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Where are the grotlings supposed to be located? There's thus far been zero canonized ogre-grotling contact, though presumably some extent happens and it just has yet to be shown IC. As per my understanding Vestec left them isolated in the Venomweald, specifically the western part near the Golden Barrens and Rukbany rather than the eastern part of the Venomweald that's controlled by Omokog.

But it's suggested otherwise by the fact that Tauga is running around in there as well as this line,


The main tribes are all in the Venomweald, scattered about. The tribe that Tauga is running around with is a shadow tunnel pirate group.

@Rtron also how many groups are there of each tribe? please no more than one or two of like 50-100 each I don't think this planet can take more than a thousand magic-capable murderbots they're six god damn metres tall


The largest tribe is around 100 or so members. And they're not all capable of magic. There are only about a dozen a tribe that are capable of general magic availble to every race. Lemme see if I can't dig up that Species sheet


Serena heard various others behind her announcing their names and position, and felt her heart sink a little. Right. Professional military. Shit. Looking back over at Sabinus, and the look in his eye, she was struck by a memory of her first day in Alliance boot camp, almost 20 conscious years ago (God, had it really been that long?). She had approached her Alliance drill sergeant in much the same manner, and had an inkling about what was going to happen. So history does repeat itself. She thought to herself, sighing quietly. this wasn't going to be fun. If she was lucky she wouldn't get to much sand in her armor. As the turian spoke to her, she snapped to attention, eyes ahead as he reprimanded her. She gave a quick ‘yessir’ and dropping to the push ups. She had earned this, and wasn’t going to complain. A brief urge to count every second push up in spanish and every third in latin struck her, as he had never said that she had to do it in a language he understood, quickly suppressed. That would only make things worse on herself and perhaps the entire crew. She counted quietly but distinctly, not loud enough to be a distraction to Sabinus’ speech but clear enough that he couldn’t question whether she was doing as he asked.

She had just lowered herself for another push up when he claimed she was going to get people killed. Anger shot through her, hot and harsh. She wouldn’t do that. She’d die before she did that again. It was fortunate that her face was faced firmly away from him and towards the ground, so he couldn’t see her expression. She gritted her teeth, hands slowly clenching into fists in the sand. That she hadn’t earned. It was one thing to punish her for forgetting what they were. It was quite another to kick her while she was down, just to prove a point that didn’t need to be proven.

They weren’t raw recruits, volunteering because of posters or the need to get out of slums. She had read all their dossiers. They were all soldiers, all veterans. They didn’t need a reminder of what was at stake, of how they could get people killed. Judging from your face, avoiding your definition of ‘loose’ behaviour might actually be detrimental. It was right there, on the tip of her tongue. Slowly, she exhaled as she pushed herself up, following his order to fall in without a word. Letting her anger control her would only make him right.

As she met his eyes, Sabinus towering above her, she wondered if she was hiding her anger well enough. Doubtful. Translation: I am not a strict authoritarian except when it suits me so be prepared for that to show up at any point in time. Also, if you don’t show precise discipline in this, self-admittedly, loose military I’ll accuse you of being a reason why we lose people. Have fun. She knew it wasn’t fair, but she didn’t care at the moment. She’d get over it later. Right now, she wanted to stew in her anger.

As Sabinius gave the order to move out, Serena called behind her for Del to bring her helmet. The drone beeped in acknowledgement, flying behind her with an omni-lash around the helmet and dropping it in her hands. As they reached the destination, she grabbed a predator and an avenger, appreciatively eyeing Noori. She wasn’t so angry she couldn’t see a beautiful woman when she saw one. She waited patiently for everyone to grab their preferred weaponry, examining the area they had to work with.
[b]Althalus/b]

He stared after Aliara in surprise. Not that she had rejected his offer, he had somewhat expected that given how suddenly he had dropped it on her, but at the nervousness and uncomfortableness she had shown. “Well…” He looked back at Helena, only mildly concerned. If Alaira was in true trouble she wouldn’t have ever bothered to talk to the other woman. He’d find her later, figure out what was going on. “It looks like its just you and me. I’ll have you spar against her and others later then. For now, follow me. I’m going to see if you can do something with those knives other than throw them ineffectually and run out of range of your allies with them.” He gave a smirk at her, gesturing for her her to follow.

“If you want to learn how to use a ‘proper’,” he gave air quotes to show how ridiculous the idea of any weapon not being proper was. “Weapon, you’ll have to go to Annabeth. Alaira is a very talented warrior and could probably kill me three hundred different ways with seventy different weapons but her style isn’t good for you. Lots of strength and bursts of speed, often relying on brute force. You’re more speed and precision.” He shrugged. “Unless you want to follow her training regime and get to her levels of strength and physicality. Then you shouldn’t have a problem.”

As they arrived in the training yard, with various structures set up for climbing and jumping, he pointed to a rack filled with blunted knives. “Pick your poison. Find a pair, or one if that’s your style, of knives that are a good weight for you. Then I want you to try and stab me.”

Aramir

She was wandering around the outside of the college, walking lightly through the freezing cold. The cold helped her calm down, the dull chill slowly working its way through her being and dimming the fires of her anger. She loved this time of year. It reminded her of home, before everything had gone to the Inferno, and it was a never ending source of amusement to see the looks she got as she walked around it what people would consider summer clothing. They weren’t from the Frozen Plains. This weather wasn’t freezing to her. It was actually rather nice and much more appreciated than the damn sandy and heat filled place she had just visited. She was whistling cheerfully to herself, tension leaving her body as she walked through the frigid land.

That whistling stopped immediately as she saw the person collapsed just outside the gate. “Gods above.” She cursed, hurrying over to the person. A woman, as she finally saw, unconscious in the snow. “Oh this isn’t good.” Aramir rolled the woman over, checking to make sure she was at least still breathing, before calling for help. “Guards! Help! SOmeone’s collapsed, we need to get her to the infirmary!” Within moments, two men appeared. They picked up Danica between them, carefully, and hurried her to the Infirmary and Sam, Aramir anxiously following.




Okay guys! We need to sound off on who is going to be participating in the group party collab. This collab is meant to be posted after introductory posts have been completed so please don't feel rushed, this is also entirely optional. I know DJ has already written a reply, Fallen had opted out.

GM's are going to act as engagement pulling respective players into this mingling group so there's no sweat on your part to try to cook up a reason why your character would suddenly be participating with a group of strangers. Please let us know.

The link to the collab gdoc is pinned in discord.


Will be participating.

Serena's silvery tube top and dress swirled around her as she moved through the crowd, heading towards the edge and the windows, simple golden (she doubted it was real gold, but the color was) cross and necklace shining in the lights. Sarah was floating over her shoulder, like some futuristic parrot. She had left Del in her foot locker to be taken on the Nexus. Unless something went horribly wrong, she wouldn’t need a combat drone following her around on this night of celebration. Not that she had anyone she knew to celebrate with here.

All of her companions in recent years were either too busy to come to send her off, thought her crazy and didn’t want to go, or were nothing more than work acquaintances. Still, she was in high spirits. It was hard not to be, with such an infectious mood in the air. Everyone was excited and nervous, standing on the cusp of the greatest voyage the Milky Way had ever seen, going into the great unknown for a dream of a better world and a better society. At least, that was the hope. Looking around her, at all the different people and their dreams, hopes, expectations, she thought that would be difficult, if not impossible. Too many old habits, too many cultural insistences, too many ingrained hostilities. There wasn’t any harm in trying, however, and that’s what she would do. She stopped and looked up at the Nexus and the Arks, smiling softly.

They were beautiful, masterful, pieces of engineering that seemed to embody everything that the Initiative hoped to achieve. Cooperation, unity, peace, and exploration. All for the singular purpose of going to an unknown galaxy to discover and explore. Those ships would get them there, sure as an Asari would embrace eternity. She sighed in satisfaction, staring at the way light of the sun shone on their hulls. They would serve as a new hub for the Initiative, a direction and command for all the colonists.

Serena felt a bit giddy, thinking about what the Andromeda galaxy might hold. She sincerely doubted that it would be completely uninhabited when they got there, and new species meant new technology. Technology she would love to get her hands on. Maybe they wouldn’t have the same restrictions against AI that the Milky way did, and she could delve into that without fear of repercussion.

Turning away from the Nexus and Arks, Serena looked at the crowd. She supposed she should get to know some of the people she was going to be heading into the great unknown with. It just seemed that everyone else had people they were with, people they were saying goodbye too, and it’d be rude to just interrupt them. Maybe sending Sarah to find a face that was at least vaguely familiar would help. She sent her drone high into the convention, scanning various faces for someone she might recognize. Serena scanned the crowd around her again, looking for someone to at least chat with a little bit, rather than spend the entire night wandering by herself and eventually retiring earlier than everyone else.

Eos, 600+ years later


Serena sat at the table in the barracks, tinkering with Del. As much as Eos had changed after Ryder’s intervention, much for the better, the blasted sand was still a problem. She made a mental note, cleaning out another of Del’s parts, to check anyone’s cybernetics for damage after missions in the desert. The sand and the heat tended to screw with them. She whistled quietly to herself, already in her initiative armor, feeling as if a weight had been lifted off of her shoulders. For the first time since the Nexus had arrived in Andromeda, there were signs of hope. Signs that they could actually establish a home here, against all the odds. They were actually beginning to fight back against the Kett, against the Roekaar, against the Exiles that still raided.

The APEX was the beginning of all that. APEX was the first step in a long journey to establishing a home here. Something that the colonists still on ice could wake up to without any fear of being killed by an aggressive force. We are the shield. Not strong enough to be the invasion force the Angara fear that they will become, but more than strong enough to protect the Initiative against the threat of the Kett and the Roekaar. With a Pathfinder to lead the charge, untrained though she may be, they had a chance. And that was more than Serena needed.

She began putting Del back together, wondering if she could manage to combine him and Remnant technology. She’d be lying if she said the only reason she had joined APEX was to protect people That was the largest and most important reason, certainly, but the ability to go into Remnant ruins and interact with the technology was a large perk as well. If she was lucky, she’d be able to take some back to study and make use of. She grinned, imagining all the things she could do with Remtech. Who knows what the latest iteration of BARAT could become if she got a strong enough grasp on that technology.

As she finished putting Del together, the drone beeping as it came online, she got a message on her Omni-tool. Someone named Sabinus wanted them outside. Their fire team leaders. Tanya’s Sabinus? She wondered, getting up from the table. She was already in her armor and armed, not trusting the Kett to just leave this settlement alone, and stood up quickly. There wasn’t anything better to do for ten minutes, so she might as well leave now. Whistling happily, Serena exited the barracks, Del following behind her, making her way towards the trio. It was Tanya’s Sabinus. That was good. She hadn’t been able to get a hold of the other woman since the Scourge incident, not with how frantic things had been, and that was worrying.

”Sabinus! Long time no see. How’ve you been? Aside from the whole mess at large, that is. How’s Tanya been?” She called out cheerfully, moving her eyes to glance at the other two. A Salarian and an Anagara. She made herself not stare at him. It was the first of his kind she had met, and that was exciting, but she didn’t want to be rude. ”You must be Tazen. Nice to meet you.” She turned to the Angara. ”I’m afraid I don’t know your name. I’m Serena Mathews. VI and robotics specialist, at least back in the Milky Way. A pleasure to meet you and I am very glad you haven’t begun shooting at us. Everyone else we’ve met here has.” Serena grinned up at the tall Angaran. ”But you’re here to help us start shooting back.”
Althalus

He whistled softly to himself, making his way through the college. He didn't remember much after getting to the center room. Cursing and fighting. Sudden surprise and fear. Then he woke up, the teacher summoning him back and demanding to know what had happened. He didn't know, much to the frustration of both of them, and they all loaded up and went back to the college. The mission, as crazy as it had been, was mostly complete. He cleaned himself off upon returning, and checked how Mar's and Lyn's missions had gone. Not well. Mar barely escaped with her life from a mad king that would have all to happily gutted her alive, and Lyn nearly killed herself by jumping from a building she was in no position to reach across. He couldn't find either of them, Mar he believed was hiding herself to recoup and balance. Hopefully not repress as well. Lyn, well, he'd find Lyn in one of her hidey holes sooner or later. She had to know he had found out about her stupid risk, and wanted to avoid his rebuke.

For now, he was looking for Helena, as the girl had asked him (repeatedly) to train her how to be better at fighting than she currently was. With nothing better to do, and the strong feeling that no matter how many times he told her no she'd keep bothering him to do so, Althalus was looking for her and one other person to help. He smiled. This was going be fun. Not for Helena, of course, but he was going to thoroughly enjoy himself. Alaira was an enthusiastic trainer, more than enough to get Helena started on her training she was so eager to start. Who knows? If he was lucky enough she'd give up on the whole endeavor and leave him alone. Having someone from Port Slaughter be so interested in him was dangerous. Not that she'd ever figure it out, but still. He didn't need someone like that around Lyn.

Althalus rounded the corner, catching Alaria's final words, his grin growing broader. "Ah! The two women I was looking for. Alaira, I see you've met Helga already. She's asked me to train her on how not to be utterly terrible at fighting with knives. For the sake of that, I was looking to recruit you to help out. Would you mind too terribly to go with us to the training yard? Can't whatever you've got to do today wait a little longer?" He gave his best winning smile, looking up at the tall elf.

@Freeshooter92 @May


Nexus Archive posts

https://www.roleplayerguild.com/posts/4626977
Aramir and Darius and UIcle

Uicle looked up as the two students walked into his office. If he had had eyebrows, they would have risen at the sight of all of the blood on the two of them. "Given your appearances, I'm going to guess that you encountered troubles on the way back from Yarosmere. Recently to boot as well. Have you both been to the infirmary? Sam will have your hides if you're injured and trying to hide it from him."

Aramir shook her head. "This isn't from our trip. We actually were just in Yarosmere. Its...difficult to explain. But things are much worse than we anticipated. The king is mad with power, and the people love him. He's able to get them to commit mass suicide and genocide for him. People are taken for questioning and he rules with an iron fist. The only resistance there is small, and losing people by the day. We have to help."

Uicle glanced over at Darius. "We'll address the sudden traveling of hundreds of mile later. Do you concur with what she's saying?"

"Not everything." Darius crossed his arms and looked at the snow elf that followed him. "The king does have power. I would say he has mind magic, but the strength that he wields it with is... unnatural. He showed his hand by having his council kill themselves and banning the College from Yarosmere. I do not believe that we can do anything to help the resistance. Any help we give may incite a war with the College."

"To get to us they'd have to cross through Djarkel and that would spark a war with them. He doesn't have the strength for that. We can help. Even if its just supplying them." Aramir retorted, glaring up at the tall man. "He is right about the King's power. Its not normal. He seemed to be talking to someone else before making everyone at the dinner kill themselves. Taking orders from them, as they spoke in his head. He can be stopped though. If we help the re-"

Uicle held up a hand, forestalling anything else. "While I'm inclined to agree with Darius, going to war with a desert despot is low on the College's priority list, a full report would be helpful. Darius, you give it. Aramir, you add your two cents after he's done. Then you'll both make your states as to why we should and shouldn't get involved, and I'll bring it to Khan's attention. Fair?" Aramir nodded. He looked back at Darius. "You may begin."

Darius nodded. He relayed everything about the trip to Yarosmere. Their arrival at the palace, meeting with Yolin, the King's enforcer, and their tour of the palace. He told Uicle about the kidnapping of a few students in the middle of broad daylight, and the public execution hidden as gladiatorial combat. How the students returned beaten up to cover their involvement with the resistance. And finally the dinner with the King and the outcome with their way home made possible by the resistance.

Once he had finished, Darius turned to Aramir, and waited for her to speak her thoughts.

"He covered the high points. They're torturing and killiing any Naga they capture. Everyone we've met seems to be absolutely in love with him, except for the Resistance. That was never explained by anyone we met. And Yolin...his powers struck me as odd. He only ever showed them when the resistance showed up and then only when he touched a scar. In addition, while they were a vitamancer power he didn't use them to heal any of the guards that had been wounded." Aramir replied, eyes occasionally rolling to the sky as she remembered details.

"That is certainly bad, but not extremely concerning." Was Uicle's only comment, before he gestured to Darius again. "Now, why shouldn't we intervene in the tyrannical ruling of a desert kingdom that is openly hostile to us and actively genociding another race in their borders?"

Darius glared at Aramir for a moment before turning to Uicle. "I did not say that the resistance does not need help. I said that the college cannot help them without inciting an incident. Riovas has contacts with mercenary groups, correct? We can use them to help the resistance without getting our hands dirty."

He turned back to Aramir. "Yarosmere is not able to march against the College as an army, yes, but they can send individuals to the College as students to do damage from within. There are many ways to go to war, and armies are only one of them. Yarosmere was my home. I will do what I can to help it become better. But, some things have changed for the better from this revolution, have they not?"

"An incident is already incited." Aramir hissed at him before Uicle could gesture for her to go. A year ago she would have backed down from this, this infighting. Not anymore. Giving into fighting was bad, but standing aside in timidity while people made callous choices wasn't better. "They actively threatened us and banned the College students. They're murdering people in the streets. They make a game out of executions. As for your worries about about spies, first they have to be mages to even be admitted as students-"

"Are you saying that they will not send mages here? Even if they do not send mages, there are other ways they can enter the College. Hard labour, deliveries, shall I go on? I have fought many battles, girl, and while you may not see it, this mission has turned into a battle that may decide the fate of Yarosmere." Darius glared at Aramir as if daring her to deny his claims.

"Uicle's golems, Lucilia's companies, groups hired in Djarkel itself, Inferno below Tyrael's demons if we have to." Aramir snapped. "If they're going to attack us, they will do so anyways. You saw what he did. He had an entire room kill themselves just to show that he could. We need to support the only organization in that entire country that's fighting against them. Give them a chance to force him to focus resources to stopping them, rather than slowly picking them off one by one until they can't even fight anymore. We have the resources to help them, and they have the transportation to make that quick. Mercenaries, equipment, food, whatever. We have the resources to do that. We'll be on alert for any counter attacks. we have to be now. It's either we do this, or we let him continue as he is and, how morally wrong that is aside, it'll just open us up for an attack."

Why couldn't he see that. She wasn't a soldier, but she knew how to guard against attacks and aid other tribes. It was no different than dealing with a pack of dire hounds.

"The College is neutral. We cannot give out food and resources to the resistance, that would show favoritism. We would have both Djarkel and Eania at our gates if even a rumor got out that we were helping the resistance. If Yarosmere were to attack the College fully, that would mean that either Djarkel has fallen to them, or that they have been swayed to the side of Yarosmere. In either scenario, we lose. Even if you are willing to toss aside our neutral standings, are you willing to toss the lives of the students that do not wish to see battle into this? Will you force them into something like the demon attack again?"

Darius crouched down to meet Aramir's gaze. "You do not listen, I wish to help secure Yarosmere's foundation whatever that may be, but we need to proceed with caution. Any action we make here will get people killed. Are you willing to rush into this and kill thousands?"

Aramir stared at him for a moment, eyes wide. Was he really suggesting that her route was the one going to get thousands killed? To get students killed? Like in the demon attack? She'd die before she let that happen. Not again. Her eyes clouded with rage and her fists clenched. "Fuck. You." She snarled at him. "We stopped being neutral when the King decided that we were his enemies. Your 'caution' is just doing nothing while he gains power and kills more people. If we can't send aid in the form of resources we certainly can't send aid in the form of mercenaries. And if we can't even make Eania and Djarkel see that holding college students hostage and threatening to kill them as a violation of our neutrality rules, nothing will make them see that and they'll be at our doors any day now. If we do not send help now, while the King is still consolidating his strength, we will never be able to help them and anyone we can help will be long dead. But you don't care about that. Gods forbid we do something like that, right? Gods for-"

"That's enough." Uicle cut in, his voice sharp. Aramir stopped. In her anger, she hadn't noticed the blue flames gathering around her fists and how close she had gotten to the Yarosmerian. Slowly, she let out a breath, the flames dissipating as her hands unclenched.

"I can see you both feel strongly about this." Uicle said dryly, looking between the two. "I'll take your points to Khan, and the College will go from there. Go get new clothes, something to eat, and perhaps a nap. If you really insist you can even continue this conversation, but if either of you started a fight with the other over it I'll have you both strung up by your toes outside the college gates."

Darius looked up at Uicle from his crouch and then back at Aramir. Something he said had struck a nerve. Something that cut deeply. He was going to let her work whatever anger she had out before respoding, but Uicle had cut it short. Well enough, It meant that he ddidn't have to get burned. He straightened up, nodded to Uicle, and left the room. He leaned against the wall and waited for Aramir to leave. Once she had, Darius spoke up.

"You are far too emotional to make decisions that will cost lives. Once your mind is clearer, think on the decisions you would have made right now and go through every scenerio that can arise from it " Motes of air started popping and snapping around him and Aramir.

"But If you ever say that I do not care about Yarosmere again. I will do everything in my power to make this place the Pit for you." Darius growled at the Snow Elf. He had used his magic to make it so that only Aramir would be the one to hear the last part. With that said, Darius stalked off to the courtyards. He had an axe to familiarize himself with.

"And you are far to clinical to make decisions that affect lives." Aramir called at his retreating back. Caring for a country and caring for its people were two different things. And they were on either side of it. She had to chuckle dryly at his threat. As if she hadn't already been through it. "Just try it." She muttered, walking away herself. She needed to clean herself off, check her bow. Calm the fire that she could feel on the edge of her fingertips.

"I can take the heat."
Still puttin along
Clarified the issues, excised a problem mech, expanded some more. Hope this suffices. @Dervish @DearTrickster @Mortarion



Edits: Cleaned up some of the writing, expanded others.
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