Fantasy Fantasy and Ash

[Arachne]

Hello everyone! I really hope you enjoy reading/taking part in this Grimgar-inspired roleplay. Hopefully this one'll last.


"Awaken." A distant voice calls to you. It's medium-pitched and feminine, almost motherly. Your mind feels sluggish, and it feels like you can't concentrate on what's happening.

You can't see. Or feel. Or smell. But it's not like you're overwhelmed by blackness, or the lack of sensation. It's a feeling of loss. Of something you've had for a long time not being there. But you can hear. It's like the voice from before is still echoing in your mind, and though you can't see, a vision replaces the voice: a bright and starry sky.


I woke from the weird sensations, the feeling of immobility, twitching and clutching my head. All of my senses came rushing back to me, and a wave of nausea came over me as I sat up, rubbing my eyes.

I whipped my head around as I noticed I had no clue where I was. I scrambled to my feet, jaw open at the collection of seemingly lifeless bodies that had been laying next to mine. We were on a flat hilltop, surrounded on all sides by forest. As far as the eye could see... except, in one direction, there was light. A large town, probably.

"Where are we?" I whispered in bewilderment. Crouching down, I could see that there were others around my age here. But I didn't recognize their faces. And, more importantly, their chests weren't rising as they breathed. They weren't breathing. Frantically, I shook one of them, and held my hand to their heart, trying to find a pulse.

They spasmed awake, like I'd felt when I came to, just as panicked. I stood to meet them. Their eyes were full of suspicion as they looked around, then at me. "Who are you?"

They helped me shake everyone else in the area conscious, and just as the last person seemed to come to, we heard heavy metal clanking and running coming towards us.

Three massive knights, in full, polished steel armor that looked like something out of a museum, quickly came into view as they reached the peak of the hill, coming from the direction of the town. They had several weapons on them; each with two swords, a larger greatsword, and a bow, their weaponry strapped to their side or their back.

The three stood in a line, and I heard the rough sound of metal against metal as they drew weapons. I shouted, "Who--- Who are you?" My hands raised in front of myself defensively, I waited, glancing at the others who'd woken here.

They were silent, and a moment later, a girl came bouncing up the hill. She had long, reddish hair, and was dressed in a tight-fitting white floral dress. She was tall, with a strikingly thin frame, and stunningly beautiful, with white skin that almost sparkled in the moonlight.

She clasped her hands together in a dramatic way, and leaned forwards with a grin, oddly enthusiastic. "Hello everyone!" Her voice was oddly similar the the voice I'd heard in those visions...

"Welcome to your new home, my children."

 

[Becker]

George Crowe - Vanguard​

Flickering star-light, beautiful bird-song and a cool breeze on his face. George had forgotten the last time he had taken the time to lay down, drift away all his worries and let nature envelop him with such warming sensations. Thoughts drifted back to his home-town in the East-Middlands, endless fields of golden wheat, magnificent oak-trees providing land-marks as well as vital shade from the bearing heat of summer-time and finally the maze of hedge-rows planted centuries ago by Norman land-owners who seeked to divided the landscape into manageable plots of farmland. A faint smile on George's face developed as he caught as smell of pollen on the winds and despite wanting to open his eyes to gaze in wonder at the world around him, his eye-lids remained heavy and his body frozen in place.

'So this is what dying is like? I would've liked to look around one last time, to sample the world with my weary eyes before letting go, though my body feels too tired for now, perhaps I have run out of time and resting here seems so peaceful, so weightless.'

With his body failing, a final breath left his body and George's consciousness began to drift away like autumn leaves from the Oak-trees that he so dearly loved. The star-light piercing through his eye-lids faded, the bird-song grew silent and the breeze lay still. Faded, silent, still. George felt so alone, so empty and drifting into the darkness that closed in on him as though he were laying on a beach with the rising tides coming to sweep George away into the shadows.

George felt death clinging to his soul and despite his attempts to fight off the inevitable in his mind, he was ultimately powerless to defend himself. Suddenly and without warning, George began to feel a new sensation. His body shook uncontrollably and a deep warmth comforted his chest.

"Awaken..."

A voice, one that he didn't recognize gently whispered in his left ear. It soothing and George's soul pricked up in attention to such a beautiful sound like none he had heard before. Perhaps this was the voice of an Angel, inviting him to paradise? Had he truely done enough good in this world to be rewarded with such bliss? George doubted himself like he had done so many times before but on this occasion, he willed himself to press on, to use every ounce of energy he had left to pry open his heavy eyes and recieve the gift of life once more.

Coming back into the world from death wasn't the most elegent of enterances, George promptly sat up and coughed his lungs out as he dragged what little air he could into his body. He slouched to one side, similarly to someone who had just been revived from drowning and trying to bring up the water that filled their lungs. This invisible obstruction in his wind-pipe forced George to strike himself in the chest with a open palm several times to try and coax the blockage free. Finally after some effort, a piece of black, slimey substance that had adhered itself inside of George's oesophagus came up into his mouth and he promptly spat it out to one-side. Perhaps this 'goo' type stuff is what brought him here, or was it just part of the what nearly killed him, for now it was just another mystery amongst many in this new land.

As quickly as George had recovered from his slumber, he collasped onto his back and stared up into the sky whilst catching his breath. The bright stars above slowly came into better focus as his eyes adjusted themselves to the new surroundings around him. His body exhausted, his eyes sore and with his mind pounding with pressure. Part of George wished he could've returned to his pervious, dying state that felt so incredibly relaxing. Still, he was glad to be alive and kicking - for now at least.

"Who are you?"

A new voice startled George into sharply twisting his head, grinding it against the dirt and grass that comforted his shatted body and glacing up at this stranger before him. This young man, who moment ago had been stirring George from his deathly slumber now looked across at one-another in absolute surprise. Sitting up once more and stretching his aching limbs made his killer headache simmer a little as the cold breeze returned to soothe George's exposed skin and he shuffled himself around to face this new person head-on.

"Me?.. Name's George, you? I thought you were a woman at first.. that voice, the first one that I heard? Is she around at all? it was so beautiful to hear such a tone. She said to Awaken.. and I felt a warmness on my chest, some pressure as well? I guess she did a little more than whisper in my ear. It was weird, like I was dying, slipping from reality but all it took was that one word, Awaken and now my head's splitting and my body feels as though i've fallen from a cliff."

George looked at the stranger and his surroundings with a variety of visual expressions. Confusion, anxiety, wonderlust and discomfort from becoming light-headed after shifting his head around too quickly. He buried his head into his hands and tried to rub his eyes to be rid of the headache that plagued him since awakening. The young-man across from George looked barely out of his teens, on the thin side but with some broad, contouring lines around the shoulders, typical for most men as it's one of a few muscular differences between the sexes. His hair was a beautiful shade of dark brown, the exact colour rather reminded George of his neighbour's Boykin Spaniel; a stunning breed of hunting dogs that usually were used to collect shot birds or occasionally ratting in and around the many farms within the East Middlands. Finally George found himself staring into the man's eyes, the dark brown hue felt like a shield of darkness, obscuring a view to the man's inner-soul. George had a thing for dark-eyes, they appeared mysterious and roguish to him which felt exotic and intriguing.

After the short exchange of stares and names, the two went on to wake the rest of the group. George made a great effort to be cautious with where he placed his hands on the Women of the group. His less than pleasant past experience with the fairer sex has left him paranoid and extremely anxious when it comes to physical interactions. In this newer 'politically correct' world, being accused of anything even remotely wrong comes with the 'guilty until proven innocent' judgement by those with little to no knowledge of actual events. Such a stigma has resulted in many young men thrown out of education, work and homes with little regard to their well-being or actual guiltiness. Still, George put his social-worries to one side and reckoned that reviving the group as a whole would be more important than preserving his reputation against any accidental wrong-doings. A few shakes here and a couple pinches of the skin there and finally the majority of the group were awake or as close as being awake as possible considering all of them weren't breathing a few moments prior. The three young-ladies that George and Dillian catered to were pretty, very pretty. Their skin was fair and soft to the touch as he gently shook them. Hair that reflected the star's shine and made them look angelic as they lay on the grassy hill-top. They seemed to be shorter than George but beauty often comes in small packages. Feeling as though he was over-thinking things a little too much about his new acquaintances, George was somewhat relieved upon hearing heavy clanking of metal and a welcome, if daunting distraction at that.

Three massive knights, in full, polished steel armor that looked like something out of a museum, quickly came into view as they reached the peak of the hill, coming from the direction of the town. They had several weapons on them; each with two swords, a larger greatsword, and a bow, their weaponry strapped to their side or their back. The three stood in a line and they drew weapons. George felt his stomach turn and they approached closer and closer. Looking around, there wouldn't be much reason to run as he had no idea as to where he was, no idea of places to hide or friends to turn to. Fighting was also out of the question, not a single member of the group had anything to hand other than a shared sense of impending doom at the hands of these warriors.

"Who--- Who are you?"

Dillian spoke out first, perhaps it was the man's sense of leadership amongst the group or others were struck with absolute fear like 'Rabbits in the headlights' or were still coming around from the after-effects of revival. None the less, George stepped up and to the side of Dillian. Giving him a firm nod as he did so because as far as George is concerned, Dillian is cute and possibly saved his life.

"We're in this together and so best to stand as one. Push comes to shove, we'd have to distract this lot whilst the others make a run for the forrest. Not that I particularly have any plans to offer myself up as slaughter but I guess something is better than nothing."

Offering words of wisdom and borderline hopelessness, George and Dillian stood togther whilst the opposing three Knights were silent, and a moment later, a girl came bouncing up the hill. She had long, reddish hair, and was dressed in a tight-fitting white floral dress. She was tall, with a strikingly thin frame, and stunningly beautiful, with white skin that almost sparkled in the moonlight.

"I guess we're surrounded by beauties on all sides. Wouldn't be such a bad thing if there weren't so many weapons involved..."

Making quips is one of many of George's coping strategies for stress and given their dire situation, he'd be lying if he wasn't chilled to his core with fear. He was already fidgeting with the pocket buttons on his cargo-trousers, his left leg was gittery and about ready to take over his fight or flight reaction to danger, whether his leg would strike out to fight or break into a run to flight was yet to be fully decided by his subconsciousness. Not that either choice would prove all that fruitful but George thought it had atleast some merits in this stand-off between 'David and Goliath'.

He gazed on in surprise at the young-lady, she looked playfull as she clasped her hands together and leaned forwards towards the group of new-comers.

"Hello everyone!"

Her voice was oddly similar the the voice George heard earlier when he was at Death's door. His ear's pricked up and eyes fixated themselves onto this Woman. So many questions, calculations and theories ran wild in his mind as he tried to make sense of it all. He looked back to Dillian briefly, a fleeting glance to guage whether to stand-down or keep up the initial stance of defiance against the three Knights. Considering that the group had not already been butchered, George figured it would be fine to let down his guard a little bit. Relaxing his pose and nodding faintly to the Woman as she continued to speak.

"Welcome to your new home, my children."

"Home? What is the name of this place? This region of the world? Who are you? Why are we here? Did you bring us here?"

George realized he was bombarding the Lady with questions and sighed to himself, thinking things over before continuing.

"My apologises Ma'am, we're all just very confused as to what's going on here. My name is George Crowe, Son of David and I heard your voice in my head as I was laying here. You said Awaken... and awoke we did."

George looked back at the group, it seemed everyone was together now and getting ready for whatever next came their way. They had awoken from certain death but the purpose still remained a mystery.​

 

[revior]

Julia Silvette
​

Darkness, completely utter darkness and the peaceful comfort it brings were the last of her memories, and she was content for it to be so, till she heard a voice, "Awaken", it said. By the time the girl opens her eyes, she found staring upon her, a pair of blue-green eyes, as well as a pair of strong hands upon her shoulder, shaking her awake.

"!!!"

The sudden presence alerted her, causing her to spring from the ground even before she was fully awake. With her slender hands, she reached out for the man's collar and glared into his blue-green eyes with a ferocity uncanny to her small stature.

"You've got some nerves rustling through my place, pretty boy!" she said, her tone rough and threatening, apparently she was no stranger to violence.

However, soon, she realized that she had no idea where 'her place' that came out of her mouth is, and neither did she recognize her surroundings. And as she became more awake, she realized that there were others here as well, all of which slowly coming to just as she did. It would appear that she was not the only one caught in this situation and in turn, relaxed a little.

In light of her revelation, she let the young man go, though she still eyed him suspiciously, pointing at him and said, rather rudely, "Oi, where the hell am I?"

She never got her answer, not before the sounds of dangling metals entered her ears.

Against the approaching armored men who had their weapons drawn, showing a clear sign of hostility, another person Julia did not recognize stepped forwards, demanding to know the identities of those that are clearly more foe than friend. They ended up not answering, and it was clear that they had no intention of doing so anytime soon.

As it seemed like they would have to fight their way out, Julia cracked her knuckles and upon hearing something about distracting the armored men so the rest could run, delivered a swift kick to the hind of the pretty boy with the blue-green eyes.

"Oi, don't be so pathetic. They might've got themselves some fancy armor but we still outnumber them. We can take 'em."

Julia couldn't remember anything, not about how she got here, or even about herself aside from her own name. But, she does know two things: Nobody gets to tell her what to do, and that she ain't leaving anybody behind.

"Like you said, we're in this together, so don't you fockin' count me out."

Reckless and ferocious, violent and spontaneous, all the while stubbornly loyal, even without memories, such things were in the girl's nature. She would fight to the last breath if she had to. Fortunately, things did not come to that, as a girl with splendid red hair entered the scene, her jovial expression completely different from the armored men and was nothing if not friendly. The girl welcomed the ones that have arrived, calling them her children and told them that this would be their new home.

Julia could not remember the face of her mother, but she was certain that the red-headed girl wasn't she, and while she could not remember where she lived, she was certain this wasn't home. However, with all these people around her asking the questions, she was pretty sure she'd get some answers if she just shut her mouth and listened for once.

Becker

 

[ithinkcat]

J U N O


​

A black haze filled Juno's senses entirely. Its quiet essence consumed her body and mind. Her thoughts were null, and, finally, her pain. Peace, at last, until a woman spoke. The woman's voice was soft and gave the illusion of kindness. It commanded Juno to awake and as she slowly regained her consciousness she struggled, futilely, to cling to the darkness. Her eyes opened from a final shake of her shoulder by some guy. She was filled with a cocktail of sensations. Fresh air excited her nostrils and lungs, star-light flooded her eyes, and curiosity tempted her to sit up but confusion paralyzed her muscles from responding. Beneath them all was disappointment. A needle prick behind her heart impossible to ignore but subtle, and, oddly enough, she couldn't think of why. Why did she seek the darkness? Why didn't she trust the woman's powerful voice? Why was she here, but...why would she think not to be here? Her breathing was heavy and tears pooled at the bottom of her eyes.

As the haze's dulling of her mind lost the last of its strength the existential thoughts turned into the mundane. Where was she? How long had she been asleep? Her eyes finally acknowledged the presence of the boy next to her whom had woken her up. Who was he? His narrow eyes spoke genuine concern as she reflexively categorized them as the cutest feature on his face. He obviously meant her no harm and was probably in a similar state as Juno was. She forced her still drowsy body to sit up, wiping the moisture from her lids and holding back the nausea as best she could. Though it would have been polite for her to thank him and introduce herself, she couldn't stop herself from first surveying the others spread around her that had already woken up and still were. By time she had finished taking in her surroundings the boy had left to assist the others.

Metal steps approached and the group reacted like deer in a forest, facing and freezing. The fear of the unknown faded far quicker in Juno as curiosity took its place. The sound of metal footsteps was unfamiliar, alien even, and it felt like a clue to their mysterious awakening. A lead to chase should it not come to them. Three strangely armored guards came into focus as they exited the tree line and positioned themselves close to the group. Juno didn't even notice the others talking and discussing plans of escape. Her attention was solely dedicated to taking in everything about them. Her eyes darted rapidly as she studied their outfits, emblems, symbols, faces, weapons. It was all so new and only led to more questions than she had before, but that made it all the more exciting for her. Juno grinned wide, unable to contain the exhilaration she got from the prospect of solving the mystery of this world and how she got here.

A beautiful red-haired woman approached after the guards. Juno stood from the ground, her short stature more noticeable, and stared the woman down while still grinning. "Hello everyone!" the woman said with the same voice that had awoken Juno. "Welcome to your new home, my children."

But before Juno could take the limelight and begin her interrogation one of the other boys, one whom had been rather noisy this whole time, assaulted the lady with a list of questions in the most boring way possible. That's not how they do it in the shows. The villain doesn't just give up his diabolical plans to the hero detective in the first scene. Juno was no longer competitively staring at the woman, but glaring at the talkative man with an offended expression.

Becker

 

[Gabe]

It's rather calming to be in nothing. Not be nothing, but be in nothing. This was the first thought that Xander had when he regained consciousness. He couldn't feel, hear, see, smell or even taste. He wondered if he had a body, or if he was just a consciousness drifting in the nothing, waiting for something to happen. This thought was quickly solved when he heard something. A voice, telling him to wake up. No, wake up wasn't the right word. It was...

"Awaken."

His stomach sank, as if he was falling in the nothing. The sensations started flooding back, one by one. He could feel the wind in his face, although it wasn't as strong, if the feeling of falling down on his stomach was any indication. He could hear the sounds of nature, an even footsteps. He could smell the fresh air and dampness, and taste the spores in the air, and finally, he could hear people. Talking among themselves. The last feeling that returned was sight, as he opened his eyes.

He was laid out, flat on his back, looking at the dark blue sky surrounded by clouds. As if he was the first breath of his life, he gasped for air, coughing wildly, before taking up on his surroundings. Plains, surrounded by forests, a small town on the distance. People dressed in normal clothing(how did he know it was normal?) talking to people dressed in armor(why were they using armor?) and talking to a girl in a floral dress(why is she... wait...)

"Why can't I remember a thing?" He said, looking at everyone.

He looked at his own clothes, to see which group he was inserted to. A black jacket and jeans, red sneakers dirty from the grass floor. He rose from the ground, dusting up his clothes, looking at everyone, their confused faces apparently matching his own confusion. He could only remember his own name, and faint memories from the place... before here? Common things sprung to mind, the names and descriptions of things coming to mind easily, but detailed memories, anything from his self or his past were only met with... nothing. He approached the group of people, apparently being the last to wake up, and shook his head. "I'm sure some of you may already asked this, looking as confused as I am, but... Where are we? What is this place?"

 

[MiraAutumn]

Katarina Wyld
"Awaken." A sweet voice called out to the depths of her lost consciousness. Memories of a tall figure with curled ruby locks gently flitted through her mind, overwhelming her with the odd sense of familiarity. Her kind smile was the last thing she saw, just before that image washed away like a flowing river, alongside thousands of other blurry pictures. Strangely, none of this alarmed her. A sense of comfort and peace consumed her body, rendering her unable to move or feel. A slow headache crept up her consciousness, tormenting her very being, although in a very subtle way. There was no obvious pain, but something was changing or altering her, without her permission. In that sense, it hurt and tore her apart, before an odd peace settled once more. Suddenly, an expanse of indigo and violet opened up within her mind, its thousands of stars twinkling like summer fireflies. It was beautiful, but something told her, it was time.

Hazel eyes fluttered open slowly, with little sense of urgency. The sky she once saw was no longer mesmerizing and starry, rather a simple clear blue. It seemed reality had dawned upon her. Ready to start a new day, she groggily sat up with the help of someone nearby, adjusting to the thousands of sensations her body was now facing. "Ah, thanks." She spoke abruptly, rubbed her head slightly. Turning towards the male that aided her, with matching dark hair and eyes, she gave a short nod. Slowly standing up, she mumbled to herself. "Need some coffee..." Before realizing, where on earth was she? Wait, what was earth? Coffee? A sense of fear washed over her, realizing she had no idea.. about anything. Who was she? Why was she here? What happened?

As her eyes wandered over her surroundings in a daze, she noted down what she could. A grassy hilltop, a vast forest and a town? None of this rang any bells, confusing her further. Around her, some still unconscious, were many other confused individuals, similar to her. Was this some kind of group prank? She helped a few of the others rise, trying to form a plan of action in her mind, before the sound of metallic marching caught her attention. Their armoured, almost unpenetrable exterior was incredibly intimidating, especially for someone who had no clue what was going on. On guard, although appearing relaxed, she eyed them carefully at they approached. As they drew their weapons, Katarinas paranoia grew further. Ready to bolt into the forest, she waited for an opening/a clear sign of aggression to decide her next course of action.

Suddenly, a beautiful lady followed quickly after the knights entrance, entrancing in her appearance and kind demeanor. In a way, she reminded her of the figure she saw in the darkness. As everyone bombarded the figures with questions, Katarina simply waited for the answers, warily eyeing her surroundings in case of an ambush of some sort.

 

[NeonFlow]

Pain.
Annoying...petty....pain,
Wait. No it wasnt pain at all... discomfort? Someone is rattling me like a cage!?
is my body asleep? I can't touch my face
I can't move my arms!!

This. This is what a pillow must feel like. Or a chopped down tree...
a discarded condom "haha"
hold up. That was my voice wasn't It?

As the senses Michael usually took for granted slowly ebbed back into the list of things Mike could accomplish.
See, hear, touch, smell and taste....

The area was dark, the air was cold and somewhat crisp, as Mike pushed himself up to sit he noticed others about, maybe even feeling as shit as he did right now.
"Yea I've never been here..." the young man muttered happily scratching the beard that was growing on his chin. Three guys that looked like they came from a souls like game stood ready with swords.
"Souls-like" Mike muttered as he thought of the phrase. It meant something, something he knew or had a understanding of... as the phrase came to his mind at the sight of these knights.

Does souls like mean Knight, heavy armour melee weapons...
As the man was lost in his own thoughts a boy who started like he had, on a hill.
Shouted a question, Mike stood as a gorgeous red head bounced up the hill to greet them.
He didn't even mind being designated as 'children' with the rest on the hill.
The red head sounded familiar... as if they had a conversation at some point before this meeting... Mike couldn't think of it. Surely he'd remember that face, that dress, that figure.... that beautiful red hair I want brushing over my face as I wake each day!

"your my favorite"
Mike shouted out uncaring of who spoke at said time, the beautiful lady had to know his feelings immediately. "can I buy you dinner or sedu-.... sing you a song?"
He almost said seduce, but offering to sing felt like something he would say regularly. He couldn't put his finger on it but... what's a song? Music.. lyrics... A story accompanied by music that gives you a feeling or emotion...

I have a favorite song don't I... A band or artist I enjoy...
A artist would paint... No... A artist is one who creates art, music is art.
It was like driving past the street in a new city, a feeling of being lost but having some vauge understanding of what's happening or where your going.

Mike's head hurt as his mind raced trying to connect thoughts to words or meanings. He couldn't. He just knew he wanted to seduce a red head.

 

[Arachne]

The first person I woke, who was presumably in the same situation as me, came to just as violently as I had. "George, huh?" I said as he introduced himself. My face momentarily twisted with disgust as I glanced over at the black substance he'd puked up, but I kept quiet as he finished. Responding to his speech, I smiled a little. "You're talkative," I informed him. "I'm Dylan, and yeah, I heard the voice too. I think I've lost my memories or something, though. I have no idea where we are."

As I "woke" a red-haired, woman, she said something strange. A word that was oddly familiar, as if on the tip of my tongue, but somehow unreachable. "Coffee," her voice had said. It was something that I must've known about before this memory loss thing happened. But, searching her face, it looked like she didn't know what it meant either. Everyone was in a state of confusion, so it was easy to draw a conclusion: we all have amnesia.

It didn't take long for everyone to get up. While they did so, though, I kept glancing towards George. I wasn't more interested in him than the others, but he was moving in a deliberate and strange manner. His care, when it came to the girls, was oddly hands-off like he was scared of them. And even though he took effort not to bother them in a way they disliked, one girl in particular still popped off at him. She might be a problem, I thought.

"I doubt running or fighting is an option," I said to George when we saw the armored men approaching. I heard a hearty thud behind me and turned in time to see a girl pulling her foot away from his leg. We don't have time for fighting each other, I thought, turning back to meet the approaching three.


"... I'm Amber."

Amber seemed to lose some of her initial spunk but stayed smiling. The barrage of questions had overwhelmed her quite a bit. It's natural for them to be confused, but this one really liked to hear himself talk. Her face had frozen for a moment at the accusation, the claim that she'd been involved in their summoning. But she got over this swiftly, as well. They were confused.

Still... what to do about this one? They're all her children, all of them. But the gall that this young, bearded man had... Well, Amber thought, glancing down at herself. He doesn't know that she's older than she appears to be, that she's one of this world's most powerful mages, and that she basically runs the town. So she chortled at his attempts to come onto her and tossed her hand in a dismissive gesture. "You've just come to this world, and that's what you say to the first woman you meet?"

"You'll all follow me back to the town," Amber informed the group, her voice warmer and more cheery as she moved on. "I've nothing to do with your appearance in this world, honest, but this is a common occurrence. Come, now."

She turned, confident that they'd follow. Behind her, she knew that the three guards were taking up positions around the group. It was impossible for them to resist; her knights were highly leveled, and swift. Any blows that these newcomers could make wouldn't even make a dent in their armor, and their strength was outclassed as well. They could attack her, she supposed... Laughing to herself, she shook her head quietly. She was stronger than the knights.

Amber took the group down the hill, and a short way into the forest, they found a well-traveled and wide dirt road which led to the town.


Along the way, I tried introducing myself to everyone. "I'm Dylan, by the way. 17, and that's about all I know. Well, I have some memory loss too, but I assumed that you guys also had that." In the end, all I was able to get out was what I'd already told George.

It was a short trek to the town, but it seemed to pop up out of nowhere. The tall pine trees on either side of the path blocked everything from sight and made the path barely visible. Coupled with the fragrant and syrupy smell from the needles, the walk was almost too much. I was still pretty nauseous from waking up, and nearly retched. I had a strong urge to run into the forest and do so behind a tree. I held it in, though, because I didn't want the giants in armor to chase after me.

It only took a few minutes for our group to make it to the city's walls. They were about twice as tall as me and made using white stone. Two guards stood either side of a large doorway secured by a portcullis. They were dressed similarly to the men escorting us, and promptly winched the gate open when they saw Amber.

I've lost my memory, so though I don't have anything to compare it to, I got the impression that the city was nice. The roads were neatly and uniform in their cobbling, and the residences we passed appeared to be well-maintained. We stayed in what seemed to be the main through-road, straight to the center of the town. Up ahead, there was a large squarish building which I assumed was our destination. It was made with the same white stone as the wall but was probably two or three times as tall. There were several large windows, through which dim light spilled into the streets around it.

"This is my Adventurer's Guild!" Amber pushed the heavy-looking wooden doors open and led us in, spinning and gesturing around. "Ann, please," a gruff voice said. One of our guards, I saw, as I turned.

The Adventurer's Guild was, for the most part, one large room. There were several mismatched tables scattered across the clean wooden floor. To our left, in the corner, it looked like there was a bar; a few people were sitting on stools around a curved countertop, and there were bottles of spirits and kegs of beer on the wall. Straight ahead of us looked to be a small reception area, with a few desks covered with scholarly clutter: bottles of ink, quills, and stacks of papers. In the back left and right corners, there were staircases that led to a second floor.

Amber continued to shepherd us, taking us upstairs into a room that seemed to be used for meetings. There was a large oval table with a dozen ornate chairs surrounding it. "Sit, please," she instructed. Two of the guards took up positions outside, and one rushed away in a hurry, returning a minute later with a carrying sack. From it, he handed everyone a map of the city and a small cloth pouch. The pouch he gave to me had 25 shiny and metal-looking coins, so I assumed that everyone had that much. Then, the guard lit a few lanterns and closed the door as he left.

Amber took a seat at the far end of the table. Despite her mannerisms and voice, when she sat, she looked formal and well-behaved, like a princess. My seat was closest to hers, so I was able to make out her surprisingly intense sky-blue eyes. Her hair looked soft, and my eyes followed some of it where it brushed past her ear--

"Well, I'm sure you've got some questions, after waking up in the middle of nowhere." Her warm voice pulled me from her daze, and I wrenched my stare away. "I'm Amber Elise Ellyanin, and you're now in my hometown, Charin." She looked around the room, at each of us, then stared at the guy who'd tried to flirt earlier. "For dozens of years," she said, then paused for a moment. Her gaze returned to our general direction before she continued, "I've run this Guild. Every year, a group about the size of yours appears on that hill in that forest. Nobody's willing to take you in, and some people will refuse to even speak to you. These are superstitious people, see."

Amber's voice relaxed some. "I'm somewhat different. I was born poor, with nothing, so I can empathize. I make you into adventurers. If you want to live, it's your only option. Some of you will probably die." I was slightly shocked at how her voice stayed relaxed and casual. "I've seen dozens of adventurers such as yourselves come back as corpses. And that's only if someone survives to bring you back. It's dangerous, but what can you do?"

She eyed George curiously. "I've never heard any of you summons hearing a voice. If it really is mine that you heard, then that's something I'll need to look into."

Amber pointed to our cloth coin pouches. "In those, you have 25 silver coins. I'd suggest that everyone drag themselves to a Guild tonight. There are dozens of them in every town, and they train adventurers. For a price. 20 of those coins you'll need to buy basic training which lasts five days. It's pretty cheap, all things considered. I'd suggest you guys pick guilds that'll teach you healing skills right off the bat, or your quests will be tough. Their locations are on the map, so stop by to ask about what they offer. It's too much to explain all of them. Anyways, the other 5 silver will last you about 5 days if you're careful about where you sleep and what you eat. Well, good luck, my children. Come back when you're useful and ready to go on a quest. I'm tired."

The three guards came back in and escorted us out of the building, and I heard a loud click as the massive doors were locked.

 

[revior]

Julia Silvette
​

When the red-headed woman said that they'll be coming with her, Julia, for an instant, reflexively wanted to ask: What if they don't? Her answer came before she even asked, however, as the armored men took up positions to surround them, making clear their intention of not allowing them to do anything but follow the woman. It's one thing when they're face to face, but when surrounded like this, Julia instinctively felt that they have little chance against these well armed opponents. Not that running away in itself was much of an option either. Where could she even go? She hasn't even a clue as to her location and running around in the dark could hardly be considered wise. In the end, there was really only one option. Besides, this woman, Amber as she called herself, seemed nice. What's the worst that would happen?

"Julia Silvette," she casually gave out her name, the one thing she could remember, upon hearing names being passed around. Since they've all wound up in the same situation, might as well get to know each other's name at least.

In time, they were led, or rather, corralled into the town she saw from the hill she woke from. The words that instantly popped into her mind was 'backwatered' and 'shabby', even though if she thought about it more, she'd realize that she had nothing to compare the place to. Still, in spite of that, she felt comfortable with this place, as if she's used to it, as if she's been to somewhere like this before. Perhaps that is why she thought of what to describe this place as so quickly, because chances were, she probably thought the same of wherever she came from in the first place.

After going through the town, they arrived at a building, one the red-headed woman, Amber, called her Adventurer's Guild. Following her in, Amber got everyone to sit down in a fancy looking room and began explaining a bunch of things, thing such as her middle name being Elise and this town's called Charin, that apparently people tend to show up out of nowhere every now and then, and most importantly, if they want to be able to survive in this world, they'll have to become adventurers.

Julia wasn't exactly the most critical of thinkers. She's more likely to go with her guts than with her head, and so she simply took her word for what they were and didn't think too much on it. After receiving the silver coins and gotten an explanation on the things they'll have to spend them on, Julia decided that she's got more than enough to work with and got off her chair.

"Alrighty then, I'll be goin'. See you folks around I guess."

Julia waved as she walked out of the meeting room, heading right into the streets. She was more about action than sitting around talking. Upon leaving, the first thing she did was wander, almost without direction. She wasn't afraid that she'd be lost, however, as she surmised that she could easily see the Adventurer's Guild from most places in town, and therefore would be able to find her way back and reorient herself if needed. And so she wandered, aimlessly, till she found a place teeming with people, a place that looks to be a bar.

Without hesitation, she strode in, got herself a mug with the money she had received and began to mingle, asking around with questions that she realized she needed answers to as while she wandered about. To begin with, were the various guilds available around town, about what they do and teach. While some ignored her, some others, perhaps with their lips loosened with alcohol, gladly answered her questions. As she listened, Julia quickly came to realize the nature of the jobs of the so called adventurers. In essence, they were murder ho- mercenaries, fighting and killing for money.

As she considered her options from what information she was given, Julia tried to settle her mind on a guild to join. She had only so many silvers to spend. Alternatively, she could also not join any and live off the free money she's given, but she knew that's never going to last. Five coins will net her about ten days worth of food and shelter, if Amber has done her math correctly. With what she has, Julia will only survive for 50 days, well, less now that she spent them on drinks. If she wants to survive, becoming an adventurer is her only option.

As she considered what to do, a few kindly people that she mingled with started to give her advice, they looked over her size and what little they know of her character and gave advice based on their observations. Some suggested becoming a Dread Knight after taking note of her brash personality, another suggested becoming a Hunter in consideration of small size, then there's one guy jokingly suggested that maybe she'd like to become a Priest. In the end, Julia left with a giddy head from the drinks and information and hardly an idea of what to do. For the moment, she reasoned, she needed a place to stay.

Heading off into the night to find a suitable inn, a cloaked figure bumped into the girl. And at that moment, Julia felt something wrong. She was on a rather wide street after all and this figure and she were the only ones there. Julia didn't think that she could be that drunk, she has no basis in her memories to say that she's a strong drinker but she felt in her guts that there's no way she wouldn't be able to walk straight after having only three mug's worth.

Julia looked back at the cloaked figure and saw in the person's hand a rather familiar looking pouch, in which the figure appears to be showing off. Upon recognizing it, she immediately sobered up.

"Oi! You've better hand that back if you know what's good for you!"

But, from beneath the hood, the figure only smiled and darted off into a nearby alley.

"Oooh, yer so gonna get it!"

And so Julia chased the figure across the streets, turning tight corners, going over the rooftops, even into homes through opened windows in a few occasions. That pouch of silver was her lifeline, if she loses it, she's not going to do very well in the days to come. Well, she could always go back and beg Amber for another, but she's not keen on handouts, or begging for that matter. She only took the first pouch because she knew that she won't be getting anywhere without it.

Eventually, Julia managed to corner the figure at a dead end in an alleyway. She approached the figure while huffing and puffing, rather out of breath from the chase, but she managed to compose herself in a moment.

"So, you wanna do this the easy way, or the hard way," said Julia as she approached, cracking her fits as she went.

Again, the figure smiled, and before Julia realized it, she found herself on her back, looking up towards the starry sky.

"W-what!?"

A knife was then held over her before she could recover. Realizing her situation, Julia could only stare at the figure with a murderous glare, all the while the figure's grin grew wider. Then, unexpectedly, the figure withdrew her blade and removed her cloak, revealing herself to be a woman with flowing blond hair.

"A little too rash, but you're quick on your feet. You're small too so that's a plus."

"Oi! You watch yer-" Julia tried to get up, not about to let go of that comment about being small, but soon found herself on the ground again.

"So, what do you say, newcomer, would you like to join the Thieves' Guild?"

The invitation was extended, however, at that moment, there was only one thought on Julia's mind, and that is, more than anything, she wanted to kick this woman's pretty little ass. If joining this Theives' Guild can let her do that, then...

Julia lost 20 silver.

 

[NeonFlow]

Mike was rather quiet as the group was led away. A rush of thoughts swirled inside the young man's head as his bare feet sullenly tread on the cold grass and rough dirt. He was wearing a shirt and tracksuit pants... what's a tracksuit...
Finally being inside and jealous of those who had shoes...
The red haired lady had introduced herself as Amber, she runs a some sort of quest hub in this town and suggested we all join a guild and get to adapting.

As the new arrivals to this world left, Mike gave his name and mentions of talking to them later. "We all arrived together right? We should at least stick together and compare what we figure out" it seemed he looked the oldest. Not that it mattered much. Muscle and weight aside everyone is a fool with amnesia with 20 silver and a vague direction of what to maybe do next...

Find a guild, join one and prosper... Easier said then done, Mike walked around the town trying to get a gist of what was where and what was what. A woman in white robes left what was called a church, priests would be raised here it seemed.
What looked to be some group of hunters left one building, wearing leathers with bows on their backs. That seemed a decent idea, hunting for food...

Food, hunger... thats the discomfort in my tummy... Mike wandered further into town, Food and drink being his goal. 25 silver must be able to get something.
But it was walking toward what he assumed had food and drink from the noise and activity, a certain sound caught his attention. Opposite the bar was a man sitting with a stringed instrument, his fingers strum and pluck as his other hand holds down certain strings in kind. It appealed to Mike, music heals the soul and sways emotions. His lips moved against themselves dryly before he quickly stuck the tip of his tongue out to wet his lips in preparation of talking.

bet that looked strange... it was to quick to see or notice don't do it again.
Mike approached and just stood there appreciating the Bard playing his tune, the man gave a grin and stood up, putting more effort into his playing with his digets doing dazzling dexterity displays.
When he was done he swung his instrument on his back and bowed.

Mike gave a polite clap impressed by what he heard and saw.
"no my friend, when you enjoy the music of a bard you compensenate them properly"
The man's smile flashed charming underneath his red beard.
"what that's like.. mandatory? I have to pay you cause I heard you playing in the open? Anyone who hears you play has to pay?"
Mike was sceptical at best but as the man's face turned serious as did his tone,
"yes."
Mike's lips curled into a smile, "so if I was a bard, people would pay me just for playing as well Yea?"
The man's face shifted a tad at the question before barking a hearty laugh.
"Not quite, see you it's not as simple as strumming some strings boy, to weave magic into music requires payment does it not? Good bards do just that and more... now pay me for my song."
"magic.. wait so bard is a class with a guild? Teach me to be a bard!"
"maybe after you pay me for that song."
This argument happened for another thirty seconds before the subject was switched by Mike to what a bard does. The man pointed to the door... Mike followed inside...
The lessons were.. interesting that's for sure. While Mike was surpringly quick to pick up playing the lute and he knew the basics of defending himself...
It was mixing these things together that proved difficult to Mikey... hearing stories told from the guild master as he sang played and threw daggers didn’t help much. But Mike soon learned the easy ride he assumed a bards life would be, was just a sweet melody...
It was good three days before Mike was deemed ‘ready’ to enter the wild, minus 21 silver, up some gear, he was unsure what he was happy about most... The lute or his boots!

 

[MiraAutumn]

Katarina Wyld
"You've just come to this world, and that's what you say to the first woman you meet?"

"World...?" Katarina couldn't help but repeat dubiously. Something told her this place was incredibly different to wherever she used to live, but to think she was in a whole new world? It was too impossible to even think about. The beautiful lady spoke as if it was the most natural thing. It was too suspicious, the paranoia gnawed at the back of her mind. The questions asked by the group were promptly dodged, as she ordered the whole group to head into town. She felt like part of a herd of cattle being led to her slaughter. This could very easily be a trap of some sort, if anything her survival rate would probably be greater if she ran away and pretended to be a native or something.

As the thought popped into her mind and she begun eyeing her surroundings, she noticed one of the knights staring her down impassively, through the tiny, thin slit of their helmet. Did they see through her thoughts? It sincerely felt like it, as she turned away with a slight click of her tongue. There was no chance she would be able to run away from the threats surrounding her, so she followed along, resigning herself to her fate. The journey downhill was initially rather silent, save for the clunking of metal and quiet footsteps, until introductions seemed to begin amongst the ones that had lost their memories. The one that had woken her up introduced himself as Dylan, whilst another female with blond hair was named Julia. Their names seemed to cause a stir in her mind, as if she had heard them somewhere before in passing. "Katarina... Wyld?" She thought out loud to herself. "Think that's my name." She concluded, distracted by the sight of the town dawning upon them.

Collectively, they were promptly ushered through well-maintained streets and into a towering white-stoned building the red-haired lady called the Adventurer's Guild. A map and a pouch with some kind of coin, was handed out to everyone once they had entered a particular room.

"For dozens of years,"

Wait, dozens? Her appearance did not match her words at all, but the way she glossed over it so readily prompted that it was 'normal'. Though the 'normal' here seemed to be very different to what Katarina was used to. It seemed it was a good choice not to try and run away, with the way the lady was speaking. As quickly as her short speech was over, the group was thrown outside and left to their own devices. She felt as if there was a lot more information they needed, but she supposed she would figure it out with time. She was just given a huge amount of money by the sounds of it. It would perhaps be in her best interest to follow along with what Amber instructed, she could be exploiting them, but it wasn't like she had any other choice. Making up her mind, despite the migraine dawning on her, she set to work.

Using the map she was given, Katarina visited many of the class guilds in town to get to know them better. Considering she would be out fighting god knows what, she wanted to choose a class that wielded armour and strong weaponry, perhaps a knight of some sort. It just seemed the safest bet for someone with no battle experience at the moment. Although a few seemed quite interesting, none really quite clicked with her, not to mention the migraine pressing down on her mind the whole time. With a sigh, she took a break near the outskirts of town. She sat on a lone bench by a small, marbled fountain, trying to soothe her mind with the sound of flowing water.

"My dear, you look terrible." A wise, yet kindly voice sounded from her front, prompting Katarina to open her eyes once again tiredly. A tall elderly man stood before her, wearing a simple, almost priestly outfit. His eyes were thin, coloured a steel blue, whilst his hair was wispy and precariously placed on the top of his head. "I know." She responded with another sigh. She was a little suspicious, but she was too frustrated to care. A few natives had openly avoided her earlier, so it was somewhat pleasant having someone be concerned over her wellbeing. "Is it a headache?" He asked calmly, sitting a respectful distance away from her on the bench. "Yup, the worst kind." She eyed him curiously as he rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

"If it's alright with you, may I try some magic?" For a moment, Katarina simply blinked in surprise. "You know healing magic?" She inquired curiously. Now that she thought about it, he did seem like the type who would know of it. As he nodded with a chuckle, she decided to let him try. He couldn't possibly make it worse could he? If anything the mere thought seemed to ease her consciousness slightly. To her surprise, as his fingers made contact with her forehead, a warm summer breeze seemed to flow through her mind, quickly easing and erasing the pain. Truly, it was like magic. As the soft golden light died down, Katarina blinked at the man in awe. A newfound respect for her elders seemed to swell up within her.

"Please, teach me how to use such magic." She bowed to him respectfully as she asked. There was a moment of silence, before the man gave a rather loud chuckle once more. "Easily impressed are we? That was nothing special." He beamed at her kindly. "But, if you solely want to learn such magic I think the Priests' Guild would suit you better." His words came as an odd surprise, considering how well he suited the image of a priest. "Oh, what guild are you in then?" Katarina inquired, hoping she didn't come off as rude. He smiled as if he could see through her thoughts. "The Paladins' Guild."

The puzzle pieces all seemed to fit together at this moment. It was the strangest feeling having come across a place so perfect for her, the armour, the ability to stand on her own two feet, the choice of weaponry, the healing magic. Without a second thought, she became an apprentice paladin.

 

[Arachne]

(It’s me, the hypocrite leader, finally replying. Don’t feel bad if you have to quit, but if you’re still interested, let me know somehow!)

[Dylan]

I clicked my tongue as the oaken doors of the Adventurer’s Guild were shut, locking us out. Quietly, members of our group began to disperse across the city’s center and disappeared down the roads. “Let’s all meet up here,” I called quietly. They didn’t really seem to have a sense of danger or isolation. Or, maybe they did. They might just be stronger than me when it comes to that. I gave a brief smile to everyone who was still lingering around before I began walking away from the Guild.

I fiddled with the square of paper I’d been given. They’d said it was a map; let’s hope it’s useful.
...
Well, it’s better than nothing. Even though I can speak the native tongue, it looks like I’m unable to read the writing of the town.Of the country? Honestly, I have little idea of the scale of this world, and it bothers me. Being cast into the middle of nowhere, and the only people willing to help us didn’t explain things properly.
Well, they did give me some money and a map, so I can’t be too mad.

The map’s writing is unreadable, for sure. But, there’s a word that appears on the map eight times. The word is always followed by a different word, and there’s some symbol at the word. It took me a bit, but it’s reasonable to guess that these are the Guilds she spoke of. After all, the word appears in the center of town, where I assume I am, at the Adventurer’s Guild.

To be honest, I was never gifted in any area. My grades were a bit above average in...
My line of thought just stops. It goes blank, once again. Must have something to do with us being summoned here, but now I can’t even remember what I was thinking. But it’s not worth much to sit here and ponder that.

I need to choose a Guild to serve, probably for the rest of my life. Something that will help my and the others survive. But, am I really their priority? I don’t know how kind they are, so going to a guild which is purely suport-based wouldn’t be wise. So, probably avoid the Guild represented by the Sun symbol. The sword and shield Guild probably isn’t for me, either. I’m a bit smaller and scrawny, and definitely not strong.

I’m unsure at what the other symbols mean on the map, except for one. It’s a symbol in the shape of a deer with large antlers. Hmm, hunters, eh? My size isn’t as much of a problem if I’m shooting a bow from some distance away. Might help me save some money when it comes to food, as well. I might not be able to trust my allies with my life, but I wouldn’t need to. As a backline attacker, things wouldn’t be too dangerous.

This guild is different from the others. It’s in the forest, in the same direction as where we came from. I think, anyways; my orientation could be off. I set off in the direction that I think it is.