Once again, her very body was luggage for a giant lizard to carry around. Had she explained it like that back home, one might swiftly assume a dragon had carried her off...not a large Lizardman with incredible strength who was fleeing the collapse of a building brought down by an insane necromantic magic using old man. She didn't even have time to properly look at the Paladin or archer girl, both of whom seemed in bad condition as it was. She'd barely finished speaking and noticing the two's arrival before it was up in the Lizardman's arms again, as the Paladin too seemed to be this time, to flee the remaining cascade of debris and dust.
This time, however, the Angelic Mage cast up the same cheap barrier from before to help them get away. Wasn't hard to use such a spell in an unorthodox situation...at least when her teacher had long ago pelted her with rocks to get her to learn this spell. "Practical application" he called it.
By the time she was set down once more, the High Elf coughed hard from what dust had kicked out about them along the way. Wasn't enough to suffocate, but it wasn't like it made breathing easy either. Yet after a moment, the buxom mage stood up and dusted herself off in a hurry before casting another "Summon: Lesser Angel" spell. From a small magic circle that once again formed in the air a statuesque, albeit animated, Guardian angel descended.
Then after giving it mental orders to help heal and treat the wounded Paladin and Lizardman, Yinha went looking about herself to try to get her bearings. As much as it hurt to not see the Archer there somewhere inside, at the same time she merely said a quiet prayer in her mind that the elf had passed swiftly and without pain at least. It seemed to be quite the grand ruined plaza of some sort, that much she could tell, and-...ah.
They were not alone either.
"Hey there!" Yinha called out loud to those she could still see left in the Royal Plaza, waving her arms about to get their attention, "We have wounded here! Do you have any supplies?"
A Guardian could cast low tier holy magic, but at the same time she didn't want to keep spamming magic forever. She had more than plenty of mana and was a proper Angelic Mage, at least, yet some mundane treatment would be nice if anyone had some potion or salve or such on their person. Maybe. Or with how this day was going they could be attacked again, in which case she at least had a Guardian out and spells to use.
She hoped dearly for the former, peaceful situation rather than the latter.
Safe to say, the two groups of Velari had both awoken to what initially had been much confusion.
Thoughts, words, concepts all so alien to them somehow and yet so familiar...yet all washed away as primal instinct and a dumbfounded silence eventually took over in the end. Knowledge they had never known before began to cause many things to take shape within their minds, and before long they began a scramble to get organized and ready to survive. The tallest Velari in each of the two groups had begun to bark out orders to their kin, after asserting some amount of control post-chaos, and it hadn't taken long for the others to fall in line. Shortly thereafter, the soft flutter of Velari wings would be visible from the myriad of beasts on the dark and dense rainforest ground as these new arrivals took to the air.
A few moved to inspect the area from the air in all directions and seek signs of their own kin, some others began to simply seek out wood and suitable plant materials for making homes, and others more began to scour for something...edible, whether it was moving around eating things or just growing out of the ground. All in all it began to cause a bit of a stir in dense, wet grounds that the Velari had awoken in, all as birds and small scaly flying things, small lizards, beasts big and small, and all were being awoken or already moving about with the rising sun.
However...
The crack of wood and spring of tree branches rang out into the air, alongside a mighty, screeching roar of anger that could send chills down one's spine.
The young Velari's heart was racing almost as fast as her wings were beating in the air, with the sticky hot and humid air of the rainforest feeling like it was clinging to her very lungs. Leaves were whipped to the side as she darted through with all of the haste of a prey animal in flight, and flecks of moisture seemed to whizz by her at top speed as her pupiless white eyes glanced around for a guaranteed path to safety. Mere moments ago she'd been attacked by a large primate-like creature, larger in height than her, having four eyes, being covered in greenish-black hair that almost camouflaged it, and bearing most of all frighteningly pronounced lower canine teeth. It had come charging with a mighty roar and large fists, its lanky but muscled limbs swinging about as it had gone in for the kill outright...only for her to narrowly dodge in time due to being in the air.
Even now it pursued her seemingly to try to make her a meal, even as she was darting away as fast as she could with her butterfly-like wings. She most definitely regretted wandering from her group of gatherers to investigate some odd sounds, but had at least felt she had a good reason to disappear. She had found some odd fruits near where this primate had been as well. One taste had told her it was sweet, and while its bright blue rind has been thicker...the flesh of it had been mostly sweet and ever so slightly hot to an extent when eating closer to the seeds. However, the decayed bones of dead prey animals hanging from branches or around the bottom of those fruit trees should have been a sign to her of something not being right here.
The roar of the beast was so close she could feel it now, sending smaller creatures into a frenzy of panic as it was swinging along after her. She glanced back instinctually at this, noting the moving mass coming up on her, though at the same time did not notice an upcoming branch.
CRACK!!!
SNAP!!!
The Velari's body crashed into the tree branch, after having darted lower to try to lose the larger predator in the underbrush, snapping the branch and sending her finally crashing down to the ground. It had been a low enough flying altitude, and a thin enough branch at least, to ensure she didn't snap like a twig on impact. Even the brush and plant life acted as a cushion for her fall in this case. Yet...the sudden halt of her flight from danger would pose its own far greater dangers now.
The young gatherer scurried to her feet, and instinctually grabbed the now sharp and pointy long tree branch that had broken off due to her impact. The sound of her heart now seemed to ring in her ears, however, thumping away as her eyes widened in an instant with fear. There was no time to move. No time to run. It was here.
The great primate came crashing down near her onto the forest floor, lightly shaking the ground around it from the dramatic but intentional impact. The beast stood up tall as it looked down upon her, all four of its its entirely black, with white pupils no less, eyes now glaring down at her with ravenous hunger and a very much murderous glint in them. The shaggy hairy exterior of the beast seemed to sway almost like tree branches as it moved, before the beast licked its meaty chops and began to pound its chest with a scream of dominance. It had slain many prey that ran from it before. It had eaten them, and the fruit of the tree it lived in, many a time before. This..insect...thing...female...whatever it was, it would soon become food as well anyways!
Such was the foremost Law of the Jungle, after all: 'Eat or be Eaten'.
Not hesitating, as it had sized up its target to be flimsy and frail and easy to kill, the hulking creature leapt forward at its next dinner with its mighty jaws opened up wide-! At the same time, the young Velari's 'fight' instincts and some inkling in her mind pushed her to roar back and protrude her pointed branch out with its back end on the ground-!
*SQUELCH*
...What?
*CRACK*
How could-?!
*THUMP THUMP...
THUMP THUMP...
THUMP...
THUMP...
...*
"Ah...Ah....Ahhh...
Eventually silence once against settled over the rainforest floor...save for the distant chatter of the smaller creatures that had long fled from the immediate area out of instinct. Yet now a sticky, dark red liquid began to pool about on the ground, staining and coating and pooling about the uncaring the flora and fauna and refuse in a disgusting gush of what once was the lifeblood of another living thing. Indeed, the way of the jungle was a harsh one...and a lesson from which none, not even those at the highest levels, would be preserved from.
The corpse of the mighty ape slumped to the side, now leaning against a tree as its wide open eyes gazed out with a glassy and empty gaze. Its heart had already stopped beating, though, and the last breath had already left its large lungs in what almost seemed like a hushed and quiet whisper. The air that had once been so thick with tension, so thick one could cut it with a knife, seemed to suddenly yet softly dissipate as quickly as it came.
Amidst all of this, the young Velari gatherer collapsed to her knees on the ground. There was no care that she kneeled in the blood of her pursuer, yet as she felt her breathing begin to slow she pulled up a hand in front of her eyes. It was her hand...and yet it was not her blood that stained it.
She slowly began to stand once more, the beat of her heart returning to normal, before slowly looking to the sharp stick still stuck inside of the primate's corpse. After a moment of contemplation, she then pulled out the stick out and held it in her hands once more. Some fragment of organ and heart and muscle and such was stuck to the end, lifeless yet still warm and covered in blood...but the gatherer then took a wary yet curious bite of the severed flesh. Her eyes widened at the taste, even as she chewed it all slowly before finally swallowing it.
After some moments that felt like an eternity, however, the young Velari then looked up at the sky once more. This was all a place so very strange, and yet under the rays of the sun it felt more familiar somehow.
But...they, she, would not be prey here. They would not be the hunted, as she had been.
Indeed, they would be something more! They were mighty! She was mighty!
Raising her blood-soaked weapon above her head, the young Velari felt a surge of energy wash through her, rising and cascading and shooting up to the point that-
"OOOOOAAAAAHHHHH!!!"
The young gatherer-...no, the young huntress now let aloud a cry of victory at the top of her lungs and with all her might. In a sense one could see it as her somewhat mimicking the odd sounds of her former pursuer, and yet it was her own cry and voice all the same.
Soon it would draw others to her location, others of her kind and people. Soon they would return to the fruit tree that was once this predator's lair, and take apart the body of this mighty beast as well as take its well-protected harvest.
...Such was the Nature of Civilization: For to the victor, thus went the spoils.
Time Passed: None, this is the the first day!
Time Until Next Turn: 3 months
Events/Developments:
A young Velari gatherer got lost, and with some big luck and an overconfident foe slew rather large rainforest primate, probably omnivorous but also definitely dangerous and a bit too cocky in the case of this individual. A new fruit in the rainforest has been discovered as well, and ideas and thoughts of what to do with this are going about. Maybe could find some young of the primate and see what they want to do with it.
Whatever the case may be, the Velari have made their arrival into this new world.
Be nice, we just stopped a crazy coot from swarming the ruins with undead! Or rather...we helped him stop himself? lol XD
And Yinha almost had some trauma kinda bite her back again...albeit the crumbling building and Kaze kinda cut it off before it really got rolling. Whew. Not gonna be a common thing, but wanted to showcase it before we meet the dragon tiddy waifu Serafaye (@_@)
As the building began to collapse, and she turned to run, Yinha found herself absentmindedly looking over to the wounded elven archer lying on the floor. The healing spell was doing...something at least, but time almost seemed to crawl about to a stop as a familiar but dreaded sensation suddenly ran up the back of her neck. No. Not again. Not here and now. This was NOT that time, or THAT place. Do what the old doctor in that one town she'd passed through had taught her, yes. Breathe in and out, focus on it and what was going on before her, deep breaths now. Let it all flow out, just let it flow out...
Only when a reptilian arm grabbed her around her waist and gun it towards the exit did the sensation of moving jostle her somewhat more back towards the reality before her. Yinha didn't fight Kaze's actions at all as she clung onto him for dear life, all as the hulking Lizardman ran out of the back door of the church at breakneck speeds. Not that the tough hide of Kaze would likely feel her fingers digging in. Even so, a word was muttered under her breath as they moved along, a timid but focused enough spell cast to try to do something.
"S-Shining Wall"
A meager low tier spell as it was, she used a very old-fashioned form of spellcasting one last time to try to help keep them alive. A faintly shimmering golden wall of magic would then appear above the duo as Kaze ran out with Yinha in his arm. It was a paltry barrier due to its low rank, but was enough to maybe deflect (even if it couldn't stop) larger pieces of building and such falling down...and defend from the smallest pieces of pebble and masonry at least.
Yet as she was placed back on her feet beyond the walls of the church, the golden barrier overhead cracked and shimmered away as quickly as it had arrived. Similarly, the elf found herself able to breathe again after those moments that had felt like a small eternity. Her more mechanical and stoic expression rapidly faded, all as features very much softened and she let her breathing go back to normal. Kind eyes looked back at Kaze now as he spoke about 'going through the wall', taking in his appearance before the High Elf gave a light bow to her larger ally once he was done speaking.
"My thanks for getting me out of there...just before the fighting began out I cast a spell to see if there were any undead around. Ruins and all. Once I detected some, and the fighting broke out, I made for the church," Yinha said, trying to keep it as brief as she could before letting out a long sigh.
Lightweight Skeleton (0) - Members of this species have a complex, mostly hollow bone structure which significantly lightens their body mass. As a result, they are able to move much faster with the same amount of body weight and tire out slower, and are quite acrobatic by nature. However they are very susceptible to blunt force trauma, a fraction of the normal strength needed to break their bones and inflict injuries. Furthermore, their bones will often not heal properly afterwards, as a result of their complicated internal structure.
Shoulder/Back Wings (-1) - Members of this species, for one reason or another, have retained or evolved wings early in their evolution. These wings protruding from their backs allow members of this species to take to the sky in limited capabilities. While not as efficient or strong as wings attached to their arms, these wings allow them to use their arms for various tasks while airborne. Using them is somewhat tiring, and remaining in the air for extended periods can be very tiring, even to the most athletic of their members. However, these wings are often far more extravagant than that of other races, giving a certain aura of charm or malice around the members who carry them.
Wasteful (+1) - Members of this species are particularly wasteful: they have little regard for both money and resources, often choosing to live for today instead of thinking for tomorrow. This results in increased upkeep for their economy, often requiring far more supplies than it would needed.
Nomadic (0/ Does not cost Trait Pick) - Members of this species are (at least initially in this case) often on the move, displaying a natural urge to get a change of scenery. While they enjoy a well of stamina far greater than their peers to keep them going, if forced to stay put for a generation or more they will begin to become increasingly anxious and even unruly. Not to be bogged down in a single location, they are constantly shifting their homes and own only items that they can carry.
Eventually, however, they will some to settle down as they advance and deal with other things in the world.
RACE PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Proper human-like humanoids with a pair of butterfly-like wings on their backs, as well as white eyes without visible irises and a pair of pointed ears. Their bodies are properly proportioned humanoid forms, but also tend towards the slender side of things along with a hardy metabolism that remains properly active through even very old age. Their hair colors tend to trend in the reds, golds/yellows, and even greens when it comes down to it. All are visibly female in appearance in all traditional senses, yet when it comes to reproduction their bodies exhibit a very unique set of dual-purpose sexual reproductive organs. Each individual of this species is thus capable of making a mate pregnant as well as becoming pregnant by their mate in order to bear young. This also allows both parents to care for their own young, as their bodies react to the presence of their own young to produce milk in their mammary glands for nurturing in those crucial first weeks/months of a newborn’s life.
Of course this physiological peculiarity of theirs makes them quite...honestly surprised when it comes to witnessing actual separate genders among other species. Such a separation has never been necessary among them, nor is the concept of ‘gender’ really something they have beyond the ‘one’ their race possesses. This can potentially lead to some interesting, if not funny, reactions on the part of Velari when encountering other sentient species.
RACE BEHAVIOUR: Describe how your race normally behaves, to give a general idea about them
The Velari are a generally hardy race of humanoids that tend towards building homes in higher-up positions. Their lung capacity tends to be very good due to their tendencies to live in higher-up areas generally, especially useful at higher elevations which they also enjoy being in whether flying about or living from them.
When it comes to food they tend to hunt for whatever vegetation or wildlife might be a fitting next meal, whether that is flying higher above them or near/on the ground below them, and generally store their food higher up with themselves and near or in their homes to avoid it being stolen. Velari living in some areas near the coast and the salty oceans winds tend to experiment with the stages of curing foods, due to the natural air flow being much better suited to this as a natural process, whereas others might tinker with other means of preservation more applicable in their areas of habitation. This adds a distinct ‘flavor’ and certain ‘variety’ to Velari food even in primitive times. Berries and fruits allowed to ferment in certain areas can be a delight in one area, cured meats near the coast can be another, and even naturally dried berries in more arid and higher-elevation areas can be a food eaten by Velari.
Their homes also tend to be crafted to blend in with local areas, or at the very least to reflect them in a way that helps them better blend in and fit in.
HISTORY: You will have plenty to write here once we begin!
CULTURE: Same as above, leave it free for now. Will fill up as we get into the game.
TECHNOLOGIES: Tech tree coming very soon. Until then, the best way to think of your people is the natives on lonely islands on the pacific. Except, they have no culture just yet~
Lightweight Skeleton (0) - Members of this species have a complex, mostly hollow bone structure which significantly lightens their body mass. As a result, they are able to move much faster with the same amount of body weight and tire out slower, and are quite acrobatic by nature. However they are very susceptible to blunt force trauma, a fraction of the normal strength needed to break their bones and inflict injuries. Furthermore, their bones will often not heal properly afterwards, as a result of their complicated internal structure.
Shoulder/Back Wings (-1) - Members of this species, for one reason or another, have retained or evolved wings early in their evolution. These wings protruding from their backs allow members of this species to take to the sky in limited capabilities. While not as efficient or strong as wings attached to their arms, these wings allow them to use their arms for various tasks while airborne. Using them is somewhat tiring, and remaining in the air for extended periods can be very tiring, even to the most athletic of their members. However, these wings are often far more extravagant than that of other races, giving a certain aura of charm or malice around the members who carry them.
Wasteful (+1) - Members of this species are particularly wasteful: they have little regard for both money and resources, often choosing to live for today instead of thinking for tomorrow. This results in increased upkeep for their economy, often requiring far more supplies than it would needed.
Nomadic (0/ Does not cost Trait Pick) - Members of this species are (at least initially in this case) often on the move, displaying a natural urge to get a change of scenery. While they enjoy a well of stamina far greater than their peers to keep them going, if forced to stay put for a generation or more they will begin to become increasingly anxious and even unruly. Not to be bogged down in a single location, they are constantly shifting their homes and own only items that they can carry.
Eventually, however, they will some to settle down as they advance and deal with other things in the world.
RACE PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Proper human-like humanoids with a pair of butterfly-like wings on their backs, as well as white eyes without visible irises and a pair of pointed ears. Their bodies are properly proportioned humanoid forms, but also tend towards the slender side of things along with a hardy metabolism that remains properly active through even very old age. Their hair colors tend to trend in the reds, golds/yellows, and even greens when it comes down to it. All are visibly female in appearance in all traditional senses, yet when it comes to reproduction their bodies exhibit a very unique set of dual-purpose sexual reproductive organs. Each individual of this species is thus capable of making a mate pregnant as well as becoming pregnant by their mate in order to bear young. This also allows both parents to care for their own young, as their bodies react to the presence of their own young to produce milk in their mammary glands for nurturing in those crucial first weeks/months of a newborn’s life.
Of course this physiological peculiarity of theirs makes them quite...honestly surprised when it comes to witnessing actual separate genders among other species. Such a separation has never been necessary among them, nor is the concept of ‘gender’ really something they have beyond the ‘one’ their race possesses. This can potentially lead to some interesting, if not funny, reactions on the part of Velari when encountering other sentient species.
POPULATION: Up for community vote, depending on traits
RACE BEHAVIOUR: Describe how your race normally behaves, to give a general idea about them
The Velari are a generally hardy race of humanoids that tend towards building homes in higher-up positions. Their lung capacity tends to be very good due to their tendencies to live in higher-up areas generally, especially useful at higher elevations which they also enjoy being in whether flying about or living from them.
When it comes to food they tend to hunt for whatever vegetation or wildlife might be a fitting next meal, whether that is flying higher above them or near/on the ground below them, and generally store their food higher up with themselves and near or in their homes to avoid it being stolen. Velari living in some areas near the coast and the salty oceans winds tend to experiment with the stages of curing foods, due to the natural air flow being much better suited to this as a natural process, whereas others might tinker with other means of preservation more applicable in their areas of habitation. This adds a distinct ‘flavor’ and certain ‘variety’ to Velari food even in primitive times. Berries and fruits allowed to ferment in certain areas can be a delight in one area, cured meats near the coast can be another, and even naturally dried berries in more arid and higher-elevation areas can be a food eaten by Velari.
Their homes also tend to be crafted to blend in with local areas, or at the very least to reflect them in a way that helps them better blend in and fit in.
HISTORY: You will have plenty to write here once we begin!
CULTURE: Same as above, leave it free for now. Will fill up as we get into the game.
TECHNOLOGIES: Tech tree coming very soon. Until then, the best way to think of your people is the natives on lonely islands on the pacific. Except, they have no culture just yet~
Noted! Edited in a dot on her spell list noting her having metamagic, but do agree it won't be most useful till she gets higher level and such alongside more powerful spells. But she's a knowledgeable elf, so I think it at least adds some solid flavor to what she learned about before leaving home. Gives her something to work toward as well (better level and higher tier spells). :P
Also good on ya to get an AC before the summer hits. At least where I live, the lack of an AC is basically your doom going into the summer. XD
Zapdos
Xaltwind
Spiffy
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The Otter
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Izurich
Danyel
Aku the Samurai
tundrafrog1124