Vertigo

Hyrule's Civil War (Zelda RP)

@Z2010Deadmeat You can also just have him observe and react, even if he wouldn't say anything. They found a dead person too, so that's definitely something to notice and react to.

Long ago, in a kingdom far far away. (Fantasy appcalypse, more details to come.)

@Vertigo

Big sister syndrome. :D

I see our characters trying to out do eachother in that aspect.

@ShwiggityShwah

Heh, I can see that too! Just trying to out-sister each other. And now we have a third tough (toughest) girl in the mix too. I feel bad for Alfwin, caught in the middle.

Hidden In The Forest (Closed)

That's fair. Also if we're unsure about whether some past event between characters would make sense for the other party, we can always ask in Discord beforehand too.

Gonna wait a bit before posting again, just in case Vera, Gianna or Atlas wanna Duncan up on that bag carrying offer (or tell him to buzz off, etc.).

Hidden In The Forest (Closed)

Ha, I figured the car wasn't going to make it.

Still, though, an obligatory:

Long ago, in a kingdom far far away. (Fantasy appcalypse, more details to come.)

Aelinor Kiandall

Name:

Aelinor "Eli" Kiandall

Gender:

Female

Age:

23 (around 14 in human years)

Race:

Wood Elf

Personality:

Eli is an emotional person, in both the good and the bad - though it may not be apparent at first glance. Her parents always taught her that a hunter's greatest tools are a cool head and a brave heart, and she does her best to exemplify those traits to the best of her ability. Especially now that she no longer has her parents or townspeople to rely on.

As such, when you first meet her she likely comes across as disciplined, mature and dependable. Having been the leader in her group of friends and an elder sister to her sibling, she seems to have experience when it comes to leading, taking responsibility and looking after others. Indeed, she would like to consider herself levelheaded and logical, even wise beyond her years. But at the end of the day, she is still a teen - and all that it entails.

As said, she is emotional, very much so; all that she feels, she feels tenfold. Her usual calm belies a firecracker, easily ignited by many a thing. She's curious, quick to shed her ladylike exterior by the lure of an adventure or a challenge. Equally easy is to earn her scorn; you need not but underestimate her, treat her as a child or try to challenge her self-proclaimed authority and you've got yourself a conflict waiting to happen. And though she dislikes it, tears are not a stranger to her. Tears over cute things, tears over hapless things, tears over sad stories and beautiful love.

Perhaps the worst combination, however, are her stubbornness and pride. Fiercely independent and suffering from a 'big sister syndrome', she sees it as her duty to gather as much responsibility on her shoulders as she possibly can - only to eventually end up crumbling underneath the weight and stubbornly lash out as a result of it. And yet, her pride forbids her from asking or accepting help.

In short, underneath the exterior of a graceful young lady, Eli is a prideful firecracker with endless ambition and empathy - but also a lot to learn about sharing responsibilities and not trying to take on the world alone.

Fears:

➳ Losing face / failure- While most people probably don't like failure, Eli takes it to the extreme. She's a proud little thing who has set her mind on being independent and responsible - and will not allow herself to look anything but. She will deny help (even when it would be needed) to prove herself that she can do what she's set out to accomplish, and will assure you that 'she'll be fine' to the very bitter end.

➳ Fire - Ever since her forest home was set ablaze, Eli has been terrified of fire. Seeing it in a controlled form, such as on a torch, hearth or at the heart of a camp does little more than make her keep her distance. However, open fires or fire magic are quick to give her flashbacks and nausea.

Background:

Up until the tragedy struck, Aelinor led an entirely regular life. So regular, in fact, that for years she thought it boring and dull. Had she only known what the future held for her, she might've had more appreciation for the slow summer afternoons and brisk winter mornings of her youth.

Eli was born as the eldest of two children to a pair of Wood Elf hunters. Her parents were neither rich nor poor, and their name carried neither infamy nor power. They were a typical family of four, hunting game to sell on the market every afternoon. Since young, Aelinor was taught in the ways of the bow, oftentimes accompanying her father to hunting trips just outside town.

For years, she was just like any other child her age. She spent most of her days outside - playing, laughing, teasing her brother and at times, venturing into the forest to find berries and mushrooms for an afternoon snack. She was outgoing and wild, usually the leader of her group of friends - and always the first one to make it to the top of an apple tree.

At times, her parents would scold her for being too unruly, and eventually she would learn to balance out two Elis. One that combed her hair to perfection and smiled politely at the elders as she passed them by, a pinnacle of grace and beauty. And another that soaked her pretty clothes in mud for a slightly closer look at a passing-by curiosity of a lizard, unafraid to follow it up a tree or down a hill.

Then, one evening, things began to change. Eli woke up to the sounds of a skirmish just outside her home. Curious and worried, she hopped out of bed and tiptoed her way to the window, peering out into the darkness. She could make out the vague shapes of her neighbours, exchanging blows and profanities. In a few minutes, more people seemed to wake and step outside, though not in order to break up the fight - but to join it.

Eli's father pried her from the window, tucked her back in and promised it was nothing a child should worry her head over.

He was wrong.

The next day, it was the family down the street that found themselves wrapped up in a sudden conflict; as were the town's bakers, guards, and that funny old lady that used to read her stories whenever she paid her a visit. And unlike last night, it did not end only with a few bruises and bloodied noses. There were bodies, lying lifeless on the streets.

The details of the following week are a blur. Eli can recall the madness reaching her very house, and the fight that broke out between her parents. She can remember taking her little brother's hand and pulling him with away. And then she remembers the flames, red hot fingers tearing at roofs and trees until the entire world was ablaze.

One moment, she was holding her brother's hand. The next, she wasn't.

Eli cannot remember how or when she got out of the forest, but she must've done so. She can remember solitude, panic, fear, despair - and another pair of eyes, reflecting everything she felt. No, not just one pair of eyes; two, three, four--

Before she knew it, she was no longer alone.

Weapon of Choice:

➳ Bow - Aelinor's primary weapon, and the only one she can claim any proficiency with. The bow is made out of wood and carried around strapped to her back, close to her quiver.

➳ Dagger - A light-weight blade used more for carving wood or skinning game than actual combat. She can use it to stab or slash at someone in a pinch, but has no actual combat experience with it. Usually carried around on her belt, however she has been known to hide it in her boot from time to time.

Magic:

➳ Animal communication - When perfected, this branch of magic allows its practitioner to fully communicate with - and by extension, often befriend - most animals they come across, even some of magical nature. However, Aelinor is decades from mastering this ability, and can only communicate with animals on a rudimentary level. Misunderstandings may and do occur still, like that one time she accidentally insulted a bear...

Skills:

➳ Hunter - Though young, Eli has been hunting for many a year now, and that has honed her senses. She has sharp eyes, acute hearing, and she can both recognize and track many species of animals in the wild. Also, what she lacks in physical strength with her bow, she makes up with accuracy. She's a very good shot, even if she doesn't have enough strength to pierce the thickest hides with her arrows.

➳ Survivalist - Somewhat related to the above. Sometimes finding game could take days in the wild, with no settlements in sight. And while she was never on these trips alone without an adult, they proved useful in picking up various skills related to survival in the wild. She knows which berries and mushrooms are healthy and which dangerous, how to tell directions, find water and start a fire - at least in a forest. In open fields, deserts, cities and glaciers, she is as lost as any other child.

➳ Potionist - Though it isn't her forte, Eli has knowledge on a few basic potions. Provided she has all the necessary ingredients, she can create potions that may accelerate the healing process on an injured area, induce sleep, increase your ability to focus or perform tasks needing precision, and ones that can somewhat suppress pain. She needs the exact ingredients required for her concoctions however, and attempts to substitute one ingredient for another may end up in tragedy.

Other:

➳ The Kiandall family tended to use various birds of prey to aid them in their hunts. However, since Eli was considered much too young to handle a hawk or an eagle, she was given a smaller bird to start out with. Enter her pet sparrow, Elion. He's small and not very powerful, but he has keen eyes and has been taught to scout. Eli considers the bird her friend and adores him to death.

Shin Megami Tensei, Hollow Authority

H I M I K O S U Z U K I

Kaito Café
???

All Himiko had wanted was a peach iced tea and a moment to herself after a busy morning of work. Kaito Café had seemed like a cute, quaint little place to do just that, and so she'd swung by on her way home. She'd greeted the owner with a smile, flopped down with her drink and pulled out her phone for some idle browsing, not really paying attention to the conversation at the counter - or her surroundings in general.

Until a sudden light rendered her blind.

Himiko let out a startled shriek, dropping her phone and hurriedly burying her face into the side of her purse. Wh-what-- what was going on?! That was much brighter than a spotlight or a camera flash-! S-so it wasn't just a sudden fan taking a photo and--- and...

And then the light faded as suddenly as it had come. Colour returned to the world, and the idol dared a timid peek from behind her pouch. Her eyes took a moment to readjust to her surroundings - and once they did, Himiko was sure she was dreaming.

Where she'd previously found pretty little paintings in decorated frames she now saw vines, thick and monstrous as if pulled from a horror manga. Light poured out from somewhere behind them, almost as if they were bright, thin fingers reaching for prey.

But morbid as they seemed, the vines were nothing compared to what crawled out from behind the closest corner; half-lion and half-ant, followed by way too many others of its kind. Himiko could only faintly hear the café owner's words; something about fighting, something about hiding, and nothing that made sense. None of this made sense.

Except--- o-of course! This had to be the set of some sort of a TV show or a movie. Was... ooohh, was this the big opportunity her agent had talked about earlier in the week? He had mentioned a chance for a breakthrough in acting--- this had to be it! Ohh, but why did they spring all of this on her without warning her first?

Well, no time to huff and puff about it. If this was a job, she had better get to work.

Himiko stood up from her seat, legs still wobbly and head dizzy from the sudden turn of events. She wasn't sure what sort of a role she was supposed to play--- so she figured that perhaps they wanted her to improvise. The café owner seemed to be using one of the peculiar watches on the floor... then, she would, too-! People probably usually went for the cowering damsel in distress option, so she would do the opposite and dazzle whatever judges watched her right now!

Heels clicking against the floor as she speed-walked to grab herself a watch, Himiko positioned herself next to the blue-haired man and gave him an exaggerated wink and a peace sign. As one does, when in a movie. "No worries, Hime's got your back~" she chirped, then turned to the monsters. Which, by the way, looked super real! She wasn't aware they could make such realistic monsters nowadays.

Identifying … Himiko Suzuki. Registering … Complete. Logging in … Access Granted. COMP activated, Harmonizer Activating.

Oohh, Harmonizer! She liked the sound of that.

With a smile, she pointed a finger the ne'er-do-wells-- only to realize she wasn't sure what, exactly, to do now. How were they meant to fight? See, this was why they should've at least given her a basic script first!

Unable to do anything else, she turned to the man next to her in a whisper. "Um, s-so-! How exactly do we fight?"

Shin Megami Tensei, Hollow Authority

Post will be up in a bit.

Hidden In The Forest (Closed)

Posted. I'm 100% sorry for 90% of everything Duncan does.

He's that guy in a horror movie that either gets offed first or refuses to die, I reckon.

Hidden In The Forest (Closed)

D U N C A N S T E W A R T

Pukaskwa National Park, campgrounds
Monday afternoon
Interacting with: pretty much everyone

Duncan could have just pulled up to the camping grounds like everyone else. He could have--- but why would he, when he could make a show out of it instead? He had a reputation to upkeep and a new car to show off. It'd be almost criminal not to have a little fun.

One could hear Duncan approach long before they caught the azure sheen of his car's hood. He was blaring music loudly like he'd done most of the trip, startling cautious birds into sudden flight all around him. And as he approached, he didn't slow down - he accelerated the slightest bit, and then jerked the steering wheel much too strongly to the side. The back wheels drifted sharply, imprinting the ground with deep dark tracks.

The turn wasn't quite as sharp nor the drift as long as he'd hoped, but hey. It wasn't bad for a novice, he'd say.

The music stopped just as the car did, plunging the forest back into eerie silence. Duncan flicked his sunglasses up to his forehead and stepped out of the car with a quick stretch. He was told that he wasn't yet done growing, but sometimes he honestly wished he had; cramped spaces were the worst. He couldn't imagine being much taller than still sitting comfortably in most cars.

But, whatever. For the next week, there'd be absolutely no sitting in cars. Just friends and nature and shit. With a grin at prospect, Duncan slammed the car door closed, stepped away from the vehicle and took a look around. He'd grab his gear in a bit, wasn't like it was going anywhere.

"Hey, almost the whole gang!" he shouted as he approached the four others, noting that only Rob seemed to be missing still. "Cool. Guess we're almost ready to go."

He turned the group's token nerd with a friendly grin. "Sammy, can't believe you're actually here, man. Was sure your mom'd find a way to keep ya home. Or, you know, refuse to leave without you." He glanced around as if weary, hunching his back for a half-whisper. "She--- isn't actually hidin' around somewhere, is she? Kinda worried for my neck here. I know she ain't exactly a fan of mine."

He rubbed at the side of his neck, chuckled, and then turned to the rest of the group. As he spoke, he gave Atlas a mischievous grin, purposefully including him when he gave out the offer: "You girls need any help with your stuff? Still got my shit in the car, so my arms are all free for charity work!"

The Long Night | Medieval Fantasy

R Y L A N T W Y F O R D

Durand Aviary
Night
Interacting with @Ambra

If one could ignore the monstrous claws capable of gutting a man with alarming ease, stryxes didn't make for half bad bunkmates. Their large frames offered ample cover, and their temperament towards strangers kept most dangers at bay. Once you earned their trust enough to get close, their plumage was softer than the finest pillow, and their wings a blanket worthy of kings.

Or so Rylan imagined. He hadn't actually dared to edge close enough to touch a single feather.

He had been smacked in the face once or twice by a twitching wing, though. It turned out that either stryxes were capable of seeing very restless dreams, or just unconsciously predispositioned to slap the shit out of people hiding in their dens. Of those, Rylan could believe either.

But though they did shift in their sleep, stryxes didn't seem to be easily woken by unnecessary things. They paid little mind even to the harshest thunderstorm, and once they had gotten used to Rylan's company, were not bothered if he had to stumble over them to go make water.

In short, if a stryx did stir in the middle of the night, you knew something was amiss.

Both of the stryxes he shared the stable with stirred that night.

Rylan could hear the rustle of their wings and the snap of their beaks permeate his sleep, tearing at the thin veil that separated sleep and wakefulness. He groaned and resisted the pull of his consciousness, trying to chase a slowly waning dream - until realization finally struck him awake. Something was afoot.

At first, Rylan could not tell whether his eyes were open or not. His hand, the walls, even the stryxes; the darkness had swallowed them all. On some nights, Rylan could see the moon form a welcoming carpet at the stable door and dance upon the surfaces of pitchforks and pickaxes, but tonight he could not. The night was chilly and moonless.

The stryx closest to him seemed the most agitated. Rylan could feel its muscles tense, and though he could not say for certain, he was fairly sure it kept staring at the abyss outside. There was something there, and judging by the reaction it garnered, it was unlike to be any of the Durands.

The whisper of danger blew all sleep from Rylan's eyes. He was frozen in his place among the hey, afraid that his heartbeat was loud enough to lure in whatever stalked outside. The pounding was loud enough to nearly deafen him - and nearly render him breathless, too. Was it possible to choke on your own heartbeat? Every passing second made it sound more and more likely.

Rylan was just about to bury himself into the hay and wait for whatever it was to pass, when the stryx next to him tired of waiting. It stood up so suddenly that its wing knocked the the boy over onto his back. Eyes wide, Rylan scrabbled after the beast as if he had any chance of stopping it.

"Where--- where are you going?!" the boy shrilled, outstretched hand unable to grasp anything but darkness. "Get--- get back here, you don't want it to know there's anyone here! And you can't... you can't leave me, you know?! That other stryx is just a fletchling, an-- H-hey?!"

If the bird understood, it utterly ignored him. Rylan could barely make out its distancing outline as it stalked to the door. He hissed out breathless curses and scrambled after it. There was no way he was going to be left inside defenseless with only a babe of a stryx to keep him company. What if that something came inside!? It was best to stick to the predator's side, even if said predator was a literal fucking birdbrain.

The scoundrel managed to find a pitchfork where he remembered them to be, and held one to his chest as if it was a shield. He was practically glued to the bird's side, every sense pushed to their physical limit - until a glow in the darkness brought his eyes rest. Rylan blinked, repeatedly. And each time his eyes opened to focus back on the source of the light, a chunk of his fear turned into confusion.

The light was coming from a torch. Monsters did not carry torches - at least, Rylan was fairly certain they did not. If they did, they perhaps weren't as scary as he'd thought.

Indeed, as his stryx companion stopped to spread its wings an angrily snap its beak at the dark figure ahead, Rylan realized the only thing scary about this particular stranger was his stupidity.

"What do you think you're doing?" Rylan hissed, pitchfork pointed at the strange man's back. It wasn't quite like him to get to the point without a snide remark first, but this also wasn't quite a normal night.

He didn't know who this man was or what he wanted with the two stryx he was bothering, but the way he cloaked himself and sneaked around at such an hour spoke volumes of his intentions. He certainly wasn't anyone from the aviary.

Now that the pitch black darkness had been permeated by a sudden light source, Rylan found himself nearly blinded by the brightness of it. He raised one arm to shield his eyes, pitchfork wobbly in his other hand. Not that he had anything to fear from a crook this stupid. "Raise the torch a little higher, will you? Don't think the entire aviary's seen you yet."