As the refugees took varying degrees and types of interest in the actions of the Mutant Mamono, their running commentary didn't go amiss. It wasn't anything they hadn't overheard in Varjo, nor was it entirely unwarranted - Mamono came in all shapes, sizes, colors, and creeds, but they held one unshakeable tenant thanks to the licentious strumpet turned tyrant Demon Lord(ess) that created their kith and kin:
A husband at any cost. A wife by any means.
It was a clarion call in the back of their minds; an intrinsic order; an ingrained instinct; it mattered not in subjects of age or lawfulness, nor in terms of blood or fealty; it was preternatural, the need to breed with a man, be he passing stranger or immediate family.
Humans had all rights to fear them; to fear that one day, they might succumb to their baser selves, and push them to the ground - women injured, men defiled, monsters sated. It was rational to fear losing to a force that was supernaturally born to dominate you, if the moment struck her to do so, and have your will to resist sexual robbed from you by poisonous magic that converted human pain into monstrous pleasure, until you were nothing but a possession called "Husband" for your "Wife" and her future "Children".
Being born Mutants, Human-Mamono hybrids of science, and raised in the harsh, hateful environment of the underworld of Varjo, gave the Claremont Sisters an "outsider existing within" perspective that allowed them to shoulder the burdens of their existence by leaning into each other for what their baser instincts required and their humanity reviled.
Instead of victimizing others, they relied on each other for release, both sexual and emotional, to resist the siren song of a man, but they couldn't prove that to strangers that knew only their own horror stories and those passed down by victims.
But, maybe...
Ripcord jammed her shovel into the ground, and planted her heel on it, before clearing her throat with a strong, "Ahem!"
"My name is Ripcord Claremont, and I can hear you. I can hear you, and I can understand you, because I am with you," Ripcord says, "I, too, fear Mamono to the point of hatred, myself. I dread what they can do, what they will do..."
Umami paused her digging, looking down; her rabbit features shifted back into human ones, as she worried her lower lip, and wrung her hands. "Mamono can be cruel... scary... " she says, "Humans have to be, too, in order to fight back and win. That's what the Old Man used to tell us..." Ripcord absorbed her shovel back into her slime, as Umami drew to her side. "My name is Umami Claremont! I... forgot to say," she blushed.
"Humans created us in a laboratory in Varjo, Mamono made to be weapons against other Mamono and Humans alike," Ripcord says, "Boss Kikyo saved us, because she believed in both our Humanity and Mamonohood, and Underboss Takeshi seconds her belief in that!"
"They asked that we come here to help, so... here we are!" Umami says, summoning a bright smile to her face like a puppy.
"And, since our time spent in Otome Port was largely doing manual labor and construction, we've decided to make this place less of a dreary refugee camp and more of a place to live and raise hope and family for a brighter tomorrow," Ripcord says, "Starting with a proper dining hall made from brick and mortar."
"That said, it will take time for Papi and I ages to do this alone, so will you put your trust in us and lend us your aid, as we aim to lend you ours," Umami asks.
"As Mami asks, so do I," Ripcord says, genuflecting before the gathering refugees, "We will bear no grudge, if you refuse, but our intentions will always remain as given."
Umami genuflected, as well, and waited for the final verdict from those they sought, if nothing else, coexistence.
Due to Alice's swordsmanship, her eyes were as sharp as hawk's, and, from her perch on high, she surveyed the incoming parties of warriors; analyzing them from helm to boot, and catching the sight of part of her desired team to take on the quest that nagged at her.
However, she only saw part...
"The Goblin missing," Alice says, as she took stock of their approach.
"Duly noted," Carroll says, "Are you sure the Goblin is tied to the Jorōgumo?"
"So, I was told," Alice says, as she stood up, and extended her hand. "Benihime..."
Carroll sighed, and dusted her knees, before standing; her body erupting into a mass of slime that reforged into a slender scabbard, containing the demonic shikomizue.
"The pain of this scar is fading," Alice says, "and my memory with it. No more dallying..." Alice shifted her stance, and switched Carroll to her left side, "Ingrain: Allegro... " to be drawn by her dominant hand for lethal combat.
Leaping off the arch of the gate, Alice landed on the road, and focused on the path forward, "Ingress."
Suddenly, Alice was a blur of motion, as she passed through the approaching procession, and emerged from the outer side; stopping long enough to gain her footing, before breaking into a powerful sprint.
"That was new..." Alice says.
"Must be something from our former life," Carroll says, "There's disparate communications inside of you. Strange..."
"Regardless, we have keep on this thread of pain before it heals..." Alice says, she ran effortlessly in spite of her high heels, "...I wonder what coffee is."
Walking along the path with Takeshi and Lady Kikyo, the Hangai sisters had nearly entered the temple grounds before Atsuha felt a familiar presence. It was off upward, as if observing them from a distance. Atsuha knew this presence - the fungal queen Alice. She remembered her previously: her bout with Gringor and her assistance on the mission at the graveyard. Before she could further ponder over why she was observing them, she suddenly dashed pass them in a blur. The sudden gust of wind kicked up some dust clouds, causing her to recoil a bit.
”That movement…” She said, looking at the direction she went off in. ”That’s similar to the captain’s step technique.”
At that moment, Hinami started to bellow a sinister growl, as it seemed that it wasn’t only Atsuha who remembered Alice’s chi. Her primal side had recalled the ample power that emanated from the wayward queen, and she immediately dashed after her. ”Hinami!” She exclaimed.
Hinami moved fast enough to catch up with Alice and Carroll, and the pair of master and weapon would soon find themselves being pounced on by the undead chi-obsessed creature.
Alice felt the approaching Mana, as Hinami gave chase without prompt, and looked at the road ahead. Alice's style of swordsmanship was one of quick movements and trickery, working in tandem with Carroll, and using the Demon Sword as eyes in the back of her head.
"Ten seconds," Carroll says.
"Ingrain: Andante..." Alice says, as Carroll's scabbard moved from her left hip to her right. "Invasion." Suddenly, Alice ceased her forward motion, and swung her blade at Hinami; the feinted swing from her left hand send the blade past her ear, forcing her head to move into the direct path of the scabbard, as she followed the attack up, "Injection." by pulling Hinami with the flat of the blade into the scabbard to bash her in the skull with the demonic steel like a club.
"You awake, Zombie?" Alice sheathed Carroll, resetting her guard, as she held her hand upon Carroll's handle.
Hinami violently grunted as she was sent tumbling back from the strike. As she regained her feet, her face was covered in a bit of blood and dirt as she snarled at Alice. She began a second charge, but this time it seemed her animalistic instincts had caused her movements to become more irregular. Using the unorthodox movement pattern she’d take Alice by surprise and pin her to the ground, attempting to bite at her neck and siphon her chi.
[Ingrain: Andante] wasn't made for lethal combat, but brutal combat to render an opponent unconscious and/or immobile with crushing strikes instead of fatal slashes; so, due in part to that fact, and a hesitation that came from knowing Hinami was associated with Terauchi Temple, that allowed the Jiangshi to get an advantage with her sloppy, bestial footwork. It was annoying to play with kid gloves, but Alice couldn't just slash off her head without complications.
"I can't transform with you crushing me..." Carroll groaned, her main body pinned under Alice.
"Just gimme a second..." Alice grit her teeth, before freeing her right hand, and grabbing Hinami by the back of her head; powerful fingers clenching down, and pulling back on her hair to give Alice a little room. "Pacify..."
Lunging in, Alice would crush her lips against Hinami, letting the gnashing Mamono catch her tongue, so she would get the Mana she desperately craved, while Alice flooded her mouth with paralytic spores that seeped into the beast that hungered.
"You are such a womanizer," Carroll sighed with an audible roll of her eyes. "You coulda just as easily exhaled those spores. No reason for all this..." she chastised, as Alice let Hinami leech and paralyze herself slowly, "Are you even listening to me?"
Hinami would feel her animalistic instincts fade away as Alice’s spores quickly took their effect. No longer having the strength to release herself from Alice’s grip, she began to slowly fall into unconsciousness.
Atsuha arrived just in time to see the aftermath of the small bout, having prepared a few spells to quell her sister. What she saw threw her for a loop.
”J-Just WHAT are you doing with my sister?!” She exclaimed, her face red with bewilderment.
"Now, now, no sleeping just yet..." Alice says, as she flipped Hinami onto her back, and straddled her hips. "You're pretty fetching for a feral. A bit of civility, and I'd take you as a concubine..." she leaned down, blowing a soft cloud of silver into Hinami's right ear, before tracing her tongue along the shell of it, and whispering, "Prey...I won't lose track of you, Little Miss Zombie."
However, before Alice could press matters further along, she'd be caught boob-handed, coping a decent feel of the paralyzed Jiangshi, as her blood sister skittered onto the scene.
"For a betrothed woman, this shouldn't be questionable," Alice says, plainly, "Whatever you feed her, nice results," she says, squeezing, "Very nice results."
"Take this seriously, idiot!" Carroll snapped, bonking Alice on the head; half-transformed into her human form from her sword, and fully undressed from her head to her waist. "Forgive this horny dumbass. She thinks with her second brain before her first like a Cheshire Cat," she says, looking at Atsuha, and bonking Alice every few words, but she "In our defense, the Jiangshi started it. Even if the ending is awkward, we are in the right. The paralyzing effect should end in a few hours, however."
Atsuha, having barely regained her composure, stared blankly at the pair consisting of woman and sword bickering among one another. The latter arguing against the former’s raunchy behavior and apologizing to the Jourougumo. Atsuha wasn’t sure what to think: she knew the two women due to their chi signatures, but their appearances couldn’t be farther from different. She looked at her sister, who laid on the ground sleeping peacefully - albeit with a bit of labored breathing due to Alice’s spores.
”Alice. Uhh, you ARE Alice, yes? I’m all for declarations of love, but you should respect that my sister lacks experience.” She said, arms folded and still keeping her exasperated expression. ”...I do apologize that she lost herself and attacked you again. Lately I’ve determined that intense chaotic energies on the battlefield seem to trigger her lapse, but it only happens when warriors as strong as you or Shizuka enter the fray. My seal seems to have only helped somewhat…”
"Alice, I am, so says I, Alice," Alice nods, catching Carroll’s hand. "That hurts, you know. A lack of experience, hm? An easy remedy, that." Alice stood up, dusting her knees. "Again, though. That’s quite curious a statement. Regale with the tale, while I’ve the time to listen. I’ve much to do, after all."
She must’ve lost her memory as well as her appearance. Atsuha thought to herself. She walked over to her sister and kneeled down beside her. She whispered a spell, and a fuschia wind gently blew from her tree part. This seemed to soothe Hinami somewhat, as her slumber was visibly softer. She then turned back to Alice and Carroll.
”To make it as concise as possible, I will first say that my sister and I are not natural born yokai: We were born as humans - turned into the forms you see before you as punishment for my practicing of the dark arts.” A bit of sadness filled her eyes, it wasn’t a story she ever enjoyed talking about.
”Part of the punishment seems to have cursed my sister with this feral side that stems from lingering regrets and fear, amplified even more so when compared to others of her kin. You…may not remember, but you fended her off once before and even attempted to help her regain her senses. At any rate, you again have my thanks for calming her down, forgive us for being a burden.”
"Humans turned to monsters, huh," Alice says, "Maybe, I could relate, once, when I couldn’t understand what I had become... hidden away in a cave, alone, and scared. A monster, a Mamono, a fiend and selfsame victim of carnality... Those days are behind me, now," she looked at her hands, before turning her sword-hand skyward, and splaying her fingers to the sun, "I’m more than that, now. I am a woman. I am a monster. I am a Human. I am a Mamono. And, above all else, I am me, the Queen of Diamonds. My past cannot take away my future, only I can do that."
"If I lent you my aid once, then I must have judged you worthy of it," Alice says, "Parts of me remember. Ache. Memories are lost, not forgotten, but likely to never be found again. If they are, they will be of less import than those that paved over them, proved better than them, and worthy of being carried forward in my memories of tomorrow," she looked to Atsuha, "Make sense?"
”Alice-san…” Atsuha was reminded of Alice’s noble and steadfast side. Moreover, hearing about their similar backgrounds had made Alice more relatable than she would’ve imagined. Hearing her speak of how she won’t let her past rule her moving forward, carving out her own future and accepting all parts of herself, filled Atsuha with a new feeling that put her and Hinami’s circumstances in a more positive light. She thought that Hinami needed to be hearing this as well.
”Alice-san, you seemed to be in quite the hurry. May I ask where you and your partner were heading towards?”
"Just pursuing a phantom of yesterday," Alice says, holding her side. "Once it’s banished, I think, I’ll see if I can’t shore up that sister of yours and diminish her lack of experience," she says, "Never know when you’ll see someone next, after all. And, you can’t be the only woman between the two of you."
”I, uh, think I understand your point.” Atsuha said awkwardly. ”I believe you said that Hinami should awaken in a few hours? I am glad you were able to subdue her so easily without there being much harm done to either side.” She looked Alice and Carroll up and down, inspecting them.
”If you don’t mind me asking, why do the both of you look like that? I recall you having long blonde hair, and you wielded a cheeky axe. Now you wield a shikomizue, and I noticed that you move a bit like the captain as well. Oh…” Atsuha remembered that she had to be mindful.
”Forgive me, you may not know who that is currently. He went off on a mission with my husband, but I’m they’ll be back soon.”
"An axe," Alice asks. "Nozarashi..." Carroll burst into a mass of slime, before reforming into a massive axe. "Like this," she asks, hefting the weapon that could be mistaken for a butcher knife on steroids, as well. "As for the former half of that question, couldn’t tell you. My memory of this place starts less than forty-eight hours ago." Alice hummed, "Prior to that... I’ve been in Wonderland for three-hundred years."
”Oh my…” The Nozarashi form certainly wasn’t what Atsuha was expecting. ”The axe I was acquainted with was much..smaller…” She said with a nervous chuckle.
She listened as her previous suspicions had been confirmed, Alice had lost the vast majority of her memories of the Taskforce. Does that mean she doesn’t remember that “thing” she did with Lord Takeshi?
”Well, then I suppose it would be good if you at least were to know this. The taskforce is currently being led by the captain, Kannazuki Shizuka. I believe you and others had a training session with him, so I guess while your mind doesn’t remember his teachings, your body seems to. Also, the captain along with the Taskforce is under the behest of Takeshi Oja. He’s that young man you saw and my sister with, the one with the roughneck disposition.”
Atsuha then held a hand to her own cheek. ”Goodness, where are my manners? Since I think it would be appropriate given the circumstances, allow me to reintroduce myself. My name is Hangai Atsuha, a resident Jourougumo who also happens to be an onmyodo sorceress. My sister’s name is Hangai Hinami, after I resurrected her, she became a Jiangshi and I took the form you see before you. We are native to Zipangu but not specially to the land of Shizuyama. I find myself in your debt once again, please don’t hesitate to call on us if you have need. Um…just don’t make us work too hard, alright? Teehee!”
"I see, then. Well, to that, I am Alisynn Wunderland," Alice says, "The Queen of Diamond, Lilim-born Challenger to the Queen of Heart, and the Throne of Wonderland. At least, I was," she sighed, "I’m right stuck here with no means of return. Need to find a March Hare, or one of their holes with some magic left over."
”Ah, then it is certainly a pleasure to formally make your acquaintance, Alisynn-san.” Atusha said with a polite bow. ”Unfortunately, March Hares aren’t native to these lands, so I doubt you’ll have much luck locating them or traces of their sorcery regrettably.” She said somberly.
”I remember you calling your partner weapon Carroll, yes? We have cursed weapons in these lands as well, but I’ve never heard of one functioning quite like her. I presume she is from this ‘Wonderland’ as well?”
"Quite. I would expect the daughter of the Queen of Hearts to hail from her homeland," Alice says.
”Haha, uh, yes quite so…” Atsuha replied with a weak laugh.
It seemed that the peaceful vicinity along with Atusha’s healing winds had allowed Hinami to awaken sooner than expected. Rousing up, she looked around for a moment, her eyes focusing on Alice and her elder sibling.
”Sorry sis…” She said weakly. ”And sorry Ms. New Alice…”
”It’s alright, she was able to calm you down without there being much damage. We shouldn’t have to worry about it again for a while.”
Hinami glanced toward Alice again, this time blushing. ”Hey, um, Ms. New Alice? Did we…Did we kiss a little bit ago?”
"Indeed," Alice says, "Free to do so again," she stepped forward, "Not every day you get to dally with a Queen, after all."
”Alice-san…” Atsuha said. ”You mustn’t be so forward… She needs to experience the opposite sex as well. In addition, I feel you may end up being too rough with her…”
”O-Oh…” Hinami seemed to be at a loss for words, seemingly having stepped into unfamiliar territory. ”Is this what it was like for your first time with Skars-kun, nee-san?”
”P-Perhaps we should save this talk for another time, sister!” Atusha spouted quickly. ”Alice-san, wherever you’re off to, would you like some aid. My sister and I just got back from a mission with Lord Takeshi and Lady Kikyo, but if it isn’t anything too extraneous we’d be happy to be of help!”
"Now, now, no time like the present to teach a good girl how to be a naughty girl," Alice says, stepping forward; Mana pulsed through her legs, and she was suddenly behind Hinami. "That wilder side of you, that feral side of you, all emotions, no restraint... in there, most assuredly, is jealousy of things you can’t have... things you don’t have... experiences you are too afraid you will miss, because you’ll snap." Alice traced a hand up Hinami’s spine, terminating with a finger against the base of her skull, before transitioning into a gentle caress of her cheek. "However, while your fear is wise to heed, your life is wasting away from it, as well..."
Hinami made a small yelp at the sudden finger going up her back. ”Umm, what…?” She said, with her head cutely tilted. It seemed she didn’t understand Alice’s words.
”I think I understand.” Atusha interjected. ”Hinami, perhaps you and I need to speak about what happened back in the past. I feel that’s where all of your feral tendencies are stemming from.”
”The…past?”
”Yes. There may have been another ‘curse’ of sorts that was placed on you due to the resurrection I performed on you. It’s possible that Alice-san could even assist. Um, so long as she minds her advances…”
"Advances? You wound me," Alice says, "My offers are sound, and just..." she smirked, "You have my interest, however. Though, my might ask for innocence in return..."
”Hey, wait a moment.” Atusha said. ”There’s actually something else I’ve been meaning to ask you. Why do I sense Kerry’s chi all over you…?”
"I’m sure, in that big brain of yours, you can answer that question," Alice says, "Though, a Queen I may be, in title, that is it. I am more of a King in manners of with whom and how I share my bed," she looked back at Atsuha, "and, a King has her Queen, and her Concubines."
”You…really aren’t a normal mamono are you?” Atusha said curtly. ”I suppose I should attribute it to both your queenly station AND your status as a denizen of Wonderland. Gods, I feel that if allowed, you’d sleep with the whole taskforce!”
Folding her arms, she made a cute pouting face. Blushing, she turned slightly back to Alice again. ”Even your weapon made good with the captain. Although, I guess you could’ve been helpfully with giving pointers on how to pick up mates so easily…”
"The whole Taskforce? I've little interest in being treated as a Wife. The role of Husband is far more fun, and active. I never tire of hearing a mewling woman beneath me, taking my -- GAHURK!!!"
Carroll stood over a crumbled Alice, arm transformed into her scabbard, having battered Alice's head with a powerful bonk. You claim you need the aid of this idiot. Let us focus on that, so that we might return to our mission. I'm sorry, but we have exceeded our time to waste," she says, hefting Alice into her arms, as the Mad Hatter drooled green blood in her unconscious state. If you need bodily material from Alice, I consent to your harvest, as far as blood goes. If you need her spores or her seed, I cannot consent to that. Losing the former has combat disadvantages, should antidotes be made and spread about, and the latter..."
Carroll frowned, My Queen is frighteningly unruly in matters of love and lust and she is not as faithful due to her nature as a Matango, but she would give her life to her child or children, because a Mad Hatter was cursed with intelligence lost. Such a powerful card being gained artificially by a stranger..." Atsuha could feel Carroll's protective malice, as she passed by. Well, it won't come to that, I'm sure."
Unless bothered, Carroll would cart Alice back with the procession.
As Lupina made her trek through the city, she would hear a particular voice that sounded like it was right beside her. It wasn't from Baast.
“Nice to see you're the type who's up and active this early in the morning. What's your destination?” Lupina didn't sense the presence until after she heard the voice, but she would recognize it as the one belonging to the benefactor who invited her to the Republic, Arteus Navarre Irvin. He was matching her trek with a leisurely stride.
“The Church is known to not be…forthcoming, toward magus who don't fall in line.”
"Anywhere that your friends aren't," Lupina says, giving an answer that was neutral, but direct, as well.
“I see.” Arteus said calmly. “I'm well aware of why you and your sisters would want to avoid the clergy at all costs. However, I give you my word that so long as you're part of my Tower, nothing will happen to you.”
"My sisters are dead," Lupina says, "I suppose there is some comfort in your statement."
“Really, that’s not what the provider of your third eye tells me.” He said. “Although, I suppose you may not think of them as your siblings. You may have to live life with a target on your back, but it’s not a burden you have to bear alone.”
Lupina's step paused, as her spiritual energy hiked; an arrow materializing in midair, sheerly out of instinct, before she seemed to grip herself, and bring herself under control. As she did, her phantasmal grasp on the air loosened, and it crashed into the ground; burying into it from its own weight.
"I cannot stand nosey men..." Lupina says, looking at Arteus - not from her own eyes, but the borrowed eye that seems to part her cerulean hair to gaze at him, or perhaps... into him.
It was hard to tell what the motivation of The Maiden Abyss were, even with their struck accord.
“My Goodness!” Arteus said. “My apologies, I didn’t mean to overextend. I simply want it to be known that I’m, along with everyone else at Eon, a friend. That’s quite the eye you have there, the Maiden offered something similar to someone I know.”
Arteus looked off for a moment, a serious expression was adorned on his face. His attention soon turned back to Lupina though. “I understand your wanting to stay away from the Church, believe me, and you’re not the only one. But, as stated earlier, as long as you're part of my team, it won’t be a worry. Err, although, I apologize as consideration for whatever you’re currently doing, but it’s best you pack up any essentials and make sure you’re ready to set out. We’ll be leaving the Republic for roughly a week or so.”
"Sounds like a hassle. I have no business with your trifles with the Church, nor do I trust that Goddess, but my Lady guides me along this path..." Lupina says, "As long as Lady Crystella wills it, so I shall lend you my botanical aid and my bow. If she asks me to step off this path, I shall leap without hesitation."
"Hrm..." Baast groused, as the serpentine wolf reared his head, before shifting from his Spirit Form to his Human Form, and sizing up Arteus, "He's stained with many scents, many lies, and equal truths, but... he's not misleading you..." he says, pressing close to Arteus, sniffing his spirit. "At least, not in a purposeful way. His confidence is genuine, frighteningly so..."
Baast stepped back, his button nose twitching cutely.
“I’m all for following the path you feel is best for you.” Arteus responded. He then watched as her familiar shapeshifted in a human form. Baast became petite, wearing rather modern clothes and had long silver hair.
“My, Baast, shapeshifting is a rather advanced skill for a familiar to have. It certainly speaks to the immense bond you and Lupina have!” He said, cheerfully complimenting the duo. Arteus wasn’t really offended as Baast invaded his personal space with a bout of sniffing his mana signature. “Haha! I’ll take that as a compliment.”
Clearing his throat, he thought to get the conversation back on track. “I’m glad to know that for now you’ll lend your bow as an ally of Eon. I apologize that I haven’t been around to officially welcome you within our ranks, but too much has happened too fast, and honestly? I’m…concerned for what the future holds right now. Forgive me, but in exchange for promising to aid in whatever your immediate endeavors currently are, I need you back at the Tower so we can prepare for the summit. You don’t have to get wholly involved with the Church, but it’ll making watching your back easier if you show that you’re under Eon’s wing.”
"A summit, hm," Lupina asks, as Baast drifted to her side, and draped himself off his elder sister's shoulder, "Seems needless, but... I shall entertain what I can tolerate of this charade."
“Needless, huh? Heh, some feel that way. These gatherings have their uses, though, and following through we’ll all of our lives easier. Let’s head back, shall we?”
With that, Arteus opened a deep purple veil from thin air. Walking towards it, he beckoned Lupina to follow him. Afterwards, she would find them back in the main hall of Eon.
Donovan had finished giving Scarlett the full tour of his company’s HQ complex, and for now she was mostly free to act as she pleased.
That was, until she sensed a familiar presence suddenly materializing before her.
"Quite the busybody, aren’t we? I wasn’t aware that apparition theory was something you were interested in." Scarlett would turn to find Brunhyldia, the other admin of the Eon Tower now standing in front of her. "So this is where you’ve been this morning. Elaine in particular must’ve been worried about your absence."
"Quite the nosey woman, I see," Scarlett says, zero pretenses. "Have you come to fetch me? Sent like a good puppy?"
Brun kept her smile, although her eyes narrowed a bit. "More like I had to find a peculiar stray " She responded. "It's good to know you're not getting into any trouble, and it's rather refreshing to see you building rapport with our main benefactor. However, I'm afraid that, for now, we'll have to cut the onboarding short. Your presence is needed back at the tower."
"Correction," Scarlett says, laziness in her tone, as if explaining this was beneath her, "I'm allowing you to do what you were told," she gazed back at Brun, placing her hand against the wall, and spreading iron across the surface, "If I wanted to leave, it would be no trouble to escape you..." and created a surface that Scarlett could sink herself into, as she demonstrated by dipping her arm into it, as if it were water.
"Additionally, my presence isn't needed. It's wanted..." Scarlett says, "Make this desire of Arteus's worth my interest to follow you..."
"Oh my, is that right?" Brun said. "I'm aware of how skillful your alchemy is, we did invite you to the tower after all. As for interest, not worrying about having a target on your back and this being a burden on Donovan sounds good, no?"
"You are very unaware of how skillful I am," Scarlett says. "As for the rest, if you supposedly know so much about my alchemy, then you know the horror stories of Scarlett the Wendigo, and that there will always be a target on my back. As for Donovan, is he not a grown man with agency of his own and the wherewithal to understand the dangers of his decision?"
"Indeed he is a grown man, and therefore doesn’t have the time nor patience to deal with a problem child." Brun said firmly. "And yes, I’ve indeed heard tales of a ravenous beast that felled many, feeding to satiate her feral hunger. However, that needn’t be your life. Perhaps it’d be better to look at yourself as being given a 2nd chance."
Brun folded her arms, her expression now a more serious one. "As I’m sure you’ve already heard, we’ve no desire to direct your life’s path with a heavy hand, and in addition I am pleased that you’ve decided to assist Donovan in his endeavors as well. However, in this particular case, it is within our best interest to maintain a semblance of diplomacy with the powers that be. Some…don’t like the idea of Eon in of itself."
"I see..." Scarlett says, looking at the ground. "A feral beast, surely, is what I am; infested with miasma, soaked to the bone, and poisoned to the soul. There's no second chance for me..." Scarlett's hair framed her crestfallen face, as she held her gaze, "I'm doing everything I can to overcome the damage I've done, resolve the deaths I've brought in my ambition... I cannot repent in the eyes of the Six Scions, and can never be forgiven by the Holy Church..."
"Why should I believe you over anyone else..."
"I’d say your first statement works well enough for me." Brun said, her warm smile returning. "The fact that you feel such remorse, empathy for those who have fallen, is proof enough of your humanity. Repenting before the Scions is something that the Holy Church would indeed consider. However, of course the Church would never hear you out. You are condemned in their eyes by the simple process of what you are. "
Brun unfolded her arms and began walking toward Scarlett until she was only about a foot away from her. "The way I see it, the Scions encourage us to seek out our own answers, and ascribe our own meaning to our lives. You have miasma flowing in your veins, yet you still remain your humanity. I feel that’s what would truly matter to them. You still have a choice in what path you wish to take. I would like it if you were to think of us as helping hand in that path."
Scarlett looked up, silver-red tears streaming down her cheeks, "Why would you... care about some thing like me...?"
"Because you're a person, not a thing, Scarlett." Brun responded. "You laugh, you cry, you rage, and you feel empathy for others. From the sound of it, you want to make the world better in your own way. I’d say that’s something worth caring about, wouldn’t you?"
"Maybe, if I knew how..." Scarlett says, her tears dripping on the floor; Brun would notice, Scarlett was suspended off the floor by the iron surface - her arms extended with her feet crossed at her ankles...
...crucified by her own Alchemy.
"Goodness. You’ve suffered so much haven’t you?" Brun said. Walking until she was mere inches away from Scarlett’s face, she created a veil of glowing water to clean the red tears and blood that began to cover the floor. "It’s alright. You needn’t feel like a monster that can’t repent. You’re just a person that’s trying to find their way. I’d say you’re doing well so far, saving a village and taking care of a gang of ruffians is certainly a good step."
She was holding Scarlett’s shoulders, looking into her crimson, soaked eyes. "it’s alright to cry, but there’s no need to feel sad for now. You’ve got a lucrative new position and found a new home at the Tower. But, for now, there’s a summit at a neutral state near the Holy Capital that we have to attend. I promise it’ll be over before you know it, and as I’ve said, you can trust us to watch over you."
"I see..." Scarlett says, sliding out of the wall; pitching forward, seemingly weakened by the technique.
"I imagine Donovan’s already given you the full tour?" Brun said, soothing Scarlett's aching body with her Thaumaturgy. "Come along now, I’m sure Elaine would be happy to see you return. Try to keep a chin up, she has a habit of being something of a worry wart, teehee!" She said in a jovial tone, attempting to lighten the mood.
"Ready to depart?"
"Y-Yes..." Scarlett says, falling asleep.
"Oh my!" Brun said, catching the drifting Scarlett. "From what Elaine told me, your abilities are as much a curse on you as they are a blessing. They’re quite taxing, aren’t they? Allow us to help shoulder your burdens."
Brun teleported them both through a dark blue veil, and after a few moments, they arrived back at the Tower. They were back in Scarlett’s private quarters. She laid the passed out Scarlett on her bed. "I believe you have some time to rest before we head to Cambridge, I’ll be sure to wake you when we do. I can see why Elaine has taken such a liking to you, you’re a good person Scarlett. Even if some don’t seem to think so."
Scarlett didn’t respond, simply curling into a fragile ball; holding her pillow close to her chest."I believe you have some time to rest before we head to Cambridge, I’ll be sure to wake you when we do. I can see why Elaine has taken such a liking to you, you’re a good person Scarlett. Even if some don’t seem to think so."
"A good person, huh..." Scarlett asks, as she sat, legs daintily crossed, a clipboard settled in her lap, as she held a pen in one hand, and a numbered ticket in the other. "Hardly..." she says, "I’m nothing more than a liar..."
“Miss Ishval, we’re ready for your interview.”
Scarlett popped her head up, and stood up hastily - "Comin’!" - as she gathered her clutch and everything that she’d been saddled with to properly immigrate into Morgenröte. She’d need the identity she created for Donovan to be able to own property and business. Her little dallance with Brun had opened the opportunity to divide herself in two, and distract the watchdog with her little song and dance. The woman was so earnest, so genuine, it hurt -- her head, that is, to pretend to emote and emphasize.
Emotion was lost on Scarlett, her heart was an alchemical engine; a forge powered by the Void.
Brun felt for her.
...regrettable, that.
However, Scarlett felt some security in her words. Perhaps, abandoning the tower outright wasn’t the best course of action, after all? She’d determine that after this so-called summit. Until this, she was just hoping to pass this naturalization test; being employed by Donovan carried a good bit of weight in fast tracking her bid. Surely, he’d forgive her for claiming him as an employer despite only JUST finishing her building tour.
“You have an hour, everyone. After that, pencil down, turn your papers over, and pass them forward.”
"Sorry, Brun..." Scarlett says, "I’ll be the one you wake up..."
Brun was standing just outside in the hall, a few feet away from Scarlett’s door. Her arms were folded again and she also had a tired, rather melancholic expression on her face.
"Honestly. You really ARE a problem child, aren’t you?" While she had heard everything, she was actually able to deduce that the Scarlett she took back to the Tower was little more than a doll of sorts. The real Scarlett’s location was easy to guess.
Twisting her hand would go against her words, but moreover, she made a promise despite her attempts to deceive her. So, for now, she would place trust in her words. She guessed that a morning’s worth of onboarding shouldn’t take too long.
"Arteus. You certainly know how to choose some interesting individuals…"
ATTN: @NoriWasHere (Captain Roth)Three things went into a proper heist:
Time.
Planning.
Effort.
Of those three, the thief that Captain Roth feared had enough to execute her plan. Under the cloud of dread and haste, the caravan rushed through the shaded wood in a diamond formation of cavalrymen, pursuing of a single goal: the safety of The Mount, their fortress, impregnable to all but Gods and Men selfsame. However, the last stretch of road would be the last stretch for half of the ten men that rode their weary horse, and the same would be true of the horse that carried them and their precious artifact:
Thundral's Cornucopia.
It was calculated to the smallest detail with the information gathered from the infamous information broker, Grandma Musilene, and materials stolen over the course of a week's preplanning. Suspended above them, within the decrepit canopy, a thunderstorm of steel caltrop awaited the pressure of a carriage passing over a weighted trap set under a small rise of the dirt road. A carriage had a more calculable ride trajectory than horses, and that made the trap simple to set.
...and, easy to release.
The held tree branches cracked like thunder, and a net split apart under pressure, allowing hell to rain down. Chaos erupted, as the wheels of carriage cracked, and the shoed hooves of ten horses caught the spiked metal that littered the road. Immediately, the carriage lurched and wrenched on the twin horses that pulled it forward; the sudden cessation of movement caused the hitches to yank, and the right-side horse collapsed - its leg snapping from the angle, bleeding profusely - while the left-side horse tumbled over the caltrops, and fell into the spikes, landing on its abdomen.
As the carriage was disabled, smoke fell from the sky, and obscured the forest for the trees - as well as the hell that fired out of the treeline.
Bolts fired from the trees en masse, and impaled the caravan escort from both sides. Captain Roth could heard his men screaming in confusion and death screams, horses panicking and hitting the ground, yet there was nothing that he could do, as bolts rammed into his abdomen from left and right, and his horse as well, as the war-trained beast raised his hindquarters, and tossed his rider. Looking back, Captain Roth could see his steed felled by a series of serrated bolts that punctured his side, much like the one digging into his abdominal muscle - aching to tear his stomach and right kidney wide.
Behind him, another soldier fell as a bolt tore through his femoral artery, and the blood gushed over his horse; the crimson stream flowing over the bolt that dropped his mount to its own knee. The scene was much the same, as he struggled to his feet to attempt and access the damage, as the rain of arrows slowly ceased.
Death and Injury in equal measure was all his found, as he made his way from the front to the back; their Rear Guard, lightest armored of them all, lay in a pool of his blood and his speedy mare's blood, as bolt tore open his bicep, and his sword was plunge into his mare's neck. His death the result of hers, as she lay in a heap upon his crushed chest; his head bent in a twisted angle.
"Poetic in a way, isn't it," asked a nonchalant voice, as something landed on the carriage, "They died together, from the same cause. Necks are shockingly fragile under pressure."
Captain Roth could barely make out the intruder he'd feared so, as he caught sight of her and those glowing eyes going down at him haughtily.
The daughter of the Midnight Thief and Mistress of Misfortune...
Kuroneko, the Shadowless Thief.
"I'd love to stay and chat, but we both have things to do, so..." Captain Roth would witness the rumored might of the Shadowless Thief firsthand, as she placed her hands on the roof of the carriage, and her glowing eyes closed, before she and the carriage disappeared in plain sight in a swirl of smoky shadow...
Just under a mile off, the carriage would reappear on the edge of a cliffside, and without support, plunge into the depths of the forest below. If anyone was alive and inside, they wouldn't make it much longer... if all at judging by the crash before.
However, she wouldn't know for a while, as the thief crawled up into a flourishing tree, and groaned, as her eyes shut and she fell asleep...
ATTN: @PaulHaynek (Katsuhiro/Blacksmith)Alice would stand, once the storyteller was all said and done with his tale. Though, it had involved little information about her own past interactions with the Heavenly Strike, but had afforded her plenty of potential moving forward. To reach the holy site of the ancient swordmaster, Kenshiro, would give Alice access to a wealth of swords with decades of experience and teachings for her to assimilate and build up to speak to the man himself. In doing so, Alice could take on his mantle, and master, if not even improve, on his technique.
However, it was clear that the Heaven Strike was in the hands of the Varjans, now, and out of her reach for the time being. Theoretically, she could assemble an away team, and launch an expedition to find Kenshiro's Rest, the holy site for his students, but who could she afford to bring on such a feat?
If she assumed the basic needs, she would need a Magician, a Tank, a Rogue, and Ranger with herself as the Fighter.
In order to figure out who would best fill those slots, she would walk about the temple, and take a survey of the other Taskforce members...
Of the Magicians, she had the options of Io the Lich, Atsuha the Jorōgumo, and Liliana the Fairy. Immediately, she would cross the Fairy and the Lich off the list; she didn't have the time to babysit a fairy that only knew Wild Magic in the heat of combat, and a Lich that required prep time would be equally as useless in a pinch.
That left the Jorōgumo and her foreign magic with a heavy use of seals, but being half-spider afforded Atsuha unique advantages over Io and reliable abilities over Liliana.
Of the Tanks, her pickings were slimmer with the options of Gringor the High Orc, and Himami the Jiangshi. There was also the option of Eula the Automaton, but she wouldn't rely on a Tank that could only fulfill that role at the cost of expensive repairs. Between the two, Alice felt she would tolerate the Jiangshi over the High Orc - uppity species, Orcs; uppitier species, High Orcs.
In addition, it would seem the Jiangshi and the Jorōgumo were related, so it made the decision all the easier to follow through. Plus, an undead that couldn't feel the pain she was tanking for was all the better.
Of the Rogues, her pickings were equally as slim as before with the options of Skarsneek the Goblin and Kerry the Hornet. That decision was the easiest of all: she hadn't slept with the Goblin.
Also, on the subject, the Goblin was sleeping with the Jugoromō, so that was even more fuel to avoid picking the Hornet and any awkward distraction during the trek and fighting.
That left the Ranger, and arguably... no options. There were no dedicated range weapon users. That would require a rearranging of her team composition, or she would need to sacrifice the range advantage.
Unless she opted for a Wild Card...
Takeshi the Human.
Though Alice had no desire to involve the Acting Regent of her newfound Kingdom of Terauchi Temple, it would have to serve.
With the team and the preparations planned, Alice would have only to collect her blade and get to it.Said blade was collecting her arms with her hair, the long lock pulling them close to each other, and to her. "I appreciate your efforts, regardless," she says, as the blades transformed into her arms; fingers wiggling and flexing - most notable, her nails looked immaculately polished and filed to perfection, as if the Blacksmith had given her a high-class manicure. "Very nice..."
Carroll’s tone was almost purring, as she separated the lock of hair into two strands, and secured her arms in place; the demonic slime reaching out from her sleeves to reconnect.
"I might have to make regular appointments," Carroll muses, exposing a surprising level of vanity, "I’d be very interested to see, if you can -- "
"There you are," Alice interrupted her sword. "I have a lead on this scar of mine. I think we were involved in a battle with this technique called the [Heavenly Strike]. It’s, basically, [Injection] on Cheshire Dust."
"Well, that sounds rather fetching to learn," Carroll says, "But, if it was fast enough to breach your parry, it’s not something we can simply broach without a plan."
"Already a step ahead of you," Alice says, smugly thumbing her nose, "I put together a team."
"Well, look at you," Carroll says, "We’re are we going to rendezvous, then?"
"Uh... about that... they aren’t... you know... here... YET!" Alice says, rubbing the back of her head, "BUT, once they are, they’ll be glad to join me, after they learn what I’ve done for this place."
Carroll sighed, rubbing her temples, "Gunning ahead blind, as usual."
"Ehehehe...~" Alice giggled sheepishly. "Anyways, let’s go get supplies! We need rations, a map, and camping supplies."
"Hopefully, we can afford it," Carroll says, "Speaking of, I will make sure I pay you for your fine service, sir. And, repeat business," she smiled pleasantly, before starting the search for a general supplies store, "Let’s go, my Airheaded Empress."
"Don’t call me that in front of people! Disrespectful sword!" Alice whined, as stalked after Carroll, leaving the Blacksmith to his own devices, as they disappeared.
Born into the world as a mongrel, Kalepco Lupin is the daughter of the once infamous Phantom Thief, Grawsine Lupine, and his lover, the Kunoichi, Fay Lin, in the ever-sieged Human Kingdom known as the Empire of Man.
CLASS
RŌNIN...
...the honorable path of the warrior turned honorless and criminal. Despite having the natural born skills of a KUNOICHI and PHANTOM THIEF, Kalepco was never trained to use her talents beyond childish games. Such a life wasn't one intended for Kalepco, but with the abrupt death of her father and the slow death of her mother, it would come to call all the same.
Trained under the powerful watch of Grapnel Green, of the Green Iron Orc Tribe, Kalepco would learn to use her inborn talents against the Kingdom that wronged her...
SHADOWLESS THIEF...
...the pubescent surprise to outclass the rest, as the once untrained skills of her parents were roughly tumbled and finely polished under Grapnel's tutelage to be released in a stunning grandeur.
Figuratively and Literally, as that was what the Special Skill of a PHANTOM THIEF was called. No longer a RŌNIN, Kalepco had become so much more with a grander purpose fated to her.
FATED FINALE
...only time will tell what Kalepco's destined to become in this world.
APPEARANCE
Born to the illogical union of a Half-Gnoll and a Half-Taxabi, Kalepco bares more of her mother's traits superficially, and more of her father's traits subdermally. Her figure is tall, lanky, and generally unimposing with Tabaxi features mixed with Human features, allowing her to easily pass in Human society for the most part, while betraying, entirely, the threaded cords of dense Gnoll muscle behind that supply her superhuman stamina and speed.
Having been born in a temperate climate, and lived her life in, so far, Kalepco's inherited fur is pattern strangely to emulate sleeves; coming down from her right shoulder to the start of her fingernails, but stopping at the midpoint of her left upper arm, and reflecting on her legs. As such, at a glance, she appears to be wearing a shirt and pair of pants with one long sleeve and one short sleeve. This combination of fur coverage accumulates hot and cold in a fair equal measure, so she is never too inconvenienced outdoors in the summer or winter.
Her standard of dress is a light, leather breastplate that covers only her upper torso, hiding the fur coverage underneath, a pair of leather vambraces dyed red with black accents, and a leather skirt that covers to the top of her thighs. Built less for protection in prolonged combat, but skirmishing attacks, her armor takes advantage of her feline nimbleness and her canine musculature, while conforming to her homosapien physique.
The standout piece of her attire is the red scarf that wraps around her neck; a special piece of her parents and her heritage, as it was woven by her mother from a unique textile stolen by her father, and can stretch great length while maintaining great weight without tearing.
It is her most prized possession, and she never parts with it.
HISTORY "They say, cats and dogs will never get along, yet here I am..."
Born under an auspicious moon, Kalepco Lupine joined the Empire of llll in the dead of night with a mewling cry. Raised in the quiet part of the besieged kingdom, Kalepco never knew the secondary lives of her parents, and never thought to question the luxuries that simply appeared in her life and kept her childhood bright.
However, all bright spots cast a deep shadow elsewhere, in which all manner of things hide.
A kingdom in desperate need of resources is not a kingdom that is tolerant of thievery of said resources, and, in one fell swoop, Kalepco's quiet, idyllic life was uprooted with the reveal of her father being the Phantom Thief, Grawsine Lupine, and his prompt incarceration with a death sentence. Into shambles, her childhood would fall, and into despair her mother would sink, until she would succumb to her negligence to face the unknown future.
Left an orphan, a ward of the state, and unwanted by, Kalepco would grow up with little, falling to a life of crime with the Half-Orc Bandit Lord, Grapnel Green, and find herself in and out of the system from her preteen and teenage age years - pardoned only because her age, as a youth in the eyes of the law.
Though, once she was an adult in those same eyes, all bets were off...
They'd shown that twice, now, and taken three loved ones from her.
The hatred brewing herself and her homeland would not go amiss by the higher power of The Fates.
Perhaps, that is why a simple rumour of a magical toolbox from the Iron Dwarven Lands would catch the ears of the shadow on the wall.
An offering for a change at a lasting revenge...
...but for who? That was for The Fates to decide.
Regardless, Kalepco would pen her goodbyes to Grapnel in the dead of night, a shoddy scrawl conveying some unbidden level of sincerity, and a hazarded promise to try to return with the toolbox in hand...
HISTORY: IMPORTANT PEOPLE
"A man that carried the weight of prejudice on his back, and the pride of his tribe in his chest, yet never had a chip on his shoulders - even as an exiled half-breed. Considered a traitor to the Gnoll and a freak among Humans, Grawsine Lupine relinquished the name given him at birth for a name that would become a legend, self-made. Even in death."
That's the kind of man my father was...
"Stern principles. Steady morals. Warm hugs. Just some of the qualities of the Mistress of Misfortune, though I called her Mommy. Daddy loves to tell the story of his little assassin turned lover, and how tight her scarf is. I remember her as a woman with the strength to hide her hurt, and she raised me with a smile. Even in the end."
That's the strength my mother possessed...
"A towering beast born man, his chest clad in rustic, green armor, as if caging the inhuman musculature beneath. Boasting the strength of his monstrous kin, and the intelligence of his human mother, Grapnel strikes first and foremost on the frontlines with his fists, opening the path for his Bandit Tribe to move in and strike."
At least, that's how I remember him...
"Maybe, her name was truly apt. Her voice was a melody unlike any other. Her look would defeat any debates of beauty before they started. But, what I remember most is the flutter of those feathers while we scouted, because my heart would do the same. I never understood why an older woman that wasn't my mother made me feel like she... and I'll never get an answer, now."
I'll never forget her or that feeling in my heart...
"Warden, first. Father, second. Father Allan Hunter, Warden of the Beastman, and follower of the creed of Jusrice under Justoriel.
A man of the cloth, adorned in armor, with a deeply rooted prejudice to Beastmen, and fanatically loyalty to the Empire of Man and her laws."
Of him, I have no positive memory, just that sour expression of disappointment in what I am, not what I've done...
"Grandma Musilene. An old friend of my father's, as well as his fence and informant on things, in and out of whenever he called home. It could be said, I inherited her services as his only daughter, but that's all I've gained from her. That, and an important lesson: there's a difference between friends and family."
Like a shadow at high noon, Grandma Musilene is always there, yet out of sight.
FEARS
Kalepco has general fears found in her more animalistic genes, such as a fear of thunderstorms and snakes; the latter causing her to run away to a safe distance, while the former can lock her in place, if she cannot find a place to hide.
While she doesn't have a fear of dying, due to how she grew up, Kalepco does have a reasonable self-preservation instinct, and will abandon hopeless combat.
However, the only thing she genuinely fears as a person is losing her scarf. If it goes missing, she will go into a manic frenzy to find it, and attack anyone, friend and, especially, foe.
GOALS
Kalepco drifts through life, living day-to-day, with the sole goal of one day getting revenge. Once that is achieved, she'll be without purpose, and will follow wherever the winds take her; be that to another land, or back to Grapnel and his Tribe.
SECRETS
Her Fated Weapon is stolen - twice, technically, as the Empire of Man stole it from the Iron Dwarves, and then Kalepco stole it from the Empire of Man.
Not explicitly a secret, but just a lack of understanding why she likes girls more than boys that Kalepco isn't comfortable sharing with strangers.
FLAWS
Kalepco is very pessimistic, her emotional maturity stunted by raising herself and stealing from others to survive. Her catchphrase is simultaneously her philosophy on life.
Kalepco's intense distrust of strangers makes her a shaky ally to rely on, as she could slip into the shadows and disappear, leaving her once held allies to hang.
Adding to her general crankiness, Kalepco is naturally predisposed to smoking catnip in the same fashion as a person would nicotine or tobacco.
Messing with Kalepco's scarf can be a death sentence.
SKILLS
Every party needs a thief to scout and break into places, as well as commit any less-than-savory acts of dealing with the problem. Being capable of Beastspeech between both Gnoll and Tabaxi, as well as the cultures, Kalepco makes for a decent guide and translator, if needed.
ABILITIES
Lockpicking -Kalepco is no stranger to gaining access to any lock of standard fare and make; if a key turns it, so can she with a clever application of a nail and thin shiv. However, magical locks are beyond her ken, frustratingly.
Sneaking -The most basic of basic skills employed by her profession, allowing her to prowl through unwelcoming spaces and place without making a sound or leaving a trace. Not invisibility by any chance, but as close as physically possible.
Pickpocketing -The third in the Trio of Thievery, allowing Kalepco to lift items from or place items upon a consciousness, or preferably, unconscious, target of decent size and weight. Not just applicable to picking pockets, but can also remove rings, necklaces, and even earrings with the approximate closeness and associated danger.
Ranged Weapon Proficiency -Preferring to hang back, Kalepco is more comfortable with a bow over a sword, and with her sharp eyes, more liable to strike a target rather than miss.
Throwing Weapon Proficiency -A natural extension of her preference to ranged combat, but reduced to work within confined and/or restrictive spaces. Behind closed doors, a knife can be as effective as an arrow.
Short Blade Proficiency -Life as a Bandit doesn't allow one the comfort of hanging back and staying safe behind a bow. No, sometimes, the fight comes to you, and knowing how to use a short blade can mean living another day.
Grandeur: Shadowless -Every Phantom Thief is born with Grandeur, a unique ability that makes their style famous, and for Kalepco, this is Shadowless: the ability to turn her shadow into a Shade, and detach it from her body to operate as its own entity.
However, being a creature of shadows, her Shade can only operate as a scout, her eyes and ears, and cannot fight without a weapon of the Shades. It cannot travel more than a mile off, and cannot move through daylight without a shadow to hide in.
Being struck with light results in burns that reflect on Kalepco as pain, and can force a retreat or risk complete evaporation. As long as Kalepco is Shadowless, she is rendered rather weak.
Curtain Call: Shadow Sneak -Kalepco's ultimate trick, owing to her Kunoichi roots, which allows her to use her Shade as a Shadow Portal, and, 1/Day, manifest herself where it stands, regardless of where she is or her condition.
Beheld -Kalepco's most treasured possession, her scarf, Beheld. Normally, a blazingly red scarf with significance unexplainable, it is truly a weapon made of a unique textile that stretches beyond belief and is said to never tear. It moves with the will of the user's spiritual energy, and can be used in multiple offensive, defensive, and utilitarian fashions from a whip, to bindings, to a rope to swing off or climb up.
It carries the will of her mother and father, as well as the reason they are gone. The blood-red cloth means many things, but, most importantly, it is a means for Kalepco to be held by her parents.
FATED WEAPON
Thundral's Cornucopia
Forge God of the Iron Dwarves, Thundral created an artifact of His peoples: a simple, handled pail that was blessed to forever supply the Iron Dwarves with nails to hammer, screws to turn, and bolts to ratchet with saws, crossbars, and more. A veritable cornucopia of a craftsman's needs.
Unfortunately, legends do not stay in their homelands, and once stories reached the empirical ears of the Empire of Man, an expedition was launched to acquire such a thing from the backward mountaineers. Securing the artifact, and the eternal enmity of the Iron Dwarves, the Empire of Man would prosper in their eternal siege against and by the Orc, able to shore up defenses in hours instead of days.
However, karma swings around, as it always does, and Thundral's Cornucopia was destined for a new thief to possess it...
BESTOWED ABILITIES:
Artisan Carpentry -By simply possessing this Fated Gift, Kalepco can construct anything wood or metal with the expertise of an artisan.
Workshop of One -Kalepco can construct with the speed of a professional workshop rolled into one.
Access: Forge Underhill -The inside of the artifact is a link to Thundral's forge, Underhill, and where its contents are sourced from.
Fated Gift: Deus Ex Machina -Thundral's Blessing is occasionally extended upon the artifact, and grants the keeper the perfect tool for the job at hand... but, not exactly making it clear how.
Born into the world as a mongrel, Kalepco Lupin is the daughter of the once infamous Phantom Thief, Grawsine Lupine, and his lover, the Kunoichi, Fay Lin, in the ever-sieged Human Kingdom known as the Empire of Man.
CLASS
Shadowless Thief, the Fusion of the stealth and dramatic flair of a Phantom Thief and the ruthless efficiency and martial skills of a Kunoichi, Kalepco has an innate superiority with the talents of her parents, but little in the way of practice and mastery. So much so, that at a glance, she appears to be more of a Bandit, but... a diamond in the rough needs only polishing.
APPEARANCE
Born to the illogical union of a Half-Gnoll and a Half-Taxabi, Kalepco bares more of her mother's traits superficially, and more of her father's traits subdermally. Her figure is tall, lanky, and generally unimposing with Tabaxi features mixed with Human features, allowing her to easily pass in Human society for the most part, while betraying, entirely, the threaded cords of dense Gnoll muscle behind that supply her superhuman stamina and speed.
Having been born in a temperate climate, and lived her life in, so far, Kalepco's inherited fur is pattern strangely to emulate sleeves; coming down from her right shoulder to the start of her fingernails, but stopping at the midpoint of her left upper arm, and reflecting on her legs. As such, at a glance, she appears to be wearing a shirt and pair of pants with one long sleeve and one short sleeve. This combination of fur coverage accumulates hot and cold in a fair equal measure, so she is never too inconvenienced outdoors in the summer or winter.
Her standard of dress is a light, leather breastplate that covers only her upper torso, hiding the fur coverage underneath, a pair of leather vambraces dyed red with black accents, and a leather skirt that covers to the top of her thighs. Built less for protection in prolonged combat, but skirmishing attacks, her armor takes advantage of her feline nimbleness and her canine musculature, while conforming to her homosapien physique.
The standout piece of her attire is the red scarf that wraps around her neck; a special piece of her parents and her heritage, as it was woven by her mother from a unique textile stolen by her father, and can stretch great length while maintaining great weight without tearing.
It is her most prized possession, and she never parts with it.
HISTORY "They say, cats and dogs will never get along, yet here I am..."
Born under an auspicious moon, Kalepco Lupine joined the Empire of llll in the dead of night with a mewling cry. Raised in the quiet part of the besieged kingdom, Kalepco never knew the secondary lives of her parents, and never thought to question the luxuries that simply appeared in her life and kept her childhood bright.
However, all bright spots cast a deep shadow elsewhere, in which all manner of things hide.
A kingdom in desperate need of resource is not a kingdom that is tolerant of thievery, and, in one fell swoop, Kalepco's quiet, idyllic life was uprooted with the reveal of her father being the Phantom Thief, Grawsine Lupine, and his prompt incarceration with a death sentence. Into shambles, her childhood would fall, and into despair her mother would sink, until she would succumb to her negligence to face the unknown future.
Left an orphan, a ward of the state, and unwanted by, Kalepco would grow up with little, falling to a life of crime, in and out of the system, pardoned only by the lack of severity to her crimes and her age, as a youth in the eyes of the law. All the while, brewing a hatred for her homeland that would not go amiss by the higher power of The Fates.
A simple rumour of a magical toolbox from the Dwarven Lands would catch the ears of the shadow on the wall.
A change at a lasting revenge...
...but for who? That was for The Fates to decide.
FEARS
Kalepco has general fears found in her more animalistic genes, such as a fear of thunderstorms and snakes; the latter causing her to run away to a safe distance, while the former can lock her in place, if she cannot find a place to hide.
While she doesn't have a fear of dying, due to how she grew up, Kalepco does have a reasonable self-preservation instinct, and will abandon hopeless combat.
However, the only thing she genuinely fears as a person is losing her scarf. If it goes missing, she will go into a manic frenzy to find it, and attack anyone, friend and, especially, foe.
GOALS
Kalepco drifts through life, living day-to-day, with the sole goal of one day getting revenge. That goal achieved, she's without purpose, and will follow wherever the winds take her.
SECRETS
Her Fated Weapon is stolen - twice, technically, as the Empire of Man stole it from the Iron Dwarves, and then Kalepco stole it from the Empire of Man.
Not explicitly a secret, but just a lack of understanding why she likes girls more than boys that Kalepco isn't comfortable sharing with strangers.
FLAWS
Kalepco is very pessimistic, her emotional maturity stunted by raising herself and stealing from others to survive. Her catchphrase is simultaneously her philosophy on life.
Kalepco's intense distrust of strangers makes her a shaky ally to rely on, as she could slip into the shadows and disappear, leaving her once held allies to hang.
Adding to her general crankiness, Kalepco is naturally predisposed to smoking catnip in the same fashion as a person would nicotine or tobacco.
Messing with Kalepco's scarf can be a death sentence.
SKILLS
Every party needs a thief to scout and break into places, as well as commit any less-than-savory acts of dealing with the problem. Being capable of Beastspeech between both Gnoll and Tabaxi, as well as the cultures, Kalepco makes for a decent guide and translator, if needed.
ABILITIES
Lockpicking -Kalepco is no stranger to gaining access to any lock of standard fare and make; if a key turns it, so can she with a clever application of a nail and thin shiv. However, magical locks are beyond her ken, frustratingly.
Sneaking -The most basic of basic skills employed by her profession, allowing her to prowl through unwelcoming spaces and place without making a sound or leaving a trace. Not invisibility by any chance, but as close as physically possible.
Pickpocketing -The third in the Trio of Thievery, allowing Kalepco to lift items from or place items upon a consciousness, or preferably, unconscious, target of decent size and weight. Not just applicable to picking pockets, but can also remove rings, necklaces, and even earrings with the approximate closeness and associated danger.
Ranged Weapon Proficiency -Preferring to hang back, Kalepco is more comfortable with a bow over a sword, and with her sharp eyes, more liable to strike a target rather than miss.
Throwing Weapon Proficiency -A natural extension of her preference to ranged combat, but reduced to work within confined and/or restrictive spaces. Behind closed doors, a knife can be as effective as an arrow.
Short Blade Proficiency -Life as a Bandit doesn't allow one the comfort of hanging back and staying safe behind a bow. No, sometimes, the fight comes to you, and knowing how to use a short blade can mean living another day.
Grandeur: Shadowless -Every Phantom Thief is born with Grandeur, a unique ability that makes their style famous, and for Kalepco, this is Shadowless: the ability to turn her shadow into a Shade, and detach it from her body to operate as its own entity.
However, being a creature of shadows, her Shade can only operate as a scout, her eyes and ears, and cannot fight without a weapon of the Shades. It cannot travel more than a mile off, and cannot move through daylight without a shadow to hide in.
Being struck with light results in burns that reflect on Kalepco as pain, and can force a retreat or risk complete evaporation. As long as Kalepco is Shadowless, she is rendered rather weak.
Curtain Call: Shadow Sneak -Kalepco's ultimate trick, owing to her Kunoichi roots, which allows her to use her Shade as a Shadow Portal, and, 1/Day, manifest herself where it stands, regardless of where she is or her condition.
Beheld -Kalepco's most treasured possession, her scarf, Beheld. Normally, a blazingly red scarf with significance unexplainable, it is truly a weapon made of a unique textile that stretches beyond belief and is said to never tear. It moves with the will of the user's spiritual energy, and can be used in multiple offensive, defensive, and utilitarian fashions from a whip, to bindings, to a rope to swing off or climb up.
It carries the will of her mother and father, as well as the reason they are gone. The blood-red cloth means many things, but, most importantly, it is a means for Kalepco to be held by her parents.
FATED WEAPON
Thundral's Cornucopia
Forge God of the Iron Dwarves, Thundral created an artifact of His peoples: a simple, handled pail that was blessed to forever supply the Iron Dwarves with nails to hammer, screws to turn, and bolts to ratchet with saws, crossbars, and more. A veritable cornucopia of a craftsman's needs.
Unfortunately, legends do not stay in their homelands, and once stories reached the empirical ears of the Empire of Man, an expedition was launched to acquire such a thing from the backward mountaineers. Securing the artifact, and the eternal enmity of the Iron Dwarves, the Empire of Man would prosper in their eternal siege against and by the Orc, able to shore up defenses in hours instead of days.
However, karma swings around, as it always does, and Thundral's Cornucopia was destined for a new thief to possess it...
BESTOWED ABILITIES:
Artisan Carpentry -By simply possessing this Fated Gift, Kalepco can construct anything wood or metal with the expertise of an artisan.
Workshop of One -Kalepco can construct with the speed of a professional workshop rolled into one.
Access: Forge Underhill -The inside of the artifact is a link to Thundral's forge, Underhill, and where its contents are sourced from.
Fated Gift: Deus Ex Machina -Thundral's Blessing is occasionally extended upon the artifact, and grants the keeper the perfect tool for the job at hand... but, not exactly making it clear how.
I might toss a coin, but I am leaning towards a Rag to Riches/Villain to Hero character of a repeat offender thief that can't hold a job, keeps getting busted for petty robbery, and just can't catch a break, until she hears rumor about an old artifact that's being secretly transported from a recent battlefield to the near kingdom for protection through her town by a covert courier.
Having nothing to lose, my character holds up the courier in a ambush that goes entirely too easy, because that's just fate. If it's meant to be, it will be.
Not quite. The fated five's fated gifts have appeared to be lost to even the fates. You will have something specific to your character. With that being said, the fated gifts are still out there and they will make an appearance in the story,
Very nice. While, I wouldn't mind inheriting them, I like having the option to have my own thing much more. Once the CS is up, I'll get cracking.
So, worked for one minute short of 11-1/2 hours, so brain is addled as heck, but - and, correct me if wrong - am I right in thinking that we are inheriting the Fated Five's weapons, but as our own characters?
Like, my proposed Bardcher would inherit Alaria's harp? Going to sleep soon, but hopefully my question will help others.
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