Thalia smirked at Danny's mistake. On his way out, she said something to him, also in Dwarvish.
"Well done, stone-head. Isn't you wasting your time on half a million languages enough this time?"
It was enjoyable to make fun of him like that, particularly since he always seemed to act so damn superior. Still, she knew he wouldn't take it that seriously; this kind of thing was usual between the two of them. Still, she she shouldn't be wasting time joking: lives were at stake, and there was work to be done.
Thalia returned to the task at hand. Her opinion remained, but as she had said, staying in a group would be far safer, so she wasn't about to deviate from the others even if they decided to disagree with her. "I still think we should go to the elves first. Whatever they're looking for must be important. Besides, Gammar's neither weak, nor a fool: with all the dwarves there, it'll take a lot to bring him down. I'll go wherever we decide, but my vote is for the elves.
Thalia leant back on her chair, and initially refrained from speaking, listening to what the others had to say. She was of a mind with Danny: going up against such a large force in even smaller groups seemed like suicide, and his reasoning regarding the dwarves made sense to her.
"Look, hon," Thalia began, turning to Luddita "these three ain't fighters. It's just the six of us, and I don't fancy going it just me and a buddy out there against three to four thousand. Even with six, at this scale, this is a precision strike. Besides, I doubt two people could make much difference against a force large enough to corner the entire Dwarf Quarter. Better to go see the elves and make a real difference."
Gammar: The two have never really come into contact, but Thalia, from secondhand knowledge, has a degree of respect for the dwarf, though she prefers other methods to his. Llenasae: Though Thalia appreciates that she means well, Llenasae comes across as naive to Thalia. She thinks that someone more capable should hold that role. Ayrie: Thalia believes that Ayrie is the best hope for the elven population. Maybe her focus on knowledge is a slight slip in priorities, but generally Thalia considers Ayrie to be intelligent and capable. Felix: Felix comes across as over-serious to Thalia. Where his popularity comes from, she has no idea, as to her, he seems like he's working too hard and like he's not actually achieving anything. The Compelling Savages: Thalia is not an official member, but is strongly associated with them. She has, somewhat frequently, performed vigilante justice, and would not want them punished as a result of her actions. Trin: Due to Thalia's assocation with the Savages, the pair have met on several occasions. They are friends, though not especially close ones, and each recognises and appreciates the other's work towards their common goal.
Agatha: The two have met via the Compelling Savages. Thalia thinks Agatha could use a little idealism, and put her talents towards making a real difference, but still appreciates her capabilities. Danny: Thalia and Danny frequently drink together, and are known for trading friendly insults and jests to each other's expense both regularly and skillfully.
Today was a good day for Isaya Niscent. Only the previous night, attacks had taken place which had led to every king and every queen, except that of Nero, to meet at Vrondi's capital. People would be flocking there from all around, for one reason or another. Therefore, not only would she very easily be able to blend in, she would also have an opportunity to strike at one of her sworn enemies: the Queen of Gaia, Allo Niscent.
She'd been at Twilight when the attack happened. Nero had not been targeted, and so while she had been apart from the fighting, she was close enough to the remainder of Vrondi to find out what had happened relatively quickly, and set off to Vrondi's capital soon afterwards. The journey was unpleasant, as Isaya was not used to Vrondi's hotter climate, though she had passed through it multiple times in her travels, generally when moving between Gaia and Nero. At least food wasn't a concern, as there was plenty of fruit available while travelling.
When Isaya at last arrived at the capital's gates, she noticed something, rather, someone, on her way in. A lime-eyed girl, being taken away to a building attached the wall. Quaint. It struck Isaya as unusual that someone so young would have cause to be arrested, though she thought she could guess why, noticing the pale skin and dark hair that tended to give away those of similar heritage to her, even if Isaya's case was quite dilute, and therefore subtle. A genuine case, or prejudice? Perhaps time would tell.
In any case, Isaya didn't have that time; she had a job to do, and it wouldn't be easy. To get to her aunt, she would have to infiltrate the meeting, in Vrondi's castle. Infiltrating any castle is no easy task at the best of times, and surely, given the importance of the occasion and the number of people of import present, security would be heightened. Perhaps she could disguise herself as someone meant to be there, a servant, for example, but that would still necessitate entering the structure and finding a spare set of clothes, which left the question of entry still standing. Then, an idea came to her.
Isaya had already seen one prison on her way in, but it surely wasn't the primary dungeon for the city; it was simply too small. The girl Isaya had seen going in there must not have been dangerous enough to be worth putting in the main dungeon. However, if she could get herself arrested, and ensure it was significant enough to qualify for the main dungeon, she could then break herself out and strike at the Queen of Gaia from within the castle walls.
Breaking out would be hard, though. She'd need something to unlock her cell door, something she'd be able to hide on her person. Lockpicks would be the obvious choice, but Isaya had none. If she could steal the keys, that would defeat the point of having them in the first place... perhaps she could bribe a guard. She'd need to get a conversation with them, alone - she could pretend to be visiting a prisoner, but for that, she'd need a name. How could she get a name? Accessing the prison records would be difficult, and, again, self-defeating. If she asked to visit someone infamous, perhaps, it would work, but she knew of none. She could always ask someone, but that would seem suspicious. Again, the idea of a bribe seemed correct, but most people would find this strange. Perhaps a beggar, then - they would be too desperate and too cowardly to give anything away.
Isaya rubbed her head as she walked. This was getting complicated, so she ran through her plan, once more. First, she would ask a beggar the name of a prisoner being held within the main dungeon, using a payment to ensure their secrecy, then she would go to the dungeon and ask to visit the same prisoner. On the journey to the cell, she would attempt to bribe the guard to ensure her release later that evening. Next, Isaya would commit a crime to get herself arrested, and wait to be released by the bribed guard. From there, she would knock out a servant and disguise herself as them, find out which guest room Allo would be sleeping in, and enter, pretending to be dusting the room or somesuch. Lastly, she would find a place to hide, and wait there until Allo would come in, at which point Isaya would strangle her in her sleep.
Not a flawless plan, but its success seemed within the realm of reason, and Isaya could not see a way to improve it that was within her abilities, resources, and timescale. Satisfied, she set out to find a beggar.
I'm not really the one who needs to be told that, I was just reminding the GM that he forgot someone.
In terms of why having more people could be a bad thing, I know from experience that GMing for tabletop RPGs gets significantly harder once a certain number of players is passed, and things can get very chaotic for everone involved; I assume it is the same for forum roleplay.
"Stand in the ashes of a dead city and ask a thousand ghosts if honour matters. You will hear only silence."
Isaya Niscent
Age
24
Blood
60% Oro, 40% Nayu
Gender
Female
Sex Preference
Heterosexual
Height
5'4"
Weight
131lbs
Appearance
Isaya is a little on the short side, and quite thin. Her pale skin is the clearest sign of her Nayu heritage - her hair is dark, but not black, and her vision is adequate. Her Oro heritage, though more prominent, is actually the one she shuns the most; her scales, saphire-blue like her eyes, are mostly on her chest, upper arms, and upper legs, so she never dresses in a revealing manner, and she is very glad that, unlike most of those of Oro blood, she has no wings, a trait shared by many in her family.
Apparel
Personality
Isaya has a deeply ingrained mistrust for others, having only ever really trusted her adoptive father, Treo. As a result, she rarely socialises and tends to isolate herself from others, typically resorting to cynicism and sarcasm when her attempts to avoid others fail. Trusting the wrong person killed her mother, but she won't let it kill her. She hates vanity and arrogance, concepts she typically associates with her aunt, Allo Niscent, likely because of her. However, her refusal to trust others has necessitated independance, which can come across as arrogance, and therefore Isaya can seem hypocritical. She certainly doesn't come across as vain, though; if anything, Isaya hides her appearance, hating the resemblance to her aunt.
Faction
None, though perhaps some interest in joining the Dolofon, more as a means to a goal than a goal in itself.
Exp
Isaya is proficient in the use of her only weapon, a simple wooden staff. However, she has also learnt to use it in acrobatics and similar feats. Likewise, she is capable enough in what magic she knows, though that knowledge is very limited, just a couple of tricks she learned from another traveller in exchange for some bodyguard work along their journey, which Isaya has developed through practice. She rarely relies on her bloodline powers, preferring to use her own methods, although she can and frequently does use her earth/gravel manipulation to create a dust cloud. Her speed is only slightly greater than that of a typical human, though significantly superior to that of another Oro, while her strength is about three halves of what a typical human could perform. Her hide is tough enough to entirely deflect glancing blows of blades, though cleaner cuts will only be weakened, and blunt attacks wil get through altogether, while Isaya's ability to notice vibrations in the ground extends to about 40 feet for humanoid footsteps, with otherwise varying range based on the magnitude of the vibration.
Spells
Illusory triplets - Isaya can summon two perfects copies of herself, which act as mentally directed by her. They are not substantial, so they can inflict no damage, but make it difficult to keep track of which is the real Isaya. They are identical to her at the time she summoned them, so if she were to be cut, for example, afterwards, they wouldn't have the cut and therefore could be told apart from her, but if the cut were to happen before the summon, they would also have the cut.
Blink - A small, low-energy teleport of up to thirty feet to any location Isaya can see. She cannot move though gaps she couldn't normally fit through, but otherwise can move unrestricted by the environment. Additionally, if illusory triplets are active at the time Isaya blinks, she may have them both move as if they had cast the spell as well, though it is determined based on what she can see, since they cannot see anything.
Abilities/Powers
Night vision
Poison resistance
Blood consumption (optional, not necessary)
Bleed resistance
Tough hide and claws (no wings due to unique Niscent blood)
Strength boost
Improved speed (Niscent blood)
Earth/gravel manipulation
Ground detection
Hearing is more susceptible to damage by loud noises
(Oro weakness cancelled out by Niscent blood, would not be able to fly anyway due to lack of wings)
Surgical processes and healing take longer
Analysis - Isaya possesses an incredible ability to observe. If she has a minute or two to watch someone without being significantly disturbed, she should be able to notice almost anything that perception alone reasonably could.
Multitasking - Isaya is quite adept at focusing on multiple things at once, a side effect of extensive use of her illusory triplets. Generally, she can engage in one task physically, such as fighting or running, while focusing on something else mentally, such as performing deduction or making an alaysis.
Weapon
A wooden staff, typically carried slung over one shoulder. In case it ever becomes relevant, the staff is made of ash wood, and is 38mm thick.
History
Isaya's mother was Eolorn Niscent, a younger sister to the queen of Gaia, Allo Niscent, while her father was a Nayu by the name of Arn Galtro. Their relationship was not a healthy one - Eolorn had been born with bipolar disorder, which she had previously kept under control and in secret. However, her sister, Allo, had always been a role model to her - which ended painfully for her as Allo's success continued and she began to treat Eolorn, alongside several others she had previously been friendly with, dismissively, even harshly. When Arn first met Eolorn, he recognised her fragile emotional state and took advantage of it. Eolorn thought she was in love with him, and it was only a few months later that she was pregnant with Isaya. However, it was not long after that that Arn finally got tired of his fun, and dissapeared one night, leaving a letter behind explaining his true feelings in the most painful way possible. This was a final, fatal push for Eolorn - she took her own life within the week.
Only one other person in Gaia ever knew of the relationship between Arn and Eolorn, an elder brother of both Eolorn and Allo, Treo Niscent. He had always been opposed it, as he had been able to see the damage it would cause her, but had quickly realised he could not talk his sister out of it. It was he that adopted Isaya, and took care of her until she grew up. Her true identity had to be kept secret to prevent a scandal (oddly enough, many suspected that she was his bastard child), so Treo used the half-truth that she was an orphan he had taken pity on and adopted as an explanation for anyone who asked.
Isaya rarely left her home as she grew up; because it was safer this way, and because she had begun to harbour a slight resentment for the Oro people in general, and for the queen in particular. Her adoptive father had been taught to fight, by his own father, and so as soon as she was old enough she insisted that she was taught as well, by him. He agreed, having already been taught once by Allo not to dismiss a person's capability too early. Isaya did quite well, possessing no natural talent but making up for this with dedication and focus. Eventually, she decided to set out into the world, to learn from real situations rather than simple practice, an aimless journey which began around four years ago. What she never told Treo, or anyone else, is what she plans to do when she thinks she's ready. She still mourns the death of the mother she never met, and so Isaya intends to kill the two she holds responsible for her death: Arn Galtro and Allo Niscent.
