Vaude

Very nice! I can highly recommend all three of these individual roleplayers. Their characters are fantastic. I am glad to see that my advice was taken as well as it did, so I thank you there! The Sages of Darkness sound like pretty cool villains, and I like how they are going to be implemented. Depending on how difficult it is to keep as many characters as you have, I would be happy to assist with maintaining the villains and some NPCs if desired and if I have the time to pour into the RP. In regards to the separation of the roleplay parts, caution is advised in doing so. In one of the roleplays I hosted on another site (RPOL, specifically), I separated things into three groups in an effort to reunite them and things slowed down to the point that people left and I had to fill the void. I know all of us as folks who very rarely leave without cause, but I do not wish to doom you to a similar result or a repeat of my past mistakes without proper warning.

Thank you kindly, and that sounds good to me! I'm not sure what the best plan would be for starting the plot out, but an initial gathering is usually a good starting point for characters to meet, if not state that everybody knew of each other and are running into each other again on a commonly shared quest or a set of quests. Do you have a planned plot? Maybe a bare-bones outline? If so, I would love to see some of what you have so that I can better find a good fit for the initial conflict. I hope this helps!

I hope this is acceptable. Let me know if I can do anything to change things for the better. -- -- -- -- -- Name: Ravia Polvo, no preferred nickname Race: Human Age: 17 if young setting, 35 if older Height: 5' 3" Weight: 140 lbs Personality: A quiet, sheltered young woman searching for some way to express her spirited self, Ravia is shy, always willing to try something at least once, and has a few books packed away in every place not filled in her knapsack. By the age of sixteen (16), she found books about weaving and bead art, and has developed some interest in the crafts, especially using her ability to use fire for something creative. She is not the type that would have many friends, just a choice few and the rest are docked as fellows or aquaintances or masters. Her choices are often based out of selflessness, though she harbours a self-awareness that is easily riled up, and when that happens she goes quiet. Appearance: With a red mane cropped short, a particular fondness for beads as decoration, and striking green eyes, Ravia has a way of sticking out of the crowd and attracting attention, more so when getting into her love for making fire spells elegant. Her wardrobe is kept simple in an abundance of greens, blues, and whites (except with using beads as accents), a unique set of red and gold gloves that add to her fire acts, and a fine silver necklace with a square, polished, and green soapstone entrapped by equally fine metal. Her face is youthful, spry, and openly shows interest in adventure. History: Ravia was born to a poorer family that adored books on a lesser world that she does not often talk about. Her master showed some interest in her strong heart and determined will, which she honed alongside her arcane, mental, and physical studies. She has a keen interest in the elements, especially water and fire, and she holds some promise in support magics. Her Keyblade, Undulating Waters, is a testament to her flowing creativity and changing methods. Keyblades: Undulating Waters -- a Keyblade that tends to be constantly wet and reverberates to give bladed opponents a disadvantage when locking swords with her. It is shaped with a standard hilt with a circular guard, with a wavy shaft that ends in two square notches taking up the last half of the weapon. Clunky in combat but easy to swing, it is more meant for casting magic than attacking. Oracle -- this form is focused on bouncing between being physically aggressive and slipping away from combat to perform magical feats. Its body is slim, sharp, built for speed and not power, and hued a fine red, with a series of three ornamental white gems embedded on either side of the blade of the weapon.

Let me be among the first to say welcome to Kingdom Hearts 13, and maybe the first to say welcome to the roleplay section! This roleplay looks well thought out, or at least malleable and able to conform to the party, both things that I appreciate. I think you will be a great fit here. I am interested in this roleplay idea, though I have a rather full plate with real-life work and obligations. I will attempt to join once I secure the time to invest in this. Nice work, and I hope others will be up to joining as well!

By ultimates, do you mean signature moves? That is fine and dandy to me. Using your powers in very interesting ways is one of the main reasons why I compiled the list of powers to begin with! There are so many possibilities and combinations that can be done, and please feel welcome to experiment as best as you can. As an important footnote, if you think that this might be overpowered against players in an arena match, please consult me via PM or some other manner. Thanks, all.

- Rufus Contralto - Rufus found himself daydreaming about boneless chicken wings, chicken stirfry, and stuffed chicken parmigiana with ample amounts of herbs and spices before being dragged back to the present with a loud (and only heard by him) explosion as his thought bubble went POP! He heard what the others spoke of and turned towards the human Henry, blinking in surprise. It baffled him, but he had to respect the man. In doing this, Henry gave Rufus a chance to truly live, to be human again, without the limitations surrounding a being once controlled by a lamp. He did not feel anything different, but in a show of gratitude he rushed the man with wide-open arms. "My man!" he shouted as he came near, eyes closed and bawling before passing through him and everyone near him in an attempt to hug him. Realising that he failed once again, he cursed his intangibility and turned around, saying further, "Thank you, good sir. You gave me a chance to live a normal life with your world's version of an oblation, and I will remember this . . . well, for as long as I am able." - Odin - The one-eyed man watched as the Helios and Jynn unraveled from him, and further watched the cacophony of crazed inviduals who loudly bewailed the death of someone they either barely knew or did not know at all. Even Jynn was driven to sadness about the death of one person who played part on the sidelines. He did not think too much on the negative repercussions of his sacrifice as much as the positives: he, Odin, would be getting his wisdom back, and that set well with him. He waited with composition as he was returned what he had lost, feeling the comfort of the garnered knowledge and wisdom of untold lifespans being passed back to him. A smile encroached his lips before he dropped all expression. Henry gave back what he considered most precious, a provision he would think back upon for many years as a noble and selfless sacrifice for the greater good of all, especially for himself.

- Aquafolk Village - The commander general listened carefully as Henry spoke, arms folded over his chest, helmet dangling from one of his hands. Much of what he said made sense, though some things did not -- and he looked at the man incredulously with a raised eyebrow at the ancient dragon comment -- but he curbed his tongue until the end when drink was proposed. "I suppose I have enough time for a short act of imbibing," he voiced with a smirk, "and I know just the person who can dole out the right drinks for the task, though it seems one of your spirits found him first." He deigned to lead them in the direction of Salamander and the distributor, catching the fact that the man gave her a glassful of some sort of smoky liquid with a smile before moving on and continuing to open up a few extra casks and bottles. "A few cupfuls of your strongest, Illsley." "Coming right up, Briggs," came an answer from behind the counter, the distributor not even needing to look up at the man to recognise him. The man looked at Henry up and down before gathering some glasses from a small table next to the wine casks, pouring them half-full with sambuca. He offered them to the two, which the commander-general took with thanks and in turn offered to Henry. "I hope you don't mind if I continue our conversation even while we drink. Once we reconnect with the border forces, which should be soon, we will storm the villages infested with the undead and clear them out. No further help is needed from the Haven, though I welcome your desire to assist. I don't often see that of hired blades. To you of the Haven." With a raise of the glass, he drank half the cup with one mouthful, the taste of anise flowing past his tongue with an intoxicating flair. - Pang - The Zouyu started as he glanced up from the depths of his thoughts, but finding out that it was Ceres who was nearby calmed him as readily as he was roused. He sagged back into his seat on the bleachers, one meaty hand folded on top of the other as his eyes focused elsewhere than the fight happening in the background. The Jun twins continued sparring, their minds locked on combat and not straying. "Sure," he replied weakly, giving a pause before he looked over to Ceres. He caught the expression and found that the strong expression she held on her face helped him to continue. "All I say is just speculation on my part over the entire course of my being here, but I haven't a shred of proof to back it up. Since I heard of the Twenty-one Day Rule, I wondered where the people who overstayed the limit went. Perhaps they went back to their homes, or perhaps they went off to a sanctioned place where they can live almost as comfortably as we do. Perhaps they simply die, discarded in an unfit dimension or a place where death is certain. What Aprameia said to me, however, leaves me wondering if any of these are even the case at all. "She mentioned a man with long fingers and thin glasses, nameless but that is not saying much. The time gap between her removal of Haven and now is considerable enough. I'd say . . . a year and a half at the most. Was she picked up and turned sometime between the two, or when she left? Was she experimented on by a horrible man who controlled her like a puppet as soon as she exited Haven?" His hands clenched hard, nails subconsciously cutting into skin as he continued to ponder aloud. His eyes looked away from his friend now, glittering with anger. His ears teetered behind him, locked by a cocktail of negative emotions. "These are my thoughts, Ceres. They are like poison on my mind, and I don't have the answers. Plus . . . now she is dead. Dead! By my hand! How can I live with myself, knowing that my hands are stained by the lifeblood of someone I cared about?" - Hogarth and Uzumeashy - The chef's blush burned hotter upon hearing Rhiannon's comment, though it was entirely lost to Hogarth from the distance and his interest in the toast appetizer. As Hektor, Reksis, his Ghost, and Rhiannon bantered on, he laughed and leaned back into his seat. "No need to worry about tea because Rhiannon is quite correct. I will place an order for a tea sample. We have a fair selection, though I will be honest in that I only have a taste for one. This way you can sample at your leisure and nobody can be dubbed a liar." With a few presses of buttons on the automated screen embedded within the table, the order zipped off and was received by the kitchen staff. "I would say from how you handled yourselves that I have no problems with your getting bigger quests, though there is safety in numbers, so do not hesitate on gathering Rhiannon or myself for missions, as well as others. Retrieving these ingredients, however, has provided a lot of help, and I thank you for your assistance. I only wish that claiming them was easier. Accursed triffids. My ears and metal reserves will feel the dent of their shrieking and persistence." With that, he let the conversations drift on, Rhiannon spurring dialogue magnificently with questions of Hektor's past and Reksis' passage, and returned to his crostini. ((I have nothing for Winnie just now and do not want to interject her with others' conversations when it can blossom, so I'll leave her out like other times. Nice work on your posts, everyone!))

Everything looks all right in my book. I like how you have incorporated a defense-down power via void energy. Whether this is new or set in stone, I do not know, but it will be useful in time. Nice work!

- Aquafolk Village Festivities - The commander general raised an eyebrow at the display of all the Aristotle elements' holders of power showing up from behind Henry. This man was an elementalist, apparently, and a powerful one to harbour all four spirits. A smile soon encroached his features upon seeing them split up in order to enjoy the festivities. Meeting an elementalist or their elementals were both rare circumstances on this world. The Aquafolk was taciturn as Henry continued on, glancing at the man for a short while before breaking eye contact and looking at the festivities. Things were going along quite nicely, with some vendors rolling out casks of wine and liquor of sizable volume with the aid of wind magic. Venison and lamb was being gathered for those who desired meat, and many forms of produce were brought out from people's houses as donations. A few grand tables, multiple jumbled chairs, and several controlled fires were thrown into the square, allowing for the cooking of various dishes. "This attack was the third on this village alone," he voiced, taking off his helmet to stroke his angular beard, a habit of his. "However, two other villages fell before this one. Many of the undead came from those villages. I saw among them friends, family, and even some political enemies. It is not an easy choice, to chop down someone you knew. Anyways, all of the villages, including this one, were attacked from within our nation, not outside of it. With our border police scattered on the boundary of our fair country, we had to rely chiefly on militia. There may be a lead there in the heartlands, but I doubt this is so. You Haven folk teleport often enough. I wouldn't doubt it if Aprameia did the same after being with whoever turned her, if not herself." With an furious expression, he spat on the ground, hating all thought of this. Nevertheless, he continued. "I will not say that the Aquafolk Alliance does not have enemies, but this is an odd threat. I recognised a few of the cries from the enemy. Fitzjerome was from another nation to the north, that of the dragonkin, and Yilwach from the southeast feudal kingdoms. Both had tales whispered of these walking corpses and their sepultures. Whoever is behind this took the time to gather these two undead and attack us one city at a time." -- -- -- Over by Salamander, the Aquafolk man in charge grinned at the young firebrand of a lady and popped open the seal on a cask with hands thick with muscle. "A small variety tonight due to the quickness of things, but all of them are good. We have a sweet and bitter waterberry wine from five years ago, amaretto flavoured by peach stones, and sambuca, a liqueur distilled from anise and my personal favourite. There's also some non-alcoholic beverages available, but we are limited to waterberry juice and milk at the moment." He looked at Salamander questionably, then shook his head. "Normally I'd ask your age, but since you're one of the protectors of the town I'll let age restrictions for serving alcohol slide this time. What'll it be?" -- -- -- The revelry exploded a little more and more by the minute, more people joining in and starting up songs around the fires as they cooked up some delicious foods. Dishes were being provided to the main tables, and the first round of beverages were being poured into goblets. If people wanted to converse over a meal, now was a very good chance to do so. One serving girl brushed next to Kolm and Galla to pour each of them a glass. She gave Kolm a lingering glance before moving on to the next two individuals. ~~ ~~ ~~ - Hogarth - The bushy-haired individual glanced up from a number of White Heart desserts he desired to plop in his mouth and swallowed a mouthful harshly. His arm did the talking for him as he waved avidly at Rhiannon until he could get said mouthful all the way down his gullet. "Howdy, Rhi!" he voiced finally. "The others will be along shortly and are probably getting ready for our little tea party. At least, I hope. I did not give them much direction as to where they are free to teleport, but they'll find their way here eventually. As for Pang, he may be a while. Nothing happened to the others, but something weighs on his mind. "Care to have an hors d'oeuvre or two? They are quite delectable." "Why, thank you!" cried out the resplendent and bubbly Uzumeashy from beside him, one hand holding a crutch to support her and the other holding a tray of Plutia Surprise. Her blue-haired head tilted in elation. "As an aspiring master chef, it pleases me without measure to see people enjoy my food and gives me motivation to do better! I hope this next one will be great too!" With that, she deposited the tray on the table and took off the metallic food cover, allowing a marvelous amount of steam to fly out from beneath it and revealing a bowl of some mixture and slices of toasted bread. The food smelled delicious to Hogarth's nostrils. "I am certain of this as well! Thanks again, Berybrillo--" "That's Uzumeashy to you, at least in the kitchen," she answered, cutting him off with a warning glare. "I've reputations to keep, so no using my real name, capisce?" "Understood," he voiced quietly, "though I don't know why you don't like that name. It suits you better. Thanks for the crostini!" "Then you're welcome! Enjoy, you two, or three, as I'm seeing," she continued, looking over to find the dapper Hektor coming through the door of the cafeteria. She trudged off on her crutch back to the kitchen, trying to hide the childish flush of her cheeks. "Ah! Hektor!" Hogarth called out. "Pull up a chair and have at some food. I hope you found this place all right." - Pang - Within the arena in a quiet section of the bleachers, Pang interspersedly watched the fight going on and perused his own thoughts. He could not find a way to wind down after the events in the Aquafolk village, nor could he shake the thought of breaking the phylactery, Aprameia's last tether to life. It took great effort, but he prevented himself from crying. Instead, he focused at the arena match between two marvelous close-ranged combatants, twins both, who locked hand and foot in a seemingly endless dance. The Jun twins, a young man named Hom and young woman named Bu of about twenty-five years of age, were new additions to the Haven, coming to the location about ten months ago, and they were certainly impressive. A lifetime of martial arts gave them more skills than even he had learned, though they had no magical prowess whatsoever. That did not stop them from endlessly honing their own bodies, however, and the mental link between the two gave them the ability to train for countless hours without injury or surprises, bolstering their training further. None within the arena noticed Ceres come in, but Pang would certainly welcome her company.

((Sorry for the swift posting; here is another half-post to conclude things with Odin.)) - Odin - Odin could not help but smirk at Helios' blasphemous remarks and tired threats, curious to see if his words will bring down divine judgement sooner or later, as well as being fully confident in his own abilities to strike faster than others can react. However, he was reluctant to do anything but stay his hand. Thousands of years of life did him service as he shelved his irritation and focused on the more important information from both Helios and Mariel. It seemed that he had enacted his plan and things went horribly awry, and this confirmation from three individuals of varying loyalties affirmed the situation. "I see," he sighed, relaxing his muscles. "My intentions were for the greater good. However, without my garnered wisdom to guide them, thanks to that demanding fell white being, all attempts to change the world's path this way will fail. I"--he stiffened again militarily and breathed out a laboured breath--"concede, and leave the wishing to you." It was a sizable pill to swallow, the accumulated experience from dozens of years of meticulous weavings of ideas being tossed aside, but swallow it he did. He did not know what would happen to the Source after the wish had been fully decided upon and made, but it would likely take centuries or millennia before a chance like this existed again, should he ever decide to follow this path again with more potent planning. While he had a long natural life ahead of him, that was far too long to watch a flawed world destroy itself. As the Source spoke, he gazed on towards it, then to Henry, on whom it seemed to focus its attention. What did the adamant human want that the Source identified? He himself did not know, and he onlooked through his snaky binds.

Odin vs. Helios, spliced edition!

((Half-post time to push things along in a positive manner.)) - Odin - The one-eyed man glared at Jynn back, his look becoming more and more quizzical as time went on. The story seemed entirely far-fetched to him, ludicrous, even, but if everyone else had targeted him then it probably meant that it was the truth, or that it was for some other manner. Furthermore, they spoke of his thought of giving the worlds a new start in favour of a new utopian society, a secret idea that he never told anyone, and one that crossed his mind when he took into consideration the Source of All Life. Could it be that this was so, that this future gone haywire actually happened? Looking over to Mariel, speculation written all over his face, he voiced, "Mariel, is what the prince is saying true about this . . . alternate me?" Next, he waited expectantly, almost assured of the answer.

- Odin, quite possibly the shortest post I've ever made - Odin wrestled with Helios, fighting to get free while keeping his hands from attempting to cut down the group of traitorous individuals that dared to jump him in a unified manner. If it were not for the words of Mariel that rang in his ears, he may have continued his efforts of dislodging himself, but the phrase he often heard from his senior, friend, and mentor all in one clung to him. He wrinkled his nose, finding the rebuke repugnant, but there was some truth to her words, he felt. Something was off, very off, and he wondered if it was not because of Yevgeni after all. What if, for whatever reason, they were correct? The trip and afterwards clobbering to his neck was unnecessary, but he suffered it anyways, probably because Helios was coiled around his neck like a beautiful scaly scarf and blocked the blow well enough. Quite irritated by Soren, and having more than his fill of annoyance, he snarled, "ENOUGH! Explain what is going on, or I will fight back against your cowardice. Imagining I would challenge this unified wish is a foolish mistake, so leave me be."

A drunk Gnome and Undine? This has potential to be very hilarious. I am for this! As for reveals, mostly it is filler/character-development stuff, with some potential for plot information (I am still working out the kinks for the main plotline). It could prove good for all involved as long as people like going at a slow pace for now with more character development. The only penalty is that the two groups will be separated until everyone reconvenes at the Haven. If this is fine, how about we go with this plan, then? I look forward to seeing more about everyone's characters.

Good choices of powers, you two, and no worries for a delay in obtaining these new powers, MA. Everybody's lives are filled with busyness as of late, yours especially. So, what is everyone's opinion on the meal and celebratory feast? I would be happy to extend it until things slow down and then cut to a time where there is a next mission. The arena is open too, allowing for people to test their new and old powers and skills against each other. 1v1, 2v2, 1v2, or an all-out brawl -- we can set up a small competition if so desired.

All responses are ayes thus far, which I am liking! I forget where we are, but I will attempt a post tonight.

I would be willing to press forward. I miss this roleplay and my beloved Loft, plus I really, really want to integrate a scene that has been floating through my head for a while.

- Yilwach - Yilwach continued along his directed path, unwitting that he was going to be taken down by his own diversion and the clever implementations of Ceres for using it. He was entirely caught off guard as the barrier-enhanced sword slashed into him with devastating potential, cleaving through the armour aruond his chest and undead body like tissue paper. Following that, he fell to the ground, both halves of his body being incinerated by the positive magic, his final thoughts being of regret. "I could have been . . . truly . . ." was all he said before his jaw and later his head turned to ash, never to grace the multiverse again. - Winona and the Aquafolk General - The gravity artisan breathed a relieved sigh when she witnessed the death of the last unnatural subordinate fell instead of fleeing, Ceres handling the situation with absolute ease. It impressed her how she could keep her cool like that, and it was that impression that made her a perfect rival to beat one day. She grinned wildly at the thought, enjoying the thought of yet another friendly rivalry she was going to end up on top eventually. A moment of clarity occurred to her, and she glanced back at Galla, who did not seem to be able to move from the same position since last time from either wounds or lethargy. The girl was under attention of Kolm and Henry, and after some healing magics were cast upon the girl Henry seemed to pick her up, the two men of the three fully capable of helping Galla out. While this course of action was probably not the best medicinal practise in the world to a collapsed patient, it seemed effective enough, and Winona did not pass over the chance to leave the situation in their capable hands, migrating with the rest of the group. The Aquafolk general was busy presiding himself over the celebratory actions necessary to praising the heroes of the town, gathering up the cooks of the town in order to craft a grand feast and asking others to help in handing out the required materials for such a festivity. Shortly thereafter, he was graced by Henry, who offered a polite nod, an apology, and a query. The commander general was only too happy to take these three actions and nod back, but he kept his face grim and morose. "You may ask your questions, honoured guest, and I accept the apology and offer mine in return," he answered, performing a quick, stiff bow. "I am an officer who does not take brashness very well. Please pass these words on to the Zouyu. Now, what are your inquiries?" ~~ ~~ ~~ - Pang, Hogarth, and Uzumeashy - Pang and Hogarth arrived at nearly identical times within the room with the shops and the job boards, both looking surprised at the other's sudden appearance on the other side of the room. Hogarth blinked rapidly in a consecutive manner, looking very much like an unshaven spider, and Pang gazed at him for a short duration before breaking eye contact and heading toward the inner portion of the room. "Hey, Hogarth," the Zouyu intoned, heading towards the job board. "Howdy, Pang. It's funny how we both arrived at the same time, eh? Not quite a dime a dozen experience, this." He paused and looked Pang over, two eyes squinting and the third eye raising an eyebrow. "What's the matter, Pang? You look sad, and your cheeks are wet. Did something happen . . . or worse yet did someone die?" Pang turned his ears as he glanced up at the robotic service drone who waited patiently from behind the desk, blinking its telescopic eyes in expectation of either a completed or accepted quest. Pang did not keep it from its occupation for long. "The quest for saving the Aquafolk village is complete. The lich . . . was taken care of and the populace safe. Everyone should get their cut of the reward once payment is accepted." "Very good, sir," responded the service drone in perfect speech as only a machine can. "What has become of the others? Only two are back to the Haven, including yourself." "Two?" The automaton glanced down at the digital screen in front of it, inputting data for payment while carrying on the conversation easily. Multitasking is no hard feat for a machine. "Correct, two. Ceres Silverblood returned as well." Pang nodded and voiced, "They are probably enjoying the festivities after winning the battle. A victory party is being celebrated in everyone's honour." "And why aren't you down there with them, if that is the case?" Hogarth butted in, looking suspiciously at the white tiger. Pang's expression froze into that of a battered man's, and he responded, "Because I could not handle celebrating the death of a friend, Hogarth. The lich's name was Aprameia." Hogarth opened his mouth and shut it, silent for a time even after Pang left the room and headed to his quarters. ~~ ~~ ~~ Hogarth migrated to the cafeteria after posting the completion of his group's set of quests, where he hoped Hektor, Rhiannon, and Reksis would be. Whether or not he saw them -- he would have greeted them with a wild wave of his arm if so -- he stepped up to the counter and beckoned Uzumeashy, who still was hard at work in the cafeteria cooking up delicious meals. The hour was late in this part of the multiverse, so he decided upon a quick snack instead of a full meal. "One Plutia Surprise platter, with a side of White Heart desserts, please." "Coming right up!" shouted Uzumeashy, her arm rising above the array of dirty pots and pans that separated him from her in the deepest recesses of the kitchen. With that, he went to his respective table, waiting patiently for the beautiful array of food to come.

- Odin, potential soon-to-be subject to patricide again - Odin felt nothing different from last time, but he took to note that something strange was in the air. Instead of a sensation of lust for activity, everyone seemed to stand still, as if by joint agreement. This puzzled him, and the deeper he went in thought the worse he was of discerning that his own allies would turn against him. The thought did not even strike him of activating the search magic Allsight, and instead he focused his intentions toward the Source of All Life, who turned out to be a unified being upon being beckoned. He felt stirred to action, not willing to let Yevgeni waste a wish meant for revivification of the world below or of the worlds in general, before Jynn aimed an assault on him. He fell to the ground, sledging his head on the cool stone, but he braced himself and used a surge of sideways speed to topple Jynn's efforts of kneeling on him and causing a stunlock. "Coward! Turning on your own blood and siding with the ones who killed your own mother, my wife!" His eye lit to life as he prepared for action, but Helios turned to a snake and ensnared him arms first and head last. Angered at this preposterous betrayal of not one but two, he cast search magic and readied handsigns, just in case they prepared a new assault meant to wound or kill him. All the while his mind puzzled. What did they mean, trouble he was planning to make? The only intended trouble was for Yevgeni and Nergal, plus these two seemed intent to hold him down rather than cripple him. There must have been some purpose. Did Yevgeni have one of the few remaining existing djinn like he did and wished on it on the sly? ((This is before his wish on Nihil, before he could not tell friend from foe. He's still sane, though furious now that he was jumped on by his allies on top of the fact that his garnered wisdom from the Font is gone.))

Excellent choices for active powers, Heart. They would match the characters well. I have updated my characters as well, Pang having dexterity/maneuverability up and Winona getting healing magic. In other news, I have updated the original post of this thread. Now the post will look cleaner, will be easier to navigate, and have a shop mechanic so that you can purchase items and upgrades with your wonderful amounts of coins. When you next are in a shopping mood for your characters, grab some items if you'd like. They can be useful in a pinch. Additionally, Heart, your money pool should be 1500 coins, not 900. This will assist your characters in burgeoning into more powerful ones well enough, I feel. Hope that helps!

- Yilwach - Yilwach smiled at first when the coils of his fire whip wrapped around his opponent, but that smile dropped upon recognising that the flames he tossed her way did not burn her. She kept nearing him, and he backed away slowly, fear glittering in his eyes. After she spoke, the barrier snapped his magical weapons and dared to approach him. In a last-ditch effort, he rallied the remaining breath in his lungs and exhaled a large cone of flame in Ceres' direction, in an attempt to shield himself from view and run past her into the swamp. It was not worth getting himself killed if his mistress Aprameia was dead. If he could manage to flee from the battle, he could live a life free from a master, just like before, and take revenge against the living. - Winona and Pang - A clearing of the weather occurred upon Aprameia's death, the clouds dispersing and becoming more uniform now that they were free of magic. Some sunbeams fell down onto the bog, lightening the terrain and making everything more visible. Not even fifteen seconds later, the clanging of an unfurling gate sounded, and the commander general and a small assortment of troops stepped out from within with an iron step and stomach, witnessing the carnage with passing eyes. "Well done, strangers, very well done," he boomed, loud enough for all to hear. "Our town would have suffered tremendous losses had you not stepped in to intervene. On behalf of all of the Aquafolk, I thank you for putting an end to this . . . desecration on our people. To think that the heralded Aprameia, a paragon of our kind, would attack us all is unforgivable." "Shut up," voiced Pang under his breath, fighting back tears as he whirled with anger towards the Aquafolk general. "She did not betray you, desecrate you, or attack you. Someone else attacked you through her!" he uttered more loudly this time. "She was used!" The general looked irritated, taking a few steps forward and placing a gauntleted hand on his chest. "And who is this 'someone else,' Zouyu? Have you a name?" When Pang did not reply, he continued. "Scores, if not hundreds, of my people are either dead on the battlefield or unaccounted for. The people desire justice, and we have dealt it on she who caused it. The dying breaths of a lich, lying or no, who did untold damage to my citizenry is baseless and unsound. "Contemplate on this for a moment. You've done us a service of the highest grade and have earned our respect and favour. As commander, I would welcome you all to join us for food, drink, and medical aid if anyone needs it, and will lead a toast to everyone's bravery and good health." Pang nodded gruffly, displeased but understanding of what was said. It was not at all tasteful to him to have Aprameia's name slandered after hearing what he considered truthful from her own lips, but he would not continue the conversation. Instead, he directed his voice to the others. "Everyone, you may act as you wish, to return or to stay for the festivities and medical aid. To those new, simply think of wanting to return to the Haven hard enough when little is around you and you will return." He breathed a heavy sigh. "I am . . . tired from the fight, and will return shortly. Winona, you will be in charge in my stead. Take care of them." Winona blinked. "Huh? Wait, hey--" she commented before Pang slipped out of sight, disappearing and returning to the Haven. She made a sound more of frustration than of annoyance. "You heard the man, I guess. Let's enjoy some festivities and replenish our spirits before we return! You all performed admirably and deserve a token of goodwill for today's actions." ((Everyone is allowed a brief rest of 1-2 posts before moving on to the Haven. If you want to meet and talk with people in a more private location than at the Haven, do so for a limited time and return to the Haven. Reward: 1500 coins (originally 1000) + 1 free active power of your choice. Post your choice in the sign-ups and OOC thread, or add it to your character sheet.)) ~~ ~~ ~~ - Hogarth - The three-eyed man smiled and blinked synchronously. "Well, that settles that! Rhiannon, you know this already, but the others may not. Think of the Haven deeply and imagine you are there, and poof! you will be there in a flash. I will settle things at the job board for you all. Meet me at the cafeteria and we'll have a splendid time over tea and a feast! I don't know about all of you, but I don't want to look at another plant for some time. See you there!" With an intense bout of concentration on his fuzzy-haired face, Hogarth slipped off, back to the Haven. ((Reward: 900 coins + 1 free active power of your choice + 1 free upgraded power of your choice. Post your choice in the sign-ups and OOC thread, or add it to your character sheet.))

- Rufus Contralto - "Stupid, inconsiderate, muttering-guttering, annoying," stringed along Rufus as the healing process took place and rejuvenated him, a divine blessing he knew not of even since he was fluttering his way through unconsciousness. He waved his arms back and forth in an effort to catch the boogieman that stole his sweet roll. Such is Rufus, quick to fall into a dream, and quick to catch boogiemen, as he slithered his hands underneath him and linked them together, shouting jubilantly, "I got him! I got him! Relinquish that sweetmeat, scountrel. The sirenic lure of my food is too much for you! I shall eat it now and . . . huh?" He realised from scratching his teeth against the cool of the ground that things were not exactly right, and spat debris out of his mouth. Blinking wildly, he recognised where he was and found that everyone was linking hands, probably for a kumbaya spiritual song. Naturally, he joined. He would not easily pass by an opportunity like this. He grabbed Mariel's hand without hesitation, then made a face upon finding it slick. Still, he did not say anything. At least it was better than holding hands with Eclaire or Yevgeni, whom he made his personal enemies for some reason or another.

- Ahriman, Aspect of Wood in a Furnace Destruction - The united strength of the party was certainly enormous, as Ahriman witnessed even through the storm of energies and weapons he tossed their way. Some devoted themselves to defending their brothers and sisters in arms, and others threw out profound dishes of damage-inducing spells and incantations. One of the first who acted, Yevgeni, however, migrated through the hail of missiles and placed a spell-binding circle around his weakened self. With so much devoted to attacking the main group, he could not react with an outstretched hand or wing in time before the snare was placed and movement locked, at least for his upper body. Ahriman fought with this, gradually winning against the spell, but not before the others' destruction surged back toward him. Sword waves of unfettered power, ushered by the redeemed creator of great efforts Soren; beams of black lightning, emitted by Prince Jynn Venas who conquered his own darkness; multi-elemental lasers, shot by the adopted princess under Jynn's wing, Bherna; a dash made by a true Phoenix, harnessed and released by the Spriggan Helios who broke all natural laws for the sake of others; a deathly plunge of an wolf popping with electricity, the sacrificial knight Arthur's grand closure; a powerful united barrage made by the Judges and the turned child of the World Below, fired by none other than Eliltari, Sifrei, and Aura Aeternum; a rending sunder of brilliant, darkness-cutting light, created by the legendary Zion through Eclaire Oathkeeper's blood relation and more; a non-elemental battering of energy orbs, generated by the knight Henry, who knew no bounds and threw off all limitations in favour of gaining full potential; an eradicating plummet of a true maelstrom aided by lightning and the raw power of dragons, generated by the Storm Lord himself Alastor, with the true name of Machiav Froisis; the grand elemental spell empowered by draconic weaves, produced by the resplendent Alicia Kross -- all hurtled toward Ahriman and brought him to a quick and proper demise. The rocketing force of clashing and opposing energies was enough to scar the Earth itself, never to be repaired to its previous self again. Not a trace of his body remained, but his aspect remained as he so wished, fading into the smoke as a dying glimmer of light would, choosing a different time to make its vengeance wholesome. The shattered plane of existence, the endless and gaping hole that never seemed to end, finally ceased, and the freefall was made a standstill, time frozen before repairs were made. Within half a minute, the myriad of colours around everyone took shape into where they previously were, the dreamscape of the Source of All Life's domain made full again. They were back. - Rufus Contralto, Ready to Collapse - The ever fool watched through blood-bleared eyes as the self-proclaimed god Ahriman was blown up into itty-bitty pieces by a massive explosion, then even more so, and then even more so until there was nothing but atoms left, whatever atoms were. He worried greatly about those who sent themselves into or were close to that calamitous pyre -- Yevgeni, Mariel, Helios, and Arthur were the most that came to mind -- but he remained faithful that they would return to him and the others. With Ahriman's death, the hole within existence came to an end, but still the whirling cacophony that happened beneath their feet made rumbles. Without Ahriman, who had inherited Odin's ability to lure and seal the black entity, the world was still in danger, but he had to take the time and smile at the destruction of the crazy madman. "He was even crazier than I!" he uttered quite to himself, smiling one last time before falling face-down on the ground, lying sprawled in every direction like a starfish. Whether he was unconscious through dying or snoozing, it was hard to say, but the battle had taken a tremendous toll on him. ((Kudos to everyone involved with this fight. You all have done marvelously and I am quite impressed by everyone's posts. Now comes Mystics' aftermath and epilogue, where we can finish this roleplay. Again, congratulations.))

- Yilwach - The fire charmer held firm as he looked up at the warm-blooded individual before him, the one that brought about Fitzjerome's destruction, and scowled as he braced himself upright. The unhealing effects of the doomsteel brought about a sort of revivification to him, a restructuring of flesh, bone, and muscle. Even though the dent would remain for his doomsteel chestplate, impacting the air to his lungs, if he could bring an end to this malefic paladin, he could take off the armour at his choosing. Thinking this, he sneered and opened both palms downward. The area about him started to heat up. "You pallies are all the same, self-righteous and self-absorbed. Teachings of chivalry like yours are of no effect to someone of my power, wounded or no," he managed through his actions, fire spindling around his arm with flaring control, threatening to consume all about it. "These tongues will taste you as what you really are, white knight: fuel for the fire!" With wildly lashing wisps of flame, he struck out with a whip in either hand, one lashing out first in a vertical swipe, the next one in a horizontal swing, intended to ensnare an arm or leg within it. If successful, he would grin manically before channeling even more fire down the rope, with high hopes to incinerate his opponent. - Winona and Hurst - Winona swung around, keeping out of sight of the entombed patrician before her. Thankfully Kolm had dealt with the major threat of the unhealing opponent, who was going to be nothing but trouble in close combat. One sneak attack and he destroyed a powerful foe. Given time within The Haven, who knew how much potential he had? Limitless, she imagined, even as she skirted around the situation and aimed for a back attack, to keep him within reaching distance of the young man if she were able. She was too far still when Kolm launched his attack to attack up close, and Hurst smiled felly as he maneuvered backwards and up, to avoid the damaging onslaught of three ice spires from the ground. That did not stop her from rallying her strength and tossing the spear with accuracy towards Hurst's back, impaling the being with the soaring projectile. The thrust launched him forwards, too, right in line with one or all three of the inbound ice. "Rrr-augh!" Hurst shouted, feeling the steel of the spear lodged within him, its point denting the inside of the doomsteel near his stomach as it pierced through him. He did not get much further than he was impaled even further by unforgiving ice, a circlet for empowered spells falling helplessly from his ragged hair as the final toll struck from his life's clock. Winona breathed out a heavy sigh as she looked at the carnage, her shield arm falling to her side in relief. "Good work, Kolm," she voiced over the distance. "This would end things over here. Shall we meet up with the others? It seems that the enemy has been quelled to submission now . . . except for that one for a little bit," she added, looking over to the wild strikes of Yilwach as she approached Hurst's broken body, aiming to reclaim her weapon. She stopped and blinked for a brevity, gazing at Galla for a time. She looked especially tired, which caused her some worry, but she continued toward her weapon in time, deeming it probably nothing to worry about. Galla had a history of dealing with anything in her own way, and she trusted that she would do the same. - Pang and Aprameia - Pang paid little attention to what was around him, paying more of it towards Aprameia as she locked eyes with him and he headed closer to her. She seemed to open and close her mouth and move her lips, but no words came out. Pang had words to spare, however. "Mei . . . how could this be?" he queried, trying with difficulty to hold his emotions in as the giant tiger fell to his knees and looked down at her. "You disappeared due to the Three Week Rule and somehow we ended up as enemies. What caused you to end up this way?" If an undead could cry, Aprameia might have sobbed on the spot, all hardness in her gaze drifting away as the shadow lying over her decayed. Instead, great sorrow appeared in her eyes as she watched him, her mouth still attempting to pull together words. Pieces of her slowly drifted towards her and knitted themselves with her main body, the blessing (or curse) of the lich's ceremony diligently attempting to stitch her up. The shadow passed over her again, hollowing her eyes, causing them to glow. It hurt Pang to see her like this and have to act to keep her in this state, putting a finger on her forehead and surging damaging supercharge magic through it. It stopped the integration sequence, and her mind and eyes cleared once more. "Pang," she whispered, barely able to speak. "S- . . . sorry. Haven." "Don't apologise," he answered with a forced laugh. "I feel that all your intentions were the right ones, especially those you said to me." "No," she uttered again, this time quick. "Haven. Dan . . . ger. Up . . ." The darkness closed within her anew, and Pang had to electroshock her with his magic again. This time it did not seem like it would last very long. The forces taking her body were rapidly regaining strength, and she knew it too. "End. Me. If not . . . he'll . . . see." The Zouyu's heart raced within his chest as he fought to understand. She wanted to die, to be free from this mortal coil, but the final bit of information unnerved him. "I will, of course I will, but I need to get something off my chest. Mei, I love you. I loved you then and I loved you since. However, tell me, who is this you speak of?" Her eyes showed happiness for a time before shivers crawled up her spine, as the black fog surged within her this time and not just overshadowed her. It felt to Pang like a hostile presence, a sense of control. Nevertheless, she spoke, fear in every fiber of her being. "No name, no name, no name!" she hyperventilated. "Long fingers. Thin glasses. He's . . . here. End me. Now!" Pang struggled to control his hands as he strove to lift them from the ground near her head and put them to her neck where the phylactery was. How could he kill her out of mercy? She was very much loved by him, but the thought of losing her to this lich's benediction would have caused her such torment, a peaceful individual such as herself. There was no avoiding the situation without dealing harm to her. He had to save her. He pressed his hands to her phylactery, readying them to crush the fragile phial within his grip. "Pang," she whimpered just before he could perform the act. "I love . . . you too, Pang." Tears began to trickle down his face and onto hers as he looked down with all the sadness in the world. With a turn of his head, he averted his gaze and crushed the glass within his meaty palms. Aprameia's head fell, her visage devoid of life. The battle was over and the mission at an end.

- Rufus Contralto - So much has happened. Successful strikes against Ahriman. Hardly any losses. Very little seemed wrong. In fact, everything seemed especially good and golden for days without living under the thumb of a crazed madman until said crazed madman opened up a rift into a dimension privy to no one and sent everyone free-falling into it. Rufus looked about with a look of surprise at first, then boredom, then in one direction specifically. "Hello!" he said to the pseudo-camera. "You are probably wondering how I got here! Well, funny story. I was just a run-of-the-mill genie picked up in a tag sale event, and now here I am falling down a gaping hole meant for me. Now that you know where I am, we have to go back, back to the very beginning. "Nah, just kidding," he next voiced, shaking his head with a giddy laugh. "Let's beat this DC Bizarro and move on to our daily lives, s'il vous plait!" With a deep breath of what he assumed to be air, he ran closer to Aqua to gather the elf and drag her off closer to the now collapsed Athena. When that was done, he looked down at the great mess of absolute destruction that awaited them and panicked. "Okay, Rufus, you can do this. You've cast magicks through other magicks before. Make the cut this time." Clacking his knuckles with a backwards finger stretch, he strove to clear a path through the assortment of nasty energy bursts launched in everyone's direction, thinning them out mostly in the middle. There was no way to buff out all of the insane levels of magic thrown their way, fueled by too much life energy to even quantify, but he did his best to thin out the dangers to only the major ones, at least in the center. His hands sprawled towards the great forces, wobbling under the strain. The toll of the effort exerted showed, Rufus paling as blood flowed freely from his nostrils and driveled upwards above them all, then from his behind his eyes and within his ears and mouth. Even through all of this, he continued his antics, feeling his reserves drain to near empty before he collapsed to one knee, at least until the end of Yevgeni's barrier. Every breath was hoarse and filled with difficulty as he struggled against breathing in the blood spilt within his oral cavity, and his heart pumped blood thinner and thinner as time went on. Such were the effects of using too much power for him, worsened when taking into consideration that he had a mortal body once again. Ah, if only I were born in an anime world, like Bleach, where blood could be spilled endlessly without worry of having a lack of it, he thought nonsensically, holding on to consciousness just enough to maintain his balance. Myrrhiae . . . I will be with you soon. Wait for me.