...She'd just been isekai'd. Sure it was a cheeky anime-watcher's way of putting it, but she could only think to herself that she'd been isekai'd. Some goddess from another world, snatching her up and putting her in a new body and sending her here.
The catgirl took a look about the room as she took tentative steps forward, for the first few slightly wobbly as she felt the abnormal feeling of being in a new body. A hand came up to touch her fluffy ears. Her head turned back to look at her swishing tail. Her musculature felt...far stronger than it had ever been. Even the tips of her fingers, where nails should have been for a proper human being, were nothing but little razor-sharp claws that she testingly swiped at the air for a moment in play as she took more steps forward. It was all eyebrow-raising, but at the same time she felt like she was rather adjusting to it somewhat already.
Looking about, she took note of the layout of where she had appeared soon after she was able to walk properly enough. Grand sort of balcony, check. Whatever fluid had been on her evaporating rather nicely in an abnormal fashion, check. Empty stone shelves seemingly on a tier-like style and odd tube things, check. Looking down and seeing two other strangers spat out in seemingly a similar way, check. Large ominous black structures, giant-ass ruined building that seemed far too ancient, scattered varied weapons near the doorway, and being comfortably warm despite the lack of clothes which in the end she otherwise didn't mind? Check.
new ability and having talked to some goddess aside, this was almost deja vu to her in some twisted trope-aware sense of it all. Not that it was guaranteed to follow such a pattern, and she could swear one of the other guys was familiar looking in a very not-good way, but all the same she had to get moving and they'd have to do something. If that 'goddess' was right, then a guardian was here and it was NOT going to be good to get in its sights. If she didn't need more clothes to travel in all of this, then good for her at least. Meant she could carry more, if anything beyond a weapon was necessary at first...well, other than like food or something maybe. If it was around.
For a second she even gave a trained kick in the air to test her body, instincts and reflexes kicking in but almost stumbling slightly as she shook it off soon after. Yeah, as soon as she was used to this new body she'd be back in action. Didn't learn all of those martial arts for nothing, after all!
Leannah then did her best to quickly move down the stairs to get to the level below her, where the other two strangers (both men as it turned out) had emerged. No use trying to go up anyways. The woman gave a sigh, however, as she approached them and kept a sliiiiight distance just to be on the safe side. Tricky deities from other worlds, not something to rely on to always put you with the most familiar and safe people in a group survival situation (just ask that one shield dude from another isekai anime).
"Hey! You two, you're finally awake! You also talked to that goddess and ended up here too? Busted out here in some kind of fluid and tube stuff, like me?
But we probably need to get moving if what she said about a 'Guardian' here is meritable. Questions maybe for later. Some weapons are lying over there towards the door as well, and to be frank I'd prefer to get moving first and get out before we're spotted."
Of course, perfect first lines to total strangers in another world and all of this craziness. Totally couldn't backfire on her in two seconds with how she looked now or something. That being said, she wanted to be proactive in this before things hit the fan....and she really hoped they didn't hit the fan IMMEDIATELY at least.
Then again, waiting around too long fresh out of some divine life-making pod (for all she knew) in some abandoned building was never a good idea. Or at least so her instincts and fiction-savviness told her anyways.
She also wasn't sure if anyone else was here, but would assume the potential at least unless proven otherwise.
The rain fell gently, a myriad of droplets breaking against the charred, fractured boards of the ghost ship. They turned to streams tinged with blood, converging upon the creases before sliding off over the edge of the deck towards the city below. The thundering of combat still rang down below, some conflicts coming to an end while other conflicts had only just begun, ebbing and flowing ceaselessly, but for now, Amaryllis couldn’t really feel anything for it. She laid down on the rain-drenched, flame-scorched deck of the Flying Dutchman, her Sword only loosely cradled in a hand that could no longer grip. Dark strands of hair followed the same creases as Rosa’s blood and the sky’s rain, as the barrier, that invisible barrier that still reconstructed itself even as the people it shielded were gone and the city it sheltered plummeted towards destruction, sapped away the last of her magical energy.
Her transformation unravelled, pale light surging over her body before bursting like a bubble to reveal a girl in a wool sweater and sweatpants, both soon dampening in the rain. Amaryllis’s eyes remained closed, but she could feel the tepid warmth of the maimed tiger beside her, the rattling and creaking of the ship, the dull pain that flared up in her left wrist every time she took in a breath. Still alive, at least. That was good. Mariette, Nuncio, and Sammy all made it out alive. The Monster Queen received her second chance. Sophia got out before the Ascendancy got dirty.
But it didn’t change the fact that none of these small victories meant anything in the long run.
Tightening her gut, the midnight-haired girl sat up, pushing her wet hair out of her eyes. She clipped off the amethyst choker around her neck and waved at Sophia. “Sorry,” Amaryllis spoke, her voice croaking a bit. “Could you do the healing for the tiger?”
“...Aye, ah’ can lass.”
The pirate’s boots clunked as she walked over the battle-wrought hull of her patron and over to Amaryllis, her voice soft as she spoke back to the other girl. Taking a knee, Sophia then reached out and accepted the amethyst choker in her free hand. A sort of grimace wrote itself into the dark magical girl’s face, however, as she for a moment looked over to meet the eyes of the now one-arm-short Rose Knight. A bloody stump...the magical chain arm Sophia wore seemed to shudder as she looked at the sight, as if somehow reacting to such a thing. Bah.
But it was an idea.
She then cocked her head back.
“Ey, planks fer’ brains, yeh’ gonna’ drop off the rest of them dead bodies in tha’ right places? Don’t wanna’ get tha’ bleedin’ Beaconites on our tails fer’ running off with tha’ dead.
….An, could yeh give tha’ lass somethin’ fer’ er’ wounds to? Just as ah’ guest at least. Ain’t no battle we in right now, wouldn’t think it’d beh’ ‘interference’ or any o’ that trite shite.”
At the last part Sophia seemed to take pause before letting out a sigh. Then turning back to Amaryllis, she reached out and touched the other girl’s stump with her chain arm. In a rapid movement, the prosthetic seemed to unfurl from Sophia’s arm and transform into chains that attached themselves to the moonlit swordswoman’s stump. After a moment, the arm would reform from the swirling chains and form an (at least temporary) supplement for the girl. Warmth and a certain attachment to the neres would spread it from it, alongside the faint hint of a potentially familiar magic at least.
“This thin’ ah’ll help stop tha’ bleeding and give ya’ ah’n arm fer’ the moment bein’ at least...maybe ease tha’ transition ah’n all. Was the bloody thin’ at’ pushed meh’ ta’ try teh’ come talk to ya’ after ah’ first woke up anywho, fore’ at’ Su lass drug meh’ off fer’ execution, so maybe eh’t has ah’ likin’ to yeh’ er’ somethin’,” the pirate said, speaking without looking at Amaryllis as she moved over to touch the healing artifact onto and begin healing the wounded tiger, lightly wincing at her sore body began to channel what meager mana she had left to save the beast, “...Should ave’ enuff’ ta’ ah’t least keep this girl ere’ stable and then some till ah’ get some more mana back. Fought ard’ fer’ er’ master too.”
Amaryllis looked down as Sophia’s chains connected onto her own stump of a wrist, forging itself into a prosthetic. She flexed it a couple times, watched as the dark chains flaked away to reveal a silvery color underneath. Sophia’s chains? Annabelle’s? Or her own? A difficult expression passed over her features, before she forced a smile.
“Does this…” She paused, raising her arm up higher. “...these chains speak to you? Don’t reckon you, mm, know where this came from?”
The pirate partly turned her head to the side, cocking an eyebrow at the untransformed knight.
“Eh? All ah’ know is at’ when ah’ woke up it was attached teh’ meh’ already. Led meh’ ovah’ to yeh’, seems ta’ ave’ somewhat ah’ mind oh’ its own and prods meh’ from time teh’ time,” Sophia admitted truthfully, giving a one-armed shrug before continuing on, “Far as ah’ can tell, tha’ thin’ is filled wit’ Darkness magic, is made oh’ dem’ useful chains, ahn’ it seems ta’ stick wit meh’ fer’ some reason. Tha’ chains remind meh’ of yeh’ own realleh’, but its magic is somethin’ else it seems.”
As if on cue, the prosthetic seemed to prod the mind of Amaryllis, a vague but distinct sort of communication maybe akin to a “hello there” or “hi again” sort of thing. Maybe? Considering the blue haired girl’s experience with vague communications from a Lesser Force, perhaps that prosthetic felt she was better apt to figuring that out herself?
Amaryllis twitched slightly at the psychic prodding. Phantasmal pains she had become accustomed to, but this new encroachment on her mind, while not wholly disturbing, would still take some time getting used to. She eyed the stump that had become Sophia’s arm now, wondering what the utilitarian calculus of this exchange even would have been, when neither of them necessarily needed two arms to get their ‘work’ done to begin with.
A frown formed. She definitely needed two hands to get into engineering, especially if she wanted to do so without using magic to cheat her way through work. What was she thinking?
She pressed her right hand against her face, massaging her temple with her thumb. “It’s from me, yeah,” Amaryllis said. “Caused them to sprout out from the shoulder of a magical girl whose arm I cut off, when her friends tried to carry her away. She used her own magic afterwards to fashion it into a prosthetic. And I suppose you inherited it afterwards.”
“...Ya’ cut er’ arm off? Yikes. But eh, suppose yeh’ had ya’ reasins’ fer’ it at tha’ time tho. Curious teh’ ask bout’ tha’ rest, but ah’ll save at’ fer’ later,” the pirate said letting out a small sigh before continuing, looking over to Amaryllis with some slight concern, “But if it was made by someone ya’ cut tha’ arm off ah’ve an’ all, why would it be pressin’ meh’ ta’ talk to ya’ in tha’ first place? Thin’s save mah’ skin in part o’er time, and ah’ feel partial teh’ it mah’self, but is’ makes less sense tha’ mahself bein’ made o’ ah’ corpse an’-”
As Sophia heard herself speak the final part, her lips seemed to draw out into a grimace once more, cutting herself off suddenly as she quietly turned her head back to helping heal the tiger. Sure she knew the truth of that bit, at least, but that old identity and life and baggage of her existence wasn’t something she had much answers for. One flashback into her past so far was it, and a girl who had tried to murder her and had hidden away from her ever since (or so it seemed). Plus the weight of the obvious was...something of its own. A tad of a sore spot, really.
“Well,” Amaryllis chuckled half-heartedly, “If arm-cutting was the end-all of bad things that magical girls did to other magical girls, I’m sure tonight wouldn’t have been nearly so bad.”
She leaned back, then decided that she was too tired even for that, and just fell back onto the deck of the ship. Closing her eyes, the buxom girl just let the soft tingling of the rain come over her for a moment.
“Do you want to know, Sophia? Do you really want to know?”
The pirate turned her head back to Amaryllis once more.
“Frankly speakin’...part oh’ me doesn’t know if ah’ wanna know all ah’m curious bout’. But truthfulleh’ ah’d rather know ahn’ be understandin’ than sittin’ bout’ ignorant, Amaryllis,” Sophia said with a small, slightly defeated sigh as she looked up at the sky for a moment. Dark clouds filled her vision, and rain ran down the sides of her face before dropping onto the deck below her, though the girl gave a light but low chuckle of her own, “Ah’ was jus’ born about yesterdeh’, fer’ all intents an’ purposes.”
“That’s a long ‘yesterday’ you’ve been living then,” Amaryllis remarked. Sitting upright and tossing her damp hair over one shoulder, she spoke as she began braiding. “Your body, before you became what you are now, was the catalyst for a ritual to create a physical vessel of the Horror, Soth. Alongside the magical girl who once served under him, I fought to stop the ritual from completing successfully. We had formed a connection through these chains, you see, and she informed me about the ritual’s location before it was too late.”
The death of a magical girl lasted only twenty years, but considering how riotous the last week or two had been, even a month felt like a year these days.
“That girl, she stopped the ritual at the end, and the chains that connected her mind to mine between the dimensions she traversed to do so were similarly grafted into your own. The ritual failed, the magical energies involved drawing a new soul into the body of an old one.”
She let out a breath, then an awkward half-smile.
“Well, that’s the short version of it, at least.”
“...”
The pirate seemed to take pause for a moment after Amaryllis spoke, the soft glow of the healing artifact on the wounded tiger fading with the nearly all the last of her mana. No one had told her the exact story, not that her patron knew it entirely beyond “Horror” and “vessel” and “dead body” in a basic sense. Yet it was something to hear straight from the horse’s mouth that this chain-y arm was the product of two magical girls and a rather big event that had surrounded her ‘creation’.
Blech.
What was she supposed to feel about this? How was she supposed to feel about this? The corpse of someone else, the lost life of another, the devastation of the city that she’d woken up in all being centered around her somehow? Even if she hadn’t been directly involved, or had any choice of coming into being for that matter, it all was around the body she’d taken residence in and that had been made her own. Even if she was to stop being a magical girl, she’d be a mundane one left to a mundane life regardless...and she’d have to live with it all.
“...Heh. It’s felt like ah’ long yesterdeh’ fer’ meh’ fer’ some time, Lass. Ah’ve never knew what ah’ came from, who ah’ was made out oh’ve, nothin’ from tha’ lass who tried ta’ kill meh, an’ one bleedin’ flashback of ah’ life ah’ never knew mah’self. Mah’ patron ain’t likin’ tha’ Greater Horror ya’ mentioned tho, told me bout’ it at least.
Ta’ at least know ah’m ah’ soul slapped intah’ ah’ corpse ta’ make ah’ new person from some failed ritual fer’ wakin’ up in ah’ graveyard. Ain’t what ah’d ever wanted, but it’s what append’ and what ah’ got ta’ deal wit’ regardless,” the pirate said, leaning back and sitting on her butt next to the tiger and as close to Amaryllis as she already physically was, crossing her legs as she turned to face the other girl and extended the healing artifact back, “Well, ah’ll hear bout’ the longer version of tha’ storeh’ later ah’ s’ppose’. Fer’ now ah’ gotta’ help yeh’ and tha’ tiger ere’ recover, and yeh’ ain’t arguin’ gainst’ it either. Will get yeh’ back ta’ yer’ place at least, though, but ah’m not leaving till yeh’ both back ta’gether again...least’ physically.”
Though as a small thought came to mind, the edges of the pirate’s mouth curved upwards into an at least brief smile of sorts.
“Sides’, yeh’ need ta’ spend time with tha’ little magical lovechild ya’ an’ at’ lass ya’ mentioned sorta’ made. Maybe it misses one oh’ its motha’s, haha!” she said, before pointing to the chain arm and giving a loud laugh into the rainy air.
It was a poor attempt to make a sort of joke and humor, something to lighten the mood even if just a little for a moment. But at the moment, it was all she felt she had off of the top of her head. Anything to try to make it all feel a little better, even if it all wasn’t exactly better in general.
“M-magical lovechild?” Amaryllis sputtered, her cheeks turning red at the thought. She almost dropped the healing artifact that Sophia handed back to her, only managing to catch it an inch away from the slick deck of the ship. “I-it wasn’t like that, alright? I can’t even say that we were, like, friends or anything!”
She took in a deep breath to calm herself, then a couple more to recalibrate her thoughts.
“But I guess we could’ve been,” the girl said, finishing off her braid. “No one asked to be born anyhow; guess you were just lucky that you didn’t have to start from infancy, Sophia. Or pre school. Or any school, really.” Amaryllis went to tie the choker back around her neck, before shooting a look at the pirate queen. “Actually, uh...do you even have an ID?”
The pirate howled in laughter briefly, even as her compatriot sputtered and turned a nice deep red before her very eyes. Even the chain arm seemed to rattle lightly and make an almost light and tinkling sound. Laughter? No idea. But goodness, she hadn’t known the lass felt that way about the girl! Or perhaps it was just the surprise….was not as fun a conclusion to draw about it though.
Regardless, as Amaryllis calmed down, the pirate let herself wind back down as her heartbeat began to slow back down from pounding in her ears.
“Ah...hah...eh? Can’t say if ah’ ah’m lucky er’ not ta’ not ah’ve started off like tha’ rest o’ humanity. Something ta’ think bout’ fer’ sure tho,” the pirate said, running a hand over her chin, before the last point seemed to stop and look back before raising an eyebrow, “ID? Ah, not been needin’ such iss’ far realleh’. Don’t ah’ve any, actualleh’...er, is’ at’ ah’ bad thin’?”
“Well, if you’re like, not a magical girl all the time, you can do stuff like...rent out an apartment, get a credit card, go to school, stuff like that? I guess it’s not a bad thing to not have an ID, but if you do...you can do more things?” Amaryllis winced then, remembering the state of Penrose itself, about how most businesses were shut down and most public facilities were non-existent. “Though I guess Penrose needs normal humans first before having an ID really matters...”
“Hmm...ah’ s’ppose yer’ right lass. Gotta’ fix tha’ city back teh’ ah’ better state fer’ anyone’s comin’ back ah’n at’ gets more nessecareh’,” Sophia said before giving a sigh and lying back on the wet deck in a splayed out manner, “Though fer’ what it counts, ah’ll be comin to yeh’ teh’ figure at’ one out once we get teh’ tha’ point at least. All ah’ve ad’ so far is bein’ ah’ magical girl, ahn’ course’ buyin’ food ta’ sate’ mah’ palette...never did get ta’ talk to yeh’ blade oh’ ah’ patron about hunger tho’, haha.”
A big, dumb grin seemed to work its way onto Sophia’s face, before she tilted her head to look up at Amaryllis again.
“But no worries, lass! Weh’ll get tha’ city back in shape fer’ sure! Jus’ feel free ta’ take ah’ rest fer now in tha’ captain’s quarters behind ya’. Ol’ creakin’ patron oh’ mine keeps it in tip top shape when ah’m sleeping ere’ some nights. Thin’s ah’ bleedin’ klepo fer’ tha’ good stuff tho’.
Ah’ll hang on ere’ with tha’ tiger till’ weh’ arrive at yeh’ place, patron’ll keep outta’ sight ahn’ ah’ can stick bout’ till ya two’s recovered.”
“Guess I will try to get some sleep then, yeah. Certainly gonna be busy tomorrow, anyhow.”
Amaryllis turned her palm upwards and her eyes widened slightly. It had stopped raining. A bit of good news for the night, if nothing else. Slowly pulling herself up, she picked up her Sword, ignored the searing sulking of the bloodthirsty Patron, and half-stumbled towards the room Sophia pointed out.
“We’ll figure everything out and fix everything up, Sophia. And once it’s all good, I’ll see if I can get you enrolled in university or something, yeah?”
“Aye...ya’ can count on at’, lass. Fer’ now, tho’, one thin’ atta’ time, eh?”
The pirate exhaled slowly after speaking, the exhaustion coming over her as she finally flickered out of her magical girl form. Eyes fluttered shut for the now hoodie-wearing girl in turn, and after a moment it would be frankly hard to tell if she was even awake at this point. Indeed, even the reckless pirate seemed to have her limits as well.
“One thing at a time,” Amaryllis nodded.
She slipped into the room, closed the door behind her, stripped off her wet clothes, and practically collapsed into the bed, falling unconscious two seconds later.
It was only until noon the next day that the naked girl so much as stirred from her slumber.
The green haired noble daughter looked over at Radaam as a small girl seemed to tun up to him, begging to take the boy's familiar off to see the place. It was an odd request to be sure, but Ishara could not help but lightly smile as the two siblings (as they turned out to be it seemed) had a short exchange before her very eyes. The little girl herself was adorable, to say the least, though it seemed to strike an odd chord within the new apprentice.
She'd lived with priestesses when she was rather young, indeed, and even now some of them felt like an 'older sister' in some sense. But she'd never really had a 'sibling' of her own at any point in her life. She was her mother's only child, and even her adoptive mother had not given birth to a child at some point in her life thus far. It was all odd to say the very least, and she'd been used to those long nights studying and doing things to keep herself busy when time seemed to drag on. Yet somewhere inside she inevitably wondered one thing: "What was it like?". Perhaps it was a mixed bag, like with any family, where you had the good and the bad. Perhaps it was one way for some, and another way for others.
Eh...perhaps now wasn't the time to ponder. She responded to Udjebten's concerned look by leaning down a little and patting the little hippo on the head in a friendly manner. With how much she'd been praised back at Pesedjet, it was a wonder she hadn't summoned a Tutelary of her own yet. Yet as compared to the struggles of so many, it was a trifle of a thing indeed that seemed to have gotten under her skin. There were those who weren't as skilled, but whose hard work she wished would be seen for what it was. She'd always treated the hard work of others of any status with respect, but...mmm. She'd heard the whispers from peers before, back at the school, talking down as if they enjoyed her having some kind of area she lacked. She'd worked hard to get where she was though! She had no control over who had taken her in, and who had given birth to her! What was so wrong with applying whatever 'talent' it was said she had, rather than just sit on her laurels?
Regardless, the green-haired girl let out a quiet sigh and looked over as Khaemtir moved over and was talking to their new master. Dagon seemed to be a somewhat intimidating man in his own way, but Ishara silently watched on as he spoke. She wanted to introduce herself as well, though...well, it would be rude to interrupt her peer. Albeit she was, admittedly, curious to first see how the Sorcerer was like before coming over there as well.
(Biological Catgirl Traits: Like other catgirls she has little claws at the ends of her fingers rather than traditional fingernails, nothing too long or crazy but very useful in a fight. In addition she has far better vision in the dark, as well as naturally good hearing when it comes to her cat-style ears. Likewise like other catgirls she is predisposed to naturally multiple-child births (perhaps 2-3 or 3-4), were she to have such, as well as going into heat as a female each month and that sort of thing. In other words, she possesses the general standard biological nature of a catgirl in the new world.
(Of course, she in all honesty has to learn to wield and adjust to these traits.)
Goals: Her ambition would be to create something for herself, a legacy, a nation, a people, something to shape things for the better and make her own name with this new second chance. She’s no stranger to hard work, so she’ll put her all into her new dream!
Past Life:
A tomboy of a girl and a martial arts prodigy also dubbed a ‘veritable savant’ by her myriad instructors, her wealthy parents took pride in her and took her to various teachers and various places around the world to learn various styles over the first years of her life. It was a way to show off her talents and bring attention to their family name, but also somewhat consumed her life in the process. By the time she turned 20, she was a prodigious and professional student of some good renown (mainly due to her age and raw talent)...but when it came to other personal interests her ideas lied elsewhere. As much as she enjoyed the martial arts, however, she still enjoyed watching anime, playing games, and the like as a younger person could be so inclined to be.
In particular her geeky inner self had a strong interest in ancient history in general, and ancient egypt in particular, which when she sought to stand out on her own more were factors that drove her to seek a college education. She worked hard for years on her martial arts even still, to at least appease her family, but also to ultimately acquire a double major in Egyptology and History (Ancient Mediterranean specialized).
At the age of 36, however, she would ultimately be killed on her way to h at a museum when a drunk truck driver ran over the center lane and sent her and her black VW Beetle car flying. She died in the initial impact, before the car even got rolling, and the resulting cleanup was...not pretty at all. A talented life, wasted by the foolish actions of another before she could truly impact the world.
Abilities:
Physical Conditioning: Peak Human - Her body is naturally tough, durable, and strong. The pinnacle of human physical strength, endurance, and agility. Keep training, and surely she can surpass even stronger beings.
Soul Flare: The ability to turn one’s soul into a weapon itself. Needed for most basic magical feats. Channel the mana present in the air through your body to achieve great feats. Allows one to interact with supernatural things, and perceive things others may not.
Unique/"Cheat" Ability: Suns Disciple - Wherever you go, the sun shines on your path. The sun illuminates you. Keeps you warm, and safe - and yet it burns. Burns you. Burns your foes. Burns everything. The sun of this world is not ruled by the goddess that bought you here. If you desire to strengthen it, seek them out yourself. As it is, you will steadily grow in physical power and endurance as the sun rises up until its peak, and steadily return to your normal strength as the sun falls, until night hits. At the moment, even during noon, you will gain only a minor boost to all physicals. Additionally, you have a minor affinity for Light-based magical feats.
Martial Art Prodigy: A skill denoting a preternatural affinity for the martial arts. At its current level, this ability merely increases your potential for learning martial arts, and does not denote a higher skill level than average. Keep honing your fists and pushing yourself. ("A skill denoting that she knows what she's doing currently, if not being experienced with it. Basically she adjusted to her new body.)
Sunlight (Lesser/Restricted): A skill in which denotes one as being able to cast basic ‘Light’ spells with minor ease. This ability however, has been modified by ‘Suns Disciple’. Spells cast from this family of spells will typically take a form befitting that of the Sun Goddess. Light spells typically are those of healing, restraint, and help. Yours however, take the shape of a burning sun in some fashion. (Something is preventing you from fully using this ability and causing them to be less effective and unstable).
Light: A simple 'Light' spell creating an orb of light to illuminate things, Leannah learned how to do this safely from Lazhira...and how to turn it into a mini-supernova of fiery explosive doom as she was seeking to complete the game the Illuminator presented her with. Due to the modifications of 'Suns Disciple', takes a fitting form and is even brighter than usual. Yay.
Telekinesis (Lesser): The ability to move things with the mind. Currently, you may only lift things equivalent to what you could naturally lift physical wise, and living targets other than yourself are immune.
Flight (Lesser): A skill denoting some ability to fly. A mix of your telekinetic abilities and your fire abilities combined to allow a rudimentary form of self propulsion. Weak and hard to control for now, but with practice comes skill. Try not to slam face first into a bird. She might never forgive you.
Inventory:
-Clothing: Her initial set of clothing, consisting of what is seen in her appearance pic.
-Picture Book from the Temple: (Can't read it, has pictures, likely full of legends about the Illuminator, might need to find someone at the village to translate, etc.)
-Journal Page: (A torn page from the Library that Leannah got trapped in at the Illuminator's temple, reads out like the journal entry of a traitor who infiltrated the cult and such. Forget the exact stuff on it, I need to look back a few IC pages to see eventually. Just wanted to note this here too for inventory's sake.)
-Ancient Sword: This appears to be a simple arming sword. Well crafted, but obviously aged beyond any recognizable features. The grip on its hilt seems to have once been dyed blue, with the pommel having been engraved with a decorative crest of some sort. When you hold it in your hands, you can feel an odd energy running through it, but you can't begin to guess what they might really be.
-Ancient Spear: A spear of fine make, if somewhat mundane looking. Its shaft is made of wood, its finishing having eroded away and leaving the wood beneath visible. It is surprisingly heavy in her hands despite her strength, but perfectly balanced. The tip is fairly long, at least a foot in length of sharpened metal. A small groove runs alongside the bottom of the blade towards the tip. When you hold it in your hands, you can feel an odd energy running through it, but you can't begin to guess what they might really be.
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Other:
-Got burned by using an out-of-control version of the "Light" spell, replicating her accidental results as Lazhira's house and unleashing a hella strong explosion. Burned just the right half of her body though. Inventory and items are still fine, but the burns hurt rather badly. (Lazhira did apply some healing stuff to it by now.)
(But is wearing much warmer stuff over the trinkets and such in the above link [and pic] for now.)
(Biological Catgirl Traits: Like other catgirls she has little claws at the ends of her fingers rather than traditional fingernails, nothing too long or crazy but very useful in a fight. In addition she has far better vision in the dark, as well as naturally good hearing when it comes to her cat-style ears. Likewise like other catgirls she is predisposed to naturally multiple-child births (perhaps 2-3 or 3-4), were she to have such, as well as going into heat as a female each month and that sort of thing. In other words, she possesses the general standard biological nature of a catgirl in the new world.
Of course, she in all honesty has to learn to wield and adjust to these traits.)
Goals: Her ambition would be to create something for herself, a legacy, a nation, a people, something to shape things for the better and make her own name with this new second chance. She’s no stranger to hard work, so she’ll put her all into her new dream!
Past Life:
A tomboy of a girl and a martial arts prodigy also dubbed a ‘veritable savant’ by her myriad instructors, her wealthy parents took pride in her and took her to various teachers and various places around the world to learn various styles over the first years of her life. It was a way to show off her talents and bring attention to their family name, but also somewhat consumed her life in the process. By the time she turned 20, she was a prodigious and professional student of some good renown (mainly due to her age and raw talent)...but when it came to other personal interests her ideas lied elsewhere. As much as she enjoyed the martial arts, however, she still enjoyed watching anime, playing games, and the like as a younger person could be so inclined to be.
In particular her geeky inner self had a strong interest in ancient history in general, and ancient egypt in particular, which when she sought to stand out on her own more were factors that drove her to seek a college education. She worked hard for years on her martial arts even still, to at least appease her family, but also to ultimately acquire a double major in Egyptology and History (Ancient Mediterranean specialized).
At the age of 36, however, she would ultimately be killed on her way to h at a museum when a drunk truck driver ran over the center lane and sent her and her black VW Beetle car flying. She died in the initial impact, before the car even got rolling, and the resulting cleanup was...not pretty at all. A talented life, wasted by the foolish actions of another before she could truly impact the world.
Abilities:
Physical Conditioning: Peak Human - Her body is naturally tough, durable, and strong. The pinnacle of human physical strength, endurance, and agility. Keep training, and surely she can surpass even stronger beings.
Soul Flare: The ability to turn one’s soul into a weapon itself. Needed for most basic magical feats. Channel the mana present in the air through your body to achieve great feats. Allows one to interact with supernatural things, and perceive things others may not.
Unique/"Cheat" Ability: Suns Disciple - Wherever you go, the sun shines on your path. The sun illuminates you. Keeps you warm, and safe - and yet it burns. Burns you. Burns your foes. Burns everything. The sun of this world is not ruled by the goddess that bought you here. If you desire to strengthen it, seek them out yourself. As it is, you will steadily grow in physical power and endurance as the sun rises up until its peak, and steadily return to your normal strength as the sun falls, until night hits. At the moment, even during noon, you will gain only a minor boost to all physicals. Additionally, you have a minor affinity for Light-based magical feats.
Inventory:
-Clothing: Her initial set of clothing, consisting of what is seen in her appearance pic but also with her covered from head to toe by more thicker warm clothing fit for icy wasteland survival.
He was not the kind of person to just back down over a challenge that lied before him, but even he had to admit that his master situation was not one he envied either. He'd almost expected a single master to be before him, perhaps some kind of magus who just wanted to get their hands on the Grail's wish for one reason or other, but more surprising was the two faces that had met him instead. Two constantly bickering and divergent faces in regards to each other, but two faces all the same. It was commendable that they had been able to divide the burden of mastering a servant, but the Archer had soon found out very fast that this came at its own price when the one supplying your mana and the one bearing the Command Seals differed about how to go about things. It reminded him of a certain council of a formerly human "Great Disaster of Japan" who had bickered amongst themselves and cast aside any thought of a unified front beyond sitting in their little fort...and look at how that had turned out for everyone as a result.
Regardless of those more vague reminders of the past, however, the heroic spirit had felt a certain kinship with both of his masters thus far. The more thoughtful Constante, a boy who had a good heart and a real confidence problem and frankly a lack of social aptitude and bravery despite his gifts. Then there was the loud and proud Karizma, who seemed to remind him more of himself in her bravery and charging forward...but also in other particular ways he didn't like. A mixed-bag situation, as the modern term went, and even as they'd arrived in this more relaxed area of Japan and set up the sheer amount of noise kept rolling along in turn. Even he'd hoped they'd take a second to breathe before tearing into each other at least...but hey, family was family as well. He could recognize even that much and take notes from his own life.
Not that he hoped these two would turn out like his family did anyways. Was not a very good situation at all there. But if the worst came to worst, he could hang in there for a week tops without them.
At the behest of his two masters, however, the formerly-relaxing Archer swung his legs over and swiftly stood up from where he'd been lying on a nearby couch faster than a normal human could manage. Putting his hands on his hips and asserting his size, the rather tall and large man of a servant looked over the two with a slightly tired eye before he finally spoke up.
"Look, both of you have some valid points and you need to learn to accept that if you want to survive this conflict," Tametomo said, rubbing the back of his head with one lax hand before putting it back on his hip again, "Constante, you are right in that picking them off and not rushing in is a good idea.
But if we sit about here, then frankly we get nothing done and are a big target for anyone that wants to take out the obvious threat someone like me poses. Likewise, if any alliances form we get left out of the talking and could get ganged up on among other things. Failing to act is one thing we need to avoid."
The Archer then looked to the female twin in turn.
"Karizma, you're right in that getting out there and involved gives us a good chance to strike or make deals while things are still very new. Gives us a chance to see the layout of things and really get hands-on with this before people start gaining ground in one way or another. If we don't 'get the ball rolling' then we risk falling behind or otherwise, meeting the other competitors or fighting them and otherwise.
But if we just charge out there and start shooting at people, then we will die. If we had the right situation sure, I mean, it'd work. Blindly doing that off the cuff is another thing entirely, though, and your brother is right about that much."
Tametomo let out a long, drawn sigh that seemed to hang in the air.
"So here's what we're doing. Karizma and I can go out there, play her off as if she's my only master and give us that much to work with here. See if we can find anyone to shoot, or talk, to while we're out there. See if we find any bases or workshops out there.
Constante, you hang back here and keep hidden. Maybe get some familiars out there or something, or whatever mages tend to do while they sit back in their workshops? While we take the public front out there you can get us eyes out there and shore our defenses up.
Then we come back by the end of the night, and see where we go from there. Ok?"
Who knew, maybe he'd get to meet his nephew in this war! Never got to see the kid in life anyways, so why not now on the field of battle? It wasn't a guaranteed chance, but it was something to look forward to and keep his mind off of this clatter.
The young girl gave a twirl of her loaded Tanegashima in her hand as she walked around the workshop she'd completed in the samurai-compound-like hoome she had acquired for this war. Of course these 'distant relatives' were out of the country on a holiday, rather than stick around here for this, but she didn't mind one bit! Or perhaps they were a small family who had moved onto a distant hill in this rural area for peace...only to be sent off by simple magecraft to forget this all and her as they took up a long and coerced vacation in the USA for a week. Either way, it was something that the young mage felt would fit her and her servant's situation perfectly! They had a spot located a bit out of town, but close enough to be able to travel there safely and casually unless enemies came out here to get them. It also somewhat reminded her of home to boot, and given her time to set up her things and get ready for the first night.
Maybe her servant could set up here as well, if he wanted to.
"Rider, what do you think would be a good idea for tonight?" she called out into the house, her voice ringing through the otherwise silent sliding doors and paper walls, "I was thinking we could take to the town, see if anyone wants to talk or get shot in the face. But I don't wanna' be rude, and we do need to give this some thought anywho~!"
Toyotomi Hideyoshi, a truly legendary figure in Japan's history who had a rather interesting nature about him. He also had a wife that spent him into ruin, but that was another matter entirely. As much as she trusted his judgement and skill, she also knew he had to 'get going' for his true power to shine here as a servant. A mixed-bag that was what it was, she was glad to have summoned him all the same. Perhaps she would survive through this conflict, as her and her family hoped. Though on that more serious note she was inclined to worry at least a little bit internally over it all.
"Sorcerer-Magus Callis Dagon of the Cult of the Crow accepts under his auspice Sorcerer-Novitiate Ishara Thumotep, Sorcerer-Novitiate Radaam Esi, and Sorcerer-Novitiate Khaemtir Maryatum."
As she stood there, donned in her pure white cloak clasped with smooth golden brooch, the green-haired girl almost felt her breath stop as she heard her name called aloud.
For so long she had wondered, prayed to the goddess, and pondered as she lied in her bed to sleep what of the Cults might take a fancy to her. To some the Cult that had chosen her in the end was likely not a surprise, given her individual talents, but at the same time she hadn't come into this with any more than a desire to learn in whatever Cult chose to take her on. Magus Dagon was a rather somber looking kind of individual indeed, though his hair color and ilk almost seemed to suggest-...ah, never mind. Behind that scowl on the man's face she put the hope that his wisdom and knowledge would be fruitful for her and her peers' studies indeed. After all, she was one of just three students to be taken in by the Cult of the Crow this year! And to boot, one of her peers was a former classmate from Pesedjet whom her adoptive mother knew the family of personally!
Though the lack of the Crimson King's own presence this year was...hmm, she could not put a finger on it. A gut feeling told her 'something' was up, though in all truth he was perhaps just kept busy with all the political goings-on in the city. There was no need to overthink such things, though the more superstitious might see this as an inauspicious sign indeed. In that sense it was a slightly off note to the overall rather successful and otherwise almost perfect ceremony.
At the very least, however, as she listened the Vizier's advice it was something she took at its face value. A very hand of the city's ruler himself, his words might be rather valuable indeed. It was enough to allow her to breath out a relieved sigh as quietly as she could after nodding in response to the man's words. Perhaps with the following festivities, she would be able to let more of the tension roll off of her shoulders whilst food and drink abounded.
----------------
...As music began to waft through the air like a welcome summer breeze, and the glow of the lit braziers further illuminated the area like a setting sun, the teen allowed herself to relax a bit more as she looked through the throng of people about her. Her adoptive mother would surely be here without a doubt, she had promised such! It was a day that the two had long worked towards, and perhaps some part of her sought comfort in the presence of a familiar face after all of this. Though to the girl's shock, she eventually noticed not one but two figures who were now bee-lining it towards her.
The most surprising of the two was a woman who wore a thin and similarly pure white colored attire, rather revealing but just enough so to catch the gaze of passerby and others. Her clothing seemed to caress her very figure from top to bottom in a smooth yet eye-catching manner, from her leaner and curvy shape to her sizable chest to even her swaying hips that seemed to move in a soothing rhythm. Her lower face was barely covered in a nearly transparent gossamer veil as well, showing only some of her smooth, soft, and milky skin, all allowing for the contrast of the woman's piercing green eyes to stand out all the more. Her arms sat daintily to her sides in turn as well as she moved, though it was hard to ignore the tinkling gold and silver ornaments and bangles and ilk that adorned the woman's wrists and ankles as she moved along. Then in final, a long braided length of a familiar green hair seemed to hang down her back, bound with golden bands adorned with jewels and religious symbols that most did not see this far from those working near the Temple of Ishari at all. It was a breathtaking sight of beauty that some might easily attribute to Biomancy treatments in life, or at least past generations, the truth of which Ishara herself did not know for certain to boot.
The young student's face lit up in a heartbeat at seeing this woman, however, and without pausing she ran over to the duo without a second thought.
"Mother!" she said, a certain youthful joy in her voice as she flung her arms around her birth mother's neck with a beaming smile.
"Hahaha! My sweet child, how much joy it brings me to see you. I could naught else but be here on this momentous ascension in your life. The Matron of the Temple was given vision, guidance to send me here this evening to be with you even if for at least this moment," the woman said after giving out a peal of warm and joyful laughter, before running a gentle hand through her daughter's hair and looking down at her warmly in turn, "By Ishari's grace, you have grown so beautifully...you remind me of your grandmother so. Never feel shame in your body, for it is blessed upon you by the goddess."
Ishara took the woman's gentle hand in her own, clutching onto its calming warmth before letting go and stepping back to look her birth mother in the eyes.
"Haha...you have said these things many a time, mother, though I wish I could have met grandmother myself from the stories you tell of her! Even so, even your brief presence is something of a comfort for me today. Though before I leave tonight, I must confer with my new teacher as the Vizier advised us and seek out my peers!"
"Ahem."
The duo looked next to them as another voice cut into their conversation, seeing the other familiar person of the night who stood right there with a small but humble smile on her slender yet experienced face. Semi-dark skin akin to a more paled chocolate adorned the woman's body, and her silky black hair seemed to hang over her right shoulder with a single silver band clasped upon it with a family engraved into it: "Thumotep". Whilst her beauty was more towards that Aemeni sort, and as enduring even as the city itself, it was only accentuated with the comfortable blue and purple robe that she wore to rest from the heat as well as look proper for the occasion. An air of grace hung about her, almost like how an aura of shining light hung about the midday sun, though a certain soberness lie underneath that seemed to bring down the jovial atmosphere to a more respectful one for Ishara. Likewise the woman's arms were folded, though unfolded calmly as she was finally noticed by the other two.
"Ah, apologies Mother. It was rude to-"
"Do not worry, Ishara, this is a moment to celebrate and you have every right to celebrate with family," her adoptive mother said, moving over to give her a brief hug and even a small squeeze of her shoulders in turn, "Though do heed the Vizier's advice if he gave you any, and otherwise. Now shoo, you have things to attend to! I will escort your birth mother back as well, at least once we have lingered to chat some with some familiar faces and old friends."
The green haired girl seemed to perk back up, before giving a vigorous nod and taking off in the other direction at top speed back towards her peers.
"Heh, that girl has a bright future ahead of her. I take pride in assisting her to this point, but after this it is a path that she will have to work harder for now that she's here. Not that she needs to work herself to death, Photep forbid."
"Indeed....May the goddess watch over her always."
----------------
When the girl made it back over to the others, however, Khaemtir seemed to pick up on the introductions before she could so much as open her mouth. The corners of her lips seemed to pull up at the boy's first comments, however, as memories of galas and classes at Pesedjet came back into her mind. Khaemtir was not a bad talker or socialite, at least from her perspective, but when it came to group work he seemed to be more...lax? She'd had to get on him and prod him just to get his part of the work done in time, and on more than one occasion! Their styles differed indeed in this manner, but even so she'd tried her best to not chase him off at least. Albeit his Tutelary was something of a more sober mind, it seemed, which was something she'd appreciated after the small hippo had appeared.
Likewise, their other peer to work under the same master was visibly not among the nobility. Yet from him Ishara felt a sort of more sober manner, a certain nerves she could rather empathize with, and perhaps a more hard-working aspect. Then again, assumptions were one thing. But how the boy reacted to his own Tutelary being curious in this instance elicited a small chuckle from the green-haired girl in turn.
"I must agree with Radaam, before we leave to enjoy the night we must confer with our new master. Though do you know how Amenemhatanhk is doing? When I last spoke with him, he seemed to be recovering from the end of a small cold," Ishara said, directing her words and smile towards Khaemtir and her question towards the boy's familiar before she looked over at Radaam in turn, "But it is all really is very overwhelming, and I could barely hold back my own nerves to be honest.
It is pleasure to meet you as well, though, Radaam! I hope we will be able to work well together in the future! Though I hope I can get my own Tutelary summoned sooner than later..."
It was...awkward to be the only one among her new peers to be without a Tutelary thus far. Oddly so, despite how much her teachers and mothers had praised her talents. But maybe patience was also the correct route to take as well. Maybe something unique was out there for her, or the right one had been awaiting her beckoning to this world! Yes, that had to be it.
Post coming tomorrow (Sunday) after I get up! Have to get to bed atm, baby nephew is visiting and i can't make loud keyboard noises to wake him or am dead. XD
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