Eventually, Yuuhei’s involuntary rolling came to a much welcomed stop, much to the blonde’s relief. Dizziness and exhaustion were both fighting for his attention, but he knew it would be far too hopeful to believe that Prospero’s attack had put the thing down for good. And from what he could hear from his companions, his suspicion seemed to be correct.
A small grunt came out of Yuuhei as he attempted to pick himself up, but it was quickly followed by the soft sound of his body dropping back to the floor. An annoyed grimace filled his expression, as his body obnoxiously refused to listen to him due to the pain that was lancing through his arms. But as tempting as it was to just let his face enjoy the feel of the cool floor, he was still needed.
”Get up,” he muttered, even though he knew it wasn’t going to happen any time soon. So instead, Yuuhei craned his neck and shifted his muddled sight to his shabby looking partner who had just joined him. ”Hey Prospero,” his voice was hoarse, but still had a hint of his trademark confidence, ”Blow this jack ass away.”
The president could have sworn that the red clad demon smiled at his order, the white orb practically humming with excitement. Once more, a noisy tempest was balled up between Prospero’s hands, as the demon turned toward the aforementioned jack ass. It appeared to still be all too literally picking itself back up from the last attack, but Prospero had no intention of giving it any time to recover.
The micro-tempest was launched straight at those golden eyes again, as if Prospero was making a game out of how many of them he could pop in one go.
The crackling blaze met the creature’s oozing body, which Yuuhei found to be an oddly satisfying sight. Part of him would be rather disappointed if it turned out that deep down he was actually a pyromaniac, but for now it was probably much more important to focus on making sure that the thing in front of him burned to a crisp. And so far, that plan seemed to be going quite smoothly.
"Stop! Fire won't work, use ice or wind!"
Well, except for the part where the flames died down only to reveal those insectoid eyes looking more annoyed than in pain.
The order caused Yuuhei to jerk his head towards the source of the apparent voice of reason, only to find Ms “I Want Off This Ride” with cables coming out of her and behind her was a strange, blindfolded woman who was also bound by those same cables. Strangely enough, the sight didn’t even surprise him, as if it was just obvious that there would be other Persona users like himself. Not that he knew what a Persona exactly was or how he knew the word to begin with, but there would hopefully be time to worry about that noise later.
”What do you want me to do, blow on it really hard?” he retorted a bit too good humoredly for what the situation was calling for. Besides, it wasn’t like Prospero had anything like that hiding up its tattered sleeves. But as he glanced at his Persona, Yuuhei could have sworn that the white orb that served as its face was somehow smirking at him, as if it found what he was thinking unbelievably amusing.
The blonde’s eyes lit up as realization hit him. ”Garu!" he called out just as he heard the thing’s cumbersome footfalls growing louder. But by the time he turned his attention back to the thing, Yuuhei realized that he had reacted far too slowly, his body still unbearably sluggish from being tossed at the wall. His legs started moving in an effort to jump away, but he already knew he wasn’t going to make it. So instead, he raised his arms in some vain attempt to protect himself.
"Byakko!"
The veiny, white mass of flesh grazed his arms and sent the blond tumbling away from it. But just before it's fist had connected, Yuuhei felt some kind of aura surround his body, taking a good deal of the hit for him.
He was still in quite a bit of pain, but at least he wasn't dead just yet.
As he was sent sprawling, Prospero finished conjuring up a noisy sphere of wind in its hands and launched it directly at the thing’s eerie golden eyes.
Whereas many Prae are lithe and delicate looking, Vi has a noticeably muscular body that has been honed by decades of combat and training, though it’s not quite so bulky as to slow her down. And even though she is only 5’8” tall, her fierce magenta eyes and fiery hair ensures that she is able to command peoples’ attention when she needs to. This is complemented by the fact that no matter where she goes, Vi keeps her head held high and carries herself with an near unbreakable air of confidence. Her hair is kept long and falls down to the small of her back, yet an observant eye will see that it is remarkably well taken care of, contrary to what one would expect from such a no-nonsense woman.
Her crystal shines a brilliant yellow, but is often covered by her long locks of hair. And while many Prae have soft, flowing markings, Vi’s are hard and jagged, traveling up her arms and meeting at the sword emblazoned on her back, which denotes her heritage to the Rhys’alamot house.
{P}ersonality:
The product of a strict upbringing and a life of duty, Vi is the very embodiment of the unwavering resolve that the Rhys’alamot house prides itself on. From as far back as she can remember, both her status as a prodigy and her family’s words of “Greatness, at any cost,” have shaped both her views and wants, making her competitive and prideful at her best, but also shortsighted and arrogant at her worst. Not that she particularly minds how others view her, as she personally believes that her accomplishments speak loud enough to drown out whatever complaints may arise from her inadvertently stepping on shallow egos.
And as a woman used to being in command, the fiery red head has no qualms about seizing the initiative and bearing responsibilities that others may shirk away from. To Vi, the only direction in life she is aware of is forward, with absolutely no room for hesitation or steps backwards. Once she has committed to something, you can be assured that she will see it through to the end, consequences be damned. Consequently, she comes off as a bit of a slave driver to those serving under her and is a complete nightmare for anybody short of the God-Queen to manage.
Interpersonal relationships have always been a bit of a mystery to Vi. Or rather, even though she loves Priscus and has a strong sense of duty to her people, both her Spartan lifestyle and previous position as an Exeo have prevented her from being able to see people as little more than tools. In her mind, each person has his or her own merits and proficiencies, which makes getting to know each one to better understand which tasks they are most suited to a sensible pursuit. But beyond that, there is no room for her to let them in and become friends. After all, the one tool she trusts above all others is herself. And the moment that she has to rely on others would be the day that she has truly lost her edge.
Which made Vi’s fall from grace all the more world shattering for her. For the first time in her life, she was no longer adamantly sure of where she was going or what she had to do. And that’s without even beginning to address the wounds to her pride that resulted from her power being hamstrung. In the end though, she came out of the experience even more hardened and pragmatic than she was before. Where before she treated others with a tone of indifference, now her words carry a bite to them as she no longer reins in her blunt honesty with notions like etiquette and manners.
In the name of achieving her new found goal, Vi will use any tools she feels is necessary, even ones as despicable as the Licentia, and will not hesitate to discard them as soon as they prove to outlive their usefulness.
{H}istory:
You would be hard pressed to find anyone in Priscus that has not heard the name Rhys’alamot, as the family is almost synonymous with Prae military might. From the fools that have failed to sneak into Priscus to the Licentia that have met their swords, many have cursed the name. But by the same token, they also serve as an unwavering beacon of strength and honor for the Prae, serving to keep their lands safe from whatever threats may look to exploit them.
Such was the family Vistaeria was born into. But rather than shirk away from the monumental expectations placed on her, the girl welcomed the challenge and quickly proved herself to be a prodigy, picking up her lessons far faster than any of her siblings. While her talent was a source of pride for the girl, it would also prove to isolate her from Prae her own age, not that she noticed this little detail at the time. Back then, the thrill of learning new things and testing her limits was enough for her. Before she knew it, she was already leaving home to defend the Bridges to Piscus from invaders.
Few were surprised when she grew up and was named as the family’s next heir and fewer still when she was later brought before the God-Queen to be made an Exeo. Vi took to the position well, already well accustomed to a leadership role from her time guarding the Bridges. But despite that, she was hardly prepared for what she would face when she was assigned to be an envoy to Medius. Everything from the customs and people were different, but lying in wait was something far more insidious.
The order and discipline that she had become accustomed to back in Priscus were simply gone. The negligence sickened Vi, so she started petitioning the God-Queen for permission to investigate the root of Prae’s poor conduct. But try as she might, the only orders she received from the God-Queen were to stay put. Years passed, but try as she might to ignore it, Vi felt that something was desperately wrong with what was happening in Medius. And one day, she gave up asking for permission and decided to take matters into her own hands.
Her inquiry led her to meeting with her fellow Exeo, but the deeper she dug the more she realized that there were too many inconsistencies in the Exeo’s orders to be mere coincidence or accidental miscommunication. In fact, she started to realize that it was unlikely that any of the Exeos on Medius were getting their orders from the God-Queen at all. Someone, somewhere had to be pulling their strings. And when she followed where those strings led to, Vi found herself heading to Ominar with a to pursue name: Aismael. Stupidly, arrogantly, Vi confronted the Exeo directly inside of her Spire the same day she arrived in the city.
Two years passed, the once respected Prae now a shell of her former self. The memory of being stripped of her status and power as an Exeo by the God-Queen herself has haunted her over the years, as does being labeled a traitor by her own people. Exiled from Priscus, she was sentenced to live out the rest of her days quietly. And with no allies to call her own and her once exceptional ability to use Vis taken from her, many believed this was the only path open to her. Such a pitiful notion had never even crossed Vistaeria’s mind.
And now once more, Vi finds herself in Ominar.
{E}quipment:
Combat knife: While not Vi’s first choice when it comes to armaments, the 8” blade has proven to be a useful companion to her valae. There is nothing spectacular about the blade, except for the fact that Vi has enchanted it for increased durability and to finer hone its edge.
Valae: Currently due to the exorbitant amount of effort and money required to create them, Vi has only managed to procure 3 valae out of platinum tipped silver. For the time being, the only enchantments Vi has worked into them is to increase their structural integrity and to more thoroughly bind the platinum to the silver. (For more information, check the Armori Sonitae hider)
{C}apabilities
Mental
Dauntless in the face of danger
High mental fortitude
Average level intelligence
Pragmatic
Physical
Peak physical condition for a Prae
Battle hardened reflexes
Proficient with most bladed weapons
Savant of Armori Sonitae, or the Rhys’alamot fighting style
Magical/Technological
Imbuement: An ability that is nearly synonymous with the Prae, imbuement allows the user to infuse objects with their vis. The applications of this are numerous, but as the scion to the Rhys’alamot, Vi has specifically been trained in both touch-based telekinesis and enchantment. Of the two, Vi has a stronger affinity towards telekinesis, having been hailed as a prodigy for her ability to weave complex configurations and the sheer amount of objects she was capable of manipulating. And while Vi’s enchantments are nowhere near the same caliber, she has spent a long time developing her skill with them in order to better supplement her arsenal.
Enhancement: More of an offshoot of imbuement than anything else for a Prae, enhancement is the simple art of channeling vis into a specific body part to increase its performance. The magic is rather intuitive in concept, such as allowing one to strike harder by channeling vis into the arms or running faster by channeling it into the legs. There are of course physiological limits to this magic and there is always the risk that excessive use will put tremendous strain on the body which can result in long term consequences.
For Vi, this magic is used almost purely so she can keep up with the objects that she manipulates with her telekinesis in order to overwhelm her opponents. While she is by no means a prodigy at enhancement, her natural athletic physique is greatly supplemented by it, making her move far faster than many would initially anticipate a Prae to be capable of.
Manifested State: When activated, Vi’s manifest takes on the appearance of two wings, which are each made up of four “blades” of golden vis layered on top of one another. Not only does this state vastly improve her telekinetic abilities, but it also allows her to control each of her wing’s blades. While not particularly impressive at first glance, she can use these blades to imbue objects with her vis without direct contact, greatly increasing the arsenal of objects she has at her telekinetic disposal.
It should be noted that since she lost her powers as an Exeo, Vi’s manifest tires her out much more quickly than it used to and limits how much vis she is able to impart to each of her blades. In most cases, Vi can only maintain her manifest comfortably for 10 minutes at a time.
While telekinesis has always been ubiquitous with the Prae, the Rhys’alamot are the ones that pioneered a method of truly fighting with it. On the surface, it looks like its students do little more than learn to coordinate objects into specific patterns, called valans. But in reality, by practicing these formations over and over, the practitioner is able to develop a mental muscle memory of sorts, allowing them to reduce the concentration required to manipulate multiple objects at once and experienced users can even drastically cut down the amount of vis needed to do so.
Over the centuries, hundreds of unique valans have been devised, requiring a lifetime of dedication and training for one to even approach true mastery of the style. For Prae with a decent aptitude, it generally takes 2 to 4 months to truly master a single valan. This is complicated by the fact that each valan generally has a number of variations depending on the quantity of objects being manipulated. And in order to truly optimize one’s use of vis, they would have to manipulate items of the same weight and shape as what they learned the valan with.
Building upon this, the style was built around using innocuous shards of metal pressed into a diamond shape, known as valae. They generally have a dimension of 2’x1’ and are made out of metal that easily retains vis, such as silver. Through imbuement, the valae can be given any number of properties by their wielder to increase its offensive and defensive capabilities.
Whereas many Prae are lithe and delicate looking, Vi has a noticeably muscular body that has been honed by decades of combat and training, though it’s not quite so bulky as to slow her down. And even though she is only 5’8” tall, her fierce crimson eyes and equally fiery hair ensures that she is able to command peoples’ attention. This is complemented by the fact that no matter where she goes, Vi keeps her head held high and carries herself with an near unbreakable air of confidence. Her hair is kept long and falls down to the small of her back, yet an observant eye will see that it is remarkably well taken care of despite its owner’s temperament.
Her crystal shines a brilliant yellow, but is often covered by her long locks of hair. And while many Prae have soft, flowing markings, Vi’s are hard and jagged, traveling up her arms and meeting at the sword emblazoned on her back, which denotes her heritage to the Rhys’alamot house. While her Vis is manifested, it takes on a brilliant golden color, but since her fall it only extends to a wingspan of 6 feet.
{P}ersonality:
The product of a strict upbringing and a life of duty, Vi is the very embodiment of the unwavering resolve that the Rhys’alamot house prides itself on. From as far back as she can remember, both her status as a prodigy and her family’s words of “Greatness, at any cost,” have shaped both her views and wants, making her competitive and prideful at her best, but also shortsighted and arrogant at her worst. Not that she particularly minds how others view her, as she personally believes that her accomplishments speak loud enough to drown out whatever complaints may arise from her inadvertently stepping on shallow egos.
And as a woman used to being in command, the fiery red head has no qualms about seizing the initiative and bearing responsibilities that others may shirk away from. To Vi, the only direction in life she is aware of is forward, with absolutely no room for second thoughts or steps backwards. Once she has committed to something, you can be assured that she will see it through to the end, consequences be damned. Consequently, she comes off as a bit of a slave driver to those serving under her and is a complete nightmare for anybody short of the God-Queen to manage.
Interpersonal relationships have always been a bit of a mystery to Vi. Or rather, even though she loves her world, her lifestyle and previous position as an Exeo has prevented her from truly being able to see people as little more than tools. In her mind, each one has its merits and proficiencies, which makes getting to understand each one to better understand which tasks they are more suited to a sensible pursuit. But beyond that, there is no room for letting them in and becoming friends. After all, the one tool she trusts the most is herself. And for the longest time, she felt that the moment that she had to rely on others would be the day that she had truly lost her edge.
Which made Vi’s fall from grace all the more world shattering for her. For the first time in her life, she was no longer adamantly sure of where she was going or what she had to do. And that’s without even beginning to address the wounds to her pride that resulted from her power being hamstrung. In the end, she came out of the experience even more hardened and pragmatic than she was before. Where before she was largely indifferent to others, now there is a bite to her blunt honesty and disregard for notions such as etiquette and manners.
In the name of achieving her new found goal, Vi will use any tools she feels is necessary, even ones as despicable as the Licentia, and will not hesitate to discard them as soon as they prove to outlive their usefulness.
{H}istory:
You would be hard pressed to find an anyone in Priscus that has not heard the name Rhys’alamot, as the family is almost synonymous with Prae military might. From the fools that have failed to sneak into Priscus to the Licentia that have been put to their swords, many have cursed the name. But by the same token, they also serve as an unwavering beacon of strength and honor for the Prae, serving to keep their lands safe from whatever threats may look to exploit them.
Such was the family Vistaeria was born into. But rather than shirk away from the monumental expectations placed on her, the girl welcomed the challenge and quickly proved herself to be a prodigy, picking up her lessons far faster than any of her siblings. While her talent was a source of pride for the girl, it would also prove to isolate her from Prae her own age, not that she noticed this little detail at the time. Back then, the thrill of learning new things and testing her limits was enough for her. Before she knew it, she was already leaving home to defend the Bridges to Piscus from invaders.
Few were surprised when she grew up and was named as the family’s next heir and fewer still when she was later brought before the God-Queen to be made an Exeo. Vi took to the position well, already well accustomed to a leadership role from her time guarding the Bridges. But despite that, she was hardly prepared for what she would face when she was assigned to be an envoy to Medius. Everything from the customs and people were different, but lying in wait was something far more insidious.
The order and discipline that she had become accustomed to back in Priscus were simply gone. The negligence sickened Vi, so she started petitioning the God-Queen for permission to investigate the root of Prae’s conduct. But try as she might, the only orders she received from the God-Queen was to stay put. Years passed, but try as she might, Vi felt that something was desperately wrong with what was happening in Medius. And one day, she gave up asking for permission and decided to take matters into her own hands.
Her inquiry led her to meeting with her fellow Exeo, but the deeper she dug the more she realized that it was unlikely that her orders had been coming from the God-Queen at all. Someone was pulling the Exeo’s strings. And when she followed where those strings led to, Vi found herself heading to Ominar with a name: Aismael. Stupidly, arrogantly, Vi confronted the Exeo directly inside of her Spire the same day she arrived in the city.
Two years passed, the once respected Prae now a shell of her former self. The memory of being stripped of her status and power as an Exeo by the God-Queen herself has stuck with her over the years, as does being labeled a traitor by her own people. Exiled from Priscus, she was sentenced to live out the rest of her days quietly. With no friends and her once exceptional ability to use Vis taken from her, many believed this was the only path open to her. The very idea had never even crossed Vistaeria’s mind.
And now once more, Vi finds herself in Ominar.
{B}elongings:
Cell Phone: A necessary evil in Vi’s mind, as it is near impossible to stay relevant in the world without one.
Switchblade: A rather inelegant weapon, but one that has certainly proven to be useful.
{C}apabilities
Mental
Unshakable Resolve
Tactical Mind
Exemplary Mental Fortitude
Physical
Peak Prae Condition
Battle Hardened Reflexes
Intense Pain Tolerance
Magical/Technological
Touch Based Telekinesis: Like all Prae, Vi was born with the ability to manipulate objects she imbues with her Vis. At one point in time, she used to boast one of the most potent masteries of the ability but is now reduced to the skill level of a novice.
Healing Touch: Vi is currently barely capable of mending her own cuts and scrapes, much less things like broken bones and deep wounds that she used to be able to treat.
Augmentation: While nowhere near as impressive as she once was at it, Vi can imbue her equipment with her Vis to elicit a great number of effects, such as making her dull switchblade sharp or making her raggedy cloak bulletproof.
Manifested State: Another outward consequence of Vi’s fall is the strange reduction in the size of her wings while she is in her manifested state. Likewise, the state does not amplify her abilities nearly as much as it used to and she can only maintain the form for about 15 minutes at a time.
It wasn’t much of a response, but there was little else he could say as he stood there like a jackass in front of those unblinking golden eyes. Yuuhei felt his awful moment of realization drag on for what felt like an eternity as the gravity of his situation fully sunk in, his expression was one of reluctant acceptance. After all, not only had his cute little maneuver failed spectacularly, but now it would be even more difficult to try and get Natsumi and the other girl out of this mess. So in a way, he almost felt like he deserved whatever came next.
Before he could even try to haul his rear away from the proverbial coals, Yuuhei discovered that one of its disturbing black tentacles had already gotten a hold of his arm. As the slippery mass tightened around him, the blond clenched his jaw, hard, his gut telling him he wouldn’t like what came next.
Yuuhei casually looked to his side at the dark haired girl next to him, whose uniform was being ruined by the thick, red substance dripping down the wall. ”This is the part where you r-“
He never got to finish his sentence, as the thing effortlessly flung him across the hallway.
It was a terrible few seconds for the blonde, as it gave him just enough time to regret everything he had ever done in his life to get him to this point, but not quite enough to even begin to consider what he should do next after his all too intimate introduction with the wall. The loud smack that accompanied his introduction to the unsettling wet wall was followed by a sickening thud as he gracelessly hit the ground, on the same arm that had been the slimy appendage’s playmate no less.
His eyes slammed shut and the obnoxious background scream was now joined by an equally obnoxious ringing. It rattled around his head endlessly and made it difficult for him to concentrate. The familiar weight of his glasses was gone, but he hardly had time to look for where they could have landed. Especially when his body was practically screaming in protest at the very idea of him moving quite yet. Not to mention the entire outside world was being drowned out by the excruciating pain he was in.
A simple test; can you state your name?
Somehow the voice managed to cut through all of it. It was a bit frightening, honestly, how clearly the president was able to make out the voice’s words.
’Some manners you have. Don’t you know you’re supposed to introduce yourself before asking for somebody’s name?’ Maybe it was the pain talking. Or maybe he was simply getting numb to all the unexplainable nonsense that surrounded him. But still, Yuuhei hardly had anything left to lose at this point, so he decided to humor the disembodied voice.
”Seiho… Yuuhei…” The words barely escaped his lips, his voice no more than a hoarse whisper, but the blond instantly felt something happen inside him.
The pain dulled, as if being chased off by the surge of energy that Yuuhei felt spreading to every pore of his being. His battered body felt light as it worked its way through him, amplifying itself over and over again. But the relief gave way to pain once more as it reached unbearable levels, as if it was trying to escape bloodily through him if it had to. A haggard scream poured out of him and filled the hallway as his good hand crashed into his forehead, as if to dam off the stream of pain that was now coursing straight to his temple.
What a sorry state you are in, my dear actor.
Once more, the boy’s pain was pierced through by a voice. But this time it was even stronger. Almost familiar.
You wear your two costumes marvelously, but tell me, which one is the true you? Are you really no more than the impulsive fool that dives head first into whatever catches his attention? Are you merely no more than the shy boy that measures twice, but never actually tries to make a cut of his own?
The question hit Yuuhei hard. He tried to swallow, but the overwhelming beating in his chest made the simple action difficult to accomplish. Much less answer such an existential question.
I have seen through your performance. In your desperate bid to release your true self, you have overshot your target and tried to deny half of what makes you who you are. And a performer like that can never truly leave the stage, will always be putting on a farce for others. Is that what you wish?
It wasn’t. Yuuhei stood firm – wait, when had he gotten to his feet? – and glared defiantly at the abomination before him.
Fear not, dear actor, for I am thou... And thou art I… Speak my name and I shall bestow upon your eyes some vanity of my art, so that we can draw these curtains to a close.
”Prospero,” the name he had never heard before came to him as easily as breathing. As did the order that followed. ”Turn this thing to ash.”
Light danced across the hallway as a figure took its place beside Yuuhei. Red tatters made up its robe and hard iron its gauntlets. Where a face should have been, only a white orb peered through the void. Fire crackled into existence in both of its hands, somehow managing to make the act look borderline mischievous. Prospero looked every bit like a demon, ready to burn the world should his master ask him to.
Hey folks, I've been snooping around the last few days after the Interest Check hooked me in and I just want to say that this looks like a lot of fun. I've been tossing around a few ideas for a character, but I was hoping that someone would be kind enough to answer a few questions before I really sit down and work it out.
1) I didn't see any real mention in the OOC on how exactly the Prae conquered Ominar. Was it through a overwhelming show of force that ended relatively peacefully or was it more of a drawn out and bloody conflict?
2) Are there such a things as military families in Prae culture? And if there are, would it be unreasonable to think that such a family would have a practice in place wherein each heir receives the previous generation's power?
3) Has an Exeo ever been stripped of the power imparted to them by the God-Queen? And if so, would such an event impair their ability to use magic?
4) I recall seeing some mention of Prae Law somewhere in the lore, but I don't know if I saw it expanded upon. Would anyone be able to point me in the right direction to find that or even briefly explain it to me?
Phew, that's all for now. Thanks for reading through this mess and I truly do appreciate any help you folks can give me with this.