Tuujaimaa

Natrelmon: Reckoning [Creature Capture]

Kiyo nodded as Selim got into position, and began to walk forwards gently, being followed apace by her aerial Mythari. Kiyo had the benefit of both Mythari's natural telepathy as well as her own, and so the two could communicate instantly with no need for the delay of verbal commands. Telepaths were, generally speaking, exceedingly rare--Kiyo did not expect to be facing one, and was sure that she inherently had an advantage in speed over her combatant. Kiyo could tell, even with her limited experience, that Selim was a competent melee combatant--the way he had hefted his spear around reminded her of her comrades in the war. Orani who saw past the showmanship of sabers tended to prefer the work of a spear thanks to its versatility, and Kiyo had spoken to many such combatants at the various salons and balls and gatherings she'd been made to attend over the years. He showed that same confidence and easy skill, which made her thankful that she'd elected to test his strength without it.

Reliance on a singular mode of combat was, typically, poor form--especially amongst those who listed bodyguard as their profession.

As the movement continued, after Kiyo took two steps and the Mythari followed, the Mythari's shadow split from its body and moved at an equal pace to Mythari. Kiyo was particularly wary of the Globes of Ielle and Indolu that Soelbe had access to, and was certain to keep them in her vision--though not too closely thanks to their ability to blind--as she advanced towards Selim. Kiyo was a fan of patience in battles like these, but given that the Natrelmon were playing more of a supporting role, Kiyo was quite comfortable to allow Mythari to hold its own with mental guidance from her. Kiyo's true power was only really manifested in melee range, so her primary focus was ensuring that she could get there without Selim managing to pull something that she did not expect. Given that she knew nothing of his magical competencies, beyond assuming that he had them, Kiyo made sure to be as wary as possible. If left uninterrupted, she would travel as far as about seven feet away from Selim before reassessing the situation--and keeping vigilant eyes out for anything that could be used against her.

Fortunately, her telepathic connection with Mythari was very strong--and she instructed Mythari to report any changes on the field to her. Between the two of them, and Mythari's shadow, Kiyo's awareness of the battlefield was significant. It would be challenging to surprise her, but she remained wary as a matter of course.

Natrelmon: Reckoning [Creature Capture]

It was a bit of a stretch to say that Kiyo was used to being recognised, but Lifanite culture was certainly one of showmanship, and more importantly, oneupsmanship. The Great Houses were constantly competing with one another for prestige and visibility, and Kiyo's parents were very good at it--the Reijin were currently, by her own estimation, inferior only to the Song family in terms of influence and power. Kiyo was very much not her parents' child in these matters, however, preferring the solitude of the library to the extravagant parties and get-togethers of the great nobility. Kiyo's younger sister Kasumi was much more suited to those matters--she'd always been the social butterfly of the family and had that knack for reading people that Kiyo only seemed to possess in text. Still, as eldest, it was her responsibility to lead the family and usher in a new era of prosperity.

Kiyo replied to Selim with a start, having lost herself in thought for a second.

"Ordinarily I would offer a test of hand-to-hand combat as befitting of someone who has competed in the Clash of Iron--but given that we are presumably both on our Rites, it would do us good to improve the skills of our Natrelmon. While I would prefer to test your strength individually, it seems that the two of us fighting with our Natrelmon as supports is the best option. I would prefer that we not use weapons, however, if that pleases you?" Kiyo replied, nodding her assent to the fight and reaching out to Mythari with her mind, telling it to prepare itself for battle. It would get to see some magic in use, and the delight in its mind was obvious across the telepathic connection.

Kiyo clapped her hands loudly, twice in succession, and shouted the Lifanite word for "battle"--though it would be translated to everyone who heard it. This was universally recognised at the cry for people to get out of the way in open-area spaces, as a fight was about to commence. Many cities prepared for the multitude of battles by infusing their stonework and other infrastructure with magical wards that would prevent them from being damaged by the potentially destructive effects of magic--both from trainers and Natrelmon.

"Shall we begin?" She asked, taking a deep breath as she did so and gathering her focus. Selim would certainly recognise her practiced movements as those of a Windspeaker, and with a flourish of her hands Kiyo outstretched her left arm, palm open, towards Selim. Mythari would stand by next to her, runes glittering as it adapted to her magic of Shadebinding with its Adaptive Lexicon, gaining the Ghost and Dark types for the battle.

Natrelmon: Reckoning [Creature Capture]

@Innue

Kiyo was sat on one of the many benches in Toran's central square. The Toranese had a custom of painting works of art onto public infrastructure in order to preserve their rich oral traditions in a way that everyone would be allowed to view and appreciate. Kiyo had studied the works as part of her upbringing, and was--truth be told--quite happy to get to experience them in reality rather than simply poring over yet another tome. Not that she didn't enjoy books--she very much enjoyed a light reading--but there was something so visceral and beautiful about witnessing the authentic articles when Ielle's rays were shining at just the right angle. Kiyo studied the bench she'd chosen quite vigorously, the whole thing painted to look like an Atrire emerging from its egg. From her studies, she knew that this was just one part of the greater whole--a citywide tribute to the Lord of the South, Suzaku. She'd read that when all of the city was viewed from the correct angle at the correct time of day, a silhouette of the vermillion lord would become visible for just a second. Unfortunately, the best place to view it from had largely been lost to the annals of time. Some places made oblique references to a "point of prayer, where Ielle kisses the horizon" but despite her best study of the maps Kiyo had never been able to so much as chance where such a location might lie. She supposed it might have been easier in person, but she decided that she was first going to challenge the Toran arena and see who else had decided to venture on their Rites this year.

It didn't take Kiyo more than a few moments of wandering to find a most curious sight: a young man, presumably of Ilsverian origin (or somewhere close, perhaps Gadot), sitting with a sign that said "bodyguard for hire". Kiyo wondered if he might be someone she could acquire to keep her parents from nagging her endlessly, but the state of him seemed to imply that he was down on his luck (financially, at least). Kiyo knew from experience (and from yet more books) that the type of individual that showed up in Toran around this time of year and looked like Selim did were typically on their Rites. Figuring that the worst she could do was ask, Kiyo walked over to Selim and gave him a brief bow in the traditional Lifanite style before introducing herself:

"Hello! I am Kiyo, and I could potentially have some use for a bodyguard--but before I commit to any such ventures, I would like to determine whether or not you have the strength to act in such a position. Would you like to battle, as a test of strength?"

She offered, perhaps a little too formally, but politely enough to not sound insincere.

Natrelmon: Reckoning [Creature Capture]

Most accepted, @Celaira.

Once you add professions (check on the site or ask in the Discord), Luciano is accepted also.

Natrelmon: Reckoning [Creature Capture]

Most accepted for both.

Natrelmon: Reckoning [Creature Capture]

Kiyo had begun her journey from Lifan on foot, having attempted to simply get on her way with starting her Rites on her own terms--despite the fact that it was a familial obligation for her to be recognized as the heiress to the Reijin family, it was something she had simply always wanted to do. Much of her childhood had been spent poring over tomes depicting the lives and actions of the legendary heroes, describing the war they fought and what was at stake. It'd left her with a deep appreciation for the esoteric and powerful, and there was no better way to understand the nature of the world than to walk it as its greatest heroes once had. Before she could get particularly far, however, her parents had sent an armed escort with her--forgetting, conveniently, that she was almost thirty years old and had fought in a war--and she had been escorted to the high speed rail going to Ward. The journey to Ward was fairly uneventful, though she got her fair share of stares from passersby and other such travellers. Perhaps not because they recognised her, because few recognised the less notable members of the Great Families, but because she had an armed entourage--which was extremely rare, even amongst the nobility.

Upon arriving in Ward, Kiyo dismissed her armed entourage with as much fervor as she could muster. She thanked them for their service, but now that she was in the West their presence would only stir up discontent among the populace. Few would know who she was, and fewer still would care, so their presence was wildly unnecessary. She boarded another train down to Toran on her own, sitting peacefully in a cabin with a steaming pot of tea and some of Ward's regional cuisine--an "artisinal" beefburger, stacked with six different kinds of cheese and at least three sauces, none of which Kiyo could accurately identify. She stared at the burger, a little uneasily, before pushing it gently to the side and offering it to the next member of staff that passed by her on the train. She cradled her hands around the porcelain cup, letting its heat infuse into her palms, as she watched the countryside and the vast forests of Toran roll by alongside her.

When she departed the train, Kiyo smiled to herself and immediately begun to wander. It had been a long time since she had simply been free to do as she wished--not since the war, really--and she spend the first free afternoon she'd had in almost a decade wandering the nearby forest. There would be plenty of time for the formality and the due process later--she was from Lifan, through and through, due process was no stranger to her--but for now, she simply wanted to relax into having a good time. She strode through the forest gingerly at first, unused to the wildness of it all, but quickly found a rhythm. It was, in some ways, like riding a bike--it brought back memories of the war. She'd had enough time to come to terms with what had happened, and though the horrors of war were not something one could ever forget, she had not done or seen anything horrific enough that it had really stayed with her. She was thankful for her background in moments like these, lost in thought, that she had been spared from the worst of the conflict simply because of the name that she bore. She offered a silent prayer to Seiryu before walking into a tree, letting out a confused yelp that startled a nearby flock of birds.

It was there that she came across a Mythari, darting playfully through the air, and she reached out to it with her mind.

"Have you ever seen the magic of Shadebinding before, Mythari?"

It did not respond to her mentally, but it flitted slightly closer to her, curious and cautious, and precariously rubbed its nose against her outstretched left hand. With her right, she summoned forth the well of inky blackness deep within her and allowed the magic of the Pernicious Infusion to accumulate in her hand, almost like a tarry-black sea of pitch dancing gently around her fingers.

"It is a powerful magic of endings that few know. There is a lot of magic in this world that we don't know about, Mythari. Would you like to come and experience it with me?" Kiyo asked, withdrawing the magic back into herself as she finished. Though there was no direct verbal assent, the Mythari gave a beat of its wings and then nodded, the runes on its wings flourishing with brilliant energy. Kiyo nodded, taking a relic from a pocket in her robe, and holding it up to the creature. With a ray of brilliant white light the Mythari allowed itself to be bound by the relic and was then immediately summoned, following alongside her.

"Shall we take flight, and see if there anything exciting in the forest?" Kiyo asked the Mythari mentally, beginning to hover off of the air with her Windspeaking, and with a great surge upwards it noted its assent.

"Your magic of shadebinding is interesting. I would like you to show me more, when we have finished." Mythari responded as the two flew steadily over the forest, looking for anything interesting happening.

"Of course. When we retire to Toran, I shall show you everything I know. When night falls, there are rituals that I will be happy to show you." Kiyo replied, and the two resumed their search of the forest. After having not found anything for a solid hour, the pair decided to make residence in Toran. The two had chatted mentally about all things magical, Kiyo revealing the secrets of Shadebinding that her family had kept and Mythari speaking about the nature of magic in the wild. The pair sat with one another in the central square, waiting until nightfall proper so they could begin the nighttime excursion that Kiyo had promised.

Meanwhile, Kiyo had booked a room for the two of them in Toran's finest hotel. She, personally, had no desire to spend the night somewhere so opulent--but her family had a reputation to uphold, and had insisted that for Toran, at least, they make a display of giving Kiyo the greatest luxury.

Natrelmon: Reckoning [Creature Capture]

Most accepted.

Natrelmon: Reckoning [Creature Capture]

Alright! We are ready to go. I'll be reviewing bios here in the OOC and answering questions in the Discord server!

Natrelmon: Reckoning [Creature Capture]

Cities have secrets. It was a simple fact that seemed to elude most people, but it was something that was very much abused by those with the necessary knowledge - be it thieves, thrill-seekers, bureaucrats or even the leaders of cities. Cities were almost like people in that regard - once you knew their secrets, they could be manipulated - and this was not a fact that was lost on the second member of the Elite Triumvirate, Yugaku Hayake. Her trips to cities were always very interesting, for she saw the secrets that most people took to their graves effortlessly. Within a few minutes of being within the city of Toran, she could tell all of its hidden nooks and crannies, and the secrets of those within it. Secrets were a beautiful thing, and though she saw them all, it was through a voyeur's eye--not an interrogator's. She looked over the sun-kissed streets with their spicy noodle stands, the Arena with its secrets of yore and glitter of promise, and the colourful flags fluttering gently along an invisible breeze. The festivities were well under way, and the new blood would be gathering any time now in order to start their Rites together. She smiled to herself, just briefly, before walking away from the central plaza.

A place in Toran that few knew about was the Peak of the Gods, an ancient track of gates that extended out over a grassy cline towards the sunset in the evenings. Those who knew of the location knew nothing of its significance, but Yugaku had long-since discovered the area's secrets. It had historically been used as a beacon for power, with each gate imparting a little power into those that walked through it, until the culmination was the infusion of enough power to commune with the "gods", but that was a truth from a time that had long since passed. If the Lord of the South still heard the prayers of those at the Peak of the Gods, he showed no inclination to answer them. That was, if anyone still knew enough to pray there.

Yugaku took a steady stroll through the first of the gates, admiring the architectural integrity as she lightly ran her hand across the old stone foundations that kept it standing. Despite being obviously ancient, it had weathered the test of time, and its features looked no different to how they had hundreds of years ago. The stone bases of the gates were thick cuboids, bridged together at the top with vermillion red tiles, and decorated with kanji that had lovingly been carved into the slates and painted over with red. Prayer beads were strewn across the gates, in some cases underneath them, and in some cases in front of them, or attached to the walls. Despite their age, the aura of reverence had not yet left, and walking through the gates gave Yugaku a feeling of serenity and hope. It was brief, but she managed to enjoy it while it lasted, and after ten minutes of walking, she had reached the end of the string of gates, and was overlooking the sun as it began to dip below the horizon, reflected across the water like a painting upon a canvas.

"If you still hear our prayers, O Suzaku, I ask that you listen well. The darkness that has been foreseen will be upon this new blood soon, and we three cannot protect them all. You know that our duties will keep us elsewhere. There will be casualties before the upcoming storm - give them your blessing, Lord of the South, and watch over them where we mortals cannot. I fear they will need your assistance soon enough." She began, looking out towards the sunset before it dipped below the waves for the day, and the time of prayer was no longer correct. It was cathartic to speak out loud the worries that she had felt for some time - while the other members of the Triumvirate might understand, there was little that any of them could do, and speaking to them about the upcoming darkness was hardly necessary - they had all come to the same conclusion, in some manner or another.

For now, she would wait by the shore before visiting Toran and returning to Lifan - she would check up on the new trainers before they challenged Anastasia, but beyond that there was little assistance that she could offer.

Natrelmon: Reckoning [Creature Capture]

Name: Kiyo Reijin
Age: 29
Gender: Female

Appearance: Kiyo is a youthful woman who is best described as being "almost beautiful"--if only she weren't so plain. Her features are steep and angular, as is typical of the Reijin family, and her skin is relatively pale – Kiyo looks as if she has been sheltered indoors for most of her life and looks physically weak, and while this is not incorrect she is more resilient than she looks. Kiyo has long, silver-grey hair that reaches down to her sternum in angel curls. Kiyo has a bit of a resting bitch face.



Hometown: Lifan

Personality: Kiyo is a seeker of power of all kinds, and does not adhere to a set of morals in the same sense as most people. While she believes that she is fundamentally good, she will not hesitate to perform unquestionably evil acts to further her own agenda. Kiyo likes to help people, but not at the expense of her own advancement – she comes first and foremost, but is a stalwart ally until such a point where remaining allies becomes detrimental to her own goals.

Thanks to her experiences in the war, Kiyo is particularly fascinated with the ending of life and what comes next, leading her to be fond of Ghost-type Natrelmon. She finds exorcism and the art of Gishiki equally interesting, however, and is not so much fascinated with obtaining eternal life as she is curious about the nature of death, about those who transcend it, and those who restore things to the natural order.

Relic Description: Kiyo manifests her relic as a book of portraiture. The Natrelmon she has captured are depicted in greyscale portraits, with the black being almost oily.

Starting Natrelmon:

Lotulia (M) [Level 15];
Zeruo (F) [Level 10];

Gifts: Telepathy; Advanced Knowledge

Starting Spell Schools: Frostweaving; Windspeaking; Shadebinding [Advanced Knowledge]

History:  Kiyo is the youngest child of the Reijin family, a noble house of the East centered in Lifan. Kiyo’s growing up was relatively normal, and she was trained in the arts of war as most children of the prominent houses were in the time in which she was raised. The Reijin family were traditionalists of a most esoteric sort, keeping alive ancient customs that many found eccentric and anachronistic in the modern era. Kiyo grew up learning how to cultivate herbs and performing tea ceremonies alongside learning martial arts and the art of Frostweaving--something her family had historically practiced thanks to their worship of Seiryu, the Lord of the North. In the war, Kiyo eschewed the use of her family's magic in favour of Windspeaking, which afforded her the ability to weave in and out of combat to better use her Shadebinding magic. Though she still paid deference to Seiryu, and conducted her rituals in his name, she eschewed his magic knowing that it would not be as useful to her as that of Windspeaking.

During the war Kiyo became fascinated with the nature of death, wondering precisely what came afterwards in the wake of the lives she helped take and the lives she helped save. She underwent her rites as custom dictated, hoping to gain more experiences with the nature of death and to grow in power.

Professions: Mage; Herbalist

Herbalism - Rank IV - 2,600 EXP

Mage - Rank V

Gift(s): Innate Shadebinding; Telepathy

Noteworthy Skills: Many connections, notable magical prowess, competent at hand-to-hand combat, extremely knowledgeable in a great deal of esoteric subjects, especially those relating to ghosts/death and ritual magic.

Magic:

Windspeaking - Rank V - 109080

Rank I - Windborn Weapon
Rank II - With the Wind
Rank III - Soaring Gusts
Rank IV - Slashdance
Rank V - Vacuum Aura

Shadebinding - Rank IV - 54915

Rank I - ???
Rank II - ???
Rank III - ???
Rank IV - ???

Frostweaving - Rank I - 17473

Rank I - Frozen Sphere
Rank II - Frostburn

Necromancy - Rank I - 800

Rank I - ???

ITEMS:

17,000N

- 3 Rank F Relics

- Shared Herbs with Selim:

1 Lady's Mantle
9 Mistweaver
14 Wintergreen
6 Wardian Foxglove
15 Noxshrooms
10 Peak Root
5 Moonlit Pearl
1 Armic Plating (Psychic/Steel)
2 Gen Darts (Fighting/Dark)
2 Lotulia Blossom (Grass/Water)
3 Weddelbek Straw (Grass/Fighting)
5 Toranese Thistle
1 Blue Mist Flower

Shared Elixirs with Selim:

- 10 Elixir of Capture
- 2 Elixir of Draconic Spirit

Natrelmon:

Grandra (M) - Medium - 16731- 25
Zeruo (F) - Medium - 1000 - 10
Mythrael (M) - Slow - 37738 - 31
Tibearius (F) - Slow - 911 - 9
Kyumin (M) - Medium - 343 - 7