Fantasy {IC} ᴍᴀʀᴋ ᴏꜰ ᴛʜᴇ ꜱᴀɴᴄᴛᴜᴍ - ᴀ ʜɪɢʜ ꜰᴀɴᴛᴀꜱʏ ʀᴏʟᴇᴘʟᴀʏ! {ADV/LIT} (CLOSED!!)

[BuggaBoo]

---

Song of The North...

'Mark of the Sanctum: The IC'

"Standing tall for the fight, we, the Marked shall unite..."

​

What has transpired so far...

Kaito met with others that bore the Mark in a Bestial village in the Sunsmiter Tribal Lands. They had all been drawn together by a vision to seek out 'She-of-The-Eternal-Flame.' Later they would learn her name to be Allonah, Shaman of the Eternal Flame.

Rumours stated that she has been seen in the swamps to the south of the Plains. On their travels, the Marked would then come across a village that was under attack by flying stone-like creatures. These were gargoyles and though defeated, an ogre emerged from the chaos and shifted into and infernal form; it possessed the Forbidden arts of Demonic magic. When all seemed lost, who should appear to save them but the Shaman Allonah.

In the aftermath, they would learn that Allonah is being hunted by those that seek to claim her Inner Sphere; she is a direct descendant of the Primordials, the first peoples of the Realms. Her mana is an eternal flame; it does not stop burning no matter what. And her innate Sphere magic can be harvested and turned into such a weapon.

During their stay they meet another named Michelle who is also Marked and so she joins them. The villagers ask for aid to help rebuild and the group agrees yet learn that a orc horde is bearing down upon them. Allonah agrees to stay another day. And as they rebuild they also attempt to train the Besial folk to arm themselves and fight, despite the desperate odds.

The tide of the battle is turned when the group rallies the villagers but then the Orc commander, just like the ogre, used an infernal relic to shift into great demon. They manage to defeat the demon and stand victorious over it. Only Kaito and Michelle remain as the others agree to seek out help from their homelands; its not coincidence that infernal magic is now being used at an alarming rate. Allonah will accompany them for they will provide her a safe, secret and secure shelter away from here. All their paths will all converge yet again in the future for certain.

Just then Kaito and Michelle are joined by others that are Marked; Kal, MiMi and her Hengi, Arz... and you...

Our tale continues in the aftermath of the Demon's judgement.

---

 

[NamelessTrax]

In the Southwest region of the Sunstrider Plains, in Toruk Village...

The small village was busy, with folks moving to help repair huts and houses, damaged from the recent battle 3 days prior. Allonnah and the others had left the day before yesterday, traveling to their home cities for assistance and warning, as well as ensuring Allonnah remains hidden. With the recent arrival of Kal, an Orc Healer, and the Goblin Mimi with her companion Arz, the group has maintained a steady number. Kaito, the remaining member from the first Marked gathering, has stayed to continue the journey forward. The Village Chief has been thankful for their help, both in the defense and rebuilding of the Village. Now, time is of an essence, and the New Group must keep their search going. The Sanctum of Unity, their current goal, however hidden can only remain so for so long.

Stepping out from the large meeting hall, now turned into an Infirmary, Kal rotates his massive shoulders. The sun beginning to reach the apex of the day. He'd been cooped up in the Infirmary these last few days, helping with the wounded. Only a few were unable to recover, while a majority will haves scars to bear, or worse... but still alive. Heading over to a bench nearby, a fire blazed under a large pot, the Beast-folk stirring it pausing to grab a bowl for him. "Much appreciated, my friend." Kal replied as he was given a bowl of some kind of porridge, the smells of it filling his nostrils. Looking up and around, he felt better as he saw the rebuilding in process. He had only made it to the end of the battle, but judging by demonic Orc that was slain, he commends them for having defended against such evil.

He was not the only newcomer either, Mimi, a Goblin with a Henji companion in tow, had arrived just after he did. Bearing their own marks, the three joined with this gathering of Marked Individuals, in search of a Sanctum. The others had left with the Shaman, Allonnah, to give her safe passage. In turn, the human Kaito stayed behind to continue the journey.

 

[BuggaBoo]

---

"MiMi" - Princess Miriannia DeValinz - 'The Seeker'

Location: Sitting on one of the benches around the campfire. And strangely Arz not with her.
Interactions: NamelessTrax , Darkbloom .
Mentions: None. ​

Something feels off...

It was still so funny wasn't it?

Not in a laughing sense either. No, it was just still so strange for her to be sitting within arms reach of common villagers during dinner. And without Arz by her side too! A soft and polite smile held at her lips, pleasant if not for the hint of a sardonic tone in it. Despite months of living outside the comfort and ways of her peoples, she still could not understand why the bigger peoples thought of Goblins as pests.

Her small hands pulled at the lapels of her cloak, nuzzling her green chin into the soft, grey fur lining. She then reached for the earthenware of soup, still steaming hot and untouched. She took a moment to ensure that her striped leggings and headband still covered her up, lest she wished to expose the very, very Goblin tattoos and markings of a Chieftain's daughter. No, although she was several days away from her home territories, she still did not feel comfortable displaying her status and prestige. It was safer too.

Both hands cupped the wonderful smelling broth. She savoured the heat it provided and the inhaled once more and a genuine grin broke out across her face. That familiar musk of boiled rats. Yummmm...! it was a goblin staple. A polite nod she cast her new companion, Kal. Strange, yet out of the pair that remained, she felt more comfortable with the big Orc over, Kaito, the Human BoardMaster, despite Orcs being known murderers of her kind.

She was still very, very young when the Badland Orcs were still a major threat to her peoples tribes. The stories that Orcs would eat them were not mere stories to scare young princesses, no they were very, very, very real stories. But as of until today, she felt safe that Orcs would not attack her. Perhaps it helped that Kal was a Healer's soul, but even then, she had grown up with treatises and accords with the Badland Orcs and she personally travelled to them to maintain trade relations. And despite this horde attack, she still did not bear any ill will towards Orcs.

Yellow eyes slid over to where Kaito was. The grin faltered then shut off completley. Humans were the ones that pushed for the Badland Orcs to see Goblins as hunted prey; that they were apex predators and Goblins merely their rightful meat. No, it didn't help that her peoples had no relations with mortal humans, only Damned. And it did not help that on her travels humans treated her like dirt. They treated her; Miriannia of DeValinz, daughter of Chief Kolani of DeValinz, royal heiress and envoy of the Laer'Dan Tribes, just like dirty vermin. Hell, humans had captured her, shipped her off and even tried to sell her off in a meat market!

A small straining sound she let out, her features creasing; clearly she looked to be in discomfort. Slowly she laid the bowl down upon the soil between her feet. It remained there untouched as she stood and stretched. She leaned her neck one way then the other. MiMi took a deep breath and she still felt upset in the tummy. It was not because of her distaste of humans that she did not take a sip from her bowl. No, whatever it was, it only started happening after they had downed that Infernal infested Orc. It was like a giant cold hand reached into her stomach and squeeze at a patterned and sequential rhythm-- Yellow eyes popped wide. Just like a drumbeat...

MiMi pulled her cloak tigher over her diminutive frame and turned to Kal, "Sansri-Kal, I did not recognize any of the Orc markings upon any of the bodies on the battlefield. Even their adornments and garb I do not know. Do you know from where they came? What is their peoples homelands?"

Sansri. Oops. Well, it was just habit now to address any orc with their equivalent of 'Sir or Mister.'

If she could see him, she would nod over towards Kaito. Not saying a persons name was an insult in her peoples traditions. She just made the excuse she had a hard time remembering his name. "Man, do you recognize any of the Markings on the fallen Orcs? Are you able to divine anything of this Infernal string of possessions our Marked brethren keep encountering?"

Once more she nuzzled into the fur lining for warmth as she cast her gaze towards the devastation of battle that was this village.

"But it has been 2 days now. The spirits have had their time for mourning. Once Arz returns from his hunt, I will perform 'Natalsin-Ro Kau'. It is an Elder tradition for my peoples to have a shaman guide the straggling spirits to the Attrani-Ska after a battle in which they had a hand in its outcome."

Atranni-Ska. The Otherside. She had this sinking feeling that whatever was causing this nausea was from that side of reality. A long drawn out sigh; she may have to even Dreamwalk for this. And she would not be alone in her journey she surmised....

---

 

[AtlannianSpy]

Seneca Mistingdale - The Scholar

The howling winds of the open sky were pierced briefly by a sharp cry. An enormous, bird shaped creature burst through a cloud bank and let out a wailing screech that was slightly too alien to be called a bird cry, it reverberated in a way that might have made the ears of a listener itch uncomfortably if there was anyone around to hear it. To be precise there was one person to hear the cry, but she was used to the sound and it no longer bothered her the way it would most mortals.

"Oh quit bellyaching, it's just water," said the figure seated on the back of the bird demon, her voice muffled slightly by the cloak she had wrapped tightly around her to ward off the wind. "Fly faster and it'll blow right off. Adjust our heading while you're at it, lean East a bit,"

The bird demon, for that is what it was in truth, let out another a cry in protest but it complied, it was bound by contract to its rider after all and the terms of this contract were not as odious as some of the dealings it had had with mortals in the past.

"No I can't be more specific!" snapped the rider, annoyed less because her mount was complaining again and moreso because she was already bothered by the situation. Seneca had been riding the bird like creature she called the Rook for days now, determined to finally unravel the mysteries of the odd, glowing green mark that had covered her eye and face since birth. A faint tugging sensation almost as though her soul was being pulled on had lead Seneca south from her research lab atop Silverwind mountain to cross the Verdantwood Forests. The sensation was not exactly a set of coordinates however, in fact it was frustratingly vague. Now that Seneca was presumably getting closer to her destination she had to repeatedly adjust her course to align with some vague sense of "rightness" or "wrongness" emanating from the mark, to someone used to dealing with hard and precise data it was maddening.

Seneca was getting close though, she could feel the tugging of the mark growing more and more insistent as she traveled, the Rook's top flying speed was not insignificant and the miles beneath them had been devoured voraciously. There was something else too, something she hadn't been expecting to find on this journey but which her long years of research had primed her to catch. Brimstone on the wind, not the physical substance of course, it was the ethereal taint of infernal mana leaking out into the material plane in the wake of some working or summoning. The fact that Seneca could sense the leakage at all from this high up was a damning indictment of whoever was responsible for it in Seneca's eyes. Not in a moral sense obviously, Seneca didn't give a toss about that, but as an expert she knew that this amount of leakage meant the inciting spellwork had to have been horrendously inefficient and slapdash. That kind of sloppiness was totally inexcusable! Really Seneca had half a mind to track down whoever was responsible and teach them to-

A faint tugging sensation derailed Seneca's thoughts and she let out an exasperated huff that the howling wind snatched away instantly. "Back West some," Seneca commanded the Rook. Any lecturing would have to be put off until after Seneca figured out where in the nine abyssal planes this blasted mark wanted her to go!

 

[Darkbloom]

A fair number of the party had left to go warn their respective villages to take up arms and train the fighting troops to be prepared for any eventuality. Kaito rescued the chief from the stones using his enchanted shogi board to move the rocks and his bare hands when magic wasn't the best idea. He then carried the chief to the healer, having seen what the healer had done before. "I'm glad you joined the party. My name is Kaito, it'll be a pleasure traveling all together." The loss of the others was greatly saddening, and he didn't bother hiding it as he walked around helping various people, his shoulders visibly drooped.

Later that night everyone was sitting together. Another member had joined the party, though Kaito isn't entirely sure what race she comes from. His village didn't teach much about the outside world, due to the secretive nature of Hikarimori in the first place not accepting any visitors. The Elders seemed to prefer to stay hidden and secluded, away from the troubles of the outside world. Though ever since Kaito left and joined the original party, it had been one amazing thing after another. Things he never saw before were recorded in a notebook without pictures, because Kaito wasn't able to draw very well.

"Man, do you recognize any of the Markings on the fallen Orcs? Are you able to divine anything of this Infernal string of possessions our Marked brethren keep encountering?"

He came back to the present, hearing this question that may or may not have been pointed at him. He looks at the female goblin with a shrug. "I don't know if you're asking me, but no. I was never taught anything about the various races of this land while I was growing up. I couldn't say anything about why we keep getting targeted either." Kaito pulls his shirt back slightly to reveal his Mark on the center of his chest. Each line and curve of the mark is infused with celestial energy, pulsating with a subtle glow that hints at the divine power imbued within. The edges of the mark seem to blur and fade into the surrounding skin, as if seamlessly merging with Kaito's very essence. "I am no diviner, simply a user of enchanted shogi board magic."

 

[Dovinique]

NOIR HANATADA
character sheet
location: verdantwood forest > the toruk village
interaction: none ; mention: AtlannianSpy

The haunting memory of glowing red eyes lingered like a specter in Noir's mind, a constant reminder of Nora's tragic death. It was the only clue Noir possessed in her pursuit of justice for her sister. When Nora's final breath escaped her lips, Noir's gaze pierced the darkness, catching a fleeting glimpse of those ominous red orbs lurking in the shadows before they vanished like wisps of smoke. Since that moment, it had plagued Noir's dreams, a sinister presence that robbed her of peaceful slumber. Yet, as if mocking her desperation, the crimson eyes ceased to be a figment of her imagination and materialized into reality, as tangible as the dawn's first light.

It was a night like any other, the moon casting its pale glow upon the forest floor as Noir carefully tended to her bow, lost in thoughts. Suddenly, an unfamiliar sensation prickled at her senses, a ripple of unease coursing through her veins like a whisper of impending danger. Her ears twitched, attuned to the subtlest of sounds, and it was then that she heard it—a cacophony of heavy, labored breaths echoing through the stillness of the night, the unmistakable sign of a frenzied pack of beasts hurtling through the darkness.

Driven by curiosity, Noir darted through the dense foliage, her keen senses guiding her toward the mysterious sound. Utilizing the speed of her wolf heritage, she easily kept pace with the pack, yet remained a ghostly presence, concealed high above in the canopy. The werewolves abruptly came to a halt, a palpable tension hung in the air, as if they could sense her presence. There were more than she initially thought—perhaps ten, maybe even fifteen, including their leader, a formidable figure that radiated authority like an Alpha. Its fur, a deep, obsidian black, barely concealed the ripple of its powerful muscles. Sharp talons adorned its hands and feet, glistening with the blood of its recent kill. But it was the creature's eyes that captured Noir's attention the most—piercing red orbs that glowed with a primal hunger, reminiscent of the creature she encountered on the night of Nora's death.

A surge of anger welled up within Noir, threatening to consume her. She could have unleashed a poison-tipped arrow with deadly accuracy, aiming for the Alpha's vulnerable neck. Yet, the risks were too great. The Alpha might fall to the poison, unaware of the arrow's lethal payload, or it could swiftly detect her and retaliate, sealing her fate. Even if her aim proved true, the rest of the pack would descend upon her, tearing her limb from limb. Despite her burning desire for revenge, Noir knew she couldn't afford to be reckless. She wouldn't throw her life away in vain. At least for now, she knew her target.

As Noir prepared to depart, a strange sensation washed over her, emanating from her mark. It began to glow, sending a warm sensation down the back of her neck, as if guiding her towards a destination. Something, or someone, was calling out to her, and though she couldn't quite understand it, she knew she had to follow. With a dashful leap, she bounded from tree to tree, putting distance between herself and the pack of werewolves.

✦✦✦​

The following morning, Noir gathered her belongings, anticipating a long journey ahead. Just as she was about to set off, a peculiar cry echoed through the air, drawing her attention skyward. Squinting against the bright sun, she tried to make out the source of the sound. It was no bird, its size and high-pitched cry setting it apart. Yet, as it flew overhead, Noir felt her mark grow warmer, a sign that it held the key to her next destination. Determined, she decided to pursue the creature. But as she struggled to keep up, she relied on her mark to guide her in the same direction. After several days of travel, Noir found herself standing at the edge of Toruk Village as part of the Sunstride Plains—a place she had only heard of in stories, now laid out before her in all its breathtaking splendor.

coded by archangel_

 

[NamelessTrax]

Finishing his bowl of porridge, Kal set it down neatly before addressing the Mimi, “Some are familiar, but there were at least several different tribal markings. If I had to guess, it was a Sell-sword group of Orcs, a Mercenary Band. Considering the Infernal, they must have been hired by someone with deep connections and resources.” He pondered as he spoke, putting the clues they had together. There are several factions large enough to make something like this happen, but they shouldn’t stake it on the obvious choices without motive.

At any rate, remaining here longer would only put the Village in more peril. If Allonnah was their true target, whoever is after Her has no reason to use more recent on this Village. However, being Marked also meant having a target on them as well, especially after defeating the Infernal Orc. Standing up to his full height, Kal looked down at the Goblin female, “We should all pack up, after your ceremony, we should leave. Staying will likely do more harm than good for this Village. Allonnah mentioned an enchanted forest, were we would find this Sanctum… the Verdantwood Forest is a good start.” With a pause, Kal realized he might have overstepped with taking the leadership role, after all he’d really only just arrived to this quest days ago. “What do you think, Kaito?” Kal inquired, seeking affirmations from the only member who had any kind of seniority.

———

An Orc Warrior was thrown onto the dark marble flooring, seemingly unharmed. The massive room was shrouded in an almost liquid darkness, that seemed to pulse with a heartbeat. The Orc Warrior attempted to stifle any fears, but it was useless. “Pray tell, why is that only you, returned? Did I not pay your Warband enough for incentive? I suppose I should not be too surprised, Allonnah always did have a certain… flare, for slipping from my grasp. Report.” The smooth and commanding voice shook the Orc Warrior to his core, the power behind it nearly making him wet his clothes. Shakily he responded, “N-no, My Lord… ah um, we were deterred by others… they-“ Instantly He was seized by magic, the darkness around the shrouded room thrumming with power. The Orc Warrior could not move or speak, his eyes wide with terror as his head began to feel like bursting. His eyes dulled to nothingness, before he was released, and his body went limp to the floor. He was alive still, but his mind was empty, no thought or sense of self. Beyond the shrouded darkness, a cool breath was exhaled, as if having processed all the memories of the Orc Warrior. “Marked?…. The Divines always did appreciate such crude things, but Allonnah… she knew this would happen… these Marked Individuals… and a familiar one at that. How… convenient.” A moment later, a Black Hooded figure entered in, “I shall clean up my Lord.” He dipped his head obediently, as two others shuffled in to carry of the empty husk of the Orc Warrior. “Yes, and fetch me a Hawk, I have something our dear friend Renzo in Hikarimori, would find interesting. It would seem perhaps a more indirect approach, will help us succeed were brute force failed…”

 

[Lost Martian]

VATUMIS WINTERKIN​

The lands south of Vatumis’s home seemed awfully hot, an oppressive heat bearing down on the wanderer and all his supplies. The once white robes of his monastery, were now stained yellow from sweat, an odd experience for Vatumis. The mountains of his youth were a long way off from this forest, a realm that Vatumis had only read about until a few months back. The two blessings of the forest were the thick canopy that provided shade, and a regular stream of fresh water to keep the Elf going.

Vatumis had been using his bo staff as a means of keeping even footing as he walked through gnarled roots, going both up and then down hill. He wondered if this was the correct direction as the forest seemed all the same to one unfamiliar with it. It had been several days since he had come across any kind of civilization, not even a cottage or other small dwelling.

Unsure of what to do next, he stopped by a creek, refilling his canteen with new water. He would then sit on a large boulder, trying to allow his body to cool down in this more covered part of the forest. After a few minutes of chilling, Vatumis stood back up, looking all around him. He had no clue in which direction the gods wanted him to go, so he thought about flipping a copper coin.

But just as he was rustling through his pack for a coin, a great pressure overtook him. Vatumis was forced to his knees as he recognized that it was radiating out from the mark just above his hip. Pounding pressure hit Vatumis inner being several times, like a tidal wave repeatedly taking out a port. It was if mana could be like a natural disaster.

However it would eventually abate, as Vatumis stopped shaking. But he was left with a new sensation, as his Inner Sphere mana began to leave him. It was a feeling he couldn’t describe with words, rather it was something unnatural, pulling strongly on Vatumis’s Inner Magic.

Rising to his feet, Vatumis got a better sense of the pull, like it was coming in a twisting manner from a certain direction. Figuring that the gods might finally be giving him a sign of where to go to repent, Vatumis started walking in the direction the pull came from.

By the end of a day’s hike, the feeling was less painful and more like a constant pressure. Following the magical pull, Vatumis would finally make his way out of the massive forest. In front of him was a massive plains, going on far past the distance he could see. But the pull was telling him to head off into the distance.

The next few days would be hell for Vatumis as he crossed the warm plains. Without a canopy of trees, there was no protection from the sun. For someone raised in the frigid north, this was a worst case scenario. Whenever Vatumis did find some shade, he would rest under it. Eventually it got so bad that the Elf switched to mostly traveling at night.

There were enough villages around that Vatumis could always refill his rations and other goods, though he did note that his funds he had on him were running thin. But none of these villages were where the pull came from.

Vatumis was getting antsy, wondering where exactly this call came from. Not really familiar with the more southernly parts of the land, Vatumis thought that this magical pull might take him as far as the coast. The thought of walking that far was troublesome to the Elf. Just how much did he need to do to redeem himself?

Vatumis was wondering just that when he came across another village. Thinking it another place to buy food, Vatumis thought nothing of this Toruk Village. That was until he got within a mile of it. Suddenly the pull on his magic became strong again, Vatumis’s Inner Sphere screaming at him that this was the place.

Thankful that his journey was over, or at least partially over, Vatumis rushed most of the way to the village. With bo staff in hand, Vatumis just went with the pull, the mark on his side guiding him forward.

 

[Darkbloom]

“We should all pack up, after your ceremony, we should leave. Staying will likely do more harm than good for this Village. Allonnah mentioned an enchanted forest, were we would find this Sanctum… the Verdantwood Forest is a good start.” With a pause, Kal realized he might have overstepped with taking the leadership role, after all he’d really only just arrived to this quest days ago. “What do you think, Kaito?” Kal inquired, seeking affirmations from the only member who had any kind of seniority.

Kaito listens as Kal speaks, silently moving pieces on a normal shogi board. This was his way of simulating a potential future battle where everything goes wrong and he has to find a way to protect everyone while keeping the enemy at bay. The small army that was sent after the party was in fact there to gather information, and running into everyone was just luck on the general's part, though it didn't end too well for him. Kaito begins to break down the suggestions put forth by Kal in his head to test their validity. For the most part, he's correct. The forest contains no small amount of secrets, including the hidden location of my home Hikarimori. Wait, who has a ceremony again? Kaito scratches his head as he tries to think of who it's going to be for but not coming up with anything.

"Ah, right. The forest is tricky to navigate even with the most seasoned of land navigators. Luckily, I grew up in the forest so I have some know-how of being able to get around the worst of what's in the forest. It seems like the small army was looking for people with marks. Going into the forest to follow the witch's words sounds like a good idea. I doubt whoever sent the general after us has someone else like him so we shouldn't need to worry too much about being followed but it is always wise to keep senses sharp in case such an eventuality does come to pass."

Yet there was still more on Kaito's mind than just wandering through the forest. The destination is unknown, and traveling through the forest without a destination has a whole boatload of problems with it. The route will have to keep changing as they try to find where to go. The pros and cons list will have to wait until they begin traveling which seems like it'll be not too long. "We need to be sure to have enough supplies as well including food, water, medical supplies, and any necessary equipment. Watch rotations in case of unwanted visitors during our sleeping hours. I'll be sure to let you all know what could potentially be creatures to watch out for and which ones are harmless." Other things pass through his head, different plans of action if someone gets lost or if something else goes wrong.

 

[BuggaBoo]

---

At Toruk's Outskirts...

Location: At either end of the Main road through Toruk Village
Interactions: NPCs with Dovinique , NPCs with Lost Martian .
Mentions: None. ​

Mercs will be Mercs...

The smell of smoke and blood still permeated the air leading away from Toruk.

But merely hours ago, the skies were flooded with the harsh mewling cries of grifcaws. Their fluttering black wings and the larger mystic blue winged vularpies, at one point had their own pair of competing circling swarms. The remaining midnight part cat, part crow grifcaws lay perched or skulking in the shadows watching, waiting for more carrion to be exposed from the decimated temple. That was where the Bestials had hid the older children during the invasion. They barricaded themselves in but they could not barricade themselves from the gouts of fire borne from the murderous orcs. Many still wept and sceamed for revenge, soot covered faces contorted and coughing as they dug through the rubble.

The part vulture, part screaming human-esque faced vularpies still circled high above, again not as numerous. Yet still they were an irritating cacaophony of hybrid animals screeching at each other. They too like the griffcaws waited for the Bestials to uncover bodies, turn their backs and take what dead meat they could for their spoils.

As they toiled, the roads remained barren yet there was quite a bit of activity at the village main road at either end. Armed and very agitated activity at that.


Vatumis

"You are not welcome here, Yar'kana. Toruk's people do not need counsel nor condescending words from your kind right now..." he was huge; a wall of muscles, horns and a deadly glare. The baritone of the Buffalo Bestial's voice although striking, still reverberated and shook with one who was always erring on the side of violence. At least he was polite enough to greet the elf with the universal Bestial word for 'honourable stranger.'

A snort ejected hot air upon Vatumis. A thumb the width of a spear pole stroked gently upon the scar that ran from the bottom of one of his grey eyes and down to his lips. And of course that glare glinted deadly like the tip of his spear, bearing downwards upon the traveller elf. His big yellowed teeth flashed out, and his armour jangled as a pitying laugh rumbled out from his gullet.

"I suggest you turn back, make your way to Novari and take refuge there..." he used his spear as a pointing device. And perhaps it was an accident that the others accompanying the Buffalo pointed with their obsidian tipped spears as well. Some even accidentally pointed their spears too close to Vatumis' nose.

One even had her ham sized hands light up. The 'Shine' she emanatied glowed the hues of the sunset with heat rising therein.


Noir

At the edge of the village, a pack of Hyena Bestials came rushing out from the underbrush, strangely silent yet still fast as a rushing river.

They blocked the Wolf Bestial's path now, weapons drawn, big strong jaws flashing big strong teeth in a sneering grin. Once within immediate striking distance did they begin to chortle and laugh the ungainly cries of hyenas on the hunt. An immense female with dark braids that descended to the small of her back, adorned and tattooed as commander barged her way past them and barked for them to calm down in their language. They were definitely not from Toruk, but perhaps reinforcements form another Plains Tribe.

"You do not smell like a Wolf of Toruk, pup. But we know, oh now don't we, that there are Damned wolves out there. Is that your scent...? Lobara Kin-denti. 'Wolf-with-no-family'..." A low and threatening growl emanated from all throats of her underlings. Large pink tongue ran across the top row of her large teeth.

She kicked up the dust upon the main road as she slunk her way towards the Bestial wolf, never once did her strange gaze-- an amber hued eye and a stark white one leave Noir's. With liquid ease, her clawed and inked up hand pulled back her duster, brandishing a very 'persuasive' blade beneath. The toothy grin of the commander grew in size as did the eagerness in those strange pair of eyes. A knowing nod and a wicked wink.

"Let us go for a walk then, shall we, Lobara? Out into the brush. It is cooler there and there will be no distractions. We will find out if your are Yar'kana and welcome you proper... once you pay your fees ahahahah... Or perhaps we will find out you are Yar'daden and, pup, believe me, we will rip you apart. Limb from bloody limb..."

---

 

[BuggaBoo]

---

"MiMi" - Princess Miriannia DeValinz - 'The Seeker'

Location: Chatting with Kal and Kaito. About to go do some cermony to speak with spirits.
Interactions: NamelessTrax , Darkbloom , NPC Buffalo Bestial Commander.
Mentions: None. ​

Some more convo...

"I take it Toruk is supposed to be in safer hands now," she gave a polite nod towards the squad of Bestial Buffalo rumbling past them. The huge commander of the squad nodded in return, however, his grey eyes glowered as if staring at a putrid mound of trash.

MiMi held his gaze and smirked; she was not going to back down. She knew The Name of her Mother. And besides, her peoples were part of the Sunstrider faction. But right now was not time to pull the politcal card. No, just smile and bear it, said Mother, ignorance is not a weapon unless it has been sharpened. This male Buffalo did not point the business end of his ignorance at her. And so smile it was.

“Some are familiar, but there were at least several different tribal markings. If I had to guess, it was a Sell-sword group of Orcs, a Mercenary Band. Considering the Infernal, they must have been hired by someone with deep connections and resources.”

"Funny though, no?" she finally turned her cheek from the squad towards the pair of Marked with her. And when the herd of Mercs were well out of ear shot she continued, "Funny how when mercenaries are involved in one attack a few more always, always seem to be ready to get involved and paid.

"I just hope that Toruk has the funds to pay what they demand in the end. Funny but not really funny, no?"

She shook her head then immediately paused as a thought that felt like some kind of foresight slinked into her mind. Premonition? Well, not so much a premonition as it was a reeeeeeeally good hunch that struck her.

Soon it seemed that more village folk across the lands would suffer fate of Toruk. If this unknown benefactor wanted this 'Eternal Flame Shaman' in such a bad way that they would try to take her by force-- correction; forces, then that would mean that her Tribe was endangered once more. She doubted her peoples shamans would try to divine from Reverie Tran'tandia any ill will against their people. Too complacent. Too unassuming. Too vulnerable without their Heir to the DeValinz bloodline not amongst them. She had to make a bargain to send a message back home--

Suddenly the self-loathing turned to so much incredulity that she almost burst out laughing.

...Luckily, I grew up in the forest so I have some know-how of being able to get around the worst of what's in the forest...

This male? Whaaaaaat?! Either he was a liar or a deadpan comedian. Yellow eyes bulged, wet with humour; she was actually biting her lips closed lest she begin to cackle so hard she would fall to the floor and roll around proper. Right before these Marked males was the Daughter of Chief Kolani of DeValinz! Her mother was the fiercest and most accomplished Goblin of Laer'Dan; the Greatest Hunter of all times! And now they were about to dive headfirst right into her literal back yard!

And this goblin standing right before those gathered here was someone who actually and truly was trained from birth to not only survive by her lonesome but to ensure those in her hunting party survived for days upon end during their sorties. Who better to take, and guide them, through the Verdantwoods than the heir of the Greatest Hunter of all times but the heiress Princess Miriannia of DeValinz, Daughter of Kolani of DeValinz herself?!

A shimmering swirl of emotion shoved past her thoughts making her heart skip a beat. A frown befell her visage and big yellow eyes crossed. But they did not know that and that was for the best. A sigh. A sheepish shake of her little bobble head.

Her Guardian, Aura had sensed her... entitlement and as always he had sent that wake up call to knock her down a peg via their bond. And so she did as she always did when she made concession. A stretch of the neck to the left, then to the right. A loud cracking of knuckles then both hand open, palms up, head tilted a bit to left.

"By all means then, Man... lead us through the Verdantwoods. Such skill and training should never go unrealized and merely left to waste...

Lashes slowly descended over those shining eyes, a polite nod. Then she turned to find a private and worthy spot to begin her shamanic rituals.

"Perhaps I shall find some kind of spiritual guidance than yields more than just speculations and assumptions..."

Oh, perhaps. Perhaps that and even more.

---

"Arz" - Aura The Princess' Royal Protector - 'The Guardian'

Location: Out hunting in the woods near Toruk. Fooling around until he sees the giant bird.
Interactions: AtlannianSpy
Mentions: The others in passing. ​

Something's Coming. Something big...

It was still so funny wasn't it?

There was soooooo much meat back at the battlefield they all could have feasted for weeks! But no, instead they just burned the bodies of the Orcs in one huge pyre. Basically they barbequed the invaders and he just had to watch and salivate. Sad, sad Aura. Or 'Arz' as he had to be called ever since the Guardian and the Princess had gone icognito.

Meh. It's not like Hengi several days north of this region still go marching around with royal Laer'Dan goblins, right? Noooooo... of coooourse not... but hey, if icognito meant changing his name around a bit, and it made Princess happy...?

A shrug. A small rumbling chuckle. Then his huge pink tongue slipped from one corner of that huge maw all the way to the other. A few more smacking sounds, a few more licks of his chops and he was clean. Well, clean enough.

He would have to jump into the lake, submerge himself, splash around, play with the fish, to fully rinse himself of the mess he made here. It was never a pretty sight when Aura was done feasting upon the spoils of his hunt. A sigh. Miriannia had made him hunt for his food while she got to sit on her little royal butt and eat rat broth. But then again, he did eat 10x as much as she. Well, hopefully she felt bad after he 'bond-swatted' her after she had yet another internal entitlement flare up. A fond shake of the head. Another shrug.

Suddenly neath black fuzzy hide, muscles rippled from his hind legs as he leapt, gigantic talons ejected from his forepaws. He had launched directly at the annoying mewling scavengers that encroached his kill. Granted griffcaws were cute, and he kinda' liked them but he liked chasing them away even more. Especially when they were huddled together and--

"RAAAAAWR!!" they all bolted at once into the air bursting like a furry, feathered midnight explosion.

Arz's own midnight shoulders jostled up and down as he bellowed out a tummy rumbling laugh. Never gets old... But just then a secondary flock of griffcaws brushed past the treetops, crying out and flying away in panic.

Suddenly aggression coursed through his veins and instinctively he snarled. Orange eyes narrowed as they panned the greenery slowly and cautiously. Big body lowered upon all fours, ready to pounce. The spirits were acting up.

He did not have the Medium capabilities of his goblin ward, however, he was Hengi and when the spirits acted up, he could sense them. Something was roused and the flitting spirits were always the first to react. And they were going crazy. Something was roused. And it was big. Reeeeeally big.

The massive Feline Hengi leapt nearly 10 feet up into the air in a literal jump scare. The daylight had been blacked out by a passing shadow. When he landed, immediately orange eyes aimed skyward. It was a bird. A huge bird.

That was not what was roused but it definitely had something to do with it. Forepaws dug into the earthy ground and he launched, sprinting after his new quarry. One would never believe that 600 pounds of black fur could move so fast and with such agility. It would be nearly impossible to track the giant flying thing due to it being obscured by the canopy, he needed to be clear of this small wooded area. But he was not tracking it by sight nor sound.

The giant avian thing was leaving distressed spirits in its wake. It was the same kind of distress that he noted when they were tracking the male Orc, Kal. He like Aura, Miriannia, Kaito and the others all bore a special kind of Mark.

Upon reaching the edge of the woods, the Hengi stared up momentarily, considered, nodded then leapt at the thickest tree trunk. He was a maniacal, rippling shadow scaling the beige bark, growling, the next one louder than the one prior, each time he pulled himself higher and higher.

There he found the branch at the absolute dizzying height he dared perch upon. His body twirled and turned as he 'danced' amongst the canopy. The massive midnight body lit up orange, radiating with the mana 'Shine' of his Inner Sphere; his facet of Fire. Suddenly he himself ignited, fire flaring out from his black hide. The canopy upon which he slunk about caught fire and gouts of smoke rose high into the azure expanse.

A sigh. Hopefully this wasn't the territory of some random Reverie and he had just made the mistake of lighting up their favourite tree. A shrug. Meh. 'MiMi' had his back. She would deal with the pissed off entity.

Oh, but it would be worth it. For up here he saw that there was a rider upon that giant bird. And damned if that was not a Mark upon its face.

---

 

[AtlannianSpy]

Seneca Mistingdale - The Scholar
The rook banked sharply, pitching almost 90 degrees in a tight wheel to face the intruder that would dare encroach upon its rule of the skies. The Rook let out a cry, one of challenge from one predator to another. The rook was a primal creature, as the more bestially shaped demons tended to be, it didn't lack for cunning, but it also wasn't shy about indulging its base instincts. After a long, boring flight the bird demon wanted nothing more than to sink its beak and talons into a worthy foe. Frankly an unworthy foe would do just fine as well: the rook, like most demons, was not especially attached to any notion of fairness and winning was always better than losing on the infernal planes.

Sadly for the Rook, his contractor was totally uninterested in bloodshed except as a strictly necessary means to an end.

"Enough," Seneca snapped, bringing the rook to heel so that it hovered in the air, keeping itself aloft with beats of its powerful wings. Straightening up in her seat, Seneca fixed her rather lopsided glasses and peered down at the hulking, on fire panther staring up at her. Seneca thought they might still be a bit far north to be in Hengi territory but she couldn't really be sure about that. That wasn't what had aroused Seneca's curiosity anyway, that honour belonged to the unusual, strangely familiar marking on said Hengi's hindquarters. Seneca's own mark, plainly visible now that the wind was making a mockery of her attempts to hide it with her hair, was acting oddly as well. It wasn't tugging Seneca in a particular direction like it usually tried to, it was more sort of... vibrating in place, or resonating maybe?

"Well, should I take that little display as hostility?" Seneca asked with a raised eyebrow, gesturing at the smouldering canopy surrounding the marked hengi. "You should know that we are quite capable of defending ourselves if so," Seneca said, a bit more coldly than she had really intended her tone to be. In truth Seneca had been a little startled: the Rook had let her know through their bond that they were being followed but it hadn't been certain on how long they had been tracked for. The Rook had also been annoyingly vague on the details and Seneca had certainly not expected a giant, flaming panther to leap out of the tree canopy at them. Seneca suspected the demon might have kept that little tidbit to itself to better enjoy her reaction, the infuriating creature.

Seneca should have landed earlier and dismissed the Rook she knew. Rural folk tended to react in... unnecessary ways upon encountering infernals, even if they were safely bound and perfectly under control! Now that Seneca was thinking about it urban folk also tended to panic as well so perhaps it was less a deficiency of the peasantry and more an overall flaw in sapient beings. City dwellers did generally tend not to have pitchforks and torches close at hand though so their panic was often easier to manage. All of that was to say that Seneca was really planning to avoid encounters such as exactly this, but the thought of trekking through the Verdantwood Forest on foot for a mile or so was pretty unappealing so she'd tried to cut it a little finer than she normally would. Too fine it seemed, how vexing.

BuggaBoo

 

[Dovinique]

NOIR HANATADA
character sheet
location: outskirt of toruk village
interaction: BuggaBoo ; mention: none

Noir's senses tingled with an unsettling awareness as she stepped onto the Sunstride Plains, a vast expanse where the air carried whispers of impending danger. A scent, heavy with the essence of earthy musk and a hint of metallic tang, lingered around her like an ominous shroud. Despite the unease creeping into her bones, she pressed forward, her footsteps deliberate and steady until she reached the outskirts of Toruk Village. As anticipated, a menacing pack of bestials emerged, blocking her path with their imposing presence. Hyena… the least bestial kin she liked. Unlike the wolf bestial, they were larger, more robust, more savage, and undeniably… uncouth.

The raucous laughter of the hyenas seemed to pierce through Noir's very being, as if attempting to break her eardrums. She flinched momentarily, but quickly regained her composure, shifting back into a defensive stance. Her feet were planted shoulder-width apart, her bow poised for action, yet instead of reaching for arrows from her back, her right hand tightened around the hilt of the dagger at her waist. Melee combat was not really her forte and facing the hyenas in such a manner would be folly. If they didn't intervene, she might be able to take down the dark-haired woman who appeared to be their leader. However, even if she succeeded, her chances of survival remained slim.

"You do not smell like a Wolf of Toruk, pup. But we know, oh now don't we, that there are Damned wolves out there. Is that your scent...? Lobara Kin-denti. 'Wolf-with-no-family'..."

Family... the word carried a weight that had become foreign to Noir since Nora's passing. Abruptly pulled from her thought, Noir refocused her gaze on the woman before her, their eyes seeming to engage in battle long before any physical confrontation began.

"It’s none of your business," she growled back, her voice low and defiant. While her teeth were not as razor-sharp as theirs, the fangs hidden behind her lips were formidable enough to tear through bare flesh. Glancing at the blade in the woman's hand, Noir realized that her bow and dagger would be no match for it. She took a step back, her mind racing to find a way out of the situation, she refused to surrender without a fight.

"Let us go for a walk then, shall we, Lobara? Out into the brush. It is cooler there and there will be no distractions. We will find out if your are Yar'kana and welcome you proper... once you pay your fees ahahahah... Or perhaps we will find out you are Yar'daden and, pup, believe me, we will rip you apart. Limb from bloody limb..."

The seriousness in the woman's tone left no room for negotiation. Noir realized there was no escaping this encounter unscathed. However, a glimmer of hope emerged—if she could lure the woman away from the pack, perhaps there would be a slim chance of evading further harm.

"Only if we are alone," she retorted, her smirk laden with mockery. "I bet a strong fella like you won’t need help from the…," she glanced back at the pack before meeting the woman's gaze again, "...weaklings." With calculated confidence, she began to lead the way, knowing the hyena leader would follow.

As they moved, Noir formulated her plan. Once they were isolated, she would cast a binding ward to immobilize the pack, then casting another on the leader. She hadn't expended her mana yet that day, so two wards were still within her capability, though it would leave her manaless afterward. 10 minutes… no… 7 minutes would be sufficient to reach Toruk Village, which lay nearby. Trusting that the pack wouldn't wreak havoc within the village, she hoped her actions would be enough to send them packing.

coded by archangel_

 

[BuggaBoo]

---

"Arz" - Aura The Princess' Royal Protector - 'The Guardian'

Location: Talking with the elf rider. Hopefully leading her to the rest of the Marked by the end.
Interactions: AtlannianSpy
Mentions: The others in passing. ​

Not the most auspicious meeting to say the least...

No, of course it wasn't a bird. Not a singular bird could make fleeting spirits act in such a way that a... demon would. Well, perhaps not a demon but some kind of contracted entity. Aura was no expert in the Outer Sphere and not especially with the Summoner type of mana. But he knew that it needed more than some kind of expertise to wield; it took a certain type. The results could be awe-inspiring but his peoples had seen absolute ruin caused by summoners that were either novices with a bad case of hubris or even just madmen pure and simple. Whatever the case, he knew he had to tread softly with this one. Well, at least try. Miriannia was the skilled envoy, he just her protector afterall.

"Well, should I take that little display as hostility?"

"Hostility? No. But coming up on an invaded village, decimated by an infernal Orc and its army...? While flying upon... that thing? Yeah... You might encounter hostility there."

"You should know that we are quite capable of defending ourselves if so,"

"Heflen na mi thasis, kamaysh," his accent a bit rough, but still his coloquial Elven was solid. 'I only wish to talk, stranger.' Orange 'shine' lit up from the feline and instantly the fire and smoke vanished from the treetop. The instant evacuation of sound left an awkward silence in the air between them. A heartbeat longer he waited. Then the branches groaned and creaked neath his tremendous weight.

"No really. We should talk and on the ground. I-I didn't think this through completely and I think--" the canopy gave way. Aura roared as he felt his tummy chase after his body on its descent.

He was huge but he was still a cat. A twist and twirl and suddenly his snout was aimed downward and he saw the first branch to break his fall. Big forepaws stretched out to try to bounce off it but his weight and inertia snapped it like a twig. A flail, a twist. BANG! Oof, his flank just smacked off of a branch! He bounced around for a bit between the rough, barked boughs then suddenly he felt it. He felt his Mark.

Adrenaline and aggression surged through him now. This was no way to die. Not in such a humiliating manner. Not in front of this elf and its... its flying demonic thing. Not alone and not in the line of fire protecting his ward. No, Princess Miriannia would not have her last emotional message from him being screaming to his death from a fall because he lit some tree on fire. No such way.

A valiant push from his hind legs caught the trunk of the tree. He launched like a ballista towards the next tree. Forpaws spread wide, midnight talons of the midnight cat dug into the gnarled surface and in the same breath his hind legs hit the bark and he launched back towards the original tree with a mighty roar. Aura had found the pattern down safely!

Several more times he bounced back and forth between trees. Upon landing, he roared in triumph, posed proudly and strong. But he was still hyped up and so he made it over to the nearest bush and started swatting at it as if boxing it, showing it just who the alpha predator was in these parts. He bounded around for a heartbeat longer, still energized by his literal death-defying feat. Then his Mark ceased its glow as orange eyes popped wide; She''s probably watching me right now... such a goofy furrball... ugh, from burning tree to bouncing kitten... great job, Aura... way to win them over...

His chest inflated fully as he took in a calming breath. Then orange eyes turned to the sky and he called out; "I see your Mark, kaymaysh. I have one too. We really should talk. Soooo... hail, I go by; 'Arz.'

"There are more like us in the village. I will introduce you to them but the... the summons has to go. There are mercs there and some of which are very itchy with their sword swinging arm, if you feel me? So. Shall we...?"

Without waiting for a response, he sauntered his way towards the elf. If they landed he would wait for them to dismiss the summoned entity. A nod he would give her and hopefully she followed as he would safely lead the elf into the village Toruk.

---

---

A Lovely 'Lady'...

Location: In the bushes past the Main road through Toruk Village
Interactions: NPCs with Dovinique
Mentions: None. ​

Tying up loose ends...

And so the lone Wolf decided to play along. Good for her; it was easier this way. One way or another, this pup was going to pay the fee to the Commander of the Spine Breakers. And, of course, this commander didn't mind this kind of one-on-one 'payment.'

Both big, muscular arms she wrapped around her underlings shoulders, speaking loudly in their dialect, a huge grin lilting from her mouth. They all responded with rowdy howls, cheers and whistles. One even high-fived her. She then turned to take the silvery headed traveller by the arm.

"Ooooh... a wise choice, pup. But the choice was simple, is that not so? For Lady Goreanda has that kinda' reputation, no? I will make you scream so loud your ecstacy will be heard all the way to the top of Mount Pholasti. You will not be able to get my lovin' scent off you for weeks. Oh, but you will yearn and crave me, begging for the next time we meet..." once more that pink tongue licked that upper row of giant teeth. But a lascivious glint twinkled in both her strange eyes.

She leaned in and took a very, very, noisy and deep inhale of the Bestial Wolf, "Mmmmm-hmmmm... you do not smell of the Damned... you smell like 'damned fiiiiine'.... hahahahhahah... I have some furs in my pack. Just give me a minute to set it all up. Don't worry, pup, the wait will be worth it... I guaran-tongue it... hahahahahahah...!"

The moment she began to rummage through her pack and tended to the beddings was the moment she showed her greatest weakness. Arrogance. She actually turned her back on a lone Wolf. The Hyena known as Lady Goreanda did not even notice the red 'Shine' from just behind her as the Wolf magically bound her underlings tightly in place. Served them right, trying to be all pervy and peek at them from the bushes!

Barks and yelps of frustration caught her attention and she turned. Both strange eyes widened as she was met with the full force of red Binding mana.

But instead of snarling and swearing at the Wolf, she just laughed and tossed an upward chin nod, "Well played, pup. Well played... I like you... go on then. Run. Maybe next time we meet it'll be in the plush beddings of Lady Goreanda's lair.. I have your scent, Lobara... hahahahah..."

One final lick of those giant teeth, a sly wink then she turned to her underlings to yell at them to knock it off.

---

 

[AtlannianSpy]

Seneca Mistingdale - The Scholar
The Rook let out a series of raucous caws that were unmistakably reminiscent of laughter as it observed Arz' misfortune. Atop the Rook's back Seneca merely frowned and tilted her head slightly, as if analysing the display for some kind of hidden meaning or motive. Perhaps Arz was being unkind in his self assessment when he decided he was no diplomat; the mishap did neatly dispel the brewing air of hostility after all.

After a moment's consideration Seneca gestured downwards and the Rook, somewhat huffily, settled into a glide that brought it down to Earth where Seneca dismounted. Seneca muttered an incantation in a harsh, grating tongue and the Rook disappeared in a puff of foul smelling smoke that thankfully dissipated quickly and then she turned to face Arz.

Divested of her mount the elf was a much less prepossessing figure. Seneca was tall, but thin and carried her height without any particular grace and she was clad in loose, homespun robes that looked durable but lacked any sort of ornamentation. Now that she was sheltered from the wind Seneca's hair settled back down into place and concealed her unusual marking and the overall impression she gave was of a harried scholar forced out of the library to pursue some kind of field research at great reluctance. Still, behind her spectacles Seneca's eyes were sharp and calculating and the heavy tome that rested at her hip thanks to a leather strap over one shoulder emanated a faint impression of heaviness that a mundane book probably would not.

"I would never waltz into some backwoods village with an infernal following at my side," Seneca said dismissively, leaving aside that fact that she had only adopted that policy after several unfortunate incidences. In fact Seneca had even debated summoning the tribe and having the imps follow along while concealing themselves just in case but eventually dismissed that strategy. For one the imps were likely to start pilfering things and generally making a nuisance of themselves if she lead them into a village and then had to act like they didn't exist. Secondly the little cowards wouldn't likely make themselves very useful if she did run into trouble. If there was any actual danger Seneca could call on the Harvest maiden like always. That one always answered Seneca's call with unnerving swiftness, ever eager for bloodshed as it was. Any nervous sell-swords would be well and truly put off at that point but Seneca would read that chapter when she got to it.

"You may call me Seneca," she said to Arz, adding a bit dryly. "Or Professor Mistingdale if you are feeling formal and politically contentious. I suspect you are not though,"

After that Seneca was content to follow Arz back towards the village, although her sharp gaze seemed to be studying him and particularly his mark with a laser like focus. Once or twice the scratching of pencil on paper would betray the fact that Seneca was taking notes in her grimoire, something she seemed quite comfortable doing while walking. Such an intense study of someone's hindquarters could easily send the wrong kind of message, but such a faux pas was something Seneca had zero consideration for and was unlikely to even think of in the first place.

BuggaBoo

 

[BuggaBoo]

---

"MiMi" - Princess Miriannia DeValinz - 'The Seeker'

Location: Doing a ritual just outside of the village. Headed towards the main road at the end.
Interactions: NamelessTrax , Darkbloom .
Mentions: None. ​

Unwanted Contact...

It started the same as always. Standing there, body lax, head slumped over, chin touching her chest.

Why she chose this particular spot on the battlefield could be answered with why she always chose a certain spot to begin her rituals and rites. It just felt right. It felt the most clear. But that was not the true reason.

Miriannia was a shaman. And like all shamans, when they just let everything else go in their worldly reality and just listened-- no, sensed it out they would find it. A soft spot between this world and the Otherside. All successful shaman's could sense out a 'Thinness' in realities. And it was here where shaman's were best suited to serve as mediums; conduts to speak with the spirits abound.

Suddenly her arms began to lift up, hands delicately tracing words and phrases of the unheard spectres that raised those arms. The additional bangles and charms that hung from her wrists, ankles and neck began to rattle and thrum as if caught in a river of sound. From little goblin lips, a chant formed, still in its infancy, mind you, but a strong string of syllables nonetheless. The dust at her feet began to kick up as her body swayed and soon began to spin caught in the unseen silvery current flooding her senses.

The Seeker was in a full dance now, caught in the throes of whatever spirits she gave herself to. The chant she fully caught now and sung it in rhythm and in time to the rattling and thrum of her trinket fetishes strung up all across her body. It would have been a wiser decision to fully disrobe but carnal stares of others could detract the spirits from fully engaging with her and so it was prudent to keep her clothes on. That and she still wanted to not allow any others to see her unique markings of her royal lineage. She did make one error in judgement, however, and perhaps this oversight would cost her. Dearly.

They spoke with such sweet voices didn't they? The recent dead always did. But if you let them speak long enough even after 2 days of settling down, such sweet voices would soon sour into cries and wails of anguish, desperation and regret. These were the stragglers. These were the ones that just could not pass through to the Otherside for whatever reason suited them. And it was with these stragglers that she would find the most truthful answers and opinions. But it was imperative that upon ending contact that she perform Kar-kari Dini'ma Atranni'Ska; a rite to bring them to rest on the Otherside as soon as possible lest they remain trapped and become restless and disgruntled spirits on this reality.

But wait. Something was off, Something was wrong. But she knew that didn't she? There were ulterior motives to speak with the recent dead; one was to send warning back to her home tribe. The other was to seek and identify exactly what it was that felt like it had a hold of her. Yet the message was not sent. Nor did she manage to speak with any of the recent dead. Her eyes were open but she was not seeing into this reality of the here and now; she was past the Thinness and into the silvery expanse of Atranni'Ska. The Otherside. What she saw... what she saw befall those poor, poor unrested spirits... it was all connected to that which held her and that which thrummed just like a drum from the Otherside.

Oh, she realized her grave mistake just then; she should have never done this ritual alone, deaf dumb and blind to that which Aura would have detected. But it was all too late. For she heard it now.

The drums... thum-da-da-thum-da-da-thum...

She had never seen a spirit violently ripped apart before.

...thum-da-da-thum-da-da-thum...

And she never felt more surer than she did now--

...thum-da-da-thum-da-da-thum...

"It's coming for us too..."

It took nearly all her mana to break free but she summoned it all with all her might and screeched painfully into the silvery skies above. In this reality, she made no such sound from her mouth, yet the little goblin's head tilted back and her eyes rolled up into the back of her head as she began to convulse and writhe, seemingly floating in the air. A single silver streak split the veil between this world and the next, cutting through the Thinness and like a new born sacrificial calf desperate to escape the womb of a doomed mother, she struggled to free herself and return back to this world. One final shiver and she remained still, collapsed and sapped of all energy, the sounds of her rattling and thrumming trinkets but a memory sent down the river of the forgotten. She was exhausted and coughing roughly, but still breathing and still very much alive.

"We have to go... we have to go... we have to go..." was what she uttered from a hoarse and ragged throat as if she had been screaming for her life.

---

As she made her way back, she took her time, slowly meandering off the path to Toruk. MiMi needed to recompose herself, keep it together, return to the calm, cool facade of a huntress and her companion. For she knew in her heart it was against better judgement but she was not going to tell the others of her sight-- perhaps premonition of what was to come. They had just met afterall and she truly did not know their intents nor their end goals as ones who are Marked. It was better to be safe with this secret than to start fear and panic when it was not even a certainty in outcome. At least that is what she told herself.

Yellow eyes stared off into skies as she approached the others, "The spirits... they do not speak with me. Strange times these. But I get the sense that things will get even stranger. If there are more infernally infected others out there... then there has to be a source that is spreading it. Or perhaps colluding with the 'infected.' Makes you wonder, no? But I think it's wise that we move on from here and continue on as soon as possible."

She reached down, grabbed her earthware bowl with both hands and finally took a swill of her rat soup. Cold and murky but tasty all the same. After a second gulp, she paused, yellow eyes popping wide. A wry smile pulled up at the corner of her lips. "Hmmm... perhaps there is good news yet. My companion, Arz has made... a new friend...?"

Little green chin swivelled to the direction she sensed his empathic vibes, the wry smile breaking into a full grin. The fuzzball sensed to be rather proud of himself for some reason.

"Come. We should see who Arz has brought to lunch with him," for the first time they may have heard the goblin speak with a little giggle in her voice.

Little green feet walked with a bit of a skip and bounce in it as she made her way towards the main road.

---