Raditz

Haven for the Inhuman

Reading the letter was strange for Gino. Merely skimming the writing clearly conveyed its message to the skeleton with perfect clarity, while focusing on the characters inscribed upon the page revealed only gibberish. It was strange magic indeed that enchanted this note.
Their mysterious host was away, and would be gone for a short time longer. Everyone was entitled to their own room on a first-come first-served basis, and there was supposedly enough "food" to sustain them all for a while. Gino briefly speculated if everyone present would be accommodated for in regards to unique diets; Gino himself wouldn't require any food at all...
And then one line in the letter hit Gino like an avalanche.

To ensure the safety of this manor, there are several security systems in place. Do not worry, these will not activate unless hostile intent or human life is detected, and for the most part these blend into the building or are unseen entirely.

If Gino would still be considered a human being, the magic here would have interfered with his arrival. It was official: he was an undead monster. The skeleton stared holes in the passage, immediately becoming frustrated when the individual words stopped making sense to him. The skeleton allowed the paper to float gently back onto the bed as he turned and left the room. He took a reaffirming glance at the key he'd retrieved and turned to face the door again. He hesitated for a moment, silently questioning the finality of it all before locking the door and stowing the key in a belt pouch.

Gino projected his voice as much as the magic that animated his bones would allow.
"THE HOST IS AWAY. WE'RE ENCOURAGED TO CLAIM BEDROOMS...APPARENTLY." the skeleton began to wander back down into the foyer, eventually sitting down on the bottom-most stairs.
"SUPPOSEDLY THE KITCHEN IS STOCKED, IF ANY OF YOU ARE HUNGRY." Some of them must have been. There was no doubt that some of the other visitors had been travelling for quite some time, and at least somebody here probably still needed to eat to survive.

The former human still didn't feel comfortable approaching any of them until they had settled in, but chose to make himself readily available in the foyer in case his assistance was needed. He was personally much more relaxed knowing that the host had anticipated hostility, and claimed to have precautions in place in case things got ugly.

Gino glanced around the foyer and took it all in. Could such a thing really work? Could they really be safe here?

Haven for the Inhuman

The skeleton approached the bed and leaned over to pluck the envelope and key from their resting place. He heard the footsteps of two more coming up behind him, with chatter somewhat muted by the awkward accoustics. Gino glanced over his shoulder and took note of the two human-looking people rounding the corner; he still couldn't tell what made either of them 'inhuman', but noted that the hooded child he'd seen earlier had split up from what he'd assumed was her family. He overheard some of their conversation as they moved past the room.

"Young man, this hallway is rather long isn't it... and do you feel that? These lamps! It's been a while since I've felt that comfortably low amount of mana around me. They truly make me feel like I'm home once more."

Young man? She definitely looked younger than him; was it appropriate for her to call him that? And what in the nine hells was mana? Gino tried to hear more without approaching, but they were now too far for him to succeed. With his eavesdropping brought to a swift end, Gino turned his attention to the envelope in his boney hand, opening it and scanning its contents. With others spreading out to investigate the manor, the skeleton's earlier haste abated, and he began to relax a little.

Haven for the Inhuman

Sorry if my last post is kind of short. I imagine Gino's going to be wandering around and opening doors for a while. XD
I can edit it for length, but I might need more information, if that's the wish.

Haven for the Inhuman

The skeleton was staggered by the sheer number of doors that stretched out before him. He thought through it for a moment and concluded that this was evidence that the host had the means to house a lot of people here. He approached the door directly across from the stairway he'd just climbed and attempted to open it to confirm his suspicions, but before he could budge the door, he stopped himself.

"Is anyone in there?" he rapped his knuckle bones against the door a couple times. He didn't want to intrude if others were already living in these rooms. Gino stepped away from the door for a moment to take another look down the halls. The lamps suggested that the place wasn't abandoned. There were also no signs of grievous disrepair, either. Indeed, someone had been here recently at the very least. He took a few short steps back towards the door he'd knocked on.

"I'm coming in." he announced as he attempted to open the door, for real this time.

Haven for the Inhuman

The skeleton's glare shifted upward as the orc approached him. Almost counter-intuitively, the undead warrior seemed to relax more as Goroth drew near; the frightened woman didn't seem to be imperiled any longer. Eventually the remaining tension was disrupted by the others nearby. From the sounds of things, nobody trusted anyone else. Gino couldn't say he was surprised. Humankind did not create a world that engendered trust from other species, even in each other.

Gino stepped away from Goroth, tucking his invitation away and resuming his trek towards the doors at a slow pace. For the first time since he'd arrived, the skeleton finally spoke, his voice soft, but masculine, with a faint, echoed, warbling, betraying the magic nature of his existence.
"My name is Gino." his jaw seemed to move a little as he spoke, no doubt mimicking the movement it would make when he spoke in life. "It seems our mysterious host has been rude, and has failed to greet us properly. If they won't come out, then I guess someone will have to dig them out, eh?" he said, a hint of haste in his words. The skeleton pushed his way inside the foyer, throwing the open doors wide, and his empty eyes began to scan the first room. The only ones occupying it were the human-looking ones he'd seen enter earlier.
"I'm going to find our host." he seemed to announce. He marched past Adara, Pike, and Marrok and turned left on the stairs. Gino deduced that he had less to lose than the others if this truly was a trap, and he wasn't afraid of taking point.
Gino was a little surprised with himself. Why had he become so quickly invested in this idea? Was it out of convenience, or perhaps guilt? In any case, the motivation was refreshing, and Gino rode it headlong into the manor.

Haven for the Inhuman

Also I switched the naginata to the guandao just a bit yesterday. I hope that isn't something too significant.

@Conscripts

Unforgivable.

If it's no difference to you guys, I'm gonna' give the others a bit of a chance to post before I continue.

Haven for the Inhuman

I apologize in advance if I've ignored or misrepresented anyone.

Haven for the Inhuman

Gino's advance slowed to a halt as more people gathered before the manor's front doors. A few had slipped in, but it seemed that more had began to accumulate outside. The skeleton took in the sight around him for a moment, surprised and a little uneasy. Plenty of the figures gathering here could reasonably pass for human, at least at first glance, but the red-scaled Dracon certainly stood out as he held up a letter, likely identical to the one Gino possessed. The skeleton was still in silent awe, but managed to respond to the dragon-kin by silently plucking his own invitation from its resting place at his side and holding it up for the Dracon to see.

Gino's head turned as he continued to scout out the other newcomers. A young, human-looking male seemed to acknowledge Gino as he slipped inside the curious manor, an event that granted Gino some mild relief. Nobody was running or screaming or brandishing weapons. A variety of different kinds of people assembled here, presumably all seeking refuge and acceptance like he had. It was kind of heartwarming but bittersweet to Gino, knowing that when he was alive, he would have been the very thing these people fled from.

Memories of ancient war crimes caused his empty-socketted gaze to fix itself upon a towering, armor-clad orc. Beyond him, much lower to the ground, was a shaking, almost cowering woman who was, at least partially, covered in fur. With everything going on, Gino couldn't hear them speak to understand the situation, and chose to silently watch the encounter play out. Even if the massive orc intended to hurt her, would he dare do so here? How would the others react? What about the mage that supposedly summoned them all here?

Moreover, what did he plan to do if things did get violent? In life, he wouldn't stand a chance against this behomoth humanoid alone. Now, with battered and misplaced gear, he certainly couldn't interfere in any significant capacity. Despite everything, Gino noticed a tension in his stance. His blade hand was still holding up the invitation, but he noticed his grip on his shield had tightened in suspense...

Haven for the Inhuman

The restless bones of a fallen soldier pushed past the dense flora of the nearby woods, his lightly-armored frame carelessly bending against branches and brushing against trees as though he were an autonomous machine created solely to move forward. Bits of twigs and foliage clung to the skeleton's armor, and his boots bore a brown coat of earth that had dried and slowly flaked off as he trudged.
Consciousness seemed to snap into the undead warrior's mind; he felt small popping and snapping as he began to perceive his surroundings. He was in a forest, which contradicted the last thing he could recall. Gino puzzled how he could have ended up so far away without even noticing and scratched his head with a few spare fingers; that's when he noticed that his blade was drawn. His empty sockets seemed to fixate on his dagger for a moment. There was no fresh blood, which granted Gino a faint wave of relief. Still, he didn't remember drawing it in the first place and that distressed him.
Gino went to sheathe his blade but found its home at his waist occupied. His expressionless head tilted a little as he replaced a small, rolled up note with his dagger. The obvious course of action was to read it, and his boney fingers awkwardly unrolled the letter.

Letter

Good day, dear reader. I hope this letter finds you well.

Worry not about how this message got to you; I am a mage, and have used my powers to ensure these letters only reach the intended recepients. I, like you and many others, am one the humans deem to be a threat, and have as a result of this had to go into hiding. I have since constructed a large home, one away from the prying eyes of humans, and have come up with an idea.

If many of us were to live in one place, we could easily protect ourselves against the humans. That is why you have received this letter. I am inviting you to come live within this manor, alongside others who have received it. Everything will be provided for, including food and other necessities.

On the back of this letter you will find the location of this manor. If you choose to come, you can rest assured a room will be available for you. If not, then I shall wish you the best.

Gino might have panicked, were he not emotionally drained from his current state of existence. He calmed down as phantom eyes scanned the message once and then twice more. Many of us? Protect ourselves from humans? Gino was a human...
Gino was a human. He took in the sight of his exposed bones, and a faint sense of sorrow briefly washed over him. Even though, in his mind, he still believed himself to be human, nobody else would possibly see him that way. Perhaps such a place suited masterless bones like himself. A thought then seated itself in Gino's hollow skull.

A mage! A magic user might have the means to restore Gino's life, or perhaps grant him a peaceful death. Maybe, at least, magic could end the skeleton's unconscious wandering...
Resolved, Gino clutched the letter and pushed forward. He had no idea where he currently was, but his gut told him that he may have already been headed in the right direction before. Gino moved through the woods, now consciously avoiding obstacles in his surroundings, as a new energy showed in his movements.

----------------

Sometime later, boney fingers wrapped around the bark of a tree, as Gino's skull peeked past it's trunk and his empty eye sockets took in the scene. The building itself looked old, likely erected after his death, but still aged. There were too many birds, but, Gino admitted to himself, they weren't human, and were probably also welcome here.
His eyes surveilled down the building's walls until he barely noticed a few people entering the front door. He didn't get a good look, but his old scout's eyes noticed what seemed to be an adult and two children. The three looked human enough, but their features weren't clear from that distance. Still, Gino's shoulders relaxed. Children was a good sign that this place was peaceful. Gino hesitated for a moment longer, fearing his appearance might frighten children, but ultimately acknowledged the inevitable and marched towards the door with determination.

Haven for the Inhuman

Gino

Name: Gino
Age: 28 (Deceased)
Species: Skeleton
Appearance:
Abilities: Gino possesses physical prowess and proficiency typical of human soldiers, with a preference to short blades and short bows. Post-reanimation, he has since lost his senses of taste and smell, and has a greatly dulled sensitivity to pain. Gino can also manipulate his individual bones while they are separate from his body, but without a connection to his skull, he must rely on his sense of touch to navigate for them if he lacks direct eye-socket contact. If his bones are pulverized, he would require assistance from a necromancer to replace them, and if his skull is shattered beyond a simple fracture, he will pass on.

Personality/Info: Gino is pretty unsatisfied with his current existence, and is fairly sour in general. While he won't go out of his way to make himself unwelcome at the haven, he won't hesitate to liberally bemoan his undead woes to anyone nearby. When he's not venting salt, the skeleton is often quite thoughtful and reflective, and has been contemplating what it means to be human and to be alive. He's also a little bitter about some of his peers staying young and beautiful beyond their years, having once been a lady-killer himself back when he still had skin on his bones.

Items: Gino carries a rusted poignard, a tarnished metal targe, and dons most of his old armor, also weathered by the ages. All of his other possessions-including his bow and arrows-have either rotted or are lost.

Backstory: Gino was a brave soldier who served faithfully in the army as an archer and scout. After one fateful battle, Gino was grievously wounded and had to trek back through dank, treacherous swamp land to deliver a report. Once Gino noticed a gangrenous infection had set in, he knew his days were numbered, and sent his brother-in-arms to deliver the message alone while he remained behind, poisoning himself to death to avoid a much longer and more painful demise.
Ages later, an impatient apprentice necromancer would venture into the very same marsh to prove his master wrong. With his raw talent, he easily reanimated the soldier's skeleton and quickly began asserting control of the undead warrior...only for the ill-prepared spell to misfire and mostly only assert control over himself, rendering him comatose. The awakened skeleton, thoroughly unsettled and confused, left his would-be master in the marsh, eventually making his way to the haven, no longer having a place in an alien and unrecognizable human society.

Other: He presumably possesses other qualities innate to his nature as a skeleton-not requiring food, water, or air, for one-that I didn't feel the need to list under abilities.