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Psychedemo

"Where there's a will, there's a way, right?"

0 · 963 views · located in LAIOS

a character in “Welcome to LAIOS Part II”, as played by Miss Echo

Description

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Real Age:
17
Occupation:
High School Student
Gender:
Female
Orientation:
Heterosexual
Appearance:
Clocking in at around 4 foot 9 inches in boots, and without much muscle mass to speak of, Dawn isn’t exactly the most imposing figure around. Her eyes are a soft, ashen grey, and her black hair falls to her hips. Combined with her pale skin, as well as her usual clothing palette of dark colors, this tends to make her appear almost completely monochrome in appearance. Her face is heart shaped and without many angles or sharpness to speak of- giving her a rather open look-, while her body is made up of still-developing curves.
Reason for playing LAIOS: While Dawn doesn’t have many problems relating to her own identity, or many issues with confidence, she is very much a control freak. She tends to become rather stressed whenever she feels she doesn’t have a grasp on things, and with the pressures that come with high school and the impending future, she was often left feeling anxious. Dawn joined LAIOS after a friend recommended it to her, and grew attached; after all, it provided a great stress reliever for her.
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Avatar Sex:
Female
Level at Start of Roleplay:
73
Race:
Elf
Element:
Dark
Class:
Mage
Role:
Second in Command
Occupation:

Guild:
Knights of Lore
Hex code:#461B7E

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In Game Appearance
Psychedemo has gone through a few changes since her creation in LAIOS, although not enough to create a drastic difference between her early appearance and now; the most severe change, really, is the considerable lengthening of her ears. Given the fact that she is both a member of the mage class and an elf, her build is quite slight, more slender than anything and making clear her reliance on magic over physical combat. She stands at about 5’1”, with gentle, curved features making up her face. Psyche has a fairly small nose ending in a point, and a soft, full mouth that seems to be curled in a permanent smile.

Psyche hardly bothers to change her physical appearance, being satisfied with how it turned out in the first place. Her thick, lavender hair mirrors her real life counterpart’s in length, and she has a habit of letting it fall loose down her back, framing her face. However, it is not uncommon for her to tie her hair into twin braids so as to keep it out of the way. Her eyes are a soft blue, and while usually warm, tend to dance with interest or mischief. In another similarity towards her real life appearance, her skin is also rather pale in color, making the contrast between her hair and eyes even more defined. Psyche bears the mark of the Knight guild upon her wrist.

When out and about, her usual choice of attire typically consists of soft, flowing robes, with her favorite being a dark blue thing lined with even darker fabric. The hood sewn into the material sees regular use, as Psyche alternates between wearing it up or down depending on her mood. She typically dons light, loose-fitting clothing beneath her robes- clothing which isn’t seen all that much, given how comfortable she finds the mage garb. She also keeps many of her pouches beneath her robe, as well, tied about her waist or, in the case of more important items, to her thigh. To complete the outfit, Psyche wears blackened leather boots and gloves. Her staff is made up of polished obsidian, which curls about the lone amethyst seated atop the staff.



Skills:
Sacrifice - Fighting skill used to halve hp and convert it to mp.

Fade - As Psyche has chosen to be a mage of the dark element, she is allotted one skill. In her case, she has chosen an ability called “Fade”. This power allows herself to become similar to a spirit; intangible, yes, but unable to attack or interact with physical items such as chests or fallen enemies. She is only able to do this once per day, and, if done during the day, the ability will be significantly weakened.

Pulse - Allows the user to emit a burst of magical energy around their person, flinging any surrounding players or monsters away. Reserved for mages and priests.

Silver Tongue - Silver Tongue is the ability to talk your way out of trouble and swindle merchants into giving you an item for less gold. The higher the level, the more persuasive you are and most would consider you quite the charmer. Psyche has leveled this skill up to level 75, which means she is quite persuasive and can barter for fairly lower prices.

Detection - Train your detection skill and you'll have an easier time seeing the sneak and avoid pick pockets. This also helps in fights, allowing you to be aware of your opponents moves based on their stances. Psyche has leveled this skill up to level 87, meaning that she has an easier time seeing pickpockets and sneaking players of equal skill, and even more skill in spotting those of a lower level than her.


Enhancements
Gloves: Casting time reduced by 32%.
Body armor: Regenerates 12 points of health every 10 seconds, Physical Damage reduced by 28%.
Leg Armor: Charm counter to make attacker fall in love and stop attacking.
Staff: Reduces recharge time by 25%.
Boots: Boots are enchanted to increase success in persuasion, and to make NPCs lower prices by 20%.


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Likes:
♦Learning: Dawn has always been fascinated with knowledge, and this reflects in her in-game self. Psyche genuinely enjoys her job as an Information Broker because of what she can learn about people.
♦Control: As previously mentioned, Psyche greatly enjoys having control over situations and a sense of stability.
♦Helping: Psyche is very much aware that many players did not get the opportunity to get strong enough to defend themselves before being trapped, so assisting them and watching them succeed is something that makes her feel good.

♦Jokes




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Dislikes:
♦Being trapped in LAIOS: While she is not as stressed about the situation as before, and more acceptant, she still wishes to return home to her loved ones.
♦Being worried about: Although this is was always prominent, this only strengthened upon her promotion. Psyche dislikes having people concerned for her, as she sees herself as a source of stability for others and not the other way around.
♦PKs: While she isn’t the type to turn them away, Psyche can’t deny her contempt for Player Killers. After all, as far as they know, killing off another player is the same as going out to actively murder an innocent in cold blood.



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Strengths:
♦Wit: Psyche is quite intelligent, and capable of putting pieces together or planning things out.
♦Persuasion: As she spent quite some time working on her skills, she’s quite good at getting things out of people one way or another.
♦Magic Resistance:Has an increased 40% resistance to dark magics.
♦Magic Use:While she may not go out to the field that often anymore, she’s still quite efficient in using the spells she knows.



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Weakness:
♦Light Magic: Because of her element, she is susceptible to Light Magic.
♦Mage:While Psyche is powerful, she is vulnerable to physical attacks because of her lack of own physical strength, and the fact that she cannot cast spells aimed at someone in close range.
♦Stubbornness: Psyche has a tendency to put too much on her plate in regards to responsibility and emotional issues, and refuses to ask for help.



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Fears:
♦Failing those who rely on her.
♦Dying in LAIOS
♦Fire attacks



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Personality:
Amiable ღ Clever ღ Analytical ღ Kind

Outside of LAIOS, Dawn is a fairly normal young woman. She’s a tad quiet at times, preferring to listen and empathize with others instead of speaking too deeply about herself, and very much an overachiever. She puts a lot of focus onto her grades in school and how her friends feel, although this results in her having little opportunity to focus on herself, running her into the ground. She enjoys getting to know people on a personal level, and generally acts in a modest, gentle manner- becoming quickly flustered with the right questions, and opting to work out of the limelight.

Inside the game, much doesn’t change. As Dawn is not worried severely about her identity, Psyche acts very much like she does in real life- with a few exceptions. While she’s still caring and respectful, the dry humor that she often bites back during the day fully surfaces, manifesting in wry comments and questions, and a lingering amusement at things. She also has an almost calculated nature in how she gathers information, using a combination of her generally unassuming appearance, her own nature, and the abilities that come with her occupation to coax knowledge out of others. Psyche enjoys her power- an element she chose due to how readily available it was- and, when working with others, becomes protective of her group.

Upon learning that she was trapped there, she developed a strong caution about where she goes and what she does. Psyche has gained a self-regard she heavily lacked before in the face of death, and carries many personal health potions in case of emergency. In spite of her newfound care towards herself, however, she is still willing to help and look after other members of the group- something that makes her a fit for a guild such as the Knights.

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History:
When Dawn bought LAIOS and settled herself down to play, she wasn’t looking for much in particular. She had played other games before, and while they had provided something other to do than read a novel, do chores around the house, or turning down her brother’s insistence at bringing her out to enjoy a club or two, she had a tendency to get bored of them quickly. LAIOS, however, was different; it allowed her to live as her character, developing powers, gaining equipment, and exploring the world as her own. It was something completely unique in itself. Being more comfortable with magic users in most games she played, Dawn gravitated towards a mage/elf combination, and selected darkness as her element. After all, darkness was a large part of the world, and had a better ring than her other options.
Upon landing in the game as Psyche, she immediately found herself hooked on the game- spending hours in the virtual world as soon as she could hop in. She become an Information Broker as soon as she discovered the job- having always aspired to be a detective in life- and worked to both level up and grind her skills to satisfactory levels.

When the game locked down, Psyche did not take the news in stride. The control she had so craved had been stolen away from her, and the potential of a gruesome death by impalation, burning, mauling, and so many other threats loomed overhead. She remained in towns, focusing on her occupation and working up her skills as a way of distracting herself from her situation. It didn’t take long for Psyche to recover, however, although she takes care not to bite off more than she can chew or work herself into a corner. The need for some sense of security still lingered, however, and the mage soon found herself drawn to one of the newborn guilds; the Knights of Lore, specifically. Offering up her skills as an Information Broker, Psyche joined the guild and immediately proved herself to be a dedicated and efficient member, gathering whatever tidbits she could, and reporting back once she had found a development. She eventually found herself in the position of Second in Command of the young guild through her abilities, as well as her general affable and flexible nature.

Around the guild’s base, Psyche is usually found going through whatever she discovered that day, or talking with various members or anyone looking for a tip or advice. She may occasionally go out in order to gain a level, equipment, or to simply satiate her wanderlust, but returns soon enough to a town to relax and fulfill her duty as a guild member.


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Face Claims:
N/A
N/A

CS Design:
© By: FaddedFox ©
Played By:
By: Miss Echo

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So begins...

Psychedemo's Story

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Goliath Character Portrait: Accido Character Portrait: ArcticFire Character Portrait: Psychedemo Character Portrait: Cain Character Portrait: Shade_Strider
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╚═╣Hello all Players! This is your Game Master. I would first like to wish you all Happy Holidays! I would like to inform you all of an event that will be occurring shortly. The first Christmas event will commence on December 25th. During this event, the town of Vael will become a battle zone where event specific monsters will appear. If you do not wish to participate in the event, refrain from visiting Vael that day or stay indoors so you are not attacked. Regardless of participation, all players will receive a box of candy canes (12 canes) as treats, 10 health and 10 mana potions as a present from me. The event also has two parts. Once the monsters appear, midnight on the 24th, there will be a competition of who kills the most event creatures. The winner with the overall highest kill count will receive a mount of their choosing, a Christmas dinner that can be shared with 5 people, and 20 health and mana potions. The person that comes in second will receive the same things except the mount.

The second part of the event will happen at midnight on the 25th. A boss will appear in the town and will not attack anyone unless it is attacked. The player that does the greatest damage and takes down the boss will receive a dragon egg, the Christmas dinner, candy, and potions. I thank you for your patronage and hope you are all happy with your gifts! Happy Hunting!
---Game Master Time stamp December 18 5:00am
╠═╝

₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪₪



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Occupation:
Mercenary

Guild:
Night's Guile

Level:
72

Hex Code:
#CC1100

Location:
Vael tavern - Gold Gallion



December 24th. It was a peaceful, normal day for the most part in Vael. It was two in the afternoon so most players were up and awake doing whatever they needed to get done that day or doing some grinding in the field to get ready for the event. The sandy beach town had been transformed for the season and snow fell from the sky as realistic as if it were really happening. The snow flakes were delicate and cold to the touch and the air had grown chilly enough to allow the snow to rest on the ground. Some players had even stuck their tongues out to catch the falling snow. The NPC children had a lot of fun gathering up the multitude of ice on the ground and tossing it around at each other in a fight and engaging players, begging them to join them or throwing random snow balls at passerby. Playersand NPCs alike were making snow angels and building up snowmen. It really was like a winter wonderland and Shade_Strider wasn't a huge fan. The cold sucked but he supposed cold weather was better than blistering heat. Over all, things had been cheery. There was even a giant tree in the middle of town that hadn't been there before covered in lights and decorations that towered over the buildings and in every town. The game music had changed to the instrumental of Chirstmas songs but thank the Game Master that he only applied that feature in the town square and not everywhere else in the game. Shade might have actually wanted to die in game just to escape the overly cheery lullabies of the holiday. He thought Christmas music in real shops had been annoying. Even the fields had snow falling everywhere.

A lot of the players were talking about the coming event and what it meant. They remembered all to well the event that had trapped them in the game. It had been an event to welcome all players but it really hadn't been an event at all. It had just been the Game Master removing the log out feature and giving them a few potions as a starter kit. It made the players wary if anything. What would happen this time? Was it really an event? There were other players that ignored the event and others that were excited for it to. It was all a mixture of emotions like everything else in LAIOS.

In Vael's tavern, the Gold Gallon, 'life' went on as usual though even the tavern was decorated with Christmas decorations and stockings. It was almost sickening how Christmasy it all was. Shade_Strider wanted to cut something. The drink was good however and the bard singing? Stunningly gorgeous as usual. Shade loved everything about his Princy and his voice was amazing to though he always found himself lost in the tenor or the man's voice or his deep hypnotic eyes rather than his lyrics. EclecticPrince was singing as was his occupation, standing in front of a game table where many of his friends were already gathered. Shade_Strider did sometimes start staring at the man, game in front of him forgotten momentarily.It almost made him oblivious. Almost.

"Bullshit!" Shade_Strider called out suddenly with a grin, his smoldering ruby colored eyes narrowed on Granite. He so did love playing cards with Prince's brother. And his jokes were fun to when Granite decided to chip up. "I call your bullshit, Granite. I don't believe you put down 2 Queens! Flip them over, you liar. Don't you agree, Demo?" he asked and glanced at the other player at their table. They weren't exactly friends but gaming with her was fun to. "You call his bullshit to, don't you?" Shade_Strider's leather black wings fluttered behind him in his confidence. He was positive the other demon didn't have the cards he professed. This would be a good turn in the game since Granite at that point had far fewer cards than he or PsycheDemo.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Psychedemo Character Portrait: Shade_Strider Character Portrait: EclecticPrince Character Portrait: Granite Character Portrait: Character Portrait:
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Occupation:
Treasure Hunter+Bard

Guild:
None

Level:
54+48

Hex Code:
#6E6E6E+#1DA4E3

Location:
Vael tavern- Gold Gallion




Prince was in a grand mood, playing in the tavern, as was his wont these days, for the clusters of rosy-cheeked patrons, his voice swelling and crooning over the hum of voices. For some, certainly, this would be a melancholy time of year, they'd be missing their families on the outside, wondering how they were doing, how the holiday season was without them there. Prince had no such thoughts. This was his family, this tavern, these friends, Shade, especially, and he couldn't care less about the outside, where his family members frequently asked uncomfortable questions, spoke too loud, and got too close. Here, life was good. Here, he was happy. And that was what counted.

As per usual, the bard was playing a mix of requests and personal favorites, with a few Christmas-type songs sprinkled in for good measure. His slim fingers danced along the neck of the lute, this musicality of his a mixture of natural talent and technological augmentation that made everything, from strumming to drawing his bow feel like second nature. And certainly, he'd had plenty of practice over the last month, since he and Granite didn't care too much for being out on the field, tips from playing were their main source of income. Most of the time he played with his eyes blissfully half-closed, but occasionally he'd open them to glance at Shade_Strider, the knight to his prince, unashamed at the flush that crossed his cheeks when he caught the other staring back at him.

Granite, on the other hand, was one of the more melancholy sort. Time was quickly slipping by, already he'd missed nearly a month of school, already it was Christmas, almost the end of the year, he missed his family, he missed his friends, he didn't like it in this dangerous place where it'd only take a silly mistake to disappear. He didn't know for certain what happened to players when they died, but he'd heard rumors, and it was obvious that they didn't come back into the game. It was a risk he didn't want to take. But still, life had built up a strange sort of...normalcy, a normalcy that was both comforting and truly unsettling. They were living in this place, in this prison, like it was nothing, like it was still just a game. He hated it, he wanted out, but he also wanted to look out for Prince, he couldn't alienate his twin, so he had to stay quiet about the whole lot.

At the moment, he was working hard to be on his best behavior, lounging around in the tavern, playing cards with Shade and Psyche. He'd just played two cards, tawny eyes flicking between the purple-haired elf and the dark haired demon, daring them to call him on a bluff. Shade did, physically perking up as he made his accusation. He let out a long sigh, casting a glance at Psyche as he did so, and reached over to flip over his cards slowly. The queen of clubs. His hand hesitated over the other one, and he turned his eyes to his opponent. " Are you sure you don't want to renege?" he asked teasingly. Then he flipped over his other card. Seven of diamonds. He'd been caught. And he'd been so close, too!

"I call luck, Moon-eyes," he said, using the nickname he'd coined for Shade after complaining for a long time how they always just made eyes at each other whenever they were within seeing distance of one another, " or no, I bet Prince is looking over my shoulder and giving you signals." He smiled grudgingly as he took the pile and slowly started to reorganize the new additions to his hand. He was a very meticulous player, good at counting cards, but he often overlooked Shade, who, honestly, usually seemed to be distracted. Psyche was the one he felt like he was truly playing against. She was clever, and he respected that, and enjoyed trying to mislead her, though he also had to be on the watch for her games as well.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Psychedemo Character Portrait: Shade_Strider Character Portrait: EclecticPrince Character Portrait: Granite Character Portrait: Character Portrait:
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Occupation:
Information Broker

Guild:
Knights of Lore

Level:
73

Hex Code:
#461B7E

Location:
Vael tavern- Gold Gallion





Psyche had always had a fondness for wintertime. For building snowmen, sitting inside and drinking hot chocolate, putting in that one looped fireplace video because the house couldn’t support a fireplace. It had always been a time of family for her, where, in spite of the various differences between them, and the various arguments that undoubtedly sprouted during the years, they could sit together and generally enjoy having each other around. Togetherness.

Of course, given not-so-recent events, she wasn’t exactly coming home for Christmas anytime soon. The thought was...sombering, really. In spite of the various friends she had found through the game, the adventures, there was still a lingering bitter taste in her mouth at how real the holidays made their situation. The mage did well to mask her own longings, however, instead choosing to embrace the little things that the game granted them. It wouldn’t do anyone any good to sit around angsting about their circumstances, especially when so many remained cheerful. It was still a holiday, after all; it was still time to celebrate what they had.

Shuffling absentmindedly through her cards, Psyche eyed the other players seated at the table with a nearly tangible laxness. For the majority of the game she had been keeping up quite the poker face, occasionally giving coy little smiles here and there as if she had gotten away with something beneath the noses of her companions. It was all in good fun, and Psyche would be lying if she didn’t say she was enjoying herself at that moment. Her head wasn’t on the chopping block, and neither was anyone else’s, really; unless losing a few bets or two was considered a terrible threat somehow.

At Shade’s sudden declaration, as well as his query, Psyche gave a brief nod before continuing to glance through her deck, apparently aloof towards the exchange. It was only until Granite made a quip of his brother offering help that she fully looked up, that same constant quirk of the lip still as prominent as ever.

“I’m sure it’s not that,” she began smoothly. “If anything, Shade’s just using his eyes as a mirror. I don’t think he’s looked away all game.” Another shuffle, another smile, another flourish of the hand as she placed a card upon the table. “Ace.” While she wasn’t the biggest fan of the mercenary, Psyche could at least admit that he had a bit of a ace- pun intended- up his own sleeve. Although he was certainly being obvious in his admirations of a certain bard, it gave him the edge of appearing more distracted than he truly was. A smart move, even if it was unintentional.

Sitting back in her chair, Psyche released a comfortable sigh, taking a moment to adjust the hood she had insisted on wearing inside the tavern. Either way, this was shaping up to be quite the entertaining game; while Shade had the aforementioned perk of discreetly switching between distraction and focus, Granite was a naturally suspicious person by nature. He had managed to call out a few of her bluffs, to which Psyche had cheerfully responded that he shouldn’t take those perception skills for “granite”.

All joking aside, this was playing out as a very enjoyable match, and a very enjoyable time.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Psychedemo Character Portrait: Cain Character Portrait: Shade_Strider Character Portrait: EclecticPrince Character Portrait: Granite Character Portrait:
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Occupation:
Enchanter

Guild:
Knights of Lore

Level:
120

Hex Code:
.#5E2612

Location:
Vael tavern- Gold Gallion





At that moment the doors to the tavern opened again, and a man appeared, stamping snow off his boots and brushing off his hood before lowering it to shake out white hair which he promptly brushed down with his fingers. His cape sagged on his shoulders, at least until he shook it out with an audible snap, and pushed it back over his shoulders, revealing a pure white outfit beneath. He blinked sleepily and looked around at the others in the tavern, scanning for someone interesting. That had honestly been his intent, just find someone to talk to. But it was then that he caught sight of purple hair and a leaning staff that he knew quite well. And with new people too! Oh, and Shade_Strider was there as well? What luck!

Now smirking, the priest moved between tables gracefully. Not clicking his own staff along the table as was his usual habit, halfway through, he even changed course, heading over to the bar to get his frozen fingers (Goddamn his favourite buffed gloves for being fingerless!) moving again. From the corner of his eye, he observed the table that had his interest, while clenching his mug in a way that might make others think he was upset. Halfway through his drink, he even got into a conversation about the stupidity of wearing fingerless gloves in this weather, with Cain accepting the chastising "Idiot~" graciously. But soon his order was gone, and he slid off the stool, making a wide circuit back to the front of the room.

From there, he began his silent glide to the table, as it was at this angle that he was approaching the new person he didn't know from behind. As he walked, he drew out a sketchpad and pencil from his pack, and began to write down the usernames he had memorized for this exact purpose. Fingers still numb, he once again circuited to the side, plunking himself down behind a couple that was two seconds away form engaging in heavy PDA before his interruption.

"Don't mind me~" he told them, jotting down enough of the names for a list the length of his palm, which was only a fraction of the full thing. He then began to decorate it with cheerful childish doodles, swirly flowers and a sun sticking out its tongue. Standing up from PDA central - and exposing to the tavern what the couple was now up to without the shelter of his height and cape - he headed over for the final time, now approaching the back of the PKer. When he got close enough, he stilled again, squinting as he tried to make out the other's cards, which he scribbled as best he could without any vision buffs on his person. How his avatar had ended up with worse eyesight than he had in real life, he didn't know, but it was annoying, and he made a mental note to bug a certain AI about it.

Deep breath
Was he nervous? Not at all, but holding his breath would in fact help stay undetected for the maybe half second he could get. Cain stepped forward and lifted the sketchpad up with his sketches of cards and lists of names. Looks like he'd gotten two of the cards wrong, well, the demon would be happy about that. The list of names with its border loomed above that, the sun beside it out of place because of what those names represented.

A mischievous smile spread on his face as he pushed that thought away. It was Christmas, a time of joy~
/Isn't it, Psyche?/ his eyes would lock on hers as soon as she looked back up.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Psychedemo Character Portrait: Lilac Sin Character Portrait: Mononoke Character Portrait: Angus Character Portrait: Character Portrait:
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#, as written by Taunbon
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Occupation:
Treasure Hunter

Guild:
N/A - Freelance

Level:
67

Hex Code:
#8A0707

Location:
Auren - Forgotten Tomb #324 - Name Pending until Angus can be bothered to think of one.


Angus stomps echoed loudly through the damp cave as his thick hooves smashed down onto the hard surface beneath him. His fur was wet from the humidity, and his own sweat, sticking to him and an entirely uncomfortable fashion, and he could only begin to imagine how badly he must smell to anyone that had the misfortune to be nearby, but that was hardly his fault. Auren sucked. Whoever decided to toss in a hot, humid jungle filled with poisonous creatures and deep swamps needed to be shot. Then stabbed. Then shot again.... and maybe dragged behind a pissed off Minotaur with some kind of contraption that captured all of the Minotaurs exerted stank and channeled it right into his nose. Hell, it barely felt like December in the hellhole that was Auren, but Auren was where his level was at, and more importantly, Auren was filled with ancient ruins and ancient ruins meant ancient treasure and ancient treasure meant epic adventure and epic adventure meant... well, something, something, Angus to the rescue.

Forgotten Tomb #324... Name Pending had him on ends. Most caves and forgotten tombs was packed full of nasty critters and monsters, but this one had nothing in it and that was bad. When a tomb was empty that meant traps. Lots and lots of traps. His bestial instincts were screaming at him that something was off, something was wrong. It had screamed at him this loudly since he had that unfortunate run in with the massive, mutant centipede... three hours ago. Pausing to catch his breath and try to cool off, although that was destined to fail, but one can hardly blame a fellow for trying, and he scanned the darkness before him with his dark eyes, his snout like an arrow that pointed out exactly where his attention was as he looked for anything out of place or out of shape. Nothing.

It had been one long tunnel, well hidden under a large boulder, for the last two hours. It was... disconcerting. Opening up his pitifully small friend's list, he checked on Lilac Sin, a habit he had long formed since they parted months ago, to ensure she was fine and was relieved to see that, indeed, she was still doing well. Once more, he looked at the message button floating in the air before his face, taunting him. What could he say? 'Hey, this is Angus, you know, the burger with the extra side of murder? Soooo, it has been awhile, whatcha been up to girl? Me? Just exploring some cave in the ass end of nowhere. Sorry about cutting and ditching you, no hard feelings right?' Ha, even he knew that wouldn't work. Swallowing a frustrated sigh, he swiped his hand and dismissed the window. Hopefully, she was having fun with her guild as Christmas approached.

Rolling his shoulders, he stepped forward... and his hooves sunk in an inch as his sharp ears heard a distinct click. "Shit," he whispered, as if that made a difference. Of course, it was just like him to step on the one damnable trapped spot in the massive tunnel system, because that was just his luck. This game had it out for him, he just knew it.

A loud grinding and rumbling started behind him, and despite knowing he shouldn't, Angus turned his head, his eyes widening over his large snout as a massive round boulder tumbled down an unseen ramp to crash down in the tunnel behind him with a thunderous crash. "Oh, come on! This is some Indiana Jones bullshit!" Despite his outraged cry, the boulder slowly started to roll forward before building momentum. Not wasting another second, Angus turned on his hooves and bolted down the tunnel.

His hooves dug deep into the stone beneath him, taking out chunks as he dug into it with each powerful step, his massive thigh muscles bulging as they gave Angus 110% of their output, their very survival on the line... just like the rest of his body. His eyes scanned the walls and ceiling, there had to be a way out. Had to. There always was. There! A small out cove in the roof... a... very... small out cove.

"The fuck!?" Angus roared in anger, his legs still pumping furiously under him. He understood what was supposed to happen. He was supposed to jump against the wall, bounce off, grab the roof ledge then hold himself in it while the boulder passed. But there was one glaring issue with that: He wouldn't be able to fit his shoulders in there much less his entire body. That was blatant discrimination against his size!

That wasn't an option. Angus lowered his head, as he continued to sprint for all his worth, there had to be another way. Well, no, there didn't, but he certainly hoped there did as he didn't want to end up as beef paste. No one liked beef paste. The rumbling grew louder, and worse, closer, so he braved a look over his shoulder just in time to see... a popup. If Angus had time, he would have laughed at the sheer inopportune time, without reading it, he dismissed the window in time to see the boulder incredibly close. Far too close.

Damn. Damn. Damn. Damn! The words repeated themselves in his head in a panicked mantra. His eyes made out an opening ahead in the darkness, but his nose told him that it wasn't safety... it was a drop off. He could smell the damp, dank smell that was wafting from it, it was a pit. He would fall to his death or be crushed by the boulder. His eyes glanced from the edge to the far wall, his legs still pumping, he could try to jump. It was far. Even by his standards. If he used his axes like ice picks, he might be able to stick into the wall then slowly crawl his way back around, but he doubted it. The stone walls were slick with water and had not handholds. But what other option did he have? He couldn't just go ba...

Go back. Skidding to a halt near the edge of the chasm, Angus looked back at the massive boulder rolling his way. Go through that? Did he have a choice? Taking a deep breath, his lungs filling with air, he lowered his head and charged the boulder activating his Pain Train. Giving himself one final reminder about how mindbogglingly stupid this plan was, Angus lowered his head, raising his right shoulder and let out a roar of defiance as he smashed into the boulder. An earsplitting crack traveled down the tunnel as the two titanic forces collided. A large crack formed where he smashed into the boulder, but it wasn't enough, not nearly enough. He had slowed it, but it was still coming. Grasping it in his hands and pushing his body against it, he tried to bring it to a stop, but it kept coming. His hooves were digging long groves into the solid rock beneath him as the boulder slowly pushed him back. Casting a quick look over his shoulder, dismay filled his heart as the chasm was slowly getting closer and closer.

Closing his eyes, Angus gathered what strength he had left, well aware his stamina bar was quickly depleting and pushed back with everything he had against the boulder. His muscles bulged, crying out in pain as his body felt like it was tearing itself apart in its desperate gambit for survival. Unleashing a soulful, dreadful roar fueled with all his pain, passion, panic, anger and fear, his body gave its last defiant effort to stop the boulder and just as his left hoof started to slipped off the edge and into the dark abyss seeking to consume him, the boulder came to a halt.

Eyes closed, Angus didn't open them for a few seconds, not willingly to believe it worked. It. Worked. He was alive! He let his horns rest against the rough rock, he couldn't believe it. He was alive, but... Now what? With the rock coming to a stop, and the tunnel only having a slight angle in which the rock was able to slowly build up speed, he might be able to roll it back up... all the way to the top? He doubted he could make it that far. His legs felt like jelly and his arms were burning, but what choice did he have? Slowly, he leaned his weight against the boulder and started to push with all his might as he slowly, but surely, moved the boulder back the way he came.

---

Sweat dripped down his body, his chainmail loincloth chaffing in all the wrong places, as he desperately fought the boulder, step by step, up the tunnel. He cast a baleful gaze at the opening above him that would have saved him so much effort if they had made it a size fit for real men. But, it was then that something caught his eye. A slight gap in the side wall, angling himself closer, his dark eyes peered at it. "Very clever," Angus said through gritted teeth. The gap was angled so only someone coming back up the tunnel could see it, likely, when they jumped into the out cove above and dropped back down after the boulder had passed, they would have seen the opening and investigated, but not only that, the hole was big enough for Angus to fit. Thank God.

Angus let his eyes fall down to the distance between himself and the gap. He would have to move fast. If he was too slow, the boulder would catch him and crush him, but he doubted he could move it much further, he was at his limit as his stamina bar kept helpfully screaming at him. Taking a deep breath, he pushed the boulder then flung himself at the wall, feeling the wind rush pass as the boulder missed him by inches. Pulling himself into the small tunnel, Angus collapsed to the ground, staring at the dark, damp rocks above him before laughing. His laugh was loud and carried throughout the tunnel, the laugh of a man who thought he was dead but, against all odds, managed to survive once again. He laughed until tears rolled down his eyes and into the sweat mattered fur of his face, until his ribs hurt and he couldn't breath. He had done it.

Regaining his composure, well, mostly, a giggle escaped here and there, Angus pushed himself to his unsteady legs and leaned heavily against the wall as he walked down the small tunnel, desperate, just like Alice, to see what awaited him on the other side of the rabbit hole.

The small tunnel eventually opened up into a small room, the room had beautiful carved sculptures of an odd two-legged lizardman like race and a pedestal at the middle with a small round disc laying at the center. Taking extra care of where he stepped, as if those statues came alive and attacked him, he was going to throw the biggest bitch fit this side of Vael. Coming up to the pedestal, he leaned close, examining the small disc, which, he found out, was an ancient coin of.. some type. Sniffing around it, he didn't smell anything out of the ordinary nor did he feel any air coming from around the pedestal, so it was unlikely it would drop down if he took the coin. Reaching out his massive hand closed around the tiny coin and pulled it off, he tensed waiting for something to happen, but when nothing did, he let out a sigh of relief as he turned it over in his hand.

It wasn't worth anything, he knew that just by looking at it, at least, it wasn't worth anything on its own. The small golden coin was curved in small markings, and he was enough of a gamer to know it meant one of two things: It was a clue to a much, much larger treasure or, possibly and, it was a key to open the door to a much, much larger treasure both sent pleasant tingles running down his spine at the thought of the hunt. Tucking it in his inventory, he paused finally remembering that very rude message that had nearly made him trip and pulled it up.

Briskly reading through it, he raised an eyebrow, a Christmas event? If he left now, he could likely make it.. but he would have to suspend his hunt for a bit.. This could work out as he could stop and see if that tricky little minx had any knowledge of ancient looked doors within Auren, and if not, either or Moe could tell him more about the coin through examination. Either way, it was worth a look.

Pulling ups his friend's list again, he tapped Psychedemo's name and started to compose a message:

"Hey! This is the Beef of Kings. I have found a... well... coin. Weird right? Well, anyways, this coin has some kind of inscription on it that I can't read. I think it likely leads, or opens a door, to a much larger treasure trove, and I thought you and your Knights-of Collecting-Old-Shit-That-Nobody-Else-Wants would be interested in it. I should be at Vael in a few days for the event thingy.

Faithfully Forever Out Of The Reach Of Tricky Little Minxes,

Angus the Great and Beefy."

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Goliath Character Portrait: Accido Character Portrait: Psychedemo Character Portrait: Cain Character Portrait: Mononoke Character Portrait: Angus
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#, as written by Red Rum
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Occupation:
Blacksmith

Guild:
Knights of Lore

Level:
52

Hex Code:
#D84FF0

Location:
Vael- Town Square




The message from the GM had come as a bit of a surprise to Moe. The realization that Christmas was just around the corner had left her a bit confused on how she should feel. Should she feel sad that she wasn't getting to spend the holidays with her family, or was it ok to honestly not to feel that bad about it? Deciding that she didn't want to be alone at her house with all of those thoughts, Moe decided to close up shop and head out on the town.

Watching all the joyous faces of players and NPCs alike pass her by, Moe could feel a small smile curling the edges of her lips as well. Pulling her cloak closer to her frame as she trudged through the snow, Moe wondered what exactly she should do. Having left her home really only to not be alone with her thoughts, she didn't really have a clear plan of what she should do. Eyes shifting to all of the people running around attempting to catch snowflakes and build snowmen, Moe sighed. At least everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves, she had at first been worried that all of the players would be depressed over the fact that they weren't spending this holiday season with their families.

Suddenly spotting a shop dedicated mostly to selling ingredients, Moe's smile grew brighter. The store was located near the center of town, close to the giant Christmas tree. As she hurried inside, the NPC behind the counter's smile grew as well, it wasn't exactly her first time coming to this store. "Welcome young lady! Please, look around as much as you'd like!". Nodding her thanks, Moe began to scroll through the list of buyable items that the store had to offer. An idea had already begun to take root in her mind, she should make some sweets for all of her friends that had helped her thus far. It wasn't very much, but it was at least something she could do for everyone. She could bake some cookies for some of her guild members like Psyche, Goliath, and maybe even Cain. Moe could also probably bake some cookies to give to Accido as thanks for all of the training she'd been giving her. And then she'd make an unnecessarily large cake for Angus, he'd overpaid her for repairing his equipment again and she'd been looking for a way to repay him. After buying all of the necessary ingredients, Moe and the store owner exchanged thanks before she braced herself and headed out into the chilly wind again.

Not quite wanting to head home just yet, Moe once again began slowly walking through Town Square. The lively Christmas music was an interesting change of pace to the game. Leaning back against one of the brightly lit up buildings, Moe watched the people passing by in happy dazes. Happening to overhear some passing players talking about the upcoming special event, she began to think of her own plans. Moe knew that the event would be a good place to help her level up quickly, but the thought of fighting monsters alone honestly made her a bit queasy. Maybe she'd consider participating if another player offered to party with her, but other wise she'd probably just spend the entire time at her house, repairing other players equipment if it was needed. "I'm such a wimp..." Moe scoffed at herself, drawing patterns in the snow with the tip of her boot as Christmas music flooded her ears.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Psychedemo Character Portrait: Cain Character Portrait: Shade_Strider Character Portrait: EclecticPrince Character Portrait: Granite Character Portrait:
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Occupation:
Mercenary

Guild:
Night's Guile

Level:
72

Hex Code:
#CC1100

Location:
Vael tavern - Gold Gallion




Shade was grinning at Granite and waited for him to turn the cards over. He wasn't going to take his accusation back and he was certain he finally got Granite back. The man was winning way too much as it was. Luck was finally on Shade's side, though he probably had to watch Psych. She was too quiet... too tricky. She was much harder for him to read. He could never tell when she was bluffing. It had to be because he knew that she was watching him just at intently. He wondered what she was in real life briefly. Was being observant part of her occupation? Or maybe her detection skills were higher than he thought originally. He turned his gaze back at Granite and broke into a wider smile when the man finally flipped both cards.

"Aha! I knew it!" he was way too cheeky for his own good. "Two 2s," he said then and dropped two cards on the pile. At the jokes being thrown around, he couldn't help but chuckle. "I am not using Prince to cheat!" he answered and looked at the bard in question. His eyes were beautiful, but he could not see the reflection of Granite's cards in them. He just like staring. "And besides, our favorite bard in all of LAIOS is too busy singing to give me any clues. He is way over there, the star of the evening, and I am lonely, way over here," he said with a teasing pout. He was honestly surprised that he and Prince hadn't hugged once this evening. He was really going to have to steal Prince later and shower him in affection. He had a gift for him that he didn't want to share with anyone else.

Shade_Strider picked up his drink and took a couple of sips of the hot chocolate to warm himself up a bit. Then he felt a shadow, a presence and he immediately tensed. Players couldn't kill each other in the towns, but that didn't stop him from being alarmed. This person behind him was way too close for comfort. He wanted something from him or maybe he was a spy of sorts. A bad one, but a spy nonetheless. He knew this presence but he couldn't quite pin who it was. Did he hear paper? When the shadow loomed above his head, Shade quickly dropped his head back too look up at his would be assailant, russet colored eyes narrowed and wings spread just an inch from his body just in case he needed to dart to the side. When he saw Cain, he rolled his eyes and his tail flicked in agitation.

"Well if it isn't Preacher Man himself. Come to spoil the gambling fun and spout on and on about the sins of the damned?" he asked. Cain was holding papers above his head and he could only assume what those would be; Cain liked to show the names of players that were dead. More specifically, the names of players he had killed. The guy was really annoying. What was he trying to accomplish with this display? "You won't get a rise out of me. You never do," he mused. "Give it a rest for the holidays." He turned away from him then to focus on the game in front of him instead and looked at Granite expectantly for his next play.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Psychedemo Character Portrait: Cain Character Portrait: Shade_Strider Character Portrait: EclecticPrince Character Portrait: Granite Character Portrait:
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Occupation:
Treasure Hunter+Bard

Guild:
None

Level:
54+48

Hex Code:
#6E6E6E+#1DA4E3

Location:
Vael tavern- Gold Gallion




When the stranger strolled up behind Shade, Prince's body straightened slightly, curious. The newcomer had a soft face, quiet and pale looking, but the elf didn't recognize him. Shade seemed annoyed. They were exchanging words. Blue eyes wandered, seeking out one of the other bards currently in the tavern. He made a nodding gesture towards the other, indicating that he was done with his set. He was curious. And he wanted to be part of whatever conversation was going on. He finished the last few notes of his song, smiled and nodded at those who were currently looking at him, then made his way over to the table with his friends, and this mysterious white-haired newcomer.

"Mayday! Prince airdrop inbound," he said as he strolled over, grinning cheerfully, setting his lute on the edge of the table, intent on monopolizing Shade's attention, at least for a little bit, and cut through the tension. " Make room! Please and thank you kindly!" The blue haired elf promptly plopped down on Shade's lap, wrapping his arms around the demon's neck and kissing the tip of his nose playfully. He wanted some attention, and his knight was typically a fount of affection. "Hello, hello, Mister Strider," he said in a soft, humming voice, leaning closer for a moment, though he was still wary to not accidentally bump the other's horns. Then his attention jumped, as it was wont to do, to the stranger, whom he'd previously been willfully oblivious to. "Who's this?" One eyebrow arched curiously as he twisted around to take a better look at him. He looked like the traveling type, reminiscent in the face of Granite, though he was obviously a human. And....either a mage or a priest. It had seemed, from a distance, that Shade knew him, but there had also been an enigmatic grin thrown Psyche's way. A mutual friend of the two?

Granite had chuckled at Psyche's retort, eyes flicking to Shade, who was pouting. He systematically sorted his cards, long fingers swiftly shifting and shuffling, as the other complained teasingly. What a strange group he made company with. His crazy brother, this lovesick PKer, and Psyche, probably one of the only sane people in his life these days. The white-haired demon cut his gaze towards the mage in question, as he mused over which cards to drop on the pile, lifting an eyebrow and preparing to make another dry remark. It was at this moment, however, that someone else approached their table, holding up a notebook with a bunch of names on it and a sketchy picture that Granite could only guess was Shade's current hand.

" Nice..." he mumbled under his breath as Shade lifted his voice in complaint. So this wasn't a friend? Unless Shade just had generally animus relationships with his friends. " Three threes," he said, finally dropping his cards on the pile and leaning back. And then there was Prince, a rush of bright colors and a cheerful voice. Granite leaned back further, staring at the ceiling, mildly annoyed, as his brother sat down on Shade's lap. Now there were just too many people around the table. Prince voiced the question he'd also been wondering, tactless as usual, and the pale demon frowned lightly.

Admittedly, Granite was beginning to feel a bit claustrophobic. Plus, this stranger had pretty much shown him Shade's cards, so he had little interest in continuing to play. It totally wasn't because he was losing now. He sucked his teeth for a few moments before speaking: " I'm going to fold, friends, I need some air. Be back." His voice was somewhat brusque, and he laid his cards face-down on the table, straightening his collar as he stood up without waiting for anyone to respond. He left his scythe where it was as he sauntered away from the table, towards the door and the promise of a few gulps of cold air. He was losing his ability to play nice, not in small part because it was so near Christmas and he was on edge already. He just needed to stand outside and collect snow on his shoulders for a few minutes and he'd be okay.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Psychedemo Character Portrait: Angus Character Portrait: Character Portrait: Character Portrait: Character Portrait:
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#, as written by Taunbon
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Occupation:
Treasure Hunter

Guild:
N/A - Freelance

Level:
67

Hex Code:
#8A0707

Location:
Bug Infested Swampy Hell of Angus Torture + 5, Also known as the border of Auren and Vael in shorthand.


His hoof sunk in, a loud gulping sound echoing among the trees as a gooey substance attached itself to his leg. Yanking his large, furry calf up, he glared down at the nasty green ooze clinging to his hoof before closing his eyes and slowing counting to ten to control his fury before he ended up turning a nearby tree into kindling.

One. Two. Three. Its alright, man, you got this. Four. Just a jungle.. swamp.. thing. Five, don't let it get to you. Six. Seven. You.. Fuck this place! Eight. And fuck the designer. And fuck the coder. And fuck the guy who brought coffee. Nine. And fuck the mailboy. Ten. No, double fuck that kid. Fucking prick. Fuck him with that overpriced coffee!.. And hold the god damn cream!

Letting out a slow breath, Angus slowly lowered his foot back to the solid... well, mushy wet floor trying to ignore how the goo collected dirt to cling to him. Placing his hands on his hips, he felt distinctly calm after his mental vent. Really, it could always be worse, he mused, as he swatted his neck to kill yet another insect that had crawled through his fur to bite him, truly, those little bugs went out of their way. It had become an automatic response, the swats, he only noticed when he wanted to know. The small bites and nips no longer raising a response out of him.

Pushing forward, he toke some solace in that fact, it could always be worse. The giant bugs.. monsters.. and everything else that was made from nightmares were certainly abundant, but nothing that was too bad. He only had a few hours more walk before he reached the teleport pad and could get out of there, really, he could manage. Then he would get to show the minx his shiny new coin, and she could be jealous that her peeps weren't half as beefy as him. That would show her what for!

Vainly trying to keep up with his self-deception, he started to list all the things that could make his situation worse... Rain? Yeah, his temper would have gone south in the rain. Sure, the giant snakes and other insects were bad, but at least there weren't any spiders. Giant, massive spiders? No thank you. That was the stuff of nightmares, and he had no desire to sequel and run like a little girl. Raising his eyes to the trees above him, his body froze. White. White things were hanging from the trees... and they oddly... resembled webs. But it couldn't be. No one would put giant spiders in a VR game that would be too cruel.. seeing them in an RPG is one thing, but.. no, they wouldn't, he had to be seeing things.

Oh, God, don't be webs. But there was nothing else it could possibly be. Those were webs. Massive. Massive webs. A soft clicking sent a shiver running down his spine as his head leaned back and his heart froze. A massive, horse sized, black spider was hanging from a thread above him. It had been using its web to lower itself down, to attack him when he wasn't looking, its large, knife sized fangs where rubbing together. It almost looked like a man rubbing his hands before a meal, but the clear liquid spilling out from them as well as the soft clicking they made when they rubbed together banished that thought right out of his head.

The spider eyed him with his large black eyes, all eight of them, as it continued to lower itself. The rustling of a branch brought him back into his mind as Angus faintly heard a very, very high pitched scream which, surely didn't come from him, must have been someone else in the forest, obviously.... As he fled. He did not think about it, as a beast, his instincts were far sharper and had far more control over him then a normal avatar, and normally he fought, but this time, he fled.

The ground shook under his hooves as the spider behind him dropped to the ground, intent to chase after its prey. Its long legs moved far faster then his as they quickly covered the ground nimbly climbing over roots and boulders that Angus had to jump over or run around. His panicked dark eyes trained on the monster behind him, he didn't see the web in front of him until it was too late... until he was already halfway into it and fairly stuck.

Angus jerked around, trying to pull himself from the webs, but they were stronger then any chains he had ever seen. The soft clicking sound got louder in his head as his panic grew and so did his struggles, his muscles straining to break free of the webs, a shadow fell over him, and he tore his head around, the spider mere feet away.. and just like before, his fight or flight response flicked, but just like a cornered bull, it flicked towards fight. Red obscured his vision as his arms broke free, not bothering with his axes, too lost in the panic fueled fury, he struck out with his massive fist, striking the spider in its large head.

Catching the massive monster off guard, it stumbled back, shaking its head before lunging forward, its slobbering fangs wanting to pierce deep into his flesh and unleash the poison within, but his fury was too great. His hand gripped one of the fangs, the spider squealed in shock and pain as his fist gripped it and pulled its head to the ground as his right hand came down like a hammer, once more striking the spider in the head. The spider was screeching in pain, trying to wiggle away from its dangerous prey, but the fury blind Angus paid no heed, flipping it onto its back with one hand and jumping on it to straddle its thorax. His fist rained down, his arms shooting out like piston, one fist pulling back only for the other to fly forward. Carapace cracked, ichor splattered out, matting into his fur and a string of even going across his muzzle as his fist kept raining down, punching through the thick black plates and sinking into the goo on the inside as the spider gave one last shriek of pain before its legs curled in.

His chest heaving, the spiders legs around him, Angus let out a roar of victory, his voice shaking the rocks around him as his inner beast let its dominance be known to everything around him. As the red haze lifted, Angus took stock of his surroundings... of... the... numerous web covered holes that were in the rocks... of the soft clicking sounds that came from all around him as dozens of monstrous spiders came out to see what was happening, who had disturbed their nesting ground.

His mind still not fully his own, understood that once more, he was cornered. His hands fell to the axes at his hips as the red haze descended over his vision, tearing them from their holsters as he leaned his head back, his horns proudly high in the air as his large maw opened and bellowed another toe-curling roar of difference.


Sometime Later



Angus stumbled through the forest, his health low, his body covered in scratches and bleeding out green pus leaking from many of the wounds as his strong body fought off the poison the spiders had tried to inject in his body. He wasn't far from the teleports, but he had to say, this day had sucked. Lowering his head, he leaned against a tree before pushing off it and back towards his goal, leaving ichor covered nesting ground behind him, the broken and beaten bodies of monstrous spiders covering it.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Psychedemo Character Portrait: Cain Character Portrait: EclecticPrince Character Portrait: Granite Character Portrait: Angus Character Portrait:
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Occupation:
Information Broker

Guild:
Knights of Lore

Level:
73

Hex Code:
#461B7E

Location:
Vael tavern- Gold Gallion





Typically, Psychedemo would say that she enjoyed surprises in the best of times. They added a spice to life, bringing spontaneousness to monotony. Even the less...pleasant ones tended to make for an interesting story at the end of the day, and were at least controlled without much destruction, havoc, or overall trauma towards her or any involved. Harmless fun.

Surprises such as looking up from your deck into the eyes of your resident stalker, however? Less fun than one might expect.

Admittedly, however, she had long gotten used to the sudden appearances of the priest, much in the way one might expect frozen roads in the middle of winter, or for a particularly devious pet cat to crawl onto a freshly laundered suit. The second one tended to be more fitting in Psyche’s opinion, really.

“Hello, Cain,” she said dryly. Pale blues wandered up to the paper above Shade’s head, taking in the paper- the list of names and doodles of cards alike- with a degree of amusement. From the sound of it, Cain was well acquainted with everyone’s favorite mercenary...and had taken it upon himself to pester the other, as well. She glanced over the paper with a careful eye, scanning the names for future reference, before making as if she were observing the illustration with just as much scrutiny.

“I didn’t know you two knew each other already.” This part was spoken with the mage’s typical affableness, with her showing little of the wryness of earlier. Smiling brightly, Psyche gestured over to Cain with a flick of her hand, before returning it beneath her deck. “Oh, this is the roommate I’ve mentioned before,” she began. “Cain, meet Prince and-” Her attention was temporarily stolen as Granite suddenly rose from the table, announcing his need for air before trudging away. “Well, that was Granite that just walked away. They’re friends of mine. And considering how well you’re getting along with Shade, I’m assuming I don’t have to introduce you two?”

This last bit was spoken with even more mirth than before, if that was possible. Another comment was about to fall from her lips when she had caught a notification in the corner of her eye. Curious, Psyche took a moment to open it, skimming over the message and stifling a chuckle as she did so. “Excuse me for a moment.” Rising from the table, Psyche placed her cards face-down upon the polished wood, dusting her hands as soon as they were properly out of her grasp. “I’ll fold for this turn, too; I need to take care of something real quick.” Then, with one last look at the paper, she added,

“Oh, and Cain? Thank you for trying to help, but I don’t think it was necessary.” With that, she took a few steps away, opening the PM and observing it in proper detail. The lavendette scanned over it once more, before giving her fingers a bit of a twitch and setting about writing a response.

“Hello, again, Angus. It’s good to hear from my favorite Hamburger Helper again. :)
I’ll have to take a look at it when you arrive, but if it has some sort of inscription on it, it probably does lead to a treasure of some sort. Depending on what’s on it, I may have to take it to another Knight for them to look at, but either way we’ll have to see what we can get out of it. Message me once you’re back?

Sincerely,

A Certain Tricky Minx.”


After hitting the “reply” button, Psyche took a few more moments to look through her PM box before shutting it and returning to her seat. While she was quite curious as to what was wearing Granite down, she had known the demon for long enough to know better than charging after him, demanding to know what was the matter. Boundaries were a necessity to most, or such was her logic.

And, at any rate, the interactions between one Shade_Strider and Cain would certainly prove to be quite interesting.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Psychedemo Character Portrait: Cain Character Portrait: Shade_Strider Character Portrait: EclecticPrince Character Portrait: Granite Character Portrait:
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Occupation:
Enchanter

Guild:
Knights of Lore

Level:
120

Hex Code:
.#5E2612

Location:
Vael Tavern - Golden Gallion



Cain’s first reaction was to, of course, lower the pad of paper. Holding things aloft was difficult. The next was to lower his voice and adopt a rhythmic cadence.

“Repent thoust who playth the evil game of card, for this slip of paper-“ he snatched a card off the table and waved it around dramatically. “leadeth to depravity! So sayth the prophet Cain of Cain! Fear me!” he then paused and shook his head. “No, meant ’heed me’ there." he returned to his normal voice. "Fear me is for Dark Lord Cain, the Leader of All.” Amusingly, he said the title in a stereotypical villain voice, complete with a stroke of the goatee he didn’t have. "And I didn’t get a rise from you, but I’m sure your friend will,” he smirked, referring to the blue haired bard who’d just plopped into the demon’s lap.

“I’m Cain,” he introduced himself kindly, “And I’m pleased to meet such a talented performer. You have a very unique flair about you, and your clear unattainability makes you quite desirable to those who like a challenge. Good thing Shady here can do what it takes to keep them off. Ever had to use a sword to force away his fans?” he asked the PKer, eyes sparking with honest curiosity. “The most annoying mob, I’d think.~” he teased, before raising violet eyes to watch as Granite abruptly left.

“Is he jealous?” he asked. “Or does he just not like my face?” bare fingers rose to pat his cheeks as eyes widened in mock horror. “Because that’s just rude. Eh, Psyche? And yeah, I know this little monster.” He mimed patting the demon’s horns, not actually wanting to put his hands in danger. “He doesn’t like how good my memory is. He’s definitely jealous.” He said with a wink. “Prince?” he turned back to the bard. “Suits you~” a gracious smile spread his lips before he was back to focusing on his reluctant roommate. “As for Granite, what’s his deal? You won’t make me pay for such a small tidbit, right?” he batted his eyelashes in an exaggeration of flirtation.

As the mage excused herself, Cain waved bye bye and then dropped into the seat by hers. He lifted her cards, looking through the neat order before scrambling it into a nonsensical draw. “What I want to know,” he look back up at the other two, “was where she got the idea that I was trying to help.” He shrugged and adjusted the fall of his cloak and shook his head. “Strange.” he commented, just as Psychedemo returned. "We were just talking about you!" he informed her brightly, even though he'd been the only one to do any speaking.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Accido Character Portrait: Psychedemo Character Portrait: Cain Character Portrait: Shade_Strider Character Portrait: EclecticPrince Character Portrait: Lilac Sin
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Occupation:
Blacksmith

Guild:
Lunar Glade

Level:
79

Hex Code:
#FF7C77

Location:
Vael – In front of Lunar Glade Guildhall


What was supposed to be a prank of some sort to her guild master had turned out to fail. Just as she felt a hand between her shoulder blades her mind was screaming ABORT MISSION! But as she was pressed deeper into a much needed warmth, she couldn’t deny that what had started off as a prank had achieved her more than a small laugh. In the arms of the beast, she knew so well, she could not deny that she felt a combination of relaxation and protection. She let out a sigh of joy without realizing it.
”Exactly.” She replied to Montanax and gave him a small pat on his chest as a reward of having the correct answer. Mostly because it would feel awkward to pat the high beast on the head.

Accido cut the hug short as she heard the reply of Lilac. She walked over to the little girl and squad down to equal height of her. Putting her hand on the crown Lilac was known for wearing and changing the angle slightly to match what Accido thought of as being cuter. ”It was mostly to bring up an idea in case we have a need for a specific mount.” She brushed off the last couple of snowflakes that was stuck to the crown. ”We are the Lunar Glade after all. If someone have an idea of an alternate way out and is in need of a special mount, we have to prioritize that above anything else.” Her hand changed from the crown to the top of Lilacs head and she softly started petting her. The coldness of the surroundings reflecting on the fluffy yet silky hair ”But unless you two know something I don’t, then I believe that your plan would be the best one to go for. United we stand. Divided we fall.” Accido realized the cold hair of the small girl ”By the way aren’t you cold?” Without a warning she pulled Lilac into a close hug ”I just stole plenty of warmth and I’ll gladly share some with you my Lily.” She did not know why, but she really enjoyed being together with Lilac. Every time they were together, they seemed to bond.

As she felt that she had given enough warmth to the little mage she stood up and hold her hand gently in her own. ”Sounds like a good idea. Let’s go to the Gold Galleon! Onwards!” She turned her head to Montanax waiting for him to walk up beside them. ”Nax I bet you would gladly treat your girls to a good meal and some warm drinks right?” A bright smile emitting on her face, it was Christmas after all and she was going to celebrate it with family and friends like always.

On their way to the Gold Galleon, they small talked about the beautiful Christmas design that had been thrown over Vael. It was a VR game and made unrealistic things easily realistic but there were still a lot of work in the making of it. The Gold Galleon was not far away from the Lunar Glade guildhall so they were cut short in their talk just like the amount of snowballs Montanax had to dodge from mostly NPCs.

As Accido entered the familiar tavern her eyes made a fast scan to allocate known players. Her eyes fell upon a group of players playing some sort of cards, in which she knew two-three of them. At first glance they seemed to enjoy themselves but at second the tension seemed thick. Deciding to relieve them from the tension she turned to Lilac and Montanax ”Could you guys find a spot? I got some business to attend.” She pulled of her bag and threw it to Montanax before heading out to get a handful of snow.

Silent. Accido approached her target as a predator sneaking up to its prey. Just a little further. The target was close but felt far away in conversation. You make it way too easy. And with those last thoughts she pulled in the collar of a well known white haired man in order for her to make contact between weapon and the flesh of said prey. In this case the weapon was the snow in her hand and the flesh was the naked back of Cain. At the same time she whispered into the back of his right ear. ”Revenge is sweet isn’t it?” Her comment meant to remind him of their last meeting. She made sure to splash the snow as best she could in the situation in order to make it harder for him to chase her instantaneous.
After her assault Accido looked around at the table making a fast greet to everyone with a big playful smile ”Merry Christmas everyone.” She turned her head to Psychedemo ”Psy I need to talk to you in private after this event.” With those words, she snuck away from her prey trying to get as far away from him as possible in case he was in the mood for a counter attack.

Accido returned to the side of Montanax and Lilac, furthest away from the white haired demon disguised as a human. ”So what did you order for me?”

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Accido Character Portrait: Psychedemo Character Portrait: Cain Character Portrait: Shade_Strider Character Portrait: EclecticPrince Character Portrait: Lilac Sin
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Occupation:
Information Broker

Guild:
Lunar Glade

Level:
80

Hex Code:
#726E6D

Location:
Vael- Outside of Lunar Glade Guild Hall-Gold Gallion



Montanax released Accio when she moved, his hands finding a new home in the deepest reaches of his coat pockets. The shadow of fondness lightened the intensity of his features. It was the kind of look that wasn't reflected by a simple smile, but with the subtle parts of ones facial muscles. It was moments like these that reminded him that behind the steely exteriors, warriors gazes, and strategic minds that who they were pre lockdown remained. It was a warming thought, one that couldn't be extinguished by the season around them.

Montanax didn't allow himself to dwell on the sentimental aspects of their organization for too long. There were things to be done this eve and such thoughts had their time and place. The small amount of appreciation was enough for him. That being said, the look lingered for a short while after Accido embraced Lily, it faded once he began talking, through his tone stayed at a lighter depth.

"An individuals desire for accolades, personal or in the name of Lunar Glade will dictate their, or the parties actions well enough. Particularly players who bond over playstyle and requested their own parties, vs the guilds preference. Accido brings up a valid notion, anything we can use as leverage is important, especially if a silver tongue is unable to coax the information we need." In other words, as trusted, and ranking members of his guild, their opinions were trusted, and within reason, they were both free to act upon their feelings.

Montanax followed his two companions with a nod, walking beside Accido and nodded serenely as she spoke. His eyebrows had raised in a playful way as he replied."It would only be appropriate, given the season, to treat 'my girls' to food and drinks." Next he addressed Lilac, who had fallen in beside them. "There's no need to apologize for enjoying yourself." In said in reference to her actions earlier. "Enjoying your time makes everything we fight for worth it, I'm inclined to believe." Survival in and of itself would make them little more then animals after all, a belief, that was ironic in context, given his choice of avatar. His hand left the cradle of his pocket and pushed into the door, opening it for his two companions.

The first thing he did was scan the room. Scanning in the literal sense, as his detection skill, always in use, showed him information that extended far beyond the regular players scope of vision. Gear sets, status, class, everything that encompassed the player character was on display whenever his eyes beheld another form. It was an overwhelming skill that had become second nature due to its near constant use.

"Of course." Like Accido, he had noted the familiar faces in the in the tavern, Pyche, a trusted confidant, Cain, her high leveled and near constant companion. There was Shade, a former rival of his on the circuit of death, turned close ally, Granite ever measured, and the eminent bard Prince, all in their familiar trappings. In their background was a famous defender, hero of the plains, and other faces known to Montanax.

He caught the bag thrown at him without casting a glance in the direction from where it was thrown. He was focused on selecting a spot, a booth with its side to the wall. In place of pulling out a chair, he motioned toward the comfortable seats, and waited for Lily to take hers. After, he made his way to the barkeep, and made a simple request.

"Good Evening, the usual for my companions, table service if that's available." Of course it was, the NPC's were able to accommodate the full tavern experience, he asked because, well, being polite was a habit.

When Accido returned from her escapade, and asked him what he had ordered, he responded with his initial request.

"The usual." Montanax smiled.

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Character Portrait: Accido Character Portrait: Psychedemo Character Portrait: Granite Character Portrait: Character Portrait: Character Portrait:
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Characters Present

Character Portrait: Accido Character Portrait: Psychedemo Character Portrait: Cain Character Portrait: Shade_Strider Character Portrait: EclecticPrince Character Portrait: Lilac Sin
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Occupation:
Enchanter

Guild:
Lunar Glade

Level:
54

Hex Code:
#8565fa

Location:
Vael - Outside of Lunar Glade Guild Hall - Gold Galleon





Lilac remained silent as she listened to Accido and Montanax's points, somewhat glad that they seemed accepting of her plans, but also somewhat worried that maybe she didn't think of every angle correctly. This was her duty, it was her responsibility, wasn't it? If something went wrong, if they lost anyone, those lives would be on her head. Perhaps it was out of cowardice of this responsibility that she was unable to prioritize victory like some others might be. She didn't want to be seen as incompetent, not again. She already lost a friend before, her favorite beefy friend - the wind mage didn't want to be cast aside a second time. Were they secretly disappointed but were sparing her feelings due to her age? Lilac wasn't sure how she felt about it, but she made sure none of her introspection was shown outwardly. All of her inner doubts and fears manifested in one line. "Okay."

Then without warning, Accido hugged her. At first it was a harmless shake of the crown to help remove snow, and then a head pat that Lilac didn't mind - it felt warm and nice, but also gave her painful memories of her sister in the real world that she may never see again. Could it be her, could it really? But she couldn't ask, she wouldn't bring herself to ask the ultimate question. And then was the hug, full of concern and affection and it wasn't uncomfortable. Lilac didn't resist, returning with a little snuggle of her own.

Once the destination was decided - Lilac wondering how she felt about being considered one of Montanax's girls... wouldn't that term fit Accido much more? She wouldn't be surprised if the two ended up becoming more than just guild leader and second in command. If that were to happen, would Lilac be the awkward, unwelcome third wheel? More doubts spun in her mind - should she feel happy for them if they found a connection like that? Or did she dread that possibility? And then Seraph's face popped up in Lilac's mind for a split second and her cheeks flared up the tiniest bit. She didn't understand why that happened, but the girl decided not to worry about it, forcing those concerns out of her head.

The Gold Galleon was nice as always. She recognized a few faces - her mentor and teacher, Cain, and her friend from the Knights, Psyche, both playing with others she didn't quite recognize, some sort of gambling thing. A small part of Lilac's mind wondered if she'd be good at gambling, if she had a good poker face, if she could use her small stature as an advantage to make others underestimate her. But then she decided against joining. She wanted to think more about the event up ahead, after all. Montanax went to a seat and Lilac followed him, sitting not-quite-across-slightly-to-the-left, to give space for Accido to sit next to him if she wanted.

"They seem to be having fun." Lilac said, a harmless comment with no real meaning once Accido returned after whispering something to Psyche. A cynical part of the girl's mind wondered how many would die in the event, if she would die during the event. This was supposed to be a fun occasion, it wouldn't do to think such thoughts but the girl didn't exactly know how to have fun, especially in a group. If she relaxed, her childish side might come out, right? She had to keep her guard up. Once Lilac's french vanilla shake arrived she lifted the mug with both hands, drinking it in small sips so she could avoid talking if possible. As she did this, she decided to take a second look at her party formations, just in case there were some edits she could make to improve efficiency and give them a better chance of winning. A smaller part of Lilac's mind wondered if possibly, she forgot how to have fun with others. It was just for a second, but there was some longing in her eyes as she glanced once again at the card game table.


Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Accido Character Portrait: Psychedemo Character Portrait: Cain Character Portrait: Shade_Strider Character Portrait: EclecticPrince Character Portrait: Minuet
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Occupation:
Mercenary

Guild:
Night's Guile

Level:
72

Hex Code:
#CC1100

Location:
Vael Tavern - Gold Gallion




The demon looked up when he heard Prince and couldn't help but grin at the man. He sat back in his seat and set the cards face down on the table as he waited for his princely bard package to finally be delivered. Shade happily allowed the man to wrap his arms around his neck while he wrapped his around Prince's waist. EclecticPrince was warm against him and he was the only present that he could really ask for. Out in the real world, he didn't have this, couldn't have this. Here in the game, he could be himself and he found someone that he could cherish and actually enjoy the holidays with. They wouldn't be judged here and life... life was good. People may think him insane but he was happy here. He was happy he was stuck in the game. It was selfish, he knew but there it was. He did wish that those who wanted to return home could, but he was happy where he was with EclecticPrince. He settled his head on Eclectic's shoulder and nuzzled his face softly and put a ridiculous grin on his lips. He could care less what everyone else was saying at this point. He actually started to ignore Cain's presence even. That was a bonus.

Shade looked up only to notice that Granite had left the table. He blinked and glanced at Demo who was also talking to him and Cain. Oh and Prince had asked who Cain was. Well then, he was rather observant wasn't he? He hadn't even realized the conversation was going on without him. Prince always did nab his attention, didn't he? He gave a sheepish smile before he leaned forward to kiss his bard's cheek. "That my dear, is a very annoying priest, but then again, what priest isn't annoying?" he mused. "He's come to preach our ears off." Why, yes, yes he did have something against priests but Cain only seemed to aggravate him all the more. Huh, maybe Cain did get a rise out of him after all. "He's no one important, my Prince," he answered him.

His tail whipped behind him as he turned his attention to PsychDemo and gave a nod. "Yes, I know him. We've had the displeasure of meeting a couple of times. I am surprised you know him though I am not quite sure why." And then she folded and left the game. Well then. Cain was quite the repulsive magnet. He had forced both Granite and Psych away from the table! And to his chagrin, the damned priest sat down. Damn it, Cain wouldn't leave them alone, would he? He sighed exasperated. Jealous? He was not jealous of Cain in any shape or form. At least he seemed polite enough to his prince. If he wasn't, Shade would not take kindly. For now, he'd just grin and bare Cain's annoying onslaught and unyielding speech of how great he was. At least Psych came back. He did wonder what was wrong with Granite. He had seemed perfectly fine a moment ago. Cain's appearance had just... made him poof. Did Granite know Cain from somewhere? Cain didn't seem to recognize him. There was something eating at Granite and Shade couldn't begin to know what. He wasn't very close with Granite after all. Especially not after their first meeting. Ah, now that had been fun. Shade had only just managed to kill his mark and protect Prince when Granite had rushed in accusing him of trying to PK his brother. Prince barely managed to stop the other demon from attacking Shade while he was down. Yup. Fun times.

Shade snapped out of his revere when he noticed the doors open. He looked over to see Montanax and his crew. When the guild leader looked his way, he gave him an incline of his head in silent greeting. It was good to see him and his crew healthy and well. Man this tavern was getting more and more patrons by the minute. It was getting crowded and Shade didn't much like this many people around; especially since his name was currently red. No one could kill each other in town, but he still didn't want an issues coming up because he was a PK and the only PK currently in the tavern. He wanted to go but he didn't want to be rude to the company they were currently keeping. He looked up at his lover and pressed his lips against his neck to get his attention. When his blue haired elf looked down, he sent a private message.

"It is getting crowded here and I want us to leave before shit lets loose with the spawning monsters. The Game Master didn't say what level the creatures were going to be and I don't want any of them attacking you. Besides, it is Christmas Eve. I do want to spend some time alone with you. I have a present for you," he smiled.

He turned to PsychDemo and Cain then. "Hey, are you guys going to be participating in the event? The prizes do sound pretty enticing.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: ArcticFire Character Portrait: Psychedemo Character Portrait: Cain Character Portrait: Shade_Strider Character Portrait: EclecticPrince Character Portrait: Minuet
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Occupation:
Bard

Guild:
None

Level:
48

Hex Code:
#1DA4E3

Location:
Vael Tavern--Gold Gallion




Prince couldn't help but self satisfied at the smile that blossomed across Shade's face. That was his smile, he'd caused it. His attention was pulled by the Priest, who introduced himself, his mouth moving rapidly, jumping from thought to thought. He ignored the pointed comment about Shade being a PK and shot the white-haired man a smile. "I'm flattered," he said, lifting the hand that wasn't wrapped around Shade to his chest. Then his mouth curled mischievously. "Though, it seems to me you might be a little jealous that no one's raising Cain?" He wrinkled his nose playfully, and turned his attention back to Shade as the demon kissed his cheek and made a not-so-happy comment about their new tablemate. So Psyche knew him too. Psyche, who rather abruptly hopped up from the table for a moment.

Granite picked this moment to get up from the table, and Cain made a comment. Prince was absentmindedly running his fingers along Shade's back, barely able to resist pressing his face against the top of the other's head. Cain's attention popped momentarily back towards him. "Don't mind my brother," he interjected. " he just needs to take a break to step outside and brood every half hour so his face won't get stuck looking too happy." In truth, Granite was probably overwhelmed. He'd seemed rather down recently anyway, Prince was surprised that he'd lasted this long without needing some time to himself. But Granite was a strong guy, he could handle himself. No need to worry about him. And it was better to make light of it, so nobody would get too worried about him and start needling him. He'd never been one to appreciate overly concerned friends hovering over him. Such a silly guy, he was.

When Shade's lips met his throat for a moment, a shiver darted up Prince's spine. He glanced down to meet the other's eyes, and Shade pmed him. His face brightened, and he tilted his head slightly as he responded. "You're the best present I could ever get. Say the word and we'll split." He settled closer to Shade and looked over at the other two members of the table as Shade talked to them. This would work out nicely. He'd been planing to ask if he could spend the night--Granite deserved a bit of alone time anyway, and Prince wasn't sure how much more gloominess he could handle. Plus the thought of spending some time alone with Shade made his heart hum.

Prince didn't have any interest in the event, he didn't care for fighting within the close confines of the city, and both Granite and Shade tended to be over protective since he was a lower level. He thought it was a cute touch though, something nice for the holidays. He hoped everyone would have fun.



Image




















Occupation:
Treasure Hunter
Guild:
None

Level:
54

Hex Code:
#6E6E6E

Location:
Outside Vael tavern-Gold Gallion




Granite stood just outside the door, leaning against the wall. The cool air and the prickle of snowflakes against his skin was refreshing after the human mugginess inside the tavern. He let his breath out slowly, watching the fog swirl away from him. He kept his expression bent in a slight scowl so the NPC kids would know not to throw snowballs at him. It was stupid that he had to do that. This whole thing was stupid, this strange half-life where everything was real, but not quite. This was not the place he was supposed to be. And yet, somehow, he was still here. Mostly for Prince. And mostly because, where else would he go? The risk of dying was too high for him to level grind consistently or effectively, what was the point? Everything felt so useless.

All of a sudden, Granite felt something collide with him. There was only white in his vision for a few seconds, and he was about to snap at whatever kid threw the snowball at him, before he registered that it was another player. A....fox girl. He reached out to grab her in case she was going to continue falling, but she jumped back agilely, turning her large green eyes on him. She stared at him for a second without speaking. He shifted on his feet, unsure what to do. She was rather petite looking, though she was nearly as tall as he was, she was very slim.

She made a apology after a few seconds of silence, and he opened his mouth to tell her that it was no big deal, then she spoke again, and his mouth just hung open. Was there anything she could do to make him feel better? What? Had he really been looking so upset? Mentally cursing himself for letting his emotions play so blatantly on his face, he affixed a faint smile to his face.

"I'm fine, miss, I just have a melancholy looking face." He shrugged in a 'what can you do' type of manner, leaning back against the front of the tavern.

And then he was interrupted again by a small...thing making a rattling sound, hackles raised at a tiger standing next to the tavern's entrance. It screeched, and before he could even move, it darted up his leg then clawed up his back to perch on his shoulder. It hunkered down there, still making a hissing noise. Granite glanced at the fox-girl, lifting an eyebrow in confusion, though he kept the rest of his body perfectly still so he wouldn't disturb the animal on his shoulder. There was no telling what a startled animal would do, even if it was just a string of code shrouded by an avatar.

Another white-haired girl rushed up, this one rather small, but with huge blue eyes that fixed on him almost straight away. Well, on his shoulder first, then on him. She looked even more confused than he felt. She looked slightly nervous too. Was this her pet? He just stared back at her wordlessly. Well, until the animal decided that it was tired of his shoulder and pushed off him to jump to the girl. His body rocked back a bit, pressing against the wall behind him, and his tail arced, trying it little, demony hardest to keep him balanced.

The little creature had settled in the girl's hood, so it must have been hers. She was still staring at him, sheepish, nervous now. May the first annual meeting of the white-haired brigade commence, he thought wryly. He'd barely been outside for five minutes before being accosted by two different girls. He was just too popular for his own good, right? He smiled faintly as she bowed apologetically. "It's fine, don't worry about it," he said, trying to let her know that it really was fine. She seemed so tense. It was kind of sweet, actually, how nervous she was. Then she made a quick getaway, ducking her head. "Happy holidays," He said after her quickly retreating form, before she pushed into the tavern. He made a note to smile at her or wink or something if he saw her again, just so she wouldn't seem so...nervous anymore.

His eyes turned back to the fox. "Well, I don't think that's ever happened to me before." he ran one hand through his hair, sending another glance around. "Maybe I should find another place to stand," he laughed lightly, though it didn't really reach his eyes. "Anyway, name's Granite, sorry for obstructing your path," he said, proffering a hand to shake hers.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Accido Character Portrait: Psychedemo Character Portrait: Cain Character Portrait: Shade_Strider Character Portrait: EclecticPrince Character Portrait: Lilac Sin
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Occupation:
Information Broker

Guild:
Knights of Lore

Level:
73

Hex Code:
#461B7E

Location:
Vael Tavern--Gold Galleon





It was with a begrudging amusement that Psyche let out a few snickers in regards to Cain’s words- in particular, the remark on “rising” that their newfound company had cheerfully given. A gloved hand had flickered up in a weak effort to hide it, but from both the soft sounds that had escaped her, to the light tremble of her shoulders, it was obvious as to what she was doing. For all that the priest annoyed her, watching someone else- especially a PKer such as Shade- get the same treatment held an undeniable entertainment. It was like falling for some kindergarten bubble-gum prank, only to keep silent as it was pulled on another and falling into a fit of laughter at their expense. It was petty of her, perhaps, but a pettiness that she held little shame in holding. Prince’s following wisecrack brought a more open peal of laughter from the mage, and, busying her hands with reorganizing her cards, turned her gaze upon the little group.

“Contrary to popular belief, even we of little sin get harassed by LAIOS’ witnesses.” The comment was made cheerfully as Psyche reclined into her chair, shuffling the deck absentmindedly before replacing it, face-down once again, onto the table. “I’m a bit curious as to how you two met, though; with how well you’ve been treating each other, I’m guessing that you’ve known each other for some time?” From over the mumbles and general babble of the tavern’s crowd, Psyche picked up the sound of the door opening. Intrigued, she turned to see who had entered, and caught sight of a trio of familiar faces; namely, three rather notable members of the Lunar Glade, and three that she was on good terms with. Giving a warm smile, the purpette raised a hand in a salute before turning back- although, out of the corner of her eye, she could spot Accido approaching the table, rounding about with a handful of snow.

Psyche did well to keep up a decent poker face, continuing to keep eyes on those surrounding her.

At Prince’s remark of Granite needing to go and brood, she smiled, resting a finger lightly against her jaw. “Well,” she began, “I think that he really needs to learn how to manage his stress; wouldn’t want him to crack anytime soon.” In spite of the godawful pun that had just left her lips, Psyche kept up an innocent expression, crystal blue eyes wide and guiltless.

And then, the snow had been planted. Giving a bit of a grin from under her hood, Psyche watched as her fellow Second in Command skipped away, wishing them all a merry Christmas before adding that she needed to speak to the other after all had unfolded. Intrigued, Psyche nodded before giving a slight wave in Accido’s direction. “Merry Christmas to you, too,” she laughed, a certain note of dryness having slipped into her tone.

Once Accido had left, Psyche’s attention was once again brought back to the group- namely, Shade’s question. She mulled over it for a moment, as if only now just considering whether she should join in, before giving a roll of her shoulders and thumbing her cheek lightly.

“I don’t see why not. I know a lot of my guild will end up joining in, so I won’t really have anything else to do tonight, anyway. Besides,” her smile widened, almost mischievous in appearance, “I need to remind them why I’m Second in the first place.” Of course, while her reputation was more based about skill-related abilities over any sort of fighting prowess, that didn’t change the fact that the event would undoubtedly provide a source of entertainment throughout the game.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Goliath Character Portrait: Psychedemo Character Portrait: Cain Character Portrait: Shade_Strider Character Portrait: EclecticPrince Character Portrait: Mononoke
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Occupation:
Bard

Guild:
Knights of Lore

Level:
76

Hex Code:
#aaaaaa

Location:
Vael Town Square

As Goliath was almost positive Moe would refuse his invitation he opened his mouth to let her know it wasn't a big deal and she didn't have to come if she didn't want to. However much to the Beasts surprise she accepted, though somewhat hesitantly. He stood there for a minute blinking away his surprise until a small smile formed on his lips. "Really? All right lets go!"

He then turned around and enthusiastically made his way to the tavern with Moe by his side. As they walked Goliath tried not to make the shy blacksmith too uncomfortable. He made sure not to burden the girl with too much conversation. Perhaps a snippet here and there but overall the goal was some form of comfortable silence. Lord knows Owen was never good with conversation, so he saw no point in forcing it on someone like Moe.

When they got to the tavern Moe opted to stay outside for the moment and Goliath gave an understanding nod."Sure thing. You stay out here as long as yu need. I know a tavern liek this isn't really your kind of scene anyway."Simply coming here seemed like a good step in Moe breaking out of her shell and he was more than happy to let here take as much time as she needed to steel her nerves.

As he walked into the tavern he scanned the current occupants of the Golden Galleon. There were quit a few familiar faces here, but he was naturally drawn to that of his beloved Second in Command and one of the more annoying though no less valued Knight Cain. He smiled as he was about to walk over to them, though stopped himself when he noticed Shade, among the group his friends had gathered in. Great he thought as he let out a small sigh. The PKer was here. He considered finding someone else to chat with as he looked around the tavern again.

He walked over anyway,giving the group a friendly wave, determined not to let the murderer ruin his holiday spirits. Besides Shade wouldn't be able to cause much harm here in one of the towns anyway. "Hey there you guys! Merry Christmas to all of ya!" He paused for a moment as he looked at the others all with his trademarked friendly tone and smile. All except Shade of course, he didn't want to pay much attention to the man."So what's going on over here? Anything interesting?"

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Accido Character Portrait: Psychedemo Character Portrait: Cain Character Portrait: Shade_Strider Character Portrait: EclecticPrince Character Portrait: Lilac Sin
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Occupation:
Enchanter

Guild:
The Knights of Lore

Level:
120

Hex Code:
#5E2612

Location:
Vael Tavern - The Golden Gallion





Cain stiffened as an arm was shoved down his back, but he stayed obligingly still while Accido got her so called revenge. Then, with a dramatic sigh and eye roll, the priest stood up and began to strip off his layers of gear. Off came the cloak, the backpack, the high collared robes and the sweater...and with the sweater came the snow, barely a tingle against his skin, leaving him in a loose turtleneck.

"You know," he called out, loudly enough for her to hear even where she'd fled, "There are much easier ways to get me to take off my clothes! You could have asked, if I'd known you were interested, I would have complied!" he finished, and waved over at both Montanax and Lilac, who'd be used to his antics.

It wasn't even jest, Cain truly was the sort who would let a friend stare at his avatar's body if they expressed such an interest. However, no one had asked, and Cain had a few secrets to keep of his own. Quickly, he stuffed his sweater into one of his inventories and pulled out a new one, donning it quickly before a chance movement of his neck and hair could reveal the level markings that had by now crept over most of his body. They were moving up his neck last time he checked, and the only parts of him not covered were his feet, his hands, and his face. Soon there would be no more pretending he wasn't high levelled - but he could worry about that when it happened, in about 80 more levels' time.

Still, markings now firmly hidden, he could take his time with the fussy robes and their millions of buttons. He sat again and began to work on those from the bottom up, speaking as he worked. "No, I won't be fighting, though I'm free to team up and provide healing support in exchange for the usual arrangement. And of course, if I manage to choose the victor, I expect part of the prizes. None of the rare ones though, I have little need for those." he flexed his fingers a few times, as they were going numb from the repetitive motions. And then, as the bard spoke up, Cain looked up, blinked, and laughed.

"Great comeback~" he praised, after calming the chuckles the comment had brought on. "But that's not my thing. It's really not, hence priest and all the implications." he again waved his hands in his habitual way. "Well, at least that specific implication. I think I've crashed and burned most of the other vows. Good thing this isn't my actual career." he said brightly, though it had been, once upon a time when he was younger and full of faith and hope before he had seen the darkest parts of the real world and found himself hypnotized by the abyss. The path of priesthood had been taken by his brother, who was doing just fine in the holy order. Just as well that it hadn't been him, Joseph was always the naturally nicer of the two of them (And outside of the game? He was pretty damn nice.)

The white haired male blinked, dragging himself out of his mental meandering.

Psychedemo was laughing, and the bard was explaining that his brother just needed fresh air. "I used to seek him out on a regular basis." he admitted easily. "Not anymore, now that the big bad PKer is actually a threat of sorts." he finished his sentence with another severe look at Shade, then began to wave wildly. "Hello Goliath!" he called out, then gathered himself to report what they had been doing.

By framing it the most awkward way possible, because that was just what Cain did.