The Garden in the Sky is almost it's own world entirely. It floats in the clouds, a city of hope and beauty in an otherwise dangerous and bleak world. It breaks directly where the sunlight shines over Fronta, and is known to all as a symbol that there are still those few gods who care for the world, and will fight against true evils. The garden is tended by none other than Justor and Solonar themselves, and those seeking her mark are beckoned to her temple in the sky.
Posted: Thu Sep 25, 2014 11:10 pm
""
The journey to the city in the clouds had been a long one, and Dominus did not understand why, but Maria had been beckoned there for some reason or another. It was like a devine voice had called out to her, beckoning her to find this place. She swam along side her seashell bond, not slowed down by her recent additions to her body, but looking a lot different than the woman she had been before the cataclysm she caused. Her body was more than just her own. It was a symbol that would be attacked and hunted, and Dominus couldn't be her only line of defense. So things had changed and she embraced a new side of herself. The mind of an engineer met with the imagination of a hopeful child, and she had realized that she was more than just a dragoon by trade. None of it mattered, however, as she only wore the armor for prestige of sorts, a lot like the crown upon her head which bore the prong of the dead witche's trident she had been given. Maria exhaled slowly as Dominus again began rattling her brain with questions of this "voice only she could hear."
It called out to me, but it wasn't actually a voice. I heard... a sound through the sunlight. Like... like when we communicate without speech. It knew me. The sky itself... no the sun called me. Dominus, rolled on his back under her, allowing her to see how unimpressed he was. He even crossed his arms and used his tail to move along. Maria squinted down at him. Even as deep below as they were she could see the King of Monsters clearly. And where, my lady, are we going. Maria was silent. He rolled back over and allowed her to grab a spike on his back, lighting up the ocean through bio-luminescence in those same rigid hills. She was growing tired from their three day long journey, few breaks taken. Dominus was not. He was barely even using any energy, and when they passed schools of krill, well lets just say he ate well, fully aware that at one point he was that small, that weak. The thoughts rolled through his complex mind, and he arrived at the conclusion that he was higher on the food chain, as Kaminae once was. If any left over krill, the hundreds of thousands that were, were to evolve and hunt him down he'd gladly show them the meaning of his name. Maria spoke yet again as he lasped into his daydreaming, his pondering.We follow the sunlight. He growled. We can't even see the sun down here. And for the record, we killed Kaminae. The los anthosii forces will not just allow us through should they see us here. Maria ignored him. She killed Kaminae, as he said. No matter the trouble she gave them, she was sure no one would openly engage them without an entire army. And the supporters of any demons would be cut down. Immediately. Dominus agreed with her thought process on the matter, but found this trip to be inane anyway.
But suddenly a ray of light shined through the dark, cutting it like butter. It was warmer than the seas, and for whatever reason it seemed to be pulling at them. Dominus, for all his might and skepticism combined, had no way of fighting back against this. Nor did he want to. It felt glorious. His wings unfolded, but he couldn't even speed up the process. They jsut quickly rose from the sea, breaking the surface tenstion quickly as Maria grew her legs back in and noticed that her armor had been stripped. She was down to her bare skin for a moment, but then a dress of pure white, silk and flowing was donned. The crown upon the queen of the sea sat still as well. Before they knew it they were above the clouds in a bubble of light, and then dropped onto it. What they saw was incomparable to anything they had ever seen.
A glorious garden overflowed with trees, flowers, and woodland creatures. Her sense were alive with smells, sounds, and sights she'd never beheld. Dominus sat very still, scared to move an inch. And something told him he should be still anyway. He could sense what Maria had yet to take notice of. The presence of one infinitely greater than herself. As he sunk into a comfortable position he unfolded his wings, and nearly instantly laurels and beatiful hanging vines with lillies and daisies grew. Tall trees held the wings in place and a laurel placed itself upon his head, and around his mighty neck. Down his back more vegetation grew and, contrary to what Maria thought, he seemed to relax and feel much more positive and happy. He even seemed to glow. There is no need to brood, Dominus the Unbound. Try smiling. It fits you better in my eyes, said a voice that seemed to breathe warmth and life into his body. Maria's eyes snapped to the origin, a few meters away, watering plants from a gourd that didn't seem to be emptying. Maria was frozen. The woman was exuding the aura that she had been feeling since before the final battle. Maria Kal. The anthosii lamb who cut down the demons, choosing to leave Micheal in his weakened state. The slayer of the sea witch, or at lest one of three. The woman who empowered my kin, by weakening our opposites. It is my pleasure to meet you. She turned and looked, her beauty striking Maria's heart and eyes as she radiated light from her very being. She walked closer, the bright light harsh to the dragon, but not Maria. I am-Solonar... Maria whispered in interuption. The great goddess merely touched Maria and the mer felt the heat of a thousand times what she had ever felt before sear into her forehead, but did not cry out. It did not hurt. No it felt good. When it was done, Solonar, the Goddess of Light, agriculture, and fertility merely embraced the seemingly insignificant Maria with her arms. Maria returned the embrace, her eyes stalked open in shock. It is rare that one is so bright, so loved by a god that she is chosen. You are the first in centuries to truly know my love. You must have a million questions. Fire away my lamb.
Maria knew not the words to speak at first, but as she touched her forhead she became keenly aware that something was there. "What did you do to my head?" she very bluntly asked rubbing the spot. Solonar smiled and a ray of light bent in front of her, allowing her to see her reflection. She saw it there, a tattoo. But it was more than just that, it was a mark. Like the sun itself, the mark shined brightly, and burned like a real fire. It was unbelievable and beautiful. Maria smiled. "As my newest champion, I have seen fit to give you a partition of my power to call your own. So I have marked you as my child, how you use it is your decision." Maria felt filled with pride but Solonar seemed moved to action, something not often accomplished. The graceful deity pointed at Maria and suddenly a flame spread from her body, rising above her and taking the form of wrath. "Wait. How did you remove him? He's been with me so long I'd given up on us being seperate." Wrath fell silent before Solonar, his own history keeping him from daring uttering a word. In a flash he was gone, to Maria's great relief. "I removed the evil from within you, that devil wrath. I would not have allowed you to continue as my champion with that hideous beast inside. And I have watched yous truggle with it. You've been strong on your own, you and Dominus both, without that damn thing contributing to your stress levels.""I don't mean to sound ungrateful..." A voice chuckled behind her, and she turned, as Intet looked, to see Justor walking with a light of his own transforming the garden as he walked to one of a moonlit nature. He stood beside Solonar, and together the pair looked to be in perfect harmony. She smiled, holding a flower that needed both sun and moon in her hand, and an identical one sat at the crest of her head. Her flowing gold dress was offset by his white one, and he placed a hand on the side of her hand. Even Dominus was taken aback by the pure happiness that he was watching before his eyes. They broke their gaze and Justor spoke.
"Solonar has watched you for a long time. She saw Kaminae's rending of your home, your people, as did I. We could not be moved into action and stop it, nor any other of her atrocities. But Solonor, wise and prophetic as she is had an eye on you since you swore vengance. The slaying of Kaminae cemented her decision." Maria smiled and approached, slowly at first but as the eternal beings seemed unmoved by her motion she reached out to the flower and felt an overflow of energy. Justor's eyes grew wide with interest he had not had before, and Solonor simply nodded to him as a light radiated from her hand, making the flower grow even further. "You chose well as always." he said as he ran a loving hand through her hair and then turned to walk away. For him, this would be but another candle lit from Solonor's flame that was destined to die out. He wasn't particularly disinterested, but he knew that even her love could complete a mortal soul for so long. He would rather not get attached. Solonor took Maria to a bench, and the two seemed to be enthralled in each other, Maria blown away by the complete feeling she had been bestowed, by Solonors' gentleness and love. Solonor found herself even mroe impressed by Maria's innate wisdom, her inclination to the good side. Their conversation was long. Soon night fell and Justor was brought in to care for the garden by time. He gave them space however, a small twinkle in the night sky.
"I wear the crown as a reminder to all that the darkness created by light can also be cleansed by it. To show them as a living example that demons and betrayers are always defeated." Solonor seemed contented by this final revelation, and so she stood, bringing Maria to her feet as well. "So the Incubus, West, has given you a task in the name of Fraxon. In the name of the light. I say this, my final word to you. Use my power well, and breathe life into the once dead world. Take your wisdom, and Dominus's strength, to the world below and show them the light of Solonor. You won't fail me, for now you carry a piece of me... and Micheal... with you, my lamb." And as she said that a flash of light rang out and the pair found themselves drifint in the sea as if they never were pulled out. A few feeders, curiously picking at the dragon, swam away hurriedly as it came to, and Maria rose to the surface. The city in the clouds was gone, along with the Garden. It was odd, but she felt her forehead and sure enough the heat of the sun was there. She and Dominus, full of resolve and wrath free, began making the long trip to Kusana with one goal in mind: Unification under the Banner of the sun.
• Seashores The Mer are hyper-aware of everything around them, their five senses deeply active. They feel the light touching their shoulder, the running about of the small creatures, everything. They're very perceptive, moreso than most races. Furthermore, when listening through a conch (many Mer carry one everywhere), they can hear things for hundreds of meters around them.
• Seashells The Mer are capable of speaking to all sea creatures, although they have the closest connection to the small ones. Tiny little creatures like crabs, shrimp and the littlest of fish, they often reach out to the Mer to protect them from the predators of the sea. A young Mer will often form a powerful bond with one of these creatures, and this enables them to quite literally share their longevity with this creature. The lifespan of the small creature they bond with will increase, making them as long-lived as their Mer companion, although they will also die if their Mer dies (though the Mer will not die if the companion dies). This life-long companion counts as a pet rather than a summon, but at high ranks, it can become extremely deadly.
The creature grows with you in ranks, and will also rapidly grow in size, into something that is simply unusual for its species. It should be noted that this creature will evolve into being capable of breathing/walking on land. Some animals are obvious; a lobster, a crab, etc. Less obvious ones such as regular fish will evolve in highly strange ways, some of them even turning out to look nearly parallel to a Mer. These creatures can have their own movesets. Furthermore, they can eventually, if desired, take up the summon slot and the seashell slot -- which would enable them to grow in power immensely.
• Masterful Dragon Riding The dragoon must spend a considerable amount of time riding on their dragon, and must know how to ride on them from every single part of the dragon without falling off. This takes a considerable amount of time to do, but once accomplished the dragoon will be able to accomplish incredible feats, such as holding onto a single dragon spine with one hand while your dragon is in an upside down position mid flight, whilst still being able to use your weapon proficiently.
• Telepathy As the name implies, it is a simple form of telepathy between you and your dragon. Thoughts, images, emotions, sounds... pretty much anything can be felt in this link, and it is a constant link. If the dragon is hurt, the dragoon can sense it, and vice versa. This however, also prevents the two from lying to each other, as they can see what the other is truly thinking.
• Soft Landing A passive all dragoons must learn, as without learning this skill, when they performed their super high jumps they would simply splatter against the ground. Once this technique is learned the dragoon can survive falls from incredible distances, and come out unharmed.
Technique
___youwillknownihilism Captain
Offline
___youwillknownihilism Captain
Offline
Posted: Fri Jan 02, 2015 12:16 am
""
It was the same as she remembered, coming here again. It had been a long time, and Maria hadn't been able to see her god of choosing in perhaps months. Her marriage was taking some time away, admittedly more than she would like. Maria was a proper Anthosii girl, not meant to be tied down to one person. She was a free spirit, something Isabella probably wouldn't have guessed. But still,she would continue to learn and grow with her wife, until the end came, weather than be sooner or later. One thing for sure, she would never be as weak as Kora. The memory of her visage was annoying. So weak and frail, dependent on another weak minded, short sighted idiot. She would never kill herself. Not for anyone but Dominus. Not for Raphael. Certainly not for Isabella. Not a snowballs chance in hell she'd just let Isabella kill her in the name of petty visions of an unobtainable peace. Or any other reasons. She whipped her tail in the water, scales glistening in the sun. A few sharks had gathered to her, giving her an aquatic escort even though Dominus was gliding like a gentle giant beneath her. When they found a bright light coming through the clouds, the sharks seemed to know better and slowed to a halt. Maria was confused at first, but realized she had arrived. And what she saw horrified her beyond measure.
Dominus surfaced beneath her, raising Maria up on his head, her fin coiled around her lower body as she looked to the sky. The garden was there, floating in all of it's infinite glory. It was radiating light all around, just as it had before, as if it were a piece of olympus itself, brought down to grace our eyes. But Maria could see something wrong even from down in the ocean. The greenery seemed to be black. The bushes dead or dying... or worse. Some kind of corruption. And something told her that it had something to do with Korok's foolish ending. She gathered energy in her fin, coiling and then springing straight up into the sky. Dominus also gave a mighty flap of his wings, reaking the surface and heading up behind the Godslayer. Her legs were back in place beneath a green dress as she came up, just over the top of the Garden. She landed, a perfect landing, soft and quiet, and examined her surroundings. Once she was there she could see the depth of the garden's condition. It was literally dying... shriveled trees... yellow grass... wilting flowers. She tried focusing the energy of life itself into her arms, but it did nothing to help. Not even a glimmer of improvement. Dominus hovered above, also stricken with a mix of fear and confusion. What had become of the Garden in the Sky? She stood up, clearing her throat and walking forward, Dominus landing where he had near the entrance before, though not with any sense of happiness or fulfillment as he had last time. No even he felt wrong.
Maria wondered through the forest of dead trees, once vibrant and beautiful, but now dull and dank. She only had one clue where to look, and that was a bright light she could see. She walked towards it, snapping twigs below her feet sounding so awful it made her cringe every here and there. She didn't want to touch anything, especially not anything with black stuff on it. That would have been the worst possible outcome. When she finally set foot into the clearing, the dead grass seemed hot, not warm. Solonor was in the center of it all, her own light seemingly negative in it's very nature. Maria fell to a knee before her, the lady's back turned and her hands clasped together. Maria looked up and noted the woman smiling down at her, beckoning her to rise. "My lady! The forest! What has become of your garden?" Solonor sighed and caressed MAria's hair. She snapped her finger and suddenly the garden began turning green and coming to life as it once had been. To Solonor this whole thing seemed to be frivolous. Fixing a dead forest was easy when the forest wasn't wracked with black magic. She had just been not tending it, causing her energy to receded and putting the garden into a negative state, just like her mood. "Worry not, my child of the light. Nothing a little love couldn't fix." She seemed to be concerned with Maria, looking at her mark as if doing some form of maintenance and then guiding the girl to a fountain. Crystal clear water flowed down into many pools before reaching a large pool. The entire thing was made of a brown marble, cut to look like a twisted and beautiful tree. Maria looked into the water, seeing her reflection, smiling at how pretty she was before realizing that her mark was fading. Worry overtook her as she looked at Solonor, who had a somewhat focused face on as she looked into the fountain. She pointed at the pool before Maria spoke, something about her face aura demanding it. Maria whipped her head back and looked again, this time the image different than the beautiful face it had been a second ago. Maria covered her mouth after a sharp inhale, the image she saw now much more dire. Despair was apparently the new name for Kranila...
Maria leaned in and looked deeply into the no longer crystal clear water. She saw an image from a gods perspective of the nation. It was once green and beautiful, in fact that is what the nationw as known for! But currently that world was completely different, one Maria could tell was suffering. Spots of brown black and grey littered the forestry, the canopy itself seemed to have holes torn in it. Maria couldn't fathom what was going on, her mouth and eyebrows both twist in confusion. She looked to the goddess standing beside her and rose again. "How?" Maria began glancing back as the well revealed the inside view, all the forestry decaying, few living things actually around aside from those that perfer rotting vegetation to living ones. Solonor waved a hand, and the image shown was shifted to an event recently passed. Korok's death and that blast of green light were more than just a suicide. "His connection to the forest and his false goddess had been deeply rooted into it all.""But you're the goddess of agriculture. You can heal the forest right?" Maria asked even more confused than she had been at seeing the forest itself. "It seems as though something evil there is causing this, beyond simply Korok and his foolishness. Watch." With a bit of focus in her eyes she sent a beam of light, powerful enough to shake grand oaks when it struck the decaying land, and healed one of the rot-zones. Maria smiled as she saw the light hit and heal the area. And then a few seconds later a different spot began to rot away and die. "Why did that happen? Didn't you just heal an area of the forest?""Yes, which is why I believe something there is causing all of this. Perhaps a dark entity of some sort wishes to bring down Kenai and begins with the forest. Perhaps it's more than that. Perhaps... perhaps korok's spirit lingers in a vengeful state. Either way, I called you here to warn you. I want you to go as my emmissary, my coursair. Solve this issue for me now, my child. But be careful... I have seen a vision of great change coming, and I fear this is the beginning of it."
Maria nodded to her goddess and looked back to the well, seeing her slightly faded mark again and deciding to push her fears to the side before leaping as dragoon tend to. The air brushed by her face and her hair trailed like a streak of blood behind her as she landed upon Dominus, who was again surrounded by a lively forest, slightly tangled in its vines and shrubs. She cleared it away with water she summoned from nowhere and Dominus enjoyed his slight bath. She held one of his mighty spines as he stood and coiled, leaping into the air as only a beast meant for the skies could do though he was actually a sea creature. He flapped once, twice, then he weas clear of the garden moving at top speed, both of them in a hurry. Dominus could feel Maria's worry in every inch of his body, for him it translated into a sense pf urgency, to be done with this and cure her mark of this ailment. He seemed to make a dive bomb for the area that seemed to be the center of all the rot in Kranilla. Maria held fast as the dragon hit terminal velocity. He tucked his wings and aimed his legs backwards, feeling a sort of rush as he became a rather large bullet. At the last possible second his instincts told him to, he opened his wings like a pair of parachutes, Maria holding fast with complete faith in him. They crashed through the canopy a litte hard but Dominus slid down a large tree, his large heavy body bending the grand oak a bit but snapping back as he let go, his wings folding against his back as he hit the ground, heavy and loud. Maria had already let go of him and jumped away to allow him some space. She flipped from a branch and continued at around his speed, bouncing from one tree and rolling in a sommersault before impacting the ground before her dragon. Dominus roared a mighty roar, a King of Monsters kind of roar and Maria seemed to do a similar thing though her voice was cut off by Dominus's. The forest shook as the Queen and her child let their cries free, scaring most things out of the area. She was searching for something strong, and wanted as little interruption as possible. Dominus took to the air again and Maria followed suit, though she herself had to do leaps and jumps from trees and such in order to keep up.
After a while of searching they finally hit the rot, which smelled as bad as it looked. She leaped above the swampy ground, no particular heading, more interested in exploration than anything else. Maria fell from one spot, then headed to a treetop, and then soon dropped again. She realized this had once been the location where a tribe of centaurs lived, which saddened her. She could only hope they found a new place. Here... it was unliveable. The trees, if you could call them that, were just shriveled black things or large decaying shells of their former selves. She came across a pack of... what looekd like they were once wolves. It was almost effortless to kill them... berserk with hunger but so weak it was sad. She finished them swiftly, mercy a thing she wasn't used to. As she cleaned the blood from Maelstrom, she took note of the sound of something. Her head whipped around so fast she nearly hurt herself. There it was. Some kind of centaur for sure... but darker than most of them. She stared at it, a helmet blocking his face from view. Maria saw it pull a lance from it's side, and then it started sprinting towards her. She coiled as he came, narrowing her eyes at it as he charged. She roared and leaped at him, spinning her staff and giving a single turn as she swung straight down at the centaur. His staff swing and momentum was enough to fend her off, there weapons colliding at opposite points of focus. Maria was sent barreling over it however, twirling easily with the momentum to land against a tree, having flew so hard that she cracked it. The centaur skidded and made a complete one eighty, intending to rush back towards the queen again. She let out a feral scream as she flew towards him yet again, her jump knocking over the tree. The two matched again, but this time the centaur was backed off as maria made impact with his armor, freezing it a bit. She landed a little rough as she bounced off, and he broke the ice off with a punch. She then noticed his tail was actually a ghoulish fire, his hands sickly looking. She pressed her assault, meeting him in the muddy ground with ferocity, scoring hits and taking them in stride as Dominus approached. As soon as he was within attacking range, the centaur seemed to have seen enough as he slashed wildly, sending maria a few yards away and leaving her arm bruised, a bit of blood coming from her mouth. Are you okay? Maria shook off her shellshock and looked after the sprinting beast. "I'm fine. I think he was... testing me... I need to give chase." Maria dove forward, Dominus's next words of caution unimportant as she gave chase. As she followed him, his speed kept him just ahead of her jumping ability. She was unphased however, as she could keep jumping as long as he could run.
Before long the centaur stopped and Maria, in her haste, accidentally flew directly past him. She skidded to a stop, using her hand to slow herself and holding her trident at the ready behind her. She slowly stood as the Centaur seemed to morph back into an elf, his helmet coming off completely and his face covered in scars. She slowly approached, his aura nonthreatening, his position atop an alter untouched by the rot. His voice seemed to be in disrepair, as he merely pointed to the book. Maria stood beside him in a few seconds, looking into his sad, yellow eyes, as she read the book. Sadly, she knew nothing of elvish and didn't understand. Before she spoke, however, the words seemed to translate to Meritian, her native tongue. The words even had her peoples habitual linguistic habits of being superfluous and asinine at times, which was a tad bit annoying to her. The words spoke of a prophecy, that a great one, chosen by the Dawn Elf god would come in the ancient forests' time of need, and a spell to use when he or she arrived. It was a spell to link two souls, requiring a dominant and submissive soul, one to receive and one to be received... it needed a sacrifice. She looked to the Elf. "Wait... this is the hybrid spell is it not?" He nodded slowly, pointing first to her, then the Meritian word for dominant, then to himself and pairing his visage with the word for submissive. "Wait... you wish to die?" He shook his head, and grabbed his lance. "Your intention was to kill me... so that you wouldn't have to." He nodded to her. "How old are you?" He looked away, then back to Maria as if unsure how to answer. He pointed to a fully grown tree, rife with rot, and then to a small sapling near the alter. Maria thought for a second as Dominus hovered above. "Since the trees were young..." she said. He nodded and looked around before grasping at something Maria hadn't noticed before. A skull on the ground. He held it and looked from her to it, pointing to it's forehead and then hers. He then crushed it. Maria smirked. "I'm not the first to try and cure this then." He gave a weak smile and shrugged. He made a weak fist and frowned, shaking his head. He then made a strong fist and nodded. Maria understood, but before she could confirm it he went on again. He pointed to himself and made the strong fist, and did the same after pointing to Maria. "You hate the weak... you won't bow to any who cannot best you. But I am strong enough to challenge you." He smiled at her and then walked down, calling a section of the rot away to give them a battlefield. "If I win... you will allow me to perform the spell and rid Kranilla of the rot forever, right?" He nodded. "If I lose?" He pulled a finger from one side of his neck to the other and she gulped. He assumed centaur form and Maria decided to give him a true show of power. An explosion of water, large and dominating occured between them, surrounding her and allowing her to take her Mer form. She held Maelstrom tight as he seemed to call the forest to his aid in a similar manner. He was surrounded by thick lively vines just as she had her water, thick with the rot. The battle was on.
It raged for what felt like three hours.
He proved stronger than any foe she fought alone before, but Dominus had faith.
Maria got the lead.
He took it back.
Her blood spilled.
His followed.
A flood took out that section of forest, rot and all.
Trees took the area back.
And suddenly they were both exhausted. Maria came at him, Maelstrom and a sword of ice in her hands, proving a difficult offense to crack. His lance was getting heavy but he held a smile on his face the entire fight. In a fit to end the battle Maria jumped and delivered a horribly powerful kick to his face. He staggered and Maria felt her ankle crack. She ignored that and spun on her other foot, using her body as leverage to sweep him off his feet and continuing her graceful twirl, leaping into the air as he went horizontal with an almost asian warcry escaping her throat as she slammed him down with Belfast's tip. But that wasn't the end. He bounced from the ground, raising back into the air as she landed and then turning again as he rolled, his face twisted in pain and then surprise as Maelstrom pierced his body. She held him there, looking in his eyes before roaring and slinging him with all her remaining might back over to the alter. She limped over to him, laying on the stairs, letting his weapon free as ice covered his wound. "Do you submit." He nodded. She dragged him, painfully, to the alter and looked at the spell. "This will save the forest?" He nodded, holding her hand still. He smiled, his release from his binds finally coming. "Then I will perform the spell. By the power of Kelios... Solonor... and Micheal. I call upon ancient magics..." she began. Her eyes began to glow a combination of green and blue, and then the words in ancient mer and elven alike flooded from her lips. Dominus seemed to be knocked for a loop as he fell from the skies, deeply affected by what was happening. She floated in the air, a green light overtaking her and the Centaur. His memories were sowed into her very soul, learning everything he knew, his name was Arlan... and damn he was old. He was cursed to stay in the forest for using a weapon he created, the Rot she saw, against another tribe by their shaman. He was rooted there until he found a worthy vessel. He created the prophecy to lure strong soldiers to either kill him or be killed. Maria had been the only success in centuries. A burst of light shot from her body and Dominus seemed to grow stronger along with her. Her body morphed within her cage of green light. Her mark faded completely, she could feel it, but she also felt stronger. Tattoos of power adorned her body, every inch. Here ears seemed to become elven ever so slightly, now resembling a fair dawn elf as well as a beautiful mer. She was GORGEOUS now. Maria fell as the light faded. She was naked but that was okay for her. She triggered a powerful magic, changing her bodies lower half as she usually did, but this time becoming a centaur. Maelstrom in her hands shined with her new power and she let new instincts take over. She galloped at a faster speed than she was used to as she cleansed the forest in it's entirety. Dominus rose slowly, different entirely and in his land based for, which now had wings. He had a long beard below his chin, and he seemed to be much bigger. And now he had wings even in the bipedal form. His spikes and horns had multiplied as well as hardening with his scales. He was at the pinnacle of power now, and roared with dominus for all Kranilla to hear. Maria seemed to heal the rot as she galloped through it. And though she was no longer connected, she felt solonors approval radiating to her through the light. As she finished she collapsed to the ground, her body becoming entirely human as she fell. Dominus found her and sat near her, keeping her warm as she curled up beneath his monstrously large head. She slept dreamlessly, peace attained for a few hours. By the time she awoke, dragonlings, bears, deer, all manner of forest creatures in fact, had gathered and were forming a sort of net of protection. She felt connected to them as she did to Dominus, though not as powerfully. Mother. I am slow to admit that you have become quite popular. She smiled and held out a hand, calling vines to wrap around her and clothe her lightly. She rubbed the under belly of a small baby dragon, set loose by its mother for being too small. She kneeled before it and kissed his snout gingerly, rubbing below it's scales with one hand. She sat on her knees as a bear cub as beside her, and a jungle cat, probably a fully grown jaguar, purred as it rubbed against her. Dominus himself seemed to be covered in smaller creatures, mostly small dragons who would call him their new mother. Maria giggled as Dominus sighed, though he did play with them. "Something tells me we need not worry about being alone again." Dominus laughed a bit as the jaguars cubs curled up around her, one in her lap. The mother of dragons had acquired an entirely new family indeed. How could she explain THIS to Isabella... Well that would be a bridge to cross when she got there. Right now she was enjoying herself amidst her new domain, and getting used to her new form as well as she could. This peace could only last so long before it would come under demon attack, and mobilizing the army would be a hurdle all it's own.
• Seashores The Mer are hyper-aware of everything around them, their five senses deeply active. They feel the light touching their shoulder, the running about of the small creatures, everything. They're very perceptive, moreso than most races. Furthermore, when listening through a conch (many Mer carry one everywhere), they can hear things for hundreds of meters around them.
• Seashells The Mer are capable of speaking to all sea creatures, although they have the closest connection to the small ones. Tiny little creatures like crabs, shrimp and the littlest of fish, they often reach out to the Mer to protect them from the predators of the sea. A young Mer will often form a powerful bond with one of these creatures, and this enables them to quite literally share their longevity with this creature. The lifespan of the small creature they bond with will increase, making them as long-lived as their Mer companion, although they will also die if their Mer dies (though the Mer will not die if the companion dies). This life-long companion counts as a pet rather than a summon, but at high ranks, it can become extremely deadly.
The creature grows with you in ranks, and will also rapidly grow in size, into something that is simply unusual for its species. It should be noted that this creature will evolve into being capable of breathing/walking on land. Some animals are obvious; a lobster, a crab, etc. Less obvious ones such as regular fish will evolve in highly strange ways, some of them even turning out to look nearly parallel to a Mer. These creatures can have their own movesets. Furthermore, they can eventually, if desired, take up the summon slot and the seashell slot -- which would enable them to grow in power immensely.
• Masterful Dragon Riding The dragoon must spend a considerable amount of time riding on their dragon, and must know how to ride on them from every single part of the dragon without falling off. This takes a considerable amount of time to do, but once accomplished the dragoon will be able to accomplish incredible feats, such as holding onto a single dragon spine with one hand while your dragon is in an upside down position mid flight, whilst still being able to use your weapon proficiently.
• Telepathy As the name implies, it is a simple form of telepathy between you and your dragon. Thoughts, images, emotions, sounds... pretty much anything can be felt in this link, and it is a constant link. If the dragon is hurt, the dragoon can sense it, and vice versa. This however, also prevents the two from lying to each other, as they can see what the other is truly thinking.
• Soft Landing A passive all dragoons must learn, as without learning this skill, when they performed their super high jumps they would simply splatter against the ground. Once this technique is learned the dragoon can survive falls from incredible distances, and come out unharmed.
Technique
Posted: Mon Jun 27, 2016 6:51 pm
Here it was once more. Maria knew the call of Solonor and she knew better than to ignore a god so powerful when she reached out to her. Dominus planted his large body down outside of the gate as he once had, and immediately vines began to slowly reach up to him just as before. He closed his eyes, feeling drowsy suddenly. Maria ignored his head as it fell to the ground and she stepped through the huge golden gates into the agricultural miracle. Her bare feet dug into the grass with every step, the wildly grown but well managed blades a welcome feeling even though she looked blank in the face. She had at least put on her dragoon armor for the meeting, made of dragon bone and covering her chest, fore arms, back and shins. Otherwise her fair skin was easily seen. Her eyes scanned the garden for her caller frantically. She felt an overwhelming sense of urgency in every motion she made until she finally saw her. Like always, she was tending to the sun, the center of her power. Maria approached her, eyes unbothered by the impossibly bright light between Solonor's hands. The beautiful elf-god watched with an almost mothery stare as her ball of light, a small representation of the actual sun perhaps, swirled and flares of heat rose from it's surface in ribbons of red and orange. Solonor didn't acknowledge Maria immediately, rather before she did she closed her hands around the ball and it fizzled. She then looked up to the sky, directly into the real sun, and reached up to it. With a small flick of her finger it budged but an inch from their view. Her other hand came up them, looking to Maria as if she as cupping the air itself. She dusted off the top of the sun from where she could see, her tongue coming out the side of her tightly pressed lips. FInally her hands came down and a smile that shined like stars presented itself. Maria's sense of urgency melted away and a pair of tears welled up in her eyes. Solonor opened her arms, taking Maria into them. "Solonor... I thought you had forsaken me for choosing the forest over you..." Maria admitted as the resentment she had pretended to hold on suddenly melted away. Solonor stroked the girl's hair with warm hands. "No no dear. You were my first chosen one, and not for a reason. You had your choice to make, one I gave you, and you chose to save your world. There was no reason to abandon you. The circumstances that Niraliel saved you from... that was no ones doing. And that is a part of my reasoning for calling you back." She released Maria then, and a eat of leaves grew from the ground for Maria to sit. She did so and allowed Solonor to speak.
"Maria Kal. I have not seen one with your affinity for the world in quite some time. You claim the skies with Dominus as your steed, you claim the sea as a mer, and recently even the forest bends to your will. You bring forward the light of the world, even after you were dealt such a bad hand. You never stopped striving to make it all better. You always looked to bring the sunlight to dark areas. For that I wish to give you back my gift. However," she stopped brushing her fingers over her ears, pointed to to her mixed blood. "In order to receive it you would need to revoke the claim you have over the forest." Maria seemed distraught. Her connection to Dominus was mostly as strong as he was due to this connection, and she so loved the way it felt to be one with the creatures of the forest. Still, she had been so taken away from worldly struggles that she didn't even notice just how broken the world truly was. The words spoken by her favored god warmed her to the core, just as it had before. She smelled of a fresh garden, flowers and fruit. Maria so did miss the connection they once had, and how righteous it felt to kick wholesale a** with her mark on her forehead.
The decision to leave Kelios's gift behind was difficult, but she arrived at the conclusion that it was what she wanted. She fell to one knee and nodded at Solonor. "I would, once more, fight as your champion, Solonor. For good this time." Solonor reached out to the sun once more and pulled free a small bit of it's light. "Then it shall be as it was. Except now... you are deserving of a far greater share of my power than before. Take this power, and with it the ability to protect and destroy anyone who threatens your world," she spoke pressing the light to Maria's head and the kneeling to kiss her dead center in the same spot. The same indescribable heat assaulted her sense of touch, not painful but still overloading her with sensation as the heat burned in and stretched down her face. She held a look of awe as she saw her hair changing color from bright red to a strikingly brilliant blond. Down her face, around her eyes, from her cheeks down her neck to her shoulder and down the back of her hands her mark stretched. The red flaming sun was back, and though she lost her connection to Kelios and a Centaur she regained a far greater power.
Solonor stood up her campion, smiling and radiating that immeasurable energy just as she always did, only now Maria could feel it even stronger within her body. "What's this?" she suddenly asked looking up at the sky. Maria saw it then too, the moon was suddenly uncharacteristically close to the sun and moving to intercept it very quickly. Solonor seemed to brighten up, though Maria was concerned about it. A solar eclipse? How odd. Suddenly Solonor touched Maria and in a flashof white there were only her words. "My child, I will call for you soon."
As Maria fell from the garden in a ray of light, Solonor turned towards the sky, looking directly into the eye of the eclipse, at the black ball blocking her sunlight. She closed her eyes as a cool wind rolled through the garden and a bluish white light touched her back like an embrace. He was here, and he had brought with him the welcome sensation of his embrace. She leaned into the wind, now a solid mass like a human, and her hands found his around her waist. "Your interest in her stays strong. I am... surprised," Justor spoke into her ear clenching her close. Solonor smirked. "Don't be jealous my love. But wait, what have you come here for?" she asked feeling a certain power seeping into her body from the melding light of sun and moon. Justor reached out towards the moon, feeling it as well. "I spoke to Niraliel. It is... it is time now for us to go. We cannot be idle any longer." As his hand seemed to circle one half of the eclipse, Solonor put hers out as well to complete the circle. Immediately the eclipse blazed brighter, if for only a second. Solonor stepped away, turning to look at him inquisitively. "I have been... so distracted from the plane. What has escaped my notice?" she pleaded to him. Justor furrowed his brow and looked to a small bird bath. He led Solonor to it, touching the surface and showing Solonor an image that struck her very heart. Elessia... and an army of Valkyries... declaring herself ruler of vangelism? Solonor seemed apalled at her actions. Justor showed her Elessia letting Narathos and his cohorts into heaven to turn on Michael. She had betrayed him... and she had taken Yuran as... as a prize?! "I am... how have I been so caught in my own duties that the world below the sun became so broken..." Justor touched her cheek understandingly. "You are not to blame alone. Myself... Antony... the child Daniel... we all watched. We let it happen. We allowed Elessia to twist Solaris's mind and pull the world down to chaos. But it is up to us to take it back from her. As we speak, Daniel and Antony are working on something to be as powerful as the shield he once protected Fraxon with. They will shield Yuran when we go." Solonor seemed frustrated with this entire situation. She would have to cut down an old friend... a militant one... perhaps a bit obnoxious... but still an ally in her war on demon kind. Solonor would close her eyes for a second, silently passing her own judgement upon her. Her eyes opened suddenly, blazing like the sun. With a grip like a vice she brings something to life in her hands. A Staff with an Ornate Sun at one end and a spear blade at the other appears in her hands, shining with the glow of the very sun it was crafted from ages ago when she first struck down a demon. Justor smiled at it, a weapon of fine make which he hadn't seen in ages. He made a wave with his hand, molding moonlight into the shape of a bow. It suddenly condensed itself into a metal completely unknown to the third plane, at the center was a silver-colored full moon that seemed to radiate a faint blue light. Behind the two, a figure descended from the sky slowly, scattering feathers as soft wings flapped behind her. She landed beside the two holding an hourglass. "Niraliel... is it time?" Solonor asked. Niraliel nodded her head to her sister. "Be careful of Elessia. She wouldn't be so brash if she didn't have a trick or two up her sleeve. Her power to bend time and space rivals even my own, nearly. I will take us down the moment Daniel and Antony shield Yuran," she said. The trio watched the city from the bird bath anxiously. A yellow glow opened in the sky over the entire Nation suddenly, stretching from the tip of it's mountains all the way into Kusana and nocturne, and the great oceans. Below, the pair held their hands together, eyes glowing bright and strain seeming faint between them. As if he could see them watching, Daniel nodded his head at the sky and Niraliel turned her hourglass. "By my power... go!" she would call transporting the pair from the Garden. Now alone, Niraliel fell to one knee suddenly, clasping her hands and wings together around her in prayer for success.
Sadly for her... the wrong god would answer her call...
"" "" ""
___youwillknownihilism Captain
Offline
A faint smile
Dedicated Friend
Offline
Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2018 11:10 am
Upon a stone encircled by still waters sat a singular figure. It was an elven woman, pale grey of skin with a cascading river of stark white hair falling all around her. She appeared statuesque, still yet relaxed in her posture. Three slender fingers hovered just upon the surface of the pond around her, lightly caressing the waters. Quietly she hummed a somber melody, an ancient tune long since forgotten by the many. Upon her brow there seemed to shimmer a sigil even paler than her skin. Soft like moonlight it glowed, surrounding her features in a halo of light.
Once this place was inhabited by two of the most beautiful beings to ever walk the Planes of Axiom. Now, there were only memories. Few creatures lived to the age of elves, and this particular elf happened to be rather old for her kind. She could remember their faces as if they were standing before her. Justor, fair of skin and dark of hair. He had a softness to him that spoke of the love he had for his children. Solonor, radiant in the morning light that came from within her being. The two of them were such wondrous beings, so kind and lovely. Here they lived together in this garden, tending to it with such an elegance. Without them now, the plants had begun to fade.
A sigh of nostalgia came from betwixt the lips of the woman. Her fingers receded from the water and reached up to the two shapes upon her forehead. Cool droplets from the pond fell from her touch, tracing abstract lines down to her chin before falling. She brushed her mark gently, and the glow became stronger. An energy emanated from her being, spreading through the organisms around them. She channeled her powers to return life to them. Slowly the grass turned from a dry-brown and grew stronger and taller, deep greens dotting the landscapes. Plants that had withered righted themselves and bloomed in her light. The trees seemed to take a deep breathe, the first since their caretakers were removed from their world.
"I will not forget about you, you shall have someone to tend to you again."
Her voice was soft, but in the pervading silence and stillness of the gardens it seemed to echo throughout the area. It was a prayer, a promise. This kind of beauty would be returned to the world before Analaeia was gone. She would leave her own mark upon Axiom, a beautiful one.
A sound like the void tearing open filled the air. The woman rose to her feet and crossed the pond, sending ripples across the water. The tear hummed with barely contained energy and she stepped through. With an ethereal ripple of distorted sound the door closed behind her and she was gone.
• Renown Analaeia is well known in certain cultures all around the world. Her exploits in the arts have given her a reputation that has many regarding her as talented and one to be sought after. It gives her access to all sorts of social interactions that would otherwise be only allowed for royalty and high society. - Many people know who she is, meaning it is difficult to go anywhere without being recognized. This also means the wrong kinds of people know who she is.
- Analaeia acquired this talent over years of socializing and traveling the world. There are even kings and queens who own pieces of her art, and can recall a time they were in her presence.
• Detect Magic (Magus) The magus can detect magic. This means when others cast spells, or emanate high amounts of energy, you can see their aura. This also means you can detect magic in an area, meaning if an area has something magical about it, you can feel it. At expert rank, you can determine the source in an area. Each source of magic has a special signature, meaning a magus will be able to recognize the energy of a person if they are expert rank or higher.
• Dance Around (Enchanter) Around the user, things spring to life. Chairs will move on their own to greet you, hats will tip themselves to you, idle objects will move at your whim. You do not push it with magic, instead you command it to. The energy around the object will change, allowing the user to "speak" to these objects, asking them to move at his/her will. Though the objects are small, it showcases the user's power. Enchanters have a deep connection to nature, they can even sense past events though the stories told to them by the landscape.
• Dementia This ability allows them to store a tiny fraction of Justor's magic into their own body. The result is simple and yet very efficient. Not only are their casting times reduced by one post, but their spells are increased in size and range (and speed... slightly). This makes their magic harder to dodge, further solidifying them as the most efficient magic-users. The rate at which size/range are increased = add 1/3 of the base. So, 15 feet in length would become 20 feet in length. Speed is increased by about 1/5th, although this can become overwhelming if you constantly sling spells.
• Mania *Can be used at any time The Dark Elves may project their immediate conscious into the moonlight, and projecting your conscious into very nearby mana allows you to directly connect to Justor's energy. This allows for a wide-range of spells that are not possible with other bloodlines, simply in concept. Furthermore, these spells are all free of energy, as they use the mana nearby, not your own reserves.
These abilities, as listed: - The Dance of Veils: By projecting your magical conscious somewhere else, a very quick and easy process, you may warp to that location, similar to a teleport. Upon disappearing, your location is wrapped in a dusk-colored shroud, and re-appearing is animated by a bright white flash. Of course, this is a very useful spell, but it may only be done once every other post. You can only teleport up to twenty feet away. It should be noted that you only project your [magical conscious] here, meaning you don't go blank or lose concentration while using this.
-The Scion of Justor: In legend, it is told that Empress Cirstec - the first Dark Elf - was brought to a state of immortality and divinity by Justor. This ability conjures her influence in the mana rather than his, allowing for a unique spell. Cirstec will allow you to twist the light around you, making you invisible to the enemy's eyes. Those with good hearing/smell can still sense you, but many people will be unable. Casting or attacking ends this spell. This means all you can really do is walk and run. It's useful when cornered, as it's a very potent hiding skill. It's also useful when trying to use a surprise attack, although the technique will end the moment you begin the attack. The most common use of Cirstec's shroud is waiting for the cooldown on the Veil (teleportation) to come off, so that you may make distance between you and the target. The Veil will not end the shroud until it has already teleported you.
-I Am Loved: This is a legendary ability of the Dark Elves, only spoken of in stories for its heartwarming take on the relationship of Justor, Solonor, and their children. If a dark elf is to die, their light fading and their blood running cold, they may call upon their God and hope that he answers. Those with mark three and above can use this once in a real life year, though they will be ejected from the fight and teleported far away after being brought back to life. This will simply not work for someone with a lower marking.
• Fortune Favors the BoldPassive This ability is what will power every technique Analeia has in her pagan-taught arsenal. For every post she is around other characters she slowly absorbs their luck. This acts as a secondary energy pool that can only be spent on Luck abilities.
• Fate is in my HandsPassive Analaeia is incredibly lucky. She sees probability and chances so clearly that when it becomes evident that she shall die she can stop that from happening. This can only be done after she has absorbed a total of 100 points over her time being active. That means she has to collect and spend the full amount of Luck she can 10 times each time she wishes to alter her fate. Should she have the required charge of Luck then she is able to stop himself from dying. That could mean even if an enemy managed to cast a spell that would obliterate her it will somehow miss.
• Lady Luck is SmilingPassive Analaeia is incredibly lucky in and out of battle. Even wandering around she comes across some of the most chance happenstances ever. No matter if odds are stacked against her Analaeia will always have the upper hand and generally comes out on top. Any sort of gambling against her is pointless. For example, she could play a game of russian roulette with 5 bullets loaded and would come out alive every time.
Reply
