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The buildings in The Red Kingdom have stood for many years, a testament to the handicraft and the history of their people. The first thing that most notice upon first arriving is the sheer intricacy and detail that can be found on these buildings. Built from wood, the timber framework of the structures provides a great deal of leeway for decoration and detail-work. Bright colored flowers and dragons swirl around the columns and beams that support the structure, while delicate patterns are etched into the lintels that dip down from the richly colored roofs. Buildings here are not simply seen as mere structures for living in, but as an art-form that must double as a sturdy and comfortable shelter.

There are no large highways here—only simple stone paths that weave through the streets, leading to and from some of the busiest places in the Kingdom. The center of all of the buzz is the marketplace. Packed with stalls and stores that are selling a variety of things—from handmade jewelry to traditional snacks and desserts—it is undoubtedly the life of the town, and it is the first place that greets visitors who pay a visit to the Kingdom of Dreams.

Farther past the marketplace is the residential area, where children can most often be found playing in the streets that are lined on either side with rows of small houses. At the very heart of the Kingdom is the palace[/url—a delicate, deep red structure that is surrounded by a small body of water and a vast garden. It is here where the King and those within her ranks resides. The only way to and from the palace is by crossing the sturdy stone bridge that arches over the lotus flower speckled water.


THE TOWER is situated only a few meters away from the palace, separated from it by another bridge.

THE RANKS of the kingdom's people are determined through a number of criteria, the most basic of which include the individual’s illusionary power and their fighting ability. However, the nature of each individual is also considered. Although strength is a prized trait among the citizens of the Kingdom, personal abilities and personality traits are also taken into account. Each rank is judged by the following:

• PHOENIXES [QUEENS] are typically chosen based off of very strict criteria, ensuring that they are not only powerful fighters, but also compassionate towards the citizens. The ideal queen is someone who is strong but level-headed—someone who can provide and exchange unbiased opinions with the King when it comes to decision making. Those who become Queens are usually personally close to the King, such as an old friend.
  
  
• TIGERS [KNIGHTS] are the powerhouses—the ones who have been elected to protect the Kingdom. As such, they are predominantly chosen based off of their strength and their physical and illusionary power. Loyalty and obedience are also valued traits, and mindless bloodshed should be avoided when at all possible.
  
  
• TORTOISES [BISHOPS] are valued for their intelligence and their ability to come up with swift and effective strategies. As they must work closely with the King, like the Queen, they must be able to provide objective views and suggestions that serve the greater good for the kingdom as a whole.
  
  
• QILINS [ROOKS], like the knights, are judged based off of their power. However, there is more emphasis placed on their defensive abilities as opposed to their offensive abilities. A trait that the ideal Rook possesses is the ability to put the safety of the common people before their own.
  
  
• STONE LIONS [PAWNS] are, although among the lower rank of the spectrum, and no less important than the others. Like the Queen, many traits are considered when picking out pawns, but they are obviously much more lenient. Pawns should be well-rounded in general, perhaps with no particular strength that sets them in any of the higher ranks, but may possess some kind of personal strength—such as a hardworking or responsible personality—that is valued by the kingdom. They must also be able to work together with other people.

RED CROWN >> Red Miasma Color
king

The special ability of the Red Kingdom is the power to manifest one's innermost dreams and desires into a physical illusion. The use of this power is usually preceded by a strong surge of anger, and the form that the illusion takes is dependent on the individual. The most common illusions take the form of weapons, but some are able to conjure up a temporary familiar to aid them in their battle. The physical appearance of the illusions are usually some kind of reflection of one of the individual's personality traits, such as one's bravery, loyalty, or perseverance.

There are limitations on illusion summons depending on one's rank:

QUEENS can summon a weapon illusion, a lesser beast familiar, or a great beast familiar
KNIGHTS can summon either a weapon illusion or a great beast familiar
BISHOPS can summon either a weapon illusion or a lesser beast familiar
ROOKS can summon lesser beast familiars
PAWNS can summon and use weapon illusions

MECHANIC: For one turn, the player can act twice in a row--once for themselves, and once for their illusion! Depending on your rank, this means that you can either attack twice in a row, use one move to heal and one to attack, or so on. However, be aware that by using this, the player's opponent now has two targets that they can hit, and therefore the enemy may also attack twice in that same battle phase.

The King knelt on the ground, moving fluidly as she carefully lit the stick of incense and set it in the burner. Eyes sliding shut, she took a deep breath and relaxed her shoulders, letting the heavy floral scent of the incense wash away her thoughts and clear her mind. As the minutes ticked by in silence, the wisps of smoke produced from the burner gradually began to move, drifting forward as if sentient to curl around and consume her small figure. The smoke chilled her where it caressed the exposed skin of her hands and her face, but when it brushed against her ears, her emptied mind was suddenly filled with a familiar voice.

Gather your subjects together and choose your bravest warriors.

There it was--the Voice. Although she had had plenty of meetings with the Voice in the past, Xiu instantly knew that something was different today, the tone betraying a kind of foreboding. Despite this, her expression remained smooth and calm, the rise and fall of her chest becoming almost unnoticeable as her whole body stilled and her full attention went to what it had to say.

Their discussion was brief, spanning only a minute or two before the smoke that had surrounded her suddenly dispersed throughout the whole room, signalling that the meeting had come to an end. As Xiu opened her eyes, her expression immediately morphed into one of worry, her brows creasing together and her lips curving into a deep frown. Had the other Kings received such a message? They must have, and there was no doubt that they would all scramble to follow the guidance of the Voice. After all, just as they all respected the being who had bestowed them with their power, they all feared it as well. Deciding that there was no time to waste, Xiu scrambled to her feet and pushed through the door of her chamber, moving through her palace with long, deliberate strides until she found one of her guards.

”Please gather everyone outside of the palace at once,” Xiu ordered as she approached him, her voice quiet but firm, ”I have an announcement to make.”

The young guard did not question her, simply nodding before he scrambled off to fulfill his orders. Left to herself, Xiu turned and made her way up to the balcony where she would make her speech, watching as crowds of people slowly trickled into the courtyard. Before long, the people of her kingdom were all gathered below and, with a deep breath, she stepped forward to address them.

”I thank you all for coming,” Her gaze swept out over the faces--many of them familiar--looking up at her. For a moment, a faint, fond smile curled on her lips, but it faded as she continued, her tone becoming grim. ”I have just spoken to the Voice, and it tells me that it is time for the Seven Kingdoms' truce to come to an end. We can no longer exist individually, but we must now all come together and be united under a single King. Who this King is will be determined through a tournament between the Seven Kingdoms.”

She paused for a moment to let her words sink in, pressing her lips together as she scanned the faces of her people for their reactions. For so long, all of the Kingdoms had lived together in relative peace, and the friendly alliance between the Red and White Kingdoms in particular had remained strong throughout the years. The idea that they were suddenly being sent to what was--in Xiu's mind--essentially war against their neighbors was almost inconceivable...but it was also undoubtedly unavoidable. The Voice's orders were law. Xiu knew this, and she was certain that the other Kings acknowledged this fact as well. They had no choice but to obey.

"I am to select a number of you to fulfill the roles set out by the Voice," Xiu continued, taking a deep breath, "The first is the Phoenix, the counterpart to my role as the Dragon--this will be chosen among my closest of friends and confidantes. I am also to seek out the Tigers of our Kingdom, warriors who are among the bravest and strongest in our land. However, this tournament cannot be won by brute force alone--we will need the help of Tortoises, sharp-minded individual who are able to develop efficient strategies. The Qilins are next, determined hearts who do not strive to destroy, but to protect those around them. And finally, there are the Stone Lions, brave fighters who must be willing to put their lives on the line for the sake of both our Kingdom and our people."

She paused again to give everyone a moment to discuss among themselves, and then gave a little shake of her head. "However, I have not called you all out here to demand that you to fight alongside me as your King, but as someone who genuinely loves this Kingdom and the people, I come to humbly request your assistance." Xiu clasped her hands together tightly behind the balcony railing, careful to keep the slight quiver of her hands out of view as she bowed her head. When she straightened up and spoke again, her voice was slightly softer, but no less firm. "I do not doubt the fighting capability of any of you here, but I find that I cannot in good consciousness demand that any of you sacrifice yourselves for this cause. Therefore, I will give each and every one of you a choice."

"Should you wish to join this fight, I ask that you please speak up. State your name, and tell me why it is that you wish to fight. I will...assign roles among those who have volunteered their services."

(Sup here is Ro)

Roland shuffled into the gathering of others, compared to some of the kingdoms people he was rather plain, 5'7 brown hair almost to his shoulder now, with brown eyes. He stood wrapped in a large white cloak, swirling gold clouds rolling up from the golden hems. He was a monk, first and foremost, trained in patience, calm and collected thought. He was also trained to fight in the way any other being of illusion was, misdirection, re-directing forces used against him.

He took a moment to inspect the crowd before stepping forward his cloak ruffling about him as he bowed at the waist. "Ma'am Xiu, an honor to be here for this. I am Roland, I'm a monk from one of the nearby temples. We've trained in many arts, meditation, combat, protection. We do our best to contribute to the community helping those in need and opening our doors to those with less then ourselves." He turned to the side throwing his cloak wide, a trail of illusinary mist rolling out from inside it, he lashed out with a single strike, the fog shifting into the image of many figures mimicking the motion before vanishing away.

"We are trained to make our every move into the action of many, to protect, to attack, to help. I offer this to you and the kingdom." He offered one more bow before stepping back into the crowd, a faint trail of mist following behind him.

((Enter))

Shun stood there with the others, keeping to himself as he listened to what the dragon had to say. For now he was clad in a fairly simple yukata and hakama, which was also rather worn and somewhat ragged. He would have dressed a little more nicely for the occasion, but he didn't have a whole lot. Well, he still had his weapons, but he didn't have a great deal else after having spent a few years in prison.

A place that the king had pardoned him from, for reasons he likely would never fully understand. After all, there was no doubt in the fact that he had been caught for murder. But regardless, he owed her his loyalty.

Even so, there was... one thing that was a concern in the back of his mind. The truce was gone. And she was of another kingdom. His expression darkened. He would fight with all his might for Xiu, but he did not want to face that woman on the battle field. He wasn't sure if he could...

He shook his head. He would have to worry about that later. Right now, his King was in need.

Shun let out a slow breath, then stepped forth to kneel before the king.

"I am Shun Kuroda, a man whose loyalty you've earned in its fullest. I am skilled with blades and can end our enemies without hesitation. If you are willing to set aside my past, I would be honored to stand as your knight" he said quietly, keeping his head low as he pledged to his king. When he was done, he straightened up and went back into the crowd.

[Entering]

She felt the dull and throbbing sound of a kingdom in discussion. Xiu had brought forth troubling news, but her kingdom was ready for such disturbance. She'd won their loyalty, their trust, and their love - and today, it was proven as the waves of people came forward to offer their services, and indeed their very lives for the crown.

Behind her fan, there was, perhaps, the faintest sense of pleasure echoed in the movements of a featureless face.

The volunteers were many and varied, and the counselor watched them all, seeking out any hint of betrayal in their movements or their words. It was impossible to find - the people of the Red Kingdom were fiercely loyal, from the day they were born. Their blood ran hot, and they were willing to spill it in their King's name at a single word. There was no betrayal to find. It made her job.. a little useless.

My liege. The voice filtered into the King's mind. I, too, offer my hand in the battles to come. The counselor needn't move from her spot in the shadows, she kept to herself, fan hiding her face from view. My place at your side is no longer of use to you - I will stand for the Kingdom, with these proud citizens. I will be your Bishop. Your Tortoise. It will be my honor.

The maiden whose voice only came through in thought had never tried herself in the harsh domain of the battlefield. Pious and uncorrupted, she knew of nothing but the politics of war. Surely, it was time to test her mettle - and do more for her kingdom than simply be the ever helpful whisper in her King's ear.

Mot stood by and watched from his spot in the crowd. The fact they had been all gathered made him nervous. Big events, big news, it was all nerve wrecking. Indeed, as it turned out, it really was something to worry about.

Mot knew nothing about wards or successions. For the most part, he was peaceful... save for that stint in battle training class with Shun. That... didn't end well. Save for the fact it got him into chiropracting. Now he could fix up the posture and aches of those who also dealt with such things.

Xiu, their King, was calling for their help. Mot was inclined to help with all his power. What little power he had, anyway. "I..." He started meekly, clearing his throat with a cough to cover up the squeak. "I may not be terribly strong.. but I will do all that I can to protect our home." He managed to announce, confident and assured.

She turned the fan over in her one hand, waving it lightly towards her for a bit of a breeze. The crowd was here to hear the King speak of the things to come, and she was all too ready to proceed with her majesty's wishes.

The clicking of her heels to the stones that lined the streets made a sharp clicking sound when she turned, addressing the one who was carrying the fireworks for her. Come now. The King requests you speak on the matter. Adjusting the long white tendril adorning her shoulders, she flickered her fan in front of her, lightly touching those before her on the shoulder to notify them she was coming to the front of the crowd to speak herself. The chime of her hair ornaments sounded softly until she rolled up the fan and looked to her King. She began with a graceful bow, nodding her head low in dignified respect.

I am Levi of the Red Kingdom. It wasn't as if the King, her closest of kin, would not know her by name. Rather, she set the standard of bare minimum facts needed because she was so close. It was a matter to speaking informally. They'd grown up within the same home together, and she'd just come from the market herself to attend to some celebratory treats on behalf of her most beloved Xiu's benevolent skills. Truly, her sister was the most prized illusionist their family could have ever asked for. My skill in the ways of tactics, brutality and compassion are yours; always. Levi made sure to have her eyes meet with Xiu's, smiling brightly as she only did for her. It was laced with pride, joy and an adoration as if from a lioness to a cub. If Xiu willed it, Levi would see it through to the end.

When her words were stated, her long qipao swiftly glided against her legs as she rolled back up, setting her white boa again, and clicking off to the side to allow for more voices to be heard- but something a bit peculiar, but perhaps recognizable, happened.

A small bird of bright orange, speckled with red spots may have flown up to perch near the King for a moment, Levi's eyes flickering when it tweeted a rather sweet chirp before fluttering off again. It wasn't really a bird, as evident by the way it faded off into the distance a little too soon by comparison.

Lowering her gaze back down to the crowd, she looked for her attendant for the day. She motioned with a curled wavering finger for the one carrying her fireworks to come stand by her once he was done speaking as well, offering a polite nodding bow or small smile to anyone who'd glanced her way.

Levi held the Red Kingdom in her heart like a child that needed to be nourished and taught. No, it wasn't just the King's wished that made her want to do this, Levi considered. They were all important and beloved creatures she'd seen and heard from over the years. They needed to protect and enforce for the betterment of the whole kingdom. The hand was meant to both feed the needy and to discipline the unjust. It was time to exercise the latter to its full extent.

((late night post excuse errors))