Hand of the Mist
Committed
Roleplay posts: 57
Registered: Mar 26, 2021 0:51:23 GMT -5
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Post by Hand of the Mist on Nov 4, 2021 20:05:17 GMT -5
Far to the north lay sands often buried beneath layers of snow. Occasionally, glaciers will float by, accompanied by other, more insidious giants. Sheer cliffs litter the area, making it a difficult shore to navigate. |
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Renaux de Travére
Established
Roleplay posts: 49 
Age: 22
Registered: Jul 25, 2021 20:47:41 GMT -5
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Post by Renaux de Travére on Nov 4, 2021 20:09:32 GMT -5
The vulx's journey was much like everyone else's. One moment, she was prancing around the forest looking for something to eat. The next, she was waist-deep in water, getting swept away in a magical tide. It had taken her every drop of energy she had to summon a lotus large enough to bear her weight, and she almost didn't manage it, were it not for a desperate fear of drowning pushing her to the edge. Even now, when she could write and read and speak as most people could, she still could not swim. She floated like this for quite a while, trapped in the bud of the hut-sized lotus. For much of it, she was asleep, her little body weary from the effort it took to save herself. Then, after several days, she awoke, swathed in a dull grey that was the sun trying to pierce through the mist. It wasn't like the normal sun, and sometimes Ti'el wondered if it was something else altogether. It never turned to night, nor was it ever truly day. It wasn't the wickedly bright colors of evening or morning. Something about it reminded Ti'el of the wet season. All the water around her only served to further this notion. It must have become the rainy season when she wasn't looking and it just hadn't stopped! But this was nonsense and she knew it. As the weeks crept by, she would feast on the petals of the lotus. At one point, she'd eaten so much that she could poke her hand through the layered petals. She did not rip them apart, afraid that she would damage her only vessel, but she could peek an eye through it to see the endless mists around her. Sometimes, fish would come to nibble at the leaves of the flower, giving the vulx ample time to lash out and catch them for eating. It was better than just eating at a flower for days on end, but fish began to bore her after the fifth day and she longed for red meat and fruit. Sometimes, when she decided to sleep, something would bump the lotus violently and frighten the vulx. She dared not look out in fear of seeing what it was. If there was a monster out there about to eat her, she had no chance anyway. Might as well just sleep it away and hope she died in her sleep. It was one of these occasions where the lotus began to rock back and forth violently. Ti'el woke up in a flurry, rolling around inside of the flower. She attempted to make it to her feet with her hands over her eyes, knowing her demise was closeby at last. Oh, it had been a good life! Even as short as it was! But it was not done yet. The young enchantress' ears flattened against her head as the sun blared through her fingers, and she opened her eyes to see that the lotus had bloomed, and with it, the morning sun. The time that Renaux had spent in this strange land had taught him that there was, for the moment, truly no escape from it. The small settlement he'd first landed in didn't have the supplies or means for an ocean crossing and from what he'd seen, that held true for other one's he'd spotted. Oh, some had boats that could handle the voyage potentially but all the settlements were early in development. It took substantial resources to cross the ocean and right now it looked like many places would be struggling to last past winter. Wheeling Neige in the air he turns back toward shore. He'd traveled a bit further out than normal, hoping beyond hope to spot something beyond the horizon to indicate more land but he'd found nothing. From on high his gaze went down to the water, something catching his eye. It was mostly the color of it, bright pink was not something you saw out in the ocean. Winging down it didn't take long for the shape of the lotus bloom and the person inside its petals to take shape. Water rescues were something he'd practiced in the past. While the pegasus knights mostly served on airships, battles could happen over land or sea. In the event someone was knock over board their service coat should keep them from dying in the fall and a knight could then look for and hopefully bring them back aboard before they drowned. It was a tricky process, a pegasus couldn't take off if they landed in water and they couldn't hover. The key was a tight holding pattern and a rope tied to a buoy that the person could hold onto. Thankfully, that buoy was part of his standard service kit. "Bonjour!" The knight bellowed once he was low enough that she might hear him though it would be a bit awkward since he was circling her. "Do you need help, you are far from land I can give you help getting there." |
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Ti'el
Established
Roleplay posts: 13
Appearance: Tiny and lithe, Ti'el is as spritely as the desert fox that she resembles. Two brown, tall ears sit atop her head in a nest of messy blonde hair. Spots of dark melanin decorate her face, stretching from the inside of her eyes down the bridge of her nose. They also freckle the back of her neck, her arms, and her stomach.
Though her body is predominantly human, her feet do end in dainty paws. Stretching from her lower back is an incredibly fluffy, golden tail with a hazel stripe down the middle.
Her eyes are a dark, washed-out blue, making it difficult to tell whether her pupils are slit or round.
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Skills and Abilities: Though she does not enjoy combat, Ti'el is a fine hunter by nature. Small animals and insects cannot escape her grasp when her stomach when she is hankering for a meal, and sometimes even larger prey, perhaps even deer, will find themselves in danger from the vulx's claws. She has incredible hearing, good enough to detect prey underground, and can survive with very little water for long amounts of time. She has a fantastic resistance to heat but suffers greatly in cold climates. Though not strong, Ti'el is very agile and swift. Scaling trees or skirting through a forest is no difficult task for her.
Registered: Jun 10, 2021 0:21:14 GMT -5
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Post by Ti'el on Nov 4, 2021 20:27:50 GMT -5
Half a day passed since the mists broke and the giant lotus bloomed, and though Ti'el hurried to paddle to the nearest shore she could find, she discovered that the isle in the horizon was much farther than anticipated. Several times now she collapsed on her back, arms outstretched, eyes to the sky in defeat. The flower was beginning to decay now. Was that because it had bloomed, or because she had no more power to sustain it? Perhaps she would never know, as she doubted she'd be able to recreate such a feat of magic ever again.
Perhaps she would die out here, too, unable to go on any more adventures. It was really a shame! She came so far, survived this long, through such terrors and trials. As she closed her eyes in a soft sigh, she prayed that something fairytale and booklike would happen, much like a fisherman appearing on a boat, or that even a school of mermaids would appear out of nowhere and haul her back to shore! Oh, what a story that would make. Ti'el would tell it for ages!
As she basked, one of her ears turned. It was a faint sound. Goodness, she almost missed it, but she didn't need to worry about such a thing, as it happened again: a soft beat. A drum? No. Rustling. Feathers. The vulx's eyes popped open as she sat up, turning her head to scan the skies when she saw it. A bird. A... no, not a bird! A cat! A man? She could hardly see in such bright light! They were coming from the sun. Soon enough, her questions were answered as it swooped by, causing her to yelp and duck before she heard a boisterous voice. Her ears tightened to her head, but she replied with a cry, lifting her arms:
"Yes! I will drown before long!"
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Renaux de Travére
Established
Roleplay posts: 49
Age: 22
Registered: Jul 25, 2021 20:47:41 GMT -5
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Post by Renaux de Travére on Nov 7, 2021 15:14:00 GMT -5
Renaux could just barely hear her voice from the distance they were at. But even without that the way she raised her arms in supplication was enough for him to know she was in need of assistance. He pulled out the buoy and tossed it down toward her once he was in range, the item bouncing in the water for a few moments before the rope went taught it started to skirt around the waves near her flower.
"You will have to grab it!"
The knight shouted down to her. A full explanation wasn't required right now, she could ask about the logistics later. For the moment he just did his best to guide Neige in such a way that the buoy would skirt within arms reach of the lotus for a chunk of every cicrlce. He'd wait until he saw her get a firm hold of it and then yell down.
"Hold on as tight as you can."
This was the hard part where she would have to trust her own arms to see her through. Thankfully, the buoy did have a hole in it to slide her hands through to help with that but she'd still have to work to not lose her grip as he hauled her up out of the flower drawing her in hand over hand. Using the pommel of his saddle as a brace for the rope as he does so until he could grab her and draw her into a seated position in front of him on the still circling pegasus.
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Ti'el
Established
Roleplay posts: 13
Appearance: Tiny and lithe, Ti'el is as spritely as the desert fox that she resembles. Two brown, tall ears sit atop her head in a nest of messy blonde hair. Spots of dark melanin decorate her face, stretching from the inside of her eyes down the bridge of her nose. They also freckle the back of her neck, her arms, and her stomach.
Though her body is predominantly human, her feet do end in dainty paws. Stretching from her lower back is an incredibly fluffy, golden tail with a hazel stripe down the middle.
Her eyes are a dark, washed-out blue, making it difficult to tell whether her pupils are slit or round.
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Skills and Abilities: Though she does not enjoy combat, Ti'el is a fine hunter by nature. Small animals and insects cannot escape her grasp when her stomach when she is hankering for a meal, and sometimes even larger prey, perhaps even deer, will find themselves in danger from the vulx's claws. She has incredible hearing, good enough to detect prey underground, and can survive with very little water for long amounts of time. She has a fantastic resistance to heat but suffers greatly in cold climates. Though not strong, Ti'el is very agile and swift. Scaling trees or skirting through a forest is no difficult task for her.
Registered: Jun 10, 2021 0:21:14 GMT -5
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Post by Ti'el on Nov 11, 2021 0:55:16 GMT -5
He didn't even have to say anything, as the vulx caught on as swiftly and reached out to grab the rope. Ti'el was light and built with wiry muscle all around, allowing her to climb the rope as swiftly as he pulled it toward him. She found herself scooped up sooner than she expected and dropped into the saddle in front of him. Her eyes were wide as magnolia blossoms as she looked over her shoulder at the dashing form behind her.
"... have I perished?" she asked loudly, her speech accented and not entirely human, riddled with little growls and squeaks in odd places. "This does not seem real!"
The little vulx looked down and out at the vast ocean surrounding them, where, several miles off, there was land. She admired it for a long while, trying to get used to the jittery feeling in her chest. It was like her heart was about to burst out through her mouth! "How could it be? Gods above!"
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Renaux de Travére
Established
Roleplay posts: 49
Age: 22
Registered: Jul 25, 2021 20:47:41 GMT -5
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Post by Renaux de Travére on Nov 13, 2021 11:24:36 GMT -5
"I have yet to eliminate that possibility," Renaux admitted when the young woman with the fox-like ears asked him if she'd perished. "But if we have, then it would seem the next life is simply more of the first in a different locale." For he was so far from anything familiar that he may as well be dead. Once he is certain that she is seated comfortably in the saddle the knight guided Neige out of the holding pattern setting them back toward land.
"As for how this can be. Most were, from what I've gathered, swept into these lands in the aftermath of a flood. Crossing out of the mists and into new territory." That hadn't been the case for himself but he'd heard the story from others often enough. The pegasus moved with surprising speed, faster than perhaps she should have been able to but then again it was a flying horse so she did not care if she was swifter than the wind on top of that.
"You are lucky I found you, these lands are sparsely inhabited. I've been doing my best to patrol the waters since new people are still being swept in on the mists but I shudder to think of how many I might have missed." Still, he managed to save a few people and that was truly the best he could hope for. Shepherding them to settlements that were cropping up along the shore as he could.
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Ti'el
Established
Roleplay posts: 13
Appearance: Tiny and lithe, Ti'el is as spritely as the desert fox that she resembles. Two brown, tall ears sit atop her head in a nest of messy blonde hair. Spots of dark melanin decorate her face, stretching from the inside of her eyes down the bridge of her nose. They also freckle the back of her neck, her arms, and her stomach.
Though her body is predominantly human, her feet do end in dainty paws. Stretching from her lower back is an incredibly fluffy, golden tail with a hazel stripe down the middle.
Her eyes are a dark, washed-out blue, making it difficult to tell whether her pupils are slit or round.
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Skills and Abilities: Though she does not enjoy combat, Ti'el is a fine hunter by nature. Small animals and insects cannot escape her grasp when her stomach when she is hankering for a meal, and sometimes even larger prey, perhaps even deer, will find themselves in danger from the vulx's claws. She has incredible hearing, good enough to detect prey underground, and can survive with very little water for long amounts of time. She has a fantastic resistance to heat but suffers greatly in cold climates. Though not strong, Ti'el is very agile and swift. Scaling trees or skirting through a forest is no difficult task for her.
Registered: Jun 10, 2021 0:21:14 GMT -5
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Post by Ti'el on Nov 17, 2021 15:50:11 GMT -5
Ti'el frowned, noticing the parallels with her own journey. "Yes. I remember the flood. It almost killed me," she told him, tone dropping to whimper. She leaned forward so her cheek was against the pegasus' neck. "I was alone for a long time. It truly is a blessing that you have found me."
Peering forward, she surveyed the land, which moved beneath them swiftly as a coursing river. "But there are people here? Not all is lost?"
Even as she looked, she could see smokestacks far in the distance. They were almost invisible so far away, but her keen eyes caught them. "Are they your people?"
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Renaux de Travére
Established
Roleplay posts: 49
Age: 22
Registered: Jul 25, 2021 20:47:41 GMT -5
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Post by Renaux de Travére on Nov 17, 2021 19:41:43 GMT -5
"I, yes, well you are welcome."
Renaux said in response to her thanks, glad she choose to bury her face in Neige's mane. He was not very good at accepting thanks it made him feel vaguely awkward and it showed on his face so he was glad he had time to get his emotions under control. By the time she was looking up again he'd settled himself.
"Yes, there are quite a few settlements cropping up. I move between them to help spread news and deliver lone survivors to whichever village is looking to accept them."
Most of them were since every extra pair of hands cutting wood, fetching water, or foraging for food was a godsend and if they had some specialized practical skill then it was two fold.
"I have not seen any of my own people in these lands. I was not caught in a flood so I do not know the fate of my homeland but I hold out hope they survived. That is, however, a village I've not seen before they must have settled recently."
It had been a few weeks since he'd come this far north so it wasn't impossible.
"Do you mind if I go down to introduce myself now? Or would you rather I take you to a village I know to be friendly first."
While, thus far, no one had proved to be outright hostile there was always the chance he found someone who shot first and asked questions later. He'd not take her into potential danger without her consent.
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Ti'el
Established
Roleplay posts: 13
Appearance: Tiny and lithe, Ti'el is as spritely as the desert fox that she resembles. Two brown, tall ears sit atop her head in a nest of messy blonde hair. Spots of dark melanin decorate her face, stretching from the inside of her eyes down the bridge of her nose. They also freckle the back of her neck, her arms, and her stomach.
Though her body is predominantly human, her feet do end in dainty paws. Stretching from her lower back is an incredibly fluffy, golden tail with a hazel stripe down the middle.
Her eyes are a dark, washed-out blue, making it difficult to tell whether her pupils are slit or round.
________________________________________________________
Skills and Abilities: Though she does not enjoy combat, Ti'el is a fine hunter by nature. Small animals and insects cannot escape her grasp when her stomach when she is hankering for a meal, and sometimes even larger prey, perhaps even deer, will find themselves in danger from the vulx's claws. She has incredible hearing, good enough to detect prey underground, and can survive with very little water for long amounts of time. She has a fantastic resistance to heat but suffers greatly in cold climates. Though not strong, Ti'el is very agile and swift. Scaling trees or skirting through a forest is no difficult task for her.
Registered: Jun 10, 2021 0:21:14 GMT -5
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Post by Ti'el on Nov 19, 2021 3:02:49 GMT -5
The foxgirl's eyes were fixated on the smoke in the distance, ears propped forward in the same direction. Just very gently, her tail swished to the side.
"I do not mind," said Ti'el. "I wish to be on the ground once more. I am very good at running when things do not go well- ah!" She bent her head backward, the long tips of her ears brushing the man's chestplate. "We have not yet introduced ourselves! I am Ti'el of the desert vulx. They call us fox people, but we are more than fox and people. What of you?"
Her speech was accented and mildly disjointed. Her vocabulary was limited to either simple words or things one would hear in extremely typical conversation. Even then, a few of those were missing. Her speech resembled a child's, but the wisdom in her eyes betrayed any such notion. It was clear that the common language was not her first.
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Renaux de Travére
Established
Roleplay posts: 49
Age: 22
Registered: Jul 25, 2021 20:47:41 GMT -5
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Post by Renaux de Travére on Nov 20, 2021 9:25:08 GMT -5
They were in the same boat with common not being their first language. Renaux's accent was barely there, he'd had excellent tutors growing up, but it was present enough to be heard. Especially when told her his name, the way the syllables of words from his native language rolled off his tongue was far smoother than his slightly stiff common.
"I am Renaux de Travére, Aile Capitaine of the eighth aerial company... or I was. I do not know if I will ever see my homeland again and it is hard to be part of a company when you can't make contact with your commander anymore."
With that, he turned Neige toward the distant smoke and angled them down for a landing that would see them settling down just outside the new village.
"And I will see you to the ground shortly Miss Ti'el."
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