The Golden Age. Act 1: Discoveries.

[Xinnidy]

Hoo boy. Had things happened.

Raz turned her head to beckon Kaya's fainting, but said nothing. There was quite a lot happening at once, her eyes darting between the glowing, fading river; Telmara's reservedness, retreating her hand; Kaya's supposed vision. Apparently it was Jovianna that held the Greatforger? I... I'm going to need a moment tonight to sort things out.

Things seemed to be sorting themselves out naturally, one after another saying their pieces. "I... uh, there should be enough space ahead to set up camp if needed." Raz tried to butt into the current topic, slowly raising her voice. "We can do a bit more walking before the sun sets, for sure. Then we'll set camp, unless somebody really needs some rest now." It was always worth going a step further, in her mind.

Feeling the exquisite scaly hand touch her own was a bit of a surprise, Raz turning back to face Telmara at the same moment. "Huh?" It was... surprisingly endearing of the demihuman to do an act like that. Raz's expression softened. "Rough day, huh? Of course." For someone that seemed so dignified and reserved... it was cute.

"Can I ask something, though?" She quickly changed subject. "You said my magic was amateurish... well, you're probably right. I haven't really practiced it that much, I just use it because I found out I had the talent for it." She scratched her cheek, slowly figuring out her next words. "It's not your expertise, but how much do you really know about it?" Probably not anything like that man... but might be worth a try.

[Percivalé]

He turned to... it was the guy that shoved him back there, in his hurry. Rough guy? He noticed his fist clench a little--but he suppressed the need to mention it. He was used to these things. And they were strangers to each other... special treatment on the battlefield was far from what any of them should have expected from the other. His features softened. "Hey, Kolmar. It's nice to meet you, as well." He paused. "Are you from around here?"

[Nanami Touko]

Telmara's grip tightened as Raz poked her over it, grumbling. "I haven't been able to shake someone's hand for a long while, now... So I'm going to enjoy it, because you offered. Nothing else." Don't over analyze this, Raz...

She didn't. To Telmara's pleasure, she'd asked about something the woman enjoyed. Magic. It was one of the few things she had left after everything. Her skills had been taken away, but her knowledge remained. It had been a while, so there was likely plenty more to take in, but that could wait until she made it back to Jotun. She knew enough to help a fledgling mage, for now.

But did she want to share it? "I'll tell you what I know later... Once we've made camp. I'd rather not stall around the bodies, so idle conversation can wait... But I know enough about light magic to tell you a few things on it. I'll... I-I'll share what I have, once we've made camp... Okay?" A fair compromise, she hoped. Raz seemed keen on listening, so she would tell her all she knew.

[eclipse]

"Eh, not really. Wandered here when I got a whiff of treasure. Better than just goin' from place to place, I guess. I take it that you ain't from here, either. Who taught you how to use that sword of yours?" Kolmar asked. And who the hell taught you how to dodge with your face?

[riariadne]

December 19th, 962. 6:30 PM. Near foothills in Tauvos, Balor.

A few hours after the battle, the ten explorers made their way a bit closer to their destination before stopping. The small forested and hilled area provided better security from outside view in case of encountering another hostile group, and gentle enough terrain that it was easy to set up tents and other such equipment. The sun was mostly hidden behind the horizon by now, and cold was starting to set in.

"Hi everyone," Aria spoke, appearing with several branches in her arms. "I gathered some firewood, since we don't have any tomes for fire... I don't really know how to make a fire from here, though..." She dropped it amongst the group, sitting down in the grass next to it. "This'll be our first real time to get to know each other as a team," she spoke cheerily. "I hope we get to the treasure here...! It'd be nice to band together, and not let a group of jerks like Haley's group get to it. She was the worst, but I'm sure there are others too, but I hope we can beat them all to it. Lots of you guys are hoping it's a gift to solve strange problems, right?"

[scorri]

Kaya was resting with her back against a tree at the edge of the clearing they had chosen to use as their campsite. When Aria showed up with a pile of wood, she smiled. "Ah, thank you Aria. I'm not sure about the others, but yes I'm hoping it will be one of the seven Gifts. Well, one of six given one already is being held in this group. I'd hoped it would be the Fire Emblem given my visions, but the woman I mentioned earlier told me not to be disappointed if it wasn't... It would almost seem to easy if I found it in the first place I looked to be honest."

[Nanami Touko]

Telmara had decided to sit her self away from the group a considerable amount, a good fifteen feet. The promise of a fire was enticing, but not yet. Despite what Raz had said to her, Mihkaila and Kaya as well, she still felt like she'd messed up, a bit beyond repair. Thus, she wanted some time away from the group, for now. At least until someone decided to bother her. The only way you're going to get better at dealing with all of this is by speaking with them... You made a mistake-- a big mistake, but they forgave you. So don't make it again. Let this be the only evening you stay away from them...

She sighed, as she flipped through the pages of the Gust tome, meticulously studying the words, as much as it bored her. "I already know all of this..." Eventually, she groaned, slapping it shut, and falling over onto her tail. "At least you're good for something. Stupid... Thing." She glanced over at that Aria girl, she'd used dark magic, right? Not sure how... No one in Jotun even knew how the branch worked, honestly. I wonder if that's changed over these twenty years... Magic tends to move fairly quickly. Another sigh, she ended up rolling onto her back, tail a messy tangle beneath her. "Maybe Raz will come over, or something... She's not that bad."

[Xinnidy]

"Gotcha." It was a fair request, no point in speaking at length somewhere that would stink of the dead and gather flies soon. "Whenever we're all set up, then."

-------------

The sun was starting to set. The small area they found was remote enough to feel safe, but according to her markings, Raz was sure they wouldn't be lost. Her notes were her best friends, keeping track of the distance and direction they were going, wrapping up the parchment and writing feather, the explorer was in time to see Aria bringing a fair bit of firewood. "Good thinking, we have no fire tomes, but I'm sure there's some stones around." A look to her left, another to her right, Raz tried to catch any materials that could help nearby, but the sight of a certain demihuman sitting own their own quickly took her attention.

Hm... she's still not feeling welcome around here. Raz puffed a cheek for a half-second, snapping a finger as she recalled their earlier talk. Right. I should ask her about that...

"Hey, Telmara?" In a few, silent steps, Raz neared the demihuman, picking a spot just distant enough to not feel intruding to sit down. "What's up? You won't get any fire over here." She smiled, "Though, I don't know... do you feel cold?" I know snakes don't like the cold... uh, I wonder if I should be asking that at all. Shaking her head, the explorer quickly changed subjects. "You said you were going to talk to me later, about magic. I'm still curious to hear what you know about light magic, really."

[Nanami Touko]

She glanced her scowling eyes at Raz as she walked over. "Hmmm..." I guess now's better than never. Save's me the boredom. "I know I won't. But... I made a mess of things, today. People should probably get a break from me. Yeah, I'm cold; I'm colder than I've ever been, but it doesn't matter. I'll just get some fire after everyone else is finished with it... Or something." One of her biggest regrets was not learning many practical skills. Her skill at anima magic, especially fire tomes, had meant that if she'd ever needed a fire, for whatever reason, she had it. But now... She didn't have a tome. And she didn't have the skill for it. Enough lamenting. You'll get back there eventually.

"Light magic... Right. Okay." She sat up properly, turning her tail into a chair again. "Do you have any idea how Anima works? Don't answer; it's emotions and your tie to nature. As you might be able to tell... My Animism is fairly high. I'm... A pretty angry person, normally. This whole change has just made me angrier, so... I'm getting my magic back fairly quickly." Or at least, Haley had been torn to shreds fairly easily, so she assumed her powers were coming back at a steady rate. Hopefully...

"Light is powered by your focus... Your thoughts, and... Light. It sounds stupid, but it just means you'll be better at fighting with your Light magic during the day, nice clear sky, bright sun. And your thoughts, your... How much you want what you're doing. Your intent to hit your target, your mind clear of nothing but your magic. That'll make it easier to cast, better when you hit. Of course, it'll take plenty of practice... You can't just easily clear your mind during a fight. You'll get used to it, or your magic will plateau, at some point. Whatever you want to do with it... If you were using Anima, I'd know more, and be able to help better, but Light wasn't my area of study..."

That was... About it. It wasn't much, unfortunately, but she could offer suggestions and advice, at the least.

[Ether]

After a bit of walking, their little group had gotten far enough away from the battlefield to set up camp. Most had been relaxing, or going to gather firewood or various other things. While they had been doing that, Mikhaila had moved slightly away from the gathering, digging through her supplies to set up her small traveler's tent on a small patch of ground that would make do for her needs. With her shelter set up, the exorcist began to ready the area for her ritual, drawing a rather ornate pattern within a circle of the soft dirt, using her sword to do so. Her mostly-spent talismans placed at several points around the edges, intermittently mingled with several candles, lit with that remained of her old batch. Sitting herself in the center, Mikhaila began to ready the scrolls that would become her new set of talismans, drawing upon the inner well of her spiritual energy so that she might impart it into them. Several other tools lay scattered about the ritual site within arms reach, Mikhaila sitting in silence as she waited for the right time.

[Xinnidy]

Being glared at by Telmara's near reptilian pupils would take a bit of time for Raz to accept without the slightest bit of hesitation. She was scary on the outside, that much was true, but so far she hadn't acted as much. "You've made a mess? --Oh, the... hmm." That was a doozy to talk about, she had an outburst and hurt Kaya, and certainly felt none the better for it. That makes sense, but... bad time to be harsh on yourself like that. "If you're cold, you should really get closer. We said it's okay already, even if... that, is still on your mind." She pointed out, scratching the back of her head. Hmm, this is hard...

"Oh... that, that makes sense." Raz snapped her fingers, the logic coming to her. "When I was taught, I was told I was very willful when I was curious. The man who taught me said to think of light magic like a special trinket, that I couldn't use unless I reached out to it." She retold the event with a half-frown and a confused face --it's been a fair while since. "Something like that, at least. I'm pretty sure. So if it comes from my thoughts... I guess that makes sense." The explorer nodded, one step closer to the truth!

"Hmm, now that you say it... I'm more of a busy mind person myself, so I guess that's why I've never improved as much from when I first learned it..." That wouldn't do. Only being able to cast the most basic of magic was about as useful in a street performance than in actual combat. She always had her bow to fall back to, but what if the need to use strong magic showed itself? "Well, if you can teach me to clear my mind --if at all possible--, I'm up for it. Or you could teach me about Animism? Though... I can't say I've ever tried it before."

[Bluedoom]

Joviana sat on a rock not far away from Kaya- she was the only one in the group whom she had some trust in. She was mostly occupied with her surroundings, observing the terrain around them. They were camping in the woods, but not far from where they were, was a small, hilly area. As it started to get cooler, Joviana tied her hair into a bun, removing her hood. Having spent most of the day covering her head, it was nice to feel the cool breeze blow against her bare neck. She observed a surge of natural energy and wished to be left alone, to meditate, and to practice her spell slinging, especially out in the open. Unfortunately, the situation wouldn't allow her to do that for now. Meditation at the camp seemed alright, but she knew that there would be distractions from the other members. Before she could think of anything else, she was interrupted by Aria.

"You've got firewood, huh? No problem, I have some flint, so we can start a fire with it. But we'll need to gather some leaves and dry grass, since they're easy to ignite. I can help you with that, if you want." she replied, before talking about the Gifts. "Whether the Gifts can be used to solve weird problems in the world or not, will be known if and when we find the Gifts. That's not the reason I want to find one, though. Tell me, Aria, would you be happy if people like Haley got their hands on one of the Gifts?" She thought about what the rest of the group would think about the Gifts. Kaya seemed to be ok and reasonable, but what about the others? I don't want to know what would happen if Kolmar or even Telmara got their hands on one of the Gifts. They lack restraint and can be unreasonable at times. I'll need to be careful about what I say here, not everyone would use the Gifts wisely.

Edited October 17, 2016 by Magnificence Incarnate

[Nanami Touko]

There was another reason that Telmara was apprehensive about getting close to the fire, so soon. "L-Listen, Raz, I take up a lot of space, alright? Like... Like, open your eyes, just look. This tail is at least ten feet... I take up too much space, anyway, s-so, even if you all had forgiven me... I'd need another fire all to myself, y'know? Just, too big. If I had my old tomes on me, then I'd try to start one, but..." They were all too worn when I woke up. She sighed, trying to focus on what Raz said about focusing and clearing her mind.

"I wouldn't be the best candidate for that... There's a very plain and obvious reason why I don't use light magic, and fighting with me once should be all you need to know why. There's no clearing this..." She pointed at her head, tail swishing in annoyance. "I'm sure I could teach you Anima if we had the time, and you had the patience. But... You have to be able to use it, first. Here." She took her Gust tome out, and handed it to Raz.

"That empty tree, over there. See if you can cast this at it. If you can, you're already a good ways into this. If not... You'd have to train your Animism first. Getting in touch with nature and your emotions. Nature and me, whatever, we get along well enough... I'm mostly in touch with how I feel, for... Better or worse. Now, get to tossing that... Or not. And... Ugh. Fine... I'll... Go see about the fire. Bring the tome with you and meet me at the firewood after you've tried a few times. Okay?"

She slithered off towards the firewood... Getting too distracted along the way. Mikhaila had set up, some... What the... What is she doing? The fire could wait. This was too interesting. Raz will see me over here. You'd have to be a moron to miss this ridiculous tail. Telmara turned and made her way over to Mikhaila, curling up in front of her setup. She didn't elect to speak yet, waiting to see what was about to happen. Is this how she recharges her talismans?

Edited October 17, 2016 by Narmaya

[Ether]

Mikhaila appeared to be entirely focused on her meditation, not noticing Telmara as the demi-human moved over to observe her. The exorcist remained still, silent, the only thing denoting she was still with the living being the slight movement of her chest as she drew breath. So she remained for a few moments, as the light energy within the circle began to rise about Mikhaila, unnoticeable to those without an affinity to the light. That was, until it hit it's peak. As if out of nowhere, Mikhaila's mask began to glow, as if in defiance, but was swiftly silenced, as the various candles saw their flames grow, glowing an eerie pink as they danced, Mikhaila taking a deep breath as the flames danced in a wind that seemed stronger than before as she opened her eyes, her single uncovered iris aglow in it's own radiant hazel.

"Ah, Telmara. Have you come to observe my ritual?"

[Nanami Touko]

What an odd ritual... Nothing's happening. She's just sitting there. Is she meditating? Maybe that's it... But you wouldn't need all this extravagance just for meditation, would you? Well, whatever. The candles are weak, but any heat is nice, honestly. Telmara greedily slid around the circle, wrapping her tail around the small meditation, just so she could get the most out of the candles scattered about. I wish this body didn't need so much warmth... It's almost pitiful. She'd just about finished with it, when the light went off, enveloping Mikhaila's mask for a moment, the candles changing their color to pink and dancing as if some otherworldly flame had taken over.

"W-Wow..." Telmara had started to lean onto her tail as Mikhaila opened her eyes. She was too transfixed on the candles to notice, watching them move about. It wasn't until she spoke that Telmara clued into things. "Ah, y-yes... Sorry. I had no idea what you were doing... But it seems wonderful. Wh-What is it? What is all of this? What is your mask? Er--" She caught her questions, reeling back just a bit, looking around for somewhere to place her eyes. "S-Sorry... Magic has... Always made me curious."

[Ether]

"I would be happy to explain what I can, but I would like to finish the ritual now, while my spiritual energy is fully invoked." Mikhaila replied, keeping her focus for the most part, but cracking a smile at Telmara's questions, along with the position she had put herself in... they must still not have a fire going, if she had found need to wrap herself around the warmth provided by Mikhaila's ritual candles. Pointing to a bowl that had become just out of reach due to Telmara's placement, Mikhaila gave the demi-human a light chuckle.

"I do not mind you watching, but could you hand me my tools? I can't quite reach them now." The exorcist asked, the bowl containing a small knife, some sort of herbal paste in a jar, as well as a quill, though it appeared to lack accompanying ink.

[Nanami Touko]

"S-Sorry, again." She didn't make any attempts to move, though. It was easy enough to hand Mikhaila her necessary ingredients from where she was laying, and losing any of this heat right now was not something her tail was willing to give up. "The fire hasn't started yet... And I'd need my own to stay completely warm. I might have to do that, once everyone else has theirs set up... It's a nuisance, with these colder months coming up." She sighed, but went silent after that, hoping to see exactly what Mikhaila was going to set up.

A quill with no ink, is it... Is she going to use what's in the jar for that? It would definitely be odd, for certain... But this entire setup is rather odd. Just what is this spirit magic, or whatever she has concocted up here? Maybe I should-- the talisman's in my tome... Damn. Testing it for herself would have to wait, it seemed. Watching would suffice, for now...

[Ether]

"It's no problem, thank you." Mikhaila replied, accepting the bowl and it's contents from Telmara, before setting it down in front of her and emptying it, laying the jar and quill aside. Unwrapping a strip of cloth from her wrist and holding it over the bowl, Mikhaila swiftly brought the knife across her skin in a single. practiced motion, wincing slightly as the blade bit into her skin. Within seconds her face regained it's composure, as Mikhaila squeezed her arm to cause the blood to fall from her wrist and fill the bowl at a quicker pace, applying the herbal paste to her wound after the bowl had been filled enough for her needs, before tightly wrapping the wound and tying the cloth back in place.

Placing the knife aside, Mikhaila took hold of the quill, dipping the tip into the bowl of blood, before writing the all-too familiar symbols from her prior talismans on the new stack, the pink glow of the dancing flames growing ever brighter as she wrote.

[Nanami Touko]

"If you say so... What's...?" The temptation to ask was biting at her, driving its way into her head, just ask, ask ask ask...! But she didn't, despite her gnawing curiosity, because Mikhaila wasted no time in proceeding with her 'ritual'. She couldn't help but yelp as Mikhaila slashed at her wrist, but this appeared to be part of it, as she calmed down immediately after, letting herself bleed into the bowl. Are you insane...? You use your blood for these talismans? Why!? That's crazy! Why not just ink and magical power? What if you get infected? I suppose that's what the paste is for, but do you wash that cloth on your arm? Do you cut the same place every time? I... Too many questions...

As mystifying and worrying as that step had been, as she began to write her talismans, the candles flickered brighter, later, and thus, warmer. It brought an odd, calming sensation to her, as Mikhaila worked. I suppose she'd not hard on the eyes, either... The mask is a bit off putting, though I'm sure there's a story about that.

[eclipse]

Oh great, weird stuff is happening over there. Rather than get involved, Kolmar quietly slipped away. With the number of us, I think a single decent boar should do. Memories from the previous fight arose unbidden, whether it be Kaya's glowing tattoos, the river that appeared and disappeared, or the expression of agony Haley's face had twisted into upon her demise. Dumbass bitch deserved what she got. There's a time and place for hatred, but not in front of the customers. . .or so he told me. . . His feet had taken him to a spring, its shores torn up and muddy. Perfect. He climbed one of the nearby trees, and waited.

It wasn't too long before a boar wandered near the stream, its limp making its approach plenty noticeable in the waning hours of the day. It doesn't look like it was attacked by a bigger animal. Good. He aimed his spear at the boar's good side, and threw, smiling as the weapon hit its mark. The boar tried to escape, but its hind legs dragged uselessly behind. One of the things he'd taken from his home in Ibis was a specialized knife, meant for slitting the throats of things Kolmar killed for his family's dinner. Kolmar dropped to the ground, withdrawing one of the last things that tied him to his birthplace. In moments, the boar's thrashings were stilled, thanks to the clean slit across the boar's throat. The man gingerly poked the carcass, then withdrew another knife - one that was meant to cleave through bone. He didn't fully butcher the animal, opting instead to leave its head behind, and carrying the rest. With a grunt, he hefted the headless boar onto his shoulders, and walked back. The journey to camp was a lot longer than he remembered. Luckily, the forest was relatively quiet, which meant that the party's voices carried nicely.

It was the glow from the masked woman's. . .whatever that finally guided Kolmar back to camp. He did his best to keep the corpse away from the two women, who seemed to be otherwise preoccupied. Hoping that he didn't disturb them because those flames are freakier than the chick with the snake tail, he offloaded the boar near Aria. "So, which of you ladies knows how to cook this thing?"

Edited October 17, 2016 by eggclipse

[charlie_]

The remainder of their journey was uneventful. Aaron had followed towards the back of the group, alert and waiting for any sign of trouble. But they met no one, and the size and chatter of their party likely scared away any wildlife scattered throughout the woods, and eventually they reached a clearing. It was soon decided that this was where they'd stay the night, and they soon got to work (or didn't, in some cases) trying to set the site up.

The Lionheart hung lazily at his side as he waited a short distance away from the group, peering through the treeline to see if there was anything he'd missed. Upon Aria's return, he decided that he'd had enough waiting. The firewood was all well and good, but they needed more to get anything started. He disappeared into the woods for a few minutes, leaving a crude series of etchings in the base of a tree trunk that vaguely resembled crown. The brand had no practical use, he knew, but it was proof of his journey. When he took the throne, this would be the first part of his legacy.

Once he was satisfied with his work, he nodded to himself and went to gather kindling. He pulled some loose from the trees, but most of his supply had already fallen onto the grass around him. He arrived back at their campsite shortly after Kolmar, placing his findings a short distance away from Aria's firewood. "This should be enough to start with." His eyes fell to the boar, and he tilted his head slightly. That would be enough to feed them all, wouldn't it? He wasn't used to judging for so many people.

[scorri]

Kaya glanced up as there was a small surge of light magic. Glancing around, she quickly made the assumption that Mika was the source. She seemed to be doing some sort of ritual. Probably something to do with those talismans she'd been using earlier. And it seemed that Telmara was quite interested in whatever it was. That was good. If she was willing to talk to other members of the group, that was a good sign.

Her thoughts were interrupted by first Kolmar and then Aaron. "Ah, I'm afraid I don't know much about cooking. It was never a job for a duke's daughter and then I spent much of my time studying with the Order. I know a little but mostly with vegetables and the like. And thank you Aaron. With that wood, we should be able to keep a fire going all night."

[Ether]

Telmara seemed concerned... understandable so, really, as Mikhaila continued with her ritual, though as she moved into the relatively mundane aspects of it, the ex-professor seemed to calm down alongside. Still, it was plainly obvious that Telmara wanted to jump in with a million questions, Mikhaila grateful that the woman was holding herself back for the time being. After a few minutes time, all of the new talismans had been transcribed, Mikhaila shuffling them neatly into a pile in front of her, placing her uncut hand over the deck, the un-natural wind whipping up about her once again. The candle's flame grew ever larger, brighter, hotter, the spent talismans placed along the circle's edge too burst into flames, their inscriptions glowing a heated pink as the paper began to burn away, the pink glow now filling in the pattern etched into the ground, the grooves of dirt themselves erupting into flame around Mikhaila, as both of her eyes, masked and not, began to glow bright.

And in an instant, it was over. The inscription, the candles, the prior set of scrolls, flames all put out in an instant as the winds stopped and the light faded, only a light glow escaping the deck of talismans underneath Mikhaila's hand, the exorcist letting out the breath she had been holding. Taking a single talisman from the top of the stack, Mikhaila let it loose to the air, circling about her for a few moments, before loosing a beam into the night, one much sharper and more clear than those from the battle before. A light smile graced Mikhaila as she saw it.

"There, it is done." She noted with a nod, before picking up the ritual knife and beginning to give it a thorough cleaning.

[riariadne]

"Well..." Aria took a bit to think about the question. "That's true, most of them would be scary for bad people to have... but that doesn't mean we can't use them for good things, doesn't it? Like helping Telmara or Mikhaila fix their problems would be nice. For me, I just hope... I just hope I can bring something nice for my family." She waved her hand at the boar when Kolmar approached her with it. "N-no, not for me. I can't eat meat unless it's specially prepared." And while not stated, the look on her face definitely said "get it away from me".

[Nanami Touko]

"...Alright. First question..." Telmara sat up straight and grumbled as the candles went out, curling the length up her tail back up and behind her, rather than around Mikhaila's circle. And why did the candles have to go out? That sucks... "A-Anyway. Why do you need your blood, for this? And why the candles? And all the light, and... This is really a lot to take in, Mikhaila... I figured you infused them with some sort of magic, but not blood magic..." Whatever blood magic entailed. If it meant shooting lasers out of paper, it had to be fairly powerful. I wonder if it has to do with the quality of magic inside of you... Or if it's just taught through training, or something. Training how to use your blood for magic... What a world.

Well, with the fire gone, and the ritual over, she'd have exhausted all interest in Mikhaila at the moment. Once she got her questions answered... There was Raz to return to, to see if she had managed to cast anything. And then... Kaya.