[@Xaltwind][@Guess Who]
[hider=The Mountain Village]
The twosome sent to scout out the village would find that the tension in the air could be cut with a knife as the man gave them an appraising look, before his furrowed brow would relax. He still had the look of judgement on his eyes, but their answers seemed to satisfy him. [color=c4df9b][b]"I see. I don't have any problem with Dragonscarred...most people here probably won't either. Not your fault your ancestors served them, and all,"[/b][/color] he would say, relaxing his stance and leaving one hand on his hip, the other hanging down before he would raise it to scratch at the back of his head. [color=c4df9b][b]"Sorry for bugging you about this. Some real freaks have been wandering around. They haven't done anything violent yet but...if you see anybody in a mask, turn tail and run. They're way above a novice's abilities."[/b][/color]

[center][url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjH-_cJl5ec]♫[/url][/center]

With his two cents given to the two girls, the man would start to walk off and leave them to their own business, before turning his head back to say: [color=c4df9b][b]"Name's Mars. If you need any adventuring advice, let me know."[/b][/color]

Once Mars had left, Ashara and Kath would be free to ask questions to any that they chose. It seemed that since Mars had approved of their arrival, nobody saw anything wrong with letting them roam around. Had they need of Mars, they'd easily be able to find him practicing away with men in basic armor, going over spear techniques and slapping their legs with the butt of his spear if he found their stance lacking. 

While the place itself didn't have a library, Kath would probably be able to deduce that a merchant or a mayor of some kind might be wealthy enough to own books, but the brief glances she would be able to cast at posters and store signs presented a problem.

She couldn't read a damn thing of it. Not a single letter or word present was something she could understand with the universal script present in YGGDRASIL. Which meant that in order to read anything, she would either need someone to teach her, or to take the time to establish a cipher to correlate letters to sounds, if that was indeed how the language here worked. But, given that she and Ashara could perfectly understand the spoken words of those around them, they had to assume there were some similarities present. 

A helpful local asked for directions would point them towards the three primary industries to purchase things; The General Store, which was also the largest building in town, the Local Smith, and the Chipped Mountain Tavern. However, the two could just as easily just question anybody if they so chose. The sun was high, and the sound of pickaxes hammering away at the mountain signaled that the hardworking men and women of the town would be out and about for quite some time. 

...However, the sound of singing originating from the Chateau's direction would garner their attention. And the entire town's. What they would recognize as Chuunitrixx's singing was echoing out, now causing the town to notice the Chateau's presence.
[/hider]

[@DracoLunaris][@Inkarnate]
[hider=The Sable Lord's Might]
...When Rodias had said "All" of the beasts, he really should have specified "ONE of All of the beasts". Now, he was actually more than a bit nervous. He was panicking. At least inwardly. The actual fear of death was something that he could still feel in his mind, despite the nerves of his body being completely calm. It was a completely different feeling, acknowledging the risk of injury in a game versus reality. He never considered himself a wimp, but he definitely wasn't the kind of guy that could shrug off a punch. Or a laser blast from a dozen different monsters. Or, a few dozen lasers all from the ocuvolfs.

Regardless, he would feel his legs hesitate to move. He was unsure of so many things...how evasion would work now that it wasn't a percentage chance, but his actual physical body needing to evade attacks, whether he'd even know how to swing his weapons properly, how to use buffs...but, now that the signal to attack had been given. The beasts didn't all charge at once, seeming to coordinate an attack by leading in with the Eather Serpents being supported by fire from the Ocuvolf duo. Rodias would lower his stance, taking a deep relaxed breath, before his body spun out of the way of one of the Ocuvulf's energy blasts, leaping over it as his blade moved to deflect the magical attack of one of the Eather Serpents. This was...

[url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhwFLTuSrEk]Natural to him.[/url] Fear was soon replaced by a rush of adrenaline as his lips curled into a grin, the rogue's freefall being broken by a sheet of ice-spears being fired by the Eather serpent's spouse. As if they were mere stepping stones, Rodias would run along the incoming spears, speed sufficient to leap from spear to spear, before his eyes met those of the Eather Serpent.

[color=f7976a][b]"[Throat Cut]"[/b][/color] Rodias would say, before his twinned knives would slide across the flesh and scales of the Eather Serpent's neck, spilling blood and silencing the beast's magical abilities. Throat Cut, despite the name, functioned more as a means to silence magic casters than it was to assassinate. In freefall, Rodias' cape would spiral around him as he plummeted. Every foot of descent was met with beam after beam from the Ocuvulfs, Rodias' cape opening up just as he loomed over one of the Vulfs, knives at the ready. The Eather Serpent from before had started to recover from its wounds, being aided by its partner. In the instant where an opening was present, Rodias would grin, before shouting: [color=f7976a][b]"[Back-Lash]"[/b][/color] as his knives sunk into the Ocuvulf's shoulders, rather than its eyes. The beast would begin to yowl in pain, eyes furiously blasting Rodias as he leapt away, forced to leave his knives embedded within it. Throwing aside an emptied glass vial, Rodias smiled as the Ocuvulf's eyes grew cloudy, the blinding poison that he'd applied taking effect quickly as the beast started randomly firing off blasts at its allies.

The other beasts at this point had grown impatient, especially the Ruby Hydra, who's heads would begin to surge forward, gnashing as they skillfully wove over each other so as to remain unpredictable, and to keep from tangling themselves up. Even when the heads bickered, they were of one mind to try and slay the vampire lord. walking forward, Rodias would keep his movements subtle and gradual as he wove beneath and beside the ruby hydra's heads, traveling the length of its necks to reach tthe main body. To the average observer, Rodias was simply walking nonchalantly up to the Hydra's torso. In reality however, each blow was scarcely dodged, the sweat starting to build upon Rodias' brow. Holding his arm back towards where the blood of the Eather Serpent had fallen, Rodias would manipulate it using his Blood Drinker classes skills. The crimson blood, rich in magical ether, would collect in his hand as a rapier before he drove it into the Ruby Hydra's heart.

The Red Wyvern's flames would engulf Rodias just as he finished, the Dhampir recoiling as he became alit. No matter how hard someone tried to dodge, a gargantuan cone of fire was impossible to completely avoid. Now aflame, he would attempt to draw back from the Hydra, only to find the beast defiant to the end as one of its heads slammed into his gut, sending him flying. Now out of control, Rodias was a prime target for a flying suplex, set up by the two Silver Darganthi. The male made himself a springboard, allowing the female to grab Rodias, spin with him in the air, and crash him into the ground, spine first. 

Letting out a gutteral scream, Rodias would receive no breaks as the male followed up, soaring through the air to give him the People's Elbow from the top of the arena. Eyes locked on the male crashing down, Rodias would greatly regret his overconfidence, but not enough to accept defeat. Managing to form a blade out of the blood that he'd coughed up from the impact, Rodias caused just enough damage with a knife-sized spike to cause the female to loosen her grip, letting his head avoid what would have been a lethal blow. Well...now what?

Rodias would watch as the multitude of monsters encroached fast, the Necropede scuttling over hurriedly in an instinctive bid to make Rodias into its thrall. The Ocuvolf's trained all their eyes upon him, the blinded one down for the count along with the defeated hydra. [i]"...Is two...really my limit...? Dammit...what the hell would Loss do!? This is the kind of shit he'd brag about being able to do barehanded!"[/i] he would think, hand shaking as he attempted to reach for the blood of the Ruby Hydra. Through pained breaths, Rodias would whisper:

[color=f7976a][b]"[Greater Acceleration]

[Haste]

[Step of the Phantom]

[Adrenaline High]

[Rogue's...Rogue's...Foresight...]"[/b][/color] before he could feel the female Darganthi's grip tighten once more, forcing him to grit his teeth to keep from screaming. As a series of coup de grace's were launched at him, he started regretting a lot of things. Namely, not being specific enough, and not understanding his own limits. But, as he felt SOMETHING inside of him welling up, Rodias suddenly grew slack. In that moment, every beast that could manage to fit into the dogpile would strike, before finding that Rodias was gone. 

[color=f7976a][b]"[Shadow Walker]. Right. I forgot that was how it worked,"[/b][/color] Rodias would say, somehow now standing behind the crowd of monsters. Aurora would have been close enough to see that Rodias had...simply vanished. Or rather, he'd gotten up, and walked right through the beast holding him down as if it was air. Or he was. Shadow was a Rare class, only obtainable by those who focused on "Becoming Untouchable". And, having never gotten a chance to use it in full, Rodias would feel absolutely stupid. This wasn't a test of endurance. It was a test of patience. What would follow would be Rodias moving in an instant to the back of the female, using a makeshift set of daggers from the blood of the Ruby hydra that he'd stabbed through the heart. [b]"[Assassinate!]"[/b] he would cry out, before the beast's back practically split open from the force, the female falling forward to the ground in an instant.

Rodias would continue to fight, halfway to defeat himself and completely turn the tides. One by one the monsters that he had ordered brought in would fall in turn, each after a considerable amount of effort and footwork put in. After two hours had passed, Rodias would be standing, soaked in blood, panting, exhausted, and...

[color=f7976a][b]"...He...Hehehe...HAHAHAHAHA!"[/b][/color]

Having the time of his life. All before he would lean against a wall, clutching his chest and what was likely several cracked ribs. And spinal sections. [color=f7976a][b]"Aurora...My apologies. I seem to have overestimated myself...just a little,"[/b][/color] he would say, beginning to make his way over to the edge of the arena. [color=f7976a][b]"Thank you for indulging me. I'll be sure to come again, once I shake off this rust in full."[/b][/color]

With that said, Rodias would wait for Aurora to finish healing himself and the various beasts, the Sable Lord's gaze transfixed on his own hand, eyes seeming to look past it. [color=f7976a][i]"...So I don't feel afraid of pain. I think,"[/i][/color] he would think, before clenching his fist. More than anything he wanted to show that he was strong enough to face anything, but...now he just felt as if he embarrassed himself. He had won, certainly...but it was a slog fest that relied on his own dodging. He wouldn't be surprised if the only reason he won was because the beasts just didn't have the stamina to keep their assault up. Rodias would look to Aurora once she was done with her healing and bow his head respectfully. [b]"Thank you, Aurora. I'll...be heading off to the archives now. Good night,"[/b] he would say before starting his way out of the beast pens, shoulders sunken. 

[color=f7976a][b]"...I really am just a tank, huh?"[/b][/color] Rodias would say as he looked up at the sky outside the pens, remembering all the flak he'd gotten for his semi-unconventional build...and all the memories he'd made of using that strange character that was Rodias to help his friends defeat tough encounters, weaving through danger and drawing focus to himself, outlasting everything that came his way so long as his friends were at his side. But now...

Who was he dodging for? What enemies were he taunting to let Brushen Penn get a flank on? Why did he even bother trying to prove himself in a fight like that?

Because, every time that he narrowly avoided death's clutches, he felt as if one of his guild members might miraculously appear beside him, taking advantage of the situation and turning the tides. Approaching the front door, Rodias' face would grow wet as liquid streamed from his eyes, tears unbound as the Sable Lord drew away from the door. He would need a bit of alone time, sitting in Zouyu's empty garden in the cold of the night as he calmed himself. Then, he would visit Flan for his snack, and settle his affairs with Oz before heading to the archives to guard it.

Aurora would be left free to her own devices, whether that be to return to her chapel, or to explore the Chateau in search of something to do before the night ended.
[/hider]

[@DracoLunaris]
[hider=Hunt for Answers]
At the praise being given for his capture, Zouyu's cheeks lit up the slightest tinge of red as he beamed, scratching the back of his head with his claws. [color=fff79a][b]"It was super easy! After it saw how easily I cut off the head of its friend, it didn't even try running. And, these're wild as far as I know. Unless they're free range,"[/b][/color] the weretiger explained, giving his captured quarry a delicate patting on the head with his soft paws. Even if it was dominated by Kaldorna, he felt elated that his find was great. [color=fff79a][b]"I think the reason humans don't domesticate them is because they're too bulky to have a lot of in a tiny farm plot. Or maybe the people here are just too weak to tame them. I bet this thing eats a ton of grass too,"[/b][/color] he would add, demonstrating by ripping a chunk of grass from the ground and offering it, the beast's long tongue extending out a good twelve inches to grab at the grass. 

[color=fff79a][b]"Think we should keep trying to find beasts to take back? Or head back with this new fodder? I bet Flan could make the best steaks out of these...uh...what are we gonna call them, Kaldorna? Gorgonbulls? They kind of remind me of catoblepes, but less dangerous.[/b][/color]

Sadly, few beasts in the area seemed especially worth bringing back to the Pens. Most were simple herbivores, with the most dangerous beast being an arachnid that one of the hunters had found, who's sting calcified targets with some sort of petrification that spread quickly. But its small size meant that it was completely unable to penetrate the skin of normal humanoids. Despite the numerous caves present in the mountains, most of them seemed to be inhabited by small rodents and relatively harmless primates, the likes of which had a fondness for fresh fruits from the trees dotting the relatively bare mountains. However, roars would echo out from the North, far, far to the North. 

Looking in that direction, Zouyu would smirk. [color=fff79a][b]"Sounds big..."[/b][/color]
[/hider]

[@Lucius Cypher][@Rockin Strings]
[hider=Hunting for Inspiration]
Shill was more than appreciative of the potion, wounds instantly sealed shut as the figures would begin their charge, only to be stopped by his goblin brethren and his master. The cultists clearly had not been expecting a fireball, given that two of them were instantly engulfed and devoured by the flames that it brouht, two more being cut down in an instant by the goblins' arrows. The remaining two would then realize that they were beyond screwed, attempting to make a break for it, only to be surrounded entirely. Raising their hands and slowly falling to their knees, the two could only pray to whatever heathen gods they worshiped that they'd be spared with surrender...or at least tortured and let go.

Mamoru's Flash Step into Speed Strike would prove more than effective against the cultist; A sickening crunch echoed from his lower back as what sounded like part of his spine breaking from the force of the blow, even with Mamoru holding back. His cries would echo out underneath his mask as he struggled to try and crawl away, legs failing him as he had been knocked over from the strike. Mamoru could feel the fear present in him...and probably smell it too, as it seemed he had soiled himself from the shock of the blow, and the pain that followed. [b]"What the hell are you!?"[/b] he would scream between pained pants. 

[/hider]

[@IceHeart]
[hider=The Sable Lord's Midnight Snack]
Rodias heard the bubble pop, and couldn't help but stare worryingly at the back room Flan resided in. Was...was she alright? It seemed so, as she called out for him to give her a moment. Turning his back to the door, Rodias would just kind of stand there awkwardly as he waited. 

He wouldn't have to wait long before Flan presented herself however, the feeling of awkwardness he felt within as he was treated with such respect was still strange. After all, he wasn't used to being...somebody. As he was seated, Rodias eyed the crackers, honestly thinking that would have been sufficient for a snack on its own. But he was certainly pleased when he smelt the mutton cooking. The crackers and cheese served as a fine placater, but the meat that would be presented to him would drive Rodias' mouth to want to spill over. In the 22nd century, "Good" food was a luxury for the richest who could afford the lives of animals that were hard to raise without a proper environment, and this might honestly have been the best cut of meat that he'd ever seen. Even the ones on television never looked this good.

Tensely, the Sable Lord's knife would cut through the meat in a single stroke, dissecting a cube from the end of it before his mouth would close over it. Before he had even chewed, Rodias' cape would flare up furiously, billowing up and over his chair in a way that made his visage almost terrifying for a moment, his head becoming downturned as he contemplated the taste, the complexity of flavors, the balance of the spices...

Before he started savagely cutting into his mutton and devouring it piece by piece. Once he was finished, he would gingerly wipe his face with a napkin, before he rose to look Flan in the eyes, cape still somehow billowing because of the microtransaction that he'd spent way too much money on. 

[color=f7976a][b]"Flan, that was...wonderful,[/b][/color] Rodias would say, before he raised a hand as if in objection, rephrasing by saying: [color=f7976a][b]"No...I should be honest. That may be the single best thing I've ever eaten in my life."[/b][/color] With that said, Rodias would bow slightly, placing one arm over his heart as he said: [color=f7976a][b]"And, thank you for indulging me."[/b][/color]

Inwardly, beneath the calm and poise, Rodias' brain was literally screaming out a single phrase:

[i][b]"FUCKING DELICIOUS!"[/b][/i]

Every ounce of willpower that Rodias had was put into not actually just falling to the pleasure present on his tongue, the first REAL meal he'd ever had being almost too much for his dulled palate. Flan was good. Too good. Scary good.
[/hider]

[@Pirouette]
[hider=A Simple Request]
The heat of the forges would cause Rodias to begin sweating, the Sable Lord really starting to regret his choice of wearing all-black leather. In spite of this though, he couldn't help but smile at the sight of Oz's expression. He'd never seen someone so...glad to be back to work. It was an almost infectious happiness as he chuckled slightly, stating: [color=f7976a][b]"Of course. Allow me to brief you on the meeting we'd had..."[/b][/color]

After explaining in full the details of their arrival to some strange new world, Rodias would net his fingers, having removed his overcoat to leave him not as hot, now only wearing a slightly frilled white shirt in place of his Nightmare Troupe chestplate. He wasn't taking any damage from the heat of the forge but...hot was hot. He wouldn't die, but he preferred being comfortable over stoically pretending that he wasn't sweating from the bazillion degree forges around him. [color=f7976a][b]"This will also mean that you will have to work with completely new materials. Maybe even ones alien to you. I'd like to, when we have said materials, see how their raw power compares to that of the iron weapons you create. That manifest of your materials will be needed, since we'll have to make certain not to waste anything."[/b][/color]

Now sweating profusely, Rodias would loosen the collar of his shirt with a finger before stating: [color=f7976a][b]"I appreciate your efforts, Oz. I promise, I'll ask you to make an even better pair of knives than the one you made for me,"[/b][/color] before he would rise to leave Oz to her work. Even creating a simple weapon took time, now that crafting wasn't just filling up a gauge and smacking metal with a hammer. When they would be ready however, Rodias would be more than prepared to pretend at being a martial master. His fight at the beast pen's arena had made it clear, he was nowhere near strong enough on his own. If he could somehow gain levels in Warrior, then he could better protect the Chateau.
[/hider]