Chapter One: A Dance of Darkness and Light

[StoneWolf18]

Wyrmchilde

Long ago, the world was shaped by primordial beings born from the cosmos itself. Dragons. They shaped the planet known as Arkanna before crafting the beings that would inhabit it. Lucian, the embodiment of light and life, and Nox, dark and death, were pleased with the various mortal species but decided it was time for some of their own children to be born. Together they created five more in their image.

Delta, of water and wisdom.
Vis, of earth and welfare.
Zephyr, of wind and time.
Eshne, of fire and war.
And Adya, of energy and the soul.​

They lived and ruled over their creations, being worshiped and revered as gods. Centuries past, and as they soon saw how stable and wondrous the many peoples were flourishing, they receded into the background of history, being reduced to nothing more than myth and legend. Even as civilizations began to crumple and conquest, destruction, and greed tained their minds and hearts, they never appeared. They simply didn’t vanish, however. Instead, blended in with the common man. Living lives as an ordinary citizen, witnessing events with disdain. Nox forbid his children from taking action, knowing this would be the only way for them to learn.

His brother, however, wasn’t fond of this idea in the slightest. So instead of sitting idle, he stormed off, taking Adya with him and disappearing to plot on how he was going to have fun with the mortals Nox loved so much.

Another few centuries have past with Lucian and Adya nowhere to be found. Nox grows anxious, worrying at what his brother could be plotting. And so, he decided to take action himself, sending out to various individuals scattered around Arkanna. His distant grandchildren.

My Child,

I hope this letter will find you well, as there isn’t much time and much to be discussed. With the map that had been folded into this parchment, I wish that you come join me at my stronghold before the blood takes hold at an inopportune time.

Regards,

A Distant Relative​

 

[StoneWolf18]

Katrina

28 || Female || Wyrmspawn || Nox​

The woman paced within her chamber of the stronghold, the thin black dress she wore hanging loosely off of her thin frame, her face twisted into a look of nervous excitement. They were to arrive today, the Wyrchildren, should there not have been any delays. Oh the sheer thought of meeting someone new was almost unbearable. The door behind her opened, causing her to abruptly turn mid-stride to face who was entering. “Aunt Eshne, are they here yet?” Katrina asked hopefully, the older woman shaking her head. “No, but father wishes to see you.” Her face fell slightly, losing its previous excitement for something a bit more concerned. “I’m sure it's nothing to be worried about…” The goddess hummed, holding the door for her to exit. With a hesitant nod, she would do so, making her way to her grandfather alone.

The halls were vast, enough for both Vis and Zephyr to be in their true forms side-by-side, wings extended. As dwarfing as they were, it was what she had seen day after day, rarely getting a glimpse of what lay behind the stronghold’s enchanted walls.

Finally arriving at the massive door that was already ajar, she silently slipped through, being able to see Nox and Vis deep in conversation. “You can’t possibly be considering this.” Her Uncle scoffed, her grandfather giving a growl in response. “Why not? Even though Lucian could attack at any time-” He suddenly cut off, Vis having gestured to Katrina. Training his cold reptilian eyes on her, Nox gruffly said “Good, you’re here.” Inching closer, she nodded, listening but not speaking as she didn’t want to be reprimanded. “You are not interact with any of the children when they arrive. I will be having Delta take you to a separate location once they do.” Caught off guard by this, the woman was horrified. “But Grandfather!-” He instantly cut her off. “You are going to do as I say.” He was being curt, this even upsetting his son beside him. “You’re too valuable to lose to some mortal’s misbehaving.” Katrina wasn’t going to simply allow this to happen. “How am I valuable when you haven’t let me transform for the first time!?”

Now… Nox was reaching his tipping point.

His eyes bore into hers, narrowing into agitated slits. She knew this look, and began to force out an apology when he was faster. With a subtle twitch of his hand, a copper cuff formed on her wrist, Katrina’s skin paling, dark eyes wide as she struggled to breath. “You are going to do as I saw without question, do I make myself clear?!” His raised voice echoed throughout the cavernous hall, she only able to give a subtle nod in response. “Good. Now return to your chamber.” With that he released the cuff, Katrina taking in a breath while trying to remain standing, shakily turning and silently leaving the room. “You do know using that is a bit harsh.” Vis grumbled, Nox rolling his eyes. “How else will she learn.”

Tears stung in her eyes as briskly returned to where she had came from, moving through the ajar door, shutting it behind her. Katrina had been about to collapse into her bed when she was suddenly embraced. “I’m sorry…” Delta murmured. “You know Nox is just anxious about the children arriving.” Burying her face into her shoulder, the goddess held her for the few minutes she wept.

Not too long after, she had been seated on her bed beside Delta. “He wants you taken to a small fishing village, low population and even lower suspicion.” “Why can’t I stay here?” Delta sighed. “He doesn’t want there being any risk with you around the children. They’re going to be rather unstable for a while.” Katrina frowned, asking after a moment. “But… why is he not allowing me to transform? Use magic?” Delta was hesitant about responding to this. “Nox is… worried. He isn’t sure if you’re body would be able to handle it.” “But, the children-” “What is in their blood is much less potent than yours. They were born with the ability to eventually handle it, your were created from mortal flesh that wasn’t.” Katrina averted her eyes. “So… he wants to save it for when Lucian finally comes, so if I do end up perishing my job was already done.” Delta didn’t respond, but once again pull Katrina into an embrace, the two remaining there for some time.

It was a few minutes after this when the door to her room opened, Zephyr standing there and looking to Delta. “Father would like to see us.” With a nod the woman would stand and give the younger woman a reassuring glance before heading out the door. Once they were gone, she would lay back on the bed, mentally exhausted from the last few hours.

Having fallen asleep, a loud knocking sounded, startling Katrina awake. Blinking a few times so she could see straight, she barely had enough time to sit up when it swung upon, her grandfather standing in the doorway. Eyes wide she scrambled to try and get out of bed, but he dismissed it with a wave of his hand while entering. “Don’t bother.” He said gruffly, taking a long look at her before sighing, speaking with reluctance. “My children convinced to to let you train alongside the mortals. However, train is all you are allowed to do. Should I see any fraternization, you will be going with Delta to that remove village.” Unable to keep a large smile from her lips, she nodded. “Of course, thank you, gr-” He cut her off. “Don’t thank me.” Nox spat, turning on his heel, now facing the door once more. “They are an awful lot, mortals. You’re going to be begging me to isolate you in a few days.” With that he left, leaving Katrina rather conflicted and confused but none the less excited.

A few hours after Katrina was walking through the halls with Delta, the Children were going to be here any moment and she wanted her there for their arrival. “Don’t listen to your Grandfather entirely.” The woman sighed. “He’s paranoid to be blunt, mortals aren’t as bad as he makes them out to be. After all, if they were, these children wouldn’t exist.” She passed Kat a glance brimming with amusement as she averted her eyes, the grandchild of nox unable to keep a faint blush from rising on her pale cheeks.

Forcing this moment of bashfulness to pass, however, she began to ask “How did you convince Grandfather to-” But was forced to stop as an intense pain tore through her. Delta moved to Katrina’s side as she nearly lost her balance due to the sudden sensation. “We managed to play off of his paranoia, explaining to him that you wouldn’t be able to do anything against Lucian if you didn’t even know how to transform. That is why you’re feeling this way, Nox released the magic he had bound on you to keep you from doing so.”

After Katrina recovered a bit more, they continued on their way to the common area, eager to get there before the Wrymchildren arrived.

As for the children, they would arrive at the gate of the looming stronghold, seeing the others that had received similar letters. Without much time to figure out who everyone was any why they were also here, the massive doors would slowly swing open, a tall and thin man with bright green reptilian eyes stood examining the crowd before speaking. “I wish we had more time for pleasantries but my father requests your presence almost immediately.” With that he would turn, clearly expecting them to follow.

doneanddusted DergTheDergon Vampunk Blaire Wisteria Shadowlugia711 Fable seasonedcat

 

[Vampunk]

Darrene Everild had never been one to blindly follow strange callings that only spoke in vague words and seemed more like the ravings of madmen, and yet there she was.
Sitting steadfast in the saddle of her horse, the woman who had never left the secure confinements of her city's sturdy stone walls for long, was faced with the most breathtaking view she had ever been allowed to feast her eyes on.

The sight of a monolithic fortress reaching into the bright blue sky, standing on a steep cliff like some stone guardian watching over the uneasy sea, reminding her of the tales she indulged in as a child. Stories of great heroes and even greater callings, of great hardships and tests of faith, often ending in tragic sacrifices that would immortalize those worthy enough of remembrance.

And even though she had strived to be just like those heroic saints her faith worshipped, Darrene knew she was far from being worthy to be their equal.
She had spent her whole live devoted to her faith, to defend the weak, to bring those who did wrong to justice, to stand where others could not, and yet her achievements were nothing more than trivial in nature. Defending the mighty city of Arsensias from the evils that lurked in the vast forests surrounding the capital of the kingdom she had pledged herself to.

There was no heroism in bringing petty criminals and vile creatures of the woods to justice, and yet she had lived her life thinking it was her calling. To be one of the many pillars that would support human society and spearhead its never-ending conquest over the known world. Playing her part, just like her faith taught her. She knew her place among her people, as just a humble defender.

But the letter she had received had awoken something she had deemed long lost. Bringing her back to a time where naive dreams of heroes were the only thing her mind would dwell on. Simpler times where there wasn't a burden of responsibility and when time hadn't yet begun to sculpt her into the stern woman who only knew duty and devotion to her faith and to her people.

Realizing she had let her mind wander for the first time since taking up the sword in the fight for humanity, Darrene shook her head. Her gloved hands coming to remove the visored helmet from her head, her fingers brushing through short black hair as her hazel eyes came to rest on the destination of her journey.

The massive castle that looked older than the cathedral in which she had taken her vows. And yet the great fortress made from stone, despite its simpler style, devoid of any gilded trinkets or other tokens of wealth the priests of her faith so often adorned their churches with, did inspire a sense of awe in Darrene's chest, making the woman instinctively carry herself higher.

Her hand coming to pat her mount's chestnut-colored sides, Darrene spurned her steed to complete their pilgrimage to the fortress that had called to her.
Her peers had deemed it a sign from god as she had told them off her being called upon, and yet she had not felt the same religious devotion she had prided herself with all those years. Instead she had felt the childish longing of being part of something greater in her chest, growing more intense with every beat of her heart.

The voyage had taken her through scarcely populated areas of the human realms she called home, sharing the road with traveling peddlers, merchants and sellswords. Company that was vastly different than the one she indulged in back home. These were people who lived without strong stone walls protecting them, no knights nor guardsmen assuring they would be safe. And yet these people were kind and virtuous, Darrene unable to thank them enough for their hospitality as she spent nights pondering on what this pilgrimage had in store for her, and more importantly what awaited her at the end of the long journey.

Whoever ancestor had been in need of her, she would not deny them. For her faith had taught her the origins of the human race, descendants of the gods of the vast starry sky themselves. The prospect of maybe meeting one of the great ones that had allowed humanity to prosper urging her on as she finally found herself in front of the large stone archway, sturdy wooden doors framing the scene unfolding inside the castle's chambers.

Dismounting from her trusty horse, Darrene took its reigns into her hands as her sabatons met the first steps of many leading up to the fortress gate.

Each step making her heart beat faster, the anticipation slowly rising as she made her way towards the only thing separating her from what would be her true destiny in this world.
Coming to a halt in front of the archway, Darrene waited, countless questions aching to be answered burning inside her mind as the warrior raised her head high.
Her lips forming a thin line as she extended her hand, patting her horse's sides as she bound its reigns to one of the many iron rings adorning the large gate.

Darrene took a step backwards and raised her gaze skywards, the monolithic fortress seemingly growing as her hazel eyes wandered up its chiseled stone walls. Inhaling deeply, Darrene turned towards the vast insides of the fortress, her hazel eyes finding themselves glaring at a thin man, his bony frame reminding her more of a scarecrow or the personification of death rather than the angelic saints she had expected.

"Gods that watch over this mortal world, reveal the machinations behind this call to me..." She whispered under her breath as she stepped inside, towards what lay beyond, there was no turning back now. There were questions that needed answers, and Darrene would not return home empty handed.

Closing in on the strange man, she would come to notice his eerie gaze, making her raise the scarred eyebrow that served as a grim reminder of the terrors non-humans constantly inflicted upon her kin. Only for her eyes to catch glimpses of other suspicious creatures populating the entrance hall. Fiends that she had read about, but never thought she'd meet in the flesh. Much less under these circumstances. Why would such beings even be present at such a place, seemingly having received the same letter Darrene had deemed a divine call. A growing suspicion creeping into Everild's mind as the woman started to question the reason behind her being called to this remote place.

Fearing that it might have just been a cruel ploy to leave her city defenseless while monsters from the wild would tear down her home.
Her lips shifting as the thought of it made her grit her teeth, her hands clenching into fists as Darrene struggled with keeping her temper in check, being on the verge of grabbing the man's collar and demanding to have every detail be revealed to her.

And yet the lingering thought of there being a logical explanation, of there being a greater power at work that wanted her to be here, no malicious intent that had deceived her into leaving her home behind, eased her anger and allowed Darrene to regain her composure. For even the saints of old had to collaborate with the beasts of the wild, all for the greater good of the faith, and the continued survival of humanity.

Simply coming to stand steadfast in the entrance hall of the vast fortress, her hazel eyes wandering around on the lookout for danger, or worse, an affirmation of it all being some vile deception. Darrene took a step towards the reptile-eyed man who had welcomed them.
"Your father? Is it who I think it is?" Darrene spoke slowly, images of her mortal deities and their depictions on ancient parchment and colourful glass filling her mind as she once again felt assured that her being here was the right thing.

 

[Fable]

Veth Denrilith

21 | Elf | Zephyr​

Veth's mouth opened in a wide yawn, eyes slightly bloodshot and her eyelids minutely drooping. It was the face of someone who hadn't slept in a while. When she had first received the strange letter from someone claiming to be a distance relative, she had actually been quite excited. No one from her clan had ever mentioned any others venturing out into the word, such a thing was pretty scandalous probably and they wouldn't want to give anyone any ideas. She too was probably to never be mentioned as having left her homeland. The there was the strange mention of blood taking hold, whatever that meant. The letter was very odd.

She'd managed to get a job of protecting a caravan that was headed in the general direction of her destination. Turned out the other person they had hired was actually a bandit in on some pathetic scheme to get the merchandise. Honestly, three bandits armed with nothing more than a couple of daggers did nothing more than irritate her. She couldn't even be bothered to kill them. Instead she just injured them, rounded them up, and then tied them all together with some extra lashing one of the merchants had. When the caravan had arrived at the village, she just let the locals deal with them however they wanted, took her payment, and continue onward.

She'd rested only as needed, and as she had nothing else to do but think, she began to wonder if the letter was just a ruse. She hadn't exactly made many friends in her line of work. She had more enemies than she could probably count, though why they'd go through all this trouble for her she couldn't determine. So, Veth decided to keep her guard up, she had no reason to trust this mysterious person.

By the time she reached the monstrously large stronghold, she had been awake for nearly twenty-four hours and was seriously ready to take a breaking from riding her horse. She'd been sleeping on carious terrain, none of which was comfortable. At one point she hadn't been able to catch anything to eat for a couple of days due to the area being less than hospitable for wildlife. She was ready for a hot bath to soak in, something that at least resembled a bed, and actual food.

Veth assumed she had arrived late to the party, since she was still on her horse, slowly trotting into the stronghold just in time to see a very tall human woman storm up to a green-eyed man. She wasn't sure what was going on, but that woman looked like she was on a warpath. Veth looked around, noting she wasn't the only guest who had arrived. "I'm going to go out on a limb here and assume we've all been invited here by some mysterious distant relative."

She sighed, looking rather disappointed. This hadn't been what she was expecting in the slightest. She cautiously approached the green-eyed man, making sure to keep out of reach of the anger human woman lest she get caught between the two of them in some sort of conflict, "I find it hard to believe we're all your distant relations."

StoneWolf18

doneanddusted

DergTheDergon

Vampunk

Blaire Wisteria

Shadowlugia711

seasonedcat

 

[doneanddusted]

Eldynn Rose, 24, Faerie

Eldynn never really considered the reliability of the letter she had received until way later, where she was already way too far out to go back. She'd have to do some improvising if the letter she got really was something bad. Eldynn spent a lot of her travel time ooh-ing and ah-ing over things she had never seen before. She'd gotten close to getting crushed many times. A group of children once mistook for a butterfly (butterflies couldn't possible be that big... right?) and tried to catch her. That was... a combination of scary, annoying, and fun.

Eldynn's journey was a mixture of hitchhiking on to other rides and actually flying. It was a tiring journey, as Eldynn spent as little time sleeping as possible. She couldn't say that she was unhappy for staying awake. She had the opportunity to see nice landscapes. Eldynn still felt miserable, though.

The faerie glided along. She was almost there. Eldynn stopped in front of a stronghold. It was huge. So big that Eldynn was a bit nervous. What was getting herself into? She sped up, coming up behind a light-haired woman and her horse. Her ears were pointed. Eldynn assumed she was an elf. So she wasn't the only one invited. That made her feel a bit safer.

Ah, and there was a tall human marching up to a green-eyed man. She had some aura of violence. Maybe this "aura" was just the way she acted. Or maybe Eldynn was just really scared of humans. The woman, however, seemed to have calm down. Why was she angry in the first place?

Eldynn looked at the man. His eyes were reptilian. The faerie widened her own eyes. She flew up to him, coming around to hover in front of him, some sort of delight and wonder lighting up her face. While the elf near her said something about it being unlikely that they were related, Eldynn was saying, "Your eyes are so pretty!"

/coded by allure/

StoneWolf18 Fable Vampunk

 

[Mistory]

22//Male//Wyrmchilde//Eshne

The rugged man cracked his joints as he walked. His neck was sore, his shoulders bruised, his back aching. What he gets for sleeping in the rough wagon on the way, but it was either that, or a long, lonely walk.

Midas was scheptical of the letter, and on the trip found himself rereading it, over and over again. Maybe he was looking for a deeper meaning. Maybe he was looking for a clue, some kind of mark or secret he hadnt seen. He had no such luck, of course, but it kept him occupied on the trip. the mysterious letter had appeared in the night, while he slept off an alcohol induced unconciousness. He wasnt drinking, but he man who threw the bottle had.

His head was still tender. but as the massive cathedral of stone came into view, he couldnt help but forget the pain. As far as he knew, his father was the only other of his family to leave the village. Who could live in such a fortress? It made the stories his mother read to him come to mind, and that made him laugh. If only he was the illigitimant son of a king, or the decendant even. Right.

As he came to the great doors, he felt...welcome. No one had done such a thing, no one had said a word to him, But he still felt like he was welcome here. Like when you step into your mother's home after a long time, or a church. It left him in such awe, he would have removed his hat, had he owned one. As the doors opened and a man with eyes he couldnt forget came forth, he couldnt help but take in a breath, before they were, in a way, lead inside.

Beautiful came to mind more than once as he took in the place. So much so, he felt sorry he couldnt have cleaned up. he glanced down at his worn and ragged clothing, and sighed. Nothing for it now. He followed without hesitation, and took in the grouo that arrived with him. The "decendant of a king" came to mind again, and he couldnt help but think the man, or woman, must have been busy in thier earlier years...

"...Umm...Forgive me if I offend , but...Are you the one who sent the letter?"
StoneWolf18

 

[DergTheDergon]

Ishnai Khorus​

22||Female||Catfolk||Vis​

She found herself standing still for the first time since before dawn on this day, gazing at the looming stronghold on the horizon, finally within her sights. This had been quite the journey for the Feline, and her legs were tired. It was rare for fatique to set in from long walks considering her day to day life had always included miles and miles of some journey or another. The cat-morph found herself thinking, alongside her curiosities, trepidations and thoughts reagarding this strange impromptu journey, that perhaps her discomfort was due to the difference in climate, altitude or both.

Either way, she supposed that did not matter: what did was that she had finally, after weeks of wandering, clearly found the stronghold she’d been called to. With a prideful spring in her step and as much self-assuredness as she could muster, the upright leopardess made her way to the door, being sure to observe the others that were entering, for whatever reason they did so. They seemed to be from all walks of life. This thought made her pause for a moment, stopping in her tracks as she laid eyes on the green man that seemed to be playing gate guard. He was currently being approached by a small, winged creature Ishnai had heard of before, but had not seen. A fairy. They were forest dwellers, from the tales, and she had spent her life in the desert. She found herself curious about this creature, as well as they others in the room. Tey were all exotic in one way or another, her gaze sweeping about and confirming as mjuch. There seemed to be a human woman among them who she swore looked at her with a glance of distain, which made hr hair stand on end. She quickly averted her gaze. This was not a hostile environment, yet. Her father had always beseeched her to only attack if hostile action is directed at either yourself or those one protects. This keeps the balance of life, he told her.

She found herself wondering, once she’d given everyone a once-over, standing dumbfounded there in the door. Are these folk all here for the same reason as she? They surely could not all be of the same blood…this confused her very much. Still, this feeling of purpose within her as she looked over the gates, now looming very close, was unmistakable indeed. She knew that being called here was not a farce, and one’s heart does not lie, as she had been told again and again from birth.

One’s eyes do not lie either, and as she looked closer at the being standing guard before the palace, ishnai noticed something that made her heart jump with excitement. His eyes were… reptilian-looking. It was always told to her in stories that the Dragons had forms such as this: similar in share and size to lesser sentients, but with telltale, serpentine eyes. Could he truly be a Dragon? No… they were all gone…. Or… where they?”

Confused and not knowing what to expect, Ishnai then did what she always did in uncertain situations. She stepped forward into the hall with a look of confidence about her, keeping her face straight, and for now, observing. Observing the fairy conversing with the mysterious man, and keeping an eye on the human when it seemed that she was not looking back, not to mention the others in the room. There was a woman standing nearby, long-eared and fair-skinned. An elf, from what she had heard. The leopardess found herself curious, and as she asked of everyone the question that was also on her own mind, she nodded at the woman, looking just as confused as she did. The elf then proceeded to boldly go and ask another question that was on the huntress’s mind, directly to the only one here who seemed to have answers, and so the leopardess stepped slightly closer, just enough to be in decent earshot, which was still likely rather distant by other race’s standards. Another male of seemingly human descent decided to ask the same question of the lizard-eyed one, and so Ishnai was still adn observant, like a cat on the prowl.

She began tapping her foot, her tail having behind her anxiously as she waited for the lizard-eyed man to explain himself. The meaning of this couldn’t possibly be the same as the letter had said as far as she was concerned, so it was due time in the lioness’s eyes. She’d come all this way, after all, and still feels that she should be here. That had to count for something.
StoneWolf18

 

[Duckler]

Damian Thirsk
Male | 32 | Human | Delta
​

Damian's face was scrunched up in agony as he hobbled towards the stone fortress that stood ahead. Compared to the poorly constructed huts and villages that he had come across on his arduous journey, the vast structure of stone filled Damian with both amazement and fear. It loomed over the entire area as if it were boasting its superiority to those that gazed at it from beneath. It appeared as if it had stood in that exact spot for centuries on end, and it may very well have. The impregnable nature and steadfast structure of the stronghold acutely contrasted Damian's currently fragile condition, and it only emphasized the aches beneath his feet and the soreness of his limbs.

He grunted as he pushed himself forward, determined to reach the destination as a way of proving to himself that, even after the injury, he could still accomplish his goals. Even if they were as tedious as hiking for two weeks simply to fulfill the wishes of an unknown individual that claimed to be a distant relative.

He had been travelling for days on end without proper nourishment or rest and, as he approached the structure, he wasn't quite sure whether if he was progressively shrinking smaller of if the building was simply appearing larger. Damian shook his head roughly and, with one hand, held his ragged cloak tighter to his face, breathing deeply into the fabric to feel the warmth of his breath. The cloak was ridden with holes from his travel and his pants were stained with mud from various encounters with bumps and other inconsistencies along the trail.

Hope these mysterious people aren't too picky about dressing formally. Damian though to himself as he trudged along.

Finally, just when he felt as if his legs were about to give out under him, he saw people. While they definitely wouldn't be considered a large or formidable group in the city, after being secluded from civilization for so long, Damian was glad just to see other people.

He picked up his pace and made sure to lift the hood of the cloak over his head to cover his face. He wanted to make a good first impression with the people that he had traveled so long and far to meet.

They didn't wait for him, though, and he could only watch in disappointment as they proceeded into the stronghold. He cursed his physical limitations and pushed himself even harder to catch up with the group.

He reached the stairs and, out of his excitement, he almost sprawled face first across the steps, but he managed to cushion his fall slightly with his hands, jarring his already sore wrists from the impact. Without bothering to pick himself up, he, as quietly as possible, crawled up the stairway on all four limbs.

His eyes lit up as he saw the group from before and he took notice that they had already began to converse with each other. He slowly but silently straightened himself up, making sure not to attract the attention of the others just yet as he readjusted the hood of his cloak, once again making sure it was covering his face.

He casually strolled up to the group and positioned himself near the back. Close enough so that he would be able to listen on the questions being asked and, most importantly, the answers being given and yet far enough so that, hopefully, he wouldn't attract the attention of too many members of the party.

Ever since his injury, he had learned to rely more on his other senses. His dependence on his vision was no longer something that controlled almost every aspect of his life, as not only his sense of hearing had improved significantly throughout his travels, but also his sense of smell, touch, and taste.

Deciding that it wouldn't be natural to intrude on the already existent conversations occurring between the people within the group, he decided to just sit back and listen...for now.

 

[JustNicole]

LorellaAge: 42
Gender: Female
Race: Siren (Disguised as Triton)
Ancestor: Delta
Interacting: N/A

If there was one thing Lorella couldn’t understand about the tritons, it was their body shape. Sure, it worked effectively, capable of movement underwater at decent speeds, but it was still no match for many of the other creatures that roamed the world. Tritons, like those on land, had to rely on the same beast, what the land-dwellers called a horse, to transport them anywhere. Granted, the horses the tritons used had scales and tails, but a horse is a horse is a horse.

Sirens, on the other hand, were their own ride. They didn’t need to rely on any horse to get them anywhere. A siren could easily fly or swim to their destination, often using a combination of both called skotting. It was an essential skill any siren quickly learned, using both flying and swimming in tandem to get to your destination faster. If a siren couldn’t learn it, they didn’t last very long.

All this served as a constant reminder how cumbersome this damn horse as being. There was nothing more Lorella would have enjoyed than to skot the whole way to this stronghold. However, the instructions had been explicit about the disguise, becoming a triton, and as far as Lorella was aware, the area she had to pass through was heavy triton territory, one of the larger kingdoms that the Sirens tended to avoid.

Several days travel had gone by for Lorella already. She had managed this far to interact with tritons, who perceived her as one of their own given her disguise, without physically assaulting them, a task that proved surprisingly difficult when the hatred of one race permeated in every facet of your society. Now though, this whole experience thus far was becoming much more comical to her. It was like she was a spy walking among them, putting on an act that they were all too stupid to see. It amused to her to no end to play up the triton stereotypes her siren sisters and her had spent hours making fun of. The fact that none of the tritons seemed to notice the difference made it even better. If only her sisters could see her now.

As the horse left the area of the last triton settlement closet the stronghold, it became to climb upwards as the surface approached. Given the travel, Lorella had given plenty of thought to the stranger, the letter, and the disguise. The intricacies of the plan were too advanced for the more direct approach of the triton war machine. Still, she was cautious. The pains to find her, know her name, her location, and have a disguise would have been great. Whoever had contacted her had power, lots of it. Lorella had no doubt about that.

A few hundred yards before the shore, Lorella dismounted the horse. Removing the saddle, she released it in a different direction than where she was going and where she came from. If she needed another ride, she would find one.

There was little that Lorella could see from the angle other than stone, some kind of large structure. It wasn’t until Lorella reached the surface, her head breaking the water, that she could clearly see the gigantic stronghold. What a building it was, easily besting the largest structure she had ever laid her eyes on. It was humbling to look at, a reminder to Lorella that there was much in the world she had yet to see.

As her whole body reached the shore, Lorella stepped out of the water onto dry land. Thankfully, there was no one screaming about an aquatic invasion. Instead, silence greeted Lorella. Whatever was going on inside the stronghold, she had no idea.

Navigating over to the long steps that led to the stronghold from the shore, Lorella took her time approaching the stronghold, admiring the view and the impressive construction of the stronghold. How did they make such complex structures without being able to swim in all directions or fly around it? She had never been able to figure out how land-dwellers did anything.

Reaching the entrance to what Lorella summarized was some congregation area, she stepped through. On the other side, she was greeted to the sight of various different land-dwellers, some more beastial than others, mulling about the area. Inwardly, Lorella cringed, figuring that none of these people had seen an aquatic race before. She figured at any second they were all going to take notice of her and scream, yet before that could happen doors on the other side of the area opened, revealing another beast person who beckoned them to follow him to his father.

Already, Lorella was making worst-case scenarios, but for now the easiest course of action was to observe and listen. She was out of her element, both literally and figuratively, surrounded by strangers, none of whom were aquatic. Remain calm, she chanted internally. Remain calm. Stick to your plans. You can survive this, no matter what it is.

Rather than ask questions like some of the foolish land-dwellers did to a being that was already turning away, Lorella only followed. Entering the stronghold itself seemed fateful in a way. Lorella had a strong sense that no matter what happened here, she would not come back out the same person.

 

[Blaire Wisteria]

Civis MeghansathAge: 42
Gender: Male
Race: Triton
Ancestor: Wetgurl Sr.
Interacting: Lorella

Civis could see it now, the light beaming down through the water. Compared to the darkness of the deep, sights such as these always made him stop to admire their beauty. This was a rare sight for him, being a member of the lower protectorates and all. While being physically superior to those near the surface. He would give it all away in a heartbeat to wake up to this every morning. But now he wouldn't have to. Duty called for him to rise above the rest of his people, both literally and figuratively. He thanked whatever distant relative had sent the cryptic message for giving him this opportunity.

As he got closer to the surface, he passed by more and more surface Triton to his surprise. There weren't usually this many deeper down. Watching them swim and play with their friends and family alike brought him back to his childhood. Those were simpler times, when you could play around all day. Not having to worry about never seeing your loved ones return home from battle. He held back a tear. No, he couldn't get emotional now, not when he was so close. Ah, but if only his father were still alive to see him off, one last time.

Passing by the last settlement, he shook off those feelings and focused on what was ahead. What kind of people he'd meet on the surface. What their cultures and their cities were like, who was this distant relative? hundreds of questions filled his head as it broke through the surface of the water. He was a bit taken aback by what he saw. The demonstrably large stone structure that hung over the cliffs edge. Never once had he seen architecture such as this. He could already tell that the surface dwellers were much more than he had thought. To make such marvels without the mobility to do so was amazing.

He stumbled up the sandy shores almost collapsing while doing so. This was the third time in his life that he had surfaced up from the deep. He wasn't used to how light his body was feeling and how heavy his hammer felt on his back. He had heard tales and was warned about how strange it was up above but he didn't think it would be this drastic. It was so warm here, yet the slightest breeze chilled him to the bone. He was having a sensory overload, but needed to persevere. He trudged forward towards the cliff side where he spotted a set of stairs. Ascending the stairs slowly as to not fall, he could hear faint voices of others in the distance.

Upon reaching the top, he spotted quite a large group assorted people, many of which he had never seen before. But among the crowd was a familiar face, had another Triton been called here as well? In all honesty he was a bit nervous about this whole thing, but seeing another Triton relieved him. Out of pure instinct, he approached the Triton woman. Walking beside her and into the massive structure. "Hail fellow, well met." he said to her without taking his eyes off the path ahead.

 

[seasonedcat]

As soon as Jimena had received the letter form a mysterious person claiming to be a distant relative she had began preparing for the long journey ahead. To her it was a surprise, after all the only family she really knew was the monks, and as far as she knew her real family didn't want her. She had prepared a beautiful white steed and had set off before dawn of the following morning, not having eaten the night before or the morning of her departure. After all, in the temple it was tradition to fast on your trips to be granted safety from the Gods.

Jimena made good pace on her journey, stopping to rest for a short break every now and then to keep herself from becoming to exhausted. However, halfway through her journey she had run into a old man who's wagon's wheel had become loose and fell off then, the wagon off balance fell into a near by ditch. This had spooked off his horses, and he was far to old to make the journey home on foot.

Jimean after hearing his story gave the man her horse and wished him well with the Gods before continuing on. Her previous route had promised her to be there early, but now her rests were less often as she now journeyed on foot. After a long while of walking Jimena was now approaching her destination. Due to the monks fasting for weeks at times at the temple her stomach was not bothering her, however she was a bit fatigued from the long periods of walking.

As the huge building came into view Jimena craned her neck to look at the highest point, she had to admit the architecture was remarkable and something worthy for those of high ranking. Who exactly was her distant relative? She wasn't to worried about this being a hoax, after all she had the Gods on her side to keep her safe, but did this mean that her parents had been vastly wealthy? Would she have been living in a house similar to this one?

Clearing her head from the useless thoughts Jimena set forward, walking through the gate. She noticed others disappearing into the grande building already, the one farthest behind seemed to be a man who appeared unwell. Jimena could feel the determination to overcome his disabilities as he crawled up the stairs, and refrained from helping him knowing that it would only bring shame upon him. After he disappeared into the building she was about to follow suit when she noticed a Triton man pass by her and enter the building, surprising her at his sudden appearance.

Jimena decided it was best to not keep her relatives waiting any longer, it wasn't polite. She began walking forward and quickly caught up to the group. She noticed that the group consisted of many from a different race then her's and this surprised her. Do they live with my relative also? Are they married to the humans in the room? Shaking her head to clear her thoughts yet again, everything may be confusing now, but the Gods will reveal the truth. She must be patient.

She noticed the others asking questions to a man with green eyes. She then noticed that his eyes were reptile-ish and this caused her eyebrows to furrow, his race was not one that she recognized, and that was unusual since many from different races visited the temple daily looking to be blessed by the Gods. The next thing she noticed was how much questions everyone was asking the man, did they not know him? She settled on the thought that explained why the races differed with each of them, they must have all gotten letters similar to hers.

However with this thought she wondered if they had gotten one that promised a relative like hers had, after all she knew nothing of her family, and a letter such as that sent to her would defiantly cause her to journey all this way. Did they'res contain promises for fortune? Ever lasting fame? Internal life? Whatever was the case they were all connected some how, and if she wanted to find out she would have to be patient and wait.

Deciding to leave those conversing uninterrupted she took to waiting and listening beside the man with an eye bandage she had observed earlier. No words were spoken by her, all she did was wait. She wondered what test the Gods were giving her now.

 

[Shadowlugia711]

< Dust >
< 32 ~ Gnoll ~ Male ~ Zyphyr >

Dust wasn't the most trusting of his family. He had a simple reason for that. The war his clan engaged with was rather senseless. So when he received the mysterious letter he really didn't want to go. He had sat in his little cabin, staring, thinking. He eventually decided that despite his poor family ties the letter had an odd feel to it that called him. So he threw his caution to the wind and began the long trek into the unknown.

The gnoll's journey was a long one. Most of his time was spent on foot. Occasionally he would get a chance to hitch a ride on a wagon. When Dust slept, it was in a rough camp set up along rough trails or outside of towns.

As he peeked out of the bushes, he was awestruck by his final destination. The resplendent palace was an incredible sight. Dust had never seen anything remotely like it in his many travels. The gates alone were massive. He couldn't even begin to imagine how big the entire fortress was.

Others were entering the castle. Dust was also surprised at the diversity of them. Many different races, some bestial like him, others more human-looking, and others that seemed to belong more in water. Dust then realized something concerning. If they had gotten letters from a "distant relative," then either they had been lied to, there were many people who had sent letters, or the group he was looking at had a different letter than him.

However, he was quite interested in the letter, and ran out of his hiding place. Dust slipped through the doorway behind everyone else, and remained near the gate. Much of the crowd was near a tall man. The gnoll wasn't able to see his face as he had turned away.

Dust muttered under his breath, "I will probably regret this decision."

 

[StoneWolf18]

Katrina

28 || Female || Wyrmspawn || Nox​

As the group began to ask various questions, the man simply shook his head. “You will all learn the answers to all of your questions soon enough, if you would please follow me.” With that he would turn, moving and expecting them to follow.

The door would’ve abruptly shut behind the last person to enter, no one having moved it. If it simply shutting on its own wasn’t strange enough, how massive the halls were could’ve been enough to spark a strange curiosity.

Katrina was sat in the back of the room, told to remain quiet and not move. This was going to prove to be rather difficult, however, when the massive doors to the common room opened and Vis lead the unknowing wyrmchildren inside. The woman’s eyes were wide, watching the newcomers with a fascination only someone as sheltered as herself could muster. She couldn’t tear her gaze away as they were lead over to the long table, Nox standing at the front. Thankfully, she was close enough to listen in…

The dark haired and pale man watched emotionlessly as they filed in around the table. Once all of the mortals were there, he began to speak. “Good. Most of you actually came.” Letting his reptilian eyes scan them momentarily, he continued. “I am the one who set you that letter, my eldest son-” he gestured towards the thin green eyed man that took his place beside him and a few other men and women. “Was the one to greet you. You are all here because you received the same letter, I, as well as my children here, are all related to each of you. Even though there are centuries of distance, it still makes this of utmost importance.” Narrowing his gaze and voice gaining an edge, he would say “My name is Nox. The creator of this universe and giver of your life, and these are my children. Vis, Delta, Zephyr, and Eshne.”

At this point, Vis would take over in speaking. “You are all, for lack of a better term, blessed with a rare gift many of our decedents never had the chance to know of. You are all known as Wyrmchildren, mortals with the power of us, the ancient dragons, in their blood. Your travel here was extremely crucial to not only our own survival, as you all contain unstable magical potential, but to the world itself.”

Now would’ve continued to speak. “My brother, Lucian, helped shaped this world. But, he wanted to take it for himself. We fear he is going to try and do so, which means it will be up to you to protect your home.”

The small woman thought their explanation was interesting, not to mention oddly heroic like something one would find in a work of fiction. But Katrina couldn’t help but silently stand and creep closer to the table, hoping she wasn’t spotted. But this was short lived as her grandfather cast her a cold glance, she instantly retreating to the far-off chair she had came from.

“This power you possess-” Nox continued after his granddaughter had retaken her seat away from the group. “Means various things, but there are two that are most important and are unstable as my son had said. The first is a magical potential unlike any mortal scholars, but the second is the source of your true strength. We had calculated that around this time would be when your first… transformation, for lack of a better word, would occur. Thankfully within this stronghold and not in the open where it could be misused or misinterpreted.”

Delta then decided to step in. “I’m sure this is a lot to take in, most of you not even believing what you’re hearing. Soon enough, though, things will become much more clear. So, are there any questions?”

Blaire Wisteria JustNicole Coffeepot Giraffe Mistah DergTheDergon Duckler seasonedcat Mistory Shadowlugia711 doneanddusted Vampunk Fable

 

[Mistory]

As the doors came closed with an echoing thud, Midas realized his question had been ignored. Cryptic answer, but he would go along with it. Would have taken alot less effort to kill him if they wanted to, for whatever reason, so they must need him for something.

He couldnt help but cast his gaze about the hall, and he quickly came back to the royal decendants thought. What else would want halls this size? he shook the question from his mind as the group followed after. it wasnt long before they were led into a large room, with several people in it. Midas took note of each in the room, and decided to straighten up. Might as well listen up to what has to be said.

"...Doors back the way we came, right?" Midas jabbed a thumb behind him, before moving to make his way out. The fuck where they talking about? Dragons, creating the world and being the decendants? hell, being the illigitimate son sounded more believable than that! He normally would have given them the chance to explain, but something about this was just...rubbing him the wrong way. He didnt like this, at all.
"Look, I'm sure you mean well and all, but im not really up to playing this game..."

 

[Vampunk]

A hundred new questions plaguing her mind, Darrene followed the reptile-eyed man, glancing back just in time to watch the gate close behind them. There was no turning back now, and whatever awaited her would better think twice about double-crossing her as the woman's gloved hand came to rest on her thick leather belt, the weight of her sword oddly calming as the assembled were lead into a great hall.

A long table, not unlike those she knew from the festive halls of her home, usually the stage for feasts and other celebrations related to either heroic accomplishments or religious occasions, served as the center of the room as they were beckoned to take a seat.

Pausing for a moment, Darrene put her visored helmet on the wooden table, the weight of her armet causing a metallic clang to reverberate through the great hall as the woman removed her leather gloves.
Putting them beside her helmet, Darrene fidgeted with her belt buckle, removing the strap of boiled leather as she appended her weapon to her chair.

Finally taking a seat as she readjusted her scale-mail tailcoat, pulling her chair closer to the massive table.
Her eyes shifting as they wandered over the strange crew that had assembled on this fateful day.
Hazel eyes taking in the sight of a truly bizarre menagerie of non-humans.

Merfolk that she only knew from old fishermen tales, said to drag grown men into a watery grave, throwing them off their boats and drowning them for nothing but their own amusement.

A feline, a race of anthropomorphic cat people that had the reputation of being sleazy cutthroats and thieves, Darrene not being able to keep herself from shooting her a suspicious glare.

The other creatures did not have such vile rumors surrounding their natures, more often than not simply appearing in children's tales.
The fairies in particular being the object of childish glee, being deemed harmful tricksters by some, and playful spirits by others.
Shaking her head slowly, Darrene eased her thoughts away from those creatures she had to share the same room, and air with.

Then the man who introduced himself as Nox spoke.
His words making Darrene's muscles tense as she sat there, all color cast from her face as her pale visage shifted into an aghast expression, hazel eyes staring holes into Nox as her lips trembled.
Her stiff frame jolting up from her seat as her chair's legs noisily dragged over the cold stone, her clenched fists resting against the wooden table.
"Enough!"
Darrene roared, her scarred eyebrow twitching as the ruined flesh trembled in anger.
"If you were in my city you would have been burned at the stake already for such blasphemous words you spit." The woman hissed through her clenched teeth, hazel eyes resting on Nox as she pointed at him.

"This world was created by the gods of the starry sky, they shaped us humans in their image and they gave this world to us so that we could devote our lives to uphold their values and follow the fate they had forged for us eons ago. I will not stand to listen to any more of your lies. I have followed your calling, thinking there was something greater at hand here, but you are just a charlatan. A delusional madman."

Her voice echoed through the great hall, as Darrene tried quenching the fiery anger that burned in her heart. Her fist slamming down on the table in fury.
"As it turns out this was nothing but a waste of my time. Maybe just a way for the gods to test my faith when presented with such grand un-truths." The human spoke, venom in her voice as she put on her elbow-high gloves, clenching her fists as she put her helmet back on.
Her hazel glare burning from underneath the darkness of her visor as Darrene grabbed her sword's sheath, ready to storm off and leave this accursed place.

 

[Fable]

Veth Denrilith

21 | Elf | Zephyr​

Veth crossed her arms over her chest, not caring much for the direction this was going. This green-eyed man was being evasive still regarding their questions. To be told to follow after him without any hint as to what was going on bothered her.

She lingered as the group of people moved to follow after him as he entered the monstrosity of a castle. It was partly hesitation which is why she didn't immediately waltz in, a seed of doubt regarding the purpose the man summoned them all under the false claims of being a distant relation.

Veth was one of the last few to enter, the door automatically closing behind them. Well, that just screamed suspicious!
Her body tensed and her blue eyes warily glanced at her surroundings. Why anyone needed a castle designed for giants was strange as well. It was probably a horrible to keep tidy. She followed the group into an expansive room where a girl was sitting and waiting, staring at them with what seemed wide-eyed fascination. It was something Veth recognized as she was certain that was her own expression the first time she entered a human village.

There was also another man there, waiting for them, looking at stiff as ever. He was apparently the one who had sent them all letters, blatantly claiming he was somehow related to them all. Most of them weren't even the same species, how the hell could any of them be related? Veth shook her head to herself, wondering what delusion this man was under.

His tale of being Nox, the 'creator of the universe' pushed her further into thinking this man was crazed. She didn't care about the others he named as his children, for all she knew they had just been the previous group suckered into this man's insanity. Veth struggled to keep herself from laughing out loud at this absurdity. He continued on about how they were Wyrmchildren and about some brother of his named Lucian. There was nonsense regarding them having unstable magic and close to some sort of transformation.

When a male human asked if the door was back the way they came, and that he wasn't up to this game, she agreed with him.

The tense woman from earlier shouted, causing Veth's attention to turn over to her, thinking there were some anger issues or something that she was afflicted with.

"As much as we all seem to agree that you're insane, you're just spouting out this nonsense without any verifiable proof. Surely, a lord such as yourself would understand a reluctance to simply believe something so far-fetched. None of us share any similar qualities it seems. Well, except for those two," Veth added, pointing towards the two aquatic looking persons.

Blaire Wisteria JustNicole Coffeepot Giraffe Mistah DergTheDergon Duckler seasonedcat Mistory Shadowlugia711 doneanddusted Vampunk​

 

[StoneWolf18]

Katrina

28 || Female || Wyrmspawn || Nox​

Katrina had… expected this to say the least. It was a rather farfetched story to begin with. The first refusal wasn’t surprising but the second outburst was, the woman’s eyes widening slightly as she focused on her grandfather. What was he going to do about this?

Nox was… annoyed. His pupils draw into agitated slits as he looked to Eshne. “These are yours. Deal with them.” He said gruffly, the goddess reluctantly standing from her seat and moving towards the two the were leaving. As she did, her form seemed to blur almost, being unfocused as it began to swell. Within a few moments a monstrous dragon nearly taking up the entire room. Eshne’s eyes glinted red as she snarled, lunging forward and picking up the human by her clothing surprisingly gently with her front teeth, turning around and arching her neck so her head wouldn’t hit the ceiling. Then she would place Darrene back where she had been sitting, using her massive bulk to guard the door. “I believe this is enough proof.” Her voice originated from nowhere, draconic lips unmoving, tail tip twitching back and forth. “You will all eventually be able to take on a similar form to whoever your distant relative is.”

“I’m glad someone decided not to question me.” Nox began to speak again, glancing downward towards the disguised siren who was prostrate at his feet. “This transformation can happen at anytime, which is we are to keep you here. If you do not wish to abide by this, stepforward so I may consume your soul for another purpose.” His voice once again took on quite the edge, glaring into each and every one of the wyrmchildren.

His granddaughter couldn’t help but shrink back into her chair at the threat. It wasn’t aimed at her, but the thought of him simply disposing of those who didn’t want to bend to his will. Katrina would’ve then cast her eyes downward, almost feeling guilty. She knew it was strange to do so, as she wasn’t the one that had brought them here nor was she going to be taking their life but-

Her breath momentarily caught in her throat as an intense pain centered in her right forearm, the sensation almost feeling as if something were pushing its was out of her skin. Carefully she would tug up her sleeve to reveal a small patch of black scales on the inside of her forearm right below her wrist. Thankfully it had faded to a dull burn but she still twisted her face into a grimace, pushing the cloth back down to conceal it once more. Hopefully it wouldn’t progress too fast...

Blaire Wisteria JustNicole Coffeepot Giraffe Mistah DergTheDergon Duckler seasonedcat Mistory Shadowlugia711 doneanddusted Vampunk Fable

 

[JustNicole]

LorellaAge: 42
Gender: Female
Race: Siren (Disguised as Triton)
Ancestor: Delta
Interacting: @Ender StoneWolf18

Lorella was feeling a conflicted range of feelings as she followed the man into the hall: happiness, confusion, even some fear. When she felt someone come alongside and her heard that voice, most of that happiness started to vanish. Of course there’s a fucking triton here. It was too much, it seemed, to ask for a little reprieve from tritons. Even here, somehow, they managed to find her.

Turning her head to the triton, she was greeted to the site of an actual attractive triton, clad in a fine set of armor that indicated his position to other tritons as that of a member of triton military, one of the things that united all tritons together. If she had captured him during a raid, she could imagine herself having all sorts of fun with him before his life expired. As it was, though, there was more pressing matters.

“Hail fellow,” Lorella replied in triton custom. “I am Lorella Fisher of the Marianas Protectorate.” Giving one’s name and residence was customary as well. She used the Marianas Protectorate as her default answer as her siren sisters and her resided nearby, and it was technically the place of her birth. Added to the fact that it was far away, she doubted she would have any problems fooling this triton.

Noticing that the triton was about to speak again, she put her finger to her lip and shushed him. “There will be time for talk later. If you’ll excuse me...” With that, she turned her attention back towards the group and pushed onto into the main hall where everyone was gathering.

Once the group was congregated, a stranger stepped towards the front. It was subtle, the man seemed to command the attention of those already in the room, side-long glances that indicated they were looking for his reactions and watching him for leadership. Lorella had a strong feeling she was looking at whoever was in charge of this stronghold.

Listening to the words spoken, Lorella knew in heart that the words were true. All her life, she had heard tale of dragons and sirens, how the dragon gods would one day return and restore sirens to their rightful place. It was a hope stored in the heart of every siren. Now, here she was, standing before a god himself.

There was such a sense of jubilee, pure bliss, at the realization that the dragon gods were real. Lorella dropped her guard completely, caught up in the euphoria of the moment. She heard others calling out blasphemy, heresy, not believing the words they heard. The only thing that Lorella could do was drop to her knees, her head falling forward as she lay prostrate before the god.

She didn’t think of herself as an emotional person, but Lorella couldn’t hold back the tears from welling in her eyes. Finally, she knew what her purpose was in life, the thing that fate had been calling her towards. She was, by Nox’s own words, a demi-god, dragon daughter, wielder of magic. There was no doubt that she had found what life really had in store for her.

Though she wanted to, Lorella dared not look up as she heard one of the women begin to change, lest she be smited. They, Lorella included, were to become dragons themselves? It was all so much information, shattering everything Lorella had held before. Everything was going to be different now. Everything. The world would no longer be the same to her.

She couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride and accomplishment as the god complimented her on her obedience. With the threat of a soul consuming, Lorella dared not wait a minute more before speaking, keeping her head downwards. “Whatever you ask, my God, I shall do. I shall protect my home in your name. Thank you, thank you,” she said as she broke down into happy crying.

 

[doneanddusted]

Eldynn RoseAge: 24
Gender: Female
Race: Faerie
Ancestor: Zephyr
Interacting: StoneWolf18

Ah, the man wasn't very kind, was he? Eldynn watched as he walked along, before flying behind him. More people had come in... there were creatures she had only heard about. Two were Beastfolk. Two more looked aquatic. There were also a good amount of humans. Eldynn let everyone walked ahead of her. She wanted to look at everyone. Explore their strange appearances. Some had scars. Some had *fabulous* hair. Some were pretty, some were okay. The doors behind her closed by themselves. Eldynn furrowed her brow. Well, there was no going back anymore. The halls of this castle were gigantic. Eldynn couldn't help but fly all over the place. She was just a bit giddy from seeing such a grand place.She giggled a bit, before calming herself down. She didn't want to come off as immature. Huge doors lead into what seemed to be a common room. A human in the back of this room with pale skin and black eyes stared at Eldynn and the people around her in some sort of wonder. Eldynn smiled and waved, a bit curious as why someone was already here. She would try to talk the human later. Eldynn watched as a dark haired, pale skinned man started speaking. His name was Nox. He was... the creator of the universe? What??? And Eldynn and the people around her had dragon blood? Eldynn furrowed her brow. She got lured to a random place by a cult of fairy tale believing radicals. Nox looked to the side, and Eldynn looked to where he was looking. The woman from earlier was going back to her corner.

What's going on here?

So... Eldynn had magical powers? Eldynn was ready to find a way out. She didn't want to be sacrificed.

The human from earlier screamed about blasphemy and gods. Eldynn flew a little bit further away from the human. Humans are scary. She did, however, agree with the fact that the pale man was delusional. The elf from earlier spoke about her doubt in a more civilized manner. Nox spoke to one of his... his children? His daughter got up, and, suddenly, she hulked out or something. Eldynn stared in shock as the woman transformed into a huge creature that Eldynn had only ever seen in pictures. She could only stare in pure awe as the... as the dragon lunged forward and put the human back in her seat. The dragon's voice echoed, but didn't speak. Eldynn was still a bit in shock. Dragons existed... and she could turn into one? No, she was definitely dreaming. Soon she'd wake up from under a leaf or something, and continue walking to where her actual destination was. But this dream was awfully pleasant... Eldynn didn't try to wake up. She grinned and clapped her hands together, absolutely excited. She was going to be a dragon! However, when Nox spoke, she stopped.

Nox didn't sound fun. Or kind. Or happy. He said something about taking souls if someone didn't abide. Eldynn didn't like Nox, but she wanted to be a dragon, and she didn't want her dream self's soul to be taken. A fishlady spoke, sounding as if she was overjoyed. Eldynn was overjoyed, too, though not exactly willing to acknowledge that Nox was a god.

Then she remembered.

Eldynn glanced at the woman in the back of the room. Something told her that it wasn't a good idea to approach the woman right now... So instead, the faerie waved again.

 

[Blaire Wisteria]

Civis MeghansathAge: 42
Gender: Male
Race: Triton
Ancestor: Wetgurl Sr.
Interacting: StoneWolf18

Civis tilted his head towards the woman in surprise. She claimed to be from the same protectorate as he, yet he couldn't recognize her face. Was he too busy in the field to even notice this woman? And what did she say her name was, Lorella Fisher? He certainly didn't recognize her face, that's for sure. But that name, it was just so familiar to him and he just could place it. Was she perhaps the wife of one of his squad mates? That could be it. Well, it wasn't important now, and he had plenty of time later to ask her. For now he decided to do as she did and pay attention to the matter at hand.

With the group now corralled into the stronghold, the door slammed shut behind him. This was unsettling to say the least. He grasped the very end of his hammer's haft softly. He had no intention of using it, yet. He enjoyed the sense of security it gave him though. Some of those around him chose to sit down at the large table, but Civis wasn't taking any chances. He still had his suspicions, especially towards the man that lead them all there.

Having a better chance to look at the group as they all filled in the seats. He noted how strange all of them were compared to him and that Lorella woman. Especially that one sitting all the way in the back corner. Something wasn't quite right with her and he couldn't put his finger on it.

It was then that the dark haired pale man in the center started speaking. Talking about how he crafted the universe, how he and his children shaped the world. Civis couldn't believe it. He came all the way, just to hear this madness? Was this some sort of scam? Some strange cult meant to brainwash those with lesser minds? Well he wasn't having any of it. And apparently neither was the human woman who started to scream about "blasphemy" and "gods" neither of which were familiar to Civis. Thinking about it, neither were dragons. Is this really what the surface was like? Screaming and nonsense?

Turning to face the door as other's were already halfway to it. What he saw next horrified him. One of the crazy man's "children" transformed into some sort of giant beast the likes of which he had never seen. Was the man telling the truth? Was this what a dragon was? f he was telling the truth, then that means he'll soon become one of those reptilian horrors. No, this could not be! This couldn't really be happening. He had to find that Triton woman and get the hell out of this crazy place.

Spinning around, he tried to catch sight of Lorella only to find her on the ground before the strange dragon man. Crying out in pure happiness and vowing her servitude to him. What was she talking about? Doesn't she know that that's probably a death sentence? Almost as if Nox had read his mind, he was given two options, join or die.

That was the last straw, Civis was so confused, scared, and on the verge of a mental breakdown. He began to hyperventilate. This was all too much for one such as himself to take in at once. With one swift motion, Civis gripping the haft of his hammer tighter, brought it down. The head slamming into the floor with a loud smash, hard enough to crack the stone. "Please... I begeth of thee... Bid me what is going on..." He sighed in a defeated tone between ragged breaths.

 

[seasonedcat]

Jimean followed the strange man, the only way she was going to get any answers was if she listened to what they had to say. As they passed through a door it seemed to slam shut on it's own causing Jimean to glace back quickly and look around for the source. This confused her greatly, another mystery about this place and people. She turned around when she heard a man talking. She listened intently, hoping for answers to her many questions.

The man introduced himself as Nox and explained that he had sent out the strange letters to all of them. Jimean nodded lightly at the mention of them all being relatives, she had never known anything of her family, and suddenly she is in a room filled with them, no matter how little blood they shared, they were still relatives. It was nice to finally know something even if it probably shed no light on who her parents were. Her eyes widened at the next statement made by Nox, Nox is the one who created the universe, they were Gods.

It seems this is why there was never mentioned a God of creation among the monks, Justice, Love Mercy, yes. But never creation. The stories speak of a light that formed them from ashes along with the world. These dragons must be the light, the Gods must be rewarding her for her faith. Her breath was taken away, she was a distant relative of a God. Placing her right fist inside her left palm she bowed deeply to Nox and the other Gods. She was honored.

She was disrupted from her bowing by a slam of the table. She jerked her head up and gazed at the women who began yelling at the Gods, claiming that they were not the Gods from her religion. That was quite disrespectful, and rude. Jimean gasped when one of the Gods showed their dragon form to those who were not believing them, it was beautiful. Her gaze once again returned to Nox as he spoke, saying that they must follow him or die.

"I will follow the Gods until I die and beyond, after all I am a Monk." Jimean spoke, bowing her head in respect as she did. 15 years of devotion to the Gods, and she was gifted with a mission from the creators themselves. The Gods truly favor her today.

 

[Mistah]

Zorkorio delivered a heavy sigh when the reptilian eyed man mentioned that his father had been waiting for them inside. He realized that the person that had invited him here was most likely not of centaur blood which severely disappointed Zorkorio to say in the least. Against his better judgement he had still relunctantly followed the man into the massive fort that possibly held tons of people do to its enormous size. However, the fort was was just as empty and as bland as his journey was when making his way to this unknown place. The fort had a sense of mystery to it especially since the door had suddenly closed behind them, but deduced it to being a simple trick. Nothing along his adventures did he discover anything special other then an odd looking species of elk, which in turn would make for a great price, but definitely not worth the effort it was to travel there.

Zorkorio would find himself unusually silent around the others being uncomfortable with so many new faces. Usually he was quite social and often obnoxiously loud, however, it would seem that his journey had exhausted his energy and being as large as he was made him stand out more then he wanted. It was also awkward as he wasn’t able to take a seat like the rest due to his unique body so he decided to just stand in place as they gathered around the table. Upon gathering a dark haired man began to speak in a most unusual way. A major amount of annoyance had circulated through the young stallions body at the sudden mention of dragons. True he did enjoy their history, but to be dragged across the harsh lands just to be told a redundant fairy tail was more then the young stallion could take. One man began to leave while a woman began to suddenly burst into anger which Zorkorio believed she had every right to express. They had left their friends and family behind to meet this so called relative just to end up meeting some crazy delusional man. Zorkorio has began to tune out the man and began thinking off ways to come up with an excuse on why he would return to the tribe. ‘Bandits? No I’ll be the laughing stock of the whole tribe. Perhaps maybe it was just a bad job with little rewards?’ Ideas were quickly rushing through his head as he began to fall into a daydream like state.

His heavy thinking would soon be interrupted by the sight of an actual dragon appearing beforehand. His jaw hung low and his dark brown eyes would stare in awe at the once believed fairy tail creature. The pure imagery the dragon had given off was like an art piece and of true beauty in the eyes of the young stallion.

“That was....so.....so....” the young stallion’s voice started to fade as he stood there trembling, but not the sort of trembling one would have from fear. “AWESOME” yelled Zorkorio with his deep and obnoxiously loud voice as it had carried through the whole room as he quickly turned back to the man that proclaimed himself the creator of all that existed. A whole hearty laugh erupted from Zorkorio’s lungs as he spoke “You there. Old ma- er I mean dragon. How the hell do I do that” He yelled pointing towards the beast that had suddenly appeared. It was obvious Zorkorio had not been paying full attention to what had been going on nor did he hear Nox’s threat. His eyes were filled with a fiery passion complimented by his wide grin as he waited his answer.

StoneWolf18

 

[Duckler]

Damian Thirsk​

Male | 32 | Human | Delta​

​

Damian held a hand tightly over his mouth, trying not to laugh as he heard the man's speech. Eventually, out of pure disbelief, he bursted out laughing, his hand now resting atop his forehead. He came all this way, traveled to who knows where, only to hear a lunatic tutor him on the creation of this universe. He wiped a few tears from his eyes and let out a loud sigh as he ran a hand through his currently disheveled hair.

When he first laid eyes on the stronghold he almost let himself believe that, perhaps, something of wonder was waiting for him within. Almost. He'd been fooled before, when he was still naive, and the eyepatch covering his right eye was a constant reminder not to repeat the past. Just as he turned around to begin heading towards the exit, a loud bang filled the hollow room. His sensitive ears pricked up slightly as the harsh sound contrasted the once previous silence within the room. He swiveled his head and noticed that a girl had slammed her fist onto a nearby table and was now spouting words of furious anger at the man who had spoken.

This raised a slight chuckle from Damian. The fact that her argument almost perfectly mirrored his thoughts comforted him that he was not the only one still left with sense in the room.

Right as he was about to reach the exit, he suddenly picked up a dramatic change in the atmosphere of the room. He wasn't sure why, but every instinct in his body warned him to stop, and he did. Standing there frozen, mid-stride with his arms still outstretched, he felt like a total buffoon, and yet he remained completely and utterly still. Even his breathing was reduced to the bare minimum. His eye was the only thing moving, though his back was turned to the rest of the group so he doubted anybody would notice. The singular orb darted around erratically in its socket, searching for the cause of his sudden fear and paralysis.

That's when a red, behemoth of a creature filled his view.

The man from before spoke of dragons as if they were primordial creatures of strength, beauty, and power, but most of all as if they truly existed. Up until this point, Damian didn't believe a single word the man was saying, but he quickly discovered that being face to face with a dragon was an easy way of changing somebody's entire perspective.

He quickly inhaled, and for some reason this released him from his temporary paralysis. During his attempts to back away from the beast, he tripped over his own two feet and, without missing a beat, began to scoot back on his rear, away from the red dragon. A line of curse words flowed from his mouth as he muttered to himself. He finally stopped when his back bumped against the leg of a table. With both hands he grasped on tightly to the wood, feeling as if it was his only true anchor to reality.

When the man from before spoke up again and informed the group that they too were going to transform into one of those creatures, Damian's grip on the wooden table leg tightened to an extreme. His heart began to race and it was soon hammering against his chest. He tried to take deep breaths, to calm down, but how could he in a situation as absurd and surreal as this?

'No, this must be a dream.' He thought to himself, more as a way of reassuring himself than actual convincing. He shut his eye tightly and counted to ten, silently hoping that when he woke up back on his bed within the city a cup of juice and a fresh batch of pancakes would be awaiting him.

 

[DergTheDergon]

As yet more creatures entered, the sheer amount of races boggling her mind, and the amount of entering humans making her rather uncomfortable, Ishnai found herself more or less backing up into a nearby corner, away from especially the intensely-visaged human woman that had glared at her, likely knowing her race’s bad reputation. The ones that had to live among humans often had to resort to breaking their laws to survive, as the humans only tolerated them for cheap labor and other strictly human-centric endeavors, as far as Ishnai had been told anyway. But this is the sort of woman, Ishnai could tell, that was very unlikely to hold any compassion for other races whatsoever. The other humans that entered all seemed wary in one way or another, though of herself and the other non-humans, this odd situation and the sheer number and variety of those here, or both, Ishnai could not know. For now, she kept observing. Acting too rashly in a situation like this was… very, very potentially dangerous, Ishnai, new this well.

The moment the door to the room slid shut, Ishnai found herself ceasing her careful observation of the new beings pouring into the room, and instead staring in fear, awe and deep rtrepidation at the man in the center… the man she swore that she felt some sort of aura coming from, that of a very powerful man, the kind of aura that the Pride leader carried, but… greater.

Then, the man revealed why… time stood still when he claimed that he held the highest authority one could possible posess… the creator of all things. It would explain his eyes, were he truly Draconic… and then, as if to denounce any doubt Ishnai had held in his words… he dropped the name of Vis. Vis, her master, the idol of all her people… was one of this Nox’s children. Ishnai had never sprung forward from where she stood and knelled into such a low, subservient bow, arms stretching out in front of her and her face touching the floor, not to mention so quickly. The certainty she had felt in her heart about the invitation she recieved solidified many-fold, and all doubts she had previously held regarding this surreal situation were eradicated within moments. “Nox… you’ve this humble cat’s full devotion…” she said, her tone reverent, and far humbler than one might expect from her posture and demeanor the very moment prior to Nox’s big reveal.

Then, angry words instantly outraged the Leopardess. She rose straight to her feet in a fluid motion, and glared straight at the human woman with bared teeth, the blasphemous words sprouting from her throat with such heated passion destroying the trepidation Ishnai had held towards her mere moments ago. The only thing that kept her from challenging the woman to an honorable duel, the present true Gods surely offering them her favor and ensuring her victory. Yet, the Leopardess could only growl, ears pinned back, at the woman for a moment before the pointy-eared pale one then spoke. She offered a level-headed, yet still slightly blasphemous, bid to listen to the Creator, however rude. This caused Iahnai to calm, realizing that she didn’t want to fly off the handle in front of Vis, not to mention one who was above even he, Nox, the creator of all. His existence was news to her, and there was a tiny shred of doubt left.

That was, until Nox shredded said doubt with his response to the irate human woman’s words. Ishnai was one again bowing subserviently before the mighty God without even being conscious of it, enraptured by his presence. She was still trying to wrap her head around her, a humble nomad many other beings regarded as a savage or even a simple beast, being descended from the very creators of all that is, but she could do nothing other than suspend her disbelief now, humbled before Nox’s true form. Two others,one of the aquatic-looking creatures and a human woman who seemed to be of her right mind to Ishnai unlike others, also bowed before Nox. Ishnai took note of these women: they were too be trusted and conversed with above all others. She saw fit only to covort with those who bowed to the Gods themselves as they graced the mortals they created with their presence, honoring Ishnai of all people. There seemed to be nothing ectraordinary, besides their races mayhaps, about any of the others, either… yet, according to Nox himself, there was indeed something special about them all… Ishnai would have to experience this transformation he spoke of for herself to truly grasp it, but it felt like an honor and she was already prepared to go through with it, or so she thought.

As Nox spoke, Ishnai also noticed the woman that the God was seemingly ensuring was separate from his group of guests, especially when he unceremoniously, and painfully, pulled her back. Ishnai felt that there had to be a good reason for this , but, the girl did not seem to have any ill intent within her at all from the look of wonder on her face. It was the look of a lost cub who had been separated from the tribe and forced to wander alone for years; utterly starving for the contact that Nox seemed to wish to deny her. Ishnai found herself shooting the woman a concerned glance, before her eyes were drawn back to Nox as he spoke further. For now, she decided it was only right to trust in the Creator himself. Perhaps she could meet the woman in the corner someday soon. In fact, aside from most of the humans besides the one calling herself a Monk, she wanted to meet them all. She supposed there’d be plenty of time for that… if this wasn’t all some long, elaborate lucid vision at least.

Putting those thoughts aside, she bowed as low as she could, nearly lying upon the ground, but lifted her head towards Nox to show that there would be no resistance from her. In fact, it was more than likely that all resistance had failed.

Just before she was about to speak, an equine being of the male persuasion spoke something with such enthusiasm that it caught drew Ishnai’s attention away from Nox, yet so blatantly informal that it cuased her eyes to widened in shock, the leopardess staring at the stallion for a moment before she decided to return her gaze to Nox and offer her own words, hopefully to smooth over what the stallion had said and prevent possible repercussions for his words.

“I am with the… monk,” Ishnai said, the word foreign to her but the woman’s words echoing her own. “My people have revered your child Vis since our earliest times; I will loyally and gratefully accept the gift granted to me and use it however you see fit.” Her gaze was intense, yet soft, as she met the eyes of Nox and waited for further guidance from him.

StoneWolf18 Vampunk seasonedcat JustNicole

 

[Fable]

Veth Denrilith

21 | Elf | Zephyr​

Veth was rolling her eyes at the prostrated female Triton, throwing herself before the man. She viewed it as weak and showed a lack of pride, not a very good impression for the girl. Her mental judgments were interrupted when the man calling himself Nox clearly became displeased as some of them questioned his sanity. She didn't like his demeanor, he screamed of self-righteous arrogance. He stepped aside, casting them off to be dealt with by another.

She wasn't sure what to expect, but it hadn't been for a huge red dragon to appear, taking up much of the space in the chamber. If Veth hadn't been so trained to keep her emotions from appearing outwardly, her jaw would have dropped. The dragon lifted the angry human women with little effort, and Veth was just glad it wasn't her near that maw.

After that display, Nox regarding the aquatic woman, basically kissing the ground and worshiping him, before commenting that should they refuse whatever his plans were for them, he'd just take their souls. Not a very appealing prospect and left them all little choice; death or possible death going along with this dragon-god's plans. "Jukkete," she swore under her breath.

Some were excited by this news, others easily accepting of it, Veth was hesitant. It wasn't that he thought of being able to change forms was disturbing to her, but there had to be more this all. Something didn't feel right, a nagging feeling of unease. She glanced around before sighing, feeling trapped.

"Seeing as you've not given us much choice in the matter, and my preference for life, it seems I'll have to do as you say. I swear as a Lecethian I will do as I must." Veth left it at that, with only the slightest nod of her head as a sign of respect. A Lecethian did not grovel, it was an embarrassment and even and insult, to both parties.

StoneWolf18​