Chapter One: A Dance of Darkness and Light

[DergTheDergon]

Once the Wyrmchildrens' training had begun in earnest, Ishnai felt as though she had reached a very important stage in her life. She knew what she wanted to do now that the Wyrmchildren had been given free reign to train as they wished. She wanted, very strongly, to essentially become one with the Wyrm now within her, and to train her original form as well as her mind for the daunting task of saving the world itself from Lucian's designs, in that very order. It simply seemed right. She focused each day on pushing herself in whichever direction seemed to be yielding the most fruit in the form of progression on that day, ensuring to practice the other skills a little, and then resting as she saw fit. She was driven, focused and present nearly every moment, and thus the time sped by like Wyrmlord Zephyr flying at top speed, as it were.

All her life, pursuits of the mind, which magic seemed to have fallen ther tried to make her study shamanistic rituals, or teach her to make medicine. Sitting down for so long and slaving over books, recipes and diving tools always made her feel desperate to get up adn move, to run among the trees and stalk small prey. Just as she had expected, the smattering of hours she spent studying magic weren’t the most fruitful she’d spent these six months, not by a longshot. In the end, just enough of the strange material didn’t go over her furry little head in order for her to be able to cast a semi-varied repertoire of quite basic spells. Even then, if she wasn’t careful with the quantity of magic she practiced, she’d have a splitting headache the next day.Ishnai was rather disheartened by this initially: she had been granted an ability only Wyrms possessed even in her mundane feline form, yet she could not grasp it near as much as she noticed a few of the others were, such as Katrina and Lorella.

However, as time passed, she became very focused on honing her flight, her breath and general control within her dragon form, and found herself not thinking about it much for long periods of time. Also, it became clear after observing the others enough that most of the Wyrnchldren were not magically inclined, and thus it was not truly some personal failing of Ishnai’s. In this way and many others, Ishnai grew as a being as much as she grew in skill during this time. She realized that due to her endeavors during her time in the tribe, she had the beginnings of, and was improving day by day, an acute awareness of her body, its strengths and weaknesses, and how to improve it. This awareness, as she spent more and more time in her dragon form, began to spread to it, and she used that to create a rigid routine she followed for the majority of the half-year period she had to train.

Four mornings out of the weekwas marked by Ishnai waking around an hour before dawn, as she had done for years, and going to most open place she was allowed to go in order to train her dragon form. She built a focused, progressive regimen for herself that changed overtime in order to boost and optimize her progress in everY facet of flight, usage of her breath, and overall control of her Draconic form. It began with meditation, the way her people’s shamaness had taught her in order to help her with focus and awareness, which the cheetah had struggled greatly with at a younger age. Then, a bit of a warm-up flight, followed by breath practice, and another, more strenuous flight. By the early evening, she had often worn herself out until the last couple of months, during which she naturally extended her training time. On the days that she rested her dragon form, she focused on training her mundane body in combat. She became more proficient with the bo staff she tended to use, and also learned use of other weapons, mainly a spear. Light, long-reach weapons had always been her forte’, so she stuck with them. Also, she learned to throw knives like many of her clan knew, remember techniques that her kin had shown her and becoming quite deadly in aim. The rest of her cat-form training was focused on training her agility, climbing and genera endurance, as well as her stealth, ensuring she trained up the strengths her race and gender leant her as much as possible.

In the evenings, and whenever else she was taking a rest from training, she sometimes found herself cavorting with the others, though normally a select few. Most of the others seemed rather indifferent to her, and thus she found herself mostly spending time with Aellai and Kit whenever they were available, and if they wished to speak with her, never pushing the matter at all. Although Kit was rather different from her kind and his attitude vexed her at times, she could not help but feel a kinship with him in being the only other Feline, not to mention that physically, he was a rather desirable male of her species. However, she had found before this training period that personality-wise, she seemed to mesh rather well with Aellai more than anyone. Perhaps it was because they were both women of animalistic, tribal species that lived away from what most other races considered civilization, or perhaps it was another reason. Either way, she found the birdwoman’s attitude to be refreshing, in a way, and found her beautiful in an exotic sense of the word.

Ishnai stayed mostly silent around the others whilst ensuring to show them due respect, still getting a feel for them all, unless another deemed fit to reach out to her, in which case she more than likely recived it well. The culture shock here was still quite the intimidating factor for her, and she felt safest sticking to the pair of aformentioned fellow beastfolk whilst the others seemed to form their own cliques.

Either way, she was careful to rest only as much as she needed and never succumb to lethargy, as grueling as her training was. Vis himself, an apparent ancestor of hers, was only the son of the being who set this task before her and the other Wyrmchildren; the very creator of the universe had ordered her to train for what was to come. She could not fail, as much as she wasn’t exactly keen on many of Nox’s words and actions prior. In her eyes, like it or not he was above her and there was nothing she could do. Besides, clearly, Lucian was the true enemy here, it was clear, from how, according to Delta, he had remotely weakened Eshne.

On one night soon after the fall of winter, the dinner table was silent. Ishnai failed to notice for a time, though: lithe as she was, putting down food was a specialty of hers and only when Katrina broke the silence was Ishnai truly aware of it, looking around and then noticing a lack of the others speaking amongst themselves. Ishnai politely put down her utensils and finished chewing (something she had to have been instructed to do, as her clan more often than not ate like exactly what they were plus a more complex mind and bipedal body, wild cats). Listening to Darrene’s carefree answer, which seemed to set the tone to a more jovial one, Ishnai found herself chuckling. “It also helps if you’ve a fur coat.” She flashed a playful grin at Kit. “Truth be told, however,” Ishnai said whilst stretching her arms and arching her back to an extent only a Feline could, “I am quite fatigued from all the training I’ve been up to. Although, it has been rather gratifying. I feel as prepared as I possibly can be. I hope all the same for all of you.”

She cast a glance over the table, find herself smiling slightly towards Aellai as her gaze passed over the birdwoman; similarly for Kit. Speaking up among so many like this was not like her usually, but the past sixth months had certainly done wonders for her confidence; it helped that now she felt a slight kinship to all here, despite her lack of contact with many of them. Seeing them all training just like she was at one point or another had certainly helped that to occur. However, the absence of the dragons for these last few days had certainlly unnerved her... she could only wait, though, and pray that Vis and the other Wyrmlords were alright.
StoneWolf18 Namie One Mean Ghost

 

[AgWordSmith]

Hazel Rock​

Interacting: StoneWolf18 DergTheDergon Vampunk
Mentioned: Fable One Mean Ghost Mistory JustNicole Namie Smaaycheese @Chromquistador Blaire Wisteria
Located: Commons; Dying of cold while contributing to the conversation

As days turned into weeks and weeks to months Hazel found her self in a flurry of studies and socializing. It was a bit odd to stay in ones place for so long. At times she would feel anxious and have the urge to find some other horizon to look at, to experience and explore but, found herself still here. There was much to keep her cabin fever at bay though. Feeling like a sitting duck didn't settle with her well she was thankful for company and the seemingly endless lessons , Otherwise the traveler wouldn't have survived long in these walls.

Learning more about her dragon form was her priority. As much as half shifting like the gods demonstrated intrigued her, she felt like the full dragon form was more enjoyable to be in, and didn't take so much concentration to keep. Plus just being a dragon never ceased to amaze and excite her no matter how many times they did the switch. It just felt natural. Any second they got she would fly about and just find out more and more about what she could couldn't do as a fire breathing force of nature Truly, being in that form was the most fun she got to have in this place. Other than teasing Midas or Kit.

Speaking of those two, she found herself fond of theirs and Veth's company the most. The banters and some times bickering was just so amusing. Like they were a family that spent too much time together. Hazel herself would only fuel the flames of what ever heated debate they seemed to be in. In the end though it was all just good fun. though in times when she sought out more calm company see usually when to see Katrina, often accompanied by Darenne or Ishnai. All of them were lovely women in Hazel's mind. Hazel had a positive opinion of everyone and delighted in getting to know each and every one of them.

When speaking about her own past Hazel would tell small stories of her travels. Of the Time she stole her precious scimitars from a rather well guarded place, Times with her family back in their sea faring town, time on her own out in the world. Each tale said with a little dramatizing performance but did stick more or less to the truth.

Another truth that needed to be stuck with was that her combat skills weren't as great as she perceive them to be. It was a bit hard to come to terms with the strength and skills she actually had, but soon let go of her hubris and let the gods knowledge sink in. She felt extremely lacking in her fighting after that first time with Eshne and put a lot of her focus into Making sure next time there would be less to work on.

Oddly magic didn't seem to sit quite well with her has combat training did. Haze put a little effort into it but felt disappointed that she couldn't seem to put more. Magic did seems rather interesting and she did want to learn but when it came to the lessons there was just something at the back of her mind that wouldn't let her concentrate. That made her feel like studying this was something she shouldn't do.Like it was wrong, but that's crazy. Maybe she was just nervous about trying something seemingly so powerful it more. Though, the feeling wouldn't go away.

Now, in the heart of winter she sat with the others. Silent as she kept her self from shivering. Even inside the cold seemed to be in her very bones. She wasn't very used to snow icy weather. One could say, if they paid attention to all her destinations, that she avoided the north. Only going to such places a total of three times and no where near blizzard country such as this. Even as a descendant of the fiery Eshne, the cold just wouldn't go away, even the restored tattoo on her back felt like it froze under her skin. "Its does feel like a slow, and cold night, but it's still young." She smiled. "Being left to our own devices was a nice change of pace however. I can't help but wonder why we've been more or less on our own for the last few days. Guess I'm just a curious fellow" she chuckled as she answered Kat.

 

[One Mean Ghost]

Ki'Tavi

It wasn't the first time Kit had dealt with an employer of questionable motives. Hell, it probably wouldn't be the last time, either. Even still, it would be wrong to assume Kit was fully on board with whatever Nox had in store for them. Given Nox deemed, from what he could tell based on what Delta had said and Nox's own general actions when he was around, Katrina was little more than a tool for him.

Then again, that's likely what all of them were.

Rather than dwell on that fact, Kit chose to take advantage of the rather unique opportunities presented here. Power the likes of which he could have only read about in stories was now at his fingertips. At first, he had been quite eager for combat training. However, with Eshne out of commission, and by his own hand no less, a bit of his enthusiasm faltered. Not to mention, as Kit noticed, most of the others did not have the same level of combat experience and skill that he did. Of course, there were some among them who were his equal or better, but no more than maybe one or two. That, to Ki'Tavi, was a problem. For him, the best way to learn and grow was to fight people that were your level or better. Fighting people who were less skilled had very little benefit in the long run. So, rather than spending six months of training time spinning his wheels in combat training, he devoted just enough time to maintain himself. For Ki'Tavi, he could focus more on combat training, and get a whole lot more out of it, once more of the others were around his level.

His morning routine didn't change much. As the sun rose, so did he to do his morning stretches and basic combat practice, which, had anyone desired, were welcome to join him. That lasted until breakfast, after which he devoted his time towards magic. You see, the prospect of using magic fascinated him. So many possibilities, so much untapped potential. He took to those books with unexpected zeal, devouring them with gusto. On more than one occasion, he skipped lunch entirely as he took to practicing spells and expanding his knowledge. He saw so much potential in magic. The more he delved into it, the more he knew he made the right decision choosing to focus on this instead of combat for the time being. After a lifetime of combat training, he knew, he could only expect so much improvement in six months without good training partners. With magic, however, there was no telling how much he could grow even on his own!

And grow in magic he did.

Sometime between lunch and dinner, usually about the point his mind felt full to bursting, he would transition to train in his dragon form. You see, he didn't like the idea of being a walking fire hazard, and, of course, he wanted to know what it felt like to fly. He wasn't as interested in half shifting as some of the others. To him, there was little benefit in taking such a thing halfway. Instead he focused on learning how to move, how to fly, and how to control his unique fire.

You see, Ki'Tavi's dragonfire was different than the others. It burned hotter, but, you see, he could not breath a torrent of flame at some distant enemy. Unless the enemy was already upon him, his breath could not reach them. Instead, he found that the pores under his scales allowed him to channel his fire out from his entire body, giving him a fiery armor to both attack and defend with. After a good deal of time, he reached a point where controlling his body's fire was something he could do without much effort. Flying, and in particular, landing, took a great deal more time for him to reach a level of adequacy.

Of course, that's not to say all of his time was spent diligently training. Over the course of six months, he had fostered some budding friendships, and dealt with a few debts.

Veth, of course, was the one he considered his closest friend here. The two of them just seemed to understand each other enough to pick up the little quirks and tells they had. Of course, some there probably thought they were more antagonistic to each other than friendly, but that was only if you didn't pay close attention. Frankly, the two of them enjoyed the banter. Kit had even started teaching her some of his tricks, when such tricks interested her, that is.

More surprising, however was more recent friendship with Hazel. At first, he had deemed her a bit of a nuisance, perhaps too hyper and a bit of a pain, but, like a tumor, she'd grown on him. Although she didn't make much of an impression on him at first, over time she proved she was capable of taking shots at him without shying away. Frankly, she amused him, and he'd even taken to helping her a bit with her combat training when she asked for it. Then, of course, there was the incident with the rock, which thankfully she kept quiet about.

You see, when Midas threatened to pelt Kit, he had said a particularly derogatory and insulting thing. It, of course, implied that Kit was sub-human. Such an insult, Kit wasn't going to take laying down, even if he was quite certain Midas couldn't pull off such a feat.

So then came the rock.

For more than a month, whenever Midas would pull on his boots, he'd find a single rock in his right boot. Of course, one could only imagine how irritating it had to be to find a rock in one's right boot every time. Kit made sure it happened. Then, once it became a routine to shake out the rock before the boot was worn, the rock would find its way instead to the left boot as a final act.

It was a long, drawn out, and rather tedious response to Midas' statement, but, at the very least Kit no longer cared about the pelt statement after that. That's not to say Kit would ever openly admit to being the responsible party, even if he was suspected. Those that did know, fortunately, also kept their mouths shut. After that point, he became more amiable with Midas, even if the other, perhaps, still held a well-earned grudge against the feline. You see, Kit didn't like to hold a grudge. He liked to get even and move on.

Speaking of felines, Kit had also developed a bit of a friendship with the other cat among them, Ishnai. He was fairly certain his attitude about most things came in stark contrast to her upbringing, but of course, he wasn't about to change himself. Even still, they had quite a few evening conversations after the rest of the training was done.

Really, Kit made a little time for everyone. Some, like Katrina and Darrene, who seemed attached at the hip, he didn't get to interact with much. Others, or, more appropriately just Radfor, he simply avoided. Frankly the peacocking orc annoyed him. Then there were the rest. Although he did interact with them, they weren't usually the first ones he'd go to when he had free time.

So now it was winter. Some of his companions didn't seem all that enthusiastic about the dip in temperature. Kit's attire, on the other hand, hadn't changed at all, leaving much of his physique on display as always.

“It also helps if you’ve a fur coat.”

Kit had to return Ishnai's smirk at that remark. True, having a winter fur coat did help keep off the chill. Being a descendant of Eshne, and learning to control his inner flame took care of the rest for him. His ears turned towards the others as they spoke, and as Hazel mentioned her curiosity at their sudden near-freedom. His eyes, however, were locked on Veth. You see, the two were both quite keen observers and had picked up on subtle cues the other had.

Rather than outright say something, which, in this rather quiet room would sound more like a shout, he elected to wait. Knowing Veth, she wouldn't want to talk about whatever it was at the table with everyone else around anyway. Instead, he judged her foot lightly with his own under the table in a subtle show that he knew something was bothering her. Such subtle gestures weren't exactly uncommon with those two...

"Who knows. Maybe they're all secretly watching us to see if we start slacking off the moment they leave us alone" Kit remarked, his tail swishing behind him at the thought. True, it was a bit strange that the dragons had not made an appearance in a few days. Frankly, it didn't bother him much, but then again, it did make him curious to know if there was some shenanigans at work here..

 

[StoneWolf18]

Katrina

28 || Female || Wyrmspawn || Nox​

Katrina would've visibly blushed as Darrene sat beside her before placing a kiss on her cheek. With how absent Nox had been for the last little while, they and grown a bit lax when showing affection. Hopefully he wouldn't notice for a long while yet, Kat wanting this to last for as long as possible.

The woman couldn't respond to any of the chatter she had started when the large doors of the low-lit common room were forced open, a rather agitated Nox forcing his way towards the table. Kat couldn't help but feel somewhat nervous with his appearance, unconsciously shifting a bit closer to her lover as the rest of the Wyrmlords filed in including Eshne. The previous goddess of fire looked much weaker than she had before the incident 6 months ago, her skin a bit paler and standing a fair few inches shorter while her build was much thinner with barely any muscle.

"It has been long enough." The god of darkness growled, his eyes boring into all of the wyrmchildren. "Lucian is going to strike eventually, we are going to get to him first."

Vis cleared his throat and spoke in a much more gentle tone after him. "You will all be leaving at dawn to try and find any signs of him in the nearby cities and villages. Or, if it comes to it, he will be drawn to you via your magical signatures. Are there any questions?"

They were being sent out to find someone who doesn't want to be found, or simply bait to lure him out? Katrina couldn't hold back a frown but kept silent, knowing speaking wasn't going to do her any good.

DergTheDergon Vampunk Smaaycheese Blaire Wisteria One Mean Ghost Mistory AgWordSmith Namie Fable

 

[Vampunk]

As everyone started to fall into their usual routine of playful banter, Darrene would allow her fingertips to brush over the tempered scale in her pocket. Her fingers wandering along its smoothened edges and its crimson, hardened back as the woman contemplated whether it was a good idea to give Katrina this token of her devotion or if there would be a better opportunity to do so.

And just as Darrene decided that any moment could be the right one, slowly starting to rise from her seat, the large set of wooden doors slammed open. Her fiery eyes coming to rest on the Wyrmking, the only person in the entire fortress who was not allowed to know of the mutual feelings Darrene and Katrina shared.
Averting her gaze, the warrior would slowly nudge further away from Nox's Wyrmspawn, as if attempting to deny that they had grown so very close over the past six months.

Her mind already raced as Nox looked far from pleased, even more so than he usually did, the Wyrmking making her question how someone like Katrina could even be related to him. Maybe a bird had whispered some outrageous rumor into his ear, and that's why he barged in like he'd be ready to set the entire room on fire.
But luckily there seemed something far more important to Nox than whose company his daughter preferred.

The prospect of finally being allowed back into human civilization awoke something inside Darrene that had festered for the past months she had spent among the other Wyrmchildren.
A longing rememberance of home, the life she had left behind to pursue what she had deemed a divine calling. The reveal that had shaken up the very fundamentals of her belief and had threatened to leave her in ruins if it hadn't been for Katrina.

And yet despite knowing that most of what her faith preached off was nothing but soothing lies in order to keep the common population in check, Darrene could not deny that she wished to see home again.
Rising to her full height, the human warrior tried gaining the Wyrmlord's attention.
"Wouldn't it be unwise for us to search the neighboring cities for traces of Lucian, we would simply call his wrath upon the innocent if he'd attack us? It is a risk we should keep in mind when looking for any clues regarding his schemes and current location, no?" Darrene asked, her amber eyes wandering from Vis to Nox, yet even with the fire burning in her chest she was unable to keep up her usually unwavering gaze, instead having to avert her glare from the Wyrmking.

 

[SentinelSevn]

Alistair Barbarossa
29 || Male || Wyrmchild || Delta

Six months. A little over six months since Alistair's life had changed from that of a fisherman, to being told he was one of the wyrmchildren. While at first ignorant and in disbelief of the fact, six months was more than enough time for him to learn to accept it. And if that wasn't enough, he and the other wyrmmchildren were given free reign to practice to their hearts content; meaning more time for him to grow into his second skin.

Erupting a few miles off the coast of the stronghold, Alistair rose from the depths in his reptilian forme; a shining mass of brilliant blue scales that glistened in the dusking sun just as much as the surrounding water droplets. He rose his head into the air above, and the scales covering his breast began to glow a bright blue as he let out a roar into the sky. A single flap of his wings shot droplets into the sky, and forced the water surrounding him away in ripples of waves. Another slap, and he had already begun to lift himself away from the water and into the air.

The feeling was legendary, unbelievable, exquisite.. and absolutely empowering. To be able to transform at will into a beast many times more powerful than he ever was , how was he to know that something of this magnitude was sealed away inside of him for the entirety of his life? Alistair's amazement at the thought never seemed to falter, and similarly so, his enjoyment in transforming never seemed to ever wane.

He continued to flap his wings until he was much higher into the air, high enough to see the outline of the snowy fortress in the distance. The sight of it all was the final nail in the coffin, the reminder that no matter what, from now on, this was going to be his lifestyle. There was no forgetting that somewhere in his bloodline Delta was a distant ancestor, and in that sense so was Nox, one of the few to truly intimidate him. Alistair was no longer the simple fisherman that he once believed he was.

Having enough of his own thoughts, Alistair looked below him toward the water he had just flown from, and began his descent. While at first only minimally flapping his wings to bring him to a slow fall, he instead stopped it altogether, and shifted his weight to bring him down into a speedy nosedive. A loud crash into the depths of the water signaled his impact, and once again sent sprays flying into the air. There was splashes and waves, until the water began to settle down into its serene calm. The dragon that was once there seemed to be no more, and the waves of the water crashed as usual as if he were never there.

Another figure would instead arise from it's depths, Alistair as a human instead of a dragon, and much closer to the shore. His lengthy black hair was drenched and astray, covering most of his vision until he had reached up to push it to the side. When finally rising until he was waist deep in the water, his bare torso was revealed to be laden with old scars scattered across his tanned skin, souvenirs from fishing not unlike the one across his right eye. He found it funny that even in this cold of temperatures, he only felt the bite of the cold instead of having already been frozen into some dragon icicle. He made his way from the water to a small clearing of sand, where he had a few belongings piled together for his short trek.

Alistair first reached for a band for his hair, finally clearing up the mop of mess by pulling it towards the back of his head and knotting it in a low ponytail. Then he reached for his shirt, which was a simple black sleeveless top, which was far from the rags he had originally arrived at the stronghold with. And finally, his fishing spear which had been at the bottom of the small pile. The spear was carved from wood with the tip being from some odd stone, a weapon that didn't appear to have come from anywhere near his current residence. While there were much better tools that could have been provided to him, it was a spear he had crafted himself, in remembrance of his lifestyle prior. Not only did he keep it around to remind him of his past, but also to keep him humble towards it.

Alistair had had enough of his practicing for the day. He had begun the day with his practicing of magic, a skillset he hardly given any attention to. He continued the day by following the practice with some combat training, mostly with his use of a spear as a weapon instead of a tool. he was far more familiar with it than he was with bows or swords, like he suspected many others of being. And finally, where he is now, he concluded his training with practicing his dragon forme. It was just about time to make his way back to the stronghold, where he assumed others were beginning to assemble.

~~~~~~~~~~

Alistair's trek to the stronghold was short, and he made it just in the nick of time to see the others just begin to eat. He was quick to join them and take a seat, but felt a silence come over the table that made him uneasy about whether it was the right moment to eagerly make conversation like he would attempt many other nights. It was Katrina who eventually broke that silence, with her asking about their wellbeing.

Alistair would have been quick to answer, something along the lines of how amazing his transformation today was, and going well into depths about every small detail. But not tonight. Even in the warmth of the presence of others, he had a chill in his spine from his time outside; enough that he could've sworn that if wasn't a wyrmchilde, his recklessness would have caught him a horrible cold.

To his amusement, the others would continue the conversation to uplift the silence. The comments of Ishnai and Kit about their fur coats even brought him to a chuckle, almost choking on the piece of food that he had been gorging himself upon. Alistair spent little time to talk during this time, instead satisfying himself on the warmth that the food provided until he hopefully managed to spit out some words of amusement himself.

The entry of Nox, the wyrmking himself, brought all of Alistair's moods of enjoyment down towards one of seriousness in a way that only Nox himself could manage. His time at the stronghold taught him one thing that was absolute pertaining Nox, his word was law.

"It has been long enough. Lucian is going to strike eventually, we are going to get to him first." Alistair heard Nox speak, which was then followed by Vis's explanation that eased the tense air that had enveloped since Nox's arrival. Alistair turned his gaze towards Darrene as she spoke, and was surprised to see the usual confidence of the warrior simmer to an unsteady gaze towards the wyrmking.

"I would have to agree with Darrene," Alistair then spoke, following Darrene's actions and rising from the table onto his feet. "If we are to be protecting the lands, searching for him in the lands inhabited by the people would only be bringing trouble. If he is drawn towards us, why not bait him into an area where WE would have the upperhand?" His usual booming voice had been suppressed into a quieter tone of stern bravery.

Speaking out towards Nox could result in some form of punishment for him, which is why Alistair could only hope that the thoughts of the masses would at least have the king reconsider the plan. He quickly understood Darrene's change of tone, and shifted his initial gaze from Nox to the wyrmlords, believing that they were far less intimidating.

Skillset:
- Combat: Great
- Magic: Slight
- Dragon: Moderate

Location: Dining Hall

Interactions: Everyone

 

[Fable]

Veth Denrilith

21 | Elf | Zephyr​

Veth wasn't paying much attention to the conversation between the others. It was just small talk about the winter weather anyway. It wasn't that she didn't feel the chill in the air, but she wasn't going to verbally announce her current state regarding it. Veth had never been that great with small talk to begin with. She was drawn out of her thoughts with Hazel's obvious question of where the Dragon Lords had been these past few days. Veth herself was curious, but most of her thoughts on her matter were just theories.

She felt someone graze her foot and her eyes slid over to Kit, as he was the only one who was close enough and on that side to do so. She quirked a brow at him and then shrugged, tapping her index finger twice on the top of the wooden table to indicate it's something to discuss at a later time. As much as she didn't want to discuss the subject that was bothering her, she probably should get an outside perspective. The open and more subtle conversations seemed to halt as the Dragon Lords finally made an appearance. Eshne still looked fairly weak and Veth felt a renewed anger towards Nox, for both his words and what she had seen him do to his own kin.

While Vis held a softer tone that Nox, what he said only soured Veth's mood more, her body tensing slightly as she refrained from speaking out loud to object. They were just pawns in this game between brothers. Lucian had removed Eshne's immortality with ease and now Nox was sending them out of a mission designed to fail. Nox had never been able to find Lucian, how could they? No, they were just bait, and that was if Lucian could even be bothered by their presence. He'd sent his message to them all through Eshne.

Darrene rose and questioned Nox about the risk to civilians if they were to search for Lucian in civilization. Veth wondered if the human woman still believed this conflict was honorable. Nox had threatened their lives unless they bent to his will and served under him, why would he care if others got caught in the fray? He was too blinded by his goal and Veth questioned the old god's sanity. Alistair agreed with Darrene, even going as to suggest a different plan. Veth leaned back in the chair and crossed her arms over her chest and waited to see how Nox would take to being 'corrected.'

"My bet is on Nox slapping Alistair," Veth said in a low voice so only Kit could hear her.

One Mean Ghost
-Ladies and gents, place your bets.-​

 

[AgWordSmith]

Hazel Rock​

Interacting: StoneWolf18 | Nox
Mentioned: SentinelSevn
Vampunk
Located: Commons;Speaking her mind

“You know...Al and Darrene Have a point.”Though the time alistar used could have been better. Hazel held back a chuckle at the thought. She spoke more causally and tried not to worry about the task ahead. “Let’s just jump into the using our signature thing and bait him into a trap. But hey! Let’s keep tossing ideas. I’m sure you have many more that could work even better.” She looked at Nox and the others. The dancer had to admit bait sounded like a dangerous option, but it was better that just searching high and low in every city they came across. Would be faster too. Surely the wyrmlord Nox has more ootions in that nogin of his.

 

[DergTheDergon]

As the others continued jovially conversing,Ishnai began to feel familiar a sense of camaraderie with those around her. It was a feeling of bonding similar to what you felt gathering around the fire whilst she was still traversing the lens with her tribe. Ki’Tavi’s smile returned smile was what made her realize this, his face in that moment looking similar to that of her father's after she told her one of his many silly Parables and corny jokes, quite a few of them having to do with fur funnily enough. Her smile widened at this thought, that this still strange and unfamiliar place, with it's strange and unfamiliar people as well as all the surreal things she experienced here, could give her such a feeling of being home.

Others complaining about the cold was almost amusing to the feline, and she found herself content with listening to the banter going around the table while observing their behavior. Among the most interesting things she observed where the obvious closeness between Katrina and Darrene, the pair of women seeming to always be cuddling or otherwise acting out their clear feelings for each other ever since the mysterious absence of the group’s Wyrm ancestors had begun. Ishnai found her heart warmed by the sight of them this evening, yet couldn't help but fear for the couple should Nox so much as hear rumor of their closeness.

Ishnai soon fell back to a pattern of observing the others and scarfing down as much meat as she possibly could. Flashing a smile over at Hazel, remembering the pleasant conversations the women head engaged in during training. Observing Veth and Kit in particular was both interesting and slightly frustrating to her. While Ishnai could see that the pair were likely no more than close friends, the Cheetah found herself jealous She certainly wished to one day build some kind of deep rapport with him, at least on the basis that fellow felines should stick together if not something more.

Since at this point, others seemed to be either conversing amongst themselves or keeping to themselves, Ishnai then diverted her attention towards her plate, running her tongue along her top canine teeth as she remembered how hungry she was. She then proceeded to dig back into the now half-eaten mountain of meat she had claimed.

The sudden arrival of the Wyrmlords came the very moment before the last morsel on the still-ravenous huntress’s plate could be devoured. Seeing Vis among them, calm as ever, put Ishnai momentarily at ease until the moment she saw Nox’s face, the Wyrmlord of Darkness clearly not pleased. His following words, accompanied by the sight of Eshne’s worse-for-wear condition, the latter alarming Ishnai greatly, ended up tearing down Ishnai’s contented mood and this grounding her in this dire situation. She attentively sat up completely straight, clenched paws coming to a rest in her lap and tail beginning to sway back and forth quickly, showing the Anxiety she was certain the others had to be feeling as well at this moment.

The moment Nox begin to speak, a chill ran its course along her spine, feeling straightening her posture and placing her hands in her lap in order to give the gods their due respect. She simply listened, and sat quietly for a moment as the others asked a plethora of questions, some of them seeming outraged by the orders they had been given. Truth be told, the smells of a suicide mission to Ishnai as well, and it left a bad taste in her mouth.

However, as Vis himself elaborated on the plan, his very words and softer tone gave her great hope. It sounded simple, and you had a feeling the loose you would not simply reveal himself right away. Perhaps it would have a chance to grow stronger before they had to face at all, but she knew that he would likely send many deadly foes their way. However they were prepared no, and it should I found her feathers (or fur, rather) rustled buy a few of her comrades, misgivings. Once the others were done voicing their questions, she interjected.

“ While I admit it will be very dangerous, it is clearly time to act, slow him down, do something! Our revered ancestors must feel that this is the only option. Also, perhaps we will be able to save all most civilians. I do admit that there may the other options as the other places to look besides major cities however, which may help. I agree with hazel, though. We clearly need clearly need to plan and then simply take action, and we're the only one who can.”
StoneWolf18 and all ya'll peeps x3

 

[One Mean Ghost]

Ki'Tavi

Over the course of the past months, Kit and Veth had grown incredibly adept at reading the subtle changes in the other's body language. Although many were immediately distracted by the entrance of Nox and the wyrmlords, Kit noticed, instead, the subtle tensing of Veth's body as the 'plan' if it could be called that, was laid bare.

Kit didn't much care for this glorified suicide mission any more than Veth did, but letting tempers flare would only hasten their demise. Thankfully, Veth kept her temper in check for now.

It was strange how well those two had gotten at reading each other. Even the subtlest of cues didn't seem to pass unnoticed, which made card games between them particularly tricky. More often than not, their 'poker faces' would seem more like resting bitch faces to the point one had to question whether or not they were actually enjoying the game, that is, until one of them won and the tension was suddenly broken.

Frankly, Kit didn't like this plan anymore than she did. It was absolutely suicidal. They were basically just to be bait in the hopes that Lucian, for some unholy reason, would actually come to them? If that was the best plan Nox had available, he was certainly grasping at straws. If Lucian could curse away immortality like he did with Eshne, why would he ever bother coming to attack in person? No, it made no sense whatsoever, but unfortunately, they weren't able to do anything about it so long as Nox ordered it. Even if everyone here voiced their concerns, if Nox ordered it, they had to do it or die. If they really wanted to lure Lucian out, they'd need to have something Lucian actually desired, or to go after something Lucian didn't want taken.

Truly Nox was the worst employer Kit ever had, both in terms of attitude and strategy....

"My bet is on Nox slapping Alistair,"

Kit's ears flicked a little at Veth's proposal, listening as more people spoke up. "I'll take that bet... You already know what I want if I win" Kit answered in a low voice so only Veth would hear, leaning his head a little closer to her as his ears flicked expectantly, a subtle purr just barely audible to her ears as it rumbled in his throat.

For now, at least, there was no point in worrying over the details if nothing could change them once Nox made up his mind. Even still, he rested his hand over hers for a moment when it fell once more to the table, giving it a subtle squeeze just as a reminder that she wasn't alone in her thoughts.

 

[StoneWolf18]

Katrina

28 || Female || Wyrmspawn || Nox​

Nox was growing increasingly agitated as they spoke back to him. With a sharp glare he snarled “You are leaving at dawn. End of discussion.” And with that, he would turn, about to leave when Delta leaned in towards his ear. Whatever she whispered was brief, but it only sent the Wyrmking off even more as he looked over his shoulder towards Darrene and Katrina. “You two.” He growled. “Are going directly to my chambers.”

Kat doned a mortified expression, paling as her father left the room. The other three Wyrmlords began to ask the water goddess what she was doing, she simply shrugging and claiming it was for Katrina’s own good. “Are you a fucking moron?!” Eshne shouted, the first time she had spoken since being seen. “You know he’s going to lose it!” Vis nodded in agreement. “Yes, I thought we agreed to keep Katrina’s relationship from him.”

After finishing, Vis realized all eyes were on them. With a sigh he would face the Wyrmchildren, casting a slightly pitied look in Kat’s direction, clearly hesitating to begin explaining.

DergTheDergon Vampunk Blaire Wisteria One Mean Ghost Mistory AgWordSmith Fable SentinelSevn

 

[SentinelSevn]

Alistair Barbarossa
29 || Male || Wyrmchild || Delta

Alistair couldn't help but flinch as the Wyrmking snapped at them, biting his own tongue as he suppressed any other outbursts that had come to mind. At this point, Alistair believed the most likely conclusion to Nox's plan was that they were all going to die. When Nox turned to leave, he brought a hand up to hide his face, disappointment as deep as his scars etched along his features. However, he did let out a short-lived sigh of relief, knowing that at least the king did not strike him dead then and there for speaking out.

He began to hear quite mumbling towards where he had seen the wyrmlords standing, and looked up to quickly see Nox turning back towards them. Alistair lowered his hands before the king took it as a sign of disrespect, and saw his attention was focused on Katrina and Darrene. The king's words shocked Alistair, but his gaze shifted toward Delta, and he began to question what had driven her to make the decision. It was obvious from the reactions of the other gods that they were kept unaware of her plans, and that she had done so completely of her own accord. Alistair was never one to hold grudges or become overly angry, but he could not help himself from glaring his distant ancestor down with a grimace spread on his face.

He made a quick glance across the table towards the others, Katrina and Darrene specifically, and then returned his gaze towards the gods that stood before all of them. "Well?!" Alistair asked the wyrmlordes, arms spreading wide across briefly in a shrug displaying his disbelief. "This quest the king has assigned us may very well be our deaths, and you're more worried letting him know about the romantic interests of one of our own." Alistair's usual booming voice had returned to him now that the king's presence had departed, and he made sure to direct himself towards Delta. He then continued, with hints of his irritation beginning to leak into his words. "And what was the point of all of our training, if after all of this time our use was only to be fodder for Lucian. Lord Vis.." His voice trailed off, and he began to look towards God of Earth for some sort of explanation. He already looked hesitant to give them any explanation, but Alistair hoped putting him on the spot would entice the god to say something to give them all temporary relief.

Skillset:
- Combat: Great
- Magic: Slight
- Dragon: Moderate
Location: Dining Hall
Interactions: Everyone

 

[Seraph Darkfire]

Alyr enjoyed the training. He'd found it to be such a new and amusing thing. Especially when transforming into his dragon form. There was no intermediate area with becoming a dragon. In one moment they were normal mortals, and then it was a sudden explosion of scales and it was just awesome! Through questioning, he did find out that their clothes would not survive the transformation process and unabashedly removed all of his clothing before practicing. It was a surprisingly comfortable form though, light in weight despite the much larger size. He wondered if it was the same for everyone else. Unfortunately, he didn't get much time to question them as everyone was busy with their own training.

He focused primarily on magic training though. After seeing what happened to Eshne, he'd become interested in the intricacies of magic. He wondered if it was possible to undo the effects of the curse. His combat ability was already high due to training with the monks so he only focused a little bit on that aspect, preferring to spend the time he wasn't practicing magic practicing his dragon transformation, at least until he was familiar with the form enough to move around decently.

His training schedule was about as strict as Ishnai's and there was the occasion where his training overlapped with the Feline Beastperson's. He came to respect her dedication to training and she proved to be quite the opponent when keeping his combat form in shape.

Katrina was a point of interest for him. Not romantically, he was far more interested in her life before all of this began. Given how she interacted with the Wyrmlords, she'd grown up with them, however, she was no more advanced than the rest of them. It was unsettling, especially given how Nox treated her. She was more or less a fixture. It was far more relieving to see the woman grow close to Darrene, their affections quite obvious. Freedom of the heart was the first step to truly becoming free.

The men of the group were rather interesting as well. Ki'Tavi made for a good sparring partner given the damage that he'd done to Eshne, despite the curse afflicting her. Midas was a bit worn down, there was a darkness Alyr couldn't quite see through, leading him to believe that the man could use the aid of the monk's meditation techniques.

He also enjoyed Alistair's company. The man, though large and loud, gave Alyr a calm freeing impression, one he could respect.

Alyr felt a certain kinship with Hazel during the few conversations they'd had. They shared a similar view on the world.

Veth was the closest he had to a sister given their connection to Zephyr. Veth, while stoic, drew his attention because she was an elf. Alyr hadn't met many elves and was especially interested in her ears, wondering if their unique shape helped her hear better than others.

The events during the meal were enjoyable as conversation began, though it was quickly ruined by Nox arriving. In his honest opinion, the Wyrmking had spent far too much time worrying about how to deal with their adversary. That couldn't have been good for anyone, mortal or God. His actions towards them weren't completely excusable, but the pressure of an entire world's survival was it's own prison. Alyr shivered at the thought before turning his attention to the current conversation.

"If he was going to do something horrible, he would have just done it here" Alyr said thoughtfully, remembering that first day they'd arrived before looking at Alistair "It is one of those situations where what we think doesn't really matter, we either go and find Lucian, or Nox rips out our souls" he shrugged "I for one would like to meet this guy we've been training to fight" it sucked, how they pretty much had no choice but to go out and fight, but Alyr was thinking on the bright side, at least they got out of the castle and away from Nox for a bit. It was more or less a vacation for them at this point. Lucian had been hiding from Nox and the other Wyrmlords without them ever finding him. The likelihood that they, who had only been training for six months, would find him was very little.

 

[Fable]

Veth Denrilith

21 | Elf | Zephyr​

Veth remained silent as Hazel joined the 'discussion' about tactics of their idea on the plan to Nox. Surely, after six months, they would have all learned that Nox didn't care for their opinions or even their lives. He seemed already in a foul mood, which made Veth wonder what exactly the wyrmlords and Nox had been doing exactly in their absence. Surely they hadn't spent that time planning this horrible venture, something must have prompted this.

Ishnai, in her seemingly endless loyalty and faith in the dragons, shared her thoughts as well, though they were more optimistic and even made her sound trusting that Nox wouldn't have sent them on this mission if there was any other choice. In this, Veth highly doubted there was any concern from Nox regarding their safety and well-being. As much as Ishnai was optimistic and Veth didn't want to fault her for it, it seemed it blinded the female feline at times.

As the others voiced their thoughts on this suicidal plan, Kit said he would take her bet on Nox slapping Alistair. When he leaned forward towards her slightly and his ears twitched along with a soft purr, she already knew what he wanted if she lost the bet. As much as this was a serious situation, Kit's shenanigans were a welcome distraction. He gave her hand a subtle squeeze before pulling it back and resting it on the table. She didn't react to the physical contact than to just glance at Kit for a moment before turning her attention back to Nox. The message of support was there though, they both knew and understood this plan was, to put it in vulgar terms, fucked.

Just as Veth expected, Nox snapped at the suggestions of the others. She only hoped they would open their eyes and realize it was a futile effort to discuss anything with him. However, he had only shouted and not slapped at those who spoke up, making Veth sigh softly as she realized she had lost the bet. She had planned on making Kit do something fairly ridiculous and entertaining had she won, but she wasn't really bothered in the loss.

Before Nox had even left the room, Veth noticed Delta lean to him and whisper in his ear. Her eyes narrowed at the action and the resulting fury from whatever was said. He commanded that Darrene and Katrina were to directly go to his quarters and Veth sat forward abruptly. It wasn't hard to guess what Delta had told him. Once Nox had left, Eshne and Vis openly upset over what had transpired. The dislike she felt towards Delta grew to animosity over this cruel act. Zephyr was silent, which made Veth return to her doubts that he was even capable of caring for anyone other than himself.

To make matters worse, Alistair was loudly trying to shame Delta for her actions and openly stating their mission would more than likely lead to their deaths. As much as Veth agreed with some of what he said, she had figured early on that speaking so openly was usually received negatively. Alyr was a voice of reason, stating a 'damned if we do, damned if we don't.' He brought up an interesting point though, the possibility of meeting Nox's adversary. All the information they had ever been given was through Nox and the others, which really wasn't much at all.

"You would be wrong about him preferring to do horrible things openly," Veth commented in regards to Alyr's remark. What Nox had done to Eshne after Lucian had stripped her down to a mortal state would have possibly gone unknown had Veth not lost her temper and went to seek answers. That was not something she had expected to discover and displayed how cruel Nox could be to his own.

One Mean Ghost StoneWolf18 SentinelSevn Seraph Darkfire

-We're all screwed!-​

 

[DergTheDergon]

As Nox entered the room, Ishnai hastily straightened her posture and locked eyes with him with the utmost respect. It was very difficult to maintain the eye contact however, as it was clear that her verbal attempt to calm the situation to some degree was not successful. Seeming to only acknowledge those who were speaking against him, his impassioned, rage-filled response caused Ishnai to avert her gaze towards the ground, her fist clenching and claws digging slightly into her fur until she realized this and relaxed her hands. She then took a deep breath, stilling herself with some difficulty as Nox’s booming, angry voice nearly shook the room, and certainly shook Ishnai to her core.

Seeing Delta approach Nox the moment the feline was able to look towards him again was perplexing at first, but then as Nox yelled in fierce, seemingly renewed anger towards Katrina and Darrene, Ishnai understood what the Water Wyrmlord had said met her eyes for a moment with a confused, surprised expression, silently asking why she’d said what she had said when, until now, she had joined in with the other Wyrmlords’ silence regarding the pair. This, and Nox’s reaction, angered Ishnai, but she was unable to outwardly express anything other than the same appalled disbelief that the Wyrmlords were expressing.

At this moment, everything she’d been worried or upset about recently seemed to fade as, within everyone here, the dire nature and sheer enormity of the situation that Nox had just thrust upon the Wyrmchildren so hastily began to sink in, complete Silence permitting the room after Katrina and Darrene were pulled from the room.

Looking upon Vis with great respect, attention, and admittedly a bit of desperation in her eyes for an answer, she locked eyes with him focused on being present, not allowing her emotions to take control of her at this pivotal moment the words of others passed through her ears. Alistair’s words rustled her slightly, she taken aback that another child events would say such a thing to him. However, a moment later, she found herself remembering that she was the only one here who knew this as she knew him. Taking a deep breath, she continued listening.

Ishnai then found herself agreeing wholly with Alyr’s comments, pausing for a moments in gazing upon Vis to give the human male a nod. He seemed to have expressed her sentiments clearly, and acknowledging that caused her to remember seeing him training diligently and dragon form, the two of them seemingly the only ones that had built such a rigid training schedule. She had even found herself sparring with the man on occasion, the practice she gained from thier bouts quite appreciated. Since Hazel had done a good job of loosening some of the distrust iIshnai felt towards humans, a fleeting thought occurred to her to perhaps, given the chance at a better time, she could pick the man’s brain, see what comes communicating with him, and breaking a bit out of the comfort zone she had built for herself in mostly interacting with the non-human Wyrmchildren here.

Speaking of one such other known human here, Ishnai looked to Veth a moment later and found herself giving the elf a nod as well, feeling a bit guilty at that moment as she recalled animosity she felt towards her just a moment ago. The Wyrmking’s entrance had done well to take her attention away from her thoughts, and in that process loosened the patterns that had formed her quite irrational attitude towards Veth, and perhaps Kit as well. There was a moment’s flicker of apology in her eyes before she turned towards this to speak herself.

“Lord Vis, you know you have my support. All that is left to know is what we must do. Allistair knows not what he speaks; it is clear to me that our purpose is to take him down to the best of our ability, not let fear of him be our demise of all things. What must we do?”

Despite her words, the fear was clear in her expression. Such was only natural in this situation. However, also there was a Fierce determination, the kind that her people have always been known for. Saying no more, she then waited for Vis to respond, her tail switching back and forth swiftly, an expression of the stress this seeming culmination of the last few months had brought her.
StoneWolf18 Seraph Darkfire Fable

 

[Vampunk]

Darrene would exhale sharply through her teeth as the Wyrmking made it crystal clear that this was not a discussion between equals, but rather an order coming from the very creator of the universe himself. And they would be fools to question him and try reasoning with the Dragon of Darkness who had not shown any signs of warming up to housing so many of his children's descendants in the massive walls of his fortress.
But she would not dwell on it too much, knowing that Nox had his reasons and that one should try not to get on his bad side.

How Katrina was related to the Wyrmking was still a mystery to Darrene, the woman she had formed such a deep bond with showing no signs of the stoic -no- intimidating, aura Nox carried around like a dark mantle. Instead there was kindness in everything Katrina did, and Darrene could not have wished for someone different to accompany her for these six months after she had her wordview broadened, in more ways than one.
Never had she thought she'd find herself surrounded by everything her faith deemed blasphemous, if not sinful, her relationship with the raven-haired woman being one of the many things her people would find hard to accept.

And as the Wyrmking turned to leave, Darrene would allow herself to glance over to Katrina with a warm smile, as if trying to say there was no need to apologize for Nox's behavior. A smile that would soon be cast off the warrior's face as Nox turned towards the two of them with a glare that would make the bravest soul despair.
And as these fateful words left the Wyrmking's lips, Darrene's face would be barren of any colour, a pale visage with widened eyes, the fiery glimmer in them replaced by something she had not felt for a long time.

Fear.
Not for herself, no.
Fear of loss.

Her eyes darted to Katrina as Darrene jolted up from her seat, planting her gloved hands firmly on top of the wooden table as a thousand thoughts shot through her mind.
And yet she could not form them into one coherent stream, instead uncertainty and helplessness would try casting their veil over Darrene's spirit as she wrestled with her own emotions.

And reason did not win this battle as Darrene felt her chest rise heavily with each laboured breath, a hazy mist escaping her lips as she felt embers glimmer in her expelled air.
There was anger rising in her chest, ready to defend what she held dear, even from the creator of the Universe himself. But as her eyes once again found the gold of Katrina's own, Darrene managed to calm the fiery storm that was brewing in her chest, instead rising to her full height and slowly making her way towards Nox' chambers, accompanied by the woman who had made the past half year so much sweeter.

Each step seemed heavier than the other as Darrene would glance over to the raven-haired woman, her lips pursed as she tried forming the right words.
"Whatever's going to happen, I'm never going to let go." The human finally spoke, her gloved hands grasping Katrina's tightly as their eyes met.
Fiery amber and rich gold as Darrene's own took in every detail of Katrina's face, as if memorizing it for the afterlife that may very well await them when entering Nox's chambers.

 

[AgWordSmith]

Hazel Rock​

Interacting:N/A
Mentioned: Everyone I guess?
Located: Commins; thinking

This time, Hazel kept quiet. She merely watched and listened to those around her. It’s seemed like they were all going to be on their own on this then. If mister temper trantrum of the gods words were final. Which, she guessed they were. Her eyes darted to the other gods as the spoke very loudly among themselves. This was starting to seems like one of those dramatic plays she saw on her travels once. Though in the end, everyone mostly died. It’s wasnt a good play.

That being said. Hopefully they wouldn’t all end up being dead. What ever was going to happen the travele hoped she would be alive to see it through. Looking on the bright side, going out of the fortress to pretty much do what ever until they find Lucian didn’t seem so bad. They just all had make the best of this. Even if it seeed with each word spoken in this hall made grow worse.
And that’s why Hazel want going to add anymore to this until this....cabin fever? Stress? What ever it was, it would pass. Eventually.

 

[One Mean Ghost]

Ki'Tavi

Ki'Tavi never really was one to let others plan his destiny for him.

His ears remained perked up as the other spoke, taking in what they would say, but his expression stared unblinking forward, his eyes looking at something on the table only he could see. It would almost seem like he was, perhaps, rendered unresponsive by the prospect of imminent demise, but that was far from the case.

Slow, Slow, Quick, Quick, Slow.

His tail followed that simple rhythm as it swished in a figure eight behind him. Those who had witnessed him deep in magical practice, or simply those that knew him best would know what it meant when his tail began that dance of ill-repute. It was one of his tics, a sign that something was brewing, much akin to a wild cat about to pounce upon unsuspecting prey.

He was thinking.

Like Veth, and unlike many of the others, he accepted that Nox's mind would not be made up. One way or another, they were being sent out as bait or to find information, if the former option did not work. Only, he was not going to rely upon the Wyrmlords to come up with a plan when Nox was seemingly lacking in one.

In his mind's eye, he oversaw a grand chessboard. Himself and the other wyrmchildren were pawns, making nox the King, Kat the Queen, and the Wyrmlords the Bishops, Rooks and Knights. On the otherside was a blurry, ominous adversary with the ability to remove pieces from play on a whim. In every game of chess, sacrifices had to be made to win, it was an inevitability. However, a wise opponent would not take obvious bait. Given Lucian had remained hidden for so long, it was safe to assume he wasn't going to make some rash decision and jump on obvious bait unless.....

Well, he could worry about that part later. Right now, he needed to focus on the actions of the pawns, and what they could do to potentially shed light upon their mysterious opponent.

Often in chess, the power of pawns was overlooked. More often than not, they were used much as Nox seemed to intend, that is, as a sacrificial lamb. However, if pawns were placed strategically, carefully, they could control the board and make it simple for the Pieces of Consequence to rend apart the enemy.

The question was how to maximize the influence these pawns had on the board and make them more than simple offerings to a ravenous opponent.

Slowly, those pieces moved before his mind's eye. Somewhere, in the back of his mind, he wondered if this would be the kind of strategy Eshne would have thought up before she was stripped of her Godhood. Unfortunately, he never got to see her as a tactician to know. If she was such a tactician, it made Lucian's capture of her abilities all the more devastating and ingenious.

Suddenly, his ears gave a twitch and his tail suddenly straightened, an unmistakable (Provided you knew his tics, of course) sign that he had reached an epiphany. A sudden blink of his eyes and his gaze snapped from one wyrmchild to another, landing last of all on Veth. No doubt she, of all people, would know the look.

He had the makings of an actual plan of action.

Some, perhaps, would think he had forgotten Kat and Darrene's plight. He hadn't in the slightest. In fact, as Darrene and Kat got up to leave, his claws dug a little into the wood of the table next to Veth's hand. Unfortunately, though, there was nothing he could do on that front. He could voice his views, but really it would amount to no more than a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, yet signifying nothing. Unfortunately, too, Veth was right in what she said about Nox's cruelty. For now, though, he had to force himself to focus on something he could change, and that wasn't Nox's mind.

His fiery gaze turned to Vis. He seemed about to say something. For now, he would hold the plan in his mind, settling the details in place as he waited to see if Vis could, perhaps, offer more clarity on the entire situation. A fledgling plan was very poor if it was not so flexible that it couldn't adapt to new information, after all.

One thing was certain, Ki'Tavi was not going into this without a plan.

 

[StoneWolf18]

Katrina

28 || Female || Wyrmspawn || Nox​

Katrina was gripping Darrene’s and the entire time they walked. Even though she met the other woman’s eyes briefly while she spoke, it didn’t help calm her nerves. She had worried about him eventually finding out, but Delta simply telling him? Why would she do such a thing?

When they arrived at the door to his chambers, Kat would’ve slipped through the small space made from the massive pushed open set of doors, knowing she was being followed inside. The vast empty space that lay before them was just that… empty. Darkness seeming to swamp everything inside. It didn’t remain this way for long, however, Nox soon appearing a few feet away from the pair.

His rant ensued.

Words flew from his mouth faster than she had ever heard, the Wrymking being obsessively angry for reasons he wasn’t quite portraying.

“Mortals and there damned stupidity and lust.” He spat at Darrene, glaring in her direction. “I was a fool for allowing any of you to come here. But you.” He focused on Katrina now, moving towards her as his form began to waver. “I should’ve righted my wrong long ago.” The woman wanted to ask what he meant, but it was much too late for that as there was a massive black dragon towering over her. Should Eshne’s Wyrmchilde try to interfere, he would simply bat her away with an effortless sweep of his paw.

Meanwhile, two of the Wyrmlords were busy leaving the common area. Vis dragging Delta behind him while Eshne and Zephyr remained appearing rather irked. Eshne would’ve taken a seat at the table and lowered her head into her hands while the latter loitered around the end, poking at some of the food that remained. “So uh…” He began awkwardly. “Some night…” He gave a slightly forced chuckle that quickly died in his throat.

DergTheDergon Vampunk One Mean Ghost AgWordSmith Fable SentinelSevn Seraph Darkfire

 

[Seraph Darkfire]

"Ancestor Zephyr, it is in poor taste to attempt to have a conversation in an awkward situation" Alyr said smiling as he popped a piece of his food into his mouth. After swallowing he continued to speak "There is no right way of dealing with a poor situation" he shrugged "So it is best not to try. Instead, we should turn our thoughts to our business for tomorrow. We have been told to search the cities and villages nearby for any sign of our estranged family" whether or not Lucian's designs were bad, he was still technically family.

"I'd like to know where it would be best to start, as well as any supplies we'll need to bring" he smiled at the Wyrmlords "You'd know the surroundings better than us after all" his eyes then brightened up "Any limitations on us? Or are we free to move as we please" he had a few ideas. Most people thought Dragons as either extinct or myth. It'd be a bit amusing to see how the people reacted. Also, people would be less likely to ignore them if they knew what they were.

StoneWolf18

 

[AgWordSmith]

Hazel Rock​

Interacting: StoneWolf18 | Eshne | Zephyr
Mentioned: Seraph Darkfire
Located: Commons; Thinking mostly, is it important thinking? I’m not sure?

“Yes actually, Do you and Eshne have anything at all that could help us more? Like last known whereabouts? Honestly, a full explanation would be nice.” Hazel leaned forward. Did Alyr say limitations? What limitations? What was he thinking about concerning limitations? She squinted at him, wondering what was going on in his mind. Honestly what was going on in any ones mind? Seriously this is all sudden as it was highly suspiciou, but she kept her suspicions at bay. It would be no use to accuse gods of anything with out proof and a god to back you up So one doesn’t die.

She knew what was going on in her own mind though, a lot of confusion and thinking. Maybe She or Alyr could get an answer to a question or two. It feels like a long while since so many questions seemed to be bubbling inside her. Like how it was the first time they came here, but like back then Hazel thought pressing too much won’t lead to answers. It didn’t hurt to ask just a few questions though. Though personally snooping around would be her preferred method of gaining answers but this place provides little time to do so. The previous absence of the gods did provide just a little, bit she didn’t find any answers then.

 

[SentinelSevn]

Alistair Barbarossa
29 || Male || Wyrmchild || Delta

Alistair watched both Vis and Delta leave the room, leaving the other wyrmchildren with Zephyr and the weakened Eshne. The others had been far more level-headed than him regarding the situation, and hardly let any of their emotions strongly play a part in their responses to the lords. He had been left standing since his confrontation with the wyrmking, and finally eased his posture by allowing himself to slouch just slightly. He leaned forward and rested his palms along the edge of the table, and even let his head droop forward as he began to recollect his resolve. It was unlike Alistair to lash out in anger, but the collective stresses of finally facing Lucian, along with the betrayal of trust from his distant ancestor Delta, seemed to be enough to push him so.

Alistair had only begun to think differently about the situation with the words of both Alyr and Hazel, who were instead asking questions about a solution rather than casting anger at the others like he had. He let out a short, guttural growl, and then reached out towards the food remaining on the table. He tore the leg off some of the cooked fowl near the center of the table, and instinctively waved it around the table, wordlessly offering it to anyone who would have wanted some as well. He made a point to offer some to Zephyr, who he was now seeing beginning to eat his own share of the food.

"Would've at least liked someone to test our strength, at least then we would at least have an idea of how we compare to someone equal to Nox." Alistair stated, who had only just began to seat himself on the table. "But oh well. It's not to be, so just have to make sure that we smash this Lucian's face in, and hopefully that'll break whatever curse he has over Eshne too." Vulgar and perhaps a bit simpleminded of him, but who could blame him? The large man was a fisherman all his life, with no proper education or battle experience. He was physically powerful, and perhaps that and being able to transform was all the support he would be able to provide if a fight were to break out in this mission of theirs.

He gazed down the rest of the table towards the others, eager to hear what those who, unlike himself, had decided not to speak their mind actually thought of the situation. Ishnai's earlier comment about him would have otherwise forced a response, but he had held his tongue because of the fact that she had also been trying to get an answer out of the now-departed Vis. On the other end of the table, Kit looked to be far more invested in his thoughts than he would let on, but Alistair didn't bother to shout across the others just to get the attention of the feline.

Alyr and Hazel seemed to have already asked the important questions, which considered their limitations and for a full explanation during this period. However he believed that there was a far more important question that had yet to be asked, or rather, was being avoided. "And once we make contact with Lucian, I'm already expecting we'll be forced to fight him. In the chance that we manage to fare better than Lord Eshne," He turned towards the cursed goddess and bowed his head slightly in apology, aware that she may still be bitter about the entire ordeal "Should we be expecting assistance from you and the other lords, or even Nox? Or will we have to fend for ourselves, and whoever else manages to fly into the fray?"

Skillset:
- Combat: Great
- Magic: Slight
- Dragon: Moderate
Location: Commons

Interactions:
StoneWolf18 | Zephyr | Eshne

Mentions:
AgWordSmith
Seraph Darkfire
One Mean Ghost
DergTheDergon

 

[Fable]

Veth Denrilith

21 | Elf | Zephyr​

Veth noticed Ishanai looking at her directly, and once she was looking at the feline directly, was given a nod. It seemed that perhaps whatever issue Ishnai had with Veth she had managed to put aside temporarily since they were all going to be in the same situation regarding Lucian. It was better for the entire group to not let such animosity take control when they may very well have to depend on each other in the fight to come.

As much as Veth desired to support Darrene and Katrina against Nox, interfering would only make matters worse for them. However, should there ever be a moment where Veth could have a discussion with Delta over her actions, she would make it known to the water wyrmlord that such petty behavior made her a coward. Delta's cruelty seemed to have shocked all, including her own siblings, and it made Veth wonder what exactly Delta's issues were with Katrina and Darrene.

As Veth pondered on these matters, she felt the air stir due to Kit's tail swishing around. Whatever he was scheming, she wasn't sure she entirely wanted to know. Eventually the swishing tail and twitching ears halted in their dance, meaning Kit had settled on something. She quirked a slender brow at him but said nothing, he'd most likely share when he wanted to. She still owed payment on her debt over their bet, but that would be dealt with later.

Vis dragged Delta out of the room, leaving Zephyr and Eshne behind. Hopefully Vis, seeming the most mature and calm of the bunch, would share some harsh words towards Delta. Eshne appeared exhausted and took a seat, leaning her head into her hands while Zephyr spoke finally, poorly trying to instigate a conversation it seemed. Before Veth could speak, Alyr commented on Zephyr's poor taste and directed the conversation back towards their doomed mission. Hazel jumped into the conversation, asking if there was anything that could be shared about Lucian, including a request for a full explanation. If they hadn't gotten an one by now, months and months later, Veth doubted they'd get any new information now.

Alistair, of course, couldn't keep his mouth shut for very long. However, his word on wishing to test his strength against someone of comparable ability to Nox made her think. That was about the only thing he said that was worth listening to, as he went on with confident words about 'smashing in Lucian's face.' "Nox indicated it would just be us seeking out Lucian, and I highly doubt Lucian would be bothered to make an appearance, let alone desire to be anywhere near a mortal civilization if what Nox says is actually true about him."

Veth stood up and moved towards Zephyr and Eshne, "As much as Alistair thinks out loud too much, he has a point of us not knowing if we'd even be able to do anything against Lucian. As Eshne is still recovering from her ordeal it seems, perhaps Lord Zephyr would be willing to spar against us. It was cannot overcome Zephyr, well..." she trailed off, knowing she didn't need to finish the sentence to get her point across.

"Unless Lord Zephyr would rather not," Veth challenged. "I'm sure Alistair would be interested in the attempt, as well as myself."

One Mean Ghost StoneWolf18 SentinelSevn DergTheDergon

-Fite me!-​

 

[DergTheDergon]

As Vis left the room, understandably too occupied with the important task of taking Delta away to address the concerns of any of the Wyrmchildren who had spoken, Ishnai gazed after him, paw clenched for a moment as her eyes drifted towards Delta’s back. Why did she feel it neccesary to make Katrina’s life even harder than it clearly was? All the feline could hope was that Delta was properly repremanded for this, but not hatefully, and that it caused her never to do something like that ever again. She knew she could trust Vis to see it done, at least; the rest was ultimately Delta’s choice.

Delta’s metaphorical Bean-spilling wasn’t the biggest concern around this issue either: all Ishnai knew, especially after witnessing how livid Nox had become when Delta whispered what Ishnai inferred the Water Wyrmlord had whispered to him, none of them would ever see Katrina nor Darrene again. If that happened, simply because Katrina had done something Nox didn’t like that in no way hindered him or the others, perhaps Ishnai would begin second-guessing this whole ordeal.. Not that she’d have a choice regardless, it seemed. Zephyr’s verbal testing of the waters, so to speak, left the usually rather outspoken felinne uncharacteristically tongue uncharacteristically tongue-tied.

Meeting Veth’s returned gaze, Ishnai felt relieved; the Elf’s expression did not show any particular emotion, yet it was clear that her subtle message of peace had been received. The feline affirmed in her mind in this moment that she would keep herself in check and realize that there is no reason to hold animosity towards her fellow Wyrmchildren, especially in this moment and, in retrospect, Veth may not be in the way of Ishnai growing closer to Kit after all. All there was to do was to decide to keep this new, brighter perspective and move on.

Thankfully, someone, namely Alyr, had some pertinent words to say that Ishnai felt expressed her own sentiments quite well as she listened, even though she did feel that his tone and demeanor were quite unfitting of the situation, as if he almost felt it nothing to worry about. This was very odd to her, having come from a culture that had always valued feeling over thought, among the most steadfast of her beliefs being that the heart’s designs are the truest wisdom. Hazel's agreement and additional question helped to shift Ishnai’s focus further toward preparation.

Once again, the feline found herself observing as then, Alistair boldly spoke up. Ishnai admitted that his rather straightforward way of thinking, as one might call it, mirrored her own as well in a way in this particular instance, though his tone, deemed by the feline as disrespectful, still struck a nerve in her. However, his challenge of sorts to Zephyr intrigued her; should he accept, it would likely allow all present here to better understand what they were up against, should they take the opportunity.

All these thoughts in mind, Ishnai realize her posture was rather uncharacteristically Meek at the moment and straightened her back, sneaking herself after making a decision, Tail swaying slightly and one paw brought to her chin for thought. “ Lord Zephyr, I agree that anything you know about are coming Mission will be very useful, and I just will would like to test your strength honorably if you're willing to put it forward.” sparring was usually the lay her people prepared for battle anyway, and regardless of that, this was likely the closest they were going to get to understanding what they would have to face soon. Attentively meeting Zephyr’s eyes, she gave him full attention and even did not notice Kit’s oddball Behavior at the moment.
StoneWolf18 Fable SentinelSevn Seraph Darkfire

 

[Fenris]

Azzam Vayash
27 || Wyrmchilde || Vis
​

Azzam sat at the large wooden table surrounded by strangers who had become his kin within the past few month's. It was an odd feeling which only added to the anticipation and unease that seemed to envelop the room like a thick blanket. His eyes followed Vis as the great sire left the room escorting Delta, leaving Azzam to once more ponder what exactly it meant to inherit a spark of the power these timeless beings, revered as gods, possessed. After a couple of heartbeats his attention shifted back to those at the table as Zephyr spoke up while Eshne remained silent in her apparent lament. The Wyrmking's most recent summons being enough to trouble even one of her standing.

Veth's suggestion of sparring with Zephyr caught him by surprise, it was certainly interesting but displayed a fiery attitude he'd have expected from one of Eshne's scions. “To secure victory the wise must adapt; and I do believe sparring would give us a chance to do so. Even if it's not entirely without risk..” Azzam's eyes wandered once more to the now mortal Wyrmlord almost unbidden before he caught himself and quickly lowered his shifted his gaze. Veth who had brought up the suggestion of sparring was treading lightly as not to offend, while Ishnai perked up at the prospect of facing one of the Wyrmlords in battle. He wondered whether she was overly confident or perhaps just glad to find an escape from the tension which brought about by this gathering.

While there was some more commotion around the table in form of both obvious words and hidden gestures beyond Azzam's insight, he found himself nodding in response to the others comments. Especially Alistair's question of expecting assistance should they manage to corner their prey was cause for some second guessing. Delta's actions having caused some divide among the Wyrmlord's, however small, was troubling to witness.

DergTheDergon StoneWolf18 Fable SentinelSevn​