SilverPaw

World Beyond the Lexicon

Ankaa Liu

_{Interactions: @samakama, @ERode}

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“Hello, Misaiya,” she greeted the enrobed male politely. “As Kress mentioned, I’m Ankaa Liu,” she once again introduced herself. She issued a contemplative “Hmm?” when Alstein assured Misaiya that he would be fine.

“An attendance list?” Ankaa questioned, glancing down in thought as she briefly put a half-curled hand to her chin. “Huh, you’re right, I don’t think he had one,” she admitted, shaking off her confusion. “Though I’m not certain professor Mavis used one last year, either,” she added with a blink, shrugging one shoulder.

“I honestly expected professor Nyx to just…memorize who was who,” she explained. “Perhaps worrying is unnecessary, however. He was not too put out at the other latecomers. And,” she said, voice picking up speed and conviction, “he was tardy himself.” Ankaa nodded once, as if that settled the matter, a self-pleased smile gracing her lips.

What she kept to herself was that she’d found their teacher entertaining when he was put on the spot and flustered. That, and the only time he’d used magic so far was when he’d been annoyed by being mistaken for a student, and the martial artist was definitely in favour of seeing more.

At Kress’ proclamation, Liu turned to stare at him, bewildered. “What line?” she asked, tone heavy with incredulity. “This here is just a very chaotic mob,” the girl proclaimed. “I would usually commend you for your patience, but when no-one else,” her hand made a pointed sweeping motion at the crowd, which practically embodied the definition of disorderly, “appreciates it, I am afraid it is very much pointless. I learned that lesson my first year,” she confessed wryly.

“I will join,” she confirmed. “As we seem to agree that we would like to see the experts at their work, may I suggest adopting the local custom and squeezing our way through?” Ankaa proposed, one arm spreading wide in the painters’ direction, the other turned towards her classmates, beckoning them with a come-hither motion. Her eyebrows were raised expectantly, but instead of progressing forwards as she’d advised and presuming they would follow, she waited for the boys’ opinion on the matter. Certainly, if they knew of a politer yet equally efficient way to go about this, she’d be willing to listen.

World Beyond the Lexicon

Ankaa Liu

The chaos that was their first class was interrupted by a general announcement, according to which they were to make their way to the plaza. This being her second year, Ankaa was not as easily impressed – the headmaster spoke of four guiding principles, yet only strength seemed to be honored, given who the Miracle Seven were and how they came by their positions. Nonetheless, she listened and watched attentively.

At one point during the ceremony, another student slinked into his seat; the latest of the latecomers so far. She watched him settle down, amused, then turned back to the front. The six of this generation’s miracles made their way onto the stage, and Ankaa had to clap her hands to her ears at the commotion that raised. When the formalities were finally done and over with, professor Nyx gave them leave to enjoy themselves.

Liu breathed in and out, suffused with the intensity of the atmosphere. She’d learned that if she focused on a particular segment of the festivities instead of trying to take it all in at once she would not get overwhelmed. A pleased smile curling her lips, the martial artist wandered off, not paying any mind to where any of her dispersing classmates were headed.

She was drawn to the familiar first, and found herself amidst clubs presenting their specialities, whether arcane or physical. There was The Summoning Society, displaying their mini worker-golems (the contracts for which they seemed more than willing to sell) and making an attraction out of their elemental spirits (admittedly pretty). The Witches’ Den was performing card-readings, palm-readings, luck-readings, and all other sorts of demystifying of the fates. Nearby was the Alchemist Workshop with exhibits of potions and transmutations, as well as a stall selling their products. Right next to it was a “Mystical Supplies” shop ran by Practitioners United, cramped with packages of dried and fresh herbs, a variety of potted plants, bottled animal parts, assorted samples of soil stored in vials, whole and ground crystals, bundles of incense, a dizzying array of glass containers, magical implements of all sorts, scrolls, journals, tomes, and more.

Liu spent stayed a good amount of time within the shop, and she might have lingered if not for the groups of people crowding in one after the other and pestering the salespeople for smoking herb packets, which were apparently so popular they were already running out. Anyhow, her scanning of the shelves earned her a second-hand copy of “Flora of Genelogia and the northwestern Alrune: Locations, Characteristics, and Uses”. While waiting for her turn at the counter, she also decided to purchase the so-called lucky stone as a keepsake – mainly because she found it both odd and amusing that it was actually the earbone of a specific type of fish. She was given a paper bag for her wares, which she tied to her right hip with her sash, and exited Mystical Supplies. She passed the numerous tents set at a lawn right to the sight, sniffing curiously at the sickly-smelling vapour wafting from them.

As she progressed through the venue, her attention wavered, so she more-or less let her gaze wander from one colourful display to the next, not really absorbing the details of what she was observing. There were plenty of cafés, food kiosks, confectioneries, and drink bars dispersed all throughout, she noticed that much. What truly drew her out of the haze, however, was the anatomy lesson at the Healer Camp, where they were dissecting a very realistic model of the human body. Ankaa watched, fascinated; she’d not yet been able to see an actual human corpse being taken apart, so something like this was right up her alley. She nodded along as the performing students used the scalpel to cut open the torso, showed each organ, and explained the basics of surgery. Once done, they put the body back to rights and patched up the fake-patient with the help of magic.

Satisfied, she continued on with her trek. Ankaa spent some time at the Armaments Gallery, marvelling at the collection and the artistry with which the Weapon Enthusiasts wielded them. There was a huge square with multiple ongoing combat matches, and she politely walked up to a fellow martial artist once they were done with their round.

“Would you be willing to accept my challenge?” she enquired, eyes shining with fervor, body tensed and ready to get into the heat of things.

The heavily sun-kissed, bare-chested male with a cascade of dreadlocks falling down his shoulders looked up from where he’d been toweling off the sweat from his exertions. “Hm? Oh, sorry, but what you’re seeing here is just for club members,” he explained. “You can join us and get to do this next year though,” he added with a wink.

“I’ll…consider that, thank you,” Liu replied with a mild frown. “Is there no way for me to test my mettle today, then?” she muttered, thinking that perhaps the idea of challenging a Miracle Seven wasn’t such a bad one after all, if arranging something with a regular student was such a hassle.

“The muscle kids have devised a simple test and opened it for the general public,” added a new voice, smooth and clear, but somehow chilling. When Ankaa looked up, she saw a female had joined their conversation, one of a surprisingly delicate constitution. However, she was obviously graceful and dangerous, and if someone emulated the expression of ‘skin like porcelain’ it was her. The shorter lady smoothed back a stray hair from her forehead casually, then with another smooth movement, pointed somewhere. “You will find them there.”

“Thank you,” Ankaa said with a respectful bow of her head, and departed. That was how she found herself amidst the Arm-wrestling Gauntlet. She beat several people, even one of the Muscle Maniacs club-members, which earned her a small monetary prize. Now recompensated for her previous spending, and even running a small profit due to her winnings, Ankaa moved to another section of the Academy grounds. Based on the booths of wood-carved and painted masks, rotating shelves of jewelry, statue displays, intricate food creations, and advanced mechanical constructions, various artisans were congregated here. Such diversity was truly humbling to see, and Ankaa couldn’t help but wonder what other parts of the world were like.

There was an enormous gathering of people round the Arcane Paints Club’s portrait painting service. The martial artist hadn’t a clue why all the fuss about this activity in particular, but she got closer to check it out – or at least, tried to. She couldn’t quite make it into the heart of the crowd, though. As her gaze flitted right and left, attempting to find the optimal path through the people, she saw a familiar face.

“Hey, Kress,” she greeted the boy from a distance, shouldering her way through to him.

When she arrived, she noticed another boy, this one with long black hair, and someone who happened to match her height exactly. More memorable than his gentle face was the peculiar apparel he wore – a beautiful robe, similar in style to the Sixth Seat’s – and the fact that he’d shown up so late he’d not even made it to their intro class.

“Oh, you,” she offered to the unknown student, having missed his introduction to Kress. “Just how lost did you get that you had to sneak in during the ceremony?” she wondered, tone a mix of curiosity and amusement. “You should probably know the professor had us introduce to him,” she confided, “so I think he’ll notice you were missing,” she concluded. “But he might not care,” she added dubiously, shrugging her shoulders.

“That aside,” she waved a negligent hand, “Are you two waiting to get a portrait done?” she asked disbelievingly. “Looks like a long wait,” she noted, expression puzzled. She really didn’t get the appeal at all. If she wanted to see her own face, she could simply look into a water’s surface, or a mirror, could she not? Perhaps one of her current companions could enlighten her to the allure of it.

World Beyond the Lexicon

I should be able to make a post later today, hopefully.

I'll send Ankaa your guys' way, if you don't mind, @samakama@ERode.

World Beyond the Lexicon

Then up went Mandi's both hands. "Mandi El-Alzaru." The young hydromancer smiled and glanced about before sitting back down soon after. Nyx had told them to raise not a hand, but -hands- and introduce themselves. Thus it came to be.

Dezuel

That's kind of endearing.

World Beyond the Lexicon

Ankaa Liu

Ankaa arrived exactly five minutes before the supposed start of the lesson, and settled in to wait. She ignored the ongoing murmur of conversation, though she was certainly eager to see what their new teacher would be like. She had her doubts they would get anyone decent; the whole Academy did so love to act as if they were all worthless just because of some supposed curse. A self-fulfilling prophecy, that. And though professor Mavis had been affable enough, kindness did not always lend itself to effective cultivation.

The time when the class was officially supposed to start passed, and Ankaa frowned mildly. A teacher, late? Not the best of signs. She crossed her legs on her chair, set her palms on her knees, and closed her eyes. She was aware of the time passing, and still heard the chattering loud and clear, but was undisturbed by it. At around the 15-minute mark past the appointed meeting time, Ty arrived. If it weren’t for the promise of a new teacher, Liu would have interpreted such tardiness as permission to skip class without repercussion and taken her leave.

As it was, she eased her agitation via some light meditating, until finally, she heard the voice of their new professor quarreling with another faculty member outside. Funny when irritated, she noted, opened her eyes, unfolded her legs, and sat properly. The boom of an explosion resounded, and Ankaa raised her brows expectantly. The astonishingly young professor stormed in, and introduced himself. Powerful but inexperienced. Will he be truly able to pass any wisdom onto us when he likely has none himself? Her thoughts might have been uncharitable, but neither her expression nor her demeanor revealed such. The man was their teacher, and so she would respect him.

His somewhat insulting words were stated so matter-of-factly, Ankaa merely blinked. At least he’s giving us a chance, she thought. She was admittedly confused that he wanted them to refer to him by his title and his forename, but took note of his preference. He asked for introduction, and her classmates obeyed obligingly – though most of them took quite the creative license when doing so. Beginning with the sensible Sophiel, whose transferal to this class had something to do with a lack of restraint. One certainly wouldn’t think of it looking at her. Next was rambunctious Ty, whose brand of arrogance was surprisingly amusing and refreshing, though Ankaa couldn’t tell exactly how seriously he meant what he said.

Next was Kiara, one of her room-mates, and the only student who had followed their instructor’s request to a t so far. Liu silently approved of her conduct. Ah, and next on the list was the poster girl for obnoxious hubris, it would seem. Ankaa side-eyed Alberta, looking her up and down. She was the one put here because she couldn’t handle being beaten, so does not ‘loser’ apply to her most of all? The martial artist was bemused more-so than truly irate at Blumenthal’s words, and so she simply shrugged to herself. She did have to cover up a small smile when Kress cheerfully declined acknowledging her outburst in favor of introducing himself, however.

Last but not least before her turn was the sole male dorm-mate of hers. She recognized him as the one who’d been in the middle of an impromptu welcoming feast when she’d arrived to the academy. Ankaa did not know who those people with him had been, exactly, but the effects of Sekhandur’s revelry were blatant. That’d earn him a day of secluded contemplation at the temple, at the very least, she noted, and couldn’t help wondering how the young professor would deal with all these colorful characters. Straightening up and schooling her face into polite blankness, Ankaa raised her hand sharply. “Ankaa Liu,” she offered curtly, but clearly.

World Beyond the Lexicon

Ankaa Liu

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P E R S O N A L ◄

_{✦ N A M E}

Ankaa Liu

_{✦ T I T L E S}

of the Iron Palm Sect | (Little) Wildcat | The Sixth

_{✦ A G E}

16

_{✦ G E N D E R}

Female

_{✦ D A T E O F B I R T H}

6th of June

_{✦ H O B B I E S}

Biology | Hiking and climbing | Drawing | Travelling and exploration | Herbalism | Medicine | Self-improvement

_{✦ H E I G H T / W E I G H T}

170 cm | 62 kg

_{✦ A P P E A R A N C E}

Artist - Josh Corpuz

Full

_{✦ P E R S O N A L I T Y}

Competitive. Ankaa enjoys testing herself and believes direct competition is the best way to do so. She is also used to sparring as a daily activity.

Energetic. Liu is active and lively, full of energy, sometimes to the point of restlessness. This is what gets her into the occasional mischief or misadventure. She may even skip a boring lecture here and there, or allow herself to be baited into a fight.

Curious. She delights in anything or anyone new and unknown, though that interest is often short-lived. This trait is not readily apparent, as she is not an openly excitable person.

Down-to-earth. Ankaa is not one given to flights of fancy. She is interested in what she can use or obtain, and not in what she perceives as the unachievable. That is not to say she is not ambitious; she does strive to be better, always, but she is deeply aware of her limits. She certainly wants to rise and reach up, but knows there will be always people above her regardless of how far she comes. The only people she wouldn’t want to disappoint are her adoptive parents and herself, so attempts to motivate her through guilt-tripping usually fail.

Stubborn. Though she has made her peace with never becoming the best of the best, she is not the type to give up easily, especially not if it comes down to a matter of principle. Liu has a rigid set of standards and beliefs, and is resistant to outside attempts to change them. However, she also tries not to enforce her conviction on others. She is not exactly understanding of differences, though she’s working on it.

Wary. Ankaa has learned that not all people have good intentions, and so it will take a while for her to warm up to someone. She’s also watchful of her surroundings, and tends to dislike large and rowdy crowds, especially when people are forced to be packed in limited spaces.

Unforgiving. Ankaa doesn’t forget those who have wronged her, nor does she forgive them. She can hold a grudge for years.

_{✦ H I S T O R Y}

The first five years of her life, Ankaa spent with her parents, two travelling merchants. At that point, they felt comfortable going on longer journeys. It was on one of such trading excursions that they ran into trouble. One of mercenaries hired to guard them sold them out to a bandit group, in exchange for a cut of the profit they’d make off the stolen wares. The merchants were ambushed on a desolate road, and with inside help, the rest of the mercenaries supposed to protect them were felled easily. In a bid to protect her, Ankaa’s mother took her child, and ran with her to the nearby forest, located at the bottom of a mountain.

They were under the illusion of safety for perhaps an hour, but then a few of the more determined criminals showed up on their trail. They were promised some human ‘wares’ after all, and they did not want to let such easy prey go. Desperate, her mother hid her in the hollow of a tree, telling her to stay put and quiet. Then, the older woman left, approaching the bandits willingly, and gave herself up without a struggle, pleading with them to let her daughter be. Not entirely satisfied, the group of outlaws nonetheless departed.

Ankaa was alone, terrified out of her mind, paralyzed with horror and disbelief. However, she was forced to move hours later, due to her thirst and hunger. She wandered the forest, traversing and ascending the terrain. She was in a daze for the next few days, but quickly learned to be quiet and careful. The child survived off of grass, berries, and small ponds of water. As she was bound to with her lack of knowledge, she ate something she shouldn’t have. It was only luck that she was found soon enough by a local, then taken to the temple-cum-village up the mountain, where she was tended to.

She was slow to trust these strangers, though that they offered food, water, warmth, and a roof over her head went a long way. Two temple’s residents chose to adopt her, and became her guardians and foster parents. They were the first people Ankaa revealed her (first) name to, and the ones she chose to tell what had happened to her. A team of adults was arranged and sent to investigate, and though they discovered the victim’s corpses (including her father’s), neither the criminals nor her mother were anywhere to be found. So, Ankaa was taken in by the temple’s denizens.

She was taught by her guardians and the other adults, all of them monks and martial artists. They lived a simple, disciplined life, though the few children there were a bit freer than the adults. Ankaa learned the ways of the community, though it took years for her to lose that feeling of being an outsider. She treasured those who accepted her, and remained distant from those who did not. She took her guardians’ last name as hers, since she did not remember her former one. Ankaa practiced, grew, and matured. Her hatred at her past assailants mellowed, and she instead directed her energies and newly calm heart to bettering herself and the world.

She fancied that she might become a teacher, or a practitioner of medicine, as both healing and combat were precious interests of hers. Though her innate amount and skill for mana was very low, she was talented at channeling what little she had, and used it to supplement her martial arts, as she was taught to do. At one point in her adolescence, Ankaa expressed to her adoptive parents the desire to travel, to see the world, and obtain the wisdom of experience. Agreeing that putting the tenet of open-mindedness to the test was a good idea, they arranged for her to attend Avalice.

It has been a year since she has entered Genelogia – this city so strange to her, though it was (unknown to her) fairly close to her actual birthplace. Ankaa has had just enough time to get habituated to her new life and the academy. It has been much more colorful than she had expected, overwhelming at times. Admittedly, she was disappointed when she learned the Class C she was placed in was considered cursed. Nonetheless, she is as determined to make the best of her situation as she has always been.

---

C O M B A T ◄

_{✦ C L A S S I F I C A T I O N}

Might

_{✦ M A N A C O L O R}

Sky-blue, shrouded by a swirling veil of violet.

_{✦ M A N A C H A R A C T E R I S T I C}

Misty, soft, and subtle at a first glance, but surprisingly sharp and clear underneath the haze.

_{✦ E Q U I P M E N T}

• A sabre. Though she’s primarily a hand-to-hand combatant, a weapon is useful for countering armed opponents.
• A leather-bound journal, which details the theory of self-enhancement and includes notes on how to manifest her magic externally.

_{✦ M A G I C}

Vitality magic: Manipulation

_{✦ S P E L L S}

Gale palm. Projecting her mana outwards, she drives a condensed ball of air from the palm of her hand, which has enough force to knock over, trip, or push back a person.

Rend the skies. Wrapping her mana around the blade of her weapon, she can use her sword to attack from a distance by creating cutting expulsions of wind.

_{✦T E C H N I Q U E S}

Body reinforcement: Ankaa circulates the mana within her body, increasing her physical characteristics. At a nearly passive level, the boost is minor but easy to maintain. Temporary explosive increases in power and speed are also possible, but drain her reserves quickly.

Energizing breath. As long as she keeps up balanced, deep, and controlled breathing, each inhale draws environmental mana into her, and each exhale expels minimal amounts of energy in turn. The result is a rather efficient energy upkeep, increased endurance, and a feeling of refreshed vigor.

Numbing strike. Ankaa coalesces and amplifies the energy within her hands and fingers. Upon contact* with a target, this energy disrupts their life force. The main effect is a short-termed paralysis of the targeted area, hence the technique’s name. Good for disarming, disabling, incapacitating, or (in the most severe cases) even killing an enemy. *Note: The contact doesn't have to be skin-to-skin, so armour generally doesn't mitigate the effects, though that doesn't mean this technique can't be defended against.

Unveiling sight. Enhances her vision, and becomes capable of seeing the flow of mana in an area or within a particular person. Mainly used to search out potential hidden enemies in an environment or to try and predict a particular person’s movements. The latter application is far from reliable, however.

The unmovable mountain. Ankaa toughens her body and closes herself off to outside influence, both physical and magical, vastly increasing her resistance to damage. The drawback is that she must remain nearly still for the duration, reducing evasiveness and maneuverability. Also, she has difficulties switching to the correct stance and mind-set to use this technique mid-offense.

Meditative regeneration. An out-of-combat healing technique in which Ankaa enters a deep trance, directing her mana to heal any and all injuries, starting from the most severe ones.

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► P A R A M E T E R S ◄

✦ M A N A | 1 / 5
✦ C H A N N E L I N G | 4 / 5
✦ M A G I C | 1 / 5
✦ T E C H N I Q U E | 5 / 5
✦ S T R E N G T H | 4 / 5
✦ S P E E D | 3 / 5
✦ B O D Y | 3 / 5
✦ I N T E L L E C T | 3 / 5

---

World Beyond the Lexicon

AL

---

P E R S O N A L ◄

_{✦ N A M E}

Ankaa Liu

_{✦ T I T L E S}

of the Iron Palm Sect | (Little) Wildcat | The Sixth

_{✦ A G E}

16

_{✦ G E N D E R}

Female

_{✦ D A T E O F B I R T H}

6th of June

_{✦ H O B B I E S}

Biology | Hiking and climbing | Drawing | Travelling and exploration | Herbalism | Medicine | Self-improvement

_{✦ H E I G H T / W E I G H T}

170 cm | 62 kg

_{✦ A P P E A R A N C E}

Artist - Josh Corpuz

Full

_{✦ P E R S O N A L I T Y}

Competitive. Ankaa enjoys testing herself and believes direct competition is the best way to do so. She is also used to sparring as a daily activity.

Energetic. Liu is active and lively, full of energy, sometimes to the point of restlessness. This is what gets her into the occasional mischief or misadventure. She may even skip a boring lecture here and there, or allow herself to be baited into a fight.

Curious. She delights in anything or anyone new and unknown, though that interest is often short-lived. This trait is not readily apparent, as she is not an openly excitable person.

Down-to-earth. Ankaa is not one given to flights of fancy. She is interested in what she can use or obtain, and not in what she perceives as the unachievable. That is not to say she is not ambitious; she does strive to be better, always, but she is deeply aware of her limits. She certainly wants to rise and reach up, but knows there will be always people above her regardless of how far she comes. The only people she wouldn’t want to disappoint are her adoptive parents and herself, so attempts to motivate her through guilt-tripping usually fail.

Stubborn. Though she has made her peace with never becoming the best of the best, she is not the type to give up easily, especially not if it comes down to a matter of principle. Liu has a rigid set of standards and beliefs, and is resistant to outside attempts to change them. However, she also tries not to enforce her conviction on others. She is not exactly understanding of differences, though she’s working on it.

Wary. Ankaa has learned that not all people have good intentions, and so it will take a while for her to warm up to someone. She’s also watchful of her surroundings, and tends to dislike large and rowdy crowds, especially when people are forced to be packed in limited spaces.

Unforgiving. Ankaa doesn’t forget those who have wronged her, nor does she forgive them. She can hold a grudge for years.

_{✦ H I S T O R Y}

The first five years of her life, Ankaa spent with her parents, two travelling merchants. At that point, they felt comfortable going on longer journeys. It was on one of such trading excursions that they ran into trouble. One of mercenaries hired to guard them sold them out to a bandit group, in exchange for a cut of the profit they’d make off the stolen wares. The merchants were ambushed on a desolate road, and with inside help, the rest of the mercenaries supposed to protect them were felled easily. In a bid to protect her, Ankaa’s mother took her child, and ran with her to the nearby forest, located at the bottom of a mountain.

They were under the illusion of safety for perhaps an hour, but then a few of the more determined criminals showed up on their trail. They were promised some human ‘wares’ after all, and they did not want to let such easy prey go. Desperate, her mother hid her in the hollow of a tree, telling her to stay put and quiet. Then, the older woman left, approaching the bandits willingly, and gave herself up without a struggle, pleading with them to let her daughter be. Not entirely satisfied, the group of outlaws nonetheless departed.

Ankaa was alone, terrified out of her mind, paralyzed with horror and disbelief. However, she was forced to move hours later, due to her thirst and hunger. She wandered the forest, traversing and ascending the terrain. She was in a daze for the next few days, but quickly learned to be quiet and careful. The child survived off of grass, berries, and small ponds of water. As she was bound to with her lack of knowledge, she ate something she shouldn’t have. It was only luck that she was found soon enough by a local, then taken to the temple-cum-village up the mountain, where she was tended to.

She was slow to trust these strangers, though that they offered food, water, warmth, and a roof over her head went a long way. Two temple’s residents chose to adopt her, and became her guardians and foster parents. They were the first people Ankaa revealed her (first) name to, and the ones she chose to tell what had happened to her. A team of adults was arranged and sent to investigate, and though they discovered the victim’s corpses (including her father’s), neither the criminals nor her mother were anywhere to be found. So, Ankaa was taken in by the temple’s denizens.

She was taught by her guardians and the other adults, all of them monks and martial artists. They lived a simple, disciplined life, though the few children there were a bit freer than the adults. Ankaa learned the ways of the community, though it took years for her to lose that feeling of being an outsider. She treasured those who accepted her, and remained distant from those who did not. She took her guardians’ last name as hers, since she did not remember her former one. Ankaa practiced, grew, and matured. Her hatred at her past assailants mellowed, and she instead directed her energies and newly calm heart to bettering herself and the world.

She fancied that she might become a teacher, or a practitioner of medicine, as both healing and combat were precious interests of hers. Though her innate amount and skill for mana was very low, she was talented at channeling what little she had, and used it to supplement her martial arts, as she was taught to do. At one point in her adolescence, Ankaa expressed to her adoptive parents the desire to travel, to see the world, and obtain the wisdom of experience. Agreeing that putting the tenet of open-mindedness to the test was a good idea, they arranged for her to attend Avalice.

It has been a year since she has entered Genelogia – this city so strange to her, though it was (unknown to her) fairly close to her actual birthplace. Ankaa has had just enough time to get habituated to her new life and the academy. It has been much more colorful than she had expected, overwhelming at times. Admittedly, she was disappointed when she learned the Class C she was placed in was considered cursed. Nonetheless, she is as determined to make the best of her situation as she has always been.

---

C O M B A T ◄

_{✦ C L A S S I F I C A T I O N}

Might

_{✦ M A N A C O L O R}

Sky-blue, shrouded by a swirling veil of violet.

_{✦ M A N A C H A R A C T E R I S T I C}

Misty, soft, and subtle at a first glance, but surprisingly sharp and clear underneath the haze.

_{✦ E Q U I P M E N T}

• A sabre. Though she’s primarily a hand-to-hand combatant, a weapon is useful for countering armed opponents.
• A leather-bound journal, which details the theory of self-enhancement and includes notes on how to manifest her magic externally.

_{✦ M A G I C}

Vitality magic: Manipulation

_{✦ S P E L L S}

Gale palm. Projecting her mana outwards, she drives a condensed ball of air from the palm of her hand, which has enough force to knock over, trip, or push back a person.

Rend the skies. Wrapping her mana around the blade of her weapon, she can use her sword to attack from a distance by creating cutting expulsions of wind.

_{✦T E C H N I Q U E S}

Body reinforcement: Ankaa circulates the mana within her body, increasing her physical characteristics. At a nearly passive level, the boost is minor but easy to maintain. Temporary explosive increases in power and speed are also possible, but drain her reserves quickly.

Energizing breath. As long as she keeps up balanced, deep, and controlled breathing, each inhale draws environmental mana into her, and each exhale expels minimal amounts of energy in turn. The result is a rather efficient energy upkeep, increased endurance, and a feeling of refreshed vigor.

Numbing strike. Ankaa coalesces and amplifies the energy within her hands and fingers. Upon contact* with a target, this energy disrupts their life force. The main effect is a short-termed paralysis of the targeted area, hence the technique’s name. Good for disarming, disabling, incapacitating, or (in the most severe cases) even killing an enemy. *Note: The contact doesn't have to be skin-to-skin, so armour generally doesn't mitigate the effects, though that doesn't mean this technique can't be defended against.

Unveiling sight. Enhances her vision, and becomes capable of seeing the flow of mana in an area or within a particular person. Mainly used to search out potential hidden enemies in an environment or to try and predict a particular person’s movements. The latter application is far from reliable, however.

The unmovable mountain. Ankaa toughens her body and closes herself off to outside influence, both physical and magical, vastly increasing her resistance to damage. The drawback is that she must remain nearly still for the duration, reducing evasiveness and maneuverability. Also, she has difficulties switching to the correct stance and mind-set to use this technique mid-offense.

Meditative regeneration. An out-of-combat healing technique in which Ankaa enters a deep trance, directing her mana to heal any and all injuries, starting from the most severe ones.

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► P A R A M E T E R S ◄

✦ M A N A | 1 / 5
✦ C H A N N E L I N G | 4 / 5
✦ M A G I C | 1 / 5
✦ T E C H N I Q U E | 5 / 5
✦ S T R E N G T H | 4 / 5
✦ S P E E D | 3 / 5
✦ B O D Y | 3 / 5
✦ I N T E L L E C T | 3 / 5

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Blood's Jewels (High Casual Fantasy Revolution)

Jandar Varan

Sharon, Shalador

The conversation with Fatima had left Jandar irritated and broody. To call me naïve? When so far, she’s traipsed around as if she were but a young girl? Oh, but perhaps this casual murderous intent of hers was lurking beneath the harmless surface. The Warlord shook his head, knowing that was not the case, and that he was being more than unfair. However, the Queen had accused him of being ignorant, and had either not understood that he was warning her not to mistake necessity or convenience, or had simply brushed him off. At this point, it seemed far likely the latter was the case.

Needless to say, Jandar was rather distant, brusque, and dissatisfied in the time before they finally got packing.

***

Winton

The week on the road did him good, and he was feeling more centered. Honestly, he was worried for having left SaDiablo behind without meeting him again, but he had not been able to risk taking such an action back then. He could only pray to Mother Darkness that he would soon meet the man again – possibly under better circumstances…and with more wisdom. Ha, as if I could gain that so soon, he thought bitterly, with a roll of his shoulders.

The town seemed fairly pleasant at a glance, though Dunny wrote it off as ‘not good’, which made him wary enough. Besides, the people were in too much of a rush, so the façade of normality was just that – a façade. They also passed a group of rich, Aristo females, and Jandar sensed a sort of tension between them and Fatima, though it soon passed. It had him on edge though, and he was thankful for the following reprieve of good ale. The known company, such as it was, was also a bonus – when they weren’t quibbling, that is.

At the moment, some of them were enjoying a game of poker. Not really his thing, but it was better than nothing. Jandar perused his cards with a sweeping glance. Eh, he could probably work up to at least a Straight, maybe more if luck favoured him. “Call,” he stated, matching Dareen and forking over two of chips.

Climbing the Tower-TOG RP

Ha-nul trailed after the Princess in a light jog, clutching an arm across his lower torso. Two injured ribs on his left and one on his right, plus several bruises all over. At least the bones weren’t actually broken. Still, the longer he kept going on like this, the more chance that his injuries were exacerbated. Thankfully, this first test was now over; they just had to find a third person.

And lo’ and behold, some guy sprung from the grass, apparently as surprised to see them as they were at his appearance. “Sure, join up. We need one more as it is,” Ha-nul confirmed. He flickered a wary gaze at Candice, but apparently, she was all too aware that time was running out. So, their trio was formed and they were transported to the inside of a building. They were given a 30-minute recess before the next test.

Rang sighed at the short reprieve. Rose’s commence had him frowning; he hated to admit it, but she was right to be worried. “You’re the one who got me into this state in the first place,” he muttered grumpily. “Don’t worry, I’m off to look for some bandages or something,” he stated soon after, at a normal volume level.

Ha-nul wandered around the hall, from vending machine to vending machine. If they had drinks and food, surely there was such a thing as a first-aid kit? Eventually, he did find a dispenser for bandage-packets and balm-jars, though he winced at the price. “Money mode,” Rang intoned, forming and o with his fingers, and made his purchase. Then he just plopped down plopped down against the nearest wall, removed the shirt, and set to treating himself as best as he was able to.

@King Cosmos@Noodles

I, the Demon King, Will Summon My Own Damned Heroes!

Asteria

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Asteria curiously peeked at the human priest from within her barrow. She used her Magic analysis skill when he produced a weird white mist to get rid of the smell, and once again when he obviously used magic to manipulate the earth. He buried only the human bodies, while he carelessly grabbed the monsters’ ones and tossed them onto his cart. Asteria cocked her head to the side, suddenly curious what kind of relationship the bandits had or how they’d even come to form such a mixed group. Perhaps such a thing was common with thugs and the so-called proper citizens didn’t get involved with monsters? It was certainly something to keep in mind for any potential future encounters with humans.

Finally, the rat trio journeyed out to the bandit shack. Eerie clicking stilled Asteria in her path. Turning her head to the source of the sound, she saw one of those Myrminor menaces. She sucked in a breath, keeping watch of it. However, the insect did not seem to be aware of them. She’d been only half-listening to Ed, but finally took a moment to respond in a quiet murmur. “Let’s skip it for now. We don’t want to make our presence known to the bandits, or invite more trouble. We can always deal with the bugs later,” she said.

Since Ed seemed to be fine with either option, they decided to pursue the bandits without detours. They approached the shack quietly, and as they closed in, Asteria activated both Muffle and Suppress presence, willing to sacrifice some stamina and mana to remain undetected. The only advantage they had was that they were unexpected attackers, and she wanted to use that fully. She still kept her ears perked, aware of the potential of the Myrminor Scout following them, but also because they should soon start to get hints of bandit presence.