Roundabout

Haven for the Inhuman

@Cotton How high up are the ground floor windows from the ground?

Haven for the Inhuman

@Conscripts

As the others moved into the manor, leaving just Tova and her new associate outside, a cold wind picked up and ruffled the locks of her hair and made the thin chain connecting two of her ear piercings clink softly. A shiver went up her spine and she turned to look behind her, unconsciously moving even closer to the orc. There was nothing there but the empty path and the birds.

Just as she was about to turn back forward, a bird took flight and she followed it with her eyes as it flew towards the roof, its eerie black form reflecting in the windows. Suddenly, something moved behind the glass, making Tova jump with a frightened yelp. “Hey!” She smacked her hand against the orc’s armor – the loud clang almost making her jump again – to get his attention, still staring with wide eyes where she’d seen the shape, “T-there’s something in there! I saw something in the window! I think – I think we should leave. This place is giving me the creeps!”

Then again, most things outside her village gave her the creeps, weather she liked it or not. She was too worked up at the moment to ignore her instincts, though, irrational as they might be.

Haven for the Inhuman

I just wanted to place Tova among the cool kidz, so I'll hold off posting for a while now, too.

@Conscripts She has aquired a meat shield with a big sword; she's never letting go!

Haven for the Inhuman

Tova's chin dropped when the orc said he agreed to her deal, fear momentarily forgotten, "What, really? I mean, good, good. Then - hey, 'all I'm good for'? Now let me tell you something, you big - Wait!" The orc ignored her - or didn't hear her - and had started walking towards the manor, "Hey, wait for me!"

As he took one step to her four, she had to trot to keep up with him. The manor towered before them. She'd never been near a structure like it. Her village had consisted of mostly huts and tents, and even if she knew other races - humans in particular - liked to build big, sturdy stone houses, she'd only ever seen human settlements from afar. Looking at it almost made her feel the opposite of claustrophobia, but at the same time also made her wonder with some anticipation if she'd be able to scale the exterior all the way to the roof. The view from up there had to be amazing.

Once the orc came to a stop, she made sure to stay mostly hidden behind him, peeking out around his massive frame. She eyed the others suspiciously, waiting to see how they'd react to the orc's question.

Haven for the Inhuman

Well, Tova is a scared-shitless from-the-waist-down furball, so no complaints on my part :D

Also, Tova rn

On the outside



On the inside

Haven for the Inhuman

I hope I didn't wreck some kind of posting order ^^' I reasoned it was ok since it's been a couple of hours, and it's an interaction between just Tova and Goroth.

@Cotton Do you have any thoughts regarding posting order or posting etiquette in general?

Haven for the Inhuman

Tova had been so focused on the scene by the manor that she’d somehow missed the sound of approaching footsteps. So when there was a sudden gravely voice behind her, she was taken by surprise. She whirled around, ungracefully landing on her butt in the dirt, and looked up.

And up.

And up.

Sitting as she was, she barely reached the orcs' kneecaps, and had to tilt her head until her horns hit the wall behind her to see his face. His frowning, tusk clad, red eyed face.

Oh gods above, she was going to die.

Because she might not know much about whatever beings were gathered in front of the building, but she did know about orcs. Not personally, but there’d been stories aplenty. How they hunted fauns for sport and made their hooves and horns into necklaces, or skewered babies on sticks with cheese for appetizers, or flayed faun hides and made them into hats. Next to humans, there was nothing more dangerous than an orc, and seeing one now for herself she could easily believe it.

Should she run? Play dead? Beg for mercy? Oh gods, she was so dead, she was going to be killed she-

Okay, okay, hold up. Don’t panic. Think, not just feel. Tova managed one full, deep breath instead of hyperventilating. Focus. Maybe...Maybe the orc was here for the same reason she was. The letter had said ‘ones humans deemed a threat.’ Well, they’d be stupid not to consider the orc a threat. But what if she’d been invited as an orc snack?- No. Bad thoughts. Tova forced herself to tear her eyes away from the orc’s face, giving the rest of him a quick once-over and spotted the letter in his hand. The paper was an exact match to her own.

Slowly, Tova got to her feet, having to use the wall as support because her knees were shaking like leaves. She no longer cared about staying hidden, because either the orc made her into minced meat on the spot, or he was on her side and could defend her against the others.

“I’m - I’m surveying. S-see, we have the - the same letter.” She held out her letter, movements stiff and jerky, “So we’re both part of this. So - so don’t eat me, y-yeah? We can form a truce - an alliance." This was such a bad idea, “Against those others. You’d be the brawn, a-and I’d be the bra-...uh, artistic director. Sounds good?”

@Conscripts

Haven for the Inhuman

Tova

Tova

Age: 22 Species: Faun

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Appearance: Standing around 5.1ft, Tova is everything one could expect from a faun. A goat’s legs, hoofs and tail, goat ears, horns, a flat nose, oval pupils; the whole package. Her fur is a light beige that turns brown towards her hoofs, which corresponds with a matching beige/brown ombre colour in her hair. Her hair is short and curly. She also has fur along her spine and along her underarms and elbows. She had several piercings in each ear.

Abilities: Like most fauns, she had a knack for music and her instrument of choice is a wooden transverse flute. The humans say a faun’s music can ensnare the mind and make one into a thrall. If there’s a faun who can actually do that, Tova had never heard of them. What fauns can do, however, is slightly influence the mood of those around them with their music - though the recipients have to be consenting for it to not be easily ignored. She can’t make anyone feel or do anything against their will. She can cause pain if she has to defend herself by playing a high-pitched tune infused with magic to cause headaches of varying degrees.

She also has very good balance and agility.

Personality/Info: Tova is a tough soul put in an easily frightened body. She is always fighting her prey instincts, which tell her to run and hide at the slightest threat, while her actual self is loud, outgoing, and confident. This conflict of mind and body has more than once led to her cussing someone out for frightening her, while still hiding behind a tree.

Items: A light tunic for warmer weather, and a coat and scarf if it gets colder. A backpack to keep said clothes and travel rations and equipment. Her flute hangs from a cord around her neck

Backstory: Tova was born in a small faun village in a hidden valley, where she lived the first 20 years of her life in relative peace and happiness. The village kept itself separated from the rest of the world, content to mind its own business away from all the dangers that lurked outside the valley. Tova was told all about them from an early age, and among the worst of them were the monstrous humans. Tova was scared when she was young, but as she grew older she assumed the evil deeds of humans were just something parents told their children to keep them in line. How bad could humans actually be?

Bad, it turned out. Very bad.

Giving in to her curiosity, Tova had decided to investigate a nearby human village to see the monsters for herself. On her way there, she met a human around her own age, who had been surprisingly friendly. They’d talked for a while, and then parted ways. Relieved and feeling a bit vindicated that the humans weren’t such monsters after all, Tova returned to her village to tell of her discovery. Maybe now they would realize they didn’t need to live hidden away, and Tova would get more freedom to explore the world.

That night, the humans attacked her village. They had followed her, and she had led them straight to her family. The village was burned to the ground and the few surviving fauns scattered, Tova among them. Since then, Tova has lived alone in the woods, too ashamed to search for fellow survivors or other faun villages.

She hopes that the Manor could be an escape from her guilt and loneliness.

Haven for the Inhuman

Location: Poorly hidden on the outer side of the cobblestone wall, by the entrance, and easily spotted if someone were to look

Tova clutched the mysterious letter to her chest, the paper scrunched from the force of her grip.

What the…!? What!?

She sat with her back against the low cobblestone wall, just barely hidden by some bushes and curled into a tight ball, staring ahead with wide eyes from what she’d just seen.

What the actual ever living fuck!?

Gathered in front of the manor - the promised safe manor! - was not only a few human-looking people, but an actual skeleton followed by a giant freaking lizard had just walked right past her hiding place. She could hear her own heart beating rapidly in her chest, and she still had her hand covering her mouth from when she’d had to stop herself from screaming at the sight of the giant lizard. Oh, and had she mentioned the living skeleton!?

What in the ever green meadows was this place? The letter had promised a sanctuary, not a house filled with predators!

Or well, what she assumed to be predators. For all she knew this was all normal and the world was filled with such creatures, and she just didn’t know because of her sheltered upbringing. Gathering her courage, she turned and peeked over the wall. She would wait and see what happened, but if anything seemed even the slightest bit fishy she would be out of there as fast as her hooves could carry her. No sanctuary was worth becoming lizard dinner, thank you very much.

Haven for the Inhuman

That Tova is adorable :3

@jasbraq

Why, thank you!

@Cotton

Thanks! I have a starter written up for her ready to go, I assume I can go ahead and post it?