Lord Wraith

Commencement: A Foundation Institute RP

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_{Location: The Southern Plateau - Dundas Islands, Pacific Ocean}

Hope In Hell #2.001: Into the Fire

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_{Interaction(s): None}

Previously: Sabotage

“What the hell just happened?”

Jim pushed his way through the throng of graduate students frantically tapping at the non-responsive controls in the operations room while outside the rest of the student body watched in horror as the Homecoming Trial warped from a stone maze in a jungle backdrop to a twisted version of the Foundation’s Institute.

“Something is in the system, we’re locked out.”

“Then y’all best get control back!” Jim roared, “And who ordered the damn dampening field installed.”

“That wasn’t in Robert’s blueprints, Sir.”

“Where the hell is Arkwright?”

“No one has seen him since the inspection last night, none of this code was in the system then. It’s like there was a trigger.” One of the techs stuttered back.

“Can’t y’all ‘un-trigger’ it?”

“Unfortunately, Sir, it seems it needs to run the course. Unless objectives are met inside the Trial, the tampered code won’t release.”

Jim furiously furrowed his eyebrows, locking eyes with the student before realizing he was angry at the wrong person.

“Y’all keep working on this, I’m going to try skinning this pig from another side.”

Commencement: A Foundation Institute RP

Observing the completed Trial structure from a small hill amidst the plateau, Robert allowed himself a small smile of pride before turning towards the five-kilometre walk back to the main campus. The large man made a good pace as he left the blowing grass behind and entered the forest that separated the campus and the rolling plains.

His nostrils suddenly flared at a smell foreign to the forest. Subtle through the smell of fir, hemlock and pine but there, beneath the natural aromas of the forest was the distinct pollutant odour of leather and neoprene.

“The winds are blowing.” Robert spoke loudly, listening through the trees. The hoot of a great horned owl in the distance replied before it too was swept away by the whistling winds singing their haunting song along the cliffs of the Southern Plateau.

His keen green eyes danced between the trees. He was likely just being paranoid, perhaps something that Thaddeuas had mentioned about Banjo’s penchant for retaliation had gotten to him. The source of the smells were more than likely a pair of students seeking some privacy from their campsite.

He chuckled to himself while resuming his walk. It wasn’t so long ago that he too had snuck off into these words with a pair of fellow students during his Homecoming Trials. After all, as the kids say, the Eiffel Tower is beautiful this time of year.

A groan suddenly found its ways from between his lips as a sharp prick tickled the back of his neck. Another pierced the thick skin as the dark forest began to spin. The third downed the elephant of a man, his hands barely able to react in time before he hit the forest floor.

His eyes were rapidly closing but not before he saw a pair of heels amidst several pairs of boots. An authoritative voice cut through the haze.

“Get him out of site and prep the table for the procedure. This sub-class will make an excellent test subject.”

And then Robert lost consciousness.

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Thunder loomed over the Southern Plateau as rain began to pelt the tents and sheets of lightning illuminated the night sky. All had quieted across the camp sites and fires had long been extinguished as midnight had come and gone bringing about the witching hour that it was now.

A lone zipper was lost in the din of pouring rain as the sole figure stole away in the shadows of the wee hours, hiding between the rows of tents before making a dash for the Trial build site.

There, disguised as a simple hedge maze stood the Homecoming Trial in all its biotechnological glory. A combination of mundane construction and Hyperhuman wizardry enabled the ‘hedge’ to rival even the A.R.C. in simulated environments.

But it was not impervious to tampering.

Like every year prior, Robert and his cohorts had already performed their inspection of the students workmanship and rejiggered any required programming. From both theirs and the faculty’s standpoint, the Trial had been deemed safe to run. A redundant check would be performed in the morning, and another before the trial went live. All the more reason why sabotage needed to be intelligent.

Every student carried their student card, it’s what allowed them to check into training facilities and check out equipment. Creating a sequence triggered by the swipe of a specific student’s card would allow it to remain indistinguishable in the morning checks but activate in time for Blackjack to experience a modified version of the Trial.

One void of safeties.

The shrouded figure smiled as they produced said student card, swiped during Blackjack’s shared campfire with Firebird. Even if they had noticed it missing, the card’s owner would have assumed it was lost within the central processing area of the Trial. They did after all help program this year’s theme.

What no one would anticipate though was the projected power-dampening field that would prevent anyone from getting in and those inside from getting out. The Harbinger had planned out every detail.

Though some had to be left in the dark lest they be compromised, but it was a sacrifice that had to be made and every member of House Orcinus was ready to be towards the glory of Hyperion's inevitable return.

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_{Location: The Southern Plateau - Dundas Islands, Pacific Ocean}

Welcome Home #1.108: Sabotage

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_{Interaction(s): None}

Previously: S'moregasboard

Morning came faster than most of Blackjack appreciated.

The melodic sounds of songbirds and seabirds alike had started at approximately five in the morning and continued well past the time the campus wide trumpet had blown. As each stumbled out of their tents, some better for wear than others, they found Tad waiting for a breakfast consisting of bagels, muffins, fruit, juice, water and coffee or tea as per their preference.

From the neighboring campsite approached Jess waving a student ID card in hand before handing it to Tad who was sitting beside the breakfast spread.

“Hey, Lover, Noah found this in the fire circle, it’s still a little damp from last night’s storm but looks like it’s good otherwise. Might want to ensure Harper has it back. You'll definitely need her to beat Firebird today.”

Tad smiled as he took the student card from Jess’ hand. It was true, for a student's trial run to be counted, they had to swipe their card upon entry.

“I’ll be sure she gets it back, even if I know we could beat you even with a man down.” He retorted only for his wife-to-be to roll her eyes.

“Sure you can, Finch. Try not to make the target time too easy for us.”

As the various members of Blackjack gathered around for breakfast, Tad turned to address the group proper. In his hands he held another piece of paper while the Team’s eyes were drawn to a collapsed tent beside him.

"I, uh, found this note, looks like Mei left in the middle of the night. Something about in the air force you can’t hear Haven scream?."

"Yeah,” Jess interjected with a playful smirk, turning around to tease both Tad and the pair of lovebirds.

”According to my guys, all anyone could hear last night over the rain was Barnes and Tyler.”

“Ahem,” Tad cleared his throat while his ears turned red. Moving his head, he indicated for Jess to leave before turning back to the group.

“Since our girls programmed the Trial, Blackjack has been elected first to run the course. Hopefully, with our insider knowledge, you don’t set too good of a time.” He gave a taunting smirk towards Jess who rolled her eyes at her fiancé before walking away.

“I’ve brought some A.R. Suits over for you all to change into, no need to explain them as you’re all surely used to the suits by now. Don’t forget your neural links.” Tad added tapping his temple to indicate the proper placement of the device.

“For those who have never done this, get some food into you, then suit up. We’ll regroup in front of the Trial before officially entering.” He explained before grabbing an apple along with his bagel and coffee.

“Don’t overeat and I’ll see you over there.”

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Tad counted the heads of the ten remaining Blackjack members. He couldn't blame Mei or Pallyx for leaving with the shake up caused by the Foundation, but he was grateful for the remaining members. Most of them he had been mentoring since they came to P.R.C.U.

“Alright, you guys put this together, I know you can set a great time, but also try to have fun. For some of you it’s a first run, but for all of you, it’s the last time you’ll get to do this. Savour it, work together and I know you’ll do great.”

The various members of Blackjack filed into the towering hedge one by one, each swiping their student card as they entered which brought their A.R. suit to life, establishing a connection with the neural link that brought the maze in front of them to life.

Suddenly pulling Harper out of line, Tad moved her to the back of the group before holding out his arm.

“Sorry, I just remembered Jess gave this to me this morning. You must have dropped this yesterday.” He explained handing her student card back to her

“Give ‘em hell, Baxter,” Tad encouraged sending the girl through last.

As the Trial came alive, the programming glimmered to life as the doors shut behind Blackjack with a sharp sibilation. As soon as the doors locked, the visual constructs began to flicker. The entire simulation began to shut down in a flash of scrolling, corrupted red code. The area went black, submerging Blackjack in darkness before flaring back to life in a blinding flash of white. Winding, sterile halls replaced the stone maze and jungle of the previously programmed simulation.

Tiamat
Tiamat
Tiamat

A chorus of hushed whispers echoed around the collective team. A cold fog hung to the room's walls and floor while an indiscernible hissing echoed through the spotless maze of corridors. The exterior walls of the Trial hummed, the familiar nausea of an EBI field washing over those standing too close to the doors.

Empty classrooms lined the corridors, each occupied with abandoned desks. Within several of the rooms were a buzzing, damaged smart board, its screen covered in static beneath the cracked glass. The other rooms were filled with gurneys lined with busted restraints. Vials filled with vibrantly coloured liquids were scattered through the hospital-like rooms, while half-empty syringes lay around the abandoned gurney, their points stained with the familiar rust-tinged vermillion of dried blood.

The chorus of voices returned, words echoing again through the winding labyrinth.

“Tiamat.”

“Welcome home.”

Commencement: A Foundation Institute RP

As Episode 1 will now end with the start of the Homecoming Trials, we're getting very near the end of this episode. An epilogue will be posted shortly as the last couple of posts trickle in and Episode 2 'Hope in Hell' will kick off with all characters in the Trial, suited up to run the course. Episode 2 will span the Trial, and then pending on how many posts that takes, it'll either include the first week of classes or segue into a new episode for that first week. The impending Dance will be the start or either Episode 3 or 4 pending the flow of the IC.

For the time being however, as @Roman already brought forth in the Discord, we will be doing Awards at the end of each episode and we GMs will be following this template:

Awards Format

E P I S O D E O N E A W A R D S:

Best Character: GM's Choice N A M E @Username Player's Choice N A M E @Username __________________________	GM's Choice: Character Name - @Username Player's Choice: Character Name - @Username The 'Best Character Award' is given to the character who has had a resounding impact on the IC through interactions, collaborations and general story telling. They are a character who has seen development and leaves the reader wanting to know both about them and where their journey is going. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vivamus at mi mi. In imperdiet porta dolor, at fermentum nulla commodo eu. Suspendisse volutpat et ex tempor suscipit. Nullam tincidunt at nunc vel auctor. Donec venenatis, nisl nec fringilla varius, massa quam porttitor turpis, sed bibendum purus sem id risus. Nullam scelerisque lectus eget diam gravida malesuada. Maecenas consectetur est ac sollicitudin congue. Maecenas interdum erat dignissim lectus sodales, nec ultrices neque egestas. Integer convallis lacus at consequat volutpat. Honorable Mentions: Wraith's Choice: Character Name - @Username Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vivamus at mi mi. In imperdiet porta dolor, at fermentum nulla commodo eu. Suspendisse volutpat et ex tempor suscipit. Nullam tincidunt at nunc vel auctor. Donec venenatis, nisl nec fringilla varius, massa quam porttitor turpis, sed bibendum purus sem id risus. Nullam scelerisque lectus eget diam gravida malesuada. Maecenas consectetur est ac sollicitudin congue. Maecenas interdum erat dignissim lectus sodales, nec ultrices neque egestas. Integer convallis lacus at consequat volutpat. Roman's Choice: Character Name - @Username Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vivamus at mi mi. In imperdiet porta dolor, at fermentum nulla commodo eu. Suspendisse volutpat et ex tempor suscipit. Nullam tincidunt at nunc vel auctor. Donec venenatis, nisl nec fringilla varius, massa quam porttitor turpis, sed bibendum purus sem id risus. Nullam scelerisque lectus eget diam gravida malesuada. Maecenas consectetur est ac sollicitudin congue. Maecenas interdum erat dignissim lectus sodales, nec ultrices neque egestas. Integer convallis lacus at consequat volutpat.
Breakout Character: GM's Choice N A M E @Username Player's Choice N A M E @Username __________________________	GM's Choice: Character Name - @Username Player's Choice: Character Name - @Username The 'Breakout Character Award' is given to the character who is prominent throughout the majority of posts, discussion outside of the IC and is constantly in demand whether through their own posts or being asked to collaborate. This character is notably popular when compared to the rest of the cast and their posts lead to discussion, speculation and reactions both positive and divisive. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vivamus at mi mi. In imperdiet porta dolor, at fermentum nulla commodo eu. Suspendisse volutpat et ex tempor suscipit. Nullam tincidunt at nunc vel auctor. Donec venenatis, nisl nec fringilla varius, massa quam porttitor turpis, sed bibendum purus sem id risus. Nullam scelerisque lectus eget diam gravida malesuada. Maecenas consectetur est ac sollicitudin congue. Maecenas interdum erat dignissim lectus sodales, nec ultrices neque egestas. Integer convallis lacus at consequat volutpat. Honorable Mentions: Wraith's Choice: Character Name - @Username Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vivamus at mi mi. In imperdiet porta dolor, at fermentum nulla commodo eu. Suspendisse volutpat et ex tempor suscipit. Nullam tincidunt at nunc vel auctor. Donec venenatis, nisl nec fringilla varius, massa quam porttitor turpis, sed bibendum purus sem id risus. Nullam scelerisque lectus eget diam gravida malesuada. Maecenas consectetur est ac sollicitudin congue. Maecenas interdum erat dignissim lectus sodales, nec ultrices neque egestas. Integer convallis lacus at consequat volutpat. Roman's Choice: Character Name - @Username Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vivamus at mi mi. In imperdiet porta dolor, at fermentum nulla commodo eu. Suspendisse volutpat et ex tempor suscipit. Nullam tincidunt at nunc vel auctor. Donec venenatis, nisl nec fringilla varius, massa quam porttitor turpis, sed bibendum purus sem id risus. Nullam scelerisque lectus eget diam gravida malesuada. Maecenas consectetur est ac sollicitudin congue. Maecenas interdum erat dignissim lectus sodales, nec ultrices neque egestas. Integer convallis lacus at consequat volutpat.
Best Character Development: GM's Choice N A M E @Username Player's Choice N A M E @Username __________________________	GM's Choice: Character Name - @Username Player's Choice: Character Name - @Username The 'Best Character Development Award' is given to the character who has been constantly improving and developing from the moment they first appeared in the IC. This doesn't mean the most improved, nor does it have to be positive changes in the slightest, this is the character journey you're enjoying the most whether it's a slippery slope or an uphill battle. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vivamus at mi mi. In imperdiet porta dolor, at fermentum nulla commodo eu. Suspendisse volutpat et ex tempor suscipit. Nullam tincidunt at nunc vel auctor. Donec venenatis, nisl nec fringilla varius, massa quam porttitor turpis, sed bibendum purus sem id risus. Nullam scelerisque lectus eget diam gravida malesuada. Maecenas consectetur est ac sollicitudin congue. Maecenas interdum erat dignissim lectus sodales, nec ultrices neque egestas. Integer convallis lacus at consequat volutpat. Honorable Mentions: Wraith's Choice: Character Name - @Username Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vivamus at mi mi. In imperdiet porta dolor, at fermentum nulla commodo eu. Suspendisse volutpat et ex tempor suscipit. Nullam tincidunt at nunc vel auctor. Donec venenatis, nisl nec fringilla varius, massa quam porttitor turpis, sed bibendum purus sem id risus. Nullam scelerisque lectus eget diam gravida malesuada. Maecenas consectetur est ac sollicitudin congue. Maecenas interdum erat dignissim lectus sodales, nec ultrices neque egestas. Integer convallis lacus at consequat volutpat. Roman's Choice: Character Name - @Username Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vivamus at mi mi. In imperdiet porta dolor, at fermentum nulla commodo eu. Suspendisse volutpat et ex tempor suscipit. Nullam tincidunt at nunc vel auctor. Donec venenatis, nisl nec fringilla varius, massa quam porttitor turpis, sed bibendum purus sem id risus. Nullam scelerisque lectus eget diam gravida malesuada. Maecenas consectetur est ac sollicitudin congue. Maecenas interdum erat dignissim lectus sodales, nec ultrices neque egestas. Integer convallis lacus at consequat volutpat.
Best Ship: GM's Choice N A M E @Username Player's Choice N A M E @Username __________________________	GM's Choice: Character Name - @Username Player's Choice: Character Name - @Username The 'Best Ship Award' is given to a pair of characters who display exceptional chemistry, and compatibility. They are who you genuinely sit there and cheer whenever they're on the page together. These two characters are each other's endgame, their ride or die and you can't get enough of their highs, lows and otherwise cutesy antics. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vivamus at mi mi. In imperdiet porta dolor, at fermentum nulla commodo eu. Suspendisse volutpat et ex tempor suscipit. Nullam tincidunt at nunc vel auctor. Donec venenatis, nisl nec fringilla varius, massa quam porttitor turpis, sed bibendum purus sem id risus. Nullam scelerisque lectus eget diam gravida malesuada. Maecenas consectetur est ac sollicitudin congue. Maecenas interdum erat dignissim lectus sodales, nec ultrices neque egestas. Integer convallis lacus at consequat volutpat. Honorable Mentions: Wraith's Choice: Character Name - @Username Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vivamus at mi mi. In imperdiet porta dolor, at fermentum nulla commodo eu. Suspendisse volutpat et ex tempor suscipit. Nullam tincidunt at nunc vel auctor. Donec venenatis, nisl nec fringilla varius, massa quam porttitor turpis, sed bibendum purus sem id risus. Nullam scelerisque lectus eget diam gravida malesuada. Maecenas consectetur est ac sollicitudin congue. Maecenas interdum erat dignissim lectus sodales, nec ultrices neque egestas. Integer convallis lacus at consequat volutpat. Roman's Choice: Character Name - @Username Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vivamus at mi mi. In imperdiet porta dolor, at fermentum nulla commodo eu. Suspendisse volutpat et ex tempor suscipit. Nullam tincidunt at nunc vel auctor. Donec venenatis, nisl nec fringilla varius, massa quam porttitor turpis, sed bibendum purus sem id risus. Nullam scelerisque lectus eget diam gravida malesuada. Maecenas consectetur est ac sollicitudin congue. Maecenas interdum erat dignissim lectus sodales, nec ultrices neque egestas. Integer convallis lacus at consequat volutpat.
Best Supporting Cast: GM's Choice N A M E @Username Player's Choice N A M E @Username __________________________	GM's Choice: Character Name - @Username Player's Choice: Character Name - @Username The 'Best Supporting' is given to the player and character who you feel has the most engaging supporting cast in terms of relevance to the story, their impact to the character and their narrative and in turn to influence to the broader game and other players. These are characters outside of the main POV who have appeared in the IC and need not be limited only to those listed on a character sheet. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vivamus at mi mi. In imperdiet porta dolor, at fermentum nulla commodo eu. Suspendisse volutpat et ex tempor suscipit. Nullam tincidunt at nunc vel auctor. Donec venenatis, nisl nec fringilla varius, massa quam porttitor turpis, sed bibendum purus sem id risus. Nullam scelerisque lectus eget diam gravida malesuada. Maecenas consectetur est ac sollicitudin congue. Maecenas interdum erat dignissim lectus sodales, nec ultrices neque egestas. Integer convallis lacus at consequat volutpat. Honorable Mentions: Wraith's Choice: Character Name - @Username Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vivamus at mi mi. In imperdiet porta dolor, at fermentum nulla commodo eu. Suspendisse volutpat et ex tempor suscipit. Nullam tincidunt at nunc vel auctor. Donec venenatis, nisl nec fringilla varius, massa quam porttitor turpis, sed bibendum purus sem id risus. Nullam scelerisque lectus eget diam gravida malesuada. Maecenas consectetur est ac sollicitudin congue. Maecenas interdum erat dignissim lectus sodales, nec ultrices neque egestas. Integer convallis lacus at consequat volutpat. Roman's Choice: Character Name - @Username Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vivamus at mi mi. In imperdiet porta dolor, at fermentum nulla commodo eu. Suspendisse volutpat et ex tempor suscipit. Nullam tincidunt at nunc vel auctor. Donec venenatis, nisl nec fringilla varius, massa quam porttitor turpis, sed bibendum purus sem id risus. Nullam scelerisque lectus eget diam gravida malesuada. Maecenas consectetur est ac sollicitudin congue. Maecenas interdum erat dignissim lectus sodales, nec ultrices neque egestas. Integer convallis lacus at consequat volutpat.
Best Post: GM's Choice N A M E @Username Player's Choice N A M E @Username __________________________	GM's Choice: Character Name - @Username Player's Choice: Character Name - @Username The 'Best Post' is given to the player and post that was found to be overall the pinnacle of the current episode. Did it break the tension with its humourous antics at the right time? Did it bring the characters closer together? Was it full of insightful reflection or did it extrapolate on previously unknown elements of that character's backstory and how it ties to the greater overarching narrative? Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vivamus at mi mi. In imperdiet porta dolor, at fermentum nulla commodo eu. Suspendisse volutpat et ex tempor suscipit. Nullam tincidunt at nunc vel auctor. Donec venenatis, nisl nec fringilla varius, massa quam porttitor turpis, sed bibendum purus sem id risus. Nullam scelerisque lectus eget diam gravida malesuada. Maecenas consectetur est ac sollicitudin congue. Maecenas interdum erat dignissim lectus sodales, nec ultrices neque egestas. Integer convallis lacus at consequat volutpat. Honorable Mentions: Wraith's Choice: Character Name - @Username Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vivamus at mi mi. In imperdiet porta dolor, at fermentum nulla commodo eu. Suspendisse volutpat et ex tempor suscipit. Nullam tincidunt at nunc vel auctor. Donec venenatis, nisl nec fringilla varius, massa quam porttitor turpis, sed bibendum purus sem id risus. Nullam scelerisque lectus eget diam gravida malesuada. Maecenas consectetur est ac sollicitudin congue. Maecenas interdum erat dignissim lectus sodales, nec ultrices neque egestas. Integer convallis lacus at consequat volutpat. Roman's Choice: Character Name - @Username Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vivamus at mi mi. In imperdiet porta dolor, at fermentum nulla commodo eu. Suspendisse volutpat et ex tempor suscipit. Nullam tincidunt at nunc vel auctor. Donec venenatis, nisl nec fringilla varius, massa quam porttitor turpis, sed bibendum purus sem id risus. Nullam scelerisque lectus eget diam gravida malesuada. Maecenas consectetur est ac sollicitudin congue. Maecenas interdum erat dignissim lectus sodales, nec ultrices neque egestas. Integer convallis lacus at consequat volutpat.
Best Post Title: GM's Choice N A M E @Username Player's Choice N A M E @Username __________________________	GM's Choice: Character Name - @Username Player's Choice: Character Name - @Username The 'Best Post Title Award' is given to the player and post whose title elicited the best reaction. Was it a clever title? Funny? Maybe the post title was incredibly insightful or maybe it was just your favourite song. This category is to applaud those whose titles captured your attention or affection. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vivamus at mi mi. In imperdiet porta dolor, at fermentum nulla commodo eu. Suspendisse volutpat et ex tempor suscipit. Nullam tincidunt at nunc vel auctor. Donec venenatis, nisl nec fringilla varius, massa quam porttitor turpis, sed bibendum purus sem id risus. Nullam scelerisque lectus eget diam gravida malesuada. Maecenas consectetur est ac sollicitudin congue. Maecenas interdum erat dignissim lectus sodales, nec ultrices neque egestas. Integer convallis lacus at consequat volutpat. Honorable Mentions: Wraith's Choice: Character Name - @Username Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vivamus at mi mi. In imperdiet porta dolor, at fermentum nulla commodo eu. Suspendisse volutpat et ex tempor suscipit. Nullam tincidunt at nunc vel auctor. Donec venenatis, nisl nec fringilla varius, massa quam porttitor turpis, sed bibendum purus sem id risus. Nullam scelerisque lectus eget diam gravida malesuada. Maecenas consectetur est ac sollicitudin congue. Maecenas interdum erat dignissim lectus sodales, nec ultrices neque egestas. Integer convallis lacus at consequat volutpat. Roman's Choice: Character Name - @Username Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vivamus at mi mi. In imperdiet porta dolor, at fermentum nulla commodo eu. Suspendisse volutpat et ex tempor suscipit. Nullam tincidunt at nunc vel auctor. Donec venenatis, nisl nec fringilla varius, massa quam porttitor turpis, sed bibendum purus sem id risus. Nullam scelerisque lectus eget diam gravida malesuada. Maecenas consectetur est ac sollicitudin congue. Maecenas interdum erat dignissim lectus sodales, nec ultrices neque egestas. Integer convallis lacus at consequat volutpat.
Best Flashback: GM's Choice N A M E @Username Player's Choice N A M E @Username __________________________	GM's Choice: Character Name - @Username Player's Choice: Character Name - @Username The 'Best Flashback Award' is given to the post and player that contains an insightful or impactful flashback to a previous time outside of the current happenings of the IC. Maybe this flashback shed light on why the character has a deep-rooted fear of rejection, maybe it illuminated why that character has a verbal tic or perhaps it was the meet-cute of two budding lovers. Whatever the contents, this flashback found its way into the hearts or minds of the readers and continues to leave a lasting impact. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vivamus at mi mi. In imperdiet porta dolor, at fermentum nulla commodo eu. Suspendisse volutpat et ex tempor suscipit. Nullam tincidunt at nunc vel auctor. Donec venenatis, nisl nec fringilla varius, massa quam porttitor turpis, sed bibendum purus sem id risus. Nullam scelerisque lectus eget diam gravida malesuada. Maecenas consectetur est ac sollicitudin congue. Maecenas interdum erat dignissim lectus sodales, nec ultrices neque egestas. Integer convallis lacus at consequat volutpat. Honorable Mentions: Wraith's Choice: Character Name - @Username Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vivamus at mi mi. In imperdiet porta dolor, at fermentum nulla commodo eu. Suspendisse volutpat et ex tempor suscipit. Nullam tincidunt at nunc vel auctor. Donec venenatis, nisl nec fringilla varius, massa quam porttitor turpis, sed bibendum purus sem id risus. Nullam scelerisque lectus eget diam gravida malesuada. Maecenas consectetur est ac sollicitudin congue. Maecenas interdum erat dignissim lectus sodales, nec ultrices neque egestas. Integer convallis lacus at consequat volutpat. Roman's Choice: Character Name - @Username Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vivamus at mi mi. In imperdiet porta dolor, at fermentum nulla commodo eu. Suspendisse volutpat et ex tempor suscipit. Nullam tincidunt at nunc vel auctor. Donec venenatis, nisl nec fringilla varius, massa quam porttitor turpis, sed bibendum purus sem id risus. Nullam scelerisque lectus eget diam gravida malesuada. Maecenas consectetur est ac sollicitudin congue. Maecenas interdum erat dignissim lectus sodales, nec ultrices neque egestas. Integer convallis lacus at consequat volutpat.
Best Collaboration: GM's Choice N A M E @Username Player's Choice N A M E @Username __________________________	GM's Choice: Character Name - @Username Player's Choice: Character Name - @Username The 'Best Collaboration Award' is given to the post and players involved in crafting a collaborative narrative that goes beyond the regular back-and-forth posting of forum RPing. A well-crafted collaborative post should read as though it has a single author but artfully capture the interaction between two player characters and enhance both of their direct narratives, developments and the long-term relationships between those involved in the collaboration. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vivamus at mi mi. In imperdiet porta dolor, at fermentum nulla commodo eu. Suspendisse volutpat et ex tempor suscipit. Nullam tincidunt at nunc vel auctor. Donec venenatis, nisl nec fringilla varius, massa quam porttitor turpis, sed bibendum purus sem id risus. Nullam scelerisque lectus eget diam gravida malesuada. Maecenas consectetur est ac sollicitudin congue. Maecenas interdum erat dignissim lectus sodales, nec ultrices neque egestas. Integer convallis lacus at consequat volutpat. Honorable Mentions: Wraith's Choice: Character Name - @Username Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vivamus at mi mi. In imperdiet porta dolor, at fermentum nulla commodo eu. Suspendisse volutpat et ex tempor suscipit. Nullam tincidunt at nunc vel auctor. Donec venenatis, nisl nec fringilla varius, massa quam porttitor turpis, sed bibendum purus sem id risus. Nullam scelerisque lectus eget diam gravida malesuada. Maecenas consectetur est ac sollicitudin congue. Maecenas interdum erat dignissim lectus sodales, nec ultrices neque egestas. Integer convallis lacus at consequat volutpat. Roman's Choice: Character Name - @Username Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vivamus at mi mi. In imperdiet porta dolor, at fermentum nulla commodo eu. Suspendisse volutpat et ex tempor suscipit. Nullam tincidunt at nunc vel auctor. Donec venenatis, nisl nec fringilla varius, massa quam porttitor turpis, sed bibendum purus sem id risus. Nullam scelerisque lectus eget diam gravida malesuada. Maecenas consectetur est ac sollicitudin congue. Maecenas interdum erat dignissim lectus sodales, nec ultrices neque egestas. Integer convallis lacus at consequat volutpat.
Best World Building: GM's Choice N A M E @Username Player's Choice N A M E @Username __________________________	GM's Choice: Character Name - @Username Player's Choice: Character Name - @Username The 'Best World Building Award' is given to the player who has opted to build on the game's existing lore, adding their own spin and perspective to it and creating new ideas that can be adapted to the game and world as a whole. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vivamus at mi mi. In imperdiet porta dolor, at fermentum nulla commodo eu. Suspendisse volutpat et ex tempor suscipit. Nullam tincidunt at nunc vel auctor. Donec venenatis, nisl nec fringilla varius, massa quam porttitor turpis, sed bibendum purus sem id risus. Nullam scelerisque lectus eget diam gravida malesuada. Maecenas consectetur est ac sollicitudin congue. Maecenas interdum erat dignissim lectus sodales, nec ultrices neque egestas. Integer convallis lacus at consequat volutpat. Honorable Mentions: Wraith's Choice: Character Name - @Username Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vivamus at mi mi. In imperdiet porta dolor, at fermentum nulla commodo eu. Suspendisse volutpat et ex tempor suscipit. Nullam tincidunt at nunc vel auctor. Donec venenatis, nisl nec fringilla varius, massa quam porttitor turpis, sed bibendum purus sem id risus. Nullam scelerisque lectus eget diam gravida malesuada. Maecenas consectetur est ac sollicitudin congue. Maecenas interdum erat dignissim lectus sodales, nec ultrices neque egestas. Integer convallis lacus at consequat volutpat. Roman's Choice: Character Name - @Username Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vivamus at mi mi. In imperdiet porta dolor, at fermentum nulla commodo eu. Suspendisse volutpat et ex tempor suscipit. Nullam tincidunt at nunc vel auctor. Donec venenatis, nisl nec fringilla varius, massa quam porttitor turpis, sed bibendum purus sem id risus. Nullam scelerisque lectus eget diam gravida malesuada. Maecenas consectetur est ac sollicitudin congue. Maecenas interdum erat dignissim lectus sodales, nec ultrices neque egestas. Integer convallis lacus at consequat volutpat.
Most Valuable Player: GM's Choice N A M E @Username Player's Choice N A M E @Username __________________________	GM's Choice: Character Name - @Username Player's Choice: Character Name - @Username The 'MVP Award' or the 'Most Valuable Player' award is given to player who has gone above in beyond in their role as both a player and contributor to the roleplay. This person not only regularly posts in the RPs, but incites others to posts, regularly contributes to collaborations, or helps others with their posts, graphics or just brainstorming. They're a constant in the social server and bring a lot of enthusiasm to the game. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vivamus at mi mi. In imperdiet porta dolor, at fermentum nulla commodo eu. Suspendisse volutpat et ex tempor suscipit. Nullam tincidunt at nunc vel auctor. Donec venenatis, nisl nec fringilla varius, massa quam porttitor turpis, sed bibendum purus sem id risus. Nullam scelerisque lectus eget diam gravida malesuada. Maecenas consectetur est ac sollicitudin congue. Maecenas interdum erat dignissim lectus sodales, nec ultrices neque egestas. Integer convallis lacus at consequat volutpat. Honorable Mentions: Wraith's Choice: Character Name - @Username Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vivamus at mi mi. In imperdiet porta dolor, at fermentum nulla commodo eu. Suspendisse volutpat et ex tempor suscipit. Nullam tincidunt at nunc vel auctor. Donec venenatis, nisl nec fringilla varius, massa quam porttitor turpis, sed bibendum purus sem id risus. Nullam scelerisque lectus eget diam gravida malesuada. Maecenas consectetur est ac sollicitudin congue. Maecenas interdum erat dignissim lectus sodales, nec ultrices neque egestas. Integer convallis lacus at consequat volutpat. Roman's Choice: Character Name - @Username Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vivamus at mi mi. In imperdiet porta dolor, at fermentum nulla commodo eu. Suspendisse volutpat et ex tempor suscipit. Nullam tincidunt at nunc vel auctor. Donec venenatis, nisl nec fringilla varius, massa quam porttitor turpis, sed bibendum purus sem id risus. Nullam scelerisque lectus eget diam gravida malesuada. Maecenas consectetur est ac sollicitudin congue. Maecenas interdum erat dignissim lectus sodales, nec ultrices neque egestas. Integer convallis lacus at consequat volutpat.

All players are encouraged to participate, please PM/DM us your votes for each category. You need only vote for one person, post etc per category. Players are also more than welcome to create your own version of the awards, or even your own categories if there's something you want to highlight that Roman and I have omitted in ours.

Thank you everyone for a great first episode, and I am looking forward to seeing our characters in brand new situations and circumstances moving forward.

EDIT: We will also be adding a 'Best Character Dynamic' and a'Most Memorable Moment' category.

Wraith's Little Workshop of Horrors

Seele - Soul
Seelen - Souls

Über - Over

Unter - Under

The Überseele, or oversoul is seated in the brain. It contains the thoughts, memories, and personality of an individual.

the Unterseele or undersoul is seated in the heart. It contains the appetites, emotions and fears of an individual.

Ghosts are thus bodiless überseelen, a spirit containing the thoughts, memories and personality of an individual who had passed on. In comparison, a poltergeist is an unterseele, that is to say, it's a bodiless spirit fueled entirely by appetite, emotion and fear. Not every variation of Seelen lacks a body. The shambling undead known as the zombie is a body lacking an überseele leaving a host completely devoid of thoughts and personality and only fueled by appetite and instinct.

A Jäger could live their entire life without ever becoming activated, in which case they would nearly indiscernible from the average human. However once activated, the Jäger comes into possession of a second überseele. This second überseele is what grants a Jäger their ancestral memories, talents and in more extreme cases, personalities.

A Magni is born in possession of a second unterseele. This second unterseele can physically manifest from a Magni's body, acting as their familiar spirit or animal guide.

Hyperhumans possess an Einseele, the 'One Soul' or the Unified Soul that exists as a balance between the Unter and the Über. This however prevents them from accessing the Vis, but saves them from being able to become members of the Undead.

RPer Appreciation Thread

I just want to give some appreciation to the RPers involved with Commencement - A Pacific Royal Collegiate & University

As of yesterday, we crossed the threshold of 100 posts after just only two months of the IC being active. So with special thanks to the following individuals, you all deserve all the praise for making this RP a success.

@Skai
@Qia
@Rockette
@PatientBean
@Roman
@Zoldyck
@Melissa
@Hound55
@webboysurf

Thank you for the time and investment you've put into my little world, I couldn't ask for a better group of players and friends.

Commencement: A Foundation Institute RP

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_{Location: Southern Plateau - Dundas Island, Pacific Ocean}

Welcome Home #1.101: Chasing Cars

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_{Interaction(s): @Melissa - Aurora Mitchell}

Previously: After Hours

It was no secret that Aurora had strong opinions about Amma. In fact, out of all of Team Blackjack, the redhead was by far the most vocal of the bunch about her apprehension surrounding the new girl. She knew trouble when she saw it, understood what followed in its wake, and had no interest getting tangled in whatever she had up her sleeve. She knew that Lorcán was the opposite though, he saw the good in everyone; he never had a reason not to. Aurora wasn’t oblivious to the way he looked at the transfer student, she’d seen how he admired her tattoos and always made the effort to coax her out of her shell.

The redhead put two and two together as the boy explained, and once she realized what had actually occurred when he and Amma had disappeared this afternoon, her heart dropped. She had been suspicious earlier, had heard the whispering, but hoped it wasn’t the case. He apologized but all she could hear was ringing in her ears. She had no right to be upset, react so strongly, and yet she was. Why was she taking this so harshly? They were just friends… nothing more than friends.

Right?

And then Lorcán continued, describing what he felt mere moments ago between the two of them.

It felt like I was whole.

The six small words took the breath from her lungs. His candidness captured everything she felt and echoed her innermost thoughts, ones that she’d never shared aloud or even realized until now. It was almost as if he had taken them straight from her mind since that was the way she had always felt about being around him, being near him. So many things about her past made Aurora feel like pieces of her were missing, but it never mattered when she was with him. Lorcán filled those gaps. He always had, long before their powers, their beings, intertwined.

But as close as they were, as close as they had always been, these were still uncharted waters. It scared her, terrified her even. He knew her better than anyone, but at the same time, fully opening up to someone, letting them in, was something she was still not sure she was capable of.

Even for him.

Her eyes drifted from his molten gaze down to his lips and back up again, her nose mere inches from brushing against his. The girl willed herself not to close the distance between the two of them, as tempting as it was in that moment, vaguely sensing her HZE’s reaching outward towards him and consciously reigning them back in.

“Lorcán, I-” Aurora swallowed, taking a deep breath and trying to calm her racing heart, “It’s been an eventful day, and emotions are running a little bit high with everything going on.” She deflected, squeezing his hands before bringing her left palm up to his face, cupping his cheek tenderly, her thumb brushing across his warm skin. “I know there’s a lot happening in that head of yours right now but,” The girl sighed, looking deeply into his eyes and choosing her next words carefully.

“...I think your mind will be a bit clearer once you get some rest.” Aurora paused, the tension between them palpable. “I promise you though, I’m not going anywhere.” She assured him, “Not now, not ever. Okay?”

He pressed his mouth against the base of her palm, Lorcán held it there for only a moment before releasing her.

“I’m not either.” He replied, moving his mouth back. Tracing her arm, he locked eyes with her. It wasn’t quite a rejection, but it wasn’t exactly the reciprocation he had thought he would hear.

“And if I ever do, I want it to be because you’re coming with me.”

Despite her words, Lorcán felt like he was thinking clearly for the first time in a while. At the very least he felt better getting the stuff about Amma off of his chest. Being honest with himself, the experiences had left him feeling guilty and while he knew he didn’t actually owe Aurora an explanation, he had always been honest with her.

“My name’s Lorcán, Lorcán Kendall Roth.” The young boy said, sticking out a lanky arm he had yet to grow into. The small freckled girl in front of him shyly smiled back.

“I like you,” The boy stated without hesitation. “I think you’re totally rad. Want to be my best friend forever?” A wide toothy smile followed the question as the boy led the girl by the hand.

“C’mon, I’ll show you my castle, it’s just an old garage but it’s where I keep all the secrets and if you’re going to be my best friend forever, then you need to know all the secrets.”

His hand moved to his pocket, only to find the smooth, silky material of his crimson boxer briefs, remembering once again that he had been having this heavy talk all while sitting in bright red boxer briefs. It would only have been more comical if they were heart-printed.
His eyes widened as he suddenly scrambled, looking for his shorts.

Fishing them off of the floor, Lorcán dug around in the pocket before producing the small, smooth object that Jonas had gifted him earlier.

“For a second I totally thought I had lost it,” He explained to Aurora before relaxing a bit. “I still have no idea what it is.” He muttered, the object pulsing in his hand again. It brought his thoughts back to earlier in the day, before he met with Jonas.

“Y’know earlier,” Lorcán started, leaning back onto his cot, “Y’know how I said things will never change between us?” He stared at the canvas suspended above them, tossing the black object into the air with one hand before catching it with the other.

“I meant that as in you’ll always be a part of my life, Lady Dude, and you’ll always be my closest friend.” He explained. “But I totally don’t see us as static either, we’re still evolving” He fished a bit.

“Do you like, know what happens when a motorcycle stops moving?” He asked, not waiting for an answer to the rhetorical question. “It falls over, even at slow speeds they sometimes become unsteady. But movement makes the bike balance.”

He tossed the object again.

“I think relationships are similar.” He continued while stifling a yawn, “The journey keeps the relationship growing, even without like, knowing the ultimate destination.” Lorcán rambled before smiling towards Aurora with a wink.

“Even for best friends forever.”

His hand missed the falling object as it caught him square in the face.

“Ow.”

The air around Aurora quickly turned cold as Lorcán moved to his side of the tent, the hairs on her arms standing up at the sudden change in temperature, but also because of what he had implied about them being together. Not dwelling on it, she swung her legs up onto the cot and laid back, her red locks fanning out behind her, hands clasped resting on her stomach. The girl turned her head to look at Lorcán as he spoke, holding the object that Jonas had gifted him in his palm. “Maybe you’re not meant to know right now,” She pondered, “Could be important for later, or something.”

This morning had felt like a lifetime ago, but she remembered the boy’s words as he recounted them. A lot was changing right now, and she had thought at the time Lorcán had only meant it that nothing would come between them. But, ever full of surprises tonight, he took a turn she wasn’t expecting. For someone she thought she knew well, this was a side of the sandy haired boy that she hadn’t seen before. Sure, they had practically grown up together on the Island, the both of them having matured significantly since their youth, but what he was implying wasn’t about them individually.

He winked, and Aurora felt a flush grace her fair skin. Things were evolving, alright.

And as Lorcán clumsily inflicted more harm to himself, she tried to stifle her delicate laugh but failed. Sure, things may have been shifting, but there would still be some things that never changed. “You really need to work on your coordination, hot shot.” The redhead teased, turning her head and letting her gaze rest on the canopy of the tent above them. She reflected on his previous words and a small smile appeared at the memory the phrase triggered.

“Do you ever wonder what life would be like if we never met?” The girl asked before continuing her thought, “Like if one thing was different, we wouldn’t be here together. Do you think about that at all?” Aurora took a breath. “I do. I think about it all the time.” She admitted, bringing her hand up to her necklace, and twirling it.

“So sure, we might not know what’s coming next and how the journey may change things, how we may evolve, but what won’t change is how lucky I feel to have met you when I did.”

The tent’s temperature rose again as Aurora’s words reached Lorcán’s flushed ears. It wasn’t quite a mutual admission of affection, but he’d take the words as a win for now. A smile spread across his face before giving way to a tired yawn. The day had been exhausting both emotionally and physically.

It had been a long day.

From the announcement at the ceremony about the loss of degrees and the displayed animosity of the Foundation to his encounter with Jonas and the mysterious object. From there, the day had only been more complicated after he chose to shirk his duties and go off with Amma into the woods. His best friend took that personally and was now unusually upset at him. Dinner had been eventful with the campfire between both teams and the prying into the conspiracies of the Foundation and then his rollercoaster of a heart-to-heart with Aurora.

It had been a very long day indeed.

“I try not to think about my life without you in it,” Lorcán finally replied, “I definitely don’t want any future that you’re not part of.” He smiled softly, rolling the smooth object around in his palm.

“My life kind of sucked before you, and yeah I realize it could have been a lot worse, in many ways I’m spoiled, but it was lonely. It was the lowest low I’ve known and then you came along.” Lorcán sighed wistfully, “And then things got better, and they keep getting better each day you’re still here. No matter what kind of day I have, I know you’re always there, excited to listen,” He stifled another yawn.

“Rory and Gil are both cool, they’re great friends, but they’ll never trump you.”

Aurora shook her head, “I don’t think you’re spoiled. Sure, you had a very different upbringing than most of us, and you’re lucky for that, but that doesn’t mean you’re completely immune to any kind of hardship.” And she meant that. A lot of people looked at Lorcán’s life, herself included, and were envious of the way the boy grew up. Two loving parents and a community who accepted him for exactly who he was seemed like something out of a storybook. But the grass was always greener, and that didn’t mean the boy didn’t have troubles of his own. “I was lonely too, for a long time. And then I had you and I wasn’t lonely anymore.”

The redhead smiled softly, “Don’t worry, I won’t tell them. Your secret’s safe with me.”

Lorcan smiled fondly back, before placing his head on his pillow, his eyes closed as the gentle lull of Aurora’s voice comforted him. His thoughts raced back to earlier, the near kiss, the hands on her hips.

It hadn’t been real, but in that moment, it had been everything.

“‘Rora,” Lorcán mumbled half asleep as he reluctantly laid back on the cot. Rolling onto his shoulder, he turned to look at Aurora. A smitten smile crossed his face as wandering thoughts pictured waking up beside her.

“I really-” He spoke again, his words slurring slightly as sleep began to take hold of the exhausted young man. His eyelids fluttered, as he struggled to maintain consciousness.

“-really want to take...” Lorcán’s eyes were closed at this point, sleep taking a firm grasp over the young man only for one last act of rebellion allowed him to spit out another sentence fragment.

“...to the dance.”

Aurora had been drifting off as well, but was snapped back awake at Lorcán’s words. Her eyes widened, and she sat up quickly, looking over at his now sleeping form. She watched the steady rise and fall of his chest as he peacefully rested as if he didn’t just say something confusing and leave it up to interpretation before dozing off to dreamland.

Take who to the dance? Her?

Based on the evening's events, she assumed he’d meant wanting to bring her, which opened up a can of metaphorical worms. In fact, the entire night had put them in a bit of a predicament if she was being honest. But then again, he had said many things that evening, he could very well have meant someone else…

Lying back on the cot, Aurora tried to quiet the swirling thoughts that had now overtaken her mind. She didn’t sleep that night.

Not a wink.

Wraith's Little Workshop of Horrors

Foundation based RP exploring the different world and perspectives of the Alexandria Foundation, students competing in a dog eat dog environment to earn a place on the Hyper Force.

Commencement: A Foundation Institute RP

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_{Location: Southern Plateau - Dundas Island, Pacific Ocean}

Welcome Home #1.092: Supermassive Black Hole

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_{Interaction(s): @Rockette - Amma Cahors, @Melissa - Aurora Mitchell}

Previously: Howlin' For You

"Do you feel better now?"

The question itself was like a knife, it was thrust into his chest like an opportunistic assassin disappearing into the crowd while Lorcán was left to bleed out. The multitude of students continued about their meal and conversations, oblivious to the wounded boy left fending for his life.

Stumbling away from Haven, Lorcán couldn’t stop his eyes following Amma. Watching her sneakers trod away on the grass, her long pale legs seemed to endlessly climb to a slender torso gifted with curves in all the right places. Her cropped sweater revealed those beckoning tattoos that appeared to reach out towards Lorcán, those tentacles threatening to pull him into her shorts, burying him beneath her toned navel while the beetle crawled down his throat, consuming his last breaths.

Mumured rumours and mocking laughter bit at the back of Lorcán’s head. His fiery eyes darted from side to side, looking for the source of the voices, but there was nothing, the whispers were fleeting, evaporating as his molton gaze fell upon them.

_{^{Burn them all.}}

Lorcán turned again, swearing he had heard a voice crawling over his shoulder before its seething tone breathed hotly into his ear.

Burn them all.

It gnawed at his earlobe, a tingle of anticipation running the length of his body leaving every hair erect and stiffened with excitement. Intrusive thoughts filled his mind as he surveyed the campsite seeing only tinder and chaff where he ought to see friends and colleagues. The fire flared momentarily as he closed his fists, turning to look at Amma again as the wind howled through the Hype-made cliffs.

A primal call, but was it mating or war?

Bodies wrestling in the shroud of darkness, scratching, piercing, sucking and pleading. As the horizon suffocated the setting sun, so too, did the darkness drive Lorcán deeper into disparaging thoughts and further distanced from his friends. Something was inside him now that wasn’t there before. Something festering and growing, eroding with each ebb and flow of the storm that was Lorcán’s emotions. The tide was coming in, washing away the torn-up beach and revealing a new layer of sediment beneath the trampled surface. The old was smoothed away, replaced by something new, something identical but different.

But through the storm cut a blazing ray of warm light and the clouds parted before dissipating. The bathing warmth of copper spilled over Lorcán’s view as brilliant sapphire whirlpools softened his heart, relaxing his hands and a calm washed away the storm inside. Smoked-filled visions of ruins fell away from his eyes like the scales of a blind man gifted his sight. Kindling became kin and kindred souls alike as Lorcán was transported from the darkness directly into the light.

“-eat that?” Cassander asked again, this time giving Lorcán a playful elbow to the ribs as the latter dropped the plate laden with an untouched taco until his lap with a startled jump.

“Bro, what?” The daze still had a firm hold on Lorcán as he looked around, unaware of when he had made it back to his seat. His eyes drifted to Aurora and an involuntary smile floated on his lips.

“The taco,” Cassander repeated for a third time. “Are you going to eat the taco? I can’t abide wasted food, man.”

“Go to town, dude,” Lorcán nonchalantly replied before handing the plate over and looking towards Aurora again. He still needed to talk to her, but he didn’t want to do so in front of everyone, yet it might be better to rip that bandaid off before they were in the tent together.

A Westerly chinook blew through the campsite, Lorcán silently cursing the ethereal forces over the warm wind. A cold night might have enticed Aurora to come closer and find herself in his embrace. Standing once again, Lorcán conspicuously inconspicuously made his way towards the empty seat beside Aurora before sitting down and picking up a stick topped with a marshmallow.

“Can I introduce you in your usual shade of golden, Lady Dude?” Lorcán asked while playfully twirling the gelatinous treat on the stick.

“I missed you this afternoon, Rora, and you know I can’t stand to see you sitting here looking so sad, Lady so this guy right here figured what better to cheer up the Lady Dude than s’more marshed mallow on a stick pressed onto chocolate and graham cracker.”

Wraith's Little Workshop of Horrors

S P A R R O W S

^{He Wrote Hunts Monsters}
A Historical Fantasy Roleplay set in the Hyperverse

PREMISE:
Long ago, while the Earth was still young, Theogony, then known as Pandora unleashed the horrors known as Hellions and their plagues upon the world. To pay penance for their forebearer, the descendants of Cain, known as the Jäger, are charged with the divine mission to rid the world of the evils wrought by Theogony. The Jäger are followers of the Way, they serve the deity known as the One Above All, and are personally guided by the counsel of the archangel Samael. However, all Jäger are cursed to wander the Earth and unable of putting roots down anywhere. Ruled by the Venari Council, the Jäger seek out Hellions and eliminate their threats using a variety of tools provided to them along with their natural talents.

The most elite of these Jäger are simply known as Sparrows.

Every Jäger is identifiable by their ancestral mark, the Mark of Cain. This mark can appear anyway on the body, though it often appears on the thigh and is not dissimilar to a tattoo. The mark is immediately recognizable by some Hellions, even while covered.

...The mortal enemy of the Jäger is the Dragon and its followers. Flanked by the First Beast and the Second Beast, the Dragon employs its Seven Heads and Ten Horns to do its bidding.

Wraith's Little Workshop of Horrors

When a Jäger is activated, they inherit the skills and knowledge necessary to leave the safety of their ancestral home and begin to walk the Path. The Path refers to a Jäger's mission to protect the mundane world from the evils that lurk in the darkness and beyond the veil the separates our world from another. This has been the sacred duty of the Jäger since time immemorial. When an elder Jäger passes on, their memories and skills are passed along to their closest heir. In this case, the heir was Ellara, and the elder Jäger unbeknownst to her was her late father. When this happened, the memories and training of Ellara's ancestors were passed onto their living descendant, 'activating' Ellara as a Jäger.

It is for this reason that, Ellara has a natural aptitude for fighting as it is her ancestors' memories imprinting themselves on her reflexes and reactions which acts as a sort of instinctual intuition. She gained their knowledge of fighting against the supernatural, and with it their weapons' skills and preferences. As part of her heritage, Ellara also possesses incredible observational abilities and keen instincts.

Perhaps the most valuable, though underutilized skill that Ellara gain upon being activated is her 'Divine Tongue'. Through her ancestors, Ellara has become something of an omniglot, capable of speaking and reading languages she has never heard of. The additional cones in her retinas allow Ellara to view written language in a way most humans can't, and to see messages under the letters left by others like her. In addition to the modern language, Ellara possesses the gift of a 'Nightingale Tongue' and has an innate, almost imprinted understanding of 'Divine Languages' such as Latin, Gothic, Enochian and most notably, the 'Language of the Birds'. This is a significant contributor to Ellara's natural connection to the supernatural and therefore affinity for performing mystic arts if given the correct direction or training.

► Limitation(s)
Ellara's inexperience as a Jäger is her biggest limitation despite having grown up seeing the supernatural, Ellara never had anyone to guide her nor train her despite her 'Ancestral Activation'. As such, while she can survive on instinct alone, if Ellara ever starts actively pursuing her heritage, she will quickly find herself outgunned and outmaneuvered by beings who have centuries more experience in confronting and defeating Jäger.

Additionally, due to the overwhelming amount of information unlocked in her mind upon 'activation' and her 'Divine Tongue', Ellara can suffer from bouts of glossolalia, or 'Speaking in Tongues' which makes it near impossible to communicate with others unless they're familiar with the tongue or a translator is provided.

► Weakness(es)
The greatest drawback to being an 'activated' Jäger is the numerous memories and personalities that cloud the mind of the new hunter. The mental strain alone has left Jäger in the past institutionalized upon being activated and not everyone survives the ordeal. Some Jäger have even had their personalities and sense of identity completely overwritten upon activation creating a loss of self and almost a reincarnated form for the previous Jäger.

While activation can aid a Jäger in combat, it is not a suitable replacement for actual training and over-reliance upon inherited memories can lead to a Jäger's downfall. Additionally, the memories provided by her 'activation' are limited to just that, being memories. If Ellara encounters anything new or unfamiliar, she has no aid from her 'activation' and must resolve the situation on her own.

► Application(s)
The primary application of the Jäger's ancestral activation is to preserve their knowledge and skills through each subsequent generation. This method also allows for accelerated training and avoiding learning curbs due to being able to draw upon the experience of those who came before.

Ellara has a unique physiology gained from a long ancestry dating back most famously to Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm. While her abilities are underdeveloped, Ellara still possesses several differences from a base human. The first of these differences is nearly undetectable, Ellara possesses two additional cones in her eyes' photoreceptor cells which allows her to see things that escape detection from the average human eye. Predominantly, this allows Ellara to see and detect the presence of the supernatural whether those around her want to seen or not. Ellara's sense of smell and her sense of hearing are also enhanced and with the proper training could be honed to the point where Ellara's hearing or sense of smell alone could compensate entirely for the loss of her sight. Additionally, Ellara possesses a sixth sense, a sort of supernatural 'radar' that provides her with an overwhelming 'gut feeling' whenever she's in the vicinity of something belonging to the supernatural.

The most notable aspect of Ellara's Jäger Physiology is her resilience to physical harm. As a Jäger, Ellara's body is substantially more durable and resistant to blunt force trauma than that of an ordinary human's and she possesses an incredibly high pain tolerance. It is difficult, though not impossible, to bruise Ellara and even more difficult to create strain on her joints or break her bones. Ellara possesses a sort of metaphysical strength that is not related to her physical mass and thus is hard to fully gauge. At best, it puts her above a trained strongman but not on a level that one would consider superhuman. Likewise, her physical speed, agility, and reflexes are also enhanced and while impressive to an average human, anyone one of these attributes would be rapidly outpaced by an individual possessing a superhuman trait of the aforementioned.

While a regular person may require eight to ten hours of sleep, Ellara requires considerably less but still needs rest to function. Ellara herself is capable of staying awake for days but this will result in her 'crashing' and her body forcing her to sleep for half a day. Provided Ellara is left undisturbed while she recuperates, there will be no lingering disabilities. When sleeping, Ellara can recover from most non-lethal injuries, the severity of which will determine how long she requires rest. Likewise, her body can sustain itself on very little food and water, having nearly double the threshold for dehydration or starvation that a human has, which leads to Ellara eating relatively lightly on an average day but capable of putting away large amounts of food after a long fought battle.

► Limitation(s)
The Jäger's sixth sense for the supernatural is not accurate, it can only inform the Jäger that there is a being of supernatural origin within a fifty-foot radius. It cannot determine who is the supernatural being or even what kind of supernatural being it is. A Jäger who is not accustomed to the sensation of their 'sixth sense' may also feel nauseous, even violently ill which would do them more harm than good. Additionally, Ellara's Jäger Physiology does nothing to alert her of the presence of enhanced beings outside of the supernatural spectrum.

Ellara is also something of a technophobe, preferring to do things by hand whenever possible and using computers and cellphones sparingly. Furthermore, a lifetime of seeing what others can't has left Ellara in poor mental health and quite damaged. This has led to Ellara often refusing friends, help or aid even when in need of any of the aforementioned.

► Weakness(es)
There are several noticeable weaknesses to Ellara's Jäger Physiology. The first of which is that in the same way Ellara can see the Supernatural, they too can see what she is. When her abilities see through the disguise of a supernatural, her own nature is revealed to them. Despite their resounding resilience against blunt force, a Jäger can be injured by conventional bullets, bladed weapons, and more advanced weaponry just as easily as an ordinary human can. Likewise, despite being able to perform it, Jäger's are not immune to magic and can be harmed or even killed from offensive spells.

All Jäger suffer from a weakness to 'Witch Blood' which is a literal term and refers to blood belonging to a living practitioner of magic. Weapons or objects laced with Witch Blood have a toxic reaction with a Jäger, causing burns upon contact and preventing wounds from closing. Ingestion of Witch Blood can lead to a Jäger being reduced to human levels if not outright killing them pending the quantity of dosage.

As a Jäger's primary method of recovery is through sleep, this leaves them with only two choices while injured requiring them to either continue fighting while wounded or to retreat in order to sleep. Either way, this decision could lead to the Jäger's untimely death due to falling in battle or being discovered while unable to defend themselves.

► Application(s)
A Jäger is designed to do one thing, and one thing very well, protect the world from the threats of the supernatural. As such, they equipped to seek out, discovery and destroy any supernatural threats, possessing the natural tools to survive and overcome any encounter especially when trained to do so.

While a Jäger's Physiology provides a significant boon against the forces of the supernatural, when faced with overwhelming odds, Jäger are known to mark their skin with arcane runes. This practice traces back to their Germanic origins and often is done using Germainc Runes however some Jäger are known to favour Enochian instead. The actual rune itself is mostly ceremonial and it is the magic sealed within the symbol that has the greatest influence on the effect of the rune.

Application of a rune requires a skilled practitioner of magic, specifically one skilled in alchemy due to the process involved in the mixing of the ink. No two runes require the same combination of ingredients and almost every mixture contains an ingredient of a magical origin. For this reason, runes are sparingly used and only applied in dire circumstances. Amongst the Jäger, there are specific members who dedicate their lives to learning how to craft and draw runes, those who walk the path often bring tribute to these 'Scribes' as compensation for their services.

While these runes are almost exclusively used by the Jäger, they could be applied to a mundane however the detrimental effects would be accelerated without the Jäger's constitution to stand up to the toxicity of the runic concoction. Outside of ritualistic body modifications, runes are also used on weapons in order to create specific effects and enchantments. If applied during the forging process, the rune is more stable and often has a longer period of use than a rune added to a pre-existing weapon.

► Limitation(s)
Each rune can only contain one effect and the use of multiple runes accelerates the risk of poisoning within a host or degradation of a weapon. Damage to the rune can render it unstable and any sort of breaking of the symbol will render it useless to the host or user. In the event of a damaged rune, pending the extent of the damage, a Scribe may be able to touch it up and stabilize the magic but a ruined rune will need to be removed and reapplied.

► Weakness(es)
Runic Markings are exceptional volatile both to apply and to the host. Ingredients need to be measured precisely and mixed exactly otherwise the rune will fail or worst, backfire in horrific ways. The rune itself will fade with each use but must also be cleansed from the host system using a purification concoction. Failing to cleanse the rune from the host after it has been extinguished, will result in a form of arcane blood poisoning to the host. Continued neglect will eventually lead to madness and a mindless, feral state turning the afflicted Jäger into a zombie-like creature.

Much like the rune itself, the purification process requires the correct alchemical concoction and depending on the state of blood poisoning and the rune that caused it may require a stronger blend or specific ingredients. If prepared incorrectly, the purification concoction can lead to severe side effects if not outright killing the consumer.

► Application(s)
Runes are used to compliment a Jäger in any area they're lacking or to specifically target a known weakness. They can be used not only to bolster both offense or defense but also create specific situational effects if given the time to prepare.

Tongue of the Nightingale
The tongue of the Nightingale or 'Divine Tongue' is a Jäger's unique gift that gives them the ability to command and understand both written and spoken language in a way more humans can't. Considered to be 'Priority Speakers' when casting incantations or banishing beings from this plane, a Jäger's words take precedence over those of a rival caster or opponent. In addition to this, Jäger's are able to see messages hidden behind words and characters especially in the cast of rune or glyph based writing. Due to their 'Divine Tongue' and enhanced sight, new messages can appear on a page that wasn't present before due to the Jäger's mind being able to extrapolate the hidden text.

Combined with her ancestral knowledge, Ellara possesses a high degree of mastery over language and the longer she remains 'activated', the more ingrained her knowledge of Earth's various tongues will become. As a side effect, all Jäger speak in perfect pitch and share a natural talent for singing, storytelling and other vocal forms of communication.

► Limitation(s)
The Divine Tongue, while granting a Jäger a mastery over language, does not allow for instantaneous learning of foreign tongues. Pronunciation may come easier to a Jäger but they will still need to learn the ins and outs of a new language if they wish to speak it correctly. The only exceptions to this rule are the Divine Languages which are ingrained within a Jäger's subconscious.

► Weakness(es)
The Divine Tongue is not a universal translator and when confronted with a foreign language not in their repertoire whether, through their ancestral memories or their own learned, a Jäger will be as lost as those also involved in the conversation. This goes both ways in that a Jäger will not automatically begin speaking the foreign language in order to communicate when necessary. Languages not of Earth or based on other forms of communication such as pheromones or even sign language will present as much difficulty to understand to a Jäger as anyone else.

► Application(s)
The greatest application of the Divine Tongue is casting or countering magic. Due to being a 'Priority Speaker' the Jäger will be able to overcome most lesser practitioners as well as being able to unleash a powerful offensive of their own.