when thinking of wildcats -- it was definitely no lion or tiger, that was for sure. It was tiny, dainty even, covered in a blend of tawny gold, light brown, and pale grey fur, with black spots and stripes. Some people might recognize it as an ocelot, a jungle-dwelling cat from more tropical climes, but that was debatable.
What was not debatable, however, was that the little animal was extremely angry. It kept growling, hissing, and yowling, reaching a paw through the bars in an attempt to claw the men who were carrying the cage. Once they reached the end of the pier, they set the cage down with a multitude of curses, and the captain, who was nursing a bloody bandage on his left hand, approached, to spit on the ground just beside the cage.
"Damn wildcat. Find someone to buy this thing quick, or I'm going to kill it and skin it. Not that there's enough fur to make anything worthwhile.. not even enough for a pair of gloves, I'd wager."
The ocelot froze upon hearing those words, and turned golden eyes on the captain, staring at him unblinkingly, with an intelligence that no animal should possess. It seemed to be enough to unnerve the man, who quickly returned to directing his crew, leaving the animal to sit in its small prison and wait.
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Blackbean
Established
Roleplay posts: 16
Age: ??? (at least 40 but no one cares about birthdays in hell)
Appearance: Take a crow. Then click and drag the corner of the image in your head until it's the size of a Volkswagen.
Skills and Abilities: Flight, above average intelligence, the ability to spot shiny objects from miles away
Biography: Blackbean is a demon crow, a species of scavengers that live in a hellish dimension. They are not strictly evil; this one even has a slight bent towards good... slight.
Blackbean was separated from his master when the floodwaters came. If she were to die, he would be pulled back into hell. At least, that's how it used to work before the mist came. Now he is unsure if his master is alive, or even what to do with himself.
Registered: Aug 12, 2021 0:02:58 GMT -5
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Post by Blackbean on Dec 9, 2023 16:52:13 GMT -5
Unfortunately, in a world where no one took even a good clean rag for granted, there wasn't much of a market for rare creatures. However, the ship's traders were about to receive an unexpected customer.
Patrolling the skies high above, was a crow. It was searching for drowning would-be victims of the sea, or hunters who'd run afoul of the abominations of the mist. But it wasn't seeking future carrion. Rather, it wanted to help. The creature, once companion to a legendary hero from whom it had been separated from in the Great Flood, sought to continue the legacy of its lost friend, pulling the damned from the clutches of Davy Jones' Locker, or plucking the eyes of the many-tentacled things which occasionally bubbled out of the dark forests. But how could a crow expect to pull off such feats?
*SPLASH!!*
A short ways off the coast, the traders would see a mass of black feathers pull a silvery shark straight out of water. You see, Blackbean was the size of a horse-drawn carriage.
He had spotted the caged feline from high above with his keen avian eyes and overheard the traders threaten to skin it if they couldn't sell it. Said ill fate was a real possibility, as the Isran survivors did not have the same taste for luxury goods as they once did. Nor did the trade of rare creatures sit well with something which also very much qualified as a rare creature. Still, it wouldn't do to simply rob the beast from the humans' clutches, as this would still betray his master's ideals.
So the only logical recourse was to buy it himself.
A massive shadow brushed over the dock as Blackbean made a pass overhead to land. He circled around and approached the traders with alarming speed, but then he flared out its massive wings, breaking and casually unleashing a gust of wind on them. As he landed, he struggled and flapped unsteadily for a bit, for the shark was still struggling between his dagger-sized claws. But a sharp peck of his obsidian beak right to the base of the shark's skull put a violent, but abrupt, end to its struggles.
The behemoth pulled the shark towards the humans, and then gestured with its beak towards the cage. He wanted to trade his catch for it.
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Avarille Goldenthorn
Established
How does this always happen to me?
Roleplay posts: 23
Age: 74
Appearance: Diminutive even for her particular species of Elf, Avarille is exactly five feet tall. She has a delicate bone structure that is rather in opposition to her toned musculature, developed from years of roaming around doing questionably intelligent things. She has hair that falls just past her shoulders and is a brilliant red-gold color, formed into wild curls and generally worn free. She has big brown eyes, so dark that they almost look black, that only make her look more innocent, especially when taken into consideration with her pixie-like features -- full lips that are almost always smiling, a button nose, and the high-arched cheekbones that most species of Elves seem to possess. Typically, she wears a pair of knee-high laced boots in tan, with breeches of the same color, a white shirt beneath a dark brown vest, and an odd short-cut green coat with long sleeves and a hood.
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Equipment: Ava carries a short bow and a quiver of arrows on her back, two long knives (the blades themselves are about two feet long) with brown leather-wrapped grips, worn in sheaths at either hip, and a belt with an assortment of pouches carrying spare bowstrings, a whetstone, and various shiny things she picks up during her travels. She carries a satchel where she keeps a length of rope and food supplies.
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Skills and Abilities: Ava is an expert archer and an adept combatant. Like most Elves, she is skilled at blending into her surroundings and veritably disappearing when she wants to, especially in the trees. And that's about where her good traits end -- she's hilariously clumsy, especially for an Elf, and can't dance or carry a tune to save her life. A unique ability of the Neluri Elves, of which she is one, is the ability to transform into a feline shape -- in Avarille's case, it's an ocelot.
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Biography: Avarille was born in the Plains of Neluri as all her kind were, and she had a relatively happy life. Her mother was kind and gentle, her father stern and duty-driven, but they loved her dearly. She had a fairly carefree childhood, until the day when she was out in the Plains with her best friend, Erevin. A raiding party of Dark Elves appeared and took him captive, nearly getting Ava in the process. She managed to escape, but has lived with the guilt of seeing her best friend taken every day of her life. She had just reached adulthood when her parents announced that she was to marry the son of their peoples' leader, a prospect that horrified Ava, not only because she had no desire to marry, but *especially* not Maldreth Tanir. In the middle of the night, she packed her weapons and some supplies, and left. Venturing beyond the edges of the Plains of Neluri was forbidden to her people, but a need to escape her fate and a desire for adventure led her to do just that. She had many adventures and met many people, but bad luck seemed to plague her wherever she went.. which is what led to her ending up trapped in a box in her feline form, put on a ship, and sent to Goddess only knew where.
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Allegiances: Freedom!
Place of Residence: ..In a box.
Registered: Dec 8, 2023 13:12:48 GMT -5
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Post by Avarille Goldenthorn on Dec 11, 2023 11:24:30 GMT -5
The cage was tiny, but Ava still managed to pace inside it, working her way from one end to the other as she watched the people beyond the bars. A few of them looked at her, curious, but not enough to approach any of the crew and inquire after her. And with every person that looked her way and moved on, her hope began to dwindle. If no one bought her, the captain was going to kill her. She was young, for an Elf, and had so much life to live, so much yet to see and do. She didn't want to die.
Her morose thoughts were interrupted by a clamor of alarm from the crewmembers who were on the dock, and she turned to see what the source of their worry was, only for her eyes to widen at the sight of a truly massive crow landing nearby. It was also carrying a huge ass shark, that was still alive.. until it was, abruptly, not anymore. The crew looked at the crow as it nudged the shark's carcass their way, and gestured toward the cage. This was above their paygrade, but thankfully, the captain had seen everything that went on, and descended to approach the strange giant bird.
"You want to trade the shark for the wildcat? What would a bird even do with such a beast?"
He grunted, puzzled by this turn of events, and moved to inspect the corpse. It was large, in good condition. It could be skinned, the fins and flesh used for various delicacies, the hide made excellent gloves and armor, and the teeth were commonly used as spell components and jewelry. Rubbing his chin, the captain pondered for several long moments, his eyes darting between the bird, the shark, and the cat in the cage. Finally, he turned to confer with his crew, confirming that none of the human residents of the area seemed interested in purchasing the animal. Then he frowned, and turned back to the crow.
"I'll accept your trade, bird. Do you want me to let the beast out?"
He clearly wasn't pleased by that idea, thinking that the animal would probably go for his throat. Ava, having watched the exchange with growing optimism, decided it was time to make herself as non-threatening as possible, in hopes that would encourage the captain to unlock the cage. Dropping to her belly, she stretched out a paw through the bars, keeping her claws retracted as she uttered an entirely pathetic little mewl of pleading, and batted the air in the crow's direction. The captain stared, this behavior in conjunction with her earlier response to his words finally making the dense man start to wonder if his once-prize was far more than it appeared. He looked back at the crow, digging a key out of his coat pocket, and approached the cage, gesturing once more toward the locked door, in question as to whether or not he should release the kraken beast.
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Blackbean
Established
Roleplay posts: 16
Age: ??? (at least 40 but no one cares about birthdays in hell)
Appearance: Take a crow. Then click and drag the corner of the image in your head until it's the size of a Volkswagen.
Skills and Abilities: Flight, above average intelligence, the ability to spot shiny objects from miles away
Biography: Blackbean is a demon crow, a species of scavengers that live in a hellish dimension. They are not strictly evil; this one even has a slight bent towards good... slight.
Blackbean was separated from his master when the floodwaters came. If she were to die, he would be pulled back into hell. At least, that's how it used to work before the mist came. Now he is unsure if his master is alive, or even what to do with himself.
Registered: Aug 12, 2021 0:02:58 GMT -5
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Post by Blackbean on Dec 14, 2023 16:47:58 GMT -5
Crows, by nature, were intelligent, social creatures. Even mundane ones could do odd things like demonstrate almost human-like sympathy, or cruelty. Blackbean's response to the captain was distinctly crow-like, amusingly so. It tapped the dock with the tip of its beak and make a "gwak" sound. It moved its head and ruffled its wings with alacrity, as if the cube-square law meant less to it than it should have. At least, that's what was going on on the outside.
Its internal dialogue however...
Sea-faring gent! Does not a little candle shine a great beam of light beyond its size into a realm of darkness? So too does a good deed in a naughty world. And thus do I wish to liberate this creature from a cruel fate. But I would not deign to resort to vigilantism. Such imprudence is beneath one of my stature.
Having been the companion to a legendary hero had given the bird a rather inflated ego, not that anyone knew it. No one on the island thus far could read Blackbean's mind, so no one knew about his internal Shakespearean ramblings.
Blackbean again tapped the dock and nodded to the captain's second question. He was more than capable of breaking the cage himself of course, but he didn't want to risk harming the strange cat.
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Avarille Goldenthorn
Established
How does this always happen to me?
Roleplay posts: 23
Age: 74
Appearance: Diminutive even for her particular species of Elf, Avarille is exactly five feet tall. She has a delicate bone structure that is rather in opposition to her toned musculature, developed from years of roaming around doing questionably intelligent things. She has hair that falls just past her shoulders and is a brilliant red-gold color, formed into wild curls and generally worn free. She has big brown eyes, so dark that they almost look black, that only make her look more innocent, especially when taken into consideration with her pixie-like features -- full lips that are almost always smiling, a button nose, and the high-arched cheekbones that most species of Elves seem to possess. Typically, she wears a pair of knee-high laced boots in tan, with breeches of the same color, a white shirt beneath a dark brown vest, and an odd short-cut green coat with long sleeves and a hood.
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Equipment: Ava carries a short bow and a quiver of arrows on her back, two long knives (the blades themselves are about two feet long) with brown leather-wrapped grips, worn in sheaths at either hip, and a belt with an assortment of pouches carrying spare bowstrings, a whetstone, and various shiny things she picks up during her travels. She carries a satchel where she keeps a length of rope and food supplies.
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Skills and Abilities: Ava is an expert archer and an adept combatant. Like most Elves, she is skilled at blending into her surroundings and veritably disappearing when she wants to, especially in the trees. And that's about where her good traits end -- she's hilariously clumsy, especially for an Elf, and can't dance or carry a tune to save her life. A unique ability of the Neluri Elves, of which she is one, is the ability to transform into a feline shape -- in Avarille's case, it's an ocelot.
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Biography: Avarille was born in the Plains of Neluri as all her kind were, and she had a relatively happy life. Her mother was kind and gentle, her father stern and duty-driven, but they loved her dearly. She had a fairly carefree childhood, until the day when she was out in the Plains with her best friend, Erevin. A raiding party of Dark Elves appeared and took him captive, nearly getting Ava in the process. She managed to escape, but has lived with the guilt of seeing her best friend taken every day of her life. She had just reached adulthood when her parents announced that she was to marry the son of their peoples' leader, a prospect that horrified Ava, not only because she had no desire to marry, but *especially* not Maldreth Tanir. In the middle of the night, she packed her weapons and some supplies, and left. Venturing beyond the edges of the Plains of Neluri was forbidden to her people, but a need to escape her fate and a desire for adventure led her to do just that. She had many adventures and met many people, but bad luck seemed to plague her wherever she went.. which is what led to her ending up trapped in a box in her feline form, put on a ship, and sent to Goddess only knew where.
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Allegiances: Freedom!
Place of Residence: ..In a box.
Registered: Dec 8, 2023 13:12:48 GMT -5
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Post by Avarille Goldenthorn on Dec 14, 2023 22:03:20 GMT -5
"I'll take that as a yes."
The captain grunted, and inserted the key into the lock, quickly twisting it to the left, then back center, before pulling it out. He jumped backwards even as he pulled the door open, moving out of the way of the ocelot, who quickly darted out of the cage. She didn't make it more than a few steps, though, before the change overtook her. A low yowl became a groan as the cat became a girl. Specifically, a pint-sized Elf girl, who sprawled across the docks as though she were in pain. She'd been stuck in her fur for months, the cage too small for her to shift back, and now that she was out of her fur again, she could finally stretch out.
"By the Gods! Is that an Elf?!"
Murmuring went up amongst the crew as Ava twitched, slowly pushing onto her hands and knees, then staggered onto her feet. She turned cautiously, having been on four legs for so long that she was still regaining her balance on two, and leveled a stern frown at the gawping captain and his crew. She tried to speak, and when all that came out was a hoarse rattle, she cleared her throat and tried again. Words came out this time, even if they were a little raspy and slightly slurred. Months of only being able to growl, yowl, and other feline sounds tended to create such a problem.
"Yes. I am, in fact, an Elf. And let this be a lesson to you -- maybe try to make sure the animal you're capturing to sell isn't secretly a person, yeah?"
Her attention turned to Blackbean, then, and her harsh demeanor softened.
"Thanks, pretty bird. I owe you bigtime."
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Blackbean
Established
Roleplay posts: 16
Age: ??? (at least 40 but no one cares about birthdays in hell)
Appearance: Take a crow. Then click and drag the corner of the image in your head until it's the size of a Volkswagen.
Skills and Abilities: Flight, above average intelligence, the ability to spot shiny objects from miles away
Biography: Blackbean is a demon crow, a species of scavengers that live in a hellish dimension. They are not strictly evil; this one even has a slight bent towards good... slight.
Blackbean was separated from his master when the floodwaters came. If she were to die, he would be pulled back into hell. At least, that's how it used to work before the mist came. Now he is unsure if his master is alive, or even what to do with himself.
Registered: Aug 12, 2021 0:02:58 GMT -5
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Post by Blackbean on Dec 19, 2023 17:26:51 GMT -5
There was a rule of thumb in Blackbean's world: magic can recognize magic. Curious though, it was not through sensation that Blackbean had decided to rescue the elf, but purely by chance.
What poetry of the cosmos dost the heavens layeth upon me?
Blackbean was certainly magic, of a sort. But he could not wield magic as his master once did. He was, for all intents and purposes, just a very smart, very large animal. Was it perhaps the beginning of a new maxim? Magic that was not connected to the mystical realm was still destined to find magic through the capricious weavings of fate? Was Blackbean fate bound for adventure? Story bound? Legend bound?
...
The poor giant crow was starting to get a headache. To ameliorate his metaphysical musings, he carefully leaned his massive head into the elf's shoulder, seemingly seeking head pats and scritches.
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