SilverPaw

ʜᴀᴡᴛʜᴏʀɴᴇ ᴀᴄᴀᴅᴇᴍʏ [A Murder Mystery, Supernatural Dark Academia RP]

Maybe~

Echoes of a Moonless Night

Tl;dr: At home. A family scene, ft. slight drama.

The grating beep-Beep-BEEP-BEEEEP! sound of an alarm woke her up, and half in a haze, Katherine slammed the snooze button, then rolled on her other side with a groan. But she was up in a few minutes, even before her phone could ring again. Preemptively, she turned it off with a grumble. Just why…?

She sighed as she remembered the reason she’d been trying to get up earlier. Ayame. After they met on their travels, Karin had returned to her family home, fox in tow. It’d been about two months now since she’d brought the youkai here. ‘Here’ being her grandparents’ house, situated in the middle of nowhere.

Standing up, Karin stretched as she padded to the window, and opened the blinds to let in the early morning light. The stretches of farmland, meadows, forests, and hills were in contrast to the more modern look she’d managed to imbue into her room throughout the years.

The most prominent were her walls. Almost every bare centimeter had been covered. By her bed were posters of a few bands and select idols (ranging from obscure to famous), and a few memorable photos. The rest was taken up by printouts of foreign cities and landscapes, world famous and scenic locations she wanted to visit sometime.

…But before that. She and Ayame had money to earn. A place of their own wouldn’t be too bad either, though Karin supposed they could make do with this place. Not forever, of course. Just. Until they had to.

The adolescent got ready first, then strode to the fox’s room. The youkai had been put in a guest room; she’d fussily refused staying in either of her older brother’s vacated rooms. Katherine now pounded on the other woman’s door. “Ayame!” she shouted. She didn’t have to worry about waking up anyone – everyone else would already be up. “You’re not still sleeping, right?! You better come down for breakfast when we call for you, else I’ll be hauling you down – ‘decent’ or not!”

Karin had been insistent the fox learn how to take care of herself all on her own and on time, but it was a challenge. The ojou-sama had apparently had others do that for her before, and expected the same treatment here. Katherine wasn’t entirely unwilling to help. But she didn’t give in easy – if at all. And she sure as hell wouldn’t be her ‘good little servant’, or whatever else the demon fox imagined.

***

When, and however Ayame came down, however, breakfast would wait for her. Seated by the table were Katherine, her youngest brother, her (step) mother, and her grandparents. Her father was away on business, Torashi had moved out a while ago, and Haruki resided in a college dorm.

“Itadakimasu,” came the collective murmur of those gathered. Karin sent Ayame a sharp glance. She expected the youkai to show some genuine appreciation for the food that’d been made for her.

Low, comfortable chatter passed between those seated. However, her grandpa’s habit of turning up the TV when the news was on was its undoing. There was a report on a recent Grudge infestation. As always, when things like this happened, it was sensationalized.

A tense silence ensued.

“Do you really have to…?” her mother asked worriedly, biting her lip. Though it’d been several weeks since her daughter had become a professional Grudge-slayer, Miyato-san was by no means accepting of it.

Though he’d been caught up in a conversation with baa-san, Akihiro looked up at her wide-eyed. “You fight those?”

Karin smiled down at him, tight-lipped. “Don’t worry, I’m really strong.” She glanced at Ayame. “We both are.” She looked back at her younger brother, then at the other members of her family. “Like I said before…we don’t go in on our own. I have a team, okay?”

“But–” her mother tried to interject, when a raised hand from one of the elders stopped her.

“Maa, let her do as she likes. She’s an adult already,” grandmother pitched in.

“Hmph,” her grandfather gave Ayame a side-look. “If that demon is as wonderful as she makes out to be, then it’s not a problem, is it?” He was clearly challenging the demon fox to prove her prowess, which in his opinion, she did not yet do.

When that fun exchange was over, Karin excused them. “We really have to go now. See you later.”

By the time the duo arrived to Icelit HQ, two pairs of senpais and two pairs of kohais had finalized getting into Sato’s van, and were departing. Katherine parked her bike, removed her helmet, and offered Ayame her free hand. She didn’t mind escorting the fox, especially not when she knew ‘her ladyship’ might hold them up for even longer otherwise. And they were late. Karin said nothing about that, however.

“Huh, right, so it’s today the new hires are coming in.” Which meant Karin and Ayame would finally no longer be the freshest meat around. Now they’d be the senpais to someone. If only by a month and a half.

The adolescent led them both in, and stopped by their locker to store their helmets. Then, she walked to the office proper, and got Ayame settled in a chair. “Morning,” she greeted Akane and Higasha, who were apparently late too. Thankfully, even the latest arrivals were there just in time to catch Fumi explaining that “there was an incident at Umeda Park.”

Karin perched on the table while she listened. “Which apartment?” she asked with a glance towards Sakamori. But she got her answer when Akane passed her the mission papers. When done, Karin handed them to her partner. “Read,” she instructed the fox.

@Vertigo @PKMNB0Y @VitaVitaAR@RolePlayerRoxas

Symphony of Espers

The metal of the knight’s boots clinked across the rooftops for a few steps, but as Jacqueline released her esper form, the sound changed to a light clicking sound. She was now a relatively unassuming business woman, suit and low-heeled shoes replacing her armor.

Even though she felt physically much better, she always felt strange about changing forms after going through the wringer in her esper state. It was deeply mind-fuckery to know she’d been injured in all those various ways, sometimes even feel the phantom pain of it, yet be perfectly fine as far as her body was concerned. But Mika had only ever met her like this, and there was no point in prolonging the change besides.

Jacqueline slowly walked closer to the kneeling child. Again? she wondered, but didn’t ask. Instead, she just quietly said, “Hey.” She stopped to stand by Mika’s side, and gazed at Su’s remains. They hadn’t known each other for long, but Jacqueline still felt melancholy about her death. It was…a terrible shame.

As careful as Jacqueline was, Mika was startled by her voice. She was eyeing her mother’s remains. There wasn’t much left. The cars tshe had been smashed between melded together. All that remained of Su was an arm that stuck out of the wreck.

Her fingers curled around Su’s hand. It was covered in crimson, but so was everyone else at this point. Not Jacqueline, as she had just reverted back to her normal form. Mika opened her other hand, and a cloud of spectral fireflies lit up the area.

“Jack-oh-line?” Her lower lip quivered.

The agent looked down at the child. “Yes,” she answered, meeting the girl’s eyes, solemn expression in place. Then she glanced at Su’s arm. “Can you get that out or do you need help?” she asked.

The question caused Mika to freeze in place. “Get…That out?” she looked back at the arm she was holding onto. Few people would refer to their mother as “that,” but she figured out what was being asked of her. Mika coiled her fingers around her mother’s elbow and pulled. “Is this going to hurt her? She feels stuck.” Though once Mika had spoken, the arm popped free. It still had the sleeve of her uniform on it. It was still in one piece. A miracle, considering what happened.

Once the arm was carefully extracted, Jacqueline stripped her suit’s jacket, and put the clothing item on the ground. “Let’s wrap it up for now,” she suggested.

If she heard Jacqueline, she didn’t make any attempt to acknowledge her. She stood there, eyeing the stump where the rest of her mother should have been. There was no expression on her face. Just the dry tears on her cheeks and eyes that had lost their luster.

Mentally sighing, Jacqueline picked herself up from her crouch, leaving the jacket on the floor. She looked at Mika, really taking her in. Cautiously, like approaching a spooked animal - even though this, a traumatized child, was so much worse - she extended her arms, then put her hands on the child’s shoulders. “Mika,” she called out to her, squeezing her shoulders once. “Are you still with me?”

With a squeak, Mika’s eyes returned to Jacqueline. “Uh-”

With soft but insistent pressure, Jacqueline led Mika where she wanted, coaxing her to put the body piece on the discarded garment. The agent gently urged the girl, taking the smaller hands into her own. “Can you let go?” she murmured. But she grimaced almost as soon as she said it, because she realized that had quite the double meaning, and maybe Su’s child wasn’t ready to ‘let go’ yet – in either sense of the words.

Her grip on her mother’s arm was firm, and it only got tighter once Jacqueline reached for her. But Mika was looking straight at Jacqueline now. It wasn’t clear if it was resignation or inner strength, but her grip loosened up on Su’s arm. Mika’s eyes drifted back to the arm as it slid into the agent’s hands. She wasn’t even half way through wrapping it up before Mika seized her arm.

“What’s going to happen to her?”

Jacqueline paused her work to look up. “We bury her. Or turn her remains to ashes, and put it in an urn. We hold a funeral to say our final goodbyes, and pay our respect to her. Then remember her. Pray for her, if you like.”

Mika’s grip loosened up, and she allowed Jacqueline to finish wrapping up the arm. “And then-” She sniffed. “What’s going to happen to me?”

Jacqueline busied herself with neatly bundling up the arm. She tied off the jacket sleeves around the macabre package, then stood up, keeping ahold of her finished work. “Well. If you want a normal life - as normal as you can get - then you’ll have to have someone adopt you. If you want to work as an esper…That, uh, an esper is basically a magical person, you probably noticed you’re a bit different now?” Mika nodded.

Knowing she was breezing past the issue of Mika’s adoption, Jacqueline sheepishly carded her free hand through her hair. “So…if you want to get rid of monsters, like we did today with that large one you helped us with…You could come work for the government like we do, I suppose.”

“Fighting monsters was okay, I guess.” She squatted down beside the car and gave it a push. “But mom died doing that. My first mom-” The words stuck in her throat. “She, she didn’t have anything to do with monsters and some gang people got her.” She traced circles in the blood. “I don’t think having a mom is for me. I don’t know if I should be fighting monsters though.”

Jacqueline huffed wryly. “No, what you should be doing is being taken care of, going to school, playing and having fun, being with friends…That kind of thing.” The agent pursed her lips. “Mother or otherwise, you do need someone willing to look after you. You’re not wrong that safety can be an issue, maybe-”

She trailed off, paused for a moment, then continued. “Maybe something like a safehouse…or you and them stay at one of our agencies…or we look into getting you as far away as possible from all of this. But it’s never a sure thing, and if you do ever decide to do esper stuff, whether on your own or with us, there’ll always be a target on your back.” Jacqueline shrugged roughy. “Sorry I don’t have any good news, kid.”

“A safe house?” Mika balled her hands and stood up. “I don’t think a safehouse is going to protect anyone if this happens again.”

“No, it won’t,” Jacqueline confirmed, smiling tightly.

The glow of the fireflies wasn’t very bright, but even from that alone it was easy to see how utterly devastated the city was. The roof was covered in craters from the hail, and it wasn’t hard to picture all the buildings and vehicles with shattered windows. Let alone anyone unfortunate to be caught outside. Who knew how high the final death toll would end up being.

“Bad things happened to me outside this city too. I don’t think I can hide from them.” Mika changed back into her normal self. Though unlike Jacqueline, she did not look rejuvenated afterwards. While changing back could shield an esper from physical pain and sickness, the mind was shared between forms. The tears were gone, but the thousand yard stare remained. “Last time we spoke, I said I wanted you and Su to be my mommy. But I don’t think that’s a good idea now.”

Jacqueline did sigh this time. “It never would have been a good idea, simply because I’m not a family person, and can’t - won’t - be your or anyone else’s parent. If you want a teacher, friend, coworker…That, I can do.”

“I know.”

The agent looked at the ruined city, and didn’t find it strange at all that belief in safety would be difficult, if not impossible, right now. “Yeah, bad things can happen anywhere, anytime. Some are lucky enough not to see any of it, ever. Some of us do what we can to prevent it.” She faced Mika. “Your mother died to protect you, and the city. She wouldn’t have wanted to leave you alone, but she took that risk, because she knew that if she didn’t, no one else would do it in her stead.”

“I know.”

After a brief pause, Jacqueline added something approaching an apology, or maybe just an explanation. “She was killed because one of our enemies saw that she was strong, and clever…She was a danger to him, and stood in his way, so he took her out in that one moment when she was looking out for the rest of us.”

“I know, okay? Most people think I’m annoying. Mom was different. I know that.” Mika huffed. “What I don’t know is what I’m going to do. Something’s broken. None of it works. This doesn’t work.” She stumbled forward. “I don’t wanna hurt anyone. I don’t wanna be an ex- spare-o-ment.” With shaky legs, Mika marched up to Jacqueline and extended her arms. “Let me hold mom.”

Jacqueline handed over the wrapped arm. Once Mika took a hold of it, the agent carefully extended a hand, and gently let it rest on the child’s head. She was ready to withdraw her hand in case the girl didn’t want it, but Mika wasn’t making any motion to pull away. Jacqueline said nothing else, because she’d exhausted the list of things that seemed like they were the thing to be said.

Mika hugged the arm against her chest. “Thank you.” Her eyes fell to the floor. “I want to be by myself, for a bit.”

“Alright.” Jacqueline’s hand smoothed down Mika’s hair, came to rest on her shoulder, and after one last pat, she walked away. “I’ll be over there,” she motioned vaguely to the other side of the roof. It was far away enough that each could be considered to be by themselves, and Jacqueline faced away from Mika, giving the child the desired privacy.

Echoes of a Moonless Night

Karin

Name: Katherine ‘Karin’ Jones Araya

Age: 19

Appearance: Standing at 165 centimeters, she’s a bit above the national average, but not particularly tall. She’s got a resting bitch face, but (usually) isn’t as surly as she looks like. That she’s a foreigner is self-evident, and she doesn’t hide it; her hair is naturally blonde and she likes it that way. She wears comfortable, durable, dark-toned clothing; often leather, because when she needs to get around, it’s on her bike, which she’s rarely seen without.

Personality: Independent | Willful | Sociable | Adventurous

Karin values freedom, and doesn’t want to be confined to others’ expectations of her. However, she doesn’t do things just to be contrary. Usually. Admittedly, she does enjoy making a point or proving others wrong. She’s a penchant for daredevilry, enjoys challenges, and has a certain fascination for the new and unknown.

Willing to stand up for herself – and others, sometimes – she’s not the type to silently suffer through what she’d term ‘bullshit’. She favours direct and overt confrontation when it comes to resolving conflicts or expressing her opinion, though if that doesn’t work, she’s willing to be a ‘scheming bitch’ (as she’d say), even if she doesn't like it.

Though she’s free-spirited and self-reliant, Karin values social ties, and especially loves her brothers and friends. As such, she may make certain compromises with them or grant them concessions she wouldn’t to others (though, it might take several arguments). She’s mature enough to realize that she can’t do whatever she wants all the time, and that she can’t always get her way. Even so, she’s not the type to give up. Whether it takes force, dedicated effort, even getting the help of others…when she sets her sights on something, she’ll pursue it until she gets it – or until she loses interest, whichever happens first.

Abilities: The physical enhancements granted to her by her Contract, and a near immunity to electrical damage. When she’s the dominant one in the Resonant state, she is especially fast, agile, and flexible. Her speed is the most remarkable, as she seems to be able to disappear and then reappear elsewhere faster than you can blink. She can also channel her partner’s lightning for devastating attacks, whether from up close (which she prefers) or from afar (which is more difficult for her to control). She makes minor use of Ayame’s illusion capabilities, mainly to create clones of herself.

Skills: Bilingual in Japanese and English, though the latter’s definitely accented by now. Good at kenjutsu, Karin has years of formal training, countless spars, a few tournaments, and even a bit of practical experience under her belt. She has some basic hand-to-hand know-how, a skill she picked up from her oldest brother. She can drive, and can figure her way around even without a GPS. As a plus, she won’t panic if she gets lost.

Equipment:

• An Iaitō. May not lead to more than bruises and broken bones by itself, but when used to channel Ayame’s lightning, this weapon becomes far more lethal than a regular shinken could ever hope to be. Not exactly a durable weapon, though.
• A motorcycle. Rin is a very proud owner of a CRF250L.

History:

Katherine was born in America, and lived there until she was four. Her mother had died when she’d been too young to remember, and though her father tried taking care of her as best he could, he was both affected by grief and often away on business. So, her grandparents, and sometimes even various aunts and uncles took turns looking after her. Then, one day, her father told her he found a new partner, and that they would move…To this day, Karin doesn’t know for sure what caused the sudden change in circumstances, though she has her suspicions. At the very least, she seriously doubts it was just a whirlwind romance on the part of her father and step-mother.

Regardless of the whys, Karin found herself in a new country, suddenly faced with learning a very foreign language, and fitting into an entirely new environment. Not to mention she’d gained two step brothers, one older by five years (Torashi), and another by three (Haruki). None of her step siblings was all too pleased at the change either; their mother had remarried only a year or so after her divorce, and to a foreigner, at that. Despite the tensions in the family, and the many difficulties they faced, Katherine was a natural socialite, and very determined moreover, so she quickly bonded to her older brothers. She got along with other kids too, and at least initially, didn’t care that she and her family were so noticeably different from those around them.

As the three siblings aged, however, she noticed that they all had to deal with the strain of being judged by others in their own ways. Tora got more and more drawn in by ‘bad crowds’, falling into delinquency during his school years, and delving into even more dubious ties as an adult. Unlike their eldest sibling, who’d rejected conventional society, Haru did his best to fit in, mainly through his academic prowess. This meant that even though they were brothers by blood, the two did not get along at all with each other, even as Karin kept a good relationship with each of them. As an individualist who maintained a façade of indifference towards the opinions of others, she felt that she understood Torashi somewhat better, even after he cut nearly all contact with his family.

With two older brothers, and one younger (Akihiro, six years her junior), Karin preferred the company of boys during her childhood and adolescence. Though she didn’t lack in friends who were girls, there were fewer of those. Unlike Haruki, she didn’t care for schooling all that much, prioritizing her social ties, personal entertainment, and the money she could gain from her part time jobs. On a few memorable occasions, she got drawn into Tora’s escapades; definitely a major influence in her development as a fighter. She did manage to graduate high school, which she acknowledges Haru deserves at least partial credit for.

After completing her schooling, Katherine took her bike and her savings, and went on a journey. She traveled around Japan; having always wanted to travel the world, going on a longer trip around the country was a good first step. It was great – liberating, thrilling, informative – but also, not exactly sustainable with her income. It even felt a bit aimless and lonely, even if she didn’t want to admit it.

Meeting Ayame was just the change-up she needed. The kitsune was a new friend, a travel companion, someone to look after, and a business partner. Pairing was a win-win for both of them, so they formed a Contract not long after they met. It might have been a hasty, impulsive decision, one they’ve had to find a way to live with now. Things since then might not have been how either of them expected or imagined, but hey, it hasn't been bad either.

Other:

The Faraway Land: Dragonbound (9 players interested as of 11/23/22)

Try an int. check in the causal and/or advanced sections, might gain some additional interest.

Echoes of a Moonless Night

Karin

Name: Katherine ‘Karin’ Jones Araya

Age: 19

Appearance: Standing at 165 centimeters, she’s a bit above the national average, but not particularly tall. She’s got a resting bitch face, but (usually) isn’t as surly as she looks like. That she’s a foreigner is self-evident, and she doesn’t hide it; her hair is naturally blonde and she likes it that way. She wears comfortable, durable, dark-toned clothing; often leather, because when she needs to get around, it’s on her bike, which she’s rarely seen without.

Personality: Independent | Willful | Sociable | Adventurous

Karin values freedom, and doesn’t want to be confined to others’ expectations of her. However, she doesn’t do things just to be contrary. Usually. Admittedly, she does enjoy making a point or proving others wrong. She’s a penchant for daredevilry, enjoys challenges, and has a certain fascination for the new and unknown.

Willing to stand up for herself – and others, sometimes – she’s not the type to silently suffer through what she’d term ‘bullshit’. She favours direct and overt confrontation when it comes to resolving conflicts or expressing her opinion, though if that doesn’t work, she’s willing to be a ‘scheming bitch’ (as she’d say), even if she doesn't like it.

Though she’s free-spirited and self-reliant, Karin values social ties, and especially loves her brothers and friends. As such, she may make certain compromises with them or grant them concessions she wouldn’t to others (though, it might take several arguments). She’s mature enough to realize that she can’t do whatever she wants all the time, and that she can’t always get her way. Even so, she’s not the type to give up. Whether it takes force, dedicated effort, even getting the help of others…when she sets her sights on something, she’ll pursue it until she gets it – or until she loses interest, whichever happens first.

Abilities: The physical enhancements granted to her by her Contract, and a near immunity to electrical damage. When she’s the dominant one in the Resonant state, she is especially fast, agile, and flexible. Her speed is the most remarkable, as she seems to be able to disappear and then reappear elsewhere faster than you can blink. She can also channel her partner’s lightning for devastating attacks, whether from up close (which she prefers) or from afar (which is more difficult for her to control). She makes minor use of Ayame’s illusion capabilities, mainly to create clones of herself.

Skills: Bilingual in Japanese and English, though the latter’s definitely accented by now. Good at kenjutsu, Karin has years of formal training, countless spars, a few tournaments, and even a bit of practical experience under her belt. She has some basic hand-to-hand know-how, a skill she picked up from her oldest brother. She can drive, and can figure her way around even without a GPS. As a plus, she won’t panic if she gets lost.

Equipment:

• An Iaitō. May not lead to more than bruises and broken bones by itself, but when used to channel Ayame’s lightning, this weapon becomes far more lethal than a regular shinken could ever hope to be. Not exactly a durable weapon, though.
• A motorcycle. Rin is a very proud owner of a CRF250L.

History:

Katherine was born in America, and lived there until she was four. Her mother had died when she’d been too young to remember, and though her father tried taking care of her as best he could, he was both affected by grief and often away on business. So, her grandparents, and sometimes even various aunts and uncles took turns looking after her. Then, one day, her father told her he found a new partner, and that they would move…To this day, Karin doesn’t know for sure what caused the sudden change in circumstances, though she has her suspicions. At the very least, she seriously doubts it was just a whirlwind romance on the part of her father and step-mother.

Regardless of the whys, Karin found herself in a new country, suddenly faced with learning a very foreign language, and fitting into an entirely new environment. Not to mention she’d gained two step brothers, one older by five years (Torashi), and another by three (Haruki). None of her step siblings was all too pleased at the change either; their mother had remarried only a year or so after her divorce, and to a foreigner, at that. Despite the tensions in the family, and the many difficulties they faced, Katherine was a natural socialite, and very determined moreover, so she quickly bonded to her older brothers. She got along with other kids too, and at least initially, didn’t care that she and her family were so noticeably different from those around them.

As the three siblings aged, however, she noticed that they all had to deal with the strain of being judged by others in their own ways. Tora got more and more drawn in by ‘bad crowds’, falling into delinquency during his school years, and delving into even more dubious ties as an adult. Unlike their eldest sibling, who’d rejected conventional society, Haru did his best to fit in, mainly through his academic prowess. This meant that even though they were brothers by blood, the two did not get along at all with each other, even as Karin kept a good relationship with each of them. As an individualist who maintained a façade of indifference towards the opinions of others, she felt that she understood Torashi somewhat better, even after he cut nearly all contact with his family.

With two older brothers, and one younger (Akihiro, six years her junior), Karin preferred the company of boys during her childhood and adolescence. Though she didn’t lack in friends who were girls, there were fewer of those. Unlike Haruki, she didn’t care for schooling all that much, prioritizing her social ties, personal entertainment, and the money she could gain from her part time jobs. On a few memorable occasions, she got drawn into Tora’s escapades; definitely a major influence in her development as a fighter. She did manage to graduate high school, which she acknowledges Haru deserves at least partial credit for.

After completing her schooling, Katherine took her bike and her savings, and went on a journey. She traveled around Japan; having always wanted to travel the world, going on a longer trip around the country was a good first step. It was great – liberating, thrilling, informative – but also, not exactly sustainable with her income. It even felt a bit aimless and lonely, even if she didn’t want to admit it.

Meeting Ayame was just the change-up she needed. The kitsune was a new friend, a travel companion, someone to look after, and a business partner. Pairing was a win-win for both of them, so they formed a Contract not long after they met. It might have been a hasty, impulsive decision, one they’ve had to find a way to live with now. Things since then might not have been how either of them expected or imagined, but hey, it hasn't been bad either.

Other:

The Faraway Land: Dragonbound (9 players interested as of 11/23/22)

I think it makes more sense for each of us to polish our own idea first, and then see if there's ways to make connections if we want to. At least, that's the way I intend to do it, esp. cause I'd like to get a better feel for the tone/plotline that I'd like to go for, first.

The Faraway Land: Dragonbound (9 players interested as of 11/23/22)

@SilverPaw
Ooh. I'm liking this character already. I think you've got a knack for this. Wanna make him a former king of Aetherion? If we're looking to make the state of his kingdom uncertain, perhaps his domain is a smaller nation that got absorbed into the larger kingdom. Maybe his kingdom joined an alliance which later transitioned to a state within Aetherion's constitutional monarchy. Or, perhaps a war broke out that got his kingdom conquered and absorbed, whether by Aetherion or by a rival state.

For a more tragic scenario, maybe the entire domain fell under Yddrog's rule, its human population enslaved and replaced with monsters or allied mortal races (like orcs). Perhaps one small, dwindling human settlement remained in hiding within a cave, and Yddrog could throw the prince a bone by giving him authority over the settlement. Maybe something like, "As long as you can procure me a pure maiden to sacrifice every ten years, I see no reason not to allow their pitiful existence. What a generous ruler I am, yes? Feel free to thank me."

@Thinslayer

Thank you! I was thinking something along the lines of the first paragraph, though the second one is intriguing too! Definitely all delicious ideas, and something I'll have to ponder on.

The Faraway Land: Dragonbound (9 players interested as of 11/23/22)

Hm, I've been thinking a past prince of a kingdom who either died as its hero or hero-king...So, he'd have this desire to see what came to be of his country.

A thousand years later, that may be many things...maybe it still exists, and he's now part of its myth/legend - yet, his current self wouldn't be recognized as such, of course. Or maybe it's gone and/or his memory entirely forgotten by his people (possibly because Regret's influence likely has a way of overriding the greateness of any mortal heroes even if they had been affiliated with her).

Either way, I can see Yddrog playing into the 'see what became of this land and how all you did for them is now meaningless?' revenge appeal. I don't *think* my character would be willing to entirely turn against them, but maybe he'd try to bargain that he manage this land in the dragon's stead/for him when it's all over. He's almost certain to eventually turn to Regret instead, but I can see him believing Ydrogg that things are like this because of her, and he'd have to realize that no matter how hard he works for the dragon, things will be always worse. Now, if he has this realizatio too late...who knows.

The Faraway Land: Dragonbound (9 players interested as of 11/23/22)

You mentioned our characters memories with Regret are lost. Then, have they also absolutely zero recollection of their previous life initially? Whether yes or no, do they they regain their memories over time? Or does it vary case by case, maybe even depends on whether they try to remember or other factors?

When did Regret become involved with Aetherion, when she was still human or afterwards? Does she consider it 'her' kingdom/does she show it preference? How infuential is she as a demigodess? I take it Ydrogg is an unusual exception as a contractor in how much he can defy his patron (and creator)? Is that because Regret was too lenient in their contract, gave him too much power for 'free'? Or did he also manage to rebel because of his innate will?