EliteCommander

The Eye of the Needle (where Fantasy and Sci-fi collide)

For Kareet especially Shirik’s decisive attack was blinding. Her eyes were well-adjusted to the dark, so the fireball had her turning her head and covering her eyes. She blinked a few times when the light finally subsided, then squinted as she tried to get a good view of the aftermath. Right before the fireball had come down, the Glen had taken a hard hit from the beast. At the very least, that had launched him clear of the blaze. After a few moments, he finally came into view for her. He had been knocked up against a nearby tree, but he was still moving. Still alive.

Kareet stumbled forward carefully. She still felt half-blind, but she could navigate well enough. However, she was halfway to the Glen when she heard yet another, enraged screech from the direction of what should have been the creature’s corpse. How could it be anything except dead? A fireball like that, right after being frozen? There was nothing alive that could survive that kind of thermal shock. Anything less than death was impossible. Unthinkable. Yet, when she turned her head, she would not deny feeling terrified when she saw the body moving.

Fortunately, it seemed the universe was taking at least some mercy on them when she saw the state the creature was in. The freezing and heating had torn its hide apart across much of its upper body, allowing its insides to be burned to its core. There were some traces of dark green blood, but much of what she could see on half its body was charred beyond recognition. One of its arms was simply gone, while with the other was desperately trying to pull it towards Kareet. It shrieked and tried to snap its remaining mandible at her, though made little progress with either.

“Oh, come on.” Kareet grunted. She reached back and slid her hammer back into her backpack. Now that she had the time to do so, she traced a few signs in the air, then extended both hands forward as the feathers on her arm started to stand up from the static. There were a few small arcs of electricity between her hands and the creature, which, after a moment, erupted into a sustained storm of lightning focused squarely on its head. With its hide no longer protecting it, the electricity was able to have far more of an effect. She kept it up until the beast finally stopped moving. Still, for this thing to have had any life in it after being hit with such power…there was no animal she knew of that could possibly fit its description.

“Just…stay dead.” Kareet muttered at the creature’s corpse before turning her head to the others. “You, Glen. How hurt are you? Can you speak? Can you move?”

The Eye of the Needle (where Fantasy and Sci-fi collide)

The intense cold that struck at the creature’s core was rather immediately effective against it. Its scream this time seemed to be one of pain. It stumbled forward, half-collapsing in front of J’eon. Even without eyes, the way its body shifted towards him felt like it was glaring down upon the Glen.

From the start, Kareet had not wanted to get involved in a fight, but now that she was committed to being here, it was her training that quickly took over. It was easy to identify the exceptionally quick, and equally precise movements of a trained war caster. She could manage to mix in spellcasting seamlessly into swings, parries, or in this case, a throw. As she reared her hammer back, she moved two fingers along its haft at just the right angle and speed to imbue it with an electric charge.

The hammer came flying in, magnetically guided and accelerated, over the Glen to slam straight into the front of the creature’s head. The hard, sharp mandibles had been frozen to the point of becoming brittle, and so the one the hammer struck shattered upon impact, followed by a discharge of lightning all down its head and neck. The electricity only heated small, concentrated areas, but in the places it affected, it seemed the otherwise tough hide did not fare well through such rapid swings between cooling and heating. The hide actually appeared to be cracking in places.

“Hit it hard, all together!” Kareet shouted as her hammer flew back into her hand.

The creature, however, would not be stunned forever. With as massive as it was, J’eon’s spell had only affected part of its body so far, and the Glen had not yet ran, so he was still within its reach. With a roar, it made a powerful backhanded swing of its massive arm straight at J’eon.

The Eye of the Needle (where Fantasy and Sci-fi collide)

J’eon’s spear was well-aimed as the creature charged. Even as the beast tried to maneuver around it, the spearhead did manage to connect on the side of its head, piercing and burning its flesh. However, J’eon would immediately notice just how tough its hide really was. Even with a good thrust, the spearhead only partially pierced into its head. With even more force, he might have been able to do more, but the hide put up enough resistance that the creature was able to jerk its head back before the spear could push deeper. At the very least, it had forced the creature to step back so it could not trample the Glen right away. Still, this creature was both absolutely massive and dangerously close. A single, solid hit from it could easily kill.

Bizarrely, the creature’s overwhelming aggression did not seem to subside in the slightest. Fire was generally a powerful deterrent to wild animals. Merely by showing it, Heat mages could often go undisturbed in the wilderness, which made this creature’s apparent indifference to it all the more unusual.

As soon as they had come upon the scene, Shirik had decided to get involved, which meant Kareet had to make that choice as well. The last thing she needed right now was for Shirik to be hurt. She reached back and, with a brief motion, formed a magnetic link between her hand and the weapon stowed away in her backpack. With a thought, the connection strengthened and her war hammer magnetized into her hand. Though, she did not move any closer for the moment. Instead, she breathed out, pointing her hammer’s head at the creature as she ran her fingers down the metal haft. An electric charge built and amplified through the metal, and when she finally flicked her hand away, it all discharged at once, sending a bolt of lightning straight at her target. It lasted but an instant and was accompanied by a crack of thunder.

The bolt struck the creature’s raised hand and sent a shock through its body…though the effect was much less than Kareet had hoped. Its flesh was blackened on the point of impact, but not burned as much as Kareet would have expected. The best she could say at the moment was that she had hurt it enough to interrupt its attack and give the Glen more of a chance to evade.

The Cradle

Nirann let out a quick laugh. “I would just like to say, I think that robotic avatars are quite useful. We’ve got all sorts of features we can pack into them.”

“Regardless, if they can make their mobility suits compatible with the holographic disguises, then there is no problem.” Vreta spoke up quickly. He was quite familiar with this particular technology, so he could explain offhand what they would need to keep in mind in order to use it effectively. “I suppose I should go ahead an explain to everyone how it works. The device projects a weak energy shield along the outside of the hologram in order to allow you to mimic physically interacting with the world with the holographic body, even if it has a very different body shape than yourself. However, there are some limitations to keep in mind. Like I mentioned before, if you have a very different way of moving through the world than what you are imitating, then the illusion will not be able to convincingly replicate that. It can imitate things smaller than you, but you can’t be too much larger than the subject. Also, the space between your body and the energy shield needs to be kept clear of anything that moves around freely that can disrupt the hologram. Avoid loose clothing, and if you have hair, make sure it is restrained. At a reduced size, we could have the device treat a Qalian-Vosh mobility suit as if it were your skin, just make sure it does not…fluctuate too much.”

The Eye of the Needle (where Fantasy and Sci-fi collide)

To J’eon, there were no sounds that would hint at creatures from other directions, only to the front. Though, for what finally emerged from the forest, it was frankly surprising that it had managed to get as close as it had without notice. This creature was massive, almost double J’eon’s height. It vaguely resembled some kind of giant insect, but it was quite unlike any animal he would have ever seen. It had no eyes that could be observed, yet it was quite obviously aware of J’eon’s location, with the way it seemed to stare him down. Its behavior also felt strange for an animal. If it was a predator hunting prey, it would not be screeching the moment it sensed its quarry. Whatever it was, though, it made its intentions quite unmistakable. It clicked its mandibles together, then let out another shriek as it came barreling straight at him, seemingly enraged.

---

Yet again, the shriek was plainly audible to Kareet and Shirik. It was just a bit closer than before, as their path seemed to be taking them towards it. Kareet, on her part, was starting to look more and more annoyed at the fact that she could not recognize the sound. “Okay, that’s the second time we’ve heard that. I will be honest, I don’t recognize it. Have you ever heard anything like it?” She asked.

The Cradle

Vreta looked over the pair of Qalian-Vosh, humming to himself in thought. Even for the Rothians, perfect holographic disguises were trickier than they seemed on the surface. In this context, every little detail needed to be able to stand up to the kind of inspection that the minds of the natives would perform instinctually. Even small details being wrong could trigger an “uncanny valley” response in an observer. “I do not wish to exclude you, but holographic disguises do have limits we need to keep in mind. With your mobility suits included, not only are you larger than one of the natives, but more importantly, the way you move and interact with your environment is exceptionally different. There would be this large, seemingly empty space around your projected form that, nevertheless, still interacts with its environment. Even the best-programmed disguise will struggle to make it convincing.”

Again, Nirann soon chimed in before anyone else could reply. “Vreta is right on that one, but there could still be a solution. Remotely operating a robotic avatar on the surface could still let the two of you participate without any undue risk.”

“Unfortunately, making robotic facsimiles of the natives is something that would take time, and we don’t have them already prepared. We wouldn’t be able to fabricate them in time.” Vreta pointed out.

Nirann grinned. “Correct, but we don’t have to. We can just put a holographic disguise on a normal robotic avatar, and it would accomplish the same thing.”

The Eye of the Needle (where Fantasy and Sci-fi collide)

The sun had only set an hour or so prior, so there was still plenty of night left for Kareet and Shirik to travel. Kareet had made all the notes she could for the moment, so she had no reason to hold up the start of this journey. Arcaeda was quite far, and depending on the path they chose, it could be weeks before they reached the capital. Internally, Kareet was hoping that nothing might happen that could make Shirik change their mind on their plans. This Iriad was an entirely unique being, and just the historical insights alone they could provide would be of immense value. They claimed to have experience an awakening centuries before the fall of the Kolodon Empire. Admittedly, Kareet was still skeptical, but if that could somehow be confirmed, that would challenge some established notions on the nature of magic and its history in Kanth-Aremek. The prestige that unearthing such a discovery would bring to a Seeker would make her a household name in the Ascendancy. Or even beyond, in some circles.

The pair of them, however, had not managed to get all the way back to the town when they heard an ear-piercing screech fill the air. The sound was…bizarre. It felt like it might come from some kind of animal, but it was nothing Kareet was familiar with. Fauna may not have been her specialty, but these mountains were still her homeland and she was educated, yet she could not place what this might have been. She glanced to Shirik, but despite how well-traveled as the Iriad was, even they would not be able to recognize it.

To the Glen, J’eon, though, the screech was even closer. It sounded like it came from within the forest out of sight, just beyond his camp. The sounds of rustling leaves and signs of movement just at the edge of his vision would certainly make it seem as if he had heard correctly.

The Eye of the Needle (where Fantasy and Sci-fi collide)

@ExpendableI would say you can put your character in the character tab. Let me know if you need any additional information for you to introduce your character.

The Eye of the Needle (where Fantasy and Sci-fi collide)

@Catharyn & @EliteCommander - A submission for you to consider. Also, is there a limit on characters?

J'eon of Mythadia

Name: J'eon of Mythadia

Species: The Glen

Appearance: This male Glen puts you in mind of an unstoppable machine. He has narrow olive-green eyes. He has a muscular wide-chested build, and a network of old, dark flogging scars on his upper and middle back. His hide appears creamy yellow or gold, depending on the light. He has hollow cheeks and wide feet, with a long dark scar crossing his cheek below his right eye.

His wardrobe is practical, a dark brown leather cuirass peppered with small burns over his upper torso and bronze pips along the shoulders. A medallion of the Mythadia Blacksmith Guild is over his first stomach - an anvil with a six pointed star of a master craftsman over it, flanked by a hammer on the right and a sword on the left. His upper arms bear a studded leather rerebrace, while his lower arms wear a darkened leather vambrace peppered with small burns. Each leg wears leather greaves, with the front pair peppered once again with small burns. A wide leather belt bears two leather pouches in front, with leather gloves tucked behind them, his favorite hammer on his right, while on his left he carries a long kukri blade, with two smaller blades and a small iron hook for cleaning his hooves. Each hoof has an iron shoe on it.

While traveling, he wears a leather chamfron with small iron plates & bronze pips over his face, leather paulroons, and has a cart with harness that he can strap himself into.

Leaves on the left, right, and back sides of the cart can be pulled up and slot into ironwork straps underneath. It carries under canvas a traveling forge (in the back), an anvil, a box with his tools and a leather apron, a locked iron-bound chest (key is on a cord hanging on his neck), a box holding two blankets (one quilted with straps) wrapped in oilcloth and ropes, a tripod with a small cooking pot, barrels holding charcoal, iron blanks, water, and grain. Oarlocks on the right arm of the cart hold a long spear.

Augmentations: N/A

Magical affiliation: Heat domain - able to manipulate thermal energy.

Occupation: Blacksmith

Key skills: Blacksmith, Engineering, Wilderness survival.

Backstory: J'eon was born into the Dark Ash clan, a nomadic group that assisted settlements with planting, harvesting, and various services they lacked before heading back to Dark Ash Vale, their wintering grounds. F'eon, J'eon's father, was the backsmith for the clan and its unofficial leader. He spent much of the winter months mining for ores that he would then smelt into the old forge into the refined metal blanks he needed, or into various impliments he could sell. J'eon watched and learned beside his father, marveling at how he called up the flame.

They were raided by bandits, his father ran through by one of his own swords. What happened to J'avra, his mother, he didn't see. He was chained up with the other survivors and eventually sold to a miller in the west, who chained him to one of the poles to turn the millwheel along with the other slaves - simple brute labor. One can still see the shackle gauls on his wrists when he takes his vambraces off. When he got out of line, they'd flog him. In his sixteen summer, the miller's daughters began to pay him close attention with strangely hungry eyes and giggles. When the overseer reported their attentions to the miller, he had the young muscular buck unchained and hauled to the flogging post. It was during that flogging that the Fire came to him.

With the burning of the miller's place, J'eon along with the other Glen made their way back east, eventually finding themselves in Mythadia once more. It wasn't long after that he found himself the oldest apprentice in the blacksmith guild, but he was quickly initiated into the innermost secrets once they realized he could call forth the flame. It was here he learned the riddle of iron and steel.

Once he became a master, he took to the road in a cart he build to hold his traveling forge and his tools. Word of his craft spread beyond the borders of Mythadia, and he found himself traveling out of the kingdom, called forth to build weapons, craft armor and chains, even called to repair waterwheels and windmills. Slave mills, however, tended to go up in flames. Nor was he particularly soft on bandits or slavers.

@Expendable

I have to say, I rather like this character. Low key, I was hoping someone would be interested in making a Glen. Being centaur-like, I can imagine plenty of ways that simple, biomechanical difference would influence both their society, and day-to-day life.

I do have to compliment you on your description of him. You can paint a picture better than I can, and everything you described about him makes sense to me. All of his armor does seem practical as something he could equip himself without assistance, even if it took a bit of work. The greaves on the rear legs might be hard, but doable with some effort.

Your character's background checks out, and I can give you plenty of leeway with what you want your character's clan to have been like. On the whole, Mythadia and Acanata originated from a mix of Glen clans that came together to resist the Kolodon Empire, so they have a mix of cultural backgrounds. Generally, the Glen loathe strict restrictions, so I imagine nomadic clans would not be uncommon. Though, they do still have static cities and towns (The capital of Mythadia is actually the largest city in KA).

Overall, I am perfectly happy to accept the character as-is.

If you need any more information to start off, I can give you some more detail on the area around where Kareet and Shirik currently are (which is near to the future crash site of the Jotunheim). Broadly speaking, it is a fairly remote area. There is a road leading down from some smaller settlements in Mythadia into the Ascendancy that passes through the area, but it is a minor trade route. It is around the border of the Ascendancy and Mythadia, which is also a border between the mountains and the plains. The area is settled, but it is pretty far from the more civilized parts of those two nations. Imagine it a bit like the "wild west", in that respect. Towns are mostly responsible for protecting and governing themselves. There are also known to be dangerous creatures in the area.

The Cradle

Vreta nodded in agreement. “Indeed. We have vehicles that can get us where we need to go once we are on the surface. Our landing zone does not decide which lead we investigate, so I say we land in the mountains to make sure the ship is safe. That said, I do believe we should monitor the locals safely from a distance, and take the time to investigate the other leads before we do anything that risks bringing us into contact with the natives.”

Finding his moment to chime in, Nirann also spoke up. I can keep scans going consistently, regardless of where I am. Though, no matter which one you investigate first, I would also recommend that everyone be in disguise as a native at all times, no matter whether you expect to run into any of them or not. We can’t track every lifeform on the planet, and all it would take would be one stray hermit or lost hiker to spot you, even far from their cities.”

Again, Vreta nodded. “Well, I think we should all get ourselves ready, then. Who is going to be on our ground team?”