Estylwen

ArrowFell: The Wizard Queen's Court

New post us uuuuup! Thanks for your patience, everyone. Got some exciting developments with this one.

ArrowFell: The Wizard Queen's Court

Grand Bank, Duchess Agustria's Estate, A Few Days Previous

_{@Click This}

---

THUD!

Mene could only stare in horror as the silver gleam of an axe wedged itself through the door. He didn't need, nor want, to stick around and find out what would happen to him if the maids got ahold of him. So, in one swift move, he launched himself out the window and straight into the shrubs. It took a moment of disengaging and thrashing through the thick leaves before he made it out to the other side.

His eyes glanced to the fence, before straying to the gallery. No, he didn't want to escape. He wanted to hide. Tearing down the gallery as fast as his little legs could carry him, he rounded to the back of the estate. He looked wildly for an open door or window, and found it. The kitchen door, left ajar to air out the smell of freshly baked bread. He dove inside and, wishing with his ring that no one at that moment at the door, he ducked down, slipping into the nearest cupboard and curling up beside a pot almost as large as him.

Then, he slowed his breathing, his heart fluttering wildly, and tried to keep as quiet as possible. He just had to wait it out until the alarms passed. If they assumed he escaped the premises, all the better. He'd then explore the estate when their guards were down.

Yes. If he had to wait all day long in this stuffy cupboard until nightfall, so be it. But he first had to survive being hidden for these next crucial moments…

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Between South Pearl, Belleborne, and Castle Gardens

_@ERode

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Map of Hathforth

Blue is Arwen's magic, green are the city guards’ magic.

It was utter chaos.

Arwyn watched from her perch atop the roof of the highest spire of the Hathforth Castle. South and North Pearl were on fire, burning away into utter misery. Parts of the fire were discolored, flaring bright greens and blues, indicating magical illicit substances at work.

It made Arwyn’s lips curl in a snarl. The rich and depraved. They thought not of the work the royals did night and day to improve the city, instead squandering their favours on wine and drugs.

Regardless, Arwyn had a job to do. With the only royal, Princess Keove, safely protected by the illustrious Viscount Therfield, Arwyn had a bit of flexibility in her role. Safeguarding the city was certainly in her duties, with the castle taking priority. Surely the city guard were scattered and unprepared for this cause of crisis. The fire had spread so much…

She dropped from the roof, swinging into an open window - a Raven's Perch. She scrawled a note on a bit of parchment, tied it to the foot of the nearest raven, and sent it to Fort Chrysanthemum. Hopefully, the military would arrive in about an hour.

Meanwhile, she lept from the window, falling through the air to the courtyard below. And at the near last moment, fiery wings sprouted from her back, and she soared over the courtyard walls, passing by the fires and smoke as she reached the edge of Belleborne, near the middle of Gold-Touch.

The scene was devastating. Most of the guards were moaning, prone on the cobblestone, uttering delirious nonsense. None of the domes that the guards had been trying to hold up had lasted, and the fire had only spread. The guards’ response was in shambles.

Arwyn touched down and took a step forward - only for a plume of smoke to hit her right in the face. Her oxygen was snuffed out, and the stench of concentrated perfumes and illicit drugs entered her system. She fell to her knees almost instantly, dry heaving on the ground. It bettered her fortune just slightly - there was a thin layer of clear air down by her feet. She breathed once, and casted Feathered Healing. Immediately, the red aura around her fought back the ailing effects of the drug-infused air, and she stood up straight.

She moved to the nearest dropped guard and healed him. ”Heal the rest and retreat - this is far too dangerous to handle as is. Get the civilians to safety.”

The guard nodded breathlessly and moved to heal the next fallen guard beside him. Soon, the line of city guard collected themselves and gathered along the border of Belleborne and North Pearl. As a few guards fell back to evacuate Belleborne to Aethera Meadows, most remained to create a barrier wall. Similar to the domes before, this conjoined barrier would hopefully protect Belleborne from the fire claiming it.

Meanwhile, Arwyn was on the move again, a blip in the sky, looking down at the city being consumed in unforgiving flames.

”Someone has to be controlling it… But magic on this magnitude… It's powerful. We're not dealing with some random thugs. These are… these… Couldn't be… Definitely organized.” Arwyn muttered to herself, unsure but raw with determination. There was something, someone, or perhaps someones behind this. She would stand between them and the castle, ensuring the fire wouldn't claim her Queen's home.

She dove to the ground at the edge of the Castle Gardens, standing right where the edges of South Pearl and Belleborne met. And, raising a hand in the air, she casted Feathered Rain. Instantly, tiny little fireballs in the shapes of feathers fell from the sky in a wide area. As it came in contact with the fire, she was hopeful it would absorb, douse, and calm it.

---

Battle-Blood Minstrel, Above Athius

_{@Irradiant, @The Otter, @Click This}

---

The great beast Ingens was made to heel. The moment electricity coursed through it's veins, it couldn't even scream or cry out. All motor function was lost and Ingens hung limply in the water, this massive beast immobilized by Callum's well-placed strike.

Luckily for Callum, Ingen's not-like-an-eel jaw hung open. It would allow Callum to swim out and, if Callum was fast enough, drive those pearls into Ingen's head where they belonged.

Curiously, there was a bright flash of light as a small portal opened beside Callum. Drifting into his hand, glimmering with its ghostly, semi-transparent appearance, was the christened Shade's Bane. How it ended up in Callum's grasp was anyone's guess. But what he would do with it, as the portal closed and left him with the leviathan-slaying sword-

Well, that was up to him to decide…

***

Near the surface of the water, Valor watched with wide eyes as Minuette, Duchess Agustria, and Sir Hayworth all rushed her with one goal in mind: her ultimate and untimely end.

With all her golden magic at her fingertips, not even she could create a barrier that would stop this. With all her constructed speed, she wouldn't be able to move out of the way. And with her weakened state, she had to call it what it was: her defeat.

Gritting her teeth behind her mask, her fingers snapped. The attacks, mere inches from her face, hit open water as Valor teleported away from the battle, disappearing entirely.

With the head of the Clandestine defeated in this battle, it would only be a matter of seconds for the rest to realize their compromised position, and lack of leadership, and retreat.

***

Spirit was huffing and puffing, facing the weapons and magic leveled at him from Captain Thorne, Vulluin, and John. His eyes tightened from behind his head as his breath hitched - Valor's presence was absent.

”Damn it all…” Spirit growled under his breath, taking a step back into a red clockwork portal appearing below him. He disappeared in the next moment.

The same happened under the Swiftsure. Faith stared up at the hole he'd made, clicking his tongue. It should have been three times its size, but the captain had anticipated his attack. It would take a lot more energy to make this ship ultimate sink.

It was time he didn't have. The energy, yes. But the time?

Spirit and Valor's presences were gone. That only meant one thing - they had failed. So, without much of an option, Faith snapped his fingers, and the red portal of the Symphony took him, and he disappeared.

Meanwhile, Jikoryss and Raiden were attempting to make their escape. With Jikoryss's injuries, though, they were only managing a slow swim away, hoping against hope that they wouldn't be seen…

Nocturnal Memoirs: An Urban-Fantasy Mafia Epic

@Estylwen

I am interested in joining this roleplay; I have a few questions.

1. Is necromancy or communicating with the dead/ghost okay as a Gyfts? I was also thinking of manipulating time, controlling metal, puppets/manniquins/dolls, and weather like other Gyfts. I am also up for discussing what my character's Gyft could be with you. I want a wacky and weird Gyft since it could be fun.

2. Can people outside have Gyfts? Or is that only for the people in Nocturnia?

3. What happens when a mob boss loses all of their territories? Does the player need to start all over again? During combat, I assume the two players will discuss who wins or loses the battle for territory.

@Eviledd1984

Thanks for your interest!

1. Communication with the dead is great. However, I would lean away from necromancy. It's my personal preference. ^^;

All of these other Gyfts sound great. Thr power scale is to be able to destroy a one-story building, and any absolutes given to chance in a 1d12 fight. You can see the other gyfts already made if you want to see what I mean. But yes, the more specialized, the better. You are welcome to PM me your ideas.

2. Nocturnia has a secret power within it that allows gyfts to manifest, so they are localized to Nocturnia.

3. If a mob boss were to lose all their territory, I would let them choose any unclaimed territory to start over in. And if there is no unclaimed territory I'd give them to option to 'make a deal with the devil'...

Actually, it's more Arena-styled. Players can discuss who wins in PMs if they like, but actually fighting for territory is encouraged. If there's any disagreements, the GM would ultimately decide what hits connect and who would lose/win.

Hope that answers your questions!

Nocturnal Memoirs: An Urban-Fantasy Mafia Epic

@Qia Ooh, do I forsee a little collab going down between Asterion and Bella....? And I think the text is just fine, I can read it. :p

Nocturnal Memoirs: An Urban-Fantasy Mafia Epic

@Yankee It's even better now. :> Sound like a collab to me, I'll reach out soon!

ArrowFell: The Wizard Queen's Court

Arwyn Faehorn

Arwyn Faehorn

75 | She/her | Elf

Description:

Arwyn grew up in a small town maybe an hour's ride away from Aethera. Her town had a unique phenomenon in the surrounding forest: a fairy gate to the Shade. Of the beasts to occasionally come out, Feathered Nightmares were the ones who created a symbiotic relationship with the townspeople. In exchange for feasting on their life essence, which elves had lots of, the elves were taught unique magics that had to do with the Feathered Nightmares.

Arwyn was one of the more proficient ones, coming out with spells unheard of and hard to replicate by any of the other townspeople. When asked about her secret, she would simply say it was hard work and a devoted heart. But really, she had sacrificed more than three quarters of her life to the Feathered Nightmares to learn esoteric and powerful spells. A sacrifice she didn't know if she would come to regret later, as she estimated she would only reach an age of around a hundred.

She spent most of her life guarding the nobles of Aethera. However, it was when the Wizard Queen ascended the throne that her talents were sought out. The Wizard Queen did love anything to do with shades, after all. So, Arwyn packed her bags and moved to Hathforth, anointed in her new position as a royal guard of the Crown.

Magic/Seed:

Seed: Verulous Glim

A gift from Her Majesty the Wizard Queen, despite not having any noble titles. This Seed appears purple with a little light of pale lavender in the center, and it is warm to the touch. It freezes time around her briefly, before speeding up to catch up to the rest of time. She can use this to freeze her opponents for about two seconds, allowing her to land a hit before time rushes forward again. After use, the light fades, and she is unable to use it for a single round.

Magic:

x Feathered Healing - Fiery red feathers cover the wound or the body, affecting the entire system. All manner of wounds and ailments can be healed in a matter of seconds, and then the feathers disintegrate as they are used up.
x Feathered Rain - Fiery red feathers fall from the sky and affect a moderately large area around Arwyn. These are magic and element negaters, able to absorb hot and fresh essence. This includes things like fire, casted water or fog, or magical concepts such as barriers.
x Feathered Flight - She is able to summon a pair of fiery wings on her back, allowing her to levitate and move in all directions without hindrance.
x Feathered Curse - A bolt of feathered fire, if it contacts a target, a unique type of fire erupts. This fire cannot be put out with conventional methods like water, and feeds on flesh and spirit. A victim will feel the effects of fire eating their skin, as well as a painful deterioration on their mana. This sapping makes it harder for them to cast.
x Feathered Illusion - Is able to create illusion magic that affects an area, cloying at the senses and luring the unaware into a false sense of security. If a victim realizes what they are seeing is fake, they will be able to snap out of the illusion.
x Feathered Summoning - Is able to summon a Feathered Nightmare from the realms of Dremora's Shade, having it fight for her for a short period of time.
x Feathered Blade - Her blade takes on feathered flames, burning hot and causing hallucinations upon cutting its victims.

Nocturnal Memoirs: An Urban-Fantasy Mafia Epic

The underside of Ezra's single, glowing eye creased - a hint of a smirk.

"Then we have an accord. I'll expect a report in seven days, Mr. Dawson. I'm certain you will not disappoint me."

And he gestured to the men, where one hauled Adel to his feet, the other placed the bag over his head again, and they escorted him from the room.

---

It wasn't long after that Adel found himself on the side of the road at the edge of the Penny Stakes district, his agency and mobility returned to him. The mafiosos had been gracious hosts, even returning his cellphone to him before taking off.

@Yankee It's perrrrfect! You're welcome to add what I've written in and then you'll be free to make your move for this round, whether that's going after Matthias or expanding your territory or striking deals with anyone else. Or you can leave it how it is, I just wanted to ensure you were getting a fair start. :>

Umbra: The Abyssal Connection

Looking good! Looks like it's my turn, I'll aim to have something up Friday or Saturday. :>

ArrowFell: The Wizard Queen's Court

Currently working on the IC post, but I'm a little delayed. It should be up tomorrow!