Opposition

Sᴛᴇʀʟɪɴɢ Hᴇɪɢʜᴛs Sᴇᴄʀᴇᴛs

The Outcast

---

---

Alice Weaver

_{We're all a bit lost looking for art... Some more than others... Some more than most.}

---

---

● Name:

Allison Weaver

Usually called by one of two nicknames:
❃Alice, most commonly (preferred)
❃Allie, in rare cases of endearment

● Age:

Seventeen

● Gender:

Female

● Sexuality:

Bisexual | Unrecognized

● More In Depth Appearance:

Standing at a slight 5’5” and weighing around 120 lbs, Alice’s wispy frame appears rather lithe and delicate. Noticing her outward features, it is clear that Alice pays a great deal of attention to her appearance and upkeep. Her styled hair falls in sweeping waves around her head just down to her neck. Despite its often disheveled appearance, Alice is known to brush at it rather regularly in her daily life. Her hair color, while naturally a light brown, is more often subject to change. She has been seen dying her hair a coal-like black and a dirty blonde. With such prominent striking blue eyes, Alice does quite a bit to accentuate them. Though her makeup is usually done in a minimalist and unobtrusive way, she is very dedicated to the art, and has been known to have a great deal of skill in putting makeup on herself and others.

When it comes to her daily attire, Alice appears to be very aware and self conscious of her clothing choices. With such a vast wardrobe, she has a bit of a reputation for dressing rather fashionably in ways that might often be seen as abnormal. As much as she enjoys wearing flashy sundresses, Alice rarely does so in public for fear of the attention it might bring, but she does find herself drawing attention with high-fashion sweaters, jackets, skirts, high socks, and sunhats. Contrasting her most common appearance, there are times that Alice prefers sweatshirts and sweatpants, most often seen covered in marks of paint and other artistic slip-ups. Additionally, she has a bit of an odd habit of carrying around a large bag in addition to her backpack, but no one knows what’s inside it.

---

---

● Pensive ● Withdrawn ● Conscientious ● Dissonant ●

● Personality:

There is much of a duality in Alice’s personality, because she can be quite different depending on who she is around and how she imagines that they will see her. Typically, Alice is seen as a very introspective and quiet individual, always wistfully lost in thought. It isn’t uncommon for her classmates to catch her caught up in long bouts of daydreaming as she absently stares off. In general, Alice has never been the best at social interaction. She very rarely has the courage to approach people directly, bring up issues around her, or express her personal opinion. It is extremely uncommon to see Alice able to display affection well. Because of this, she tends to be a very mysterious individual, divulging very little about herself and distancing herself from others.

In spite of her shy side, there is much more to Alice. It is well known that Alice has an extremely creative mind. While she does well on her schoolwork, Alice is more commonly seen focusing on her artistic avenues of expression. Be it sketching, painting, or other crafty visual arts, she finds solace in this sort of self expression. In her art, Alice’s underlying personal is revealed. Rather than being the brooding and pensive outcast individual she may appear to be, Alice shows that she is a dreamer. Often lost in the romanticism of the world, she looks at life with a very poetic view. This can often be her greatest asset in her friendships with others. Alice is always willing to lend an ear and offer advice to those who find solace in her, doing her best to divulge her ‘visionary wisdom’. Even with her romantic outlook, though, Alice is extremely chaste in all displays of affection, almost appearing afraid of growing close to people.

● Quirks:

❃ She has an extremely erratic sleeping schedule and is often awake more nocturnally than diurnally.
❃ Alice has been known to randomly cite poetry in conversation no matter the situation.
❃ Strangely obsessed with plants, Alice tends to a lot of them and can often be seen wearing flowers in her hair or on her person. She will protect plants at all costs.
❃ Alice is in love with sweets, always choosing to eat candy and chocolate at her leisure.

● Hobbies:

❃ Alice is an avid artist, being recognized as the art teacher’s assistant. She works in a number of mediums.

❃ Alice commonly writes and reads poetry, no matter the setting she finds herself in. It isn’t uncommon to see her writing around the school, especially if the weather is nice.

❃ Alice has had a hand in a number of the drama productions that are produced at Sterling Heights. While she more commonly assists outside of the mainstage, she has acted in a small number of performances.

● Likes & Dislikes:

❃ Romance Novels
❃ Nature
❃ Fashion
❃ Various Teas
❃ Deep Conversation

❃ Large Groups
❃ Sports
❃ Math
❃ Being Cold
❃ Entitlement

---

---

● Family Members:

❃Joseph Weaver | Father, 43

● Biography:

Alice was born into rather peculiar circumstances as the daughter of Joseph Weaver and Eliza Weaver. Of course, Alice never really met her mother due to the fragility of her marriage and the greater fragility of her mental state. That left Alice to be raised alone by her father who also worked as the pastor and proprietor of a small church in Sterling Heights. As expected, she was expected to follow a very coordinated set of beliefs taught to her by her father.

Things didn’t go very well on that front, however, for as soon as Alice was into her teenage years, she rejected the strict religious lifestyle of her father. This didn’t stop the two from being very close, though. Alice respected her father greatly and considered him her closest friend. In her rejection of his greatest passion, turmoil was present. As Alice grew older, she grew to distance herself from her home life, being absorbed into the fantasy world of books, poetry, and art. Alice’s father never really accepted her passion for such abnormal fronts of literature and art, only further growing a rift between the two remnants of the family. While he took a traditional path of religion, Joseph Weaver had to watch his daughter captivated by hedge spirituality and contemplative sciences.

When her father tried to start a new relationship, Alice immediately opposed his girlfriend and did whatever it took to avoid her. With yet another step taken to distance herself from her only family, Alice spent a lot of time alone in her early high school years. While her father was so often working at the church or spending time at his girlfriend’s house, Alice found herself alone for long hours of the day. Occasionally, she would take to going to her father’s church simply for the sake of getting out of the house. It was all of the alone time that really stunted Alice’s social development. At school, she finds herself infrequently communicating with others, always busying herself with other tasks, but still maintains her grades and extracurricular activities.

● Theme Song:

Of a Friday Night — Anais Mitchell:
_{Just across from the hospital
Still in sight of the red lights
A couple blocks from the orthodox church
That's where the old poet lived
In his eyeglasses and his necktie
At the window looking down
On the young men passing by
On the fullness of the town}

Sᴛᴇʀʟɪɴɢ Hᴇɪɢʜᴛs Sᴇᴄʀᴇᴛs

The Outcast

---

---

Alice Weaver

_{We're all a bit lost looking for art... Some more than others... Some more than most.}

---

---

● Name:

Allison Weaver

Usually called by one of two nicknames:
❃Alice, most commonly (preferred)
❃Allie, in rare cases of endearment

● Age:

Seventeen

● Gender:

Female

● Sexuality:

Bisexual | Unrecognized

● More In Depth Appearance:

Standing at a slight 5’5” and weighing around 120 lbs, Alice’s wispy frame appears rather lithe and delicate. Noticing her outward features, it is clear that Alice pays a great deal of attention to her appearance and upkeep. Her styled hair falls in sweeping waves around her head just down to her neck. Despite its often disheveled appearance, Alice is known to brush at it rather regularly in her daily life. Her hair color, while naturally a light brown, is more often subject to change. She has been seen dying her hair a coal-like black and a dirty blonde. With such prominent striking blue eyes, Alice does quite a bit to accentuate them. Though her makeup is usually done in a minimalist and unobtrusive way, she is very dedicated to the art, and has been known to have a great deal of skill in putting makeup on herself and others.

When it comes to her daily attire, Alice appears to be very aware and self conscious of her clothing choices. With such a vast wardrobe, she has a bit of a reputation for dressing rather fashionably in ways that might often be seen as abnormal. As much as she enjoys wearing flashy sundresses, Alice rarely does so in public for fear of the attention it might bring, but she does find herself drawing attention with high-fashion sweaters, jackets, skirts, high socks, and sunhats. Contrasting her most common appearance, there are times that Alice prefers sweatshirts and sweatpants, most often seen covered in marks of paint and other artistic slip-ups. Additionally, she has a bit of an odd habit of carrying around a large bag in addition to her backpack, but no one knows what’s inside it.

---

---

● Pensive ● Withdrawn ● Conscientious ● Dissonant ●

● Personality:

There is much of a duality in Alice’s personality, because she can be quite different depending on who she is around and how she imagines that they will see her. Typically, Alice is seen as a very introspective and quiet individual, always wistfully lost in thought. It isn’t uncommon for her classmates to catch her caught up in long bouts of daydreaming as she absently stares off. In general, Alice has never been the best at social interaction. She very rarely has the courage to approach people directly, bring up issues around her, or express her personal opinion. It is extremely uncommon to see Alice able to display affection well. Because of this, she tends to be a very mysterious individual, divulging very little about herself and distancing herself from others.

In spite of her shy side, there is much more to Alice. It is well known that Alice has an extremely creative mind. While she does well on her schoolwork, Alice is more commonly seen focusing on her artistic avenues of expression. Be it sketching, painting, or other crafty visual arts, she finds solace in this sort of self expression. In her art, Alice’s underlying personal is revealed. Rather than being the brooding and pensive outcast individual she may appear to be, Alice shows that she is a dreamer. Often lost in the romanticism of the world, she looks at life with a very poetic view. This can often be her greatest asset in her friendships with others. Alice is always willing to lend an ear and offer advice to those who find solace in her, doing her best to divulge her ‘visionary wisdom’. Even with her romantic outlook, though, Alice is extremely chaste in all displays of affection, almost appearing afraid of growing close to people.

● Quirks:

❃ She has an extremely erratic sleeping schedule and is often awake more nocturnally than diurnally.
❃ Alice has been known to randomly cite poetry in conversation no matter the situation.
❃ Strangely obsessed with plants, Alice tends to a lot of them and can often be seen wearing flowers in her hair or on her person. She will protect plants at all costs.
❃ Alice is in love with sweets, always choosing to eat candy and chocolate at her leisure.

● Hobbies:

❃ Alice is an avid artist, being recognized as the art teacher’s assistant. She works in a number of mediums.

❃ Alice commonly writes and reads poetry, no matter the setting she finds herself in. It isn’t uncommon to see her writing around the school, especially if the weather is nice.

❃ Alice has had a hand in a number of the drama productions that are produced at Sterling Heights. While she more commonly assists outside of the mainstage, she has acted in a small number of performances.

● Likes & Dislikes:

❃ Romance Novels
❃ Nature
❃ Fashion
❃ Various Teas
❃ Deep Conversation

❃ Large Groups
❃ Sports
❃ Math
❃ Being Cold
❃ Entitlement

---

---

● Family Members:

❃Joseph Weaver | Father, 43

● Biography:

Alice was born into rather peculiar circumstances as the daughter of Joseph Weaver and Eliza Weaver. Of course, Alice never really met her mother due to the fragility of her marriage and the greater fragility of her mental state. That left Alice to be raised alone by her father who also worked as the pastor and proprietor of a small church in Sterling Heights. As expected, she was expected to follow a very coordinated set of beliefs taught to her by her father.

Things didn’t go very well on that front, however, for as soon as Alice was into her teenage years, she rejected the strict religious lifestyle of her father. This didn’t stop the two from being very close, though. Alice respected her father greatly and considered him her closest friend. In her rejection of his greatest passion, turmoil was present. As Alice grew older, she grew to distance herself from her home life, being absorbed into the fantasy world of books, poetry, and art. Alice’s father never really accepted her passion for such abnormal fronts of literature and art, only further growing a rift between the two remnants of the family. While he took a traditional path of religion, Joseph Weaver had to watch his daughter captivated by hedge spirituality and contemplative sciences.

When her father tried to start a new relationship, Alice immediately opposed his girlfriend and did whatever it took to avoid her. With yet another step taken to distance herself from her only family, Alice spent a lot of time alone in her early high school years. While her father was so often working at the church or spending time at his girlfriend’s house, Alice found herself alone for long hours of the day. Occasionally, she would take to going to her father’s church simply for the sake of getting out of the house. It was all of the alone time that really stunted Alice’s social development. At school, she finds herself infrequently communicating with others, always busying herself with other tasks, but still maintains her grades and extracurricular activities.

● Theme Song:

Of a Friday Night — Anais Mitchell:
_{Just across from the hospital
Still in sight of the red lights
A couple blocks from the orthodox church
That's where the old poet lived
In his eyeglasses and his necktie
At the window looking down
On the young men passing by
On the fullness of the town}

Dark Ocean Piracy

@King Solterra

Yes, my apologies. I was trying to get the post out in a timely manner and got caught up before I could finish the map portion.

Here is a close up of the general idea (very roughly drawn up):

Hider

Zoomed out:

Hider

Dark Ocean Piracy

The convoy of three ships remained in close proximity to one another as the Cult of the Siren's fleet directed their efforts towards sailing down a channel between two islands. Mariana Escarabajo stood proudly atop the deck as she surveyed the surrounding lands. A devious smile crossed the woman's face. Despite the great distance of her journey, she was finally ready to begin enacting the Cult of the Siren's grand plan. When a view through her scope spotted a peninsula that the Serpentine was closing distance towards, she called to gather her flagship's crew. From a high perch on the carrack's top deck, she struck a grand pose to deliver her speech.

"Our time amid the vast oceans draws closer and closer to its temporary ending, seawalkers. In turn, the time draws near that the Cult of the Siren establishes its own foothold among these new lands. For the first time in the history of the Siren's followers, we cease running. We find settlements for the followers of our truth. Prepare yourselves to go ashore. Gather supplies. We are no longer running. On this day, our rise begins..." With a tight fist, Mariana dismissed her followers, stepping down from her perch to parley with the Serpentine's officer. Once back in the captain's cabin, the two began to converse.

"Your orders, prophet?"

"Survey the land directly on the peninsula's tip. Prepare the full crew to claim their stake. Send half the men to survey the land for valuable resources. Should we find the land suitable for fortification and sustainability, ferry the supplies to shore. Make haste, for we will arrive soon. Begin preparing to unload the cargo, and prepare a broadside just in case. Dismissed." With that, Mariana stepped on, paying her officer little heed. He had already started scurrying across the deck by the time he called back towards his captain.

"Yes, prophet. With immediacy."

As much as Mariana sought to relax and revel in her ever present success in leading the resilient followers of the Siren, she had not a moment to spare. Her swift steps lead her to the ship's stern. Awaiting her was a boatswain already carrying a set of flags. Mariana wasted no time. "Send word to the Herald to continue down the channel as originally planned to seek out any nearby colonial settlements along the interior of the islands. Once there, they're to moor and send crew to shore. Spread the word of the siren in the ports in the silence of the nights. Find allies... Go now." The boatswain didn't even offer Mariana a reply. She began instead flagging semaphore signals back towards the Herald of the Depths.

Within moments, Mariana could see the sloop open its full sails and cruise ahead, soon to overtake the Serpentine. Two down, thought the flagship's captain. With a will, her next destination was her ship's bow where she met a similar boatswain preparing to signal the Jellyfish that scouted ahead of the Serpentine. Mariana already had her orders in mind: "Send word, boatswain. The Jellyfish continues southward towards the approaching island. A quick survey of resources should be taken before they return. Should valuable commodities be found, the Jellyfish is to hold its position until we can send others their way to assist. All the while, hail the word of the Siren." Mariana's boatswain saluted her with the twisted symbolism of their cult, and with that, he began his message. She had only one more duty before her crew were fully at work. When supplies were loaded on the top deck and prepared in rowboats, the Siren's prophet called out orders to her still working men, devising who would be sent ashore as explorers and who would remain as the skeleton crew to fire readily at any approaching threat.

This was the Siren's time.

Orders

All members aboard the Serpentine, Carrack, save for a skeleton crew are to be sent ashore on the nearby peninsula to survey the land for resources and prepare to set camp should the land be found suitable by Mariana. The skeleton crew is to prepare a broadside with the cannons to ward off any passing threats.

The Herald of the Depths, Sloop, is sent full speed ahead to survey the rest of the southern channel between islands for colonial settlements or other visible information. Should they locate an adequately sizable colonial settlement, 1/3 of the Herald's crew is to be sent aboard to preach in the night at the settlement's harbors in an attempt to convert those in the port silently and without disruption to local affairs just yet. Once the sleeping preachers have been deposited, The Herald is to rally with the Jellyfish before returning to the flagship.

The Jellyfish, Sloop, is sent across the channel and to the south, seeking out another nearby peninsula. In reaching their location, a partial crew of the Jellyfish is to be sent ashore and seek out valuable resources. Should they find something, the Jellyfish is to report back to the location of the Serpentine with as much haste as possible. Should they find something of great value, the sloop is to instead stake its claim and hold the position until the Serpentine's reinforcements can arrive. A set time of return has been established to provide the flagship of the Cult of the Siren the information to know if they are needed to reinforce the sloop.

Dark Ocean Piracy

Mariana Escarabajo

Name:
Mariana Maquinilla Escarabajo

Alias/Nickname:
Siren, The Siren, Witchmother

Group Name:
Cult of the Siren

Culture:
Spain (Caribbean Colonies)

Flag/Symbol:


Personal Ship:
The Serpentine, Carrack - Fully Crewed

Reputation:
Mariana is well known firstly for her connection to her aristocratic Spanish family living in Caribbean colonies. In more underground groups, though, Mariana is the recognized Prophet of the Cult of the Siren.

Wealth:
High, distributed between a large amount of gold tithe and precious gemstones.

Background Type:
Colonial Aristocrat

Background:
Most delving into the ill fate of the ocean’s dark waters expect life on land to be much less exciting. When it comes to the life of the Aristocratic family of the Escarabajo lineage, things are anything but bland. Mariana was born into the famed family, but had little to do with their above board dealings. The family business was all dealt with by her brother and her father, but that didn’t mean the Escarabajo women were discounted altogether.

While the modern dealings of the colonial business were dealt with above board, Mariana’s mother was a major player in a large secret society of sea witches that practiced in Caribbean ports. It wasn’t long into her life when Mariana was indoctrinated into the society as well, acting as an acolyte witch of the Children of the Seamother. The group is said to send whispering missionaries to various ports to convert and spread their word. The vile and ruthless practices of the witches tend to put off most, though. As she grew, Mariana developed well as one of the star students of the cult’s teachings. She was on track to be one of the society’s operators in her young adulthood, but things for the Children of the Seamother didn’t go as well as planned as the years ticked on.

When tensions between colonial officers and the Children of the Seamother came to a head, a series of executions were slated to take place regarding the society’s high ranking members. Word has spread that Mariana’s name was on this list, and as far as records show, she was hanged along with a number of the other witches. In whispers around Caribbean ports, it is rumored that she has been spotted alive off the mainland, and that the Children of the Seamother now operates in a splinter sect.

Feeling forsaken by her closest allies and family, Mariana reformed the lore behind the society, creating her own Cult of the Siren based around a different oceanic deity. When a number of ships disappeared only days after the execution, it is believed that a number of the Cult’s remaining members banded together to seek refuge in the seas. Mariana, embodying the deity she created, ‘The Siren’, leads the cultists in their quest for Salvation to new lands for widespread practice.

Cult of the Siren

Organization Name:
The Cult of the Siren

Reputation:
The cultists are revered for their cunning and underhanded tactics. They are most commonly seen as a sneaking threat, never quite striking in a way that is expected. When they do find themselves in conflict, though, the cultists are no strangers to torture, execution, or mass murder.

Initial Contact Behavior:
The Cult of the Siren’s fleet is unnervingly friendly, but firm in demands.

Typical Alignment:
Chaotic Neutral
The Cultists tend to act with an eerie and intimidating calm. When provoked, however, they act with ruthless efficiency, fearing no bloodbath in the name of their deity.

Backstory:
When the Cult of the Siren splintered from the remnants of the Children of the Seamother, a number of ships disappeared from Caribbean ports all in one mysterious strike on the night of the society’s Grand Witch executions. When the prophetic Siren called for a reformation of the Cult’s truest followers, Mariana took command and fled with the remnants of her organizations loyal followers. Now sailing towards uncharted territory, the Cult seeks to gain a foothold for their operations as an independent force to be reckoned with.

Fleet:
The Serpentine - Carrack

Herald of the Depths - Sloop

Jellyfish - Sloop armed with cannons

Controlled Establishments:
None

Dark Ocean Piracy

Hope it's not too late to hop into this. I got all the sheets done. Let me know if anything needs changed.

Mariana Escarabajo

Name:
Mariana Maquinilla Escarabajo

Alias/Nickname:
Siren, The Siren, Witchmother

Group Name:
Cult of the Siren

Culture:
Spain (Caribbean Colonies)

Flag/Symbol:


Personal Ship:
The Serpentine, Carrack - Fully Crewed

Reputation:
Mariana is well known firstly for her connection to her aristocratic Spanish family living in Caribbean colonies. In more underground groups, though, Mariana is the recognized Prophet of the Cult of the Siren.

Wealth:
High, distributed between a large amount of gold tithe and precious gemstones.

Background Type:
Colonial Aristocrat

Background:
Most delving into the ill fate of the ocean’s dark waters expect life on land to be much less exciting. When it comes to the life of the Aristocratic family of the Escarabajo lineage, things are anything but bland. Mariana was born into the famed family, but had little to do with their above board dealings. The family business was all dealt with by her brother and her father, but that didn’t mean the Escarabajo women were discounted altogether.

While the modern dealings of the colonial business were dealt with above board, Mariana’s mother was a major player in a large secret society of sea witches that practiced in Caribbean ports. It wasn’t long into her life when Mariana was indoctrinated into the society as well, acting as an acolyte witch of the Children of the Seamother. The group is said to send whispering missionaries to various ports to convert and spread their word. The vile and ruthless practices of the witches tend to put off most, though. As she grew, Mariana developed well as one of the star students of the cult’s teachings. She was on track to be one of the society’s operators in her young adulthood, but things for the Children of the Seamother didn’t go as well as planned as the years ticked on.

When tensions between colonial officers and the Children of the Seamother came to a head, a series of executions were slated to take place regarding the society’s high ranking members. Word has spread that Mariana’s name was on this list, and as far as records show, she was hanged along with a number of the other witches. In whispers around Caribbean ports, it is rumored that she has been spotted alive off the mainland, and that the Children of the Seamother now operates in a splinter sect.

Feeling forsaken by her closest allies and family, Mariana reformed the lore behind the society, creating her own Cult of the Siren based around a different oceanic deity. When a number of ships disappeared only days after the execution, it is believed that a number of the Cult’s remaining members banded together to seek refuge in the seas. Mariana, embodying the deity she created, ‘The Siren’, leads the cultists in their quest for Salvation to new lands for widespread practice.



Cult of the Siren

Organization Name:
The Cult of the Siren

Reputation:
The cultists are revered for their cunning and underhanded tactics. They are most commonly seen as a sneaking threat, never quite striking in a way that is expected. When they do find themselves in conflict, though, the cultists are no strangers to torture, execution, or mass murder.

Initial Contact Behavior:
The Cult of the Siren’s fleet is unnervingly friendly, but firm in demands.

Typical Alignment:
Chaotic Neutral
The Cultists tend to act with an eerie and intimidating calm. When provoked, however, they act with ruthless efficiency, fearing no bloodbath in the name of their deity.

Backstory:
When the Cult of the Siren splintered from the remnants of the Children of the Seamother, a number of ships disappeared from Caribbean ports all in one mysterious strike on the night of the society’s Grand Witch executions. When the prophetic Siren called for a reformation of the Cult’s truest followers, Mariana took command and fled with the remnants of her organizations loyal followers. Now sailing towards uncharted territory, the Cult seeks to gain a foothold for their operations as an independent force to be reckoned with.

Fleet:
The Serpentine - Carrack

Herald of the Depths - Sloop

Jellyfish - Sloop armed with cannons

Controlled Establishments:
None

World of Telduria [Reboot]

Southern Jewel Palace

_{@Oppositionj@Terminal@Zhaliora}

Sirro chuckled to himself. This girl was kinda clueless wasn't she? A Beastkin in Kron-Nesis for one, with a collar, in the capital. What else could it be but a slave? Her reaction to finally figuring it out was...amusing. He had expected her to either be more outspoken in protest, like most from Ithell. What they did not understand was that slaves made everything so much easier. While not cheap to procure, it was so worth it to have someone do all the menial tasks around. Left so much more time for doing things that really mattered in the world. Why would anyone of stature want to clean, or cook, or go to a cold bed for that matter? Sirro's mind was wandering as he listened to Hecuba introduce herself. Had the old codger already bedded her? He had heard that the woman had very particular skills, and lack of in many ways which made many question her suitability as the High Astronomers assistant.

"Suit yourself," he said as his eyes turned purple for a moment and he looked her over. Sirro tapped his chin while thinking. Perhaps this girl was what he needed? She had not been repulsed by the slave. She had a somewhat quick head on her shoulders. Well spoken. Seemingly interested in his little experiment about mind-control. Perhaps a scholar through and through. He wondered how far down the path of knowledge she was willing to go. Did she have morals? Or just an incurable thirst for knowledge? All in due time, he chided himself.

Sirro waved off her remarks about the old codger. It wasn't like it really made any difference. It would either be now, or later. Later was actually better now that he had sent this interesting girl to his room. "For all I care she could be walking around naked. Not like it matters. She IS a slave after all. If I wanted to I could alter the collar slightly so that she quite enjoys walking around naked in public. Hmm...perhaps I should..? I did turn off any sense of shame and modesty after all."

When she got out her tools Sirro got even more interested in the girl. She seemed like a good match after all. Was this perhaps included in the offer? Gaining a proper assistant that could perhaps match his lust for knowledge? One who did not seem to care about slaves and the experiment upon their person? The possibilities started running rampant inside of Sirro's mind as the clear tune rang out. "Oh, the enchantment is pretty much perfected. I just didn't feel like pouring too much magic into the makings of the spell in case it didn't work the way I wanted it to." He didn't really care that the girl spoke out of turn. In fact it made it better. He had not seen this kind of drive in a long time.

"Yes, I've tested it before. Last time though I poured too much magic into it and had a slightly different setting. She became way too obsessed with me. Would not leave my side for a moment. Hung on every word that I said like I was her god. Practically drooling to hop between the sheets. Had to put her down though when she nearly killed another slave out of jealousy after the collar had worn off. A pity too, she was really good in bed, and around the house in general." Sirro looked at his current possession and smirked. "That's why I needed those scrolls from the Archives. Finding the perfect material as a container is a hassle. That collar won't stop working no matter what. Even if you should had unravelled the enchantment it would had kicked right back in. Same if you destroyed the collar. It would reform itself after a few moments." He changed posture slightly as Hecuba went onto the main topic.

Ishtar silently cursed herself as she found that once again, her gauntlet had unintentionally curled into a fist. Just listening to the words of the court wizard often summoned up such sophomoric emotions within her. Ishtar often found herself in the opposite scenario, feeling too little in her deadened heart, but the back and forth conversation between Sirro and his newfound colleague about such concepts of mind control had Ishtar inwardly perturbed to say the least. The archivist couldn’t help but let her mind wander to Sirro’s original intentions. Of course he’d gotten a new slave. Had it been because a dead mind such as hers was impenetrable to his experimentation? Ishtar would assume so regardless of the wizard’s true intentions. No matter what situation the two of them would be involved in, Ishtar was sure that as long as their relationship continued, she would never lose her grasp on at least one of her emotions: hatred.

His face turned into another dark smirk. "Dear, I don't really care about politics. I care about knowledge. The pursuit of knowledge is my main goal in life. That and enjoying myself while I do live. I know how they got their grubby hands on the way to work the material. It was sort of gifted to them by a being of power, or so legends tell." Sirro looked smug for a moment. The kind of smug where you know a big secret and the other doesn't. "But yes, I am willing to help the old codger in his work. It is quite interesting after all." Gone is Sirro's erratic and lecherous normal and instead a cold and calculating persona, with a clear superiority complex.

"The spell's purpose is quite a simple one really." He raised a finger. "I want a portal to Ithell's archives."

"Ah." Hecuba replied, nodding eagerly as she glanced around the room almost absent-mindedly - but her tone was plaintive, perhaps understandably so. The creation of portals, much like teleportation, was considered Mythic-grade magic, only known of in old legends. Mages across Telduria had been trying and failing to create and recreate magical portals for millenia without success.

"Well I suppose there is no reason the attempt cannot be made..." Hecuba cautiously ventured. "Although the purpose of our experiment is to test the functional, practical aspects of a Black Blood ritual matrix. If the experiment ultimately fails then its core purpose is void, so..." She peered at Sirroc inquisitively. "I imagine you must have discovered a viable portal method? Perhaps one that would not have been possible previously without an appropriately powerful ritual matrix?"

Sirro chuckled and placed one leg over the other, putting his palms against each other. "What would you say if I said yes?" He shrugged his shoulders. "Truly, the problem lays in the cost, rather than the actual spell matrix. If you break down the spell it's quite simple really."

Even in the silent and unmoving state of the undead, Ishtar could have sworn she felt her heart actually pump for a beat at the mention of Sirro’s true motives for working with his new friend. He wanted a portal… The archivist’s mind raced with ideas, calculations, and thoughts of power. She thirsted to hear more. Just one jaunt through such a mythic power source could offer her a place back into her Forbidden Archives. Ishtar had toyed with the idea herself for a number of months, but she was never able to garner the necessary resources and manpower to undertake such an endeavor. If she were able to get Sirro to undertake such a task, though, the results would greatly differ…

For a moment Hecuba's face looked somewhat blank, but after a moment she smiled lightly. "Oh? That is interesting to hear. Rediscovered portal techniques have historically tended to be some of the most esoteric processes known to magical theory. But if this technique is relatively simple, as you say, there must be a reason you have not already attempted to create one - why wait to work with us? Surely as the Court Wizard of the Grand Kingdom, cost would be no object to you. Portal magic would have profound strategic implications in quashing the rebellion." She looked around the study as she spoke before turning to the beast-women. "Fetch me a seat." She stated clearly and firmly. 

He waved his hand. "Yes, those old mages did have a few decent ideas, but nothing really substantional in the arts of portal making. At least not for how the world is now. Did you know that after the Harvester was sealed, a lot of magic was sealed with it? Perhaps you've delved deeply into the Archives, perhaps you haven't. But magic in the times before rarely works in the times of now." Sirro smiled slightly before smirking. "Take a seat. There is a perfect one next to you." He indicated towards the Beastkin whom quickly gets down on all fours behind Hecuba.

"...How..." Hecuba was still smiling faintly - perhaps politely - but her gaze was evasive as she glanced between Sirroc and the kneeling beastwomen. "...quaint!?" She eventually decided on after a lengthy verbal pause. She turned slightly and appeared to size up the beastkin's knelt form, as if trying to puzzle together the logistics of actually sitting down on her back. For a brief moment it looked as though she was actually about to sit down - she began to shift the straps for her traveler's bag down off her shoulders, but then she stopped. "It would be irresponsible for me to use such an unstable foundation for a seat considering the delicate items I am carrying with me, and I have been instructed not to let them off my person. Perhaps I should just stand if there are no proper seats available." She reshouldered the straps for her bag before perching one arm atop the other as she looked back at Sirroc. "But in any case - I suppose you are saying the Crucible Barrier is similar in some aspects to Hyperion's Interdict, before it was disjoined?"

Sirro laughed at Hecuba's diplomatic rejection of the seat. "That was a nice reply, even if slightly disappointing." He waved again and the girl ran out to collect a proper chair for Hecuba. "But as for your previous question; yes, monetary cost is not a problem, but it's not that cost that IS the actual problem. It's the raw power needed. And I guess your dissmissal of your chair means that blood magic is out of the question. So that leaves using another catalyst, like the Black Blood of the Earth. Even if you were onboard to sacrifice the amount of people it would take to take to cast the ritual, it is quite....how do you kids say it....uncool?" He chuckled to himself before continuing. "As for the second question, yes, the sealing magic is quite...annoying. Records exist of portals existing as a means of travel. The summoning of foreign beings to aid or destroy. Heh...the Harvester itself is a proof of that. To make sure that such an occurance never possible again the mages of old sealed away such magic from the world along with the being itself." He smirked again with clear superiority. "However I won't go into details, not unless you become my apprentice. A wizard has his secrets after all."

When the beastkin slave came scurrying out through the door, the silent Ishtar regarded her with one of her typical vile glares. She was unsure as to the nature of Sirro’s extent of control and sensory abilities in regards to the slave, but it didn’t much matter to her. As much as she hated his lecherous practices in wresting the minds of others from their control, Ishtar didn’t have much moral wiggle room. She just happened to work on a more soul-based level, finding her thralls in the dead. She presumed that was a part of why Sirro kept her around. Morality was so grey in the pursuit of ultimate truth, whether arcane or esoteric in nature. They were two sides of the same coin.

"I see." Hecuba's reply was clipped, as though she were eager to discuss something else. "Well, as long as you are willing to provide your assurance the method's premise is functional, a Black Blood matrix will certainly allow us to channel the power necessary for a portal. As you are aware, transubstantiated Black Blood is useless for our purposes, so we need a tap and foundry. Have you identified a suitable location in the countryside for us to draw the requiste materials from the earth?"

Sirro rubbed his chin with a slight smirk still on his lips at the evasive nature of the girl in front of him. Perhaps he had been wrong about her. Perhaps there was something else going on. It didn't matter too much though. He was about to reply when a soft knock came from the door. "Come on in," he said and the slave quickly made her entrance again, providng a proper chair for Hecuba to sit on. "As for location, yes, I do know of one. A pretty little place in the middle of the mountains. Unfortionatly it's currently in the possession of the Darakeene Rebels. The good news though is that they've already got most of the equipment needed for the process. So..are you prepared to spill some blood for your ambitions, little one?"

As Sirroc spoke, Hecuba slowly and carefully unshouldered her bag, setting it into her lap as she took a seat in the proferred chair. She crossed her legs demurely as she did so, and wrapped her arms almost protectively around the bag with a momentary sigh as she finally leaned back and relaxed her feet. "Well, Court Wizard, I would like to say that these are not my ambititions. They are yours, and to a faint and indirect extent, those of the High Astronomer who is deferring to your preference. I will say both of the High Astronomer as well as myself that while we are open-minded academicians who have no true objections to either the Grand Kingdom's political ambitions nor to, hypothetically, the uses of dark and proscribed magic..." Hecuba paused briefly, giving Sirroc a cool and knowing look. "Bear in mind, the High Astronomer's personnage is subject to close scrutiny back in the lands of the Court of Stars. Please forgive me any apparent...reticence on my part. As the High Astronomer's personal assistant, there are limits to what decisions I can make in his stead." She paused again as she looked on at him thoughtfully.

As the two academics toyed with the concepts of blood magic and their front of ethical observation in regards to the dark arts, Ishtar was hit with a slew of old memories from years of study. Perhaps she could leverage herself higher in this situation. Ishtar was, after all, about as far from being morally constrained by the use of the dark arts as possible. It was almost on queue after that when Sirro seemed to finally note Ishtar’s presence. After enough time working with the crazy man, she had become used to his abilities. As such, Ishtar was merely waiting to be announced. It was her own invented way of intruding on his meetings with the intention of being invited in, in all honesty. Much to Ishtar’s surprise, it usually worked.

"That said, I can say with some certainty that the High Astronomer would not object to the parameters of the experiment, given they have been set by the senior researcher at hand. But I doubt this sort of excursion is one that would be supported by the Grand Kingdom itself, surely - in the sense that I doubt they would divert their armies for the sake of mere experimentation alone. How do you intend we secure the site?"

"Oh, these ambitions are not of the Kingdom, but of my own, and by extention yours. You want to see if it works, I've got the knowledge and the resources. Besides, if things goes like I want them to, and the portal is formed, I think this venture would benefit you more than I. Unadulterated access to my knowledge and backing, in return for the ability to read in the Archives in my spare time." He smiled kindly. "And yes, while I could easily request forces to be diverted, I don't know if that's the best thing to do. Think it might be better to send you, our little eavesdropper, and perhaps a few mercenaries or a smaller squad to get the job done. I could of course just wander in and do it myself; but where is the fun in that?" Sirro smiled and glanced towards the door before looking back at Hecuba. "Unless you don't think you're up for the task? Should I send a messege spell to the old codger and ask for his opinion perhaps?"

"Actually that will be fine. Chances are when the High Astronomer arrives here at the palace in a few days, he can have his audience with the King while I am out with this...band I suppose?" She turned her head inquisitvely to peer at the door. "Is there someone at the door? I think you had better come in."

When it came to Sirro’s companion recognizing her presence, Ishtar finally stepped up and pushed through the already cracked open door as innocently as an expressionless husk could. She took a few the page she had discreetly secured for herself before completely switching gears. “I’d love to assist, Sirro. The mythic concept of jaunting through space has interested me for quite a long while— in recent days most of all.” Her blood-red eyes would have been expected to flick towards her superior as she spoke, but instead Ishtar’s zombified gaze seemed solely focused on its unmoving position.

“While I’d be discourteous to deny the assistance of some living food sources, a small supply of corpses and reagents would be preferred if you could spare such. I know you keep a tight budget, wizard.” Her final words came out with as much of a sense of sarcasm as a completely monotone and lifeless creature could carry. Finally, Ishtar shifted slightly in her taut and dystrophied muscles. She directed herself towards the astronomer. “I suppose I’m meant to guard this one, though?”

Sirro chuckled at his assistants words. "Only for you child. Its not cheap to buy slaves, tomes and items of wonder you know. My measly budget can't afford to splurge. But yes, that would be preferable. The experience along with the ingredients you could gather, and the end goal would work well with your ambitions and wishes; would it not?" Sirro leaned back in his chair. "Now though, we would need to find you some companions to work with. Unless you're quite confident in your skills to take on a garrison by yourselves?" He tapped his chin. "I could always ask the marshal to redirect some forces. The princess is going to be going to battle after all. Might put his mind at ease with such a task instead of the front lines."

Ishtar responded in quite the opposing manner when compared to her superior. She could barely fake a laugh if she tried, but in this instance, she had no intentions for humor. "Mm... Yes, I see how it is. I'll find my companions along the way then." Ishtar managed to force her shoulders up into a lazy shrug. As Sirro brought up the possibility of reinforcements, her voice was almost audibly carrying a sense of disdain. "I believe you'd know my answer to that. I'm sure our fearless leader wouldn't be too happy if his precious daughter fell victim to some rampant undead menace out there just because it was hungry. I'll go it alo— well, we'll go it alone, I suppose..."

"Uh..." Hecuba tentatively raised a finger to interject. "Actually we should probably enlist a few others. While I am certain reanimated workers could perform most of the necessary labor under my supervision, please remember the destination of the portal. Assuming we are successful, the passage will be traversable in both directions. We will be receiving inquiries from the other side, and I have my Master's repute to consider. If a member of the Grand Archives comes through and sees me directing undead laborers it would be..." Hecuba shook her hand waveringly in the air. "...problematic. Not just for me, but for you, Court Wizard." She indicated to Sirroc as she crossed both her arms and looked to him. "You are the senior researcher. The Archives might ban you indefinitely for utilizing proscribed magical arts without prior consultation and leave. Or they might seal the portal from their end." 

"Problematic..." Ishtar echoed the words, tightening the expression barely visible on her gaunt skin. She didn't assume herself offended, but how she reveled in any laymen's remarks of the undead. To others, they were problematic. Ishtar, unfortunately, lived those problems. The wight cast a hand off in a flick to her side as a gesture of disregard. "Right. Right. Do what you will. Wouldn't want to harm the reputation of our allies." Ishtar momentarily paced to the side, sending a glance towards the door. She then directed her body towards Sirro. "Anything to escape your presence for a while, dearest friend."

Sirro chuckled to himself at the comments before opening his mouth to speak. "Go down to the war camp with this letter." he pulled out a letter from a drawer and handed it over to Hecuba. "This should grant you requisition of a squad for the task at hand. Go now, contact me through this crystal in dire circumstances or when you're finished." he continued and handed over a crystal to Ishtar.

"Alright. I will have to write to the High Astronomer later, but I am glad our research can now begin in earnest." Hecuba said jovially, clasping her hands behind her back and rocking on her heels excitedly. She turned to Ishtar with a contrmplative look. "I am Hecuba Amaranth, personal assistant to High Astronomer Ormoneric of the Grand Observatory of Ithell." She once again made the same curious gesture of greeting she had presented to Sirroc earlier - touching the lower portion of her chin with her left hand, while raising her right and making the arcane gesture of the starcaller. "A pleasure to meet you, my lady. Might I have the privilege of your name? I will follow where you lead - you know the way, and have markedly more authority here than myself. My talents are yours, should you need them. I am trained and educated in the art of celetial and cosmic evocation as practiced by the Astronomers of Ithell, but I am also capable of a wide breadth of essential mage-craft. The High Astronomer's research and needs are diverse."

Ishtar let her gauntlet's sharp fingertips curl greedily around the crystal. Just a moment later, the stone was hidden away beneath her robes. "When we are finished, then." There was a certain cockiness to her tone as she spoke, then turning to observe her newfound ally. Hecuba's strange gesture perplexed Ishtar, but she nonetheless responded in kind by closing her fist and bringing an arm across her chest, following such with a nearly undetectable bow. "Hecuba Amaranth... I am Ishtar Astarte Resheph. Archivist of Kron-Nesis and expert on culling dark threats. I wield old magicks forgotten by most. You shall see them come in handy on our journey. I advise you not to jump to conclusions about my skills, however."

After finishing her words, Ishtar shot a glance towards Sirro. She relaxed her expression as much as her gaunt exterior would allow. It certainly made her look less zombie-like. Alongside that, she threw her hood up over her head, shadowing her visage. Any precautions used to keep the peoples' eyes off of her were oft employed. She then offered a final remark. "It can't be productive to idle any longer. Shall we?"

"Of course. By all means." Hecuba gestured for Ishtar to lead them forward out of Sirroc's office.

Fire Emblem: Lost Song Interest Check

As someone who's played far too much Fire Emblem, I'll gladly join if you get enough interest.

World of Telduria [Reboot]

Ishtar Astarte Resheph

The Grand Kingdom of Kron-Nesis

The Capital City of Tarantis

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“The next book… Finally one of interest…” Ishtar remarked with a certain degree of insolence maintained in her voice as she brought the heavy leather bound grimoire down onto her cart wheeled throughout the archives of the Southern Jewel. It was just the title Ishtar— or rather the court wizard, her superior, was looking for. She spent a moment slipping a hand over the weathered cover to reveal to herself the title hidden behind a layer of dust: On the Nature of the Dead and the Risen, Volume IV: Liches, Wights, and other Immortals in the Darkness; By Lacerus Golgathya.

It was certainly pertinent to Ishtar, but to Sirro the book meant something different entirely. The aged wight spent a long moment staring at the volume and recalling the meeting she had with the wizard only a few hours before:

“We have a Wight 'problem' actually." Sirro said as his eyes flashed purple for a moment and looked towards Ishtar with a knowing grin. "Word has come from the Archclericy that a high ranking official has recently been outed as a Wight and sealed Valon’s Forbidden Archives." He waved his arms around dramatically. "Sounds like a veeery dangerous individual. Don't you agree child? Of course, those simple minds turned to someone who could solve all their bloody issues for them." Sirro sighed and rolled his eyes overdramatically. "Thusly, I’ll be 'searching' for the identity of the now missing creature to find and deal with it and others of its kind in the area..”

“And—” Ishtar started up only to be swiftly cut off.

“And yes, you’ll be helping me, obviously. This will be on top of your current tasks, and you’ll mention this to no one. Else…” The elder man trailed off sending Ishtar a lecherous gaze while quirking a brow. "I'll just recall my protection and have a bit of fun before sending you back there. Don't lose that charm, its in your best interests after all." He said and chuckled before looking through some notes. He knew of her true form, and had been holding it against her for a number of weeks now. In exchange for the silence of the powerful wizard and the solace his mentoring provided, Ishtar would work as an apprentice. Along with her work as a personal recordkeeper, Ishtar was a bit of an expert on the dark threats that the wizard dealt with on a daily basis. Her more clandestine purpose was to assist in thwarting various undead and vile threats around Kron-Nesis. It seemed the Archclericy was trying to keep things hushed and deal with things themselves. How vainly expected of them.

“And what of the archives? Shall we be helping break the barrier as well?” A certain hunger overtook Ishtar’s voice. She wasn’t as good at hiding things as she’d first imagined. The thought of breaking back into the Archclericy’s Forbidden Archives held a great deal of momentous benefits for the weakened Wight. The wizard chuckled at her query.

“Perhaps… I’m sure you’d love to deviate and peek back inside, is that it? It seems dealing with the Wights that are apparently now running rampant about the south may be more paramount, at least for appearances sake. However I'd love to take a look at those archives as well.” As the court wizard spoke, Ishtar tapped her gauntlets along the edge of his desk rhythmically producing a set of excited clacking sounds. Finally, it seemed Ishtar may have had a shot of rising back up to greatness. Her ultimate goal was finally charted with a path. Of course, these pinnacle achievements were still a long way off. The wizard made sure to remind her of that with his next comment.

“But that’s a conversation for another day. Gather the texts on the list and deliver them to myself or a servant once you are done. I have some matters to attend to for now and can’t be bothered.” With that, Ishtar’s superior was already out of his chair and leaving her behind. This was how things were, and this was why the Wight wanted things changed. Ishtar could have sworn she felt the unconscious clenching of her fist as Sirro stepped off and out of the room. She sighed. It was so difficult to feel simple sensations these days. With her vile form slowly twisting into something even more demented by the day, Ishtar was somewhere along the way to losing all of her humanity. Unfortunately, that deadline that was ever approaching was not so easily discerned.

While Ishtar wasn’t one to fancy combat as much as the common warriors of the Southern Jewel, she would still relish in the vanquishing of her lesser undead counterparts. In her weak form, however, she recognized the difficulty in such a prospect. The aged creature had seen her fair share of obstacles though, and she wasn’t one that was easily thwarted, but Ishtar’s prowess stemmed not from strength, but resilience and intellect. As such, she was already devising her own schemes outside of Sirro’s plans. In between the massive shelves of the extensive library, Ishtar found herself propping open the grimoire, flipping to a specific chapter— one which surprisingly had nothing to do with Wights like herself, and carefully bisecting a page from the binding with the sharp tips of her gauntlets. In her slow and cautious procedure, Ishtar spent a great deal of effort leaving no trace.

Before anyone knew, the recordkeeper was wheeling her cart back out of the archives, a hidden page carefully rolled and concealed beneath her cloak. One step closer… It was a thought for another time, though. For now, Ishtar was concern with the duty at hand. By the time she had managed to bring the number of books back towards the quarters of the court wizard, she paused. Another moment of peace before dealing with the erratic man was always pleasant. Unfortunately, Ishtar’s momentary respite allowed a pair of individuals to walk into the magical door of the court wizard. Ishtar had presumed it was another of his meetings. While she would often be uninterested by his daily toilings, Sirro’s recent task had offered Ishtar quite a bit of intrigue.

With haste, Ishtar moved with the sly and vile agility of her Wight heritage as she stepped to the door. The human and the beastkin had just entered by the time Ishtar managed to pushed the metallic length of one of her gauntlets into the door’s crack, preventing it from fully shutting. Once she had ensured her ability to listen in, the servant Wight poised herself against the adjacent stone wall, remaining in utmost silence. Ishtar was a gatherer of information— an archivist. This was her art, and should she be able to gather intelligence on any of Sirro’s vile projects, she may accrue an upper-hand in a future scenario. For all she knew, he could have been fully aware of her presence with all of his magical prowess, but the Wight cared not. Should she not be stopped she would remain. Just listening…

NEON GODS [Japanese Country Cyberpunk]

I'm still about.