PaulHaynek

The Epic of Beginnings - Fragments of a weathered scroll

Noice, I'll get something up soon and move my character over.

Arknights: The Dark Woods

THE DARK WOODS

-

Hello and welcome to the Haynek Institute Of Research. Unlike typical scientific organizations, the Haynek Institute focuses less on indoor laboratories and facilities and more on field research and the great outdoors. As such, we boast the most up-to-date technology and equipment for on-site research and surveillance.

Because of the focus of our work, it is no surprise that most of our members are comprised of Catastrophe Messengers and explorers. We may not be as renowned and famous as the likes of Rhine Lab or Rhodes Island but the data we gather and the work we do is invaluable and used by organizations and countries all across Terra. We even sometimes collaborate with other scientific organizations on special research projects.

We will be honest with you, this line of work is fraught with danger. Most of the research involves Originium found in the wild, which are unrefined and potentially infectious, and the Catastrophes that plague this world. We ensure that all members rigorously practice safety procedures during any sort of research but we must acknowledge that things happen and casualties are had in the field. Again, we warn you of the dangers of the jobs in Haynek Institute.

Now then, do you think you've got what it takes?

---------

Hey there all! It's ya boy Paul Haynek, back at it again with another RP this time set in the world of Arknights, a Chinese tower-defense mobile game filled with animal people (including full-on furries) that are plagued by Catastrophes, forcing them to live in nomadic and mobile cities.

What are Catastrophes, you ask? In the world of Arknights, 'Catastrophe' is the term for natural disasters that leave behind a mysterious but powerful mineral called 'Originium'. The people of Terra (the world's name) harnessed Originium and made all sorts of stuff. Unfortunately, exposure to Originium can lead to a disease called 'Oripathy' where Originium slowly transforms the infected's body into the mineral.

So far, there is no known cure for Oripathy and if the infected dies, the Originium within becomes extra infectious. Thus, discrimination against the infected is heavy throughout Terra.

You can read more about the world of Arknights over here. If you're already familiar with Arknights (or have already max-potentialed SilverAsh) then that's great!

This RP will be smaller in scale compared to the game, however. Players will be a group of Operators of the Haynek Institute (probably need to change the name to something less egotistical) sent to a very remote village in Kazimierz to investigate strange reports about the Originium there.

Of course, things won't go as planned and the player Operators must find a way to survive and escape from the Dark Woods.

-

I forgot to post this here in General Interest Checks. Since I've never not done that for my roleplays, here it is. The RP is over here if you're interested.

Arknights: The Dark Woods

The RP may have started but new players are still welcome!

Arknights: The Dark Woods (ENDED)

And we've began~! Make your introductory posts!

Arknights: The Dark Woods (ENDED)

Skies Of Kazimierz

~@Rune_Alchemist, @RezonanceV, @Crab Bane~

The soft hum of the VTOL's engine was the only sound that could be heard. Four dim bulbs were the only sources of light inside the aircraft's cabin. The passengers were a team of Operators of the Haynek Institute of Research and they were aboard Raven One, one VTOL out of three flying to the remote village of Riventor. Originally there was only to be one team on this operation but a last minute change by Mister Haynek himself added two more teams to the assignment.

The team inside Raven One consisted of six Operators. They may know who each other was but this was the first operation they went together. They departed from the institute's mobile base once it reached Kazimierz. However, the base would soon move away since there was business elsewhere. Fortunately, the VTOLs would keep close by. Once they have delivered the teams, they would refit and refuel at a nearby Kazimierz city and wait there until the teams request extraction.

The team's leader, Blizzard, was seated during lift off but soon left her seat and stood around looking at her PDA. Wu, a Feline Defender hailing from Lungmen, was fast asleep in his seat. Rumors say he was once part of the Lungmen Guard Department but Wu denies these. Ibon, the team's Liberi Medic from Columbia, was happily listening to her music player in her seat. She was known in the Institute for spending time in Rhodes Island where she got treatment for her Oripathy.

Not a word was uttered between the team members ever since they took off. Now was good a time as any to break the ice. Or the team could just stay in each others' worlds until they reach Riventor village.

The radioes crackled to life. "Raven One, this is Raven Two. Sensors detect turbulent weather ahead."

"Copy that, Raven Two. That's weird, forecasts said there'd be clear skies over here. Well, let's try to ascend above it. Raven One, ascending to twenty-thousand feet."

"Raven Two, ascending to twenty-thousand feet."

"Raven Three, ascending to twenty-thousand feet."

Arknights: The Dark Woods (ENDED)

Haynek Institute Operators

Leader

Blizzard (NPC)

Race: Vulpo
Infected: Y/N

Members

Zasada

Played By: @Rune_Alchemist

"Snrk. Always Stay Safe, huh? That's always a good thing."

~Basic Info~

---

NAME: [Redacted]
CODE NAME: Zasada
GENDER: Female
AGE: 24
WORK EXPERIENCE: Six years
PLACE OF BIRTH: Ursus
DATE OF BIRTH: August 4th
RACE: Ursus
HEIGHT: 173cm
INFECTION STATUS:
Non-infected as confirmed by medical report

~Physical Exam~

PHYSICAL STRENGTH:
Standard
MOBILITY:
Excellent
PHYSICAL RESILIENCE:
Standard
TACTICAL ACUMEN:
Outstanding
COMBAT SKILL:
Normal
ORIGINIUM ARTS ASSIMILATION:
Standard

Profile

Zasada was a chemist and scientist residing in Ursus, working for the Ursus government on various projects relating to both Originium and Oripathy. She'll readily admit most of the work, was of a less than altruistic nature and purely for either curiosity or some way to exploit it. Multiple tests have shown average Ursus physical abilities, and a particularly acute mind and sharp wit.

Clinical Analysis

Imaging tests reveal clear, normal outlines of internal organs, and no abnormal shadows have been detected. Originium granules have not been detected in the circulatory system and there is no sign of infection. At this time, this Operator is believed to be non-infected.

[Cell-Originium Fusion Rate] 0%
Operator shows no signs of infection at this time.

[Blood Originium-Crystal Density] 0.16u/L
Operator has worked with Originum and while often uses required safety measures strict observation is still necessary to prevent infection.

Archive File

Archive Files

File #1
On the surface, Zasada is a friendly and amicable sort. A talkative person with a mild flair for the dramatic and an almost mad-scientist level of curiosity and intelligence. Mixed with a rather self-involved selfish attitude she often does what she want without really considering the consequences. Most operators have made comments about her being rather overbearing nature and lack of understanding social cues and personal space.

Doctors note: Talk to her about her drinking habits

File #2
Zasada is not an suitable for long drawn out fights or direct combat. While she possesses her species natural physical fortitude, she has no formal training of any kind beyond the basic training given to those who join the Haynek Institute. Instead, her skills lie in both stealth, laying traps, and outwitting foes with minimal direct confrontation with a variety of chemical cocktails, as well as explosives and fire bombs.

Note: Please, for the love of all that is holy, someone cut off her alcohol! Where is she even getting it from!?

File #3
Please remove any equipment capable of distilling alcohol from her personal quarters, and bar her from any sort of 'personal research'. It has been discovered she has been using it for the purposes of making alcohol, and then selling it at marked-up prices. While I admire her ingenuity, I will not tolerate this.

File #4
[Redacted]

After further investigation into her background, this file is to be burned and deleted from all public records for both her safety as well as unit cohesion. As well, all records are to refer to her with her Codename.

URA!

[+]

Zasada Means "Ambush" in Russian

Rex (MIA)

Played By: @RezonanceV

REX

_{┼ℝ┼𝔼┼𝕏┼}

"God Willing, You Won't Need Me"

Blacksteel Operative & High-Risk Consultant for Haynek Institute

CODE NAME: Rex
WORK EXPERIENCE: 7 years
PLACE OF BIRTH: Laterano
DATE OF BIRTH: January 5th
RACE: Sankta
INFECTION STATUS: Confirmed not Infected according to the medical test report

PHYSICAL STRENGTH: Standard
MOBILITY: Excellent
PHYSICAL RESILIENCE: Standard
TACTICAL ACUMEN: Excellent
COMBAT SKILL: Excellent
ORIGINIUM ARTS ASSIMILATION: Standard

Rex is a citizen of Laterno with rights & privileges from one to thirteen in the Laterano Constitution.
He was a member of Blacksteel as a private investigator working in covert situations. 
Played supportive and intelligence roles for security operations. 
Early in his career he showed an uncanny ability to read and anticipate high-pressure situations. 
His ability to strategically manage and tactically maneuver, set him up for quick lateral promotion.
Later he'd pioneer a new role and be classified as a Rescue Extractor. 
The R.E.O.'s primary purpose is to drop into "losing" combat situations, assess and command critical assets for extraction.
These talents and skills sharpened overtime with Blacksteel Worldwide earning him the code name, Guardian King. 
Eventually, his code name morphed into a nickname that started to be used among the BS Worldwide organization, Rex. 
Rex specializes in special operations, guerilla warfare, dignitary protection, and covert communication.

Imaging test for this Operator showed clear outline of internal organs without any unusual dark spot. 
No unusual traces of Originium particles present in her system, no signs of infection, confirming him as Non-infected.

[Cell-Originium Assimilation] 0%
    Operator Rex has no sign of ore-infection. 
[Blood Originium-Crystal Density] 0.09u/L
    Operator Rex has been in areas with Originium but has yet been infected, he does wear proper PPE for such missions.

File 1

He is a silent individual with a sparingly positive affect at times. His immediate presence can be heavy and provide a feeling of security, but this does not speak to his physical nature, a born acrobat and strategist it appears, a willingness to take precise risks.

File 2

There is a video recording saved in the BSW database regarding one of Rex's "call-ins". The security team leader was under overwhelming odds. Caught in an ambush during a security escort, the team had lost 3 of their 8 operational members with 17 total enemies and counting circling their position.
Completely encircled, Rex dropped in outside the enemy perimeter and managed to trick the enemy in targeting one another, thinking they were firing at reinforcements. Following Rex's head cam, he navigated rubble tossed smoke into an entrenched position at the rear of friendlies.
The cam kept steady awaiting the enemy to abandon their entrenched position from the smoke-out and one-by-one as they attempted to escape, Rex picked them off. Creating a window for the friendlies to retreat from and toward Rex's position while the remaining enemy teams fought each other under the confusion.
Rex and all 8 members escaped with 3 critically wounded including the dignitary.

File 3

Rex has demonstrated his value to Blacksteel Worldwide immensely and has been loaned at a great cost to the Haynek Institute as security assurance for a ground team to confirm and recover reports of Originium in Kazimierz around a village called, Riventor.

Longgui (MIA)

Played By: @Crab Bane

CS

Dossier

NAME: Kameko [REDACTED]
CODE NAME: Longgui (though will allow others to call her a shortened version of her code name if she trusts them)
WORK EXPERIENCE: 5 years
PLACE OF BIRTH: [REDACTED]
DATE OF BIRTH: September 9 (21 years old)
RACE: Long-Petram mix
INFECTION STATUS: Confirmed non-infected after most recent medical examination.

Physical Exam

PHYSICAL STRENGTH: Average
MOBILITY: Below average
PHYSICAL RESILIENCE: Above average
TACTICAL ACUMEN: Above average
COMBAT SKILL: Excellent
ORIGINIUM ARTS ASSIMILATION: Flawed

Profile

An outwardly calm and friendly individual, Longgui always does her best to stay on top of any situation, though, at times, her emotions sometimes cloud her judgement. She tends to look at combat as a game, and whoever has the highest body count (and survives, of course) wins. Shows some other sociopathic tendencies, though these rarely go far enough to be make her a liability. Often prefers to be alone or with only one or two other people. Is extremely protective of two of her personal belongings: a rifle she's dubbed "Sasayaki", and a pendant from her mother.

Clinical Analysis

Imaging tests showed clear outlines of internal organs without any unusual dark spots. No unusual traces of Originium particles present in system, no signs of infection. Operator is believed to be non-infected.
Cell-Originium Assimilation: 0%
Blood Originium-Crystal Density: 0.14u/L (Longgui occasionally comes in contact with Originium, though shows no signs of Oripathy)
Other: While overall healthy, Longgui's medical records show a strong allergy to the wood and oil of trees of the genus Cedrus. Due to a viral infection contracted while she was a child, Longgui's vocal cords have been severely damaged, to the point that she cannot speak.

Archive File

File 1

As a functional mute, she has had to learn how to sign. However, since most of those she works with can't sign, Longgui uses other means to get her point across, including using pen and paper, gestures, microphone clicks, and even Morse code.

File 2

Born to a servant in the nation-state of [REDACTED], Longgui spent most of her childhood either in school or working alongside her mother. She was often targeted by bullies, and she learned from a young age how to fight and protect herself. Unfortunately, both she and her mother contracted an unknown viral illness. While Longgui overcame the infection (though her vocal cords were permanently damaged). After a brief period of mourning, Longgui dropped out of school and continued working as a servant. However, the master of the house gave her an offer to join his private security team. He'd been keeping an eye on her, saying that Longgui reminded him of his granddaughter, who had passed away from an Oripathy infection.

File 3

Part of Longgui's training included using various firearms. The legality of her owning one is questionable at best. That said, she's an excellent shot, and can factor in wind direction and speed to improve her accuracy.

File 4

Occasionally messes with her coworkers. There seems to be no ill intent. When asked why she once sabotaged a certain coworker's "science project", her reply was, "It amused me."

Favorite Operator

"Dokutah!"

Dragonheart

Played By: @Kuroakuma

Dossier for Operator Dragonheart

Basic Info

Image of Operator Dragonheart

BASIC INFORMATION

NAME:
As per the terms of his contract with Haynek Institute, Dragonheart's name has never been revealed.
CODE NAME:
Dragonheart.
WORK EXPERIENCE:
7.5 years of combat experience. 1 year of work experience.
PLACE OF BIRTH:
Dragonheart's place of birth is likely Kazdel, as most Sarkaz are born there, but he has never confirmed it personally.
DATE OF BIRTH:
As per the terms of his contract with Haynek Institute, Dragonheart's date of birth and age have never been revealed.
RACE:
Dragonheart appears to be a rare mix of both Sarkaz and Draco.
INFECTION STATUS:
Operator Dragonheart is currently confirmed to be infected with Oripathy.

Physical Exam

HAYNEK INSTITUTE PHYSICAL EXAMINATION

PHYSICAL STRENGTH:
Excellent.
MOBILITY:
Standard.
PHYSICAL RESILIENCE:
Excellent.
TACTICAL ACUMEN:
Standard.
COMBAT SKILL:
Excellent.
ORIGINIUM ARTS ASSIMILATION:
Outstanding.

Profile

PERSONALITY

Dragonheart is a quiet man, without much to say without provocation. That said, he's perfectly happy to listen to others, or to return their sociability whenever they interact with him. To sum Dragonheart up in a few words; he's a man of action, not words, who tends not to judge others, even if they've commited what he would see as grave sins- in his eyes, he's even worse than them.

Dragonheart tends to stray from the group a little, and has become accustomed to a rather solitary lifestyle due to his Oripathy Infection. A self-sufficient hunter-gatherer with almost a decade of experience on the field, Dragonheart could survive alone in the wilderness for years as long as he wasn't in, say, a wasteland.
Or smack-bang in the path of a Catastrophe, obviously.
Due to his solitary lifestyle, Dragonheart tends to speak plenty of his thoughts aloud, something he'll do even if he's around other people and the information isn't sensitive.

He'll gladly engage in social situations, but will always keep his distance from others out of respect- he doesn't want to accidentally infect another person with his sickness. While this makes it a little difficult to get closer to the Operator, the barrier is only physical. Dragonheart thinks of himself as a kind older brother-type that is willing to help out his colleagues with anything they ask of him. Despite his good intentions, his social skills are far from the best, so he's still a little bad at chatting.
Gods forbid someone tries to engage with him in small-talk with no real meaning, the poor guy won't know how to respond.

Another major aspect of Dragonheart's persona is his guilt; with so much combat experience as what amounts to little more than a hired blade, it's no surprise that Dragonheart has earned coin under the employ of some unfortunately unsavoury types. He hasn't fully allowed himself to understand that he had no choice but to work or die, but his sense of morality refuses to let him move past what he sees as his greatest sins- killing innocent people, because he wanted some money.

As a result of this same self-inflicted guilt complex, Dragonheart places very little importance on cold, hard cash, instead often asking that his employers cover the costs of his food, necessities, and provide a roof over his head, with a little cash on the side. This is also the reason for his development of hunting and survival skills; Dragonheart refuses to ever be in a situation in which his only path forward is the destruction of innocent lives again.

To sum him up, Dragonheart is the kind of person who'd return the trolley at a shop, frown aggressively at people who don't, but also used to not return them himself, and is angry about it.

Clinical Analysis

[REDACTED AS PER REQUEST]

Archive File

HAYNEK INSTITUTE ARCHIVE FILES

Archive File #1
The first, and most important matter to discuss is Dragonheart's sheer amount of experience. Many of the statistics in his examination are simply as high as they are because of how long he's been 'in the game' as he'd call it. Dragonheart's portfolio speaks for itself; he's been seen in the employ of Blacksteel Worldwide several times, worked in joint operations with the esteemed L.G.D, and has even allied himself temporarily with Penguin Logistics of all factions. He's been hired as a Catastrophe Messenger, a soldier, and even an assassin. He was seen most prominently, however, working for his (assumedly) native Kazdel, and is also well-known for working for several notable figures in the Empire of Ursus. To say that Dragonheart is a soldier of fortune is an understatement, and also a blatant besmirching of his character.

Archive File #2
It's no secret that Dragonheart is the wielder of a unique weapon, or weapons. Dragonheart wields what he claims is called the Fangs of the Pit; a pair of two nearly identical swords made in a similar style to the weaponry of Kazimierz. He claims to have inherited them from his father, a native Sarkaz who was once a renowned pit fighter. What separates these blades from others of their kind is the special addition to the pommels. These additions not only allow Dragonheart to snap the blades into place to form a single dual-bladed weapon that he is equally as proficient in the use of, but it also allows him to toss it like a murderous frisbee.
However, the truly marvelous thing about the Fangs of the Pit is the Originum crystals that sit in the hilts, which allow Dragonheart to 'call' the blades back. This essentially allows him to act as a ranged Operator despite being considered a Vanguard. A rarity on the battlefield. This versatility alone makes him a unique Operator.

Archive File #3
Dragonheart's Originum Arts Assimilation is, to put it bluntly, full of immense potential. Due to being a half-Sarkaz, Dragonheart is naturally gifted in the Originum Arts as all Sarkaz are. This allows him a great deal of versatility- and he knows it. His solo, self-sufficient fighting style often incorporates the use of Arts to bypass defenses and even to heal himself in battle. That said, while his capacity for Originum Arts is spectacular, Dragonheart shows no interest in truly honing those skills.
In fact, he seems to loathe them.

Archive File #4
[REDACTED AS PER REQUEST]

Archive File #5
[REDACTED AS PER REQUEST]

Archive File #6
[REDACTED AS PER REQUEST]

Not Lappland

Texas.
Or maybe Siege? Siege is cool.
Manticore, too.
APPLE PIE.
If I'm honest, I have too many favourite Operators..
Help me.

my favourite operator is nearl's abs

Will-O-Wisp

Played By: @Lunarlord34

Fluffy Fox

Basic Info

"Kit-I mean Operator Will-O-Wisp reporting for duty! I may be inexperienced, but I won't let you down!"

NAME: Kit [Redacted]
CODE NAME: Will-O-Wisp
WORK EXPERIENCE: [Redacted]
PLACE OF BIRTH: Victoria
DATE OF BIRTH: November 21st
RACE: Vulpo
INFECTION STATUS: Infection confirmed by medical report

Physical Exam

PHYSICAL STRENGTH: Normal
MOBILITY: Standard
PHYSICAL RESILIENCE: Normal
TACTICAL ACUMEN: Normal
COMBAT SKILL: Standard
ORIGINIUM ARTS ASSIMILATION: Outstanding

Profile

Full of youthful, boundless energy, Operator Will-O-Wisp is an overly optimistic individual with a rather innocent view of the world to the point of naivety. Always happy to greet others with a smile, hug, or any combination of the above, she is rather intrusive and noisy and comes off as rather bratty and childish to most. Despite this, she proves to be an invaluable and reliable ally, always the first to come running to help, whether it's needed or not matters little to the girl, and seemingly never shaken even by insurmountable odds, though whether this is bravery, stupidity or just arrogance no one seems to care. Behind her angelic smile however seems to lie something else, though what it may be she seems overly cautious of guarding.

Clinical Analysis

Medical tests have shown the outlines of her internal organs to be indistinct due to abnormal shadows. Originium granules have been detected in her circulatory system, confirming her to be infected with Oripathy.

[Cell-Originium Fusion Rate] 16%
Operator has no obvious ore lesions on the surface of her body. Tests have revealed the presence of crystals internally, however.
[Blood Crystal Density] 0.32u/L
Due to the presence of Originium within the Operator's internal organs, the Operator's internal crystal content is elevated.

Archive File

#1

Will-O-Wisp never seems to talk about her background, simply laughing it off with a beaming grin whenever anyone attempts to pry. All she ever gives is she's from Victoria, though why she left or who she was while she was there remains a mystery. Any attempt to look into the girl has proven fruitless, though the investigation is still on-going.

#2

She has grown an attachment to the floating fireballs she is able to manifest, often giving them rather childish names and can be seen speaking to them when alone in a hushed tone, often accompanied by some giggling.

#3

Will-O-Wisps playful demeanor has earned the ire of some of her co-workers. While she thought it would be funny to run over and 'playfully' bite a fellow Operator completely unaware, she underestimated the reaction and during the ensuing moments actually bit down, drawing blood as a minor scuffle brought out and had to be broken up. This is not her only instance of causing trouble, having been known for grabbing onto people's tails, trying to pet others ears, nuzzling against others, the girl growing a reputation for having no sense of personal space.

#4

Will-O-Wisp wears her heart on her sleeve and seems to be terrible at hiding her emotions, as evident by how her tails wag enthusiastically when happy, or when they droop when she's sad or being lectured for her wild behaviour.

#5

She tends to gravitate towards the Lupos or Vulpo races for some peculiar reason, many believing because she views them as the best race when it comes to fluffy tails and ears, though when questioned on the matter she denies the claim and simply because they remind her of home.

Mofu Mofu

Projekt Red for life <3

Wu (NPC)

Race: Feline
Infected: Y/N

Ibon (NPC)

Race: Liberi
Infected: Y/N

A Guild Adventure: An RP with Monster Girls! (ENDED)

Master Chef
~@Restalaan (YNG)~

"Your neighbor likes you."

Yang Bethlehem

"Really? Well, monsters like everyone. It's the reason they haven't taken over the world yet." Nero replied. Your warning appeared to have missed him entirely. Or perhaps he thought having an Ushi-Oni after him was no big deal.

The competition began in no time. You and the other contestants all started at the same time. At least, technically. You started cooking and preparing at a steady pace. While you were waiting for some ingredients to boil, you spared a look at the other competitors.

Nero has not even started yet. It seemed he was still deciding what to cook. The Ushi-Oni was doing great though. Despite her species being known for being blunt and unrefined, she was cooking delicious-looking steamed rice mixed with minced vegetables and meat. Its brown texture was probably from some sauce. Meanwhile, the Kikimora was still preparing her ingredients. She was cooking at her own pace which was not fast at all.

Soon your ramen was ready. Cooked just the way you liked it. It did not seem like it but the small competition kitchen provided all you need to make your ramen exactly as you wanted it. Looking to the others, they were all still cooking.

Nero has already prepared his main course: a plate of well-done steak with an appealing and savory appearance. Beside the steak was a small salad of various fruits and vegetables. However, he was cooking another meal. Some scrambled egg seasoned with greens. Presumably, that was the appetizer or the side dish. The ohers were doing the same. The Ushi-Oni was making a bunch of sushi and the Kikimora was adding a side of mashed potato to her cooked vegetables.

You look at your meal which was the ramen. There was still time left, you could cook something more like the others or you could enhance your ramen some more.

------

~@13org (ADA), @Rezod92~

On the way to the cooking contest, Ada was gotten a new balloon. Three, in fact, when the vendor with the weird skull mask kindly added two more to the order for free. One yellow, one pink and one light blue.

It was not long when the three monsters reached the competition. There were four contestants, guild member Yang being one of them. The other contestants were a man with blonde hair, a spider monster known as an Ushi-Oni and a bird maid monster known as a Kikimora.

Despite the difference of races, their meals were all equally appetizing. Yang had prepared a bowl of noodles known as ramen to those aware of the eastern dish. The man made a slab of well-done steak with a side of salad. They saw that he was still making more food, some scrambled egg. The Ushi-Oni had steamed rice mixed with vegetables and meat and was in the middle of making sushi. Lastly, the Kikimora cooked some vegetables with some mashed potatoes coming up.

"All their dishes look amazing, and delicious!" Talia's single eye sparkled at the food being prepared. "I hope they would let everyone have a taste. Which would you try first, you two?" She asked Ada and Kira.

---

A Test Of Strength
~@Restalaan (DIT)~

"Hello, I'm Ditzy! Let's have lots of fun!"

Ditzy Stoneclub

"Hooh? Some Goblin thinks she's stronger than me? Hah! I like your audacity, little runt, but I'm afraid you're way over your head in this." The Minotaur proudly boasted without shaking your hand.

Instead, it was the Jinko who shook it. "Your courage is admirable, little one. May you also find joy in this competition." The tiger monster was more humble than the Minotaur but you could feel her immense strength in her grip.

The contest soon began and the Minotaur went first. She raised the hammer high up over her head and summoned all the strength she could muster. With a loud yell, she slammed down the mallet upon the lever. It was a miracle that it did not break. Yet, the puck did not rise all that much. In fact, it did not even reach the halfway point of the tower.

A collective, disappointed 'Oooh' was made by the crowd. "What the hell?! No way! You've gotta be kidding!" The Minotaur was flabbergasted at her apparent lack of strength. "Gods damn it!" She hurled the hammer to the ground in anger only for it to bounce back and hit her in the face. "Argh! Stupid hammer." She then disappeared into the crowd.

Now it was the Jinko's turn. She picked up the hammer and did the same as the Minotaur, raising it above her head and collected strength. But unlike the previous contestant, she uttered no sound. Her fury was tranquil yet powerful. She hit the lever with the same strength as the Minotaur's, perhaps even more. Yet, the puck only made it slightly higher than the Minotaur's and nowhere near the bell.

"Impossible..." The Jinko was not as loud as the Minotaur but even she was astonished at her apparent lack of strength. "Perhaps I am not as mighty as I believed. Have I shirked from my training that much? But I have..." The depressed tiger monster shambled back to the crowd with the hammer slipping from her paw hand.

It was your turn now. Perhaps the failures of the other two monsters had shaken your resolve, or perhaps your confidence was enhanced. Regardless, you did your best to hit the lever with the hammer. Unfortunately, your strength failed much like the others. The puck only reaching somewhere between the Minotaur's and the Jinko's.

"Oooh! Not a pretty sight for our contestants!" The knight host remarked at the rather poor results from you and the other monsters. "Now then, if anyone else wants to go then--"

"Stop right there, criminal scum!" A voice came from the crowd. The onlookers parted to make way for the accuser. He was a knight like the host. In fact, he looked exactly like the host. Down to the last piece of armor "Impostor! How dare you trick these fine innocent people of Boreal Port with... trickery?!" The crowd as well as the Minotaur and Jinko were now confused by this ordeal.

"Impostor? Me? How dare you!" The host retorted. "Aren't you the impostor? Walking right up here dressed like me and tricking these fine innocent people of Boreal Port with... with... trickery!"

"Hold on a second! If there's impostor business to be had, we'd have to know who you two claim to be first. So then, who are you?" The Minotaur stepped up to challenge the knights' claims.

"I'm Ian North. The--"

"Hold on, I'M Ian North!"

"Screw off, I'm the real Ian North."

The two knights continued accusing each other and the crowd could only watch the two go at it back and forth. Suddenly, you were approached by the Jinko. "Excuse me. I know I'm going by my instincts here but do happen to know 'Ian North'. If so, can you tell them apart?"

---

Bullesye
~@13org (FYR)~

"Good luck in the contest, may the better marksman win."

Freyr

Sir Reed took your hand and shook it with no reply but a nod.

"Haley, surprised to see you here. I thought that you would be more interested in the other contests. Archery isn't exactly that exciting to watch."

Freyr

"No, it isn't. You, on the other hand, are pretty exciting to watch." Haley smiled a cheeky grin at you, a blush on her face. The teasing remark was noticed by Sir Reed and the other contestants.

And then Sir Reed laughed. "You say you are unlucky in love yet a fair maiden awaits to gaze upon your grace and your skill." His remark elicited giggles from the crowd and from the Elf and Cupid. The Kikimora smiled even harder at that.

"H-Hey, come on guys. It was just a light tease. All monsters do it. Right?" Haley was getting embarrassed, not expecting this amount of attention. "I mean, sure Freyr's real easy on the eyes but-- Uh, that wasn't what I meant! I just..."

But Haley's words only served to make Sir Reed and the others to laugh even more. The embarrassed Haley was infuriated and fuming."Oooh! Freyr, can you win this thing so we can rub your victory all over these idiots?"

"Hahaha! Indeed, save your damsel from the predicament she found herself in, Sir Freyr!" Sir Reed was the last to speak before the competition began.

All four of you were hitting the targets well enough. The first one were close and got farther and farther. You and the other monsters were doing well but Sir Reed was beginning to struggle. He was taking more time placing his shots. Indeed, once the targets were far enough, Reed finally missed. His arrow missing the center of the target.

With a sigh, he walked off his position and towards you. "I should've known than to try and compete against monsters like you all."

"Ha! Serves you right for making fun of us!" Haley popped in. "Alright, Freyr. Just beat these three and we're all done. Shouldn't be hard for someone like you."

But despite the Siren's words, the contest went on for quite a while with none of you missing your shots. Even when the distance was great, your arrows were still finding the targets' centers. Soon, it became apparent that this was going nowhere. A break was called to give the contestants some respite while how to break the stalemate was discussed.

"Should've seen this coming. When monsters are good at a thing, they're REALLY good at that thing. You should see a Minotaur and an Ogre go at it. Forests were leveled, I jest you not." Sir Reed approached you. "So Sir Freyr, you wanna grab a drink while they sort this out or do you want me to call Haley? Haha! Or perhaps you got an idea on how this competition could run?"

---

Quiz Bee
~@ShwiggityShwah~

"Nope. No magic. My name is Ozmodius Skyway, but you can call me Ozzy, if you like. And you are looking at, a one in a genetic million, a male monster. A male Owl Harpy to be specific. Traveling Sociologist and Member of the Guild. And how lucky I am to meet an Owl Mage and a Lich. I never had the pleasure. Could I ask the same?"

Ozzy Skyway

"It is not one in a genetic million. More like one in never." The Owl Mage replied. "You must understand that male monsters cannot be born under the current physical laws of this world. What you are is either a special exception to the law, or the law has been changed. Either way, you are an incredible point of interest for all of monsterkind."

"Indeed. I do not think you grasp the magnitude of your existence. If you let me take a look at you real quick, who knows what metaphysical knowledge we can discover through you. Perhaps even insight into the inner workings of reality." The Lich was cut off when the doors to the hall was suddenly opened and inside came Riñas the Dark Priest.

"Hey now, you cannot talk to him like that." The Owl Mage interjected. "Look, Mister Harpy. I think it might be better if you just come with me. I shall not run dreadful experiments on you like Miss Undead over here. We will only talk and--"

"Hello! Hi! I'm REALLY sorry I'm late!" Riñas burst through the hall's entrance doors and hurried over to the podiums. "As you know, I'm also one of the organizers of this festival so I'm really busy. Please understand my tardiness~!"

"You! Dark Priest!" The Lich called out, surprising Riñas. "I demand we change our prize to this male monster right here!" She demanded. "Not for anything bad. Just some time with him.

"Umm, I don't think that would be fair to Mister Harpy. Nor do I think he'll like that." Riñas replied. "What would happen if he would win?"

"He can have all the money we have." The Lich answered. "And we won't bother him for the immediate future."

Riñas looked to you. "Well? What do you say about that, Mister Harpy?"

---

~@Stern Algorithm~

"Oh, umm, I just figured that the responsible thing to do was to help, since Sister Riñas seemed so understaffed. If anything, I was more curious what your question was."

Sylvia Altissima

"Fine! Let's be nosy and find out what Neil wants to ask!"

Vivian Altissima

"It's fine, Vivian. It's fine." Neil began. "...Well, as you guys know I don't come from this world. I'm looking for a way home."

"I've heard that Dark Priests are servants of the Fallen God. Now I don't care much about who the Fallen God is and what she wants do, only that she's someone who is in another dimension. Pandemonium, I believe." He leaned closer to the sisters. "Maybe she or her followers know something about other dimensions. Other worlds. Maybe ways to cross them. That would definitely get me home."

He then leaned back and looked up. "But it's a longshot, I admit. Could be a dead end." Neil then looked back to the Liliraune. "Do you think... do you think it's possible? Do you think I could actually... go home?" He looked at the Altissima sisters with hopeful but unsure eyes.

Blades of Iron Roses: An Anime-Inspired Fantasy Knight RP

Yay!

Arknights: The Dark Woods (ENDED)

Alrighty then! We'll see if Rezonance can catch up but regardless, we'll be beginning soon!

There's not a lot of y'all but that's fine.

Arknights: The Dark Woods (ENDED)

@Crab Bane

Aaand accepted!

------

@Rune_Alchemist

You still up for this?