AzureKnight

Tales Of Shizuyama (Far-Eastern Monster Girl RP)

Lost at Sea

^{@PaulHaynek@Enkryption@The Irish Tree}
Fukami Port

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Uhhh...

Deciding to accompany Carroll, along with Alice and Liliana, to Hama Island, Shizuka would supervise the mission to ensure nothing went awry and that they returned as soon as possible. He of course was still considered that Alice might take this opportunity to inflict harm upon her cursed weapon. The man, who introduced himself as Ian North, had went to a nearby shed to drag out a boat large enough to fit all of them on. Diesel movies, what was he talking about? "Good to know we have an ally in you, North-san. Eh, what that about diesel?" Shizuka replied. North pointed out his and Carroll's intimate scene caused a sweatdrop to appear on his head.

"Y-You heard all of that...?" He was fully prepared for explaining the situation to Liliana and Alice, as monsters it'd be nearly impossible to hide the act from them. But apparently even the rainbow knight knew of their debauchery. "I meant no disrespect, I was just essentially healing an ally!" He tried to reason.

"A-Anyway, nevermind that now! Is there anything you can tell us about the situation on the island, anything we should know about?!" He said, attempting to change the subject.

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^{@PaulHaynek@Restalaan}
Terauchi Temple

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Atsuha had barely responded as Takeshi, embarrassed, apologized for looking upon her naked body and promptly left. She was rather confused at his reaction, and supposed it just should be taken at his lack of understanding of yokai. Something like this wouldn't bother most instances of her kind, but she wasn't in the mood to tease the young lord and allowed him to leave without a word. Atsuha decided that she had spent enough time sulking in the springs and that she should focus on what's important. Hinami heavily on her thoughts, she rose from the spring and dried herself off. Leaving sakure petals flowing all over the water, Atsuha put her kimono back on and headed back toward the temple's main grounds.

Upon returning, she noticed more of the taskforce members had returned from their missions. She paid note at the ones who were still currently absent, including their captain. She also looked curiously at Kazennosuke, one of Takeshi's closest allies and fellow swordsman, seeing that Yuki and Io were the ones to return with him. Odd that Shizuka wasn't with them, wasn't he the one would took point on that mission? Given the man's standing, she ultimately trusted in his ability to keep himself out of trouble, and guessed that something else drew his attention. The others seemed to be discussing something, but she'd half to worry about that later, right now she had other worries to tend to.

--

After turning for a bit, Hinami would eventually start to calm down. "Tired...scared...want sister...here" She uttered, it seemed that her voice returned to normal as well. Her feral form had drained much of her chi, and with her strength depleted her primal frenzy could not sustain itself. Skarsneek and Yurine would then notice Atsuha enter the pagoda, going straight for her sister's side.

"I'm here, my nee-chan." She gently said, caressing Hinami in her arms. "The both of you have much thanks for looking after her for me." She said to both her lover and the gravekeeper. "I think that the others are discussing something of importance outside. I wanted to check on my sister before anything else, but since she's calmed down perhaps now would be a good time to get a lay of matters at hand. Yurine, perhaps we can go ahead and use the herbs to further calm her mind?"

Atsuha would then etch another seal onto Hinami's forehead. "Gods, it's pathetic that this is all I can do, but now that I've thought about it, I believe the chaotic flow of chi created by the state of the island is what's causing her outburst to happen so frequently. Before coming here, Hinami's never fallen into this state in this way before. I didn't expect the first seal to last that long, but things as they are right now certainly aren't helping..."

After the seal was finished, she laid her sister back down on her back. "But, enough about that, let's use the herbs and meet everyone outside for now. I'll fill my sister in on things later."

The Little Hamlet

Finally posted...

The Little Hamlet

Saya Akaba

Interacting with: Boro the Bookkeeper @scrawls, Zrer Lakeilu @Theyra

Outside Hearth Public Library || Inquiring || Relaxed

Having left her cottage by the riverside a bit earlier this morning, Saya made her way toward the Hamlet library, as she often did. Whether it was to obtain more grimoires to assist with her endeavors, or a simple investigative thriller novel to pass the time, Saya had unintentionally made her name as the Hamlet’s resident bibliophile. This morning she had to return a few books she had borrowed a week ago: a tome considering the intricacies of multi-layered magic circles in order to achieve more potent effects and another on how to coax magical beasts. She would then pick up a grimoire focusing on plantlife studies, and perhaps a horror novel to help curb her intermittent boredom.

Along the way she would see that somber-looking girl on the bridge, Ingrid was her name she believed? The town’s appointed guardsman had gotten herself wet by going below the bridge, apparently something under it had roused her attention. She seemed to be holding some sort of little critter. She could barely make it out, but it appeared to be a kobold if she went off the top of her head. It wasn’t uncommon for little creatures of the sort to wander into the village, some were dangers and some often weren’t. This one, likely, was the latter. She ultimately left them to their devices.

She paid little heed to the hustle and bustle that plagued the town this morning, just another Market Day to be sure. She did decide to buy a scone from one of the makeshift stalls, as her breakfast which she often skipped when she gets into her studies. The Guild would also open its doors on this day, she thought about joining it here and there, if only that it would serve her ambition. After a little while, she eventually made her way to the Hamlet Library, were she would see its proprietor Boro standing out in front. He appeared to be speaking to someone, it was Zrer the elf alchemist. He had a somewhat somber air about him, and it made her somewhat curious as to what they were talking about.

”Good Morning, Boro.” She said to the bookkeeper, being already acquainted with him. ”I’ve come to return these books to you. They’ve been good help in my research.”

She then looked at Zrer. ”Good Morning to you as well, sir. Ah, if you don’t mind me prying, the two of you seemed to be discussing something just now. May I perhaps be of help, if I’m not overstepping?”

The Maids Guide to Demon Hunting

A Small Respite

_{@Rune_Alchemist@Click This@VitaVitaAR@Pyromania99}

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Maison d’Violette

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Lucrecia eyed Kat with a smirk after she got reprimanded by Mari. You'd think being thrown off of a dropship would be enough to discipline the firbolg maid, but Kat seemed to be in a class all her own...

While Mari led them out of the room, Lucrecia noted the way she almost clumsy stumbled on her dress, silently shaking her head as Mari tried to play it off as if nothing happened. She felt the head maid should have a bit more poise about her, although she'd keep that thought to herself. She supposed it should be commended that she can so naturally play off a given situation on the fly, flexibility was also important.

As they were all taken in front of Lady Fiore, Lucrecia followed in line and bowed to honor her generous employer. She listened intently as Fiore spoke on a couple of different topics, but the one that caught her attention the most was the mention of an underground auction. It seemed that while most of the illegal artifacts were recovered, a particularly threatening one was purchased by a noble. Loeth Havershel, was it? Lucrecia thought that she might have heard that name somewhere before... She showed a bit of ire as she thought about it, the idiocy of the man reminded her of that pig-roach Roksandic.

"Ahem, if I may speak." Lucrecia started after Mari finished her briefing. "Signora Fiore has already proven that she is leagues more intelligent that this Havershel buffoon." She said venomously. "This self-destructive imbecille needs to be dealt with swiftly, and I much look forward to the assignment!"

Fiore would likely take notice of the bile building up in Lucrecia's eyes. It was obvious that this assignment was personal.

The Lion's Banner: A Fire Emblem-Inspired Anime Fantasy RP

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Cultists' Lair

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Valmyra witnessed the sight of the destroyed camp, wiping away any excess blood and saliva from her lance and tail. She didn't as much need for the torches her comrades had made use of, her species was suited for eyeing things in the dark after all. She could plainly see the dozens of slain corpses that littered the ground, along with the puddles of blood that laid with them. Some of the other members commented on how the wounds inflicted were of geometric perfection, which meant that it must've been committed by a skilled professional. Valmyra didn't care about that, she was just curious as to the identity and whereabouts of the attacker.

Upon following her comrades into the crypt, Val readied her weapon for another sortie as she paid close attention to her surroundings. The group eventually happened more corpses of cultists and a lone woman; she looked to be as about as young as the captain. She had an appearance befitting a witch, but her fingers had strange segmented joints. Val thought that she looked like those weird figures that human child often played with. What stood beside her was a disgusting amalgamation of blades and appendages that vaguely resembled a human woman. It had blades on some of the limbs, soaked in blood from its victims. The young woman revealed herself to the culprit behind the killings, but it didn't seem like the captain was in the mind of "the enemy of my enemy is my friend." Lirrah decided to apply a diplomatic approach while addressing the witch, while Urden and Kayliss thought that the situation should be considered a boon and thus no longer the group's concern.

"With respect witch, you can understand that your presence here is rather odd. We hope to have no quarrel with you, but we are naturally curious as well."

The Maids Guide to Demon Hunting

A Small Respite

_{@Rune_Alchemist@Click This@VitaVitaAR@Pyromania99}

---

Maison d’Violette

---

Lucrecia had a neutral expression on her face as she, along with Polina, took Eliz's measurements. She, however, was hiding her frustration at the situation to maintain professionalism. She chuckle a bit at Eliz's reaction to having the word "serviceable" used to describe her by Polina. She was used to all demons being fearsome and hellish creatures. She thought they were all, well, demonic to say the least. She was careful not to get swiped by her scaly tail, which was now whipping around in a childish tantrum.

She then watched as the tailor Tiki worked her magic, seamlessly stitching together threads around her until it eventually started to resemble a maid uniform. Kat, being herself of course, subjected her antics onto the demon maid by giving her a firm slap on the rear end. Was that supposed to be a form of hazing or just her way of welcoming Eliz to the fold? Lucrecia mentally sighed, watching as Eliz was completely flustered by the whole ordeal, clearly not knowing what to do in this case. She would instead take some time to inspect Eliz's new outfit; she had to admit that the maid did good work. Should be expected as a member of the Mason after all.

"I understand your frustration, love." Said the accented maid. "Kat has a habit of doing that to everyone she meets, I suppose it's her way of saying hello. If you want to get her back, though, it will have to wait til later. I believe the Madonna has a place which we are to follow her to."

As Tiki had finished her role in this, she simply told everyone to leave as she exited the dressing room and headed back outside.

The Little Hamlet

I'll try and get a post up sometime this week, if not on the weekend.

Magus Reaver: Scions of Sorcery

Interludes

Collab with @Frozen0Titan

A Twilight Rendezvous

“Mmm, so this is the main city. Not bad.” A voice spoke from a farmer’s wagon as it pulled through the town gate. While nowhere near as luxurious as a Noble’s carriage, it was surprisingly comfortable compared to what most were used to.

“Aye, laddie. Can’t get much better than the main city. Though I’d watch meself round those Magus folk, worse than some merchants I tells ye.” The driver spoke up in reply, an older stout barrel of a man, long in beard but not unkindly. “Y’sure ye want to dropped here lad? Wouldn’t be nothing to take ye to the tower.”

The passenger shook his head, smiling as the wagon came to a stop. “It’ll be fine, you’ve done more than enough giving me room and board last night. I loved your stories and your wife cooked a mean stew, too.”

That got a laugh from the driver. “Hah! Aaahh, she’ll be glad to hear that lad. And sides, ye were great company yourself, helped my chickens but good. Well, here be yer stop then. You take care laddie.”

“Same to you O’Connah.” Jumping down with his pack, the man reached into a pouch, taking out a small bag and tossing it to the farmer. “Here, to show a bit of appreciation.”

Hearing the jingle the moment it landed in his hand, O’Connah shook his head. “Nah lad, ye don’t need te pay me, sides by the weight it be too much!”

The man simply smiled, adjusting a strap on his bag. “Keep it, you can use it to get that cow you’ve been wanting, sides, your wife’s expecting soon right? So don’t worry about it, I can make my way by.”

O’Connah shook his head after a moment, pocketing the coin with an appreciative smile. “Yer a strange lad, but a good one. Me wife and I will pray for ye, Damian. May the 6 protect ye.”

“Same to you both O’Connah.” Standing aside Damian watched as O’Connah guided the wagon around, turning down a side street for the farmer’s market. Letting out a breath, Damian started making his own way.

“Alright, now let’s see what all the hubbub was about…”

As the young photographer made his way through the city streets, he would no doubt feel a particular presence following him. His first obvious reaction would to be an alert, and if necessary, prepare for an evening bout. However, he would also likely sense that there was no hostility behind the signature he felt, although it felt quite unlike anything he's ever encountered before.

Feeling an immense, harmonized flow of blessed energy and the void, Damian would quickly turn to see a mature, but young looking woman with crimson eyes and long silver hair. She wore an elaborate white and blue dress, and had feathered ornaments on the sides of her head. She looked like some sort of fashionista or goddess icon.

"Damian Florestas, I presume?" She said in a soothing voice. "Good Evening to you. I trust your journey to Morgenröte went with no issues?" She walked a bit closer to Damian to get a better look at him.

Damian would notice that her eyes seemed to be glowing with a peculiar hue in the evening shade, signifying the deep magic that swelled within her slender frame. "I'm glad you accepted our invitation to join Eon. Oh, but where are my manners? My name is Brunhyldia Amelia Selini, and I serve an administrative role at Eon alongside Arteus. It's a pleasure to meet you." She said, making a polite bow.

"Do believe our conversation should be carried elsewhere. Allow me to guide us to the Tower." Holding out her hand, a violet orb began to form in it. The emission soon grew large enough to where it completely engulfed both of them, and Damian would find himself within a shroud of darkness. After a few moments, the shroud would vanish, and the freelancer would suddenly find himself in front of a large tower. Ornate and archaic in design, this must've been the Eon Tower he heard so much about.

"I welcome you to Eon Tower, Damian. It's getting a bit late, so I apologize for the lack of proper onboarding. But, if you'd just follow me inside, we'll get you settled in."

The man waved off her worries. “No need for apologies, Madame Brunhyldia, works a bit better this way.” Following her inside Damian kept aware of himself despite gazing about.

“I will say before anything else that I’ve still yet to decide whether to join or not. Arteus' latest letter spoke of discussing the details before I make the final choice.”

Smiling warmly at Damian's flexibility, Brun motioned for him to follow as the large doors of the Tower opened. Upon entering, he would immediately be brought before the expansive interior of the structure. It was truly something to take in, with the various artifacts and contraptions on display it seemed as though the Tower was larger on the inside than on the outside.

"In regards to the finer points of the invitation, it basically involves what you're role here will be as a member of the Tower. How that will affect your daily routine moving forward and what the staff will expect of you during your time here. Before we delve any further, do you have any questions at this point?"

"I do. Beyond our work outside the tower and all that includes, what exactly are you expecting from your recruits?"

Beginning with a warm smile, Brun turned to Damian's question, her eyes still glowing with a crimson hue.

"Well, Damian, to answer your question...that honestly depends on you." She paused for a moment, in case of Damian's reaction.

"Arteus and I understand that the people we take under our wing are individuals at the end of the day. Ones with their own hopes and desires. What we expect from you is to be able to use this Tower as a means of accomplishing said desires. Whether it'd be becoming a renowned researcher, making a breakthrough in medical magics, creating the newest state of the art magitek products, or even simply being the strongest magus you can be." She said, giggling to herself a bit before continuing. "So, Damian, whatever your dreams may be, we do hope that our facility can at least be some sort of stepping stone on your way to that dream."

Damian stared at the woman as she spoke, waiting for her to finish before speaking. "So, instead of merely making a team of noteworthiness to showcase some of the ideas Arteus had in creating this tower and organization, it's to create an environment to further collude the various walks of life directly in the face of the old ways and shake up the quo's." Nodding a bit to himself Damian soon smirked. "Bold, but smart. We need more moves that like in the world today. Here's hoping it spreads."
"So, how large of a group do you have, currently? Heard by the grapevine that the tower had acquired some new recruits?"

"Goodness, you certainly are a sharp one Damian. It's easy to see why Arteus was so impressed by you." She said, "Arteus, that man, he's quite the capricious one when he wants to be. He's difficult to read, but he always seems to have plans in motion."

"As for our new recruits, we indeed have several. Including the two young witches native to this city a young Fae rouge joined us, as well as a Fae couple. I believe they've already returned to the Tower by now. I must say those two show such promise; They defeated a legion of monsters and a greater abomination on their first mission!"

Walking along with Damian around a decorated corridor, the hallway had a homely feel to it. He probably would be able to guess these were the living quarters. "I will say that Ruecian and Rozemyne were with them during that mission, so I suppose I shouldn't be too surprised. There's also a young bard who's quite skilled with Thaumaturgic tunes, played via his lyre. I rather like his style, but...I sense a bit of darkness in his heart to be honest." Brun said, her tone becoming a bit somber at that point.

"There's also a young Belua girl who's quite the energetic spark, along with her tiger summon! You might like her. There's also a young noble from Flugell, he's quite the talented sniper. Though, I'm afraid he hasn't yet fully acclimated to life with traditional magi, so he might be a little hard to get along with haha. And then there's..."

Brun began to trail off a bit, as if reluctant to speak on the next person of interest. "The other recruit is perhaps the most estranged, and...wild we'll say. She's an alchemist who also specializes in the use of void. She seems to have a scarred past, Arteus himself seems to have more details, but he won't speak much on it. Also, hera use of alchemist involves transmuting her own body in very interesting ways. She's rather hard to peg." Eventually, they appeared in front of a door, Damian would see that beside the door was a plaque with his name etched on it.

“Here we are, this will be your living quarters at the Tower. Fully furnished and accommodated.” Brun said. “Of course, you’re still free to ask me any more questions you may have.”

Hmm, already assured I’ll be staying. Confident, ain’t she? Thinking to himself, a hum was his outward response.

“Where there are no doubt other questions that could be asked, there is only one that I feel would be appropriate at the current moment.” Without hesitation he grabs the handle, opens the door and waltzes in. Turning about to look at Brun, with enough room in the doorway to look inviting, he smiles gently. “Would the kind lady before me be interested in a warm cup of tea before she turns in for the night?”

Though she squinted at him, Brun still held a smile on her face at Damian’s invitation. “I suppose I could stay for a moment.” She said, chuckling.

Brun took a seat at the provided table in the room, gently pulling to the edge. Adjusting her dress, she then placed her hands on her lap, then looked to the Tower’s soon-to-be new recruit.

“So, was there still something you were still unsure about?”

“Unsure of? No.” Closing the door behind him Damian sat his pack down at the table, rummaging into it, soon pulling out…a proper tea set?

“Merely needing time to experience things here before making the practical decision.” Cups soon followed along with a number of canisters. Soon, all manner of items had been pulled from the bag and more followed!

“Do you have a preference on which kind of tea you enjoy most?”

“Ah, I see. Well, I’m fairly certain that all of the recruits will have returned to the Tower by late tonight. As well, some of the other senior field reavers will have returned by tomorrow morning. At that point, you can experience a more routine day at the Tower first hand.” Brun said. She looked with a bit of interest as Damian pulled out different bits of cupware and containers. It continued until a fully complete tea set was laid before her on the table.

“I generally prefer black thai tea with a bit of cinnamon, but I’m fine with whatever you have available my good sir.”

“Not to worry, Miss Brun. I can easily accommodate your tastes.” Reaching inside the pack once more, a tin large enough to fit comfortably in the palm of his hand was pulled out, marked with brown and red outlines. The moment he opened it, the scent of black thai tea soon filled the room.

It didn’t take long for the tea to be made; boiling the water and steeping the leaves and broken cinnamon sticks. Sooner than one might think, a fresh cup was placed before the woman, hot steam rising almost lazily into the air. A small dab of milk was added to his own cup before turning to Brun.

“Give it a moment to cool, milady, but I do believe it will be to your liking.” The smirk on his face was confident, but not arrogantly so. Merely fully assured that Brun would enjoy what he brewed for her. Closing his eyes he took a slow, long whiff from his cup, exhaling and visibly relaxed. “Would you like a dash of milk or sugar, my dear?”

The Chaos Witch had to admit, the aroma coming from the tea was quite pleasing. She too, felt her mind at ease after taking a small whiff of the scent of thai that began to fill the room. “A little bit of sugar would be nice, thank you.” She responded. She stared into the cup for a moment; the expression she wore on her face would suggest that she was pondering something.

“You know, Damian. Arteus did inform me a bit of your history. I understand that you’re quite the accomplished photographer. You’ve quite the catalog of beasts and landscapes under your belt, I presume?” She said, “Although, I also understand that for certain reasons, you usually have to keep a, shall we say, low profile of sorts?”

After she felt that it cooled off enough, Brun took her first sip of the tea. A warm smile would confirm to Damian how she felt about the taste. “I do apologize if that’s too touchy of a subject to go over right now. We can talk about something else if you’d like, and I’d hate to spoil the mood and sour the taste of the tea.”

Outwardly, the man didn’t flinch, merely looked at the witch. Yet for the smallest of moments, despite the short distance between them the woman would feel as if they were miles apart. Closing his eyes and taking a sip, the feeling ended. “Everyone has their story, Miss Brun, as I’m sure you yourself have experienced learning to master both faith and the void together. Same goes for one of your recruits, a young girl who got a bit too close to the void and paid the price for it, correct?”

"That's true indeed, Damian." She responded. She paused for a moment, noticing the change in Damian's demeanor. “She’s paid the price, for sure. But, she’s decided that instead of wallowing in despair, she’s chosen to take steps and make an effort to make her fate her own, molding it into something of value. Something of which I hope she’ll understand that we’re willing to help with.” Taking another sip of her tea, she smiled and decided to try and lighten the mood.

“This tea is delicious. No doubt it comes from experience. I don’t sense any magic imbued in it either! I could go into a bit of detail in regards to the road I walked in order to master two principles that are completely opposite of one another, but we’d be here all night haha!”

Hearing that the man chuckled, a small but wry smile on his face. “Mayhaps, and yet-” He took another sip. “Spending the night with a distinguished woman such as yourself to hear such a tale is an attractive thought all its own. Should our schedules align, perhaps we could set a date for such? An afternoon that is calm of breeze yet warm as the kettle prepares many a cup for two souls?”

“Heehee, perhaps when time permits, I’ll take you up on that offer. For now, I think it’s time I took my leave and let you get settled in. I’ll see you and everyone else in the morning. Good night Damian.” Finishing the last bit of her tea, Brunhyldia pushed out from the table and stood up. The last sight of her Damian saw for the night was her walking out of the door, closing it behind her. He would likely see her, along with the other members of the Tower, first thing in the morning.

As he stated before, they seemed fairly confident that he would deign to become a full-fledged member of Eon. One had to wonder if that was just overconfidence, or if there was a specific reason. Perhaps Damian would be left with a feeling that Brun knew more of Damian’s…situation than she let on. Perhaps the chief of staff who was currently absent knew more. Either way, the young magus would find out soon enough…

Offering Brun a nod Damian watched as she left, keeping his seat for a time after the door had closed.

The room descended to silence, broken only by the sound of the kettle going of once more. After making another cup he moved to the window, sipping in contemplation.

Quite confident, aren't they? Well, no matter. We'll simply see how things play out tomorrow. Wasn't the first time a job had a slow start before it built up speed, wouldn't be the last. Guess he would simply have to wait till tomorrow before making any further judgements...

Collab with @PaulHaynek

Ill Omen

"Doggone mages and their doggone crazy, shapeshifting woman and their doggone tiger woman and their doggone gun doctor and their doggone dragon mage girl..."

Despite Scarlett and the Makara dining on his flesh, Keith was somehow fully restored. Albeit, naked and wearing only a wooden barrel to protect his modesty. It was fortunate he found his headwear still intact and immediately put it on, the mercenary has yet to meet someone who did not revolt at his visage. Right now, he was combing the Makara corpses for pieces of his previous attire. He had several more sets at home, but making them wasn't exactly easy or cheap. Indeed, each scrap he found counted into making a new one.

"And doggone their stupid familiars too. Maybe I should invest in anti-familiar weaponry and gadgets..."

As the mercenary groaned while collecting scattered remains of his torn apart attire. He would sense presences that carried an ominous wind with them. Keith would turn to find a few cloaked figures standing before him. Their faces were shrouded by their hoods, but the merc seemed to be familiar with them nonetheless. One of them stepped forward and addressed him directly. Their voice sounded distorted and modulated, giving it a very unnatural tone to it.

”Sellsword, why are you still parading around here in this swamp? Your mission was not supposed to take this long, and you were to return to us once done. The Mistress has more need of your services. Said the hooded individual. He then appeared to inspect Keith for a moment.

”It seems you’ve run into some…complications during your time here? I certainly hope this setback hasn’t compromised our state of affairs.”

“Hell yeah, I ran into some complications!” Keith replied. “Someone actually called the cops on me! And by ‘cops’, I mean some mages. A whole team of them. There was this tiger girl and then there was this woman who drank some of the waste… I think they were some mages from one of them Towers or something.” The mercenary continued. “Real tough guys, I tell you what.”

“But don’t worry, they think I’m just some merc dumping magical trash. They didn’t even inquire about the nobles who hired me!” Keith cheerfully said. “Although, that may be because the Makara were all over us…”

“Regardless, our secrets’ are safe and we can continue with no problems.” The mercenary assured, while still naked in a barrel. “Now then, what’s the Mistress got for me?”

”You are lucky that this team appears to be inexperienced then.” Replied the figure. ”You said they were from one of the towers? I can’t imagine the Association so readily dispatching aid to an area as remote as this. Unless…” They paused a moment, thinking to themselves. ”That Irvin bastard…” He uttered. ”Damn, if they were with him, he’s no doubt caught wind of us!”

The figure displayed visible distress and rage at the revelation. ”We must inform her of this.” Said another cloaked figure. ”He’s interference will no doubt cause a great many problems”

”We will worry about that later. For now, the Mistress has a new assignment for you, sellsword." Said the original figure. ”She needs you to deal with a matter in the Holy Kingdom. With that damned serpent poking around, we may have to rework our objectives.”

“Holy Kingdom, huh? I might look outta place there with all my black drip, but sure, I’ll be there. Tell the Mistress that I’m ready to receive any order anytime.” Keith nodded. “Speaking of my drip, do you guys mind helping search for my clothes inside these things? Shouldn’t be too hard…”

”I still do not and don’t care to understand your strange dialect, sellsword. But, don’t concern yourself with your garments. The Mistress has some new clothing available to you. You are fortunate that she has taken such a liking to you…”

With that, the cloaked figure opened a violet portal before the group, then motioned for Keith and the others to enter it behind him. After entering through, they all vanished in a single flash of purple light. While it appeared to be some sort of void magic, it left an oddly dark energy along with it.

Collab with @PaulHaynek & @Silverstein

"Slight of Hand"

The trip back to the Eon Tower was uneventful. Einer played a peaceful, sleepy song all the while to help his comrades relax. He had no further comment regarding the previous quest, not even remarking that he was aware that the anti-magic orb was most likely... acquired, rather than destroyed as Evelyn claimed. And since neither he nor the Star Witch has it, the choices were very much narrowed down.

Upon getting to the Tower, Einer would greet anyone at the entrance and lobby before making for the library. The day was not over and it was better to get started. Einer began looking for volumes on the different ways to cast spells from the other Principles besides his own Thaumaturgy.

~

As far as Leon is concerned, this mission was almost in the wraps. Despite his usual blank expression, he can't help but feel bad about keeping the orb a secret from the other promising reavers beside him on the way to the tower. The peaceful song Einer is singing puts his mind at ease and gives him clarity to persist his deal with the collector.

What they don't know can't hurt them, right? It was strictly business for him.

~

Upon returning to the library, trailing after Einer entered. He met up with Kiff, signaling his arrival with a long whistle.

"A debt paid, as per our contract"He revealed the chipped orb in his tiny little palm.

"It got dented on the way we retrieved it, but fear not, it is still in working order" Leon told a white lie. The missing piece was imbued in one of his daggers.

"I don't know what you will do with it, but that is not of my concern. In any case, I'm sure you heard the rumors that the magitech management is a real P.O.S and the mutiny that follows." Leon sighed.

"I haven't told mr. Donovan yet. but i would do the same if i'm put in that peculiar position if i'm being honest."

~

Evelyn rode back to Eon in much the same fashion as the others. The trip was uneventful, but it couldn’t be described as quiet. With the quest now complete and things settling down, Eve’s exhaustion had finally caught up with her and she had fallen asleep on the ride back. Her snoring was irritatingly loud, and all passengers would be subject to it without mercy.

When they eventually reached the Republic, a bump on the road caused the vehicle to shake a bit, which caused the witch to awaken with a sudden yelp. ”Wah?! What’s goin- Are there more brigands?!” She said, looking around with a bit of shock. She would calm down as she looked out the window and saw Eon Tower coming into view. ”Oh, we’re back?” She said, letting out a little sigh of relief. Exiting the vehicle, Evelyn would also promptly enter through the large doors. She wondered if Lapis had returned from her mission by now? At any rate, she’d catch up with her in the morning. RIght now, it was time to crash.

”See you guys tomorrow. You know, that mission was kinda fun, all things considered. Maybe we should do it again sometime!” She said to Einer and Leon as they all went their separate ways.

–

As Einer and Leon made their way into the library, they would see Kiff organizing a few documents and scribbling something on a parchment at his desk in the far back of the room. He was a bit perplexed at the sudden sound of a whistle filling the room. Putting down the pen, he looked up and noticed the two reavers. ”Hello there, gents! I was just about to turn in for the night after I finished up some business.” He said in a candid and welcoming tone. ”I imagine Ms. Eve turned in for the night already, I also trust that today’s mission went well? ”

Kiff would get his answer, as Leon walked up to him and spoke of a debt being repaid. He handed him the orb he had pocketed during the battle. ”Oh?” Kiff’s face lit up with mischievous delight at the gift he received. ”So this is what the Loghren sect had in the works for the past few months. I believe this to be their mana disruption device, halting the flow of mana in its vicinity. That, of course, prevents sorcery and magitek from being used.” He mused. ”Yes, I’ve heard rumors about the unrest that went on at the plant, that Joseff fellow’s got some rumors circling around about him. Some of them pretty nasty depending on where you ask.”

He inspected the orb, immediately noticing the chip before Leon even pointed it out. He looked Leon in the eyes for a moment, making a smirk. ”Ah, that’s fine.” He said. ”In our line of work, accidents tend to happen from time to time.” He placed the orb in a drawer in his desk, then clasped his fingers together. ”Sometimes, those little mishaps just get swept under the rug.” He said, winking at the young Fae. The inflection in his tone was rather telling of something.

At the mention of Donovan’s name, Kiff rubbed his chin and sat back in his chair. His demeanor was still cool and collected. ”Oh, I wouldn’t be considered with such a thing. Donovan finding anything out should be the least of your worries. At any rate, you again have my thanks for keeping your end of the bargain. I shall keep mine as well, of course, so you can stay tuned for that. If there was nothing else, would you be turning in for the night? If you need something, I can be of help after all.”

He looked over at Einer, who was busy rummaging through various tomes of spellcasting. ”My offer extends to you as well, Einer. I see you eyeing various spellbooks. Looking to add some new abilities to your repertoire?”

~

Bite of the Sun Beast

A beaten and charred figure could be seen limping in the outstretches of the wasteland just outside a townsend. The man wore armor, or whatever was left of it at this point. A large part of what covered his torso had been completely obliterated, and the cloak that he wore over it showed jaggedness and burn marks that confirmed that his wardrobe was damaged in a recent skirmish. Part of his face was visible through his broken mask, revealing a single gray eye that was filled with venom and desperation. After some time, he arrived at the foot of the town. Taking it at face value, it could barely qualify as one; The buildings were decrepit and hollowed out, and the streets were mainly empty. Loud laughing could be heard as he neared a roofless building that had a flickering light, signifying a fire had been lit. The laughter was the only other sound through the small village, save for the eerie sound of whistling wind.

Within the damaged building sat a large group of warriors, consisting completely of belua of different species. That sat around the fire, surrounded by supplies and perhaps what appeared to be spoils of battle. They drank and chewed meat, though the type couldn’t be identified. The portions had a peculiar shape to them. The laughter had stopped as they noticed the injured man enter the interior. Some looked at him with blank expressions, while others looked on with perplexity. None spoke however, and they seemed to be offended by the man’s very presence, as if he had soured the mood of their recreation. The silence was soon broken by a hardy laugh that came further back from the crowd.

”By the fucking Six, Julian, the hell happened to you, haha?!” The voice came from a reptilian belua who was sitting on some sort of large, lizard-like beast. His belua features were extortionate, lined with scarlett scales that ended in jags. His eyes were so piercing that they could cause a dragon’s heart to stop. He sat on his steed, towering above all of the other members, as he looked at the man known now as Julian with amusement. He jumped down from the creature to meet with Julian at eye level.

”Kinich…” He uttered with labored breath, ”The mission failed, we were decimated by a trio of magi hired by the wretch Josef!”

”Oh? Well, no shit, boyo.” Kinich replied coldly ”Winners don’t usually come running back half dead with their manhood castrated.” His joke at the man’s expense had caused the rest of the men to break their silence and explode in laughter once again. After a little bit, Kinich would try and calm them down, wanting to continue to speak to the defeated man. The rowdiness began to test his patience at a certain point. ”I said shut the fuck up ya damn clowns!! He spat, his voice echoing louder than the large cracks his stomp had created in the ground before them. The rumbling his foot caused signified his tremendous strength, even causing Julian to topple over. Needless to say, his men instantly shut their mouths with sheepish whimpers. His beast rustled a bit at its master’s outburst, but was ultimately unfazed. ”Now then, ya mentioned somethin’ about there being three magi that done you lot in?”

”Ngh, yes.” Julian said, slowly getting back on his feet. ”They were from this place called Eon. I never heard of it…

Kinich’s eyes widened slightly upon hearing that name.

”It was a knife-eared fae boy who was good with acrobatics and dagger throwing. He was the one that took the anti-magic orb. There was also a dainty boy who tried to fight us using brass knuckles, but I saw that he was able to use Thaumaturgic spells. But, the main issue was this young witch girl…”

”A young witch girl, you say?” Kinich said, oddly intrigued. ”Tell me, was this girl a reptile belua, with soft human features and her name was Lapis?”

”I’m not sure what her name was, but I know she was a human, not beastfolk Julian replied. ”She wielded immense magical energy in the form of star blasts, it was here that destroyed my force! She held us in place with the Void as well!”

”Hmm, I see.” He said, rubbing his scaly chin. ”Guess they must call this fate then” Julian seemed confused by Kinich’s reaction, but he knew better than to question the scarlet belua.

”Uh, Kinich.” Julian started again ”We’ll need to devise a plan to deal with these magi, they’re no jo-

”Boyo…” Kinich cut him off. ”There’s no need for you to worry about that. Your part’s over.

”Wh-What do yo-” That was all Julian was able to utter before Kinich bit out his jugular in a breath’s moment. The bite was accompanied by an instant smoldering and distinct smell of cooking flesh. A pained scream along with a thud marked his end, and Julian’s lifeless body laid motionless on the floor. Some flesh dangled from Kinich’s jaws and blood dripped down onto the floor from his mouth. He promptly spit it out, making a dissatisfied groan at the taste. ”Filthy.” He said, spitting on the corpse. Walking over to one of his men, he snatched the bottle of drink they were holding. Then, walking back over to the man, he emptied the contents on the carcass.

”Enjoy some booze on your trip to the Spectral Realm, wretch.” He said. ”Had the gull to come crawling back to me empty-handed, fucking human. After the bottle’s contents were emptied, he threw it at the body, shattering it upon impact.

”Alright you little shits! He said, addressing his men. ”We’ve wasted enough time here, let’s head out! Our payers won't be too happy losing out on those weapons, but I got another plan!

”What do we do with the body, boss? An avian belua said.

”Toss it with all the others.” Kinich said.

Hopping back on his steed, Kinich began leading the force out of the building and onto their next destination. As he did, the avian belua did as he was instructed and picked up the smoking body, carefully not touching the bite wound, and tossed it out of a window hole in the back of the building. Upon looking at the outside, one could see a large number of bodies littering the ground, all of them in a similar state to Julian’s.

Nightmare on the Prairie

It was the dead of night on a once quiet plain, but instead of the gentle sounds of grass rustling and insect chirping, it was plagued by screams of anguish and fright. They were mainly drowned out, however, by an unholy roar. A decently sized village laid decimated within the plainside, survivors were in a panic and ran wherever they could in mostly vain attempts to avoid the onslaught. Fires crackled and tore through homes and other structures as the streets were littered with miasma beasts. The beasts felled anyone who was unlucky enough to run across them, or weren’t able to get away in time.

At the center of the senseless slaughter was a large, disgusting looking beast with countless tendrils flailing around it in a violent fashion. It appeared to be the same beast that attacked another region a few weeks prior. No one was able to track its movements, so its appearance here may well as be a shock.

The main difference is that the creature is now much larger than before. Originally being the size of a large terrestrial mammal, it not was the size of a large temple, nearly towering over the buildings around it. And, there were no magus around to stave off its attack. It is possible that its appearance here was so sudden and abrupt that no one had time to react or prepare for it.

If it continues on, the entire countryside in this region will likely be swallowed up in miasma.

---

Chapter 1: Inquisition

_{@PaulHaynek@Polaris North@Hammerman@Enkryption@Silverstein@The Irish Tree@Frozen0Titan}

Morning Respite

It was morning and the recruits were gathered in the mess hall for breakfast. Along with them, were some of the other reavers: Namely Roze, Rue, Lapis, and Eve. Of course, Bellum was also present, being that she was the dietary manager and only cook for the Tower currently. The other staff members of the Tower opted to eat breakfast in their offices, wanting to get a heads up on their work. Lapis and Eve were sitting with Rue and Roze, who were talking about their previous missions, whereas Shavis was with Scarlett and both were catching up from yesterday.

”Get outta here.” Said Ruecian. ”I knew she was a weirdo, but I didn’t realize she was a cannibal too. AND she swallowed some of the waste??”

”It’s all true!” Lapis said, assuring her brother. ”She did the same thing to some of the Makara. But, at the same time, it was thanks to her that we were able to make an antidote and restore the Makara to normal. ”

”Still though, that’s really gross..” Eve chimed in. ”I’m surprised that she’s even still alive.”

”Perhaps we shouldn’t be gossiping about someone who’s sitting right near us?” Roze said, scolding her teammates.

”Eh, I don’t think she minds.”” Ruecian said, jovially. ”Besides, she probably takes pride in it.”

Chucking to himself, Rue reached for his cup of drink to wash down some of his food. However, before it reached his lips, he would find it immediately snatched out of his hand. The perpetrator was revealed to be a feline belua male, who wore interesting tribal-like garb and had a snide expression on his face.

”Aaah~” The beastman made a satisfying expression of refreshness, slammed the cup on the table with such force that plates of everyone present jump up a few inches, and put his face a few centimeters from Ruecian’s. ”Mate, you get uglier every godsdamn time I see ya!”

The feline individual began to break out in a hearty chuckle, before promptly having the moisture on his lips suddenly frozen, causing him to topple back a bit as he covered his mouth with a confused yelp. ”It’s barely the crack of dawn, can you not act like the crack of a Rhydrogon’s ass?” Moaned Rue in a tired tone. ”Honestly…” Lapis looked over around her plate to make sure no food was spilled. ”Hello Xashan. I see you’re back from your trip to the mountains.” Said Roze calmly, taking a sip of tea. Evelyn responded with a chuckle of her own. ”Bumbling troglodyte!”

Quickly wiping the frost from his mouth, Xashan snarled at Rue with an annoyed gaze. ”I expected a better welcome after a long and treacherous mission, little man!” He said.

”I figured a big man like yourself could handle such a job. But, I guess your stature is not as big as your ego, unfortunately…” Ruecian retorted. At his quip, the tension in the air thickened as the two began to square each other down. That is, until, a gentle but authoritative voice broke through their stalemate.

”Though I’m pleased to see everyone so lively, perhaps you should settle down a bit.” The two belua turned to see a familiar woman with long silver hair, her milky complexion almost seeming to shimmer in the morning light. Her crimson eyes appearing like rubies, she had a smile on her face which didn’t detract from the scolding expression her squint suggested. Beside her was standing a fairly tall, fair-skinned man whose garb suggested that he was a traveler of sorts.

”Oh! Lady Selini!!” Evelyn became starry-eyed at the arrival of the woman. To be fair, the famed Chaos Witch had many an admirer both far and wide. She responded with a friendly wave. ”Eve, you needn’t be so formal with me. Brun is fine, it’s not like we’re strangers!” She doubted she would ever take heed to those words, having repeated them to Eve several times since she graduated from the academy. ”Aside from that, where are my manners? To all the new faces her, my name is Brunhyldia Amelia Selini, and I serve as an administrator of sorts for the Eon Tower. Here with me, we have a new potential addition to the team. She gestured to the young man standing with her. ”His name is Damian Florestas, a world famous photographer, some know him as the Beast Whisperer.” She looked toward him, making an inviting gesture. ”Breakfast is currently being served if you wanted to partake and get to know everyone, Damian. Once Arteus returns, you two can have your discussion.”

Turning her attention back to everyone in the room, her tone became a bit more serious. ”Arteus is currently dealing with a few matters in regards to some…disburbances in some local regions, so I’ll be here to answer any questions in the meantime. I’ll also look over some requests and see which ones would be best to divvy out to you all, in the meantime you can handle any other affairs you may have for now. Ah there is one more thing… This week, there will be an inquisitor from the Holy Church visiting.” Her tone was now dead serious. ”This is part of their bi-annual inspection of all magus sects, and while we are autonomous we are no less subject. We ask that you all remain on your P’s and Q’s.”

After that, her expression turned back into a more gentle one. ”Still, as I said, take a bit of time to settle some of your personal affairs and further acclimate yourselves to the Tower. In the meantime, I’ll be in the meeting area. There’s a young woman who wants to discuss a few things with me.” With that, she left the mess hall, leaving Damian alone with all of the other reavers.

”Another newbie, eh?”” Mushed Xashan. ”Well, you think you have what it takes to join the Tower?”

”Still can’t help but be an ass to everyone you meet, can you? Rue said. ”Still though, the work we often do is quite dangerous. If you can’t hack it, perhaps it’s best you not bother. I think Selini said something about you being a photographer? Perhaps you’d be good with joining Naomi over in the taxonomy department?” While one could argue that Ruecian’s statement wasn’t too dissimilar to Xashan’s, it was at least perhaps more pragmatic.

With that, the reavers could finish their meal and take some time to delve into their own personal tasks. For example, they could perhaps visit the alchemy lab or library to procure some more materials and supplies for the coming work, or obtain some more magical weapons from Childes shop. Renee and Lanus may have raised a brow when Brun mentioned that she had to speak to a young woman about something, it was a long shot but perhaps they would become curious enough to investigate.

The Lion's Banner: A Fire Emblem-Inspired Anime Fantasy RP

_{@VitaVitaAR@Eisenhorn}

---

Hraesleg Lions Base Camp

---

Satisfied that her tail attack did its job, Val turned her attention back to the fray. She noticed that their captain had joined in the battle as well, her agility and deft swordsmanship felling foes within minutes. She wouldn't expected anything less from their young leader, and would just focus on keeping pace. That's when she noticed Urden making a charge at another enemy. This time he lifted him up, still charging with him in tow - and he was heading in the lamia's direction. With an rather impressive display of strength, he threw the cultist her way. Goodness! Was it some sort of strange human game?

Having no time to worry about it, she quickly prepared to intercept the flung assailant. With swift grace, she ducked the top part of her body under the cultist, then caught them out of the air with her tail. Squeezing the air of them, she skewed them straight through the neck. Crimson flowed down from their wound along the blade of the lamia's lance, she then promptly removed it before tossing them aside.

"...This hardly seems like a good time to be playing catch..." She said toward her mercenary comrade.

Tales Of Shizuyama (Far-Eastern Monster Girl RP)

Shizuka never learns that the monster girls ain't gonna listen to his lectures, huh? :P

@Xaltwind

Such is the pain of dealing with unruly monsters. They could stand to learn some decorum and wit!