Vaude

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- Lord Raiden, Mystras, Left Flank - Raiden often wondered what prompted individuals to stand in shock at a strange tactic such as an opponent's whistle and an afterwards jump off their own shoulders, but he somehow found himself caught in this situation. Agitated by the thought, he concluded that this lapse of physics and judgement was a momentary stroke of luck on Jynn's part and no fault of his own. "Fortune certainly seems to dog this prince," he commented to himself, eyeing the pegasus as it flew away with Jynn in tow, "though that strange power of his is more likely less than fortunate." Such black power -- it was more primal than the usual mana, and more powerful too. It is a wonder how Jynn could harness it, regardless of his mother's and my lifeblood flowing through his veins, thought he as he reset his sword and his stature. With that, he returned to his civic duty: ending this war, without major bloodshed, through minor bloodshed. His hands crunched and was flecked with enemy blood from the electricity that stroked the outside of his skin. Swallowing down his distaste for the fluid, he recast the lightening magic upon his sword once, twice, and thrice and prepared for grunt soldiers, but the horns were called and the retreat of Kilkes Seres soldiery was sounded. Those on the queen's side who were wise would have left quickly while covering their retreat, and those on his side who were wise would not attempt to harry and rout the enemy. While this was a battle, wars are best fought with honour and integrity. But why a retreat? Why now? The injuries and losses were great on both sides, but in terms of percentages Mystras was worse off. Were the shock troops successful in disrupting the ranks? Was it due to Prince Jynn's withdrawal? He did not know for sure. Raiden can only assume the situation from his position in the front lines, and as such he returned to the masses of confused soldiers, issuing out a new order: "Fall back and regroup. Bring the injured for the healers to restore. Neither this war nor this battle are concluded yet." - Jari Coriander, Kilkes Seres, Center Flank - Jari should have long since known that there was no calling back his dead friend, but he sat there and sobbed his little eyes out, his face and his hands covered with Morana's blood. The battle still raged around him for a time, but the horns were issued for a retreat. Sniffling while he drew himself up morosely, he stepped backwards and collapsed awkwardly, eyes up and looking at the sky. His throat felt hoarse, his face numb, and his orbits burned from blood, soot, and soil which did not belong. My friend is dead. Dead dead dead, he internalised. I wanted so much to learn from her, to be better friends with her, and maybe ask her out, I dunno, but none of that will happen. None of that will ever happen. Jari felt filthy, inside and out. His lack of action corrupted his conscience and poisoned his interest to go on living, but he had to do it, for Elia's sake, and Morana's sake too, given her respect for life and death. Issuing his final sorrowful respire, he packed himself up and left with the final remnants of Shiva's alive forces. When the battle is over, and if I'm alive still in the end, may I be the one to help send you off to the better place awaiting you, he thought, not once looking back as he shapeshifted and took off across the battlefield in fox form, leaving his helm and his admired crush behind. - Reginald Heathertoes, Kilkes Seres, Center Flank - Reginald observed the girl as she ran further into the forces of Kilkes Seres, panic written on his face still from the news of freeing Rufus from his imprisonment. However, the danger could not have been what he feared, if judging from her tone and lack of understanding. The imbecile was still imprisoned; even if the prison had no walls, he still had a tether. And then there was the crazed armour and the musclehead that still struggled against each other. Thankfully the only damage they performed was inflicted only to themselves, so he let them continue all the same. The armour intrigued him enough to assist, but he had other priorities. Feeling his arm clot and seal was relieving, he headed in the same direction as Rabiyu, not because he felt indebted to her or that he had any sort of kinship to her through the attempt of killing each other -- this was no anime, whatever that was -- but because she was going to kill someone else on his side, and that did not sit well with him. Unable to do anything with his wounded arm besides let it hang loose, he summoned a good chunk of his magical reserves and let it loose with his leftover hand, whispering under his breath "Sand Pillar" and "Sand Hurricane." The poor Kilkes Seres healer, probably oblivious to the surge of electricity garnered above him, was sure to notice some earth rise around him and turn into sand. The worst of the lightning was kept from striking him by a small gathering of sand, but not enough was there to take all of the brunt of the attack. The healer would have to help himself, or at least have someone else assist him. Next up was himself. Reginald raised himself to full height, tipped a make-believe hat with a wink, and disappeared in a modestly sized dust devil with him at the center. With such a lovely distraction, he slipped underground, feeling mighty okay with his actions. [Reginald left the battlefield.]

- Reginald Heathertoes, Kilkes Seres, Center Flank, with Rabiyu - The druid was needless to say surprised when the elf girl sprang into action upon his getting close. What happened to the stalagmite sticking out of her chest? This question was perhaps never to be answered when he reached for his khopesh -- his sickle sword -- a little too late, and had a dagger surging forth towards his throat. All that, however, stopped. His sickle sword, while freed, did not move, and neither did her dagger reach his neck. Was she going to spare him like he was going to spare her? It seemed like madness, considering everything she said to him before, but as she explained herself it seemed more uncanny than madness. Perhaps this girl was just not good with emotions or words, or that this was an unanswerable question for him in his current state of blood loss. "I'd thank you if you stop gloating," he answered, replacing his sword, catching the healing potion, and analysing the phial up close. Later, he shook his head. "No, that's no way for me to act. Thank you." She continued on with explaining her heritage and namesake, which held little intrigue to him beyond pomp and circumstance, but when she asked for his name he doubly flinched. His blurring green eyes did not part from the lava lamp for a good amount of time, and his mouth dried. "That artefact, as you call it, should have been buried away in an unused cellar, forgotten and lost. Did you free its contents? No, that's unlikely." Recalling the vial of healing potion, he popped the cork and emptied its contents into his throat. Like Eliltari said, it would not perform miracles, but it would at the very least staunch the wound and help him survive. "Now for lessons," he continued, looking back up. "I'm Reggie, short for a name too embarrassing to hear. Never mind that. I've been a court mage long ago and a fortune teller and charmer after the old king Alexander passed away. I charmed what you hold for good reason. It's a seal and an enforcer, fragmenting a sentient and providing tempered power as a result. However, before you ask, no, the imbecile cannot be freed. The consequences, you will find, would be more disastrous than even the Silencing." - Jari Coriander, Kilkes Seres, Center Flank, Unutterably Traumatised - Jari fought himself on more times than ten about advancing further and further into the front lines. The hues of his clothes did not seem to set either side off in a battle frenzy in efforts of killing him, but every time he felt eyes on him he wanted to turn tail and run. However, that was no way to live. He had friends on the front lines. If he went back, he would never live it down, especially if he could have done something and did not. Swallowing even harder, he followed the biggest thing he could find, and that was the giant wendigo. Morana was a wendigo. She would be nearby her kin, wouldn't she? Using that mindset, he trudged forward as warily as he was able, a tooth pricking his lip as he bit on it. His landmark disappeared after a while, but the stench of rot and decay made the trail easy to follow. Jari cursed his extremely sensitive nose, but he advanced closer and closer and closer until he came upon the scene where the massive wendigo lay crumpled and with its throat slit . . . and Morana had a sword at her neck. His heart bounced and beat so hard within his chest, and he reached out towards her and tried to call her name. It was all too late, however. The sword was swung and her head -- her lovely head -- tumbled to the blood-soaked soil. He froze, unutterably traumatised, for a time, a statue among writhing bodies. The instant his mind flew back into the coop, he bound towards her through the throng and shouted "Morana! MORANA!" To him, Morana's killer Arthur did not exist right now, and all fear for himself was thrown out the window. His footing shoddy and rushed, Jari tripped and fell on a Mystran body, allowing his open helmet to topple. Even then, he tried to get closer, and he called out to her over and over through the tears as he scrambled over to her and shook her lifeless body. "Morana! Morana!"

The waterworks will be worse, rest assured. Jari will have seen the final exchange between Morana and Arthur, and now his little circle of friends was cut from three to two. . . .

Terra winced all the way through the tale and attempted to curb his anger. This sort of sick nature of men was a horrible thing for her or anyone to experience, and, had he any inclination of who they were, he did not know whether or not he would attempt to slay these individuals. Now better than ever he understood what she mentioned earlier, though he still questioned its truth. "The true monsters are the very same humans you get your orders from." Those words clung to him since they were uttered and made him speculate. How monstrous were the men of power he and others served? Surely not as bad as these individuals, the ones who destroyed the innocence of a young lady like Aqua and afterwards killed her kids. Granted, she should not have been bare when in the company of others, let alone men, but the sin was still theirs. The respective lady bumped into him with her back turned. Shocked and brought out of his inner thoughts, he braced her by holding her near the stomach region and thankfully kept everyone upright instead of bowling over. Needless to say, he was a ta-a-ad embarrassed by the closeness, and he cleared his throat as he stepped back and let the kitsune girl stand on her own two feet. A blush burned his stony cheeks like a forest fire. "Sorry about that," he apologised, even if it was not his fault. "I didn't know you had such a past. It must be painful to think about, but the situation will not repeat, not if I've any say about it." He placed a firm thumb on his armoured chest and solemnly swore, "Mark me, Ventus will be safe on my watch."

A warm thank-you to those who were waiting on me. I hope the posts I've made were worth the wait, and I eagerly look forward to seeing more of everyone's posts. I most especially enjoyed Stardustblade's post for Arthur and Morana as well. Like ever, it hit me right in the feels! These poor characters, though.

- Lord Raiden, Mystras, Left Flank, VS Jynn - What's with soldiers and their adamant decisions to get in the way and get themselves nearly or inadvertently killed? Raiden did not know, but it was more than high time to issue a new order to the surrounding area. "No more idiocy! Those who interrupt and attack the prince will be thrown upon my blade, no excuses allowable!" he shouted about him, watching the young fool that took on the prince flee with his tail in between his legs. Perhaps this was quite literal, given Mystran soldiery was made up of a healthy assortment of animorphic individuals, but his concentration was fixated on Jynn thanks to his specific search magic. The prince seemed different once more, his pattern less erratic and his mind seemingly clearer and less bullheaded. And that forked bolt did not seem to do much against this power, and seemingly left no scar or burns. Was it similar to his lightning armour, without the quickening effect? That was not good, not at all. The best way to do things in the end was to use his sword, and that meant no more weaponised lightning, at least in an external sense. The air shifted, and the first shockwave was launched. The Mystran ruler acted quickly. Raiden cut through it with a harnessed thunderbolt forged by his own lightning, doubling his arsenal from one sword to two as he proceeded to safely cut through the remaining two shockwaves with both blades. These area-of-effect spells were dangerous for his soldiers behind him, and it was imperative to take care of as many dangers as possible when every man counted. The last move Jynn proceeded to accomplish was trickier, two projectiles flashing to existence in the corner of his vision and firing at him at a ferocious pace. Unable to parry the projectiles, Raiden was forced to dodge the two orbs, leaping backward and above them. "You're learning quick," he commented, honestly impressed, "though it would take more than copycatting to beat me back to my ranks." In a swift motion upon landing, Raiden ground his heels into the dirt and sprinted forward, faster than fast and covering the distance between the two. Assuring his lightning sword was not in the way of The Leviathan, considering it seemingly eats lightning, he performed a flurry of swings of mixed angles towards Jynn, at first with both weapons and at the end with only his steel greatsword, the lightning sword being absorbed by Raiden and its power being used for greater speed. If Jynn tried to move backwards, Raiden would close the distance. That was not all, however. With the final horizontal swing, Raiden released the magic of his greatsword midswing. All of its great mass was brought back, and, coupled with the unaltered speed of the assault, it could potentially blast Jynn backwards upon blocking, unless he had an ace up his sleeve. If dodged, Raiden would be at the disadvantage of using a heavier weapon, but he was ready for the possibility. ((Here be Rufus' newfound theme song. Enjoy!)) - Rufus Contralto, Mystras, Center Flank, with Alderon VS Eclaire - Eclaire's scripted attack would appear to glimmer and fade from existence when a new challenger stepped into the fray. Well, not really stepped, but more floated about like an imbecile with his hands out towards the fight. To Alderon's right and Eclaire's left hovered the not mighty, the ever not impressive, but incredibly never duplicated genie of the lava lamp, Rufus Contralto. "Step away from the royal!" he cried sonorously in the distance, waiting for Eclaire to look his way so he can give her a tut-tut and a finger wag. He was able to smother out a portion of her inner magic temporarily, and he was dead-set on preventing any other seals and abilities from being used as well. "Rufus Lippidont Contralto, at your service, King. And you. We've met once before, haven't we?" He said this to both combatants, looking at Eclaire with curiosity. What was it about the half-blooded girl that made memories surge up from the recesses of his mind? Rufus could have sworn that he saw her, if not in another life, but then again he could say that about a good number of people, this Henry and Yevgeni included. Too bad absolutely nobody else reached his forefront of his mind at that time. - Reginald Heathertoes, Kilkes Seres, VS Rabiyu - Reggie scowled at the thought of being merely a distraction for the girl, but said nothing, his emerald eyes glinting as he further observed the girl. She seemed very much cocky, unaware or unworried of his counterplay against her, but something seemed very much off. She did not move at all or make a move until the very end, and it was then that he understood that he made a miscalculation. All of those spear-like stones were aimed for the same location, and all were gobbled greedily up by the mist the elf girl summoned. Like he predicted, the projectiles were turned against him quite readily, yet like before not all of his preparations could be made to protect him in time. Reginald lurched and stepped forward in time to avoid the main barrage, but the one ballista bolt behind him caught the tricep at the back of his right arm, shattering bone and leaving it useless and blindingly painful. He fought back tears and strove to quell the suffering as he shattered the rocky butt of the weapon and extracted the bolt from his arm. Not all seemed at a loss, however. Rabiyu, for all intents and purposes, had been caught up by the rocketing stalagmite he made, and he wondered if she could survive such a wound before making it back to a healer. Perhaps he should try to revivify her just enough to keep her alive and in custody until the battle was won. She was a worthy opponent, after all, even if to Reginald's standards she was a little mental. "Your defeat came both slower and quicker than expected. I would have thought you would dodge that," he voiced no higher than a mutter, approaching wherever she and the stalagmite would land. He had no idea he was being tricked, and the pain of his right arm only augmented his misunderstanding of the situation.

I will be posting tomorrow at the nearest, sad to say. There's lots of urgent business on my end and I cannot get to this as readily as I would like. Apologies are in order for all of those who are waiting on me, and I hope you will forgive me for this, but I need more time.

- Lord Raiden, Mystras, Left Flank, VS Jynn - Raiden bit back an angry, vengeful cry as two of his soldiers, in a hasty attempt on the prince's life, was slain by Jynn. From all of his reports and previous actions, he seemed relinquishing and sparing to the common soldier, but not now. At the moment, Raiden had to conclude that this was a new side to the prince and that he was not like his previous self. Perhaps, in some manner or form, he was much like Raiden now: in an effort to quell the bloodshed, he was willing to shed blood. This was not the time for idle speculation, however. It was time to defend and counterattack. Sword still ahead of him, the ruler of Mystras swept out his free hand. Lightning trailed from body to extremities to body in a constant cycle, gradually developing and forging solid arcing lines of electricity coursing along the outside of his body. Lightning armour -- a formidable counter to anything electrical, along with the added effect that it did not limit Raiden's movements. After eyeing the spiraling electricity orbs heading toward him, he swiped at each and every one of them with his sword, channeling the powerful electricity through the tip of his sword and around him, but not through him. The intensity of the black lightning arcs singed his pale skin even with the abundant lightning armour, yet for the most part the sheer power was doused. In terms of repelling forces, like resists like. Next up was the bolts of circling energy around a charging Jynn. Smirking, he waited until Jynn came close once more and sidestepped, using the armour as a magical resource to hurl himself far away very quickly and, after resetting himself in the proper stance, unleashed a forked bolt of lightning that would overwhelm the slow-moving defenses of the prince, one to Jynn's right (the side to which he figured the prince would make an attempt to dodge) and one directly at Jynn. He had to thank The Infiltrator later. There lay so much utility in quick-casting with already set spells. In the meantime, his search magic was still active, sniffing out potential exploitation and gathering information. - Reginald Heathertoes, Kilkes Seres, Center Flank, VS Rabiyu - The druid eyed the strange duo of Henry and Maxis as they passed between Rabiyu's and his fight. Were they infighting, or was the armour on his side? It did not matter to him for the moment. This elf needed to go beyond either that enchanted armour or that rude musclehead that destroyed his golem. She was the shock troops' ticket to survival, holding the floodgates open for Mystran troops to surge into a damaged flank. If she fell, they fell, along with much of Mystras' offensive force. The change in personality coming from Rabiyu, however, left him frowning, as did her assault. The bolt of lightning struck him head-on, dropping him to both knees, but the barkskin did the trick well enough and redirected the majority of the damaging electricity away from him. Such armour would not save him one more time, however. So much of it was deteriorated from the fiery explosion and the lightning bolt that it was no longer useful, and he sloughed the bark off in large chunks, the last of it falling off his face and removing the dark glasses from his face. "If you are speaking of the Silencing and other spells, little lady, forget it," Reggie responded chidingly, painfully rising to his feet and withdrawing a multicoloured necklace of tags and charms interwoven together from his robes. "My meticulously crafted talismans can make every one of them backfire, so you'd better stick to your own resources. Five-Tined Fork." His eyes as green as emeralds glinted dangerously as four stone ballista bolts jettisoned from the ground in each of Rabiyu's cardinal directions (front, back, left, and right) and soared toward her current position, aiming for her stomach and, if they missed, would not hit Reginald. To make matters worse, a very sharp stalagmite would rise from the ground beneath Rabiyu (if she did not move), break off, and launch itself into the sky upwards like a missile. Fire, electricity, water, air -- it seemed as if the only elements she could not fully grasp was wood and earth, which just so happened to be his specialty. And that speech . . . was that elven or was that something more? Whatever it was, he had to silence that mouth of hers.

I am with everyone else on this. Please, take your time. Unexpected and sorrowful real-life stuff like this hits hard, and your well-being takes precedence over the dalliance of a roleplay. Please accept my condolences as well for your loss as well as untold others'. We will be here when you get back. =)

No problem, mate; I can wait as long as need be for your posts. Just take care of yourself and your loved ones and put RP stuff aside for now. I can say the same for Elrandir too. Also, one doesn't often see a shooting Henry star. Make a wish, Reginald.

- Lord Raiden, Mystras, Left Flank, VS Jynn - Eyes blinking in efforts of understanding the situation at hand, Raiden kept his guard up, his sword arm ready and his offhand locked nearby in the potential case that he needed to block. This state, this black lightning -- he had heard of such a malignant ability, one that was only noted about in old tomes, but there was never enough information about it, or what to do when seeing it. Witnessing it firsthand, however, evoked a great wariness from the ruler of Mystras. Even if the sword lost its edge this current situation might be a little worse, but he kept his chin up and remained prepared, search magic still analysing the prince. "Your appearance looks forboding and your eyes look crazed, like a beast of the wilds or a madman without reason. 'Berserker' does not make a good title for a prince. It only instills fear and doubt from your fellows rather than fear and adoration, and it won't save you from me any longer than if you stayed the same." Smirking, he changed stance, preparing for a nasty assault and readying a dangerous counter for when Jynn closed the gap, one that required great timing and precision. Charging in was not going to be the best solution, not yet anyways, and so he remained steadfast. - Reginald Heathertoes, Kilkes Seres, Center Flank, VS Rabiyu - The druid grasped his sunglasses with bark-covered fingers as he analysed the situation from behind his stone wall, confused as to what was going on until the violent explosion occurred from around the elf. This was exothermic magic at its finest, combusting everything around the caster while leaving the caster unscathed by its fantastic amount of heat. At this time he wished he had water magic to test a theory or two of his, and holding his hand to the ground to further the briars' ability to entangle was now useless without briars to do the entangling. Lifting himself, he observed further and paled a little when he observed a new arrow than before, one black in appearance and, dare he say it, far more dangerous in appearance as well. This was only enhanced when she started chanting, and he decided now was time to abandon his shelter. And abandon it he did, leaving his post as soon as the girl stopped her chant. His bark armour made him sluggish to start up, but once he built up speed he was well on his way. He did not take into consideration an explosion rocketing out from behind him, however. He was airborne for a time before rolling close to his troops, his body armour taking almost all of the brunt but his wound opened up further from the constant motion. If only he removed the tail of the arrow earlier. It snapped from the fall but not before lodging the arrow painfully deeper. "Enjoying this, dearie? Same. I do so adore winning," he commented back, pointing at her with both index fingers. "Double Toxin Fugue." Again, a double spell reached maturity from the druid, and his hands opened up fully with fingers together. The first spell being cast was a poison cloud manifested from the ground, closer to him than to Rabiyu, made from the bacteria in the humus of the ground. The second spell was something nastier, a flurry of sand that passed through the poison cloud and became coated with it as it surged toward Rabiyu. To make matters worse, his fingers spread as the sand reached the halfway point between him and her, allowing the sand to cover a larger cone of effect than before. This made things even trickier to dodge. The sand barrage, while practically harmless before in Surging Simoom, was now weaponised to deliver poison to Rabiyu's received wounds from the thorns and shrapnel. If she was affected, the symptoms would be slow but dangerous: it would be hard to breathe at first, then would numb her fingers and toes, then would acutely drain the ability to use magic in any shape or form. The effects were not long-lasting, ending in a few minutes, but in a battle it could turn the tide. - Raleigh Marin, Mystras, Left Flank, after fight with Elia - Raleigh watched the fairy head off as they parted ways towards their respective sides. Apparently Elia had no intentions of relieving her sword, the shamshir still hanging by her side, but even if the weapon had been with her for a good number of years the female assassin did not give chase. What a waste of a balanced sword, she chastised herself later, being given to the enemy like that. The arrow lodged within her leg pained her horrendously as she left the battlefront and limped her way to a Mystran healer. The arrow cut cleanly through muscle, but no ligaments or major sinews were torn besides one, from what she was aware. She would make quick recovery if the Overworld's magic was as strong as she heard it to be, but for now she was out of commission. In the meanwhile, she had much to consider, the chiefest one of all being where to get a good sword befitting her tastes. (Raleigh left the battlefield for healing.)

I would be up for this, as previously discussed! I'd probably use a human of Gondor or Rohan, if not a dwarf. I do so love the shorter bearded individuals.

- Reginald Heathertoes (NPC), Kilkes Seres, Center Flank, VS Rabiyu - Reggie quickly skedaddled away from the would-be explosion, eyes and senses open and feeling ready for anything now that he discovered a little bit more of Rabiyu's abilities. He was hurt in the process, and the wound stung like nobody's business, but any bit of discovery was a small taste of victory. To hold her power would be priceless, but discerning how she used it would have to wait until after this battle, if he survived it at least. The dagger twirled from its space rupture, flung previously by Rabiyu, and Reggie was just barely prepared, dodging by a hair's breadth as he sang through his billowing and overly large shirt and cloak. He wondered if there were more, but the assurance of an explosion made him think that there was not. Looking behind was not very assuring, however. The elf was nowhere to be found, and that meant she escaped yet again. Figures, he thought, scanning from horizon to horizon and spotting her. Next time he was sure not to let her have a moment to even slip away. The female elf readied her bow and slowly lowered, firing as she went. This gave Reggie an idea, shortly before dodging the first and second arrows and erecting a stone wall with a slight modification: an arrow slit near the centre. This gave him sight, and the stone wall gave him protection to the slings and arrows of Rabiyu's conjuration, unless she used her mist again. Reggie chanted a quick mumble of words and brought his hands to the ground, casting a double spell. Briars filled with hand-length thorns spilled out from where Rabiyu would have landed if she continued her descent, rising up and ready to lash at her with their strong, violent vines upon her getting within a twenty-metre radius. Furthermore, he protected himself with a bark-like skin, one that would shield him normal arrows, lightning, and perhaps water as well. Ice and fire might be tough to fend against, but he can make a stony skin just for that occasion above his bark skin. - Raleigh Marin, Mystras, Left Flank, VS Elia - The female assassin listened to Elia with ire. What was this fey talking about, her sister dying to Raleigh's kind. Was she talking about one of the fey that was captured and experimented on in the world below, like that one individual she met before, Ren? Impossible. It must have been a different scenario, with a different person and humans of a different sort before this barrier she heard mention about was erected. The girl seemed truthful enough -- battle had a way of releasing emotion truthfully and honestly -- but was it right to show pity to an enemy, perhaps even give out mercy? Raleigh thought about this alongside her continuation of the dialogue. "You may have problems, but ours are more prominent and more severe. Me, my family died to horrors you could only imagine before I had the strength to save them. One by one, they died, together or alone, until I had no known relations left but one, and you know what? My vice-laced grandfather was better off dead, so I strangled him. I was twenty-six at the time. I still feel his disgusting neck in my hands now and again." Raleigh glared down at the fairy, full of contemplation. Finally, she turned her head away, saying, "Get out of my sight and toss that sword away, lest I kill you like him but with less purpose. If you have family, leave and protect them with the strength you currently have. Fighting me here would not do that, nor restore your sister." - Lord Raiden, Mystras, Left Flank, VS Jynn - Jynn unleashed a very curious start, concentrating on a hasty assault after his zippy comment. However, Raiden felt more than ready, and a grin encroached upon his studious expression. The shockwaves were countered with two strong and fast cuts from a lightning-enhanced blade, fighting electricity with electricity, but even his sword was no match for Jynn's at its current state, and Raiden knew this. He shifted his a jumping pose after stomping a foot as Jynn got close and attempted to strike, and with a great and fast leap Raiden jumped overhead, making sure neither sword nor person was close to the attack. In the air, Raiden held out a hand, but not to strike. Instead, it was to trigger a lightning land mine he embedded in the ground with his stomp. If Jynn was distracted with his leap and not paying attention to the ground beneath him, he could suffer a nasty but quick shock from the resulting explosion. Perhaps this was the sword's weakness, in that it cannot absorb magic for an area but only magic for direct attacks. Upon landing, Raiden would ready his sword and analyse the situation further with his calculating gaze, search magic still active and potent. He needed to figure out when the sword will drain its reserves, if anytime soon. At the moment, it seemed as if physical attacks would only cripple Raiden's sword and not Jynn's. Once the dragon's blade's edge is removed, sword combat would be more honourable, a trait Raiden favoured. ((Rufus will come later. I cannot think of anything for him at the time. Same for Jari; the poor soul is probably onlooking the Rhaedyn/Nergal/Alastor fight and wetting his armour even more.))

I wanted to let everyone know (a little late, I know) that I will be unable to post until tonight. Work and the holiday weekend has been a little action-packed, so I haven't had much time to do a post. As for Hurricane Irma, good grief, it really is a Category 5 . . . this will be a terrifying storm, and I'm hoping that the hurricane will just turn around and return to the depths of Hades from whence it came. Barring that possibility, I am entirely understanding about your potential leave and wish you, your family, and the rest of the hit population the best.

Ooh, that is a gorgeous coat on Celtic! My mom was very fond of Lippitt Morgan horses, a lovely and proud breed that has good stature and performance, and I went into a few shows too when I was young. Good job getting the blue ribbon, if that is you in the picture! As for the plague of the Monster Hunter universe, I certainly hope they don't come back. So much pain and agony and turmoil have been caused by the carapaced, flopping lobsters already, and we don't need more.

Traits and skills could be synchronous, so I think that should be just fine. As for choices, nice all around. Kingdom Hearts is a great series and would be fun to live in, provided Sephiroth doesn't bump into you. Very nice choices, all. I considered those three games for the second question as well and resulted in choosing Rune Factory too, funnily enough. Adventure if you want it, peace and interaction when you want it, and so many potential bachelors and bachelorettes -- Rune Factory is such a great gaming series, much like its sister game Harvest Moon. Dressage! A fine choice, if I may say so. As a son of a horse farmer and horse showwoman, I applaud this manner of thinking. Do you have a horse or horses? Also, Monster Hunter is awesome as well, though one must always be wary of konchus (*mutters*, those flopping monstrosities . . .). Those are strong contenders for choices; it seems like you like the action, sci-fi, and fantasy elements to your universes! Also, how very neat! A fellow writer! I should have known about this long ago, but I never really caught it besides through your vocabulary and roleplaying. Ooh, the Pokemon series, and Harvest Moon! I haven't played that game of Harvest Moon, but I hear nothing but great things about it and want to check it out. As for worlds and skills, good choices there. Artistry is a talent of which I wish I had more, however my greatest strengths lie in literature, so I stick to that. Ain't that the truth. =P If the world only knew how old I was, it would be embarrassed by its youth, but those are good choices for games and universes. Wizardry would be great fun, as well as bending the rules of space and fitting anything into a purse or a briefcase. And flying cars and brooms? Such greatness! Lastly, artistry again! A fine choice as well for similar reasons as before, though I'm sure with practice your skills will result in grandeur again. I loved your character artwork. Stardust's too; I forgot to mention that earlier.

So much sickness and troubles as of late. This is not the best September of my millennia of living (okay, centuries (okay, decades)), but I am bound and determined not to let it be the worst. Hang in there, my friends. In the meantime, I have a bounty of questions for you all to talk upon if you so wish. I'm always curious about what others think about things. 1.) Since I am pretty sure a good number of people were brought here due to a love for games, what are some old games from your childhood you replay now? 2.) If not where we currently are, what type of fictional universe would you like to live in and be a part of? 3.) What skill would you greatly like to master out of anything? Cooking, breeding a terrifying race of superbats (a cookie for whomever gets the reference), diplomacy, breakdancing, playing chess -- anything goes.

Terra glanced down in surprise with another chuckle, wriggling his finger in between the tiny hands as he lightly tickled Ventus through the adorable grab. "Again, just a fancy, I'm sure, but it's a nice thought irregardless," he confessed, still smiling at the thought of the adorable scene. He felt the need to change the topic and looked out at the water, taking the scene in. The landscape, even if swamped with greenery on either side of the river, was gorgeous. There was little wonder why Aqua made this forest her home, and yet something seemed off regarding it, and he voiced his chief concern. "I don't know how to best ask this, Aqua, but . . . why were you out here all alone? I mean, it is beautiful here, but don't you have family? Friends?" ((So sorry for the wait; I had a huge brain fart back when this was still fresh in memory and said memory slowly declined into absence. If you are still up for the continuation, I would be too. =) ))

- Lord Raiden, Mystras, Left Flank, VS Jynn - Raiden observed Jynn's actions in speculation, curiosity pouring forth from him as he dodged the reflected bolt. The sword was different from the norm, unique in that it absorbed and effectively bounced the attack back at him, and who knew what other abilities it might have had. How did a sword of such effect avoid his gaze over the centuries? Some craftsman old or young must have discovered something new to hone such a spectacular and interesting weapon. However, everything had its weakness, and Raiden was ensured he would find some way to exploit it. Regathering his wits and his sword in an icepick grip with his left hand, he stared at the prince and made a sign with his free hand that would be most curious to Jynn. Conical search magic stemming from his right eye, a more potent form of his combat search magic, would catch much more information about his foe as long as he was in his sights. This dangerous "all-seeing" eye made him even more prepared for one-on-one combat, but he would not attack, not yet. Instead, it was up to Jynn to make the first move, unless he was willing to lose his sword's potency. "You have pacted with that sword, I take it, or it has pacted with you," Raiden uttered in the meantime over the din of the surrounding battle. "That was the same sword you threw at me, and it returned to you for one reason or another, much like that time. I wonder: if you died right now, will it easily be claimed by and make a pact with another sword user?" - Raleigh Marin, Mystras, Left Flank, VS Elia - Raleigh struggled against Elia in their grapple on the ground, striving to the best of her ability to keep the shamshir away from herself and keeping a firm grip on Elia's arm until the two were separated by Elia's escape. The female assassin, now upright, panted too, her wound opening up even further from the tussle. However, she was still ready for combat, arms outstretched and in front of her. Elia was fast, faster than she anticipated when she attempted to sidestep the attack. The shamshir cut through Raleigh's paper armour on her left forearm as she deflected the blade to the side, and Raleigh bit back a cry of pain as she shoved forth her left knee in efforts of striking Elia's stomach, hoping to knock the wind out of the fairy and maybe the sword out of her hands. The female assassin was no stranger to tavern brawls and rushing aggressors, but who knew what the nonhuman girl was capable of? "I don't need to understand you to know!" Raleigh responded, gingerly lowering her wounded leg to the ground with a wince as she got ready for the fairy once again. "Even before I slummed it, my noble family struggled to eat when money and prestige failed, whereas your family frolicked about in luxury without want. It's a dog-eat-dog world down there, as I've learned the hard way, and I'll show you the hard way too in battle if I have to!" - Rufus Contralto, Mystras, Center Flank, VS Fenrir alongside Sibs and Sifrei - If Rufus had the ability to turn colour, he would have. He was that tickled pink, well, without the pink, and he scratched his chin in an I-know-I-am-awesome sort of way. Still, he realised that he should keep attention to the task at hand and not get enamoured by himself like he did every now and again. He put more effort into staunching out the regeneration factor, his ability in full effect unless he did a dance. He saw someone else in need of assistance, the king from the world below, more specifically, but he could not assist unless this werewolf was brought low.

- Reginald Heathertoes (NPC), Kilkes Seres, Center Flank, VS Rabiyu - Throughout the chaos of raging water serpents and crumbling rock, it was difficult to keep track of the elf's movements, but when he witnessed the first half of her teleportation technique the druid looked about warily, unsure of where she would end up and concluding only three possibilities, two of which were in his blind spot where he would normally be caught unawares. Unfortunately, not every plan, as meticulous as it can be strategised, could be put into full fruition. The water serpents were the first on his agenda, as they were perhaps the bigger issue at bay. Entwining his fingers of both hands into each other without closing them, Reginald threw abundant amounts of leftover sand towards the water serpents, merging sand with the water, before promptly closing his hands and pushing down. The sand and water serpents would come crashing down together onto the ground, spilling about like mud, but before the druid could turn around in search for Rabiyu an arrow embedded itself in his back. Electrocution soon followed short, and the druid froze in place before dropping onto a knee and arm. The wound was not too serious due to striking a bone head-on, but he would not be able to extract it anytime soon. "Nice move," he voiced through the pain, his back still facing Rabiyu, "but I've lived through far better. Earth Blisters." Three pockets of earth rose around Rabiyu once again, but significantly smaller and far more round. Each one of them was volatile, and would explode upon seismic movement in the battleground between the duo. The druid soon slammed his palm into the ground again, using the force to upright himself and afterwards skirt away at a fast pace. Whether by Rabiyu's movement or his own, explosions of sharp earth fragments will rocket inwards and outwards in a small radius of where the elf once stood.

- Lord Raiden, Mystras, Left Flank, VS Jynn - Like his son, Raiden showed no fear of Jynn's actions as he steeled his mind, certainty of his own actions and abilities preventing any negative thoughts from surfacing to his face. The strange sword hurled at him was easily deflected by a speedy swat of his great blade, flying upward and seemingly away from the battlefield (though still being sent back to Jynn). After the parry, however, Raiden did not attempt to close the distance. The most dangerous effect of a speedy weapon was not that it was quick to strike, per se, but rather that it was quick to be put into action, passive or aggressive. Rushing quickly to the side with Jynn's wounded eye with lightning-aided speed, he sheathed the tip of his sword with the ground and let go of it once more. Thunderclap, thought Raiden, extending his arms and clapping both hands together, forcing a quick bolt of gathered lightning towards Jynn and, if he dodged it, towards a powerful-seeming Kilkes Seres soldier watching the show. The jolt was minimal and thunder rolled out from Raiden's fingers, the spell originally intended to stun a target for enough time to unleash a more dangerous attack, but the four dark orbs that spun around the prince made him halt in attacking in close quarters combat. Whatever they did, it was safe to say they weren't merely for show. For now, he had to wait and strategise before acting more aggressively. - Raleigh Marin, Mystras, Left Flank, VS Elia - A sigh escaped Raleigh's lips as she brought her bow down, still ready but without an arrow nocked. She managed to wound Elia so that she was no longer airborne. Elia's face was indescribable, and if Raleigh was any weaker, softer, and more prone to human emotion she would have pitied the unfortunate fairy. However, she did what was necessary to prevent another sharpshooter from hitting her men. That was worth it, right? Surprise flitted on her face when she saw Elia rush toward her, or, rather, her discarded blade, and when she realised it she rushed toward her weapon in hopes of getting to it first. With a wounded leg, such an act was not meant to be as she hobbled more than she ran, but when/if Elia managed to close the distance to her shamshir Raleigh would attempt a leap on the fairy and toss both of them to the floor. If not, she would grab one arrow and hold it like a dagger in her offhand, hoping it was enough to stave the fairy off and continue this archery contest between the two of them. Raleigh was sure that she herself was the better archer, and with matching speed in arrows she had the upper hand, strange magic notwithstanding. "I fight for my honour and for adventure!" the girl shouted exasperatedly before her desperate actions. True or not, she added as well, "And I won't be talked back into depravity by a girl who got everything she wanted on a silver platter!" ((I'll leave the result up to you, MA, whether Raleigh ends up falling on her own blade or not. If not, it shall be a continued archer war or a grapple!)) - Rufus Contralto, Mystras, Center Flank, VS Fenrir (NPC) - "Not if I, Rufus Contralto, have anything to say about it!" piped the miraculous djinni of profound stupidity from above, looking down at the werewolf and rubbing the back of his leg with another. Not the most amazing of body language for trying to be heroic, but Rufus was never very good at being professional and heroic. Watching the fight from my perch above the battlements and waiting for spells to be cast by men and women in Kilkes Seres uniforms was boring. He wanted to get into the thick of the fight and get some action. "You!" he shouted in continuation towards Fenrir, red in the face from lack of breath between words (not that he really needed air, but Rufus never really figured it out). "If I had the ability, I'd cast a pox on thee , but since not I bestow upon thee . . . magical suppression!" With that, he kept an eye on the werewolf, trying his best to keep a lock on him and prevent his regeneration factor. From afar he could see that the siblings and this angel wounded him a lot to no avail. Maybe this would aid them. - Reginald Heathertoes (NPC), Kilkes Seres, Right Flank, VS Rabiyu - Reginald pondered over the situation, surprised by the lack of movement from the elfin lady that stood before him but unsurprised that she was ready to protect herself. Three water spheres for three rock diamonds -- that was a curious defense . . . unless it was meant for offense. Keeping his eyes open to the idea, Reggie readied his tactic with a thrusting hand. The collected sand that swirled around him spilled forward toward Rabiyu in a choking wind. "Surging simoom," he spoke in a low rumble, then dropped a single finger to the ground and tickled it. "Vast savanna." Grass grew in greater abundance around Rabiyu's location, its intent to lower Rabiyu's mobility or make her fly. And now for the final step, one unvoiced by the man: the fragmentation and collapse of the three diamonds, creating a shower of small- to medium-sized rocks that soared down toward Rabiyu's position and between them. Even if Reggie cannot single-handedly prevent the rush of shock troops, especially Henry, it would be especially tough for them to remain unscathed under the pressure of being surrounded. All he currently had to do was prevent reinforcements.

*bows*, thank you kindly. It's not much, more like a mild tranquilizer than anything else, but it may be a hindrance to Henry in the next battle, or this battle if he takes on Reggietoes alongside Rabiyu.

- Lord Raiden, Mystras, Left Flank, VS Jynn - The ruler of Mystras waited as patiently as he was able for Jynn to finish, hoping to find some sense in the boy. He found that sense, but it was fairly hidden from his eyes through the murk of provoking commentary. Was this boy trying to persuade him or egg him on? The promise he made to Shiva those weeks before seemed more and more difficult to keep, but he kept his cool throughout all of this. "You hit the nail on the head in one area," he commented without mirth. "This is about more than the barrier's removal. The lack of resources is the crux of the problem, and Shiva's support is pivotal to a peaceful resolution to the world below's problems. However, I attempted beseeching your mother's support and was spurned. I tried to act upon reason and she strained inaction and sitting on one's hands until she declared war on me." Raiden shook his head and tightened his grip on his sword, aggravated by the memory. His eyes focused intently on Jynn's, all desire to read the young man's mind gone. "To Shiva, personal history only has merit when it concerns her own people, but I can see you are not up to talk. War is on your mind. You seek to fight me? To defeat me? Know your place, boy." Grabbing his sword from the ground with one hand, Raiden twirled the weapon around and allowed his free hand to slide across the length of the blade three times. Each time his hand touched its golden fuller, the blade lost a small portion of its weight due to the imbued weight-reduction magic, and the speed of its rotation quickened. Incredible range, incredible speed, and incredible defense -- if Jynn did not put his heart into the fight, significant danger awaited him if Raiden could engage in close-quarters combat with him. "Come, crown prince!" he roared in challenge. "Try your best!" - Raleigh Marin, Mystras, Left Flank, VS Elia - Raleigh had to admit that the girl was both quick-witted and quick. Her maneuver with the bow was unforseen but quickly countered by Elia, and the attempted slice made by the shamshir missed its mark entirely. Furthermore the fairy took to the air and unleashed an arrow whose tip was aglow with something uncanny. Raleigh feared the worst and tried two simultaneous attempts to evade the arrow, slipping to the side and deflecting the arrow with the flat edge of her shamshir, but neither worked. The arrow was fast and managed to bite into her left calf, causing the assassin to cry out in pain. That was not a good start to an archer duel. Her mobility was limited now, and the healers were far away. Tossing the shamshir onto the ground close by, the weapon now useless unless Elia attempted to get into close-range combat again, Raleigh reached for a new arrow from the quiver on her hip and pulled the bowstring to its fullest extent without overdrawing. The last thing she needed was to lose the effectiveness of her other weapon, and the bow sung a new note, pitched higher with more twang as if desperate for a hit, as Raleigh aimed for the right wing or shoulder. An eye for an eye, mobility for mobility. - Reginald Heathertoes (NPC), Kilkes Seres, Right Flank, VS Rabiyu and Henry - It surprised Reggie to see the elf attempt to freeze the golem in place before concentrating on him, but he was not liable to complain, not when he can get to witness her fighting style and advance a little closer to her. The sand-strewn wind still swirled around him like a vortex, and through it he could see an imbued arrow being fired at him, which was easily blocked by a swing of his right wrist and the amassed sand gathered to set it off halfway between Rabiyu and himself. The blast may have frozen the sand and made it less malleable, as well as some of the sand particles around him, but overall it was ineffective. The sound of crumbling rock behind him, however, made him raise a brow. Some muscle-headed individual slammed into the middle of the golem before it could recover, collapsing its main body, but the vegetation around the rest of it, even while frozen, was very much alive and well. Smirking, he stretched out a hand towards Henry and closed his fist, aiming to encapsulate him in the greenery. Some of the plants had sleep-inducing poison on their thick, thorny vines, and if Henry was not too careful about the exposed portion of him he could get pricked and be minorly tranquilised. "And now for you," he murmured under his breath, facing Rabiyu again with a set of hand movements. "First up . . . Peel Earth. Second up . . . Reverse Gravity: Three Diamonds." If Rabiyu were paying attention to her surroundings, three diamond-like striations were formed in the ground around her, followed shortly by said ground being lifted into the air as if gravity reversed itself. However, these three mounds of earth were not meant for attack. At least, not just yet. If anything, they were a scare tactic as well as a distraction for what was to come.

Just confront Arthur or someone else available. The two split, so it is highly likely that no 2v1 will take place unless you make it happen. I will get a post out soon after work. Henry and Rabiyu will get a nasty surprise courtesy of the vegetation around the golem.