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((This is what happens when one is dying of boredom... xd ))


Story

Parallel to our own, there exists another world, traveling along the same timeline as ours. The only difference between these two worlds is that technology had never caught on in the other world, known as Arkanna. Here, faeries and other mythical creatures are real; and two opposing, yet complementary forces hold everything in equilibrium. The High Priestess-Oracle, as old as time itself, serves as the protector of the Orb, the symbol of the balance in that world.

However, a dark shadow stretched out its hand over this arcane world and upset the natural order; darkness sought to overcome light. With the threat of perpetual chaos looming over the horizon, it was decided that the Stones of Power - once secreted in the Mages' Tower in Khraal, the central kingdom - be sent to our world.

There are eight stones in all: one for each of six elements and six outer kingdoms, and one each for the two overall forces and two inner kingdoms.

When the time came, six unknowing teenagers - hereafter called Guardians - would find themselves in possession of the six elemental stones of power. Upon the gathering of all six, they would enter into Arkanna, and strive to reset the balance between the two forces of Light and Dark. There in that world, the search for the two Keepers and the struggle between light and dark - and the fate of Arkanna - would begin.

But when four of their own suddenly find themselves under the Shadow Lord's control? Are they strong enough to fight off his spell? Are their fellow Guardians strong enough to help them break free? The Keepers may have been found and the chances of success increase in the Guardians' favor...but it may very well be at the price of someone's life!

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The Setting

The first confrontation between the Light (Guardians) and Shadow (Daemn) occurs on Earth, but the rest of the battles take place in the mystical world of Arkanna.

Just like our Earth of time long gone from memory, Arkanna consists of only one continent. Most of the population inhabit the main continent; almost no one has explored the outlying islands scattered along the coasts.

The mainland is roughly divided into nine territories. The first is the central kingdom, Khraal, governed and protected by the High Priestess-Oracle. Immediately outside its walls lie the Kingdoms of Eilran and Akhtai - light and darkness, respectively. The six other territories - or Outer Kingdoms - each represent a particular element, and are also under the protection of the High Priestess-Oracle.

To the northeast is Ignis, the Fire Kingdom. With the Indrae mountain range protecting the northern and western borders and the Lyr River to the south, Ignis's geography makes it a relatively safe haven against the recent Shadow Uprising.

Towards the great ocean in the south lies the Water Realm, Umilnae, and to its west, its sister, the Kingdom of Ice, Fioraln. While both are open to a nautical attack, each kingdom is surrounded by a magical wall created by Yumeru, and protecting them from land seiges is the Brenwood: a great, ancient forest that spans the entire width of the Southern region.

A three-day journey East from Eilran will take one to Zuryph, the Wind Country, and the neighboring territory of Earth, Tersish. They do well enough, despite the lack of protection provided by a mountain range or a forest like Brenwood.

Immediately West of Khraal lies the Lightning Kingdom, Krield. Abandoned now, the fortifications of its outer walls fallen and destroyed, it had the misfortune of being closest to what is now known as the Dunzuren - the self-made Kingdom of Shadow - and so was the first to be attacked. After the attack, a new forest, now called Sylvane - Forest of Silence - sprung up, separating Krield and Dunzuren from the rest of the land.

ORIGINAL CHARACTER PROFILE SHEET

Please follow the format provided. I won't be asking for abilities and whatnot; it takes the fun out of the fight scenes (but no super-powerful characters, all right?). This particular post will be deleted once all the spots [for OCs] are filled.

Name:
Played by:
Age:
Gender:
Role:
Appearance: (a good description or a picture will do; please keep pics under 250x250 pixels)
Race:
Personality:
Background/History:

Remember: PM your completed OC profiles TO ME. Once you've been accepted, your profile will be added to the official list.

A whisper of silk as it brushed against the stone floor, the room's occupant moving across to stand at the single window that allowed one to view the outside world. A slight breeze blew in, ruffling the newly-made bedclothes, the girl's long, silver hair, and her pure white robes. As she stood by the window, a small, sad smile came to her face.

It was so peaceful out there, in Khraal, the Central Kingdom. The Inner Kingdoms Eilran and Akhtai seemed peaceful as well.

But all was not as it seemed, nor should be. Already the Shadow had crept further than Yumeru-hime had imagined. The High Priestess-Oracle of Arkanna called to mind the hour she sent the stones of power out into the world and beyond, to Arkanna's sister dimension, Earth. Whether or not she had been successful in trying to avert disaster would be apparent in as little as two weeks, or as long as a year or so. But to Yumeru it mattered not how long until signs started appearing...as long as they weren't signs of failure.

As Protector and High Priestess-Oracle, she had done her part. Now, all she could do was wait...

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Hiwatari Kai groaned as he dabbed at his neck with a pale blue handkerchief. Damn, was it warm! He'd known summer was approaching, but he hadn't expected the heat to be this bad! He was just glad the summer uniform for Shinsen High didn't include a blazer - he knew of other schools' uniforms that did - it made the walk to school a bit more tolerable.

As he placed the handkerchief back in his pocket, his fingers came in contact with something smooth. Frowning, Kai drew the object out and examined it.

Oh, yeah... he thought as - grasping it between middle, forefinger, and thumb - he turned it and looked at it from every angle. In most cases, it would have been a nondescript, boring stone anyone could have found on the sidewalk or by a riverbed. But these were not normal circumstances; the stone he held now had somehow found its way to his desk that morning, when the slate-haired teen had no recollection of bringing one home that night. And why would he? It was just a stone.

Or at least, it could have been. One end felt less round than the others, and upon closer inspection, there was a strange marking on it. The mark looked like a wide, cursive letter 'M', only the left-hand peak was higher then the right-hand one. Also, the 'tail' curved down rather than up, as should have been the case with such handwriting - if the mark was even meant to be handwriting to begin with.

Sighing, he pocketed the stone once more, making sure that it wouldn't fall out somehow on the rest of the walk. He'd need it if he was to consult his science teacher on it later that day. That is, if Kenny didn't figure it out first.

Just to clarify: this is an AU fic, right? In this case, most of the characters start out as friends. And please PM me the other characters you'll play temporarily - until more people join, that is. =)

Quiet.

Turbulent, unsettling silence reigned. Other travellers would have stopped in their tracks, glancing every now and then over their shoulder, looking for something not quite right, while they journeyed through Sylvane, the Forest of Silence. So called not because often, birdsong and animal calls were lost within this woodland, but because it was said many creatures yet unknown to others made their home here, stalking and hunting in that unbearable absence of sound.

But I'm not 'other travellers', a young, dark-haired woman thought, crouched on a tree branch. Deep amethyst eyes scanned her immediate vicinity - a wood mouse in the bush there, with a snake poised to strike behind it, and a bluejay taking wing to her left, but that was all.

No sign of her target. She shook her head, then uttered a few words. Instantly, the weapon in her hand - a finely-crafted double-bladed short sword - shrunk until it was no bigger than an earring. Which it was when she was not on a 'mission'.

For weeks - perhaps months, she was uncertain which - the pale young woman had stayed within the area of the Daemn's Keep in Dunzuren, half a day's walk from the Forest. She barely left her room, save for meals, her daily training... and the occasional meeting with the Shadow Lord. It was for him that she sometimes travelled beyond the walls of the Keep when she'd rather supervise the fledglings soon to be drafted into the Daemn army. As Commander-General, directly answerable to the Dark One himself, she was called upon only when a target - or targets - proved too much to handle by her subordinates, whoever they may be.

The young woman leapt off the branch, heading for the river that split the Forest in two. While conventional trackers stayed away from bodies of water, claiming any trace of the target would be washed away by the moisture in the air, she knew better. Any source of drink was an ample site of information, if one knew what to look for and how to find it.

In minutes, she reached the northwestern bank of the river; it was only a tributary of the greater Lyr River, but wide and fast-flowing enough to merit being called the Silent River. If intel had been correct - and it most often was - her target, a forest elfin lady they had recently identified as one of the potential Guides for the prophesied Guardians and Keepers, would have passed here only an hour after the Black Rose began her journey from Dunzuren. She could not be far away, and given the strength of the current, she could not have crossed here.

The Black Rose. Scourge of Krield. Shadow-child of Earth and Arkanna. She had so many names, none she detested nor liked. Not even her birthname. Had it really been 18 years before that she was birthed and given a name that meant, according to how it was written in her mother's tongue, "Child of Light"? It seemed that her life had truly begun when she first arrived here, in her father's birthland.

Frowning slightly at the pause she'd taken to wallow in what were supposed to be memories, thoughts of little consequence, Keiko sped off, fairly flying for the speed and ease at which she moved. She was given a week to find and eliminate this Guide candidate and return to the Keep with her report. And while surprised at this sudden imposition of a time limit, the woman could not help but feel elated. She needed a challenge every now and then.


((OOC:// Oh my gosh, that was long... o_O))

Summer days drifting again. The heat overpowering a few bystanders to take out their hankerchiefs to wipe their faces clean from sweat. Also a certain two-toned teen, just finished pocketing an item and continuing to walk until...

a blue blur zipped past and clamped it's arms around the teen male's torso. A big smile came and friendly dark brown eyes opened and then her mouth opened "Hi Oniichan!"

I'll put Diana in the next.