Varos has a very symmetrical look, giving her a strange, unearthly beauty. Her favorite form has grey eyes and red hair. She usually seems quite calm, with the shadow of a smile on her lips and a hint of a frown around her eyes.
Stein Kobald had been searching a long time, if you counted a week as a long while. A mere guard, whom had failedhis duties, he had been sent out by his people to gather powerful warriors. Unfortunately, Stein had absolutely no idea where to look, especially considering how secretive his people were. They never did like humans much, only enjoyed messing with them. They considered humans a tad lower on the evolutionary chain, refusing to acknowledge the power of their Mother, the Earth. So Stein, covered in a cloak, went out to a nearby human city and began to search. Whenever someone approached him, he would ask for help, but most of the humans thought him as insane and turned away. A few listened, five of them in total. He guided them to the mouth of a cave, without giving much explanation. He turned to his rescuers, removing his hood.
His face was old, and gray. His bald head intensified his look of being carved from stone. He placed his hand on his heart and spoke in his grating voice. “I am Stein Kobald. My English izn’t wery good. Iz German your mozer tongue?”
Depending on if anyone spoke fluent German, he would switch to the language or continue in English, after a small sigh. “A creature runs rampant in ze caves. It attacks our willages, killz our people. Ve do not know vhat it is. Ve do not know how to kill it. Ve are desperate, look for help. If killed, our King vill weward you. Good weward for good vork. If you brave, follow.”
Stein would then head into the cave, placing his hand against the wall. He knew the system well, and very few humans ever stumbled across a settlement of his people. He would navigate his way through the dark, guiding his helpers, until the narrow corridor opened up into a large cavern. It was dimly lit, but one could easily make out homes carved into the walls. A group of grey-skinned creatures stood in a crowd, watching the newcomers, with the largest of them at the front. He was covered in gold and jewels. Stein quickly kissed his King’s hand, muttered something and pointed to the group.
Post by Katrina Wolf on Jul 16, 2014 22:53:00 GMT -5
The World Health Organization operated as one of several arms of the United Nations aimed at offering humanitarian aid all over the globe. When a mission was called, member nations would respond by sending capable aid, be it military or civilian to help stem problems before they became a crisis. So when Germany put the call out for a conference on a possible humanitarian aid act, the United States, as a member nation, responded. It pooled it's military and civilian might and selected individuals from that collected pool to attend this international conference and assess whether or not action would be necessary. Being on leave, Katrina presented a prime candidate to seek cooperation from. In short, Katrina Wolf won herself a free plane ride to and from Germany, and hospitable lodging for the duration of her stay overseas. Given the chance to serve her country in a more active role again, Katrina was elated to be traveling abroad.
Katrina spent the next few weeks attending meetings, being briefed on the developing situation, voicing her opinion and generally preparing for what might have been a humanitarian deployment which she would take part in as a member of the conference. After long talks and deliberation, the attending medical staff were dismissed, and the decision was left up to the politicians from each of the attending member nations. It was a bitter reminder that it was still up to bureaucrats to decide the physical well being of people in a time of crisis, but Katrina remembered that her mother was often one of those people, who fought to keep the world in balance.
Now Katrina and her fellow colleagues were free to spend the next few days or so having a vacation or discuss the situation amongst themselves while politicians voted. Katrina did a little bit of both. Whenever there was a discussion between members from four or more nations, Katrina was sure to be there to add her own input. It went fairly smoothly as despite her anti-social tendencies, she seemed to be well liked amongst her peers. Occasionally this put her in an awkward situation involving a lot of blushing and bowing out when she was asked out to dinner a time or two. Beyond that, she was surprised to admit she had been having a decent time.
On one particularly pleasant day, she decided to go visit the commercial sector and go shopping. She wasn't much for shopping, but she was in Germany on vacation! She wasn't liable to get too many opportunities like this and she was damned if she wasn't going to make the most of it. So shopping seemed like a perfectly good way to do just that. While she meandered her way between stores, she came across what was undoubtedly the strangest situation she had ever been in.
A rather small person seemed to be wandering about the streets. It looked to be some lost little kid, but dressed in such a way that Katrina had never seen a kid do. It's entire body was covered in layers of clothing, despite it being the middle of summer and warm for the climate. The little being turned to and fro as people walked up to or passed it. More than once Katrina saw the person reach out in attempt to grab attention of those passing by. Each time the little creature was turned down, or so Katrina assumed given the way either people or this little being reacted. Katrina wasn't sure what it wanted, but it was clear that no one so far had thought it worth assisting in. The woman felt a pang of pity for the little person, and a little bit of shame that no one would help this creature.
Having seen enough from her point of view, she approached the little figure. Immediately she was taken by surprise as it spoke. It didn't dress like a normal child to Katrina, and when it spoke, it removed any remaining doubt. Before her, judging by the sound of the voice, was a fully grown adult, but it was far too short to even be a midget! Katrina wasn't sure whether it as pity now, or pure curiosity of the unusual human (For she was sure it was human) that was before her.
"Help?" Katrina asked after a few moments of surprise. "How can I help you, sir? What is the problem?"
Another wave of surprise jolted through Katrina as her eyes took upon the creature's face as it lifted it's hood ever so slightly. It took everything she had not to jump in shock at what she saw. Not only was this being fully grown, it looked old and..different. She couldn't describe what it was, but it didn't look quite human to the young medic. Her mouth parted slightly as her speech momentarily left her, though she listened to what little he responded to her question with. Once finished, Katrina cleared her throat, realizing that she'd been gawking more or less. She looked around, gazing upon everyone that was brushing past them as if they didn't exist. She wanted to tell the little guy that this was the business of law enforcement, but given how she had seen others brush this man off, she felt compelled to at least investigate. The redhead gave a nod of acceptance to the request and followed the little man as he continued in his search.
Katrina kept mostly to herself as the little old man continued looking for people willing to help, even though the urge to tell the man that surely he didn't need an army to fight off some animal did cross her mind from time to time. Instead she chose to sue that time to figure out what the best approach to the situation would be. Surely they would gather up a couple other bodies and go to the dwelling. Perhaps it was a large cat or bear. Katrina was sure she could scare it off without causing it any harm, and if not, the authorities could surely help, right?
A few bodies ended up being four, by Katrina's count, though at first all she would do is offer them a shy smile and wiggle of her fingers in what might have passed for a wave. The little guy didn't talk much for most of his search, and didn't tell anyone else much more than he had told her. When the fifth person agreed to aid the cause, the little guy seemed to decide that five, as strange a number as it was, would be good enough to help rid them of this 'creature'. Katrina considered asking why five, but bit her tongue instead.
The little man then lead them on a journey out of the normal confines of the civilized world, and to a cave system. This was cause for some level of alarm to Katrina. She wondered if she was being lead into a deep, dark cave to be attacked or kidnapped. It was a valid fear for the young medic, who heard her heart ringing in her ears by now. It was eased, if by some strange miracle, by the man turning, and removing his hood. He inquired if any amongst the group spoke German. Katrina shifted uneasily and looked amongst the other members of this ragtag team and waited for them to answer before she said anything. If any amongst them did speak German, and said as much, the young medic would keep quiet. It was only if no one else laid claim to being bi-lingual or at least speaking the language that she would admit she had a decent, though far from perfect grasp of the country's native language. In that case, she would listen to the little creature and offer a translation, albeit awkwardly, to the rest of the group.
Katrina listened as Stein Kobald, whoever he was, spoke of his plight. It would be obvious to any, whether they spoke German or not, that she found what he said to be quite unusual (as if this meeting were usual in any degree). The talk of villages and kings had Katrina blinking in rapid succession. It was only afterward, when the initial surprise wore off, that Katrina realized what the man was asking. Her realization was followed by her brow shifting downward. She didn't want to have to kill some creature if she didn't have to. She hated causing undo harm, and this man was asking for the death of this creature that was plaguing them. Was there no alternative? Could this creature not be scared away? She did not understand why it was necessary for it to be slain.
Katrina looked around to the others gathered and sighed to herself. Despite her reservations, Katrina resolved to follow the little guy into the cave. Whether or not the others followed him, Katrina wanted to make sure that harm was avoided if at all possible. If it was unavoidable, at least Katrina might be able to ensure it died cleanly, without suffering, but only if there were no other options. Sometimes it sucks having such a loud moral compass, she thought.
Deeper into the cave, they came to a decent sized cavern. Again Katrina was met with surprise as her eyes caught the other small, similarly themed creatures as the man who had led them here. Among the crowd was a somewhat larger creature of the same nature. He was covered in what Katrina could only describe as.. riches. It was like the scene out of some tabletop role-playing game. Her mouth again fell open slightly, but was quickly closed once more. The woman straightened herself up as much as she could within the cavern they were in, and decided to remain silent for the time being until the 'king' (as he was put) spoke to his guests.
Post by Megalýteri Fos on Jul 17, 2014 15:16:25 GMT -5
'Another day another....' Logan strained himself as he walked through a long white hallway. 'Another day another.....' He just finished another mission where he had to face a bodybuilding woman throwing weights and dumbbells at him. It took a long time but he somehow managed to capture her without killing her, though she did come out with a minor flesh wound, if you could call losing your arm a flesh wound. 'What the hell did the Americans say? Another day another..... What ever!' He dismissed his thoughts as he opened the doors and strolled down the steps of the police station. He earned his money and now he was preparing to send it to his wife. Although he was stopped by the strangest of things to come his way. A small child and a red haired woman where walking around bothering the heck out of strangers, or what he assumed to be strangers as they pushed the two characters aside to continue their daily lives.
The little one was covered from head to toe, blocking his or her face from being seen. "Schau dir diese zwei Idioten. Wandern rund um und stört alle Fremden um 'Hilfe Hilfe Hilfe'," A peace officer mocked to his friend as he spat at the ground. "Wir sollten dorthin gehen und verhaften sie wegen Ruhestörung." Logan turned to the officer who was speaking and gave him a large smile,"verhaften sie nicht benötigt." Logan was competent at German speech as he was at every other language that was spoken in the country he traveled to. His work required him to know a little bit so he could talk his way out of situations, though sometimes the words confused him. The word 'Hilfe', however, didn't. He made it an obligation to know every word that meant help.
He strolled to the child and woman's location and stared mostly at the female that hovered over him, mostly because she was the adult and probably knew more of the situation. She gave a shy smile and a wave of a finger before the child spoke to Logan. "please. Help." The voice sounded more of an old sickly man than a kid, startling the light elemental a little. "A creature runs rampant in our home. We cannot subdue it, we cannot kill it. We are not fighters. Please, help us. Save my people!"
The small man then raised his hood moderately so that Logan could see his grey face. Logan bent his knees as he moved low to the ground then rose again to stare at the woman. She seemed as less confused about what was going on than Logan was. He took in a deep breath then stashed his money in his pocket. He thought about this carefully then gave a nod to both of them, confirming that he would join their little quest. The little man then moved on to others while the girl followed. Logan stayed behind both and watched each individual and their interaction with others.
He was not sure exactly if they were telling the truth or not so he kept a good vision on where he would teleport to if things turned bad. The hospital where his daughter stayed ran through his mind while three more people were collected. Logan also thought about why the hell did the old man need five people. Did he and female really think that random civilians would be able to handle a rampant creature? All they were doing was bringing hindrance for Logan to save. He kept his mouth shut though and stayed far back from the newly formed group, his eyes never leaving them.
Upon the acknowledgement of the loss of civilization, Logan began questioning the real story of why this small man needed them. “I am Stein Kobald. My English izn’t wery good. Iz German your mozer tongue?” The elder said as his feet halted near the opening of a cave. Logan stayed silent, he didn't feel like straining his ears trying to understand what the man was saying in German. He knew the language yes but it was a bother to him to speak it. Plus the man spoke good enough English for Logan to understand.
“A creature runs rampant in ze caves. It attacks our willages, killz our people. Ve do not know vhat it is. Ve do not know how to kill it. Ve are desperate, look for help. If killed, our King vill weward you. Good weward for good vork. If you brave, follow.”
Logan kept his interest peeked as the man guided everyone into the cave. He made sure to keep a small unnoticeable light orb with him so he could make out the light distribution within the darkness. His mouth dropped with awe as a small civilization of what looked like tiny golems stared at him. His jaw dropped even more when a large one sat at the far back covered in jewels. His awed expression turned to happiness as he remembered the Stein man mention a reward. If it was the jewelry on the larger creatures body then Logan wouldn't mind get a little dirty and slaying a monster.
Last Edit: Jul 17, 2014 15:27:54 GMT -5 by Megalýteri Fos
Although Stilia is usually in a human form, it often mimics her true face. She has large, round eyes, but otherwise her features are quite sharp. She smiles much more then she used to, but usually only out of politesse.
Stilia was a world traveller. For years she has made her way across the globe, on her own feet, wings, or some other mode of transport. The Gorgoness had seen places from this world and another, but she hadn’t been to Germany before. It has been quite awhile since her last visit to Europe, feeling uncomfortable at the closeness of her home. If it could even be called such anymore, with the sly snake hiding away like a runaway child. She took a deep breath, and continued down the street, taking in the lovely German architecture of the old village. She was in a human form, with long brown hair instead of snakes and legs instead of a tail, however she kept her face the same. Soon she noticed an odd little site; a child wrapped up completely, a woman with hair like fire, and a man with a strange sense of fashion. The unlikely trio seemed to be together, with the smallest of them approaching people, but most of them turned away.
Curious, the Gorgoness approached. She gave a polite smile to the woman and the man, before looking down at the child. It spoke, and it’s voice made her flinch internally at the terrible scratching sound. It sounded like an old man, one who had smoked most of his life and swallowed gravel. It asked for help, and upon closer inspection, it revealed to be something not-quite-human. Although the short creature had a face of an old man who was never graced by Aine, his skin was grey as stone. Unable to resist learning more about this unique new creature, Stilia agreed to help him with his strange request.
Some time passed, and soon they were joined by one more, and then a second. The grey man seemed satisfied with five helpers, or perhaps he had merely given up on gathering more to his cause. They left the village, going out through nature until they arrived at a cave. Stilia wondered if this is where the strange man and his ‘people’ lived. He removed his hood, showing more of his bald head. He definitely wasn’t like any creature the Gorgoness had seen before. He introduced himself in a heavy accent, his English fairly broken. Stein Kobold, a name that didn’t seem too unusual. He spoke of creatures and Kings, and offered a reward. Stilia wasn’t very interested in the later part, and was merely driven by pure curiosity. She wondered if any knowledge of these creatures existed in the Library, or if she would get to tell her God Erlang of something new, having been set out to gather knowledge. Stilia glanced over the others once more, before following Stein into the cave.
Light retreated behind them, and soon they were submerged in complete darkness. Stilia kept her hand on the rock wall, finding it slightly damp. Her nose sniffed the air, trying to navigate her way, and she could smell strange scents from ahead. One of the men had a very small light, trying to keep it hidden, but it was like the sun in such a dark place. In what felt like fifteen minutes, they came out to an opening. It was a cavern, dimly lit, but bright compared to the darkness they had just wandered through. The cavern was a strange sight, for it held a city of sorts that was carved from the stone. Many stood before them, their skin grey like Stein, looking as if they- like the city- had been carved from the walls.
At the front of the crowd stood one that was slightly taller, and much fatter, than the others. He wore all sorts of gems and gold, contrasting the dreary tone of his skin. She watched their guide quickly go up to kiss the hand of the larger creature and muttering something to him.
“You must be honoured, allowed into King Knocker’s Kingdom. Few outsiders receive such privilege!” The King grinned, looking at the newcomers. His English seemed a bit better than Stein’s, but he seemed to have a habit of using the third person. “King Knocker greets you, measly humans. Stein tells King Knocker that you are all great warriors of human tribe! Prove human worth, prove you are not measly. Slay the strange creature and King Knocker shall reward you handsomely.”
Stilia kept quiet on the whole human confusion, feeling no need or pride to correct him. She cleared her throat, and spoke up. “What is this creature like?”
The King’s face darkened. “Creature like no animal we have seen before. Unnatural offspring rejected by Mother Earth. Skin hard like armor and teeth the size of hands. It hears you before you hear it, and it kills my people. Runs in our caves. Kill it.”
Last Edit: Jul 17, 2014 18:51:26 GMT -5 by Stilia Medusa
Bernhard was once a Hito'Radeau, but has been mutated into something else entirely. A scorched black beak covers his nose and mouth, his throat fused around a gas filter, and his eyes pressed against shattered glass lenses and wire mesh.
The rest of his hunched figure is covered by a pair of large black wings, similar to those of a crow's, and a shredded leather long coat. What patches of skin that can be seen through worn patches of clothing are sickly and rotted.
His arms and leather gloved hands are mostly normal, with the exception of a glass syringe embedded in his right forearm at an odd angle, but his right leg is only human to the knee. From there down is a taloned black appendage, similarly resembling that of a Crow's.
Post by Bernhard Reiniger on Jul 20, 2014 0:01:25 GMT -5
Herr Reiniger had been spending a lazy day in a rented apartment, choosing to indulge himself by getting drunk off his ass rather than biding his time and looking for trouble. His plan had been working too, for the most part. Occasionally another tenant would roam by and make a mess outside or sirens would fly by on the road outside, but it was quiet other than that. Bernhard had picked this spot in particular because it was quiet throughout the day most of the time, and the people in the area were friendly enough to leave him alone. Most of the people in Germany were friendly enough to leave him alone, in fact. The weather was also very nice this time of the year, so there was that.
The sun had fallen below the horizon and the sky was turning a deep shade of orange and red, and the glare off of a sign had caused the half-drunk driver of a truck to loose sight of the road at the wrong moment in time. The driver and his friend T-boned a minivan going through the same intersection, and the force of the collision had really done a number on both vehicles. The noise had also done a real number on the half-asleep still-drunk Bernhard, who muttered a weak "Son of a bitch." as he shook the sleep out of his eyes, put a hat and some gloves on, grabbed his medical bag, and then ran outside to help.
The people in the wreck were in pretty bad shape, from the looks of things. Bernhard counted out a good five heads in the cars, only two of which looked like they would be fine. The ones in need of medical attention the most were the driver of the truck, his friend, and the woman who had been in the passenger's seat of the minivan. The truck driver and his friend looked like they would be a simple matter to stitch up and lay out for the ambulance, but the woman was another matter. Her door was going to be a challenge to pry open, and from the looks of things, he would have to find all of her before he could do anything to help.
The metal rod that Vogel carried in his jacket was rammed in between the door and the frame of the van, and the hinges were shot out with his .38. The rod made short work of prying the door off, with the added leverage, and it was fairly simple to get the woman out from there. Bernhard pumped energy through the woman's cells as he carried her out of the car and set her down, which would stop her from bleeding out and dying on him with any luck. He used the iron rod to pry bits and pieces of car out of the way as he worked to free the woman's now-detached leg from the car. Once done, he sat down on his knees and started work on making sure she wouldn't lose the damn limb again. By the time the ambulance arrived he had only managed to fuse some bits of muscle and tendon back together, as well as reconnect enough nerves to make it look like the leg hadn't come off in the first place, but it would have to do. The other men were being taken care of by the emergency personnel who had gotten to the scene shortly after Bernhard had, and it didn't look like anyone was paying enough attention to the physician to notice him leaving.
Bernhard had started to make his way into the nearest bar to unwind when a curiously small person made his way up to him. The larger man heard out the fun-sized one, and had promptly agreed to follow him to offer what help he could. Personally, Bernhard didn't think he could be much help unless they had wounded or sick that needed tending to, but it looked like the little guy was fairly desperate for the help.
Post by Katrina Wolf on Jul 24, 2014 23:32:40 GMT -5
People passed by on their way to their destinations. Some spared glances towards the unusually small figure, or the woman with crimson hair. The rest were entirely oblivious. They showed more interest in their phones than even where they tread. The tiny man occasionally halted a figure that seemed like they might hear him out. Most turned him away, further cementing Katrina's resolve to help this man. They passed by what the woman assumed to be law enforcement and her heart sank even further. The officers of peace and justice were clearly mocking the little fellow. Wasn't it their job to offer assistance? It was enough for Katrina to look away and scowl at the thought of these unsympathetic bastards. One of the individuals near the individuals however, showed a little more interest. He came over and listened to the little man's plea before turning to stare at Katrina. The woman shifted uncomfortably as she felt his gaze upon her, but couldn't help but give the faintest of smiles as he volunteered to help.
Next came a woman who seemed more curious than anything. Once more Katrina gave a flighty wave to the woman as the glance was cast towards her. The unknown woman's curiosity held even after overhearing the man's request. The unusual group continued on until they came upon the scene of an accident. Katrina felt the urge to assist, but the Emergency crew seemed to have a grasp on the situation so the medic kept herself firmly rooted as the little man talked with another. The man gave off a strange vibe that unsettled Katrina for some reason, but for the life of her she couldn't figure out why.
Eventually the group continued on to the cave system where they came across others like the little man, and one that was significantly larger and covered with jewels. This one spoke to the group after Stein spoke to him in kind. Katrina blinked, taking on the stereotypical appearance of a deer in the headlights as she listened to the man. 'King? Kingdom? Outsiders? Measly humans?' Katrina thought. How was she going to explain to the man that she was no great warrior? She was a medic. Her job was to help people, not kill some mythical beast. Once again she found herself shifting uncomfortably. Those green orbs danced from figure to figure as her mind quickly tried to come up with a response.
As she thought of an answer, the other woman spoke up. She inquired to the nature of the beast they were hunting. The 'king's' reply left Katrina's mouth hanging open. What sort of creature was armored and had such large teeth? Was there some endangered animal in this cave that somehow had avoided being discovered. Katrina's hand slipped around behind her toward her waistband to feel the handle of the pistol there. If the creature was so large, she wasn't sure that her FN Five-seveN would be enough to handle it. She might have to break out her M1911 that she kept tucked away. Now was one of those times she wished she had her rifle with her, but that was all the way back at the States. Medical conferences seldom needed it's attendees to carry firearms. Had they been deployed she'd have been able to bring hers with her.. but not this time. The woman abhorred violence, but this was sounding more and more dangerous by the second.
Katrina closed her eyes and whispered a plea to no one in particular, hoping that they would get out of this alive. For the first time, she spoke up, "I-- I am Katrina Wolf. I will try to help your people." Katrina paused to look around at those gathered. "I will try to help them for your sake.. for all of their sake... more than I would for any amount of reward you could offer. I will do everything I can to take care of this problem you are having... or die trying." Katrina swallowed heavily. She was putting her life on the line, and still a part of her wasn't convinced she could handle it. But there was no other choice here. These people needed someone to help them.
When the king, and anyone else was done speaking up, to which the medic would pay apt attention to, taking note of their stance, Katrina would turn to them. "We need organization and a plan. We can't just wander out there without one, or we'll all die one by one, I'm sure."
Post by Megalýteri Fos on Jul 26, 2014 3:25:30 GMT -5
Two women, one strange doctor, and a Logan. Was these odds really in Logans favor? He stood behind everyone who accompanied Stein. The first thing Logan couldn't help laughing at was the fifth and final person leaving all of a sudden with head and body shaking intensely. The man that appeared with them left as though he was destined to be bed ridden for the rest of his life. Was this really that traumatizing? Logan allowed the man to leave, offering no words of encouragement to the lad. Those that couldn't handle this where welcomed to leave, it would mean less damsels for Logan.
His eyes focused only on those who stayed and honed in on every action they took. The light he tried to hide was now gone upon the new light that shined wide enough to see the king in front of him. The elemental took his umbrella and planted the muzzle firmly on the ground. His left hand rested on the butt of the handle while his right hand laid on his left. He listened to each word carefully and made sure not to miss a single thing.
“You must be honored, allowed into King Knocker’s Kingdom. Few outsiders receive such privilege!” Logan raised his brow when the man spoke. “King Knocker greets you, measly humans. Stein tells King Knocker that you are all great warriors of human tribe! Prove human worth, prove you are not measly. Slay the strange creature and King Knocker shall reward you handsomely.” Reward. That word appeared again, and with the phrase handsomely as well! This made Logan grin stretch past his cheeks.
“What is this creature like?” The brown haired female interjected. . “Creature like no animal we have seen before. Unnatural offspring rejected by Mother Earth. Skin hard like armor and teeth the size of hands. It hears you before you hear it, and it kills my people. Runs in our caves. Kill it.”
Logan paused, grin replaced by dropped jaw. 'Skin hard like armor....Teeth the size of hands?' He replayed everything the king said in his head. A creature with armored skin actually existed? Not only could it kill perfectly in the dark but it has improved hearing as well. This beast that Logan will be facing soon, it will not be human will it? It will actually be able to kill the light user. His head raced with images of him dying in many different ways. He then thought about what would happen if he died and if he could really afford to do this mission. The elemental was brought back to the world he lived in as the red headed female began speaking.
She said her name was Katrina Wolf. This will be his second Wolf he would work with this month. That name was starting to seem very popular to him. She spoke about trying to help these people. 'That's right....' He said thinking to himself. 'The reason I came here wasn't to risk my life for a reward...' His eyes moved down to the ground below him and visions of his daughter flooded his mind. 'The reason I came here was.....' Sadness spoke out to anyone who payed any attention to Logan as he remembered the day his daughters life was nearly taken away and the pain almost destroying his heart. 'The reason I came here was....' Her losing control, her screaming in pain, her asking for help. These were all he could think of. He lowered his eyes even more till they focused on only his hands. He wondered to himself why he was really here. Yes the promise of a reward was what kept him, but something else brought him to this place, something that also brought him to the aid of his daughter and all the other poor fools he decided to save. Because of the cry for help.
When the red head was done speaking, Logan stepped up looking dead at the Kings grey eyes. "My name is Logan Tempesta. I will not give everything I can or dye trying for you understand? I will succeed and receive that HANDSOME REWARD!" His voice elevated and his face showed glee. The thought of the reward could not help but make him extremely happy. "When this is over, stein should be given a handsome reward as well for being a brave soul to venture out into the world to find us. But if it is needed then take Katrine's reward since she doesn't need it." His tone was a little bit childish and stubborn with the last sentence.
Logan then listened to the rest of everyone else talk, giving a small laugh if anyone addressed him for what he just said. After he memorized everyone's name he would give a nod to Katrine's suggestion. It was true that they needed a plan before rushing in or they would die as soon as they entered. Logan's next move was a bold one, but he loved taking bold gambles now didn't he?
"Katrine is right. We need a strategy, but we also need to know what we all can do. It is obvious isn't it? That everyone of us standing in this cave inmere human form is a monster. Why else would we still be here if we were not? I think it is time that we tell each other everything that we can do, and I mean EVERYTHING. I must know what you can do and how fast you can do it if I am to fight alongside you. This is just in case I may need your strength to help me out of a sticky situation."
Logan looked at everyone who was called by Stein with a confident grin and continued with his speech. "I am not a human. I am a supernatural known as an elemental. I can control a total of two light balls and make them explode whenever I want. Furthermore, I can create illusions by staring at an enemy. My last resort ability is a magical move called hellstream that can send a large ball of light from the ground, resulting in a large explosion that might level this whole cave if used. This umbrella that is within my hands is a rifle that can take down an enemy from a really far away distance."
He rose his parasol to his shoulders, resting the butt of the weapon in his right palm. Logan left out his last ability which was teleporting away from the area when things turned grim. He didn't want them all to know that he had a way out of here for it would probably lead to untrustful eyes watching him where ever he went. People seemed to work better together when they were put in the same condition and given the same goal.
Suddenly a light orb with a small shape would appear infront of the group so that everyone would see. The orb would shine bright, lighting up the entire area around Logan so that he would get a good look at these rock creatures. The orb would then move to his left forefinger and dance around with full energy. "Oh and everything I said was the actual truth. I expect you to be truthful as well." The light would disappear for after Logan's analyses was complete and he would stare silently at whoever would speak next.
Last Edit: Aug 2, 2014 14:08:05 GMT -5 by Megalýteri Fos
Although Stilia is usually in a human form, it often mimics her true face. She has large, round eyes, but otherwise her features are quite sharp. She smiles much more then she used to, but usually only out of politesse.
Stilia cast a quick glance at her companions. Two men, both in interesting getups. One who’s face lit up like a kid on Christmas every time the word ‘reward’ was mentioned. The other one of them, the one who had played doctor earlier smelt rotten, leading Stilia to assume he was a Supernatural of sorts. There was one other woman other than herself, this one with hair like blood. The blood-haired woman spoke to the King, introducing herself. The King nodded to her, a silent thank you for her offer to help.
After Katrina finished speaking, the treasure-loving man spoke, introducing himself as Logan. He seemed fairly annoying and full of himself, two traits Stilia did not enjoy. Neither did the creatures it seemed, for they left by some sort of unspoken signal, and soon it was only the four adventurers left. However, eyes could still be seen from the windows of the stone homes, still watching them.
Stilia looked at the small group once more, her mind trying to figure out what sort of creature it was. She’d never heard of such a thing, not even in myths. “Katrina,” Stilia mumbled, when Logan kept addressing the other woman by Katrine. He spoke of his powers. A Light Elemental? Stilia knew of their existence, but didn’t remember encountering one before. As if to show off, he made a light, just like the one Stilia had noticed earlier.
“I am Stilia,” She introduced herself. “I can take on the form of many things from this world, as long as they are alive. I can briefly immobilize the beast by putting it in a trance, and given enough time I could place it into a slumber. Yours and my wounds may be healed through my power.”
She didn’t bother talking about her weapons, but moved her coat aside to show them. A whip, a sword and some daggers could be seen. Stilia carried them and her backpack with her wherever she went, but the later had little more than the necessities for living on the road.
Last Edit: Aug 4, 2014 19:15:33 GMT -5 by Varos Talantos
Bernhard was once a Hito'Radeau, but has been mutated into something else entirely. A scorched black beak covers his nose and mouth, his throat fused around a gas filter, and his eyes pressed against shattered glass lenses and wire mesh.
The rest of his hunched figure is covered by a pair of large black wings, similar to those of a crow's, and a shredded leather long coat. What patches of skin that can be seen through worn patches of clothing are sickly and rotted.
His arms and leather gloved hands are mostly normal, with the exception of a glass syringe embedded in his right forearm at an odd angle, but his right leg is only human to the knee. From there down is a taloned black appendage, similarly resembling that of a Crow's.
Post by Bernhard Reiniger on Aug 5, 2014 18:42:50 GMT -5
After hesitantly following the little man into a system of caves, and after having given each of the members of the party a good precautionary look-over, Bernhard quietly reloaded his old .38 revolver. He had gotten the thing ages ago, back when they were pretty fresh on the market in fact. The revolver had seen relatively little use until earlier today, when it had been used to assist in the removal of a car door. The owner of the weapon much preferred to use his hands and his head to get out of tricky situations. Almost as soon as the cylinder had been pushed back into place Reiniger looked up to see that they had arrived at... Wherever they had been walking to. It was made clear that the stubby little man in fancy clothing was the one in charge here, and it was also made clear that the doctor needed to put the gun away before he shot the man nearby, who made it abundantly clear just how arrogant he was.
The description of the creature that they were being sent after was fairly vague in itself, but it did at least have several equivalents steeped in lore. Vogel's mind almost immediately started leaning towards the theory that it was a Basilisk, or some similar serpentine creature. It allegedly had quite a set of fangs, it's 'skin' was armor-like, and it was in a very dark and unquestionably damp place such as this. It definitely sounded to the doctor like it was some kind of serpent, and he said as much. He would wait until everyone was done making small talk, and then say "My name is Reiniger. I am a mere doctor, but it sounds like we're dealing with a sort of serpent, or Basilisk." to the other three people nearby. He would turn to the kingly figure, take a knee and bow his head, and then say "Forgive my associate, he seems to lack a certain capacity for tact. If there are any survivors from an attack, may I see them? I may be able to help them recover from their injuries, or determine the nature of what we will face in the future." in a polite Deutsche dialect.
Post by Katrina Wolf on Aug 5, 2014 23:42:03 GMT -5
Disbelief was about the only thing that even entered Katrina's mind at this point. She wasn't sure if the man was arrogant or just outright crazy. The only thing missing from saying he was here for the reward was a manic laughter. Katrina's mouth fell open as the man attempted to offer up her share of whatever reward the king had mentioned, but she thought better of the act and closed her mouth. Katrina knew she didn't need the reward, so arguing it would have been pointless anyway. It still didn't change the fact that this man was clearly rude, inconsiderate, and plain outright full of himself. He reminded the medic of the young hotshots who came through the army before their experience on an actual battlefield. The first to go nearly every time.
The woman quietly huffed off to herself and tried telling herself that she didn't want to slap the man. She did not want to slap the man. Nope. No matter how much she repeated it over and over again, she still wanted to slap the man. The sentiment didn't get any better when she finished her second statement and he took the opportunity to interject yet again. He couldn't get her name right and was twisting her idea into a bastardization of what she had said. Both of her fiery brows skyrocketed when he called them all monsters and again her mouth opened to speak, but wisdom stayed her tongue and she shut her mouth. This time she didn't have to sit and think about it, as the next words out of his mouth seemed to confirm one of her hypothesis. He claimed not to be human, and that he could control balls of light. Yep, he was clearly insane. It came as a relief to Katrina that he wasn't just blatantly rude for no good reason. At least now she could blame it on his mental state.
Or so she thought. Katrina's face flattened when she caught sight of a suddenly appearing ball of light. 'No. Fucking. Way.' It just wasn't possible. Those green eyes stared transfixed upon the light the man created, but her expression displayed just about anything but awe, wonder, or any form of impressed nature. It was pure dreaded disbelief, as if he just confirmed that he did indeed intend to do something to her displeasure. 'Son of a bitch.' Okay, so it was some parlor trick right? Some kinda fancy magician act. One couldn't just create light out of midair, could they?
Stilia was next to speak up, and despite having liked the woman so far, the gorgon did nothing to help Katrina's state. Her words were equally as unsettling as having seen Logan's words proven true. Take the appearance, hypnotize beasts? Using powers to heal wounds? Following that was an impressive display of unusual weapons. The final nail in the coffin was the last fellow. 'Did he say Basilisk?' Katrina held a hand up to her head. Nope. That man wasn't crazy. Nor was the other man, or the woman. Clearly it was Katrina who had lost her mind and was now hallucinating these figures in front of her. Little stony skinned men, a quest to slay a beast, a mage, a spellsword, and a witch doctor. Yep. Katrina was going to take a trip to the doctor to get examined as soon as she returned.
At length the woman gave a resigned sigh. Seeing as everyone else had come fourth, there was no point being the only one to ignore the rude bastard's words. Still cradling her head she simply replied, "I can bandage wounds and have a sidearm. That's about it." Katrina was careful with her half-truth. While she did carry a sidearm, she neglected to mention she had more than one of them, each hidden in a separate location. She felt no reason to lie to the other two, but she didn't trust that man half as far as she could potentially throw him.
Katrina suddenly realized they were alone. She lifted her head up and looked around. No, they were still there, but they had retreated into their homes. Katrina blinked at them for a few moments before turning to look deeper into the caves. She took a step forward before looking back to the group-- gauging their reaction. After a moment of watching them, she proceeded onward. It was dark, but she could see faintly, and if worse came to worse... she did have a couple flashlights and her night vision goggles.
Last Edit: Aug 5, 2014 23:42:44 GMT -5 by Katrina Wolf
Post by Megalýteri Fos on Aug 6, 2014 10:02:29 GMT -5
Logan's attention turned to everyone as he slowly moved away from the group. The king seemed less pleased by Logan's words, as did everyone else. To be truthful his words did seem arrogant and obnoxious, the obnoxious part being the comment about Katrina, but he meant no harm by it. Katrina seemed flustered with Logan the most as she looked as though she was preparing to slap Logan's pretty face to pieces. He watched her mouth almost drop from her body as Logan showed her his powers then gave a questioning look to herself as though she wondered if any of this was real. The only thing that could come to Logans mind was that he might have accidentally popped Katrina's supernatural cherry.
"I am Stilia, The young brown haired lady spoke. "I can take on the form of many things from this world, as long as they are alive. I can briefly immobilize the beast by putting it in a trance, and given enough time I could place it into a slumber. Yours and my wounds may be healed through my power.” She then showed everyone her hidden weapons making Logan a little impressed. A whip, a sword, and a couple of daggers? This female came prepared for war, the medieval kind.
Then the next person to introduce himself was the second male of the group. Reiniger he said his name was. He gave a list of creatures he thought they would face and then bowed to the king apologizing for Logan's words. Logan payed no mind to it, instead he turned and began looking around the area in which they were standing. His eyes payed close attention to the everyone the king would consider his people, but eyes searched for something else. The doctor asked to see the sickly then stopped talking after that. His eyes flowed back to Katrina when she said that she could bandage wounds and gave a small frown. All three of his companions were healers which made him the brute of the group. For some reason he did not like that thought.
His legs moved towards Stilia while the king would be speaking to Reiniger. He would stand in front of her, his body not touching hers one bit, and whisper to where only she could hear, if she would allow. "I am glad to hear that you have magic as well. It would be best that we stand in the front of the group when are sent to deal with this creature. You and me will be able to handle the beast and the other two will be able to heal the wound of who ever is injured." He would pause for a moment waiting for her approval or objection. "Reiniger did not flinch or make a face of disbelief when we mentioned our powers which led me to believe that either he has dealt with magic before or he is a silent thinker who is excellent in the face of combat. I believe he should stay in the back protecting Katrine who seems a little surprised by all this. Katrine can be in the middle waiting to heal our wounds."
Logan would take a quick glance at Katrina, giving her a warm smile if she looked back at him. "Your powers are most valued on the battle field, as well as your skills.I would like to ask that you pay no attention to my or your own wounds. I ask this because your magic and mine may be important in finishing this matter quickly. However, if the beast attacks Katrine or Reiniger I will need you to either protect them or heal them depending on if you will have the energy for it. Your healing ability will be our last resort. If we find that we are in a situation where we must be healed then you will come in handy. Sounds good?" He would wait again for her to say something. He wanted her honest opinion on the plan that he made, if it was stupid or if she had a better idea, before offering it to the rest of the group.
He would then turn around and address everyone else. "I advise that we all stick together. So if Reiniger wishes to heal the sick then I will wait for him. Katrine may be able to help as well since she said she is good with bandaging." (Logan honestly thought that her name was Katrine, so he would continue to call her that until someone decides to speak up.)
And finally, to finish his little series of speeches he would turn to the king, addressing with a smile and a bow of his own then rising. "You said that the beast could kill your people in the dark no? What ever creature we are facing must have increased sight, increase hearing, or increased smell. If it is increased hearing then we can deafen it by the harmonic stomping of our feet to this echoing cave. If it is increased sight then I can blind it with my light. Unfortunately I do not have a way to handle a beast of increased smell so this is where I would need your help. Do you have any dirty clothes? Rotting vegetables? Old food or anything that even the gods you worship would find disgusting and horrible to the nose?"
Although Stilia is usually in a human form, it often mimics her true face. She has large, round eyes, but otherwise her features are quite sharp. She smiles much more then she used to, but usually only out of politesse.
Stilia watched silently as the Doctor spoke to the King, having wonderful tact and excusing the big-mouthed Logan. He also inquired about the survivors, to which the King merely grunted, “None. Eaten.” And then proceeded to leave along with the other goblins. They were alone in the dark.
The Doctor than turned to his nect task, introducing himself and offering speculations. Stilia scoffed. “By the eyes, a Basilisk? Never. Those snakes obey only the Gorgon Goddesses, and I do not see why they would bother tormenting these creatures unless they highly deserved it.”
And there was the fact that no one had seen or heard from the Three Sisters in a long time, which had led to many rumours back when Stilia inhabited the nest. That was years ago, surely someone must have heard the Goddesses will by now, or had something figured out. Of course, the only encounter she had had with another Medusan since then was with Kaarme, who had bestowed the whip upon her.
Calming her thoughts, her green eyes turned to the red haired woman upon the hearing of swearing. Human? Stilia had thought otherwise, she didn’t seem completely human. But shemust have been, if she’d never experienced such a thing. Stilia was about to walk towards her, to ease her through this probably earth-shattering discovery, when Logan approached her first.
"I am glad to hear that you have magic as well. It would be best that we stand in the front of the group when are sent to deal with this creature. You and me will be able to handle the beast and the other two will be able to heal the wound of who ever is injured. Reiniger did not flinch or make a face of disbelief when we mentioned our powers which led me to believe that either he has dealt with magic before or he is a silent thinker who is excellent in the face of combat. I believe he should stay in the back protecting Katrine who seems a little surprised by all this. Katrine can be in the middle waiting to heal our wounds."
“Katrina.” Was the first thing Stilia said, correcting Logan when he called her Katrine again. “But one must gain respect through wisdom before becoming the strategist, for without trust obedience fails.” She paused a moment, a faint smile on her lips. “My powers do not blossom in the front line of a battle. It is best if you distract the beast before I act, for once distracted I can lull it to sleep for a quick kill. No need to waste my energy fighting it on the front line merely because I’ve seen magic. My powers are of a subtle kind.”
She listened as he continued to call the shots, and made her way towards Katrina. She offered a small smile of encouragement, and spoke in a low tone as to keep the conversation between the two of them. “You’ve never seen the likes of this before, have you? It’ll only get stranger than this from here on, and very dangerous. We could escort you back to the entrance if you’d like, but I find that the most dangerous creatures on this world are the sentient ones. But if you are curious, want to know more about this odd world and its secrets, I would suggest staying.”
Last Edit: Aug 7, 2014 15:35:57 GMT -5 by Stilia Medusa
Bernhard was once a Hito'Radeau, but has been mutated into something else entirely. A scorched black beak covers his nose and mouth, his throat fused around a gas filter, and his eyes pressed against shattered glass lenses and wire mesh.
The rest of his hunched figure is covered by a pair of large black wings, similar to those of a crow's, and a shredded leather long coat. What patches of skin that can be seen through worn patches of clothing are sickly and rotted.
His arms and leather gloved hands are mostly normal, with the exception of a glass syringe embedded in his right forearm at an odd angle, but his right leg is only human to the knee. From there down is a taloned black appendage, similarly resembling that of a Crow's.
Post by Bernhard Reiniger on Aug 6, 2014 15:07:42 GMT -5
The words the stubby little king had spoken echoed endlessly through Bernhard's head. Why was it that whenever he tried to take a vacation anywhere, something like this always had to come up? South America, for example. He had purposely picked a spot so outrageously secluded and alone, that it would surely be impossible for any trouble to be there. There was a serial killer who had a habit of not discriminating in how old or who he brutalized, who also happened to have a few unsavory fetishes. Not to mention the flying cannibal who ate "Sinners" wherever he went. There was also that one time in Paris, but he didn't like to think about 'That one time in Paris'. The point remained that vacations just didn't seem to work out for the old guy. Vogel mumbled a faint "I should really just stop bothering with these stupid trips." as he got back to his feet, and turned to take in the sights around the group.
The stout woman's response to his claim about a Basilisk caught Reiniger somewhat off-guard, all things considered. The woman, Stilia she called herself, certainly didn't look like the type that would know much of Gorgon lore. Looks could be very deceiving of course, but it was some cause for future investigation. If there was ever any time for a future investigation. The doctor hadn't had many opportunities to deal with any Gorgons, considering the snake-like people tended to keep to themselves and shun outsiders like himself. He didn't expect his question to extract any friendly response, but the effort was made regardless.
When she finished speaking with the other woman in the group, Bernhard would politely approach and ask Stilia his question. "Ah, pardon my interruption... Would you happen to be a daughter of the three?" Almost as an afterthought, he would open his bag and check a few things before stating to no one in particular, "If anyone might happen to need some aspirin, I happen to have some on hand. Have a few things that might help down here, the dark has a tendency to put a strain on one's head."
Post by Katrina Wolf on Aug 6, 2014 16:15:33 GMT -5
The supernaturally ignorant woman watched the man walk over to Stilia and begin talking to her. In the silence of the cave his voice echoed louder than he likely intended it to, but not loud enough to retain it's clarity. To her it was a bunch of dull mumbling like the sort you would hear in a comedy film. She paid no mind to the quiet conversation between the two as her attention had been drawn off by what she'd heard. They had all been eaten. Not even one survivor. Bad odds. Stilia had also denied any chance of the supposed creature being a basilisk. Katrina was somehow both relieved and worried about that. Katrina remembered watching Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. She had no desire to fight a giant snake that could potentially petrify you. On the other hand, at least then she knew what she'd be fighting. There was simply no winning in this situation at all.
Katrina turned her head back to Logan as he spoke out loud to the group. Again he misspoke her name forcing the medic to work her jaw. Never had a person so quickly gotten under her skin. It was truly amazing that this male was doing so with such ease. He was a remarkable man in one way at least, though she wasn't sure he would think so if he knew in the way she had meant it. "It's Kah-tree-Nuh! With an A! Or Sergeant Wolf if that's too hard!" She stopped and took a deep breath before silencing herself again. No, she wouldn't let him get to her any further. 'Breathe,' she thought. 'Just breathe.'
Stilia took the opportunity to walk over to where Katrina was. The redhead's head snapped over as the other spoke quietly, having been torn from her attempted calming. Instead of replying immediately, Katrina's head slowly drifted to the side and her gaze seemed to wander off into oblivion, well beyond the rock walls and floor around them. Judging by her expression, she was thinking about something less than pleasant. Finally she spoke up, her own voice kept soft. "You are very considerate, thank you. But.. I meant what I said to the king. I will do what I can or die trying. That is my duty, as a medic, as a soldier, as a person. The world is full of enough people who will ignore the plights of others. If we are the only ones willing to help these people, then they're going to need all the help they can get. If I backed down every time I was faced with a new challenge that frightened me, many more people would have died, and I wouldn't be here today. I won't lie and pretend I'm not even a little bit frightened.. But I will not let fear rule me."
After she finished she spoke up to the group. "Whatever we're going to do, I suggest we do it some time in the next century. Lest it find us, and put us at even more of a disadvantage." She didn't wait for a reply, and instead started trekking deeper into the cave. One of her hands reached into a pocket and drew out one of her L.E.D. flashlights and she clicked it on.
Post by Megalýteri Fos on Aug 6, 2014 19:44:13 GMT -5
Stiliia told Logan that it was best to envelop trust with the group after mentioning that Katrina's name was actually Katrina. This made him think for a long while as to whether or not this team will actually work well with him after all he did. Creatures with emotions were interesting. Logan moved from Stilia as she finished her word on how she could be helpful. He was readying to talk to the king when suddenly he left after addressing Reiniger. What a shame that He did not even stay to hear Logan's speech that he thought of just now.
He let out a huge sigh then turned to everyone in the group. "I thought of a great formation that I ran with Stilia. Since Reiniger and Katrine-" Then the sudden out burst. Apparently this girl had found her limit with Logan and she yelled at him hard. She even somehow managed to insult him for being a little brain dead. Instead of getting angry and yelling back or even getting sad, he stuck with Stilia words, even though he had accidentally forgotten her other ones. He needed their trust but most importantly he needed their cooperation. If there was a single rip in the team Logan would die in this cave and not with his family. "I apologize Katrina. I am also sorry I spoke out and gave your reward away. Right now I need your help with surviving this little challenge. I have a lot to lose, probably more than any of you and I cannot afford to die." His thoughts turned to his daughter for just a moment before speaking again, "So bare with me please."
His eyes moved to both Stilia when she comforted Katrina. He had tried his best. If she didn't except his apology then she would be Logan's number one problem. As he said before he could not die in this cave. If her having troubles with Logan caused a rip in this team then he would most certainly lose his life to what ever it is they were about to face. Katrina moved first into the cave and he took in another, silent, sigh as he followed behind everyone else. At least he could make out the darkness of this little cave thanks to the light Katrina showed. He placed his hood over his head and checked behind him every once in a while to make sure that nothing dangerous followed.