[indent][i]"Ladies and gentlemen, we are witnessing history. For those of you just joining us, tonight's events started out rather routinely, with the Syracuse University football team lead by their defensive captain Damien O'Shalna defending their home field against Rutgers for the division championship. It was an amazing game to say the least, O'Shalna and his record setting defense only allowing three points in four quarters, stuffing the run and getting to the quarterback 7 times over the course of the night. Rutgers had their own impressive defensive effort, but lost the contest by allowing the game's only touchdown in the third quarter. 

Well that's all said and done as the game ended about 10 minutes ago but what happens next is pretty interesting. Instead of proceeding with the traditional trophy ceremony, the majority of the team, it's safe to say all of the Fae players followed Damien to the east end of the field and began to what I can only describe as some sort of prayer. Now our people are telling us that they're showing tribute to their fallen assistant coach, who is elven and in the hospital after being assaulted during an anti-fae rally sometime last month. This pro-fae demonstration is only a small part of the recent happenings here at Syracuse. The fae rights movement has done nothing but gain traction and momentum here in New York City, but we would never believe that it would reach this level. 

Make no mistakes folks our cameras are still rolling and we're still broadcasting because this isn't an act of hostility. The authorities have been called off after the initial confusion. No arrests have been made, nobody has been hurt because this is an act of peace and a display of good will on behalf of the Syracuse football team. What this comes down to is the basic right of existence. These kids are discovering their history, their potential and they want to be respected for being different. These kids want to be respected for being themselves.

Mark Eisen, in his last game called for Syracuse University football.[/i][/indent]

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"This is fucked, man."
"We have to know if it's gonna work if you do a full sprint across the river at full rush. It's gnarly but it's the only way we'll know it's flawless."
"I know, it's just...fucked."
"It's sketchy Damien I know, but I wouldn't ask you to do this if I wasn't entirely confident in my work."
"You can't just do it yourself? This is sketch, man."
"Damien I'm 3 feet tall I know it'll hold my weight, I need someone solid for this."
"You couldn't get Domerix out here? Orcs are solid."
"Orcs also don't trust magic that isn't Orcish."
"This is fucked."

"Just get ready, I'm mixing a fresh batch for you right now." the gnome said, rummaging through his knapsack for different powders, oils and pastes needed to make the salve they were out there to test. The gnome was Windsor Sinclair, a 5 year graduate of a 10 year course in fae science. Windsor left his premier internship in Manhattan to join Damien and show that fae science wasn't just pixie dust and fireworks. A pioneer in functional potions and concoctions of all sorts, Windsor's latest creation was a salve that could be applied anywhere on the body and would allow the user to walk, run and hopefully sprint across bodies of water as if it were solid ground. He had already demonstrated it for himself, but needed to be sure it could hold someone with real bulk, like Damien. The leader of the Sea Tigers always expressed that he would never ask his guys to do something he wouldn't, so naturally Windsor went to the man himself. There they were, mid day on the banks of the roughest part of the river. Damien checked the straps to the harness that was made to his measurements. Adjusting the fit, the harness allowed him to carry a gnome comfortably for an extended period of time, causing no strain to the shoulders or back. It all pllayed into an upcoming task Damien was putting together, but that was still in the works. They needed to know if the salve would work, first.

"Done, here you are." Windsor said, handing over the open container of blackish brownish paste. Damien took a long look at it before dipping in two fingers and applying one stripe under each eye, resembling the eye black he used to wear on the football field. Taking a nervous deep breath to try and shake the tingle in his gut, Damien paced a few steps back just before the treeline meet the riverbed. There he stood focused, doing his best to dial in and push away any hesitation in his mind. As if a gun went off, Damien swiftly dropped his hips and took off, full sprint dead ahead towards the river. Nerves made their way back into his mind, but he didn't slow down. Letting out a shout as he touched the last of dry land, Damien maintained his high speed as he sprinted clear across the river. Water splashed up from the impact of his strides as he kept in line straight across to the other side. His steps thudded hard as he slowed himself down and looked back across the river to see Windsor with his hands up in victory, both he and Damien smiling in excitement. It was an awesome moment. "That was insane! Fuck yes!" he shouted before they both began laughing. Damien calmly walked back across the river, the rapids morphing around his form as he caught his breathe.

"Let's get out of here, c'mon, I'll give you a lift." Damien quipped, getting down on one knee.
"Asshole."
They both laughed and headed back to camp. Which was a mixture of old public buildings, an abandoned subway terminal, tunnels and a maintenance tunnel junction that was out of use for a few decades. There were also plenty of tents, towers and treehouses and the canopy allowed for plenty of sun with just the right amount of privacy. Either way, Alistar's scout lines kept great watch of not just their home, but their entire part of central forest. It was a real community, there were gnomes, elves, orcs, satyrs, pixies. Pretty much every kind of fae was represented to one volume or another, but they were all equal. Damien made sure to nod and wave to as many as he could, or to those who noticed him. Everyone had been really busy lately, art, music, lectures, there was a boom in creation for the large group of fae. The two walked Windsor to his large tent and said their farewells, Windsor shouting excitedly, telling his fellow scientists about their accomplishments. Damien walked in the shade through a group of tents and past small office buildings before reaching the largest in the center.'MANNING COUNTRY CLUB' read across it's tired concrete front, which had been reclaimed by Gaia, covered in moss and vines. The walls inside the main atrium were lined with statues, idols and paintings. Many had offerings at their base or underneath them. Some fae were even in the middle of praying, communicating with their chosen deity. The building carried a respectful silence, but a satyr played the pan flute in the distance. The melancholy tune echoed through the halls as Damien walked past room after room of statues and people meditating, before finally reaching his own. 

The statue of Liara was deceiving. Her noble dressing covered her shapely form, and her crown appeared much more majestic. She looked upward, as if from the sea to the surface but Damien could still feel her gaze upon him. At her feet, a tiger laid dormant, peacefully asleep in it's master's comforting company. It was a stark contrast from the coldness of his dreams, of which only Damien was familiar with. An elven craftsman constructed the statue for Damien, using only instructions from a centuries old book detail her existence, and of the hundreds of warriors that worshiped her and died vying for her love and approval. It was how the goddess was remembered in the hearts of men. Damien presented a lone water lotus he had picked from a certain spot along the river. Placing it at the statues feet, Damien took a deep breath and looked up at her.

"In a few days, I'm going to do something I've been meaning to do for a long time. It's what I've been training myself and these Tigers for. I'm here today, to ask that you make sure things go our way and we can find out what happened to Avan. I'm not here to beg, or ask for protection, just make sure he stays out of my way. Make sure Ulrich doesn't fuck anything up for us. He's my brother, and I miss him, but we are men with different purposes now. Make sure he knows that-"
"Damien." a voice echoed from down the hall, it was Damien's captain Alistar, his steps grew louder until he stood in the doorway. "Damien, we found him."
"How?" Damien asked, his fists clenching as he kept his gaze on Liara's statue.
"Earlier today, one of my guys saw him. I'm sorry to interrupt, it's disrespectful, but I think you needed to know."
Damien sprang up to his feet, looking his scout captain in the eyes, "Grab three more of your guys, let's go."