FujiwaraPhoenix

The Epic of Beginnings - Fragments of a weathered scroll

Though surprised by how easily Enli seemed to cave to their suggestions, Misaki found it no less appealing to at least have some sort of repose for the night. Of course, it was likely that she would be in here poring over the documents present until it came time to sleep (or whatever else the others might have had in store for them), but seeing how it would be rude to not check in on Lazirha at this point in time...

Well, the reading could always be done later; by candlelight, if necessary, but later all the same.

"I would also appreciate the hospitality, should it not prove too burdensome upon the village," the foxgirl began, rising from her seat before bowing towards Enli, "but in the meantime, I think I would like to take a little bit more time looking around. If you'll excuse me..."

With that, Misaki quietly exited the house and, after a quiet look around, began to move about. If anything, its similarities to other fishing villages in the more rural areas of Japan might give room to proceed. Coming across Lazirha in the process would be a bonus, of course, but even so...

@VitaVitaAR@Crimson Paladin@Rune_Alchemist

From the Ashes

Lymnas

The two traveling companions quickly drew a few curious gazes as they seemed to stroll into town, though that was less because of how much they stood out and more...

No, actually, it was really just how much the pair stood out compared to the residents of Lymnas. They were nothing on the level of spectacle, of course, but those gazes that lingered for a moment (and no more) caused more than a few people to wonder what exactly their reason for coming here was in the first place. After all, unlike the other cities (or even towns) of the kingdom, Lymnas was probably less than noteworthy.

That didn't seem to stop the two from walking straight up to the old man who had come out of the medium-sized building in the center of the town, near the square. His greying hair and cane more than made his age obvious, but the air of experience he held as he stared the two down made his role more than obvious.

"Hm... Visitors, I presume?" he asked, looking the two over quietly before nodding. "What brings you out here to Lymnas?"

@VitaVitaAR@Pyromania99@Kiki is Anxious

Orlot

As luck would have it, the two 'companions' that had since left each others' company soon found it once more at a large local bar: 'The Singing Serpent'. As one might have expected from a port city like Orlot, the locale was more than bustling with vigor. Drinks were downed (and more than a few spilled) closer to the tables themselves, and food and empty dishes were passed around amidst the raucous laughter and occasional punch, but there was one section of the building that was kept clear of any of the possibility for damage.

A job notice board, set up by the owners of the bar, found itself more than ample returns given how often people used the thing; with so much money flowing through the city, it only made sense to have a place to allow people to hire others for coin, regardless of purpose. Of course, it had to get by the person overseeing the board (a rather battle-worn dwarf with a sword propped up against the wall nearby) and a fee had to be paid to place those requests, but if they had the money to ask in the first place...

Well, needless to say that the mercenaries, sailors, and everyone else from all walks of life here gave enough respect to the board and anyone looking to take a job. Wouldn't do to have their drinking buddies a few coins short for another round, after all.

Of course, there were more than a few requests from Orlot's governing body proper—requests to inspect goods, escort personnel, and, the all-important subjugation requests and bounties. Boasting about stories always made for a good pastime, after all, but those were always the riskiest. They paid out well, sure, but only if one could minimize the costs in taking down quarry.

There were more than a few of those up, though—wayward beasts wandering the seas and land terrorizing merchants, bandits (also terrorizing merchants), and even a request to find and return someone's pet were all scattered across a corner of the board.

Well, given that the pet seemed to be some sort of crocodilian beast, maybe that last one deserved its spot there among the more bloodthirsty targets.

@Lugubrious@Dead Cruiser

The Epic of Beginnings - Fragments of a weathered scroll

Misaki furrowed her brows as she continued half-listening to Enli's conversation with the other two; given that the "God of Knowledge" in question seemed so important with regards to why this settlement was as it was now, it seemed prudent to at least be aware of what he was saying, given that it was essentially a brief overview of their problems. Of course, going around killing deity-adjacent entities was nowhere on her list of things to do (and hopefully not on those of her two companions), which meant that finding a less bloodthirsty solution would be... More than ideal.

Of course, the commonality of that crest within the records and those who they had met was worth at least asking about... Well, after she had prodded the acting chief with more questions.

"Hm... I don't suppose that negotiations are out of the question?" Misaki asked, raising her hand to catch Enli's attention before pointing to the section regarding some manner of pact. "Putting aside how conspicuously this section is missing, it might be worth at least trying to reach out to this Kyrinth. I apologize for being blunt, but as far as I can tell, the village might continue to slowly 'bleed out' if nothing is done anyways, metaphorically speaking."

Though leaving the diplomacy of the situation to Nobunaga might have been more prudent, it seemed more organic to try and force them to at least consider moving towards some form of action. The foxgirl had dealt with indecisive bureaucracy enough to be at least willing to try and be proactive, especially in this sort of situation.

@VitaVitaAR@Crimson Paladin@Rune_Alchemist

From the Ashes

Lymnas — Eastern Border of Iltana

Trade was not something that the small town of Lymnas saw much of; though wood was plentiful and the farms unspoiled by unsavory hands, people from outside seldom arrived in town. Of course, one could not blame the town so much as they could the way that the rest of the world around them had developed; none of the major roads of the nation passed nearby, and with the advent of air travel a few years back, the town itself felt, in many ways, like a relic of an era long since past.

But in many ways, it was that atmosphere—and rumors on the wind—that had brought the young mage here in the first place. A town located away from prying eyes, and a passing mention of an old hermitage of a great sage from ages past from an old scroll... It would be hard not to at least check it out. Of course, she would not have been so foolish to come here alone anyhow; whether by coincidence or otherwise, the elf travelling with her meant that there was at least one less thing to worry about on the road.

@VitaVitaAR@Pyromania99@Kiki is Anxious

Orlot — Southern Coast of Iltana

As far as port cities went, Orlot was surprisingly profitable despite its seedy atmosphere might have implied. The dwarves who took to the seas to fish or less "savory" activities paid far less attention to how the place was run than the lord of the land had... Though that might have also had something to do with how said lord seemed to love indulging himself in drinks more often than his assistants would have liked. In the end, they seemed to be more in control of the city than he, and with that came the problems that managing a commercial center had.

For instance, the lack of any actual public safety.

As capable as many of Orlot's residents were with a weapon, many seemed to pay more attention to their own troubles and desires. This was, of course, a problem for those who wished to make use of the fact that the city was still a fairly noteworthy place to trade in. To that end, the lucani mercenary who had come to town would find that work was by no means in short supply. With the efforts so readily placed upon the success upon the efforts at sea, it became the surrounding unworked, rocky land that posed the most threat. Bounties upon beasts that had tasted the flesh of those who attempted to move goods about, bandits who found good profit in looting those same people...

Though hiring people to escort them was a straightforward solution for the merchants, it seemed more profitable to those in control of the city to try and cut the root of the problem out at its source.

To the runaway that had just blown into town, though... Well, nobody would look two ways about someone who looked so unassuming at a glance.

@Lugubrious@Dead Cruiser

From the Ashes

@Dead Cruiser@Kiki is Anxious@Lugubrious@Obscene Symphony@Pyromania99@VitaVitaAR: All accepted.
That is six, though, so we're full up now. Things will be starting momentarily, so please stand by for that, please. Forms in forms tab when you get a chance.

The Epic of Beginnings - Fragments of a weathered scroll

With Enli's invitation to dig through the scrolls at her own volition, Misaki could do little to hold back her own curiosity. There were enough questions at hand for her to simply read everything from start to finish and try to gather what information she could, if only because she was at liberty to do so. Depending on how far back these records went, it might have been possible to figure out exactly what had transpired on this ruined world before they had arrived. They could obviously get by for the moment by simply coasting off of deeds that the more combat-capable members of their group performed, but in order to not seem 'out of place', something like this would likely prove to be worth looking into.

"If you would allow me to do so..." the foxgirl responded, bowing in thanks to the older man as she moved to delicately begin to sift through the documents in front of her. Given the apparent problem that was plaguing the village, Misaki's eyes seemed to naturally drift towards mention of a 'God of Knowledge'. Ignoring the oddity that was her own ability to freely read documents that were clearly in a language that did not exist back on Earth, the young woman quietly took note of the fact that there was a place of worship within the forest that they would likely be entering soon enough.

Given that Nobunaga and Novak were apt to talk their way into getting involved (as far as she could tell), figuring out any bits and pieces about the place before they entered from these documents was of the utmost priority; next, of course, was any actual history, but reviewing what was in front of her could come after the major issues at hand were resolved.

@Rune_Alchemist@Crimson Paladin@VitaVitaAR

From the Ashes (A JRPG-esque RP) — Interest Check

@Kazemitsu: Yeah, there's a waiting list.

Dreil are still basically human, just like...

Okay, I guess you could say that they've generally got them on... Lower arms/wrists, lower legs/ankles, neck, a few on the face on some? Basically, weak spots that you could easily abuse on a human body that'd otherwise be ripe for shanking and/or bleeding out from. Beyond that, human faces, human body, etc.;. Well, aside from the other traits I've mentioned.
Also, I said 'lean more', which is different from just 'more'. Yeah.

Fate/Eternum — Reboot

Uehara Mitsuki

The name that the blonde girl gave him—Reines, if he heard her correctly—was odd in the same way that it felt most magi families' names were, but though the young man felt as if he had heard her middle name before, nothing seemed to be clicking at all. The path that she seemed to be leading him on (despite his own supposed 'guide' status) didn't seem to help matters either. Rather than actively looking for her brother, it felt like she was just touring the city...

Even so, it didn't seem right to bring the matter up right away; given that their destination was still in this general direction, there didn't seem to be a pressing need to get there right now. Given Tomoe's own reaction to the area and the fact that he hadn't actually been here before, Mitsuki didn't actually find the walk anything too worrisome.

Or, well, that would've been the case had something not caused the blonde girl to almost lose her balance. That something flying overhead had not escaped his attention, of course, but something like that...

"What was that? Is something the matter?" he asked, moving over to the girl's side to check on her before wondering if the metal maid had that matter covered.

To say it he hadn't seen anything like whatever had just flown overhead in Fusang, much less in this area of the city, made it clear that it was at least worth checking out. Sure, contacting the authorities was possible, but curiosity was most definitely getting the better of him here.

"...Go check it out, Archer," he said, nodding his head before looking at Reines. "Oh, uh... Hm. But finding your older brother... We could continue otherwise, unless..."

@VitaVitaAR@KoL

Alter Ego — Meltryllis

The look of distaste on Meltryllis' face was almost palpable as she watched the enemy Servant begin to use the other fools in front of her as disposable pawns. Given that she had planned to execute them all to begin with, the fact that they were dying was of no trouble to her conscience. The fact that she was using them so wastefully, though...

"Honestly, if you're going to be a villain, at least try and make use of your pawns," she complained, readying herself to cut through the horde of ghosts even as they struck out at everything around her with wanton abandon. "A simple waste of resources is all I can—"

Before she could finish mocking her enemy's choice of action, though, the Alter Ego's gaze turned upwards ever so slightly as the glint of metal in the air caught her eye. The spontaneous appearance of hundreds of blades immediately caused her to take a step back—and just in time, no less, as one of the weapons pierced the spot where she had been standing mere seconds ago. A closer look would reveal that the same fox-eared Servant from when she had obtained her figure had appeared, which, given her actions...

Well, she couldn't exactly complain about the timing in culling the miscellaneous trash that had gathered in the area, but she could do well enough to fix her aim.

"Hmph. Well, if summoning is all that girl can do, then I suppose I have time to clean up a bit more," she remarked, pirouetting around to execute the two incorporeal enemies making their way towards her and leaping into the air after the ones attempting to reach her Master's location.

"Something this slow, though..."

With a smirk, Meltryllis quickly spun forwards, slicing through the ghosts in nearly an instant.

"...Is just a joke.

@VitaVitaAR@Rune_Alchemist@Pyromania99

Fusang Streets

With a nod, Waver began to walk off, only to pause for a moment as Grey seemed to freeze up. That much was understandable, of course, given who was addressing her, but despite that inner fear, the young woman turned towards Artoria and, with her hood over her head as she turned her gaze downwards, shook her head.

"N-no... I'm simply an assistant, so you needn't pay me any mind, A—"

Before she could finish speaking, a sudden (and admittedly ill-timed) gust of wind seemed to blow through the street. Though Waver was at no risk to the sudden shift in air currents, Grey found the issue to be much more pressing—doubly so given how being called out to by the Servant she had been internally dreading to ever meet caused her to react far slower than usual. Though by no means strong, the gust of wind was just enough to push Grey's hood back, revealing her hair—and face—to those present. Of course, she scrambled to pull it back over her head the moment she realized what had happened, but with a deathly pale look, the young woman shook her head and turned around.

"R-right, well... My apologies, but..." she trailed off, attempting to follow after Waver (who, at this moment in time, was praying internally that the Saber hadn't actually caught a glimpse of his assistant's face).

@VitaVitaAR@Rune_Alchemist@Rezod92

From the Ashes (A JRPG-esque RP) — Interest Check

@VitaVitaAR@Pyromania99@Kiki is Anxious@Lugubrious@Obscene Symphony@Qitcat@Dead Cruiser@Sylvan: OoC live.

From the Ashes

The White Inferno had swept across the continent of Strahn centuries ago, dragging everyone within into fire and brimstone as the great city of Velchi had once attempted to harness the power of the Four Protectors to bring its neighbors to its knees. The long-since destroyed ruins left to rot in the sands that consumed the city and the lands around it were left without life were a testament to their folly, and it was said that the nation fell in but a day, leaving those left unscathed to remember them as but a cautionary tale. Of course, with the Protectors having returned to the lands that they held dear, those same people were left to grow prosperous in the wake of that very destruction. Though the people of each nation may have held ambitions of their own, the existence of 'a line that should not be crossed' was firmly etched into their minds.

Of course, with the rise of a nation comes its inevitable decline. The kingdom of Iltana, once reputed for their strength of heart, has grown fat in indulgence, and unrest within its borders only seemed to grow as the years went on. It is at one of the towns near the outskirts of Iltana that the heroes of this journey meet; where it will take them, of course, is yet to be seen...

---

This RP is intended to accommodate for a small group (~4-5 players, maximum) and intends to pursue a more classic JRPG vibe in terms of both worldview and execution. There are no 'game elements' and no isekai shenanigans to be found here, so if you've come here seeking that... Well, I'd advise you to look elsewhere.

The framework of the world itself is mostly in place, but to try and mimic the feel of exploration, I'm not going to be putting detailed information about the continent up front. As I have said, though, this is a framework, which means that you have some room to go creative with things. As GM, though, I will have the right to veto if I so choose.

---

The world is inhabited by a great many races, but for the sake of convenience, I'll list the playable ones thus.

• Humans: Standard fare. They inhabit much of the world, and are about as diverse as they come.
• Elves: With their lithe bodies and sharp ears, elves seem to be the epitome of alert—and for good reason. Rather than living in the forests or fields, the elves of Strahn instead took to the wintry tundras of the north and, surprisingly enough, the desert sands left in the wake of the White Inferno. Hunters at heart, the elves value skill and talent more than any sort of heritage. This is not to say that they are stuck in their old ways, of course; adopting the recent trend of magitech advancement, however slow, has allowed them to both upgrade their old weaponry and take up new arms entirely.
• Dwarves: The stout and sturdy dwarves are just as apt to be found dotting the world as humans, though many in Strahn have taken to the coasts and, more recently, the floating island above the western half of the continent. Not content to simply mill about upon the land, dwarves have actually taken to the seas and skies to eke out their own homes on uncharted lands.
• Dreil/Risho: Fundamentally draconic races, both the Dreihn and the Risho have lizardlike tails, horns, and scales that cover their body. Though the two do share fundamentally similar roots (if taken from a geneological perspective), mistaking one for the other would be rather difficult. On average, the Dreil seem to lean more 'lizard' than 'man', with sharper horns, slit pupils, and more scales to on average when compared to their Risho counterparts; the Risho, in turn, often have deerlike antlers in lieu of the sharper horns that the Dreil grow.
  The Dreil occupy the lands to the northwest of Strahn, making plentiful use of the stone and metals abundant within the land to build themselves up; the Risho, on the other hand, hail from another land entirely, and have only begun to move to Strahn in the last few centuries. There is animosity between the two, of course, but that much is only to be expected.
• Suryana: A race of giant six-armed humanoids, the Suryana have a reputation for being warlike and savage. Of course, that only really stems from their enemies, who have had the misfortune of drawing their ire in the first place. Though their homeland is firmly situated in the forests of eastern Strahn, the Suryana do often travel the world, be it for pilgrimages or simple adventure. Their six arms obviously make them a force to be reckoned with in physical combat, but having four more arms than most other (sapient) beings makes them surprisingly well suited for more than simply swinging multiple weapons at someone's face.
• Lucani: With wolflike ears, tails, and defined canines, the Lucani are fierce hunters that have since grown accustomed to (and even thrived in) the tundras to the north of Strahn. Their senses are sharp—strikingly so, in fact—which makes them difficult to evade out in the field. More than a few leave their homelands to stake out their lives elsewhere, be it as mercenaries or otherwise, which in turn leads to their somewhat ruthless and unflattering reputation at times.
• Jihu: Compared to the similarly-canid Lucani, the Jihu, with their more vulpine ears and tail, look far less rugged and wild. Hailing from the western forests of the continent, the Jihu are seemingly more proficient with the manipulation of mana, be it for actual magic or the usage of delicate tools that require said mana. They are somewhat reclusive compared to the other races on the continent, but the quality of some of the works of craftsmanship they create means that those who succeed in gaining their favor often have a striking amount of sway elsewhere.
• Automata: The sole remnant of the Velchi (bar the ruins of the city), automata had, at one point in time, looked more like mechanical robots than the more humanoid form they have taken on thus. The fall of Velchi had brought with it the necessity to coexist with those of other races, and with their former masters wiped from existence, the automata had, slowly but surely, grown to slowly replace their weary old parts with those less 'inhuman' to the eyes of others. Of course, these automata slowly began to propagate as well, building new ones to replace those lost to time or injury. Nowadays, they seem somewhere between man and machine, and with no 'masters' to drive them, they have taken to finding their own ways in the world.

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Questions? Concerns? Anything else? Feel free to ask. In any case, the form is down below; use it as you see fit.

Form

[list][*][u]Name[/u]:
[*][u]Age[/u]:
[*][u]Race[/u]:
[*][u]Appearance[/u]: (Feel free to use an image or a text description, as you please).
[*][u]Personality[/u]:
[*][u]History[/u]:
[*][u]Abilities/Skills[/u]:
[*][u]Other[/u]:[/list]

Additionally, here's a Discord link.