HokumPocus

Pariah Online: A Voyage into the Intangible Aether

Location: Wayfarer's Retreat -- The City of Thorinn, Aetheria

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Alex flashed a quick thumbs up at Kazuki after Benkei finished assigning their team's roles for the raid. "Looks like I'm gonna be your bodyguard, man." He felt like giving him a slap on the back, but they hadn't been well acquainted enough for Alex to do that, so he settled for the awkward gesture.

Most of his raids had been done with the magic-heavy team compositions his brother's guild naturally produced, so it was reassuring to know his role was nothing out of the ordinary. On the contrary, the amount of tanks was galvanizing. Entering combat lacking tank support meant having to get good at not being swatted around. With teammates like his current ones, he'd be able to go all out with his arrows. He thought of all the movement and attack combinations he'd been taught in a similar fashion, with special attention given to the ones that were too risky to pull off without a distraction. Another ruckus in the hall snatched his attention, however.

"Someone's getting engaged in-game?! You can do that?!" he exclaimed, eyebrows stretching towards their limit. People took online relationships on this game pretty seriously with all the immersion it gave players, so it wasn't completely unbelievable that someone would take it a step further. But still... proposing in some dumb hall before a raid of all things?

"Hey, congratulations!" he said at last.

It had been an odd thing to do, but it was still cute. His teammates, too, paused their actions to admire the sight in similar ways, with one reaction in particular startling him.

"Huh, You all right there Kalie?" he asked. Her queenly veneer had slipped for a fraction of a moment in a way that was surprisingly endearing. No talk of darkness or shadows, just a simple appreciation. "It's good to take a break from roleplay every now and then you know," he said, suppressing a chuckle.

Pariah Online: A Voyage into the Intangible Aether

Location: Wayfarer's Retreat -- The City of Thorinn, Aetheria

---

Another player in his position would've been shaking in his boots, but Alex could only feel excitement. He didn't care about the competition or the violence in games, it was the cooperation that got to him. Everyone working together to synergyze and get things done. It was a level of satisfaction he knew a proper desk job was never going to give him. He approached his new team alongside Kalie with a notable energy to his steps.

"Hey, I'm Alex. You guys can probably already tell what I do," he turned around and jutted a thumb at the bow strapped to his back, "Ranged DPS!" That he was one of if not the least skilled player didn't faze him, as his role was solitary by the looks of things. If no one else could specialize in ranged DPS, then it created a niche for him, a sort of importance that ensured he was useful. It was... a source of confidence he kept to himself.

He doubted they were going to care much about micromanagement. Alja, through their brief interaction, had come across as an agreeable person, and the other woman had offered people free sandwiches. You couldn't just give people free sandwiches and wind up being evil or something. The healer too, seemed like a laid-back guy. With teammmates like this, the leader just had to be as cheery as their current party was shaping up to be.

Right?

Pariah Online: A Voyage into the Intangible Aether

Location: Wayfarer's Retreat -- The City of Thorinn, Aetheria

---

Ah, game talk. When you pretended to live in a fantasy world that didn't have bad traffic or sports teams that made more than small countries, everyone seemed to default to game talk. Even the weather never came up. Of course, Alex had been trained in the art of it from dozens of conversations with his brother's introverted friends, so he found himself contributing with a newfound sense of familiarity.

"I'm a ranged DPS with a glass cannon build and a kit based on firing super fast arrows that can deal a lot of really good single target damage," The slang he had been taught rolled off with ease, and he took a moment to make sure both Kalie and Siegfried were listening. "It's like... the opposite of a sniper. I have to get closer to bad guys and risk myself some more, but if there's a tank with me or anyone else who can pull off a distraction, I can really do some crazy damage. There's a lot of guys like that here, so I'm pretty sure I can do a good job versus whatever it is that's gonna be in that dungeon."

He laughed awkwardly once more at Kalie's comments. It was hard to tell when someone deep into roleplaying was being serious at times, and she was no exception. On the contrary, she seemed to be the poster child for it, mentioning a nickname and assassination back to back. Was this just the fantasy world's equivalent to a conversation by the water cooler? "Uh, yeah, fighting here would be a pretty bad idea anyways. I mean, imagine finishing a dungeon and having to wash beer out of your gear instead of celebrating," he said, amused at the thought.

The Voyagers of Duonia: A Medieval Fantasy RP

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The others had made good points. Ludith was just as familiar with villagers' tendency to let their mouths run, in truth. Wouldn't be a good huntress without the ability to put together a cohesive narrative, what a beast looked like, who it tore apart, how and when. The cacophony of sensations had made her assume that information would've been hard to acquire, and she had already begun internally chastising herself for having made a lapse in judgement. A lapse in judgement that could have spiralled into a grave mistake, one that could have led her to her doom had this been an excursion.

"A more traditional way of running things," she uttered to no one in particular, once again shaking off encroaching thoughts. Despite her initial hesitation at cooperating with others, she found herself greatly benefiting from their words. She aimed a nod at Dular. "With places like this, people stick together more, talk more."

Her gauntlets traced the sheath of her blade in a single movement. It was good to feel its weight, know it was there. The cuirass, too, had a satisfying way of digging itself into the sides of her chest. "The tavern is a good place to start then. A tongue wet with alcohol can be wrung for truth."

Pariah Online: A Voyage into the Intangible Aether

Location: Wayfarer's Retreat -- The City of Thorinn, Aetheria

---

Alex watched as more wayfarers made their way into the hall, each brimming with a level of vibrance he'd never seen in people back in the real world. One of his brother's friends had cynically said something about that once, about people using games to get away with being the worst version of themselves. Alex had disagreed then and he disagreed now. Singing, free food, banter, and all from a group of people who were mostly strangers. To him, this was what people could really be, outside of a society that forced them to fit into small boxes. He knew that better than anyone else.

His enthusiasm leaked into his posture and grin, even as the man sitting closest to him tried to put a damper on things.

"Of course I do blind runs, dude," he affirmed quickly, cutting his bout of laughter short. It felt like he was being put on the spot. "I've been sticking around my brother's guild a lot. They're into this gaming stuff, so they've been teaching me the ropes for raids like this one." Though he could only faintly process it, he felt that hadn't been the most reassuring thing to tell a couple of players more experienced than him. At least, if any of his previous quibbles with anyone who took this thing seriously were any indication.

The siblings continued their lighthearted quarreling, until they at last remembered he was there. "Hah, yeah, I sew a lot on here. I'm more of a woodworking guy, but robes and leather are what people pay for. End up with a nice amount of cash to buy gear with," he replied to the sister of the duo.

His eyes had been avoiding her, but the topic had basically made it impossible. Kalie Augustine, one of the bigger fish in the clothing world. He'd seen her wares at the markets, the jaw-dropping brocade and lace being put into them. It made his designs look like ornamental sacks of potatoes. He had a more utilitarian way of going about things, so their customers rarely overlapped. Still, he couldn't help but be mesmerized, as even the way she walked through the hall carried the same level of elegance as her work. Had he been a bit more entranced, he might not have even noticed her approaching them.

"...sounds good!" he sputtered out, snapped out of focus by the giant woman named Alja. Before he could ask her what she meant by a servant of evil, she had marched off, leaving him to awkwardly chuckle to himself.

Kalie introduced herself after, keeping up her act. He always wondered what was going on inside the minds of these dedicated roelplaying types. Didn't it get tiring pretending to be someone else? That was his main reason for having joined Pariah at least, escaping from that chore. "My name's Alex. I'm not big on roleplaying, no... but that doesn't make me a newcomer!" he blurted, after fully processing what she had just said.

Pariah Online: A Voyage into the Intangible Aether

Location: Wayfarer's Retreat -- The City of Thorinn, Aetheria

---

Alex had been something of an outlier in his brother's guild ever since the start of his adventures in Pariah. Logan and co. were actual gamers, with years and even decades of experience under their belts. Alex was sure they'd already been acquainted with this world more than the real one, geography and history and women and all. Their little PvE guild had taken Alex in as an auxiliary member under his brother's request, and he could tell he was starting to overstay his welcome.

But no more. This mysterious dungeon would be his rite of passage, the proof that he was finally able to stand on his own two feet. Even as he took tense steps towards the faction hall, fantasies of finally earning everyone's respect ran through his mind. This little stint would be a secret to them until he got out of that dungeon a changed man.

His arms stretched outwards, and he gently opened the door to the retreat as he beamed with joy. His hands, adorned with beautiful gauntlets matching his elegant archer's attire, made sure to gingerly close the door behind him so as to make a wonderful first impression.

And then he saw the other wayfarers.

Muscles. Big, bulging, scary muscles. Weapons a size men couldn't- and shouldn't have been able to wield, weighing more than Alex did. Tankards of beer being raised to hardened faces. Even the ones that weren't ginormous carried an identical level of swagger, with some intimidating facial expression or bizarre weapon on their person. Conversations were happening, not very pleasant ones if their tones were anything to go by.

A nerve-wracking sight, definitely. But he was dead set on doing this.

"Uh... hey guys! We're all here for the raid thing right?" He asked, getting close to the surprisingly large group with a hop to his step. He pulled his chair out slowly, so as to not damage the floor by scraping it harshly, and sat with a grin on his face.

Pariah Online: A Voyage into the Intangible Aether

_______________________________________________ // INFO I R L Full Name - Alexis Barnett Age - 20 Place of Origin - Alberta, Canada Occupation - Freelance artist A V A T A R Character's Name - Alex Pathos Affiliation - Drox Role - Ranged DPS Profession - Craftsman Weapon of Choice - Bow Domains - Wind / Conjuration, Enhancement - // PERSONALITY P E R S O N A L I T Y Frenetic With a pep to his step and a patter permanently engraved in his speech, Alex is the sort of person to always be doing something, and desperately crave doing something whenever nothing’s going on. His impatience and eagerness can sometimes get the best of him, but he sees them as a double-edged sword, with many of the best moments in his life originating from decisions with no foresight involved. His hobbies are hands-on, creative activities that reign him in well. Carpentry, plastic arts, sewing, anything that gets the gears in his brain spinning and keeps him busy. Frank Alex likes to talk. A lot. It’s something not everyone discovers, as he is outstandingly awkward during first encounters. The people who’ve stuck around, however, eventually realize he doesn’t have a voice in his head telling him to stop. He overshares, states what shouldn’t be stated, and asks all the questions someone his age would agonize over but ultimately suppress out of a fear of looking foolish. None of this is ever done intentionally, he just marches to the beat of his own drum. Adaptable Not everyone can dive into the world of freelance art and make a decent profit, and not everyone can toss themselves into the commercial thunderdome of a virtual reality game and come out friends with various NPC denizens and enough money to leave the combat to his brother’s guild half the time. Alex’s impulsive ideas aren’t easy to trust from an outsider’s perspective, but he finds himself succeeding where others would fail through high energy and a good work ethic. Conflict with others rarely bothers him as well, and he often finds himself spearheading cooperation with the people he’s warmed up to. // BENCHMARKS B E N C H M A R K S I can't die if they don't hit me, buddy Rather than protect himself with anything bulky, Alex has instead opted to use a combination of light armors, long range attacks and solid athleticism as a means of avoiding damage. This newfound athleticism, consisting of speed and reflexes, helps him duck and weave through blows that would have otherwise sent him soaring. Jack of all arts and crafts Alex's craftsmanship had already been passable prior to his introduction to Pariah, but the game has now given him ample time and resources to cut loose. While not an expert in any one field, he's found a niche making light armor and robes. The finished pieces aren't on the same level of glamour as what other crafting wayfarers can offer, but hey, it works. Quantity over quality Alex's signature ability is being able to fire arrows in disturbingly rapid succession, tearing opponents to shreds. This leaves him vulnerable when taken to machine gun-like extremes, however. His combat style plays off this ability for the most part, favoring fast and powerful arrows over anything slow. Heads or tailwinds His domain over wind allows him to rely on small bursts of it in and out of combat. Whether helping him jump a bit higher or throw off a lighter opponent's balance, he's managed to find couple of utilitarian uses for it besides thrusting his arrows.

Physical Description Alexis Barnett’s appearance had always been underwhelming and… begrudging, to sum it up in a word. Brown hair kept at medium length as a concession with the rest of the world, minimal cosmetics, the occasional cardigan or modest skirt in between rows of jackets and jeans. Shirts, too, followed a similar goal. Shirts that a woman would reasonably wear, at a size baggy enough to conceal a small bust. Accessories, if any, were always tossed on haphazardly, as last minute additions spurred less by their wearer and more by questioning family and friends. That’s not to say they were a bad thing. You could wear the baggy and dull clothing you wanted, Alex discovered, if you wore enough pink jewelry to shut people up. Alex has been pessimistically aware of his appearance since adolescence, so it’s no surprise to see that his avatar in Pariah has a lot in common with his real self, from his height and frame down to the color of his hair and eyes. His features could be described as "pleasantly average", a likely result of him wishing to not stand out and blend in. Within Pariah he dislikes wearing anything that restricts his movement and regularly wears comfortable merchant’s clothing, as it’s extravagant enough to signal his wayfarer status to others without having to adopt any of the flashy accessories everyone else seems to be so fond of. Pariah’s avatar system was keen enough to pick up on Alex's true feelings and assign him a male body, a contrast to real life. That ended up being a fun thing to explain to his brother Logan. Or in his own words, "Shit." Character Conceptualization While it could be said that the bulk of Pariah’s playerbase had been well acquainted with the conventions of video games, Alex was an exception. Dragged into it by his older brother, he accepted with lukewarm enthusiasm, more interested in the prospect of untouched nature or trying his hand at art made through a new kind of medium. Logan would do the embarrassing tryhard LARP shenanigans he always did with his friends whenever a new competitive game came out, and Alex would go for walks in the woods and do medieval arts and crafts. That had more or less been the plan, until Logan dragged Alex into another one of his games again, the world of PvE. Under his care, Alex learned the ins and outs of the “glasscannon” “ranged DPS” “kit” his brother orchestrated for him, with the understanding that Alex would leave for a guild more suited to his interests past a certain point. Despite his initial insecurities he adapted quickly to Pariah. He focused on crafting armor to support himself financially, on the days he wasn’t being made to train or serve as an auxiliary member to their guild’s activities. Mostly robes for the magically inclined, but he began stepping into leathers and furs as he grew bored of doing too much of the same thing. In time, he began to make a name for himself among the denizens and wayfarers of Pariah. It felt silly to admit it, but he was starting to understand his brother and every other player that was using the game to live their biggest fantasies. Having so many people finally appreciate your art, even if it was mostly just clothing after a while, was a thrill he had never anticipated. Spells & Spell-like Abilities Conjuration fletching Conjuration ability that allows the user to create an arrow out of arcane energy for next to no energy expenditure. This ability can be "charged" to create a stronger arrow, but is slightly more demanding as a result and requires more time to employ. Forest hunter Conjures a heavier arrow with a tip that expands into a net. Can trap entities that are roughly humanoid and smaller for a limited amount of time. The conjured net dissipates after receiving enough damage. Blowback roulette Envelops the user in a small shield of wind for a very brief moment. Any projectile or magic attacks that hit them during the shield's duration will instead transfer into the ability of their next arrow. Heads or tailwinds A burst of powerful high-velocity wind channeled from the user's body. Used to make an arrow travel faster and hit harder, or simply help the user move. Can be used to throw an opponent off-balance, although physical contact is mandatory for this. Can be channeled for longer-lasting effects, with the consequence that it will exhaust its user far more. Other Information Although technically a member of his brother's guild, there's friction between its competitive bloodthirsty members and Alex, who only joined to learn the ropes. Alex is expected to leave after having proven himself capable enough.

Eɴᴛᴇʀ — Into an Isekai World

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Kotana

---

Of course, traveling by horseback. Another staple of storybooks, another difference between his former life and his current one. Kaito was sure he wasn't the only one with no experience riding horses, as Japan wasn't the sort of country where one could acquire both large animals or space easily. It seemed tame and even romantic compared to all of the previous hardships they had faced, although he knew it was a discipline, one that wasn't going to come without its hardships.

"No... I'm sure none of us have ridden horses, at least properly and not as a novelty done in fairs. Our home used machines for transportation. Machines for almost everything, actually." He felt the explanation was simple enough.

Some of what Hiroko said had stayed in his thoughts, and he gave her a cautious glance as he continued. "If riding a horse is considered a skill, there is a possibility we could develop some affinity for it just as we did with this land's language." It wasn't just combat they had been gifted proficiency in, he was thinking.

The Voyagers of Duonia: A Medieval Fantasy RP

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Tossing the weight of her body and armor off the carriage in a single ragged motion, the soles of Ludith's boots slammed against the packed snow like hooves. Her legs tensed and her shoulders twisted, eyes shifting from face to wandering face. For a brief moment she felt relieved at leather allowing her to stretch so well. The hunt was about pursuit. Anything bulkier belonged to a prey animal.

The blur of snow and grime took a more solid shape the harder she looked, and once more she found herself on edge. Too many things she was unaware of, too many possible threats and snares. The whinnying of a horse at the passing of a guard, alerting the pack of young boys near him to stand straighter, catching the eye of a woman nearby. Bonds like that intersected and weaved around her, making her head thrum in discomfort if she focused too long. The words her companions shared wore on her as well, conversations on topics that eluded her. Only the sensation of discomfort on the freezing tips of her fingers grounded her. Sensations like that were good. They reminded her who she was, what she was doing. It was a balance, though. Too easy to be overly wary, get dragged increasingly farther away from the world around her. Shifting images of beasts would begin forming at the edges of her thoughts, wet fangs snapping and digging deeper into her skull in a flurry of sensations that were part memory and part threat.

She let out a loud grunt, enough to clear her throat and set a fat puff of fog billowing from her mouth. Things needed to be done. No time for that. "Putting anything to your lips without knowing what it is is a bad idea," she told Gudrik. It was meant as a forced attempt at conversation, but her dry demeanor tended to sour her words.

When it came to her line of work, Ludith much preferred signposts and accosting guild attendants to these more ominous methods of chasing leads. She turned to Chip, and with the same lack of warmth, nodded. "You're either in a tavern to seek coin or lose it. Always best not to get comfortable if you're not after something." They were, for today. The sight of the bustling city didn't sit well in her gut. "Too much activity. Can't see how anyone here is going to remember a caravan."

The Voyagers of Duonia: A Medieval Fantasy RP

Ludith

_{“You have to find out how thick the tracks are first. Lets you know which knife to use.”}

_______________________________________________ Ludith Harague _______________________________________________________________ 33 | Female | Human _______________________________________________________________ Chaotic Good | Rogue | Slayer _______________________________________________________________ [+] ▼ A T T R I B U T E S ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ ► Warrior mindset - Pain is temporary. Blood coagulates. If you can't walk, crawl. Ludith is capable of stomaching through the macabre, so much so that the line between her and the beasts she hunts blurs with the approaching night. ► Cryptozoology - Experience in observation and physical combat with monsters has led her to develop an understanding for them that surpasses what rumors and faded journals are able to provide. ► Improvisation - One who hunts monsters needs to adapt as much as possible to their target, never getting too comfortable with any one weapon. Ludith mainly fights with a short sword and knives, but she's not above settling for anything she can get her hands on and swinging like a madwoman, with a level of strength that only desperation and hatred can produce. ► Courage - Ludith's willingness to fight extends beyond the slashing of a blade. She's not the sort of person to back down from harrowing odds, or bite her tongue if things don't seem right. Within physical combat, the various abnormalities of beasts will fail to faze her to same degree they would another. ► Good aim - As the sort of adventurer to be classified as a rogue, Ludith fights using melee weapons. She does, however, excel at throwing the occasional knife or improvised projectile if necessity demands it. - [+] ▼ I N V E N T O R Y ▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔ ► Armor - Aside from the battered cuirass that's often the sole thing keeping her heart from being rabidly clawed out in front of her, Ludith's armor is leather above all else. Unlike most hunters the idea of adorning herself with parts of her kills repulses her, so it's fairly plain in appearance. ► Weapons - A short sword made of silver stolen from the vault of a great church. Rumors said it once belonged to a revered warrior of light, but she pays no mind to them. Several knives and a vial of poison meant for the more bestial monsters are hidden among flaps of cloth and leather. ► Coinpurse - Unimpressive and very ugly, its contents don't seem to fit with their container or their owner. The depths villagers are willing to go to for protection keep her fed, at least. ► Misc. Items - Ludith saves objects that once belonged to humans to bury them later. It's wise to preemptively put a soul to rest before even more abominations are birthed. Things like dolls or children's toys cause her a particular pain, no matter how many times she's had to safely dispose of them. -

P E R S O N A L C H A R A C T E R Ludith's upbringing at the outskirts of her hometown was a quiet affair. Life seemed to flow by as the years turned her from a little girl who needed a wooden stool to reach the cupboards to a woman who knew her way around a sword. Marriage, too, seemed to happen without any troubles, and before she knew it her and her husband welcomed their daughter into the world. It was perhaps then that seeing them torn apart by werewolves was what finally woke her up from her slumber. Now she's restless, eager to track down and kill what roams in the shadows, with or without anyone else's permission. No sleep, no peace. The nightmare never ends. Ludith is a woman led by her impulses who finds regulations stifling. She feels more at home armed to the teeth in the forests than at any tavern and will throw herself into danger if it means culling the vile creatures that prowl at night. This has led her to become vigilant, though to a degree that can be detrimental. Survival is her priority above else, with no care for whatever bodily fluids stain her leather armor or how much spitting and kicking she needs to do to come out a victor in her battles. She disregards anything directly unrelated to combat including the complexities of politics and magic. She'll reach out to assist anyone she's fighting with, but with the expectation that they return the favor down the line. For her, it's better to focus on her own talents than try to understand anyone else's. Unless they're an enemy. Despite the rough edges to her personality, she is notably kind towards children, being understanding towards them and fighting like an animal when their lives are on the line. F A V O R Had it not been for that strange merchant intervening on the day she was caught stealing weapons from barracks, Ludith has no doubt that her head would have been rotting on a pole. The concept of being indebted to another, especially some merchant of which she knows so little about has put her on edge somewhat. She can only hope whatever is asked of her won't lead to a grisly end.