Vaude

The white tiger smiled somberly and nodded his thanks towards Lucia first and Kolm second, though he dropped the expression and paused long before responding to the young man's question. "It will be complicated, but I will see this through. I owe her that much, and more besides." The wooden palisade gateway, overlayed with much interlacing bands of metal, soon gave way and creaked ever upward like a portcullis. Holes incised from the spiked points of the gate can be found on either side of a narrow wheel path in the middle, a defensive feature against siege-worthy battering rams and tunnelers. The Aquafolk soldiery from behind the gate jumped from over the holes and stood aside almost in unison, giving their guests a proper greeting and show of protection by placing one of their fists on their own chests. "Come, it is best that we do not tarry," informed the Aquafolk commander general brusquely, inviting them across the threshold of the gate and leading the way. Pang quickened his pace to match the swift, long strides of the decorated warrior. "Our brethren are fighting their best and giving their all on the other end where the forces are strongest. Haven members, we are counting on you to repulse these dead from our lands. Foul magic casters, creating life from the dead. If I had more of a say in the nation, necromancers and their ilk would not be welcomed here or anywhere neighboring us." Pang curbed his tongue, wanting to provide defense of Galla and her instrumental use of the dead against the enemy, but deciding against it. Instead, he merely growled and moved on. Now was not the time to enter a debate, nor was it time to be thrown outside of the grounds and complicate matters. Winona tarried behind with the rest of the group, looking at the confusion of Lucia and Kolm from before. Surely enough they would not have known about Aprameia, and she felt inclined to shed some light on the subject. "Everyone, listen in. This can be useful for the fight ahead, or just for your general knowledge. Aprameia's tale is a sensitive topic in The Haven. She was from an Aquafolk town like this and recruited within our community, her abilities praiseworthy in terms of control of water and wind magic. Every Aquafolk deals with only one kind of magic, typically wind magic. She had two, which made her very, very special. The strength of her powers were comparable to the first Haven members, in recorded history, anyway, but she was pacifistic." Winona furrowed her brow and looked to the side, eyeing the heavily fur- and vine-laden yurts on either side, built in the traditional circular fashion. Living in a swamp had its limitations of materials, but civilisation finds a way to make due with what it had. Narrow streets bobbed between rows of tents, but they were empty. The few visages one can see were small ones that popped out of the tent openings before swiftly disappearing inside, terror in their eyes. The escalation of battle are too much for young ears, she thought to herself. "She got along well with everyone," Winnie continued, "especially Pang, who seemed to be interested in her. However, she ignored the warnings of many and refused to leave Haven for a while. Pang, being a kind soul, tried to offer a mission with her. From what little he said to me, she accepted, but she did not leave for it in time. After twenty-one days, she just was . . . gone. Pang took it hard, but if what is said is true this will give him at least some closure. I worry for him, though." Pang seemed oblivious to the conversation behind him, his eyes and ears set upon the torchlight of the eastern gate where the path they were travelling down trailed. Many blasts of wind could be heard over the sounds of battle, as well as the roar of water crashing against large objects. There was little doubt in his eyes. He was certain that it was her, but what would he do when the time came? That question bothered him fiercely, and he ruffled the fur on his head with an agitated sweep of his hand. -- -- -- -- -- Meanwhile, far off in another universe, Hogarth was more than happy to witness the demise of even more plants as the abominable triffids chasing him were absolutely demolished by the fire-based shrapnel of his weapon. Triffids, as a whole, were very dry and kept the water they absorbed tightly inside, mostly in the xylem and the phloem. Due to this, the four beings were quick to light up like torchwick, and Hogarth stopped his running, puffing in and out many quick gasps for air. "Thank you, Reksis," he panted before standing up straight and holding out his hand. One of his inbound eyes, and then another one, descended into his palm and entered sleep mode until he inserted both into their rightful orbits. Feeling quite glad to see things normally now, excepting that one eye in the sky, he walked up to Reksis and sent an encapsulating shield made of Shield magic over to where the triffids were, the fire about them and wherever else the shapnel lay being quickly suffocated from lack of oxygen. "That's a nice machine you have there. One does not often see guns in The Haven. I can certainly say they're effective, though, after seeing them more in use. But where are the others? Where's Selene?" ((I will wait for the others in the forest before continuing on with the terrible triffid brigade.))

Sorry for the hold-up, everyone. I thought I was caught up for a while, and then I checked out the roleplay again and realised I wasn't. =P I freshly posted now, however. Star, do you need help with some additional Team Yami individuals? I cannot promise anything more than bare-bones character sheets, but I can assist, as it looks like you are maintaining all of the villains so far here.

Elly smiled as she listened to Astrid talk about her home, feeling reminiscent of her home as well. Cinnabar Island seemed like a nice place before the eruption. Now it seemed more like a shadow of what it once was, the town upon its face covered by molten slag and quickly solidified due to its volcanic nature. Oddly enough, she really wanted to visit there, just to see what it was like. According to Johto tradition, however, you needed a pass to visit, with a promissory permanency if you were to beat the champion of the Johto League. If she ended up getting stronger and better during this trip, that pass would be hers for the taking. "I'm from Violet City of the neighboring continent, Johto," she answered, swinging her legs alternately beneath her as she spoke. She was just short enough to have her feet barely touch the bottom of the bleachers. "It's a nice, quiet place with plenty of forest, close enough to a big city and far enough away to enjoy the scenery. I miss it there, but it is better for me to travel abroad and see new things, so here I am. I call my parents every now and again, though, and some of my friends in that city." Freo tilted his head and blinked his icy eyes somberly in confusion as he listened to Amaterasu, a question dogging his mind until he was free to speak. "That we do, yes . . . Xsira and I are her sworn protectors, whether or not she knows it." "I know it!" chimed out Xsira giddily, closing her eyes just to get a rise out of Freo. "So she knows," Freo scoffed, taking the bait and shaking his head sullenly. "However, if I may speak freely, Ammy, you kept saying 'we.' Are you referring to your master and yourself, or are there . . . more than one of you?" Don't be silly, Freo. There's only one of her, pooh-poohed Xsira mentally to Freo, casting a glance at the Glaceon. Freo ignored the commentary, instead focusing intently on Ammy and hoping for an answer. He was well aware that it sounded odd, but he was a superstitious Pokemon, and a bit of a movie watcher, which fed into his imagination at times and caused Xsira all sorts of merriment when she played tricks on him. ((Don't worry; Youngster Joey and his super cool Rattata is not on her phone list, Elrandir. =P ))

Galla should be pleased to know that the intact, or mostly intact, undead within her vicinity were able to be turned, their control no longer that of another's or their own, but that of Galla's will. The nameless undead were easy to force a change of allegiance. However, named undead, those with understanding beyond those of normal necromantic creatures, were more difficult to turn. Pang rose from the water's edge, his hands wet and covered with sopping bone meal, observed Galla curiously as she practiced her magic before looking about again. No more zombies seemed to be lingering within the area besides those Galla were attempting to turn, and the fight up ahead was nearing a close. A flawless victory, but not bloodless. These new recruits did very well with the start of their first mission. There was no doubt within his mind that they will blossom to fantastic warriors someday, perhaps greater than those he already knew. ~~ ~~ ~~ Winona fell upon the two remaining revenants on her side of the battlefield. Finding their attention fixated upon Ceres with her arcane barrier wrapped around her, she stuck her spear into the ground and prepared something nasty in her main hand: gravity magic. Bracing herself for the gravity well in her hand and the forces enacted upon her as a result, she lobbed a freshly made black sphere in one of the undead's directions. The unfortunate thing was quick to fall apart as she controlled the sphere from a distance and had it encircle the revenant. The creature, with its flimsy body and joints, was quick to fall apart, as was the second creature when she forced the ball to spin around it as well. Both were quickly dispatched, and she allowed her magic to dissipate. The battle was quickly won on this side thanks to the valiance of all involved in this scrap, though additional fighting was still required elsewhere. "Thank you all for coming to our aid, warriors," vocalised the commander general of the Aquafolk, sledging a musclebound hand on his chestplate as a show of gratitude. "This side is secured for the most part, so we will pool our efforts and focus on the assault on the east gate. I am loath to ask your assistance further in this dire time, but please help us defend that part of the city. A lich is what brought the living dead to our door." "So we have heard from the posting given to us at The Haven," commented Pang as he came up close. "But what reason does a lich attack a quiet town like yours who grows crops?" The Aquafolk general scanned him beneath thick eyebrows and unveiled his head from beneath his helmet. "I've seen your face before, Zouyu. You were sweet to a girl of our kind, once and went with her here, didn't you? Fate is cruel indeed if you are him and she is her. The lich is nought another but Aprameia, come to collect the souls and bodies of her kin." Pang's eyes narrowed as he stared dumbfounded at the decorated warrior, his lips failing to form the words he sought for a time. "Aprameia . . . is here? You're certain it was her? But she died years ago. She broke the tenets of The Haven and disappeared." "I'd wager her disappearance or death was either really short or really long, 'cause I heard and saw true. It is her, one of the Aquafolk's greatest prodigies." His eyes looked sourly at the white tiger. "She would have still been here and avoided this mess had she not left her kin. If you say you are from Haven, help solve the mess your little group of soldiery gave us, and we will clear your collective name of guilt." Words were hard-pressed to describe what went through Pang's heart that moment. It was dread, shock, embarrassment, and a tinge of joy. He did not fully understand the situation of what happened, but if Aprameia was alive this complicated things heavily. "I . . . of course. If this really is her, I would like to destroy her myself and free her from this living death, though I cannot do it alone." He turned towards the rest of the group, hoping they would follow or assist him in defending the east gate.

- Ahriman - The amalgamation of two people looked at Eclaire with grave interest, wondering when the lengthy tirade would cease or if others would decide to attack him while she spoke. Oddly enough, everybody who was out for his ichor was staying passive, as was he. Maybe he just wanted to hear the entirety of this spiel, to see if it made sense to him or was anything more than the ramblings of a self-righteous halfblood. It did not match his palate in so many ways, and instead further caused him to desire to bring an end to her withered words in a permanent manner. Her honeyed tongue certainly inspired the others to fight on, however. Helios further augmented himself in a way no spriggan should. Yevgeni, who was possibly listening in, still strove against Rabiyu, trying to bring her back or elsewise telling her that she could not kill him if she tried. There was no getting an understanding out to him without Lysander, it seemed, and the blade of the sword had been cut down to the middle. Alastor and Henry both stated their shared viewpoints, decidedly narrow-minded and set on the often walked path of letting things continue unguided. Fools, all of them, and they, being fools, have deemed him as enlightened as he was foolish. While he understood their views, having followed it for several fragmented lives, he could not bring himself to tear himself away from his chosen path. There was too much evidence that people were too fallible. They repeated the same mistakes throughout the generations. They tumulted against each other in droves for the sake of ideal, religion, land, and desire for thousands of years, and when they did not they schemed and ventured for personal gain. This temporary alliance was fragile at best, and even if they managed to win they will turn on each other eventually. It was the nature of man and fey. "Your unity is momentary, your resolve great but far from mighty," Ahriman voiced as his wings flapped, putting away Lysander on his hip. "What I offer is what Odin once offered -- a peace through understanding, a merger of minds as everyone, free will intact but formed out of a collective. Alas that many among you cannot see what I see, cannot know what I know. You cling haplessly to what works well enough, but those of vision strive to change things for the better. It is for that reason that I will wipe out the forest with fire to allow for new growth, humanity under a new design." A deep rumble flowed from within the space where they all were, followed by a calamitous groan of earth far below everyone. "It is already in effect. The blackened force sealed within my predecessor's former arm will grow unfettered until I seal it once again. With this darkness, the world will be wiped of all except whom I deem fit. If you think yourself fit to take me down and stop what is set in motion, I will laud your efforts and give your collective grave a proper epitaph." With a surge of tangible power, not born of energy but rather focus, Ahriman rushed towards Eclaire, three newly created swords wedged between his fingers in either hand, fashioned from a very refined blend of lightning magic and void magic. He sliced once horizontally and once vertically upward toward Eclaire before whirling around and flinging an airborne sword at Helios' faraway chest very quickly. The swords had a unique feature to them. Any other lightning attacks within two feet of their vicinity would be reflected back towards the attacker, like magnets with the same polarity facing each other. Beyond that, they were dangerously sharp, possibly sharp enough to cut through Eclaire's newly christened sword Shiva, and likely sharp enough to pierce through Helios' scales or exoskeleton. Dodging might be worthwhile. For those that analysed him closely, however, they could see a moment of weakness as he flung the sword. Such was a toll of Nergodin's having his arm cut off. Ahriman lost a fair amount of the source's energy with it and was running off of part of its immense power, and Henry, that shambling corpse, had some as well from his absorption abilities. He would have to be careful and ration himself accordingly so that he can stop the once-sealed force later, before it was too late. Yevgeni and some others had to survive if the world was to begin anew correctly.

Pang turned back to see Galla end the lives, or lack thereof, of several undead beings with a phenomenal use of a serpent's skeleton, something he had never seen before from her and made note of. He did not want to get on her bad side, though once looking over at Galla herself he noticed some bleeding from a few areas, and yet she was not touched by the undead creatures. He now knew the reasons, however, after their battle. The necromantic magicks were a dangerous thing for those among the living, bringing them one step closer to the afterlife after every use, or so he once was told. In order to provide the best support for her, he would have to be the main fighting force and deal as many killing blows to the undead horde as possible. An idea popped up, and a green aura appeared on his hands as he applied strong supercharge magic to them, numerous lights running along his skin and running around and around his palm and fingers. He knelt down to the ground on his knee, clapped his hands together, and after waiting a second or two brought them into the waterberry bog, the light scattering inside of the water. While not electric by any means, this energy diffused into the water and would be harmful to the undead that touched it. "Hruu . . . hah!" he shouted as a second, stronger wave of energy streamed down the entire length of his arms and surged into the water. The first casting of supercharge magic was a warmup, and the second casting amplified the destructive power of his former casting. The Aquafolk farmers would have to forgive him for his disintegration of these undead creatures and polluting the water with grey bonemeal. At the very least this would nourish the plants and make their aquaberries taste better. On the other side of the battlegrounds, Winona was feeling very good about the current situations. They not only had the number advantage now, but a considerable advantage in positioning. Henry, with his skyrocketing and elemental shifting, had entered a great position for taking out the enemy, and all of the enemy mages were taken out, relieving many of the Aquafolk mages on top of the gate as their momentary sicknesses and closeness with death were cleansed from their bodies. One captain general on top seemed particularly enthused by the reinforcements and their removal of much of the problem. "All units on the northern Main Gate and Sluice Gate, descend from the walls! We are taking this fight to the ground level!" the golden-faced leader of the mages gave voice, launching himself off of the podium and descending upon a plume of wind. Several others went down to join the fight in the same fashion. The remnants went down the old-fashioned way, taking the ladders to descend safely and open up the gates. Unfortunately for them, the battle will be over by then. Winona held her spear aloft and shouted, "All right, let's flatten these undead! Just a little more and this side will be secure!" ((Three Aquafolk revenants and four human revenants left for those who want to fight on and destroy them. The mages are destroyed, and the second battle will contain the lich, who is the boss of this quest. Very nice battle sequences so far, everyone, and I eagerly look forward to seeing your posts in the future as well!)) -- -- -- -- -- Hektor's timely assistance with Rhiannon was perfect for the situation, as the creatures within the underbrush were prepared to move and screeched hideously before popping out of the bushes. Each creature was about a foot long in body and head and walked on what looked like three sets of root systems all sprawling and scampering towards the group. Little Venus fly trap heads opened and closed their little jaws as they pitched their frantic screams. The arms, however, thin little tendrils that leafed out by about two feet, were actually the most menacing part about them, more than long enough to suffocate or tighten around someone. These nasty beings were triffids, plant monsters that attacked in swarms and would like nothing more than to devour fleshy meat beings, then digest them for the next fifteen days until their next meal. They can be dangerous alone or in a group, but their greatest advantage lies in numbers. They are being reckless at the moment, and these bum-rushing crazy plants are the only ones attacking Hektor and Rhiannon. ~~ ~~ ~~ Meanwhile, Hogarth felt a ping from one of his airborne eyes, catching a visual of some mandrakes. They were nice, big, and leafy, and had an abundance of Venus fly trap heads and were running in his direction. Aww, how cute. Wait, those weren't mandrakes. Those were . . . triffids. Hogarth did not like that thought, not one bit, and jumped up to his feet with his hands at the ready, arms spread out and ready to swing. It was a pain, trying to do all of this without a single eye inside his head to see from, but at the very least he had a bird's-eye view of himself and the assailing party as one of his eye cameras adjusted its viewpoint. Fifteen metres, ten metres, five. Hogarth smiled as he braced for impact and waited. The triffids pounced upon him and covered about 70% of him within four seconds, entangling him with their vine arms and readying their mouths to attack. They did not see it coming that they attacked the wrong person, many of their constricting limbs and ravenous teeth being slashed from the inside by something sharp. "Alloy Substitute," he recited ten feet away, his eyes still closed, his body somersaulting into the grass as he turned his head. Inside the mess of triffids was a metal clone, full of sharp edges as well as a nice amount of flint and gunpowder. Using his overhead camera as a visual guide, he bolted and ran away as far as he could before his clone detonated and fired all of its many parts as projectiles. Shield magic protected his back from miscellaneous shrapnel, though unfortunately he only took out about 80% of the triffid force. Four still remained intact and ran after him with all the speed they could muster, and Hogarth was having a moment of panic as he tried to summon two of his eyes back toward him. "Everyone's gotta get out of here and get somewhere safe," he huffed mid-run. "Triffids weren't planned for at all, these annoying, spiteful things. I hope the others are alright. Once I finish these ones off, I have to check in on Rhiannon and the others."

- Rufus Contralto and Nihil, the Tale of Two Djinni - Rufus was beside himself in confusion as the prince leapt off and did princely things, but more importantly he was in confusion of the goings-on. Raiden, who was once thought trustworthy, was definitely not trustworthy now, and even his former mistress Rabiyu seemed to be turned against the group now, and she was the most straight-faced, honest individual he had come to know over the past journey. Well, besides maybe Baxter. Things were profoundly puzzling, but chiefly his concern lay with the ghostly shadow that watched the battle play on from the sidelines, a pale light of a smile plastered on its inky face. He frowned, put on his best miffed mug, and thought to himself, Self? Oh, wow, I can talk with myself. Echo, echo, echo, la, la, la, heehee! But seriously, who is that guy? I don't think I've seen him before . . . or have I? Wait, yes I do, but he's no friend of mine, I know that much. I had better confront him. And, with that spry amount of thought, he whizzed off towards Nihil, blocking his view of the battle in the background. Nihil's eyes shrunk and were engulfed by the great blackness of its body. "You've a lotta nerve, showing your face around here!" he announced, frowning his deepest and pulling off his best imitation of spitting in a spittoon, if he could even spit. He was not able, though he felt a profound stirring within his chest. It was an odd sensation, like nausea, but he powered through it. "You're that grinning speck of darkness I saw in that illusory world! Get back over there on the double. Vamoose! Scram!" "Grinning speck? Illusory world? I have no idea what you are talking about, but I'll do as you say and, er, vamoose!" Nihil uttered, withdrawing into the shadows a little deeper and not lashing back with his tendrils of darkness like he would with others. "Huh, that was too easy," thought Rufus aloud to himself, puzzling over this circumstance. There was something about this individual that seemed very familiar. The recent wishes must have sapped him of much memory, but where did he learn of this information before? Was it through meeting this creature of darkness in that illusory world? Come to think of it, he was attacked by this creature in that other realm, wasn't he? And he stopped him from consuming him in that world, from consuming Mouse and Whitey and the world entirely. That was no mere illusory world. It was a vision akin to premonition, a sign of something but he knew not what. "All right, I made up my mind this time. I'm not letting you go scot-free, you scurrilous oaf. There's something about you that is familiar, irreproachably so." He took a few additional steps forward, to which Nihil hissed and retreated further. "Don't you care for your life? If we get too close, we will destroy each other. Don't you remember what that old man that sealed us said long ago? Don't you feel the welling in your chest with every step? Calamity awaits us if you close this distance, so get away!" "No!" screamed Rufus, putting his foot down. "I know not what science and rules keep us bound, but we are far from everyone we know and love right now, and if that crazy person over there calling himself a god gets his way, there'll be no stopping him. You won't get away, not until I'm done with you." He held out his hand, the ancient magic of dispelling focused on Nihil and erasing what seemed to be a pale imitation to the true Nihil behind it, a creeping thing slowly edging towards the gaping nothingness that awaited beyond this platform. With the truth of the matter revealed, the illusion scattered and broken, the ghostly shadow narrowed its white eyes in terror and attempted to rush away doubly quick, though Rufus was faster and closed the distance. Both individuals' chests throbbed and pulsated as their hearts as Rufus held onto Nihil's arm. Such surprised Rufus through the painful rushes within him. He had never actually touched anything in all of his days as a djinni, but here he was, doing such. Nihil had the same feeling of surprise, locked within that deep sensation of dread he drowned in. "Get off, you mangy fool, you cluster of rotting potatoes, you refuse that walks! Unhand me!" A fist flew into his face and knocked his head backwards. If he had teeth, he might have had a few rattle from the force of the blow. Rufus shook his hand, having the sensation of having broken a few bones in his wrist from the impact they underwent. "Ah, it feels so good to actually punch you," Rufus commented through heaving breaths. "It feels bad too for the both of us too, I'm sure, but I . . . okay, this was probably a bad idea after all." "You think so?!" screeched Nihil, the same happening within him as Rufus fell to his knee. "Let me go and we can still escape with our lives! Give up this idiocy!" "I should," confessed Rufus, though his eyes shone up challengingly, and a smile percolated upon his face. "However, it's just not in me to abandon my inner being, so stop your harping!" Faint lights exploded from Nihil and Rufus as they fought against each other, their wispy exteriors getting weaker and weaker and degenerating entirely to reveal the light from within them. Both screamed in unison as the light magnified and engulfed them both, and an unearthly, eerie sound came out of that corner of the platform, hidden almost entirely within the sounds of the crackling thunder overhead. This happened for the course of a quarter of a minute or so before the light dimmed and the sounds ceased, revealing a long-haired head that lolled forward and fell, followed by his gaunt body that caught itself on the ground. It felt cold to the touch, a sensation he did not fully realise he had until he turned his head to his left arm and grasped the ground. He was tangible again, he sensed the great pit within his stomach as hunger was felt, and he perceived the weakness and heaviness of having a body with mass again. He teetered sidewards under his own weight and landed on his back, looking up at the dark grey skies spattered with great streaks of lightning and roaring with impossible snarls of thunder. It was very odd to him, but after this strange encounter, this strange brush with near death, he felt closer to being human than he ever had before. A grin overtook him as he laughed stupidly to himself. "Myrrhiae," he whispered to himself, his inward eye fixated on the little girl he had always sought the name of over the course of his six hundred years, the girl that was on his mind whenever he lost himself deeply to thought. "Myrrhiae, my dear sister, I have found your delightful name at last. And you stinking hippie . . . it seems . . . you were wrong." ((Rufus has merged with Nihil, his counterpart, and ended up severely weak but with a real body. He now can grant three wishes like the djinnis from stories through the combination of two wishmakers, and has regained some of his memories as well thanks to Nihil still having much of his memory due to having few wishes used by his masters. He can now eat, get hurt, get killed, suffer bodily exhaustion, and all the other joyous things that come with being mortal, but he will recover from his momentary weakness shortly.))

No problem, bud. Things are rather slow in this RP as of late with so many goings on for holidays, vacations, and the like, so no rush.

The two Eons accepted the gentle ear scratches that Astrid provided them, Freo eyeing her hand defensively until he realised what she was trying to do. Xsira purred and Freo simply nodded his head contentedly. "It seems they like you," Elly replied with a sizable smile, enjoying the fact that they liked her new friend. "That's a good reason to travel. I don't have the same wanderlust, but I admire your decision. Where are you from, and how long ago did you leave Kanto and Johto? I pretty much just left, so I don't know much of this region. Xsira listened in with her tails flexing and twirling, pleased to see that Elly was getting out of her shell for once. Meeting Astrid was an activity that she really needed, and maybe it will lead Elly to being more social with others as a result. Freo, on the other hand, was taken aback by Amaterasu's brace of questions and looked away in mild embarrassment, ears turning in different directions as he did so. "Not much. I was surprised that there was another vulpine like myself here, is all," he voiced in Pokespeak. "Go on," egged on Xsira, who seemed to listen intently with a mischievous twinkle in her eye as she stared at Freo. "And," he continued, giving the catlike Pokemon a dirty look, "I was wondering what your backstory is with your trainer. Like what my trainer said, we've been together since the start. Were you the same way?"

- Nergodin, fending off against massive attacks - Odin watched with a harrumph as Nergal took over again, ever with the snark and fire. Regardless of the situational awareness, his underestimation of the others had showcased itself as Henry seemingly teleported in front of him and aimed a punch toward Lysander, the fused body of Nergal and Odin staggering under the parried blow mid-combo and ending up in an ensnaring grapple. That was a tough situation to be in, but Odin, with his hastened internal awareness and learned knowledge over the millennia, recalled a way of how to escape. However, his eyes looked beyond the immediate. There had to be a consensus between him and Nergal under the duress of this assault of dangerous individuals. Even if this fusion of Nergodin was truly powerful, it still harboured weakness with this split of powers and experience. "Nergal, we need to work together on this for once beyond tag-teaming. Once we do this, there will not be anything that can stop us, not even this time stopper. I await your decision on this unity. Grasp my hand, and we can enact it. For now, I'll tag out and get us out of this arresting situation." With that, the one-eyed individual extended his arm with an assenting frown on his features, and he commandeered anew. -- -- -- -- -- Time hastened as he took control again, feeling the draining sensation of Henry's absorbing powers fettering him almost as much as the grip and the circles of darkness on him. However, that was no issue. All he had to do was overpower the absorption, the magic circles, and the man all in one fell swoop, which he struggled with at first as energy only barely seeped from him at the start and, at the end, was exploding from him. Lysander went ethereal as it was triggered, and so did Nergodin's arm, so that Henry's grip was removed from him. The magic circles were erased entirely. He ducked, removed the power and back-summoned his blade to the dimensional rift from whence it came, and focused his might to his hand and leg. His hand grabbed at Henry's torso, and his leg went for Henry's stance, rattling the man from his hold and detaching himself from Henry entirely as a result. The human might have come on top of him with some extra energy, but he escaped the situation enough to defend himself from the onslaught of a menacing prince of the Overworld, a leaping blend of draconic and bug DNA, and a rocketing catgirl with her giant magic circle. "Raven's Tempest: Ultimatum of a Flying General," he swiftly chanted above the thunderous roar of three explosive sets of energy, bearing with the annoying thought of having to empower himself verbally as he drawing Lysander in front of him with his left hand. "Full Release." Blue lines, thick and brimming with elder magic, streaked down his mentioned arm as they traced from his heart and toward his hand as a prize from his past, a deadly ace in the hole, rose to his summons. Blackness escaped from those lines, and evaporated into the air as the seal long forgotten was broken from within him. He howled in pain even as he said his next line: "Search Magic Unfettered." An expansion of magic blew around him in a spherical fashion as he sensed everything about him, even through the ground itself. Jynn's attacks, a menacing array of launched weaponry of many shapes and sizes, including La Justicere was easy to trace within his mind and dodge in time, all of their harmful, nasty Dragonblight avoided. The explosive energy of the Cyph-dragon hybrid of a spriggan was worse to dodge, but nothing could be as devastating as the towering platform that Eclaire stood on. The arcane barrier cast around him by Rabiyu, as beautifully well-crafted and protective as it was, was not enough to defend him against this raging amount of sunfire, nor the obliterating energy of Eclaire's sword. Still, it was enough. When Helios' breath attack neared, Nergodin leaped and came close to Eclaire, matching sword and Glaive with sword of light. He and Lysander were entirely outmatched in terms of a battle of strength -- he was facing the crushing weight of a platform behind the catgirl as well as her own impressive strength -- and he lost his right arm as a result. It was removed from his person, first his lower arm as the sword of light pierced through both weapons, and next his upper arm as it hewn even farther downward. Nergodin was lucky to have not been directly in front of the arcing swing of her blade, but his regrettable sacrifice gave way to a just-renewed escape. "Flying . . . General!" he shouted bitterly, swinging his body around and his sword arm with it in the direction away from the blast and crash zones. He flew at explosive speeds across the distance and onto the ground, rolling painfully across it and finally ending at a stop. His right arm was now a stump, bleeding incessantly. Lysander was now cloven in half, still just as effective magically but now with far less reach. His Glaive was no longer with him, but recoverable if the platform spat it away upon crashing. He breathed heavily as he stood to his feet. At the very least, he will be able to see Eclaire die crushed under the weight of her own propelling force, and possibly Henry with it. Helios' sunfire scorched him even through his clothes from his narrow escape from death, but a feeling of renewal welled up from within him. "Finally, it takes effect," he muttered under his breath, closing his eyes. ~~ ~~ Moments earlier: In a surprising turn of events, the collective life of Nergodin was threatened, as Henry had parried their blows and restrained the fusion, attempting to prevent his escape from the extremely powerful attack heading his way. Within the mindscape, Nergal knew inside that Odin would want his turn, to act in a fashion that would save them. Yet somehow, the one-eyed demigod of thunder managed to astound him further: Proposing that they unite further, as to unleash their full potential, for their constant tag-teaming and divided thinking was doing just that: splitting their power and thus inhibiting them. Yet for a moment, Nergal almost didn't believe what he had heard. "You...wish for us to, to work together? Well...I'll freely admit, I didn't think that this was the way forward for us, if it was even possible, but to give you credit, Odin; You've enlightened me, if only for us to rid ourselves of these cretins, minus Yevgeni." With this, Nergal took Odin's hand firmly, looking him straight in the eye as he dropped all pretense, all pride and all doubt, speaking with utmost sincerity: "Very well. Let us unite." ~~ ~~ A surge of new, verdant life flowed through the unholy fusion of two men as its limb was restored, cells propagating outward like those of a starfish as regeneration took place. It looked down and tested its new arm, finding the limb just as functional as before, before casting its eyes upon the rest of the group with a simper. Its blackened gaze was no longer a mix of colours, its hair darker and not as vibrant as before. A menacing glow decorated its body as he hovered over the ground, Lysander still within its grip. "Now this . . . is a form I will enjoy watching the world burn in, far more than that other unsettling one," it spoke, glancing over the group. "How courteous of you to provide me the means to accomplish this. Let me show my gratitude." Nothingness orbs generated above the hand that was once cut off, with lightning woven around it in finely controlled strands. Those three orbs fired speedily off toward Eclaire, Helios, and Jynn, each aiming to deliver a menacing implosion that could rupture steel, flesh and bone from ten feet of their original locations before erupting in a wave of electricity. They are able to be blocked or dodged like most projectiles, but if the targets were within ten feet of their original locations there was no guarantee that anybody would be without broken bones or skin.

Elly uttered a happy laugh as Amaterasu accepted having her ear rubbed, switching to the other ear soon afterwards. She listened intently to the Astrid all the while, finding out about Shiny Pokemon and about the new, marvelous Pokemon which caught her eye, Lucario. She wondered if she would ever come across one in the wild. They seemed like very interesting and beautiful partners to have, though she still adored her chosen few that stuck with her through thick and thin. They were closer than allies. They were friends and family, companions, and she loved them for it. "Thank you for sharing your knowledge with me. I am not very familiar with Pokemon from outside my region, and I don't do much studying up on things. I would love to see them in battle sometime." She paused and glanced down at Astrid's sketchbook, admiring her gift for drawing. Not only was this girl a walking Pokedex, she was an artist too. "I forgot to introduce my dear friends as you did," she replied, timidity gone for the moment. She turned her hand towards her two Pokemon, quite interested in showing off her companions. "This is Freo, next to me. He's a bright one, and my brave protector. Beside him is Xsira. She's my advisor, and is equally bright. They were my first Pokemon and came into my life at the same time, and I've been with them ever since." Both Freo and Xsira looked up towards the trainers with brilliant eyes and beaming faces, gladdened by the introduction, before Freo continued looking at Ammy and Xsira at the battle.

Pang bit down on his lip as he travelled in back with Galla, eyeing the situation ahead of him. It seems that some of the group had made it to the wall of the village and was doing a great job without him, but at the same time that was where the greatest amount of danger was, and he left that to several new people whose capabilities he did not fully know but trusted. At the very least Ceres and Winona were up there at the head of the bunch, ready to assist the newcomers in the skirmish and protect them in the case of danger. For now, though, he felt defending the back would be the best for now. While his speed would be useful, he had to go around all of his party members on a rickety bridge to head into combat. That would be unsafe for him and for others, plus there was always the risk of an assault behind them. Undead were not picky about their targets, nor were they honorable in the least. If they had a possibility of attacking behind them, they likely would do so. "While I would like to get up there and fight, they can handle it. Between the mages and our new members, we can win this easily as long as new forces don't come from behind. If that's the case, I'd rather support from behind, and if I can repay the favour I owe you in some way, well, it'll be worth it," the Zouyu replied, smiling bashfully toward her and scratching his ear. As he expected, the undead approached from the other side of the bridge behind everyone, and some even appeared beyond Pang and Galla as well, crawling from the water and berries and onto the pontoon bridge. A pincer attack was a precarious situation to be in, but against these poor-quality opponents it was likely not a situation. "Here they come," he replied, swinging his quarterstaff expertly and staving in some zombies' heads so that they turned into dirty water. Aquafolk zombies, considering their aqueous bodies, did not leave much residue beyond water itself. "You take the ones on the other side, Galla. Having fought you earlier, I trust your abilities in destroying these undead. I'll help out when I can." ~~ ~~ ~~ Winona, on the other side next to the gate, ran freehand until her feet met solid ground and unbuckled her spear and shield from her fastenings. The mages were successfully destroyed on one end by Lukkel, which left many of the undead exposed for ground forces. That worked out well for her, who did not handle well against magic wielders except those of her own kind. With a battle shout, she lurched forward into battle, slashing one of the human revenants with her long and sharp spear with two slices. A moment later, she defended herself against another, who would have bitten into her shield arm had she not twisted the shield well enough to deflect and glance aside. With the blow shunted, she took a step back, and her spear struck true against the neck of her opponent, who then fell into dust. "Onwards, everyone. Destroy the enemy and save the village! Don't let a single one remain," she shouted, looking about her. She spotted Lukkel and emitted a grin as her method of saying "Good work" before tackling her third undead creature for the day.

((All right, folks who are saving the village; ready to fight? Ready or not, here's your first battle.)) As Kolm poked at the red berries that floated in the bog surrounding them, Winona could not help but crack a grin. She was once like that before travelling here and sampling a great many dishes from this world, including waterberries. The plants were quite edible for all species, though their acidic and crisp nature made boiling the berries a much more feasible approach to eating them. She did not say anything too much to him, however, as time was pressing and everyone seemed interested in getting to the town before it is too late, her especially. Kolm and his inquiry would have to wait until a better time, she concluded as she marched to the front of the group. "All right, everyone, let's head off. Remember to keep your eyes open. The sun is about to set in an hour, and it would be best to not be outside the city gates after twilight with undead around." Pang nodded silently and meandered his way to the back of the group, taking in the very interesting scenario of Henry changing not only his appearance but also his elemental affinity just by a sharing of power with the wind spirit. He stopped for a moment to observe this amazing situation, impressed by an entire shift in his mien and composure as well as his power, before smiling and walking on. Winona can handle the front of there was any situation up there. If he can maintain the back, he was assured that there would be no losses to undead or the darkness hovering about a bog thick with berries. As Winona led the group ever closer to the town, the sun travelled lower and lower, and in the distance of about 500 meters (1600 feet) noises could be heard, tinny and dim at first but definitely the sounds of shouts and clanging. Winona could not view the distance very well through the dying sun's light, but it sounded like the battle had been renewed, and the undead have made their move upon the town once more. "Everyone, forward march, as quick as you can without falling into the water! The battle is underway." And with that, she was off, keeping her footing rather well with a steady pace and the good grip of her logger boots. She would likely not be the fastest to get there, but she would be a quick followup to that person as they headed to the battlefield. ~ ~ ~ At the large wooden gates of the town, aquafolk on the walls, with their brightly coloured cloaks of gold and green, fended off against the great number of undead creatures that gathered and emerged from within the bogs themselves and stepped onto land. Wind magic was employed to blast the foul, shambling corpses of Aquafolk and foreigners alike. The more skilled mages within the group of Aquafolk were using aerial blades to cut through the hordes at poor but effective angles, but they could not perform such spells for long. It was excellent timing that the group from The Haven arrived as they did. If not, the gate might have been overrun and undead would have ventured inside the town. On the outside of the gate, ten revenant bodies slammed their palms, swords, and axes against the thick timber that prevented them from gaining entry. Five were launching arrows from afar, and three were casting necromantic magics upon the defenders on the wall, one to the left of the wall and two on the right. Sickness, poison, and the oncoming of hastened decay and uneasy breath occurred for several of the defenders, weakening their forces considerably. What can you do to help out? Will you fight the enemy, or support and cure those that are in need? Will you do nothing at all? The choice is yours. [[You are free to attack the horde of undead without limitations (except what you enforce on your own character) and can control the enemy without having to worry about god-modding. As a result, battle all-out, and fight to your heart's content. I'll move on after the abundance of undead are routed or destroyed. The weaknesses and strengths below are just a rough speculation as to what magical elements and weapon types they are weak against and strong against. Anything can be used, but not everything is effective. With that, feel free to beat up some ghoulies.]] -- -- -- -- -- Meanwhile, Hogarth nodded his head in Reksis' approximate direction, a mild bow as he smiled. He knew he was going to like this Reksis in the times ahead, and Hektor too. They seemed like a respectful bunch, and he appreciated that. "I shall put my efforts into finding some mandrake, then," he voiced under his breath, squinting and changing the directions of all three of his airborne eyes as they surveyed the area anew. Deep in the underbrush of the forest, something stirred, or rather a swarm had stirred, sensing the warm bodies of something other than the denizens of the forest within the vicinity. Little leafy and flowery heads popped out of bushes, eyeless and mouthless except for what could be found within a single venus fly trap. Hogarth did not catch on to this, but some of the others might be quick to realise that something is different and dangerous nearby. Perhaps the crunching sound of one of the giant grasshoppers being eaten was a good clue, though if one can squint into the leaves of some bushes movement can be seen. [[A fight scene may come up, depending on how people feel about fighting triffids, little plant monstrosities that are small but annoying and dangerous in swarms. You may run, observe and prepare, or you may attack the bush in which dozens of these little plants are. The choice is yours.]]

Elly stroked her two Pokemon in relaxation, keeping an eye mostly fixed on the challenger to the gym and partially on the Lucario, but she did not count on company. When Astrid approached, she was startled and pressed down on both Freo's and Xsira's backs in fright, much to the Pokemon's duress after a nice petting spree, but as Astrid continued she smiled timidly. This girl with the Ninetails seemed very nice, and her Pokemon was very pretty. She had never seen a Ninetails in such a beautiful hue before. "Elly Sanguine," she replied quietly, reaching out her hand in acceptance of Astrid's handshake and chuckling good-heartedly at Amaterasu's bow. "I would love to take you up on your offer about that Pokemon, for sure, as well as yours. I've never seen a Ninetails quite so lovely. Ammy, is it?" After a moment's hesitation, the girl tried to reach out and stroke Amaterasu by the ear, hoping that was acceptable to the Pokemon and her trainer. Being a trainer of a foxlike Pokemon, she wondered if Ammy too had a fondness towards having her ears rubbed. Freo and Xsira looked over the newcomers with their large, bright eyes. Xsira did so acceptingly as she dislodged herself from her seat and plopped into the seat next to Freo, her tail whisking against Elly's arm as she ducked below her. Freo stared defensively with an unsure look, ever protective of Elly and Xsira alike. He was like a dutiful bodyguard, but over time it quickly became easier to win his trust. He seemed particularly interested in Amaterasu, with mixed emotions. On the one hand, she was a fox-like Pokemon like himself, but on the other why did Elly try to grab her ear like she often did to him? It wasn't fair. Elly listened in closely to the match as it started up, with a Pokeball being released as the match began. It seemed that the Champion of the region was visiting this gym, which intrigued her very much. So one of these people with Pokemon out of their balls was the champ . . . which one was he or she? Could it be that Astrid was the one, or maybe one of the others she saw? She chewed her lip but did not give her question any voice, instead deciding on making a new friend if she could. She never really talked with anybody until she got here. It might as well end now.

Elly stepped inside following Tassel and awaited her turn, eyeing the boy all the while along with his Pokemon. She would have to wait her turn to challenge the Gym Leader of Hyssop Town, though that was not necessarily a bad thing. It would give her a mild understanding of how the leader thought and how his Pokemon fought, though she wondered how skilled Tassel was. He had a nice selection of Pokemon outside their Pokeballs, and Elly had to wonder if they were his go-to Pokemon, much like Xsira and Freo were hers. Time will tell, and she observed the plaques of the gym in the meantime, as well as several of the onlookers. A number of individuals within the spectating crowd had their Pokemon out, including a trainer (Astrid) with her Ninetails, another with a Pupitar (Xero), and one (Jake) with a blue Pokemon she did not fully recognise, though it was hard to pass over its lovely fur, interesting physique, and red eyes. She was loath to start conversation with someone in a Gym that wasn't the leader himself or herself -- she was not very fond of talking with people in general outside of her circle of friends -- but she may have to ask what kind of Pokemon that was. Xsira knew what kind of Pokemon the Champion's companion was, but she decided against telling Elly. Being a Psychic type, she could read the minds of her companions with relative ease, even talk with them, but this was her trainer's moment to step out of her bounds and her shell. Elly paused, looking towards Jake and Utopia, before breaking her gaze away and heading towards the far, opposite side of the stands. Xsira sighed and muttered something under her breath in Pokespeak. Freo caught it and rubbed his ear against the Espeon's shoulder and cheek, drawing her attention. "She'll be fine in time. Just have faith in her," the Glaceon replied with a wink as he ran ahead and followed their trainer. "Sure thing, Mister Know-it-all," the Espeon pouted, bounding after him. Together they sat on their side of the stadium, with Elly in the middle, Freo on the right, and Xsira on the left. This was how they always were, even when they were at home four or even five years ago, and Elly felt a bit more comfortable with this trivial bit of knowledge. It was familiar and brought back many memories, which gave her a sense of peace even in these adventurous times.

It's a Maelstrom of references! I'm looking forward to seeing what kind of Pokemon are going to be unveiled in the Gym battles, or what are native to the region. Maybe Tassel will get some new friends to add to his collection, and Elly too if one catches her liking. I'm looking forward to this battle. Freo might end up getting a chance to shine for once, after all the times he sat on the sidelines due to typing mismatching in my previous RPs. ((It is as I predicted! Volcarona!))

A question for you, Endless: what Gym Leaders are in this region, and what types of Pokemon do they use? This would be very helpful for my ambient description and for Shard's knowing who he is combating for an opponent. Thanks in advance! P.S.: It seems a bot reacted to your post with a confused face, @Shard the Gentleman. I shall join him for the fun of it. =P

Hogarth furrowed his brows in surprise as he heard Serene speak. One skybound eye looking backwards to confirm that it really was her before shimmying off into the foliage to find some plants, and he turned his head in her direction with eyelids closed, so as not to scare her with black holes for his three eyes. "Surely you're not," he replied with a wheeze and a grin. "Is that whitenectar you have there? You're a generous soul. That's a tough one to find." His rebreathing apparatus pumping wildly as it removed the many pollens floating about from his airways. Coupled with his internal darkness, this taxed the machine for the first time in a while and made it difficult for him to speak normally, but he managed. He will have to better his rebreather when he next worked on it in his lab. A flash of an image was sent his way, and he pointed out to everyone's right except Serene's, as she was busy and far from everyone. "Over there, about a hundred paces, are some kingsfoil plants. Would you mind being dears and fetching some for me, Hektor? Four-armed one? I forget your name," he replied to the Time Traveller and the Fallen. ((I will wait on Winona and Pang until later when more people hopefully respond.))

Elly glanced around the small burg of Hyssop Town, eyes widened with excitement as she did so. The smell of this new region was very different from that of Johto, and it compounded as she went from town to town. Different perfumes, different cuisines, different plants and Pokemon -- it all made an enriching and exotic experience for one such as herself, who only restricted herself to one region for a long while. Some of the locals, namely a young couple, if judging by the silver bands about their ring fingers, glanced at her curiously as she scanned the area with an open mouth, and she quickly felt self-conscious and blushed, her cheeks ablaze with embarrassment. Xsira and Freo, the Espeon and Glaceon she raised from Eevees, padded behind her, looking up towards her with inquisitive eyes. Why are you embarrassed so? asked Xsira mentally as she jogged alongside Elly, her tails swishing behind her. Those people probably think of me as odd, being enamoured by their village so. I can't help but like everything around me, confessed the trainer, glancing down at the cat. And you shouldn't worry about showing how you feel about things, stated Xsira, her gaze unwavering even as they travelled. Everybody starts out new to things. It's only natural to marvel. Freo looked clueless in the background, glancing between the two of them as they shared their mental conversation before returning to dutifully guarding Elly's back. He had a strong sense of protection, likely due to his vulpine blood, though he wondered what he was missing. Thanks, Xsi, responded Elly, her cheeks losing their hue as the blood drained from her face. She smiled down at the Espeon graciously. It does wonders to have you with me. Xsira seemed appreciative of the comment and smiled with her eyes but said nothing in return, instead returning to the back with Freo. "What was that all about?" Freo queried to his companion in Pokespeak. "Just a little self-doubt, though I'm surprised you did not catch why. Your eyes are always open but miss such things," Xsira answered with a teasing nudge. "She'll be better once we take on this gym together." The Glaceon frowned and looked elsewhere in mild annoyance, replying, "I can't be perfect all the time. Also, the gym seems to be in use. Look over there." The three stopped to witness a boy, Tassel, toss open the doors of the Gym. He seemed gathered in his thoughts and confident enough in his own skills, which Elly admired, and he was followed by a pair of Pokemon she knew much about already. What were Kanto Pokemon doing in his team? Was he like her, a foreigner in a very different land? "Let's watch him take on the Gym," she voiced resolutely, eyes locked on the entrance to the massive building. Freo and Xsira looked towards each other with smiles, and together they walked toward Tassel and the Gym.

Pang followed the rest of the group after a fair amount of people left, interested in seeing the newcomers' reactions to entering the Gate for a first time. The worry, the excitement, the intrepidity -- there was quite the number of diverse responses, and that was only the first of the bunch, and he stepped through the swirling blend of two images shortly thereafter, feeling the zing of energy upon his extremities and riding up his spine until he slipped beyond its thin membrane. After that, there was nothing, but he could not help but feel timid about passing through something so unnatural, no matter how many times he had already done so. The dampness and the smells of marsh water came to him as a gust of fresh air would seem to a coal miner: welcome and refreshing. He had been born and raised next to a swamp, and he relished the feel of the dank environment. The ever-present heat, however, would be brutal in the long run for the more armoured individuals like Ceres, and she certainly seemed to feel the effects. It was heartening for him to see Henry trying to aid her with wind magic. He wanted to step in and assist too, placing a hand on Henry's shoulder. "Henry, if I may assist you," he spoke up, but did not continue, instead having the spark of energy travelling up his arm do the talking for him. Supercharge magic flowed into Henry, tripling the effectiveness of his magic for a single spell, before he withdrew his hand and watched Lukkel run around giddily. He certainly was a spry youth, which Pang admired, though he worried about the boy's balance on this rickety pontoon bridge. Due to its makeup of wood tied together by hempen rope, the bridge was sturdily built, but because it floated on the water rather than being built over it the surface could prove difficult to run on. "Mind your step, Lukkel!" called out the Zouyu. "Those logs can prove slippery, and I'd rather not have the locals angry at someone falling into their farm." Within the water, red berries floated, hiding much of the water itself with their vast numbers. This bog served well to produce such a fruit in abundance, and the plant was a staple among the Aquafolk, as well as cover for the many species of fish that lay below the canopy of berries. Winona was the next to voice her thoughts, looking beyond the group and toward the village in the distance. "It is quiet in the distance," she said. "Either the dead are not attacking or the village has fallen already. While I do not doubt the Aquafolk's ability to defend themselves, we should make haste if we are to get this settled quickly." -- -- -- Meanwhile, within the Elysian Forest, Hogarth glanced about with his several eyes, studying the location with great diligence before recognising Hektor's question. Pulling out a notepad and a self-operating pen, he masterfully sketched out a few things on its pages as he spoke. "Let's see what I can come up with. I know a bit of herblore. Kingsfoil here is a leafy plant, green and shiny, with arrow-shaped leaves and with five leaves per sprig. If you know what poison ivy looks like, it is a plant very similar with leaves of five, not three. Whitenectar is an interesting plant that normally blooms in the spring, but deflowers and grows leaves in other seasons. It grows well and with a permanent white flower that droops down, however, in this forest. Some call it a snowdrop, but it has amazing medicinal value in this forest. The soil is great for these things. "Next up," Hogie continued, starting a new page, "is living rhubarb, like regular rhubarb with its big leaves, red and green stalks, and pungent acidic smell when one sniffs the stem. It's edible on its own, but it is a better medicinal plant than for eating. It's leaves are the size and shape of spades of the shovel variety. And last is mandrake. These sneaky carrots that aren't carrots like sunshine or a mildly shady location. The leaves are . . . well, leafy, but close to the ground. You'll see violet flowers in and above them. Pull them up without fear in full, all the way to the big taproot. That's the good stuff, and don't worry. They won't screech or anything like the books and superstitions say." With that, he handed the images over to Hektor, hoping the pictures would give him a better sense of things. "I will join in on the search, and for some bugs too, while I am at it. My eyes are pretty good at catching sight of what I seek." With a smile, he soon revealed what he meant by that as one of his eyes exited his socket, pushing out with little mechanical limbs, popping out, and flying into the air with little propellers. The other two followed suit, and all three took different directions, seeking out the targeted materials, while Hogarth sat down on the ground as best as he was able, finding a root-free spot to wait for his scouting eyes.

- Nergodin [Odin], one against many in Isopolis - Within the mindscape, Odin kept his mouth shut, but inwardly he found Nergal's propositions pathetic and witless. Whoever said that he lost his heart, or that he would not win alone? Had it not been for Nergal, power that the universe had not seen for a hundred generations would have been his and his alone, and all would be lying dead at his feet by now, but now he had to share with this posturing fool that thought himself strong enough to quell his greatness. He locked away his mind from Nergal's probings, so all of this was kept from the Queenslayer. A reaction came upon him upon a glance at Typhon, the bug turning into a strange hybrid of dragon and insect, and securing a fixated fireball within his hand. He was prepping something, and it certainly would not be good. "Regardless of how you feel, survival is paramount until we can separate ourselves. That Cyph over there will cause some nastiness, so I will step in for the moment. Luckily there is some confusion in the ranks thanks to Lysander. I need to take advantage of this more than attacking just one, even if it is the prince." -- -- -- With the renewed taking over of control, time sped up and Nergodin stopped swinging his blade at the prince of the Overworld, focusing his attention towards Typhon. He was right in that he would cause much trouble, the Cyph faster than he thought thanks to the impressive wingspan upon his back. What a stroke of bad luck it was to need to fight a Cyph, but he still needed time to fully adapt to his newly gained power of that Xeno'jiiva he must have fed from. "Search Magic; Flying General: Advisor," escaped his lips as he was tackled by Typhon, his eyes glittering in power again. He called back Nergal's Glaive to protect him, summoned back from where Arthur was, and the weapon would spin backwards at incredible speeds in an attempt to cut down Typhon from his torso. A change of plans was needed when Nergodin was thrown away from both Jynn and the bug, but he maintained his focus as the weapon spun clear of everyone and snagged the danger of the fireball. As if it were by its own volition, the device gathered the fireball and stopped spinning, flinging it towards Aqua, whose power seemed to be gathered for an attack. An explosion rocketed from in between Nergodin and Aqua as the fireball exploded two thirds of the way toward Aqua. The Glaive carrying the fireball struck the earth below it, sticking into the ground, and Nergodin was sent backwards from the buffeting burst of heat and air, bearing with the pain of searing flames touching his skin. He suffered some second-degree burns which would inflict pain, but it was nothing too serious. Aqua would have to be quick to prevent herself from being hurt. He quickly corrected himself as he ground to a halt and twirled until he saw Rabiyu. She seemed distracted by the human king Alderon, and he aimed to capitalise on that. With deft speed, he launched himself at Rabiyu with a flurry of five blows, his other hand, held in an open palm, aiming to defend him from a counter if Rabiyu decided to attack with daggers. These strikes from Lysander would be ethereal and would cut into the person's soul like the other times, and unblockable as a result, though countering was possible. This was one of Lysander's greatest strengths and weaknesses: it was unblockable, but cannot block when in this form. For those with a keen eye and paid close attention to his movements, this can be viewed.

Name: Elly Sanguine Age: 17. Appearance: Elly dresses young and sticks to a simple outfit of a puffy vest, a black tee shirt with a Pokeball at the center, and a pair of blue jeans decorated with blue rhinestones on her right upper leg in the shape of the suit of clubs. Her chestnut brown hair is mostly unfettered and hangs natural, but two thin loops of hair hang suspended over her ears. A small faux leather purse completes the package, excepting the black backpack that regularly is carried on her back. Pokémon Team: Espeon named Xsira (Eevee at start), Glaceon named Freio (Eevee at start), Spheal named Runda, Houndour named Umbral, [Empty], [Empty] Personality: She is a very shy individual, but very determined. She veers away from large groups as much as she is able, and does not care much for conflict, but she is assured that Team Yami should not get their way. The few friends she has are far away, living in her home region of Johto, or in the Pokéballs she stuck with since the Johto region, gathered through trading and her own adventures, so every so often she sends out a phone call or plays with her Pokémon to whittle down the loneliness and homesickness she feels. Bio: Elly started out in Violet City of the Johto region and clung to the area of her birth for a fair while. At the age of thirteen, and with the additional push of her parents, she picked up her two Eevees and attempted to travel across the region in an effort to mature and grow more independent. Many strange adventures occurred, including some run-ins with new friends from Olivine City and Azalea Town, which brought her to one of her close allies, Runda the Spheal. She toughened up and blossomed into a nice girl, though she still has issues with shyness and meeting new people. She collected all eight badges from the region, but never managed to conquer the Elite Four, losing several times against Lance. Humbled by those several defeats, she aimed to try out a different region, Tamara, a mystery in and of itself to her. She hopes to get strong, break free of her bewitching shyness, and become the promising young woman she so aspires to be. One of her personal blockades for this is Team Yami, a secretive and dark group, against which she would give her all.

Pang nodded seriously as he patted Kolm on the shoulder with his large hand, a mere few taps before he withdrew it back to his side and took place in the ranks. "Unfortunately I have had the displeasure of seeing that moment," he gave voice. "Poor Caldwell. He was a bit of a weighty klutz and fell over the side of the guardrail when it buckled a little. Mind that none of you fall over so that you do not result in the same fate. The Gate is very thirsty for energy. It does not care where the energy comes from." "Way to spoil the mood, Pang," Winona responded with a hollow laugh. "Regardless of that sad tale, the Gate is now quite safe and outfitted with many strong safety measures. Just be careful and keep your wits about you, everyone. This next moment for you all would be of enjoyment, not fear." She took a step onto the platform, and the swirling mess of colour within the gate -- as if sensing her presence -- gave way to two alternating observable locations, one painted in a sea of verdigris trees with a path of cobblestone essing among them, and the other location portraying a mountain almost hidden by the mist of light rain. The times of day were very different, the forested location being midday and the mountainous one being on the verge of the twilight hour, if judging from the red skies. Time had little meaning to those who travelled the multiverse often, but this change in times of day might be a shock to some. As she stepped up to the portal and then through it, one can see her bouncing on her heels with her casual stride on the other side of the Gate. She turned back and sweeped her hand towards the other side of the portal, urging the others to join her with a smile. Hogarth next stepped up to the plate, feeling that this was his time to shine and show that the Gate would spit him out into the forest. It did, and he grinned wildly as he waved on to the rest like Winona.

Pang turned to the side, getting out of Galla's way and slowly starting to walk down the hallway, assuming she would follow. "From what was written on the leaflet, it is a lich, though this does not fall within the typical patterns of one such being. Why attack an Aquafolk village? Their bones are too weak for good skeletal servants, though their magic is proficient. I wonder if it is trying to feed on their lives and magic, but I don't know much about these things. Your expertise will do us a world of good with understanding this mission, I am certain." Pang thought back to an Aquafolk he knew once before, a sweet girl that was recruited into Haven for her expertise in her rare abilities of wind and water magic. Aquafolk were made up mostly of water with 85% of their body mass composed of it, but they glowed warmly with an innate kindness and a vitality few can match. Aprameia, that innonent recruit, was no different, though she was quick to perish due to the Twenty-One-Day rule. She refused to fight, bound by code of conduct and the weight of guilt upon her own heart, and when she overstepped her limitations as a Haven occupant she vanished without a trace. Pang had not even said goodbye, and that burdened him for almost as long as he had been here. "If we can save this village," he continued, not even realising that he had halted for a short time, "I'm sure much good will come out of it. Maybe . . . no, now is not a good time for maybes. Let's get this mission underway." Maybe then she can forgive me for not helping her as much as I am helping others now, he would have continued, but he only said it internally. He urged himself onward, towards the Gate. He did not want to have Galla disappear like Aprameia did. -- -- -- Winona glanced at Hektor and smiled at his curiosity, but before she could explain what she knew of the Gate Rhiannon stepped into the room. The new recruit, now experienced enough within the Haven to be considered beyond a novice, was one of the most prestigious individuals she had seen as of late, though she had no idea if the latest recruits were going to trump her in terms of quick understanding and wit. "Lucia, Rhiannon! How good to have you both here. Feel free to join the groups. What was said about the missions is correct, and your assistance will be more than welcome. I'll ping the automatic clerk about your additions." She accepted Lukkel's giving her back her purse with a grand smile and a nod of thanks. "You are very welcome, and feel free to ask around for assistance from me or others. While others may be slow to warm up to you, we don't abandon those in need of help. It's a bit of a policy of the Haven." "Please add Galla to the list as well," uttered Pang from one of the entrances to the room, following closely after Lukkel did with his new gear. His sharp ears picked up a few words from her prior discussion to the rest of the group. "Glad to hear she could make it," responded Winona, nodding towards Galla with a bit of cheer. "That should be everyone we need, in that case, so we can get this show on the road. "All those that are going out to save the village, gather to my right. All those going to collect materials for relief and medicine, gather to my left. As some of you are new, I will give a breakdown of Gateway travel. By being here in the Haven, you can all come back here anytime, along with anything you touch besides monolithic things such as the ground, trees, lampposts, or buildings. If the mission is completed, you will get your rewards. If you leave before the mission is completed, you will either get no reward or a partial reward for participation. "Travelling is simple, but scary for first timers. You will feel a tingling sensation in your extremities at first as you travel through it, then the rest of your body, then nothing at all once you materialise on the other side. This Gate is more science and biology than magic. It is actually made of a living thing that absorbs any kind of energy, then produces wormholes to other areas of the multiverse. Pretty neat stuff, but way above my head. I don't know much about the science of things, but never touch the Gate itself. Always use the walkway leading to its center. It will drain your energy if too close to its body, which had been known to kill. Now we have precautions, however. "You may travel in any order, so you don't need to wait for everyone of one group to finish using the Gate before the next group. We once used this on nine different groups at once and it worked out fine. All we need to do now is turn it on." With the flip of a switch near Winona, the machinery behind the Gate began to thrum, spin, and whirl as energy of various kinds -- potential, electric, magnetic, kinetic, and magical, to name a few -- was quickly absorbed through the wires of the biodomes and into the Gate itself, the bioluminescence of the lifeforms within dimming but easily showing that the creatures were still alive and well. The giant structure glowed like an irradiated rock for a second before moistening with water pulled from the air and staying that way. From within the Gate, one can see a swirl of blues, whites, and reds, a collage of hues that changed endlessly. "This is it. Anyone have any questions before going in?" Pang called out, wondering if there would be anybody with a last-minute query. ((All right, it is finally time to start this adventure, folks. If there are questions, we will be here for one more of my posts before I continue with creating a setting for both missions. This may take a few days if so. If there are no questions, I will post that setting tomorrow as quickly as I am able. I look forward to seeing you all in action, all!))

- Nergodin, one versus many in Isopolis - Nergodin's eyes shot wide as he glanced down at the energy's formation of crackling power within its hand, the being that was once Arthur hanging onto memories and seemingly fueled by them. He had no choice, he had to let go, though he did come out of the exchange marginally for the better, even if one of Alicia's icy projectiles slammed into his shoulder. The energy would be drained of its power by a fair amount, and Nergodin would gain such power, gaining a surge of regeneration and heat that shoved out the steaming ice from his shoulder. He was pleased to know that he had made the right choice even through the pain, slipping backwards and out of the way of the newly manifested lightning sword, though he realised too late that Helios was behind him. "Search Magic," he muttered under his breath, eyes glittering with new light that, like it did with Raiden, showed much around him that would otherwise have been missed. He could view the actions of several people at once, all around him, and with Helios so close he did what he could to escape the worst thing that could happen to him: being bitten in a dangerous area such as his neck. Kicking off of the ground with a masterful spin, he avoided getting bitten by the hastened (by Elia), shapeshifted Helios, but several gashes were made into Nergal's skin on his arm and back by Helios' mighty claws. Biting back pain, he landed appropriately and clacked his weapons together two times, generating two lightning-element waves of energy fueled by the Source and his own power, and aimed toward Helios, Arthur, Henry, and everyone gathered around Henry. The closer to Nergodin, the worse off people would be if struck successfully with this ability, so Helios had to think fast to avoid it in part or in full. Everybody else, excepting maybe Arthur, would feel the sensation of 500 watts of power coursing across their skin, paralysing them temporarily. The comet barrage of Yevgeni's was certainly challenging, the tiny ice meteors smashing full force onto the ground around him, sometimes on him. Had Nergodin not cast a heavy coating of Lightning Armour on himself, he might have had a difficult time with the barrage, but it also bought him time before Alderon charged in, aiming to take off his head with his massive claymore with newfound dexterity. How did the human king gain such a feat after the loss of his eyesight? He wondered over this as he dodged the swing of his massive blade and countered with his own. Lysander arced out and became ethereal, and to those who paid close attention they could find that his arm swinging the weapon became ethereal too for a moment. The sword was indefensible. It would take a dodge to prevent being cut by its spirit-rending edge, and if struck Alderon would feel a sense of confusion of why he was fighting Nergodin. His thoughts would be addled, but only additional cuts would bring out Lysander's truest working on the man: the forming of a stout ally even under the greatest of crises. Mariel would come next, the angel surprisingly still coming after him with a deathly serious gaze stuck within those red eyes of her. Nergodin only smiled at the angel. No, it was more of a grimace as he dodged as many blasts of Light as she tossed. Nergodin's search magic was still active, and dodging magic missiles was going to be much simpler than before when Alicia fired off that duo of icy shards. Worse yet, he handled Lysander in front of him and flew forward in a very swift motion, aiming his sword, once again ethereal and spirit-rending, at Mariel's stomach as he slipped passed her. Dodging would be difficult, but necessary, to avoid getting slashed, and much like Alderon, instead of feeling a cut, she would feel confusion about why she was fighting him, an inclination that doing so just did not feel right. Still flying through the air, he surveyed the situation down below, espying the vast number of spears decorated around that retainer of Shiva, that measly halfblood who dared to inspire his enemies with a flowery petulance of a tirade. Such an ability coming from her . . . it was astounding, even if earned through borrowed power, and can quickly kill. He had to stop the ritual before it was too late. While righting himself, he gathered up the remaining power he gained from Arthur and fired it off as three projectiles, lightning bolts at the centre of railgun-speed gusts of air, a combination of Raiden's and the Infiltrator's abilities. One was aimed at each of the surrounding individuals: one at Eclaire, one at Xion, and one at Rhea. If struck head-on, the damage would be severe and they would risk falling over the edge of the platform paralysed. If struck only by the wind, they would be hard-pressed to gather their breath after being slammed by a high-powered gust. ((No dialogue in this, but I hope I responded to everyone appropriately. Scrap, your moment to absorb is here! Those I had Nergodin attempt to cut spiritually, these will leave no wounds but would inspire doubt in their actions. Elrandir, I'll aim for completing my plan with you sometime later when there is a more appropriate moment for Nergodin to target one of your characters.))