Jun of the Celadine
Dedicated
Roleplay posts: 305 
Age: 33
Appearance: Jun stands at about 5’ 4”, with a willowy, slightly rectangular build. Her tawny olive skin has lost its flush from constantly wearing cloth armor, and she is dotted with small scars, including wrinkled patches of old burns on her left arm. She has deep brown, slightly hooded eyes and not quite straight dark auburn hair. Her face is still youthful and strong, though her gaze suggests she’s seen way too much for her age.
Equipment: An emerald, muddy long coat-style gambeson. A chrome blue longsword with a rusty hilt. Rusted shackles on her wrists ending in broken chains, giving a false impression that she had been a prisoner; the bracelets are easily removed.
Skills and Abilities: What remains of Jun’s power is a mix of animal friendship and elemental control. She can communicate with and control weaker animals, like insects, and request the help of larger, sentient animals (though they are not compelled to obey her). She can perform subtle manipulations of fire, water, earth, wind, and other “elements” like light and shadow. Her most unique ability is to imbue elemental magic into other life forms and channel her spells through them.
She is a decent cook and survivalist and has a solid academic understanding of agriculture and ecology. She is also a decent sword and hand-to-hand fighter.
Biography: Jun of the Celadine was a stereotypical hero of legend. She was one of Isra's mightiest spellcasters, had gone on dozens of adventures, possessed several powerful artifacts, and helped bring peace to the world on many occasions.
A notorious overachiever and workaholic, Jun had driven herself to near madness pursuing powerful magic. In standard fashion, it was the power of friendship that kept her sane.
Now Jun must cope with the fact that much of the world she helped protect has been lost, and that most of the magic power she had accrued over the years has stopped working.
Her family (whose whereabouts are unknown) was a clan of farmers and gardeners. Her tribe lived in peace and harmony in a mostly forested region. Every two hundred years or so, their people produced a powerful mage and master of all elements. Jun was not this chosen one, but rather her grandmother was. Still, Jun's (somewhat unhealthy) obsession with keeping up with her ancestor made her a pretty close second.
Jun has no regrets about her journey, though she sometimes wishes she had spent more learning other skills, like cooking and dancing. She also feels she made a poor lover, though it's likely her old partners passed away in the floodwaters anyways...
Registered: May 25, 2021 13:33:31 GMT -5
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Post by Jun of the Celadine on Dec 4, 2022 22:04:36 GMT -5
  Several months into the establishment of Vinya Lhann, hunters began making expeditions deeper into the forests of Trinity Island in search of food and resources. There they discovered several hills with rocky outcroppings scaling up their sides. The rocks glisten in the twilight, suggesting the presence of rare minerals and ores. However, anyone who ventures too close to the outcroppings inevitably experiences an intense sense of foreboding, prompting a hasty retreat. Even the bravest hunters feel terror in their bones, without any obvious cause. One young hunter reported spotting what they thought was a rare gem glistening in the sun. Daring to defy the ominous sensation, he approached it. Upon seeing what it really was, he fled. It was a skull, maroon and shimmering. The cranium appeared to be made of gemstone, but the teeth were distinctly enamel, suggesting an involved and morbid crafting process, or something else. Several dirt paths cut through the valleys in between the hills. They are reasonably safe to travel provided one is experienced and well-equipped to handle big game. |
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Jun of the Celadine
Dedicated
Roleplay posts: 305
Age: 33
Appearance: Jun stands at about 5’ 4”, with a willowy, slightly rectangular build. Her tawny olive skin has lost its flush from constantly wearing cloth armor, and she is dotted with small scars, including wrinkled patches of old burns on her left arm. She has deep brown, slightly hooded eyes and not quite straight dark auburn hair. Her face is still youthful and strong, though her gaze suggests she’s seen way too much for her age.
Equipment: An emerald, muddy long coat-style gambeson. A chrome blue longsword with a rusty hilt. Rusted shackles on her wrists ending in broken chains, giving a false impression that she had been a prisoner; the bracelets are easily removed.
Skills and Abilities: What remains of Jun’s power is a mix of animal friendship and elemental control. She can communicate with and control weaker animals, like insects, and request the help of larger, sentient animals (though they are not compelled to obey her). She can perform subtle manipulations of fire, water, earth, wind, and other “elements” like light and shadow. Her most unique ability is to imbue elemental magic into other life forms and channel her spells through them.
She is a decent cook and survivalist and has a solid academic understanding of agriculture and ecology. She is also a decent sword and hand-to-hand fighter.
Biography: Jun of the Celadine was a stereotypical hero of legend. She was one of Isra's mightiest spellcasters, had gone on dozens of adventures, possessed several powerful artifacts, and helped bring peace to the world on many occasions.
A notorious overachiever and workaholic, Jun had driven herself to near madness pursuing powerful magic. In standard fashion, it was the power of friendship that kept her sane.
Now Jun must cope with the fact that much of the world she helped protect has been lost, and that most of the magic power she had accrued over the years has stopped working.
Her family (whose whereabouts are unknown) was a clan of farmers and gardeners. Her tribe lived in peace and harmony in a mostly forested region. Every two hundred years or so, their people produced a powerful mage and master of all elements. Jun was not this chosen one, but rather her grandmother was. Still, Jun's (somewhat unhealthy) obsession with keeping up with her ancestor made her a pretty close second.
Jun has no regrets about her journey, though she sometimes wishes she had spent more learning other skills, like cooking and dancing. She also feels she made a poor lover, though it's likely her old partners passed away in the floodwaters anyways...
Registered: May 25, 2021 13:33:31 GMT -5
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Post by Jun of the Celadine on Dec 5, 2022 16:06:18 GMT -5
"So... How are you feeling?" Jun asked for the fourth time that day.
As Avalux was not used to traveling, Jun was struggling (and somewhat failing) to resist the urge to become a mother hen. Instead of being bold, brash, and daring, she found her self constantly doling out tips and tidbits about how to travel safely and not get lost. She even knew a bit about stealth, as her old magical abilities gave her uncommon insight into the structure of the forest floor and thus where to step.
There were still some gaps in her knowledge, however, mostly due a habit of magic over reliance that she still hadn't quite kicked. Her general advice when it came to mushrooms, for example, was to stay away from then entirely, as not everyone had the privilege to simply ask the mushroom if it would kill them.
(And fortunately for her mushrooms were not smart enough to lie.)
Some of her doting intent leeched into their traveling companion, a fully grown female hawkwing fox who kept sniffing Avalux for signs of illness and picking bugs off of him.
It was late in the afternoon when they arrived near one of the aforementioned hills. There was a small stream close by with some fresh water. Going up the clay-colored, rocky hill were the outcrops. Even in the lazy orange sunlight, one could see traces of odd discolorations, some of which shimmered temptingly.
"Let's find a nice, safe place to set up camp. Not too close to the creek but not too far either. A shady spot, but where there aren't any overhanging rocks or loose branches that could fall on us."
If she were alone, she wouldn't have hesitated to start climbing up the hill to investigate its mysteries. But having a novice traveler with her and no longer being able to launch attacking bears into the stratosphere had tempered her recklessness somewhat.
"So how are you fee- fe- f- thinking about the uh, the rocks? What we're looking for and stuff?"
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Avalux Kesterven
Dedicated
Roleplay posts: 106 
Age: 42
Appearance: Avalux is quarter elven which makes his age slightly hard to guess. His hair had turned a silvery blonde when he was quite young and most of the signs of age on his features are due more to squinting to read in candlelight than his years. He is on the tall and lean side but not to an excessive degree. Perhaps a hair's breadth over six feet and with enough meat on his bones to be healthy. His features are angular and they have a slightly severe cast as his habitual expression is a frown of thoughtful consideration.
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Equipment: Utterly insufficient for the task he has been presented with but he has the essential. A fresh notebook, a pen enchanted to replenish its own ink over time, a rune scribes etching tool, his glasses, and various crystals for creating apparatus.
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Skills and Abilities: Avalux is a magical engineer (Artificer if you wish to offend) and researcher. He specializes in the creation of devices that use magical power to power mechanical designs. He tackles magic with the scientific method trying to quantify something that most people believe to be unquantifiable. His drive and determination to do so often make him overlook certain things.
Registered: Nov 14, 2021 12:43:02 GMT -5
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Post by Avalux Kesterven on Dec 7, 2022 11:30:08 GMT -5
"I continue to be fine."
Avalux observed with dry amusement at Jun's concern. While it wasn't unwarranted, it also wasn't necessary at this point. After months of training with her, doing hard physical labour, and generally dealing with the realities of their situation he'd "toughened" up somewhat. He was far from being anything like a seasoned warrior but the act of travel, which didn't involve a carriage, was something he had the stamina for these days.
Indeed, he was handling the rigours of travel quite well with, or perhaps, despite Jun's attempts to mother him. For example, he'd collected quite a few interesting fungus samples that he was looking forward to testing the properties of after he explained his plan wasn't to eat them. Though he did wish the hawk would stop landing on his shoulder and digging its beak through his hair... even if it had managed to find a tick that he'd missed on the nap of his neck.
"I've been noticing patches of orange discoloration in the soil. That suggests rust, which means there is likely going to be a sizable vein in the hills. A good supply of iron will be an excellent start, we can use charcoal for the carbon content and start forging steel."
Which would be an immense benefit to the community at large if not for his specific needs. He was more interested in finding less common minerals like tin, copper, and zinc but there were good odds those would be unearthed in an iron mine and if they could find the start of the vein that would be the best place to start. As much as he wanted a diversity of metals he recognized the people of the Usque would struggle to keep a single mine operational at this time and that iron was inarguably the most valuable mineral for the community.
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Valera
Established
Roleplay posts: 20
Age: unknown
Appearance: In the daytime, she appears as a black-haired angel with two sets of wings adorned in a wedding gown, though she is not set to be married. Her skin is fair and soft while her eyes a gently sky blue. At night she morphs into horns with darkened skin and hair white as innocence but this form is far from that. Her eyes from the gentle blue to a burning red.
Equipment: Her weapon of choice is a long claymore, slow but deadly. She wears little armor when she is an angel while the dark dress is fused with metal to act as a form of armor.
Skills and Abilities: Not so much a skill but more of a personality swap, come sunlight she is as sweet as the bees and flowers but when the sunsets she bares her teeth on the hunt for some excitement. Her personalities changing like day and night, no one knows which one is truly her.
Biography: Once a human in search of immortality. She sought out a higher divinity only to be cast down from there she sought a deal with the devil, his flame burned her for weeks. She was too sinister to live amongst the angels and too angelic to live among the demons. She now lives as both an angel and a demon, but never to become solely one of the other. Valera condemned to live her life belonging to no one and no place.
Registered: Feb 18, 2022 17:30:49 GMT -5
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Post by Valera on Dec 8, 2022 15:49:34 GMT -5
Valera having recently been reborn is still confused about these unknown lands. She has crawled and torn her way through the earth's crust. How long has it been since she left? Where is this place? Did the place she originally resided still exist? It has been a few weeks since she emerged. It feels like she's been walking forever.
she hikes up this ridiculous garb she wears as she continues her search for someone who can help her. What a joke, blessing her to always wear this dress. Valera has never been married and yet here she was looking like she got lost on her way to the chapel. Luckily there was still light out, her form is a lot less terrifying than what she turns into when the sun sets. The bottom of her gown was soiled with mud. She always loved the feeling of grass between her toes but hated getting stabbed by pointy rocks. However, a feeling she got used to quite quickly. In her eyes, walking barefoot is better than walking in uncomfortable white heels. A bride needs matching shoes with her dress. No matter how many cliffs and rivers she's thrown these shoes, they always appear on her feet the very next morning. What a wicked blessing to have.
Valera let her feathery wings spread. Taking flight would help her spot people much faster. It has been a while but every now and then she forgets about the feather limbs that have sprouted from her back. She cleared the treetops and scanned the area. She practically hollered when she saw two strangers setting up camp on a nearby hill. Valera flew in their direction hoping the strangers weren't going to shoot her down. Suddenly she felt a sharp sting in her wing. When she gently touched the area, blood came away onto her hand. The angel flying in the sky was quickly plummeting down onto the earth. Her scream sends nearby birds scattering followed by a loud crash as she reaches the hard ground below.
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Jun of the Celadine
Dedicated
Roleplay posts: 305
Age: 33
Appearance: Jun stands at about 5’ 4”, with a willowy, slightly rectangular build. Her tawny olive skin has lost its flush from constantly wearing cloth armor, and she is dotted with small scars, including wrinkled patches of old burns on her left arm. She has deep brown, slightly hooded eyes and not quite straight dark auburn hair. Her face is still youthful and strong, though her gaze suggests she’s seen way too much for her age.
Equipment: An emerald, muddy long coat-style gambeson. A chrome blue longsword with a rusty hilt. Rusted shackles on her wrists ending in broken chains, giving a false impression that she had been a prisoner; the bracelets are easily removed.
Skills and Abilities: What remains of Jun’s power is a mix of animal friendship and elemental control. She can communicate with and control weaker animals, like insects, and request the help of larger, sentient animals (though they are not compelled to obey her). She can perform subtle manipulations of fire, water, earth, wind, and other “elements” like light and shadow. Her most unique ability is to imbue elemental magic into other life forms and channel her spells through them.
She is a decent cook and survivalist and has a solid academic understanding of agriculture and ecology. She is also a decent sword and hand-to-hand fighter.
Biography: Jun of the Celadine was a stereotypical hero of legend. She was one of Isra's mightiest spellcasters, had gone on dozens of adventures, possessed several powerful artifacts, and helped bring peace to the world on many occasions.
A notorious overachiever and workaholic, Jun had driven herself to near madness pursuing powerful magic. In standard fashion, it was the power of friendship that kept her sane.
Now Jun must cope with the fact that much of the world she helped protect has been lost, and that most of the magic power she had accrued over the years has stopped working.
Her family (whose whereabouts are unknown) was a clan of farmers and gardeners. Her tribe lived in peace and harmony in a mostly forested region. Every two hundred years or so, their people produced a powerful mage and master of all elements. Jun was not this chosen one, but rather her grandmother was. Still, Jun's (somewhat unhealthy) obsession with keeping up with her ancestor made her a pretty close second.
Jun has no regrets about her journey, though she sometimes wishes she had spent more learning other skills, like cooking and dancing. She also feels she made a poor lover, though it's likely her old partners passed away in the floodwaters anyways...
Registered: May 25, 2021 13:33:31 GMT -5
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Post by Jun of the Celadine on Dec 10, 2022 1:44:34 GMT -5
Jun looked up optimistically at the hill. "Well, it may not be adamantine or sun metal, but-"
A woman's distant scream and the snapping of branches caught her attention.
She patted Avalux's hand. "Get your weapon ready." She gave their hawkwing fox companion a look, which signaled her to fly ahead and scout. Spear and mana seed in hand, she moved in the direction of the scream.
The hawkwing fox made a running start, then leaped up and flared out its wings. It flew a short distance, then yawed to the side along a tree trunk and kicked off it, picking up even more speed. It ricocheted from tree to tree, its sharp little nose giving it a bead on where the scream had come from. When it decided it was time to stop and observe, it landed at the base of a tree and rocketed upwards, its wings boosting it with little puffs of wind.
(Jun still remembered the day its mother began her kits' "zipping" lessons. She and Avalux had expected the little chimeras to be decent runners and mediocre flyers, skilled gliders at best. But the hybrids defied intuition; instead they combined their wings and legs into an entirely new style of travel which they had never seen before. They were incredible acrobats, zooming from tree to tree like arrows, and they were lightning fast climbers.)
Jun could sense how far ahead "Spera" was and whether she felt she was in danger. Everything felt alright so far, but Jun still made it a point to occasionally pause and hide behind a tree to check her surroundings (and wait for Avalux).
Since the mysterious woman had been flying towards them, they wouldn't have far to go.
By the time Jun found the downed angel, Spera would already be upon her, licking Valera's wounds. Each lick left behind a thin patch of what look like liquid sunlight which quickly faded into the flesh. Spera wasn't the most powerful healing familiar, but she at least had a talent for calming patients down.
"What in the forest?" Mouth slightly agape, Jun approached cautiously. She wanted to help Spera and Avalux with first aid, but she couldn't help note that someone or something nearby had apparently shot her down.
Hopefully they weren't eager to finish the job...
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Avalux Kesterven
Dedicated
Roleplay posts: 106
Age: 42
Appearance: Avalux is quarter elven which makes his age slightly hard to guess. His hair had turned a silvery blonde when he was quite young and most of the signs of age on his features are due more to squinting to read in candlelight than his years. He is on the tall and lean side but not to an excessive degree. Perhaps a hair's breadth over six feet and with enough meat on his bones to be healthy. His features are angular and they have a slightly severe cast as his habitual expression is a frown of thoughtful consideration.
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Equipment: Utterly insufficient for the task he has been presented with but he has the essential. A fresh notebook, a pen enchanted to replenish its own ink over time, a rune scribes etching tool, his glasses, and various crystals for creating apparatus.
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Skills and Abilities: Avalux is a magical engineer (Artificer if you wish to offend) and researcher. He specializes in the creation of devices that use magical power to power mechanical designs. He tackles magic with the scientific method trying to quantify something that most people believe to be unquantifiable. His drive and determination to do so often make him overlook certain things.
Registered: Nov 14, 2021 12:43:02 GMT -5
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Post by Avalux Kesterven on Dec 13, 2022 19:53:52 GMT -5
While Jun did not know it, she was saved by the cry from Valera. Avalux had been about to go on a long diatribe about the relative worthlessness of exotic magical metals. The complexity required to even smelt them let alone work with them made them tantamount to worthless except in small volume in his opinion.
Thankfully for all involved, the rest of this particular rant never got past the initial palling stages. Jun's hand touched his and Avalux nodded as he picked up his spear. It would be an exaggeration to say he felt comfortable with the weapon in his hands but, after months of training, he could at least point the sharp end at things that threatened him. At least long enough for jun to come and deal with the threat in a more permanent way.
"That is certainly peculiar."
Avalux agreed as he came up next to Jun and took in the scene. His eyes registered the wound on her wing and what that probably meant. The most logical course of action presented itself so he voiced it.
"You and Spera should check for whatever hit her. I'll see to her injury."
It was not too long ago that Avalux had known barely anything about healing the human body. However, when that had become one of the most valuable things he could do, he'd found himself researching the solitary text he had on runes that effected the human body extensively. While it didn't quite translate to healing spells, he'd managed to cobble together a few rune sequences that worked close enough to it. In no small part thanks to Jun's assistance since she had a knack for figuring out the shape of new runes that typically took months or years to research.
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Valera
Established
Roleplay posts: 20
Age: unknown
Appearance: In the daytime, she appears as a black-haired angel with two sets of wings adorned in a wedding gown, though she is not set to be married. Her skin is fair and soft while her eyes a gently sky blue. At night she morphs into horns with darkened skin and hair white as innocence but this form is far from that. Her eyes from the gentle blue to a burning red.
Equipment: Her weapon of choice is a long claymore, slow but deadly. She wears little armor when she is an angel while the dark dress is fused with metal to act as a form of armor.
Skills and Abilities: Not so much a skill but more of a personality swap, come sunlight she is as sweet as the bees and flowers but when the sunsets she bares her teeth on the hunt for some excitement. Her personalities changing like day and night, no one knows which one is truly her.
Biography: Once a human in search of immortality. She sought out a higher divinity only to be cast down from there she sought a deal with the devil, his flame burned her for weeks. She was too sinister to live amongst the angels and too angelic to live among the demons. She now lives as both an angel and a demon, but never to become solely one of the other. Valera condemned to live her life belonging to no one and no place.
Registered: Feb 18, 2022 17:30:49 GMT -5
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Post by Valera on Dec 15, 2022 1:04:33 GMT -5
Valera groans as she impacts the earth, a small crater forming where she landed. Blood, but from what? She felt the stinging pain of something piercing her. She examines her wound and felt nothing. Did it go right through her? The more important part is did someone shoot her or did she somehow run into something? No no, she would've noticed if something was in the air.
Before she could ponder the thought more, a fuzzy creature was on her lapping up the blood. What a strange little thing. She first saw a fox. This she was familiar with, but this fox also had the wings of a bird. This she has never seen before. The fox seems to be friendly, it has yet to make a meal out of her. If it tried to take a bite of her, she would make quick work of this creature. However, the adorable face may make Valera hesitate for a split second. She holds the fox up at arm's length and stares into its beady eyes. It seems to stare back at her. The licks from this creature seem to have healed her. Some magical fox bird. "Were you blessed?" Surely a creature who was capable of healing wounds must've been blessed by some divine being, or could this be a product of witchcraft?
Valera quickly sits up as she hears people rushing to her. Could it be some hunter has come to finish the job? Two figures emerge into the clearing. Oh, it's the two she was flying towards. Wait? Did they shoot at her? She didn't see any of them raise a weapon toward her. She looked at the two still holding the fox away from her like an awkward child's first time holding a baby.
The two when looking at Valera would see a pale figure, her skin practically glowing in the sunlight. Her hair was a stark contrast to her skin. Hair as dark as ravens. Her eyes are a pale baby blue reminding anyone who looks into them of the clearest of skies. She is dressed in a large white dress with gold embroidery fit for a soon-to-be bride. The dress caressed her slim figure before fanning out into layers of ruffled fabric to make up the bottom section of the dress. The dress was long enough to drag along the ground if one were not careful. Valera didn't seem to care as the edges of her dress were stained with mud. Her arms were covered with long white gloves all the way up to her elbows. How funny that whoever cursed her with this dress was kind enough to make it backless to allow large glistening wings to emerge from her back. The wings were almost as tall as she was, if she truly wanted to she could hide under her wings.
When Avalux approached, Valera became weary of him. Avalux could see even from a few feet away that the wound on Valera's wing was almost fully healed. "Did you two shoot me down? I didn't see anyone else here." her voice came out hoarse. It seems it has been a great while since she last spoke to someone. The sound of her own voice seemed unfamiliar to herself.
The mystery item that pierced Valera seemed to be some sort of arrow. It was sharp enough to pierce straight through her wing, but wasn't as strong to pierce through the tree trunk that it ended up getting stuck into not too far away.
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Jun of the Celadine
Dedicated
Roleplay posts: 305
Age: 33
Appearance: Jun stands at about 5’ 4”, with a willowy, slightly rectangular build. Her tawny olive skin has lost its flush from constantly wearing cloth armor, and she is dotted with small scars, including wrinkled patches of old burns on her left arm. She has deep brown, slightly hooded eyes and not quite straight dark auburn hair. Her face is still youthful and strong, though her gaze suggests she’s seen way too much for her age.
Equipment: An emerald, muddy long coat-style gambeson. A chrome blue longsword with a rusty hilt. Rusted shackles on her wrists ending in broken chains, giving a false impression that she had been a prisoner; the bracelets are easily removed.
Skills and Abilities: What remains of Jun’s power is a mix of animal friendship and elemental control. She can communicate with and control weaker animals, like insects, and request the help of larger, sentient animals (though they are not compelled to obey her). She can perform subtle manipulations of fire, water, earth, wind, and other “elements” like light and shadow. Her most unique ability is to imbue elemental magic into other life forms and channel her spells through them.
She is a decent cook and survivalist and has a solid academic understanding of agriculture and ecology. She is also a decent sword and hand-to-hand fighter.
Biography: Jun of the Celadine was a stereotypical hero of legend. She was one of Isra's mightiest spellcasters, had gone on dozens of adventures, possessed several powerful artifacts, and helped bring peace to the world on many occasions.
A notorious overachiever and workaholic, Jun had driven herself to near madness pursuing powerful magic. In standard fashion, it was the power of friendship that kept her sane.
Now Jun must cope with the fact that much of the world she helped protect has been lost, and that most of the magic power she had accrued over the years has stopped working.
Her family (whose whereabouts are unknown) was a clan of farmers and gardeners. Her tribe lived in peace and harmony in a mostly forested region. Every two hundred years or so, their people produced a powerful mage and master of all elements. Jun was not this chosen one, but rather her grandmother was. Still, Jun's (somewhat unhealthy) obsession with keeping up with her ancestor made her a pretty close second.
Jun has no regrets about her journey, though she sometimes wishes she had spent more learning other skills, like cooking and dancing. She also feels she made a poor lover, though it's likely her old partners passed away in the floodwaters anyways...
Registered: May 25, 2021 13:33:31 GMT -5
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Post by Jun of the Celadine on Dec 17, 2022 20:04:21 GMT -5
Jun nodded and clicked at Spera. A faint violet flashed across her eyes. Spera raised her ears and hopped off Valera. The compact hunter turned its head about, sniffing, and then scampered towards the tree trunk with the offending arrow.
As Jun moved to follow, she said, "No, it wasn't us. I usually ask questions first and then shoot the arrow. It's not the most popular way of doing things I know."
Spotting the arrow, she tossed a bit of pemmican in Spera's mouth and then bent down to examine it. The angle of the shot might give her a clue as to what direction it came from. She knew Valera's wing might have changed its trajectory, but it was still the best chance they had. After a second, she stood up straight and turned around, moving with an assertive stride and spear in hand. If the attackers were on their way she wanted to confront them directly. That was the best way to buy Avalux time to treat the wound. Mana was already thrumming in her gambeson, though she did actually want to ask questions first.
"My name's Jun, and this is my friend Avalux. We're a couple... uh- of researchers. We're survivors from the floodwaters, just like you. Uh, right?"
What really struck her was Valera's wings. They reminded her of an old friend. Even divine creatures weren't spared the flood it seemed. Jun already began wondering how they might help their new charge adapt to weakened magic. It hadn't occurred to her at all there might be a dark secret underneath the being's holy veneer.
Although, why did they shoot her down? Had she done something wrong? Were there other survivors who were simply paranoid and aggressive? Or had she been mistaken for game? Did angels taste good fire-roasted with rosemary and thyme?
Ew, thinking about that made me hungry. I'm a bad person.
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Avalux Kesterven
Dedicated
Roleplay posts: 106
Age: 42
Appearance: Avalux is quarter elven which makes his age slightly hard to guess. His hair had turned a silvery blonde when he was quite young and most of the signs of age on his features are due more to squinting to read in candlelight than his years. He is on the tall and lean side but not to an excessive degree. Perhaps a hair's breadth over six feet and with enough meat on his bones to be healthy. His features are angular and they have a slightly severe cast as his habitual expression is a frown of thoughtful consideration.
-------------------------
Equipment: Utterly insufficient for the task he has been presented with but he has the essential. A fresh notebook, a pen enchanted to replenish its own ink over time, a rune scribes etching tool, his glasses, and various crystals for creating apparatus.
-------------------------
Skills and Abilities: Avalux is a magical engineer (Artificer if you wish to offend) and researcher. He specializes in the creation of devices that use magical power to power mechanical designs. He tackles magic with the scientific method trying to quantify something that most people believe to be unquantifiable. His drive and determination to do so often make him overlook certain things.
Registered: Nov 14, 2021 12:43:02 GMT -5
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Post by Avalux Kesterven on Dec 20, 2022 18:59:39 GMT -5
It appeared as though the winged woman was rather more conscious than Avalux would have assumed after falling from such a height. Certainly the amount of blood the woman had lost didn't seem to be taking as much of a toll as he might have thought it would. Whether that was a good or bad thing he wasn't certain since Valera seemed to be feeling at least somewhat hostile toward Jun and himself.
"A more salient observation than a reliance on a stranger's word would be a distinct lack of bows on our persons. Combined with the fact that if we meant you further harm and were the ones that shot you, we probably wouldn't bother trying to trick you at this point."
Avalux said in a calm steady tone as he pulled up short. He wasn't in a particular mood to be lashed out at and he was well aware that people tended to act irrationally even when provided with simple logic. He did not think that the inclusion of wings would lead Valera to be the sort of person to immediately trust the first people she met after she'd been shot. Of course, Jun didn't seem to share his point of view as she acted as though the matter was settled already.
"I wish I could say that was entirely accurate. But needs have necessitated that we be a bit more than just researchers these days. I am also something of a makeshift medic, if you will permit me I can treat your wound. Spera's saliva helps and it appears you have some form of magical healing of your own. But if you are new to these lands, you will find that such things are not as reliable as they once were. Extra assistance can only help especially when your attackers might be here at any moment."
Without much choice, Avalux decided to adopt Jun's tactic of just trying to bowl Valera over. Perhaps they'd manage to over come the inherent distrust of the situation through sheer weight of words alone.
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Valera
Established
Roleplay posts: 20
Age: unknown
Appearance: In the daytime, she appears as a black-haired angel with two sets of wings adorned in a wedding gown, though she is not set to be married. Her skin is fair and soft while her eyes a gently sky blue. At night she morphs into horns with darkened skin and hair white as innocence but this form is far from that. Her eyes from the gentle blue to a burning red.
Equipment: Her weapon of choice is a long claymore, slow but deadly. She wears little armor when she is an angel while the dark dress is fused with metal to act as a form of armor.
Skills and Abilities: Not so much a skill but more of a personality swap, come sunlight she is as sweet as the bees and flowers but when the sunsets she bares her teeth on the hunt for some excitement. Her personalities changing like day and night, no one knows which one is truly her.
Biography: Once a human in search of immortality. She sought out a higher divinity only to be cast down from there she sought a deal with the devil, his flame burned her for weeks. She was too sinister to live amongst the angels and too angelic to live among the demons. She now lives as both an angel and a demon, but never to become solely one of the other. Valera condemned to live her life belonging to no one and no place.
Registered: Feb 18, 2022 17:30:49 GMT -5
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Post by Valera on Dec 29, 2022 22:53:24 GMT -5
"I suppose your words have some logic to them. What's the point in talking to a creature you're hunting." Valera allowed Avalux to look at her injuries. There were scraps on her hands and legs as they scraped the hard ground upon her impact. The abraisions are damp with blood. To be blessed by the divine and cursed by devils, maybe it's the other way around, nonetheless, it helped her heal quicker than the average man.
"researcher? That is a title I do not bear. These lands have changed since I've last been here. This place is foreign to me" The way this mysterious woman spoke, she had a faint accent that was hard to pin down. The way she speaks gives an indication that she is well-versed in this tongue, but the accent made her sound older than she appears.
"I thank your kindness. My name is Valera or that is what I go by now. I used to be called Vala when I was still in the good company of my parents. Even though our meeting has not been in the best circumstances it is still a pleasure." Valera didn't know if traditions changed, she wasn't sure if a handshake or a bow or even a curtsey would still be an acceptable gesture. Valera will have to adapt to the times quickly.
She turned her attention to the fox. She stayed as still as possible while being treated by Avalux. "This little fox, what say it? It flies and I've never seen such a thing. It's miraculous, if such a creature exists does it rain frogs?" She still couldn't believe her eyes on this cute little fox.
It was eerily quiet after having just been shot, but oh that didn't last long. Suddenly there were sounds of rushing footsteps and the howling of hunting dogs as they descended upon the group. A pair of men and their dogs. Valera jumped to her feet upon seeing the bows carried by the men. Their dogs snarling angrily towards her. In one swift motion, she reaches down into her chest in the valley between her bosom. A darkness swallowed her hand as she drew from it a large silver claymour engraved with unknown runes. Valera was ready to fight the men that had so rudely shot her. This gal was no stranger to battle, she excelled on the battlefield. The battlefield felt like a second home.
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Jun of the Celadine
Dedicated
Roleplay posts: 305
Age: 33
Appearance: Jun stands at about 5’ 4”, with a willowy, slightly rectangular build. Her tawny olive skin has lost its flush from constantly wearing cloth armor, and she is dotted with small scars, including wrinkled patches of old burns on her left arm. She has deep brown, slightly hooded eyes and not quite straight dark auburn hair. Her face is still youthful and strong, though her gaze suggests she’s seen way too much for her age.
Equipment: An emerald, muddy long coat-style gambeson. A chrome blue longsword with a rusty hilt. Rusted shackles on her wrists ending in broken chains, giving a false impression that she had been a prisoner; the bracelets are easily removed.
Skills and Abilities: What remains of Jun’s power is a mix of animal friendship and elemental control. She can communicate with and control weaker animals, like insects, and request the help of larger, sentient animals (though they are not compelled to obey her). She can perform subtle manipulations of fire, water, earth, wind, and other “elements” like light and shadow. Her most unique ability is to imbue elemental magic into other life forms and channel her spells through them.
She is a decent cook and survivalist and has a solid academic understanding of agriculture and ecology. She is also a decent sword and hand-to-hand fighter.
Biography: Jun of the Celadine was a stereotypical hero of legend. She was one of Isra's mightiest spellcasters, had gone on dozens of adventures, possessed several powerful artifacts, and helped bring peace to the world on many occasions.
A notorious overachiever and workaholic, Jun had driven herself to near madness pursuing powerful magic. In standard fashion, it was the power of friendship that kept her sane.
Now Jun must cope with the fact that much of the world she helped protect has been lost, and that most of the magic power she had accrued over the years has stopped working.
Her family (whose whereabouts are unknown) was a clan of farmers and gardeners. Her tribe lived in peace and harmony in a mostly forested region. Every two hundred years or so, their people produced a powerful mage and master of all elements. Jun was not this chosen one, but rather her grandmother was. Still, Jun's (somewhat unhealthy) obsession with keeping up with her ancestor made her a pretty close second.
Jun has no regrets about her journey, though she sometimes wishes she had spent more learning other skills, like cooking and dancing. She also feels she made a poor lover, though it's likely her old partners passed away in the floodwaters anyways...
Registered: May 25, 2021 13:33:31 GMT -5
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Post by Jun of the Celadine on Dec 31, 2022 14:11:46 GMT -5
"She's a sweetheart. Er, I mean that as a term of endearment not the name of her species. I call them hawkwing foxes or owl foxes. The isles are home to many strange and wonderful creatures, some of whom will want to eat you on sight." Jun grinned, even though she wasn't kidding.
Spera preened and scratched herself as she watched Avalux finish treating Valera's wounds.
"It's true. It takes a lot of hard work to use even a fraction of your old world's magic, and that's if you were good at it before. So mundane people with bows, arrows, and spears are much more dangerous than what you are used to, which is actually a blessing in someways. This world is free of kingdom-ending liches and mile long dragons."
Spera suddenly raised her head up in alarm. Jun sensed her perturbance right before the hunting party arrived.
A party armed with bows and arrows. Shit.
All of the energy which crackled in Jun's coat migrated to her sleeve. There a handful of leaves fell into her palm, along with a mana seed which was already charring from the inside out. She threw the leaves in the direction of the attackers. The seed flew along with it, but it fell to ashes before even hitting the ground.
The leaves however flew a lot father than they should have. They spun like disks. As they whizzed through the air, sunlight struck them. And with every inch of light they passed through the leaves grew brighter and brighter. By the time they reached the hunters and their dogs, the leaves were blinding.
They harassed the hunters like insects, and they seemed to seek out their faces in an intelligent manner, seeking to blind them and make use of their ranged weapons nearly impossible.
Jun raised her spear to throw it, revealing an atlatl engraved with faintly glowing runes. "Halt! We don't want to fight but we will!" She cried out. "What do you want with her?!"
Jun envied Valera's confidence as she unbossomed (That's a word, right?) her sword, but Valera would have to learn quickly she wasn't as powerful as she used to be, as if that hadn't already been made obvious. Magic needed to be used cleverly and efficiently now, and men with bows and dogs were a threat to even the strongest mages in the isles.
Still, that's a very sexy trick. Poor Avalux.
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Avalux Kesterven
Dedicated
Roleplay posts: 106
Age: 42
Appearance: Avalux is quarter elven which makes his age slightly hard to guess. His hair had turned a silvery blonde when he was quite young and most of the signs of age on his features are due more to squinting to read in candlelight than his years. He is on the tall and lean side but not to an excessive degree. Perhaps a hair's breadth over six feet and with enough meat on his bones to be healthy. His features are angular and they have a slightly severe cast as his habitual expression is a frown of thoughtful consideration.
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Equipment: Utterly insufficient for the task he has been presented with but he has the essential. A fresh notebook, a pen enchanted to replenish its own ink over time, a rune scribes etching tool, his glasses, and various crystals for creating apparatus.
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Skills and Abilities: Avalux is a magical engineer (Artificer if you wish to offend) and researcher. He specializes in the creation of devices that use magical power to power mechanical designs. He tackles magic with the scientific method trying to quantify something that most people believe to be unquantifiable. His drive and determination to do so often make him overlook certain things.
Registered: Nov 14, 2021 12:43:02 GMT -5
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Post by Avalux Kesterven on Jan 8, 2023 13:58:57 GMT -5
Avalux didn't waste breath on further words when Valera gave him permission to get to work. Instead, he simply shifted his pack off his back and into a position that made accessing what was inside of it easy. He flicked through his supplies and found what he was looking for. The thin strip of metal was something he'd worked on quite diligently, runes were etched on it with raised lines, and he very carefully covered those in ink. With that done, he gently pressed the ink against Valera's skin which left the simple healing diagram behind and from there he pressed a mana seed to the power rune.
The ink flashed briefly with power and Valera's natural healing got a further boost. She'd already been healing quicker than normal but the boost of healing magic should let her get back to full functionality within the next few moments. Avalux carefully cleaned his tools as the other two talked. The man already planned to make several notes based on what he'd just learned as this had been his first opportunity to test one of the healing stamps on a non-human. He was pleased to see that it worked exactly as it should have with no complications. The simplicity of the spell probably helped with that.
"Oh, damn it all, really?"
Avalux heard the sound of approaching trouble or more accurately he heard Jun preparing for it. He looked up from his pack, saw the raiders approaching, sighed and got to his feet as he grabbed his spear. As much as he was loath to leave his bag on the ground if things got violent he'd be more maneuverable without it. That was important to him since his primary goal in any sort of fight was avoiding getting himself killed. His gaze flicked over to Jun who stood ready and then to Valera who had produced a sword from somewhere, where had she gotten that from?
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Valera
Established
Roleplay posts: 20
Age: unknown
Appearance: In the daytime, she appears as a black-haired angel with two sets of wings adorned in a wedding gown, though she is not set to be married. Her skin is fair and soft while her eyes a gently sky blue. At night she morphs into horns with darkened skin and hair white as innocence but this form is far from that. Her eyes from the gentle blue to a burning red.
Equipment: Her weapon of choice is a long claymore, slow but deadly. She wears little armor when she is an angel while the dark dress is fused with metal to act as a form of armor.
Skills and Abilities: Not so much a skill but more of a personality swap, come sunlight she is as sweet as the bees and flowers but when the sunsets she bares her teeth on the hunt for some excitement. Her personalities changing like day and night, no one knows which one is truly her.
Biography: Once a human in search of immortality. She sought out a higher divinity only to be cast down from there she sought a deal with the devil, his flame burned her for weeks. She was too sinister to live amongst the angels and too angelic to live among the demons. She now lives as both an angel and a demon, but never to become solely one of the other. Valera condemned to live her life belonging to no one and no place.
Registered: Feb 18, 2022 17:30:49 GMT -5
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Post by Valera on Jan 25, 2023 23:30:25 GMT -5
The hunting party upon seeing what they're up against seems to change their mind. They were only equipped with wooden bows and iron swords, they were dull in comparison to what the researchers and their new winged friend were ready to unleash. The leader of the small hunting party seem to be the father, he quickly spoke an apology before leading his sons and the dogs elsewhere. Maybe they really did think Valera was a large goose. HA! they probably wish it a goose snapping at their heels than what Valera was about to shove up their. . . well nevermind that.
Valera put her sword away the same way she pulled it out. At first, it did sting a little but now it just tickles when she pulls the claymore from her chest. "Thank you two for preparing to defend me. I should not have been so quick to judge your intentions. You know nothing of me and still, you were ready to challenge those people." All that was left of her pierced injury was a faint scratch and some dried blood. "She mentioned the two of you were researchers. What is it you research? You two fight with magic? That's quite particular." The winged woman was not unfamiliar with magic, even she herself thought it would be wise to learn it. However, being a soldier left little time for magic tricks. Though her little sword trick one could consider magic. Maybe they deem it unladylike to carry a large sack or to have pockets so they gifted her with this magical storage. Why did they have to place it there of all places!? She didn't know if this was some heavenly idea or some sick hellish joke. However, it does mean she always has a snack on hand.
Valera quickly checked the sun. How much more daylight was left? Valera never fully remembers what happens when the sun goes down. Her memory becomes jumbled as if scanning quickly through a book. You get bits in pieces but never the full story. "I am once again sorry to trouble you. What might you two be doing here? I am glad to have coincidentally met you, but not so glad you witnessed my ungraceful plummet." She bows her head in embarrassment.
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Jun of the Celadine
Dedicated
Roleplay posts: 305
Age: 33
Appearance: Jun stands at about 5’ 4”, with a willowy, slightly rectangular build. Her tawny olive skin has lost its flush from constantly wearing cloth armor, and she is dotted with small scars, including wrinkled patches of old burns on her left arm. She has deep brown, slightly hooded eyes and not quite straight dark auburn hair. Her face is still youthful and strong, though her gaze suggests she’s seen way too much for her age.
Equipment: An emerald, muddy long coat-style gambeson. A chrome blue longsword with a rusty hilt. Rusted shackles on her wrists ending in broken chains, giving a false impression that she had been a prisoner; the bracelets are easily removed.
Skills and Abilities: What remains of Jun’s power is a mix of animal friendship and elemental control. She can communicate with and control weaker animals, like insects, and request the help of larger, sentient animals (though they are not compelled to obey her). She can perform subtle manipulations of fire, water, earth, wind, and other “elements” like light and shadow. Her most unique ability is to imbue elemental magic into other life forms and channel her spells through them.
She is a decent cook and survivalist and has a solid academic understanding of agriculture and ecology. She is also a decent sword and hand-to-hand fighter.
Biography: Jun of the Celadine was a stereotypical hero of legend. She was one of Isra's mightiest spellcasters, had gone on dozens of adventures, possessed several powerful artifacts, and helped bring peace to the world on many occasions.
A notorious overachiever and workaholic, Jun had driven herself to near madness pursuing powerful magic. In standard fashion, it was the power of friendship that kept her sane.
Now Jun must cope with the fact that much of the world she helped protect has been lost, and that most of the magic power she had accrued over the years has stopped working.
Her family (whose whereabouts are unknown) was a clan of farmers and gardeners. Her tribe lived in peace and harmony in a mostly forested region. Every two hundred years or so, their people produced a powerful mage and master of all elements. Jun was not this chosen one, but rather her grandmother was. Still, Jun's (somewhat unhealthy) obsession with keeping up with her ancestor made her a pretty close second.
Jun has no regrets about her journey, though she sometimes wishes she had spent more learning other skills, like cooking and dancing. She also feels she made a poor lover, though it's likely her old partners passed away in the floodwaters anyways...
Registered: May 25, 2021 13:33:31 GMT -5
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Post by Jun of the Celadine on Jan 26, 2023 19:09:11 GMT -5
Jun waited until the hunters were out of earshot before she released a sigh of relief. Spera groomed herself furiously as a sign of relief as well.
"Archers are the worst. If you ever learn any sort of combat magic, try to develop some sort of counter play for archers. Or, better yet, get a ranged weapon of your own." She tapped Valeria's shoulder playfully and smiled, feeling proud for giving Valeria her first survival tip in their brave new world. She felt it was an especially well-founded one too, as one of the only humans who had come close to actually killing her back in her old world was an archer with an explosive arrow.
"Avalux thinks there might be useful iron and minerals in these hills. We're trying to help our village with surviving and rebuilding. But, for some reason people find the hills to be hopelessly spooky. We aren't the type to be frightened off by superstitions though." At least, she didn't think Avalux was, as he tended to approach things analytically and logically. And Jun well, strange curses and hauntings were more of a challenge than an obstacle for her.
"As for the type of research, well, Avalux can explain better than me but his specialty is runescribing. He's the best. He invented the healing runes he used on you. I'm more of a generalist myself. I used to be a powerful mage, and I've found I can still channel some of that power through lifeforms like leaves and animals. I've been focused on improving my abilities and finding ways of helping others any way I can. Spera's one of my... uh..."
The hawk wing fox chose just the right moment to start grooming itself between its legs.
"... research assistants."
As their side adventure had taken up a fair amount of time, the warm orange hues of the forest were beginning to deepen as the sun descended further down in the sky.
"We really should set up camp soon."
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Avalux Kesterven
Dedicated
Roleplay posts: 106
Age: 42
Appearance: Avalux is quarter elven which makes his age slightly hard to guess. His hair had turned a silvery blonde when he was quite young and most of the signs of age on his features are due more to squinting to read in candlelight than his years. He is on the tall and lean side but not to an excessive degree. Perhaps a hair's breadth over six feet and with enough meat on his bones to be healthy. His features are angular and they have a slightly severe cast as his habitual expression is a frown of thoughtful consideration.
-------------------------
Equipment: Utterly insufficient for the task he has been presented with but he has the essential. A fresh notebook, a pen enchanted to replenish its own ink over time, a rune scribes etching tool, his glasses, and various crystals for creating apparatus.
-------------------------
Skills and Abilities: Avalux is a magical engineer (Artificer if you wish to offend) and researcher. He specializes in the creation of devices that use magical power to power mechanical designs. He tackles magic with the scientific method trying to quantify something that most people believe to be unquantifiable. His drive and determination to do so often make him overlook certain things.
Registered: Nov 14, 2021 12:43:02 GMT -5
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Post by Avalux Kesterven on Jan 29, 2023 12:56:29 GMT -5
It did not surprise Avalux when the hunters decided not to test their luck. If they were the sort to attack someone unprovoked then coming upon odds that seemed to be close to even or against them weren't the sort such men were fond of. It was a bit of a relief since he had no appetite for violence though it raised the question of what those hunters might do in the future. Still, there was hardly any sort of authority to report them to.
"I don't want to be called the best by a woman who can intuit new runes that take me months to research."
He said with a snort somewhere between irritation and amusement at Jun's explanation of their fields.
"And while I am quite versed in magical runes that is more a by-product of the route my research had to take. As they are the only sort of magic that I can engage with in a practical manner since I lack any spark of it to call my own."
In truth, he was probably more a generalist than Jun when it came to the understanding of magical phenomena. He had to research every school of magic in order to eek out every last detail so he could manage to, as mentioned before, do what Jun could via magical intuition.
"But pedantics aside, Jun has the right of it. The coloration of the soil in these hills suggests substantial deposits of iron and there will likely be other minerals inside. I am hoping to locate the most accessible vein so the people from our village can set up a mine. If we are to rebuild properly, a good supply of metal will be vital."
There was probably some kind of irony in the fact that an industrialist like Avalux had found himself with the people of the Usque. But perhaps it was for the best, they'd keep the worst possible outcomes of his inventing in check with their care for the natural world.
"But, yes, considering the time of day finding a place to camp is probably not a bad idea. Especially as I'd like to get out of this area in case those hunters decide to circle back and try to catch us off guard in the night."
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