Onarax

Heroes of Beacon - the Next Chapter

Napoli Fiordilatte - Looking For Math Class

"Bet you didn't Ci an-ything like that happening. How does it feel having terrorized half of this year's freshmen and getting a terrible grade on the first group project. Really not a people person are you?" A voice prodded at Gratia's side, said voice of course belonging to none other than Napoli Fiordilatte, Gratia's ever supportive teammate. While his own match may have been a bundle of rudeness and required next to no effort on his part (apparently Beacon's students were both rude and reckless), at least he had gotten full marks. Gratia had been screwed over by a stingy professor and prudent partner. The nature of the situation amused Napoli to no end.

"That said I'm amazed by this gathering you've somehow acquired." Vignoble's sniper gestured towards the assortment of hunters locked in banter around Gratia. Granted, it seemed none of them were addressing Gratia at the moment, but Napoli did realize he had to do his duty as a hunter in training. Warning young men and women of the dangers ahead of them was the job of any stalwart hunter. "Greetings," Napoli bowed to the gathering, which of course created an amusing sight of the hunter walking backwards while bowing down with a flourish.

"My name is Napoli Fiordilatte, sniper and duelist of Team Vignoble, it is my pleasure to make the acquaintance of such wonderful Signors and Signorinas. Well, wonderful might be relative, but then again, you are next to Gratia so you're bound to at least appear spectacular." Napoli jested, much to the annoyance of his teammate.

"Of course now that such wonderful introductions are out of the way, I suppose I should do my duty and warn you all of the danger that is Gratia Mindaro here. Simply put, my teammate is a bit of a bitch. Thus I'd advise keeping your distance, for some might even say she's not very Gratiaous. If you all have any questions, I'm here all week." Napoli finished, with a final mocking grin flashed Gratia's way for but an instant.

Heroes of Beacon - the Next Chapter

Heroes of Beacon - the Next Chapter

Today I learned that Evil Spirits are not actually Evil Spirits.

Who knew?

Heroes of Beacon - the Next Chapter

I got more curious and thus found some more stuff directly linking it to American tradition. 1896 is the date so once more it can't be blamed on Supernatural.

"Salt, as a preservative principle, is a talisman and protection against evil spirits" (58)

Title: Memoirs of the American Folk-Lore Society. Vol. IV. Current Superstitions
Author(s): Fanny D. Bergen and W. W. N.
Source: The Journal of American Folklore, Vol. 9, No. 32 (Jan. - Mar., 1896), pp. 55-66
Stable URL: jstor.org/stable/532996

Heroes of Beacon - the Next Chapter

Did you read the part in the link where it said it exorcises evil spirits? Pretty sure that's as explicit as it gets.

Also yes sowing the fields was used, but based upon the original texts and the bible being full of double meanings it was also meant to be a full blown curse.

Heroes of Beacon - the Next Chapter

Actually Salt has been used to ward off evil spirits in a bunch of Asian cultures. Buddhism and Shintoism coming to mind in particular.

A random book from 1988 makes it easily predate Supernatural (Which Spiderwick did already). I'm also pretty sure that there is some evidence in Roman Tradition as it would be used as an offering to the gods often times to keep malice out of the house.

Christianity has also used it as a curse to keep all things out.

"Abimelech fought against the city all that day, and he captured the city and killed the people who were in it; then he razed the city and sowed it with salt." (Judges 9:45)

The Swords of the Five

@JDizzle383

So I'm approved?

The Swords of the Five

Meet the party guide.

Flavius Iuventis Vitalis

“As I said before, I am a man of my word. Trust me and I promise your safe arrival.”

Name: Flavius Iuventis Vitalis

Gender: Male

Age: 23

Nation of birth: Kravenfriht

Appearance:

Flavius Iuventis Vitalis

Personality: One of the first things a client of Flavius might notice is his quiet, reserved nature. Flavius prefers to speak only when necessary as he takes his jobs very seriously, and excessive talking can often lead to careless mistakes. That said Flavius is more than capable of being charismatic when the situation calls for it and when safely in the company of old acquaintances Flavius quickly opens up. While he may not support excessive tomfoolery, and will quickly shut down clients when their foolishness endangers their safety, Flavius is remarkably easy going about anything not related to the job.

He possesses a dry sense of humor and it’s not uncommon to hear him snark about the antics of his clients and the idiocy of others. Nevertheless he is extremely protective of his clients and always strives to fulfill his word. He has a strong sense of honor to the point where even his abandonment of Kravenfirht weighs on him. One of the many reasons he doesn’t talk about his past, for while it may not be dark or tragic, it still weighs heavily on the young man. The other notable trait of Flavius personality is his deep respect for the sanctity of life, he does not believe in killing for the sake of sport or fun, and prefers to keep killing to a minimum if possible.

At the end of day, he is just another guy, albeit one with quite a bit of experience in the world, trying to go on about living his life in a Kingdom wracked by war. If you’re his friend or client he’ll devote his soul to you, but if you’re his enemy, well he’ll simply ignore and avoid you. Confrontation just leads to more misfortune after all.

Valuable possessions: As a wandering nomad, Flavius possesses few positions of any note. Indeed most items merely have a sentimental as opposed to monetary value. He holds onto his mother’s old hunting knife and her bow, while his father’s old travel log now serves as his own. The only item with any real value is a spear he acquired in his journeys with his father.

Short History of Character: Born in the Nation of Kravenfriht, Flavius’ father was one of the many merchants who called the Nation home. A traveling peddler of goods, he often took young Flavius with him on his journeys, exposing the boy at a young age to the wonders of the world. Therefore it wasn’t long before he started to acquire a vast array of knowledge of the Kingdom. He had walked across the vast fields of Harocint, traded with smithies of Brokwyrd, feasted in Drevmort, delved deep into the mines of Fravkoan and of course, lived in the Nation of Kravenfriht. It should therefore serve as little surprise that Flavius knew the cultures and histories of the entire Kingdom just as well as those of his own Nation.

On those days he wasn’t journeying with his father, Flavius often spent time with his mother, a native from Drevmort, who hunted in the forests of Kravenfriht. While his father had introduced him to the many peoples of the Kingdom, his mother was the one who showed him the secrets of the wild. It was from his mother that he learned to wield a bow and skin a deer. Flavius learned of what it meant to be a hunter and to show respect for the sources of all life. Between the teachings of his mother and his father, Flavius grew deeply in tune with both the natural world and the world of man.

However, even as a young boy, the hostility others showed to his homeland did not escape him. Flavius often questioned why his father donned disguises and lied whenever they went past the borders of Kravenfriht’s trade empire. Yet the only response he ever received, was that it trading outside the border was dangerous. As he grew older, Flavius learned the stories of his Nation, of the evil nature of his King, of how said King had slain the five legendary knights and placed restrictions on trade with the other Nations.

Yet he never wanted to believe any of those stories, for being taught that his homeland was nothing but a blight upon the Kingdom is not something any young child wishes to hear. Thus when he was 14, the young lad joined Kravenfriht’s army despite the protests of his mother and father. Armed only with a spear purchased on a journey with his father and his mother’s hunting bow, young Flavius set out to learn the truth of his Nation’s evil. The oath to serve his King is the only one he’s ever broken.

For the first two years training progressed smoothly and Flavius discovered that he had a considerable talent for the spear. The boy learned quickly what it meant to fight as a soldier and became quite proficient in the art of war. Unfortunately at the beginning of his third year of training, Flavius parents “mysteriously vanished” during what was supposed to be just another one of his father’s trade travels. The young man was heartbroken and threw himself into his training as a way of forgetting about the tragedy. Yet deep in his heart a voice whispered that their disappearance was not all that it seemed.

Near the end of his third year of training, shortly before his first scheduled deployment onto the battlefield, Flavius was thrown headlong into the evils of his Nation. After discovering his father’s old travel log tucked away in an old closet, inside of which was a farewell letter detailing how the King had caught on to his little endeavours on the side. Those suspicions the boy had harbored were finally proven true and he knew he could serve this man no longer. Casting aside his oath, Flavius slipped into the forest easily passing under the radar. After all, what difference did a lone defector still in training make to the Nation of Kravenfriht. It should be no surprise that the manpower they spent on tracking him down was negligible.

Surviving off the teachings of his mother and father, Flavius spent most of his last few years hunting for his own nourishment. Anything he didn’t need would be sold for cheap to the nearest village. In addition Flavius has always stayed on the move, heading from one Nation to another as a leaf might blow on the winds. His tendency to travel has also given him a part time job as a guide for fellow travelers or refugees. Flavius quickly learned that few others possessed his breadth of knowledge on the Kingdom. In addition his frequent traveling left him with a network of acquaintances across the Kingdom many of whom knew his parents. A traveling guide and helper of vagabonds and the lost, that is the mantle Flavius has come to bear.

Heroes of Beacon - the Next Chapter

No worries, it was just a random suggestion. Do whatever you feel fits.

Heroes of Beacon - the Next Chapter

<Snipped quote by Onarax>

Did he actually expect a proper greeting? It was a fight not a social gathering.

@Prince of Seraphs

It's always polite to give someone a proper greeting when you first meet one another. It was a combat class not a death battle after all. Respect is key.