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 Posted: Sat Apr 20, 2013 9:57 am
★ You may play in up to 2 characters of your own. (Link to their journal or approved quest in your first post.)
★ You may jump in at any point as long as you make it "fit".
★ Meta should stretch into Sunday, so don't worry about spamming replies all day.
★ Involved participants receive a star token at the end!
✥ Riftwood: The Grave of Anima
No birds sang. No animals could be seen. Shadows slept, and the only sound in the misty wood was the occasional creak of a tree, as wind attempted to permeate through branches gnarled and thick with age.
Silent as the grave, save for the sounds of footsteps as they approached the heart of the rift -- the very grave of Anima, and his human sacrifice, Miusa. Pale eyes fell upon the meadow, the only place in the Riftwood free of tangle and mire, where the gargantuan husk of the Living Armor rested, a maiden held within his hands, as if asleep. Time had left her untouched, though the Living Armor had a plethora of flora attaching to it and growing off of it.
The man gazed up at the empty armor, a grimacing smirk contorting his otherwise handsome (yet somewhat scary) features.
 "I remember your terrible face. Don't think I do not. A true king remembers the faces of all his enemies. Including the most gentle..." King Ruin's gaze drifted downward, to the maiden held in the Living Armor's digits, and he let a clawed finger stroke across her pale cheek. It had taken him centuries to find this place, the very heart of the Riftwood. Centuries to heal from being usurped from his throne by what they called the 'One-eyed Demon King'. The Spiritus grit his pointed teeth, and reached a hand towards the girl. "Shall I give you life once again, delicate one? Life in return for weaving new threads of fate with me...Life in return for exacting my revenge, though I suppose you would eventually wish revenge upon me, who did this to you..." He raised the limp form of Miusa into his arms, pulling her away from Anima's grip, and let his mouth delicately press over hers. What seemed a chaste kiss was in reality an act of darkness, a covenant to bind her to him as a weapon, as he fed her hearts he himself had collected through time. "Live again, as my sword, scarred-one."
 The binding had an instantaneous effect. For a brief moment, the hollow eyes of Anima flickered with light, then died out. His fingers clenched and released as a jolt shuddered its way through the armor, and the fragile, scarred girl in his hands began to respond. The pale blue seal on her throat swirled with light for a moment, and the wide scar gashed down her middle flickered with pale white light in response. She opened pale blue eyes that were void of light, staring up at the Spiritus before her. For a long moment, the two beheld each other in silence, when all the silence of the forest was replaced with noise. Loud, tumultuous, unbearable noise as the fog began to dissipate, rising high up into the sky like a storm, and spiraling into the body of the delicate girl, and then, all was quiet, save for the sound of birds singing again in the forest, a first in centuries. "I don't know your face." she said to Ruin, lifting a hand to feel his cheek. "I don't remember this feel."
The spiritus took her hand in his, tracing a clawed digit over the back of it. "You will know me with time. Come, let us leave this tomb, we have a world to reclaim."
✥ The Fog has Lifted....
Location: Magna Lefa
Objective: Respond to the lifting of the fog, the shudder of the earth, and when prompted, interact in the meeting in Magna Lefa. While many will realize its the Riftwood's fog they see in the sky, they may not correlate that it is the release of the seal on Anima, which most would not know about, unless very old Spiritus, or Rune Knights.
Throughout time, it had been kept the darkest secret of the Rune Knights, that within the Riftwood slept a creature so destructive and devastating, that should it ever awake again, calamity would befall both lands of men. They guarded this secret for centuries, killed anyone who journeyed too close to the sleeping sacrifice, if the fog did not squeeze the life from them first. It would be peril of unprecedented means, for not only did the Rift keep humans and witches from interacting, but it forced slumber onto many riftborn creatures who were birthed from the fog, created with the intention of claiming the world of light for the One-Eyed Demon King through violence and catastrophe, and within them slept the most violent of all creations ever beheld by the eyes of men..... Anima.
When Ruin broke the seal that kept Miusa and Anima asleep, the seal that entombed the riftborn who had not escaped into midgard, it was like he had reanimated a lost and forgotten time of tragedy and destruction, for when the fog lifted and life returned to the forest, life also returned to the riftborn slumbering deep within its core, riftborn who were hungry for hearts, hungry for mana, for life, for souls. A great shudder shook the earth in that moment, and the blackness of the fog rising high into the air could be seen by all.
What had happened? Why did the air suddenly taste of horror and impending violence? A messenger comes forth, the fog in the Riftwood has disappeared! A town meeting is called to order in Magna Lefa...
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Posted: Sat Apr 20, 2013 11:32 am
As usual, Aidan had his nose to the grindstone. He would've done that all day, if he hadn't been interrupted by the ground shaking. He had actually lost his balance and fell down, on his back, on the floor. "Ow!" When the shaking stopped, he sat up and rubbed his head. "What on earth is going on here? Is that an earthquake?"Then, he stood up, dusted himself off, and headed outside to see what was the matter. He saw that the fog had just dissipated. He was shocked and had become edgy. His eyes widened and his jaw dropped. "That's not normal. This is weird, really weird."
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Posted: Sat Apr 20, 2013 11:58 am
Xerxes strolled down the street with bags of flour and sugar hugged to his chest. His tail twitched lightly behind him as a jingle rang from the bell attached to one furry ear with every bouncy step he took. He hummed softly to himself, ignoring any looks that came his way from those that he passed. His mind was on what sorts of sweets and pastries he would make when he got back to the bakery, thinking up new ideas for prank treats that might turn a person's tongue green or lengthen their nose or some other crazy result after tasting the sweet. Of course, the effects wouldn't be permanent, but it was still fun to watch the people's reactions to his pranks.
The ground gave a tremendous lurch beneath his feet. Despite his stumbling attempts to remain afoot, he fell right on his rump, bag flying from his arms. Clouds of sugar and flour dusted over him when the bags hit the ground and split open on impact. He blinked owlishly around with his red eyes, wondering what just happened. An earthquake? It was his first time ever experiencing such an event.
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Posted: Sat Apr 20, 2013 8:09 pm
Effy had been merely lazing about in her backyard, awaiting a pie her mother was cooking. She'd been looking to the clouds, wondering if she could use her alchemy to turn a cloud to pure water. 'Though maybe that's not a good idea. People don't like to be suddenly drenched...' The smell from the kitchen wafted over to her, tingling her nose and making her mouth water. She loved when her mother baked peach pie. Her mother always put just the right amount of cinnamon on it. That was the best part, Effy thought.
As her mother was walking out to call her in for the pie, a sudden quake rippled through the earth, causing Effy to bounce as if the grass she'd been lying on was suddenly made from rubber. She stood up quickly, her legs braced agianst the ground incase of another quake. "Mom!" she said fearfully. "What was that?!"
"I don't know...Effy, look..." Her mother pointed up into the sky.
Effy's azure gaze traveled up to the very clouds she'd been watching before, seeing a fog lifting... A chill went down her spine as she realized just where that fog had come from.
"There's an emergency town meeting!" Effy's father called out. "Effy, grab your coat. You as well, Darling. We're going..."
Effy lingered, her mouth hanging slightly agape as she continued to stare up at the fog. Why did the air suddenly feel so hostile? She clutched her arms, bare to the elements, for she wore a simple, green and white, paisley sundress, as it had been a pleasant afternoon until now.
'I guess I won't be eating Mom's pie today.'
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Posted: Sun Apr 21, 2013 12:30 am
Jace had been in Magna Lefa because he needed a change of pace. Well rather, he needed to get away from that very clingy merchant's daughter, pretty as she was. Rather too much perfume though and absolutely no intellect whatsoever. There was something rather gritty and earthly about Magna Lefa that Asgardia lacked, making it more real. And that was what Jace wanted, instead of the fake smiles and judging eyes that pervaded Asgardia.
He had been in a bar and flirting with the pretty barmaid when the ground shuddered. Pots and pans clanked in the kitchen while drinks were spilled in the bar. Jace himself had almost been thrown off his bar stool, saved from an ungainly fall only by virtue of having his hand on the edge of the bar at that time. As he regained his balance, he could feel the change in the air. Something major had happened. He stood up and left the bar, squinting at the sky above as an ominous looking black fog appeared.
"Oh, bugger."
He sincerely hoped it didn't mean what he thought it meant.
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Posted: Sun Apr 21, 2013 5:39 am
★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★✰
(( Magna LEFA, ewa. LEFA. |D;; wink
After the tremor and the fog in the sky, it only took a small amount of time before a man in royal garb and an important-looking face was strolling through the main streets, calling for a meeting in the townsquare. He stood with two Rune Knights who looked past the crowd that gathered and into the distance, still, but ready to move at the drop of a dime.
"On behalf of his majesty the king, I come bearing terrible news. Our sentries at the Riftwood gate have fallen, killed....by Witches." He awaited the collective accumulation of gasps from the crowd. Witches, who were that race said to dwell within the fog, said to be the very cause of the riftborn population in Midgard. A foul people who were as monstrous as the creatures they made...
"After centuries of inactivity, these witches have raised the veil of the fog from the Riftwood. More and more riftborn who were trapped inside have vacated the wood, and are filling our borders as we speak. Our vast amount of of Rune Knights and Hunters fend them off, but his Majesty the King demands that any Hunter not in the field report immediately! The safety of your families, your cities, relies on your action." His face took on mock-sympathy as his voice trembled. "I tell you, folks....it...is the days of old anew. Witches will cross the wood and come for us, eat the hearts out of our chests while they still beat! No matter how innocent or pure one might seem, they are evil at the core! You see with your own eyes the terrible beasts they unleashed upon us centuries ago! It must be us, this time, to rise against them. For humanity!"
Some of the crowd cheered and mimed his last two words, raising their fists as the messenger stirred revenge and hate into the minds of men.
★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★✰
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Posted: Sun Apr 21, 2013 8:32 am
Effy had gathered into the crowd, clinging to her mother's hand as she looked about at people. Faces, twisted in fear, turmoil, panic... Effy was young, and her alchemy still new to her. And bodies... changing them would be harder than changing objects that don't have souls. If the crowd swelled to a great panic, she could be trampled, and there'd be nothing she could do about it.
So she clung to her mother's arm, pressing her cheek into her mother's shoulder, watching as two Rune Knights, handsome as ever, glistening in their armor and radiating with power came by with a man in royal apparel. When he spoke, all went silent.
Witches? Effy had almost believed it was just all stories, but the Riftwood had been completely real. She'd always thought it a scientific anomaly, some kind of freak area that gave off these rumors. Her parents were believers, but she'd always tried to think optimistically, but she'd been wrong. Witches...
She pressed her face into her mother's shoulder as her mother stroked her hair in comfort. Effy felt like crying. Witches who would feed upon their hearts? Monsters? She'd have to get better with her alchemy! She had to protect herself and her family!
She looked up at the Rune Knights, in awe of them and how calm they looked. They were strong, powerful and they could defend against the witches, but they were only two. How many Rune Knights would it take to fend off these magical beings of evil? How many humans would die at the hands of witches? Effy wanted to cry... She wanted to so badly.
But she had to stay strong. She had to.
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Posted: Sun Apr 21, 2013 10:47 am
"Uh, what now?" Aidan had heard the message fine, but he was in disbelief. If he hadn't heard the news from the royal messenger, himself, he probably wouldn't've believed it at all. He would've thought someone was playing a joke. A sick joke, but a joke nevertheless.
He didn't see Rune Knights much, but he knew they were real. Witches were an entirely different matter. Since he had never to his knowledge seen a witch, he had feared witches as a child fears fairytale monsters. Now, the threat was far more real. He instinctively grabbed his chest. He didn't want him, or anyone else's for that matter, to lose their heart to one.
When the idea of fighting came up, he slouched and wrung his hands together. He really couldn't stand it. He thought talents like those were best used for more creative purposes, but if push came to shove, then he would go along with it. There was no way he could allow innocents to be harmed if he could do anything about it.
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Posted: Sun Apr 21, 2013 4:59 pm
★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★✰
The messenger spoke again:
"We must send way towards the outpost of Riftwood to search for survivors. Do we have any volunteers?"
A few men and women stepped forth from the crowd, and the two Rune Knights saluted in acknowledgment that they too would go.
"Any more...?" he asked, craning his tempermental gaze over the crowd.
★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★✰
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Posted: Sun Apr 21, 2013 5:48 pm
[[ WEEP OMIE I'M SORRY I WAS THINKING ABOUT MAGNUM CARTA EARLIER AND IT JUST STUCK OOPS I CORRECTED IT ]]
Leaning against a wall, Jace watched the proceedings with a detachment that bordered on insouciance. As his fears were confirmed, his lips twitched slightly, the only indication he had even heard the news at all. He did suppose this would mean rather less time for him to make pretty girls swoon into his bed.
As the crowd around him grew even more hostile and united in their determination to survive, Jace ;pondered the possibility of a riot. It would do him good to stay away, but he did have a sense of responsibility. Honestly, it didn't make much of a difference to Jace whether the fog had lifted or not. He did suppose it would be a good idea to find his armour.
But later. Right now, this was far by more interesting.
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Posted: Mon Apr 22, 2013 8:22 am
Effy watched as her father raised his hand, followed by his mother. She looked to her parents in awe. They were so brave. So Effy put her hand up as well. They'd all volunteer, as a family.
Effy felt afraid. If witches were as powerful as she thought, her alchemy may not stand a chance, but at the same time... She herself was much stronger than she trusted. She knew she had the capabilities to be a great alchemist, just like her father. He'd always encouraged her to grow in her art, and her mother always allowed Effy to test her transmutations on household objects. It had often resulted in a lot of melted lamps...
Today... maybe it was time Effy started proving herself to the world, and those witches.
'You don't scare me witches... Not when I've got my family.'
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Posted: Tue Apr 23, 2013 6:06 am
Aidan could understand being beat to the punch by another guy, but a little girl? A little girl was braver than he was? That was just embarrassing. In light of that, he reluctantly volunteered. His raised hand looked less upright and more like a sad, hooked flipper of some sort. He winced, grit his teeth, and thought happy thoughts. I can do this. Icandothis. I. can. so. totally. do. this.
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Posted: Tue Apr 23, 2013 12:12 pm
★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★✰
((Sorry for the shortness of the human meta, there weren't enough turn outs for it ; u ; ))
The place where the Riftwood sentry outpost used to be was in shambles. Walls broken, stone gates crumbled, iron bars bent and snapped. There had been roughly Hunters and several Rune Knights at this outpost, and their bodies were now strewn about, some whole, but most in pieces. Some bodies were smoldering, charred almost to nothing.
"This is not the work of Riftborn..." someone muttered. Riftborn may tear limbs or leave gore, but they were usually quick and precise, aiming to either swallow the body whole, or snatch out their mana heart. This was not riftborn, nor was it alchemy -- it had to be magic, that fabled ability of the witches. Had the witches actually attacked their borders? Did they have something treacherous to do with the lifting of the fog? Answers would not come that day, for not one living soul could be found...
★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★✰
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