Elemental Quest: Rescue Party (RP, Rated-R)

[VampirateMace]

This RP is Rated-R for, violence, swearing, alcohol, and discussion of sensitive topics like racism, eating disorders, slavery, and abuse. There's also a chance of drugs and nudity (intimacy will still need to fade to black or time-skip). If you think any of this is going to bother you, please go ahead and close this tab.

SU Thread: HERE
Discussion Discord: https://discord.gg/QxdbqSd
Town Map: https://i.imgur.com/O6RsCPo.jpg
World Map: https://i.imgur.com/C3tnNOD.jpg
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Rules:
1. Obviously, follow the standard forum and sub-forum rules.
2. Don't SPAM, flame, or otherwise harass other players.
3. Don't bunny (control others' character's) without permission. If you know me, you know I am strict on this.
4. Remember your character is NOT Omnipotent, Omniscient, or Omnipresent. Do NOT have them know things they shouldn't, teleport, or otherwise god-mode.
5. Put your name(s), class, species, and rough location(s) [if possible] at the top of your post. This will help everyone keep track of who they're capable of interacting with.
6. Tangy's Rule: There are a lot of NPCs in this RP, and your first post will probably heavily involve your pets/family/friends/ect. However, after that, please do not rely on NPCs to fill posts, you should be interacting with other player chars to solve the problems at hand.
7. Please try to be respectful of other player's NPCs. They probably have personalities in mind for their pets/family/friends/ect, so while you can control them lightly, please ask their creator before doing anything major with them.
8. Do NOT be the idiot that forces me to make more rules (love you guys). If you're not sure if you should do it, either don't, or ask first!
_

Fight Rules
(These rules are to be followed for fights not worked out in the discussion or via PM.)
1. It's not unreasonable to 1-hit-KO the occasional magic-less NPC. But assume NPCs with magic are going to take more effort.
2. Do not God-mode or otherwise attempt to pawn a player char in a single post (unless given prior permission).
3. When attacking player chars, do not decide how many of your blows land, and how much damage they do. But you may make multiple attacks in your post.
4. When defending against player chars, be realistic, do not dodge every attack. Consider the apparent skill and agility of both of your characters. You may also counter attack, following rule #3.
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Players:
1. VampirateMace - Dimmy Nightshade (Lord, Overseer of Village Development, Vampire/Human)
2. Monster Guy - Leafy Woodwick (Wizard, Fairy)
3. Schade - Hei Faendalin (Smith, Chef, Elf/Fairy)
4. Andydemon - Kitai Hayashi (Wizard/Priest, Yokai Tribe's Ambassador, Werefox/Human)
5. TheSequelReturns - Beryl Gloomheart (Alchemist, Vampire/Fairy)
6. Vern - Cinnabar/Cinder (Rouge Thief/Assassin & Merchant barmaid, former Slave, Demonfolk/Human)
7. Hydrangea - Aika "Ai" Flowers (Flower Farmer, Were-Deer)
8. Solsabre - Sequoia Reva Redwood (Fisher, former Warrior, Were-SeaEagle/Elf)
_

NPCs:
~ Lord Trombolt Nightshade (Governor, Vampire, M, 256) - The vampire lord who has led he town's government for the past couple hundred years. Despite the complaints of corruption in the government, no one seems to be in a hurry to replace him, which is probably partially because his presence helps keep the threat of Lord Arrowin invading at bay. His demeanor is cold and distant, but his rulings are fair.
~ [Head Judge]

~ Mother Gelise (High Priestess, Human, F 68) - A strict older woman who serves as head of the monastery. She oversees education and religious rights at the monastery.
~ Brother Wing (Head Monk, Half-human Half-dwarf, M, 53) - A kindly middle aged man who acts as head of the Monks.
~ [Head Warrior/Trainer]

~ Sorcerer Amos Wandson (Human, M, 21) - Amos was on the beach preforming for the the Moon Feast, when whatever happened went down, he may be injured or in danger. While he is powerful in magic, he's physically weak and kind of clumsy.
~ Sorcerer Castor Wandson (Human, M, 48) - Amos' father and mentor. His generally calm, but was admittedly nervous to let his son do the festival show alone, though he knows he won't be around forever. Physically he's stronger then his son.
~ Molly Wandson (Shepherd, Human, F, 47) - Amos' overprotective mother (have fun with that). She's bossy and usually tries to take care of everyone. Physically, her strength surpasses both her son and husband's.
~ Ann Wandson (Student, Human, F, 13) - Amos' obnoxious little sister. She started school the year after Schoolmaster Damas was murdered. She has manifest no signs of inheriting magic.
~ Grenda (Farmhand, Half-human Half-ogre Demonfolk, F, 20) - Amos Wandson's fiance, a large woman who's also rather protective of him. Genetics and years of baling hay have made her a force to be reckoned with.

~ Schoolmaster Lukas (Human, M, 23) - The current teacher for all students who were not educated in the monastery. It is believed that 5 years ago he witnessed his father Damas' murder, though the body was never found.
~ Schoolmaster Damas (Human, Male, 45-deceased) - The former schoolmaster, who was supposedly murdered 5 yrs ago. He was known to be cruel and abusive, and there was not much investigation into his disappearance.

~ Angus Burger (Smith/Restaurateur, Human, Male, 53) - Owns the popular local restaurant, FOOD. Is known to give his employees simple chii devices to help them in their work.

~ Cassius Gloomhollow (Banker, Vampire, Male, ??) - A thin, professional man, of noble birth (albeit in Lord Arrowin's Realm), with a reputation for being fair and always expecting honesty. He is also known to be a loving husband and father.

~ Captian Jonah 'Bo' Trask (Sailor/Fisher, Male, Human, senior?) – Captain of the fishing clipper, THE REELY NAUTI, and the main source of seafood for the people White Hills. He's an older man, kind and jovial, but also holds his crew to a certain standard.

____

Chapter 1: The night of the Moon Feast

The village bustles with activity; parties, dances, religious rights, and of course lavish feasts. All in celebration of the year's harvest, and the bounty which will help the citizens of White Hills make it through the winter. The activity winds down as darkness falls softly over the village. The villagers making their way to location with views of the northern sky; empty fields, the town square, the tops of roofs. A soft golden mist glitters through the darkness. The traditional magical spark presentation (by Amos Wandson this year) is about to begin. . .
___

Dimmy Nightshade
Location: Nightshade Manor (Desden's Balcony) > hillside > Beach
Time: Early Evening

Dimmy snickered lightly. His cousin, the one who had actually made the joke, was laughing much harder. Smiling lightly at him, Dimmy picked his glass off the rail of Desden's balcony. His cousin's room faced the beach, unlike his which faced east, and they'd have a much better view of the Sorcerer's sparks from here. Taking a sip, he savored the raspberry colored liquid. He liked wine, though not as much as blood, or admittedly, unfermented grape juice. Though alcohol was considered more appropriate to the festival, and wine was considered a refined choice of alcohol.

Softly the golden glow lit the sky, attracting Desden's attention, “Oh! It's starting!”

Dimmy nodded. He knew Desden was more excited about the show then he was, after all Desden wasn't usually around for the colder seasons, and from what Dimmy understood, the Demon Lands did not have as big of change in seasons, and therefore did not really have season related festivals and feasts. Plus, Desden was just more excitable in general. He'd seemed to enjoy the dinner party far more then Dimmy himself had as well.

Crack! A fabulous golden explosion filled the sky, frizzling softly as it faded out. It is followed in swift procession by additional magical explosions of varying size and height, each beautiful and unique. Then a pause. Dimmy chuckled softly to himself as Desden asked, “Wait is it over?”

“Not yet,” replied Dimmy, flashing him a smile. But it didn't come. Instead there were several flashes of whitish light, low to the ground. What was going on? Dimmy set his wineglass aside, watching curiously as the flashing continued. Something wasn't right. Was was Amos doing? Dimmy planted his hands on the railing and pulled himself up, leaping to the ground below, and then rushing out the back gate. The long stiff dune grasses poked at him as he headed towards the beach. Desden called after him, “Dimmy, be careful!”

“Of course,” Dimmy shouted, while glancing back at him, “I'm just going to go check out what's going on! ”

He patted his side, to make sure he had his dagger. He didn't have any chii to power it, but he could at least charge it with his decay magic, if anyone or thing dangerous met him down on the beach. Dimmy pushed his way through the sharp grass, along the sandy dune trail, hurrying to reach the beach. Some panicked kids ran past him. Okay, something obviously wasn't right. Over some rocks and past some driftwood logs, he could see the terrible scene clearly now; panicking civilians were fleeing, with just a few remaining to fight back against several pale darkly clad men. Their plan appeared to be to try and force the intruders back into the Beach Pass. Dimmy understood who the intruders were immediately, and felt a surge of anger well within him. How dare they come onto White Hills territory? And how dare interrupt something so sacred to the village?

He spotted Amos, holding out his gauntlet covered hand and supported by his fiance, Grenda. He was still trying desperately to fight back, but it was clear his magical reserves were running low and he was felt weak. A flash of light burst forth from his the sorcerer’s palm, careening into the nearest Arrowin scout. The man flinched at the hit, but continued proceeded forward.

Dimmy lifted his hands, charging his decay magic. It wouldn't be terribly effective against full-blooded vampires, but he needed to do something. Hopefully reinforcements, warriors from the monastery, wouldn't be too far off.

Does your character know mine?
Probably. As the governor's son, unless your character is from out of town, they probably at least know of him. Those of the right age, may also have attended school with him.

 

[TheSequelReturns]

Beryl Gloomhollow
Location: The sky above White Hills (Currently above the town square) > The Beach
Time: Early Evening

The night had finally arrived.

The night.

The Moon Feast and all its festivities had driven the town into a frenzy of merriment and splendor. And from her perch above the town square, Beryl had first class tickets to the show. The dancers had swirled and twirled below her with their vibrantly colored dresses and hypnotic rhythm. Scents from a hundred different foods wafted up from the stands and homes below. Meats on the grill, roasting veggies, baking sweets, and more all swirling together. Beryl has spent a considerable portion of her allowance on food alone already this evening. That was, to the stands that would sell to her. Some folks could never quite get over the times Beryl stole a rose from their garden or mixed up a hair tonic with a laxative or accidentally dyed all their cows blue.

Apologies only went so far with some folks. Money sometimes got you a bit farther. But if the cautions glances she'd spotted from the guy roasting beef flanks or the woman selling bouquets were any indication, sometimes you just had to take a loss and live with it. Even now, some of them were probably eyeing her with suspicion, wondering when she was going to drop some sort of crazy concoction on them. As if, that tactic was far too obvious. And besides, she'd get nothing out of it. Beryl's mischief was usually one of two things. Either a terribly unfortunate accident or her deciding she wanted something more than she feared the repercussions.

Well, not even Beryl was going to ruin this night's mystique. This was the high-point of the year for her, the day that the magical spark presentation was going to light up the night sky with dazzling colors and loud booms. It was truly the coolest thing Beryl had ever seen, and she wouldn't miss it for the world.

She had offered to give her mom a ride up here on her trusty broom to have a bird's eye view of the spectacle, but she had wanted to spent the evening watching the sight with her father and a few of the other villagers over on one of the hillsides. And Beryl figured her dad was a little too big to ride shotgun on her broom. This thing was fairy-sized, but luckily she was too.

Beryl popped another blood-flavored candy in her mouth and savored it as she waited for the show to begin. You could feel the excitement now. The dances had winded down. The food stands were putting out their fires. Any moment now... there it was! The soft golden glow on the edge of the night sky that signaled the beginning of the show.

Crack!

The first explosion of the night was a huge golden burst that fizzled out as it faded. Beryl loved the fizzy ones. Then there was more, in red and blue and green and more colors and in all sorts of shapes. But then, it suddenly stopped. No finale or anything. What gives?

Beryl leaned forward on her broom, the device lurching precariously in the air as it tilted with her. Where was the rest of the show?

The murmurs began to spread through the crowd now. Had something gone wrong? Was the new guy doing the show just not that great? With the lights and sounds throughout the square, she almost missed it. But there, low to the ground, was more flashes of light. She squinted her eyes and leaned forward again, trying to make sure she really saw it. And there it was again. What was going on at the beach? Did the sparks miss fire? Did some evil bastard try to ruin the show? She wouldn't stand for that, not one bit! No one got in the way of the magical spark presentation. No one.

Beryl tiled the front end of her broom towards the beach and willed the magic to flow through her. Her broom responded to Beryl's wind magic as it always did, by wobbling a bit until she got the output right and adjusted her balance and then zooming off through the air at a decently fast but not overly dangerous speed. Beryl would have loved to fly faster, but this sort of speed was all she could muster without reinforcing her innate magic with the power of a wind Chii.

It was fast enough to get her to the beach quickly enough to catch what was going on though. It wasn't what she had expected. It was worse, much worse.

Beryl flew in low near the few townsfolk who were gathered together and facing off with several assailants rather than fleeing. The assailants were pale and clad in dark garb. Beryl knew who they were immediately. There was one rule her father had given her that she was never to break. And that was venturing too far into the eastern woods. Too far, and you'd cross over into Lord Arrowin's domain. A place she was never to set foot in. Well, now it looked like the vampires of the dark woods had come here instead.

And they had to do it tonight of all nights.

Still, Beryl nearly froze when she saw them. It was like her father's warnings had suddenly come to life. Like the boogeyman she feared as a kid was brought to life before her eyes.

A few of the townfolk had started to fight. Beryl wasn't going to let them do it alone. But she didn't have much to work with right now. She did a quick inventory of her items and, deciding that she had nothing on her that would actually make a potion she could predict the effects off, said screw it and tossed whatever was in her pockets into a vial with some of what little potion catalyst she had left. The gurgling result didn't look pleasant, but Beryl had no clue what it would do. Well, time to experiment.

If this failed, she'd have to fall back on whatever illusions she could manage with her non-elemental magic and play defense. She crossed her fingers and hurled the potion vial at the nearest vampire's head, waiting to see what would happen.

Does your character know mine?
If you havn't had the chance to actually meet her, then you're still almost certainly aware of her reputation around town. Especially if you frequent the farmland or mid town. And you've almost certainly seen her flying haphazardly around on her broom or sitting precariously on a rooftop or other high place at least once. Beryl's also known for selling potions, so you may know of her that way as well.

 

[Andydemon]

Kitai Hayashi
Location: Town Square > Beach
Time: Early Evening

Kitai was roaming the village alongside his adoptive sister, Maria Ladimoore. There was a festival going on, and she had invited him to spend it with her. In the eyes of most, it would seem beneath an Elven noble to want to be with a Half-Beast, even if he technically was an Ambassador from a tribe living deep in the forest, but Maria never cared about that even when they first met, if anything it made her even more curious about him. She quickly welcomed him to Ladimoore Manor and even started treating him like her little brother.

While wandering the village with Maria wasn't anything new to Kitai at this point, having grown accustomed to doing so over the past several months he's been living with her family, the festival was indeed a new experience. He had never seen White Hills's Moon Feast before, and while his village held their own celebrations, for the Yokai Tribe they were traditionally quiet and orderly affairs. Yet here the people partied with food and dance, it was so much more lively than Kitai was used to, and he was admittedly enjoying himself.

However, after some time the noise seemed to die down, things had gotten quiet, for a moment Kitai had to wonder what was going on, but Maria didn't seem to be worried at all, in fact she looked excited. "Sounds like everyone's getting ready for the magical sparks! Come on, Kitty, we need to get a good view!" She said to Kitai, using a nickname she had given him, although the name Kitty was a bit inaccurate, as rather than being a cat, he was a Were-Fox, a six-tailed one at that.

"O-Okay, Maria-San!" Kitai replied, addressing her with a suffix used in the Yokai Tribe's native language. Though he was fluent in Common, he had a habit of alternating between languages as he spoke.

The two of them had found a spot to watch the magical sparks just in time to see them start. Kitai was immediately in awe at the colorful explosions appearing in the sky, he had never seen anything like it before. However, it seemed like the show had ended just as quickly as it began, leaving the two of them a bit confused, along with everyone else around them.

"Hey, they're supposed to last way longer than that! What gives?!" Maria said angrily before storming off towards the beach.

"M-Maria-San, wait!" Kitai called out as he went after her, before they had even reached Main Street, Kitai heard something in the distance with his heightened hearing, causing him to stop for a moment as his ears shifted side to side a bit. He could hear them...People...screaming in fear...That told him for sure, something bad was happening.

Once the two of them made it to the beach, they saw it. Vampires were attacking, why they would and now of all times it was impossible to know at the moment, but that didn't change the fact that something had to be done about it.

"Vampires?! From Arrowin's Realm?! Here?!" Maria said, just as shocked as Kitai was over the unexpected intrusion. "People are in danger, we have to help! Kit, how's your staff right now?"

Kitai gripped his staff with both his hands nervously as he answered, "I...I don't have any chii inside of it...I didn't think I'd need to today...I can charge it with fire magic anytime, but..."

In response, Maria placed a hand on Kitai's shoulder and told him, "Kit...I know you hate fighting, but we have to do what we can to help the village...You help keep the vampires away, while I go help anyone that might be hurt. I don't have any chii either, but I can charge my pendant with water and grass magic, so I can heal people at the very least. Just promise me you'll be safe, alright?"

"Maria-San...." Kitai trailed off for a moment to think before giving the elf a nod and telling her, "I-I will, you be careful to, okay?"

With that, the two of them split up to take on their abruptly given tasks. While Maria headed off to help evacuate the fleeing civilians, Kitai headed towards the vampires with his staff raised as he began to charge fire magic into it. He hoped that at best he'd be able to scare the vampires off without actually hurting any of them, but he had to accept the fighting itself as an inevitability. The least he could do was make sure it ended sooner.

Does your character know mine?
Kitai has been living in White Hills under the care of the Ladimoore family for several months now, if you have any connection to them or are from another noble house yourself, then you'll very likely have been introduced to Kitai regarding his position as an Ambassador for the forest dwelling Yokai Tribe at some point. Otherwise you'll likely have seen him wandering around the village alongside Maria several times, but unless you'd somehow know who he is, then he'd probably just come off as an oddly dressed Half-Beast that occasionally speaks in a foreign language.

 

[Monster Guy]

Leafy Woodwick
Town Square > The Beach
Time: Early Evening

Leafy loved it when there was some sort of party going on in White Hills, and the Moon Feast was the biggest one there was. The atmosphere was joyous and lively. Everybody was having a good time. There was stuff happening all over the town square. There were dancers, people selling stuff, and lots of food to be had.

The sun was setting, meaning now it was time for the sorcerer sparks. A fantastic display of lights and colors that lit up the sky in a spectacular fashion. This year, it was being done by his old friend from school, Amos Wandson. Granted, they weren't as close as they used to be, with how busy their lives had become after school. However, Leafy still considered the human sorcerer a friend, and he wouldn't miss this show for the world.

Leafy had already prepared by getting himself some Fairy Floss. There was nothing better than a sweet treat to watch the sorcerer sparks with. It was made by the best confectioners in the village. Yes, they did happen to be fairies. Who better to make Fairy Floss than an actual fairy? He also found the perfect tree to sit in to watch the fireworks.

Softly the golden glow lit up the sky, signaling the start of the show. Then, a fabulous golden explosion filled the sky. After it faded, it was followed by additional magical explosions of varying size and height, in a rainbow of colors. Each more beautiful than the last. Leafy was watching in awe while taking bites of his Fairy Floss. "It's soooo pretty!" Then, there was really long pause. Was this for dramatic effect? Was there an amazing display coming up? Was it over already? "Hey, what happened?!" He shouted. There was nothing but a few small white flashes close to the ground. Something wasn't right. What was Amos doing?

Leafy quickly finished the rest of his candy, flapped his leafy green wings, flew out of the tree, and made his way to the beach as fast as he could to check what was going on. When he got there, he could see a people running and screaming. He also saw a bunch of people in dark clothes attacking the place. Of all the nights for this, why tonight? Several other people had stepped in to lend hand. Leafy didn't pay any attention to who the attackers were. His first priority at the moment was to check if Amos was ok, before dealing with these criminals.

He spotted Amos, and landed right next to him. He was fighting off the mysterious people as best he could, while being supported by his fiance, Grenda. Leafy knew who she was, because he managed to get an invite to the wedding. Amos did not look well at all, and the young fairy boy knew he needed help. Immediately, Leafy pulled out his wooden wand, as well as some seeds from a pouch on his belt. He threw the seeds at the assailants, and zapped them with green grass magic. "Yoom-Tah!" Magically, the seeds sprouted into vines, that ensnared the attackers, and stopped their advance. It wouldn't hold them off forever, they could just cut themselves out. Still, it would give Amos enough time to recover.

Leafy then turned his attention to his friend. "Oh my gosh! Are you ok? Do you need healing?" Leafy charged his wand with grass and water magic. The combination of the two elements made healing magic. Once the end of of his wand glowed a bright teal color, Leafy tapped him on the forehead. It wasn't a perfect heal, seeing as Leafy didn't know what was wrong with him, if anything. At the very least it should help him feel better. "What happened?"

Does your character know mine?

Leafy is White Hill's friendly neighborhood fairy wizard. Chances are, you probably know of him at least. You'll definitely know him if you went to school in the village at the same time he did.

 

[Schade]

Hei Faendalin
Town Square -> Food stall at the beach
Time: Early evening.

"I demand meat!" the Demonfolk Ogre said in his monotone, yet oddly disturbing voice as he slammed his fist down on the counter on Hei's stand at the beach. His stand had been put up on the beach, just out of reach of the greedy waves, yet close enough so that people getting out of the water after a lovely swim would view his stall likely before seeing literally anything else. A strategic plan, one that demanded... Meat, apparently. his barbeque was flaring and the steak was charring, and the ogre was more or less drooling over the sight of it preparing behind the counter. With a few swift, fabulous moves with his spatula, Hei fixed the steak unto a plate and handed it to the ogre, who didnt even wait to get back the change for his purchase. The Ogre had been Hei's presumably last customer for the evening before the fireworks, and he had begun preparations to close down shop. Taking a seat in the stool he had placed in front of the stall, he crossed his legs and whipped out his fan to give himself a mild gentle gust of cool air. It had been a warm day, and being more or less in constant movement behind doing Barbeque-magic had been a tiresome endeavor. Nevertheless, Angus would be pleased with todays haul, despite not having participated in the joyous events.

Hei had just finished closing down the stall and sit back down on his chair as the golden glow lit up the sky, signaling for the firework event to begin. Kirsi had somehow managed to make herself a sand castle she had hid in most of the day, and she was peeking out through a leaf she had used as a drawbridge with an awe-inspired look in her.. eight eyes. As the fireworks started, Hei kicked it back with his fan and relaxed for the first time in probably 4++ hours. His exhaustion, however, was clouded with the pretty imagery of the moolah he had earned for the day. This month's paycheck would be thicc. Hei was brought out of his own head by the eerie silence that suddenly occurred. Brushing it off as a dramatic effect, he signald for Kirsi to ready herself to head back home. He was stopped when magical explosions suddenly started appearing around him.

It was chaotic for the first few moments, and Kirsi jumped out of her moderately sized castle and redied herself for a fight. Once the crowd cleared, the only ones left were some civillians fighting dark-clad figures wielding various forms of decay magic. What was this attack? Based on the assailants clothing, Hei would assume they were vampires, even though vampires of Arrowin had little to no reason to randomly launch an attack like this. "Kirsi, Offence!" Hei yelled as he elegantly whipped out his Warding Fan to repell a blast of decaying magic. It was a bad situation. As Hei was half fairy, he was genetically very weak. Sure he could pose and intimidate potential assailants, but besides distracting them for a few seconds, he had little to show for it. Luckily, Kirsi was a much much more able fighter than he was, and before he had even finished his train of thought, She had launched herself in the face of an assaulter and bitten him on the nose. Kirsi's bite was very, very venomous, and even though Vampires were very resistant to poison, they were not immune. The vampire screamed as he held himself to the face, and Hei wondered if he would have enough time to run off.

As if reading his mind, Kirsi jumped off of the vampire and jumped unto Hei's back like an oversized black backpack as Hei turned tail, swooped up his bag of todays earnings, and made a run for it. He followed the trail where the townsfolk had fled, and figured he would run off to the restaurant as Angus had instructed him to do before heading home for the evening, locking the door and just staying put. He had seen a few others fighting the assailants, and figured they would make due. There was no need for Hei to recklessly put himself in danger, right?

As he was heading back to the trail leading away from the beach, he spotted a character, obviously a fairy based on the natural nature of his attire as well as the wings and small stature. He was healing another character, a human by the looks of it, accompanied by a rather grotesque-looking woman. More demonfolk, apparently. They were fighting off some of the attackers, but it was quite obvious the human man was hurt. Arguing with his inner voice that kept telling him to bail, Hei sighed loudly and jogged over to the trio, elegantly dodging a wall of vines that had ensneered some of the attackers. "Hey hey we should really really not be here!", he said in a rush, jogging on the spot as he addressed the Fairy.

Does your character know mine?
No. No he doesn't. Hei doesn't know many people outside of the main street and town square, and since he is a person driven by ambition, he wouldn't focus on remembering the many faces he sees throughout a day. Though he wouldn't be likely to remember you, looking at him would most likely give you the "Huh i am certain i've seen this chap somewhere before." vibe if you have ever visited F.O.O.D where he works. The gigantic spider that accompanies him would also likely jog your memory.

 

[Solsabre]

Sequoia Reva Redwood
Location: Crow’s Nest of The Reely Nauti out in the ocean > Beach
Time: Early Evening


Lounging up in her favorite perch, Sequoia ripped into a delectable cod on a stick, juices running down her chin. The evening light was beginning to fade and the bird woman eagerly awaited the magical spark displays. The Moon Feast was Sequoia’s favorite celebration. It was one of the few times she actually felt like she belonged with the village, celebrating, eating, drinking, and the occasional dance. However, after a few hours, she was ready to withdraw to the quiet rocking of waves against the fishing clipper she called home.

Aukai screamed from atop the mast where he roosted and swooped down to the approaching rowboat. Her ‘uncles’ appeared to have finished selling their famous “Fish on a Stick” (they claimed) for the night and were bring the leftovers back. The male sea eagle dive bombed the trio, snatching up a raw fish from the cargo bin. The sailor, Moe, raised a closed fist in annoyance at the bird with a loud curse. Aukai cackled a an echoing taunt at the bowl hair-cut man before landing the crow’s nest railing and proceed to dig his sharp beak into the fish’s scaled flesh.

Sequoia laughed her bird’s antics, swiping the tail end of fish from the massive raptor. Aukai protested mildly, but resumed to tear into the other half.

“Lass, keep ye oversized gull away from the merch’!”, bellowed the Captain Jonah Trask of The Reely Nauti. “I shouldn’t have to keep tellin’ ya!”

“He’s only taking his daily share, Bo!” Sequoia shouted down to the deck, “Besides he keeps the real rats with wings away and from pooping on ya deck.”

“And shits more than all the gulls combined, instead!” The old sea captain exclaimed. Sequoia rolled her yellow golden eyes. It was the same argument everytime.

“It’s his way of callin’ your wreck of a boat home.”

“Then he can point his feathered *** over the water!” Captain Bo pointed a beefy finger in emphasis. Sequoia laughed heartily. The rascally captain was on a roll tonight. She’d clean the mess up later. In the morning that is.

No sooner had she teased the captain, a golden mist settled across the sandy beach. Sequoia scrambled forward in her spot in anticipation, her noteable birds legs dangling off the edge of the crow’s nest. Aukai hopped down beside the bird woman and nuzzled into her side. The massive raptor disliked the loud explosions every year and took shelter in her reassurance.

Willows of gold mist and streams of rainbows dazzled across the dark sky. Cries of awe faintly carried across the calm waters following each explosion. Sequoia shouted with excitement, while Aukai buried his head in the folds of her blue skirt.

The sky stilled with silence. Suspense built in the air as each second passed, but the exploding sparks didn’t resume. The bird woman rose, leaning over the railing with an intense stare towards the shore. Her night vision was the same as any humans, but that didn’t stop her from trying.

Then multiple flashes of light littered one end of the beach near Beach Pass. Shouts of alarm finally reached her ears. Sneering, Sequoia finally grabbed the telescoped stored in the Crow’s Nest. Villagers were fleeing in all directions, however, they fled from the source of the commotion by Amos’s chosen area to launch the magical display. A few braver villagers were fighting darkly clad figures and trying to keep them away from White Hills’s upcoming top wizard, Amos.

The bird woman scoffed and her golden eyes narrowed. The Moon Feast was the one night the village seemed to come together and differences forgotten. The half Were-Sea Eagle wouldn’t stand for it.

“Aukai. Come.” She commanded, stowing away the telescope. With the grace of her elven blood, Sequoia lifted herself effortlessly to stand on the thin railing and pushed off with her powerful avian legs. A massive black and white Stellar’s Sea Eagle took the place of the falling figure and swooped down low over the water, strong wing beats raised her over the waves and swiftly covering the distance to shore. The smaller sea eagle, Aukai, followed behind a short distance. A light-weight two spoke spear clenched in his talons.

Diving in from above, Sequoia screamed a warcry, grabbing at the head of one intruders and sunk a talon into flesh. Her captive yelled in pain, trying to dislodge the transformed bird woman. Rather than dragged to the ground, Sequoia released the bleeding ma-Vampire- and landed. Avian features shifted like living liquid to that of a short elf, black and white feathers ranging through her wild hair. Her duodent dropped into a waiting hand. Aukai flapped to regain lost height.

Sequoia brought her duodent to bear, holding the pointed spear at chest level. With the remaining water chii still charged in her spear from the morning’s work, Sequoia released a geyser of water into the midst of the vampires to create confusion. All the while forgetting, her clothes were drifting idly in water by the fishing clipper.

Does your character know mine?
Sequoia spends most of her time by the docks, beach, or out over the water. She frequents the market place with Captain Jonah 'Bo' Trask with the morning catch or making deliveries to restaurants with a stock of fish. Not unusual to see the bird woman in the occasional fight either as she tends to stand out and attract unsavory characters.

 

[VampirateMace]

Dimmy Nightshade (Noble, Vampire/Human)
Location: Beach
Time: Early Evening

Dimmy felt the magical power growing in his palms, as he tracked the nearest enemy's progress. Around his goal, he could see a few more brave villagers had joined the fight, including a couple assisting Amos. This freed up Grenda to take her scythe up out of the sand, where she planted it beside her other things, and attack. Chii devices were expensive, and may people took them everywhere, even when it didn't seem to make sense. Luckily, this time it turned out to be useful, as she charged up to one of Arrowin's scouts; piercing his weak armor on the first couple slices, before decapitating him on the third.

Others attacked with whatever they had on them; potions, quick growing vines, and weapons producing elemental blasts. Dimmy turned his attention back to his target, focusing as he threw out the natural blasts of Decay magic. It was unrefined, and his victim resistant, but there was definitely and impact.

His presence now revealed, Dimmy slipped his bronze dagger from it's sheath and started to charge it with decay magic as the scout came after him. The man would still be resistant to the decay, but very few people were ever resistant to blades. Dimmy sidestepped and wove through the driftwood, deflecting the full vampire's curved blade, and taking swipes wherever he could. Unfortunately, sinking his dagger into the man's side, meant receiving a gash on his opposite shoulder, searing with the vampire's own decay magic. Angrily, Dimmy twisted his blade on the way out, and kicked into the vampire's knee. The combined pain brought the taller man down to a more manageable level, and Dimmy quickly slit his throat.

There was a sickening gurgle as the man's body flopped around against the nearest driftwood log, leaking the darker colored blood of a vampire. Dimmy didn't concern himself with the man's death throws, there were still more invaders on their village's land. He stepped around the log, panting from effort and anger, he'd make these men of Arrowin's pay.

He dodged a crossbow bolt, dashing towards the next attacker. You'd think a vampire would know better then to fire a crossbow at a dhampir, but there probably were not a lot of half-vampires in Arrowin's realm. After all, half-vampires were supposed to be the best option to slay a full vampire, of which the paranoid, or maybe xenophobic, Arrowin was.

Dimmy made his way in low, exploiting the man's partial armor, as a crossbow bolt grazed just over his hair. Damn, that was close. Dimmy dragged his knife across the man's lower abdomen. These were certainly not the elite forces of Arrowin's realm.

Some sort of horn sounded, followed by battle-cries, and the makeshift drums of swords and axes on shields. Finally. Someone had managed to make their way across town and rouse some of the warriors from the monastery. Dimmy took advantage of the scouts' surprise, and retreated as they charged down the hill, making quick work of what remained of the intruders. Dimmy wiped his blade with a black handkerchief, dealing with blood so often, it was common for vampires to carry black handkerchiefs, and stowed it back in it's sheath.

The monk with the ram's horn stumbled down the hill after the warriors, but spotting Dimmy, changed course. Dimmy knew they normally wouldn't give a half-vampire a second glance, but as the son of one of their higher ranking priestesses and the governor, there was some obligation to treat him with niceties and fain concern. The monk did this admirably, “Are you alright Young Lord Nightshade?”

Of course, his title still had a childish sound to it, as his father was already Lord Nightshade. Dimmy patted his wounded shoulder and inspected the disturbing amount of blood on his hand briefly, then replied dismissively, “I'll be fine.”

His half-vampire body would heal it soon enough. He was much more interested in finding out what had happened here tonight, and why. He started over towards Amos, who he could now see was with Leafy, and someone else, who he kind of recognized, but could not quite recall the name of.


@Monster Guy & Schade

As Leafy reaches Amos, asking if he needs healing, Amos turns to him requesting, “Please.” He pulls back his robe's tattered sleeve to reveal a festering blotch on his forearm. He's clearly been hit with a blast of Decay magic, and it looks painful.

Grenda meanwhile leaves Amos to his friend's care, moving over to where the couple stowed their stuff to retrieve her scythe. It is a large formidable blade on a heavy staff. With a what seems to be a battle-cry, she charges off into battle.

Amos makes a gasping sound, and then relays the tale of how they got into this position. His voice is high and bit weak, “Everything was going normally. It was going to be my first year doing this alone, so Mom and Dad held back, but Ann still wanted to come with us. She was so excited.”

“I was busy with the sparks and didn't even see them coming,” he continues, “I hesitated when I heard the screams. I hear the screams before I even saw them! They were coming from the beach pass.” He pauses to let loose a powerful blast of white light onto the the nearest vampire scout. Then he returned frantically to his story, “Leafy, Leafy, they were targeting t-he child-ren.”

He becomes apparently disturbed by Hei's suggestion the three of them leave, grasping at Leafy's shoulders and begging, “No, we can't leave, they took Ann! There were more of them, and they took the kids, we need to go after them!”

 

[Andydemon]

Kitai Hayashi
Location: Beach
Time: Early Evening

Kitai was doing his best to ward off the vampires in his own way. Streams of fire erupted from the head of his staff and walls of fire burned around him, threatening all his enemies to steer clear of him. This at the very least gave him a chance to breath. Charging his staff took a bit of energy out of him to do, but it was the best he could do considering he had no other means of fighting at the moment. On the bright side, he's been able to keep up his spell casting for much longer since acquiring his adult tails.

His breather couldn't last for much longer though, as his flames began to die out giving the vampires another opening to approach him. Luckily it seemed only one had noticed at first, as he rushed towards the young Half-Beast with blade in hand. In a knee jerk response to this, Kitai raised his hand in front of him as opposed to his staff and launched a ball of fire from it directly at the vampire's chest, sending him flying back until he was laying face up on the ground hissing from the pain and trying to put out the fire now burning his chest area.

Knowing that he had just hurt someone that time after trying his best to avoid resorting to such means, Kitai gripped his staff with both hands and looked down at the vampire with remorse. "I...I'm sorry!" He called out.

At that moment, Kitai heard someone speaking frantically behind him. It was someone who was there in the initial attack talking to a couple other villagers that had opted to assist him, and he had gone on to tell them what happened. What Kitai heard from him next disturbed him greatly.

It turned out that the vampires were after children. In fact, he had named one of the kids that were taken: Ann. This prompted a gasp from the shocked Kitai, the vampires were kidnapping children? What could that have meant for him and Maria, were they in danger of being taken away themselves? What would have happened to them if they were there sooner when the attack happened, and what would the vampires have done to them? Are they even safe being here or could they still be kidnapped at a moments notice?

At this realization, Kitai quickly thought to fall back and make sure Maria was safe, but the distraction left him open long enough for another vampire to get in close to him. Before he had time to react, Kitai was tackled to the ground and pinned face up as the vampire held him by his wrists. He immediately struggled to break free from his helpless situation, but he was no match for the physically stronger creature. He then made the mistake of looking up at his captor only to see a pair of blood red eyes and a set of sharp fangs, prompting a gasp from the boy as it became clear that the vampire was about to bite him. He had heard that vampires drank their victim's blood, and at that moment he thought he was doomed to such a fate as the one holding him leaned down towards his neck. Unable to break free, Kitai could only instinctively shut his eyes and cry out in preparation for the pain that awaited him.

That pain never came however, as the weight of the vampire was suddenly replaced by the sound of rushing water and the scream of the vampire, followed by a cool damp feeling on Kitai's face and clothes. The boy opened his eyes to see that he was now free of the vampire's grip, he then heard a familiar voice call out to him, causing him to sit up and turn to see Maria with spheres of water around her hands.

Seeing that Kitai was safe now, the elf let the water quickly evaporate as she went over to make sure her friend was alright. "Kit, are you okay?! You're not hurt are you?!"

"N-No, I'm fine, but Maria-San..." Kitai started as Maria helped him back onto his feet. "We...We aren't safe here, I overheard someone say that the vampires were taking children away!"

"What?!" Maria exclaimed in shock before turning to see an injured human being helped out by a couple villagers, a human she seemed to recognize. "Amos, his sister is one of my classmates..." At that moment a look of horrified realization appeared on her face as she grabbed Kitai's shoulders and said, "Ann said she was gonna watch her brother fire the sparks here tonight! Is she alright?!"

"Maria-San...I..." Kitai struggled to get his next words out for a moment before working up the courage and telling her, "I don't know, I think Ann-San was taken..."

"Dammit!" Maria immediately cursed in response and was about to storm off towards where the vampires came from, but was stopped when Kitai grabbed her and began to pull her towards the reinforcements that had arrived from the Monastery. "Let me go, Kitai! I have to help Ann!"

"I...I wanna help her too Maria-San, but it's too dangerous for us to go alone! We should get help first!" Kitai replied as he held onto the struggling elf.

 

[Vern]

Cinnabar
Location: Limestone Tavern -> Beach
Time: Afternoon -> Early Evening

Cinnabar smiled as she danced through the tables of the Limestone tavern, carrying two full trays of beer and the occasional sandwich. She was disguised as her ‘work persona’ - a dark-skinned, white-haired elf by the name of Shuvi - and was dressed in the standard nondescript brownish garb of the tavern’s employees. Inside the confines of these slightly monkey walls, she could pretend to be a normal person with a normal, stress-free life, and that was what she needed.

Setting the second-last beer on her tray down in front of a regular customer (a disgruntled fisherman by the name of Kite), she casually gave the man a pat on the shoulder and a friendly elbow to his ribs. He elbowed her back, the two exchange a wave and a high-five, then - with a newly formed smile on his face - turned away to down the beer in one gulp.

Humming a soft tune that would be barely audible over the rowdy laughs of the celebrating townsfolk, she moved to head to the next table. As she neared, the smile on her face widened, and she picked up the place, slipping skillfully through the crowds until she was face to face with a familiar, tired-looking merchant. The black-haired man barely looked up as she approached, his attention clearly elsewhere, until she slammed the tray down on the table and pretty much tackled him in a hug. It was not unusual for the employees to treat customers like friends or family, so the gesture would not be viewed as strange in any way, and probably forgotten about in minutes by anyone who saw it.

"Wha-" Crow yelped, his purple eyes widening in surprise. He soon relaxed, as some of the dark skin on 'Shuvi's hands, hair and face seemed to crumble to dust and reveal Cinnabar's own pale complexion, clawed fingers, orange hair and red eye. The shift lasted for a split second, and then vanished, leaving no trace.

"Hearthfire Inn, six thirty." Cinnabar laughed, jokingly patting her friend on the shoulder, "Be there, or I'll find you, and you won't like what'll happen then."

"Sure." Crow replied, sounding tired, but not more than usual, "I'll be there."

--:--:--​

“Hey, Crow,” Cinnabar said, leaning back on a nearby boulder, “You should come here more often.” She had stripped away all her disguises and was lazing about in her ‘true form’, deciding to do away with the precautions due to the secluded location they were sitting in as well as the special nature of the situation. Her boss had been glad to allow her a day off from work, and like they had planned, the two had rendezvoused at the Hearthfire Inn, an establishment run by one of Kale’s acquaintances.

“In my trade, business is first and foremost.” Her friend replied with a sigh, also slumped against the terrain in a similar position, “And there is no good business here. In the eyes of my acquaintances, every trip I make to the White Hills is a waste of time, money, and effort.”

“Come on,” she laughed in response, “I’m here, aren’t I?”

“Hahaha.” Crow replied with a vaguely mocking laugh, though a smile did form on his face. “If your presence were enough to rectify the financial losses, I assure you I’d be spending a lot more of my time here."

“Never mind.” Cinnabar sighed, “How’s ALF been doing?”

“I ran into her circus troupe on the road a few weeks back.” He said, “She seemed to be fine - probably better off than both of us combined, actually. You’d be amazed to see what staying on the right side of the law does for your physical and mental health. I mean, just look at us - we’re like shipwrecks in comparison. Maybe I should give it a try. Start a shop, settle down. Hell, maybe we can-“

“Shhh!” She hissed excitedly, interrupting him, “The show’s starting!”

Crow gave a wry smile and fell silent, shuffling across the sand to sit next to her and get a better angle on the display of magical wonders. They watched gleefully as the explosions of light arced across the sky, lighting it up in a chaotic storm of vibrant hues. But soon, the light faded - and didn’t appear again. For a moment, their little alcove of rocks and flotsam was eerily quiet.

Years of constant vigilance and fear had infused both Cinnabar and Crow with a nose for danger, and immediately, both of those noses had picked up on the scent of trouble. Their previous banter forgotten and the majesty of the light show erased from their minds, they both made preparations for their escape - Cinnabar quickly donned the guise of a small, nimble fairy with dark blue wings that would blend easily into the night, and Crow threw his cloak over his shoulders, pulling several potions from his pockets. She recognised some as speed potions, others as bottled sleeping potions. Neither of them were fit for combat, but both were experts at staying out of it. Without a word, they both began to move in opposite directions. No farewell was made - right now, all that mattered was survival, and all considerations were secondary. Sentimentality could wait until the danger was past, and Crow knew how to find her if he wanted to. Silently, her merchant friend vanished into the night, his soft footsteps leaving barely any trace in the sand.

Cinnabar quickly began to make her own escape, but this time, she had drawn the short end of the straw. Before long, she quickly came upon what was looking to be a raging battle. It wasn’t hard to identify the attackers by their garb and their fighting style - they were clearly vampires, sent from Lord Arrowin’s realm. Given the circumstance, she’d have no choice but to make a run for it and hope they miss her in whatever battle they were taking part in.

Grimacing irritatedly, Cinnabar shrunk her body down as small as she can - to about half the size of a normal human, or about the same as a slightly above-average imp - and cloaked herself in an illusion of darkness. Then, she made a run for it, jumping into the fray, ducking and jumping over blades, gently parrying any that came too close for comfort using her shield magic. Seeing a spot where there was a lull in the combat, she made her way there, crouching down and scrunching her body into as small a ball as she could while she tried to regain her breath. She blinked when she realised where she had ended up - right next to Amos, the wizard who was supposed to be doing the show, his wife, the friendly neighbourhood fairy Leafy, and a guy who looked like some kind of chef. Grimacing, she focused harder on maintaining her magic illusion.

“Hey, hey, we really shouldn’t be here.” The chef guy was saying, jogging on the spot as if preparing to leave at the earliest opportunity. Cinnabar didn’t blame him. Being noble and heroic was one thing, saving your own life was another. By then, she had more or less recovered her strength, and was about to dash off again when the wizard yelled something that stopped her in her tracks.

“No, we can’t leave!” Amos yelled, grasping at Leafy’s shoulders in desperation, “They took Ann! There were more of them, and they took the kids, we need to go after them!”

Cinnabar felt her blood run cold. It had been a long, long time since her own kidnapping, but even then the memory had never quite had the graciousness to leave her be. If there was one conviction she held, it's that she would never, ever, allow someone to suffer the same fate again.

Silently, she rose from her position by the three and slips into the battle, scanning for a good target. Her eyes flitted from one face to another as she quickly assumed the form of yet another vampire, using her illusions to match the clothing of the attackers. Nobody saw her appear. Singling out a lone vampire who was limping away from the most heated part of battle, she ducked and weaved through the flailing arms and weapons in the way until she was situated directly behind him - and then jumped onto his back, twisting him into a position in which he would be immobile, and the back of his neck exposed.

"Where are you taking them?" She hissed, putting on a deeper, more sinister voice that was almost masculine. "Try anything, and you die."

The vampire struggled to free himself from her grip, with moderate success. He was stronger than her, and not by a small amount - but thankfully, she had gotten the jump on him, and it would take him a while to escape her choke hold. Long enough for her to kill him if she had to.

"If I want, I can end your life in an instant." She snarled - her demon heritage made her naturally quite good at snarling. "Give me the information. Now. Where are the children?"

The vampire ignore her, continuing to struggle, more likely than not realizing the disparity in their relative strength. Her grip on his arms was weakening - she couldn't hold him for much longer, and he obviously wasn't going to talk. In a single smooth movement, her needle, which she carried everywhere, is in her hand. It slid easily into the exposed skin of the vampire's neck, right into that one special spot - and just like that, the connection of the man's mind to his body was severed, and he dropped into the ground, lifeless.

Giving a disappointed click of her tongue, Cinnabar jumped away from her victim's body, bounding away from the action to observe it from afar. Already, the warriors from the monastery were streaming onto the beach, and quickly taking care of what remained of the intruders. She considered using this as a chance to get clear before things got complicated, but decided against it - she was curious, and if they were going to rescue the kids, she wanted to be able to help. Kale had planned no events in the near future, so she would have ample time, and as long as she was careful, nobody should suspect anything, especially not with the painstakingly low profile she had been keeping. She could call in sick at work - no big deal. It was good to go on adventures every now and then.

Sighing, she sad down on the ground, far enough from the vampire she killed to avoid there being any direct connection between them. Her illusion dissipated, revealing her true form to the world - it would be too tiring to maintain a disguise of reasonable quality for too long around experienced mages, of which there are several in the vicinity. Besides, it would be a good opportunity to practice her acting skills when she has no magic to help her.

Does your character know mine?
No. Unless they are a rogue who lives in the woods, they will most likely never have seen her before, since she’s incredibly cautious about keeping a low profile. However, if they’ve went to the Limestone Tavern before, they may know her alias Shuvi, a dark elf who works there as a waitress/barmaid/whatever you call people who work in taverns. You probably won’t see much connection between the two, but they do have some similar mannerisms.