Vaude

Ooh, a good question, that. I think one life per wish sounds best. One can probably pass around the genie lamp like a storytelling stone or stick for wishing a bunch of people back to life, but be sure to trust the others first. It's tough to tell if someone will wish for a resurrection or wish for Excalibur in order to kill or otherwise hideously maim everyone around them.

Hola! Rufus will definitely have wishing rules to make things fair, but they will be less strict than the Aladdin Genie. Impossible wishes: - Infinite wishes are a no-go. - Breaking the laws of time is also a no-go, making time travel out of the question. - No killing. Possible wishes: - Anything not discussed unless it has the possibility of breaking the RP. - Insight on past or present occurrences and foresight on how to do something or kill someone is possible, regardless of the impossible wishs of breaking the laws of time and killing. - Maladies can afflict a person. Someone can be wished to fall atrociously ill, but it will not kill or last permanently. This requires the consent of Mystic's Apprentice, however, and anyone who owns the afflicted character. - A second wish will be granted with great sacrifice, birthed through the efforts of Rufus' master, and the same can be said for the third and other wishes. To gain a lot, you must give a lot. This can yield dangerous results like insatiable hunger for unreachable things and loss of sanity and self-control. - Dead people can come back to life, fully knit and with their souls and bodies intact. I would love this to be used sometime on a previously dead character, but all in due time. - Love can be initiated via pheromones and influence of hormone levels, but it isn't real love and often is dangerous to one or both individuals. Rufus may be a benevolent djinni, but he can unknowingly cause maledictions that negatively affect the wishing individual. That's all for now. I might have to think up some other things in the future, so keep an eye out for me. =) Now, to kick myself into high gear and post!

The second option seems the most reasonable to me. One man tanking a hundred with Asura's Wrath power constantly growing and the man receiving little to no damage sounds undoubtedly fun, but causes too much mischief for this RP or might even break it. This isn't Kill Bill. However, one man sneaking in and combatting two to five seems much more manageable. I vote for cheese!

((Thanks, mate!)) - Rufus Contralto and The Merchant, currently in the Kilkes Seres marketplace with Rabiyu - The merchant glanced up at the high elf lass with both intrigue and confusion, seeing a lady of such respectable qualities in front of him where he normally saw disreputable businessmen and lower-class citizens. He was further interested in seeing what she had to trade, and when he did his eyes went wide. The beauty of the stones immediately snared his attention, and the mithril necklace would be worth ten times the value of the stones alone. Furthermore, the combined amount, if he was correct, was a hundred times the sum for the standard homunculus. That would not stop him, however, of trying to cheat the girl out of her valuables. "If your jewels are authentic, you have come to the right place, for I have quite the rarity for you!" he piped, keeping his excitement up and his oiliness hidden. His hands perhaps too quickly snared the bag and brought the lava lamp into full view. "You might know of Oenopion of Helia or the Helian Oenopion, a powerful minotaur druid and alchemist of great ability who lived for two thousand years when the normal life span of his race is a hundred years. Records say that he was poor, uneducated, and casteless, but overnight gained the wisdom and knowledge to conquer death's touch. Agelessness was his goal, and agelessness he gained, but not that of the elves. It came from herbs. Tales tell of a homunculus that taught him the ways of potent mixtures, and this prized and well-crafted homunculus is that very--" "Buy not anything of this charlatan!" Rufus called out to Rabiyu, his head turning this way and that as he was unsure of her location now. "He is a fraud that stole me! I am not--" "Silence, old one!" the merchant said, shaking the lamp so hard that the hotter wax separated into many, many tiny spheres instead of a few. Inside, gagging can be heard but not seen, Rufus lost in the sea of red orbs. "So sorry about that, milady, but this homunculus has taken a liking to lying. It is the real deal, however." Rufus gave an spiteful glare as the water began to clear, still coughing and sputtering from the recent agitation of his home. Perhaps, however, it was better to be silent now than to further tell the truth. If the man knew he was a djinni, it would be much worse for the gentle-sounding girl outside to buy him than it was now.

- Raleigh Marin, preaching and offering her services at the king's feast, Sondon - In her boredom she had devoured two guinea hens, some helpings of vegetables, and a cup and a half of wine already--hardly anything to satiate her phenomenal appetite--but finally some action had come to liven up this party with the unveiling of an airship and the goal of visiting the land of folk tales. Raleigh had to admit that this heavily intrigued her, especially since this child assured that this overworld actually existed, and a twisted smile curved on her lips. A few others offered their services to the king, and Raleigh decided now was the best time to speak up. Propping herself up from the table, not at all affected by the wine, she turned toward King Alderon and removed her sanguinary cowl. "My lord," she said with a formal bow, her smile curbed and secret, "as you well know, I have performed many a successful feat for you in every corner of every discovered realm. It would be an honour for me to join in on this excursion to this new world to continue my legacy." - Rufus Contralto, snared by a thieving stranger, location unknown - Rufus' throat felt hoarse and raspy after numerous unsuccessful attempts at drawing attention to himself. Whatever satchel he was inside was assuredly soundproof to someone of such small size, and he had been stationary in a leaning lava lamp for more than seven hours. Fake lava dribbled along the upper and lower sides in long streams of red, and Rufus, now cleaned of his waxy situation, floated in the middle, contemplating the unfairness of life. He was discovered, but not unveiled or released from his prison. He yearned for freedom, newness, and relief. Something stirred in the background, the ruffling of fabric catching Rufus' ear. It was faint, but Rufus was good at catching the sound of a buzzing fly or a squeaking rodent over the years of loneliness. Next came a loud yawn, then more shuffling, and several minutes of trickling water from a nearby cistern. Rufus knew where he was now. He had hints before, but did not know until now. He was in a bedroom, and the man outside, newly sprung from his bed, was cleaning up at a washbasin. The outsider continued his morning routine for close to ten minutes before he checked upon the contents of his bag. Rufus felt the entire assembly of the lava lamp roll, but this time he avoided every bit of the lava. "I know you can hear me! Let me out and I will reward you! A rub of thy fleshy palm on my confining prison is all I need!" Rufus shouted, looking up to where he supposed the man would be. A scoff sounded out. "Then I won't rub the prison You are no great use to me if I release you or you escape me." "You're making a mistake!" "No. I'm going to make a financial rise, and you're going to help me get there, so you just be comfy for a time and quit sounding like a gnat in my ear. Your new owner might enjoy it when I get a buyer." "No! NO!" continued Rufus, feeling the lava lamp incline again and fall gently into the bag once more. ~~~~~ It was not long after that the sounds of a marketplace could be heard from all directions, and the man's voice carried out above them all, selling his findings like a mountebank. "See the prizes I have inherited from my great uncle, an old soul whose belongings are of great antiquity and will bring you or a loved one back to one's youth! Alas, I have no more relations to whom to give these, but for a fine price I can give you what you have been searching for all your life! Come one, come all. I promise you, you won't find better goods than any of these lot! No offense, Carlotta, but your mirror and petty trinkets cannot compare, no sirree!" Aggressive, charismatic, and sly, this man could catch a customer and haggle them a petty trinket for an exorbitant price. He had a story for every piece, all lies, of course, and Rufus was the secret premium item. Not set out with the other merchandise and still stuck in the bag, Rufus waited for something to happen. The charlatan outside had sold a good number of goods and offered Rufus a couple of times to some wealthy patrons (or at least Rufus judged that from how they sniffed and spoke haughtily), but the lava lamp and the prized homunculus did not sell just yet. Maybe someone would find him. Maybe. ((Rufus is now in a marketplace anywhere in the Overworld. If anyone is available to find him, that would be fantastic, elsewise I can devise another character to send him to Queen Shiva's court or something.)) - Raiden, currently within his villa near Mystras with Alastor - Raiden tensed at the loud creak of the door's opening, his eyes launching toward the unexpected guest. He relaxed, however, when he realised it was simply Alastor, and a bored one at that. A chuckle escaped his throat as he greeted the newcomer with a hearty clap on the shoulder. "Alastor, my good man, so good to see you. I am glad you asked. Like you, I do not like sitting on my hands either, and this time I know of something, a . . . loose tie in my plans that threatens to unravel." Raiden's previous smile faded into a darker seriousness. "News has travelled to my ears about one of my foxchild spies in Queen Shiva's court dissenting from our cause. There is danger in this. He has recently come back and informed me of his worries, tail between his legs. Little escapes my eyes, as you know, and this man will blurt out everything he knows to the queen once he gets the chance. Our plans, movements, relations, our people--all can be foiled and destroyed by a flippant spy, which is why I must ask you to deal with him as you see fit. I would prefer that he remain alive and in custody, but I care not if he dies if you deem him unfit. "I ask you to keep this in utmost secrecy. I trust only you and myself with this knowledge. If you are interested in this task, I would assign you to it and throw in an extra reward for your efforts. What say you?" ((This spy will be an NPC and probably will have no real impact on the story. He'll be a foxchild, sort of like a kitsune of Japanese Yokai folklore or a shapeshifter spirit of Native American stories. You can take him over if you'd like, Scrap, or I can keep him so that Alastor and the foxchild could interact more prominently. At the risk of copying Raiden, what say you?))

Don't die on me yet, Scrap! Live! LIVE! But seriously now, posting soon-ish. This week has been a bit of a doozy.

Back-up! WHOO! He looks and sounds like an interesting character as well as a strange father figure, plus his name is Alastor, "The Avenger" in Greek. I like it immensely. While he does indeed sound powerful, maybe even rivalling full-blown Henry in a battle from the powers alone if put together on the battlefield, I kind of want to battle him via PM someday, if you don't mind too much. Dulce Cruz wants a go at him.

- Lord Raiden and Nihil, currently in Raiden's villa near Mystras - Within the reading study of the Ostian villa far on the outskirts of the city of Mystras sat Raiden, his legs crossed as he perused and compared a few maps of the Overworld. One was tattered on the edges, but rather well-kempt and unmarred by the test of time. The other was modern, revealing settlements and cities for the various tribes and peoples of their fair continent. So much has changed. The continent seemed to shrink as time went on, or maybe mapmaking had bettered as time went on, chiselling the world's borders with more accuracy. He grumbled and closed his eyes, trying his best to meditate on the best course of action. The brightness of the nearby lamplight dimmed as darkness enveloped and overtook the bulb, and the room fell into a black miasma. A fell existence wafted through the air, tangible and putrid. Raiden sighed and glanced forward, spying glowing slits of eyes and an equally glowing crescent moon of a smile just inches of his face. "You sound troubled, master. Does something ail you? Perhaps you can make use of me now?" said the apparition, its voice somewhere between an echo and a whisper. "Nothing that requires a wish, Nihil," Raiden spoke lowly, tossing his head to the left and staring into the distance. "Hum-m-m," thought the monstrosity aloud, its face tilting downwards toward the differing maps. "It looks as if you are preparing something. How exciting! May I be privy to more details?" "It is as we once discussed, Nihil, many years ago. You have a memory for those kinds of things." "Ah yes, the big plan you spoke of on the eve of the new year, Harrowmont 2274, if I am correct." Raiden's nose wrinkled at the thought as he stared at the sneering face. "Your liking for the old sense of time confuses me. Nobody uses that age system anymore, not even me." "Yet you revel in the past even though you harp on a golden future. And? How is the process?" "It is . . . reasonably well," Raiden uttered with a small smile. "He trusts me and I, partially, trust him. He may just be what we need for that golden future of which you speak, but a populace, as you know, handles change pitifully poorly." "I may be young in comparison to you, but I understand," wheezed the apparition. "In many ways we are alike, not only in thought but in body." "I a spectre and you a shadow. You made that attribution many times. You remember that as well as all else, yes?" "I do, your lordship, I do," it chuckled. "Very good," Raiden responded, lifting himself from the chair and placing the maps on the sidetable nearby. He knew the room so well over the past two hundred years. "Your counsel, as always, aids me, but I tire of conversation and need to prepare further. Thank you, Nihil. However, I must caution you again never to scare my servants. You must remain secret, or I shall wish with that one wish that you be destroyed. Is that clear?" "Crystal," it chuckled again, relinquishing the darkness as it withdrew from sight. "You'll always have me at your back and out of others' sight. It is my duty as your shadow." With a hiss, all returned as it once was. A library of books met the eye, and the dismal smog was completely gone. Raiden felt calm and oddly satisfied after talking with his pet. His mind was clear, and now he could establish contact again. Soon his aspirations will reach a summit, and the world will be forever changed for the better.

- Raleigh Marin, currently attending the King's feast - Things were starting to pick up more when Raleigh next glanced about from her place at the table, catching the bladed lady in the dress taking a glance in her direction. She was quite glad that her eyes were cloaked by the cowl, as her eyes were the only windows to the soul she had, however fragmented it may be. Glancing towards the king, she caught a glimpse of the not-so-friendly conversation with Draksis and Midnea. While she could not make out the words, every expression Draksis made carried underlying tension as he spoke to her. Making a sign to a nearby servant for another drink, she afterwards folded her hands. The plate in front of her was devoid of items except for bones, crumbs, and silverware, and her glass was embarrassingly empty. Now was as good a time as ever to eavesdrop, and Raleigh had good ears and eyes. If she caught wind of juicy information nearby, she would be sure to catch the rest of it. - Rufus Contralto, Genie of the Lava Lamp, whereabouts unknown - Rufus sighed deeply, bemoaning his fate as he endured a few more hours of boredom. Lately he entertained himself with a little bit of fire and ice magic, heating and cooling the entirety of the lava lamp so that the wax fell and rose all at once. Such trivial radial heat and lack thereof was the most he could do while tethered to this lava lamp, but it reminded him of when he was human . . . if he was human. It was such a curse to not remember correctly. No amount of eternal youth was worth the cost of losing his mind and his memory. The sound of snapping metal alerted him from his musings, and nearby scuffled footfalls broke the repetition of trudging stomps overhead. Someone was near. Someone was here. Rufus' heart leapt for joy within his chest for the first time in years. Hope has finally arrived. More clatter sounded out, and Rufus had a hard time finding out what the person, if it even was a person, was doing. Was it a cleaner for the first time in years? Was it a thief come to steal things? Was it an uproarious and curious child finding amusement in breaking and entering? Or was it a lord revisiting old memories? So many questions echoed in his head, but when his environment shifted he realised that the lava lamp caught the newcomer's eye. "SALVATION IS NIGH!" he cried out, elated. His view was limited to the only his glass, unable to see what was happening in the room around him, but he knew he could be seen. What happened next, however, he did not expect. A voice -- a male voice -- cried out in surprise as Rufus' world took a 540-degree spin and felt a sudden shock. Rufus slapped against the glass and felt the pressure of hot wax drool all over him and cold wax nuzzling happily against him. Chilling the entirety of the wax helped minorly, but he looked like a melting Stay Puft Marshmallow Man after he got out of the situation. "Wherefore did you drop my house?!" he shouted at the faceless person outside, looking up at what was currently the ceiling. "An apology would be much appreciated." "Uh . . . sorry?" "You'd better be," Rufus pouted. "What manner of creature are you? Are you a ghost? A dwarf? A homunculus?" spoke on the voice, starting to get more in touch with the situation. "A silly set of questions," snorted Rufus. "Well, except that last one. You're pretty correct there, but it's not entirely true." "That's all right in my book," said the outsider, gripping the lamp anew and setting it upright. Rufus heard the rustling sound of cloth soon afterward. "What manner of creature are you to be so scholarly?" Rufus asked with a look of skepticism at the one-way glass. "Soon to be a rich one. You'll fetch a nice price, little homunculus," was the outsider's answer, and Rufus' glass was toppled anew to gingerly be set inside a bag. "Wait! WAIT!" Rufus cried out, but it was fruitless. He tried screaming his lungs out, but it did not carry through the fabric or reached deaf ears. The contents of the lamp swayed this way and that, and Rufus felt very much lost at sea in his own home for several hours. ((I will post for Raiden and a new character soon, mark my words, *wink*.))

You've a good point right there, mate, regarding Pyro Town. That heavily explains why nobody has posted anything in response, *sheepish grin*. I'll try to make a challenging trainer to contest against Noirtier once I am able to get another post onto the site. Also, I apologise in advance for my poor Pokémon battling. It has been so long since I've done a roleplay like this.

I know! Isn't it awesome? The guy spent some quality time making this, and I say that in certainty. As for Rabiyu, I think I can throw in an inventor/metalworker character for all sorts of monetary engagements with Rabiyu. Lastly, in terms of Rufus, I have an idea that just might work. Fingers crossed, everyone!

An interrogative statement for all of the Valour-ites out there: if anyone is stationed in Pyro Town, I'd love to start a battle with him or her, maybe even engage in a doubles battle with Noirtier and two others. If you are interested, please let me know! As for Quinirus and Jynn, this ought to be really fun. The two leaders of the two teams have already met and might even duke it out!

No worries at all, mate; I too was delayed. However, that artwork for your character is phenomenal and well worth the wait, I daresay! I wish I can flesh out my characters via pictures, but I can only do feeble sketch artwork. Regarding Rufus, hmm, I like both ideas and am torn. However, that's what Random.org is for, right? [[Five results for 1=Raiden and 2=Rabiyu: 1, 2, 1, 1, 1. ]] Huh, I guess that settles that. Thank you for the idea, however, The Unversed; I appreciate it. =)

Hello there! Right now the balance is leaning more towards mythology than humanity. There are 13 fey and 10 humans on the character roster (please see the main roleplay's original post for more details), and the Underworld's royal feast at Sonderon is in need of one or two additional characters to join the party. However, if you are more interested in powers and mythos, let nothing stop you from finding a place in the Overworld as a Fey. Good to see you on board, Daniel, and may you have a great time with all of us.

- Raleigh Marin, Senior Sister of Assassins, attending the feast within the castle of King Alderon - Beneath a red spider-silk cowl deep within the crowd brooded Raleigh with folded hands resting beneath her chin. Her eyes for much of the feast were fixated onto the strange foreign creature that sat across from her at the table. This fey, this Helios, was very much an interesting sight, and not at all afraid to get in trouble if he lobbed food into a guard's face. Seeing the guard turn purple in frustration brought forth a rare chuckle from her throat, though there was nothing he could do but pitch a fit, even if he did know who tossed the gravy at him. Breaking away to see what else was going on, she scouted the table for others both old and new. Draksis, the old codger, was still standing and ensuring the king's safety, and his private guard suite was equally alert. Highborns aplenty sat at the table, more of a decoration than necessary. An amateur tactician boasted tales of pillage and plunder to unwitting youngsters and available women. Some newcomers arrived at the entrance, mysterious but cleared for the meal. The young one among the newcomers derived the most interest from her, but why she did not know. Even if it was too far away, she sensed something was strangely off about that one. Maybe he or she would start something, and to be honest Raleigh welcomed the thought. Such action would be rewarded with a swift reaction from her, and she would in turn be healthily rewarded for taking care of the matter. Keeping everything in mind, she returned to her meal, first reaching for her tumbler of wine and pouring a concoction of poisons inside her own glass. It was nothing too harmful, at least for her, and she swallowed the glass' contents in several gulps. It always pays to be prepared, especially when you are as distrustful as Raleigh was. - Rufus Contralto, Genie of the Lava Lamp, currently housed in his lava lamp somewhere in the Overworld - "One potato, two potato, three potato, chicken, Four potato, five potato, good for finger lickin', Six potato, seven potato, eight potato, gravy, Nine potato, ten potato, just give me somethin' savoury. "No, no, that's not right at all," Rufus muttered, strolling through the water as a lava bubble passed upward where he once was sitting. His was a life of constant movement, avoiding the hot wax as it rose from the base and the cooler wax as well as it drifted back home. Such was his life for sixty years when he was forgotten or cast away -- he did not remember which -- and sixty years does a lot to a man, let alone eight hundred. No, he was a djinni. Or was he a man? It was a holey memory for a holey individual, and while he was assured that he had a human life before he was enslaved to this lamp he was equally ensured that he was always tasked to a life as a djinni and always will be a djinni. No, no, he was human. How would he have remembered the taste of chicken or potatoes? His crew? His different magic? His adventures? Or was that all his imagination? Such was so difficult to discern. He had so many dreams taking him away from this monotonous prison that he could not remember what was real. "No, no, hush, Rufus! Listen!" he said to himself, hearing incoming footfalls before they started trailing off. He murmured in disappointment and started walking past a descending bubble of imitation lava. "You'll get out of here, ol' chap. You'll be free someday, and you'll have fun again. Yes, fun'll be nice."

I feel like striking face and palm together at present. =P That's entirely correct right there, and with a name like Bad Bad the evildoer there's no telling what can be a worse title to bestow upon an RPG character . . . except for Uncle Save whose sole purpose was to save your game. I guess, however, that this is all a matter of opinion. Now, regarding Rufus, I think I am going to wait upon his introduction until someone finds him, or maybe someone knocks something over and out of it pops the 70's relic (the lava lamp). If nobody finds him, I'll make a character that will make use of Rufus Bartimaeus-style. I love your idea of a post dictating his exact location, however. That's a good choice as well and has some potentials for intrigue. I'm thinking about a grumpy fey shopkeeper haggling over an unknown device with a power cord it does not need for five to ten coins.

- Noirtier Bonheur - Noirtier blinked as well, smiling at Kai's hardy response. The kid certainly had gusto, that was certain, and Noirtier felt that he picked an excellent rival. He was, however, taken aback when he heard the mentioning of "Q," something he caught quite often when Kai talked about Quinirus, and he looked at the disguised leader in surprise and interest. Yes indeed, from the height to the mannerisms to his speech pattern, that was Quinirus, but it took a lot of concentration to strip the mask from the man mentally. Shortly thereafter, Quinirus answered an emergency call and took off with the unveiling of his prized Noivern, rushing towards Maelstrom Cave with all haste, and the company was left with only Kai and Noirtier as its commanding officers. Noirtier turned toward the assembly, shielding his eyes from a flurry of sand and tried the best motivational speech he had practiced. Granted, it was his only one he practiced, but he hoped it would work nicely. "All right, you lot, gather round 'cause I'm only going to say it once. Beyond the horizon of this scape lies victory. Pyro Town will fall to our might, and through our control will this land flourish as greatly as Team Yami will, but I do not want anyone breaking the code of conduct. You are men and women I have watched blossom into who you are today, and I intend to make you stronger, better individuals yet that will exceed even my position. Prove the greatness of your effort on the field of battle, share the ecstasy of victory alongside me, and know we shall make this world a better place! "Battle plans I shall leave to Kai for the most part, but I will scout ahead of the team and survey the town from above." With that, his hand went to his belt and withdrew his Skarmory's Pokeball, unleashing it soon after close by. With a powerful bellow, Gervais stretched his wings and leaned his head towards his master. Noirtier stroked the rounded bill of its beak with fondness. "Gervais and I will take on any potential great threats in this town, preventing them from assisting in fighting you all. Good luck, you all." With a smile and a nod, Noirtier rushed onto his Skarmory's back and, together, ascended into the sky through a billow of sand. Since they were about halfway already, it was going to be an easy flight and almost just as easy of a walk to get to the contested town.

Funnily enough, Pracia reminds me greatly about a lovely game called Secret of the Stars on the Super Nintendo where a town is turned into dogs by Bad Bad the evildoer (no joke, this is his name). Thank goodness this has better English than that horrible translation, and enough plot to write over that game's plot ten times over. I'm really interested in seeing what will happen with a dog royal, a castaway fey, and a Zanzia walking a magicless landscape. Also, hoo boy, Henry and Draksis? You like your heavily armoured swordswingers, don't you, Scrap? =P It's nice to see Henry come back from Tainted-Blood/Ashes, newly reborn as a renegade escapee test subject. Too bad Rufus could not share his fate, instead being trapped in endlessly rising and falling bubbles of waxy lava. As much as I love the concept of HP/MP and rolls of the dice, being an avid D&D fan, I think there would be a lot involved and an honor system or a random number generator for dice rolling would have to be put in as a check and balance for everything. For this site, it might be best for the RP to be freeform or a healthy mix of freeform and RPG. I wanted to get this out there: I really love the character roster you made, The Unversed. You leave no stone unturned to get its collective information, and that is highly worthy of applause. *salutes*. The map looks amazing as well, by the bye, MA! Many kudos are in order for your making it; I love the city names and nations, especially.

*eats cookies in the meantime*.

I'm game as well, I daresay, and would love to participate in this roleplay! Time to create a new character and maybe a recurring one as well, *wink*. ~~~~~ Name: Raleigh Marin. Gender: Female. Race: Human. Age: 31. Appearance: With dark eyes sparkling with intelligence, an ebon ponytail with a silver tie-back, razor-sharp and bony features, whiter-than-white teeth, and olive skin, this sister of the night is dressed to kill. With an elegant robe over tightly wound body armour made of paper and fabric, she has fooled many and killed just as much. She is as lithe as she is agile, and rarely has she been outrun. Magic (if any): N/A Weapons: A shamshir (curved saber with an oppositely curving handle) for bladed combat, as well as numbing poison for the blade. A small crossbow is used for assassination from afar, and a thin dagger lies within the handle for close-range takedowns. ((For the war between Mystras and Kilkes Seres, her crossbow was removed for a magical longbow that befitted her family history of archery. The enchanted yew slings arrows twice as far and twice as fast, and the string resonates with a beautiful twang similar to a hum. Nocking the arrows stays as slow and methodical as it usually does, however.)) Personality: Raleigh has traded so many personalities she no longer remembers what her original one was. She is flippant and oily in her dealings, and has a code of conduct to not kill unless she is contracted and paid to do so . . . or if she has a personal grudge against them, but that's another matter. Love and human decency is long gone from this one, replaced with cold-hearted cynicism. Biography: Raleigh was not always the murderess she is today. Long ago she was little more than weak prey, but she is determined to be a ferocious predator. As such, she hates things being out of her control, and violently reacts in order to remain in control. Scraps of information tells that she was born in unholy matrimony between a lord and a lady vassal and cursed by the fae above, but while she is an illegitimate daughter she was truly only cursed by her own errant mind. Currently she is a lordless sellsword, paid to kill enemies of King Alderon, and as long as she gets her coin she would not have it any other way. ~~~~~ Name: Rufus Contralto. Gender: Male. Race: Fey, Genie of the Lavalamp. Age: 837. Appearance: Magic (if any): Wishes and anti-magic. Rufus gives people exactly what they wish for, unlike other genies that twist the gift of magic against them, but only one free wish is granted whereas more require great sacrifice, personal or otherwise. Antimagic is used against fey and otherworldly magic, cancelling powers to a degree unless the magic user is more powerful than he is. Weapons: Essentially ethereal, Rufus has no weapons other than his magic and his crazed ravings. He can annoy, but that's all of which he is capable physically. Personality: The years have not been kind to his addlebrained self, his desire for food ravenous now that he is unable to eat and his desire for freedom insatiable. He is aloof, entirely foolish, and yet beyond kind. He still retains some trickery and memory of his past life as a man, but hundreds of years leaves the past extremely fuzzy, and he often questions the truth of it all. Biography: Previously an addled man who won magical power through a warlock, Rufus has travelled many a location by worldjumping through slipspace. After three switches of worlds, all populated by humans and other races, he met a not so kindly hippie fey and was transformed into a djinni, ensnared within a magically sustained lamp that would not break except under great duress. He has met multiple masters that abused his wishes and now lies forgotten somewhere in the Overworld, waiting to be freed from his prison. [EDIT: Changed the appearance of Rufus. This one's for you, Scrap!]

I cannot wait to get in on the action and join the battlefront. I have little to no experience in Pokemon battles except within the games, but it'll be fun seeing people's styles. Also, I'm loving that Lucario and Garchomp action. Very interesting tactics lying in wait there.

- Noirtier Bonheur - Noirtier was admittedly a little taken aback by Kai's brash and fiery response, sinking into a mental slump as he thought more and more on it, but as the disguised Quinirus worked on his phone call things Kai continued talking with him. Things made much more sense now that he got to know a little more about Kai's background, and it baffled him that he did not know his home town before. Then again, they were not very communicative beyond mild jabs and competition, something he might have to work on. They've been rivals for a while now, but what is the harm in being pals too? Noirtier wondered about that. "You'll always be mushy in my eyes, friend," Noirtier commented after a short pause, grinning mischievously equally as long before the expression faded. "But seriously, Kai, that's . . . tough. It isn't right to conquer your home for any cause. I know I wouldn't feel right about it myself. That's why I ask you this: how about you sit out on battles against people you recognise, maybe avoid them entirely? Seeing them would only worsen your feelings there." He scratched the back of his head in disgruntlement, letting out a groan, and brought his monologue down to a hushed whisper only Kai and the Vaporeon would hear. Thankfully their pace slowed so that they were the last of the group, and barely out of earshot. "Between you and me and the floorboards, I never liked this part of the job -- taking territory, I mean. I never cared for this team or its goals and could care less whether they win or lose, but I want my parents happy in the end. You may have your own reasons or you may not, but if it'll help you I'll conquer Pyro Town in your stead and be gentle about it." ((To save them both face, Noirtier is thinking about taking lead on the sly and saving Kai from disastrous broken bonds with people he knows. ))

((Quinirus is like everyone's dream boss. =P He's amiable, remembers names, is determined and has fixated goals, and is overall a pretty laughable guy. As for the lateness of this reply, a thousand apologies are necessary. On my end there is so . . . much . . . craziness.)) Noirtier Bourheur Noirtier maintained a huge grin as Kai delivered his retort, though it waned a little as Kai went into the grits of the assignment. He always hated to be portrayed as the bad guy, taking territory so that Team Yami would be more fruitful in its endeavours, but as the saying went, "Whatever will be, will be." "Sounds exciting enough," he replied, using frothy enthusiasm in his voice that he honestly did not have before realising that he was being stared at by knee-height, starry black eyes. At least his newly formed smile was genuine. He liked Vaporeons, the Eeveelutions reminding him of his old home and travels in Johto, and this Vaporeon visibly had a strong tie with his trainer, much like his neighbor Elly's Espeon and Glaceon. His mind snapped back to reality very soon, however, upon seeing his boss and team leader trudging down the hall to meet up with them, entirely undistinguishable with his muffled voice and face-length gas mask. Noirtier looked at the happy fellow with abundant confusion and gave him a equally befuddled wave as if he were a fellow underling. "That your friend, Kai?" he asked in a hushed whisper, walking alongside the man and his bouncing Vaporeon. "He seems cheerful enough."

((Phew, time to catch up on matters here. Apologies for my absence; many things, too many things, are in my path to dominate the world through roleplaying, but I am here now and ready to score my future position as ruler of the earth. But seriously now, here I go!)) Noirtier, caught a little unawares as Kai engaged him in conversation, snapped free from a series of deep thoughts and glanced up at the young man, as well as the battle-hardened Vaporeon bounding alongside him. A smile encroached the sides of his mouth, partially at the Pokemon but mostly due to Kai's wording. "Grab me for a mission, eh?" he asked with a light chuckle, taking off his Team Yami cap a brief moment to sweep a hand through his hair. "Surely a little excitement lies with this mission if we both are going on it. What's the objective? Does this have anything to do with the assembly you almost missed?" Noirtier offered a playful grin at Kai, the comment intended in every way to be light-hearted and conversational. In many ways, Kai was a friendly rival, and Noirtier would poke fun at him every now and again as a result. Still, the two were equals in terms of rank, and he kept his professional air up for him as a result. One can never be too professional in his eyes.

That sounds great to me! If you can use a character death, use it. Also, thank you for your words, all, and best of wishes in this RP and beyond!